Page 4 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)

Saturday morning, Gladstone

Who knew that making a trip to see family could be so…

complicated? Scooter had been posted inside Lance and Roman’s home as his three teammates, Troy, Shane, and Milo, loaded up the passenger van.

First the three car seats, followed by everyone’s luggage and a ton of baby stuff.

The family was headed to Seney for an overnight visit with Roman’s family, and it was quite the affair.

A harried Lance approached holding one of his boys, now freshly diapered.

“Help me out for a minute? This is Quinn. Watch it—he likes to kick.”

Scooter blanched, accepting the curly-headed bundle of joy while his daddies took care of last-minute details.

Scooter leaned down to scent the child, relishing the unique aroma that all True Elders shared.

On a whim, he kissed the little one’s forehead before straightening up.

Quinn’s curious eyes scanned the burly beta’s handsome face and breathed in his scent.

With business taken care of, he was now free to kick the crap out of the big man’s ribs, provoking a mild chuckle.

Scooter didn’t give the little stinker a second chance, holding the child at arm’s length.

“Oh, no you don’t. Your Papa warned me about you.”

Quinn squirmed and kicked; a mostly gummy grin giving away his obvious enjoyment in the game. Lance and Roman approached, handed him a heavy diaper bag to match their own, and led the way toward the parking lot. Roman teased him a little on their way to the van.

“You’ve got the touch, Scooter! Quinn can be really picky about who holds him, but he seems content enough. It’s good practice for when you have pups of your own.”

Scooter simply grunted, even as his ears turned red.

Mating and pups? He truly hadn’t given it much thought, figuring no one would ever want him.

Intellectually, he knew he’d come a long way from the mistreated teen who’d shown up at Gladstone looking for a new home.

Ben and his packmates made sure he’d understood that he was not, in fact, stupid or worthless.

Yet the wounded man still retained the scars of his growing-up years, and he’d convinced himself from an early age that mates were for “normal” shifters, and not the likes of him.

Scooter refocused his thoughts as they reached the waiting van and the rest of the security team. He claimed the mid-position by the sliding side door, which also placed him next to Quinn’s car seat, with Lance on the other side. Roman sat right behind them, between Alastair and Logan.

The seventy-five mile drive wouldn’t take all that long, but Scooter took his responsibilities seriously, remaining alert and watchful as they traveled.

That didn’t prevent him from giving Quinn some attention from time to time, much to the child’s delight.

Everything Scooter did made the baby laugh—a light tickle, an amber-eyed wink, or a quiet growl.

Their amusing interaction stopped abruptly when Scooter suddenly let slip an aggrieved growl, and his sour scent upset the boys.

A quick glance out the window revealed nothing except a road sign announcing the exit for Gulliver—an insignificant burg that boasted a gas station and little else. A concerned Troy glanced in the rearview mirror and called out his teammate.

“Report, Scooter! What’s going on?”

Abashed, Scooter did as he was told.

“Sorry, guys, there’s no threat. Gulliver was my old pack, and seeing the sign brought back a lot of bad memories.”

Lance understood and reached across the car seat to pat Scooter on the shoulder.

“First time you’ve come back this way? Don’t worry, my friend. Your life is at Gladstone now, and if any of those miserable A-holes ever show up, I’ll help you rip their throats out.”

Roman had never heard his mate speak with such conviction, but he was smart enough not to ask about it now.

The others simply growled in agreement and dropped it.

Scooter, of course, felt bad for upsetting the boys, and turned to play “this little piggy” with Quinn’s toes.

Soon, the whole group giggled along with the little ones, and the incident was gratefully forgotten.

############

Thirty minutes later, Seney packlands

As expected, a large group had turned out to greet them, smiling and waving as they pulled in to park.

Lance could see his mate’s parents, siblings, and their families in the crowd, along with all nine of their friends from the former Kenton, MI pack.

They had merged with Seney recently when Seth Claybrook accepted the position as pack Alpha.

Seth’s Triad Mating was a first among modern shifters, having bonded with Leland, a rare red wolf and True Elder, as well as a young Omega named Finn.

All the others would be happy to see them, including Wilder—a teen True Elder who’d been adopted by Roman’s parents.

These multiple connections made for strong personal and pack ties for Lance, Roman, and their boys, and visits like this had a family reunion feel to them.

It took a while for everyone to be scented and hugged before Seth took a moment to confirm the plans that had been made.

“It’s so good to see you again! I know you’re having lunch with the Calhouns, but please join us all in the packhouse for supper tonight.

Our security team will work with your men to figure out coverage and where everyone is staying, and Leland, Finn, and I would love to meet with you whenever you can squeeze us in.

We have things to share, and I’m sure you have some Gladstone news for us. ”

############

That evening, they enjoyed a noisy meal at the packhouse—presently being expanded to give the growing pack more room.

Everyone wanted to see or hold the boys, and Lance and Roman were quizzed about their jobs and the goings-on at Gladstone.

With the addition of a young Alpha and his group of misfits, the Seney pack seemed a much happier and hopeful place.

It was clear that they loved Seth, deeply respected their True Elders, and warmly welcomed an Omega to the pack after many years without one.

Roman’s parents volunteered to put the boys down for the night, allowing him and Lance to remain and visit with the rest of the pack.

It was a rare treat to be together without their children, though they both felt vaguely guilty for shirking parental duties, even for a little while.

As the party broke up, the couple let Scooter know that they were headed into the woods for a private run.

They stretched their legs, chased some small prey, and then found a secluded little glen for some moonlit knotting.

############

The next morning, after breakfast

Loaded down with babies and diaper bags, Lance and Roman noted more construction on their way to Seth’s home.

The Alpha’s house had already been completely remodeled, and the packhouse addition was well underway, but that wasn’t all.

A new home was being built for Zara and Margo, both expecting in November, and another for Gabe, Sofia, and their True Elder toddler, Orion.

When they got closer to the Alpha’s residence, they saw the site of a rectangular building abutting the backyard.

Ben had designed a unique structure for Leland’s benefit—a combination vermiculture-hothouse and quiet getaway under one roof.

Ben had jokingly called it the wormatorium, but had obviously taken great care to create something that Leland could comfortably use in all seasons.

The front door opened as they approached the house, and Finn beckoned them inside.

“Come in, come in! Let me have one of those beautiful babies. The others will join us later, but my mates are waiting in the living room.”

Roman turned around so Finn could lift Alastair from the infant carrier on his back.

After scenting and hugs from Seth and Leland, they, too, reached for a baby before settling down for a visit.

As usual, the triad mates sat next to one another on the couch with Leland sandwiched in the middle.

They were given a minute to compare faces and fuss over the pups before Lance started the conversation.

“I can just picture you with a house full of little ones. When’s the big day, Finn?”

Seth’s eyes glowed, and a rumbling lusty growl quieted all three babies.

Luna had given the trio a unique combination, enabling either Finn or Leland to carry pups using the Change Mate process, just as Ben and Evan had.

They had decided that Finn would go first, mostly because he’d insisted, and the men couldn’t wait to begin their family.

“Well, if it weren’t for the national meeting next month, I would already be pregnant. Since we’re planning on a three-way genetic mix, we’ll have to wait until the full moon in September, and I should deliver near the end of December.”

When it became obvious that the boys needed a diaper change, Roman and Lance coached their friends through the process.

They got the job done, despite their unfamiliarity with wet wipes, wiggly babies, and onesies.

Once that was taken care of, the conversation moved on to other topics, including Lance’s involvement in shifter education.

Seth wanted to know how it might impact Seney.

“Our pack is still on the small side, and educating our kids is a real struggle. We’re in talks with several other packs in the area to form a daycare and school like Gladstone did, but where do we find teachers and get quality materials?”

Lance had already planned to fill them in, and he was excited to have good news.

“I’ll have my education degree finished in the fall, and the Council has offered me a position as the National Curriculum Director.

My job is to create shifter-based coursework that also satisfies GED requirements, and provide all the workbooks, reading materials, and tests.

I’m hoping to have the first batch of resources available by the end of the year. ”

The front door opened just then, heralding the arrival of Zara and Margo, on a break from their work in the pack kitchen.

While they fussed over Alastair and Quinn, Roman scooped up a sleepy Logan and laid him across his lap.

Minutes later, the Pickett family arrived, and little Orion scurried over to see the boys.

Wide-eyed, he scented each of them and then turned to his parents while pointing at the babies.

“Too eldo, mama, too eldo!”

Gabe chuckled as Sofia responded.

“Yes, they are True Elders, just like you.”

As he often did, Orion climbed up in Leland’s lap—his favorite person, and the first one he’d known that shared his own scent. Now seated, Gabe asked Leland a curious question.

“The team was supposed to call this morning. Any news yet?”

Roman and Lance had no idea what he was talking about, so Leland included an explanation with his answer.

“Nothing yet, Gabe. Generations ago, red wolves and their shifter cousins flourished in the southern region of this country. I am eager to find them, if they still exist, and a recent dream provided a location to begin looking. Alpha Sheppard was kind enough to send a team, and we expect to hear from them at any time.”

Lance and Roman understood the importance of such a search, just as Jack had informed Gladstone about Lobos, who were only now being brought back from the brink of extinction.

The problem, of course, was that shifters couldn’t thrive unless they could hide among natural wolves of the same type.

If there were few, or none at all, such shifters were forced into seclusion—resulting in an unhealthy and severely restricted life among humans.

Lance was more than encouraged by the news.

“That’s wonderful, Leland! I’ll tell Ben, but please let us know what they find. I have to believe that if Luna gave you the dreams, there must be others who survived the purge.”

Leland nodded.

“That is our hope as well, and I trust Luna to give us the answers we need when the time comes.”