The Pack

Chapter Thirteen

Eclipse and Luna walked along the edge of a small stream, their sides touching and their tails wagging slightly.
It had been about a week since Timber was accepted into the pack, and everything was going perfectly for the young pack.
Luna had wondered often since that fateful day if Eclipse was going to bring up her past again. Fortunately he didn't seem to mind her having some mystery behind her. It only made their bond stronger.

He stopped suddenly and nudged her with his snout. She immediately realized where they were and a slight grin appeared on her muzzle.
The small meadow appeared before them as the trees began to thin out.
"This is where we first met," she whispered.
He smiled and nuzzled her face.
"I'm glad you remember."
She pulled away slowly and looked back at him curiously.
"Why did you want to bring me here? There are other places that we can go in our territory..."
"I wanted to come back to the place where it all began, because... well... I wanted to discuss something important with you."
She tried to hide the fear that welled up in her stomach and made her want to throw up.
He's going to bring it up. He wants to know about my past.
He looked back at her, concern clear in his eyes.
"Is everything okay?" he whispered.
She looked away.
"Everything's fine. What did you want to talk about?"
He seemed hesitant to move on, but he eventually did. He was still concerned about her, though.
"I just... well... I wanted to see where you stand on starting a family."
Luna took a step back, shock clear on her face.
"A family?!" she gasped.
His tail twitched and he pawed at the ground in front of him.
"Well, it's a natural thing... especially since we're the Alphas of our pack..."
Luna's ears flattened back against her head, but instead of looking angry, she looked depressed.
"I never thought I would have pups. In fact, I used to fight with my old pack about starting a family. I didn't have a mate and I had no desire to find one back then."
Eclipse turned to her again, curiosity and concern obvious on his handsome face.
"But then things changed, and I found you."
She nuzzled his cheek and he nuzzled her back. He licked the side of her muzzle.
"I'm just not sure if I'm ready yet," she whispered.
He pulled away and smiled gently.
"Then there's no need to rush things. Whatever makes you happy will make me happy. It's as simple as that."
She grinned.
What did I ever do to deserve him?
"You're too good to me," she said.
He shook his head.
"This is the way mates are supposed to be. If I acted any less than what I am now, I wouldn't be suitable for you."
Her smile faded.
"That's not true. You're perfect just the way you are. I wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't."
He nudged her with his snout and he whimpered softly.
"I want to be perfect for you, though. I really don't deserve you, and I want to live up to what my family would've expected of me. I want to live up to your expectations."
"Look at me."
He met her gaze and was surprised to see her hard blue eyes drilling into his.
"You've already met my expectations. You've actually gone above and beyond them. I don't want you to become someone that you're not. I just want you to be you, the dorky, strong, handsome wolf that I fell in love with."
He nodded and laughed.
"Dorky?"
She laughed, too.
"C'mon! You have to admit you have a dorkier side."
He scoffed sarcastically and his ears lowered to weird positions on his head. He parted his muzzle and his tongue lolled out to the side.
Luna laughed and nudged him with her shoulder.
"That's exactly what I mean."
He grinned again.
"So you want me to be dorky then, hmm?"
Her smile widened.
"Like I said, I just want you to be you."
He licked the end of her snout and his grin turned sly and playful.
"I think that can be arranged," he murmured.

That was when they heard the howl that resounded in the distance, the message as clear as day.
Help me.