by Mary Duke
“I understand,” Kamara said attempting to put her hand on Gemma’s shoulder.
“You said you have numbers?” I questioned, knowing dwelling on this subject would only raise more questions.
“I do.”
“How many?”
“Last I counted, around a thousand. Though when the time comes there are some who may not show, and more who may step up.”
I nodded. “Are they all Crescents?”
“No. The underground group, pack...whatever it is you wish to call it, is made of all six packs.”
“All six?” I repeated.
“Yes. All six who have pledged to put new and old differences aside and save what remains of the Hollow Wolves.”
“I’ll take anyone willing to stand with us right now.”
Gemma smiled and headed back for the door. “I knew you were no fool, Narah Night.”
“What the hell,” I said letting go of Damari’s arm once it was just us.
“What?” he shot back.
“Where the hell did that come from?”
“What do you mean ‘where did that come from?’ I should be the one asking you that question.”
“By all means, ask away,” I said not knowing where the hell his mind was.
“We can’t judge anyone...Everyone writes their own story? Are you fucking kidding me?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he wasn’t finished.
“Should I have stopped to ask the other Crescent’s we met in the woods whose side they were on? Oh and the monsters...should I have asked them what their story was?”
“How are you relating the two?” I questioned. “She was not trying to kill us.”
“You don’t know what she was trying to do...what the plan is.” Damari pushed. “She came in here spewing some sob story about wanting peace, and uniting the packs, and you smile and nod, and agree with every damn word.”
Kamara stepped between us. “She was telling the truth.”
“You,” Damari said, having to turn away to keep from saying what had popped into his head, knowing it would only cause more tension.
“We need all the help we can get,” I reminded him, stepping around Kamara.
“Help yes, but from her?”
“Think about it Damari. If we don’t show the Crescents we can work together now, in the heat of the moment...if we don’t show them who we really are, you’re going to have more jumping on the bandwagon against us, in fear of what will happen if their pack loses.”
Damari’s hands were shaking. There were too many thoughts running through his head to focus. Too many questions he didn’t have the answers to that he’d never have the answers to, involving Gemma and all that she brought to the table. It was too much.
Chapter Nine
Kamara made her introduction and gave her speech. She reminded the wolves what it meant to be a wolf, what she saw in them when she created them. What was happening now was something she could never have imagined. She talked about how much she regretted being so angry with the other Queens. How she believed that it was her actions all those years ago that set all of this up.
She wanted to make it right. Restore the balance that once was and let what comes be. However, in order for that to happen, she needed everyone here to learn from her mistakes. To no longer see each other as opposites, but as equals. In the same breath, she reassured them that she wasn’t telling them to forget their past, forget who they were and what it was their pack represented. She wanted them to embrace their legacy, but also their future. Celebrate who they were, all while celebrating all they could be if they united.
“That was excellent,” Torryn said when he joined Kamara before the crowd.
“Was it?” she questioned, unsure by the silence in the crowd.
“Yes,” he reassured her.
Someone from the crowd spoke up. “Narah Night,” they called out to me. “We want to know what your plans are for the future.”
Another one added, “What do you plan to do to unite the clans?”
To be honest I hadn’t given it much thought. I mean before all this I planned to simply continue what my parents were doing, what my family had always done...but I don’t think that’s possible right now. “Well,” I said, not knowing what words were going to come out of my mouth next. “That’s a question I’m not sure I can answer.”
Mumbles and whispers rippled through the crowd.
“We do not know how this is going to end, what all the sides will look like when this is over. Uncertainty is all we know right now. What I would like to happen is exactly what we see here, right now. I want everyone to come together, no matter what blood runs through their veins. I want our kind to be united against anyone and anything that threatens any of us, because deep down we are one. We are the same.
Before my mother died,” I said before I paused, unsure if now was the time to bring this up. “She wanted to bring back the coalition of the packs. A five-member council with one elected top dog, as she would say. I believe that at this time, it would be the best way to move forward, uniting everyone yet letting everyone’s voice remain heard.”
The murmurs and whispers were replaced with claps and whistles, a few of them even chanted my name.
Gemma wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “If that is the case, you and I truly are on the same brainwave. Now come, there are a few people here you should meet.”
“Oh,” I questioned, still stunned by the words that had just come out of my own mouth. I wasn’t supposed to know about my mother and father’s plan. It was a conversation they had in private, one that I shouldn’t have heard...and of course now that I’d already declared my intentions, my father’s warnings for my mother, his reminder of why it ended, were now also fresh in my mind.
“We have a few Alpha’s here and leaders who will want to help.”
“Great,” I said trying to hide the fact that I was now terrified.
“Ummm,” Damari said grabbing my arm. “Do you think I could steal her for a moment before she goes and does anymore...talking?”
“Nonsense,” Torryn said. “There is no time to be wasted.”
“I agree,” Kamara said. “The quicker the packs are unified, and show a united front, the better.”
“The better for what?” Damari questioned. “Am I the only one who stayed awake in history class?”
I tried to force a chuckle, but it came out a little too high pitched, making it even more obvious that I was nervous. “Don’t worry,” I said taking his hand in min, and giving it a squeeze. “Believe it or not, history was one of my favorite subjects...and as that goofy ass guy used to always say, history only repeats itself if you don’t learn from it.”
My words had no effect on him. His jaw remained clenched and his eyes empty.
I winked. “What’s life without a little adventure?”
“Adventure?” Storm and Kyrell questioned at the same time.
Kyrell continued. “I think this one adventure we are on right at the moment is enough to last anyone a couple of lifetimes at least.”
My feeling of fear and worry shifted; I was now beginning to become slightly annoyed. I let go of Damari’s hand and turned back so I could see all of my friends. All of their expressions were the same. Foley’s, Cat’s, Kyrell’s, Storm’s, and even Damari’s “Seriously guys. How am I supposed to convince hundreds of strangers to fight for our people, if my friends, my family, can’t even have faith in me?”
“It’s not that,” Foley said.
“No,” Damari added. “It’s not that at all. It’s because we do have faith, and we believe in you, that we are worried. At least that’s why I’m worried. I don’t know what’s going on in their heads...or how much of our past they know.”
“I know enough,” Foley said.
Cat added, “I don’t think anyone missed the separation of the packs...”
“Well, I missed it,” Storm said with a smile spreading across his face. “Being human and all
. But since joining the supernatural community, and dealing with Kamara all these years, one does pick up on a thing or two.”
I shook my head. I felt defeated. “Just,” I started to say. “I’m not asking you guys to believe in what the coalition once was. I’m asking you to believe in what I want it to be. To hear out what I have to say...what I’m going to say to whoever Gemma is taking me to meet...if they will listen.”
“Oh, they’ll listen,” she replied. “I’m sure they are all waiting now.”
“All of them?” I questioned
“Well, there are four I asked to meet us. The four would be leaders, plus you and I.”
“You’ve already cast a vote?”
“Not an official one for the coalition, just a general vote to make distributing everything easier among the packs. You see, your friends here aren’t alone in their distrust. There are many who are trying to overcome the way they feel, and that’s okay. It’s going to take some longer than others; the important thing is they’ve taken the first step in the right direction.”
“Yeah,” I said, not wanting her to say anything else and risk opening that can of worms all over again. “Let’s go.”
We walked into the small makeshift cabin, and the other four were already there sitting around a table.
“It’s about time the brains of the operation arrives,” one of the guys says.
“We have two of those now,” Gemma said, patting me on the shoulder before going to take a seat.
The guy winked at her, “I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Don’t let his tone or his appearance fool you, Narah. Everette is a sweetheart.”
He grumbled.
“I think,” one of the women said. “That he should have the ability to shift into a bear. It would fit him better.”
“Yeah,” Gemma agreed. “I’m sure you’ll see, but you’d never guess this big grizzly man would be a pure white, super fluffy...”
“Enough,” he said, clearly growing embarrassed.
“Oh come on,” Gemma joked. “You rag on me constantly. Put your big boy panties on.”
“I’m going to take my panties, and I’m going to put them over your head and strangle you with them...How about that?”
Gemma sighed and rolled her eyes. “Alright, Narah. There’s an open seat, or you can make one of these guys move if you're picky.”
I smiled, “Not picky about where I sit, as long as I don’t get anyone's panties put on my head.”
She laughed with me before she began to point and introduce those who sat around the table. “I just introduced Everette.”
I looked to my right and held my hand up for a high five.
“He’s the chosen leader from the Shadow pack. All joking aside, he is badass, as his family was before him. There on the end, on the other side of the beast, is Beyanna, she is our Golden Pack representative. Truth be told her pack has the smallest numbers, but those who have come to the realization of what’s going on and accepted that they can, in fact, change the future, they’re dedicated and they’re people you truly do want on your side.”
I scooted my chair back so I could see around Everette, and shook hands with the woman with the long black hair and tribal tattoos that ran from the side of her face down to the tips of her fingers.
“On this side of the table,” Gemma continued her hand pointing to the super tan, bleach blond dude who looked as though he belonged on an episode of the Gods or Bay Watch. “Is Octavian, he is an exceptionally gifted witch wolf hybrid from the Mystic Pack. He, as well as much of his family, have embraced their magical side a bit more than their wolf side. So his views on many of the things we talk about truly do come from an outside perspective.”
“Hi,” I said, from across the table, giving him a half wave and feeling like a total dork in the process.
“And last but not least, we have Loki,” Gemma said grabbing ahold of the hand of the sandy brown teenager, that sat on the table, and squeezing it in hers. “He is one of the only Alpha’s remaining from the Crimson pack. Though his story is one I’m sure you will want to hear...I’m afraid it will have to be told another night.”
I could see their stories in all their faces. Something told me that I fit in perfectly with these five other wolves despite the fact that nearly all our packs were currently at war. “Well, I guess I don’t need an introduction, so I will just get to the point. I believe in the old way. The way things were before Sonja came back. Before the Crescent Queen overthrew the Coalition and brought back the time of the Queens, and Kings, and first born bullshit. Yes,” I said holding up my hand. “I understand that means that I could lose my seat here at this table...and yes, I am aware that by asking you to agree, I’m also asking you to risk losing your seats as well. However, I feel it absolutely necessary to purge what is, and find a way to go back to what was.”
Dead silence filled the little one-room house. Gemma sat with her mouth open, unable to speak, as Octavian stacked the papers that were spread across the table.
“That,” Gemma said. “Isn’t exactly what we thought you would say.”
“What did you think I was going to say?” I questioned.
“We thought we’d be dividing power...” Everette said. “Regaining control of our people.”
“That is exactly what we will be doing, but we will be going about it the right way. There are two ways someone will follow you. Either they trust you, or they fear you. I don’t know which one you prefer, but I’d rather have the people behind me trust me, so when life turns to shit like it is right now, I don’t have to question who stands behind me, I already know.”
My words were once again met with a couple minutes of silence. It was obvious that they had put a lot of planning into their idea, and that they already knew what they wanted, the only reason they were bringing me in, was to pull the last pack together.
“I don’t know if that’s going to work,” Gemma said.
“I hate it when people tell me this,” I sighed. “But in this case, I’m going to have to use my mother's famous words. That’s is something you’re going to have to take or leave. If you accept what I just said, I’ll stay here, if not, I’m sorry but I’m out and you’ll have to find someone else to take my seat.”
“We had a plan,” Beyanna started. Taking the papers from Octavian and attempting to hand them to me.
I looked down at the papers. “I’m sorry,” I said shaking my head back and forth. “Like I said, I’m behind the old way. Everyone votes, anyone can win. No politics, no bullshit.”
“You know what,” Gemma said. “I agree with her.”
The rest of the eyes around the table widened even farther.
“She’s right. If we are truly elected by our pack, and they truly agree with who we are and what we want, then when the time comes we won’t be asking them what side they are on and if they will fight with us. We will simply have to march.”
“I third this,” Octavian agreed.
“Fourth,” Loki muttered under his breath.
“You guys are insane,” Beyanna growled. “We’ve worked so hard to get where we are right now, and now you guys just want to throw the base away and start all over.”
I answered before Gemma could, “If those you’ve already gathered believe in you and trust you, then there will be no base to rebuild. They will have faith in your decision. Period.”
Gemma nodded. “Alright. I will get everything organized. There will be a vote come Monday.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” I agreed, standing up and looking at my phone which had been buzzing nonstop for the last fifteen minutes.
Chapter Ten
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I questioned. My eyes darting back and forth from her to the gate Cat had just created.
“Positive.”
I hesitated.
“These guys will eat you up,” Cat said trying to help.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”
�
��Oh come on,” Foley said grabbing ahold of my arm. “You know what she means.”
I took a deep breath, right before Foley drug me through to our friends on the other side.
“See,” Foley said. “I told you they liked you!”
Tables of food, music, Dark Fairies, all gathered in a large hall. “What is this for?”
“To celebrate.”
“To celebrate what? I don’t know of anything worth celebrating.”
“Yes, there is.”
My eyes scanned my best friend’s face, trying to uncover why the smile she had ear to ear was growing.
“Our kind,” Cat said, answering my question. “Are thrilled that you want things to go back to the way they were. The old way is their way.”
“Okay...but I literally just decided this ten minutes ago. How did you guys pull all of this together?”
“One of our seers revealed your decision yesterday.”
“You knew what I was going to do?” I asked Foley.
“I did.”
“I thought you weren’t happy with me?”
“I’m torn,” she said wrapping her arm around my waist, before leading me towards a table full of food. “You know you could lose your seat, right? I mean Torryn could become the leader of the Hollow Wolves. That could allow those who wrongfully blame you and your family to step forth...among other things.”
“I understand fully,” I snapped, grabbing a plate. “But like I told them...like my mother told my father, I would rather have an army behind me that wants to be behind me, than an army who feels they have no choice. “
Foley sighed. “You’re too stubborn for your own good. You know that?”
“I do,” I agreed, winking at her. “And I’d like to think that I’ve gained a few pointers and that I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I learned from the best.”