Thirty-five

The pack was all set to go when Zane led Whisper down to the center of the territory to meet them. Whisper hadn't officially met the pack, so Zane was going to do it now, so they all knew who she was. He wanted to make sure they knew not to mess with her and to always protect her. He wanted to make sure they – especially the unmated males – knew that Whisper was taken and it wasn't open for discussion.

He knew Whisper was nervous, and squeezed her hand in encouragement. Her hand immediately squeezed back and continued to squeeze until he turned to her and pulled her to his chest. The pack turned away at the private moment and he cooed her into silence before standing behind her with his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. He clasped his hands on her stomach and looked out at the audience with hard eyes, showing them who their leader was.

When they all bowed their heads in unison, he relaxed his hold on Whisper just a little. "Before we go on this run, I wanted to officially introduce you all to my mate and your Luna." The crowd whispered amongst themselves for a minute or two before he continued. "You all know what this means if you take one step to harm her in any way, shape or form. I will not tolerate disrespect to myself or my mate. Your fellow pack mates will tolerate disrespect towards your Luna. I hope I am clear."

Together, the pack chanted, "Yes, Alpha."

He smiled then, softening his voice. "Then please meet my mate, Whisper."

To this, every single person shifted into their wolf form and howled their joy to the rising moon. Whisper watched in awe, fascinated with the melody of their voices singing as one. Zane nuzzled her neck before pulling towards the group of wolves before them. He let her brush her fingers through some of their fur, feeling the course, soft hair of different colors.

He stopped at the forest edge and pulled her behind a tree out of sight from the rest. "Shift, Little Wolf."

With no disregard for her clothing, Whisper shifted into her big gray wolf and shook out her fur. Looking up at him, she whined. He chuckled and knelt beside her. What's wrong?

Whisper tilted her head, confused probably at how he spoke to her without moving his lips. When he made no move to say anything, she barked.

Zane shifted and wrapped his head around the back of her neck, giving her ears a lick. Just use the bond we have and speak through it.

Whisper narrowed her eyes at him when he pulled away, then sat down. Zane thought she was irritated and was just staring at him to explain better, but then she whined again. I can't!

He gave her a wolfy grin. You did!

Whisper glared at him. It's not funny!

I'm not laughing, Little Wolf. I can hear you loud and clear. He nudged her and started walking away.

Whisper followed him, and all the other wolves stared at her in shock. Of course, they hadn't seen her wolf or how big it was, only Anton, Nico, and Wren had. So, when Whisper tried to hide behind Zane, he rolled his eyes and darted away. He heard her growl in frustration and howled his happiness, the pack following suit.

He ran about fifteen minutes then slowed down and stopped at a little stream to drink. He barely got any when he was tackled. He growled and playfully bit at Whisper's ears and limbs until they stopped rolling. She had a triumphant grin on her face and sauntered away like she won the lottery. Zane growled lowly then charged her. Last minute, Whisper darted away as he landed face first in the dirt. He heard her yip happily.

Shaking himself off, he got up and turned to her. Behind her, Nico and Anton were watching with amusement while other wolves curiously looked at the event taking place. Zane ignored them and focused on his female, her ears perked, tail high, and nose in the air. If he could have smirked, he would.

He pounced and Whisper let out a startled yip, but wasn't fast enough to escape. He pushed her back and landed on top of her, playfully nipping at her neck and ears. She yipped and barked as if in a fit of laughter as he went on to tease her. When he stopped she put her paws around his neck, just like she did in human form. He licked her muzzle and got off her.

Alpha, when will the ceremony be? Asked a young pup.

Zane glanced at Whisper and sighed. Soon, young one. Very soon.

Whisper shook herself out and looked around. A pair of female pups came bounding up to her and started yipping for her to play. Whisper looked to Zane and he nodded. She looked down at the females and laid down, pretending to try and catch them. Zane smiled and sat down to watch, letting his mate be happy. It was the first time he'd seen her so carefree that when other females came over, she played with them too.

The pack accepted their Luna easily after that. Everyone liked to watch her play with the pups and hear her yips. Zane enjoyed it the most, but he had to end it some time. The young ones had a curfew and she had a long day. He gave a howl to signal it was time to go home and watched the pups nuzzle Whisper before bounding off after their parents.

Whisper came up to Zane and walked beside him, her eyes dazed, her mind somewhere else. It wasn't when she had panic attacks. This was like she was having a good memory for once. Like playing with the pups had reminded her of a time when she was their age.

When they got home, Zane shifted first and brought out a big shirt for her. She put it on and went into his arms, eyes half closed. He carried her up to the bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. "Whisper," he said softly.

She blinked her eyes sleepily, a small smile on her face. "Hmm?"

Zane felt his heart melt at the sight. Leaning down, he kissed her. "What were you thinking about on the way home?"

Her smile grew as she sat up and hugged him to her. "My mother. She played with me whenever she could and always said my mate would find me and keep me safe."

"How did you imagine your mate when you were younger?"

Whisper hummed, playing with Zane's hair. "What if you get jealous?" she asked carefully.

"I won't get jealous, I promise."

She giggled and pulled away, looking into his eyes. "I expected him to be gray like me, but that was because I was afraid of black wolves when I was a kid. They seemed more vicious than any other. Now, black wolves are my favorite!"

"Why did you think they were vicious?"

Whisper shrugged. "Imagination."

Zane smiled. "And the human form?"

Whisper thought for a moment. "I don't know. I was a kid, I always thought of my mate as a kid like me. But I imagined black hair, brown eyes and tiny arms that would carry me away into the sunset."

Zane laughed which made Whisper laugh too. "I have the hair. Do my other features not suit you?"

"Well you don't look like my brother's men, so that's good," she said with a smile. "I can easily fit my arms around you to hold on tight if need be, that's also good." Zane began to laugh again. "If you had tiny arms, you wouldn't be able to carry me away, so that's out of the picture. And your eyes match the sky, and I like sky so I think you pass."

Zane continued to laugh for a moment before he looked at her and saw pure delight in her green eyes. "Why did you tell me you forgot your family when we first met?"

"Because I didn't know if you'd be like everyone else and think I'm crazy," she said easily. Then she tilted her head and furrowed her brows. "How did you know I was your mate?"

"Your scent. It was basically the first moment I looked into your eyes and your scent hit me that I knew."

"What do I smell like?"

He grinned. "Like fresh air and my one and only mate!"

She giggled. Whisper looked at Zane in a new light than before, seeing him even more handsome than she thought. His eyes sparkled in the moon light and he had a lock of hair that always went across his forehead towards the left to right above his brow. She definitely believed the Goddess had chosen correctly. She smiled shyly for the first time, conscious of her staring. "What's a Luna?"

"An Alpha's partner in leading and protecting the pack," Zane said simply. "And in return, the pack protects them, especially the Luna."

"Wow."

"Nico is my Beta. He's like the person everyone turns to when we're not around and he helps me the most," Zane explained. "The rest are just normal pack members like Kiera and Anton."

"Who's the doctor here?" she asked, surprising him.

"We have a female doctor and her name is Rae. She's a good doctor, but not as good as Truent." Zane looked at the clock and smiled. "Come on, let's sleep. You've had a long day and there's a lot I need to do tomorrow."

"Like what?"

He gave her a sad expression and cupped her cheek. "Like helping the pack bury their loved ones and having a funeral for them."

"Oh," Whisper said and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about the people who died."

"It's alright, Little Wolf. It wasn't your fault anyways." He kissed her and laid her down. Covering her up, he went on the other side and laid down as well, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She instinctively snuggled up into his chest and sighed in contentment.

Peace, he thought. She was finally at peace.