Running with the Alpha's Son, page 22
“Hey.” I pull him to me and put my hands on the sides of his face. “I’m here. It’s okay.”
He tries to steady his breath and rests his forehead on mine.
Somewhere off to the side, the drumming continues.
“He should return to the Elite Pack to stand trial for his crimes,” Jasper says.
“Mr. Peng is a member of this community,” Mal counters. “He will not be going anywhere.”
“He is a traitor and should be held accountable.”
“He is protected by the governing laws of the Sanc.”
“I thought your society had no governance.”
“You are more than two and a half thousand miles from your pack, Child Alpha. You have no jurisdiction here.”
“He tried to kill my father!”
I twist my toe into the dusty floor of Mal’s tent. Jasper and Mal have been going at it like this for almost fifteen minutes now and neither seems willing to back down. Mal sits on a wicker chair, the kind with a high, rounded back, which makes it look like a tropical-themed throne. To her side Kairos sits on a large cushion, uninterested, literally dozing off during this wolfy squabble.
After last night’s surprise guest appearance, Jasper and I made our way back to our tent and I know he didn’t sleep from the way he was tossing and turning. Meaning I didn’t sleep either. I rub my eyes as I let them go at it, hoping they’ll wear each other out eventually.
“Rogue life is about redemption and forgiveness. George is committed to rehabilitating himself.”
“He’s a murderer and a traitor,” Jasper spits. “He should be locked up.”
“Just because you and your pack system do not believe in second chances—”
“We believe in second chances, just not for traitorous murderers.”
“One less alpha in the world doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to me,” Mal says, leveling her gaze.
Jasper’s mouth hangs open, his brow tight. “You support his crimes?”
“I do not support violence. But I am not about to be railroaded in my own sanctuary.”
“You’re a fool.”
“And you are out of line.” On this Mal rises from her wicker chair, Kairos stirs and lifts his head but remains placidly on his stomach. “You are a guest in this community. Invited to attend a sacred ritual, during which you incited violence and disturbed the peace. I have every reason to expel you from this land.”
“Then why don’t you?!” Jasper asks, his hands out wide.
Mal’s eyes flick to mine, so swiftly it’s hard to notice, but Jasper does. He turns to look at me, red-faced and incredulous.
I shake my head because I do not want to be dragged into this. And I definitely don’t want to try and convince Jasper that he shouldn’t care about the man who almost had his dad and me killed.
Mal takes a breath and settles back into her chair. She rests her head in her palm briefly, her exhaustion poking through for just a moment, then she glances at Kairos, who’s beady black eyes stare back at his mate. I wonder if they’re communicating without being heard, if they’re speaking across the mind-link. Finally, Mal straightens her back once more and turns her attention back to us.
“I should,” Mal says finally. “I should kick you out on your gilded ass. But for reasons I’m not willing to share, I think it best that Max stays until Yoki is able to help him commune with the lupine chorus.” Jasper glances at me once more and I shrug in return. “So until I’m informed that Max has a grasp of his powers, I’m obliged to let you stay.”
Jasper grunts.
“Believe me, if I didn’t know you two came as a package things would be different. You’ve long spent the currency which your mother afforded you here.”
“And Mr. Peng?” Jasper asks, his voice gruff.
“I have asked George to stay within the confines of his tent for the duration of your stay. He will give you space, I hope you can at least offer him the same in return. Now, I believe you have a school to finish building. But be warned, Child Alpha, one more incident like last night and you will understand the full might of this community.”
Jasper snarls one last time before spinning and exiting the tent. He doesn’t look back or wait to see if I’m following.
I shoot Mal an apologetic smile then turn to follow, but I stop when she speaks again.
“Max,” she says. “I meant what I said. If you can tap into the great consciousness, you could do amazing things for all of wolfkind.”
I turn back to find Mal watching me intently, and for a moment I have the distinct feeling she’s trying to tell me something without words, though what it is I haven’t got a clue. Kairos has laid his head on his front paws, but he’s watching me too.
“Do you understand?” Mal asks.
“I—I’m not sure.”
“You will.” She nods slowly, ending the conversation, or so I think as I turn to leave once more.
“Oh and…” I stop when she speaks again, but stay facing the exit. “You might want to keep an eye on that mate of yours. I know your love runs deep. But we never know what or who might be standing in the way of our own greatness.”
I bristle at this last comment. Because who is she to suggest Jasper is preventing me from accomplishing anything. She barely knows him, has only seen the prideful, alpha-bred side of him. She doesn’t know how much he cares, how much responsibility he takes on. And yet…something has been blocking me. Could it be…?
I shake the thought away and leave her tent.
Jasper is waiting outside, leaning on a wooden signpost.
“Hey, you okay?” I ask.
“Fine,” he says, kicking off the post. “What does she know?”
Yeah, what does she know?
He nods in the direction of the construction site. “Walk me to the school?”
“What are they thinking?” Jasper asks while we’re still a few minutes from the site. “Harboring criminals. If the packs found out they—”
“Jasper,” I say, stopping in my tracks, realization smacking me in the face. “The packs can’t know about this place.”
He stops as well, turning to look at me with confusion on his face.
“They can’t know,” I continue. “If the packs knew where Rogue Sanctuary was they’d want to take it over, invade it or control it, police the borders. Rogues need somewhere they can go that’s safe, where they’ll be looked after. If the alphas knew…they’d destroy this place.”
He rubs his chin like he’s thinking it over.
“Jasper, you can’t tell anyone about this place. Not even your father.”
Jasper’s eyes shoot from the dirt to my face.
“Max, I—”
“No.” I step closer to him. “Promise me, you won’t tell anyone.”
He slips his hands into mine. “If you’d let me finish. I was going to say…of course. If the packs knew about this place it would be a disaster. I don’t have to love how they do things and I don’t have to trust them implicitly. But I also won’t be responsible for ruining the lives of these people.”
I can’t help grinning a little smugly, just a smidge.
“What?” he asks.
“You called them people.”
He rolls his eyes and lets his head fall back. “Well, they’re not not people. Come on.”
He leaves one hand in mine as he leads me on. Just as we reach the almost fully erected school tent, Omar appears looking ready for a six-month hike. Seriously, he’s got walking boots on, a khaki baseball cap made of some waterproof fabric on top of his head, and a pack that looks stuffed with enough clothing and provisions to last a long winter.
“Whoa,” I say, “you going somewhere?”
“Not just me,” he says in return, smiling.
“Wait, what?”
“I was just coming to find you actually. Yoki thinks you’re ready to take things up a notch.”
I glance at Jasper, who is eyeing Omar skeptically.
“What does ‘up a notch’ entail?”
“We’re going on a little trip,” Omar says, vaguely.
“Might need a little more info.”
“Okay cuz, don’t get too excited. We’re trekking out to this rock circle. It’s wicked cool. Super sacred. Takes a few hours to get there. Yoki’s already on their way to get everything set up. I’m here to escort you.”
Jasper steps forward. “You’re escorting him where exactly?”
Omar tilts his head, looking confused that his message isn’t quite coming across, then points to the desert. “Out there!”
“No way,” Jasper says, pulling on my hand ever so slightly, making me step backward.
“Don’t worry, muchacho. Max will be completely safe. Yoki will be there. I’ll be there.”
“Exactly what I’m concerned about,” Jasper mumbles so only I can hear.
“Look, it’s sort of a big deal. Not everyone gets to visit this sacred site or participate in this ritual.”
“Ritual?” I ask.
“Yeah, it’s called a moonwalk.”
“Like the…like the dance?”
Omar laughs. “Not exactly. We head out to a spot where the lunar energy is vibing and Yoki performs a ritual and you go on a little journey.”
“Where?” Jasper asks, almost growling.
“The lunar plane,” Omar says, throwing his hands up like we’re the ones being super annoying.
But suddenly I understand what he’s saying. “Whoa. You mean Yoki is going to help me access the lunar plane?”
“Yes, and while you’re there you’ll go on a journey and learn all about yourself and hopefully get to know your blood-wolf self at the same time. Figure out what’s got you blocked and all that. At least, that’s the plan.”
“How long does this take?” Jasper asks.
“I’ll have him back by tomorrow morning.”
“You’re camping out overnight?!” Jasper’s face is beginning to turn red.
“We just need a moment,” I call over my shoulder to Omar as I pull Jasper aside.
“You can’t be seriously thinking of going out into the desert with that guy,” Jasper says.
“Jasper.” I use my most clipped tone so he knows I’m not messing around. “I need to do this. Something has been blocking me and this might be the best way to figure out how to stop it.” He crosses his arms and looks petulantly anywhere except my face. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” He rolls his eyes. “Not many wolves get to experience this.” He twists his foot in the sand. “I’m going to visit the lunar plane! I need to do this!”
Finally, he huffs and stops avoiding eye contact.
“It’s a bad idea.”
“What is? Me going into the desert with Omar or leaving you here alone with the rogues?”
“Both,” he says, full-on pouting.
“Remember what we said about trust.”
“I trust you,” he says. “Just not him.”
“Well…I trust him. So you need to trust my judgment.”
“I should come too.”
“I don’t need a chaperone. And you’re needed here.” I gesture to the construction zone. “The school is nearly finished. You should be there to see it through.”
I cup the side of his face and give him my best puppy dog eyes.
“Everything will be fine.”
Eventually, he inhales, his shoulders rising next to his ears, then lets the air out in one big huff. “Fine.”
The second we turn back to Omar, Jasper chewing his bottom lip and me unable to suppress my massive grin, Tomas emerges from between two tents.
“Ah, there you are!” he says to Jasper. “Listen I know there’s still a little more construction work to be done, but one of our teachers has called out sick for the day and we need someone to watch over the preschoolers.”
Jasper’s face is blank. His gaze flicks from Tomas to me to the unfinished school in a circuit he repeats three of four times.
“What?”
“I heard you were great with kids,” Tomas says, smiling in my direction. “And you’ve worked so hard on the structure. Don’t you want to spend some time with the kids who’ll be using the space?”
“I…I…”
“Excellent!” Tomas claps his hands together. “This way then. The kids will be very excited to hear all about your life in a pack.” Tomas takes Jasper by the shoulder and leads him away. “You’ll have to watch out for Benny though—he’s teething and tends to bite.”
“Have a good time,” I call out, feeling a little sorry for Jasper, who looks back at me with true panic in his eyes.
“Grumpy Pants and a bunch of four-year-olds,” Omar says, suddenly at my side. “Sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
“I feel sort of bad leaving him here.”
“He’ll be fine,” Omar says, slapping me on the back. “You ready to moonwalk, cuz?”
I take a breath.
“Just let me get my sequined glove.”
THE MOONWALK
“It’s mega hot,” I say, wiping my brow. “How much farther to this sacred rock formation?”
Omar shoots me a sideways grin. I’m basically a water fountain with the amount I’m dripping sweat—he, on the other hand, has worked up a thin sheen of moisture, which only accentuates his tanned features. He was obviously made for this type of climate. We’ve been hiking for nearly four hours at this point. The midday sun has come and gone and now we’re entering sweltering afternoon temperatures.
“Not far, cuz.”
I trudge on, my trainers getting covered in even more dust.
“This moonwalk,” I say. “Have you ever tried it?”
Omar squints into the distance. “Once.”
“And did it work?”
He walks a few paces without replying, then nods. “Yeh, it worked.”
“What was it like? What did you see?”
The muscles in his jaw are working overtime, like he’s grinding his teeth, hard.
“Not much.”
Either he’s disappointed with his time on the lunar plane or he seriously doesn’t want to talk about it.
We walk for another fifteen minutes or so in silence until I can’t bear it anymore.
“So, uh, it looks like you’ve found a really great home at the Sanc.”
“Definitely. The Sanc really saved my ass. I owe Yoki and Mal and everyone there a lot. You wouldn’t believe how hard it can be out there as a rogue. You’d think packs these days would be more progressive, more welcoming. But they’d sooner spit on you and turn you away than consider letting you hang for one night.” He glances at me quickly. “For the most part.”
“I’m glad you found somewhere,” I say earnestly.
We walk a little farther. Up ahead I can just about make out some rocks and I wonder if that’s where we’re heading.
“And uh…have you met any nice wolves since you got here?”
Omar eyes me sideways once more, only this time he’s smirking.
“You have?!”
He shakes his head and is he…blushing?
“Okay, spill. Who’s the lucky wolf?”
“Nah, cuz, it’s not like that. I haven’t…” He trails off, staring into the distance. “Let’s just say I’ve got my eye on someone but that whole situation has about as much chance as growing moss in the desert.”
“Come on, you’re, like, totally smoldering—any wolf would be lucky to have you.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Without warning he picks up his pace and we don’t talk about much else until we finally arrive at the rock circle. Unlike the circle at the Rocky Pack, this one is much bigger, the stones are large and smooth, rounded by millennia of abrasive dust and wind. They encircle a bowl-like crater in the desert, at the center of which Yoki is sitting next to a small fire, cross-legged in a meditative state, surrounded by all manner of trippy accoutrements—bronze bowls, large crystals, a set of bongo drums, a flute made from bamboo, and a metal platter strewn with what look like old wolves’ teeth.
We trudge slowly down the short incline until we’re standing on the flat circle in the center of the basin. Yoki doesn’t open their eyes, but their mouth tilts up in a corner.
“You’ve made it,” they say. “Ready to walk with the moon gods, Blood Wolf?”
“Here, drink this,” Yoki instructs, holding out a small stone cup.
They’re sitting in front of me, the fire crackling between us. Omar is to my right. Above the ridge of the basin, the sun is setting, the sky between the rocks is all pastel, burning orange and violet and pink. Behind me the deep navy of night is creeping in. Somewhere the moon is about to rise.
I reach out and take the cup. In it is some new herbal tea.
“What is it?” I ask.
“It will help you access the lunar plane. Drink.” Yoki nods and I glance at Omar for reassurance. He nods as well.
“Bottoms up,” I say, then pour the tincture down my throat. It’s sweeter than I imagined, almost like chamomile, but with the spice of cinnamon, and the herby-ness of nettles and basil. “Not bad. Does it come as a Frappuccino?”
“Now close your eyes,” Yoki says.
I take in our surroundings one more time: a thin ripple of clouds is hovering overhead, a sprinkle of stars are shining beyond, the sunset is warm but the desert cools as the light diminishes, the boulders rise around me like teeth and I’m in the jaws of some massive beast, about to be swallowed whole.
I know that sounds dramatic, but that tea must already be going to work because my head feels lighter and the sandy banks rising on all sides are quivering, like a gazillion snakes are slithering under the surface.
One more deep breath and then I do as I’m told.
“Concentrate,” Yoki says, exhaling as I close my eyes.
I breathe in through my nose and try to practice everything I’ve learned. I let my breath move slowly, filling my chest and expanding my stomach, although my lungs feel bottomless, like I could inhale forever and never stop, never stop needing more air. I try to tune my ears into the hum of nature—the wind, the dust, the faint chirp of crickets—and somehow everything is amplified. A mile away I can make out the scurrying feet of a desert mouse darting between yucca trees; under a rock another mile to the south a rattlesnake is contorting into a new twisted configuration. Somewhere a drop of water falls from the flower of a cactus and hits the earth, evaporating the second it touches the scorching soil.
