It was oddly quiet when Helena and Roo parked in front of Red River’s pack house.
They’d been waved through by a combination of Blackmoon, Stonehill, and Red River warriors who were standing guard at the territory’s border with Blackmoon.
With the ceremony that would rge Blackmoon with Red River the partols along the border would no longer be needed.
On the road, Roo and Helena had discussed applying the sa practice they had between Blackmoon and Stonehill, remove the patrols and combine the territory.
Despite Red River Pack rging with Blackmoon the plan was easier to implent with Stonehill since the two packs were practically family at this point.
"This place used to be a lot more vibrant," Helena grumbled.
There were a lot of cars parked in front of the packhose, but the space was eerily silent.
"When did you visit here last?" Roo asked Helena as they sat in the running car.
"Three years ago," Helena sighed. "I had to and so terms in the treaty between the three packs."
"Was that when you slept with him?" Roo questioned.
Helena waited for the bite of jealousy in his tone, but there was none.
It seed Roo was just genuinely curious.
"No," Helena answered. "I learned my lesson from sleeping with him. I hadn’t made it clear that it was only a physical one-ti thing. He thought we could be mates."
Roo winced at her words, sending Helena into a panic.
"Your case is different," Helena suddenly said, feeling guilty about Roo’s reaction.
"How? I’m an Alpha that thinks we could be mates," Roo told her.
"I’ll only say this once," Helena said with a sigh. She was about to admit sothing she’d never said out loud before. "I feel the sa about you."
"What?" Roo asked as he looked at her, stunned.
Helena opened her mouth to reply when soone knocked on the car’s window.
"What’s he doing here?" Roo groaned as Kade tried to look into the car through its heavily tinted window.
"Let’s go," Helena said as he unbuckled her seatbelt..
Roo pushed open the car door, sending Kade to the ground. He didn’t bother to apologize to his Gamma, he rushed to Helena’s side and opened the door for her.
"I knew I scented arousal," Kade said with an annoying smirk on his lips.
"Shut it, Kade," Roo growled.
"They’re waiting for you in the backyard, Alphas," Kade said as he made a sweeping motion toward the packhouse doors.
Roo gave him a nod as he offered Helena his arm to hold.
Helena gave him a gentle smile before looping her arm with his and allowing Roo to lead the way.
When they reached the backyard, they were surprised to find Gamma Norton and their mother, Alyssa, directing so familiar and unfamiliar wolves.
"You’re both here!" Alyssa said as she offered her stepson and her daughter customary bows. "We’ve set everything up. All you need is the ceremonial knife, and we can start."
"I brought it," Helena told her mother as she produced a small knife wrapped in cloth.
"Good, good, this way," Alyssa said as she dragged the pair up a stage.
Roo stood and scanned the crowd.
Red River was a good-sized pack with three hundred mbers. It was small in comparison to Blackmoon and Stonehill, but it was not a small pack, either.
Helena watched as the pack mbers took them in, clearly judging the people who stood on the stage.
She knew so were aware of her history, both with their forr Alpha and other wolves. She couldn’t help but wonder what their reaction would be if they heard that their would be Luna had the knack of sleeping around?
"You should make a speech," Alyssa suggested. "You know, boost morale."
Roo gave his stepmother a nod before stepping forward and clearing his throat.
"Most of you do not know ," Roo began. "Most of you have heard stories about , but in the coming days, months, and years, I hope that you will co to know as I will co to know you."
There was a look of surprise in the eyes of the crowd. It seed that they didn’t expect Roo to start his speech that way.
’You’re doing well,’ Helena told him through their mind link.
"After today, we will no longer be the Blackmoon Pack and the Red River Pack, we will be one pack under the Blackmoon Pack," Roo said as a look of hesitation spread through the crowd. "This doesn’t an you will lose your identity, you will just have a new opportunity to grow it. You will earn a bigger family that will protect you at all costs."
The crowd seed to steady at his words. They looked at him a little bit more kindly than when they arrived.
"I ca here with the woman that I hope will be my mate to personally welco you," he told the crowd as their attention turned to Helena. "I want all of you to be a part of our family and to truly feel welco."
People continued to watch Helena, but none of the gazes were unkind.
"Tonight, you will be allowed an option, either to join our family or to seek your fortune elsewhere. I will not force anyone to join our pack, but we will happily welco you should you choose to be a part of it," Roo announced.
There were murmurs in the crowd, clearly, most didn’t expect to have this option.
"So, who would like to go first?" Roo asked.
To Helena’s surprise, a man about their age stepped forward.
"I’d like permission from the Alpha to leave the pack." An audible gasp ca from the crowd. "It’s not that I don’t trust you or your pack, but my father died years ago, and we had plans to leave to bring our mother back to her old pack. The old Alpha denied our request because we have three warriors among us. So, will you let us leave?"
"No, I will not, you may go, and I wish you luck and pray for the Goddess to bless your travels," Roo announced in a booming voice.
Not a good start for a blood oath ceremony.
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