Chapter 21: The Same Pain
Chapter 21: The Same Pain Life was pain. Kel remembered his father saying that when he once expressed his shock and confusion about the horrors he had witnessed during a village raid when he'd been a child. The winter wolves, once...
Chapter 20: The Price Love Pays
Chapter 20: The Price Love Pays Zaldon had a cold. Again. It seemed that over the years, his body had been weakening severely. He had noticed it that third time Kel summoned him: his heart hurt a little when he arrived, but he...
Chapter 19: Too Much Truth to Handle
Chapter 19: Too Much Truth to Handle "Dad, you were right," Enya said in a low, bitter voice. She and Keeno were standing in the shade of a cluster of palm trees in the back garden. It was night still. The storm was fading, and the...
Chapter 18: Don't Leave Me
Chapter 18: Don't Leave Me Kel shielded Aliona with their sleeping furs as they ran together up the dark, torch-lit streets of the sun village. They had left the others on Yuri and Enya's doorstep after giving Yuri a brief greeting....
Chapter 15: Whisper My Name
Chapter 15: Whisper My Name The next night, after it seemed Nontikmah had gathered more strength, the group set out. The order in which they walked had now shifted: Nontikmah insisted on being carried by Kilyan in the very front of the...
Chapter 14: Out of Love
Chapter 14: Out of Love The world spun before Keeno's eyes and blood actually flew when Wynn, with a warrior's scream, socked her uncle a good one in the mouth. Keeno had succeeded in grabbing Wynn by the arm and yanking her around,...
Chapter 13: Impure
Chapter 13: Impure "I was the chosen one for that century," said Nontikmah, her blue eyes far away as she related her tale. "Dyzere took my paw, and together we traveled for weeks on foot. He led me out of the forest, down to the...
Chapter 11: With An Apple
Chapter 11: With An Apple Given Nontikmah's weakened condition, they set up camp that night within the shadow of the scared stones. Keeno stroked up a low fire, then he and Kel kept watch as Aliona and Kilyan worked to get food into...
Chapter 1: The Same Old Story
The Mating Season 5: The Final Chapter Part 5 of a six part series Chapter 1: The Same Old Story Fifty-six years old. Had time really passed so quickly? Kel entered the gloom of his bedroom - this shadowy room where he had...
Chapter 10: A Moment of Happiness
Chapter 10: A Moment of Happiness "I blame myself for this," Joli said in an empty shell of a voice. She and Zaldon were in the cemetery, a lonely place on a lonely hill just outside the moon village. Zaldon had already said his goodbyes to...
Chapter 54: The Golden Age
Chapter 54: The Golden Age Zaldon had a cold. Even though many months had passed since last summer's fiasco, the strain of the long journey through the northern forest, the mountains, and the meadows beyond (and not to mention all the screwing...
Chapter 48: The Trophy Son
Chapter 48: The Trophy Son Once Zaldon was awaken by the efforts of Kel and Julyan combined, he was able to magically transport the group back to the edge of the northern forest, just outside the summer village's gates. They made camp there,...