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malumsmermaid · 4 years

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You’re my Priestess (Werewolf!Luke)

Okay, this is the infamous werewolf!Luke piece that I’ve been working on since May 2019! I’m so happy that it’s finally finished and hope you enjoy it!

Word Count: 20.3k

Warnings: none!

Luke was walking across the street from the cafe, going to the grocery store to pick up the day’s order for the owners. It was close to the full moon and there was electricity running over his skin whenever he wasn’t in his wolf form. He wanted desperately to shift for his little stroll, but there were too many people around, plus it was literally right across the street, so there was no point using excessive energy just for a small amount of relief. He sighed as he walked through the automatic doors, ignoring the way his body cried out for him to shift and run for the woods as he stepped further inside the store. He slowly moved through the aisles, grounding himself as he focused on finding everything on the list the owner had given him.

Once his cart was full and everything on the list was checked off, he made his way back to the front to have Jolene ring him up. Jolene was one of the oldest wolves in town, she and her mate were the reason that this town even worked. The town was the intersection of five large packs’ territories and before Jolene and Paula had intervened and put in the work to make the main street area a neutral zone there were fights all the time, getting especially more vicious around the full moon when all the wolves were on edge. Of course this was well before Luke’s time, his parents were so young at the time that they barely remembered that part of the town’s history.

However, every pack that still existed in the area respected Jolene and Paula in the years following and they became the town’s version of mayors. Even now with Paula gone, no-one would dare violate the terms that the mated pair had laid out, especially with humans moving back into the area. Many of the humans were aware of the wolf population in the area, but only a select few understood the true nature of the town’s wolves.

As Jolene scanned his items Luke bounced on his feet, ready to get outside again. Sure he’d be going right back into the cafe, even smaller than the grocery store, but he’d at least be able to distract himself with his work there. Jolene shook her head at the younger wolf, her age and the fact that she had had a mate reducing the effect that the full moon had on her. As she continued to scan the AC kicked on, blasting a sweet scent that he’d been picking up on since he came to stand at the register directly into his face.

He frowned, the smell was certainly not one he’d ever associated with Jolene. He looked over the old woman at the only other register in the store and froze at the sight of the girl sitting there, binder open and pen resting against her lips. As he took in her golden skin and her deep purple hair piled messily into a bun on the top of her head, he swore he could feel his tail wagging. As soon as the thought crossed his mind he turned, acting like he was just checking his back pocket for his wallet, sighing in relief when he saw all was well back there.

Jolene raised a suspicious eyebrow at him as he fumbled for the cafe’s card, turning on her stool to look at the young girl. “Trisha, come here, you need to meet Luke. He’s here a lot buying things for the cafe across the street.”

Luke felt his heart race in his chest as Trisha walked over, smiling at him shyly. He shyly reached his hand out over the counter to shake hers and Jolene smiled as she looked at the two of them. “Trisha just moved here, she’s gonna be living in the old house between you and the Stewarts’ place. Has a lot of plans to fix it up too.”

Luke nodded at Jolene’s words, if he hadn’t caught the human scent coming from Trisha by now, the way that Jolene described the intersection of his pack’s territory with that of the Stewart pack would have tipped him off.

Trisha released his hand and Luke had to keep himself from whimpering due to the shock he felt from no longer feeling her hand in his. “Nice to meet you Luke,” she said, smiling at the blonde, “glad I finally got to meet one of my neighbors. Maybe you could give me some lessons on how to cope with the wolves.”

Luke was melting at her giggle, but easily replied, “Nah, the one you want wolf lessons from is Mama Jo here, she and her wife are kind of legends in this town.”

Jolene smacked his hand playfully before running the card and letting him load his groceries back into the cart. “Both of you back to work.” She said sharply, but with a teasing glint in her eye as she looked between them. As Luke got the last of his things in the cart, she pulled him in for a hug. He leaned down closer as his arms wrapped around her smaller body in return and she said lowly, “Keep an eye on her. I don’t like what I’ve been hearing about this new crop of wolves in Stewart’s pack. And I have a feeling you know you need to have a discussion with Calum as well.”

Luke nodded slowly, softly replying, “yes ma’am” as they parted. Jolene gave his cheek a quick kiss and patted his shoulder before allowing him to go on back to the cafe with a promise that he’d bring the cart back once they’d closed.

~~~~~~~

Once Luke finished closing up the cafe he took the cart back across the street to the grocery store. He quickly looked around for any sign of Trisha, but since he couldn’t see her, he walked back out, heading for the gravel path that split his pack’s territory from Stewart’s. The path itself was a neutral zone since it was the only way into town from that side of the woods, fanning out around the house at the end, the house that Jolene had told him that Trisha was moving into.

Luke knew that he needed to go talk to Calum, his alpha, to inform him that he had a feeling that he had met his mate, and that the potential mate was a human. First though, he wanted to check in on Trisha, make sure that others weren’t checking in on the activity around the long abandoned house. He veered to the eastern side of the path, jogging into the woods before shifting into his wolf form, finally getting relief from the electricity running over his skin.

He ran through the brush, feeling the joy as he stretched his limbs over the earth. He paused as he passed a clump of flowers, tilting his head and wagging his tail as he took in the violet petals. He dug up the flowers, taking the stems between his teeth and trotting towards the house. He’d apologize to the dryad who had probably been tending the flowers later. Once he was at the edge of the clearing that had been created for the house, sticking to the edge of his territory, looking around the neutral edges and sniffing the air. His ears pinned back as he picked up an unfamiliar scent, slightly laced with the familiar tint of the Stewart pack. He edged closer to the edge of the two territories, head and tail lowered as his blue eyes scanned the area.

He spotted a dark brown wolf on the other side of the boundary line. It was clearly a younger wolf, smaller than Luke, which was saying a lot considering Luke himself was a small wolf, but fortunately for him, much like his human form, his wolf form had filled out some with age. He delicately set the violets on the ground before making eye contact with the young wolf, letting out a warning growl, hair on his shoulders standing up and tail swishing back and forth with agitation. The younger wolf let out a whimper and turned tail and sprinted away, Luke waiting until he was out of sight to shift, after checking for any other wolves hanging around. He then picked up the flowers and stepped out of the woods and walked up to the front door, taking a moment to fix the heavy chain he wore around his neck and pull his hair out of the bun he had to wear for work. He looked at his reflection in the glass of the door, smiling to himself before he raised his hand to knock.

Trisha answered the door a minute later, now dressed in plain t-shirt and nike shorts, purple hair still piled on top of her head though. Luke smiled at her, eyes bright as she looked up at him. “I uh...I figured that since Jolene gave me your address that I should come by and give you a housewarming gift. I kinda didn’t think to grab anything from the store when I dropped off the cart to pretend I baked for you, and I saw these flowers on my way and they were purple and I thought you’d like them.”

Trisha smiled really wide at Luke’s rambling, gently reaching out for the flowers in his hand. He smiled, letting her take them from him before following her into the house, letting the door close behind him. He looked around the house, at the peeling wallpaper and the warped floorboards that were coming up from the subfloor below. He hummed as he followed her through the doorway into the living room, glancing around as he took in the furniture and boxes scattered through the room. He could hear Trisha in the next room digging around for something to put the flowers in and then some water coming on. She walked back in, setting a drinking glass on the coffee table. “Didn’t feel like digging through my boxes for an actual vase.” She said with a shrug, settling into her couch and patting the spot next to her.

Luke sank down into the cushions and smiled over at her before looking around the room again. “It’s not much yet, I’ve got a lot of work to do to put it together, make it home.” Trisha said as she followed his gaze to the trim work and floors that needed sanding.

Luke nodded, “Yeah, I get that, it’s just so weird being inside here.” He sighed, turning his gaze to Trisha. “My friends and I would always play around here when we were little, in the back garden, and sometimes trying to peek through the window to see if we could find anyone. It’s been abandoned as long as I can remember, but the outside is like perfect. Siding all in place and not green. The trim on all the windows has always been perfect and even if some older kids broke the windows in the night, within the next couple days they’d be fixed. There’s all sorts of different legends about this place and I guess I’m kind of curious as to how you ended up getting this house.”

Trisha scrunched her eyebrows together as she listened to him, lips pursing before she asked, “Can you tell me some of the legends? I wanna know what you do, since you’re local and all.”

Luke smiled, saying, “So long as you promise you’re not going anywhere after I tell you about it.” Trisha nodded in response and Luke grinned, launching into the tales he had grown up hearing, gesturing wildly whenever he felt the need to. He knew that some of the rumors were true, like the fairies in the backyard, but he wasn’t going to give her the full story of the town until he knew she was comfortable here, comfortable with him.

He finished the last one and looked at her face, trying to gauge if any of them seemed to resonate with her as to how she ended up here, or if she was ready to just pack everything back up and leave. “Those are all the legends that I’ve heard growing up, but none of them seem to point to why you’re living here now. Can you explain that? I really want to know.”

She sighed, nodding before opening her mouth, “I was here a few months ago on a trip with my friend. They were studying zoology and wanted to observe the wolf populations here, so I came with them to be a buddy. We didn’t see any of the wolves, but we ended up over here at one point and I kept feeling drawn to this house. Then this lady appeared and asked me if I wanted to take care of this house for her, said it was a really important landmark and that all that I would have to do is fix up the interior. She added that the grocery store could use some help and other things and two months later I contacted her again and she got me in touch with Jolene and now I’m here.”

Luke gaped, trying to put all of it together, but none of it made sense, nothing fit. He’d never seen anyone around the house other than other wolves appearing from the woods, or his pack mates when they were there together. He’d never associated anyone with the house at all. “What did she look like?” he asked, still in disbelief.

“She was blonde, maybe 30-50, it was hard to tell. She just said that she sensed that I belonged here and when I went home, I didn’t feel home, I felt like she was right.”

Luke nodded slowly, trying to place that description with anyone in town, but he just couldn’t come up with anyone. This person had to be associated with the house itself somehow, but that didn’t make any sense in his mind. But he was okay with the idea if it was the reason his mate was now here, though she couldn’t know about that yet. He was about to say something else when he heard a distant howl, Calum’s, and he knew he had to go.

He slipped his phone out of his pocket to check the time, already 3:00 and he hummed, trying to act like the howl they’d just heard wasn’t the reason he was heading out. “Hey, uh, I would love to stay and help you get stuff unpacked, but I need to go meet up with my friends. They just got off of work and wanted to talk about something.”

Trisha was already waving him off, smiling as she got up off of the couch, “No, no, it’s fine. I mean, we just met today and all, I wouldn’t expect you to stick around for that. This was a nice little break from it anyway.”

Luke hummed, nodding and standing up too. She led the way to her front door and Luke froze. “Hey,” he started, gently taking hold of her wrist, “look, this is going to sound weird but uh, I just thought I’d tell you. If you see a wolf hanging around here from the eastern side of the woods, they’re probably friendly. If there’s one on the west side of the house, just be wary, could be kind of hit or miss. Just trust me on this, ok? I’d explain it, but I really need to go, I’m sorry.”

Trisha shook her head and said softly, “I’d like to avoid the wolves altogether, but I’ll take your word on this ok? So long as you promise to tell me where your reasoning on this is coming from when you have time. It’s been nice hanging out with you Luke, see you around, right?”

Luke grinned, slowly releasing her wrist from his gentle grasp, “Yeah, of course, small town and all. And I know where you live.”

They both giggled and Luke gave her another warm smile before sliding out the door. Letting it close behind him and walking down the path until he was out of sight of the house, shifting back to wolf form and running into the woods. As he expected he ran into the dryad who lived near the violets he’d dug up. He apologized to her profusely, allowing her to take some of his loose fur as a payment, useful for some spells she may need, as well as just for the birds living in her shrub. Once she was satisfied she allowed him to continue on his way.

He skidded to a stop when he made it to the pack house, ducking through the dog door and walking into the living room. He hopped onto the couch, nuzzling up to Michael who was sitting there with a controller in hand, everyone still waiting on Ashton to show up. Calum was laying on the other end of the couch, giving Luke an inquisitive look, standing up and leaning over Michael, giving the smaller wolf a sniff, Michael just sighing and shifting to look over the tops of Calum’s ears.

Ashton finally walked in, work clothes draped over his shoulder. He scrunched his eyebrows when he saw Calum and walked over, tossing the clothes onto a chair. He gently rested a hand on the wolf’s shoulder and hummed, crouching down in front of Michael to try and figure out what Calum was thinking about. “Mikey, you got any idea what’s going on here?” He asked, looking up at the man sitting between the two wolves.

He shook his head, “All I smell is that Luke took a run through the woods.”

Ashton nodded, that was all he was picking up too, but being curious as to what the other alpha was picking up on, he shifted too, head tilted as he took another step closer, trying to see if there was something his human nose just wasn’t picking up on. Michael just let out a frustrated sigh, setting down his controller while he was surrounded by three wolves, no space left for him to get away or shift himself. Ashton’s ears went back as he started sniffing Luke and Luke just sat up, pulling away from both higher ranking pack members with a quiet snarl, he’d had enough of them poking at him with their noses and they both understood, backing off and all three of them moved to their human forms.

Ashton hummed as he climbed onto the couch to sit next to Luke, eyebrows still furrowed. “You usually go hang around with the naiads and dryads after work. You only smell like that one dryad, and it’s not even like you snuggled up to her, just kind of passed her by on your way here. What’s going on?”

Luke sighed, glancing towards Calum, “Later man, Cal called us here, what’ve you got to say?”

“Still had to do with you. Went grocery shopping and Jo talked to me before I left. Said you came by to get stuff for the cafe and she told you to keep an eye on the old abandoned house at the end of the road. Gave a warning about Stewart’s wolves that just came of age and added that you have something to tell me. Figured we should have all four of us here to talk about it, then we’ll talk with the rest of the pack.”

Luke nodded, slowly running a hand through his curls, trying to organize his thoughts, having thought he’d have more time to compose them. He took a deep breath and started, “So when I went to the grocery store today, there was a new girl there, Trisha, just moved into the abandoned house…” He continued on telling them about everything that had happened since he left work, the young wolf he scared off, telling the legends, what Trisha had told him about how she ended up in that house, and his general warning about area wolves, “because, you know, all the humans around here at least know about the wolf population,” and then ending on his run back to the house. “So, when I’d gone there I dug up some of Laurel’s violets, and I knew they were hers as I ran away, so I swung back by to apologize and so she took some of my shedded fur and we called it even. But, I uh, I think that Trisha is my mate.”

Him finally admitting that last sentence felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders, but now the entire room was heavy with the admittance. Since Paula and Jolene had straightened out the town, there was a lot of debate and conversation whenever a wolf realized that a human was their mate. Luke knew from the moment he’d met Trisha, the second he smelled her, that this wasn’t going to be easy, especially combined with the look that Jolene had given him, she recognized the change that crossed his face when he shook Trisha’s hand, the first physical contact between mates. And with Trisha moving into such a legendary home in the town, this had to be something big. The look on his packmates’ faces all confirmed this to him as the room remained silent.

Calum slowly looked around before letting out a hum. “I think we’re just going to have to treat this like a normal human mate scenario and go talk with the old leaders, see what’s next. I mean, the abandoned house situation is weird, but it’s just a thought we have to deal with as it comes.”

The other three werewolves nodded, each shifting and going to find the member of the previous leadership that corresponded with their position. Once all eight wolves were gathered Calum began to explain what was going on, following the usual points they’d go over if any pack member had discovered that their mate was human. They made the point that the wolf they were discussing was Luke, since nobody else had shown up to the meeting. Everyone agreed that Luke should attempt to pursue it, moving slowly since she’d just moved to the area. Some humans in the area did know the truth about the wolf population just from being friends with the wolves, so if she stuck around she’d probably find out eventually. With that, they all separated for the night.

After dinner, Luke went for a run, making a midnight lap around the town, trying to clear his head. He was exhausted from all the energy he’d used this afternoon and he ended his run at Trisha’s house, shifting for the final time that night and curling up in a tight ball on the porch steps.

~~~~

The next morning as Trisha was getting ready to leave to go to the grocery store, she about jumped when she almost stepped on the large, blonde wolf asleep on her porch step. She quickly ducked back inside and called the store, explaining the situation to Jolene. The older woman sighed as soon as she heard Trisha’s description of the wolf on her porch, telling her that she’d be right there.

Within ten minutes, a near pure black wolf ran up, the only thing marring her coat color her grey hairs from age. Trisha watched from her living room window as the female wolf nudged the smaller wolf with her nose, waking him. They seemed to communicate for a moment before heading off to the eastern side of the path. Trisha hummed, seeing that the two wolves seemed to be from the side that Luke was completely convinced was ok, but to her they were still wolves. She just felt bad that when Jolene got there, it would be for nothing.

She sighed, deciding to go sit on the porch and wait until Jolene came up to tell her that the wolf had been pulled away by another. She was beginning to worry about the older woman when the grizzled black wolf stepped out of the woods and started walking towards her. Trisha steeled herself, trying to stand her ground as the she-wolf walked forward, all of her body language seeming friendly. As soon as Trisha was about to back into her house, the wolf shifted, turning into Jolene. Trisha gasped, falling backwards onto the steps, staring at the woman now standing in front of her.

Jolene stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Trisha, “Well, I’m in the mood for some tea. I have some things to talk to you about.”

Trisha nodded, face slack with shock, slowly pushing herself up and leading the way into her house, Jolene following behind. Jolene settled onto the couch in the living room while Trisha went into the kitchen and filled the tea pot, putting it on the stove while she pulled down a couple tea bags and coffee mugs from the cabinets. She leaned against the countertop while she waited for the water to begin to simmer, trying to understand what she’d just witnessed. She wondered where the dark wolf, who seemed to have been Jolene, had taken the blonde wolf that had been laying on the porch.

The tea kettle whistling on the stove broke Trisha out of her thoughts and she shook her head, taking the pot off of the heat and turning the burner off before pouring the hot water into each mug, setting the kettle down on one of the cool burners before slowly carrying both mugs of tea into the living room. She set them on the coffee table and Jolene smiled as Trisha settled into her own couch cushions, knees to her chest as she positioned herself so that she was facing the older woman. Jolene took a few slow sips of the hot tea, looking over the top of the mug at Trisha, seeming to be waiting for her to be the one to break the silence, to see how Trisha was handling the fact that the old woman had shifted in front of her. Finally Trisha gathered herself enough to ask, “What did you say to the wolf that was on my porch? Where’d they go?”

Jolene let out a little laugh, of course Trisha would be concerned about her mate’s wellbeing, without even knowing that the wolf she’d come into contact with was her mate, the old werewolf not at all surprised that their connection from yesterday’s handshake was already affecting the two.

Trisha was still staring at Jolene questioningly, even more so now due to her reaction and she smiled up at her. “Luke is fine. I scolded him for startling you and told him to go back home and get cleaned up and presentable and come back with a few of his friends in two hours ready to be put to work. I think that should be enough time for me to explain everything to you.”

Trisha nodded slowly, waiting for Jolene to continue, taking her mug of tea off of the coffee table and holding it closer to herself, cupping it in both hands as she waited for the older woman to begin her tale.

“When Paula and I first met, we were in two different packs, and times in this town were much different than they are now. Main Street was a huge battle ground, it being the intersection of the five large packs that live in these surrounding woods. At that time each pack was ruled over by only one alpha male, the strongest one in the pack, and even then they weren’t enough to keep everyone in check and maintaining peace, making it a common sight to see the bodies of slain wolves on main street, or to see a packmate limping back home after the night was over. Paula and I were lucky that our two packs were pretty friendly with each other at that time, so we didn’t have to skip town like some other mates had to.

We both talked about how much it hurt to see our friends and packmates being hurt and killed in the streets, even with no war going on at the time. We came up with a plan to bring peace to the town, and it took a lot of hard work to get it put into action, and we each earned a few new scars from trying to convince everyone that it was for the best. But we were both strong alphas, stronger than even some of the alphas who were in charge, but since they were males, they were the ones in charge. But it’s been in place for forty years now and things are so much better than they were. The first five years there were still fights, especially when the moon was full, but wolves weren’t dying from them.

So now each pack is controlled by four wolves, representing each quadrant of the packs’ territories. When the wolves in control are in their thirties or have pups they step down, letting the next generation of pups that they’ve been training step up and the leaders go on to oversee the corner they were representing. When certain things happen the current leaders and elders will meet in the main pack house in the center of the territory or some other important spot within that territory and have a discussion about it. If more than one pack gets involved, well, then we all meet up in the town hall and hope whatever is going on can be solved before it comes to bloodshed.

This system has been working and starting 20 years ago the nature spirits began coming back, fortunately for Luke, he’s had a fondness for them since he was old enough to begin to wander the territory without his parents keeping an eye on him. He still gets a lot of insight as to what’s going on around the woods from them, which is helpful since he is one of the leaders of his pack now. Then in the past ten years, you humans have been filtering back in, like you can sense that this area is safer now.

There are a few things that we have had to adjust in order to keep the peace and humans in the dark unless it’s safe for them to know about us. New meetings to be had among the central pack leaders and their predecessors. So, last night I was at the store and one of the pups of Luke’s predecessor was talking to me about Luke coming by yesterday to talk to their mom when they came to the store last night, all excited because he let them jump on him and climb over him like a giant wolf mountain while he waited for their dad to get their mom so they could have a talk with the other wolves.”

Trisha nodded, her eyes wide as she waited for Jolene to continue, the elder wolf taking a moment to return her attention to her tea. “What was the meeting Luke needed the other wolf about? Is something bad happening?”

Jolene sighed, looking up at the ceiling as she considered her words. “I’m hoping that nothing bad is happening, but there are whispers running around about the new wolves that have just come of age in the pack to your west. Right now those wolves are too young to be in power, and hopefully they will be straightened out by the current leaders before it’s too late and nothing comes of it, but I’m never sure. I may have to go over there after the full moon has completed and have a conversation with them.

However, what the main topic of the meeting was, was that when Luke met you yesterday, he realized you were his mate. And I can see that the first connection that you two made has been working itself through both of you, making you more at ease around him and your ability to understand the entire concept of what we are.”

Trisha hummed, eyes casting to the glass filled with the violets that Luke had brought by yesterday, a smile passing her lips as she took in Jolene’s words, allowing them to sit in the air while she considered the tall blonde that she had just met.

“I’m sure Luke paid the price for digging up Laurel’s violets yesterday. Dryads don’t take kindly to wolves digging up their plants, regardless of what their previous interactions were,” Jolene said with a smile, humming to herself as she shook her head before continuing. “Of course, you don’t have to accept the entirety of the aspects of being Luke’s mate right away. You can both get to know each other at your own pace, but the fact that the goddess has chosen that you two would be the other’s companion will help move that bonding along.” Jolene’s voice turned wistful at that last sentence, her hand reaching up to brush the side of her neck of its own accord.

Jolene continued to stare into space for a couple of minutes, her mind clearly elsewhere and Trisha let her take her time to find herself again, rising to put the empty mugs in the sink. As she was running the water over the mugs she heard a scratching at her door. She cut the water off and was drying her hands when she heard the door open, Jolene talking lowly to whoever was at the door.

Trisha creeped closer, poking her head out into the entry hallway, spotting two wolves standing in front of Jolene, a third hanging slightly behind them. The dark wolf at the front gave a glance to Jolene, she sighed, stepping aside and giving Trisha a guarded glance as he walked in, followed by the other two wolves.

She gasped, backing up as the first wolf approached. She backed into the end of her counter, gulping as she stared into the chocolate eyes of the approaching wolf. He slowly wagged his tail in greeting, coming to a stop in front of her, nose twitching as he sniffed her legs. Unsure of what to do, Trisha just leaned back against the counter, fingers gripping the edge. She took him in, his nearly completely black fur, but now that he was up close she could see that it was flecked with brown at his shoulders and around his eyes. She was aware of the other two wolves, standing in the doorway, their eyes on the wolf in front of her.

Suddenly he hopped up to stand on his back legs, front paws on either side of her on the counter. He sniffed her face, leaning forward before giving her cheek a lick. She gasped, instinctively pushing at the wolf’s chest. “Do I want to know where that thing’s been?” she asked impulsively of the wolf.

His ears twitched in amusement and she could’ve sworn that the reddish brown wolf behind him looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh, face turning down and a paw going over his snout. The wolf standing in front of her shifted, pushing his body back from the counter once he was back in his human form so he wasn’t pinning her in. There was a smirk on his face as he leaned back, “Would offer to let you find out if Lu hadn’t already met you. M’Calum, this is Ashton,” he gestured to the reddish brown wolf, who shifted to his human form on cue, “and that’s Michael.” The grey wolf who had been hanging back, minding his business shifted as well, giving her a wave and an easy smile.

She stared as she looked between the three werewolves in her kitchen. Then the familiar blonde wolf trotted in, stopping between her and Calum, pushing his head under her hand. Trisha looked down at Luke, humming as she cradled the wolf’s head in her hand. Calum smiled, taking a step back to give the two mates space. She smiled at him, crouching in front of him, leaning her head on his. She could feel his body vibrate in excitement and giggled softly, thumb rubbing over his cheek. Luke shifted, staying crouched in front of her when he did. His eyes were closed, and he leaned forward, pressing a tentative kiss to Trisha’s cheek. She hummed, looking up at him, his head still leaning into her touch.

His cheeks turned pink as he met her gaze, slowly looking over her as he continued to crouch in front of her. She smiled, carefully moving to stand up, bringing Luke with her. “We’re here to work, Trish.” Luke said, smiling down at his mate. “So, what do you need us to do?”

Trisha grinned, tightening her hold on Luke’s hand, leading the way upstairs, Ashton and Michael following behind the pair, Calum hanging behind after sharing a look with Jolene. Trisha explained to the three men that had joined her upstairs how to go about removing the peeling wallpaper from the hallway, giving them a demonstration as well. She and Ashton got halfway through the first panel of wallpaper that she had started when Calum appeared behind them, gently tapping Trisha’s shoulder. She turned, humming as she looked up at him, sponge in her hand. Calum ran a hand over his short cropped dark hair, smiling at her. “Jo wants to talk to you about one last thing before you two have to go back to the grocery store, she’s kinda pushing how late she can go without opening, even for a full moon.”

Trisha blushed, she’d half-forgotten about work by this point. She nodded, following Calum back downstairs, Ashton taking the sponge from her hand and continuing to work on their wallpaper panel on his own. Calum and Trisha came to sit on the sofa, Jolene back in one of the armchairs. Her gaze was wandering the room, looking lost in thought. “Mama Jo.” Calum’s voice was gentle, bringing the older woman back to the present.

She gave Calum and Trisha a wistful smile, causing Trish to wonder where she’d been in her head just then. Jolene let out a soft sigh, speaking up, “Luke told me and these three, his fellow leaders, about the story you gave him as to how you came to be living here. The woman you saw, Luke and the boys are too young to remember her, especially at the age that she presented herself to you, but that was my Paula, I’m sure of it.”

Trisha stared, whispering, “So, was this you guy’s home? Or…”

Jolene let out a light laugh, “Not at all, no. I still live in our house, it’s what she would’ve wanted. I did withdraw from being as active in the whole community for a few years, spend more time with my original pack than I had in years when I lost her. Played nanny for four rambunctious little pups, helped raise them into the polite young men and brilliant leaders they are now, if I do say so myself.”

At that she smiled towards Calum, whose face was turning slightly pink, his gaze falling to his lap. Jolene tutted softly, smiling before continuing with her explanation of the house, “No, it’s been years since whoever was chosen to upkeep this house has actually lived in it. We’ve always referred to it as the Home of Artemis. Legend says that our goddess once lived among us, and when she did, this is where she stayed. There’d always be a wolf appointed by our lady to keep up the house, making any repairs, giving it upgrades over time. One even took it all the way to the ground and built it back up, it having used to be a log cabin with an outhouse in the back garden. Paula was the last caretaker of this house, she passed unexpectedly and didn’t get to train up someone to take over, and Lady Artemis didn’t appoint anyone for twenty years, until of course, now, if what I believe is true. Even in those years, the home was upkept, despite what the peeling wallpaper and the state of the floors might suggest. I’m not entirely certain what it could be mean, but it’s your time now, dear Trisha.”

Both Calum and Trisha were silent, taking in what Jolene had revealed to them, Jolene’s gaze turning far away again. “I’m going to go help the boys with the project Trish gave them, is there anything else you’d like us to do if we finish before you’re back from work, Trisha?”

Trisha shook her head, turning to look up at Calum as he stood, “No, I think that’s good enough for today, if you actually finish it, taking down wallpaper is a lot.”

Calum nodded, “At least there’s four of us. See you later.”

Trisha nodded, gently rising to take Jolene’s hand as Calum walked off to the stairs. “I’ll drive us to the shop, so we can get there a couple minutes faster and open up.” She said to the older woman.

“Yes of course, thank you.” Jolene spoke, allowing Trisha to lead the way out to her car, driving down the narrow forest road between her house and Main Street, yellow and brown leaves blowing around as she passed.

~~~~~~

A few days had passed since Trisha woke up to a blonde wolf on her front porch and had their whole world opened up to her. She was locking up the grocery store for Jolene, humming a quiet tune to herself. Luke had been consistently coming over when neither of them were working, helping her with the various projects she needed to get done, occasionally one of the other three wolves would show up to help too. She had been enjoying getting to know Luke and his closest friends but she also was hoping for some time to enjoy being with Luke where they weren’t working on the house. It seemed that this morning, her mate had picked up on that, he had told her that he had plans for the two of them this evening, once the grocery store was closed.

She turned around, pocketing her keys and almost walked into him. He smiled shyly, blue eyes bright as he held out a fresh bouquet. “I uh…I actually bought flowers this time, let Ashton do whatever he felt would be right for it.”

Trish smiled up at the blonde, accepting the flowers. She cradled them in one arm, reaching forward to take Luke’s hand. He smiled, walking with her as she began the walk back to her house, both of them chatting as the loose gravel crunched beneath their feet. Once they got into her house, Trisha put the flowers in a vase, leaving them on the island counter, running upstairs to change from her work clothes. Luke stood in the living room, humming as he yet again stared at the three patches of paint that they’d put up this week, a running vote occurring beneath the colors. He smiled, picking up a nearby carpenter’s pencil and writing his name under the lavender spot, joining Michael in his vote. Calum and Ashton had voted for the baby blue, and no one had chosen the green, now that it was dry, it didn’t look as nice as any of them had originally thought. He smiled at the sad faced sticky note that Trisha had placed under it.

He put the pencil back down at the sound of Trish coming back downstairs. He met her in the doorway between the entry and the living room, smiling as he leaned against the doorframe. “So, what’s your plan, Lu?” she asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Luke felt his heart skip over the way that she so easily used the nickname. His smile brightened and he held a hand out, leading the way out into the back gardens he and the boys had played in when they were young. He stood among the shrubs that had grown wild over the years, arm going over Trisha’s shoulder. “I wanted to take you to my favorite beach. It’s going to be faster if I’m in my wolf form though, are you ok with riding me? If not there’s a few places that’re closer that I can take you to.”

Trisha giggled, leaning up and pecking Luke’s cheek. “The beach sounds great. I trust you.”

Luke’s cheeks turned pink, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly before stepping away, shifting into his wolf form. He wagged his tail once the transformation was complete, spinning and trotting in place as he looked up at his mate, adoration filling his blue eyes. Trisha smiled at the wolf, hand reaching down to scratch between his ears. She knew from her friend’s zoology classes that wolves were much larger than most people would anticipate, and Luke was even larger than that, especially without his pack mates standing around dwarfing him, the same way he did to them when they were all in their human forms. He nudged at her gently and she hummed, carefully climbing onto his back, arms wrapping around his neck as she leaned against him. Once she felt comfortable, she gently squeezed Luke, whispering, “Let’s go.”

He began walking out of the garden, picking up speed as he went deeper and deeper into the forest, until he was going so fast that Trish had buried her face in his neck, eyes squeezed shut as she gripped the fur around his chest and tightened her arms and legs around his body. He skidded to a halt, Trisha felt sand spraying from beneath his paws, hitting her arms and legs before falling back to the beach. She slowly lifted her head from his neck, taking a deep breath of the salty air. She patted Luke’s shoulder, carefully moving to get off of his back. She stretched her limbs, smiling at the sound of the crashing waves.

Luke walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, smiling as he looked up and down the empty beach. Trisha turned in his arms, snuggling closer, the cool October sea breeze going straight through her light flannel. Luke hummed, tucking his jacket around her and making his way towards a more sheltered area he liked to go to when he needed alone time. Once they’d arrived, he helped her sit on top of the large fallen tree that tilted downward from the stump into the dune grasses below. Once she was settled he pulled his large frame up and onto the log as well, shifting to face her, a grin pulling at his lips.

They both sat there, passing childhood stories and answering the other’s questions until they lost track of time. The moon was high in the sky, the slightest sliver of black around her edge the only indication that it was no longer full. Their laughter was filling the night sky as a woman approached. Neither of them heard the rustle of the tall dune grasses as they parted for her.

Luke spotted her first, letting out a gasp before jumping down from the log, immediately kneeling before her. “My Lady,” he acknowledged, head bowed before the young woman who had interrupted their date.

Her hand found his shoulder and he looked up. Her amber eyes were bright as she smiled at the young wolf. He rose, reaching behind him, helping Trisha down. “Trish, this is the goddess, our lady Artemis.”

Trisha gaped, staring at the auburn haired woman in front of her. Her dress was like molten silver and she glowed in the moonlight. She seemed to glow brighter as she turned her smile towards Trisha. “It’s nice to finally personally meet you, my dear Patricia. I wish I were appearing to you both with better news.”

They both nodded at the goddess, Trisha dipping into a curtsy before Artemis continued, “Luke, I need you to gather your pack and give them a message. Lycaon is in town. I’ve been tracking him and he’s currently hiding somewhere in the Stevens’ territory. He started talking to some of the younger wolves about taking the land back, words of war and promises of a better life if their pack is in control of the entire town. He’s even been getting hold of the ears of the leaders. I’m doing what I can to keep him contained to the one pack, but he seems to have eyes on O’Maron’s pack to the southwest as his next target. I want you to give warning to the pack, send word around from your elders to the three other packs. Most importantly, however, I want you to send Michael and Trisha into Stevens’ pack, to attempt to talk some sense into him and the other leaders.” Artemis turned to Trisha at this point, producing a twig woven crown from the air. “In order to prove that you have come from me, I give you this crown. The job of those maintaining my house has always included the honor of being my priestess. It’s been a long time since anyone has fully acted in that position, because I haven’t asked for it, however, now, I feel I need someone with that title to fight the forces of Lycaon and to maintain the hard won peace among the five packs.”

Trisha accepted the crown, woven among the branches were antlers, red amaranth flowers, and a silver ribbon. She gingerly placed it upon her head and Artemis gave her and Luke each a gentle smile. A horn sounded in the distance and the goddess’ face turned serious, staring off in the direction it came from. “I must go, my Hunters need me. I give you both my blessing, as mates and as you deliver and carry out my message. Hurry now.”

Luke and Trisha both kneeled before the goddess, Artemis crouching, pressing a kiss to the top of the mates’ heads before vanishing into the night. Luke turned to look at Trisha, a silver glow covering both of them. “I guess we better get going.” Trish managed, smiling at the blonde.

He nodded, shifting effortlessly, waiting until she was comfortably seated on his back before bounding off into the woods. A minute later, Luke slowed and they were in a clearing. Trisha continued clinging to his back as he easily hopped to the top of a boulder, letting out a howl. She nearly slid off of him, mesmerized by the sound leaving the wolf’s mouth. His ears flicked as he listened to the answering howls, shaking his head before jumping down, shifting back to his human form with his mate still on his back. Trisha shifted, trying to get down, but Luke only hoisted her back up, “Need to introduce you as our goddess’ priestess my love.” He stated simply, his hand gently squeezing her calf.

She blushed, nuzzling into his neck as more wolves began to appear. She recognized Michael, Calum and Ashton as they trotted up to Luke, but there were a few other wolves that were appearing that she wasn’t sure who they were. The three other pack leaders shifted, taking their places alongside Luke, the older wolves stepping forward, an expectant look in their eyes as they took in the young wolf and the human in their presence. Luke cleared his throat, his grip tightening on Trisha’s legs as he began. “Sorry to interrupt everyone’s nights, but this is important. As some of you know, I recently found my mate, this is Trisha. We were having a date at the beach when Lady Artemis appeared to us.” All the wolves gathered straightened upon hearing the goddess’ name and Luke continued, “She sent me with a warning, Lycaon is speaking with the pack to our west, influencing them and potentially stirring them to start a war. She believes he may be moving south now, but she’s working to contain him to the one region. She told me that she specifically wanted Michael and Trisha to go speak with Stevens, and to send out the elders to speak with the three packs not yet affected by Lycaon.”

Tracy, the she-wolf who Luke had replaced, spoke up after a moment of silence following Luke’s news. “Why does the goddess want your mate delivering the message? If Lycaon is influencing Stevens, wouldn’t it be dangerous for a human to enter their territory?”

A murmur went through the gathered elders, looking at the young leaders standing before them. Luke nodded, rubbing his hand over his slight beard before reaching behind him, helping Trisha off of his back finally. He rested his hands on her shoulders as she came to stand in front of him. “Another point I haven’t mentioned about my mate,” he began, “she lives in the House of Artemis at the edge of our territory. She’s been chosen as the house’s new caretaker, and as of tonight, Lady Artemis has called upon her as her priestess, to help us maintain peace with our neighbors. I trust that our goddess will protect her and Michael as they go to speak with the other pack’s leadership.”

Trisha’s crown began to glow after Luke officially introduced her as priestess. Everyone who was in attendance bowed or lowered their heads in acknowledgement of her and she blushed, trying to hide in Luke’s jacket. His gaze was proud as he looked down on his other pack members. Calum broke the silence, stepping forward and organizing pairs to go speak to the three packs the next afternoon, he and Ashton unable to step foot on other territories uninvited without starting something due to their status as both alphas and current leaders of a pack.

The meeting dispersed and Trisha found herself surrounded by Luke’s best friends, all of them embracing her. Her cheeks were warm as she leaned into the group hug, smiling until the only one still holding her was Luke. The group of five walked through the woods together, heading towards the pack house.

It was nearing midnight when they got inside. All five of them were tired, Michael, Ashton and Calum each giving Trisha another hug before disappearing to their rooms. Luke took Trish’s hand, leading her back to his bedroom. “Make yourself comfortable, love.” he stated, sliding a board over the dog door installed into the bedroom door.

Trisha smiled, sliding off her shoes, leaving them next to a pair of glimmering gold boots before sitting at the edge of Luke’s bed. She removed the crown from her head, staring down at it in disbelief as she traced the points of the antlers. She felt Luke settle in next to her, having changed into sweatpants and a band tee that looked like it had seen better days. He pressed a kiss to her temple, trying to pull her further into bed with him. She complied, swinging her legs up onto the mattress and laying down next to him after shrugging off her flannel. She was glad that she was in leggings and a comfortable shirt, Luke having told her that his plans were low-key so she knew that she didn’t have to dress up.

“Your crown looks good on you, Trish.” Luke said, sleepy smile filling his face as he looked up at her, his own fingers gingerly touching it. “Jo told me you don’t need to come into the shop tomorrow if you want to talk with Michael about what to say to Stevens. She also gave you congratulations.”

Trisha frowned, looking up from the braided branches, “I didn’t hear her say anything to you, or come up and talk at all.”

Luke blushed, head dipping as he ran his fingers through his blonde curls. “The whole mate bond thing makes me forget that you don’t know everything, m’sorry.” He began, before explaining, “It’s this pack thing, we can like, talk to each other, telepathically, I guess? Jo had gotten out of bed because I called, so she was too tired to actually come up and talk, but wanted to pass the message along after we ended the meeting. It’s really useful when we’re scattered around the forest or like in our wolf form and stuff. We usually have meetings in human form for the most part though.”

Trisha nodded slowly, moving to place the crown on the nightstand behind her. She turned back to Luke, humming sleepily, “Is there a way where I can talk to you like that, or do I have to be a wolf too?”

Luke smiled, amused by her curiosity. “There is a way for us to do that without you having to be a wolf, unless that’s something you want.”

She nodded, “I might, but I’m guessing that both those things would come at a later time, a discussion for when we’re both ready? Or something like that.”

Luke chewed his lip, nodding slightly, “See, you can read what I’m thinking without it.” He joked, shyness filling his voice.

Trish nodded, scooting closer to the wolf, “We can talk about it later, wanna sleep now.”

Luke smiled, arms wrapping around his mate pulling her to his chest after cutting off the lights. She gently pressed her lips to his chest, a quiet, “Night, Lu.” falling from her lips before she fell asleep. Luke smiled, content as he laid there with her, blue eyes slowly drooping closed after a few minutes of watching her sleep, at peace in his arms.

When Trisha woke the next morning, she was no longer resting on Luke’s chest. She tried to sit up to look for him, only to finally notice the weight on her chest. She reached up and found his fluffy head, she smiled, scratching between his ears. She felt the wolf’s back leg start kicking, letting out a giggle. Luke groaned, his blue eyes opening to look up at his mate. She smiled, whispering “Never expected to wake up to a wolf. Think I could get used to it though.”

Luke made a noise, eyes closing as he rolled onto his back, paws in the air as he whined. Trisha grinned, patting the wolf’s belly before just laying there, lazily running her hand through Luke’s fur. His tail slowly wagged back and forth over his sheets, a content sigh sounding from him. Trisha leaned her head back against the pillow, her own eyes closing as she continued to give her mate a belly rub when there was a knock at the door. She hummed in response and Michael poked his head in, laughing at the sight he was met with. “Am I interrupting something?” he joked, a sound of irritation leaving Luke at the interruption from his pack mate.

“Think we were both on the verge of falling back asleep, other than that, no.” Trisha said, smile filling her face though her hand remained on Luke.

Michael hummed, “Guess you and Luke aren’t completely on the same page yet.” Before Trish could ask what he meant by that, Michael changed the topic, “Cal just finished cooking breakfast, if you want to eat something before we go over what we’re going to talk about this afternoon.”

Trisha grinned, her stomach just beginning to grumble as the smell of a hot breakfast wafted through the open door. Luke’s nose twitched, rolling onto his side, begrudgingly preparing to get out of bed. Trish watched as he shifted, his limbs lengthening and body contorting until Luke was back. He smiled at his mate sleepily, pressing a kiss to her cheek before slowly getting out of bed, holding a hand out for her. Michael smiled, still hanging around waiting on them. Trish leaned into Luke as they made their way down the hall and to the kitchen, Michael quiet, everyone in the house still working on waking up. Calum and Ashton were both sitting at the table, quietly talking to each other as they ate. Luke, Michael, and Trisha all grabbed some food and joined the other two and involved themselves in the quiet early morning conversation.

Once everyone was finished eating and the kitchen was cleaned, Luke left for work, leaving Trish and Michael to have a conversation about what they would be doing later in the afternoon. Michael led Trisha down the hallway and into his bedroom, smiling as she sat across from him on his neatly made-up bed. The room was tidy, several pairs of boots and sneakers lined up on a shoe rack visible through the open closet door. There were some glasses lined up on the desk in the corner, holding a dual monitor PC set-up, keyboard and mouse a good distance from where the glasses were sitting. Guitars and posters were hung on the walls and one curtain was pulled back from the window, letting some light into the room. The only things that weren’t put away were the few jackets resting over the back of the desk chair.

Trisha smiled as her focus went back on Michael. From the time she’d spent getting to know him, every detail of the cozy bedroom made sense. His bright green eyes glimmered behind his glasses, beginning to formulate a plan.

~~~~~

It was afternoon, they had spent about two hours hashing out what they were going to say when they went to Stevens, before Michael walked Trisha back to her house so she could change into fresh clothes. They rolled a second coat of paint over the living room before lunch, going to the cafe to visit with Luke. Afterwards, Luke walked them back to the clearing where everyone was meeting up before they parted ways to go talk to the other packs. Luke’s hold around her shoulders while they waited for the elders to appear was strong, keeping her close as she talked with Michael.

Soon enough everyone was gathered, Luke giving a quick recap of why what they were about to do was important. As soon as he finished speaking the wolves shifted, running off in separate directions. Michael removed his backpack, getting Trisha’s crown out of the pocket before handing the bag over to Luke. The blonde werewolf sighed, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his mate’s forehead. “I have faith that our goddess is going to keep both of you safe. I’ll be waiting at the house.”  Michael nodded, shifting as Trish put the crown on her head. She smiled, leaning up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Luke’s cheek. He gave her another smile, watching as she climbed onto the back of the grey wolf, Michael bounding off as soon as she found her grip around his neck. Luke watched until he couldn’t see the brush shaking in Michael’s wake, turning and making his way back to the pack house to wait for their return.

Michael raced through the forest, cutting through Trisha’s back garden to enter the other pack’s territory. He was doing his best to avoid running through the bushes and thorns for his passenger’s sake as he wasn’t taking a direct route through well traveled paths in the other territory, but Trisha still felt better to press her body as close to his as possible. She knew the story of Lycaon from the mythology and literature class she had taken when she was still in school, and she wondered if the palpable shift in the air when they crossed into this side of the forest was normal or if it was the wolf king’s influence filling the air.

Michael ran all the way up to the pack house, allowing Trisha to climb off of his back before shifting, towering over her as they walked up to the front door, Michael’s fist striking against the wood three times before he backed up, waiting for an answer. A minute later the door was opened, a younger guy with greasy black hair standing in the opening. He sneered at Michael, clearly aware that the pair in front of him weren’t supposed to be there. Trisha turned towards Michael, wanting to see how he was reacting to the younger wolf. His expression was schooled, looking down at the shorter man in front of him. “We need to talk to your alpha.” Michael said cooly, hands in his pockets and feet planted.

The young werewolf rolled his eyes, stepping to the side and allowing them in. “Wait in the office, I’ll go get Robbie.” he said, sulking off down the hall.

Michael took Trish’s hand and led her down a different hallway, going through the second door they passed. He pulled two armchairs together in front of the desk, offering one to Trish before he sat down as well. She noticed the tension he was holding in his jaw and reached over, placing her hand on top of his. Michael let out a breath, turning his attention to the priestess. “You’re glowing, Trish.” he said, relaxing as he smiled at her.

She blushed slightly, straightening the crown on her head and giving his hand a gentle squeeze when they heard the door close behind them. She retracted her hand, instead resting it on her knee as the new wolf approached, slowly making his way through the room and around the desk. Trisha glanced towards Michael, but his calm expression told her how to react to Stevens’ power play. They had arrived on his territory unannounced, and he outranked them, at least until they figured out how much pull her connection to the goddess gave her.

He settled into the desk chair with a heavy sigh, leaning on the desk and folding his hands, staring directly at them. “You needed to speak to me?” the alpha asked after a moment.

Michael nodded, shoulders relaxing the slightest bit as he hummed, “Kid that answered the door needs a few extra lessons on how to treat visiting pack leaders.”

Trisha was surprised at the regretful smile that appeared on Stevens’ face. “Yeah, thinking of dropping him out of the running at the end of the week. His dad’s not going to be too happy about it, though.”

Michael nodded, leaning forward as some of the tension in the room dissipated. Trisha stayed quiet, waiting for her cue from either Michael or Stevens to formally introduce herself. She felt the alpha’s gaze and attention shift from Michael to her, taking her in completely, ending on the woven crown on her head.

After taking a deep breath in through his nose, he spoke. “Was surprised when I heard that you were here, even more so that it wasn’t Hemmings with you.” His gaze flicked back to Trisha from Michael, addressing her directly. “You’re the new girl at Jo’s grocery store, right? Been seeing you with Luke a lot, thought maybe someone turned you during the full moon, but you still smell human. What is your business here, sweetheart?”

She bristled slightly at the pet name coming from the wolf across from her, but felt a wave of calm wash over her. She knew it was a sign from Artemis, now was not the time to get frustrated with the man behind the desk, now was the time for calm negotiation. She took a deep breath before stating, “My name is Trisha Reyales, priestess of Artemis.”

She kept a cool expression, observing as Stevens tensed across from her, brown eyes wide as he swallowed thickly, hands disappearing under the table as he seemed to wipe them on his pants. She glanced at Michael, who was clearly fighting to keep a smirk off his face as he watched the older wolf.

Trisha cleared her throat, continuing. “Last night Luke and I were at the beach together, and the goddess appeared to us. She’s aware of your dealings with the wolf king Lycaon, and is actively hunting him down. Lady Artemis instructed me to come speak to you with Michael, to urge you to stop heeding Lycaon’s word and drive him from your part of the woods.”

Michael spoke up next, his voice strong and sure as he made eye contact with the other leader, “Our goddess is aware that Lycaon’s next target is Richie O’Maron’s pack, it would be best that you strengthen your southwest borders to make sure he can’t escape to their land. We’ll make sure he can’t get into our territory either, flushing him out of the woods is the best way to allow Artemis and her hunters to capture him.”

The room fell silent, Stevens holding his head in his hands, leaning over his desk. “I’ll consider what you’ve told me, talk it over with my brothers in leadership, but we’ve been in power for 15 years. You know that we’re going through picking the next leaders, our power over the pack is waning. While I don’t want to be in the ill graces of the goddess, I cannot guarantee that everyone else will see it that way. You’re still young, you wouldn’t understand my current position. If they disagree, any of the young wolves we’re considering can challenge to overthrow me and my brothers.”

Michael took a deep breath, nodding, “May your fellow leaders see this development how you do, and may our goddess grant your elders and younger wolves understanding of the trouble that could come unto them if they do not heed our message.”

Stevens nodded whispering a quiet, “thank you,” before gesturing towards the office door.

Michael rose from his seat, offering his arm to Trisha before walking out. They quietly walked out of the house, Michael shifting back to his wolf form and allowing Trisha onto his back yet again, trotting along the path this time as he exited the territory. He went straight to the pack house, Luke awaiting their return on the porch steps. The blonde helped his mate off of his best friend’s back, then turning and wrapping the grey wolf in a tight hug. Michael’s front paw crooked over Luke’s shoulder, seemingly returning the hug before they both pulled away.

Michael pushed through the flap in the door, disappearing inside as Luke turned his attention from him. “You did great, Trish,” he beamed, eyes sparkling as his hands came to rest on her waist.

She blushed, avoiding meeting her mate’s eyes. “Mike is probably just talking me up, I just told Stevens what Artemis told us.”

Luke chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned down, his forehead leaning against her own. “Doesn’t matter if he is, Rob Stevens is considering advice from another pack’s leadership, due to what you told him. That’s pretty fucking phenomenal sweetheart.”

Her dark brown eyes met his bright blue, nothing but honesty showing on his face. She smiled, leaning forward and connecting their lips for the first time ever. Luke stood in surprise for a moment before melting into her touch, one of his hands moving from her waist to gather her dark purple hair, eyes falling closed as he blissfully returned the kiss. The pair of mates pulled away, both beaming as they looked at each other. Luke took her hand, leading the way inside and into the living room to talk with Calum and Ashton before dinner.

~~~~~~~

Two weeks later and all of Trisha’s projects for the interior of the house were finished. The new appliances were installed and they’d put in a backsplash of grey subway tiles and blue mosaic tile as the final touches of the renovation. She and Luke were laying in her bed, Trish’s fingers slowly running through his golden curls. Luke was still exhausted from the new moon the night before, his energy completely sapped as the moon was but a shadow of herself in the dark sky.

Soft snores were passing Luke’s lips as Trish continued to play with his hair. She was staring beyond him, her gaze going out the window and over the back garden as he was tucked with his head against her chest. She’d allowed the fall colors to blur together, her vision going out of focus as she lost herself in thought in the quiet bedroom.

Movement in the garden below brought her vision back into focus, eyes immediately going in on the shadowy figure stalking through the overgrown shrubs and flowerbeds. As she focused in on the shape she realized it was a black wolf, too large to be Jolene and she considered for a second that maybe it could be Calum, the distance hiding the brown shades in his fur, but then the wolf looked up towards the window, and she could feel that its gaze was specifically on her and a chill ran up her spine. The wolf’s eyes were strikingly red and she could feel hatred and malice in its gaze, as if it knew exactly who she was even though she had never seen this particular wolf before. “Luke, Lu, please wake up,” Trisha whispered, pushing at her mate’s shoulder, trying to shake him awake.

“Hrmm?” he managed, blue eyes slowly blinking open as he unwound himself from around her.

Her voice remained quiet, not entirely convinced that the wolf in the garden wouldn’t be able to hear her, “There’s a black wolf in the garden, it was staring right at me, it had these bright red eyes, and the feeling I got when it looked at me was just awful.”

She was shivering as she spoke. Luke sat up, gaze concerned as he looked out the window, one of his large hands encapsulating her small, shaking one. The wolf was no longer staring at the window, but Luke was able to make out a tail disappearing into the brush on the western side of the garden. His body tensed and he turned, pulling Trisha closer to him, cradling her head to his chest now, fingers running through her hair just as she’d been doing to him as he slept.

He wanted to calm her slightly before he told her his theory, wanted her to feel safe in her home. He pressed gentle kisses to her cheek and neck, singing nonsense lyrics and melodies until she stopped shivering. “Was it gone?” she finally whispered, looking up at Luke.

He nodded, “Saw it disappearing into the woods when I looked.” “Do you think that it--”

“Was Lycaon? Yeah, either him or one of his followers, not from Stevens’ pack, from Lycaon’s eternal pack.”

Trisha nodded slowly, leaning closer to Luke, feeling safety emanating from the warmth of his body. He held her tighter, nuzzling against her neck as he sat there continuing to hold her. He smiled at the content sigh she let out after a moment, pressing gentle kisses to his chest before looking up at him. “Lu,” she started, “If they come back again, and were to do more than just lurk outside and stare when I’m here alone...I’d want to be able to call you over as quickly as possible. Do you think that we could use that mental link thing that you told me about the night we met Artemis?”

Luke nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to her neck, “Course, Trish, anything to make you feel comfortable. Think you’re ready?”

She nodded, shifting in his lap slightly and resting her hands on his biceps. His face lit up, leaning in and peppering a few kisses over her face before giving her a shy smile, “Sorry if my wolf breath is awful.”

She was about to protest that his breath was fine when he moved her out of his lap, shifting and standing above her, wagging his tail as he looked down at her. She giggled, scratching between his ears until he leaned closer, letting out a long breath directly into her face. Her eyes closed as his breath passed over her. When she opened her eyes again Luke’s head was tilted, looking down at her.

Did it work?

She gasped as she looked up at him. His tail wagged more at the expression on her face, waiting expectantly. Her face screwed up in focus for a moment, trying to respond to her mate.

I don’t know, you tell me.

Luke barked, spinning on the bed in celebration, causing Trisha to burst out in giggles.

You look cute with your face all scrunched up like that, love. You’ll get used to it soon enough though, I’m sure.

Trisha blushed, shoving at the yellow wolf’s shoulder. “Remind me to go to the pet store and get you some doggie toothpaste some time, you need it.”

Luke whined, plopping down next to her and she giggled, pressing a kiss to the top of the wolf’s head and curling up next to him again. He shifted back, smiling at her tiredly, “Gonna talk with Calum and Ashton about maybe helping you learn how to fight off a wolf as a human. Even if you wanna be a wolf later on, it would have to be under a full moon and these guys probably won’t hold off till the next one if they see a chance or anything.”

Trisha nodded solemnly, letting Luke pull her to his chest again, taking a deep breath as they snuggled back up together, both of them falling asleep.

~~~~~

Two days later, Trisha was walking over to meet up with Ash and Cal behind the pack house. She was looking forward to getting to spend more time with the two alphas, having not seen them since they finished the last coat of paint for the hallway since she got a professional team for the tile work and to restore the hardwood.

She jumped slightly at the feeling of a shoulder knocking into her legs. She managed to maintain her balance despite the damp leaves under her feet, looking down to see the red wolf next to her, amber eyes gleaming as they met hers. She shook her head, giving Ashton a gentle shove. He shook before trotting on ahead of her, leading the rest of the way down the path to the house.

The backyard of the packhouse consisted of a large clearing, perfect for gatherings at any time of year, passing a ball back and forth or wrestling. Luke had even shown Trisha photos from a few weddings he’d been in attendance for over the past couple years that they’d held in the yard.

Calum was sitting on the patio waiting for them, leaned back in one of the chairs. He smiled when he saw them approaching, managing to just roll out of the low sitting chair, using the steps down to the grass to help him get on his feet. He strolled across the lawn gracefully, wrapping an arm around Trisha’s shoulders, pulling her into a side hug before stating, “Ashtons gonna be playing the part of our enemy wolf today. Don’t be scared of being too rough with him, he’s pretty sturdy.” Ashton let out a huff at Calum’s statement, dipping into a stretch as Calum carried on, “We’re going to start simple with some charge dodging and work our way up to actual contact defensive strategies you can use, sound good?”

Trisha nodded, brown eyes bright as Ashton trotted off to the back fence, she and Calum following after him, stopping a few feet away. Calum stepped forward, making eye contact with Ashton, both alphas nodding at each other before Ashton charged. Calum held his ground, staring Ashton down as he got closer, jumping out of the way at the last possible second before Ashton would’ve collided with him. Ashton made a wide loop around the yard, slowing down as he made his way back to where he’d started. They repeated it a couple more times, Calum stepping to stand next to Trisha as Ashton looped around the yard again. “Think you’re ready, Trish?” He asked, smiling down at her.

She nodded, stepping forward to take Calum’s spot. She watched as Ashton got into position, his eyes meeting hers. She gave him a nervous smile, planting her feet the way she’d seen Calum do before nodding towards Ashton. She watched the way his muscles tensed before he sprung forward. She watched as he ran towards her, leaping to the side just two seconds too early, Ashton being able to turn and knock her to the ground, Calum already in place behind her, using his body as a landing pad for her. Trisha gasped as she landed on him, the wind knocked out of her. Calum wrapped her in his arms, allowing her a moment to catch her breath. As her breathing evened back out, he spoke up, “Since you’re human we’re not being as rough on you as we are running these drills with other wolves. Plus Luke will kill us if he gets you back all bruised and banged up. Now, you did that one way too early, Ash was able to turn and get ya, yeah? You’ve gotta jump right as it seems like he’s about to barrel into you, the absolute last second okay?”

Trisha nodded, “Yeah, got it, thanks Cal.” He nodded, helping her back to her feet before getting up himself, getting into position to prepare in case he had to become a crash pad again.

Two hours later they called it for the day. After three more tries, she’d managed to get consistent with avoiding collision with Ashton. They’d worked on three other maneuvers, both wolves acting as crash pads depending on who was able to get under her faster. Calum gently coached her through each mistake she’d made. Ashton shifted, standing to his full height and stretching. He was just as covered in mud as Trish and Calum were, lacking the sweat that was visible on the other two’s shirts however. He grinned, walking over and wrapping Trisha in a hug, large hand rubbing her shoulder. “You did great today. You’re a quick learner, love. Gotta keep practicing though, gonna have to deal with Cal next time.”

He gave her shoulders one last tight squeeze before pulling away, darting inside to shower. Calum wrapped an arm over her shoulders, “Let’s get you home so you can get cleaned up too.”

She smiled, walking instep with Calum as they made their way through the woods and back to her house. As they stepped to her porch, Calum tightened his grip on her, looking down on her. “Hey, don’t hesitate to call any of us over for anything. You’re just as much a part of the pack as Luke is, we’re here to help with whatever you need, danger or not.”

She nodded, eyes dropping from his gaze, “‘m not even a wolf yet though, don’t want you guys to drop something important over me. Lukes more important to the pack than me.”

Calum’s face screwed up in momentary shock, hand cupping her jaw as he recovered. “You’re Lu’s mate, you’re on equal footing with him. Hell, you’re Artemis’ priestess, some would say that makes you outrank me, Trish. We’re here for you, doll, no matter what. As the rest of the pack gets to know you better they’ll say the same.” Trish blushed, allowing Calum to wrap her in a tight hug. “Luke will be here soon, you might wanna get cleaned up.”

She managed a giggle, pulling apart from Calum before turning to go inside. As soon as the door latched behind her she turned and saw the dark wolf bounding back to the woods, heading back home for dinner and a shower of his own.

~~~~~~

The next time she met up with Calum and Ashton for another training round it was a Friday. She’d brought a backpack full of extra clothes and her toiletries, planning to spend the night with Luke. Once she’d showered and changed into her pajamas she joined the four boys in the kitchen, all gathered around the kitchen island where Luke had just brought in everyone’s sandwich orders from the little deli in town. Trisha leaned up on her tiptoes and gave Luke a kiss before accepting her sandwich from him. Calum and Ashton were dressed up, going out to the club Michael worked at tonight to enjoy his DJ set and have some fun. Trisha had an opening shift Saturday, so her plans included snuggling up on the couch with Luke after the boys left while he held down the pack house for the night in case something were to happen.

After everyone was finished eating, Michael, Calum and Ashton walked out the door, saying goodbyes and giving hugs before they disappeared into the night together. Luke and Trisha made their way over to the couch, Luke putting on a movie before moving Trisha into his lap, curling around her as the opening credits rolled. They made it through two movies before Trisha turned in his lap to face him before he picked up the controller to find a third. The smell of his cologne, the feeling of his head atop hers, the way his hands felt against her body, absently, or maybe not so much so, rubbing up and down her sides and over her skin. All of it was so intoxicating, a high that Trisha had never felt before and she was far from ready to come down.

Judging by the expression she could see on Luke’s face when she faced him, he was feeling the same way. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, heart racing as she leaned closer to him, whispering “Wanna be yours Lu, please, make me yours.”

His eyes darkened slightly at her words, leaning in for a kiss. It was deep, but not at all what she had been expecting when he first leaned in, expecting a hungry, sucking kiss, not a sweet passionate one, but she was pleased with the results all the same. His hands were on her shoulders, holding on tight as he led the kiss, both of them finally parting for air. He moved his grip to her thighs, rising from the sofa, not bothering to turn the tv off as he carried her to his room. Once his bedroom door shut behind him, his eyes were on hers, searching her for any sort of hesitation or change of heart. She responded by grabbing hold of his golden curls, pulling him in for another kiss. He groaned against her lips, collapsing onto the bed with her still in his arms.

~~~~~~~

The next morning, Trisha woke, still laying on Luke’s chest where she’d collapsed after they’d both cleaned up the night before. She was a little surprised, outside of a few naps, she had yet to wake up to a human Luke. She hummed, feeling a warmth in her chest near where Luke had bitten her the night before. She smiled, fingers reaching up to trace the mark, before she turned her attention to the one she’d left on Luke’s shoulder. She gasped softly when she saw that it was glowing a happy yellow, the skin around the bite not looking bruised or irritated like she would expect. He shivered when her fingers touched it, blue eyes blinking open as he looked down at her. He smiled when he noticed the intrigue on her face paired with her fingers on his shoulder.

Luke gently lifted her hand, bringing it to his lips, pressing gentle kisses to her fingertips before whispering, “You’re happy this morning.”

Trisha smiled sleepily, nodding at him scooting even closer, face pressed to his chest. Luke grinned, dropping her hand back to his chest, looking at the mark he had left on Trish. “How does it feel love?”

“Warm,” she hummed back, eyes closed.

He nodded, smiling before starting to explain, “It’ll change colors, like a mood ring, depending on how I’m feeling, but you’ll also be able to actually feel how I’m feeling on top of that. It connects us even more than the mind link we did last weekend.”

She grinned as he explained, watching as Luke carefully traced over her mark. She sighed happily, pressing gentle kisses to Luke’s bare chest, content to continue to lay there forever, until Luke reminded her that they both had to work.

They both climbed out of bed, Luke pulling on sweatpants while Trisha grabbed her panties and one of Luke’s button downs. They both walked out, hand in hand as they made their way down the hall to the kitchen. The pair of mates were quiet as they made breakfast, sitting together peacefully as they ate before going back down the hall to get ready for the day.

They walked together to work, Luke disappearing through the doors of the cafe, staring across the street as Trisha unlocked the grocery store. As soon as the store lights turned on and Trisha had flipped the sign around, Luke snatched the list off of the counter and ran across the street. He burst through the door, shoes squeaking on the floor as he came to a sudden stop, grabbing a cart and grinning at his mate, “Long time no see,” she giggled out, leaning on her cash register.

“Gotta come in right at opening, beat the crowds of mamas and pups, you clearly just haven’t been working this shift recently,” Luke retorted with a wink, smiling at her before dutifully beginning his lap around the store.

As he was making his way down the last two aisles before heading to checkout, more people began filtering in through the doors. He stepped up to the counter, handing over his groceries and putting them back in the cart as Trish scanned them. “Remind me, are Calum and Ashton stealing you from me today?” Luke asked in between groceries. Trisha shook her head no and Luke grinned, continuing, “Would you like to go on a picnic by the river, then? This afternoon?”

Trisha beamed, nodding enthusiastically, “Looking forward to it.”

Luke nodded, swiping the cafe card and grabbing the last few items Trish had scanned. “I’ll show up at your place sometime after work, once I’ve gathered a basket and all.”

She giggled, “It’s a date.”

Luke nodded, leaning across the counter and giving her one, two, three pecks on her lips before jogging the cart out of the store.

Trisha got off work and grabbed some groceries before leaving to walk home. She got about halfway up the path from town when she ran into the younger wolf that had let her and Michael into his pack’s house the other week.

“Surprised Hood and the rest of his pack let the precious priestess walk home all on her own. Especially in such a dangerous time as this, Lycaon lurking about and all.”

The smug tone the younger werewolf spoke in put Trisha on edge, muscles tensing in preparation for the worst. “I don’t think we were properly introduced when we first met last week, my name is Trisha, who are you?” She asked, trying to swallow the panic that was beginning to bubble in her throat.

He shot her a smug smile, pushing his dark hair away from his face, “Name’s Sebastian. Was gonna be in line for the next pack leader until you and Clifford stopped by for a visit. Robbie kicked me out after that.”

Trish gaped, “He said he was already thinking of letting you go when Michael mentioned the way you treated him. We didn’t even know that you were trying to be a leader when we saw you.”

Sebastian shrugged, “Doesn’t matter either way now. Lycaon told me I could be leader when his plan comes to fruition. M’sure that bringing him Artemis’ priestess will secure that as a promise.”

Trisha’s eyes widened, hands dropping her groceries as Sebastian snarled, shifting.

Luke, Cal, Ash, Mike. Guys, please, if any of you can hear me, I’m on the path home and there’s a kid from Rob’s pack trying to kidnap me for Lycaon, please, hurry.

She was panicked as the small brown wolf stood in front of her, head low to the ground and tail swishing, ready to pounce. She repeated her message to the four wolves over and over in her head, hoping that her panic would amplify it to the three wolves that she wasn’t directly connected to, or that Luke would pass it along. She planted her feet, watching Sebastian so she could react to protect herself.

The brown wolf sprung towards her, leaping through the air, so she hit the ground, rolling further up the path, putting as much distance between her and the young werewolf as possible. She got to her feet, knowing she didn’t want to be on the ground too much longer. Sebastian snarled, turning back to face her as she felt a white hot anger spread through her, emanating from the mark on her chest. She was momentarily distracted by the extreme emotion flooding her senses. She shook her head, just in time to notice Sebastian was charging at her. She sidestepped, kicking her leg out, her shin connecting under his ribcage, sending the small wolf toppling tail over head down the path.

Sebastian was slow to get back on his paws and Trisha could hear the brush rustling to her right. Calum, Ashton, and Michael all lept in front of her, hair standing on end as they stood between her and Sebastian. Ashton looked over his shoulder at her, tail wagging as his voice filled her head

That was great, Trish. Perfect.

She gasped, before nodding at him, smile breaking over her face as the relief flooded her. Before Sebastian had time to react to the three wolves now standing in front of him, Luke appeared, skidding to a halt in front of his three best friends. He snarled at the young wolf, his words filling Trish’s mind

Get my mate home safe. Now.

Michael didn’t need to be told twice, turning and grabbing Trisha’s grocery bags in his mouth, waiting for the other two wolves. Calum came up behind Trisha, forcing her onto his back, Ashton stepping up to stand next to Luke as the other two wolves began to run down the path.

You too Ashton, the kid is mine.

Luke NO! Trisha thought at the same time that Ashton replied,

Are you sure man?

Absolutely. I’ve got him.

With that, Ashton followed after Calum and Michael, easily catching up with them as they ran up the path. As soon as they reached her house, Trisha scrambled off of Calum’s back, making to take off back down the path, not expecting to run straight into Ashton’s chest, his arms wrapping around her tightly. “Why’d you listen to him?” she shrieked, kicking at his legs as he walked her into the house, Michael already having shifted and opened the door, Calum following behind him.

Michael went straight into the kitchen, putting away her groceries as Calum went to the living room, Ashton following behind him, even with Trisha fighting him every step of the way. He sat on the couch, still holding her to his chest and she cried, “Lemme go Ash! What if another wolf from Lycaon shows up! Luke is gonna need our help if there’s another wolf there!”

Ashton softened, though his grip remained strong. “Trish, he’s gonna be fine. Lycaon’s mentality is every wolf for themselves, other than when it comes to protecting him of course. Luke’s just gonna teach that little punk wolf a lesson, he won’t be too far behind us.”

Trisha sniffed slightly, finally stopping her fight with Ashton’s hold, sighing, “We are talking about the guy that tried to feed his kid to Zeus.”

Ashton giggled, nodding, “Exactly. Now, we can sit here and watch out that window for your wolf to come running up that path, safe and sound.”

She nodded, shifting slightly, Ashton letting her out of the vice hold he’d had on her, just resting his arm over her shoulders. Calum shifted, sitting on the couch next to Ashton, his gaze thoughtful as they all sat there waiting.

Soon enough they saw the blonde wolf racing up the path to the house. Trisha lept from the couch, running out the door and meeting Luke in the drive. The massive wolf jumped into her arms, pushing her backwards to the ground. She giggled as the wolf licked all over her face, finally shifting back and pressing a hard kiss to her lips, hands holding tight to her as he crouched above her. He pulled her into his lap without separating the two of them, her hands finding home in his hair.

Calum clearing his throat from the front steps was the only thing that caused them to pull apart, reminded that their friends were there. The pair separated, both getting to their feet and leaning into each other as they reentered the house. They entered the living room, Luke setting Trisha in his lap, not wanting to lose contact with her for even a moment right now. Calum took a seat on the other side of the couch, the pair separating him from Ashton, the other alpha content to not move after having to fight to get Trisha inside.

Calum spoke up, leaning forward, “So, we know that Stewart talked with his pack’s elders and the other three leaders and they all agreed not to go against the goddess. Lycaon went to ground, but he suspects that the wolf king is still in his territory, being aided by the younger wolves that supported him. Sebastian seemed to have made this clear enough since he was after you, Trish, but it’s not clear beyond suspicions as to who exactly is aiding him. I’m thinking we text all the leaders and have a little town meeting to talk about what we should do.” The alpha cast a glance towards Luke before adding, “I have the beginnings of a plan, but we’d have to bait Lycaon out.”

Luke nodded for a moment, until it hit him who Calum meant to use for bait. The youngest wolf’s blue eyes went wide, his arms tightening around his mate as he fixed Calum with an angry glare. The blonde was about to object when another voice sounded from the kitchen.

“You know he’s right, Luke.” The goddess stepped into the living room, all four wolves and Trish bowing their heads in acknowledgement. She took the unoccupied arm chair, sitting in it sideways, her legs hanging over the arm closest to Michael. “I love what you’ve done with the place, Trisha.” Artemis stated with a smile to her priestess before continuing with her initial thought. “Now, as Calum insinuated, we are going to have to use Trisha as bait to get Lycaon out of hiding, but we’re also going to have a secret weapon. Trisha, can you come here?”

Trish nodded, Luke letting her out of his hold. She crossed the room before kneeling at the goddess’ side. Artemis stuck out her hand, her gaze gentle as she pressed her palm to the top of Trish’s head. The priestess was wrapped in a fog, the four wolves in the room leaning forward in their seats as they watched on. The fog cleared and they stared at the silver wolf sitting where Trish had been.

Luke’s face broke into a grin, shifting and trotting over to the wolf, resting his head on top of hers, tail wagging as he sat down in front of her. Artemis smiled at the mates, hand resting between Luke’s ears as she returned to her plan. “So, we’re going to want to keep that Trish is a wolf now quiet. Shouldn’t be too hard since I’m sure everyone would assume that one of you would be the ones to turn her and the full moon isn’t for another week. I say we gather everyone in town tonight, like Calum said, and we discuss our plans, but they don’t need to know about our secret weapon. Michael, you carry Trisha to a clearing I’ve located that seems to be near Lycaon’s hiding place, just like when you both went to talk with Robert. Luke, you can follow behind them, hiding in the brush at the edge and wait until Lycaon shows himself. He’s going to have backup, both from his immortal pack and from the young wolves helping him. You’re going to have all the packs’ best warriors at your side, ready for your call, as soon as the wolf king’s followers show any sign of attack. My hunters and I will be in the trees, ready to take him down and back where he belongs, far away from your territories.”

All the wolves present nodded, Calum proceeding to send out a text to the four alphas, asking them to bring their fellow leaders into town that night for a meeting. Artemis spent the hours before the meeting getting a tour of the house from her priestess and newest wolf. She laid down in the most opulent bedroom in the house, meant for her, smiling as Trisha quietly closed the door, allowing the goddess time to herself.

The priestess walked down the hall, finding Luke in her room. He was curled up on her bed, facing the window over the gardens. She crawled in behind him, her knees tucked against his long legs as she wrapped her arm around his waist. She pressed her lips to his shoulder, feeling the gentle thrum of anxiety that had been in spreading from the mark on her chest heighten slightly as Luke covered one of her hands with his. “Talk to me, Lu.” she whispered, giving his sides a gentle squeeze from her arms.

“I just...I got so angry earlier and-” “I noticed, love,” she joked, smiling against his shoulder, allowing him to continue.

He sighed before carrying on, “I just...my boss almost didn’t let me leave and you were so scared, like you actually broke through to the guys on your own. I was trying to push down your panic to send the message on to them when Calum came through saying they were on their way, assuming I’d sent it along already. So I knew they were coming and I obviously knew I needed to come too, I was already angry that you were so upset and then when I found my boss and he said no because of the lunch rush...I was just...furious. I kind of whipped off my apron and my shirt in the middle of the cafe to show him the way the mark was pulsing from your fear. He let me go after that, I think because he was scared of what would happen if he said no again. I really don’t like getting that angry, and I like even less that you felt it. But you were in trouble and I needed to be there…”

His hand tightened around hers and she felt his shoulders heave slightly as he held back a heavy sigh. She squeezed his hand back and this time he actually did release the sigh, whispering, “Then I caught up to you guys, and the way I talked to everyone...I know he was just a kid and that I wouldn’t have had too much trouble running him off, and I didn’t, but I shouldn’t have turned down Ashton like that.” Trish shook her head, pressing her lips to his shoulder yet again, smiling as she said, “If it makes you feel better, Ash kept me from running back down the trail when we got to the house and calmed me down, even though I was fighting him the entire time.”

Luke chuckled softly, cracking a small smile, before his tone turned serious again, “But...if I can get that angry now, I-what if I do that to you, or if we have pups one day, with them...I don’t want that to happen.”

“It won’t.” Trish said confidently. “It only happened today because you thought I was in danger and your boss wasn’t letting you go. I highly doubt that our kids would ever do anything that would make you that angry. And if you were that angry with me, I’d take you down and set you straight.”

He smiled at the laugh his mate let out at the suggestion that he’d ever be furious with her. He rolled over in the bed, facing her finally. His arms went around her as he said, “But now I’m letting you walk right into danger, as bait.”

She sighed, she knew he wasn’t comfortable with the idea, but she felt it would work. “I know, Luke, but it’s going to work. It’s not just the five of us against Lycaon, it’s five packs and our goddess and her hunters. We might get banged up and bruised, but it’ll be worth it, for everyone.”

He took a deep breath and whispered, “I know, I trust you.”

She smiled, and he dipped his head down, giving her a gentle kiss as he rolled on top of her.

~~~~~~

The moon was high in the sky as the five of them waited at the front of the main room of town hall, shifting anxiously as they awaited the arrival of the twenty other wolves. Artemis had vanished from the house, presumably to attend to her duties as the moon goddess. Trisha leaned into Luke, wearing the crown Artemis had gifted her when she informed her that she needed Trish to act in her duties as priestess.

The seats filled, the murmurs of all the pack leaders sending a hum through the room. Calum looked around, doing a final headcount before he stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Thank you guys for coming. So, as my pack alerted you all last week, Lycaon is in our woods. Robbie and his pack came together and drove him from their camp, but he’s still lurking because he’s learned something that he wants more than sowing discord amongst our packs and gaining new, young and powerful followers. We came up with a plan this afternoon to get him out of here permanently, and we need everyone’s help to do it.”

Calum took a pause before carrying on, but the moment’s silence was enough for O’Maron to butt in. “So you all say. I trusted Jolene when she came to me and beefed up my patrols on the borders, but we haven’t seen hide nor tail of Lycaon or his pack. Is your intel on the wolf king’s movements still based on contact with Artemis? Because I find it hard to believe. Jo convinced me the first time, but I’m not sure right now. Why would our goddess appear to you four, you’ve been in charge of your pack for not even three years, and lack mates, shouldn’t she be telling this to more senior wolves?”

Trisha felt Luke bristle next to her and she gently grasped his hand as Artemis’ voice filled the room, “That’s where you’re wrong Richie.” She stated, and with a pop she appeared, seated on the table behind them. All the gathered wolves knelt upon her appearance, before she quickly ushered them up to continue the meeting. “Thank you for voicing your doubts, Richard, I see now why Lycaon had planned on infiltrating your pack next before he was driven out of Robert’s.” The older wolf shrank in his seat at the dry tone of the goddess as she turned her focus, “Now then, this young woman over here, cuddled up against Luke, his mate. Come here, Trisha darling,” she added, patting the spot next to her on the table, “On top of that, however, she is my priestess. Today we had a sign that he is interested in capturing her, but her spirit, mixed with some training from Ashton and Calum, kept her safe today.”

The gathered wolves leaned forward, listening intently as Artemis allowed Calum to explain the plan that they had made that day. Trisha was sitting next to the goddess, Luke beside her and holding her hand as his blue eyes pierced O’Maron.

The meeting ended, everyone agreeing with the overall plan, adding in a few strategies before agreeing to meet up a mile downwind of the clearing in two days, before dusk.

~~~~

The next two days were spent in training, none of the wolves questioning Ashton or Calum about the new silver wolf sparring alongside them. An hour before the battle they all made their way to the meeting place, Trisha on Luke’s back. They came together with the over 100 other wolves, everyone pacing anxiously as they awaited the goddess. Luke shifted, holding his mate in his arms while Michael hovered nearby. “If that sorry excuse for a werewolf hurts you in the slightest I’m going to drag his ass over Artemis’ bridge and wherever she wants him myself.” he murmured, his lips inches from her own.

Trisha giggled, giving Luke a gentle kiss, reminding him, “I can handle myself, Lu, it’ll be fine.”

He sighed, holding her tighter until the goddess appeared. She gave a reminder of what was going to happen, and a strategy for how the wolves should divide and conquer. Her words of confidence in the five packs would’ve started them all howling if they had been further off. She gave a nod to her priestess and the two wolves near her and they nodded back, Trisha getting on Michael’s back as Luke shifted back, following behind them as they went towards the clearing. He hung back in the brush as Michael trotted into the center of the meadow. Trisha smoothly dismounted and called out “Hey! Lycaon! Heard you were looking for me!”

A strong breeze came through the clearing, the wolf king appearing from nowhere with it. He stood a few feet away from her and Michael, leering as he inspected her, from the crown to her entire being. Trisha held steady, even though everything in her wanted to run from Lycaon’s heavy gaze.

More wolves appeared from the brush, coming to stand behind their leader. Michael lowered his head and tail, ears turning back against his head as he scanned the line. Lycaon smirked at the wolf’s reaction, holding back his wolves as he stepped forward, finger tilting Trisha’s face back. The ancient king hummed as she met his gaze, seeming to search for any reason he could think of as to why she had been selected as Artemis had selected her as priestess. She gave him another moment before knocking his feet out from under him, sending him to the ground. There came a few indignant barks from the gathered wolves, but none moved, not even when Luke lept from the bushes, standing with a paw on the chest of their leader, letting out a loud howl. “Mortals.” Lycaon grumbled, pushing at the blonde wolf while Michael and Trisha ran towards the brush. “Get the girl!” he commanded his wolves as the clearing exploded, wolves appearing from all sides.

Lycaon rose to his feet, quick to transform before Luke lunged at him again. He was large and all black with glowing red eyes, just like his immortal pack, except he was even larger than them, and his head was entirely silver from all the years that had passed since Zeus cursed him.

Michael and Trisha made it to the woods, Trisha ducking behind a tree to shift. Michael wagged his tail, giving her a gentle headbutt.

You’re going to do great Trish. See you soon.

With that reassurance he disappeared, bounding back to the treeline where they’d entered, while the priestess went around to the western flank. The plan was to make it seem like Michael had taken her to hide and left her alone, allowing some of Lycaon’s wolves to enter the woods to search for her, allowing the Hunters to pick them off more easily.

Trisha burst through the western brush, weaving among the wolves, finding wolves to help in their individual skirmishes. Then, she saw Sebastian. He was slinking off towards the edge of the woods and she raced over, knocking him off his paws. He growled as he got back up and she noticed he had a slight limp, whether from their encounter the other day or more recent, she didn’t care, lowering her head as she snarled at him. They sparred for a while, nipping at each other’s legs, shoving and trying to get the other wolf off their feet for more than half a second. Then, a silver arrow sprouted from the small brown wolf’s shoulder. He yelped, turning his head to stare at it, trying to snap at the shaft. A thin line went taught, and Trisha turned, looking over at the stake a hunter had just driven into the ground, attached to the arrow. She gave a concerned glance towards the young werewolf, now going after the line rather than the arrow in his shoulder, realizing he was tethered.

As she was about to help Sebastian she heard a howl from Luke across the field. She cast Sebastian one last glance before bounding towards her mate. Luke was face to face with Lycaon, his blue eyes staring into the red, but Trish could tell he was getting tired. She gently nudged Luke’s shoulder, letting him know she was there. A small whine passed his lips, sparing a quick look to her. She wagged her tail, leaping over Luke and quickly rushing around and nipping at the back of Lycaon’s legs. He whipped around, snarling, broken from his stare off with Luke. Trisha sprung forward, landing on Lycaon’s back, claws gripping his shoulders as she bit down on the flesh at the base of his tail. He began to spin around to try to shake her off, but Luke leapt back into action, swatting at the dark wolf’s face and circling to keep Lycaon from being able to curl around and make a grab for Trish to get her off of his back.

Suddenly, it seemed to occur to the wolf king that he could just sit down. As Trisha felt his body move beneath her, tilting her towards the ground, she released her hold, leaping directly into the path of her mate, the two of them tumbling together. Lycaon turned to face the two wolves, shifting back to his human form and glaring at them. “Where is the priestess,” he growled at them.

Trisha could tell that her mate was restraining himself from standing in front of her as he had done earlier, giving away her true identity to Lycaon. Then, Lycaon’s gaze went above the two wolves, now looking around him, realizing in that moment that he was surrounded by the warriors of all five packs, his wolves nowhere to be seen. Artemis parted the crowd, coming to stand next to Trish, her hand resting on the silver wolf’s shoulder. “My hunters have captured all of your followers, Lycaon, and you have nowhere to run. Surrender now and come with me.”

He recoiled from the goddess’ extended hand, glaring at the two wolves who had been battling him. Luke let out a growl, Trisha following suit and snarling at the wolf king, crouching down as Artemis awaited his answer. He finally lowered his head in defeat and Artemis snapped her fingers, silver restraints wrapping themselves around his hands, a rope appearing in the goddess’ hand, allowing her to lead him along. Trisha and Luke straightened, both werewolves shifting and Lycaon’s eyes went wide when he saw the priestess now standing before him.

He sputtered, but Artemis gave the rope a sharp tug, shooting him a glare. Her lieutenant appeared at her side, taking the lead from Artemis and disappearing into thin air with the wolf king. The clearing erupted into celebratory howls, Luke and Trisha grinning and kneeling in front of the goddess. She smiled, bidding them both rise and kissing each of their cheeks, first Luke’s and then Trisha’s. “The blessing I gave you both, as a pair, still stands, and from now on extends to your line. And to all of you who fought alongside us today, you have done me a great service and may none of you go home with any pains sustained from this night.”

All the wolves present bowed, slowly scattering, heading home for the night. Eventually, only Michael, Ashton, and Calum remained with the two mates and the goddess. She smiled down at the group of five, saying, “You all are my most beloved of the wolves in this forest. I’ve been watching you grow and I look forward to what else you will all do. Lycaon will not be a bother to anyone for several lifetimes, and even then, he will never come into this forest again. Feel free to call on me for anything and I will do my best to help. When your days in this wood comes to an end, you are welcome to join me and my hunters if you so desire.”

She gave each of them a kiss to the top of the head, before vanishing into a moonbeam with one last smile to the group. They all looked at each other for a moment, then Luke and Trish shifted back to their wolf forms and the group of five raced each other back home.

~~~~~~~~

All was peaceful in the forest and on the first anniversary of the battle, there was a large event being held in the packhouse of the priestess’ pack. Luke was pacing anxiously in the living room, fingers running through his short, blonde curls, a suit jacket draped over one of the chairs. Michael and Ashton were doing their best to soothe their fellow leader, offering him water and gentle words, but nothing seemed to be working. A knock came on the entry into the living room, Calum stepping into the room, looking at his best friends, “Are we ready to go?” He asked, turning his gaze to Luke.

The blonde nodded, a calm washing over his previously anxious frame and Calum smiled, stepping forward and wrapping him in a hug. Luke let out a sigh as he held the alpha, returning the hug. Calum pulled away, smoothing his own suit before nodding, walking towards the backyard. Luke pulled his suit jacket on, taking a deep breath before smiling at Ashton and Michael. They all walked over, standing at the backdoor, waiting for Calum to start the wedding.

Ashton and Michael walked the two bridesmaids to the altar, stopping to wait as Luke walked alongside his mom, allowing her to give him a kiss before he went to stand to Calum’s right, turning to face the back doors that were about to swing open one last time. Soon, Trisha was walking hand in hand with her dads down the deck, and Luke’s blue eyes filled with tears. A grin filled his face as he shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment to try and get rid of the water threatening to run down his cheeks. Michael reached forward, rubbing Luke’s shoulder mumbling “It’s real, bud,” earning a laugh from the other blonde as he opened his eyes again to look at Trish.

Luke stepped forward as the group of three reached the end of the aisle, giving both men a hug before taking Trish’s hand, bringing it to his lips before stepping to stand in front of Calum again. Calum smiled at his two friends, about to begin the ceremony when Artemis appeared behind him, touching his shoulder. He bowed his head to her, moving to stand between Michael and Ashton, grinning as he caught side of the crowd, all the wolves present beginning to move from their seats to kneel in the presence of the goddess while Trisha’s human family and friends who had not been informed of her new life stared around, trying to figure out where this woman had come from. Artemis smiled at the wolves speaking, “This is Luke and Trisha’s day, there is no need for that today.”

All the wolves present looked up, before getting back to their seats. The goddess smiled again, looking down at the mates in front of her with a palpable warmth. They bowed their heads to her as she spoke again, “I’ve had the pleasure of watching over this pair from early on in their relationship. They compliment each other perfectly and I couldn’t be prouder of their growth since they met.”

She continued on the ceremony, providing warmth and light as the sun began to sink below the trees. She officially declared the two mates married, smiling as they both made their way down the aisle together, walking alongside Calum as he followed behind the groomsmen and back inside. She turned to face the yard again, snapping her fingers and instantly transforming it to the reception setup before stepping through the door and vanishing, to allow the newly married couple to have all the attention for the remainder of the night, though it seemed the moonlight through the trees was extra bright only in the yard throughout the reception.

Luke and Trisha couldn’t stop smiling for the remainder of the night, enjoying time with friends, family, and packmates and celebrating their marriage. When they finally arrived back at the house at the end of the path, Ashton, Michael, and Calum promising to bring all the presents over one day after they’d left for their honeymoon, the pair were excited, but also exhausted, helping the other change and crawling into their bed together, exchanging gentle kisses and whispering sweet nothings, holding each other tight as they both fell asleep, perfectly at peace with their life in that moment.

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