Imogen was nervous! He could sense it and he took her hand and squeezed it as the waited for everyone to gather around the huge bonfire.
“We will be the last to change, so you can help India and then Garrett will look after her while we lead the pack. He will be at the back and will keep your sister from harm, I have no doubt she will take it all in her stride. Roisin and a few of the others will have mountains of food ready for us when we come back from the run, wolves are always ravenous but especially on this night.”
“Okay, let’s do this!” She nodded slowly and he moved them closer to where Garrett and India were standing and raised his hand while everyone around him fell silent.
“Pack” his voice carried out into the night and a few of the younger males howled, “We have a few guests with us tonight,” he indicated Colm and Rafe who were taking the prisoners home with them tomorrow to interrogate and Aspen who was sticking close to Kandis. “And it’s Imogen and India’s first full moon run, actually it will be India’s first run period so show some support.”
The pack cheered and India’s face flushed and when they began to strip off and change one after the other Imogen saw her sister fall to her knees and she ran to be by her side. Garrett was on his knees too, his arms supporting her on the other side.
“India, listen to my voice,” she commanded and the pack fell silent as they watched, “Relax your muscles, imagine you are floating on a warm feather mattress or soaring high in the air with the birds India, stretch out your wings, the more you can relax the less painful it will be,” her voice was softer now and she could see the deep red fur appearing on her sisters hands.
“Honey, you are doing great,” Garrett said from the other side and she whimpered and leaned into him as her limbs stretched out and the poppers on her clothes began to give way. Imogen yanked the poppers until India was completely naked and she yelped as she rolled around in pain, crying out as Garrett tried to soothe her, until finally she was covered from head to toe in russet fur.
“Well done, India” Imogen hugged the red wolf and Garrett changed in a flash and nuzzled her sister and Imogen stood up and went back to her mate.
The entire wolf pack watched as she untied her dress and stood before them completely naked, it no longer seemed important and then she and Seann changed together. She could do it easier each time and when she stood in all her glorious white fur the entire pack began to howl and she followed Seann as he raced through the trees, knowing that the pack were close on their heels.
He was giving her a run for her money and when she finally broke free of him she howled with delight and she was positive she could hear him laughing on her heels. Seann knew what she was feeling, he could sense her emotions, especially on this sacred night. She was alive, more alive than she had ever been in her life, this was her family and she was a wolf!
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Imogen
Her lungs were full and her heart was beating wildly in her chest and Seann was the only wolf close to her when they arrived back at the Den. She was fast, faster than she knew and she thought she could improve her speed even further,
Seann stopped beside her as they waited for the pack to come home and she nuzzled him. He changed back quickly and she followed suit, shaking out her dress and pulling it on just as the others came into view. She wanted to be waiting for India when she got back and she spotted her at the back of the pack, Garrett still by her side.
She howled in pain as she changed back but Imogen knew this would quickly get easier for her and she resisted the urge to run to her again, Garrett needed to do this for her.
“This is the best night of my life,” India gasped as she ran towards them. “This is destiny Imogen,” she said, her eyes still glowing brightly, her cheeks flushed pink.
Imogen took her sister’s hand and helped her find her discarded clothes. The other wolves were almost all in human form and the smell of food reminded her how hungry she was.
She took a seat at one of the many picnic tables that had been dragged onto the grassy area in front of the den and put on her shoes that she had left there before the run.
Roisin was supervising the two huge barrel grills that had been set up and the long tables were groaning under the weight of the mountains of food.
“We have to eat first,” Seann said coming up to her and holding out his hand, “It’s just a tradition but the others won’t help themselves until we fill a plate, old habits die hard in pack life.”
She put some salad and a baked potato on her plate and heaped it with cheese and sour cream. Roisin added a hamburger and hotdog before she could raise any complaints and she and Seann took a seat at the table closest to the Den as Garrett led India to the front of the line. They joined them at their table with Hope and Bree with Colm, Aspen and Rafe as their guests. There were still a few seats left but no one else joined them.
“Is this like the top table at a wedding,” she whispered to Seann and he threw back his head and laughed out loud.
“Something like that. There is always a table reserved for the alpha and his family, which will include my sisters until they are mated and any children we will have. Any important guests usually join us too. I am not as rigid as my father was though, he used to have his table separate from the others and they were all expected to pay their respects by coming to the table one by one and thanking him for his leadership, but I have no desire to be like him.”
“Thank god Seann, I couldn’t have mated with a dictator!”
“Daddy wasn’t a bad man Imogen, he was just a little starchy,” Bree said from the other side of the table but Hope wrinkled up her nose.
“That’s because you were his favorite, Seann and I got it tougher.”
“You argued with him constantly Hope, that's why he was harder on you,” Bree retorted.
“I’m sure our guests don’t need us airing our family dynamics,” Seann said and they changed the subject.
‘What’s your place in the pack, Rafe, what do you do?” Bree asked and he threw her a smile but his eyes were on Hope when he spoke.
“I have been traveling for the last few years but I have come home to settle down and hopefully find my mate,” he said softly and Imogen saw Hope’s cheeks flush.
“Seann said you are a doctor,” India added and he nodded.
“I graduated from medical school fifteen years ago and then went straight back to college to become a veterinarian. I have been going from pack to pack, meeting other people like myself, learning everything I could about wolves and humans, hoping to enrich our knowledge of a shifters physiology. As you know going into hospital or even the doctor’s office can be problematic for our kind, I hope my knowledge will be beneficial. There is a compound just outside of Dallas, Texas and they have a clinic with a doctor and nurses on the staff.”
Imogen was a little taken aback and pleasantly surprised, there was much more substance to this man than she had initially given him credit for.
“Hope is a trained nurse and midwife,” Bree added looking at Rafe, “She had delivered almost all of the babies born here in the last ten years. I was never into blood and gore, not in my human form anyway so I trained as a teacher instead. It comes in handy for helping the moms here who always homeschool the younger kids.”
Although the twins looked to be around the same age as her, she knew they were probably a lot older going by Seann’s age, there was still a lot she didn’t know about her new family.
Rafe and Hope were deep in conversation now and as she was close she caught the scent of arousal from the pixie haired beauty. She was as into Rafe as he was with her. Garrett at least looked a little easier since Rafe had stopped flirting with India and was almost amiable.
Seann stood up and the pack fell silent as he gave a little speech thanking everyone for helping her and India through their first pack run and India’s change and they all whooped and hollered, they had accepted them without question and Imogen was touched. When
Seann pulled her to her feet and she thanked them too, a few of the youngsters howled and she tipped back her head and howled too and they went wild. Flushed with her welcome she sat down again and Seann gripped her hand and held it in his lap.
“They love you Imogen and they have fully accepted you as a pack member and as my mate. Bitten wolves often have a harder time being accepted into a pack, but you are special and they can sense it.”
Imogen blinked furiously, she could feel tears stinging her eyes as she scanned the crowd and they did look genuinely happy to have her and India here.
They ate their fill and there were kegs of beer and bottles of wine for the adults and Imogen watched as three young wolves, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old lifted a keg and rolled it into the surrounding woods. They were followed by three of the young girls and Imogen smiled when one of them caught her looking. She grinned and one of the girls raised her hand in greeting before she disappeared into the thicket.
She turned to Seann and saw that he saw them too but he wasn’t concerned so she shrugged and let it go. Life was different here in the compound.
The night was coming to a close and Seann once again stood up and asked for everyone’s attention and they all fell silent.
He spoke about the things that had happened in the last couple of weeks and thanked everyone for everything they had done to catch the mutts. He paused and scanned the crowd and then asked Kandis to come forward. She looked a little apprehensive as she joined him up-front and Imogen knew that although she was healing, she still had a long way to go. Her relationship with her parents was definitely on the mend and Fae Woods couldn’t stop smiling all evening.
“As I thank you for the contributions you all made I would like to take a moment to specially thank the woman who bravely offered herself up as bait to lure the mutts in and ultimately allowed us to catch them. I can’t and won't tell you how much of a sacrifice it was for her but I can say I have never been prouder of another pack member than I am of Kandis at this moment.
Sometimes people are overlooked for a variety of reasons and I have to confess that I have been remiss where Kandis is concerned. For that reason, I want to let you know that for the first time in pack history we have a new female enforcer. She could best most of the men here in a fight and she is bright, articulate and incredibly brave. What do you say, Kandis, would you like to join Liam as a pack enforcer and his second in command?”
Kandis looked like she was in shock and an eerie silence had fallen over the pack until Imogen jumped to her feet and started to clap. Aspen followed her and then one by one everyone else stood and clapped until every member of the pack were on their feet, hollering and howling for her.
She came forward and turned to face the crowd and Imogen thought she could see tears glistening in her eyes. Beautiful, fearless, ass-kicking Kandis had a soft sweet underbelly and Imogen was so happy that Seann had made this decision.
“I don’t know what to say, except sorry I was such a pain in the ass to everyone for such a long time, especially to my parents and to you Imogen. What I did was unforgivable but I can only say I wasn’t in my right mind for a time. I swear from this day onward I will protect every single one of you with my life. I accept the honor you have bestowed upon me Seann. I won’t ever let you down again.”
She bowed her head and went back to her seat and Imogen watched Faye and Lachlan hug their daughter, her mother couldn’t stop smiling with joy and Imogen wiped a tear from her eye. After years of pain and not knowing why Kandis acted the way she did, they could all finally get back to the people they were supposed to be. Liam sat down beside her and she smiled when he kissed her cheek. He was so into her but Imogen didn’t know if Kandis realized it yet.
She yawned for the second time and Seann pulled her to her feet.
“Time for bed, sleepy-head,” he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she breathed in his familiar scent as they walked up the porch steps and into the Den.
“I need a shower,” she said as the bedroom door closed behind them and she opened the ties on the side of her dress and let it fall to the floor. She smirked as she strutted away from him and she heard his growl before he pounced and she was pinned against the wall with one hand as the other one stripped off his shirt and jeans. She wrapped her legs around him and fisted her hands in his long hair, the scent of her arousal was strong and his fangs were extended. She kissed him, exploring his mouth with her tongue and when he suddenly pulled back and gently parted her lips with his finger, he began to smile.
“Imogen, your fangs are extended.”
“Let me see.”
He put her on her feet and she rushed to the bathroom mirror, sure enough, two little fangs punched over her bottom lip when she smiled.
She stood up and turned on the shower and then pushed him against the tiled wall and grazed her teeth along his bite mark and he shivered at the gesture.
“You’re a tease,” he ground out and she pressed herself hard against him.
“How can it be teasing, Seann, when I am more than happy to follow through,” she laughed as she reached between them to run her hand over his hard silky length and when he picked her up and backed her under the spray, she shrieked with delight and they made love under the running water twice before she allowed him to dry her off and take her back to bed.
“Do you think we will ever get tired of doing this,” she asked softly as he cradled her in his muscular arms and she traced her finger down over his navel until he grabbed her hand and stilled her.
“Not in my lifetime, sweetheart,” he pulled her on top of him and her heart fluttered as she watched his eyes glow with desire.
“I love you Imogen. I think I have from the very start, when I saw you broken and helpless. I blamed my wolf but it was me too,” his wolf purred like a kitten.
She smiled and felt tears sting at her eyelids again, when did she become such a crybaby?
“I love you too Seann,” she said and began to cry in earnest, “I wanted to tell you before but I didn’t want to freak you out.”
He sat up and pulled her against him, “Shh honey, I've got you, what’s wrong Imogen?”
“I don’t know, I don't normally cry all the time but the last couple of days I have been blubbering over everything and nothing,” she reached for a tissue and blew her nose.
Seann set her away from him and a huge grin split his handsome face, “Babe, I think you may be pregnant!”
“It’s too soon to tell.”
“Not for a wolf!”
“Wow! Is it still safe to have sex?”
“Of course it is!”
“Thank god for that!”
EPILOGUE
India stood on the porch and watched the kids in the distance shooting hoops. Their whooping and hollering was strangely soothing to her. They were all wearing ‘Wolverine’ clothing from her and Imogen’s new clothing range and she felt a deep sense of pride at the things she and her sister had accomplished since coming here. They were fully integrated into the pack now and the new building for their workshop was well underway, Lachlan hoped to have it finished in another few weeks. She sometimes found it hard to remember a time when she wasn’t a wolf, she loved it.
Imogen came out onto the porch and handed her a cup of coffee and sat on the rocker. Her sister was three months pregnant but her belly seemed to be growing daily and she was glowing. Rafe said her gestation would be around five months, a little more than half that of a human pregnancy.
The handsome doctor had stayed on with them to get a clinic up and running in the compound instead of returning to his own pack but India suspected it had more to do with Seann’s sister, Hope, than anything else. They seemed to be taking it slowly but India had no room to talk, she and Garrett seemed to be constantly at odds with each other. He was angry at her refusal to commit to him but to tell him the truth would hurt him too, it was a no-win situation.
“You have a visitor at the front gate,” Seann said
coming out through the door. “A male wolf,” India was at a loss to see who could be calling to see them. They didn’t know any wolves except the pack members and a few from Colm O’Brien’s pack that had visited the compound recently.
“We don’t know anyone else,” Imogen said puzzled.
“They will be here in a few minutes, I told Liam to drive him up,” he sat beside his mate in the other rocker and took her hand protectively. India knew that had more to do with security and less to do with courtesy. She also noticed that three other young wolves suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision. Seann was extremely protective of Imogen and India smiled; her sister was no helpless little wolf.
The dusty green jeep came barreling around the corner and pulled up in front of the Den, Liam was in the passenger seat whoever it was in a hurry to see them.
He was tall and had his hat pulled down low on his forehead but there was something vaguely familiar about him and India knew that Imogen sensed it too as she joined her on the steps and slipped her hand into hers.
He was dressed simply in jeans and a plaid button-down shirt and when he came up onto the porch steps, he pulled his hat off and India heard her sister gasp.
“It can’t be!”
The bright blue eyes that stared back at her were a mirror image of her sisters and were glistening with tears, she continued to stare at him in shock for an age before she finally found her tongue, “Dad! What the hell, we thought you were dead!”
Children of the Moon - Book Two…...coming soon!
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much I as I enjoyed writing it. I always have a lot of sadness at the end of a book because I know I am going to miss the characters and their story as if they were real. This time, however, I am busy writing book two so I get to keep them alive in my head, just a little bit longer. Yvonne x
Yvonne (Laurenson) Robertson was born on Holm in the beautiful Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. She married Neil in 1985 and with their two sons, lived in various locations in the UK including the tiny village of Glamis, the birthplace of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Her son’s, like all of the village children, spent many summers, playing in the beautiful castle grounds, now the home of the current Lord and Lady Strathmore.
The Children of the Moon Page 15
