Blood Moon (MalexMale Paranormal Fantasy)

Chapter 3 ∞ REEVE

My mother rubs my arms from behind, and I'm not sure if it's to calm my nerves or hers. Our alpha family and Omi have all moved cautiously these past few days, as if speaking too loudly or relaxing as usual might lead to some irreparable fissure in our pack's foundation. We wait with anxious glances toward our borders, primed for a foreign scent on the wind or news of something coming.

She leaves me with a peck on my head then goes to the counter where Coly lays out a selection of food.

I pick at my eggs, mashing them under the tines of my fork. My muscles ache to sneak out and track down whatever it is that's out there. Where are you? What are you?

I hear my closest friend approaching outside and push back from the table.

"Try and relax today, love. You're going to give yourself a stroke," my mom warns, half joking, half truly worried.

"I will," I lie and hurry out the front door into the bright spring morning.

Matt grins at me and wags his eyebrows—brown compared to the light blond of his hair—then slings a toned arm over my shoulder. "You want to come with some of us to the pack hall after classes today? You seem like you could use an ale."

I smirk. "It's barely past sunrise and I already seem like I could use an ale?"

Matt laughs and moves in close to me as we walk: arms brushing, strides in step. Protective. "Is it the full moon that's been bothering you?" he asks, expressive eyes assessing my stiff movements.

"Probably." I divert my gaze to avoid more questions. It's hardly unusual for me to hold things back from him. My role demands that I keep certain truths to myself.

"I can't believe the news about the Jewel River Pack," he says. "I heard they had an omega that escaped with the wolves that got thrown out."

"She probably sensed the danger and ran," I add. "Omegas are so attuned to emotions; I expect that she would have been aware of the deceit."

Matt's long nose scrunches in thought. "Wouldn't she have warned her alpha?"

"Yes, but she most likely wouldn't have been able to infer their intent until they arrived. From what I heard two wolves were permitted entrance onto their land. They used some fragrant plant to hide the scents of other wolves along the perimeter. Alpha Kells and his mate were giving a tour of their borders when they were overcome."

I picture something similar happening to my mother and father, and hot, fiery anger churns in my gut. That doesn't bother me as much as the cold stab of fear that accompanies it, a helplessness that keeps me up at nights.

Matt rubs the back of my neck. "Alpha is strong and well protected. He'll be safe."

I bet that's what the Jewel River wolves thought, too.

We cut through the row of pastel painted cottages nicknamed the Spring Den and greet neighbors eating on their porches and setting out gardening tools. I wonder which ones of these wolves would be cast out of our pack if attacked. Which ones would die defending my father or resisting the new alpha?

I close my eyes and tilt my head back, letting the sun's warmth soak into my skin and brighten my macabre thoughts. I can't think like this.

As we near the school grounds next to the lavender field and communal herb garden edging the sprawl of farmland, I jump at a sudden exodus of birds from the treetops. I'm not sure I've ever felt so fraught with nerves and expectation, everything registering as a potential threat or the arrival of my vision—which, hopefully, won't be one and the same.