Page 7

Lisa

Day 8

“ I ’m not going.”

Melanie’s words do not surprise me. She crosses her arms and refuses to make eye contact with anyone in the hollow.

We are crammed inside Axyll—and Evie’s—hollow. As alpha, he likely has one of the bigger living spaces, but with three Celetans and four humans inside, space is limited around the fire.

Katie stands next to me, her shoulder brushing against mine. Melanie stands on the other side of her, keeping a personal bubble around her between Katie on her one side and Brex on her other. Juk stands next to Axyll and Evie across the flames.

Evie nods her head at Melanie’s words. She glances uncertainly at me, and I shrug. Melanie is not part of my crew. If she wants to stay behind, she can. I think Katie should stay behind too, but don’t mention it as I know she won’t agree. She wants to come to find her sister.

“That’s fine, you can stay here with the pack,” Axyll says firmly.

“I shall stay too, if you agree Alpha,” Brex says a little too eagerly. His tails swish back and forth. Melanie shoots daggers at him as one of them brushes up against her leg, and she shuffles closer to Katie.

Axyll raises his eyebrow at Brex but only for a moment. He nods in agreement. “Yes. One beta should stay behind. Brex, you can stay behind unless Juk would prefer—”

“I do not,” Juk interrupts. His eyes flicker over to me, so quickly I’m certain I imagined it. Brex tries to hide a smile, his tails wagging harder. I hope Melanie can handle herself while we’re gone.

“Good,” Axyll continues. “Brex can stay behind with the females—”

“The rest of us are coming,” I say. “I thought that was clear.”

Axyll looks up at me, annoyance written on his features from being interrupted again. The pack hierarchy must be pretty totalitarian, for it’s clear this guy is used to being in charge. Things are about to change if he thinks he’s bringing a bunch of humans into the pack.

“Or, I should say, Katie and I are going for sure,” I continue. Best not to piss off the alpha of the pack trying to save us. To keep us safe, housed, and fed. “I won’t speak for Evie.”

“Jade is out there,” she says with a sigh. “I want to make sure she’s OK. She became pretty attached to me once the Skulchers brought her into the cell. I want to make sure the others are OK too.”

There’s something about the way she says it that feels like a dig to me. Like because I have my crew as number one priority it means I wouldn’t help the others. Maybe she’s right. Or maybe I’m reading into it too much. The knot of failure in my gut twists and turns, and I feel like nothing makes sense anymore.

“If you are sure,” Axyll says softly as he turns to look at Evie. He strokes her cheek with one of his blue fingers, and her brown eyes soften. They glow with an adoration that makes my back tense again. Let her have her happy ending. They’re helping us find the others. It’ll be OK . Something makes me glance over at Juk, who is looking at me again. I turn away.

“I’m sure,” Evie says.

“OK. Brex will stay here with the pack, and Meelany ,” Axyll says. Melanie’s name is lost on them. “The rest of the Teerans will come with us to rescue the others—”

“Humans. Not all of us are Terrans,” I interject.

Axyll tilts his head curiously and exchanges a look with Juk. He then turns to Evie.

“Oh, sorry, I guess that was me,” she says. She scratches the back of her neck and gestures with her other hand to us across the fire. “ Terran is the term mostly used by those of us from Terra. Some other species use it interchangeably, but it’s not wrong. We’re all humans , but we come from different planets.”

“Like different packs?” Brex asks.

“Sort of, I guess,” Evie shrugs.

I sigh, regretting I mentioned it as now we’re off topic. There’s no point in explaining that Katie and I are Gragians, and Melanie is a Lagustan. “Let’s get back on track. Evie, Katie, and I are coming along for the rescue.”

Axyll nods, though there is still a quizzical look on his face. “We will take Hazen, Baz, Tabros, and Kalpa with us.”

“That’s it?” I ask. “There are seven women in that cargo hold.”

“Juk will pull our largest sled with supplies for everyone. Kalpa can pull the other already assembled. We are taking two deltas with us, and one of our best hunters. This leaves only one beta, one delta, and three hunters to protect the rest of the pack. There are elders, females, and children here that need to be protected,” Axyll explains. “If the hoo-mans are on the Snowscape side of the territory, then there will be no cause for trouble.”

“And if they’re on the other side?” Katie asks.

Axyll turns to her, his blue eyes suddenly dark. “Then we will need to reassess and prepare for a fight.”

JUK

The wind is brisk, but the sun is high as I piece together the largest of our sleds. The various pieces have been brought down from the den, always a tedious task, and now my mind wanders as my hands assemble it together.

There is much to prepare for. Many unknown things and circumstances that we could be walking into. Food, furs, clothing, blankets, weapons, strips of leather for wounds... the list seems endless.

Kalpa mutters something angrily to himself a few metres away from me, and drops the stack of furs he carries to the smaller sled. He scoops them up, dusting the snow off them, before packing them carefully into the small sled.

I hide my grin as he glances over at me and continue about my work quietly. Kalpa is the youngest Celetan of rank, though Brex beats him only by one full rotation of seasons. A capable delta by any standard, he shares his sister’s quick temper.

“It will be interesting to see the other females,” he muses aloud as he reassesses his packing job, and adjusts the bundle of furs.

My hands move swiftly, piecing together the large bone frame. The bones are from a strostk, a large woolly beast that roams the eastern plains in our territory. They are peaceful creatures, traveling in small herds that flatten the land wherever they go. It is not often we hunt them, for their meat is thick and unsavoury, but every once in a while we bring one down when needed.

The bones and thick hide are used for sleds, while the meat is dried and stored for emergency rations. I have only been on one strostk hunt, but as I begin to tie the leather sides of the sled into place, I wonder if another one is due. With so many new females coming into our pack, into our care, there will be more mouths to feed. More clothes to make, more furs needed for beds, more bone cups and bowls, more fires to tend and stock...

“It will be a lot of work,” I say at last, for I know Kalpa waits for an answer. He is quick to temper, but he is also a talker. Unlike his sister, Jenneka. That is where they differ.

Kalpa scoffs. “You are not curious about them? About the idea of a mate, of more litters born to the Snowscapes? Our pack growing?”

I think of Axyll and Ee-vee the night before. Their uniting ceremony was beautiful, I do admit, but I am still in shock. That my alpha would find a mate so quickly, and with someone so different. That his Seeker would call out to her upon their first meeting... and that mine would do the same.

My eyes glance up towards the ridge. From this angle, I cannot see the entrance to the den. I cannot see the circle of stone that banks the bonfire. I can only see the rungs leading up to our home carefully hidden in the icy rock of the cliff. But I can picture her. Dark hair, fierce eyes, and pursed lips as she watched from the entrance last night. My hearts pulsed, my Seeker shone, and if Nyfer had not interrupted me, I would have never looked away.

I am a hypocrite to question my alpha’s new choice of mate, when my Seeker, too, has chosen one of new Teerans . A gift from Vekao indeed, the first sight of her on top of the fallen star, throwing balls of snow down at me...

No, that is not right , I remind myself. They are hoo-mans . Only Evie comes from the Teeran Pack.

“I do not like the idea of being so close to Stygian territory,” I say at last. There is no need for me to be curious about the other females—my fated one is already here.

Kalpa cocks his head thoughtfully. A strand of his white hair blows into his face, but he makes no move to brush it aside. My fingers itch at the thought of my hair in my face, getting in the way. More than once I have thought of shearing it short like Brex wears his, but I cannot bring myself to do it.

“What if Vekao brought the females to the territories as a sign of change? It is no secret the packs are suffering, are becoming smaller. Fewer litters being born with females... what if Vekao delivered the females on the Stygian border as a gift for both packs?” Kalpa muses. “Perhaps it is a chance for both packs to thrive and grow anew.”

My fur bristles at the idea of Leesa mating with a Stygian. My hearts beat wildly at the thought, the drumming of it in my ears drowning out all other sound. I glance up again at the plateau, my Seeker shining mildly knowing she is up there somewhere. No. She is mine. She is meant for me .

“Then what of the Ashen Pack?” I ask, only to amuse myself with his fantasies.

Kalpa snorts. “The Ashen Pack are unnatural. They can fall apart while the true packs survive.”

“You should keep your delusions to yourself,” I say. “Vekao would never send a gift to the Stygians.”

“Then why did the females arrive in stars?” Kalpa counters. His curious mind is trying my patience this day.

“To warn them that their time is ending,” I say confidently. “And to strengthen the Snowscape Pack. The females will be on our side of the territory line, of that I am sure.”

As Kalpa shrugs and continues packing supplies into the smaller sled, I turn back to my sled assembly.

At the very least, my female is. And that is all that matters .