Page 57 of Triumph of the Wolf
When we reached the cabin, the parking area was empty, save for Duncan’s van. I didn’t sense Mom or Rosaria in the cabin but climbed the steps to look inside anyway.
“Do you think they went to Sylvan Serenity to join the pack there?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but the property you manage is going to be overrun by werewolves.”
“Almost as bad as werewolf kidnappers.”
Inside, the lights were off, save for a small desk lamp. A sheet of paper lay under it, a few lines of handwriting scrawled across it.
A letter from Mom?
We’d just seen her. I was surprised she’d had time to write something, but my gut told me that the note was for me.
My feet led me to the desk. Maybe she’d started it while Duncan and I had been… busy.
I stopped in front of the desk, spotting my name at the top of the letter. A sense of dread rolled ponderously into my gut. I lifted the page and tilted it toward the light to read.
Luna,
I’m relieved you’ve finally given in to your destiny and joined with the old-world wolf to produce powerful werewolf offspring. It is all that I desired for you, and now I can die at peace, knowing my heritage will be carried on and suitable leaders will watch over the pack. I trust that you and Duncan will be respected by most and can handle those naysayers who may object to your position as pack alphas. This is the way of the wolf.
I’ve asked Rosaria to help me walk once more in the wilderness and bathe in the moon’s magic. I do not wish to die in a bed in a cabin like a human. That is not how wolves are meant to go.
I paused, my throat constricted, to wipe my damp eyes. The realization crept over me that I wouldn’t likely see my mother again. I hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye, other than that head nod we’d shared. Maybe that had been enough of a farewell for her.
As I already told you, the Medallion of Memory and Power is yours, and, as I believe your Duncan will remain with the pack and bound to you, the male version should stay with him. I do have one last request for you that I hope you’ll prioritize, especially given the trouble the world keeps bringing to the threshold of our caves and cabins. Retrieve your niece, yes, but also do what the vision suggested to protect our people, and do it soon. I’m not sure how much time we have. The pack must continue.
I would not be displeased, should you have a daughter, if you named her after me. From the stars and moon, I shall attempt to watch over her. And you. Be well, Luna.
~ Mom
I set the page down and wiped the tears from my eyes.
“Are you all right?” Duncan asked quietly.
He remained by the door.
“No.”
“Do you need anything?”
“To find that cliff and plant the mushroom, apparently.” I handed the letter to him, then looked around the cabin until I found a map of the area, one that showed topography. If the vision had been accurate, that cliff wouldn’t be far. The artifact had been doing its magic from the middle of our pack’s territory.
“I’m sorry, Luna.” Duncan lowered the letter after he finished reading. “I’ve not had any family over the years, but I’m sure it’s hard to lose a parent.”
“Yes.” I took the map to the desk, having located a likely spot, and drew the case out of my purse. “I need to go for a hike before we return to find Jasmine.” The wolf case zapped me. I set it down and scowled at it. “Are youreallygoing to be integral in protecting our people?”
My medallion hummed against my chest. Was that supposed to be encouragement? Maybe Duncan’s medallion did the same thing because he glanced down and touched it.
“All right,” I muttered and grabbed an oven mitt from the kitchen.
With my hand thus insulated, I picked up the case again and headed for the door. “Off we go.”
19
Drizzle fellfrom the cloudy night sky as Duncan and I clambered up a treed slope, the undergrowth dense and undisturbed. Dawn approached, but the gloom made it hard to tell. Only my phone confirming the time assured me that we’d been up all night. As we climbed, I yawned often and wiped my eyes, not certain if the moisture came from sorrow, the rain, or simply weariness.
I felt more like I was going to set a gravestone rather than plant an artifact and couldn’t shake my somber mood. It didn’t help that my niece was still in danger, and who knew what was going on at the apartment complex with the pack.
