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Let’s Make a Deal
Huling Na-update:
2024-12-31 11:02:27*Isabella*
“You know that ain’t a fair price, Mac,” Harry says from the other side of the fence that acts as a corral. Behind him, a whole buncha cows are mooin’ and rushin’ around, stirrin’ up clouds of dust. Pa and him would be nose to nose if he weren’t so much shorter than pa. The negotiation seems to be breakin’ down.
I don’t like to listen to people haggle. Always makes me feel a little desperate and cheap, like maybe if I can’t afford what the fella’s askin’, I shouldn’t be buyin’, so I wander away, leavin’ Joseph and Uncle Tim with Pa. I see a young calf followin’ behind its mama, and it makes me smile.
“You like the baby cow?” a warm tenor voice says over my shoulder. “Think he’s cute? That’s what most girls think about, right? Not eatin’ ‘em.”
I turn to see a pair of cattle hands who
Kaugnay na kabanata
Alpha of Smoke Dawn’s Early Light
*Isabella*Broad strokes of soft orange light brush along the horizon, filtering through the trees and illuminating the world in a golden haze. I blink a few times, stretch, and then remember what today is. Arching my back, I bump my sister, who moans in protest.“Sorry, Alice,” I tell her, not even tryin’ to whisper. “It’s mornin’.”She reaches up to scratch her nose without even openin’ her eyes. “Let me be.”“Let you be?” I chuckle, climbin’ over her to get my day started. “Don’t you know what today is?”Robert’s voice is chipper as he announces he’s awake. “We’re leavin’ today, Alice. Gotta get up and get a move on.”With that, Alice comes around, sittin’ up in bed with her hair all tangled, her doll clutched to her chest. “We’re leavin’ today!” It’s no
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-01Alpha of Smoke Endless Trail
*Isabella*Over the last week or so, I’ve gotten used to the gentle rocking of the wagon back and forth as we slowly make our way across the prairie. From time to time, we’ll pass by a small town, and sometimes a few people will ride their horses in to see if there’s anything to trade.But for the most part, we’ve broken away from civilization already. It’s hard to imagine. We’re so far away from everything I’ve ever known, and in front of us sits a vast ocean of waving grass, the bright sun, and lots a critters that wanna kill us.Most of the day, I’m in my wolf form, runnin’ with the cattle. But Pa likes for me to stay with Ma and the younger kids whenever we get to a part of the journey that is a bit more dangerous. I tried arguin’ with him about it the first time he tried to run me off, but one thing I learned a long time ago is that it don’t make no sense to argue with Pa. I ain
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-02Alpha of Smoke Something’s Not Right
*Chet*“We thank you, Moon Goddess, for the blessing of this animal who has given its life to feed our people. Mighty bison, we thank you for the gift of your life, and we will honor you by using your strength as our strength.”My hunting party says, “Let it be so,” together in our Shaconage language, and then we open our eyes and prepare to move the mighty bison I’ve killed back to our village to be cleaned and processed. It is the fourth bison I’ve killed this week, and along with the kills from the other hunters from my pack, we have already claimed enough meat to feed our people through the winter.It’s a good thing, too, because this herd will be moving out of our lands soon, and then we will have to wait for another herd to come through, which might not be until next spring.With the crops we are growing that will be harvested this fall, we should be set for the harsh winter.&ldqu
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-03Alpha of Smoke Rogue Rescue
*Isabella*The rogue’s a grinnin’ at me like he just found his next meal. I stop dead in my tracks and stare at him, sizing him up. He’s way bigger than me, but he’s scrawny. I bet he ain’t as fast as me, and I bet he ain’t even that strong.Still, when he bares his teeth and growls at me, I think twice about going at him. Instead, I take a step back. He starts to chuckle a bit in the back of his throat, like he knows somethin’ I don’t.That’s when I smell another rogue somewhere nearby, and I have to wonder if he ain’t comin’ from behind me.Backing up is probably a bad idea. But I can’t go forward neither.‘Pa?’ I say through the mind-link. ‘I gotta problem.’‘Where are you, Izzy?’ he says back in that tone that tells me he’s annoyed. ‘Ma said you was on your way.’‘I was.’
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-04Alpha of Smoke Thank You Will Do
*Isabella*I lay on my back near the campfire, looking up at a thousand stars above my head. Behind me, I hear the lap of the river as it creeps up the shore and then retreats. I should be sleepin’; we have an early start again tomorrow, trying to get across this river before the sun climbs above us and turns uncomfortable to unbearable, but I can’t. My mind’s runnin’ wilder than a pack of stallions out on the range, and I can’t seem to rein my jumbled thoughts in.After Pa killed the rogues, we all rushed back to the cattle. Joseph and Andy had managed to keep them together, and we finished runnin’ ‘em to the river without any problem. I waited for Billy to come over to me to rub it in that he’d had to help me, but he hadn’t. I hadn’t said nothin’ to him either, even at dinner time when we was all gathered around eatin’ together. Now, I’m tryin’ to figure out what there is to say.Thank you seems like a good start, but I’m afraid when I open my mouth to say the words, somethin’ rude
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-04Alpha of Smoke Smoke
*Chet*The rising sun beats down, warming my dark fur as I rush across the open prairie. Mo, Kan, and Takoda keep up with me, but just barely. We left our packlands late yesterday and have been running all night. I don’t plan to stop running until I see Unega again.Yet, that feeling inside of me that something is absolutely wrong has died a bit. I still sense that she is in danger, but it is a slow ember burning in my gut, as it has been since the moment she told me she was embarking on this journey across the great ocean of grass. The prairie is every bit as dangerous as the sea, and here, sharks hide in every shadow.The scent of smoke hits my lungs, and I slow, lifting my head to take a deep breath. Something is on fire. I come to a stop and inhale a few more times. The scent of burning timber registers. This isn’t a grass fire. It smells like the forest after a lightning strike. But there is no forest near us. It has to be a struct
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-06Alpha of Smoke River Runs Deep
*Isabella*Tension is palpable as we stand next to the wagon on the edge of the river, listenin’ to Sanders and Burns bark out orders to everyone. It’s rained a good spell the last few days, and the river was too swollen for us to cross when we expected to.It’s irritatin’, bein’ here on this side of the water when we all wanna be on the other. Whenever I complain, Pa just tells me to get used to it. Such is life. It’s gonna be this way all along the path that leads to our new home, and that’s one a the reasons that wagon trains never make it on time.There are others–like everybody dies…. I try not to think on that one too much.The rain let up late last night. This mornin’ Pa and the alleged leaders of our group went out to check out the situation. Pa still thinks the water is too high and we oughtta wait. Sanders and Burns disagree. Since my pa ain’t actually in charge, he
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-07Alpha of Smoke The Acceptance of Drowning
*Isabella*Ma ain’t playin’ as she drives the horses across the river. Our wagon is probably the lightest of all of ‘em except for maybe Sanders’s which he emptied into other folks’s wagons to prove a point of how easy it is. Even with his luggage in the back, we are floatin across pretty easy. We don’t use the guide rope neither. Ma just keeps drivin’ until the horses can touch the ground again, and then it’s easy to drive them up the other bank, despite the steepness and the ruts in the ground.My pa has a distinct clap I can hear all the way across the river. Loud, booming, and methodical, it hits my ears, and I turn to see him standin’ near the cattle watchin’ Ma take the wagon up to join the other six that have already made it across. I let out a sigh of relief and hop down as soon as she pulls it to a stop.Fully expectin’ to see Genevieve’s family makin’ their way
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-08
Pinakabagong kabanata
Alpha of Smoke Journey's End
*One year later**Unega* A cool autumn breeze rustles through the valley as I step out onto the porch of our cabin, wrapping my shawl tighter around my shoulders. The sun is setting, casting the land in golden hues, the sky streaked with soft pinks and purples. Smoke curls from chimneys, the scent of roasted venison and fresh bread filling the crisp evening air.We made it.One year ago, this place was nothing more than an idea—a hope, a dream, a distant possibility. Now, it is home.Chet steps up behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. I lean into him, breathing in his scent—woodsmoke, leather, and something uniquely him. His warmth seeps into my skin, grounding me.“How’s he doin’?” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple.I glance down at the bundle nestled against my chest, our son wrapped snug in a soft wool blanket. His tiny body rises and falls with each peaceful breath, his little hands curled into fists. Takola.He is everything good in this world.“He’s finall
Alpha of Smoke All That Matters
*Chet*The fire rages, turning the sky into a hellish inferno. Smoke burns my throat, and searing heat licks at my fur as I weave through the battlefield. I can barely see through the chaos—wolves locked in combat, blood staining the dirt, rogues moving like shadows in the haze.And then, through it all, I see her.Unega.She lies on the ground, her white fur streaked with crimson, barely moving. The rogues have surrounded her."No. No, no, no!" My heart pounds like war drums in my chest.I lunge forward, tearing through the wolves in my way, my fangs finding flesh, my claws ripping through fur and muscle. A rogue snaps at my flank, but I don’t feel the pain. I can only think of her."Hold on, Unega! I'm coming!" I send through the mind-link.Nothing.Dread sinks its claws into me. The world blurs into a storm of blood and fire. I kill anything that gets between us, but the rogues are relentless. They seem to know what she means to me.I push forward, my vision narrowing to only her.
Alpha of Smoke Gone
*Isabella*October 1885 For nearly a month now, two Chyara warriors, Avoon and Hotoa, have been livin’ among us, huntin’ with our pack, teachin’ us new tracking techniques, and sharing stories around our fire. Their presence has been a comfort, but also a constant reminder of the warning their elders gave us—the fire wolves are near.I think back to the first time I heard the name spoken among the Chyara. When we traveled east to visit our friends, they did not hesitate to tell us of the rogue packs who use fire as a weapon against their enemies. The same wolves that Chet saw once before, burnin’ an entire village to the ground."They do not fight like normal wolves," the Chyara elder had said. "They hunt not just for food, but for destruction. They leave nothing but ashes behind."That alone was enough to make my stomach twist, but then the elder looked directly at Chet. "You have seen them before, have you not?"Chet’s jaw had clenched, his hands curled into fists at his sides. "I
Alpha of Smoke Thank the Moon Goddess
*Chet*Mo’s breathing is shallow. His once-powerful body lies limp on the ground, his dark fur matted with blood. The wound on his throat is deep—too deep. Unega’s mother, Reba, and my Luna are working frantically to stop the bleeding, but the life is draining from him too fast.I kneel beside him, my hands clenched into fists, helplessness clawing at my gut. He has been my brother in all but blood since childhood. I cannot lose him now."Mo, stay with us," I urge through the mind-link, but his eyes barely flicker.Unega’s hands are steady, her expression calm but focused as she applies pressure with a clean strip of cloth from Reba’s satchel. Her mother mixes a poultice from herbs she gathered weeks ago—yarrow, comfrey, and goldenrod. The scent is strong, bitter, but it will help."His pulse is weak," Reba murmurs, her brows furrowed. "We need to get the bleeding under control before we do anything else.""He’s lost too much blood," I say, my voice hoarse. "He needs time to heal, but
Alpha of Smoke The First Strike
*Chet* The alliance with the Chyara has been a blessing to our pack. Over the past several months, we have learned valuable lessons from them—about the land, the migration of game, and the dangers that lurk beyond our borders. The knowledge they have shared has made us stronger, but it has also opened our eyes to the reality that we are not alone in this vast wilderness.Tonight, we have invited them to join us around our fire. One of the elders, a small woman with long white braids, sits behind Alice, weaving her hair into a similar braid while sharing wisdom about the land.“You have settled well here,” she says, her voice calm but firm. “But danger still circles like a wolf on the hunt.”I glance at Unega, who stiffens beside me. “What does she mean?” Unega asks through the mind-link.The elder gestures westward, her dark eyes sharp. “There are others,” she says. “Wolves who have no home, no honor. They take what they want, destroy what they cannot. They do not fight for survival,
Alpha of Smoke Neighbors
September 1885*Isabella*Wyoming’s harsh land has slowly shaped itself into a home. It has been several months since we first staked our claim, and the settlement has transformed. The cabins, once just rough-cut logs stacked in hopeful piles, now stand strong, their stone chimneys curling with the smoke of warm fires. The scent of cedar and fresh-cut wood hangs thick in the air as the final few homes are being built.Autumn’s chill is creeping into the evenings, hinting at the winter to come. The fields we cleared in the summer now hold the first true crops—corn, beans, squash—thrivin’ under the wide Wyoming sky. What once was dry, cracked land now bursts with golden hues, swayin’ tall in the breeze. The hunters have done their part too, bringin’ in plenty of meat, dryin’ strips of venison and buffalo to last through the cold months.Everything is changin’—for the better.But despite all we’ve built, Chet and I know we need more than just strong walls and full stores to keep our peop
Alpha of Smoke Buffalo Hunt
*Chet*The rain has finally passed, leaving the land damp and rich with the scent of earth and renewal. The morning sun peeks through the dissipating clouds, casting golden light over our encampment. It is a welcome sight, one that signals a shift—a new beginning.As I step out of our wagon, the air is crisp, carrying with it the promise of hard work and progress. The storm may have disrupted our scouting efforts last night, but it also left behind the perfect conditions to resume building.I find Unega already awake, speaking with her father and a few of the men about the cabins we have begun constructing.“The soil’s soft now,” Pa notes, inspecting the ground. “It’ll be easier to get these cedar trees cut and the foundation set.”“We got lucky with that rain,” I remark, and Unega nods.“Lucky or blessed,” she says with a small smile. “Either way, I’m just glad it let up when it did.”“We should thank the Moon Goddess,” I agree. “She has watched over us since we left Tennessee.”The
Alpha of Smoke Bad Neighbors
*Isabella*The scent of sweat, dust, and blood thickens in the air, settlin’ heavy in my lungs. My paws press into the damp earth, muscles coiled tight as I follow Chet’s lead through the darkened forest. We are nearly done checkin’ our perimeters, but somethin’ feels off.Then I hear it—the distant clash of weapons, the guttural war cries of men locked in battle.Chet slows beside me, his massive black wolf blendin’ into the shadows. “Do you hear that?” he asks through the mind-link.“Yeah. And I smell ‘em, too.” The metallic tang of blood, the musk of too many bodies movin’ at once—it all comes together now.Takoda and Ginny, just behind us, tense at the same time.“Two groups. Both human,” Takoda confirms, his wolf’s ears twitchin’ forward.I peer through the trees, eyes lockin’ onto the scene just beyond the ridge. Firelight flickers against the wet bark of the trees, castin’ eerie shadows over the battlefield below. Warriors, fierce and determined, clash in the open space, their
Alpha of Smoke Escape
*Isabella*The scent of fresh-cut cedar fills the air as axes swing and saws cut through the sturdy trunks. The rhythmic thunk of wood hittin’ the ground echoes through the trees, minglin’ with the voices of our packmates workin’ together to build our new homes.It feels real now—this land, this future we’re claimin’ as our own.Chet stands beside me, sleeves rolled up, sweat glistenin’ on his skin as he directs the men on how to lay the foundation beams. The strength in his arms, the way his muscles move beneath his tanned skin, sends warmth spreadin’ through my chest. My Alpha. My mate. My future.“We’ll have the first cabins framed before nightfall,” he says, his tone full of certainty. “Once we have a few homes built, we can start work on a meeting hall and a proper cookhouse.”I nod, feelin’ the weight of what we’re creatin’ here. “It’s gonna be a beautiful place, Chet.”His eyes soften as he glances at me. “It already is.”I smile, restin’ my palm against a newly stripped log, b
