Page 27 of Eclipse Pack

“Arguments? Oh no. We’ve been hanging around waiting for you to come to your senses for the last few weeks. You have been working hard while running things, and we’ve allowed you more control over the pack. The sooner Taria gets here, the sooner you can officially take over the pack, and the sooner we can be out of here and start our retirement.” My mother sounds ecstatic at the prospect.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” taking over the pack… I hope I have not just told my parents I want them gone!

“I’ll call Flint and let him know. He can get accommodation arranged for us with the Shifter Council. Let us know when Taria will arrive. We’ll hang around and get to know her for a week or so, and then we’ll be out of your hair. You can always call us if you need anything but I’m sure you’ll both be fine.” My father stands to leave and offers his hand to my mother. “Come on,ex LunaSage. Let’s go make those future plans we’ve always talked about.”

“Whoa… Hold on… Just a minute,” I stare at them both as if they have gone mad. “This isn’t how I was expecting this to go.”

“Welcome to the world of leadership. Expect the unexpected. You don’t want us hanging around when you take over, Bronze. That will affect the transition from one alpha to the next. It needs to be a clean break and we’re only staying to get to know Taria. If she was already your marked and mated, we’d be gone in an instant.” Mother smiles at me and, taking my father's hand, they walk towards the door.

Well! I’m so taken aback, I just slump back in my chair and sit there, gulping air like a fish out of water.

I’ve summoned Beast and Star to attend your office immediately. We need time to digest what you’ve just instigated and as you still owe me two runs, we’ll have one now. It will be good for you to take a back seat for an hour or so and let me have the reins.

‘Yes. Okay. Let’s do that. I’ve been preparing for this moment all my life and now that it’s here, it’s happened so suddenly.’

A knock on the door, and before I get chance to say enter, Dixon and Adaline burst in.

They both scan the room and when they see I’m alone, they speak in tandem. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”

Standing in front of my desk, they both look anxious.

“Yes, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” Why would they think I’m anything but fine?

Dixon flops into a chair, and Adaline drops into the other.

“We both thought there was something seriously wrong. We’ve never been summoned by wolf to wolf in that manner before. We thought that Bronze was incapacitated and that’s why Titan was reaching out. Don’t do that! My heart can’t take the strain,” Dixon does look a bit pale.

Adaline shakes her head at me. “Men! Always so dramatic, but I have to agree with Dixon. It was so out of the normal for you that you had me worried. What was so urgent, anyway?”

“I need to go for a run in the forest and, obviously, you need to accompany me. I can’t run alone.”

Dixon looks aghast. “You scared me out of ten years of my life because you want some exercise?” Adaline and Dixon stare ateach other, then me, and it’s just as I stared at my parents when I thought they’d gone mad.

“Let’s go for a run, and I can explain while we’re in the forest. I need to get away from everything for a while.” Standing, I lead the way out of the office, away from the packhouse and into the woods. Shifting, Titan takes over and we run. I relax back into my mind and let him run while I link with Adaline and Dixon to explain where my head is at. Giving them their due, neither interrupt and only when I’m done do they say anything.

Adaline is excited and her focus is on Taria and the relationship side of things, though she does make it clear that she is aware of the bigger picture of when I take over the pack.

Dixon, on the other hand, immediately goes into the logistics of the pack handover and what do I want to do as the new alpha. Traditionally, a new alpha will announce some form of change, if only to show the pack he is the new force to be reckoned with. I think my announcement of change will be the members of my inner council, so that the pack is aware of who else they can turn to for help if needed. I’m well aware that no matter how good an alpha you may be, there is always someone too shy or nervous to approach you directly.

Giving Titan free rein certainly helps me relax and get things squared away in my head. Perhaps it’s just the freedom of the forest, though.

Hey. Don’t try and steal away my contribution.

‘Ha. Snooping on my thoughts, eh? I wouldn’t dream of deflecting the credit that’s due to you. It was a great idea to get away for a while. And don’t think for one minute that I missed those rabbits that you chased down.’

That’s my reward. You can’t deny a wolf his rabbit once in a while.

‘I suppose that won’t suffice once Maya is here! You’ll want more than a rabbit then, you sly wolf.’

There may be talk of pups, yes.

‘Talk? You’ll do more than talk.’

Realizing we are approaching the edge of the woods where we started, we shift back and I return to the packhouse and the alpha’s office.

Alone again and clearer in my thoughts, I decide to call a meeting of my inner council. Time to get them introduced formally, and then let them know that their services may be called on sooner than originally planned. Mind linking with them all, I give them an hour to clear their schedules and be in my office.

I’m not surprised when the first to arrive is Eve, ten minutes early. She sits outside the office quietly, but the warrior at the door lets me know she is there.

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