Page 18 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)
Packhouse meals were never quiet affairs, especially on the weekends when more people were at home instead of work.
Gray wasn’t used to the crowds, noisy overlapping conversations, or the fantastic food.
William and the twins joined him for most meals, some at their home and some in the packhouse.
Adding kids to the mix really stirred the pot, and he kept a close eye on his plate.
Gray discovered early on that Kiah Eby freely helped himself to whatever he could reach, though the adorable little Alpha had taken a shine to him for some reason. William explained it when he asked.
“His wolf doesn’t yet consider humans a potential threat, so his Alpha senses aren’t on alert around you and he can just be a little boy.
RJ has a similar effect on him, and that’s one of the reasons he and Jonah enjoy spending time with the twins.
As he grows, Kiah will learn when and how to temper his Alpha tendencies, but he’ll always feel the urge to be in control.
The skills are necessary for leadership among us, but I admit it taxes my patience from time to time.
Jack seems to have less difficulty handling him. ”
As the meal progressed, many people stopped to say hello—including a very pregnant Donna Follett and her rather intimidating mate, Lou Harmon.
“How are you, Gray? I understand if you’re feeling a little lost around here, but I hope you’re enjoying yourself. My daughter and brother and their mates are coming over for supper tonight at my home, and we’d love for you to join us.”
Gray accepted the invitation and briefly filled Donna in on Walter’s condition.
She, if anyone, would understand the confusing medical terms and treatments he was enduring, and he hoped to ask her a few questions during their time together.
After the couple left, William explained that she was expecting twins in less than two weeks, and was still seeing patients part time.
That led to a discussion of quick-growing shifter pups and the importance of family in their society.
When the meal ended, the twins each took one of Gray’s hands as they made their way to the school playground.
Several others had arrived first, including Katrine and Mandy and their girls, along with the Erwins and their son, Perry.
Gray took a seat on one of the nearby benches to watch, and was soon joined by Evan Blair who sent his kids to play with the others.
Like Jack, Evan was easygoing, and had the uncanny ability to know when someone needed to talk.
In this instance, he broached a subject that had caused Gray a great deal of embarrassment a few days earlier.
“You should know that neither Jonah nor RJ are upset with you.”
The whole humiliating episode replayed itself in Gray’s mind as he recalled meeting Jonah at the LRC office.
The moment he stepped inside the building, an unusual and arousing scent nearly overwhelmed him.
Worse, he discovered that it was coming from Jonah—RJ’s very attractive and intriguing mate.
Half hard and staring, Gray felt as though he were on the verge of losing control.
He’d never reacted so viscerally to another person before, man or woman, and certainly not to someone who was already mated and married!
A hasty tour of the building followed with Jonah and RJ exchanging concerned looks while Gray’s focus remained on the winsome Omega.
While Jonah was supposed to have joined them for lunch, Gray quickly found himself outside with only RJ by his side.
The fresh air must have finally cleared his head, and he offered an awkward apology for his behavior.
RJ dismissed it by saying that Omegas got that reaction all the time.
Gray shook off the confusing memory and responded to Evan’s comment.
“I don’t understand what happened. Are you sure they weren’t offended?”
Evan smiled and shook his head.
“Humans often respond that way to an Omega’s scent. You might be particularly sensitive to it, but Jonah wasn’t offended at all. Is it a problem that you found another man attractive?”
True Elders certainly didn’t pull any punches, and Gray internally winced at the intimate nature of the question. Since Evan would know if he was lying, there was no point in being evasive.
“Yes. I didn’t expect that, and it was so strong! The Diné don’t openly discriminate, but there aren’t that many gay tribal members, and I never thought much about it. I don’t know what my mother or grandfather would say if I… if I was with a man.”
Though Luna hadn’t revealed anything to him about Gray, Evan sensed that this was an important moment and selected his words carefully.
“Maybe this visit to Gladstone includes learning something about yourself. Sometimes it’s easier to do that when you’re not at home among familiar surroundings.
Being true to yourself is more important than what others think, though I suspect Walter would love and support you no matter what.
I’m sure your family just wants you to be happy. ”
Evan’s words gave Gray something to think about while they watched the little ones play. He’d never known anything other than his own people and way of life. Coming to Gladstone had opened the door to another world, along with options he hadn’t seriously considered.
############
Saturday around noon, Chihuahua
The roughly two-hour flight from León brought Alpha Cruz, Juan Ortega, and Jack’s group of six, to the Full Moon Ranch.
Tired of being cooped up, they spent several hours in wolf form—running, exploring, and chasing prey.
Though they all needed to get out of their human skin for a while, Sergio, Nick, and Dante were desperate to run freely in the sunshine without the worry of being seen.
They were like pups again, chasing each other with excited yips, exploring the dry mountainous terrain, and howling for no apparent reason.
They found the unfamiliar scents of cattle and horses both intriguing and distracting.
While their noses told them where they were on the expansive ranch, they were warned not to get too close, lest they panic the animals.
Once they’d burned off some excess energy, Alpha Cruz left them in Juan’s care to attend to pack business and prepare for his guests.
Those with reliable vehicles chose to travel caravan style and were expected to arrive somewhere around eight o’clock in the evening.
The larger groups on the buses weren’t expected until midnight or after.
All would need a hot meal, shower, and a place to sleep for the night.
On Sunday, those not staying at the ranch would be picked up by their hosts from other area packs and settled in their temporary homes.
Fortunately, Cruz’s Second had everything arranged, from food prep to bedding and clean towels.
After supper, Jack’s group repacked their bags with supplies and freshly laundered clothing, and met together to discuss tomorrow’s clandestine flight to Michigan.
Thanks to shared teaching dreams during this morning’s flight, Sergio was already aware of how things were supposed to go.
Nick and Dante, however, needed to be brought up to speed, and Jack told them what he could.
“Even Alpha Sheppard does not personally know our benefactor, though they have worked together before on other projects.
We are encouraged to enjoy the trip but not to ask questions.
I am told the flight will be quite comfortable, and it will take us directly from Chihuahua to Escanaba.
Once we land, we will be picked up and taken to Gladstone.
“I spoke to Ben earlier, and each of you will be assigned quarters for the duration of your visit. While I will be sharing teaching dreams with Sergio every day, Ben intends to mentor Dante, and Jonah, our pack Omega, is eager to share his insights with Nick. During your off time, there will be many opportunities to interact with our people, explore packlands, and visit the town.”
Given the unusual travel arrangements, both Shane and Milo were uneasy about their ability to protect Jack and Sergio. Apparently, Dante shared their concern, and Jack sought to reassure them.
“Both Sergio and I will monitor those around us and alert you to any danger. We will, of course, intervene if something goes wrong, though I have every confidence in Alpha Sheppard’s arrangements.
If your help is needed, Dante, follow Shane and Milo’s instructions.
You forget, gentlemen, that Luna’s dreams have already shown us safe at Gladstone, and I do not anticipate any hidden danger or difficulties.
I encourage all of you to relax and get a good night’s sleep. ”
############
Sunday morning, August 28th
A nondescript passenger van approached the drop-off lanes at the Chihuahua International Airport.
Instead of following the road to the left, the van made a hard right and stopped at a security gate that led to the private and business aircraft hangars.
A steady hand reached out of the open driver’s side window and punched an eight-digit code into the keypad.
The reinforced gate rolled to the side, allowing the vehicle to pass and then rumbled closed behind them.
Three buildings down on the left was a row of parking spaces for an air cargo company.
The last space, as they were told to expect, contained a dark blue van that had backed in.
Tomás, one of Alpha Cruz’s most trusted enforcers, pulled in beside it, leaving barely twelve inches between the vehicles.
Both sliding doors opened at the same time, leaving Jack face to face with a long-haired, bearded human wearing dark glasses and an I.D.
badge inscribed with “ Smith Aeronautics .” As instructed, Jack waited for him to speak.
“Buen día. ?Qué tipo de carga tienes?” (Good morning. What kind of cargo do you have?)
“Sólo seis para la boda de Martínez.” (Only six for the Martinez wedding.)
Despite the silly code phrases, the bearded fellow nodded his head and greeted Jack by name.
“Good morning, Jack. Pass the luggage over first and then yourselves one at a time. Move quickly, please.”
As they did so, Jack probed the man’s mind, as well as the silent driver up front, and found nothing of concern.
So far, everything was exactly as he was told it would be.
Jack opened the mind-link, assuring Sergio and Hector (who’d insisted on coming along) that it was safe to proceed. Hector left them with a final message.
“May Luna guide you. Let us know when you have arrived and how things are going.”
Once passengers and baggage were loaded into the blue van, the bearded fellow closed the door and the driver pulled out of the parking spot to continue farther down the same access road.
Behind them, their ride from the ranch went back the way it came and returned home.
Moments later, the vehicle approached a large open hangar and turned so that the sliding door was hidden from view.
The bearded man got out first, issuing instructions.
“Leave the luggage, and follow me. Speak to no one.”
Dante led the way, followed by Nick, Sergio, Shane, Jack, and Milo.
Jack caught a glimpse of their bags being wheeled inside on a large flat cart, and while there were several people in the hangar, none of them seemed to take notice of the group.
He sampled the emotions of the nearest employees but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Either they were very well trained, or they’d done this often enough to make it routine.
He supposed it was safer to pretend that everything was normal and above board, and looked ahead to see where they were going. The man led them to a storage room at the back of the hangar, and then spoke directly to Jack as soon as everyone was inside.
“Fruit and snacks will be available during the flight. Feel free to use the restrooms behind me, and remain here until we are ready to board. The non-stop flight will last approximately three hours. If there are no questions, be prepared to leave in ten minutes.”
Right on schedule, the nameless, bearded human returned, and they formed another line to follow him to the plane.
No one else was seen as they made their way across the large hangar to a midsized jet, offering both speed and comfort.
Inside, they found large seats and an open, airy cabin with large circular windows.
Though impressed, Dante, Nicolas, and Sergio had never flown before and didn’t realize how noisy, crowded, and claustrophobic most commercial aircraft were.
Jack and his bodyguards certainly did, and they looked forward to traveling in style for once.
Out of ten available seats, only a single one at the front contained a “reserved” sign.
Jack and Sergio chose a pair of adjoining seats at the center of the aircraft, intending to share teaching dreams during the flight.
Shane and Milo took fore and aft aisle positions that gave them the best view of any potential threats, while Dante and Nick filled in two more of the center seats.
As they all buckled in, their human guide explained the emergency instructions, comfort features, and the location of the aft lavatory and fore galley.
With no questions to answer, the bearded fellow knocked twice on the closed cockpit door before claiming the reserved seat for himself.
Moments later the outer door was raised into place and sealed as they backed out of the hangar and queued up for the runway.
Shortly after, they were airborne and on their way.