The Moon through the Pines
He had never seen such a place in his life. It made Danny feel very strongly how much time he had spent cooped up in the city, where it was impossible to watch the sky, or enjoy the smell of grass. Not that he could do either right now, as they were still aboard Theodore’s plane, but he could look at the expanse of green spread out underneath them and wonder about Ryder’s life.
Pinemoor was an apt name; it made Danny think of a fairytale, and like in one there was an evil witch lurking among the trees, bent on destroying the hero and everything and everyone he loved.
“We will meet my pack briefly,” Ryder announced.
Danny felt the blood draining from his face. How come he hadn’t thought about this? He would have to meet Ryder’s family! Caught up as they had been in all the drama and the dangers waiting for them below, he hadn’t realized that he might meet his soon-to-be in-laws. Were his clothes the most appropriate for meeting such important people? What would they think of him once they realized he was a human? Ryder had been very accepting of mating with a human once Danny’s role became evident, but before that he’d preferred not to get entangled with him because all wolfshifters knew that they couldn’t and shouldn’t mate with humans.
All of these realizations were making his head spin, and his worry must have become obvious because Ryder came closer and wrapped one arm around Danny’s shoulders.
“I will not allow Cassandra to do you any harm,” the handsome wolfshifter promised.
Danny drew a deep breath, attracting his best friend’s attention, too. Vince threw him a concerned look.
“I don’t think it’s her I’m worried about the most,” he mumbled.
Ryder had to lean forward to focus on his words. “What troubles you, my mate?” he growled low in his chest.
“Your… we’re going to meet your family,” Danny whispered. “Your mom and dad…” How was he supposed to say this without sounding inconsiderate?
“My parents will welcome you with open arms. My pack sisters and brothers, too.”
Danny looked up at Ryder. “Are you sure? What if they hate that I’m human? They must have thought you would be bringing home a mate that’s a wolf, like you. They are in for quite a shock, and it’s not like we’ve even told them that we’re coming, right?”
Vince intervened on his behalf. He took Danny’s hand and squeezed it for a moment. He told Ryder what was going on in a gentle voice. “Danny here is worried that he might not live up to your parents’ expectations. I think he has no reason to worry, but that’s the way he is.”
Ryder pulled Danny close in a protective gesture. “They will only show him the highest consideration, as is expected for my mate. Danny, do not worry for a moment. I will let them know right away that you are my chosen.”
Vince seemed able to sense the possessive streak in Ryder and backpedaled with the grace as he was known for. For a guy who seemed perfectly capable of putting things in order with his fists, he was an excellent diplomat and a great judge of character.
“Where does the clairvoyant live?” Theodore cut in decisively, seemingly uninterested in their conversation. “I will face her immediately.”
“You must first meet my pack,” Ryder said in a similar tone that brooked no argument. “You need allies, because Cassandra is powerful. She might not be acting alone. Must I remind you, alpha, that she has also tried to destroy me and my pack? She is still trying. This isn’t your fight only.”
“Easy, easy, alpha boys,” Jack intervened in a forced cheerful tone. “My cards say that we must proceed with extreme caution. This isn’t something you should rush into.”
“I do not believe your bloody cards,” Theodore grunted. The aircraft was circling slowly now, as its pilot searched for a place to land.
Danny felt his stomach doing funny things but he needed to trust Ryder. It was, after all, up to him to make a good impression, nice clothes or not. Maybe he could mention the stainless-steel toaster? It wasn’t much as far as a dowry went, but since the thing had been able to take down an alpha as strong as Theodore Pembroke, it had to be a valuable object. Or maybe not. The last thing he needed was to come across as a nutcase.
***
Ryder breathed in the fresh scent of pines, his familiar woods where he had grown into the alpha he was today. Cassandra would be lurking nearby, probably wondering about the unlikely alliance that had formed between him and Theodore, but he trusted his instincts and Jack’s clairvoyance. They would not fight immediately, and since their fate was not yet set in stone, he had the time to let his pack get to know Danny, even if only briefly.
“Do your folks have phones?” Danny asked nervously. “It’s late, so we’re going to disturb their sleep. Maybe if you call someone--”
There was no need for that, as there was no need for any worry that they might disturb the pack’s sleep. A low howl sounded through the trees, a welcome only a wolfshifter could understand down to its deepest meanings. It was a howl speaking of the love of a family and the longing for someone who had been away for too long, far from home.
Throwing his head back, he let out a howl of his own, startling Danny.
“Wow,” his mate whispered, “that was pretty cool, Ryder. Wait, aren’t we worried that Cassandra might hear you? Right, she must know everything already anyway, since she’s an expert at reading crystal balls and cards that reveal the future.”
Ryder didn’t have time to say anything more because around a dozen wolves emerged from the pine forest. He took Danny’s shoulders and pushed him gently forward. “It’s time for you to meet my family, Danny.”
***
He knew it was going to happen, but he wasn’t ready yet. Danny stumbled as he walked forward, but Ryder caught him effortlessly and helped him regain his balance. As any normal human would be in this situation, his palms were sweaty and his hair was standing on end as he took in the pack of wolves walking toward them, their eyes burning the same way Ryder’s did.
They were majestic creatures, larger than the biggest dog breeds Danny had had the chance to see in his life, and their fur was exquisite, beautiful. The moon rose through the pine trees, far from full, but eager to witness this encounter.
“Ryder,” one of the wolves spoke and rushed toward them.
Danny took a step back because it seemed as if the wolf was about to pounce on them. But no, he was only shifting into his human form, becoming a man with white hair, broad shoulders and a wide chest. Even in the faint light of the moon, Danny could tell he was handsome and that he shared the deep furrow of his eyebrows and hard lines of his facial features with Ryder. Oh, he had to be his future father-in-law. Danny still had no idea what to say or how to behave given the circumstances.
Ryder embraced his father, both men patting each other on the back.
“We weren’t expecting you until the next full moon,” the wolfshifter said. His eyes, still gleaming like liquid gold, were fixed on Danny. His nostrils flared briefly. “And you brought a human with you?”
It seemed that Ryder’s dad hadn’t noticed Vince and Jack just yet. Danny didn’t have the guts to take his eyes off Ryder’s father, look over his shoulder, and check where the others were. He did wonder where Theodore was, and how Ryder’s pack would receive an alpha who had tried to take out their beloved leader.
“He is my mate, father,” Ryder said simply, gripping Danny gently by the shoulders and pushing him forward. “His name is Danny, and he will soon become an Asherman.”
Just like that. Danny gulped, cursing inwardly at his carelessness in neglecting to have asked in time about the etiquette concerning the meeting of such important wolfshifters. “Hello, Mr. Asherman,” he said quickly, stretching out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
His future father-in-law didn’t seem keen on taking his hand. He continued to look at his son, without paying Danny any attention whatsoever. “Mate? Ryder, your mate is a wolf. Have you fallen under a curse?”
“I believe this is where I come to the rescue,” Jack jumped into the conversation.
All around them, the wolves were turning into men and women. They were all impressive; Danny didn’t know where to look. He didn’t want to appear like he was staring rudely at them. A tall woman with long black hair moved to stand by Ryder’s dad’s side. Unlike him, she looked at Danny, studying his face.
“He is good-looking,” she said in a soft, reedy voice that Danny couldn’t help falling in love with instantly. “A bit too lean, as humans tend to be. Ryder, answer your father’s question.”
“There is no curse,” Ryder said.
Jack was still trying to get everyone’s attention and took another step forward. Ryder’s arm stopped him in time as his father growled at the clairvoyant.
“This is Jack, a clairvoyant I met in the city,” Ryder explained. “And these are my parents, Anthony Asherman and Harper Asherman.”
“We do not have time for useless politeness,” Anthony growled. “Explain what is happening, Ryder. Did you forget your quest?”
“Far from it. I found its true meaning,” Ryder replied calmly. “Theodore is not my mate. We fought bitterly and we discovered that Cassandra had destroyed his pack.”
Anthony didn’t appear in the mood to accept such a direct explanation from his son. “When I relinquished the leadership of our pack to you, Ryder, I didn’t imagine that you would so easily fall prey to the skin-deep attractiveness of a human face.”
“Father,” Ryder boomed.
The other wolfshifters had been whispering among themselves until this moment. At Ryder’s absolute tone, they all fell silent.
“Father,” Ryder repeated, this time in a softer tone, “I barely survived Theodore Pembroke. It was only because of Danny that I did. You must trust me.”
“If Theodore Pembroke attacked you, as you say, why have you arrived here in a plane bearing his name on its side?”
Danny turned this time, expecting Theodore to come forward and explain the situation. But the wolfshifter was nowhere to be seen.
Jack let out a disappointed “Oh, no!” before rushing back to the plane. Danny felt his feet moving of their own accord and following the clairvoyant.
They didn’t have to search very long. Theodore was gone.
***
Ryder growled in annoyance. “Theodore is here to avenge his pack. The curse Cassandra threw on our pack will not recede until the blood of the alpha is not spilled on these grounds.”
Meryl, one of the youngest members of his pack, hurried by his side. “We will not let her kill you, alpha!” he declared from the top of his lungs.
All the Luna Sentinels knew that Meryl had a heart as big as the moon, despite not being the brightest among the youngest. Ryder appreciated the sentiment and relied on pack members like Meryl, who knew the importance of obeying their alpha without questioning his choices, the way his parents seemed inclined to do.
“Where could he have gone?” Jack asked, letting his frustration show by taking it out on the side of the plane with his puny fists. “I told him to stay put, but he went all arrogant on me, and I should have watched him! Vince, you should have kept an eye on him like I told you--”
Ryder saw Danny’s face change, going white. His human mate cared deeply for his best friend, and all that affection was written on his face, mixed with anxious worry now.
“Where the hell is Vince?” Jack bellowed. “Vince, Vince!” he began shouting. “Do you think Theodore grabbed Vince and ran away with him?”
“They must have gone to face Cassandra,” Ryder said with a somber look on his face. “I know where she is. Follow me.”
“Ryder,” his father warned, “did you bring an enemy into our midst? If Cassandra destroyed Theodore’s pack, she must have done so for a reason.”
“Father, I know how much stock you put in the fate that appears to be written in the stars, but after my trip to the city, I know things can change. We will change them together. Believe me when I tell you that Cassandra is an evildoer, bent on destroying wolf packs, ours included.”
It looked like his mother placed more trust in him, because she took Anthony’s hand, squeezing it hard. “I believe in Ryder. You relinquished the pack to him because you believe in him, too, Anthony. We will not take a clairvoyant’s word over our son’s, will we?”
The fate of the pack had rested on his father’s shoulders for decades, so Ryder understood his reluctance to admit that his son had to be right this one time. Although he had hoped to introduce Danny to his pack and have everyone accept him immediately and without question, it didn’t appear possible now. It could very well be a long process that involved convincing his stubborn father that Danny was his mate, and a perfect mate at that.
“But how does Theodore know where to go to find Cassandra?” Danny asked the obvious question.
It soothed Ryder’s soul to hear his mate talk like that, focused on the obstacle that had risen in their path instead of worrying over the lack of acceptance from the pack. Danny was a strong human, regardless of what others had had to say on the matter.
“He knows because I insisted on showing him the cards to convince him,” Jack said. “I’m the one who’s guilty, so don’t look anywhere else.”
“Don’t be hard on yourself, Jack,” Danny said, patting the clairvoyant’s back. “Do you know why he might have taken Vince with him, though?”
Ryder’s heart squeezed painfully. He hadn’t expected this irrational jealousy to overwhelm to him, but it had to be happening because of how much he cared for his mate. Even if Danny and Vince were only friends, he stubbornly and selfishly desired that his mate only spoke like that of him, and no one else.
“Maybe Vince tried to stop him,” Jack said, looking every bit as guilty as before. Danny’s soothing words seemed to have no effect on the clairvoyant, but he was a notoriously hard-headed individual as Ryder had come to observe during their interactions. “Wait, I know,” Jack added. “I’ll lay down the cards real quick and see what’s going to happen if Theodore insists on being stupid.”
Just like that, Jack sat on the ground, folding his legs underneath his body and began laying out the cards. The light of the moon above was particularly bright tonight, giving the human clairvoyant the illumination he needed to read his cards.
“As I thought,” Jack said grumpily, “that stubborn Theo is heading toward disaster, and he didn’t even bother to take me along when he knows I love disaster more than anything. Ignore that last bit, people,” he said, grabbing his cards and pushing himself up. “It’s not true. But Theo and Vince are in a bad place right now, and we should hurry.”
“Why should we listen to this strange human?” Anthony protested since Ryder was already by the clairvoyant’s side while holding Danny’s hand.
“Because he is an exceptional clairvoyant who saw through Cassandra’s ploy right away,” Ryder replied promptly.
That earned him a strong friendly smack from Jack, which felt not even like the prick of a mosquito. “Oh, Ryder, you big fluffy dog, have I told you lately how awesome you are?”
“No, but we have no time for exchanging pleasantries,” Ryder said promptly. “I will have to tuck you under my arm, so we will be able to hurry to where we must be. Danny, are you ready?”
“Ah, damn,” Jack groaned, “let me get ready--”
Ryder didn’t wait for Jack to prepare. If Theodore had gone to face Cassandra alone – even with Vince by his side, he needed more allies – it meant that the evil clairvoyant had a chance to destroy the last member of the Pembroke pack.
***
Danny was sure he was making a fool of himself as he screamed like a child on a rollercoaster when Ryder took him over the tall pines. Both he and Jack had somehow ended up on the back of the strong wolf Ryder was, so it was up to them to keep themselves there by gripping at tufts of hair with all their strength.
“I hope I’m not going to be sick,” he murmured.
Of course, Ryder’s mom and dad would never accept him as their son-in-law if he started doing that, so Danny pushed down whatever he had eaten last. Behind him, Jack appeared to have no qualms about expressing his fear. The clairvoyant was shouting and cursing, saying something about how it hadn’t taken this long the last time. When had Ryder taken Jack with him in this manner? Danny couldn’t believe that he felt the green-eyed monster peeking over the very sensible line of reasoning telling him that Ryder was his mate and that was all that mattered.
He risked a look down at the glade opening under their feet. How was Ryder capable of flying like this? Could all wolfshifters do that? But no, they were alone, as far as he could tell.
What mattered the most was what was happening below. Danny could clearly see Theodore standing stiffly in front of a woman with long, disheveled hair wearing tattered robes. But where was Vince? And why wasn’t Theodore attacking the clairvoyant?
“That witch!” Jack exclaimed. “How dares she do that to Vince?”
Danny gasped as he saw Vince. He was strapped atop a large rock, his limbs pulled taut over what looked like symbols cut deep into the stone.
TBC
Author's note:
@Derek - and I believe I still have some surprises up my sleeve!
@DavidB - oh, lol, someone worries about Danny's apartment! I'm afraid the landlord will have to confront the reality of his tenant simply disappearing!
@Mark Mortland - oh, I'd love to have my characters on screen... I already have the action play out as a movie in my head.
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