Chapter Thirty-One
Skylar Cathal
I knew exactly where to find my uncle.
Through the guiding moonlight, we sprinted along the vacant riverbank that meandered along the outskirts of Solace.
The river, a lifeline for our people, fanned throughout our pack lands to nourish the lush forest and the myriad of wildlife that called this place home.
It was a sight that always filled us with gratitude—a reminder of the constant flow of life. Of change.
Shaw shifted into his panther, running beside me with Rhea and Talon joining as wolves in the rear of our group.
Neera, who remained on her two legs with me, followed my footsteps with graceful agility that transferred from her animal.
I was thankful Neera didn’t shift, giving me a two-legged companion on our journey to where Magnus and Julia first met—the waterfall.
There were many waterfalls in our territory, but this specific one held a special memory for our family. Every year on their anniversary, they returned to the place they met—with Neera and me in tow when we were younger.
Magnus was lost but not gone.
During our trek, the fresh layer of snow melted as it hit the ground, and I felt a strange tug at the back of my mind as the trees whipped past in a green blur. It was like a scratch on the back of my senses—something trying to gain my attention.
“The next turn, we should rest.” A familiar voice sounded inside my head.
I skidded to a stop just before Neera collided against my backside, sending us tumbling onto the frozen ground.
“Ouch!” Neera groaned, rubbing her arm as she adjusted the bag of clothing slung across her shoulder. “What in the Gods’ names was that for, Sky?”
“Hey, you’re the one who landed on me,” I grunted. “How do you think I feel?”
“I’ve seen who your mate is, Skylar,” she grumbled. “Trust me, you’re fine.”
“That’s… bold of you,” I mumbled, narrowing my eyes at her.
Talon and Rhea avoided running into us as Shaw gripped the dirt with his massive claws and turned around on the trail.
“What made you stop, Sky?” Neera groaned, turning onto her side.
I didn’t intentionally ignore my cousin’s question, but my attention was elsewhere. My eyes were locked onto Shaw because… because—
Did I just hear him speak inside my mind?
“Shaw?” I asked aloud, pushing Neera off me and rising to my feet.
He tilted his feline head, stalking forward, his hazel eyes burning bright with a hint of mischief. His all-knowing demeanor translated perfectly into his animal. The midnight-black fur of his panther blended flawlessly with the surrounding night like a living shadow.
“It was you!” I exclaimed, my smile beaming. “I heard you… in here,” I said, tapping my temple.
Shaw’s tail twitched behind him as a low purr emanated from his chest. He stepped forward with his strong legs and bent his head toward my chest. His black velvet nose nuzzled me as I scratched his ear.
“What was…?” Neera trailed off. “Oh. You heard him?”
Barks and whines echoed from Talon and Rhea off to our left near the bank of the river. Their exhales of breath froze in a light fog around their muzzles. Shaw lifted his head and looked at them, his eyes narrowing, twitching his ears as his long tail flicked to the side.
“They’re jealous,” Shaw said
“What?” I asked. “Why?”
“Because you aren’t answering them.” Shaw’s chuckle of amusement vibrated through our mental link.
I turned to Rhea and Talon. “I’m sorry. I’m not ignoring you. I just don’t hear you.”
Rhea growled, narrowing her eyes and baring her teeth. Not at me, but toward Shaw.
“Hey, Rhea. That’s uncalled for. Knock it off,” I said.
She immediately stifled her growl.
I stepped back, realizing that as her alpha, she would follow my commands. It was a strange dynamic that I would have to learn quickly and be careful not to abuse or overstep.
“You have a stronger connection with your pack when we’re in our animal forms,” Shaw told me. “When I shifted, I could feel my connection with you strengthen. It was like you were standing on the other side of a door. So, I knocked.”
“You knocked?” I arched my brow and crossed my arms. “Really? That’s the best analogy you can come up with?”
“It’s the most basic,” Shaw answered with a slight growl and flash of his teeth. “Try describing what something smells like to someone without a nose and tell me how easy it is to explain.”
“I—” Dammit, he had a good point. I hadn’t shifted yet. I wasn’t familiar with this telepathic connection while in our animal form.
Shaw nudged my arm as he settled next to me on the frozen ground, the hint of a smirk stretching along his whiskers. His shoulder rested near my head.
“Like me, they’ve been knocking since we left Solace.”
“They have?” I asked, tilting my head in Rhea and Talon’s direction.
Shaw nodded.
“Try reaching out your mind to them,” Neera suggested. “The alpha is linked to all of us. You should be able to communicate with anyone.”
“Okay.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. My mouth twisted to the side.
“It’ll help once we locate Father,” Neera added. “You’ll be able to reach out and speak to him.”
I absently rubbed my neck, biting my lip and nodding in agreement. I knew I could reach Magnus and get him back, but I hadn’t had time to figure out exactly how to do it. This very well might be the key.
“All right,” I said. “Rhea, Talon, come over here, please.”
The large midnight and golden-auburn wolves trotted from the riverbank to join us. Their gazes locked with mine as a wave of power settled in the distance between us, bridging a connection that was formed even before I had won the challenge against Gilen.
I decided to try to reach out to Rhea first. Her shade of blue was darker than her mate’s gaze, giving her a mysterious edge that mimicked her wild, if at times unencumbered, personality.
Shaw said it was like being on the other side of the door. So, I listened, waiting to feel the pull against the back of my mind.
Closing my eyes, I searched for the faintest whisper of another’s presence.
The forest’s melody and the river’s steady trickle settled me into a trance.
I felt the song of the wild calling me, and then…
ever so faintly, I felt the same tug. The familiar pull of my attention drifted to this sensation, and the more I focused on the foreign feeling, the louder it became.
Imagining a doorway, I reached out and opened it.
“About fucking time!” Rhea’s voice boomed inside my head.
“And Rhea has officially arrived.” I laughed.
“Look,” Rhea began, “You’re my best friend and my alpha, and I’ll follow you to the ends of this world. But… I’ll never shy away from speaking my mind or telling you the truth.”
The auburn wolf’s tail wagged frantically with a spark of excitement. I took comfort in the honesty of Rhea’s declaration.
“Now, listen for Talon,” Rhea said. “It should come easier the more you do it. It was like that for all of us when we shifted. But—”
“But since Skylar is our alpha, she doesn’t need to be in her animal form to do so,” Shaw cut in.
Rhea growled and barked at him. “I was getting to that! Gods above, Shaw. Other people have good ideas as well, you know.”
Shaw didn’t say anything aloud, but I could tell his mind was formulating a witty remark he wisely chose to keep to himself for the time being.
Talon whined and nipped at Rhea’s ear, trying to attract her attention. She growled but affectionately turned and nuzzled her mate.
“Okay,” I said, raising my palms, stepping between Rhea and Shaw. “Talon, you’re up.”
I calmed my mind, searching for his, and thankfully, Rhea was right. It was much easier and faster to link my mind with his.
“Hey there, Sky! Glad I could finally join the party.” Talon’s voice joyfully echoed inside my mind.
“Me too,” I answered with a smile. “Didn’t know it was so exclusive.”
“Did it work?” Neera asked.
“Yep,” I answered. “Rhea was right. It’s easier once you know what you’re looking for. I was able to link with Talon almost instantly. I just—”
“Opened the door,” Shaw said with a cocky flick of his tail.
“Yes…” I said, turning toward him. “Do I need to give you credit each and every time I successfully mind speak with a member of the pack?”
“No,” he purred. “You admitting it now will suffice. We’ll always know whose clever idea it was for the analogy.”
“Seriously, Shaw.”
“Know-it-all,” Rhea teased, followed by a bark in her wolf form.
“Didn’t I teach you not to brag so much growing up?” Talon added. “Come on, brother, it’s beneath you.”
“Fine,” Shaw mumbled.
“Can you hear them, Neera?” I asked.
“No, not while I’m in my human form, thankfully.
It’s an ability only the alpha has,” she answered, walking over to the river to cup a sip of water in her hand before bringing it to her lips.
“But I can only imagine that Rhea is giving Shaw a hard time for… something. And then Talon is trying to stop them from bickering and eventually tackling each other.”
I laughed to myself. “Keen observation.”
“I try,” she replied with a soft smile.
“A vital skillset, in my opinion,” Shaw said, his eyes following Neera’s every movement.
“I have a question,” I stated aloud.
I heard the groans from Rhea first. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Did you hear Shaw’s response just now? When you communicate in your animal forms, do others hear it? Or is it just a one-on-one conversation?” I asked.
“In my experience, it’s a little bit of both, actually,” Neera replied, wiping water droplets from her chin.
“We can either send a direct message,” Talon said. “Or broadcast it.”
“On the battlefield, it’s a useful advantage when we need to adjust our attacks, to regroup or relay information,” Shaw added.
“I see.” I joined Neera and took a large gulp of icy water from the river, trying to wrap my head around this new branch of communication.
“How do you block others out?” I asked.
Shaw slid his eyes from Neera and glanced sideways at me, the corner of his lip turning upward in what I assumed to be a grin.
I placed a palm on my face and shook my head. “Gods. Let me guess, just close the door?”
A rumble from Shaw’s panther mimicked the human equivalent of a laugh.
“If we hurry, we can reach the falls by morning, Sky,” Talon said.
“Then let’s keep moving,” I announced as we gathered ourselves and continued following the riverbank.