It's for the Moon Godnes to know

Chapter 21

Pete’s POV

For the next few days, I canceled all social commitments. Maxwell and I rode out of town and found a large forest, we scouted the area gruesome, and then we let our wolves loose. Both of us had kept our wolves locked inside our form for far too long, so it took a long time before they had run out of their energy. Late that evening we sat by a fire and cooked the animal Maxwell's wolf had slaughtered for us.

"Have you noticed that lone wolves do not have a rogue smell?" Max looked up at me.

"What do you mean by lone?" I sighed deeply and told about the wolves I had met on my journey, those who had lost their pack and territory. They had smelled of pack wolves, but it had been very very faint. Some had almost no scent left. Maxwell nodded and looked thoughtful.

"When an Alpha throws out a wolf, they are given a stench that warns other wolves that this wolf is an unwanted individual, dangerous and erratic. But if an Alpha dies, it usually happens that a new one takes over his pack. "The wolves do not get the stench of rogue, but keep the pack scent. When a pack is exterminated, the few survivors will keep their scent, but I think it will fade if there is no new Alpha." I thought about it, it sounded very right.

"But what happens then when the scent is completely gone?" Max shrugged and we did not talk about it anymore. That night I lay for a long time looking at the moon, despite the fact that my wolf had used up all our energy and I should have fallen asleep immediately, I could not stop thinking about my question.

The next day we let our wolves out to run, play and hunt all they wanted. We spent the evening talking about everything and nothing, as friends do.

In the morning we got ready to go back to the city. Max had to report to the barracks before sunset and I had some decisions to make.

Out in front of my hotel, Max looked at me seriously.

"Stay away from the lap dogs!" I nodded and gave him a warm hug goodbye.

In the evening, I visited my father's old soldier comrade, and told him of my concerns. The old male wolf leaned back in his chair and stared thoughtfully in front of him. I also leaned back and waited, we sat together in silence for a long time.

"I think you should find a female wolf who has lived like a wolf!" I looked at him, hoping he would elaborate. It took a while before he continued.

"You must abandon the city's Alphas! Find a female wolf who has tried to do without fancy dresses, hats and carriages! Find someone who has tried to let her wolf out, tried breathe like it, seen the world the way it does!" I nodded, I had even thought the thought that I did not find a mate that I would fit in with, among the noble society. I thanked him for his advice and wished him good night.

I canceled all invitations and asked the hotel to throw them out if more came. It was not a popular approach, but I had had enough, enough of endless conversations with mothers who wanted to sell their daughters, enough of refined food and most of all, I had had enough of creatures forsaking their wolf. They were not wolves, they were not humans, they were just ... creatures.

It was at that time I came to thinking of Shelia again. She may not have been of Alpha or Beta blood, but she was after all more wolf than any of the girls I had been "offered"!

I thought about it for a few days, how should I approach the matter? Eventually I decided to visit the inn where she worked. I would not be so intrusive to seek her out in her home.

I arrived at dinner time, sat down at a table in the area where she used to serve. It took a while before she came over to me and I was at first in doubt as to whether she recognized me. Only when I had ordered and she looked at me was I sure. She recognized me, but even though I had been kind to her, there was no reunion joy in her eyes. She just turned around and placed my order for the kitchen. As she put the food in front of me, I reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Shelia!" she looked blankly at me. "Is everything OK?" I knew it was a stupid question, but I had no idea how else to formulate it. Before she could answer, the innkeeper shouted at her, she pulled her hand free and walked away. I ate my food slowly while keeping an eye on her. Something was wrong!