LOCATION: Echo Acres hiking trails TIME: August Full Moon, any time before moonrise WHO: -CLOSED/CAPPED-
Returning to Lunar Cove just in time for a full moon was either going to be a blessing or a curse, and Nico didn’t expect any middle ground between the two. He’d made his way through addressing the pack—picking up on a lot of eyebrows and speculation as he did. Although, it really didn’t go as badly as he’d feared, and there seemed to be more relief on faces than there was doubt about his abilities. That all could change in a moment once the moon rose, though. For so long now it had just been him and Esha, out alone and doing their best to manage the changes wherever they were—hiding in caves in national parks, sticking to the edges of small towns, and on more than one miserable occasion they’d had to make do with a fortified basement or cellar. He was glad those days were behind him, but if someone was going to test his strength as Alpha, he feared that tonight might be their opening.
But he remembered a lot of the routine his mother had drilled into him like it was yesterday. A good Alpha, she would say, doesn’t just concern herself with how the pack functions on a full moon, but also secures the area before they change, to make sure no one wanders where they shouldn’t. The pack runs were reserved for their use alone, but it was important to double-check the surrounding area just in case. With that in mind, he approved scouts to head out to the various borders of the runs, checking to make sure the trails were well and truly emptied. They’d reported back a few stragglers, escorted them out to safety. Now he was making his own rounds, skirting the edges of the woods with his senses sharp. He picked up a scent, and walked towards it, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face as he approached a figure turned away from him. “Hey, there. I’m a volunteer with the park staff. These trails are closed for the night, do you need help finding your way out?” he offered casually. His mother had always said it was fine to frighten them a bit if it got the job done, but Nico wanted to avoid that if he could. It always left a sour taste in his mouth.
