Page 32 of Eclipse Pack

“Hello, soon-to-be-alpha. Soon-to-be-your-luna here.” Taria’s voice floating down the phone has me smiling and some of my stress floats away with it. Some but not all.

“Taria, I was just going to call you. I hear that you are going to the Wolfsfoot Pack before coming here,” my tone is a little sharper than I intended, but I put that down to my concerns.

“How on earth have you found that out so fast? I was just calling to discuss it with you. I’ve only just got off the phone from Luna Tati and left Alpha Connell’s office. I wanted to know your thoughts before I fully committed to the journey.” Taria sounds quite put out that I know before she has had a chance to tell me herself.

“I’ve just spoken to Alpha Connell and Alpha Gabriel to let them know that there is an escort of four Eclipse Pack warriors heading their way. I didn’t want any incidents when our warriors turn up at their borders. That’s how I found out.”

“Oh, well, in that case. I thought for a moment there, you had spies watching me, or shadow warriors or something. I was about to throw my toys out of the stroller.”

“Toys out of the stroller? I’ve not heard that before. That sounds like something Eve, one of my inner council, would say.” I can’t help but let out a small laugh as I imagine her saying that after Coal had done something.

“Obviously I don’t know this Eve, but she sounds like someone I could get on with.”

“You’ll like her. And her pup, Coal. He’s so full of mischief, I don’t know how she hasn’t gone gray yet.” Thinking back to the soap dispenser episode, I tell Taria all about it and she is in fits of laughter.

“He actually did that? That is so cool that he thought of it by himself. And he actually hides his forehead so no one sees this star? Oh, my Goddess, that is genius on Eve’s part. I can’t wait to meet them.” Hearing her laugh is like music to my ears, and I have the biggest grin as I listen to her.

“So why the visit to the Wolfsfoot Pack? Any special reason I should be aware or worried about?” Nothing springs to mind, but I don’t want to be blindsided by anything.

“I wanted to meet Tati and then, apart from your mother, Luna Sage, I will have met all the lunas in the surrounding packs. Is there something you’re not telling me I should be aware of?” I think the suspicion in her voice is playful rather than serious, but it does jog my memory. Savannah!

“There is something you should know before arriving at the Wolfsfoot Pack. My father sent a female there as punishment, because he knew that Luna Tati would be able to punish her for her actions here at the Eclipse Pack, better than he could.” Explaining the Savannah saga to her, she listens silently to the incidents that Savannah has caused over time. When I tell her about Ember and her bat, she bursts out laughing again.

“Oh, I so want to meet Ember and her bat. That was priceless. To be knocked flat by her nemesis and with a bat given to her by the object of her desires! What a double shock that must have been for her.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about meeting Ember. She is part of your escort. You’ll meet her soon enough. You just don’t want to meet her bat.” Listening to her, wanting to meet the characters of the Eclipse Pack, I can’t help but believe Taria is going to be good for the pack, as well as good for me.

Chapter 17

TARIA

Having spoken to Bronze about my visit to Wolfsfoot, I was annoyed that he knew before I had a chance to speak with him. As much as I hate to feel that I’m asking permission, I’m going to have to discuss any of my plans with him before I talk to anyone else. He must get fed up with hearing things from other people. I know I would.

Before setting off for Wolfsfoot this morning, I had a chat with Alpha Connell and Luna Hope and they were both very positive about my stay there. Alpha Connell told me that when I first arrived I had an abrasive manner, but during my stay it has improved, and was replaced by a much more approachable one. That was a surprise until I thought back to how my behavior has changed for the better, too. Luna Hope was just gushing with the positives and must have mentioned Dahlia at least a dozen times. That had Alpha Connell rolling his eyes after the third one.

I was sad to be leaving Blackshadow Pack, not in a ‘I wanted to stay forever’ kind of way, but I’d made some good friends there, I thought, and I know how little the packs get to mingle with each other. It wouldn’t be difficult to lose touch. Maybe that could be something else to be put under the Luna umbrella of responsibilities?

I was surprised that I had a six-warrior escort to Wolfsfoot’s border, as it is only a couple of hours' journey, especially when I saw who they were. It’s more like an honor guard than an escort. Chief Warrior Oscar, Iona from the warrior council, Swan and her brother, Ryan, both at the top of their warrior game, and then Brian and Theo. Theo I like, Brian, I am not so sure of. I know he came from the rogues and that he was originally associated with a Blackshadow Pack traitor, but I don’t think it’s that which has me on edge around him. It’s hard to put my finger on it, and I honestly just believe it’s a personality clash. Swan, I have a high regard for and I think she’s where she is because of her competitive nature with her brother. There is definitely an air ofanything you can do, I can do betterbetween them.

As we travel through the forest towards the border, I notice Brian stays close on my left flank. Swan stays close on my right, and Chief Warrior Oscar stays in front of me. Iona, Theo and Ryan are further forward, with one of them always scouting ahead. As we run, I marvel at how my stamina has improved in such a short length of time. Running as Taria, I feel much more confident in my abilities. Running as Maya makes me realize, even more so, what an impressive wolf I have.

About time I got some appreciation in this relationship.

‘What? You have never been under-appreciated. How can you say such a thing!’ I’m appalled at Maya’s statement.

When you were a selfish pup, you appreciated nothing, especially not me. We went for weeks without speaking and without me running. You are much better to be around now that you have been awakened to your true potential.I am so stunned by this that I don’t have anything to come back with. If we’d been running as Taria at this point, I think I would have stumbled and fallen flat on my face.

Brian's wolf, Deefer, suddenly sprints forward to Chief Warrior Oscar’s, Conan. We are all signaled to stop and we shift to our human form. Brian motions to the trees and we all scramble upwards into the dense foliage. Taking something from his pack, he spreads it across the ground and then climbs into a tree.

As we all watch from on high, we hear movement coming towards us. Four males appear and one is definitely excited about something.

“I can smell them, I tell you. They are nearby.” He is speaking in the loudest whisper you can imagine.

“I don’t smell anything. I think you’re imagining things again. You’ve been overdoing the wolfsbane again,” one of the others comment, and they all laugh at him.

“That’s not funny. My wolf would have left me by now if I didn’t sedate him. Failing my shadow warrior training, all but had him leave then. When I became rogue, he swore he would leave, so I started taking wolfsbane to keep him.”

“That was over a year ago. It’s a miracle you haven’t killed him, never mind him leaving you.” Listening to the disgust in their tone should have told the failed shadow warrior how they truly felt about him.

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