Page 55 of Chasing The Alpha's Son
“You go, gurl,” Mason says. “You got to be true to yourself.”
Katie seems buoyed by this sentiment, but Mason and I glance at each other, sharing a moment of knowing just how hard that can be.
“Sooo,” Katie says, bumping into me on purpose, “when are you going to give Jasper his present?”
“You didn’t…” Mason says, open-mouthed.
I roll my head and groan. “I might have.”
“What is it?” he asks.
“He won’t tell me,” Katie says.
“Come on.”
“Stop pestering me, you kids,” I say, throwing my hands back. “Besides, you might not have to wait too long to find out.”
“What?” they ask in unison.
“Look, he doesn’t deserve it, and I know—Iknow—he won’t have gotten me anything in return. But I figured I’d rather just give it to him and not have to look at it anymore than be stubborn. And if he doesn’t like it I can just offer it to the Moon Gods instead.”
“You brought it with you?” Mason asks.
I unzip my jacket about halfway, revealing Jasper’s gift, the golden bow flapping in the wind.
“Gorgeous wrapping, with a ribbon and everything,” Mason says.
“Thanks,” I say, knowing that even in these subzero temperatures my cheeks are flushing extra pink.
“So when are you going to give it to him?” Katie asks, bounding up and down. “Now? Is it now?”
“No, I just need to find the right time.”
“We’re nearly there,” Mason says. “Maybe you can make your own offering at Wolf Point.”
The last part of the trek is more of a rocky scramble than a hike. The incline of the mountain sharpens intensely, and the terrain becomes shaley. I’m worried I might slip and slide all the way to the bottom of the mountain. After fifteen minutes or so of clinging on for dear life, we scramble to a plateau. The mist up here is dense and white, like walking through a cloud, but it rolls back as we wander along the peak of the mountain, revealing a series of massive boulders arranged in a circular formation. It’s too intentional not to have been built by wolves, but how on earth they got these boulders up here, let alone positioned them, is beyond me. Maybe our wolfy ancestors had even bigger muscles.
“Why is there less snow up here?” Katie asks, glancing at the ground, where only small patches of powder are dotted across grass.
“This spot was chosen because it has a direct link to the moon—something about the magnetic field of the rocks in the mountain, I think,” Mason says. “But of course, our forebears assumed this meant the Moon Gods were closer here or something like that. Basically, more sunlight reflecting off the moon means warmer temperatures. Wolf Point has its own microclimate.”
It’s sort of wild. For days I feel like all I’ve been staring at is rock and snow, a white blanket draped across the world. But up here there’s green grass, and even these delicate white flowers sprouting up about the place.
As we step into the circle of rocks I feel the increase in lunar energy like I’m stepping into a heated pool. It washes over me, straightening my spine, stimulating my senses. My hearing and scenting abilities are almost as heightened as if I was in wolf form. And the others are feeling it too. All the Elite Pack wolves are standing in wonder: Olivia’s eyes are closed like she’s basking in warm sunlight; Todd and Simon are quiet for once, turning to look at the stone structure; Jasper is staring at the sky, fists clenched.
I step farther toward the center and my teeth are vibrating, tingles running through my muscles. My feet keep moving without my meaning them to, my eyes traveling over the smooth, gray surface of the rocks surrounding me. To my right and left, two stones have been placed close together, with a third placed on top to make a doorway-like configuration. I turn around and find Katie grinning while she spins as well. And when I complete my circle I find myself standing face-to-face with Jasper.
“What are you doing?” he asks, more casually than normal.
I’m used to running into him, but he usually calls me Bonehead or scowls. This time he almost seems amused—he seems…calm.
“I…don’t know. I didn’t even realize I was moving.”
Has the lunar energy brought us together? Is the power of Wolf Point doing what I haven’t been able to for months?
“It’s remarkable, isn’t it?” Jasper asks, his voice trilling like a thousand bells in my ears.
For a moment the other wolves in the circle fade away, the wind quietens, and the clouds stop moving. It’s just me and Jasper on the top of the world.
