Page 34 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)
Late afternoon, Duluth
Adam Sheppard had been sequestered in his office, having issued explicit instructions not to be disturbed.
He’d received Jack Eby’s email shortly after their teleconference and had been ruminating for hours.
It was, as expected, a thorough and balanced way of handling the turning of humans—a subject he’d never expected to consider.
He found it amusing that the easiest part of the whole issue was the turning itself!
Coupled with Donna Follett’s medical recommendations, the practice could, indeed, become routine among packs everywhere.
There were two things that really threw him, however, and the first was that True Elders were the ones responsible for the horrific stories that had frightened generations of shifters away from the practice.
Up till now, they had been considered the most trustworthy and honest of their people, and when the truth came out, it would sully their reputation.
Sheppard understood why they did it, the pressure they were under, and the limited methods of communication existing at the time.
The second thing that gave him pause was the potential for abuse.
Jack had pulled no punches listing possible nefarious uses of the practice, and some were truly frightening.
A large part of his recommended “rules” involved relying heavily on withholding certain information and requiring True Elders to oversee the turnings.
In addition, their ability to influence minds would be needed in case something went wrong or the turned human could not be trusted.
Fortunately, there was no rush to reintroduce the practice, giving Sheppard time to meet with the regional councils and come up with a unified policy.
Now that he had a better handle on the issue, it made sense to contact Alpha Cruz—the only other council president who knew about human turnings.
Besides, he needed to speak with him about the funding request for the small pack that now included Gray Claw.
That was a much easier issue to tackle, and one he looked forward to resolving.
Decision made, he dialed Cruz’s number and settled in for a long conversation.
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Wednesday, September 8, Eagle River packlands
Lincoln obediently walked alongside Bruce like a pet dog, trying not to upset the man and be taken back to the house.
Alpha Richmond had ordered his captor to bring him to supper at the packhouse three times a week after Melva’s brave intervention the last time.
Bruce tried to protest, but Richmond had torn a strip off of him right in front of Lincoln.
“Don’t test my patience, you idiot! The whole pack is up in arms because you’ve got him squirreled away at home.
There are rumors flying all over packlands, and it doesn’t help that he’s covered in your scent!
Bathe him if you have to, but don’t bring him out smelling like your whore.
If you want my support to continue, you’ll do what I tell you to do without arguing. ”
Now, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening, Lincoln enjoyed interacting with his packmates and eating something besides raw meat.
Though he was still required to remain at Bruce’s side, others were allowed to talk to him or bring him treats.
Melva always met them at the door and even volunteered to bring his supper, along with Bruce’s.
She would share ordinary things from her day, pet him tenderly, and ask if he was all right.
Bruce hated her as much as she despised him, but he couldn’t refuse her visits without causing a scene and getting himself in trouble.
There was so much Lincoln wished he could say, but he was restricted to nothing more than a quiet yip or a tiny growl—otherwise Bruce would get testy and take it out on him later.
Still, he looked forward to the visits, as it was the only interaction he had with the pack.
Some were fooled into thinking he was content with the situation, but Melva and a few others knew the truth.
He could see it in their eyes and scent their resentment, though no one was foolish enough to risk sharing their opinion.
Lincoln watched Melva’s face and gestures carefully as she talked to him, convinced she was secretly plotting his escape while pretending to be harmless.
He clung to that hope, passing the time in his basement cage by imagining what she might do.
It was dangerous business, though, and she was just stubborn enough to try something outrageous or risky.
In many ways, it would be worse to lose his best friend than be stuck with Ballard for the rest of his life.
############
Friday, September 10th
Lou left for work following breakfast, though he’d wanted to call in.
With Donna now at full term, he didn’t want to miss a moment with her or the pups.
No one could blame the man, and his textbook behavior was totally expected.
Donna kissed him thoroughly and gently shooed him out the door with assurances that she knew the signs, and would call him when the process started.
Normally, that would give him plenty of time to get home before delivery, though she’d neglected to explain that there were often exceptions to the rules.
Besides, Donna didn’t feel any different this morning, and was free to comfortably relax at home.
Yesterday was her last day at the clinic, having hired a young human OBGYN named Lynnett Byrd to care for her patients for a couple of weeks.
She’d decided to keep the half-day hours for the foreseeable future, and with Erin there to handle the front desk, Donna was confident it would all work out fine.
After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, she went upstairs to her bedroom and fiddled with the jumble of blankets and pillows in the corner.
The nesting instinct had begun two weeks prior, creating a somewhat irrational need to find the perfect spot to deliver.
In her case, the location had remained the same, though the contents of her nest was subject to daily additions, deletions, and arrangements.
Nothing in the nest would make a great deal of practical difference since she’d be birthing her pups in wolf form, and wolves had been doing so under adverse conditions since time immemorial without problems.
The real key for shifters was removing potentially stressful elements and being surrounded by familiar and safe scents—mainly her mate.
Delivering inside meant no worries about weather or being attacked while vulnerable, and with Lou present and packmates close by, she could relax and enjoy the arrival of her children.
Fond memories of Erin’s birth rose to the surface, and Donna recalled how different her life was back then.
Still, the birth was easy, and she’d enjoyed the family bonding time immensely.
There was no reason to expect anything different this time around.
############
Erin hurried home after closing the clinic at noon.
Hungry, eager to see Kaylee, and worried about her mother, the drive seemed to take longer than usual.
Poor Lou! He’d stopped in twice to see if there was any news he might have missed, and Erin assured him that he would be the first one to know.
The man might be tough as nails, but as a first-time father he wanted to be home with his mate as any shifter male would.
Erin pulled into the lot, picked up Kaylee at the daycare, and went to the packhouse to grab a to-go lunch for herself and her mother. When Donna didn’t answer the door, Erin went inside and found her napping on the couch—an open book resting on her enormous belly.
“Oh! Sorry, honey. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I sat down. Why don’t you feed Kaylee and I’ll put lunch on the table?”
While the baby nursed, Erin told Donna about her half-day at the clinic.
“Doctor Byrd is a hoot, Mom! The patients were surprised to see her instead of you, but they all seemed to like her. She has a great bedside manner and tells the funniest stories. If she wasn’t human, I’d ask if we could keep her on after you come back.”
Donna continued setting the table as she answered.
“You know why we can’t, though she’s just the type we need.
I sent a message to Alpha Sheppard the other day, asking if he knew of any OBGYN shifters that might be interested in sharing the practice.
I’ll let you know if I hear anything, but it would be an ideal arrangement for both of us, especially while the kids are young. ”
Erin finished feeding Kaylee and then dug into her own meal. It didn’t take long to notice that Donna wasn’t eating very much, and Erin called her out.
“It’s started hasn’t it? The signs are all there, Mom, which means today’s the day!”
Donna abandoned her plate and stopped pretending.
“You’re right, but don’t say anything to Lou yet.
It could be midnight or after before things get started, and he’s got a meeting yet tonight.
There’s no reason for him to sit here with nothing to do except worry.
Tell you what, if the time comes and I’m not thinking clearly, just call him home, all right? ”
Erin agreed.
“You got it, Mom. If you still want Jonah and Evie here, we should probably let them know ahead of time.”
Donna shook her head.
“No. Word will get out and I don’t want everyone hovering for the rest of the day. I’ll give Evan a quick call so he knows, but nobody else for now.”
After lunch, Erin put Kaylee down for a nap in the new nursery and joined her mother in the primary bedroom.
Together, they checked all the supplies, rearranged the nest a little more, and then put a load of laundry in the washing machine.
It wasn’t long before Donna went down for her own nap, and Erin kept watch from a corner chair, monitoring her mother’s scent.
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Near 7 p.m.