Page 77 of The Chosen Fae

A low howl rippled through the air, and Rune felt its tremor in her chest, familiar and exhilarating—welcome and warning intermingled. The forest shivered in the stiff breeze. From the thicket, fae appeared in shifting forms—some slipped from wolf to fae in the blink of an eye, fur shifting to skin and suede and cotton clothes, while others lingered as wolves circling the newcomers with cautious curiosity.

Wolf cubs darted between the trees, fighting for the best vantage to catch sight of the new pack leaders. The elders, their eyes bright and unblinking, watched from porches and shaded benches, measuring Rune and Stone for the job.

Rune’s heart beat faster. She could feel Stone’s presence beside her, steady and unyielding, as they walked the path winding its way through the heart of the community. Rune was aware of the expectations—her own, and those of the fae who lined the path, waiting to see if she and Stone could lead them. Stone’s hand brushed against hers—a silent offering of solidarity, or maybe a reminder that even the strongest wolves did not lead alone.

The pack’s greeting swelled in volume and bodies, a tide of sharp eyes and wary smiles gathering around them.

Stone cleared his throat, and the crowd’s attention pivoted.

Rune realized, with a strange thrill, that she and Stone were being ushered into the ring of the pack, and the air hummed with the anticipation of the old world ceding space to the new.

Then a couple of fae moved forward out of the crowd, Iris and Lolita with them, and two males about the same age. The man and woman announced they were Rune's mother and father. They came forth in tears and hugged her. "Star Gazer told us that she had helped raise you to be the beautiful wolf fae you are today. Lolita and Iris are your sisters," her mother said. “I am Chenille. And this is your father, Stormwalker.”

Stone smiled, but waited behind Rune to take in the news.

Shocked to pieces, Rune cried happy tears and hugged her parents back, unable to believe she had a mother and father. She had always imagined they had perished and she had been all alone in the world.

Then she hugged Lolita and Iris, thrilled they were her sisters. Even though she'd always felt a connection with them, she'd never imagined they were family or that she had any siblings at all.

Then they introduced Sam and Rocky, her brothers, the same age as her. They were thrilled to welcome her to the family also. Rune hugged her family all again, thrilled to have them in her life. Caspian smiled at her, and she hugged him too. Noticeably absent were Xena and Fang.

"Xena, Fang, and Caspian are members of other families in the Thistledown Pack," her father said.

Stone stepped forward to join the family, and they embraced him as well.

"I want to mate Rune," Stone said, not asking, as alpha as he was, but sounding like he wanted some kind of approval from her father.

"We're happy to have you as a son-in-law, and we’ll treat you as one of our sons. We watched your interactions, and you have our wholehearted approval. We only want the same for our other children," her father said.

Rune was thrilled that her father accepted Stone, though she was mating him no matter what.

Then they met the rest of the family: her two sets of grandparents. They were so excited to meet her.

"Star Gazer told us when you won the accumulated challenges along with Stone. There are five other families in our pack. The Glimmerwood Pack has six families," her mother said.

"And you've been at odds with each other," Rune said.

"Yes. We know the two of you will change the pack dynamics, and we'll be unified as one," her mother said.

"Though we don't want to let you go, you need to meet Stone's family with the other pack," her father said. "Both packs plan on a big celebration for you and the others who participated in the challenges honorably. Thankfully, though we couldn't be there to watch the events play out, everything—all the challenges—was recorded. Though we nearly had a heart attack when we saw Lolita fall into the hole in the cavern."

"Me too," Lolita said. "But Rune and our sister, Iris—though we didn't know at the time that Rune was our sister—and Caspian from the other pack helped me."

"We were proud to see how the other pack members were rallying around Rune and Stone, showing that they were no longer cowed by Xena and Vesper," her father said.

“We were too,” Rune said.

"Go, meet the other pack and Stone's parents, and we'll gather for the feast," her mother said.

Rune hugged them all again, and then Stone did. Then they fae traveled, something they were so glad to do again after finishing the games.

When they arrived at the other pack's territory, they found the fae had cottages there too. And like before, they all came out of the homes and woods to greet them.

Stone figured it was a good thing that they hadn't been raised in the packs. Though he supposed they had watched the games too and knew something about Rune, him, and the way they handled matters.

"I'm Melita, your mother," a woman said, her hair the same ice-white as his. "We couldn't believe it when Moon Gazer came to us with the news that you were our son; we were overwhelmed with joy and disbelief. We are so grateful that she and her sister rescued you and Rune." She smiled. "You make a beautiful couple."

"I'm Timber, your father, and you have two sisters and three brothers." His father ushered them forward, and they all gave him hugs, and he said, "You know Silas and Elon. All they have done is praise the two of you. But we saw how much you helped them too and stood by them."