It was early morning, and we were two hours out from the First Montana Pack border, and we had to stop the bus for a bit. Some of the older pack members needed a few minutes to walk around and stretch their legs.
I stood at the southern edge of the rest stop that looked more like a park cut into the wooded area and breathed in deeply. My mind sorted the scents into buckets automatically.
Persons I knew, persons I didn’t, the creatures in the forest, vehicle fumes, food, snacks that were inside the vehicles, the forest itself, grass, dirt, rocks, wildflowers, etc.
Then, there was the intoxicating scent of my Luna across the parking lot - lavender and mint. They were the most precious scents on earth to me. I could hone in on them from three states away and tell anyone exactly where she was and if she was ok.
Not that I’d tested that since we officially mated. We hadn’t often been more than a few rooms apart since that day over thirty years ago. She’d slept in my bed every night since, even when my bed was a forest floor in the middle of a war.
With determination, she had trained with our pack until she had mastered enough self-defense to go with me everywhere. Not that she would ever need to defend herself without me, but she wanted to stay with me always.
I could scent my daughters standing at other points around the perimeter of the rest stop park. I was watching the south, Saranya the east, and Kendra the west. The North was the parking lot where my Luna was keeping an eye on things at the bus.
To me, Saranya smelled like leather and the forest after a rainstorm with a hint of autumn apples. Kendra smelled like exotic fruits, spices, and nuts, which is where my nickname for her, Kiwi, came from.
Where my mate’s essence caused intense feelings of longing, desire, and deep love, the scents of my daughters evoked fatherly love.
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A good papa wolf scented his children and felt protectiveness, pride, and hope. Hope that they would reach their potential, find all the happiness in life that was possible, and always be safe.
I had long since known that my girls could take care of themselves. I’d stopped defending them when someone talked down to or insulted them because I respected my daughters and had earned the privilege of watching them defend themselves.
I was startled from my thoughts by my cell phone ringing. It rarely did so since my pack mainly communicated through our pack mind-link.
I looked at the caller ID. Alpha Martin.
I had been expecting his call. He would know by now that his hunters tracked MacKenzie’s rogues to my land and were allowed entry.
I answered, “You’re up early, Martin. How can I help you?”
“Clovis,” he practically snarled at me, “what is the meaning of this? Why would you let rogues into your territory?”
“Last time I checked, I was the Alpha of the Divine Moon Pack, and I can let whoever I want into my borders,” I stated simply.
“They’re traitors!” he growled.
“I think you need to refresh yourself on pack laws in this country, Martin. From what I understand, you and MacKenzie dishonored the mate bonds of your children.
“Additionally, pack members of any pack are allowed to revoke their pledge and leave their packs to seek new ones. This isn’t Wild West Wolves; this is the modern age.
“Instead of allowing the pack to relocate and seek transfer papers, MacKenzie rogued them in the middle of the country, which could have had serious consequences.”
“I’m surprised you’d want to support MacKenzie’s actions against your own son’s pack. But then again, you did hang Tristan from some gallows, so maybe you support MacKenzie?”
“MY SON’S PACK?!” he yelled.
I grinned into the phone, “You didn’t know about that?”
“Mind your own business, Clovis! This is going to have serious consequences when I contact the vampire and pack councils. You and Gabriel better watch your backs,” he spat.
“I’d think twice about that if I were you. The councils only get involved when the sacred laws are broken. And the only ones here I can see that broke any laws are you and MacKenzie.”
The line went dead.
That was extremely satisfying.
Saranya’s sharp whistle sounded from across the park, and I turned to head back to the bus. It was 6am now. We would arrive around 8am. I was looking forward to it.