As Keva struggled to make sense of the elder’s words, Miella drew closer to the white wolf. So, you see, you’d be better off with the Council than with a lycan who doesn’t tell you the whole truth. Remember this, Keva. Even if you cannot change, the Council will take you in and teach you everything you need to know. You could help us ensure the world never discovers the lycan existence and destroys us. Her words insinuated themselves in Keva’s mind, twisting like snakes. New worries inserted themselves into her thoughts. What if the elder was right? Could Cian be lying to her, or keeping something from her?
Elder Miella smiled at Keva’s distress. You see, Keva? You’re not as sure about Cian as you thought. I suggest that you change form soon, and join us in the Council. It’s an honored place among the lycans. Cian will understand. With that, the tiny woman pulled up her hood and stalked past the stunned Keva right out the door. The boom of the door shutting echoed around the empty meeting hall, Keva stared at the door for a moment, still in shock. The simple problem of not being able to shift was now an even bigger problem.
Keva sat in front of the fireplace for hours, staring into the flames. When the fire finally began to die down, Kara finally found her. “Keva? I’ve been looking all over for you. Where is the elder?” Keva turned to look at Kara, a sad look in her eyes. Kara, was Cian with another she-wolf before he met me? Kara’s eyes widened and she looked ashamed. “I’m sorry, Keva. He told me not to mention it to you. The other lycan, Katya, was a low-level telepath. She and Cian dated for several weeks when she first joined the pack, but then the Council took her on a mission and she was killed.” Keva nodded. That’s exactly what Elder Miella said. She was trying to convince me to join the Council and leave this pack. Kara looked startled. “I didn’t realize the Council was actually recruiting telepaths. Why would they want you to leave?” Keva looked away, unwilling to reveal more about the others like her. I’m not sure, but something is going on here that is bigger than my own problems. Kara, I have to learn to shift before this week is up, or else I’m not sure what the Council might do.
On the fifth day since Keva arrived in the camp, the sky was gray and listless, much like Keva’s mood. Despite Kara’s insistence, she refused to see Cian, who was thoroughly confused and anxious about his lifemate’s change of heart. He paced the entire cabin until Liam got up and stood in his path. “Stop,” Liam said firmly. “If you want to find out what’s going on, I suggest you meet her in the wolf dream. Kara just sent me a message saying Keva fell asleep in front of the fireplace.” Cian’s eyes widened. “That’s a perfect idea! I knew I made you Beta for a reason,” he finished. Liam shook his head and left the room. Cian quickly undressed and climbed into bed, trying to relax so he could sleep. He was too tense to relax. He growled. Liam knocked on the door, and then came in with a cup of tea. “Here,” was all he said before he slipped back out. The tea had its desired effect, and Cian was soon drowsy enough to slip into the wolf dream.
The wolf dream was a perfect place for Keva to examine her thoughts and feelings. The quiet and calm soothed her anxious thoughts as she ran across fields filled with blue and white wildflowers. She ran through ancient forests where the tops of the trees were hidden by the clouds. She trotted through barren plains where the random shrub or tumbleweed crossed her path, until finally she arrived at a deep lake cut into the barren rock. Here, the soft twilight of the dream soothed her fears as she sat at the edge of the fathomless lake. Just as she had the past few nights, she gazed at her reflection. This time, despite the ripple-free, placid surface of the lake, her reflection was far too blurry to see clearly. Behind her, a deep voice spoke: “You do not know what you want, my love?” Keva flinched, and refused to look at him. In the water, his reflection showed up clearly next to her blurry form. She blinked at the strange sight, and then sighed deeply. “You loved another…before me,” she said quietly, but with an accusatory tone.
Cian’s reflection did not even flinch. “I did court another. Her name was Katya, but the Council discovered her gift and took her on a ‘mission’ that she did not survive. Keva, that was before you were even born. I never expected to meet my lifemate, but now that I have, I’ll never let you go.” Keva continued to look down at the water, where her reflection flickered, growing slightly clearer by the minute. “How can you simply forget someone you loved?” Cian shook his head. “The memories of Katya have faded over the years, but I only loved her with half of my heart. Keva, you have my heart and my soul in your paws.” With a deep breath, Keva turned to face him. A heavy weight seemed to lift from her heart as she looked into his eyes and realized he was totally sincere. “Then know that I love you, my Cian, and that I will never leave you.” He touched his nose to hers for a long moment, a deep sense of relief tugging at his heart. Finally, Keva broke the contented silence. “Cian, there is much I have to tell you about my meeting with Elder Miella.”
As soon as Keva had told him of the Council’s plans for her and the other half-lycans, Cian felt himself pulled from the wolf dream to wake in his bed. He bolted up and threw on a pair of jeans, bellowing for Liam. “Liam! Get in here!” His beta dashed into the room with alarm in his bright green eyes. “What? What is it?” He asked, his gaze darting around the room. Cian pulled on a t-shirt as he replied. “We’ve been fools, Liam. Wait until I tell you what the Council has been up to right under our noses.”
Cian, Keva, Liam and Kara held a powwow in the males’ spare room. Tension filled the air, and Keva’s firm seemed permanently stiff, raised around her neck and along her spine. So, telepaths are being snapped up by the Council for secret ‘missions’, and if they refuse to join, they’re ‘eliminated’, Keva summarized. Plus, there have been more half-breeds like myself that refused to join the werewolf packs. Miella said my cooperation was probably due to meeting Cian, she concluded, casting a loving look across the room at her mate. Kara frowned, her golden eyes glinting. “I don’t like this,” she said. “I think they’ve been trying to breed us, like cattle. Maybe they have been keeping us from each other so they can control who we mate with, in order to produce pups with strong talents.” Keva’s eyes widened as she considered the idea. You might be right, Kara. They’ve been manipulating all of the lycan packs across the country. Cian growled deep in his throat. “I doubt we are the only ones who have discovered their scheme. We should get word to the other packs immediately. Perhaps the time for a lycan reunion has come.” Liam nodded in agreement, green eyes flashing. “If anyone else knows, they’ve probably been blackmailed by the Council to stay quiet. I think that once we send our messenger, someone should confront our own pack’s Council member.” Cian nodded in approval. “Thank you for volunteering, Liam,” he said with a grin. Liam shook his head, a half-smile on his face. “Of course, my Alpha,” he said, with mock formality.
The group agreed, and Keva followed Kara back to their cabin. Kara was seething, her golden eyes sparking so much that Keva almost feared she would set something on fire. “I can’t believe they would do such a thing,” Kara said scornfully. “We’re not livestock. We’re sentient beings, for God’s sake! They’ve gotten too comfortable with their power. Keva, you have to shift soon, so that they won’t have another reason to take you. I think we’re going to need your special schemes to put a stop their scheme.” Keva nodded unhappily, but she felt determination rise inside her. I know. I am going to try tonight, in the spare bedroom. I cannot wait any longer. Kara’s eyes widened. “Great! I’ll grab one of my robes for you and bring it to you.”
Keva went to the spare room as Kara disappeared in search of a robe. The spare room was lightly furnished with only a small bed, a dresser, and a floor-length mirror next to the empty closet. Keva sat in the middle of the wooden floor and closed her eyes, clearing her mind of all thoughts. Her concentration was broken only for a moment as her pointed ears caught the sound of Kara approaching. Kara hung a fluffy white robe on a hook on the inside of the door, then left and shut the door quietly behind her, leaving
Keva in peace. Outside, the sun was just beginning to set, and the clouds from the day’s rain had thinned just enough to paint a purple and gold painting in the sky. Keva imagined that the sunset was the soft twilight of the wolf dream, and pictured her human half in her mind.
Reaching deep inside her mind, she called up all the reasons for her to change form: her love for Cian, her friendship with Kara and Liam, and her desire to spend the rest of her life with her new family. She imagined having hands, and two legs and two arms, and then let her mind drift.
An excruciating pain shot up her spine and she cried out from where she lay in a trance, but she welcomed the pain. The cracking of bones and her own whimpers reached her as the transformation rearranged her skeleton and adjusted her frame. Her fur shrank into her new skin and disappeared as long, pale blonde hair sprouted from her scalp. Her face flattened and seemed to melt into the face she had seen in her wolf dream. Her tail shrank as well, disappearing. Finally, it was done.
She lay on the floor, gasping for air. Her blonde hair fell into her face, and she reflexively brushed it away with her hand and then stared at her slender fingers in wonder. “I did it,” she said quietly, still shocked. A wide smile slowly appeared on her face. She braced herself with her arms and scooted across the floor until she was on her knees in front of the floor-length mirror.
Her bright blue eyes were recognizable as her own, as was the pale blonde hair that fell past her shoulders, soft and straight. She lifted a hand and touched her cheek, her lips, and then a lock of pale hair, marveling at the sheer amount of sensations that her fingers could process. She looked at herself in the mirror, examining her new body. Her breasts were round and firm, perfectly proportioned to her lean frame. A soft tuft of curly blonde hair covered her feminine parts, and she realized for the first time what it felt like to be truly naked. A red tint rose to her golden-skinned cheeks, and she braced herself against the wall as she stood on two shaky legs. Grabbing the fluffy robe, she fumbled with it until she nearly fell. Finally, she remembered seeing Kara put a jacket on, and mimicked her movements. Forgetting to hold on to the wall, she wrapped the robe around herself as she nearly fell flat on her face. Fortunately, her quick reflexes allowed her to catch herself. Pulling the robe closed to cover herself, she began to take short steps until she felt more confident walking on two legs. She giggled with glee, startling herself with the new sound.
“This is amazing!” Reaching out with her mind, she sent a mental shout at Kara. KARA! Come and see! The tall brunette burst into the room, just in time to catch a stumbling Keva. “Whoa there! Keva, you’ve done it! Cian will be so happy to see you in your new, gorgeous human body. You’re beautiful!” Keva felt another blush heat her cheeks. “Really? Oh, Kara… I can feel so much more with these hands!” Kara chuckled, a huge grin on her face. “It’s awesome, isn’t it? Wait right here, and I’ll find you some clothes.” She dashed off to her room, and Keva found herself sitting on the bed, feeling light-headed from the strangeness of the change.
Kara found a t-shirt and some soft pants and underwear for Keva, and took a moment to quickly call up Cian. “Hey! Get over here, now!” She hung up the phone before he could reply and then ran to help Keva dress. It was awkward, but Keva was finally dressed appropriately. She admired herself in the mirror, smiling at Kara’s ecstatic smile. “So, do you think we could go clothes shopping tomorrow?” Keva asked, teasing Kara. Kara’s grin grew even wider. “Of course! You’ll need a whole wardrobe. Plus, Cian is paying for it all!” Keva laughed, and startled herself again. “I’m still getting used to this human laugh,” she said with a chuckle. Kara laughed. “At least it’s not a snort, like before!”
The two girls giggled together until Cian burst into the room. He wrapped Keva in his arms, and Keva gasped at the sensation. “Oh, my love,” he whispered in her ear. “I was so afraid I might lose you. You are so beautiful,” he said as he pulled away to look her up and down. “Very sexy,” he said with a wink. Keva looked confused. “Sexy?” Cian looked at Kara with disgust. “Kara, haven’t you taught her what ‘sexy’ means?” Kara blushed under her brother’s glare. “Cian, I thought that was something you should teach her,” she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Cian’s laugh rumbled against Keva’s chest as he held her close. “I suppose that’s definitely something I could teach her,” he mused. Keva felt a strange instinct to hit him, so she smacked him. “Be nice to your sister, Cian,” she said with a warning glare. Cian burst out laughing, making Keva lose her stern look. “You are going to be a feisty one, aren’t you?” He winked at Keva, meeting her ice-blue gaze with his own gaze of molten gold. With an arm around Keva, he led her to the living room where they all sat down on the couch. He took Keva’s hand, and began softly playing with her fingers, and she turned blood red at the way it made her feel. She could hardly concentrate on the conversation as Cian and Kara began discussing Liam’s upcoming confrontation with Elder Garr.
“We aren’t going to try to blackmail him,” Cian explained, as he traced gentle circles on Keva’s slender hand. “Liam is going to explain that he overheard a conversation between two elders about others like Keva. Hopefully that will provide enough of an incentive to get the Elder thinking about it, at which point, you, Keva, will enter the cabin and read his thoughts to give Liam the leverage he needs to intimidate the Elder.” Keva looked startled. “Me? Why can’t you just try to get him to confess the scheme? Surely you know enough about it, from my conversation with Elder Miella.” Cian looked thoughtful. “Liam needs some leverage. He needs a way to prove he knows what he does. Otherwise, Elder Garr will simply laugh at his accusations.”
Keva chewed at her lip, until she realized what she was doing and stopped. “Wait, what am I doing? I’m trying to think!” Kara chuckled. “Keva, sweetheart, that’s a nervous habit that some humans have. Although it’s strange that you would develop it so quickly, it’s not unusual.” Kara’s befuddled look cleared into one of understanding. “Oh. I see. Well, I was trying to come up with a reason not to involve myself in this. But it seems that my skill is needed, as you predicted, Kara.” Kara smiled. “You’ll find that I’m usually right about most things, Keva.” Cian grunted. “Well, some things, at least.” Kara picked up a rubber band from the coffee table, and shot it at Cian. She missed, and it hit Keva in the face. Keva jerked, and stared at Kara in shock. Kara burst into laughter. “Oops! Sorry, Keva. I meant to hit Cian in the face, not you!” Keva recovered quickly and smiled. “I had no idea humans were so…violent,” she said. Kara directed an evil grin at Cian. “Mostly, it’s just brothers and sisters that are this violent,” she explained. “I’ll show you some videos about ‘sibling rivalry’ later.” Keva smiled at the brunette, sincerely glad she had made such a fascinating friend. “I look forward to it, Kara.”
“Great!” Kara said, and then focused her golden gaze on Cian. “Cian… now that Keva has managed to shift…she needs clothes,” she said bluntly. Cian grinned. “Tomorrow, you can take her shopping. I know how much you’ve wanted to.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled a credit card out of his wallet. “Here you go,” he said, handing it to Kara with a flourish. “Just don’t go crazy, okay?” Kara took the card with a glazed look in her eyes. “Wow. Keva, we are going to get you an awesome wardrobe,” she said with glee. Cian glared at her, and she wilted a bit, but not by much. “Cian, she needs a whole wardrobe! We’ll get some awesome deals, I promise!” He shook his head and chuckled, pulling Keva closer. Keva sighed deeply, marveling at the warmth that flowed into her. Human affection was much more demonstrative than wolf affection. “Anyway, back to the question at hand. Keva, will you join Liam in his confrontation of Garr?” Keva took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, I will. I have the feeling that I can catch Garr in any lie he tells.”
Cian’s credit card proved to be very useful the next morning, as Kara tried to convince Keva that having more than one outfit was absolutely necessary. “You at least have to have something to wea
r while the other outfit is being washed,” she said, exasperated. Keva looked doubtful. “Why can’t I just shift while my clothes are being washed?” Kara flinched, and then glanced around the clothing store, glad that no one was within earshot. “Try not to mention that in public, sweetheart. The truth is, you’ll be expected to be in human form most of the time. Besides, I think Cian will soon show you the benefits of being human,” Kara said with a wink. Keva blushed, and acquiesced. “Fine, let’s compromise. You want me to get seven outfits at least. How about five outfits?” Kara chuckled. “Fine, that should be plenty. I still think you need to get in touch with your feminine side. It’s a known fact that most women love new clothes.” Keva tilted her head to one side as she held up a flower-patterned blouse. “Hmm. Well, maybe I’m just more wolf than human,” she said under her breath. Kara glared at her. “I heard that,” she warned, despite the smile on her face.
Eventually, Keva approved five outfits that Kara had picked out, in addition to underwear, socks, and shoes. Keva did find shoes rather fascinating, despite the fact that she liked to feel the earth under her toes when she went running. She allowed Kara to purchase a pair of black pumps, a pair of sandals, and a pair of tennis shoes, but only because Kara insisted she have a pair of shoes for each “occasion,” as Kara called it. When the two girls finally made it home from the shopping mall, both were exhausted.
New Territory Page 4