by Lane Whitt
Flanked on either side of our group by the faster, more agile changed wolves that have adapted to our ragtag pack, I respond to our Alpha’s howl with my own, adding my voice to our song. With their superior strength, the changed wolves decided to add a layer of protection for the born wolves to run inside of, where all female wolves and children stay in the middle of. Except me, of course. No one stops me from bouncing back and forth from where my mates run in different spots, so I figure I’m allowed to do this. I especially like easing my way into the group of kids, feeling their excitement as their Luna joins them. They like to chase, pushing themselves harder to keep up with my slightly longer strides. We take our cues from them when it comes to setting the pace. We’re only as fast as our slowest or, in this case, youngest wolf. Remy leads the pack from the end of the line, behind the children, calling out information to the front where my grandfather runs with some of our older wolves.
When the children begin to slow, getting tired during our long run, the pace slows further as we circle back for home. I’m mostly trotting now, jumping over a line of shrubbery to join our protectors on the left, running with them for a while. They dwarf me in size, making it easy to run right under them. It’s fun.
As we near the house Jace’s golden wolf finds me, herding me out of the line and away from everyone else. With a call for Remy to let him know we’re breaking away, he challenges me to a race, taking off ahead of me and heading for the stream that feeds the crops. I push myself as hard as I can, not even coming close to keeping up.
I huff and pout when I reach him, hating that I lost. His eyes dance with amusement as he trots over to join me on a warm rock that I think I’ll claim as mine. It’s a good rock.
Jace nuzzles my neck, standing over me and surrounding me with more pheromones than I know what to do with. I eventually give in to him, not able to hold a silly grudge over the lost race against my golden mate in all his maleness.
Exhausted and sated in the sunshine, I’m further impressed when Jace returns to me with a sheep with antler things on its head. We take our time feasting, loving, lazing about, and splashing in the stream until the sun begins its descent in the sky.
On the slow jog home, I decide that my guys and I need more days like today. At least every now and again. Days like these are what all the crazy, stressful days are about. What we work for.
Chapter Eighteen
“Are you nervous?” Finn asks, standing beside me as we peek through the curtains at the back of the stage, watching as the seats in the lecture hall fill up.
“Who, me? Nope,” I respond, my voice a little too high-pitched. “You?” I shoot back.
“Nope,” he answers on a gulp.
I meet his mint-green eyes and we share a smile. We’re both liars.
“Just so we’re clear, there will be no threatening anyone today.” Remy gets our attention, pulling us away from the curtains and over to the rest of them, where we’re huddling apparently. He gives me a pointed glare as he says this, though I don’t know why I’m being singled out.
I stick my tongue out at my Alpha as the guys go over our talking points once again. Since we called this meeting, we agreed to try to keep the peace with the other packs, our goal today to keep the conversation on track.
“Should we go take our seats now?” Reed asks.
“I don’t know where we’re going to sit, since there’re more people in attendance than we planned for. Some packs are Alphas only, but quite a few of them brought anyone who wanted to come. We even have more changed wolves that showed.” Finn tells them what we’ve observed so far.
“Shit. We should get started then, before anyone has the chance to pick a fight over a seat,” Jace says hurriedly. He’s right, but I really don’t want to.
“Why do I have to talk first?” I pout. When Finn talked about the lecture hall, I didn’t anticipate having to stand on the stage with so many people staring down at me. I feel like they’re all waiting for me to make a mistake.
Remy takes me aside as the rest of the guys leave to join the others in the hall. “Love, you’re going to do wonderfully. Just be your usual confident, bulldozer self. You’ve already spoken to most of these people and they listened to you.” He wraps his arms around me, squeezing tightly.
“You think it’ll be okay?” I ask nervously, biting my lip.
His steely eyes bore into mine. “I believe in you, Kitten. You have this. I promise. I’ll be right beside you,” he tells me seriously. I lean up and quickly kiss his lips.
“Thank you. I needed that,” I say with a smile, though it must come off as a grimace if his chuckle is any indication.
Stepping out onto that stage is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. As my heels click across the smooth surface to the podium all conversation ceases, eyes turning to me. I know most everyone in this room can hear my erratic heart as it attempts to beat out of my chest, but I smile nervously at them anyway.
With one last glance over to Remington, who stayed at the edge of the stage, still visible, but noticeably allowing me to lead, I begin the small speech Jace and Finn helped me with. “Thank you all for coming. I appreciate the effort everyone made to be here today, and I hope those efforts will lead to a more unified way of life for us all before you leave.”
“You said you have information on a cure for our females. That’s why we’re here,” a man shouts from somewhere near the middle of the room.
“Uh, yes. We’ll get to that. The purpose of this gathering is to open discussions on matters that affect us all. Would anyone care to start us off?” I smile at the crowd, seeing a few people beginning to rise.
“Yeah, yeah. Sure, peace and shit. If you’re holding back information that could save our race, then…” the same guy starts in.
I interrupt him quickly, shutting him down. “You,” I point at him, leaning over the podium. “will hold your damn horses.” Remy’s at my side in an instant, trying to calm me down. “What? He’s being rude.” I frown.
“Yes, Love. I know. Diplomacy, remember?” he whispers in my ear.
“Oh, yeah? You going to make me?” Rude Guy keeps at it.
I turn from Remy, a snarl leaving my lips. “Yeah. Me and everyone else in this room who truly want change. Don’t get it twisted, sir. My pack and I have plenty to offer the rest of you, but if you have a mind to take and give nothing back then you’ll find yourself on the short end of my very short patience. We’re here to work together. Anything less, and it’s all for nothing.”
There’s some grumbling and even a few claps throughout the gathering, but either way Rude Guy sits down and shuts up. “Now,” I continue. “please, let’s begin the conversation.” I point to the first person who stood before the drama started.
The older man clears his throat. “Yes, thank you, Princess Ivaskov. My name is Theodore Cavalli, Alpha of the Italian pack. Pleased to meet you in person.” He introduces himself.
I shake my head with a smile. “You don’t have to address just me, Alpha Cavalli, and it’s Luna now. My pack has restructured. Would you care to join me on stage?”
He blinks at me several times, looking at a loss for words. Huh, so that’s what that looks like when someone else does it. “You…you restructured? Just like that?” He sounds dumbfounded.
“Well, yes. Given the very dramatic shift in power my pack went through, and the new dynamic my mates and I created, we thought it best to change the rules, starting at the top,” I explain.
Alpha Cavalli moves to join me at the podium. He reaches out a hand for me to shake, teeth bared in a wide smile. “That’s good news to hear, Luna. Now I know you are serious about these changes you speak of. I’d like to first discuss the territory implements your invitations spoke of.”
I nod and take a step back as he addresses the crowd. I make my way over to stand next to Remy as the man speaks. “While I agree with the Ivaskovs’ idea that a pack should only mark off territory that they can hold and defend, I have
two questions that I’d like to discuss today. The first being what happens to those of us who do not wish to give up territory? My pack is more than capable of holding our lands, and wish to hold on to them. The other issue is what happens with the proposed territories this new mandate would open up. Would that not make it easier for our enemies to rally closer in the event of an attack?”
I go to answer him but Remy holds me back, shaking his head and nodding to the crowd, who starts to respond. Their interests are now piqued. Oh, I get it. Let others interact. Right.
When the discussion turns into punishments and penalties for those who won’t release any territory, Remy nudges me to join in again. “It was never our intention to force any pack to release land. Our own pack will be releasing quite a bit of land to free territory so that any wolf has a right to visit and vacation at will. The idea was so that wolves would feel free to mingle and experience other cultures and customs.”
“So, you’re saying we don’t have to decrease the size of our territories?” a young man in the back asks for clarification.
I walk to the podium, sighing. “Look, I don’t personally think it’s a good idea to speak on terms of forming a ruling government over us all. I don’t think that would work for us as it does the humans. It only seems reasonable to release what you don’t need and what doesn’t benefit you. If it does benefit you, and you need it, then don’t release it. There are other ways of mingling and allowing others into your territory. I’m not looking to police anyone or change anyone’s belief systems.”
People sit forward, waiting for me to say more, so I do. “I think we should all ask ourselves what benefits we could gain from being connected and on friendly terms. Do we lose anything? Personally, I don’t think we do. What could the Ivaskov pack gain from the rest of you? Well, knowledge for one. What if your histories don’t match up with ours? Could we benefit from exploring those? Yes; yes, we could. Could some of my pack members be fated to mate with some of yours? Probably. That would mean less loneliness for my wolves, and yours. That’s a benefit. As it stands now, those wolves would never have an opportunity to meet. We’re too closed off from one another.”
“And where would these fated mates reside? Which pack would lose a member and the other gain? Some of us don’t have as much to offer as others. Would this not cause conflict when a valuable female is lost from a pack?” someone asks.
“All wolves are valuable, sir, but those are the issues I believe are personal and should only be dealt with within the group of people it affects. Making a rule or a law on this matter in a generic, all-encompassing way would only lead to many misunderstandings. If fated mates are found, then the two wolves and their Alphas should work the matter out themselves. The main focus should be that two, or more in my case, wolves don’t have to live out lonely existences. Is that not worth anything that may come after it? Do you not believe it could be worked out?” I ask.
I leave the podium again, letting everyone speak up and share their opinions. Only a few people seem to be negative toward everything brought up. I know without a doubt that those people will never be satisfied with anything, but the overwhelming majority appears more than ready for some changes, and almost all seem open to at least talking it out. I jump in when I want my opinion heard, as does Remy, which leads to some of the lone wolves and changed wolves feeling comfortable enough to lend their voices to the discussion. I couldn’t be happier with how this has turned out. I had thought this would be a more formal affair, and in hindsight maybe the speaking platform was unnecessary, as people speak up right from their seats. Oh well, they’re still talking it all out—probably for the first time in history.
Eventually the naysayers keep quiet, getting out-voted almost every time they open their mouths. All kinds of things get brought up, things I never even thought of, or would have thought of. At one point, a ceasefire was voted on to end all ongoing conflicts, a new slate being given in light of how the Alphas plan to implement changes that would render the past irrelevant. At another point, two neighboring packs agreed to merge and pool resources. I don’t know how that will work, but it sounded good, and it’s their right to do so. As the talks progress, only one thing bothers me. A large majority of the crowd wants to form a ruling government. It’s like any new topic always seems to circle back to that.
When the night seems to be coming to a close, I motion for Finn and Kellan to join me at the podium. I introduce them and then step aside so they can say what they have to say. Finn speaks first, laying out his idea of a school for all wolves that would also serve as a research institution. He actually gets a standing ovation when he finishes, the only person to receive one all day. For someone who doesn’t like public speaking, he sure does a fine job of it. There wasn’t one naysayer to what he was offering. Remarkable.
Finn’s speech ends with setting up Kellan for his. Where Finn spoke of the possibilities for many research fields, Kellan focuses on targeting illnesses that affect born wolves and combatting them, initiating standard healthcare procedures once they’re able to determine the causes and effects. He leads up to what we’ve learned from the Australians and where we hope to be with the cure in the upcoming years. He circles back to Finn’s idea of having the best and brightest of us all working together at the institute to speed along the process. I feel the crowd’s disappointment that we don’t already have the cure, but I also feel their hope that we’re so close to getting it.
Both men do an excellent job of pointing out just how much we can accomplish when we keep open minds and work together. They really bring the point home. Maybe we should have started with my twins.
“I believe that only leaves us with one last issue, Luna.” My South African friends take the podium, Alpha Jubulani and his mate Lindiwe standing tall, hand and hand.
I smile at them. “Yeah? What’s that?”
“A vote for a leader,” the Alpha says with a wicked smile.
I roll my eyes playfully as I join him, since he seems to want to include me in this discussion personally. “As I said, I don’t think we need one. I believe in the Alphas in this room. With enough practice, we’ll all learn to handle any situation that may need governing.”
Alpha Jubulani smirks at me before turning his attention to the crowd. “All in favor of a small panel to solve disputes and handle only issues that involve all wolves?”
A resounding “Aye” choruses from the crowd. I sigh my disappointment. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea. Bossing Alphas around will only lead to rebellion and trouble.”
“I guess we’ll need someone strong, righteous, and morally sound sitting at the head of the table then,” he says pointedly, in my direction.
My face pales and I step back on a gasp. The crowd chuckles and hoots in laughter at my reaction.
“Luckily, I know this little white wolf that’s bossier and stronger in her convictions than most Alphas I know,” he jokes. The crowd gets to their feet, clapping and shouting in approval, even as I shake my head in a firm no. “All in favor?” he asks them.
Instead of the “Aye, or Nay”, which is weird, by the way, the room takes a knee as one, bowing in unison.
“I think, little Luna, the majority has spoken. We want you at the head of that table. A reluctant leader is always the best leader. Chose your panel wisely, lead us faithfully, and guide us on this path of change with your pure heart and capable mind.”
I stare at him, mouth hanging open, hand pressed to my chest. My eyes roam over the crowd, still on their knees, looking to me for an answer.
Oh, God.
Oh, no.
How did this happen?
My eyes flick between my mates, wishing one of them would tell me the right thing to say right about now. “I… uh… I’ll think about it?” I squeak out.
Clearing my throat I try again, stronger this time. “I’ll take it into consideration. I’m a new mother with six children at home and a pack that needs me.”
Lindi
we takes my hands in hers, speaking gently. “We understand that you already have many responsibilities. This council doesn’t have to be a fulltime job. You could always delegate as well. There simply isn’t another wolf that we’d rather have in this position.”
“Yeah!” a man in the crowd with a European accent agrees. “It was you who reached out to all of us. You who convinced the Alphas of the world to gather here today. You handled the Australian pack, discovered your father’s success with the cure, and have changed the tides for all changed wolves. Like it or not, you’ve been leading us already. If not you, then it is no one.”
“I did none of that alone,” I quickly correct.
“Exactly,” another man in the crowd speaks up. “You take those around you and make them believe in you enough to follow your lead. Is that not what a great leader does?”
Well, then.
“I will consider this. I promise. I don’t have an answer for you tonight, but I will think carefully on this,” I press, moving back in front of the podium. I grasp the edges tightly. “I want to thank you all for coming. I think we’ve really made some progress here today, and we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you in attendance. Stay in touch with each other, reach out if you need anything or have any questions. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon, my friends.” I smile tightly, walking quickly to Remy as clapping ensues once again. We wave as people start making their way out, the rest of my mates catching up to us as we head for the back exit.
“Well, that was…” Logan starts.
“Don’t,” I interrupt, my heart still beating harshly in my chest. “I’m not ready to talk about what happened back there.”
“She truly is a queen, isn’t she?” Logan whispers to presumably Tristan or Jace.
I shake my head, pretending not to hear him.
That’s just it, I’m really not.
Chapter Nineteen
Finn