BLUE MOON.

chapter six.

73rd day of sunshine.

night.

FOX, Kenai Peninsula Pack

You betrayed us? Nikolai, our Alpha, who I usually looked at with respect and complete obedience, was pissed. And so was I.

Not intentionally! Damon replied, whirling around to face (what he hoped) was the direction of the pack, but we had no idea as to where we were. Southeast, it looked like. Smelled like, what with all the rain. Soaked fur was heavy, let me tell you, it wasn't fun at all.

Tell me.

He can't! I snarled at the same time as he thought "I can't!" Why couldn't they get that?

You'd keep secrets from the pack?

If I had any say in the matter –

I'm supposed to believe that, Gamma?

– I wouldn't. I swear. Niko... Believe me. You know my father wouldn't raise me to be a traitor.

Cole was a good guy, yes, Nikolai thought fondly of the former Beta, of the male who'd been killed by a newly-turned Vampire. Damon still froze at the memory, but he'd gotten better at shaking it off over the last few years. But you cannot let yourself be constantly defined by your father. Bad apples can fall from bad trees.

Oh, please. There's been no indication – I should have been more submissive about it, but I was still tweaked by being banished, of all things, and the fact Nikolai was taking Alyssa's side... But Alyssa wasn't the villain, as much as my pride wanted to think as much.

Hold your tongue, Fox. This doesn't involve you.

On the contrary –

Shut. Up. I did. I just listened.

This isn't me. The block. It's not me. You have to believe me!

I have to believe nothing. Secrets from the Pack... unheard of! Our joined mind is our strength, a weak link... is no good. We have no idea if you're consorting with an enemy. A vampire? Damon consorting with a vampire?

Nikolai was distancing the Pack and himself from us, his Order was not very strong as a consequence. You're just thinking crazy thoughts now. You're overreacting –

The pack is more important than what you are hiding, Damon. I sat down, blinking as a rain drop fell in my eye, but I kept my gaze on Damon, who was cowering under a tree. While I felt red-hot rage, he felt ice-cold shame.

Shame? You've nothing to be ashamed of!

On the contrary, he does. Ohhh! This was infuriating!

What the fuck is –

Down. Damn it all, I went down. Right in a mud puddle, too! My legs were trembling with the strain of trying to fight the Order, but Nikolai had focused his energy on me again. If only the joined mind only lasted so many thousands of miles... but it was as strong as if he were standing right in front of me. You are both no longer members of the Pack. You are traitors and unwelcome even near our borders. WHAT? The ties were being severed, I could feel it just as surely as I'd feel my legs being cut right off!

WHAT? You didn't get kicked out of a pack! I could see them... breaking. Athena! Tristan! Nick! Jordan! The Pack's members, growing further and further away... NO! I'd never heard of such a thing! NIKOLAI! DON'T DO THIS TO – We were alone. Damon and I looked at each other. He raised a brow... I was alone.

It was disorienting. I was in wolf form. I had four legs. I had a fuzzy tail, for crissakes. There was another wolf, who also had four legs and a fuzzy tail... RIGHT NEXT TO ME! I should have been able to hear him.

It made sense, though.

My ears flattened against my skull as I scanned the forest around us, feeling oddly cold in spite of my 108-degree temperature. Damon wasn't an Alpha, neither was I. I was dominant, usually, yes, but not that dominant. I looked into his grey eyes, but I didn't see anything. I whined, circling him as I looked toward where we had been headed. I gestured with a jerk of my head, trying to say, should we continue? I didn't want to stand around and mope... otherwise I probably wouldn't ever move again.

He must have shared the same sentiment, because he took off at full-speed, sending a gust of forest-rain-and-wolf scented wind at me as he did so, taking off at a speed we'd never bothered trying to gauge. I was but a second behind, steadily catching up thanks to my lighter weight, but unable to go too fast due to the rain-slick mud underfoot.

And we ran.

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