The Hummer sped back into Cross Plains’ territory, with Duke behind the steering wheel.

“I’m going to let The Enlisted know we’re coming home. They can tell the others.”

Brick drew his phone out of his jacket. He pulled up the number to the command station, pressed the contact, and then the ring went through the speakers.

“Cross Plains. Xander speaking.”

“It’s me. We’re coming home for a few days and then going on with the hunt.”

“Returning for supplies and reinforcements, Alpha?” he asked in a crisp military reply.

“No.” The import of what was in the back of the car weighed heavily on Brick’s soul. “Tell the shaman that in our search, we stumbled upon many of our kind. We’re bringing back their skins. It was all we found. The sacred ritual is to be performed to honor them.”

A burst of breath went through the speakers, but otherwise, silence met Brick’s statement. Had he been closer, Brick knew he would have sensed the raw emotions running through his subordinate.

“Yes, sir,” he finally responded.

Brick ended the call.

The ceremony for the mass casualties had been needed less and less over the years, as shifters had successfully merged into the outside world, and the rite was used only for the infrequent natural passings. As such, the role of their spiritual elder Tate had changed to a highly respected and learned mystic in the pack, rather than the officiate to honor their fallen.

Though not a devout person, Brick maintained the old customs. It was a tie to his forefathers, his heritage, as well as the teachings Ruth had reared him on, and he had no intentions of breaking them.

As he matured, Brick had openly scoffed at some of Ruth’s claims about the connection of the moon to the wolf. He would’ve given anything to hear her regale him with those stories or tales of the adventures of the ancients one more time. He would’ve even loved to hear about how the legendary Hunger was going to overtake him one day when his mate was near.

Reaching up to the rearview mirror, Brick touched the small carved wolf that was hanging from a black string. Ruth had whittled it for him as a birthday present and given it to him months before she died.

Lost in his memories of that time, he heard her voice.

“I love you, my boy.”

“Brick? Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re about 30 minutes from home.” Brick nodded and looked out the window. “Is there no way to determine who the dead were?”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking about all this time. There might be. I’m going to instruct the team to look through the missing shifters’ reports. They have photos of the human as well as the wolf. With Rex’s help, we may be able to bring closure to some hurting families. If we’re successful, they can claim the remains. If not, we’ll bury them as our own.”

“At least, they didn’t have manufacturer tags like the ones we saw back during the warring days.”

“I’d rather they did.” Brick curled a hand into a fist. “We could identify and destroy the fuckers who killed them like we did back then.”

The high walls around their base rose in the distance. Immense metal beams were planted in the ground, with wide trees between them. Low spots were filled with barbed wire stretching between the trunks and thorn bushes.

As they drew closer, they saw some of the clan working to patch up holes in the fence.

When the vehicle passed through the gate, the men raised their hands in greeting and yelled, “Welcome home!”

Brick returned the wave, while Duke navigated the car through the narrow maze of concrete barriers intended to slow a vehicular attack. There had been discussion about removing them, but Brick overruled any ideas of making those changes. Keeping his pack safe was paramount.

As they rolled to a stop in front of the main building, members of The Elite squadron waited in a line, hands clasped behind their backs, necks bared. Tate was there as well, wearing a brown hooded robe and a pensive expression.

Easing out of the car, Brick called to the men to come to him. Once they’d assembled, he addressed them.

“You’ve been briefed on what we found and brought back?” They nodded somberly. “Follow whatever instructions Tate has for you in handling the remains.” He motioned to Xander and Rex. “You two, come with me.”

Tate spoke up, as the four walked past him, towards the entrance, “The ceremony will start tomorrow night at dusk, Alpha.”

Brick stopped, looked back over his shoulder, and said, “The Enlisted will help with whatever preparations are required.”

Duke, Xander, and Rex trailed behind him, as he went to the conference room. Once there, Rex closed the door, and Xander spoke up.

“What are your orders, Alpha?”

“Find the kin of the fallen.”

Jerking a thumb at Rex, Xander said, “You’re asking me to work with him? The Omega?”

“I don’t recall it being a question.”

“With all due respect, Alpha, it’s beneath me to do that.”

“To obey a direct order?”

“No, sir. To be in proximity to one as low as him.”

Brick took soft and deliberate steps to stand in front of Xander. A tic started in his jaw at his subordinate, as he looked down at him.

“You dare to disobey me?”

“No, sir. I am merely requesting either an alternate assignment or for the Omega to be replaced by another of The Enlisted.”

Duke said, “What’s wrong with you? Rex is right here, listening to this!” He went to the Omega and slapped him on the back. “I’d stand beside him anytime.”

“It’s okay,” Rex said. “I understand that I’m not like everyone else.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re pack.”

“That’s right,” Brick growled, looming over Xander, “and if you don’t want to be charged with insubordination and banished, you’ll do as you’ve been ordered.”

“You’d make me leave instead of him?” Xander said with a tremble in his voice. “Alpha?”

“You’re making the choice. Not me.”

After a beat of silence, Xander snapped to attention and said, “Yes, sir. I accept the mission.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“We’ll give it our best!” Rex replied, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Brick stepped out of the barracks, with Duke at his back. It was the next night, and the hour for the ritual was approaching. As they walked through the trees, towards the clearing, Brick saw the other villagers making their way over to take part. Some had already shifted into their wolf form, and mournful howls echoed through the air.

The flickering flame of a bonfire shone through the forest to guide them, as the sun lowered on the horizon.

Treading into the glade, he saw that the pelts were laid on the ground in circles around the five totems that stretched up to the sky. Intricate carvings of predatory animals went up the thick logs, and a large wolf’s head with bared teeth sat atop each of them.

Tate raised his arms, and everyone quieted.

“This is not our first time gathering for an occasion such as this one. The Cross Plains pack is well aware of the horror on our lands yet again.

“Let us remember how death was brought to us. Legend tells us that the wolf was the first creature to experience it. The father of us all, The Wolf Star, angered at not being invited to the meeting to decide how Earth was to be made, sent one of his children on a quest to steal a special bag from the Creator. That bag held the first humans inside of it.”

His voice rose to booming, as his eyes landed on each of those present.

“What did they do when he released them from their captivity? Did they thank him?” Murmurs began around the pack. “Did they bow down and honor him?”

Cries of “No!” filled the night.

“That’s right! They didn’t give the respect due to him. No! They killed him, and by doing so, ultimately themselves, as they brought death unto the world.”

He nodded towards the ground and then lifted his head and smiled.

“The lesson is here before us, my friends, if you want to learn it. Humanity knows but one way—violence—while the wolf seeks only food, shelter and pleasure. And this is why the Great Father in his wisdom, after discovering what had befallen his beast, called upon the heavens to grant a boon to his children. To give them the ability to decide which world they would walk in, and when, so they could protect themselves. Thus, we were gifted the shifting mix of wolf and man. Humanity will go on, as they always have, killing anything they fear or don’t understand, but we… we will survive it all!”

Howls from those in the glen arose.

“So, let us mourn our brothers and sisters. But then, let us show them reverence our way, by running under the moon and letting them gaze upon us from the stars, where they now reside. Their hunt is over, but ours goes on.”

Tate’s garment fell to the ground, and he stood before them naked. One by one, the villagers, male and female alike, disrobed, none of them ashamed of their nudity.

“Alpha! Lead us!”

Brick transformed, and when his paws landed on the dirt, he bellowed a mighty roar. Around him, his clan heeded the call, and in moments, their howls joined his.

He guided them to where the pelts were laid and paused a moment to sniff the scent of each of those who were murdered. Turning his head, he saw some of his clan were rubbing themselves against the furs. Others had wandered off alone to wail into the night, as was the nature of their kind, to be solitary in their mourning.

After paying his respects to them all, Brick went to where he had been standing and sat back on his haunches, watching over his people.

Duke joined him, and using the link, he said, “The scents weren’t as strong on most of them.”

“At least, we know they weren’t killed recently.”

“Probably back when the TMD was more prevalent.”

“Agreed.”

Rex walked over and said, “Will it be all right if I take hair samples?”

“Whatever you need to do, do it.”

“Yes, sir.”

The sorrowful cries went on for a while, and then the wolves assembled in the clearing once more. Brick stood, lifted his muzzle, and made the call to the chase, before tearing off into the fields with Duke close on his heels.

Under the light of the moon and stars, the pack hunted in the place of those lost, taking down deer, rabbits, and other animals and feasting on their kills.