Maddess entwined with chaos envelopes the inside of the Longhouse.

A tapping on the window makes me turn my head to look at the Crow that is moving its beak as if I can understand the language it speaks. The healer who looks like an older version of my mother puts her finger to her lips blowing towards the Crow whose beak is now shut.

The twelve females are now viciously attacking females dragging them by their necks to the Community table. Only the older females of the group of twelve are having an easier time; the younger females are getting handled more severely by their opponents. The Far North females fight differently than I have been trained.

Never stopping with their movements fists meeting muscles and bones.

Coiling

Springing

Rushing

Becca would have a difficult time with the agility of these females; none possess her natural strength this is all the Art of Movement. Deflection of hits, with the mastery of connection to cause the most damage possible. 

Luna Bessa gets another female, efficiently handling her before the ladle is tipped to a closed mouth. The Luna plugs the female's nose and waits with a smile full of sharp teeth. When she takes that inhaled breath the food is tipped down her throat.

"You defend this abomination. This is wrong!" Another female screams and points towards me. A gasp is coming out of the female who just uttered those words, a knife gets buried into her left shoulder. 

Elska has risen, her right hand in the air, fingers extended, head tilted to the left, her left hand drawing another knife from the table. Her face remains hidden.

Odin and his father have squared off, standing to their completed heights. Both males have no intentions of breaking eye contact. 

"This is not how it's done, Odin. Stand down." The thundering sound of a voice unleashes out towards a son that braces himself against it. Odin stands solidly in his spot without any movement. 

Odin's Uncle is the first to rise, his body stretching itself with a height that almost competes with Bryon's. Making his way towards father and son without any toned haste in his step. He makes the time to regard every male in the eyes. They take the time to consider him as well before their vision bends quickly downward. 

Bryon stands from his spot, raising himself in his completed full height. Walking heavily, towards Odin, posturing, shoulders back, head straight, a flash of fang to the males in the gathering. He takes Odin's right. A male is coming from a shadow as if waiting for this exact moment to make his presence known, he's Odin's brother. 

Just a toned down version. 

His walk is purposeful; there is no discretion of intended tone. He's making himself heard; he wants to fight, anything. He's without care that anything can do damage to him. His forearm holds the same tattoos as Odin except there is lots of canvas left on the pristine skin.

Odin does not look when his brother stands on his Uncle's left, everything about Odin is singling towards his father that he's not going to turn tail, he's staying exactly where he is, unmovable.

Male after male stands up and gets behind Alpha Borson very few males stand with Odin, the ones that are standing I recognize as the ones that went with Odin to the Far South that helped him build the line of Tribute he made for me.

The group of twelve breaks from their fight to stand behind Odin, and their mates. I can tell because they rub their bloody cheeks against their arms in greeting.  

Elska keeps to the side with silver drawn on a hand that holds no shake of worry or fear. 

Composed

Alpha Borson has the numbers, but Odin holds the core strength.

Making my way towards Odin, Bryon steps to the side to allow me to slide in on Odin's right. The feel of his flesh against my arm halts my progress forward. Alpha Borson stares with high intentions towards my eyes, never wavering from his purpose to intimidate.

It's a weight felt on your spine to hold eyes with an Alpha. It compresses your spinal column to create a mass effect on your spinal cord, causing the entire make up of your structure to try and fold down into itself in unimaginable force. It's a crushing hurtful weight that tingles the nerve endings to misfire their pathways along their synapses. Odin's baby finger touching mine, before it hooks us together. 

My Wild starts to stretch herself from within, shoulders pulling back, head straight there is no turning away from his eyes. That is impossible for her Nature to do. Widening my stance, getting a solid footing taking on his eyes. 

"Enough." Luna Bessa is coming between mate and son, her voice can't hide the hurt. When she takes that step in front of Odin, it's a direct statement. Alpha Borson has to go through her to get to him. 

Odin moves his mother into his Uncle's path, Bryon holds his breath beside me before letting it out slowly with a disturbance of air. 

"Look at you, Odin. I told you she would change you, that she would create a wedge in our pack, a divide. The thing you should have done was end her that night, I told you, but you refused to listen to your father's true advice. Now, look what you have done." Alpha Borson's directness catches me off guard before I right myself.

"How can you stand in front of me when you are going against our Moon's own words? You know the right path Odin, you've been taught it but yet you go against it?" Alpha Borson's sound riles up the pack standing behind him. 

"She's my mate." Odin's voice holds a solidness to it. 

"A mate, she is no mate she is an abomination that should have never been allowed to live. You are going against the Moon herself." Odin doesn't say anything he just stares ahead into his father's eyes with a direct intention.

"Just like you went against the Moon's doctrine all those years ago. I am no different than you, father." A calculation of sounds quality lethally carries with enough force to cause his father to flinch with the directness of it. The pack looking towards Elska now whose face remains shadowed within a black hood. There is a turn of her shoulders that's noticeable, a hunch that wasn't there before. 

"That's different Odin. She is your sister, my mate's female. I had no choice when it came down to it. You had a choice. Not only is she an abomination to the Moon herself. She's from an abomination created with the filthiest wolf to live. Everything about her is tainted, nothing good will come from her." Odin's quiet again, the breathing of the pack is heard, his finger still locked with mine, not letting go. 

"She's my mate, and I will honor her as such."  It's Odin now taking that extra inch he has on his father's height, stretching himself completely straight without hindrance of any kind. 

"You are no male of mine Odin. You are a disgrace to this pack, a disgrace to the Moon and a shame to me. You walk without honor." If my finger weren't locked up with Odin's, I would have missed the fine fibers of flesh tremor. If I didn't glance quickly at Odin's eyes, I would have missed the rise of fluid from ducts that want to leak out, before the wetness is blinked hard away. His mouth is straight lined, jaw clenched, holding his breath unable to release it. 

"I have honor, father. It was never the intention to be your biggest disappointment." Odin's sound comes out internally pained. It's impossible to hold my tear back; there is burn that's being created at the back of my throat with how I can taste Odin's pain

Luna Bessa steps herself forward. "He is with honor, how dare you! He has lived exactly the way you have taught him to be. He has done everything that is asked of him without complaint. He has never once neglected his duties to the packed even though you have put such strain on him." The more riled up Luna Bessa is becoming, the thicker the accent of sound.

"You are the disappointment as a father, as my mate." The Luna cannot hold her tears, she can't hide her hurt. Alpha Borson holds his ground, but he has a shake to him now. 

The healer that holds my mother's eyes starts her walk towards us, the back takes a collective step backward, allowing her the room she demands. 

"The Celebration is over; everyone go home before the night comes." Words that hold warning are listened to as wolves start to make their way to their furs, some try to linger but get this females hot eyes on them.

 "You females will clean this mess up in the morning." The healer points to the group of twelve and their opponents none argue with her only bow their heads. The only ones left in the Longhouse are Odin's family along with Bryon, the three living healers and the male who is shuffling forward slowly. The two healers flanking left and right. The one does raise her nose up, eyes darkening before color is seen again. She halts her progress towards me, falling behind the rest that comes to stand closer than I like. 

"How is this possible Morvared?" The voice of the male calling out the healer, whose looking from her to me. Assessing our features with eyes used to the details. 

"Sometimes when you think you have seen everything Nature has a way of surprising you."

"Very true, Morvared. When did you know?" The Singer of the Moon asking a question.

"The day of her death."

"Why didn't you tell me your twin lived?"

"I never felt the need to discuss that with you."

"Whose side are you on?" The male's voice is even. 

"The left side." The healer's voice matches the Singer to the Moon's tone.

"I stand on the right." The sound of his voice is kept quiet no reflection of any kind of internal disturbance from him. 

"Of course my friend. I knew you would say this." She says with a bow.

"How long do I have left?" His words coming out without any 

"You won't live past tonight. It's already done. I'm clearing away the obstacles." Morvared seems to grow bigger than what she is. Her body stretching itself up, even with her age she seems to be a solid force of power that you need to take notice of. 

"Then I must prepare myself for it."

"You will receive the highest of honors as it should be." The other two healers have audible gasps coming from mouths that are open and in shock. She ignores both, the male shuffling towards Odin, standing directly in front of him. 

"I"ve taught you everything that I know. Walk your path with honor Odin, be true to who you are and never forget, the Moon is always watching." Odin's eyes shift towards me for that brief fraction of a second before he grips the forearm of this ancient male. Odin is visibly unsettled, showing out emotions that are building just underneath the layering of him. Cheeks pressing against cheek before both pull away. He comes towards Morvared, cheeks pressing against cheeks both bow to the other all very calmly without any violence. 

He presses his cheek against the two other healers before he leaves alone and quiet. 

"What have you done, Healer?" Alpha Borson turning on her, she holds her ground but her gaze curves down. 

"I did what I must. Alpha Borson I would suggest that you take your mate home before something unfortunate afflicts you in the coming days."

"Are you threatening me, healer?" 

"I never threaten, Alpha." She bows low, but Alpha Borson does do as he's told approaching Luna Bessa whose eyes still hold tears. 

"Elska, Ryeson, let's go home. Odin, Charlie we will have dinner at your house tomorrow night."

"I will not sit at a table she is at." Alpha Borson saying this while leaving through the door.

"You were never invited to come." Luna Bessa's rebuttal is quick. I've never been exposed to such fighting. Odin's face stoic, is this how he was raised? By mates who fight constantly, a father who has no love left for a son? Odin's eyes find mine, there is no Odin smile greeting me, instead, it's pulled down slightly with weight. 

"Charlie, finally. I've been waiting years for you to finally make it here." The healer now so close, she leans in and rubs her cheek against mine. Her hand going to my chin, angling it this way and that.

"Who are you?" Asking a hard question to her.

"I'm your Aunt Morvared, healer to the Far North." 

"My mother never told me she had an Aunt."

"Victoria never knew her mother, what makes you think she would know her family?"

"Why didn't you come to her or let her know she had a family?"

"If I would have done that then, you would not be in front of me now." She speaks like Lana.

"What's going on?" There are such questions I hold within the voice.

"Charlie, for me to tell you this now would destroy everything that Nature has worked so hard creating."

"I don't like this."

"Neither do I." She actually sounds sorry about this.

"I never met my twin till after she died, but what I have heard, she was kind, loving and above all else fearless." Her gaze looks at the crow in the window who nods its head. 

"Charlie would you allow me to spend some time with you, show you the Nature of the Far North. I think you could start to grow here." Her fingers touch my head, going over the scalp. Odin standing to the side watching but holding his tongue. 

"I would like that." 

"It's settled then, we can start our Journey of understanding together. You hold such potential Charlie." Her cheek once again brushes against mine before she makes her leave to go. Odin's uncle and Bryon remain. They both look shaken up now, with watching everything going on with the Singer of the Moon and healers. No wolf ever likes to be in the close vicinities as a healer there is just something that tells your sixth sense that they are something beyond the normal. 

When she leaves, Odin's Uncle pulls Odin to the side whispering words to him, touching his shoulder. Odin turns his back to me and his Uncle walks him away from ears that can listen. 

Bryon approaches with the smile I'm used to, what I'm not used to is all the bruising on his face.

"Charlie, it's good to see you." He touches my cheek to his.

"Bryon, what's going on?" 

"This is how they are." Bryon's voice holds no shock.

"What do you mean?"

"Charlie this happens all the time. But it's getting worse. Odin doesn't stand down to his father anymore. There is only so much Luki can do to prevent Odin from losing his Alpha title."

"Why would he lose it?"

"He doesn't get to hold the title until after the Ceremony anything else he will lose the honor of his pack. He needs to maintain a code of conduct no matter what, no matter how much he is taunted, ridiculed. He needs to wait till after the Cemerony, it's their way." 

"No matter how his father treats him."

"No matter what, Charlie."

"That's not right."

"I know but you can't talk any sense into these wolves." Bryon just shakes his head.

"Why did you come here, instead of Luki staying in the South with you?"

"He could never leave her or them?" Bryon pointing his chin in Odin's direction. He still has his back to me, while his Uncle has his hand on his shoulder. Speaking words that look encouraging.

"Luki loves them as if they are his own. I understand this now, see everything for myself. At first, it was extremely difficult to hold my tongue. But I've come to appreciate Luki's love. I decided to follow him home, he couldn't get rid of me, so he kept me." Bryon smiling to himself before Luki and Odin walk back towards us.

 Bryon and Luki stand close to one another, but not touching. 

"See you at dinner Odin. Charlie." Luki hardly makes any eye contact with me. He and Bryon turn away, leaving us to look at a giant mess the Longhouse is in from my Celebration.

Turning towards Odin, he looks different for some reason, a heaviness on him. 

"Odin, I think you have honor. Your father is wrong." Odin steps within my radius wrapping both arms around me pulling me into a hug. He holds me to him, his lips against where my mark should be put.

"Come back to my father's pack Odin. We could bring your family, even your Uncle. My dad never talks bad about your pack or you. He would have all of you, he'd take you all in." Telling this so my mouth is pressing into his neck. The need to nip as his flesh is overwhelming. 

"I could never leave, Charlie. No matter what I can't ever leave this land, it binds me to it." 

"You could try, like I'm trying Odin."

"But are you really trying Charlie?" His words whispering around the darkening interior and I don't respond.

"Let go home." He picks up my fur pants for me to put on, then my jacket, hat, mittens are last. Odin just has the hat I made him on and a jacket. 

The winds touch freezes the exposed skin on my face. The air so cold that it burns breathing it in through my nose. 

With quickness we make it to his house, opening the door he lets me in first before he shuts and locks it. The first thing he does is go to the wood stove and stock it up full of wood. The dry timber catching quickly and before long that cast iron is giving off a healing heat. 

Odin places his jacket on the peg along with my furs, brushing them off from any snow that's clung to them. Deciding to change into pajamas, when walking out of the bedroom Odin's sitting on the couch his whole body tense without relaxation. Going into the bathroom picking up one of the bottles of massage oil, smelling it to see if it's the right one. Looking for the one that promotes relaxation and calmness once finding the right one.

"Odin, would you like a massage?" Odin looks carefully at me.

"I've never had one." Are all the words he says.

"Then I will show you what you have been missing."

"Can you take your shirt and pants off, keep your underwear on and lay on the bed." He's hesitant.

"I don't bite Odin. I was trained by Lana to give relaxing massages. They help calm wolves down who hold too much stress inside them." When he enters the bedroom he removes his shirt, a button undone with a zipper pulled down, his pants slide from his waist holding at his thighs before pulling the rest down to step out of them. Odin lets me look at him any way I want to.

"On your stomach, get comfortable." He does what I ask. 

Letting the oil drip slowly out of the vial, it hits all over his back, making sure to use enough my hands will just glide over his flesh. When both of my palms are placed on either side of his spine I begin to knead the flesh. Working the tissue deeply to cause a sighing breath fall out from Odin's open mouth. His heads turned to the side, cheek against the pillow, his eyes are closed. He's holding the material of the duvet clenched in fists. 

If this is his first massage ever then I'm going to make it memorable. 

Begining at the base of his neck, thumbs pressing into flesh that has hardly any give to it, the musculature of him to harden. I can tell this is having an avalanche of profound feeling for him with the way his body is quivering and shivering. When the sound does escape it's toned deep within the base of his neck. 

Fingers firmly, slowly exploring his flesh, working it deeply on either side of his spine. His skin is soft and my hands are able to press and glide all over, another deep sigh comes out from his chest. Eyes closed and his hips shift slightly while his forehead presses into the pillow. 

He holds hidden dimples just above the rise of his ass. I can't see them but they are felt by my hands. Working my way back up to his shoulders making sure to get any exposed flesh I can see. 

Each arm is next, making sure my fingers get in between his fingers. "You have good hands, Odin, they are strong yet at the same time can make such beautiful things." His head lifts off the pillow and do I see tremble of his lip?  A sheen to his eyes before he closes them again. Placing a small kiss to the pulse of each wrist has me going back up those arms of sinew and flesh. 

Skin on skin

Hands sculpting the layers of him, working, kneading with a purpose. "Turn over Odin."

When he does his deepening of the ancient forest holds my vision, leaning down towards his lips, his hand going behind my head. I feel the warmth of his breath against my lips.

We linger for a moment.

Eyes staying locked into place, lips getting closer, the anticipation building to a point it's hard to take any longer.

When he places a kiss on the side of my face, I know our massage has come to an end.

"Charlie, I can't do this." Odin's body rolls away from mine.

"Odin-"

"You were made to be honored, let me honor you the only way I have been taught to. I want to show you I have honor, I can't do this, please understand." When he gets up he closes the bedroom door behind him, leaving me in the dark.