Mage And Wolf
Chapter 266

Chapter 266: Chapter 266

This is the quietest meal I’ve had since arriving in the pack. Everyone is so exhausted by the all day training that they’re barely speaking, the only sounds in the room are the clinking of cutlery and a few people who seem to have problems chewing with their mouths closed.

The children ate earlier so the small tables are unoccupied tonight, and all my Companions are either busy or exhausted. Lala and Lelou have already gone to bed, run ragged by over excited werewolf pups all day long while every parent was training.

They’re both pretty high energy, but not ’dealing with 50 hyper werewolves who want to know the answer to everything at the same time’ type energetic. The pups are getting used to the new species though, so the questions are less repetitive and more interested in the world in general instead of just their caretakers.

Hui’Jin spent the afternoon with Cedar and Nibbles, getting them introduced to the basic technique after they woke up, as they were already behind the packs training schedule for the day.

Their cultivation bases stabilized amazingly given the limited time. Nibbles is pretty weak for a Core Formation cultivator though, an unforeseen downside of the technique I used to advance her. When we did it with the mages and Hui’Jin, they had an Elemental to merge with. Without the Elemental, it definitely creates substandard Core Formation cultivators, almost like a mid to late Condensation Realm Cultivator with a Core.

That will be one of the first things we work with, building up her power until she meets the standard I expect. It’s still possible for her to catch up, just not easy. She’s a ways ahead of Cedar though, who had a damaged body and very little to work with when I began the process, but it won’t be an easy path forward for the Alpha’s daughter either.

They’re starting with unarmed combat, since most weapons here are simply too large for them, and I don’t want to take them down a totally different path from the rest of their pack.

"Alpha Katrina, I think your Assistant is trying to kill us. I’m exhausted." Nibbles says, flopping on to my lap just as I’m finishing dinner.

"Well, if you’re exhausted, I guess you don’t have the energy for dessert do you?" That’s the motivation she needed. I can tell she can barely move her limbs, but she’s managed to drag herself up into the empty chair beside me in hopes of getting something sweet.

I can see her mom sending a disapproving look our way, and I suspect the girl has already had both dinner and dessert, so I had better double check.

"Your mom is giving us the look. Did you already have your dessert?"

"Mom doesn’t approve of sweets, so I’m not allowed to have dessert. But if I just pretend I don’t see her, I’m sure it will be fine." Nibbles whispers back, but not low enough that the werewolves next to us can’t hear it, causing some scattered laughter.

"Suzanne has anyways been ultra strict with her kids. The older two both found their mates in Alpha Gregory’s pack and I’m not sure they’ve ever called home since."

I don’t know where that is, but I don’t see a mate with her either, so poor Suzanne must be trying to keep hold of the one thing she has left, her youngest daughter. Life after the apocalypse hasn’t been easy on her, that’s for certain.

"If your mom says no sweets, you should listen. You don’t want to get in trouble when you get home do you?" The man next to us says, just loud enough I’m certain Suzanne can hear, since she starts to relax. She’s such a stickler for rank and propriety that she’d never say a word to me, but I’m sure Nibbles would catch an earful.

"You look beat, I’ll carry you up to bed." I laugh as she slumps over the table.

"The family house is so far though. Carry me?" She asks with a hopeful look.

"How about you come to my room and I’ll supervise your cultivation. You’ve got to work hard if you’re going to catch up." I decide instead. It’s a good excuse not to go all the way home, and she does need the help.

I’m staying on the second floor of the pack house tonight, in a suite with the rest of the group. They’re already there with Cedar and two other girls about the same age, five or six years old, everyone in their pajamas watching cartoons on Lala’s tablet.

"One more for the pajama party. I’ll go get us changed." I smile at Lelou, before bringing Nibbles into my room to change. There’s a bunch of generic gray shirts and assorted underwear and pajama bottoms in children’s sizes, so the others must have just grabbed a bunch of new stuff from the creation circle earlier. That’s a big relief, because other than putting her in an oversized shirt, I don’t have much for a girl her size.

I throw on one of Karl’s button up formal shirts as nightwear, and get Nibbles dressed, grabbing the stuffed wolf she was cultivating with earlier and bringing it with us. There’s snacks in the other room, little cakes, sandwiches and cream puffs, making Nibbles give a half silenced squeal of joy. Her mom isn’t here to interfere with late night snacks like she did with dessert.

What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, I’m sure.

By the end of the second Disney movie all the girls are asleep. Not cultivating, just out like a light and snoring and I realize we’ve all obtained our own cuddle buddy, passed out on top of us. So much for extra training, but they still need their sleep, they’re growing children.

"What are the plans for tomorrow? More of the same?" I tease Lala.

"Now, big plans for tomorrow. We’re organizing a decorating mission for the families building. Getting all the kids together to create art for the common areas." She says happily.

The pack specializes in Dream Catchers and traditional bead work. So they’re going to do that, and the older kids will be making some moccasins to replace pairs that were damaged. The ones from the Creation Spell that Karl programed don’t have any decorations on them.

That’s a good plan, I could use some new comfy slippers.