Free Choices by Viola Rivard

having a frank discussion about these things with Alder. Not since the first war with Whiteriver had they been so open with one another and it made Hale realize that there had been a divide between them for some time. A divide which was now being inadvertently bridged by Taylor.
    As he spoke with his brother, Hale could tell that the future was no longer abstract to Alder. He was envisioning the life and the family he would have with his mate, and he was now considering how his decisions were impacting that.
    Though Alder didn’t know it, Hale was doing the same.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
    “It’s so adorable,” Taylor gushed.
    “It’s a quail,” said Fenix.
    “It’s so cute,” sighed Lark.
    “It’s just a quail,” said Glenn.
    The two males exchanged puzzled looks as Taylor and Lark fretted around the fence that contained the quail, which seemed oblivious to the fact that it had just been domesticated. It walked around its new home, pecking at the seeds Taylor had scattered for it.
    “Did you see any more out there?” Taylor asked.
    “No, but I’m sure I can find another one tomorrow. How many are you looking to keep?”
    “Two or three will be good for now,” she replied. “Once we’re sure we can take care of them, we can get more.”
    Taylor had spent a long time talking with Lark, telling the shifter about her life on the farm and then later, in the city. In turn, Lark had told Taylor about growing up in the valley and her late father, whom she spoke very fondly of. Time had flown by and when Glenn had finally returned with the quail hen, Taylor had forgotten all about her grievances over being left behind.
    “What are you going to name it?” Glenn asked, crouching down beside Taylor.
    “I’m not sure,” said Taylor. “We should think of a name that suits its personality.”
    Fenix scoffed behind them, but she ignored him.
    Insinuating herself between them, Lark said, “Well, she mostly just pecks at the ground. We should name her Pecker.”
    Taylor and Glenn promptly burst into laughter and even Fenix chuckled. Lark looked between the three of them in confusion.
    “What?” When they didn’t stop laughing Lark glared at them and crossed her arms. “Well, I didn’t hear any of you coming up with suggestions.”
    After explaining it to her, they decided to keep the name, if only to immortalize Lark’s humiliation. As the sun began to set, the howl of the hunting party could be heard in the distance.
    Even if they’d wanted to get out of it, Fenix had been sentenced to a week of a cleaning, which he seemed to believe was all their fault. They followed him to the river, resigned to the fact that they had no good reason for not helping.
    There was a small crowd of pack mates waiting at the river. Taylor spotted a blonde head and for a moment thought that Beka was making a rare appearance, but upon closer scrutiny realized that she didn’t recognize the shifter.
    The blonde stood next to Holly and appeared to be uncomfortable. A line of worry creased her brow, emphasizing the vulnerability in her youthful face. She was attractive, Taylor thought, though next to Holly, who was a straight-up babe, the blonde seemed more cute than beautiful.
    “Who’s she?” Taylor whispered. They were still a good distance from the crowd, but Taylor was beginning to learn the shifters’ auditory ranges.
    Lark followed her gaze. “I dunno. Never seen her before.”
    “That’s Tulip,” Fenix said, keeping his voice low. “She defected from Whiteriver.”
    Taylor glanced over at him. “How come?”
    “At this point, just about anyone would defect from Whiteriver if they thought Halcyon would take them back,” said Fenix. “Shit’s bad over there.”
    Glenn added, “I hear all they have to eat are frogs.”
    Taylor cringed, remembering her trip through Whiteriver territory and the frog leg dinner she and Alder had partaken of.
    “You don’t say…” she mumbled.
    Fenix said, “I give it another month