by Jeff D Ellis
“Mark’s father, the Alpha, was murdered, and we suspect his brother, who will be the next Alpha, is involved. Mark is going to be torn between doing what is right and submitting to his brother.”
“That is interesting, but what does it have to do with us?”
“I talked with Sin-ka-lip' and he gave me another option.”
“The Sin-ka-lip'?”
“He said he was Coyote but seemed to prefer Sin-ka-lip'.”
Maggie shook her head. “I am not sure if I should be happy or concerned you met him. He is called the Trickster for a reason.”
“That is what David told me as well. He offered to make Mark a Coyote in exchange for us raising our children to honor him and rebuild the Coyotes in the tribe.”
Ted touched his chin. “Interesting, what did you want to ask us?”
Chloe looked at him. “Do you think Sin-ka-lip' can actually do it, and would you accept Mark as one of your own if he did?”
Ted took a moment and answered. “It has never been done before, but if anybody could, it would be Sin-ka-lip'.”
Maggie glanced at Ted and said, “I am one of the tribal Elders and if Sin-ka-lip' commanded it, we would make him a full member of the tribe and treat him as one of us. It would take a vote, but none of us would go against Sin-ka-lip'.”
“Would he really be treated as one of you, or would the others still see him as the Wolf he was?”
“If Sin-ka-lip' actually changed Mark into a Coyote, then we would all know it and his past would be no more. If Sin-ka-lip' wanted him to unite the Coyotes in the tribe, we would follow him.”
“Are there many Coyotes in the tribe?”
“They have been scattered to the wind. If a young leader were to call them, they would come.”
“What do you think of Sin-ka-lip's offer?”
“We need fresh blood and direction to rebuild our kind. It was a loss when your mother mated with a Vampire.”
“Your advice would be to accept the offer?”
“It is your decision, but if you care for your people, accept.”
***
If her grandparents were right, the offer was real and it would be the right thing to do for the Coyotes in the tribe, but would it be right for Mark? She still had one more stop she wanted to make.
“Hi Onyx, is Greta busy?”
“Hello, Chloe. Let me check.” Onyx looked down at her screen. “She can see you now. Go right on in.”
Greta looked up from some book she had been writing in. “Please take a seat.”
Chloe sat on the edge of one of the guest chairs.
“What can I do for you today?”
“A situation came up and I wanted your advice. I am worried Mark’s brother is siding with the Russians and Mark will be forced into a decision. I am not sure Mark is ready to fight his brother for control and am worried Sam would kill him if he tried.”
“I think we would both be surprised by what Mark can do.”
“I expect you have thought through how the different outcomes will impact the Clan.”
“I have. If he submits to a puppet of the Russian Vukodlaks, we must sever all ties with the Pack and him. For your own safety, I would need you to leave Mark.”
Chloe swallowed hard. “What if I can convince him to leave the Pack?”
“I will support you both in any way I can, and will continue using your skills to protect the Clan. You would both be given a higher level of trust in protecting us from war with the Vukodlaks. I think I made this clear when Mark was with you in our last meeting.”
“What if Mark and I were transformed into Coyotes?”
Greta looked Chloe over from head to toe. “Now I see it! You have been meeting with the old gods. It does not matter if Mark is a coyote or a wolf in my employ.”
“And if somehow it also involved me losing my Vampire nature?”
Chloe fidgeted in her chair as Greta thought it though.
“I didn’t expect that outcome, but will not stand in the way of the old ones. You still have a lifetime of experience being one of us and can still serve your purpose here. While you would keep the current job, you would not continue to rise up in the Clan.” Greta paused and looked Chloe over sadly. “I knew you were destined for something special, but I didn’t think it would be outside the Clan.”
That gave Chloe more to think about. It looked like it would come down to someone making a sacrifice. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. This was one time she wished she did not have to talk to Onyx on her way out.
“Chloe, what’s wrong?”
“Everything will be fine, but things are moving faster than I can process them. I would love to stay and talk but I have to meet Mark.”
Onyx gave her a hug. “It’s all right. Remember I am here for you.”
“Thanks.”
Chloe looked down and tried to hide her feelings from Onyx on the way to the elevator. One way or another, her world was about to change.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Decision Time
MARK HAD FINISHED checking with his people and seeing where things stood. It was time to meet up with Chloe and compare notes. He arrived back at the house and saw she hadn’t made it home yet. It gave him time to think. The people he had placed in the Clan jobs were all happy to be working again. They were mostly the people the Pack didn’t have the ability to employ, and were grateful for the chance to earn real money for their families. The old guard that had been working on Pack jobs under Sam for years were acting like they resented the Vampires and were teasing Mark. They implied he had a pet Coyote, and was not man enough for a real Pack woman. They would never have said those sorts of things to his face when his father was alive. They would have said it behind his back, but would have tried to look respectful the rest of the time. Mark was getting the feeling Sam fostered this attitude in his people. Things would not get any better when Sam was Alpha and Greta pulled the funding. At that point, his guys would join in with the others in hating Vampires and Chloe in turn. Mark was facing an impossible decision.
“Hello, I’m home!”
“I’m in the living room.”
Chloe came in and sat across from Mark. “How did things go?”
Mark filled her in on his day. When he told her about the teasing, it felt like a darkness was falling over Chloe.
Chloe recounted what happened with David and Sin-ka-lip'.
Mark could tell she knew what was at stake. “So you are suggesting I leave everything I have ever known and what? Become a Coyote?”
“I am asking you to honor your commitment to me, and join me as the new leader of the Coyotes.”
“What if I stayed and fought Sam for Alpha?”
“Do you think you can kill your brother? And then what? Can you beat each of his people one by one who would also challenge you?”
Mark could not look her in the eyes. “You are right. Even if I won the challenge, his people would wear me down with constant fights and sooner or later, one of them would be lucky enough to kill me.”
“Are you saying we should give in and follow Sam?”
“I don’t know what I’m suggesting.”
“If you love me and honor our mating, you shouldn’t have to think about this. Do the hard thing and stand with your mate.”
“But … I do have to think about this. I would be an exile from everybody I have ever known and all of the other Packs.”
“Mark, you promised I would come first, then Pack. If you stay, I will be cast out from the Pack and you. I will be alone and a failure to the Clan.”
Mark could feel his face getting warm. “This is all about you!”
“At least I thought about all you would have to give up to do what is right. I never thought you would side with Russian human traffickers and drug dealers.”
Mark worked to unclench his fists. “At least the Pack is not a bunch of whores.”
Chloe stood up. “I will not be talked to that way. I’
m going to go stay with my whore friends. Let me know if you come to your senses.”
She slammed the door on her way out.
Mark started to cry. What had he done?
***
Chloe never felt so alone in her life. Why did she say such hurtful things? She knew this would be a hard decision for him. It was hard to drive while wiping away the tears. She did not even have a place to go. She decided to give Onyx a call. She invited her over to stay until things got sorted out.
“Welcome to my apartment. Please come in.”
Chloe gave her a hug. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“Do you want to talk about it? I am a good listener.”
Chloe took a seat on the couch. “Maybe it would help.” She went on to describe what Mark had found out and the option Sin-ka-lip' had given them.
“I just got so mad! It seemed like no matter what, I was going to be abandoned. Then he accused me of only thinking about myself.”
“It does seem to me that leaving the Pack is the best option for you both, but you have to remember he lost his father and now he is expected to jump at losing his mother and brother?”
“You are right, but he promised to put me first.”
“He promised someone we forced him to marry a short time ago.”
“Hey, I thought you were on my side.”
“Chloe, I am on your side. I have also seen you together and know you love each other very much. It’s like you’re destined to be with each other, not like people that stay together out of duty.”
“Do you think that’s why I am so worried about him leaving me?”
Onyx smiled. “I think you know the answer to that.”
“What do you think will happen?”
“I think after he has time to process, he will come back to you. If he doesn’t, then you’re better off without him. I don’t know if he will trade in his Wolf for a Coyote.”
Chloe groaned. “I hope I didn’t push him away too hard. Maybe some time apart will give us both some perspective.”
***
What just happened? Mark closed his eyes and took some deep slow breaths. At a time like this, the last thing he needed was added pressure. He just lost his father, and now she wanted him to abandon his mother? Maybe this was all over nothing. He didn’t know for sure Sam was going to side with the Russians. He should investigate more before making any rash decisions.
Mark found Sam working late at the office, surrounded by the same guys who were badmouthing Vampires and Chloe.
“Hey Sam, can we talk alone for a moment?”
“Guys, give us the room.”
The others filed out.
“Thanks for talking to me, Sam.”
“What’s up, Mark? You look a little upset.”
“Chloe heard about your guys’ anti-Vampire feelings and left me.”
“Maybe that’s for the best.”
“You don’t think Dad was right in the alliance?”
“I told him that if he let me, I could bring in the money and business without needing to resort to mating you to a Vampire.”
“What are your plans for the future?”
Sam grinned. “I’m already working on my plans; I can’t talk about them yet.”
“Then I will let you get back to work. Good luck.”
That did not go as Mark had hoped. Chloe was right to see the writing on the wall. Not much could stop Sam’s plans now. Even showing collusion with the Russians would not stop him from becoming Alpha. The Pack did not work that way. Sam was a proven leader to the Pack and they would trust his decisions related to Vampires or Vukodlak. The only way to stop Sam was to kill him in ritual combat during the full moon. That was not going to happen, and it would end up like he told Chloe. Sam’s followers would keep challenging him until he ended up dead. Maybe whoever killed his father would remove him. There was no way he could side with the people that killed his father. He had to leave the Pack and would have a target on his back when they found out.
Mark was not sure he was ready to become a Coyote and take on the responsibility of rebuilding their Pack. There was no coming back from that change. This was a decision he needed to talk with Chloe about. With how he acted, he wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to him, but he had to try.
“Hi Onyx, have you seen Chloe?”
“Don’t you ‘Hi Onyx’ me. You are not welcome here until you have proven where you stand.”
“I have to talk with Chloe before I can discuss that with you.”
“Then I can’t help you.”
“It’s not right to tell you before I tell her. I need to be with my wife.”
Onyx pointed at the elevator. “Leave!”
“Just tell her I need to talk to her.”
Why wouldn’t they help him talk to his mate? It wasn’t like he asked to review the Clan security. What must he do to prove he puts Chloe first? How could he reach Sin-ka-lip' without her help? Maybe David could help him. Now he needed to talk to someone that knew how to find David. It was good he had an idea about that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Off to see the Shaman
MARK PULLED UP to Grandfather’s house. He hoped he would get a better reception than when he brought Chloe to him. As he walked up to the door, it opened.
“I have been expecting you.” Grandfather turned and walked inside.
Mark followed him in and closed the door. “You were expecting me? I just decided to ask you for help.”
“Yes, it is so. Sit.”
Mark sat down in the chair next to the fire.
Grandfather sat across from him. “You seek others to help you with what is already inside you.”
“I was looking for help finding David.”
“Yes, it is so, but you need not The Protector, or Sin-ka-lip'.”
“I don’t? I need a way to prove myself to Chloe so we can move forward in life together. Sin-ka-lip' would help me with that.”
“Only you can become the leader you were born to be. Only you can control your shape.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You are born of Coyote, a Shapeshifter. Not Wolf, not Coyote. A trickster. Your people and Chloe’s people once were one. Your people felt the lust of Sin-ka-lip' to be different than they were. They envied the wolf, and some found the power to shift to one. They left to start their own tribe, and looked down on those who honored the old ways.”
“Why did I never hear about this?”
“It was a secret passed down by your Shaman Alphas along with the magic tricks that bind your people to them. Some was lost to time. Yes, it is so.”
“Does my brother Sam know this?”
Grandfather shook his head. “He is blinded by his lust to be the monster he helps and does not listen to the wisdom of the Alphas.”
“Did my father know we came from the Coyote shifters?”
“If he did, it was lost with him.”
“Can I learn to shift into coyote form?”
Grandfather squinted as he looked Mark over from head to toe. “You are ready.”
“What must I do?”
“Give up your fear to find your path.”
“How do I do that?”
“Face death to find your true self. Are you ready?”
Mark thought about it. Things could not stay as they were. He needed take his place in the world and move forward and it was better to die trying than to be killed by his brother. “Yes.”
Grandfather stood. “Follow me.”
Grandfather brought him to a structure covered in animal skins and blankets and lifted up a flap for him to enter. A wave of heat and humidity assaulted Mark and he entered. A fire was going in the center of the area.
“Take off your clothes and sit on the blanket.”
Mark removed his clothes and sat with his legs crossed on the blanket.
Grandfather crushed something with a mortar and pestle and added it to a cup. He poured some liquid from a skin bottle into
it.
“Drink this.”
Mark took the cup and took a sip. He had a hard time not spitting it out. He tried to not think about it as he chugged the rest down. It burned as it went down and made him nauseous. He handed back the cup.
“Now you will be tested, pass or die. You have everything you need. Trust not what you meet.”
Mark felt like the room was spinning and lowered himself to the ground.
His vision went black.
***
Mark heard his breathing echo in the area. It was cold, damp and so dark he couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or closed. The ground around him felt hard and cold. After making it to his feet, he felt a wall to his side. Normally Mark had the night vision of a wolf, it was unnerving to be totally blind. He pushed down the fear and took a deep breath. The scent of moss was up ahead along with the trickle of water over stones. Carefully, he went step-by-step moving forward with his fingertips in contact with the wall.
He lost track of how far he went before he started feeling something soft and wet under his fingers. The scent of moss was stronger now. It was lighter now and he could barely make out his hand and the wall to his right. After what seemed like hours, he finally saw light at the end of the tunnel as well as the wall to his left. A dark area in the center of the passage seemed to take on added depth. If he had gone a few steps to the center, he would surely have fallen. The gap got wider as he went. He hoped he was on the correct side or it would be a long trek back to get to the other side.
The tunnel opened up into a large cavern split by the fissure from the tunnel he just came out of. On his side, the floor looked to be made from red clay. Across the fissure, it looked dark gray as if it was made from volcanic rock. The fissure opened up to make a cliff ahead of him. Off in the distance, he could see steam rising. A cool breeze came along the path to the right.