Page 146 of Omega's Flight

I didn't think I'd ever looked forward to a Harvest Moon like I had toward this one—or Blood Moon as they called it here, though Cas told me that was fairly recent. It was a way of taking back our heritage, replacing the less threatening term with the one we'd used since we were made. But no matter the name, it was as big a celebration here as it had been in either of my other packs. The end of the growing season, the season when things were easier to do and fix and build. A last hurrah, sort of.

I missed the pups, but Holland had sworn to me we’d be bringing them home again. With that promise hanging in front of me, I could enjoy tonight, even if it was still a little bittersweet.

Bax and I were working together in his kitchen, making casseroles and pulled pork to set out for the main meal, the rolls steaming on the counter and making my stomach growl with greedy anticipation. Yes, we had wolf in us, but I doubted anyone could resist the lure of fresh-baked bread.

We'd made cobblers to set out as well—they'd be put on to cook as soon as we took the main dishes up to the clearing, and someone would fetch them when it was time to put them out. The work helped keep my mind off my absent pups and the ever-present worry about Degan's intentions.

I laughed as I sliced more of the rolls and placed them in baskets. "If everyone makes as much food as we're making, no one will be able to dance when it starts!"

Bax smiled knowingly. "Oh, you'd be surprised. I think it just fuels the dancing."

"And the after." Abel stuck his head in the door and grinned rakishly at Bax. I blushed and pretended to tidy the piles of rolls.

"Don't get too excited," Bax said wryly. "Holland got to Cale first."

"No babysitter?" Abel cried in fake horror, then laughed. "I think we'll be fine." He came over to inspect the pots and crockery scattered about the kitchen. "Mac's coming with the truck to take everything up, he's going to make the rounds of this line of houses. Duke's going to gather the food from the new section." He glanced over at me. "Most everyone else is close enough to walk their contributions over, but out here in the hinterland, we need transportation."

"We'll be done soon," Bax said and crossed the room to kiss him. "You have the pups gathered up?"

"They're at Mac's. Jason says he's working the puppy enclosure tonight, but he asked if you were still on for the thing." He raised his eyebrows and waited.

"I'm not telling you," Bax said firmly. "You'll find out when the time is right." He smiled as Abel disappeared back down the hallway, pretending to stomp like a three-year-old. "I'm glad I found him," he said idly, his hands working automatically away at the roast he was shredding. "Sometimes he's like having another pup, but he makes me laugh."

"I'm glad." I put the last of the rolls into the basket and turned to help with packing up the rest of the food. "The thing?" I asked.

He grinned and leaned over to me. "I'm not telling you yet, either."

An hour later, I'd decided that I was glad that Blood Moon only happened once a year. I was so full I thought I would burst, and there was quite literally zero chance that I was going to be doing any dancing tonight, as much as I'd have liked to. But when Cas coaxed me up to the dessert tables again, I couldn't help following him. Even if the thought of more food made me groan.

He laughed. "You don't have to eat if you don't want to. I'm not trying to put you in the clinic."

"Maybe a little bit," I said, spying the lemon squares I hadn't had room for on the last trip up to the tables. "But I swear, this is the last time, or you're going to have to carry me home."

"I promise," he said, and leaned over to kiss my cheek.

A tall blond beta paused and watched us for a moment before narrowing her eyes at Cas. "Evenin', Cas."

"Evenin'," he said back.

"Dancing's going to start soon," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"I ate too much," he said. "This is Raleigh."

Her grin widened. "I was wondering if you'd introduce us. I'm Hayven." She tipped her head to the side, though with the table between us I couldn't scent her. It was only polite to offer her the same, so I tilted my head toward Cas and waited for her to straighten up.

"Hayven and I kept company back before I went to college," Cas explained. He didn't seem bothered by her being there, and there was no smell of interest off him. "She's got pups about the age of yours, but I think," he directed the rest of his sentence toward her, "you take them to the other day care? The newer one at the other end of the town?"

"Well, it's closer." She picked at the crumbs of what had been a pumpkin pie and surveyed what was left on the table. "I think I'm done," she said meditatively and glanced up at us. "Did I hear that you're planning on staying?" she asked me.

I nodded.

"I don't know what kinds of things you like to do, but there's a group of us that like to get together to do handwork and let the pups run wild over their sires, if you're interested in joining. You can bring the other new omega too—I don't know what they were thinking putting you two down at the end of that road with no one near you."

"It was open housing," Cas said.

"I lived in that housing," she said sharply. "It's not fit, especially with pups."

"We're moving," I put in hurriedly. "The pups are in Jackson-Jellystone with their sire, but they'll be back soon."