“Yes, I’m sorry. But you can’t
tell her she doesn’t smell right. I heard the whole thing. You were about to
say something like that. She’s off somehow. Someone has messed her up.
Willow told me she was both mentally and physically abused by her ex. So maybe
we don’t need to…” Her voice trailed off as she put a soft hand on his arm.
He patted that hand as he nodded. “You think she is like
you. That she does not know how.”
Olivia bit her bottom lip. “Yes, I do. And I just feel that
we need to approach her differently. I can’t tell you why. It’s my gut.”
“I trust your instincts, Olivia. And in this I will follow
your request.” Micah kissed his wife before he went back into his office.
Harmony stood just where he’d left her, her head slightly bowed. “Sorry. My son
needed me. So you are Denied. Do you agree to the laws that bind all Pack
members, Called and Denied?”
Harmony answered the remaining questions as she’d rehearsed
with her aunt, including her aunt and uncle’s promise to stand as sponsors.
Whatever Olivia’s reason for interrupting them she’d managed to give Harmony
enough time to release some of the tension that had gripped her since she’d
arrived. Sucking down the pain of knowing that any Gathering she was called to
wouldn’t be a Moon Gathering as she’d dreamed of when she was young, Harmony
looked up, meeting her Alpha’s eyes. When Micah took her hand to pull her into
a gentle hug, she caught her breath. That kind of acceptance was a marvelous
thing.
“We take care of our own, Harmony. You are now one of us.
And, if you will follow me, I think my wife baked something as a welcome for
you.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond. His voice rumbled in her ear
through his chest. He must have sensed her unease because he gently pushed her
back to look into her eyes. Instinctively she turned her head just a bit but
maintained some eye contact.
“You are Pack now. It has been a while for you, has it not?
We are affectionate with one another in all our forms. The Wild Haven Lodge
Pack does not shun the Denied, Harmony.”
Tears sprang to her eyes as her throat tightened. Afraid to
speak she nodded. Relief came when a young girl scampered in.
“Micah! You have to hurry.” The urgency in the child’s voice
made the man stiffen as he released Harmony.
“Talia, what’s wrong?” He covered the distance to her in two
easy strides.
“They will eat everything if you don’t hurry. Olivia
told me to tell you that.” With a bright giggle the child ducked Micah’s
playful grab. “Come on!”
Micah motioned for Harmony to precede him. She followed her
nose to what had to be a den. Her aunt and uncle, Gareth, Olivia and the young
girl were all there. Even her Great-Uncle Pete was there.
“What is this?”
Her aunt gathered her into a hug. “Surprise! We’re your
early welcoming committee. Rain is meeting some of her cousins at the house.
Now grab a sandwich before Gareth eats all the food.”
The man in question gave a short laugh that made Harmony
light up. “Me? It’s that cub there that we should be scared of. Tally! That’s
your fourth sandwich. Slow your roll, pup.”
Harmony lasted for nearly twenty minutes before it got to be
too much. She excused herself as she slipped outside. All of this open
acceptance seemed overwhelming. It didn’t feel real. She knew how the Pack
treated the Denied. Were they setting her up?
She took a deep breath. The sun was just beginning to go
down and the air already delivered the promised chill for the night. She had
not missed the cold when they’d lived in California. The scent of the woods
filled her nostrils. Home. No other place she’d ever been smelled quite like
home. Sure everyone inside was discussing her Moon-Denied status, she started a
little when the door behind her opened.
Of course it would be him. One of the Alpha’s seconds, one
whose injuries would have been shunned by another Pack just as one
tell her she doesn’t smell right. I heard the whole thing. You were about to
say something like that. She’s off somehow. Someone has messed her up.
Willow told me she was both mentally and physically abused by her ex. So maybe
we don’t need to…” Her voice trailed off as she put a soft hand on his arm.
He patted that hand as he nodded. “You think she is like
you. That she does not know how.”
Olivia bit her bottom lip. “Yes, I do. And I just feel that
we need to approach her differently. I can’t tell you why. It’s my gut.”
“I trust your instincts, Olivia. And in this I will follow
your request.” Micah kissed his wife before he went back into his office.
Harmony stood just where he’d left her, her head slightly bowed. “Sorry. My son
needed me. So you are Denied. Do you agree to the laws that bind all Pack
members, Called and Denied?”
Harmony answered the remaining questions as she’d rehearsed
with her aunt, including her aunt and uncle’s promise to stand as sponsors.
Whatever Olivia’s reason for interrupting them she’d managed to give Harmony
enough time to release some of the tension that had gripped her since she’d
arrived. Sucking down the pain of knowing that any Gathering she was called to
wouldn’t be a Moon Gathering as she’d dreamed of when she was young, Harmony
looked up, meeting her Alpha’s eyes. When Micah took her hand to pull her into
a gentle hug, she caught her breath. That kind of acceptance was a marvelous
thing.
“We take care of our own, Harmony. You are now one of us.
And, if you will follow me, I think my wife baked something as a welcome for
you.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond. His voice rumbled in her ear
through his chest. He must have sensed her unease because he gently pushed her
back to look into her eyes. Instinctively she turned her head just a bit but
maintained some eye contact.
“You are Pack now. It has been a while for you, has it not?
We are affectionate with one another in all our forms. The Wild Haven Lodge
Pack does not shun the Denied, Harmony.”
Tears sprang to her eyes as her throat tightened. Afraid to
speak she nodded. Relief came when a young girl scampered in.
“Micah! You have to hurry.” The urgency in the child’s voice
made the man stiffen as he released Harmony.
“Talia, what’s wrong?” He covered the distance to her in two
easy strides.
“They will eat everything if you don’t hurry. Olivia
told me to tell you that.” With a bright giggle the child ducked Micah’s
playful grab. “Come on!”
Micah motioned for Harmony to precede him. She followed her
nose to what had to be a den. Her aunt and uncle, Gareth, Olivia and the young
girl were all there. Even her Great-Uncle Pete was there.
“What is this?”
Her aunt gathered her into a hug. “Surprise! We’re your
early welcoming committee. Rain is meeting some of her cousins at the house.
Now grab a sandwich before Gareth eats all the food.”
The man in question gave a short laugh that made Harmony
light up. “Me? It’s that cub there that we should be scared of. Tally! That’s
your fourth sandwich. Slow your roll, pup.”
Harmony lasted for nearly twenty minutes before it got to be
too much. She excused herself as she slipped outside. All of this open
acceptance seemed overwhelming. It didn’t feel real. She knew how the Pack
treated the Denied. Were they setting her up?
She took a deep breath. The sun was just beginning to go
down and the air already delivered the promised chill for the night. She had
not missed the cold when they’d lived in California. The scent of the woods
filled her nostrils. Home. No other place she’d ever been smelled quite like
home. Sure everyone inside was discussing her Moon-Denied status, she started a
little when the door behind her opened.
Of course it would be him. One of the Alpha’s seconds, one
whose injuries would have been shunned by another Pack just as one
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