Aspen County

Louve goes to sleep late on our next training night, frustrating me greatly. These training sessions have been draining me, and I'm exhausted. When I finally hear her breathing steady, I allow my heavy feet to trudge to me room. There's barely any struggle when I call my sister's mind to mine as I drift off to sleep.

When I open my eyes, Louve is watching me and smiling despite my obviously bitter disposition. "I did it!" she whispers zealously. "She's not in my head right now, and I can tell without calling out to her." Her smile, brighter and wider than it's been since we left the Pack and arrived at Aspen County, dims at my lack of enthusiasm. "What's wrong? I thought that you'd be happy for me."

"I am." I sigh, deciding not to confront her about the disturbing, one-sided argument I witnessed the other day. Keene was right—she's growing up, and I have to accept that; however, that doesn't mean that I have to like it. "You can tell Egeria about it tomorrow. I'm happy for you."

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asks gently, taking a tentative step towards me and wearing a mask of concern.

"Yes, I'm just tired and a little sore from the other day. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? We can always just wait until tomorrow."

"It's alright." My voice is a little harsher than I intended, and I immediately flinch at it and regain control of myself. "Don't worry about me. We're already here, so we might as well just go ahead." I take a deep breath and point at the center of the room. "Get in position—I'll go first." I stand directly in front of Egeria's chair as Louve moves to where I pointed. "Ready?" I ask nervously, eliciting a slight nod from her.

I take another deep breath and close my eyes, holding my hands out in front of me. I open my eyes, noting how Louve begins to sweat with effort as she struggles to stay grounded. I psychically fight with her, and after several minutes, I finally manage to force her up into the air. I force myself to stay neutral despite my pride that I was able to force her into the air—I can't allow myself to become distracted. She continues flailing her arms, trying to free herself from my strong hold. I begin launching her around the room, stopping her just short of hitting the walls. All the while, I fight invisible pressure as she continues to resist.

"I'm going to drop you now," I warn her so that she can be ready. We won't have any warning when fighting Monique, but it's good to at least begin to practice. She bends her knees slightly, holding one leg a little further in front of her body than the other one. I release my hold on her, and she begins plummeting to the floor. She lands on her left foot and leans onto her right, rolling forward and landing firmly on the floor. "Nice landing," I commend, genuinely impressed by her casual landing.

She grins wickedly. "Your turn."

Without warning, her hands spring out in front of her. Instinctively, my body tenses, and I envision a brick cage closing in around me and pressing me firmly to the floor. Louve's mind and mine fight each other, and I feel the walls of the cage begin to crack and crumble. I begin to sweat, struggling to remain planted firmly on the ground. My trembling walls break down entirely, and I gasp as I'm trust up into the air. Louve stops me an inch before my back can slam against the roof of the dome. She laughs as she rolls her wrist, forcing my body to flip over and over as I grow dizzy and nauseous. I try fighting against her, but in here, she's stronger than I am, and focus becomes difficult from the whirling that she's forcing my body to do.

"Ready to fall?" she calls, her voice filled with amusement.

"Drop me!" I reply desperately, shifting my body so that I'm ready to roll when I land. The pressure disappears as the ground begins rushing up towards me, and I force my body to stay loose. I land smoothly and tumble onto my feet efficiently, if slightly less gracefully than my sister managed.

"You're getting better at fighting me," she comments analytically. "Ready for combat?"

I take a deep breath and nod slowly, trying to drag out my recovery time—she doesn't hold back at all, and we both know how strong she is. "Let's do it."

I reach out and begin psychically dragging her towards me. She thrashes against my forceful, seemingly magnetic, pull. As soon as she's close enough, her leg aggressively kicks out and connects with my gut. I groan and fall as she uses my stomach as leverage for a back flip. As I recover, she lifts me into the air again, and I crash into the wall over Egeria's throne, landing on the regal chair with my legs hanging over the back of it and my back resting on the seat. My head lolls uselessly over the edge, and I the room seems to lazily swing back and forth in rhythm with my aching head.

She smiles and approaches me, helping me stand up. "I think you're done for the night," she notes playfully.

I nod and wordlessly close my eyes, terminating the dream practice session. When I wake up, I'm on the floor next to the bed with my knees bent on the nightstand and my shoulders and back awkwardly angled on the ground. I groan as I tug my legs off of the table and decide that sleeping on the floor seems like the most appealing option at the moment.

The door opens, and Louve pokes her head in. "She's not here," she explains needlessly as she helps me stand and get in bed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes; I'll be fine in the morning." My slightly slurred voice gives away how worn out and exhausted I really am, and she helps me lie down, knowing that I rarely sleep under a blanket so the extra effort of covering me is useless. "Get some rest."

She giggles as she leaves the room, muttering under her breath, "I don't think that I’m the one who needs it."
* * * * *
The day after my next practice with Louve, I realize how close the next Full Moon is. Tomorrow will already bring us to the end of the Gibbous, and I have no clue how things are done around here during the Cycle. I would assume that things would be very laid-back just because it’s a place where werewolves can finally relax without worrying about being discovered, but then again they do seem to be intimidated by the Elders. I don't know whether behavior is organized and strictly monitored or if everyone is free to behave as they please. Having had the upper hand last night—for once—I leave Louve to sleep and seek out Keene for answers.

He meets me halfway, no doubt on his way to the forest to meditate. I turn around and begin walking with him. He smiles widely at me. "Good morning, Lovett," he says cheerfully. I notice that even though it's already begun to snow off and on, he's still wandering shirtless around the community. "You're up early. You look tired."

"Yes, I am a little. I'm also kind of sore, but it's not a big deal. How are you doing?"

"Quite well. I find that the snow is very relaxing, and I'm very proud of my cousin. Redell finally spoke his first word yesterday." Keene is practically bursting with pride and joy. "It was 'Uncle.'"

"That's great news. I'm happy for you. But now that he's talking, won't it be hard to get him to stop?" I ask, chuckling lightly.

We reach the forest, and Keene continues walking purposefully. "I don't suspect that that will be a problem."

"Why do you say that? I remember that Louve was terrible when she finally learned how to talk—even worse when she learned how to howl!"

Keene snickers mischievously. "Grandmother says that Redell is simply more like me than he is my sister—and apparently yours." We both laugh at our sisters' expenses, but I notice a mournful glimmer in my friend's eyes that isn't foreign to me.

"You miss her a lot, huh?" I ask sympathetically, saying it more as a statement than a question.

"Every day. Semira; that was her name. It should have been her that Redell called out for first, not me. Not that I'm not flattered, and don't get me wrong: I adore my nephew. But she loved him so much—she claimed to have owed surviving after our parents were murdered to him. She would have been such a wonderful mother; I could see it within her. She was infinitely patient with everyone she ever spoke to."

"I'm sorry. She actually sounds a lot like my mother. Louve and I could never do wrong in her eyes, and we didn't want to. We couldn't stand to see even a second of pain cross her face."

Keene appears to wipe his forehead, but I can almost see his wrist swipe a tear away from his eye as he looks out into the distance. I can understand why he wouldn't want to show his emotional side too much, but he doesn't have to hide it, at least not in front of me. "Yes, well, I assume you sought me out for a reason other than hearing bittersweet recounts of my sister's kindness," he mutters curtly but politely. I take the hint that he's done talking about his sister and move on.

"Actually, yes. We're not entirely sure how you guys do things during the Cycle. Our Pack used to just wander freely through the forest, but there were only nine of us versus however many live here."

"Yes, well, the tradition of the werewolves is that on the first evening, you are to roam with your family or the original Pack that you arrived at the village with or chose during your life—werewolves are always warned to select your Pack wisely—to promote the unity of the Pack. The second night is generally spent with your mate to strengthen the love of the Bond, and on the third, the community divides in half, the women all together while the men group likewise, to promote reliance upon the Pack as not only our protectors, but also our teachers and our brethren. Males go hunting while females teach their young by preying upon small game, or they simply bask in the glory of the Full Moon."

After hearing that, I wish, not for the first time, that I had a mate that I could keep company with when I get lonely as everyone else drifts off with the person whom they share the deepest parts of their soul and heart with. "So how do you usually spend the first two nights of the Full Moon?" I ask nonchalantly, trying—probably unsuccessfully—to hide how little I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

He averts his gaze uncomfortably. "I used to spend the first with my family and the second alone. That's more than likely how I'll spend both nights, however; I enjoy isolation."

"Looks like we'll both be spending what should be the best time of the month alone."

"You won't always be alone, Lovett."

I turn and begin walking away. "That's not the way that life usually seems for me."