Cora, A Sidelines Story from Clayton

Cookies for Horses

The Characters of Clayton, Rya, Kennedy, Dallas, and the Valentines belong to Rachelle. The character of Cora is expanded on with Permission from Rachelle, and is written for the pleasure of the International Wildflower Pack, the WhiskeyQueenn fandom. #WildflowersUnited #iwp

:: A special thanks to Whiskeyqueenn Rachelle for letting us play in her world of CLAYTON::

Cookies for Horses

After I had lost my permission to stay in Urban pack territory, I had panicked for all of fifteen minutes. I called Chef Gerard as soon as I got back to my apartment, he was teaching at a new culinary school in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. News of the attack on the charity event and my banishment had already reached the remaining unpacked families and they were looking for a way out. Jorge's aunt and brother lived in the same city Gerard was teaching in, so the 7 remaining packless families prepared to leave. I called Luna Loui and begged for her help. Then I had to send a dreaded email to Luna Catherine and basically lying about why I was changing schools, that it was "for the benefit of my training", and I prayed she didn't demand I return to Adams immediately. 

I sent an email to Luna Elizabeth stating that I needed to change schools in order to finishes my training under Chef Gerard and thanked her for her hospitality with a copy to Luna Catherine. In a private email, I gave Luna Elizabeth my word that no Urban pack business would be revealed to any other pack, including my home pack. She responded by tersely thanking me for my discretion, but not for saving the mate of both her sons. Instead she gave me a choice, stay as Jamison's mate, or meet the deadline to get out of 'her city'.

In three days, we were making the day long drive to the Mile High City. The Flatirons pack was very different from Urban or Adams. The Alpha Dave was a rancher and investment banker and the pack owned several huge tracts of land around and in the city and were shareholders in many businesses run by pack members. The Luna was a well known musician and child charities advocate. They lived the public life of the rural rich while running a massive pack with businesses and wolves of every income level. Independence and self-reliance were encouraged, but the pack provided a safety net in hard times. These hardy wolves were a breath of fresh air after almost three years in Urban and growing up in Adams. 

I studied and student-taught under Chef Gerard and tried to settle into life in the thin air of the high altitude. On the up side, I got to live in one of the very luxurious pack houses, my flat was as big at the entire floor of the old building I lived in while at Urban. On the interesting side, as my duty to the pack, I had to cater the bi-weekly brunch for the Alpha's mother and former Luna, and her equivalent of the Noble Pack's Mama's club. They were called the Red Hatters, although Mad Hatters would have worked too. They were a collection of the mature female wolves of the pack, and by mature, I mean in age only. Their minds and mouths would definitely have fit right in with my grandmama's crew, scarlet hats and scandalous.

Sadly, or happily, or disturbingly, I fit right in with these older she-wolves and I don't quite know how I feel about that. Shh, listen... yes that is the sound of my wolf laughing at me, again.

I also continued teaching culinary skills at a local community center, I love teaching young chefs who would otherwise have no chance to learn. I love helping young wolves.

~

Goddess dammit, it is freaking cold. It was cold even for a wolf! I grumbled to myself as a bitter wind sucked my breath away. I don't think I have ever been this cold in my life; the wet, milder winters of my childhood had not prepared me for the frigid dry winters of the high country. The things I do to stay away from my home pack for just a little while longer. The sky was silvery gray and iridescent in the afternoon light and blowing snow.