Page 8 of Eclipse Pack

“Honestly?” I tease him, as I’m sure that he wants me there as much as I want to be there with him.

“Of course, honestly. I can’t wait for you to join me here and start our lives together. I think you’re going to be a top rate Luna for the pack, and you’ll see where we can make improvements. I don’t mean my parents weren’t good for the pack, but there are always things that someone coming from the outside can see more clearly.”

“I wonder what Luna Sage will think of me when we meet.”

“Don’t worry on that score. Mom is already excited about you coming here. She has been making lists of things she wants to show you, places to take you, recipes to teach you. She’s confident that by the time you get here there’ll be nothing left to teach you about being a Luna to the pack.”

“You tell her together, we’ll tick the boxes of everything on her lists. She sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to join her.” My laughter stops with his next words.

“I can’t wait for you to join me, Taria. If there was a way to speed things up, I’d gladly do it. I wish we didn’t have to go through this training period. And don’t get me started on Titan. He’s driving me insane with his constant whining for Maya. I wouldn’t mind, but they have one-track minds!” He sounds exactly like I did when I spoke with Maya.

“If you say that to Titan, Bronze, see if he gives you the same answer that Maya gave me earlier when we had the very sameconversation. She pointed out that she had a two-track mind, as I had forgotten about food.”

“Give me a second to say that…” There’s a brief silence and then Bronze is back. “He mentioned rabbits in his mouth and the salty taste of their blood.”

“They’ll get on well together. She said rabbits, too.” I feel Maya stir in my mind.

Standing and stretching, she says,I told you so. And we need pups, too. We should have heirs.

“I’m not telling him we want heirs, Maya. That’s a conversation for further down the line, not this soon.”

Hearing Bronze laughing loudly brings me back to the phone call.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Oh, Taria. You said that out loud. I think that was a conversation that should have been in your mind and not to me. I must admit, though, I’m certainly with Maya on wanting a family. How do you feel about it?”

“Of course I want a family, but not within minutes of getting together. Jeez, you guys kill me.”

Hearing someone in Bronze's background, he tells me he’s sorry but has to go. Saying goodbye and hearing the silence has me feeling sad.

See! You, too, are ready for pups!

Walking from my room heading for the gardens, I see Alpha Connell by his office door. Waving for me to join him, I follow him into his office. Taking the seat that he indicates in front of his desk, I wonder what he wants me for.

“Hi, Taria. I’ve been talking to Flint and the other council members. It seems you have made quite an impression at your meeting. Porter made several complimentary statements about you, and for him to make a single compliment about someone is unusual. You should be very proud of yourself. Hope and I are proud of what you have achieved, and we think you have such a lot to give.”

“I don’t know what to say, Alpha Connell, except thank you for everything that you and Luna Hope are doing to help me develop myself.” I feel a little embarrassed by the positive feedback I’m getting after the council meeting. I thought I’d held my own, but apparently, I excelled. Wow.

I told you, be strong and you were. Now you are reaping the benefits.

“I don’t want to keep you, but I felt it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t pass on the feelings of everyone that has been associated with your training. With everything that is being thrown at you, I think you are processing it all extremely well.”

Standing up and offering my hand across the desk, Alpha Connell steps around and gives me a hug. “I think that deserves more than a handshake, Taria.”

The door bursts open and the whirlwind that is Hope rushes in. “You spoke to her already? I wanted to do that, Connell. You stole my thunder.”

Hope replaces Connell and gives me an enormous hug that almost takes my breath away.

“That’s what you get for insulting a councilman to his face.” Connell laughs at the shocked look on Hope’s face.

“Oh, my God. He told you that? I was so mortified when I realized.”

Slipping away as they discuss Hope’s unintended insult, I finally make my way to the garden.

Chapter 5

BRONZE

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