These Broken Wings

deeper water

RickyJo peeked out from behind the partition that was separating her from the rest of the party. The starched cream colored tablecloths and elegant understated decor wasn’t really her style. But she had to admit that Carissa did a nice job, especially on such a limited timeline. People seemed to be enjoying themselves at least. They dressed in formal evening wear, milling around and sipping on tall glass flutes full of champagne or nibbling on small plates of fancy looking snack food. RickyJo caught a whiff of something delicious and her empty stomach let out a grumble of protest. Since they spent most of the day getting ready for tonight’s event, she skipped lunch. And she couldn’t wait to get the ceremony partition of the night over so she could stuff her face with whatever the caterers were setting up under the large white tent.

RickyJo was only half listening when Carissa went over the itinerary with her. But she knew the ceremony was first. Then dinner. When the sun went down and the full moon was out, then they were having a pack run. Most packs did this every full moon. But tonight was special since it would be her first run as Luna of her new pack. The only part of the night that she was a little nervous about was the ceremony. RickyJo didn’t even like getting up in front of her own pack for formal occasions. And she’d known them since she was born. These wolves were strangers to her. And she felt like they were all going to be silently judging her and thinking about how ill equipped she was to serve as their Luna. That said, she was looking forward to making her relationship with her mate official. She’d make a fool of herself in front of ten packs of wolves if it meant Dixon was hers forever.

RickyJo felt Jessica’s hand slide into hers. Don’t be nervous, everyone is going to love you. RickyJo backed away from the edge of the partition, squeezing her cousin’s hand. Unlike her, Jessica looked every bit the perfect Beta female. Her wild copper hair had been tamed and smoothed into soft waves that were pinned back from her face. She’d easily found a dress in the Luna wardrobe that fit her slender frame. The shimmer silver material of it caught the light, highlighting her tiny waist and the full curve of her hips.

A rumbling hush went through the crowd of mingling wolves. And from how quickly they were rushing to their seats, RickyJo could only guess that their Alpha, her mate, had taken his place on the small makeshift stage in front of them. She could feel Jade pacing in her head, eager to see their mate since they’d been forced to spend the whole day away from him. She could feel Dixon’s nervousness mixing with her own. But she heard none of it reflected in his voice. He sounded confident, like speaking in front of an entire pack and part of a visiting one was just another day for him. But Dixon kept his speech short and to the point, clearly as eager to get this part of the evening over as she was.

Jessica was called out first. She gave RickyJo one last squeeze on her hand before she stepped out from behind the partition and headed up the narrow set of stairs to take her place on the stage next to Dominic. RickyJo could hear the murmurs of approval. Jessica was always the one that helped their grandmother with ceremonies and celebrations. She was well versed in how to act and what to say in front of a crowd.

Dixon introduced her first, using Jessica’s full name and titles. Then he cut his palm with a silver plated knife. Jessica’s mate was responsible for cutting hers. And once she took Dixon’s hand and let her blood mingle with his, she was officially part of the Silver Mountain pack. Dixon and Dominic were not including Wyatt in the ceremony. Partly because he wouldn’t officially be a ranked member until Grace’s father stepped down. And partly because Wyatt wanted to wait and stay with his own pack until the merge next week. Since RickyJo was in seclusion all day, waiting for the ceremony, she didn’t even know the particulars of what was happening. She knew Wyatt was there and that he found his mate. But only because he linked her. He’d been too concerned with his new mate to fill her in on the details. She didn’t even know who it was.

After Jessica and Dominic moved back away from the front of the stage, RickyJo heard her mate calling her out onto the stage. She took a deep breath and straightened up her shoulders, standing proud and even taller than usual in her high heeled shoes. While she fulfilled tradition by wearing the top half of a dress from the pack’s Luna wardrobe, the rest of the outfit was hers. The heels of her shoes were crusted in sparkling gems. And she was wearing a tight fitting pair of white dress pants. The bodice she’d had the seamstress remove from the dress for her fastened around her neck and cut low in the back, revealing most of her tattoos and the multitude of burn scars on her back and shoulders. Her hair was curled and she had it pulled forward over her left shoulder where it hung in long golden waves nearly all the way down to her waist.

RIckyJo’s hesitancy to step out on the stage completely disappeared once she saw her mate. In her hurry to get to him, she forgot about the large crowd of people sitting beyond the lighted area of the stage. A shocked hush rippled through the crowd. But RickyJo was unable to hear their shocked whispers over the beating of her heart in her ears and the loud raucous her pack warriors began to make the moment she stepped onto the stage. Following what she could only guess was Wyatt’s example, they rose from their seats and cupped their hands around their mouths, screaming and cheering her on. She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out of her as she stopped and pumped her fist in the air. It felt good to know her friends were there for her. And while Dixon’s pack might be taken aback to receive a warrior Luna, her packmates and friends were overjoyed to be one step closer to having her as their unquestioned leader.

When she was finally able to get her hand in his, the tingles of their mate bond traveled up from Dixon’s hand until she was feeling them all over her body. RickyJo felt a delicious pull in the bottom of her stomach. Her mate’s eyes flashed black and she knew he was just as eager to get the public portion of their night over as she was. They stayed lost in each other’s eyes for a moment, waiting for her friends to quiet down before Dixon could give her a proper introduction.

“Wolves of Silver Mountain, I’m happy beyond words to finally introduce you to your Luna,” he said, his eyes raking over her bare shoulders and the way her pants hugged the curve of her hips. “Erika King, the eldest granddaughter of Alpha Augustus King and alpha heir apparent to the Blood Moon Pack.”

RickyJo kept her hand twined up with Dixon’s. But she turned away from him to face her new pack. She urged Jade forward until her canines elongated and her eyes were a glowing brilliant green. If nothing else, her aura alone was usually enough to impress people. Or at least make them think twice about voicing a negative opinion of her. Lunas threw parties and pandered to visiting guests from other packs. But in the end, their real job was to provide the pack with an heir. A strong heir. And there was not a wolf in the crowd that would doubt her ability to do that.

“Do you accept your position as Luna of the Silver Mountain Pack?,” he asked.

“Yes,” RickyJo answered without hesitation.

Dixon let go of her hand, moving to pick up the ceremonial knife. He pinned it between his bad arm and his side, preparing to repeat what he did when he welcomed Jessica into the pack and cut a line down his one good palm. But RickyJo caught his hand before he could slice it open on the sharp tip of the silver plated knife. He gave her a curious look but didn’t question her when she reached forward and took the knife into her own hand. He turned his palm towards her but she lifted the knife and moved it close to his face instead.

“Trust me,” she whispered. And he did. Without question. She gently scraped the tip of the knife longways down the center of his lower lip, making a small line of blood well up and begin to drip down his chin. Then she handed him the knife, licking her full lips in anticipation. He grinned, cutting her in the same way she had just done to him. Tossing the knife back where he picked it up from, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. When his lips pressed down on hers, their blood mingled together in their mouths. Her body surged with not only her desire for her mate, but the new wealth of power that came with being Luna of such a large pack. And then RickyJo felt the link with her new pack snap into place. There were too many people chattering at once for her to make out individual statements. But she got a good overall feeling from her new pack. There were a few murmurs of disapproval. But mostly people were excited to see something other than the boring formal ceremony they came there expecting. Rumors of the wild motorcycle riding Luna and her giant white wolf spread quickly. And people were excited to see that most of what they heard was true. RickyJo thanked her new pack for the warm welcome and happily followed her mate down and off the stage.

She clung to Dixon’s arm, overwhelmed by the sea of wolves that lined up to greet her. Jessica seemed to be handling all the attention better than she was. And RickyJo’s heart melted a little when she noticed that Dominic had retrieved her niece from wherever her grandparents had stashed the little girl so she could join him and her mother in meeting her new pack. Though she was still convinced she got the best mate in all the universe, RickyJo had to admit that Jessica had lucked out as well. Dominic was perfect for her. And he had not even given one thought of concern to the fact that she had a child before they met. Or that the child was a fatherless human wolf hybrid.

Dinner passed her by in a blur. RickyJo was sure she ate. Because her stomach finally stopped grumbling. But she couldn’t have said what she had or how much. As people moved away from the tastefully decorated party area and prepared for the pack run, Justin came tearing towards her with a large group of his friends behind him. They were mostly teenage boys. But RickyJo spotted a few girls in the mix.

“Do you think you could help them shift?,” Justin asked. “Like you did for me?” RickyJo glanced at her mate, looking for his approval. Calling the pack to shift was traditionally the alpha’s job. And that was usually enough to help along any pups that were close enough to their first shift. She wasn’t sure how Dixon and Shadow would feel about her and Jade taking over that duty.

“Let’s do it together,” Dixon suggested, pulling her in for another kiss. The small group of teenagers buzzed with excitement. The story of Justin’s first shift and how he’d transitioned into his wolf so quickly and with very little pain had already spread. And they were eager for the same experience.

We better give people another minute then. If we both call to shift, anyone that’s not ready is gonna burst right out of their clothes.

Dixon nodded his agreement. Jade’s call to shift was unlike anything he’d felt before. Even Dominic couldn't resist it. And now, with the power of the Luna positon coursing through her, RickyJo’s aura had no doubt been multiplied several times over. There was no telling what was about to happen.

RickyJo gazed out over the crowd. Like her mate, most people were already naked. She was clothed in her mate’s dress shirt, holding it closed over her breasts. She was just about to shift into Jade when she noticed something she didn’t like. The omegas were still back in the party area, still dressed in their starched uniforms. They had not joined the rest of the pack. RickyJo signaled to her mate to give her a moment. Then she pushed through the large crowd, heading back towards the food tent.

“What are you doing?,” she asked, directing her questions to a young man that was gathering up dirty dishes. “It’s time for the pack run.”

“We aren’t allowed to run until we’re done working,” the young man admitted. “Those are the orders.” The young man looked down at his hands, fiddling with a loose string on his apron.

“Not my orders!,” RickyJo countered. “In my pack everyone runs. Let’s go. Right now!” The young man glanced at his co-workers with a look of excitement. Then he started undressing, leaving his uniform in a pile near his feet. RickyJo headed back through the crowd, this time with a small parade of omegas behind her. She returned to her place at Dixon’s side, noticing that he was smiling at her.

“Ready?,” he asked.

“You bet yer ass I’m ready,” she growled. RickyJo let her shirt slide down off her arms, shifting into Jade before the garment even hit the grass at her feet. She waited for Shadow to begin the call to shift before she added her howl to his. Their combined power rippled over the crowd as everyone burst into fur at the same time. The small group of young men and women in the front all managed to make their first shift except one. She looked around at her friends, her eyes welling with tears of embarrassment. Jade pushed forward, almost towering over the girl. Then she focused all her energy on the girl, repeating her call one more time. The girl fell to her hands and knees, her body shaking. Her wolf was just as ready as the others. She was just nervous and fighting the shift. Jade linked the girl, offering her some encouragement and advice.

Relax. Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing.

Once she saw the girl’s body collapse on the ground, Jade gave it one last push, urging the girl to shift. And finally, there was a small smoky gray wolf where the girl had been only a moment before. She leaped up, rubbing her smaller body along Jade’s larger one before she leaped off after her friends.

Without warning, Jade was roughly tackled to the ground. She rolled, growling at Blaze, Wyatt’s wolf. They circled, pouncing and nipping at each other until Shadow pushed between them, giving Blaze a low warning growl.

Time to run.

Jade nuzzled her mate. And she let him set the pace as they tore off with several hundred wolves behind them. The pack followed them closely for about the first mile. Then they began to separate and spread out. Breaking off into smaller groups. Jade and Shadow ended up out near one of the larger lakes with most of his ranked members. The moonlight reflected off the water, energizing them even more than the full moon itself. Jade raced Grace’s wolf Hanja around the lake and back. Dominic raced Wyatt. And then they all raced each other, barking and nipping and play wrestling until they managed to burn off some of their excess energy. When they came back around on their last lap, Jade turned off course, diving into the clear cool water instead of taking another lap around it. When she popped up, RickyJo was in her human form. Her wet hair was slicked back away from her face. And the moonlight was reflecting off her bare skin. Dixon didn’t hesitate to jump in after his mate, quickly transitioning into his own human form before he lifted her into his arms. He kissed her hard on the mouth. And then he began to move, pulling her out with him into slightly deeper water.