122. Kaya

Kaya

Robert and I had met the neighbors, and I felt they already hated me. That or they just didn't understand me. Humans never did understand facial tattoos. I mind linked Cade as soon as I got up. "Cade." "Your awake." "Yeah, did I worry you?" "No, of course not. I figured you were asleep when I tried to mind-link you earlier, but Robert told me you were sleeping. He also said you are going out today." "Yeah, I was going to go out and just wander around the city." "No place in mind?" "No." Being here just a few days was already getting boring. I needed to get out of the house.

"Have him take you to Sheels; you liked that place. You could also go to the zoo again or even the aquarium would be fun. Then maybe go get your feet rubbed at a nail place." "Who would rub my feet? That does not seem like a thing." "No, it is. You pay them, and they will wash and rub your feet." "Okay, I will ask Robert about all of that." "Good."

"So everyone left this morning, right?" "That would be correct." "How is Mark with Helen being gone?" "He is locked in his den and said he wanted to be alone until tomorrow. You know, in all the years they have been together, they have never spent more than two days apart. That is why she came to the North with us when we went to come get you. I think it will be hard to have her gone. But it was important for her safety, and it gave the pack some stability with both us gone and Mark." I knew he was right, but I still felt terrible for Mark for being without her.

But I had seen her fight. She was not particularly the best fighter and would probably be a liability when shit hit. Not to mention, I knew the pack really respected her. Before I came and took up the Luna role, she tried to do her best to fill the position. She would be suitable for those of Shadow Pack in the North to use as a resource. "I know those who stayed will be on edge with their loved ones gone." "I understand that." Of course, Cade did. He was in the same boat as everyone else. His mate was safe and sound, and he was left to stop the threat.

"Well, let's hope they can use that edge that they have to kill those fuckers who want us dead," I smirked and continued to mind link. "Do you have any kind of plan?" "I need to figure out how to draw out small groups of Howi's pack. We can't fight all of them at once but if we could draw out a few at a time we could take them down in smaller groups and it would be effective. Not to mention, it would limit causalities. Unlike Howi, I will not be killing innocent wolves like children, just those who are there to fight." I nodded, not that Cade had seen it.

"Set fires." I mind linked Cade. "What?" "Yeah, set a fire close to their border, and they will come to put it out. The border patrol, I assume, is like ours, and then you can take out those that show up. But you can only do that once, or they will get suspicious. Then you could set traps for them, but I don't know any other way to draw them out besides a fire. You could always cover your smell, creep in, and slaughter the warriors, but you don't know who is who, so that would not work." The only thought I had was a fire. Cade mind-linked me. "I could show up on his border, kill those present, then retreat and keep that up until Howi gets fed up and comes after us, and then he would fall to the numerous traps we set."

"That is not a bad idea." "Yeah, I don't know. It is a work in progress." As we continued to talk about the pack and what the trip would be like for them, I braided my hair and put on a blue sundress. Dresses were all I wore these days. My stomach was enormous, and the loose fabric was the most comfortable. The weather was warm enough now that the dresses didn't make me overheat. It never got this warm in May back in the North. Cade and Robert said it would get warmer, and I didn't know how to fare in the high heat. I already felt it was a bit too warm. I slid on my flip flops, which were the only thing my feet seemed to fit in nowadays, and went to make myself a smoothie.

That was something Shadow Pack would miss. Fruit did not grow in the Arctic, so they would be without it. They would mostly eat meat and seaweed, which to me was fine, but I had grown up without fruit. All our vegetation was very earthy, nothing sweet. As I drank my smoothie, I smiled. I would have missed these a lot if I had gone to the North. But still seeing my family would have been nice. Robert had followed me down to the kitchen, and I set a cup and a smoothie in front of him. When we were at Shadow Pack, he didn't drink them, but since we got to this house, I made one for him every day for him.

He signed, "Thank you, Kaya." I smiled and sat down. "So what do you want to do today? Where do you want to go?" I shrugged. I mind linked him the suggestions that Cade had told me about. "Let's go to the aquarium. I have not been there since I was a kid." "What is that exactly?" I signed. "A place to see fish and other aquatic animals." I raised my eyebrows. I didn't like the idea of anything concerning the ocean. I had fished from the shore, but the water scared me. Ever since I lost my hearing. "Kaya, are you okay? You look a little pale." Robert mind linked. "Yeah, just the ocean scares me; I don't know if I want to see what lives in it. I mean, I get it there is food, sharks, whales, fish, urchins, crab, but I don't know if I need to know anything else."

"Those are all arctic animals. The aquarium has tropical fish, things you wouldn't find where you grew up. You can also touch stingrays and see penguins and otters." I could tell Robert wanted to go. I felt like I should do something he wanted to do. After all, he was stuck with me and no one else to talk to. He deserved to have a bit of fun. "Alright, I guess we can go." He smiled, and we moved quickly, loading into the truck.

The place was huge, but I guess it had to be to house much of the ocean. The few hours we spent there were more enjoyable than I had thought. It was fantastic to see the variety the ocean held. I didn't hate it, but the zoo, I think, would have been better. Though I would be drenched in sweat from walking around in the heat. When we got into the truck, Robert came around to open the door. As we got in, he examined my legs and feet, which were both puffy and swollen. "Fuck." I read his lips. "Well, Luna, I think we need to limit how much time you spend on your feet. A few hours of walking is out of the question." He signed. I just rolled my eyes.

I would do what I liked. I knew I had a checkup in a week with a human doctor. I was to tell them I was seven months pregnant even though I was only five months. I had only two months left, but humans gestated for nine months, so I would be presenting like a seventh-month pregnant woman to humans. "We will go get some food, and then I think we should take you to get that pedicure Cade told you about. You need to be off your feet, and having the rubbed would probably feel good." I mind linked him. "I still think it is weird you pay people to wash and rub your feet." He laughed.