The North Star Chronicles

Chapter 2

Gale

Next to the bay, the air changed suddenly, the scent of ocean mist that was so familiar to him, changed in the most subtle of ways. The hair on his arms stood on end. Gale stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the stars set out just beyond the midnight horizon. He couldn't put it into words, though the closest he could find was electricity. It smelled of pure, unbridled energy, combining with the calming scent of the evening air. Kaito stirred within me and I nudged him back, attempting to feign calmness in the midst of my unease and curiousness.

Kaito spoke on their link, the channel between their minds. "It's her. She's coming."

And in that moment Gale knew it was true. The last two years of torment, knowing that somewhere out there she existed, but never knowing exactly where.

Kaito rumbled deeply, his satisfaction emanating within their shared human form. "She's still too far off to pinpoint, but the north star will be her guide as it is ours. She'll find us soon enough."

Gale breathed in the scent, settled into the change of the air current. It was as if her presence, somehow entering this hemisphere, was changing the orbit ever so slightly. The tides pushed their way onto the shore just a fraction more forcefully than they had just moments before.

Gale stretched and continued with the run, making his way back to the pack house. He decided that keeping the new development to himself would be best for now. Everyone in the pack had been restless for the last two years awaiting the day that Gale would name his Luna; he knew that some of his pack had hoped that he would choose a different mate instead of waiting on his truemate, but still he persisted, waiting on his Luna to make herself known. Its not that there weren't suitable options, there were plenty of potential mates within the village that would do their best to fill the role of Luna, but Gale could't bring himself to do it. Even the thought of laying with another when he knew that the bond wasn't there repulsed him and made Kaito scream within his skin. Kaito had impressed upon him the importance of what this truemate would be, and it would be no less than the savior of their pack and all of their kind.

Gale had solidified his bond with Kaito when he was eighteen, bridging the gaps between mind, body, and beast to create a link between the newest alpha and Kaito.

Gale breathed deeper than usual, hoping to pull in as much of his truemate's scent as he could in hopes to find her. It was too faint, and yet somehow it surrounded him, pinpointing a direction in which to follow it wasn't possible. But now he knew she existed on this earth, in this universe, and that was all the assurance he needed that his pack and world as he knew it would be saved.

Ten years ago, when Gale was only ten and long before he took his role of alpha, Gale had welcomed into the pack chamber dozens of new mate pairs as well as existing pairs that he remembered his mother congratulating for having pups on the way. Gale had been ushered away from the meeting, but could hear the soft cries of women in mourning as he left. Dozens of woman mourning the loss of what Gale would discover to be every single pup of the next generation. And it didn't stop there. Every pregnant female that year, in all packs, had lost their pups in the womb. And every female since had become barren. It had been ten years since any new pups had been born, and the stress of an impending extinction loomed thick in the air. And somehow Kaito knew that their truemate would be the one to save them all.

Approaching the pack house, Gale mustered all of his energy to push his thoughts to the side, letting Kaito lock them up safe away from any encroaching pack minds that dared to rifle through his head.

As he pushed through the door, his Beta, Titus, turned with a half nod before turning his attention back to his own mate who's head was nestled comfortably in his lap while they watched tv.

"Any updates?" Titus sent on their pack link.

"No." Gale answered flatly as he made his way to his bedroom to shower and then sleep, or at least feign sleep. Ever atom in his body was buzzing with anticipation and he was doubtful that he'd find sleep this night.

Gale had managed to keep his cool, and his secret for two days. Kaito and Gale both fought back a psychotic break. Two days, and though her scent was stronger, something wasn't right. Kaito could feel his matebond pulling at him so strongly, but Gale still couldn't identify the delicate strands that tethered his soul with his mate's. It was as if some sort of barrier made her inaccessible. Gale mulled it over in his mind, knowing that in the end, he needed to come clean and consult with the pack council.

Gale sent it out on the pack link, deciding that delaying it any longer would only delay the beginnings of his matebond. "Code Red. All council to the pack chamber within the hour."

He rolled his shoulders and allowed the shift to take over him, Kaito's wolf form twisting and contorting until all that was left of their human form was their eyes, a deep and murky ocean green that had a constant oceans' gleam.

Kaito loped the few miles to the pack chamber, nipping at the crisp ocean air in attempt to drag his mate's scent deeper into himself. She was so close that he all but vibrated within his skin in anticipation. Whatever was blocking her from being located, they needed to find and put a stop to. He took note of every sensation he was experiencing on the single tether of their matebond. She was there, they were both there, but whatever had locked away Gale's mate had managed to trap Kaito's mate behind the same barrier. And their mate, she smelled of the purest of energy, but the more Kaito scented the air, the more he knew that his mate's wasn't the only scent he was deciphering. Enveloping the singular thread of their matebond, was the most subtle hint of magic.