The Howling Rite

History

***KORA***

I have to admit, getting a four week break after what Henry put me through was extremely gratifying. Via was teaching Henry how to cook for me, insisting that because I'm breastfeeding, it's his responsibility to make sure I had the nutrition to give our daughter. She made him clean and taught him how to 'support a new mother'. He was also finally learning that quality time with Lena was the most important thing he could do for her. I know he loves Lena, but he needed to learn how to fit her into his daily life and his role as the leader of our pack. I was eternally grateful to Via for teaching him all of these things, even though she and I have had our ups and downs.

I also have to admit that I snuck in as many cuddles as I could with Lena before being shooed from my own house and being told not to worry about a thing. I took the opportunity to visit with my nephew. He's a devastatingly handsome little thing with his mother's messy black hair and his father’s golden eyes. Alecxander and Lena had the same nose and the same cheeks and the same unfairly perfect chin. They could easily have been siblings owing to the fact that their fathers are identical twins. It made me smile to think of them growing up together, laughing and playing. I hoped they would be as close as Inga and I are. It made me smile even more to think of the trouble they’d cause.

Inga and I were going to the big mall in Salt Lake for the day. As I waited for her to give Boris strict instructions on Alec's feeding schedule, I noticed something strange. I couldn't place it. Inga was her usual self, and Boris was as happy as I'd ever seen him. Of course Alec was perfect as ever, but something seemed not right. It made me uneasy.

I asked Inga about it in the car. "Is everything alright at home?"

She looked at me like I had three heads. "Of course! Why would you ask?"

Inga and I had been best friends since high school so I could tell she was honestly confused by my question. I shrugged. “I don't know, I just feel weird."

"It's probably from being away from Lena so much. But you need the break. You deserve it." She gave me a sideways glance that told me to shut up and agree with her. She was probably right anyway. I don't know, though. My instincts are usually pretty good, which only made me feel more anxious.

"So," she said bringing me out of my thoughts. "Boris says he's gonna ask you to help him with Oktoberfest." She grinned. No one else besides the six of us knew about the Alpha getting his behind handed to him by his mother, who by the way is half his size, and he wanted it kept that way. Which is fine because Inga and I laugh about it so much we don't need to share it with anyone else.

Besides, we all knew how terrifying Via Bach could be. She has a vicious tongue when she feels the need, and a cunning mind that's always working. Not to mention being a witch.

"Aw man, I don't want to get saddled with that! I hate Oktoberfest, it's so noisy! I don't even like beer, I'm just gonna mess it up, and then I'll be known as the Alpha's Mate that messed up the most important party of the year. It's like Halloween. That's like the day for anything pack-wise to go wrong. Do you know how many 'incidents' I have to prevent between Runners and humans? I don't know why those wolves even still celebrate, it's such a hassle." I complained.

Ever since my short stint as a serial killer's hostage, I didn't really have the stomach for parties. Especially big, loud parties where you couldn't count your exits and track every noise you hear.

"Aww come on," She argued. "It's a piece of our history and culture! And the only time to get piss drunk and no one will judge you for it."

"Inga, you know good and well that we are not Runners. Our culture and history comes from right here in this country. Not to mention the amount of stupid teenage boys who think Oktoberfest is an excuse to hit on the Alpha's mate!"

Inga rolled her eyes at me. "You are just no fun at all, and I’ll have you know that I come from a German background! Besides, as a Mate, we inherit the Runner history. It's important."

“You plan it then.”

“You’re the Alpha, you have to.”

“Barely!”

“Doesn’t matter.”

I pouted like a child and said, “I don’t wanna.”

Inga grinned at me. "Look, Kora, I know we have a history of our own when it comes to parties with Runners. But you know that Henry will never let anything happen to you, just like back then. We survived that, we'll survive this. Besides, that b***h was insane. It's not like people get abducted from Runner parties every day, and the boys took care of it back then, just like they'd take care of us now. We have a responsibility to hand down the histories and the culture to our children and really all of the future Runner generations. If something were to happen to Henry, you would still be his Mate, and leading the pack and handing down traditions would still be your responsibility."

I wish that Oktoberfest would come and go and leave me in peace but I know that Inga is right. Besides, I'm not the human I was back then. I'm no Runner, but I am something more and I am more capable of protecting mysefl now. That didn't mean I was okay, and it didn't mean I was going to be able to suddenly enjoy things like this, but I would take it seriously, for the sake of tradition.

I sighed. "Okay. You're right. I'll do my best. I have all this free time on my hands anyway." I looked at her from my periphrial vision and saw her grin. Inga could be eerily similar to Via sometimes. She almost always got her way, and she didn't even have to be an Alpha to do it. I envied that about her, just like I always had. Even as teenagers, she always got what she wanted. Inga wasn't spoiled by any means, but she was resourceful and wise for her age. She saw more than she spoke and she never asked for anything unreasonable or unobtainable, and what ever she couldn't get someone to do for her, she did herself.

Even though I envied her, I was glad that she was with me in this life. We were both Neverwolves. I could have easily been thrown into this life without her and I was so happy that that wasn't the case. I couldn't imagine a stronger aunt for Lena, or a better sister for myself, especially because when we joined the pack, we had to leave everything else behind. It was the ultimate sacrifice, but for me, Henry, his family, his people, and the life we built together were worth that sacrifice. Being able to keep my best friend and call her my sister? I couldn't imagine a better outcome.