“You sent them on my mission, didn’t you? You knew that was going to be mine. That I wanted to go there. We talked about this.”
“Stop right there, Fenya. I asked for your opinion and your input on the mission. At no point was there any suggestion that I would send you on such a potentially dangerous mission. Youwere not a member of my pack to be included in a team being sent by me to no-man’s-land. You said that you and Sloane would be enough to undertake the mission, and I beg to differ. This was not a two-warrior mission.”
“We could have achieved the objective and been back in half the time,” she snaps at me and the hairs on my neck bristle.
“If you had been back in half the time, Fenya Walker, you would not have achieved the mission objective…”
“Recon to check out an enemy's known location. In. Look. Out. Simple.”
“Recon to check out an enemy's known location. In. OBSERVE for twelve hours of daylight. Out. Not quite so straightforward and too much to ask of two warriors in enemy territory so far from the safety of reinforcements. If you want to become the Luna that you told the pack you were going to be, you need to get all the facts before you make a decision or start an argument.” Watching her face change from defiance to resignation, I continue. “It would be no good verifying something for only that moment in time. I had to know that they weren’t just out hunting food, or on a training run. I now believe I can contact Alpha Bronze and we can look at what we can do with this information.”
“I’m sorry, Lyle. Huh, sorry again, I should say. It’s not you who makes me so defiant and quick to judge. I don’t know why I do it, to be honest.”
“Fenya Walker, I never wanted a timid mate. If I could have defined a mate for the Goddess Selene to create for me, you would have been my perfect mate. I am not used to someone answering back or showing such open defiance. We will get used to each other, and then we will both change enough that we don’thave such outbursts at one another.” Stepping forward, I take her in my arms.
“Can I be present when Earl and Glen give their report? I promise to keep my mouth firmly closed.”
“I never want you to keep quiet, Fenya. I value your opinion and your ideas. Just give them in a calm and constructive manner, that’s all.” I smile down at her.
“Calm and constructive. I like that. I’ll work towards that from now on. Calm and constructive. I doubt that I will ever be like that in our lovemaking!” She blushes and giggles as she says this.
“I wouldn’t ever want you to be. You were so much like a ‘human Astra’, I wasn’t sure you hadn’t shifted at one point!” Laughing at my own comment, I’m stunned when Fenya pushes me away and stamps her foot.
“Damn it! I knew there was something. Astra, you will pay for this. I don’t know how you did it, but you influenced me in some wolf way! My senses were so heightened that I just thought it was supposed to be that way. I see it now! You’re not a good wolf. Was Hunter in on this, too?” Her eyes are glowing, and I wish now I had kept my comment to myself, though I’m not aware of any such action by Hunter or Astra.
“Hunter is not part of anything Astra may, or may not, have done. Neither am I.” I hold my palms up in surrender, but if in fact Astra did cause Fenya to behave in that way, she can do it as often as she wants in my book!
“This will be a conversation for later, Astra, and don’t think you’ll be chasing bunnies again any time soon.”
“You do know that you’re saying that out loud, don’t you?”
“Yes, and I know she can hear me, too.”
‘Hunter, you and I will be discussing this too. If there’s any way that a wolf can influence its human, I want to know about it.’
Personally, I have never found it necessary, but by all means we can ‘discuss’ it,Hunter responds.
“I need some fresh air. Let’s take a turn around the gardens. If we bump into any of my friends, maybe they can shed some light on this sly, underhand, corrupt, unpleasant, disturbing…” Fenya states as we leave the office.
Alright, alright. I get the message. You think I did something to influence your behavior. You should look closer to home, Fenya Walker. Experiencing something new does not mean you have been drugged, coerced or influenced. It just means it was new to your senses or emotions. Accept it. Get over it. Move on! (Hunter! One word about this to your human and there will be no pups. No practicing of making pups. Not even a butt sniff. Understand?)Astra says to Hunter.
I understand Astra. You sound like Fenya, by the way.Hunter chortles in his wolfish voice.
If there were a way to curse in wolf, Hunter, I would so curse you right now!
Taking Fenya's hand, we head out of the packhouse and into the gardens. The kitchen garden looks stunning as always. It is seldom full of blooms like the other gardens and borders, but it always seems healthy and full of life. I suppose being harvested constantly keeps fresh growth coming through.
Walking through the orchard, we come across Blossom harvesting windfalls with a couple of Flick’s kitchen staff.
“Hello friend Blossom,” Fenya drops my hand and hugs Blossom.
Hugging her back, Blossom gives me a wink over Fenya’s shoulder.
“Hello Luna Fenya. You look positively glowing today. Alpha Lyle, good day to you too. You also look more relaxed than I have seen in a while. Having a mate suits you both, clearly. How are your wolves taking things? They tend to take things more in their stride than we humans do.” Blossom offers an apple to each of us, which we politely refuse.
We spend a few minutes in idle chitchat when I get the message that Beta Earl has returned. Instructing him to see to the warriors' needs and his own, we arrange to meet in thirty minutes in my office.
In the office, Fenya is pacing up and down in front of the fireplace.
