Moonsong (27 page)

As she stepped through the door, Millie found herself in her father’s study where he stood near the window wearing a red flannel shirt and suspenders, an axe resting against his heavy boots. “Are you ready?” he asked. “I can’t wait to walk my baby down the aisle.”

She’d never seen him sporting the lumberjack attire before and it seemed an odd choice for the wedding ceremony, but she merely nodded, accepting his arm. “Oh, can’t forget this.” He reached for the axe and hefted it over his shoulder, giving her a wink.

“
Papa, I…” Amelia blinked as she was suddenly alone again, standing out in the gazebo that was decorated with ribbons and flowers.

“
Are you ready?” Luc’s familiar voice came to her from the swimming pool, where he was busy swimming laps. “They’re waiting for you inside. Everybody’s waiting, kiddo.”

A small hand tugged at her skirt and Millie looked down to see herself as she was at age six or seven, hair curled and dressed in finery for the wedding, a basket of rose petals over her arm. “Papa’s waiting, he hates waiting.” The voice was high and sweet and not her own. As she looked closer, Amelia saw the girl appeared very similar to how she’d looked at that age but with some subtle differences, most markedly the green eyes that sparkled with barely contained excitement.

Green eyes just like Cutter’s.

The little girl slipped her hand into hers. “Are you ready, Mama?”

* * *

The morning dawned clear and bright, the sun rising high into the sky in defiance of Winter who still clung to the earth below possessively, hard enough to leave a layer of ice across the rooftops of Cutter’s Folly.

Amelia couldn’t help but think it should have been overcast and gloomy to match her mood. There it was, the final day of quasi-freedom before she’d be given her heart’s desire or doomed to a miserable existence without Cutter. That morning she was surprised to find Cutter conspicuously absent from his usual spot outside her door. She snuck out in search of him, hoping for a few stolen moments before everything got into full swing.

The house seemed deserted until she got to the kitchen where Scarlett stood at the coffeemaker. “Hey, you’re up,” she smiled at Amelia.

“Yeah, where is everybody? They’re not all gone on to the thing today without us, have they?”

“Chase and Cutter are off preparing, Grandmother went on ahead to take care of some last minute details. I’m here on babysitting duty, to make sure you show up when you’re supposed to, looking fabulously sweet and innocent,” she grinned.

“Let me guess, another white dress?” Millie groaned, shuffling towards the cabinet that held the coffee mugs, selecting one that read ‘
I heart Mondays’
.

“Yep, I’ve got your entire ensemble ready and waiting up in my room. Aren’t you excited, Millie? These things only come along once in a generation, if that.”

“I’m sure it’s real cool,” Millie deadpanned. “I guess it’s hard to muster up a whole lot of enthusiasm when I’m the prize.”

“But it’s bigger than you; it’s for the whole pack, a new direction. I know it’s not what you had in mind, but you have to admit, these are exciting times we live in.”

Amelia had to give her that; it definitely wasn’t dull, but somehow her cousin missed the point. “Yeah, they’re definitely exciting alright. Scarlett, haven’t you given any thought to the idea that one of them might die by the time the day is through?”

Scarlett sobered, bringing over the carafe to fill their mugs. “I know, but that’s rare, usually there’s a clear winner. Sometimes they never even make it to the circle.”

“So, if Cutter wins the first two challenges, then there’s no fight?” That was heartening to hear.

“Or Chase.”

“Right.” Millie stirred milk and sugar into her coffee. “So, by the end of the day I’ll either have everything I want… or I’ll want to join him in the next life.”

“Don’t even say that!” Scarlett gasped. “I know he’s not your first choice, but you can’t really prefer the idea of death to a life with Chase. Do you?”

“It’s alright Scarlett; don’t listen to anything I say today. It’ll be fine,” she gave her cousin a hug, hating to see her get upset. “So… when do we have to be out there?”

“Don’t worry, we have plenty of time for you to have some breakfast and get out there, they won’t start without you.”

“Who can eat?” Millie made a face. “I’ll take my coffee up and hop in the shower if you want to put those clothes in my bedroom, okay?”

“Oh yeah, about that.” Scarlett set down her own mug and went to one of the cupboards, withdrawing a glass jar filled with white crystals. “You’re supposed to scrub down with this; it’s part of the purification thing. It’s harmless really, good at exfoliating; I’ve used something like it before,” she held out the jar.

“You’re kidding, right? I mean who’s gonna know if I do or if I don’t?” Millie took the jar, giving a tentative sniff. It smelled faintly of lemons and rosemary, not at all unpleasant.

“Please Millie? She’ll know, she always knows. It won’t hurt anything, I promise.”

“Oh alright,” with a roll of the eyes, Amelia recapped the jar, tucking it under her arm. “I’ll see you in a bit.” With a salute of the coffee mug, she disappeared upstairs.

Less than an hour later, Amelia was back downstairs, cleaned and purified, smelling of lemons and rosemary. Obediently dressed in a long white dress, she couldn’t help but think it was a particularly impractical choice for tromping through the forest. More than likely she’d have to pick the hem up and toss it over her arm the whole way, which would probably make for a less than graceful entrance. But hey, she was just following orders.

Scarlett got off much easier, wearing the same jeans and sweater she’d been wearing before. As her cousin started pulling on her heavy winter coat, Amelia reached for hers, but Scarlett stayed her hand. “I’m sorry, you can’t wear your coat, but you can wear… this.” Reaching deeper into the closet, she withdrew a soft ermine stole and draped it over Millie’s shoulders.

Amelia’s hands sank into the soft white fur; she’d never had such a luxurious wrap before. “It’s gorgeous, but is it going to be enough? I think my hands are gonna freeze at the very least,” she frowned.

“It’ll be okay, there’ll be a big bonfire going for most of the day, you’ll be plenty warm,” Scarlett assured her.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Millie sighed, drawing the fur tight around her shoulders.

* * *

The opening ceremony, or whatever they called it, was nothing more than a big blur to Amelia. The smell of burning sage hung heavily in the air as Briar, their holy man, slowly circled the perimeter of the sacred space, muttering indistinctly. Dimly she recalled her grandmother addressing the pack, talking about the momentous occasion and the future of the pack and all kinds of crap, but mostly Millie just stood there, eyes only for Cutter.

Cutter seemed at ease, offering Amelia a reassuring smile and even a wink before taking his part in the ritual, kneeling before the Alpha when Briar came and anointed his and Chase’s foreheads with something ashy.

Chase for his part looked amped up and raring to go, an eager light behind his eyes as he knelt and submitted to the Alpha. Knowing he’d been craving the chance for years, Amelia could only imagine the impatience pent up inside of him, bursting and ready to be set free.

Adele drew Amelia forward by the elbow to stand before the two men. Not quite sure what she as supposed to do, she went along, wincing at the force of her grandmother’s grip. “Put your hands out and offer your blessing,” Adele instructed her, sotto voce.

“My blessing?” Amelia squeaked, eyes flying wide with stage fright, knowing all eyes were on her.

“Wish them well and be done with it,” Adele snapped.

Hesitantly, Millie stretched out her hands and placed them on their shoulders, relaxing a fraction when she caught Adele’s nod out of the corner of her eye. With a swallow, she cleared her throat and spoke loud enough for her voice to carry to the rest of the pack. “Good luck…”
Oh Christ, what was she supposed to say now
? “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
What was this, chicken soup for the pack?
Pull it together, Millie!
Letting out a long, deep breath, Amelia turned her focus to Cutter and found that helped. “May your feet be swift, your kill be quick and merciful. May the Gods watch over you and offer their protection. I know you will bring pride to the pack with your offering.”

A cheer went up among the pack, drawing Amelia out of the moment with a start. Had she really said all that stuff? At any rate, Adele looked pleased and tugged lightly on her elbow for her to withdraw. Millie allowed herself the quickest caress of Cutter’s cheek before she stepped back, telling him with her eyes that he carried her love with him as well.

Adele stepped forward, offering her own benediction; having to do more with honor and their dominion over all creatures in the forest and ending with, “Let the hunt begin!” Another resounding cheer came from the pack and Amelia found she was expecting Cutter and Chase to tear off into the woods like some kind of race when the starter pistol was shot. Instead, each man stepped to opposite sides of the sacred space and started to disrobe. Chase stripped down swiftly, tossing his clothing aside in a heap while Cutter was more reserved in his movements, setting his clothes on the dirt beside him in a neat pile. Both men seemed unconcerned with their nudity and the crowd accepted it as well without any nervous titter one might expect at the display.

Amelia’s gaze was riveted to Cutter, only vaguely aware that Chase was likely doing the same on his side of the clearing. Going down on one knee, his eyes dropped, an inscrutable expression on his face.

As she watched, his form started to shimmer and blur, much as it had the one time she’d seen Scarlett change mid jump, only slower. Limbs shortening, abdomen sinking, face elongating into a snout as a fine dusting of hair appeared all over, quickly growing to a thick dark pelt. All the while accompanied by a sickening popping and crunching, as bones reformed painfully. It was at once a horrifying and fascinating transformation and Amelia stood transfixed, incapable of moving a muscle until the black wolf swung its green gaze to meet hers. The same wolf that visited her dreams, and approached her in the woods the day the Seattle pack came to open negotiations.

Her wolf.

A long pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as he gave himself a shake, almost like a stretch, claws sinking into the dirt beneath him and then he turned, loping off into the woods and out of sight.

Adele approached at her side, watching their departure. “You did well today.”

“I probably could have done even better if you’d warned me ahead of time I’d be giving my blessing in front of the entire pack, so thanks for the heads up,” Millie replied sourly, her gaze still on the patch of trees Cutter disappeared into.

“I didn’t want you to worry over it; you seemed to have enough on your mind as it was. Besides, it’s best if you speak from the heart as you did,
ma chere
.”

“If it’s all the same to you Gran, I’d rather know what’s coming, okay? Lay it on me, what else can I expect from today?”

“Very well,” Adele returned stiffly. “When Cutter and Chase return from their hunt, Briar will decide which offering is most pleasing to the Gods, and there will be an offering made of the chosen beast. The other will go towards a feast for the pack tonight in celebration. They will be allowed a very brief period to rest and clean up before the next event.”

“The race?” As far as Amelia understood it, the race was run in two parts, the first in human form, the course taking them to a point deep in the heart of the forest. Once reaching that midpoint, they were allowed to change form and complete the rest on all fours, finishing back at the sacred grounds with all to witness. “Will I have to say something before that contest as well?”

A nod was given, “Just as for the hunt, you will be expected to acknowledge the winner of the first event and give your blessing over the race.”

“Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad. What comes after that, the fight or do they get a break again to rest?”

“The victor of the race may rest until the other completes the course, but there is no rest for the loser. He must immediately change back and step into the circle.”

“No, there is little ceremony between the second and third trials. We will have the circle prepared and waiting for them. Once they both step into the circle, the rite begins until one emerges the clear victor.”

“And to the victor goes the spoils…” Amelia murmured.

“Precisely,” Adele’s eyes glittered with anticipation.

“What are we supposed to be doing while they’re off hunting or during the race for that matter? Are we going to be having lunch soon?” Millie’s stomach rumbled impatiently, reminding her that she’d forgone her normal breakfast for that lonely cup of coffee.

“No, the pack will fast for the remainder of the day until the rites of succession are completed and the new Alpha has been chosen. Then we’ll feast and celebrate late into the night.”

“Super,” Amelia sighed, wishing Scarlett had filled her in on that little tidbit before it was too late.

“You will, of course, be expected to address the pack again once the clear successor has been chosen and then you will submit to him.”

“Submit how?” The little hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the sound of that.

“As you have seen the pack pay their obeisance, you will kneel before your mate, bare your neck, and make your choice known to the pack.”

“You mean
your
choice don’t you? I was ready to choose Cutter before we began any of this,” she scowled.