Jasper sits in the head of the boat, silently dipping his oar into the water, propelling us forward. His body doesn't move except for his arms, he doesn't look around at the scenery or me. And he doesn't speak.
I do my best to paddle on the other side of the boat, trying to keep us from going in circles, but I think my rowing technique may leave a lot to be desired. And my upper body strength for that matter.
The other canoe teams are ahead of us, most having disappeared around the river bend already.
My shoulder begins to ache and I moan slightly as I dip in my oar, struggling to pull it through the water.
"Change," Jasper says, breaking our silent standoff. He lifts his oar and switches sides. Fumbling, I hurry to do the same before we start spinning endlessly. I feel better in my new position.
Did he make the transition for my benefit? I doubt it.
As we glide along I start to feel calmer, like I left all my anxiety about Katie and Aisha back at shore. The wind gently caresses my face and we make our way around the bend.
After another fifteen minutes or so Jasper calls out again. "Change."
I do as my leader commands.
Finally, the silence becomes too much for me. I can stare quietly at amazing landscapes with the best of them but I can't pretend like we aren't out here together, as if we aren't the only two people in this boat.
"Are you really…" I say, my voice catching a little in my throat, "...vegetarian?"
I notice Jasper's posture shift like a bird ruffling its feathers.
"Yes."
"Oh, that's interesting." For most wolves it's a given that you eat meat. Hell, we crave the stuff. To be a vegetarian werewolf is almost unheard of and very difficult. It takes a lot of supplementary proteins to stave off the meat cravings. And a lot of discipline. That kind of willpower has always evaded me. "How...how long have you been vegetarian?"
"Since I was twelve."
"Wow, that's young. What made you decide to stop eating meat?"
Again, Jasper's feathers rustle.
"My mother was vegetarian."
"Right."
Everyone in the pack knows our former Luna, Alpha Jericho's mate, and Jasper's mom, died in a car crash six years ago. As a pack, we all felt the alpha's grief. It took a long time for things to feel normal after that.
"She was the daughter of Shinji Tanaka, right? The alpha of the pack in Tokyo?"
It's hard to tell from the back but I think Jasper clenches his jaw.
"Yes."
"I heard his pack was even bigger than ours. Have you ever been to Japan?"
Jasper lifts his oar out of the water and places it in his lap, huffing.
Have I offended him? It was probably not such a great idea to start talking about his mother and her family. But I was only trying to make conversation.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have…" "You ask too many questions," Jasper says in a whisper so low and gravelly it's almost impossible to hear him.
"Right, yeah, people do say that about me. I'll...stop. Sorry."
I resign myself to rowing quietly, keeping my mouth shut until we're back at the shore and I can find Katie to apologize.
The forest drifts by on either side. Grey, pebble-covered shores disappearing in the shadows between green pines. I wish I'd brought my sketchbook out for the trip. Although I would have been too scared to ask Jasper if we could stop anyhow.
"I haven't," Jasper says out of nowhere a minute later. "Been to Japan––I haven't."
"Oh."
I stare at the back of his head and continue paddling.
We row for another twenty minutes or so––enough time that my arms are seizing up––before we see the other canoe teams making their return to camp. I hope Jasper will see them and decide it's time for us to turn back as well. I've done more physical activity today than I have in the last sixteen years. But we pass the others and canoe onward for at least another ten minutes.
Finally, we come to a shallow area. The water underneath us is so clear and still that I can see the rocks on the riverbed and even spot a fish swimming past.
Jasper sighs. "We should head back."
He sticks his oar straight down, catching on a rock as I continue rowing, turning us a full 180 degrees. Now facing the direction of home, we start to make our way back.
The sun is starting to sink toward the horizon and everything has a fuzzy afternoon glow about it. The way back doesn't feel like it takes as long as the way out but my arms are about ready to fall off by the time the camp comes into view.
In my relief to see camp I stretch my legs and accidentally kick the spare life vest that's lying in the bottom of the boat. A mega creepy-looking spider scuttles out, making me gasp. Its long black legs are spindly and I freeze in terror.
Spiders are my worst fear.
This terrifying specimen is hurrying toward my foot.
"Ja-Ja-Jasper…," I stammer.
He exhales audibly like he's expecting another dumb question.
"Jasper, there's a...a...a…" "What is it?" he says, turning to face me. His sudden movement spooks the spider, which jumps from the bottom of the canoe right onto my leg.
Instantly, I'm on my feet trying to shake the bitey demon off. Jasper is shouting something about calming down but I'm panicking, I can feel its needly legs on my skin.
The boat is rocking like crazy and I've lost track of where the spider is on my body. I try to spin to see where it is and upset our balance. The canoe slips out from under my feet, flipping over, sending me and Jasper splashing into the water.
Fully submerged, I kick and thrash about trying to find the surface.
A hand reaches down and grasps me by my collar, hauling me up and out of the water.
Jasper hoists me into the fresh air and I gasp frantically trying to get as much air in my lungs as possible. Only when I feel like I can breathe again do I notice that Jasper isn't panicking at all. He's not even treading water. He's standing calmly, with water lapping at his chest.
I let my feet sink and find that I can stand too.
I risk a glance at Jasper and am met with the coldest, most unimpressed expression I've ever seen. The future alpha is soaking wet.
Droplets are trickling from his hair, dripping down his face. My lips twist into an apologetic kind of grimace.
"So tedious," he says.
Turning away from me, he takes hold of our capsized canoe and begins to walk it back in the direction of the boathouse. On the grass, a crowd of people is watching us, most of them look concerned for their future alpha. Aisha and Katie are laughing so hard they might wet themselves.
I shiver in the chilly mountain water and follow Jasper toward shore.
"I think you've been punished enough," Katie says, walking toward the alpha's lodge with her arm linked through mine. "That water is runoff from the mountains. It must have been freezing."
"It was, believe me," I say. After making my big splash I headed straight for the showers where I let scalding hot water shock life back into my body. And when I was done it was time for dinner.
"I'm still sorry," I say, thinking I haven't apologized enough to Katie.
"Look, you were excited by the shiny new plaything. I get it."
"And then you got stuck with Miss Overachiever as a boat buddy."
"We actually had a pretty nice time. Eleanor is cool when she's not forcing us to wear name badges. We should hang out with her more."
"Well, I'm glad you've made a new friend."
"Two new friends actually…" We head in through the back entrance, directly into the banquet hall.
The tables are laid with fresh centerpieces.
"Who's the other new friend?" I ask.
"While you were dunking Jasper, I got talking with Aisha. I hate to say it but she's even cooler in person than on stage."
"I wouldn't go that far…," I say, but we both know I'm only covering my ass.
"Come on, you think she's amazing." Katie bumps me sideways.
"You can say it. I mean it's not like you're going to end up mated or anything."
Both of us go quiet for a second, pondering the implications of what Katie just said, when Aisha herself wanders over. Both of us snap to attention like obedient puppies.
"Hey, guys!"
"Hi!" we say in perfect unison.
"Ready for dinner?"
"Yeah, we should probably find our seats," I say, trying to play it as cool as possible.
"Oh, no need," Aisha says, a wicked grin on her lips. "I pulled some strings and you guys are going to sit with me tonight."
"Oh, that would be amazing!" Katie says. "Which is your table?"
"That one…" Katie points to the long table at the head of the room.
"That's the alpha's table?" I say. "Only important wolves sit there."
"I'm friends with Jasper and now you guys are my friends...so I guess you're important."
"I don't think Jasper will be cool with me––" "Don't worry about Jasper," she says, taking Katie's hand and pulling her toward our new seats. "He's a big softy really."
We take our seats and I wait with an anxious ball of moths in my stomach until Jasper finally arrives. He enters the hall from a private doorway off to the side, accompanied by Olivia.
I try to take comfort in the fact that even though we're at the same table, I'm still separated from him by Katie, Aisha, and Olivia. Three women stand between me and the jerk who I threw overboard this afternoon.
Jasper–having not looked up once since entering the hall–reaches the table, twitching his nose like he's caught the scent of something repulsive. He flicks his head in my direction. Then just as quickly, he returns his gaze to the floor. He helps Olivia to her seat, then takes his own, never letting his gaze waver from his cutlery.
My fingers are trembling slightly and my stomach is wobbly like cranberry sauce from a tin.
Before dinner is served one of the older volunteers stands. His pale face is blotchy, his caramel hair curls into a bird's nest type arrangement on his head and he has a crescent moon tattoo under his left eye.
"That's Marcel," Aisha whispers, leaning into Katie. "He's the son of the High Priest. He's about to bless this year's festival."
The lights are dimmed as Marcel begins to sing in a haunting baritone voice.
Katie leans over with a look of amazement on her face. "The language he's singing in...I think it's Lupine."
"Whoa! I didn't think anyone knew how to speak it."
Lupine is the language our oldest ancestors spoke back in ancient times. I thought it was a lost language but apparently, it's not so lost.
Marcel reaches some lofty notes, and as his prayer reaches its crescendo the dull buzz of electric shutters starts to hum.
"Guys, look up," Aisha says, smiling.
We turn our attention to the ceiling, as two large panels slide back revealing a window. The night sky opens up above us, like a curtain of glitter.
And the moon...
To say it's beaming would be an understatement. one night away from the peak of its cycle–the moon is huge. Silver light illuminates the banquet hall, casting a shimmery glow onto the faces of every wolf in the room.
"Do you know what he's saying?" Katie asks Aisha, about Marcel's undecipherable prayer.
"He's asking the Moon Gods to look down on the faces of the unmated gathered here tonight and to bless them with a connection, a path between souls" Of course.
I tilt my head as far back as it will go and take in the luminescent wonder floating above. I close my eyes and it's almost as if I can feel it, the wisps of moonlight reaching down to kiss my cheek and my forehead.
Without meaning to, I turn my head to the side and open my eyes.
Unlike everyone else, staring moonstruck to the heavens, Jasper's head is bowed, his face covered in shadow. His whole body is tense.
Why is he acting so weird?
The prayer ends and the lights are brought back up, I snap my gaze to the ceiling.
Marcel closes out his prayer by saying, "May the Moon Gods light the path between souls."
Every voice in the room responds in kind. "May the Moon Gods light the path between souls."
My mouth makes the shape of the words but no sound comes out.