here?” I asked, my eyes drifting from him to the men and back.
“Getting out,” Dimitri said from behind me, nudging my shoulder playfully as he jumped out of the side of the vehicle.
“Let’s go, little wolf,” Nikolai added, already standing beside the skidoo.
I unhooked the seat belt and got out, following them to where the treeline broke into an open, snow-covered valley full of dozens of wolves. The same ones from last night. The ridge that Nikolai and I had watched them from loomed to the right.
Natasha and Lulu were standing in front of the wolves. A few other women hovered in the background.
“What’s going on?” I whispered, trying to be quiet, but several wolves still turned and looked at me curiously.
“Just watch,” Nikolai murmured, dropping his head to whisper in my ear.
Nikolai and Dimitri stayed behind me, thankfully blocking out most of the wind that whipped behind us. Even still, I shivered against the cold.
Lulu stepped forward. The wind snatched the words she was saying before I could hear them, but moments later, a field of naked women stood where the wolves had. Immediately Natasha and the other women surged forward, handing clothing to all the women.
It was clearly a well organized, familiar system. Women were clothed within minutes, excitedly chattering and laughing as they covered up from the elements.
“Come on,” Nikolai said, reaching for my hand and pulling me through the snow with Dimitri following. When we got close to Natasha, Dimitri split away from us and headed for Lulu, his long strides eating up the distance between them until he was at her side.
“Is she okay?” I asked, watching as she gave Dimitri a thin smile and actually leaned into him when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Nikolai followed my gaze. “She will be. What she just did took a great deal of energy. It always does, but this group is larger than any we’ve had in the past. She’ll rest and then complete the rest of the process before we leave tonight.”
“I thought they hated each other,” I admitted, watching as Dimitri started to lead her away, finally just swinging her up into his arms and carrying her the rest of the way to the skidoo.
Lulu didn’t seem to mind as she all but cuddled against his chest, her head tucked against his shoulder. Dimitri got her situated in her seat, tucking a blanket around her like she was made of glass. Lulu was all but asleep as he started the vehicle and pulled away.
“Lulu and Dimitri have a complicated relationship,” Nikolai informed me. “But they don’t hate one another. Far from it.”
Clearly.
“What else does Lulu do?” I asked, turning to look up at him.
“Lulu’s gifts are exceptionally unique. She possesses the ability to determine a woman’s fertility cycle. This process,” he inclined his head to where Natasha was addressing the women, “often triggers a fertility cycle within months, sometimes weeks. She’ll be able to help the women navigate their next steps before they return home.”
“You said last night that they were all trying to get pregnant,” I murmured.
“And most will,” he confirmed with a quick grin, dimples flashing for a second. “But the important fact is that they’re doing this by choice. Because it’s what they want.”
“And Norwood is forcing it.” My wolf stirred, as pissed off as I was.
“What they’re doing is dangerous. Reckless.” He gave me an odd look, almost apologetic. “We should have stepped in before it came to this.”
I blinked up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
He sighed. “We’ve known that the American packs were struggling, both in the northern and southern continents. But we let old rivalries and feuds keep us from offering help. It wasn’t until Elias approached us that a connection was established and we learned the extent of the issues.”
“Old feuds?”
“Most of it is ancient history. When the Americas were discovered, it opened a new world and divided a lot of packs here. A few went at the behest of Alphas, like Nortosce establishing Norwood in what is now New York, but most were less than amicable splits. Over time, the packs grew more and more distant.”
I frowned. “But it doesn’t have to be that way now.”
He looked back at me. “No, little wolf, it doesn’t. I think much will change in the coming years.”
“Nik?” Natasha called.
He looked up, smiling warmly at her before starting forward. He turned and arched a brow at me when I didn’t follow.