AllFreeNovel
Share Us
While I dressed in the sunproof suit, preparing to go out to be part of the Pack magic that happens for the run, I again contemplated how I might get around whatever Alaric had done. I’d have sworn it wasn’t possible to so easily put me under such a restriction, and yet Alaric had seemingly done it with ease. It bothered me, but I couldn’t find a way around it.
The wolves strip down and begin their run just before the sun drops below the horizon, which means I join them a few minutes after they start, most months. Cora delayed the before-run speech until nightfall once, so I could participate without having to suit up and risk the sun, but I don’t want her changing the schedule on my account.
I quite enjoy running with the wolves, watching them work as a group to bring a deer down, and then eat, but it should be up to me to mold to their schedule, which most often means joining them as soon as possible after the sun drops below the horizon.
However, since this was a special full moon, the equinox, it felt important for me to suit up and join them for the whole thing. And once it began, once I was on that boulder with Cora experiencing the magic the wolves find in those moments that aren’t quite day and aren’t quite dark, I knew it had been the right decision, despite the risk.
And then, when the sun sank below the horizon and my full power came to me, and I could so easily share it with the wolves as we all ran through the forest, it was a whole different kind of magic. It was something I could share with them, and it again felt important. We were still two separate entities, the wolves and the vampires, but with every union, every sharing, it felt as if we all grew a little closer.
Furio caught his own rabbit, rather than try to get a piece of the communal deer, and that was probably wise until we officially, completely joined our two groups into one. When that happened, my wolves would be Pack, and our security teams would work together better. Not that there was a problem with them communicating now, but it would be better when they were all a singular unit divided into the sections of town they were responsible for, rather than by the hierarchy over them.
But I knew Cora well enough, no way would I even consider rushing her into it. It would happen when she was ready, and not a day before.
A few days after the full moon run, the invitation from the Concilio arrived, specifying I could bring a date, and assuming it would be Cora.
That didn’t work for me, for a variety of reasons, and I sat and explained them to Cora.
“If I declare Venom and Etta going as my dates, saying the three of us are a poly group of sorts, then we can each bring someone as our food source. Ranger for Venom, Furio for Etta, and you would be mine.”
She tilted her head. “Ranger won’t let anyone bite him, but he’ll drain his blood into a glass, and that works well with Venom. All three of us can act as security, plus that gives you two strong-as-fuck vampires at your back. Six of us, instead of two of us. I get it. It’s a good plan.”
“Do you want to go? Honestly, I’d rather leave you here to watch over our people, and yet, it feels important we show up together. I mean, you’ll officially be my food, and there will need to be public sex at one of the parties with me, Etta, and Venom in order to cement the threesome we’re claiming, and I haven’t had sex with Etta in centuries, but…” I shut up. I was rambling, and that wasn’t like me.
“Have you talked to Etta about this?”
“She’s a practical vampire. She’ll get it.”
“It would still be good to give her the opportunity to agree to it, rather than be told how it will be.”
Damnation, but she was right.
“And Ryan isn’t going to appreciate being left behind,” she noted.
“It would be bad for him to try to pop in and see us.”
She laughed. “He has balls of titanium, so he very well might try it, but we’ll talk to him about the politics of it, and how it might look if he does. He won’t want to do anything to show you or Etta as weak in any way, and showing up might say he doesn’t trust the two of you to handle yourselves.”
“You say you aren’t big on having to do all the strategy stuff at this level, but you’re on top of it, whether you enjoy having to be or not.”
She shrugged. “Ryan’s different. I understand him, so it isn’t hard to figure out how to appeal to his logical side.”
“Do you manipulate me like that?”
“I don’t think so. Mostly, you and I just talk. We’re usually in agreement, and when we aren’t, we figure how to get there.” She kissed my cheek. “I’m thinking we ask Kirsten to flash the six of us there, instead of taking the plane.”
“Let’s talk it over with Furio. He prefers to have a vehicle close, in case we need a quick getaway.”
“Agreed, but I can scope out the available cars and find one I can hack us into.”
I kissed her nose. “I love you more than I can say.”
“Because I can use my phone to hack us into a car?”
“Because you get me. I didn’t have to explain why it’s a good idea to have a car on hand for a quick getaway. Not only do you get me, but you have solutions when we run into snags.”
“Well then, have you considered this will leave Mac in the place of temporary-Alpha over my wolves, and Josef playing Master over your vampires?”
“I have, and I plan to negotiate with Kirsten so she can flash us home if someone tries to take advantage of that.”
