Page 19 of Spirit Walker Pack (Kingdom of Wolves #5)

Leaving the packhouse, I wander around the building, admiring the gardens and borders.

Everyone that I share a look with smiles and greets me.

Wolfsong pack is getting back to that now, but it has taken time.

For so long, you didn’t dare look at a passerby in case he was some spy or soldier of Alpha Soren’s.

There were a lot of mysterious disappearances and no one wanted to add to that number.

Seeing I’m in a kitchen garden again, I start to reach out to one of the herbs. Rosemary this time. Before I rub the leaves I stop and look around. The last time I did this I was given a therapy session! There is no one close by, but I look at the kitchen door when I sense eyes upon me.

A striking young woman is watching me as she leans against the door frame. “I don’t usually allow guests to wander among my herb beds willy-nilly, but I’ll make an exception for our Luna-to-be. I may need to remind you someday of this kindness when I need something from you.”

Seeing the humor in her eyes, I know that she is not serious about expecting a favor. “There appears to be some confusion on that point. Whether I will become your Luna remains to be seen. That decision is not yet made. For now, I am nothing more than a guest.”

“I think the confusion is yours, Fenya Stormhowl. That is one hell of a name, by the way. Awesome.”

“Someone else in your gardens thought so too, on my last visit.” I recall that walk with Alpha Lyle and how I kept making social blunders all the time.

“I have been waiting to meet you. Blossom told me of your brief encounter while walking with Alpha Lyle, your mate. She told me that you were confused by the Goddess’s choice for you.

” Flick looks at me questioningly. Taking my arm in hers, she walks me away from the packhouse and further into the gardens.

“So, tell me. What are you confused about?”

“I am not aware of any confusion. I just don’t want a mate.”

“Say that again and listen to yourself as you say it,” Flick asks in a quiet voice. It’s almost an Alpha command as I can’t help but do as she says.

“I am not aware of any confusion. I just don’t want a mate.” Noting my own voice, I stop and stare at her. “I sound like a spoiled pup!”

“You do indeed, but you are not, nor have you ever been, a spoiled pup, I suspect.” Giving me another of her looks, she continues. “I’d say that you have fought all your life to be what you have become.”

“What do you think I have become, Flick?” I still have my arm hooked through hers and she is not gripping me to hold me there.

The whole thing feels very natural and I have to admit, comfortable.

This is strange, as I have never liked to be this close to anyone.

Not even Zephyra and I link arms together.

“You have become the best at what you see yourself as. A warrior. You, however, do not see what others see. You should have a large mirror in your room and look at yourself at the beginning and end of each day.”

“But what would I see other than a willing warrior in a morning and a tired warrior at night?” I laugh as that is all I have been for my entire adult life.

“Perhaps we should have this conversation again, in say a week's time? A lot can change in a week.”

“Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?” Someone takes my other arm and when I look round, I see the one called Blossom that I previously met. Her smile is infectious and I find myself smiling back at her.

“Hello, Blossom. I don’t think I have any privacy left. Even my personal space, that I protect fiercely, seems to have been compromised.” Hearing Flick and Blossom laugh has me giggling again. I’m sure that none of this is escaping Astra, and she will discuss it at length later.

“So, Fenya Stormhowl. What is it that frightens you about the whole mating process? It certainly can’t be our Alpha Lyle. He is just a hunk and a pussycat. Many females have made it plain they would like to hear him purr for them.”

“And has anyone made him purr?” My voice has an edge to it that I haven’t heard before.

Blossom and Flick lean forward and look at each other with raised eyebrows.

“Flick, did you hear what I just heard?”

“Uh huh. The green-eyed monster. That was quick, wouldn’t you say?”

Trying to disentangle myself from them is impossible. They have me locked down in their embrace, and are not going to let me get away anytime soon.

“You’re very good, the pair of you. I didn’t see this coming.” I glance from one to the other and shake my head.

“Fenya, my friend. None of this was planned. How could we possibly know that you would be here, let alone take a walk?” Flick must feel me tense at her words. “Don’t tell me you don’t have a friend? I refuse to believe it.”

“I have only two friends. One I met recently called Ash. The other has been a lifelong friend. Her name is Zephyra. I have to let her go, though. I found something out about her today.” With very little prompting, I tell them what Astra revealed earlier.

“That is certainly a friend to have. A real keeper, as they say. You don’t have to lose her as a friend though, surely? She wouldn’t be going to live on the moon, after all.” Blossom squeezes my arm, as does Flick.

“Besides, you now have another two besties to call on when Alpha Lyle gets too big for his boots. We know things.” Flick gives me a conspiratorial look, and then Blossom nods, as she adds, “It’s what we do.

We cook, we garden…and we know things! Things that Alpha Lyle probably doesn’t want revealed.

Oh, and if we don’t know something, we can make stuff up very quickly!

” This has both of them in hysterics and my giggle doesn’t make an appearance this time. It’s an all-out belly laugh.

Talking to Blossom and Flick, I find myself practically analyzing my whole life. They manage to get me to open up about things that I didn’t even know I had issues with.

Lack of male attention? I didn’t know that was something that bothered me.

I can’t say I’ve ever wanted or craved male attention, as far as I knew, anyway.

Considering that I’ve always thought of myself as a closed book and having no issues, they certainly make me admit to a lot of chapters in my life.

I’ve never looked on any male as a potential mate, so when Flick and Blossom do their ‘thing’ on me, and have me describing what I think a suitable mate should look like in ‘Fenyaworld,’ I’m hardly surprised when they keep interjecting with uh huh’s, yup’s , and comments like, that’s Alpha Lyle to a tee .

I would expect anyone to push the positives of their alpha.

I would do the same for Alpha Falan. I would be incensed if a female told me they didn’t find Alpha Falan to be everything they could want or desire in a mate.

Yet here I am, doing that very thing to Alpha Lyle.

I haven’t been able to come up with one solid reason to reject him.

I still know nothing about him that would cause me to reject him. My head is in such turmoil right now.

“Flick. Blossom. Thank you for your insight, but I just can’t take anymore. I need to go to my room and let my head rest. Digest all this information, and emotions that you have ripped from me.”

“We did very little talking, Fenya, my friend. We just poked the bear, as the saying goes. Shook the tree, and waited to see where the fruit fell. You’ve done all the talking.

Come on, Blossom. Our work here is done.

” They both give me a gentle hug, and I hug them back before they head off, and leave me at the edge of the woods.

I hugged them back. I hugged them back ! The only person I ever hug is Zephyra, and that is only a hug at a stretch of the imagination. It’s more like a mini body slam than a hug.

Leaning against the trunk of a tree, I stand quietly, pondering the last couple of hours. What should have been a quiet stretch of the legs to relax has been a therapy session of mammoth proportions.

Astra alerts me to movement in the woods behind me, and I immediately take a defensive stance. Alpha Lyle and two of his warriors stroll from amongst the trees and I stand down.

“Fenya! Is everything okay? You are out here alone? Not that this is a problem. I know you are capable of looking after yourself. I’m just a little surprised that you would enjoy time alone in the woods.” Alpha Lyle is beginning to stutter as he runs out of words.

“I wasn’t alone.” Before I can say more, I see him tense and his eyes flash. His wolf is not liking that. “I was with Flick and Blossom. They have declared themselves my new best friends, and have been helping me with my mental health.”

Standing there, he looks at a complete loss, and I almost see him as an innocent little boy. Putting him out of his misery, I ask, “Would Hunter like to run with Astra? Without a word, and in only the blink of an eye, Hunter stands before me.

Even in my human form I can appreciate Hunter as a wolf.

He is certainly large as you’d expect from an alpha but his silver coat is stunning.

Without realizing it, I run my fingers through his coat and the fur is thick yet soft.

He doesn’t purr, but the soft growl makes the hairs on my neck stand tall.

Astra has had enough and pushes through to stand beside him. She is considerably smaller though not a small wolf in herself. Her coat is mainly black with white patches. There is a myriad of silver spots across her neck and back that give her the appearance of a night sky. Her name suits her well.

Walking slowly into the woods beside Hunter, I feel strangely calm and relaxed. That’s when I realize that it is, in fact, Astra who is calm and relaxed. I’m just an observer from this moment on.

Hunter picks up the pace and takes us on a brisk run through the woods, by a stream and to a clearing near some hills.

As we enter the clearing, Astra dashes to the left and grabs a rabbit that was too slow to see the danger.

Dropping it quickly, she bolts into the trees and catches another before it reaches safety.

Grabbing her two prizes in her mouth, she literally prances across the clearing. There should be music playing as she waltzes up to Hunter and drops the rabbits at his feet. I’m taken aback when Hunter throws his head back and howls.

This elicits such a powerful rush of emotions through Astra that I’m surprised she doesn’t drop to her forelegs in front of him, lifting her tail to the side for him to take her there and then.

If you had accepted him as you should, I would have! He is a magnificent wolf. With a human to match!

The time soon passes and we are at the edge of the woods once again, and in our human form.

“I thank you for that, Fenya. You have made Hunter a very happy wolf.”

Starting to walk away, I stop and turn back to say, “If Hunter is anything like Astra, he is a very frustrated wolf right now.” Turning, I run back to the packhouse, and wonder why I said such a thing. I must have sounded like a hussy!