#Chapter 47 – Home again

“MAMAAAA!” I lurch to my feet out of a straight sleep when I hear my son’s voice calling to me. Edgar next to me shudders awake, though he manages to stay in bed.

“What’s happening?” He murmurs, staring around bleerily.

“They’re back,” I say, pulling a blanket around my shoulders and ducking out the door.

From my vantage on the cabin’s short deck I see three figures walking in from the forest. I squint my eyes, trying to make out details. Disheveled, their t-shirts ripped – mud on their pants and boots – tiny scratches everywhere – and huge smiles on their faces.

I exhale a big breath. They’re okay. They’re happy.

“Boys!” I call, raising a hand to wave to them. At the sound of my voice, the boys start to run to me, though I can tell by their pace that they’re bone tired. I laugh, considering that of course they are after a night running through the woods.

Victor doesn’t pick up the pace, but wanders leisurely behind them, his hands in his pockets. I can see that he is smiling as well.

Ian is the first one up the three steps to the cabin’s porch. He throws his arms around my legs, shortly followed by Alvin, who does the same. “Mama!” Ian says, looking up at me. “It was amaaaaazing!”

I laugh down at them, cossetting their hair, their faces, trying to look at them both at once. “I want to hear all about it!”

“We saw everything, mama!”

“There was a deer!”

“And a lake! A big LAKE all silver in the moonlight!”

I oooh and ahhh as they tell me jumbled details. My eyes follow Victor as he climbs up onto the porch. The boys are still talking as he stops in front of me, leaning against one of the wooden pillars and giving me a smile.

“So, did you have as much fun as they did?” I say, nodding to the boys.

“It was amazing,” he confirms, holding my gaze. “I know they’re going to do their best to tell you every detail but it was…indescribable.”

I smile at him, truly feeling warmth towards this man who has given my children this gift, their first wolf’s moon. “Thank you, Victor. I’m so grateful.”

“I was about to

annoyed to have lost my attention. “Can we have

confused. “Didn’t

says, wrinkling his nose in horror. “You

shrug, answering nonchalantly. “That’s what we did on my first night out. I

Ian joins Alvin in his revulsion, their faces twin

down close to their faces.

away from me and running down towards the fire where Betas

after the boys, laughing. “The fuzzy way they feel when they slide down your

a fair impression of Alvin’s face. “You

long and boring, you’ve got to add a little spice when you can.” I start down towards the campfire and Victor

any squirrels, right?”

down like a 40’s movie

by the fire. I offer to help, but the Betas shoo me away, pressing coffee into my hands and promising scrambled eggs. Ignoring the

Beta,

Beta. “She stayed up late by the fire, snoozing on and off, but she eventually turned in. I imagine she’ll sleep late,” he says, and I wonder

do?” Victor says, taking a plate of

and he looks up at me with an eyebrow

me a plate with eggs and toast.

Victor says, “you mean that you spent all night with Edgar and she hung out by

reception out here, so that’s impossible. And two,” I say, not letting him interrupt me as he opens his mouth to comment, “Amelia and

can see their plans already forming to copy him, spitting out their own drinks. I narrow my eyes at them, pointing my fork at them

Victor as he mops coffee off of his already-filthy shirt. “She brought it up. She

sounds like you two are getting

say, my mouth full of egg. “A good butt

my joke. I wink at them, glad for my

Victor confers with the Betas and I overhear him telling them

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