the bedroom and go straight to breakfast. The kids were hungry and more than ready to go. But, I wanted to have a reason to wait for Michelle in the hallway.
She didn’t seem surprised to see me leaning against the wall when she opened the door. Her skin was still damp and smelled like the honey and oatmeal soap Mom kept in all the bathrooms. It was a good smell. A wolf smell.
Michelle blushed as I continued to look her over, and her scent sweetened. Her gaze dipped briefly to my bare chest then back up. The skip in her pulse was hard to miss, and I winked at her.
“It’s all yours,” she said, indicating the bathroom as she fled.
I grinned and stepped inside. The shower felt good. In fact, everything felt good. Sleeping next to Michelle did that to me. Made everything seem right.
Showered and changed, I went to join everyone in the living room, catching Aden’s repeated comment about being hungry. That kid was a wolf at heart.
“I’m starving, too,” I said. “Let’s go eat. If I get there first, I’m eating all the food.”
Aden made a dash for the door, and I used an unfair amount of speed to beat him to it. He giggled as I pretended to get stuck in the door with him. Once clear, we took off running at his pace. Liam was only a few steps behind us.
I heard Jim say, “Come on, little sister, or you’ll be left crumbs.”
My family. I breathed deeply, enjoying the moment.
The smell of bacon led us to the common area and the adjoining kitchen. Aden, Liam, and I had our plates loaded by the time Jim and Michelle appeared.
“Tell me Mom made biscuits,” Jim said, going to the ovens. I’d forgotten to check them. Jim found a pan with a few biscuits left and split one between the boys.
“You’re going to like that,” I said, ruffling Aden’s hair. “And if you’re smart, you’ll steal Jim’s from his plate before he can steal yours.”
Aden grinned and followed Jim to a table.
Meeting in the commons in ten minutes, Winifred sent.
The feel of her message was different, a pack-wide communication. I glanced at Michelle as she sat beside me and decided to wait until after we’d eaten. It didn’t take us long to finish; and, when we did, Paul and Henry came and asked to take Liam and Aden on a tour. Michelle hesitated, and Jim immediately offered to go, also.
Michelle and I took the plates to the kitchen and set them in the large tub of soapy water.
“Are you ready?” I asked, turning toward her.
She looked at me blankly.
“The pack meeting.”
Behind her people were already filing into the room. She glanced over her shoulder, tension washing over her features. But, she didn’t let it rule her. She wrinkled her nose at me. I smiled and took her hand.
Her steps were a little slow as we made our way into the crowded room. People moved to let us through. They already knew why she was here. News of humans in the Compound had spread quickly. Michelle’s hold on my hand tightened just before we got to my parents. I gave a light squeeze back and turned us to face the crowd. Michelle’s pulse was racing, and I smoothed my thumb over the skin of her hand in an attempt to calm her. I would have been willing to hold her closer but didn’t think she’d appreciate the public display of affection.
Dad stepped forward.
“There was a challenge last night, which Elder Winifred declined. Michelle has acknowledged Emmitt in front of Elder Winifred.”
Public acknowledgement of my suit felt really good. Next step, Claiming.
Michelle fidgeted next to me, less enthused about the announcement than I was.
“All challenges will end now,” Dad said, implanting the command in the members of our pack. “Not only is this a command from me—”
“It’s from me as well,” Winifred said from the back of the room.
The compulsion filled me and settled over my mind. It would have relieved me if I wasn’t aware there were wolves out there who could ignore her commands. I looked around the room, wondering if there were any present.
“Just as we count Charlene as one of our own, we now count Michelle.” Dad smiled at Michelle. “Michelle has brought two cubs with her. They are under pack protection, but I am looking for a Mated pair to protect them as their own, to put the safety of the cubs above the safety