140| Oranges

We find Cole and Kazamir outside the Alpha’s cabin, literally ten feet from the front door, glowering at each other. Their eyes are shimmering with inner light, pupils slitted in that creepy reptilian way that *draki* eyes are. I grimace at the staring match, my hands going to my hips and foot tapping on the steps of the wrap-around porch in annoyance. *It’s been at least thirty minutes and this is the progress they’ve made?*

“They’re speaking telepathically,” Yuri comes over after a second with Darine at his side. She’s watching the two shifters wearily, but with undeniable curiosity glinting in her blue-green eyes. “I tried to get them to talk where everyone could hear, but that would ‘defeat the purpose’.” Yuri uses air quotes and an overly-grumbly and deep voice I assume is a mocking version of Kazamir’s.

“At least they’re not fighting.” I offer the slightly optimistic comment with a half-shrug. It’s something, of course. Progress. Sort of.

“Cole wouldn’t last long against a pure-bred.” Blue mutters to me, reminding me the main reason why they aren’t fighting. “That wouldn’t stop him from trying, but at least he has some sort of self-control.” He adds under his breath, the words barely audible.

“Never a dull moment in the Pack,” Darine smirks at me with a brief quirk of her eyebrows. I laugh and shrug again, my shoulders slightly jerky from tension, but most of my emotions are calmer now after the conversation with Craven.

“You have no idea,” I murmur and look over to Blue before I pause and look back at her and Yuri. “Well, maybe you do.” I consider, my nose twitching as the natural breeze brushes past me. The scent of something bright and sparkly mixed with a familiar Wolven-smell makes my senses hum in confusion as they try to sort out the new presence. I tilt my head and study Darine for a long minute, not sure…we were just inside and I didn’t notice it before…but… “You started the process.” I state in a toneless voice.

“Yeah,” Darine swallows her cheeks filling in with a slight pink hue. “Last night, actually.” She admits, pointedly not looking at Yuri. I quirk and eyebrow at the larger Azure, fighting the smirk threatening to take over my face. Yuri just looks smug, his coal-grey eyes glinting with a bit of pride.

“We’re completing it tomorrow night after the claiming,” Yuri adds in with a full-blown grin. I feel all humor evaporate inside me as I stare at him, a little surprised. Then I can’t help but beam at the two, reaching out to envelop my best friend in a hug.

“I’m so happy for you, Darine!” I tell her, giving the embrace just a little more strength that I normally would. Sure enough, her bones are sturdier than before and don’t start groaning for a few seconds. My once-completely-human-friend squeezes me back with a surprising amount of strength. “You’re sure about this, right?” I whisper into her ear.

“I am,” Darine replies firmly, releasing me and looking in my eyes so I can easily see the truth and joy in her familiar eyes. Her eyes flick over to Yuri beside her and it’s clear how much she cares for him, the depth of warmth in her gaze helps convince me that she knows what she’s doing. As I look between the two, two of my friends from this town, I can’t ignore the relief that sweeps over me at seeing just how happy they look. Even if there are complications, I know things will work out for them. The rest of my fears about my friend’s morality slowly start fading away as I realize Darine is going to be a Wolven in a matter of days. A part of the world I’ve grown up in, but with an accepting Pack and mate to back her up and support her.

I grin at her, squeezing her shoulder and almost bouncing on my heels.

“This is so exciting,” I murmur giddily after a moment, releasing my friend and stepping back to stand beside my own mate.

“It is,” Darine agrees and gestures around the Azure’s territory. “They’re making it this big thing tomorrow night- I was going to tell you about it today, but things got a little crazy.” She adds sheepishly, her eyes flicking towards the still-silent dragon-shifters at the foot of the steps.

“Am I invited?” I ask hopefully, my curiosity piqued at the prospect of witnessing something like this. Before meeting my own Pack of bitten-Wolven, I thought the process was rare and difficult…but by the way Blue’s reassured me, I know I don’t have the whole picture.

“Of course,” Darine replies with a relieved grin. “We’re going to have the claiming ceremony right when the moon rises, then the first-change, and then a run.” She explains, as if reading off a script. I smirk at her, quirking my eyebrows. “It’s not the whole ‘howling at the moon’ thing I was hoping for, but,” My strange friend grins widely and shrugs. “I think I’ll like it anyway.” Yuri rolls his eyes and looks to Blue.

“We’re still trying to educate Darine about the misconceptions from human media.” Blue mutters to me.

“Good luck with that.” I reply with a wide grin, recalling what she’d asked me back when I told her I was a hybrid. *Has it only been a few months since then? Less than a year?* It feels like that was a lifetime ago and I suddenly feel ancient. Ancient and much wiser than I once was, even if I know I still have a long way to go before I can be anything like Hale or Nikki.

“We’ve invited Paris to the ceremony as well as some of our other allies,” Blue tells me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I know she won’t be leaving her territory, but she did say she would send one of her elite over instead.”

“Hm, well, I think we’ll be okay.” I reply after a beat. “Paris has already ‘cleaned house’ of the more bitter of the Pack, so anyone left should be respectful- even if they still hold grudges against us.”

“I’m not worried about Paris’ people.” Blue admits, rolling his shoulders. “Most of our allies haven’t been around since I took over, if anything, that’s what worries me.” I frown at that, thinking of how things have changed so drastically with the local Packs in the last year. The Azures, Reiniers and my own Pack. Three Packs run by a younger generation… *What will the Azure’s allies think?*

“Well, you’ve got Paris, Hale, and me.” I wrap my arm around Blue’s waist and lean into him, mentally sending him waves of my support. His silvery-grey eyes dance brightly, the monochromatic shades warming something in me.

“I do, don’t I?” Blue murmurs, the darker tone in his voice making shivers roll through my body and thicken the air between us. I have to fight melting against his solid form, barely remembering that we’re in public, though part of me doesn’t care. “You can invite your Pack, if you’d like.” He suddenly tells me, leaning back before gravity can make us come any closer together.

“Really?” I feel myself brighten a little, the idea rather appealing. I haven’t seen my Pack in…too long. I’ve been planning to visit them, but something always seems to come up. I silently ask my Betas to consider the offer, focusing on their connection humming in he recesses of my mind. Their reply is fast, and in perfect unison - a resounding and emphatic *yes*. “They’ll be here.”