Game of Destiny by Dripping Creativity novel Chapter 17

Game of Destiny

Chapter 17-1

Out of nowhere, Cadence suddenly burst forward and leapt onto me, wrapping me in a tight hug. The surprising force of the young pup nearly knocked me off balance, and I had to steady myself quickly.

“Cadence!” Finlay scolded sharply. “You can’t just tackle people like that.”

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” Cadence apologized, his big, sorrowful puppy eyes locking onto mine. “I was just so happy to see her.”

“It’s alright,” I reassured him, returning the hug before gently setting him down. “I missed you too.” I smiled warmly. “So, what have you been up to while I was gone?” I asked, settling in to listen as he eagerly recounted everything he had done. Finlay stood nearby, listening with patience.

“That’s quite a list,” I commented once Cadence finished.

“Are you going to stay this time?” the pup asked hopefully.

“Yes, I am. I just need to get all my things moved into my room first,” I answered.

“I can help!” Cadence offered eagerly.

Finlay grinned and reached into the car, pulling out a small bag. “Here you go. Be careful with it,” he said, handing it to Cadence. Then he grabbed a stack of boxes himself, and I took one as well. Medow and Sam joined in, each carrying a couple more boxes. Martin arrived shortly after and lent a hand too. Before I knew it, every pack member nearby had grabbed a box, and with only a few boxes available, everyone made just one trip. Soon, I was fully moved in.

“Thank you all,” I said gratefully as they neatly stacked the boxes in the corner of my room.

“I’ll see you later, Amie!” Cadence called, waving as he left.

“He likes you,” Finlay remarked knowingly.

“He’s such a sweetheart,” I replied with a smile.

“My aunt and Medow will drop by soon. I told them to give you at least an hour to settle in, but they’re excited, so don’t expect much more time than that,” Finlay informed me.

“I’m looking forward to it. And thank you for all your help,” I said sincerely.

“No problem. Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll see you at dinner,” Finlay said before heading off.

Left alone, I took a moment to gaze out the window. The view of the brook was peaceful and comforting. Taking a deep breath, I thought, I’m home. I found the boxes marked ‘clothes’ and began unpacking. Almost exactly an hour later, just as Finlay had predicted, Medow and Marta knocked on my door.

“Do you have a moment to sit down and go over tomorrow’s ceremony?” Marta asked politely.

“That sounds lovely. Come on in,” I invited. “It’s a bit messy right now, but we can sit at the table by the windows.”

“We were hoping you’d say that,” Medow said, revealing a basket filled with snacks. As I let them inside, she unpacked cookies, fudge, cupcakes, fresh fruit, and soccas onto the table.

“Tomorrow’s the big day!” Medow exclaimed, her excitement shining through. Marta smiled indulgently at her younger companion.

“You have to forgive her; she’s young and full of enthusiasm,” Marta said kindly.

“How could I not be? It’s been so long since we had a bloodening,” I laughed softly.

“I take it not many people seek to join the pack?” I asked. Both women shrugged.

“We haven’t ranked yet, which puts us at the bottom. Not many know about us, and those who do understand the risks of joining a low-ranking pack,” Marta explained. I nodded thoughtfully. Being a low-ranking pack meant constant threats from rival packs and rogues. Finlay and the pack had purchased their land when they needed new territory, which helped secure their position. But there were other ways to acquire pack land—sometimes by attacking another pack. While theoretically possible to challenge any pack, it would be madness to try against the top-ranked ones. They were stronger and had more allies. So the safer bet was to target lower-ranked packs.

“I understand,” I said quietly.

“The last to join was Gordon, but he didn’t need a bloodening since he mated Alicia. He chose to join us rather than have her return to his old pack,” Medow added.

“But it’s always a joyous occasion to have a bloodening. It will do the pack good to celebrate,” Martin chimed in.

“You haven’t planned anything too extravagant, have you?” I asked, a hint of worry creeping into my voice.

Chapter 17-2

“No, no,” Medow said quickly, waving her hand to dismiss the idea. I looked to Marta for confirmation.

“It’s a significant occasion,” Marta said gently. Then they walked me through the plans. If I had organized it, I might have scaled things down a bit, but I appreciated their enthusiasm. They had a point—this was something truly worth celebrating.

“How open do you want to be about your past?” Marta asked carefully. I sensed the deeper meaning behind the question—did I want people to know about my rejection?

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