Death, Be Not Proud

Quinn

The early autumn breeze was cool, playfully messing up my hair. It filled the afternoon air with the scent of hickory and pine. Mockingbirds chirped in the trees above, as if curious about what two people were doing in this secluded part of the forest. Aunt Jodie and I were deeper into these woods than I’d ever been before. Being this far from Fort Vulpes was a welcome change after last night.

This spot was peaceful. A cheerful stream bubbled by, surrounded by a lush forest floor. While the rest of the trees and plants had started to wither and turn brown, here everything remained a vibrant green. It was like a little oasis of life in a desert of decay.

“Your father and I used to love coming here,” Aunt Jodie said, her voice filled with nostalgia. We stopped at the edge of the lake. “As kids, we’d wander out here on summer nights, trying to catch tadpoles, fireflies, and any other critters we could find.”

“It sounds like my father was quite the free spirit,” I said.

“Oh, he was. Always a dreamer too. Sometimes it felt like his head was in the clouds.”

“It’s funny,” I laughed, “all those years stuck inside that stuffy cabin, and my mom never once mentioned that side of him. She always spoke highly of him, but made him sound dangerous and reckless.”

“I think all dreamers are, to some extent,” Jodie said. “Your dad was a rule-breaker. His reasons were good, and he thought things through, but it takes guts to actually do it. You’ve got that same fire in you.”

She winked at me. “Want to dip your toes in?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said, nodding.

We kicked off our shoes and let the cool stream water tickle our feet. The water was chilly, carrying the first hint of autumn. Aunt Jodie and I sat in silence for a while, enjoying the tranquility of this untouched patch of forest.

As I relaxed, I felt comfortable enough to ask Aunt Jodie a question that had been bothering me.

“Can I ask you something?” I said, looking at my reflection in the stream.

“Go ahead, sweetie!” she replied.

“Why didn’t Shadow Moon ever try to get you? You’re a descendant of the Moon Goddess too, and a member of the rog—uh…Vulpes. Why didn’t they come after you?”

“Well, unlike your dad, I never joined Shadow Moon—or any other pack. I wasn’t turned by a wolf’s bite like you and your father. I taught myself how to shift.”

“But you were with him the night they captured him. Alpha Galahad fought you wolf-to-wolf.”

“As far as they knew, I was just a rogue helping another dissident. They didn’t know who I was or who I was related to. Besides, I never committed the terrible crime your father did.”

“Terrible crime?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes,” she sighed. “He fell in love. Werewolves aren’t supposed to fall in love. They’re supposed to find mates.”

“What about you?”

Aunt Jodie laughed. “Me? No, I never found love or a mate. I’ve focused my energy on other things.”

“Like what?”

“Those special abilities I told you about last night. To truly master them, you need to devote a lot of time to yourself. Time, focus, emotional exploration. All things that having a mate also demands.”

I remembered my aunt’s offer to teach me these powers. She was so wise, so calm, so balanced. It might not be the best idea to stay away from the pack, but if I could learn from her, become even a fraction of the wolf she is, then I could return to Shadow Moon with the wisdom to fix its problems. And to mend the rift between my pack and Vulpes.

“Aunt Jodie,” I said.

“Yes, dear,” she replied, her voice soft.

“I think… I want to learn those abilities you’ve talked about.”

“Does that mean you’re planning to stay here for a while?” she asked.

I nodded. “If that’s okay, of course.”

Her face lit up with a smile brighter than the morning sun. “Quinn, nothing would make me happier.”

Jaxon

Not a single word.

Not one fucking word all morning.

Not even a “Good Morning” or a “Good Night.”

As much as I wanted to play the victim, I knew I couldn’t. I would’ve reacted the same way if I’d walked in on my mate half-naked with her ex. The only difference is, I probably would’ve smashed something.

No… I definitely would’ve smashed something.

But nothing happened.

We just talked.

For all the trouble it caused, I wish I could say that the talk had helped. That it had resolved some lingering guilt or question after Katherine’s death.

But it only made things worse.

Doubts filled my mind as I walked through the stone corridors of Fort Vulpes.

Everything Katherine said made me question what I knew.

My father had drilled the Lupine Bylaws into me, the laws that governed our pack.

Rule after rule about how to maintain our pack’s traditions, from mating, to hunting, to waging war.

I didn’t necessarily agree with everything I was taught to uphold and protect, but I thought it wasn’t my place to question it.

Being an Alpha meant upholding the traditions passed down from generations before. That was the real test of leadership.

But those same traditions had caused so much prejudice against her. They’d even justified the scorn others felt when they saw her with me.

And what they’d planned for Quinn.

Her life was turned upside down.

She was forced to leave her mother and the world she knew without a word. She was thrust into the role of Luna.

I never told her, but I always felt a bit guilty for causing so much turmoil in her life. She didn’t deserve all the hoops I’d made her jump through.

But some good came out of it.

We came out of it.

Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

I loved her deeply, and I’d rewrite any rule for her happiness.

I just hoped she’d stop giving me the silent treatment so we could talk about it.

All these thoughts were eating at me.

I was a mess.

As I navigated the winding passages of the rogue hideout, my thoughts were interrupted.

“Jax!” a determined voice echoed off the high, stalactite-filled ceiling of the dimly lit cave.

I froze, ready for a fight.

I scanned the area for a threat.

Then, out of the shadows, Carl stepped forward. My brother.

~Shit.~

With everything that had happened recently, I’d completely forgotten about this problem.

“I’ve been trying to get you alone these past few days,” he said, smirking.

“I bet you fucking have,” I shot back.

It was clear what he wanted.

A rematch.

“There’s something I want to say to you,” he said.

“I’ve heard enough from you,” I growled as we began to circle the cave.

He was a master at getting under my skin.

He had a knack for twisting facts to make me question myself.

I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me again.

With fists ready, I lunged at Carl with a fierce grunt.

He easily dodged my attack.

For the next few minutes, I tried every fighting move my father had ever taught me.

Not one punch or kick landed.

We were evenly matched.

We circled the room until I was out of breath.

“Damn. You may be a bastard, but you fight well.”

Carl smirked, “I had a good teacher.”

“Yeah?” I panted, “who?”

“Same as you.”

I looked at Carl.

He seemed different from the last time we fought.

The malice was gone from his face.

His sinister brow had softened into a look of steady determination.

It was a look I recognized.

The same one my father often wore.

“You ready to listen to what I have to say now?”

“Okay…” I said, unsure, “talk.”

“Beta Carl!” A sharp voice echoed into the cave.

Carl and I looked towards the entrance. Aunt Jodie was approaching with Quinn.

My mate wouldn’t meet my gaze.

My brother stood at attention. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Our guests will be staying here indefinitely. I am moving my niece into the room nearest mine. Please see that it is prepared.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Carl saluted and left the cave.

“Staying indefinitely? ~Here?~ Quinn, we have a pack to get back to!” I rushed over and grabbed her hands, pleading with her to reconsider.

But she met me with a cold, distant silence.

“Your Luna has decided to accept my offer of mentorship in studies which none in your pack could teach,” Aunt Jodie said haughtily. “You wouldn't understand even if I tried to explain it. Now, as for you, you are my niece's mate and welcome to stay as long as she does. But you must promise to leave her be when she is studying. What she's learning demands great concentration.”

~Studying what?~

I had no fucking clue what this crazy old lady was talking about, but I knew I wasn’t leaving Quinn alone to have her head filled with nonsense.

Something was off.

And whatever it was, I was staying to protect my mate from it.

Whether she wanted me to or not.