Page 49 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)

Evan lay quietly staring at the darkened ceiling as Ben slept peacefully.

With Colton’s training now complete, the Ramseys would be leaving today after their farewell luncheon.

The teen’s newly assigned bodyguards had arrived late yesterday so they could protect him on the trip home.

They would become Colton’s ever-present companions as he began his new life as a trained True Elder.

He’d also be starting college classes in January, majoring in human psychology and minoring in history.

The only problem was that Evan wasn’t ready to let him go.

He and Colton were so much alike, both in background and temperament, and Evan had grown to love him like family.

He’d had a similar reaction while training Wilder Calhoun, but the connections were even stronger this time.

After sharing the new knowledge of turning humans, the final teaching dreams focused on mating, sex, children, and family life—things Colton needed to know but hadn’t experienced yet.

He had such a tender heart, and Evan hoped Luna would bring him a mate sooner than later.

Jack had noticed Evan’s strong bond with Colton and pulled him aside for a quiet word after supper.

“Our responsibility is to instruct and then let go. He must live his own life in his own way, though there is nothing wrong with staying in touch as long as you do not interfere. I speak from experience, my dear friend. Every time we are called upon to mentor one of our brothers, we give something away beyond simple memories. Part of you will always be with him, and I encourage you to draw comfort from it. And, of course, we will one day be together in the Afterworld, with every opportunity to rekindle friendships.”

Evan didn’t realize that his face was wet with tears until Ben awoke and wrapped him in powerful arms.

“It’s all right, love. I knew you were going to miss Colton, and I’m sure he’ll miss you, too. He couldn’t have asked for a better mentor, but you don’t want him to leave here sad do you?”

Evan let Ben wipe the tears away and offer what comfort he could.

Only another True Elder would truly understand, but his mate’s love and support came awfully close.

It took several long, soft kisses to quiet him down and he resolved to send Colton off with nothing but happy memories of their time together. Even if it broke his heart.

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

Packhouse, around noon

Since the Ramseys had a five-hour drive ahead of them, the farewell party had been planned for lunch time—albeit with more extravagant desserts.

People mingled freely, eating, talking, and wishing the family well.

Perdy and Michelle boxed up some travel treats for the journey and slipped Karol a few recipes she’d requested.

When all was said and done, the pack escorted them to the waiting vehicles and gathered around while Ben, Evan, and Jack said goodbye.

Jim, Karol, and the girls filed past to shake hands, offering genuine thanks for their wonderful stay at Gladstone.

Ben was handed a written note that said what they couldn’t express in front of their son, and they promised to stay in touch.

Colton spoke a few words to both Jack and Ben, saving the difficult parting with Evan for last. They hugged and Evan refused to cry.

“You better call every once in a while or I’ll come looking for you. This is an exciting time to be a True Elder, and I can’t wait to see what Luna has in store.”

Colton swallowed hard and looked his mentor in the eye.

“I’m so glad I got to come here for my training. You’re the best, Evan. I’ll never forget you and what you taught me…uhhh, of course I won’t forget , but you know what I mean. Will you come and see me sometime?”

Evan gave him his best smile.

“You can count on it, and I’m always here if you need me.”

One more hug, and then Evan leaned heavily against his mate while they got in their vehicles.

With a friendly toot on the horn, they pulled out of the parking lot as the pack waved behind them.

On their way back to the house, Evie insisted on being held by her papa, using her scent to make him feel better.

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

Meanwhile, alongside Wisconsin Highway 139

The constant breeze ruffled Melva’s fur as the old pickup sped south toward Newald.

She was careful to keep her head down so the driver wouldn’t spot her, tucked under the tarp amid household belongings.

Luna must have been watching out for her this time, because she’d spied the fellow cursing at a flat tire on the side of the highway and talking on his phone.

It wasn’t difficult to hear the one-sided conversation from her hiding spot nearby.

“Yeah, I’m gonna be later than I thought. It’ll take a while to change the damn thing, but I’ll be in Newald before two, I reckon. No, the others don’t need to stick around—I can handle this stuff by myself. Okay. Gotta go.”

Though it pained Melva’s achy joints, she’d jumped up on the open tailgate while the human driver was waiting to pull back into traffic.

She found a mostly hidden spot to lie down, and settled in for the last twenty miles of the journey.

Without this ride, it would have taken much longer to get to Newald on her paws alone.

She’d driven this route dozens of times to see her old friend, Ginny, and knew the landmarks by heart.

Once they came to the outskirts of town, Melva prepared to jump down as soon as it was safe.

A quarter mile later, the driver stopped at a familiar crossroads and Melva slipped off the back gate, scampering into the trees.

She was only a couple of miles from the Newald packlands, and it was forest all the way, enabling her to remain concealed.

There was no gate or guard to question her, and she trotted right up to Ginny’s front door and yipped sharply at it.

Her friend couldn’t have been more surprised.

“What the…? Melva Winchell , what in the world are you doing? Oh, never mind, just get in here and explain yourself!”

Melva limped inside and shifted once the door had closed.

“I’m so glad to see you! You’ll never guess what happened or where I’ve been the last few days. I’ll tell you everything in exchange for a shower, some clothes, and a hot meal.”

Ginny simply shook her head and provided what her friend needed. Twenty minutes later, she heard the whole story while Melva enjoyed some hastily prepared leftovers. It was a lot to take in, and the entire affair made Ginny angry for more than one reason.

“That Ballard fellow sounds a sick piece of work to me, and you could have gotten yourself killed! If he’d have tried something like that here, our Alpha would have taken him down.

I really shouldn’t get involved, but clearly you and that poor Omega need my help.

Tonight you get a good night’s sleep in a proper bed, and then tomorrow I’ll drive you to Gladstone. I just hope Lincoln gets there safely.”

Melva cleaned her plate and then gave Ginny a warning.

“Listen, I don’t know who to trust with this besides you, so don’t tell anyone about it. And for Luna’s sake, don’t open your door if anyone from Eagle River shows up asking questions!”

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

Early evening, Gladstone

Scooter checked the list again to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything important.

Having never traveled before, he’d been forced to ask Robert for help—who also lent Scooter a suitcase and showed him how to pack it correctly.

The worst part of this trip wasn’t leaving home, it was going by himself that made him nervous.

Worse, there wouldn’t be any other shifters at the “New Trends in Law Enforcement” seminar that Sheriff Tucker wanted him to attend.

It was bad enough that he’d have to do without Perdy and Michelle’s delicious meals, but five days and four nights in a hotel with a human roommate?

What would they have to talk about? If the guy was anything like his fellow deputies, he’d be boasting about some chick he was banging, the latest sports scores, political news, or some online game that was all the rage.

Scooter didn’t care about any of that stuff, and would have nothing to contribute.

It wouldn’t be too awful during the sessions, and at mealtimes he’d just rely on the others to keep the conversation going.

The hotel room at night presented the biggest problem.

With his roommate there, he’d have to keep up the charade of being human with no opportunity to relax, unwind, or let his wolf out.

Crap! If he screwed up somehow, at least he was the only officer from Delta county attending the seminar.

Otherwise, someone else would be sure to tell Sheriff Tucker that something weird was going on with the new guy.

Scooter finished packing, leaving the last few items for tomorrow morning.

He’d have enough time for breakfast before heading out on a three-hour drive to a place with a very strange French name: Sault Ste.

Marie. Pronounced “Soo-Saint-Mah-Ree,” Scooter discovered that it was the oldest city in Michigan and named after the rapids of the Saint Mary River.

He’d never been there, or anywhere else really, and the area looked interesting.

There were several nature preserves nearby that he wanted to check out if there was time, but the drive itself would expose him to a good chunk of the Upper Peninsula.

Robert had assured him that travel would broaden his mind and make him appreciate home even more. Scooter sure hoped he was right.

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

Just east of Whitney, MI

Lincoln found himself among friends after a long and frustrating day of travel.

At sunset, he’d run into a small wolf pack near Oliver Lake, hunting for prey.

Natural wolves never challenged shifters, accepting them as one of their own for as long as they were around.

Lincoln helped them take down a buck, and they gladly stuffed themselves before returning to their den—a hollowed out space beneath the root ball of a felled tree.

It was a tad crowded with him there, but that simply meant a warmer place to sleep.

The day had been one interruption, detour, or annoyance after another until he finally left civilization behind and ran through open country.

He’d come dangerously close to two different shifter packs who had picked up his scent—no doubt wondering why an unknown, pregnant Omega was wandering through their territory.

Lincoln couldn’t tolerate the thought of being captured and detained, running full bore to get away from the scouts sent to intercept him.

After that, it was a small grass fire, forcing Lincoln to give it a wide berth or risk being trapped by the flames and smoke.

That not only put him behind schedule, it left him without a reliable water source for many miles before he got himself back on track.

Or so he’d thought until he tried crossing a golf course to make up for lost time.

Fearful people were shouting and pointing at the vicious wolf, convinced they were in mortal danger.

Hah! All Lincoln wanted to do was get away, not eat their children!

Now in the comfortable den, sleep called to him as he realized that, barring any mishaps, he would reach Gladstone tomorrow.

And what would he find? He had no way to tell them who he was or why he’d run away.

Would they help him anyway? He hoped so, because if he wasn’t welcome at the famous Michigan pack, where would he go and how would Melva ever find him?