The Moon Wolf

Chapter 10 (1st Draft)

Penn and the children didn't head out of the cabin until the very last child was cleaned up and ready to go. The cabin was practically bursting with excited chatter and pups crazily jumping all over each other. It was like they were on a sugar high, but Penn knew this was more than the effect of boxed cereal in their tummies. She smiled at them despite the deafening chaotic noise. It felt good to see them so happy - to see their high spirits return. 

Anex, Jenna and Drummond were waiting patiently for them outside the cabin. The children quieted right down as soon as they caught sight of the rather intimidating wolves. Jenna and Drummond, whom had very little interactions with the pups since meeting them, made the pups a little nervous.  However, their nerves settled down the moment Penn stepped out of the cabin and shut the door. They knew they could trust her. They knew she'd watch over them and protect them from every kind of danger until they were officially adopted into the Orthos Pack. 

Penn, for her part, noticed right away that both Jenna and Drummond were more relaxed in her presence. She could only attribute it to Anex. He must have shared his morning revelations with them regarding her. And, it seemed to Penn that being an exiled wolf might, for once, help her rather than hinder her.

She acknowledge Anex with a nod and then the other two wolves. While she couldn't be sure how far she could trust any of them, it was important to establish small gestures of mutual respect now that the general atmosphere had lightened up. She'd like to keep the friendly momentum going as long as possible because it wasn't going to last forever. Penn had been a rogue too long not to understand a fight was coming. It was simply too much to hope that she could slip in and out of Orthos territory without a battle whether she was a legitimate rogue or not.

Penn could only hope and pray that the pups would not be harmed when someone less reasonable than Anex encountered her. She didn't bring them this far and through countless dangers and hardships just for them to get injured in some scuffle in their new home.

Mia stood at her feet tugging at her pant leg and bringing her back to the present moment. Penn scooped her up and gave the little tyke a genuine smile, which Mia responded to by wrapping her arms affectionately around Penn's neck. Penn was grateful for the child.

There was nothing like the needs and wants of a two and a half year old pup to keep Penn focused in the here and now. The future was yet unknown and worrying about it wasn't going to do her or the pups any good. Penn gave Mia a little affectionate squeeze and felt herself relax a little. She'd just have to worry about the fight when it came.

It took a few hours of slow trudging through the thick and sometimes treacherous woods before Anex put up his hand and signalled to everyone that they had finally arrived at the meeting spot.

Just ahead, through the woods, was Orthos' Beta and his team. Penn could smell them long before she saw them. There were six new scents and a seventh, which was familiar. She detected the scent of three females and four males. Penn could tell that one of the females with the group was the hidden wolf that had been shadowing Anex and his group the previous day. 

Penn didn't smell any aggression in the air, which surprised her. She supposed that the shadow wolf had gone ahead and shared with the Beta that Penn was an exiled wolf and not a rogue. Though just speculation, it seemed reasonable to Penn. It certainly explained why she couldn't sense any overt hostility as she and the pups came into view.