Page 63 of Eclipse Pack

“I will take Gamma Wesley and Ember for a walk into the forest and explain what has happened. She can let out her anger in seclusion, and beat a tree to death with her bat rather than some poor warrior in the training ring.”

Taking my leave, I go in search of them both and am lucky when I see them sat together in the dining hall. As I stand at the entrance, Gamma Wesley must sense my presence, and possibly also my mood, as he looks up, staring directly into my eyes. Touching Ember’s shoulder, they both jump up and, leaving their table in disarray they hurry over. As soon as they approach, I turn and walk out of the packhouse without giving them a chance to ask what’s wrong.

Walking into the forest, I stop when I feel we have enough privacy for me to inform them of the Elijah incident. As I speak, I keep all my attention on Ember, maintaining eye contact throughout. Rather than the anger I was expecting to burst forth, I see only sadness in her eyes.

“You were expecting this news, Ember,” I say, and wait for her response. Several seconds pass before she answers.

“Yes, Luna Taria, I was. I have been steeling myself for this news since we spoke about it last. My anger I can contain and channel it when I next meet him. He will not be so fortunate again, as to walk away. I am sad that this is the end of my friendship with Hannah. She will try to make an excuse for him and that I cannot swallow. I presume that you won’t be sending me after him?” Seeing me shake my head and my wistful smile, she continues, “No, I thought not. If you change your mind, I would only require the company of a Shadow Warrior and we could have it done in short order and very thoroughly, too.”

“Both Alpha Bronze and myself have the confidence to know that it would be so, but as yet, have made no final decision, other than we are not dispatching our favorite bat warrior on the mission.”

“Ha, that’s a false compliment if I ever heard one! I’m your only bat warrior, my Luna.” Ember’s laugh makes me believe that she is taking this better than I expected, until her next words.

“Wesley. Let’s have an hour in the training ring, just the two of us. What do you say?” Ember tilts her head on one side as she watches for his reaction.

Wesley fakes a look of horror, takes a step away, and puts his hands in front of himself as if to keep Ember away from him. “Not this side of hell freezing over, am I getting into any form of training with you for the next week. Do I seriously look like I have a death wish? No, no, no. Definitely not. No how, no way am I getting in the ring with you.”

“I take it that’s a no then? A little dramatic too, don’t you think, Luna Taria? Are you sure you want a pup for a gamma?” Ember is goading Wesley to get him in the ring, but I can see he’s not falling for it.

“Say what you like, I’ll even yap like a pup, but I am not training with you. I value my life and any future relationship I may have too much to risk losing my masculinity to your damn bat, and that’s final!” Wesley folds his arms across his chest as I suppose is a gesture of his defiance.

Ember and I burst out laughing at the look he gives us. I’m amazed that she has taken this so well, but there’s a nagging doubt in my mind that she’s putting on a front for me.

I don’t believe she is. River has said that she has been talking about Elijah with her human and they were expecting him to return, if nothing else. They are both prepared to end thatshifter, no matter what form that may take to do it.Maya’s words soothe my worries, but they don’t disappear totally.

Walking slowly back to the packhouse, I happen to glance over my shoulder and see Wesley’s arm across Ember’s shoulders. It doesn’t look in the least romantic but does smack of brotherly concern.

Back at the packhouse, I see Herb scurrying away from the alpha office. I wonder what that little snake in the grass is up to now, I think to myself. Arriving at the office door, I see a new plaque on the door. ‘Alpha Office’ is displayed in a larger font and on a fancy background, too. It looks twice the size of the old one, as well. I sense a bit of professional jealousy here, but I’m not getting into a ‘my plaque’s bigger than your plaque’ scenario. Oh no, I’m not. I won’t be drawn in.

Diverting to chase down Herb, I run through the packhouse and see him in the kitchen garden. When he sees me, he takes off, and the chase is on. When Ember, who has followed me out with Wesley, shouts for him to stop, he trips in his haste to follow her order and is looking up in abject terror at her from his prone position.

“Herb, we need to talk about plaques!” Nodding vigorously, he listens to my instructions and looks relieved that he isn’t in trouble with me, or more importantly, with Ember! He still has that fear of her despite their earlier chat.

Back in the alpha office, resplendent with its new door plaque, I’m surprised by the presence of the newly appointed councilors, Chet and Sage. I wasn’t expecting them until tomorrow. Oh well, I can dazzle them with my culinary excellence a day early. Once the greetings are over and we’ve had a brief catch up, I make my excuses and slip off to the kitchen and my conspirator, Chef Ash.

Arriving in my new favorite place, I search out Chef, only to discover that she isn’t due in for another few hours. Oh well. As I’ve made this dish several times now, under her supervision, I’m confident of my ability to ‘go it alone’.

Cracking on with all my preparation, it doesn’t take long to have my ingredients ready. Everything is portioned and laid out in order as required. Meat is prepared, fried off and put in the oven. Stage one complete. I am so pumped with excitement that stage two soon follows. Getting my timing right, stage three gets underway, and my confidence keeps growing. This is going to be an awesome meal in an awesome setting.

Nipping out of the kitchen while everything is under control, I let Bronze in on my surprise. He seems more than a little apprehensive when I tell him I’m cooking the evening meal and that we will christen our fabulous dining set. When he learns that I’ve been working alongside Chef Ash, he seems much happier, so I don’t spoil it by telling him that today I’m flying solo.

Returning to my little piece of heaven, I check everything is going well and have a taste test, just as Chef Ash showed me. Realizing that it’s missing something, I rush around the kitchen grabbing a few jars and bottles. A sprinkle here, a splash there, and another couple of sprinkles and I’m about done.

Grabbing some kitchen staff, I give them my orders of how to plate everything and when to begin serving. Seeing one of them raise their eyebrows at my jar and bottle selection, I ask them, a bit sharply, if there is a problem. Quickly shaking their head, as they know I’ve been working with Chef, I let them carry on and I waltz happily away to announce my upcoming culinary prowess.

We have all sat around the table and I have announced to my captive audience what meal I have prepared from Sage’s recipes.They too seem a little awed by my boldness until Bronze tells them that Chef Ash has been on second chef duties. Not knowing what he’s talking about, I assume that’s why she wasn’t in the kitchen today, but off somewhere doing something for Bronze.

The food arrives and is placed reverently by the kitchen staff before each diner. Noticing a pungent smell, I wonder what it can be. Everyone else looks from their plate to me, then Bronze and back to their plate.

“Don’t be shy, enjoy.” I take up my knife and fork and cut a delightful piece of meat and almost shovel it in with excitement and not a little pride. Seeing that I don’t keel over dead must embolden my other diners, and they all begin to eat. Everything seems to go well for the first few bites, when suddenly my throat begins to get warm, warmer and then suddenly becomes a volcano of hot lava that continues down my chest at an incredible rate, burning everything in its path at a thousand degrees.

Throwing down the cutlery, I look around and see everyone else beginning to suffer the same symptoms as myself. Before I can grab a glass of water, Maya bursts forth and starts vomiting the few swallows of the meal that I have taken. Looking around, I see Titan, Shaman, Chet’s wolf and Midnight, Sage’s wolf, all doing the same.

Once Maya is sure that there is none of the offending food left in our stomach she shifts and I’m left sat on the floor near a pool of my own vomit.

Seeing each of the others slowly shift back, too, I look at each one and I’m just so ashamed of what I’ve done. Getting to my feet, I don’t know which way to run so I can hide my embarrassment when I feel an arm reach around my shoulders and pull me to achest. It shudders violently and I think that they are sobbing in pain until I hear laughter.

Pushing myself from the fierce grip, I see it is Chet that has grabbed me and is laughing so hard that he has tears running freely down his cheeks. Looking at Bronze and Sage, I see them laughing hard, too.

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