by C Zinnia
“Mason has had a hard time with the pack when he made Alura a beta. They can’t handle a woman having power. They were taught that women should be subservient. It’s not a healthy way of thinking, but they don’t know how to let go of old beliefs. The good news is, the newer generations are more progressive. The ones who hold those radical ideas are dying off.
“I think their biggest issues are too much pride and refusing to accept responsibility. They believe their way of thinking is the only right way. Because of this, they aren’t able to grow. With pride, they are willing to hurt others instead of admitting there’s nothing wrong with being different. They fear being wrong.
“And their inability to accept responsibility for their actions is harmful as well. How many terrible deeds are performed by people who ‘aren’t bad’ or ‘were just doing their job’? It’s easier to blame an outside source for our actions rather than to acknowledge we are responsible for the things we say and do regardless of our outside environment. If more people took responsibility for their actions and stood up against the few who actually want to perform terrible acts, we wouldn’t have the bloody and torturous history we have,” Bruce said.
“No wonder pride is considered the worst of the seven deadly sins,” Mel mused out loud.
Bruce nodded. “You did good work today, Mel. I’m proud of you. Thank you for pushing yourself,” he said.
“Of course,” Mel said. “This is my home now and I’ll do everything in my power to help you all.”
Bruce stared at Mel. “Are you sure?” he asked.
Mel was surprised by his question. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“Are you sure you are ready to live here full time and fully integrated into our pack? That’s a lot of change in a very short amount of time. It seems like your mom wasn’t too excited about the prospect,” Bruce said.
“That’s because she doesn’t understand,” Mel said.
“Because she’s human, Mel. Like you’re human,” Bruce said. “Don’t misunderstand, I think you are a great addition to our pack, but you may want to consider you and Viola spending some time up near your family too just to make sure this place is right for both of you. It’ll also help give your mom some piece of mind.” Bruce hesitated. Mel could feel sorrow pour from Bruce. He missed his parents daily and would give anything to speak to his parents again. He wanted to tell Mel to appreciate her mother’s love but didn’t know the right way to say it.
“It’s okay, Bruce,” Mel said. “I understand what you’re saying.”
Bruce nodded. “Good,” he said gruffly. “You and Viola can talk more about it after all of this gets straightened out.”
“I do have to go back up to Arlington in a few weeks. I’m already on schedule to work at my job and I don’t want to leave them without help,” Mel said.
“That shouldn’t be an issue. I hope we have it all straightened out before that,” he said. “And, of course, you can stay up there as long as you need, even if you do decide to come back here.”
“Thank you, Bruce,” she said.
“Let’s get going,” Eli said to Mel. They went to the spare office. “So, I’ll do a card reading for each one while you do your meditation and we’ll compare answers at the end.” He showed Mel a picture of Mike, Sampson, and Bubba.
“Sounds good,” Mel said. She sat down and closed her eyes. She put her protective barriers up and took long, deep breaths. She could hear Eli shuffling in the background. The shhhhhh of the cards was soothing.
What would happen if they supported Mike as Alpha? Mel thought. She was able to hold her focus on the question. She felt a rope wrap around her waist, ready to pull her towards her answer. She allowed the rope to pull her out of her body.
Mel was in a house at Alpha Mike’s pack. Mike nervously paced as he rubbed his hands together. He seemed gaunt from severe weight loss. Although he was a tall, young male, he looked frail as he hunched forward. His dark hair was unkept and his brown eyes showed his worry. “I don’t know what to do about this,” he said.
“Relax, you’re doing great,” Alura said.
“Yeah, but for how long? My stomach ulcers have stomach ulcers from all of the stress! I didn’t realize how much work went into being an alpha. And those goons are so mean, but I have to be diplomatic and not punch their smug, racist faces in.” Mike sighed. “And Debbie left me because she doesn’t like how serious I’ve become.” He sighed again and looked at Alura. “I know we couldn’t let Chris become Alpha, but I wish you had picked someone else.”
Mel was back in her chair. She peeked to see Eli still looking over his cards. She could see his energy and how it seemed to permeate the cards. Another energy seemed to come from nowhere and overlaid the cards too. Mel instinctively knew it was Mike’s energy. Interesting, Mel thought.
Mel closed her eyes and thought of Sampson. What would happen if they supported Sampson? she thought. She felt a pull again, this time in a different direction. She allowed the energy to pull her out of her body.
Mel was in a different house at Alpha Sampson’s pack. Mike and Alura were in an office with Sampson. Mel was surprised by how tall Mike stood and how healthy he looked. Stress really can take a toll on the body, she thought.
Sampson rolled his eyes at Alura and Mike. “Do we really have to deal with this?” he asked.
“Jason was caught by multiple witnesses grabbing Martha even after she said no repeatedly,” Alura said. “He needs to be dealt with.”
“Yeah, but it’s just-” Sampson sighed. “- he’s my cousin and he’s a really good guy.”
Alura was flabbergasted. “And Martha is a really good woman who didn’t grab anyone. Why are you going to punish her?” she asked.
“But I’m not,” he said.
“You are punishing her by protecting him,” Mike said.
“I’m not protecting him,” Sampson said.
“Doing nothing is the same as protecting him,” Alura said. “And it sends a message to all of the women in our pack that you won’t protect them. Is that the message you want to send?”
“Argh! This sucks,” Sampson said. “My family is going to be so angry with me for punishing him. I wish I had never agreed to be Alpha!”
Mel was back in her chair. She was beginning to feel disheartened. It looks like no one else actually wants to be Alpha, Mel thought. So far, Mike is the best option even though he would be miserable. Maybe Bubba will yield better results.
Mel thought about Bubba. What would the future be like if they supported Bubba?
Mel was at yet another house at Alpha Bubba’s pack. The tone was chipper and light.
Bubba smiled at Mike, Alura, and Sampson. He was huskier than the others. He had a short thick beard and a lot of tattoos. Mel thought he looked exactly like a stereotypical redneck. “Thanks for all of y’alls help with the spring equinox. It seems like everyone had a good time. Even Chris cracked a smile once or twice,” he said.
“I can’t believe you were able to win over Chris,” Alura said.
“I understand him. Hell, I was once ignorant like him, remember? It was because of you and your mama that I got the help I needed when I was a teen. Y’all taught me so much and the books y’all exposed me too showed me so much. It’s because I’ve been in his shoes that I was able to help convince him to get the help he needed before he did something really stupid,” Bubba said. “Eli, Bruce, and Silvia’s suggestions were really helpful too. I’m just glad we managed to avoid a huge conflict.”
“But the work’s not over,” Alura said.
“No, not even close, but we’ll keep making progress,” he said with a smile. The sincere love he had for everyone in the pack radiated from his heart chakra and seemed to overlay the village. “Well, y’all go on home. We can talk more tomorrow.”
Mike and Sampson left, but Alura stayed behind. “You’re doing a great job, Bubba,” she said. “Pop would be proud.”
“I’m sure he’d be proud of both of us,”
Bubba said as he looked upward. “You are a true leader, you know that?”
Alura was surprised. “What do you mean?”
“You care more about our pack than yourself. We all know you were supposed to be Alpha. You stepped away from it and supported me. All to help bring everyone together. The fact that you trusted me enough to not take our pack backwards in progress says a lot,” he said. “Chris and I have had a lot of conversations about this.” He smiled jovially. “I want you to be Alpha too. There are packs who have multiple Alphas. With the progress we’ve made over the past two years, I think it’s time.”
Alura was stunned. “Are you sure?” she asked. “That could create some retaliation.”
Bubba shrugged. “Our pack is strong enough to withhold it,” he said. “There’s never a perfect time to introduce progress, but I think now is a good time to take another leap forward. What do you say?”
Alura grinned and shook his extended hand. “Bubba, you’ve got yourself a co-Alpha.”
Mel was back in the room. She opened her eyes to find Eli was still looking at his cards. They were different ones from the last spread she saw. He glanced at her. “I’m just finished up,” he said. “From what I gathered, Bubba would be the best option.”
“I agree,” Mel said. “Mike and Sampson would make great Betas.”
“That’s a good idea,” he said. “What about Alura?”
“Seems like Bubba will appoint her co-Alpha in a couple of years,” she said.
“Really? That’s interesting,” he said. “I haven’t spoken as much with Bubba. He was a hellion as a teenager, but something in him shifted. Or really, Alura and he got into a huge fight and were forced to do volunteer work together. I don’t know what kind of conversations they had, but shortly afterwards he turned over a new leaf. He started spending more time with Alura and her parents. He’s turned into a thoughtful and respectful person. And he loves his pack dearly. Let’s go let Bruce know what we found out.”
Mel and Eli went back to Bruce and Silvia’s office. Silvia was on a laptop reading and replying to emails while Bruce was reading letters. Mel and Eli told them everything they found out.
Mel’s eyes felt heavy as they spoke. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was exhausted. She was ready for a nap.
“Thank you for your help, Mel,” Bruce said.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “Any news about Bill?
“I spoke with Bill again today,” Bruce said. “The Master Hunter still hasn’t called. Bill hasn’t been able to give any other information. I would like for you to see him tomorrow. Maybe you can see what’s going on with the Master Hunter.”
“Why are you so calm about this? Don’t you want me to go see him now?” Mel asked.
“Of course, I do. But I don’t want to push you too much. I don’t understand how ‘woo-woo’ stuff works. I know with a body if you push it too hard, it can break down. I don’t want you to experience a breakdown spiritually from pushing too hard. The time you would have to take to recover could change the outcome for the worse. Frankly, you look like you could use a nap,” Bruce said. “I have to remain calm. By being calm, I can analyze the situation better. I can make better decisions.
“Bill gave brief descriptions of each of the hunters. He bragged that he was the best one. He is the only one who can make explosives and set them up. I am weary of what he is saying, but we haven’t been attacked yet. Eli hasn’t seen any attacks occurring in the near future and he has been performing readings multiple times in a day.”
Mel didn’t want to admit it, but she was exhausted. “I can try to meet with Bill now,” she said.
Bruce patted her shoulder. “I appreciate the offer, but no. You already have negative emotions regarding Bill and that could impair your gifts and judgment. You don’t need to add fatigue to the list. Depending on how your session with May goes, we’ll do it tomorrow. Okay?” he said.
“Okay,” Mel said.
“Go relax,” Bruce said. “Viola should be home soon. Papa is working on dinner if you’d like to join him.”
Mel knew she was being dismissed so Bruce, Silvia, and Eli could discuss her in private. She didn’t like it, but she knew arguing was futile.
“Thank you again for everything, Eli,” Mel said. “See you tomorrow.”
“Don’t forget to drink your tea.” Eli gave Mel a big hug. “Thank you for telling Cindy about her future. It always helps to hear good things from someone who isn’t your spouse. Cindy is more likely to believe you because she knows you aren’t as likely to exaggerate the positives,” he said.
“I guess I can understand that,” Mel said. She grabbed her quart jar of tea and left the office.
Chapter 20
Mel went upstairs to Viola’s room. She grabbed clothes and went to take a shower. She wanted to visit with Papa, but she felt the need to wash away any remnants of her vision about Chris. She imagined her energy fields being cleansed as she washed her skin vigorously. By the time she got out of the shower, she felt re-energized.
“Thank God for showers,” Mel said.
Mel grabbed her tea and went to the kitchen to find Papa humming as he cooked.
Papa noticed Mel. “Hello, Mel,” he said. “Visit with me a bit.”
“Do you need any help?” Mel asked.
He shook his head. “Thank you for offering, but I’ve got this under control,” he said. He noticed her jar. “I see Eli has made you tea. Be sure to drink up!”
“I am,” she said. She took the lid off and sip on her tea. She was pleasantly surprised by the mint flavor along with a floral taste she couldn’t pinpoint.
“It looks like you enjoy his tea more than mine,” Papa teased.
“Never,” she said with a wink, causing him to laugh.
Silvia poked her head in. “Pa, can I have a spring roll?” she asked.
“Of course, my strong daughter,” Papa said as he offered her a plate. “I just made them.”
“You’re the best,” she said. “Ooo, are you making tom yum soup?”
“Yes, do you want to help?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said eagerly. She hummed and danced with her dad as they cooked together. Randomly, she starting laughing. “Wayne is dancing too.”
Papa placed a hand on her belly. “He’s showing us up,” he said with a laugh.
Mel enjoyed seeing how Papa and Silvia moved around each other so fluidly. “You two make a great team,” she observed.
“Well, we’ve been cooking together since Silvia could stir,” Papa said. “So, we better have each other figured out by now.”
Mel was surprised. She remembered Papa mentioned earlier he cooked in the family, but it hadn’t registered. “You did most of the cooking?” she asked.
“Yes,” Papa said. “Bless my mate, but she has only gotten to like cooking the past decade. And only when I’m cooking with her. But she is great at cleaning, so I always cooked while she cleaned. Silvia always liked helping both of us.”
“Did you two ever have problems because of it?” Mel asked.
“With each other? No, I don’t mind. I actually love cooking,” Papa said. “By others, I got a lot of flak for being a ‘housewife.’ Nana has always had a job. The only times Nana took off were the first two years for each of our children. The pack already thought I wasn’t man enough because I wasn’t a werewolf. My enjoying housework made it worse in their eyes. The pack thought I was less of a man because I let her work. I didn’t care what they said. As if it was my place to ‘let’ or ‘allow’ my mate do anything! She is a person all on her own and can make decisions on her own. My mate is happiest when she works. She likes to feel independent. Who am I to try to take that away from her? Because of pride? That would be immature on my part and that would be me not treating our relationship as a partnership.”
“That’s very wise of you,” Mel said. “Most would have succumbed to peer-pressure.”
“There were plenty that did,” Papa said. “
Those relationships didn’t turn out well.”
“Where is Nana?” Mel asked.
“Over at the bakery,” Papa said. “She doesn’t do much baking, but she’s great at customer service. Even though she’s retired, she still likes to work. She called during her break and said Dana is really enjoying working at the bakery too. Dana’s good with people and she’s a great cook. She may work part-time there until she figures out what she’ll do next.”
“That’s great to hear,” Mel said.
Mel felt Viola’s presence. Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t believe how much she had missed Viola.
Mel turned towards the door that led to the living room as she smiled. Only moments later, Viola walked through it with Daren. Both were covered in sweat. They were also carrying a bunch of goodies. Mel remembered seeing some of the food in her vision of Viola. They set the supplies on the table.
“Hello, amor.” Viola greeted Mel with a kiss.
“Hello. It looks like you two trained hard today,” Mel said. She looked at Daren. “I thought you were at the farm.”
“I was, but stopped by the gym after work, so V put me through training with her client,” he said.
“My last client is an athlete trying for the NFL next year,” Viola said. “We got a good work out with him. He’s very explosive for a human.”
“Where did all of this food come from?” Silvia asked.
“The ladies at the gym for Dana, Lee, and Daren,” Viola said. “They nearly took up all of the space in the fridge at the gym with their food! They also donated clothes. The clothes are in the living room at the moment. We’ll put them to wash later.”
“That was kind of them,” she said.
“It was. I’ll have to write them thank you notes,” Daren said.
“Dinner will be ready in thirty,” Papa said.