Moonlight Run

Thirteen

Nikolai’s POV

‘i***t, i***t, i***t,’ The thought repeated in my head.

The drive back to the Manor was a quiet one. Isa held her phone in her hands, scrolling for most of it. I couldn’t will myself to make conversation with her, probably because I knew I had just blown it.

‘Before it even started.’ I had to maintain a cool head and keep myself from slapping the steering wheel as we approached the grounds. I let out a grunt instead.

“You okay?” Isa asked.

I looked over to her as I slowed to the stop at the gatehouse and sighed. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just um, just thinking about tomorrow.”

She smacked her lips and nodded. “Mmmhmm.”

I could tell she didn’t believe me for a second.

When we pulled up to the drive, I had barely put the car in park before she opened the passenger door and called “Thanks again,” over her shoulder and vanished through the entryway.

I let my head fall forward onto the steering wheel and the horn let out a sound. I startled so quickly I nearly jumped out of my seat, and I knocked my head on the visor above.

Like I said, total i***t.

Once I was back inside I headed straight to my room and spread out across my bed, lying on my back. I sighed, remembering how Isa and I had laid on her bed last night staring at her ceiling. It was going so well. I don’t think I’d ever felt like I could talk to someone as easily as I can spill my guts out to her.

I was so sure there must be something to it. And yet, until she turned twenty-one next year I would have an entire year before I could be certain. The possibility was paralyzing. Part of me wanted to pursue it wholeheartedly, thinking it couldn’t possibly turn out any worse than my relationship with Becca had. But another part of me knew we both could get hurt again if we became attached and it turned out that she wasn’t my mate after all.

‘So what’s even the plan here?’ I asked myself. Did I really think I could maintain a close friendship with her for a whole year without either (a) screwing any hopes of a future up for us or (b) screwing her? It seemed unlikely.

***

Isa’s POV

I laid on my bed, staring at my ceiling again, thinking of how I’d just done the same with Nikolai the previous night.

I cringed, throwing my hands over my face. ‘What even was that?’

I reasoned with myself that I could not catch feelings for this man. Was he a hunk? Absolutely. But he was also the no-so-far-off future Alpha of this pack, and I didn’t plan on sticking around this pack. Someday I would go rogue, and when that day comes I know we can’t be friends anymore.

Worse than that, I thought, if he developed feelings for me, and then I chose to leave? He would hate me for it.

No, I know the best thing for me to do is keep far away from Nikolai Blackburn until he finds his Luna— if I don’t manage to get out of here before that.

I sighed with relief when my phone buzzed beside me.

Pipa had finally woken up. I answered the video call.

“You really didn’t get the memo?” she said. I shook my head no.

“Yeah, Victoria Kane sent out a group message around 7am this morning and said we were excused from training today. I guess Lily’s mom rented out an entire day spa for us for a bunch of the girls this afternoon, and then dinner is going to be at the Italian place in town later. We’ve all been asked to bring a gift.”

“What kind of gift?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I guess Dahlia said ‘For either a new bride or a new mom’ since both kind of apply here.”

“So it’s like a combination baby and bridal shower? Kill me now.”

“Seriously though.” She agreed.

“So what’s the plan in the meantime?”

Pipa stretched and groaned. “Speaking for myself, I’d be happy just to sleep all day.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Well, I’m probably going to get some work done for my course.”

“How much longer do you have with that anyways?”

“I should be done in August,” I said. “And with any luck? Out of here by October.”

Pipa pouted. “You know I support you, but I do wish you’d reconsider. I feel like things are finally getting better for you.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, with Ascension happening tomorrow at least we won’t have to answer to Phineas anymore. So, there’s that.”

“Speaking of which, are we going to talk about what happened yesterday more? Are you okay?”

She took a deep breath. “You know, I think I am. He gave me a choice, Isa. It was that, or he was going to put me in the cells until next month, when my heat wave comes around.”

“Why would he— Oh my god! He was going to make you be the next runner?”

She replied, “He said that maybe having the firm leadership and guidance of a mate would finally help me know my place. What a f*****g joke.”

“I still can’t believe you had to do that.”

Pipa shrugged. “Well, it only took like two minutes which either says amazing things about my oral skills, or very sad things about how long he can last. And now I have the inside information that Phineas Blackburn has to take a little blue pill to get it up, so I have that in my pocket ready to whip out at a moment’s notice when he’s not the boss around here anymore. I’m choosing to see all the positives here.”

I scoffed. “I’m pretty sure that’s just the trauma talking.”

“Probably,” She admitted. “You’re not wrong. Anyways, moving onto point two of why you should stick around — tell me what the heck is going on with you and the other Blackburn. I want to know everything. Now.”

***

By 3pm I was waiting in the entry hall for Pipa. We were riding together to the spa for Lily’s day of pampering. My mother came down beside her, dressed in a flowly sunflower-patterned dress and a big straw hat.

“Well you look cute, mom.” I remarked.

“Thank you sweetheart. Gosh, I’m so excited to have a day with my big girls! I can’t remember the last time we all went and did something like this.”

“You know it’s not just us, right?” I said. “There are going to be a lot of other girls and probably their moms too.”

“Of course. I know that. I was invited by Lily’s mom. Tatiana and I grew up together, you know. It’s just nice to have this day with you two. It gets me so excited about when you two meet your mates,” she said as she opened Pipa’s car door.

“Except not like that because Lily’s mate is dead,” Pipa reminded her.

As my mother bucked her seatbelt she sighed. “Yes, and mine is, too. But look at my life. I’ve remarried, got a beautiful bonus daughter and birthed a third little girl from it. Second chances can be a beautiful thing, Pipa.”

Pipa rolled her eyes as she started her car. “Whatever you say, mama.”

***

The three of us stopped at the mall on our way there, as we had all agreed to go-in together on buying Lily a gift. We settled on a pack-and-play, which I understood to be a bassinet and changing table, but also a play pen? Mom picked it out, assuring us that it would be one of the single most helpful gifts Lily would receive.

Despite a few unwelcome glances from Victoria Kane throughout the afternoon, the spa day actually went pretty well. I got a mani-pedi, a facial, and a hot-stone massage. After the gift-opening came to an end, we were just getting into our salad plates at the restaraunt when Victoria stood to make an announcement.

“Ladies, I’ve just got word that it is official!” She looked around the room as if she expected us all to ask ‘what?’ before she continued. “Dimitri has proposed to Phoebe. We’re so excited to start planning a wedding!”

While a few of the mothers audibly congratulated Victoria, although I wasn’t sure what for, the rest of the girls our age only clapped awkwardly. Dahlia leaned across to Lily and whispered, “Did this b***h really just hijack your party to make an announcement about hers? I swear to god…”

I snorted and nearly spit my drink. Pipa tried to contain her laughter. Victoria shot a look of disapproval at our table and we all smiled back politely.

After she looked away, Lily whispered back to us, “Dahlia, that was possibly my favorite moment of the day so far. Thank you.”

“You mean it wasn’t opening tiny clothes made for tiny humans? That wasn’t the best part?” Pipa teased her.

Lily rolled her eyes. “I mean, that part was still better than the Brazilian wax. I will never do that again.”

“Oh honey,” Pipa giggled. “Just wait until you’ve tried it out on the new man. It’s a whole new world. You’ll be back.” She winked at Lily.

“Speaking of that…” I said. “How are you feeling about it now? Still feel like you’re making the right choice?”

Lily nodded. “I do. And I know that it’s not a choice everyone else would make so eagerly, but… you have to consider it from my position. Up until two weeks ago, I was about to marry a man I barely knew and have his baby anyway. The man’s changed, and sure, I don’t know who he is yet, but the results remain the same.” She sighed. “Tomorrow I will be a mated woman, and an expecting mama. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

“Well,” Pipa presented her glass of champagne. “Here’s to hopeful optimism, and to you, Lily.”

She stood and clinked her spoon against her glass. “Everyone, please? To Lily!”

We all raised our glasses in unison. “To Lily!”

***

Nikolai’s POV

It was just after 7pm when I heard my father’s voice over the mind-link.

“Attention all,” he began. “As you know, we have our first daughter participating in a Moonlight Run this evening. We would like to take this opportunity to remind all single males over the age of twenty-one that you may participate if you like, by meeting at the rear of the packhouse by 8pm, where I will be available to go over the rules of conduct with each of you before the run officially begins at 9pm. Thank you for your willingness to help our pack grow, and please keep Lily Rhodes in your thoughts this evening. We wish her a successful first run.”

The mind-link closed and I exhaled deeply.

I still didn’t know what to make of this newly reinstated practice. I do know I was relieved to hear that Lily had volunteered to be the first, due to the recent events she’d experienced. But I felt that every female participant in the run should be a willing one, and I knew that’s where my father and I differed.

I had accompanied him to the council meeting when it was put on the table. While I could not participate in the vote, I stood with the 48% of other council members that voted against it.

I recalled one former Alpha making a fair point, “With the current matchmaking system in place, we give our women room to reach their mid-twenties before we suggest services. With this new system in place, by limiting them to just three heat cycles, we’ll have them all married and made mothers by twenty-two. Why the rush?”

But I knew why. Pack numbers were dwindling. Even couples that were pairing with their true mates were waiting longer to have children. Last year the council considered revisiting the issue of allowing pack wolves to bite humans again to grow our numbers. But times have changed, and humans keep themselves safer than ever. Finding off the grid individuals that we could change — people we would first have to be sure no one would miss — had become a challenge, particularly in a world where everyone carried a trackable phone and had a social media account.

My father was nearly laughed out of the meeting for suggesting we look further into the Ostara conversion— a legendary ritual that supposedly let our ancestors turn humans into wolves without biting them. Little was known about it, and many sacred texts referring to the ritual over the years regarded it largely as a myth.

For now, it was safer to grow our numbers from within. The odds were better that wolves would stop waiting around to find their true mates this way; the system was set up to create more sired-bonds than ever. The council had made sure that a wave of new mothers was on its way in the next year.

I thought in that moment of Isadora, who would be twenty in just a few weeks. Next year she could face the same prospects. It wounded me to even imagine. I wished more than ever that these feelings that were developing turned out to be were everything my father suggested they may be... if not for my own benefit, for hers. I hoped I could spare her such a fate.

For the first time in my life, I prayed that my father was right— even if only about this one thing.

***

Isa’s POV

It was after 7 now. I glanced out Pipa’s bedroom window, which faced the driveway and parking area in front of the manor, and I was taken aback by the number of cars that had arrived.

“Who are all these people?” I asked her, as I watched one after another emerge from their vehicle.

Pipa shrugged. “Members of other packs are invited to participate, too. I overheard Tatiana telling mom at dinner tonight that with this being the first one it’s likely to draw a big crowd anyways. But with it being the night before Nikolai’s Ascension ceremony, you have to consider how many people are just going to say, “Yeah, I’ll come a day early and check this out.” since they’re going to be here anyway.”

“Shit.” I said. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”

Pipa nodded. “This packhouse is going to be full to the brim the next couple nights. Lena’s even been helping folks book rooms out in town at the Inn.”

“I guess I’m glad we’re here instead of out there.”

“Oh, I’m not staying here,” Pipa cackled. “With all these single and available wolves in town, maybe I’ll finally find my mate and get to skip out on this bullshit afterall. I’m headed to Jonesy’s around eleven. You wanna come?”

“You’re going alone? Pipa, that's not safe tonight."

“Bianca’s meeting me." She said dismissively. "I guess since Phoebe is with Dimitri tonight celebrating their upcoming nuptials, Bianca’s decided she has time for her other friends, for once.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Bianca’s my biggest fan right now.” I admitted. “You should’ve seen the death glare she gave me when she and Phoebe walked in on Dimitri’s awkward confession on the stairs.”

Pipa frowned. “I forgot about that. Well, suit yourself. I’ll be sure to put in a good word though, and make sure she knows that it was 100% on Dimitri, not you.”

I shrugged. I really couldn't care less what Bianca or Phoebe think about me.

***

By midnight I still hadn’t managed to fall asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about what was happening in the woods. I knew that not far from where I slept, Lily was somewhere out there in heat, more than likely in pain, desperate for an end to it.

I’d only had a second-hand account from Pipa, but she said that during her time in the pods her favorite part was that they had two ice-bath stations available. It was one of the only things, aside from intimacy, that soothed the condition. She said if the ice baths were occupied, she and other girls would often stand in the showers under cold water for periods of time. She’d explained to me that it came in waves. For a few hours, they would feel fine enough to eat, or exhausted enough by their body’s struggle to get some sleep, and then another wave would come along.

Pipa and Bianca had become such good friends because they were on the same schedule. Every three months for more than a year now, the two had done their time in the pods together, waiting out their heat. The average heat cycle lasted two and a half days, until the moon transitioned from full to a waning gibbous. After a couple of times together, they had begun to tell each other, “Let’s do this again in three months,” laughing at their struggle to find mates.

I thought about how they were probably out having the time of their life, and here I was driving myself crazy worrying about all of this. I realized I’d made a mistake, and I texted Pipa.

“Are you still at Jonesy’s?”

Surprisingly, she texted back. “Yes! You coming?” pretty quickly.

I sat up on my bed and groaned as I willed myself to put some clothes back on.

“Can’t sleep. So, I guess so,” I said. “See you soon.”