“That’s it! I have had it with this magic being used against us bullsh*t!” Kota is pissed. “I know that you all but hate us right now, but you are staying with us until we figure this out. Someone is now attacking you directly from inside this house. Don’t argue or my wolf is going to go ballistic and do something very dangerous.” My sweet, fun loving twin is at the end of his rope. And I can’t help myself, I walk over and place my hand on his cheek so he looks at me.
“Okay.” I whisper and he looks down at me breathing heavily for a moment, then his whole body calms down. He scoops me up and wraps my legs around his waist again. I reach over his shoulder to hold Cam’s hand as the four of us ascend the stairs like a wonky train to try and get a couple more hours of sleep. I was surprised when Dakota put me down in order to hug Oliver goodnight. It lasted about ten seconds though, then Cam scooped me right back up and took me to their room.
Like everytime I stay with them, I get the best sleep ever. The twin sandwich is the one place where I don’t seem to dream at all. My mind and my wolf completely shuts down, because I know I am safe. We have been on a mission almost since Jena and I got back from being imprisoned and I seem to just always sleep with one eye open, suspecting everyone but my team.
We get up only a few hours later, groggy, but ready to celebrate Lucas with the warriors of the pack. The ceremony was beautiful. He was laid out on a pyre and so well cared for that he could have just been sleeping. Our eldest warriors performed the ceremony in place of our pack elders invoking the Moon Goddess to take care of his spirit and his wolf until they can rejoin us here on earth. Gentry and Elena both said an incantation over him that is used in their own burial rituals and a soft blue hue floated over him, swirling and dancing in the sunlight that is now cresting over the small mountain that sits just east of the center of the pack. The blue light flickers remind me of the pups running and dancing around and him playing with them when he would join Kyle and I for training. A tear runs down my cheek at the thought.
Each of Lucas’ team stood and said something about him, then finished with Luna Ava. Alpha Reggie came up and said a few words about Lucas and the twins and the importance of this transfer of power and what it means to be chosen by the Moon Goddess to be the next Alphas.
When it was time to light the pyre Ava stood as well as the twins, but per Gentry’s instructions, they didn’t let my hands go and pulled me up with them. I felt very out of place and don’t want to be part of the center of attention, but there was no getting out of this without causing a scene. The four of us stepped up next to him, each elder warrior offering a torch to light the pyre. I shook my head when one was offered to me. Not only did I think I didn’t deserve the honor. But I refuse to break contact with either Cam or Kota. They both move in closer to me, pressing their whole sides into me. They all lay their torch on the kindling and it quickly engulfs the former Alpha. The blue mist from Gentry and Elena turns indigo and then a deep maroon red as the fire burns.
I feel the second the transfer of the Alpha starts to take hold, it’s a squeeze in my chest. Both twins clench their hands around mine, but don’t move anything else. Cam has his other arm around his mother and Kota moves closer to me, switching to hold my hand with his opposite so he can wrap one around my waist. It only takes about five minutes for the deep red mist to swirl around the four of us and into the twins They both take a deep breath in and as they let it out I can feel the power of their aura radiate off of them. Ava sags against Cam and Brett moves forward to help him hold her up. She has been so brave and strong through all of this. We watch the flames rage and all silently let our former Alpha go and welcome in the reign of our new ones.
The celebration took most of the morning, even starting at dawn. We all sat in silence as the pyre burned, watching the former Alpha being returned to the earth and the Moon Goddess.
I’m not sure how long the twins were supposed to remain ‘in contact’ with me, but they did not release my hand until we were back at the packhouse and headed to the firepit that now burns forever, until we can figure out how to make it not or make it work in our favor. They did move their chairs to basically touch mine though. We all sat and let the warriors have the first crack at the spread Lenny, and Elena set up. Several people milled about, some talked to us a little, but most gave their condolences to Ava and went about their day. We are all here to do a job and keep these pack lands safe for the families to come back to. This war isn’t done yet, I don’t think it has even really started.
Eventually we took our turns to eat, no one is really hungry, but we do know that we need the strength. We all just stare into the fire that now means so much more to us. Elena and Gentry stop by our circle; Nickolas, Osiston, Kyle and my Dad in tow. I’m not sure what the angle is or if he is just lost because my dad literally has no other thing to do without the Alpha. As I looked around while they all pulled up chairs I noticed the sun already starting to set.
Sure he’s training Mateo to help the twins, but this situation is not a typical transition. Most of the pack isn’t even here. We are basically running it as if we were back at Elite training camp. There’s not a lot of general pack business to attend to. And to my surprise he has now spent more time in my presence in the last couple days than he has in living memory. I’m pulled from my negative thoughts by Gentry. “So we have discussed your idea about altering the pentagram.” She starts.
“It will be difficult and draining at first, since we do not have the original caster to alter it for us. But I think that we can use it to our advantage.” Elena says
They talk in tandem, almost like the twins do sometimes.
“For now, I believe that everyone here is safe, due to your quick thinking and added protections, Skylar. It will take us time to come up with the right incantations to counter everything that we know is affecting the pack, and then cover our bases for anything we suspect could be working against you, but it will take a few days.” Gentry smiles at me.
