Page 17 of Dancer's Heart

The following morning, Adam took Dani to meet Dade. Dade was not only the head of the stewards; he was also Acksel’s dad.

“Is Dade mated?” Dani asked as they pulled to a stop in front of Dade’s house.

“He was. His mate died when Acksel and Eveny were younger. He never re-mated.”

“Is it always that way for mated pairs?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if one dies, does the other one never mate with anyone else? My mom said that when her mate Nathaniel died she never wanted to mate someone else. I always wondered if she just hadn’t found the right person or if she felt like she’d be betraying her mate’s memory to mate again.”

“I’m not sure if there’s anything that’s normal when it comes to loss. Some shifters may feel like they only have one mate and won’t look for another. Others might eventually open their hearts. I guess it depends on their situation.”

“Was Dade the alpha before Acksel?”

“No. The alpha position in Wilde Creek is determined by a fight. If a wolf wants to try to take over the pack, they have to defeat the current alpha and make him stand down from his position.”

“What happens if the challenger doesn’t beat the alpha?”

“Pack law says that the alpha can either kill him or just banish him. It works the other way as well. When Acksel challenged the former alpha, he let him leave town. In our pack’s history, there have been new alphas who haven’t been so kind.”

She shivered. “Pack life is harsh sometimes.”

He nodded. “Like anything in life, you have to take the good with the bad.”

They got out of the truck, and as they were walking up the sidewalk, the door swung open and Dade smiled and waved. “Come on in.”

Adam shut the door after he and Dani entered. “Dade Moore, this is my mate, Dani Grayson.”

Dade extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dani. Come on in, I just brewed some coffee.”

After fixing their coffees, Adam and Dani settled on a couch and Dade sat in a comfortable recliner. “The scuttlebutt in town is that you’re a reindeer shifter, Dani.”

She smiled. “It’s true. My adopted brother, Row, is mated to Kammie.”

“You and your brother both found your mates here at the same time? That’s pretty neat.” He took a sip of coffee and said, “I have a feeling that you’re here on business. So what can I do for you both?”

Adam cleared his throat. “Dani and I spoke to Acksel last night. Even though Dani will only be an honorary pack member, Acksel said that she and I could both become stewards, and that we should speak to you about it.”

“Hey, that’s great! Jeremiah and Honey could use the help. The young people are fine, but they require alotof supervision. Last weekend I sent a small group out with a four-wheeler towing a cart to pick up firewood, and I found them several hours later with the four-wheeler upside down in a ditch because they were goofing around.”

Adam chuckled. “I’m sure they had a good time while they were doing it.”

“I’m very sure of that, too,” Dade said, smiling. “Anyway, yes, we’d love to have you on the steward team. On the March full moon, when you two are officially mated, we’ll have Acksel make you both stewards so it will all be official with the pack.”

“We’re not officially mated right now?” Dani asked.

“Yes and no. You’re wearing his marks, so yes you’re mated, but in the eyes of the pack it’s not official until the alpha recognizes the mating.”

“Thanks, Dade,” Adam said. He hadn’t doubted that the male would welcome them into the stewards.

“In the meantime, if anyone asks you to do something for them, be sure to tell them to talk to me or Acksel. You’re a steward as of right now, and that means you’re supposed to be focusing on the retirees.”

“Sure,” Adam said. “When do you want us to start?”

“Have you talked to Jeremiah yet?”

“We were going to catch up with him and Honey after this.”

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