It was a quiet day in the infirmary. I was glad I had brought a book. Even if I had already read The Tale of the Body Thief a half dozen times.
Father was talking to his nursing assistant, Cami, as his shift ended. "Alpha Raphael must be taking a break from attacking our people until after the Meeting."
"I think it's just luck," Cami replied. "I don't think Raphael is capable of mercy."
"Show respect," Father snapped at her. "He may be ruthless, but he is still an Alpha."
"Sorry," Cami said. "I don't think Alpha Raphael is that diplomatic. Every wolf of the Dark Moon pack is a threat. Be careful at the Meeting, doctor."
Father nodded in acknowledgement of her warning, then turned his attention to me as Cami left. "Thank you for waiting, Savannah."
"Of course," I said.
"You're 18 now," Father reminded me. For a moment I was afraid we were going to have the talk about finding my Mate again. Then he went on. "I spoke with Alpha Oscar. We've agreed to let you come to the Meeting."
"Really?" I asked, honored that Father thought I was ready. Not that I was excited to meet the Dark Moon pack. They had made us their enemies back when I was too young to remember. Their Alpha was cruel, killing any rogue who encroached on his pack's territory – and that territory was whatever he said it was. My aunt Tabitha, my Father's sister, was one of those murdered for accidentally stepping across his invisible border.
Father remembered the days before, when our territory extended through most of the Rocky Mountains. The Dark Moon pack had taken half our land already. In the four years since Alpha Raphael took over from his Father as Dark Moon pack leader, we had been losing land faster than ever. While we still had more than enough to sustain us, we did not take the threat lightly.
Father must have had some inkling of my thought process, because he said, "This will be dangerous. The Dark Moon pack is –"
"They're monsters, I know!" I said, realizing a second too late that Father would not take kindly to being interrupted.
"You can still be kept home, Savannah."
I hung my head, hoping I wouldn't have to spend another six months proving myself to get a chance to attend the next Meeting.
"You may be right about the Dark Moon pack," Father said, softening slightly, "but our pack is no match for theirs. These negotiations are our best option."
"If I have a chance to get rid of their Alpha, I should take it though, right?" I was only half joking.
"This is serious, Savannah," Father said.
I understood where he was coming from. Several years ago, one of ours had been disrespectful at a Meeting. Amanda had been young and rebellious – perhaps the kind to make bad jokes and thoughtlessly interrupt her Father. She had never returned. To me, it was a cautionary tale I heard when I was 10. Father had been there to see what happened to her.
Father went on. "Whatever your personal feelings, I expect you to behave like an adult."
I nodded, holding in the smile I felt at him finally calling me an adult.
"We leave first thing in the morning," Father said.
He led the way home. I was happy that home was only a quarter mile walk from the infirmary. I was starting to get hungry. Thankfully, Mother had dinner ready for us.
"I heard you're joining the delegation tomorrow," Mother said once I had my mouth full.
I made sure to finish the bite before speaking. "I'm ready."
"I know you are, sweetheart," Mother said. "Your Father will be right there with you. Oh, and don't worry, you won't be the only young adult. Mark is coming too."
My best friend Mark was 19, and had already gone to one Meeting without me. Alpha Raphael had left his Beta to run the meeting. Of course, his Beta kept repeating the convenient excuse that he had to talk to his Alpha before making any decisions. That had been a waste of time for our whole pack.
Mother failed to realize that my dread was about meeting Alpha Raphael and his horrid Dark Moon pack. She saw my face and asked, "Did you and Mark have a falling out?"
I shook my head. "Mark's great, Mother. We're fine."
"That's good. He's such a nice boy," Mother said. "You know, I had hoped that once you turned 18, you two would recognize each other as Mates."
She had mentioned that more than once before. Sometimes Mark was so sweet to me, I believed he wanted something more than friendship, but that was unlikely. Every werewolf had one destined Mate, and they paired almost immediately upon meeting. I hadn't heard of a pairing between two werewolves who had known each other forever. Would they recognize their Mate when they reached maturity? However it worked, if I were his Mate, surely Mark and I would both know it by now.
…
I slept fitfully, knowing that my alarm would be waking me much earlier than usual. Father and I started the day with a hearty breakfast, thanks to Mother. She cooked all my favorites: pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I wanted to joke about her making my birthday breakfast late, but I was doing my best to show Father he was right about my maturity.
Father led me about half a mile down the little road that led to the city. This was the point at which we would be Shifting into wolf form and veering off into the woods to cross into Dark Moon territory. Alpha Oscar was there already, along with a half dozen other wolves that had been chosen to represent our pack. The last few members of our group were on the road just behind Father and me. Alpha Oscar sent the mental signal to start our journey. I gladly Shifted and took off running.
Mark caught up and hit his stride beside me. Being a year older, he had always been bigger than I was. Now that we were full grown, he was one of the biggest wolves in the pack. Given that Alpha Oscar favored him, no one would be surprised if he were selected as Beta one day. I decided to show him that despite his size and status, I was still faster.
We raced for a while, enjoying the freedom of sprinting through the woods ahead of the pack. Running was always one of my favorite activities. I could run for hours without stopping, savoring the strength of my sleek torso, the way my paws conformed to the rich soil, the wild grass tickling the silver fur of my belly. Only Father's voice in my head ever made me feel tired.
'Savannah!' Father sent. 'Stay with the pack. Alpha leads.'
I wanted to protest that Mark had started the race, and that we were only a little way ahead, in territory we had explored on our own before. I remembered what Father had said about behaving like an adult, and I paused in silence to let Alpha Oscar pass me.
'Remember, Savannah,' Father sent. "This Meeting is important. I'm counting on you to be responsible.'
I held myself back from telling him I didn't need yet another reminder; I was embarrassed enough.
It turned out I was wrong. The reminders to come would be a lot more painful than Father's reprimands.
