Page 47 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)

In chaos, there is opportunity.

Melva had no idea where the saying came from, but she’d adopted it as part of her plan to free Lincoln.

That pesky cougar had been slinking in and out of packlands, avoiding capture but causing plenty of disruption.

Lockdowns, added patrols at dawn and dusk, and periodic hunting parties had upset the normal ebb and flow of pack life, and Melva was waiting for the right moment to pounce.

She’d taken to rising before dawn, like this morning, watching out the window and listening carefully for the all-clear signals from the patrols.

As a safety measure, they were the only ones allowed outside their homes before sunrise and after sunset, and their systematic howls let everyone know that it was safe to move about.

Melva listened and counted as the patrol teams sent the all-clear messages until… wait, where was the last one?

A few more seconds ticked past until an agonizing alarm rent the air and was suddenly cut off.

Alpha Richmond’s emergency howl soon followed, requiring every able-bodied male in the pack to report for search and rescue, including Bruce .

The packlands exploded with fevered activity as the men left their homes, heading to the challenge circle for their assignments.

This was it—the opportunity she’d been waiting for!

Growling in anticipation, Melva opened the front door, stripped down to shift, and darted into the woods.

Bruce’s home wasn’t far, but she took a route that would bring her around the back where she wouldn’t be seen.

Breathing heavily, she paused on the small porch, ears cocked and nose madly sniffing the air—only picking up the scents of Bruce and Lincoln.

As Richmond’s Second, Ballard’s place was at his Alpha’s side, and surely he’d already left the house.

At least she hoped he had, or this rescue attempt would fail spectacularly.

Melva shifted and tried the doorknob. It was unlocked, saving her the noisy and difficult job of breaking in.

An empty kitchen greeted her, and she called out.

“Lincoln! Where are you?”

A series of anxious yips reached her from the basement, and she yanked open the door to head downstairs. Anger surged as she found him locked in a dog kennel, beside himself to see her. She released the catch and Lincoln nearly knocked her down with relief and excitement.

“No time, sweetheart. We’re getting out of here!”

He ran up the stairs ahead of her, and waited at the open back door while she caught up.

“Everybody’s out searching, so don’t worry about the patrols. Run as fast as you can, and I’ll meet you at Gladstone as soon as I can get there. I love you, now go!”

Lincoln gave her hand a quick swipe with his tongue and darted outside. He was already out of sight by the time Melva shifted, heading for the eastern border as quickly as her old bones could carry her. They were free!

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

Hours later…

Worn out and discouraged, Stu Richmond returned to his office for a few moments of peace and quiet.

How could things have gone so terribly wrong?

Two of his enforcers were dead—ambushed by the cougar while on patrol.

Fortunately, they’d finally caught and killed the dangerous beast, but Lenny and Kurt paid the ultimate price.

Richmond had tried to comfort their families, promising one of those new memorial service things when the dust settled.

That wasn’t the worst of it, though. Somehow, this craptastic day had gone even further downhill when Bruce discovered that Lincoln and Melva were missing.

The pack was madder than hell, and Richmond had no choice but to send out search parties to track them down.

All this fuss over a meddling old bitch and a useless Omega!

While no one openly said so, the pack was blaming him for this fiasco.

He could smell their discontent, read their body language, and see the fury in their eyes. Damn it all!

Richmond dropped heavily into his office chair, wishing he could sweep this mess away and start over.

Would he have done things differently? Maybe, maybe not.

Hindsight and what ifs weren’t going to soothe tempers and restore the respect of his people.

He’d been a pack Alpha long enough to know that the passage of time cured most ills, and folks would eventually forget why they’d been upset.

Bruce’s scent preceded the knock on his door, interrupting Richmond’s introspection.

“Come!”

Ballard entered quietly, eager to avoid the tongue-lashing he knew was coming.

“Well? Did you find them?”

Still standing, Bruce shook his head.

“No, Sir. We picked up traces here and there, both heading east, but I don’t think they were traveling together. Melva’s scent disappeared near Highway 55, but I followed Lincoln’s for few more miles until it stopped at the Pine River.”

Richmond snarled, sending waves of Alpha power at his Second.

“You’re telling me you can’t find an old woman and a pregnant Omega? Where were they headed?”

Bruce swallowed hard, cringing under the strength of the Alpha’s anger.

“Melva kept her mouth shut and didn’t tell nobody what she was planning. They might show up at another pack somewhere, and there’s a bunch out that way. Do you want me to contact them?”

Richmond slammed the desk with his fist.

“NO, you fool! They don’t need to know our business and I’m not in the mood to answer questions. No one cares about the old woman, but get your worthless ass out there and find Lincoln Hart!”

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

Challenge circle, Gladstone

Scooter watched intently as his new student faced off against Troy O’Neil.

This was not a capitulation match, rather a test of techniques that he’d been drilling into the young True Elder.

Evan had asked Scooter to teach Colton some basic self-defense moves that could help him in a fight.

Memory transfers were all fine and good, but knowing and doing were very different concepts.

Hopefully, he’d never need to defend himself against attack, but both Ben and Jack thought it would help round out the teen’s education.

Troy might be on the smaller side for a Beta, making him and Colton more evenly matched, but he was an experienced fighter who understood what Scooter was trying to teach the teen.

Even so, he began the test at half his normal speed, giving Colton more time to process and respond.

He feinted, dodged, jumped, rolled, and even added in some dirty tricks that less honorable opponents might try.

Colton’s superior memory meant that he learned very quickly, never making the same mistake twice.

Troy noticed and adapted to compensate until the two were on equal footing.

With an increase in speed came both ferocity and determination, and the smell of blood upped the ante even further.

Troy didn’t know it, but Colton was actively drawing on his memories, copying what others had done in similar situations.

When Troy came barreling at him full speed, he leaped into the air, landing on his opponent’s back for a snapping, snarling roll in the grass. Scooter intervened.

“HOLD! Let’s take a break, guys.”

The bystanders, including Evan and Colton’s family, clapped and hooted as the men shifted back.

Scooter blocked the young man from view, handing him a loose pair of shorts.

Fighting produced an adrenaline surge in male shifters that sometimes resulted in an erection.

The poor teen didn’t need the humiliation of being seen in that state, and a relieved Colton slipped on the shorts with a word of thanks.

He and Troy were given something to drink, and then handed towels to wipe off the blood and sweat. Colton surprised Troy with a brief hug.

“That was fun! You’re really good.”

Troy couldn’t help but tease.

“So were you! Listen, if this True Elder gig doesn’t work out, you can come back here and join the security team.”

They all laughed, and Scooter beamed with pride.

“You’re doing great, Colton. I’ve never seen anyone learn and adapt that fast before. During this next round, we’re going to work on finding your opponent’s tell and how to take advantage of it. I have a feeling you’re going to hand Troy his head!”

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

Mid-afternoon, Wisconsin

Melva lay in the weak fall sunshine to rest for a while.

Running for your life wasn’t recommended for someone in their nineties, even for shifters.

She’d gone as far as she could today, resolved to use her remaining strength to find some tasty prey, hunker down for the night, and then continue on tomorrow.

At this pace, it would take weeks to reach Gladstone, and she was glad that Lincoln wouldn’t be hampered by her lack of progress.

His freedom and safety were paramount, and Melva hoped he didn’t have any trouble along the way.

Her plan was to follow Highway 70 east to Iron Mountain, and then Highway 2 all the way to Gladstone.

If only she had her car, none of this would have been necessary!

Hitching a ride wouldn’t work, since no human would pick up a naked stranger alongside the road.

That would probably get her arrested anyway, though she’d have stories to tell later.

Ginny, Melva’s friend at Newald, would laugh her head off at something like that and… wait just a minute!

Newald was in the wrong direction, but if she showed up there, Ginny could drive her to Gladstone in a matter of hours!

Yes, this was a much better plan, though it would still take a few days to reach Newald on foot.

Even if Bruce showed up, the pack would protect her and eventually she would join Lincoln at Gladstone.

While her wolf was enjoying this little adventure, Melva’s human half yearned to be with the sweet Omega and make sure he was all right.

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

Towards evening, near Tipler WI

Lincoln washed the blood off his face and paws in the clear stream, taking a long drink while he was there.

The otter he’d just dispatched for supper had been a real treat—even better than the fat bunny at lunchtime.

He’d made a good thirty miles since the escape, and if he could continue that pace, he’d reach Gladstone with just three more days of travel.

Not bad for someone who was out of shape, pregnant, and traveling in unfamiliar territory.

To hide his scent, Lincoln walked through the stream on his way to an unoccupied bear den he’d found that would serve as his shelter for the night.

October temperatures got down to the mid-forties after dark, and Lincoln was glad for his fur.

No doubt Melva faced the same problem, and he wondered if she was making good progress.

Did she get enough to eat today? Had she been caught? What was happening back home?

Huh. Eagle River was no longer his home, but he still cared about his former packmates.

If only they didn’t have to put up with Alpha Richmond and Bruce Ballard.

People like that shouldn’t be allowed to lead packs, not when they were so cruel and abusive.

Maybe the nice folks at Gladstone could do something about it, though they might not want to get involved.

He was a complete stranger and they weren’t obliged to help him, though Melva seemed to think they would.

Lincoln arrived at his borrowed digs for the night, scent-marking around the den’s opening.

Inside, he had a thick bed of crinkly leaves to lay on, and curled up in a tight ball.

For the first time in weeks, he wasn’t a prisoner with no rights, no voice, and no choices.

Just the thought of Bruce made Lincoln shiver with fear and loathing.

He didn’t know what the future looked like, but regaining his freedom was an exciting first step.

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

Saturday, 1:30 a.m., Gladstone

Swirling mists ended the dream and Evan awoke where he’d fallen asleep—playing little spoon to Ben’s warm, bulky body.

He’d had dreams involving Gladstone many times before but this one had a different feel to it.

Something foreboding, a burst of hope, and then a happy ending of sorts.

The first scene included a pregnant shifter in wolf form, confined and desperate to escape.

Another wolf appeared and the two were seen running eastward toward the rising sun.

Next, the first shifter arrived at the burn scar, followed by a collage of images that included the second wolf, Donna, and a vicious fight.

The final vignette was of a smiling Scooter in human form with the pregnant wolf happily stretched across his lap.

Evan pondered the dream, analyzing the various elements for clues.

He’d received a vision some time back regarding Scooter and his mate, but it only revealed a happy couple and no details.

Clearly, this was a warning that his packmate’s life was about to change, yet there was an overarching darkness that meant he and his mate had, or would, face hardship and danger.

If the outdoor scenes were accurate, the events would transpire soon.

With Scooter out of town for most of next week, how would that impact the timing of what he’d seen in the dream?

As usual, more questions than answers, but at least Evan could put security on notice to watch for the strangers.

In this case, it wouldn’t hurt to inform in Ben, Lou, and Donna as well.

Luna seemed to favor complicated matings for the Gladstone pack, though perhaps it was because there was a strong support system here.

In any case, Nate Scoon was about to have his life turned on its head.