EllieThere it was, laying on her desk, staring up at her like the "just one more" taco she often ate when she knew there simply wasn't room. In other words, a really bad idea, one she should run away from. But she couldn't--because on the other side of Ellie's desk stood her father, Michael, with an impish grin on his face.With a hardened look on her face, Ellie picked up the invitation and read it over. Immediately, she hated everything about it. From the gaudy gold calligraphy on a white background to the ridiculous wording her father had used that made her sound like she was a prize at a medieval joust, the invitation just didn't sit well with her, but Ellie decided to take it all in stride. It wouldn't do any good to ask her father to change it up now, not when he was clearly so very proud of it."Well, honey? What do you think?" Michael asked, his smile broadening. "It looks great, doesn't it? Boy, the guys at the print shop sure do know how to make a fancy invitation."She ima
RiverThe situation with Crying Wolf wasn't going as planned, and River wasn't sure what to do with it. As he sat at his desk, looking over reports from his Omega border patrol warriors, it became clear that he was going to have to show some force to get the mad men to the north to stop pushing into his territories. Brett had been keeping a careful eye on things, and while he was certainly adequate in that position, River was looking forward to getting his true Beta, Allen, back in a few weeks, when Sam and baby Simpson had settled into a routine.The door to his office opened, and his mother, Patricia, walked in, a big smile on her face and what appeared to be a large white envelope in her hands. "Hello, honey," she said in a sing-song voice that gave him pause. Something was up, and River wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was."Hi, Mom," he said as she sat down in one of the leather chairs across from him. "How are you?""I'm great," she said, that smile still beaming from her p
EllieSwift Wolf Pack had a lot of territory, even though their numbers were not as large as some of the other nearby packs. When it came to finding space to set up for the tournament, Michael had plenty of large open fields at his disposal for both the throwing challenge and the fighting contest. He was excited about making the run go through plenty of the wooded areas, though, and had told Ellie he might even make it a requirement to cross the creek.The invitations had only gone out a few days before, and Ellie couldn't bear to ask if anyone had RSVPed yet, so she spent her time working on other things. However, her father was so excited about the entire event, she wandered out to where he was getting things ready for the first event, the throwing contest, at least once every afternoon.A light breeze stirred her blonde hair, tickling her neck as she walked along, through the village at first, where everyone greeted her with a bowed head and a smile. "Good afternoon, Luna," an olde
EllieThe tingling sensation in Ellie's stomach was growing by the moment as the day of the tournament loomed closer and closer. Trying to get work done at her desk was nearly impossible, especially the day before the Alphas were set to arrive. The distant sound of hammering had been a constant reminder that her father was constructing his masterpiece in the clearing. Even though it seemed as if there couldn't be one more thing to do, Michael kept finding new projects. She'd be looking forward to the tournament starting just so the hammering would stop.The stack of RSVPs stacked on the corner of her desk also drew her attention away from her work. Most of what she needed to get done that day she could do on autopilot. Approving expenditures, looking over the reports from the trainers, requests from the wolves assigned patrol to switch shifts or take a certain time off. She didn't do anything with most of these things, letting her subordinates handle it for the majority. But she still
EllieRunning through the forest was a great way for Ellie to clear her thoughts and remind herself of how beautiful her territory was. With her wolf in control, she powered between the trees, the fresh earth soft between her toes as her paws sunk into the fresh dirt beneath a scattering of freshly dropped leaves.The trees were beginning to turn, and the forest was alive with creatures preparing for the upcoming winter. Scarlets, sunburnt orange, and sunshiny yellow leaves blurred in her peripheral vision as she blew past the deciduous trees that provided the forest canopy. Plenty of evergreens stood vibrant in the sun, squirrels and birds perched on their branches, reminding Ellie of the sanctity of all life and just how reliant they all were on one one another.This run didn't quite clear her mind the way most of them did, though. In the back of her thoughts was the lingering idea that her life was about to change in a drastic way. Early morning sunrays broke between branches as s
EllieFeeling like a prisoner in her own home was trying, but as Ellie looked around her living room and saw only the faces of strangers, mostly the visiting Alphas, their Betas, and other packmates, she couldn't help but feel slightly suffocated. Her father was in the kitchen now, fixing drinks and getting to know the guests. Shelby and Carl were there… somewhere… as were her "little brothers." She could hear Cane's voice, but she couldn't see him. Even Beta Andrew was around, but these Alphas wanted so much of her time, she couldn't see past their broad shoulders and neatly coiffed hair."How old are you, Luna Ellie?" one of the most recently arrived Alphas asked. Ulysses Glenn of the Soaring Wolf Pack was probably the friendliest of all of them, but when she looked into his brown eyes, she felt like she was looking at a friend, not a potential love interest. He was strikingly handsome with dark hair and a cleft chin. All five of the Alphas that had already arrived were great to look
River had recognized Ellie almost immediately, though he was pretty sure she had no idea who he was, so he'd decided to play along. It was clear, the way she'd flown across the distance between the house where she'd been sitting on the front porch and her office, that she had no idea who he was and thought he might be snooping around. The whole thing had been a bit comical, but he'd done his best not to laugh. After all, he couldn't blame her for being protective of her personal space, especially with all of these strangers in her pack lands.Shaking her hand had left his palm tingly in a way he'd never experienced before. She was beautiful, and as he stood looking into her crystal blue eyes, waiting for her to say something else, after, "Nice to meet you, River," he couldn't help but wonder how soft those lips might be. He shook his head slightly to clear it, and since she wasn't talking, he decided he should."So… where is everyone else? I'm sorry we're running a little behind. Somet
EllieIntroducing River to the other Alphas should've been no big deal, but Shelby's comments stuck in Ellie's mind as she entered her home, River behind her, and she couldn't help but dwell on them. All of the Alphas were handsome, there was no doubt that there was something special about River. He was better looking than the others. He was polite and not completely full of himself, like most of the others, and he was kind. He'd even brought her a plant. Granted, that was from his mother, apparently, but it was still nice of him.She walked into the room, and all eyes seemed to be on her. "Ellie! There you are!" Strand purred from across the room. "We missed you!""Sorry," she said, feeling more than a little awkward. "Stand, do you know River? Alpha of the Howling Moon Pack?""River! Nice to see you." Strand shook his hand, and as the two of them exchanged pleasantries, the rest of the Alphas came to meet the newest arrival.It was clear that many of the Alphas either had already me