Page 44 of Tempest

Most of the pack met in the clearing behind the Alpha House for full moon runs. There were always a handful of people who preferred to run in smaller groups, family units or close friends, but for the most part, it was a time for them to come together, experience their animal sides in an unrestrained way as they ran through the woods, roaring and hissing and just enjoying themselves.

Cash couldn’t imagine not running with the pack. He liked running with Liam and the other Enforcers, and it helped stabilize the bonds between them, strengthening them as they continued to grow as a unit. Even if the rest of the pack wasbeing slower at bonding with Liam and letting them move away from the past and into the future.

The first full moon run they’d had after Liam had taken over as alpha and Finley as second-in-command, he’d been surprised that the vampire had shown up. Not enough to say anything, since he’d only known him for a couple of weeks, but ithadn’tbeen surprising to find out how fast he was. Vampires could move so quickly, they looked like a blur even to a shifter, their speed being their most formidable asset.

About a year ago, Pops had stopped coming, his arthritis getting so bad he couldn’t keep up with Cash and the others. Cash would slow down, sticking close to him, but Pops decided it was time for him to leave the run to younger members of the pack and wouldn’t let Cash convince him otherwise. It’d taken months to get used to not having Pops by his side, but they’d started doing smaller, gentler runs just the two of them.

He was sure having Ore with him would make everything even better, heightening his pleasure in the run to a level he’d never experienced before. As they walked around the Alpha House, where most of the others were already gathered, excitement palpable in the air, Cash cracked a smile at his little bird’s wide eyes.

“You seem surprised.”

“I just can’t believe this many people are part of your pack. For some reason, I thought it was smaller.”

Cash ran his eye over the crowd. They weren’t even a hundred strong, which put them nowhere near one of the largest in the country, but a lot of packs were barely more than extended families, especially avians. There were only two that Cash knew of that were larger than a couple of dozen. A huge one that was very strict about only having birds in their territory on the East Coast and one on the West Coast that had a handful of non-birds in the pack but was also maybe only fifty or sixty strong.

Birds had a reputation for liking to keep to themselves, being cold and unemotional, and rarely feeling the pull of a fated mate.

Not his Ore.

They hadn’t said the words to each other, but he knew Ore felt it too. And cold and unemotional? Not even close. Sometimes he could be shy with his reactions, but he felt things deeply, showing Cash how much he loved being pressed against him and taken care of.

He had something special planned for his little bit for after the run, and his excitement for it rivaled his anticipation of the run itself. Hopefully, Ore would like his surprise.

Who was he kidding? His little bird would be beyond ecstatic.

“A decent-sized pack,” Cash said, leaving it at that.

He steered Ore over to the edge closet to the woods where Saint and Rachel were leaning against a couple of trees, waiting patiently. Liam and Finley weren’t there yet, both of them probably still in the Alpha House finishing up whatever work they were doing.

“Hey, you two,” Saint said, grinning at the two of them. “Cash finally let you out from under house arrest?”

“You saw him at the lake and the bookstore,” he grumbled and shook his head, though he couldn’t be too annoyed when Ore laughed at the absurd teasing.

“Yeah, he can be a tough warden, but I’ve found a few ways to get on his good side.” He shot Cash a shy smile with just a hint of heat, and Cash’s panther was so close to the surface with the run about to happen that he couldn’t hold back his rumbly purr of satisfaction.

“Oh, gross,” Rachel said, grinning. “You two are going to be sickening, aren’t you?”

Ore ducked his head, stepping a little behind Cash to hide his red face. Cash shot his friends a glare, warning them to take it easy. They both smiled but nodded. Rachel could be particularlyfeisty on full moons, a soft glow already showing in her amber eyes, but he knew they would respect his wishes and not tease Ore too much.

Luckily, before they even got another chance, a hush moved its way through the crowd, and he knew that Liam was coming. Sure enough, the big blond lion made his way toward the beach, pausing to greet people or clap the sides of their necks. Finlay was just behind him, offering bland smiles to the few people who said hello to him.

When Liam got to the edge of the water—about ten feet from where Cash and the others stood—he held up his hands in a call for quiet. Immediately, everyone fell silent.

“I know we all want to get out there and enjoy the night, so I’ll keep this quick,” Liam said, grinning at the crowd as a few people fidgeted excitedly. His deep voice carried easily all the way to the back, using only a hint of hisalphavoice to keep everyone focused. “Fern’s going to do a quick blessing, and then we’ll take off. I just want to remind everyone that we have a guest with us this full moon.” Liam turned and pointed toward where Ore was still half-hidden behind Cash. “Ore will be flying with us. No one is to chase him or hunt him. He is to be treated with respect, just as we would anyone else. Is that understood?”

There was a quick rumble of agreement before Saint called out, “If anyone tries, they’ll have to deal with Cash.”

Face stony, he met the eyes of anyone who dared to look at him—either with curiosity or thinly veiled disgust. He made a note of anyone who looked unhappy over the fact he was protective of his bird.

Cash was glad Liam gave the order, but he’d be keeping a close eye on Ore no matter what. At least he didn’t have to worry about Billy Mittin. He’d been reprimanded by Liam and warned that his bigotry and shitty behavior wouldn’t be tolerated and then given three days of isolation in the basement of the AlphaHouse and banned from pack activities for two months. The only thing he was allowed to attend was pack meetings, if one happened to be called. The fact that he wouldn’t be there during the run eased most of the worry Cash had been having before he found out his punishment.

He’d hoped it’d be harsher, but he knew Liam had done the best he could to rectify the situation without overreacting like Cash would have. If it had been up to him, he would have driven him out of the territory himself and warned him about what would happen if he tried to come back.

He knew Liam was trying to set an example of what wasn’t acceptable, no matter people’s feelings on visitors within their pack, and Cash just hoped that everyone took it to heart—and that it was a sign Liam might be open to the prospect of Ore staying.

Fern came to the front next, her curls bouncing as she skipped onto the beach, a wide smile on her adorably freckled face. Her mates—Matt and Stephanie—stood just off to the side, their arms around one another and grins plastered to their faces as they watched her.

The pack blessing was familiar. Fern did it every month on the full moon, and then on new moons, she did a cleansing, which was common for packs with covens. He wasn’t sure if it actually helped anything, but it was a nice reminder of who and what they were and their bonds to each other.

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