Interstellar
13

Seasons had begun to shift, and Nova still remained. She hadn’t kept track of the days, and felt no pressure to make a decision. The longer she stayed, the more appealing the offer to join the pack became. She had begun to build relationships with others in the pack and felt a sense of community she had longed for. Whether tending to pups with mina, patrolling the borders wkth Cohen and Elise, or providing for everyone with her fishing and foraging skills, Nova felt acceptance and appreciation unlike any she’d felt before. She had grown especially fond of the Alphas’ toddlers and the boy had begun gravitating toward her, spending nap times curled in her lap, tugging her sleeves to be carried around, asking for cuddles and bedtime stories before going to sleep. More than anything else, more even than the attention of Leon and Stella, the love these boys showed Nova was her guiding force to end her journey and remain with the pack. They had begun to wrap around the vast emptiness left by the loss of her own cubs, not filling it but softening the edges of her grief.

Leon had worked to control himself and provide Nova time to process her emotions and make her decision. He watched her grow closer to his pack, especially his children. Every smile, every laugh, every sidelong glance and wink, every moment of Nova’s happiness exponentially grew his love for her.

Leon, with Cohen’s assistance, led a group of young wolves through training drills in the open fields around the village. His territory was safe and isolated, well protected from outside forces and humans, but Leon was dedicated to keeping his pack in top condition. Of the young men and women he trained, he knew many would venture out to forge their own packs and begin their own families. Two of Leon’s oldest children had already gone out and established packs of their own, while two others were part of his group that day.

Nova approached the group while Leon critiqued sparring matches, providing guidance and demonstrations to those who needed them. This was her first opportunity to closely watch Leon’s leadership in action. He was firm, quick to call out mistakes, but educated without judgment. Unless dealing with his sons, who he held to the near impossible standards he kept for himself. Titan and Orion were the only ones he seemed to correct with a firm slap to whatever part of them was closest, typically a shoulder or the back of their heads.

Leon noticed Nova walking up and paused the sparring drills, turning to face his Beta, “Cohen, take everyone for a patrol. Quick pace. I expect everyone back in two hours. Make sure by boys stay up front. If one of them falls behind, you’ll let me know.”

Cohen nodded and gathered the young wolves for a debrief before sending them into the woods. He could be heard shouting, “I told you to lead the patrol, Titan, now go!” The young wolf stood staring at a blissfully unaware Nova for a few seconds too long before Cohen grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him toward the trees. “Go!”

Leon turned back toward Nova and loosely crossed his arms. He smiled despite his stature. “What brings you here?”

“I was headed to the river. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“I needed a break, anyway,” He took a step toward her and reached out to give her hand a quick squeeze, “Do you want company?”

“I’d like that.” Nova gave him a wide grin. She was glad for an opportunity to just spend time with him, to try and find a deeper connection outside the bedroom. They had not gotten to spend much quality time together since she’d opened up about her past. Initially Nova was concerned that he was upset with her indecision, but Stella had assured her that Leon just avoids things he can’t control, or the things he can’t control himself around.

During one of her more recent adventures exploring the territory, Nova had found a wide section of the river with large rocky overhands under the banks. The current was gentle enough to swim against, even after it rained. It was a 30-minute walk from the village, but they’d made it in less than half the time. Leon stood on the riverbanks and steadied his breath, watching Nova disrobe before sliding into the water. He kicked off his shoes and sat on the bank, dipping his feet into the cool water in hopes it would dissipate the heat rising in his core. Leaning forward, elbows on his knees, Leon caught Nova’s gaze as she waded deeper into the water. The current lapped around her shoulders when she stopped a few yards from where he sat. His mind wandered to all the ways he could claim her there.

“Not coming in?”

Leon shook his head, “If I get in, we won’t be talking.”

Nova laughed despite knowing there was no joke. She felt his hungry eyes on her as she continued wading through the river, her feet barely touching the bottom. She ignored the small fish brushing against her legs as she approached the rocky overhang Leon sat on, crossing her arms on the bank and hooking her knees under the rock to keep herself in place. Leon was a few feet away, almost close enough to touch.

“You haven’t told me much of anything about your past, Leon. Tell me a story.”

He grinned and shook his head, “That ancient history? Well, to set up, I was the only boy out of the four pups in my litter. I tried to be a good brother and act as their protector, but those girls would gang up on me to make sure I knew I wasn’t shit. I remember one time when Celeste, she was the first to successfully shift, was running a sparring drill with me and shifted halfway through our fight. She took out a chunk of my leg and then, horrified, ran home to hide in her room.” Leon lifted and rotated his leg to show a scar on his calf, almost invisible under his hair. He traced the outline of the scar with a finger, looking lost in his memories. Soon he dipped his leg back into the river and continued, skipping over any further details. “Fast forward a few years and Celeste found a mate. They had a couple pups, but then her mate passed away. His territory was near humans and hunters got him while he was shifted. She kept her daughter, but she wanted a strong male influence for her son. I had just established this pack and was still searching for my mate, so taking on a pup wasn’t ideal, but he was family. That pup is currently running patrol with most of our young folk.”

Nova remained enraptured through his story, her mouth dropped toward the end, “Cohen is your nephew? No wonder the little shit didn’t want me coming around! He knew the trouble I’d get into.” Leon leaned back, a deep laugh shaking in his chest. “You can’t even deny it, either! Maybe you should give Elise a gift for convincing him not to send me away.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea. I’ll have to talk to Stella. She knows her sister-”

“Sister!” Nova interrupted, her shock evident, “Now you’re just pulling my leg. How are you going to invite me into your family without even telling me who your family is?” She couldn’t help but chuckle, “I can’t really be that surprised, though.”

Leon couldn’t read whether she was upset, her chuckle not convincing him otherwise. “Did I do something wrong?”

Nova climbed out of the water and sat next to him, her hand covering his, “No, not at all. You just don’t seem real sometimes, you know? Every time I learn something about your two, it is never what I was expecting.”

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