by T. S. Ryder
"Easton is dead!" he roared.
Surprise rippled through him. Was he really defending Peter Locke? Putting himself directly in harm's way for the Wolf was not the same as trying to get him out of this prison, was it? He pushed away his own confusion and focused on Ibeth, while the little Bear returned to her side.
"Easton found Mary again. He attacked her and I defended her. I killed him. But he was not after justice, he was after revenge. Paul Locke killed his family and I don't blame him for wanting revenge. God knows I let it nearly consume me in the past. But he was going to kill all of them even the children. He was going to kill Mary. I was defending my love."
Ibeth's expression grew troubled. She nodded briefly at the little Bear and he backed out of the room, glowering at Andre.
"What now?" Andre asked.
"I will bring your allegations to the others. What you say… is disturbing. We must authenticate your story. I will be back."
The door shut. Andre turned to Peter. The Wolf was white as a sheet, half-laying on the cot. His gaze didn't move from the Bear's face.
"Is it true? Easton's dead?"
"Shut up," Andre grunted, turning his back again.
***
Joy filled Mary's body, buoyant and warm. She slipped from her room, unsurprised to see Amy already waiting for her. The other woman looked exhausted but happy as she rubbed her belly fondly with a smile on her face.
"I remember," Mary whispered, not wanting to break the holiness of her experience. "You borrowed my pearl necklace when you married Peter. I was so happy… you made him happy, so I was happy."
Amy stared at her for a moment before a shy smile spread over her face. "Then you have your Wolf back?"
Mary touched her chest, where her Wolf was howling with triumph. She nodded. "Were you successful?"
"Yes. I'm going to have a strong little girl." Amy linked arms with her sister-in-law. "Let's find Philip and go back. Perhaps your Andre has brought Peter back by now and they're waiting for us."
Mary nodded. Thoughts of Andre had her nerves skittering again. What if something happened to him? He'll be back. He has to be back.
But before they reached the tomb doors, the doors opened. Mary's brow furrowed when Philip entered. His face was pale, his hands raised behind his head.
Her Wolf snarled a warning.
Three men stood behind Philip. One pointed a gun at him and the other pointed one at her and Amy. Outside the door, a dozen brown bears waited for them.
Chapter Fourty Three
"How long do they intend to keep us here?" Andre paced from one end of the cell to the other, scowling at the bare walls.
"I would ask if all Bears are as impatient as you, but judging from the others I've met, I think I have my answer." Peter sat unmoving on the bed.
Andre sent him the blackest glower he could muster. "Maybe if you didn't keep staring at me!"
Peter shrugged and didn't look away. His brow furrowed and he cocked his head to one side. "I just can't figure you out. Why would you come to… rescue me? I thought you would do what you felt morally compelled when taking my younger brothers and sisters away from the Bear attack. I thought that you'd just leave after that, to find Mary. So why come back?"
Dammit, that was not a question he wanted to answer! He tugged the elastic out of his bun, letting it fall, then ran his fingers through his greasy, tangled hair.
They must have been in this room for a couple of days together and he couldn't remember when he last showered. The knee that Paul Locke had shot a few months back ached with his relentless pacing, but what else was there to do in this tiny cell?
"If you are telling the truth, that you want to build a new community of Wolves where you interact and share with the world rather than isolating yourself and attacking it… that's a worthwhile goal that I would like to see it come true. But you bunch have too many problems ingrained into your lifestyle. It's going to take more than a desire to change, to actually change."
"What? You want to help us?" Peter got to his feet, moving for the first time in hours it seemed. "Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Even after… what we did?"
Andre drew in a deep breath as his Bear growled at the reminder of how Peter had helped his father kill Isadore and Eve. A faint beat of guilt fluttered in his chest. But if Isadore was here, she would approve, wouldn't she? She was kind and forgiving, like Mary. Eve was too young to understand, but she had inherited her mother's compassion.
"I'm doing it for them just as much as I'm doing it for Mary. It's what she wanted. She wanted to save her sisters from the confines of your community. And if there is communication between you and other Shifters, then perhaps you won't kill more Bears."
Peter flinched. "Philip and I didn't know—"
"You told me. And I believe you when you say that." Andre studied the Wolf and sighed. "I'm not going to deny that there is a part of me that still wants to rip you to shreds. But I believe that you thought they were just animals. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse."
"I know nothing I say can—"
"No. There's nothing you can say. But perhaps there is a way to prevent such a thing from happening to others."
Peter sighed heavily. "Perhaps there is."
"And the fact is that Shifters around the world are slowly dying out. Fewer and fewer children are being born with the ability," Andre repeated the words that had been told to him by Zoe. She had been so excited to build relationships with the Wolves before Paul Locke murdered her. "And yet you Wolves are going strong. If—"
The door opened, interrupting him. Andre turned, expecting Ibeth once again.
Instead, it was Mary.
His heart jumped to his throat and his Bear snarled. If anybody tried to hurt her, he'd rip them apart! But even as he strode forward to take her into his protection, her eyes lit up. She flew to him, wrapping her arms around him.
Their lips met in an instant. It wasn't the passionate kiss that he had known from her in the past. This one was fiercer, more… triumphant. He held her close, closing his eyes. He wanted this moment to last forever.
The sense of Mary being torn from his arms made his eyes snap open in time to see a fist fly at his face. He reeled back, staggering from the blow. Philip Locke's furious face loomed in his vision. Andre found Mary and pushed her behind him protectively then swung out. His knuckles met soft flesh that gave way, beneath his blow.
Philip stumbled to the floor, grunting with pain. He pushed himself back to his feet, glowering. Peter leaped between his brother and the Bear, holding Philip back from attacking again. Amy ran to Peter's side.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
"She's pregnant!" Philip spat, trying to get past his brother. "Mary's pregnant! He stole her chance to find another soulmate!"
Andre's brows rose, but Mary pushed past him and put her hands on her hips. "I knew he was my soulmate before we slept together, Philip. That's the reason we slept together! And even if I hadn't, I made my own choices. Andre didn't steal anything from me. Everything between us is what I have willingly given him."
Philip shook off his brother. He still glared at Andre, but at least he wasn't trying to attack him anymore. The Bear was glad. He wasn't sure that he could contain himself if it came to him having to defend himself. It would be far too easy for defense to become offense and break Philip's head open.
And then, what Mary said clicked.
His breath caught in his chest and his heart seemed to dance in circles. He tried to make himself stay calm. With a trembling hand, he touched her shoulder. She turned. Her eyes were sparkling, dancing.
"You remember?" he whispered.
A smile spread over her face. "I remember. I remember everything."
"How?"
"There's a ritual that Wolves go through when they're pregnant, to make sure their babies are born with Wolves. I did it and I was able to rejoin with my Wolf. She's back." Mary touched her chest, h
er smile widening even further. "She's back and I'm back."
Andre wrapped his arms around her, his heart as light as a feather. The two Locke brothers watched, Philip's anger draining, Peter with a cautious smile. Amy leaned against him and their hands were joined together over her belly.
"I'm back," Mary whispered again, and they were kissing again.
***
When the Bears returned for their prisoners, the Wolves and Andre were lead out of the small cell. Mary clung to Andre's hand as they exited the room, her heart thumping in her chest.
A dozen Bears with weapons, led by a tall, strongly-muscled woman, took them down the stark hallway and into a much larger room. It was carpeted in pale brown, the walls dark green. Huge windows lined one side of the room. Five chairs were arranged in a semi-circle facing the windows.
"What's this about, Ibeth?" Andre asked the woman, glowering at the Bear who stood behind Mary.
"Grandmother Chani wishes to speak with you. Please sit."
Mary glanced at Andre. She could see he was about to argue and so tugged him to one of the chairs. It was best to cooperate and keep things as civil as possible. He was reluctant to follow her, but once he did, the others sat as well.
It wasn't long before a woman in a wheelchair entered the room. Her brown skin was weathered, deep wrinkles lining her face. Stark white hair cropped short around her skull gave her the appearance of a crown upon her head. Her shoulders were hunched. Her eyes were as black as Andre's and were sharp and focused in her ancient face.
She positioned her chair at the front of the room and was silent, taking in each of the Wolves before her gaze briefly flickered over Andre. Finally, her eyes settled on Peter.
"Your father and his brothers killed two of my children," she said.
Peter flinched and Mary reached for Andre's hand. The memory of the gun in her hands as it went off, driving a bullet into Paul Locke's chest, made her shiver. It was one thing she wished she didn't remember.
He was going to kill Andre and me both, she reminded herself. And how many others had he killed? How many more would he kill if I hadn't stopped him?
"I'm not my father," Peter said. "And as for my uncles, they're all dead. At least that was what we were told. Neither I nor my brothers inherited their desire for bloodshed. You can't punish us for his sins."
Chani waved her hand, silencing him. "The Locke family has dealt so much pain to many of us. There are many who wish for all the Wolves of your community to pay the price for that pain. After all, was your father not one of the great leaders your community knew? How many more killers did he train in your ranks?"
Mary hardly dared to breathe. She had a sense that whatever this old woman decided would seal not only their fate but also the fate of all the Wolves she had grown up with. If she thought they posed a risk, they would all be hunted down. How many would be killed?
Mary shivered, trying not to imagine her brothers, or Conrad Milton, Julia's beau, or David Monroe, who was always so kind to her, being killed.
"We are not killers," Peter said, but his voice trembled.
A single look from Chani silenced him. The old woman turned in her chair, focusing on Andre. "There are rumors of an all-out Wolf attack on the world. Tell me, do you believe that Paul Locke was capable of such a thing?"
Chapter Fourty Four
Andre frowned, pondering Chani's question. He was aware all the Wolves were waiting anxiously, but he took his time to make sure he knew what to say. Finally, he met the old woman's eyes again.
"I observed the community for some time before… everything happened. While I fully believe that Paul Locke was capable of wanting to wage war on other Shifters, I saw no evidence in the community that there was such a thing planned. There was no hand-to-hand training, no weapons practice, nothing to indicate they were preparing for a war."
Chani nodded at him once to continue.
"I assume you know my past with the Lockes." He inclined his head towards Philip and Peter, who both stiffened and looked away.
"I do."
"It has taken a great deal of… self-control isn't exactly the right word, though that is a part of it…" Andre lapsed into silence, trying to think exactly what he was trying to say. Mary squeezed his hand and he sighed. "It has taken a lot of effort and self-reflection in order to come to the point where I am. I can't speak for all the Wolves in that community, but I can say with reasonable surety that the Locke children are not threats to the world's Shifters. In fact," he continued, his voice lowering, "I think it took a great deal of strength for them not to become like their father."
He glanced out the corner of his eye at Peter and Philip. The older Wolf looked grateful, the younger shocked. I'm only telling the truth, Andre thought resentfully.
Chani cleared her throat, calling attention back to herself. She moved a little closer. "It was only a few days ago that there was a Wolf attack in a city. At a Denny's restaurant."
Andre felt Mary shiver and shifted his chair closer to hers to put an arm around her. He quickly explained what had happened. He explained to Chani that he and Mary were going to her siblings after Easton attacked them, and that neither of them expected her Wolf to be called forwards by the moon though that was exactly what had happened. As he spoke, Peter's face blanched.
"It wasn't her fault," he cried. "If you're going to punish anybody, punish me. I could have done more to—"
"Peter," Mary whispered. "No. Nobody was hurt, and I have my Wolf back now. Don't tear yourself up over this."
"It was an isolated incident," Andre put in, noticing the sharp glance Chani shared with Ibeth. "It wasn't part of any attack on the world and it won't happen again."
"As we expected," Chani said. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. Despite her tiny size, power exuded from her form. "I have to say, you caused us quite a bit of trouble. The government was not pleased with your public transformation."
"Government?" Mary's brows knit. "What government?"
"The government of the United States of America. We have a relationship of sorts with them. But we had quite the time convincing them that it was, in fact, an isolated incident."
Andre's jaw dropped. He had always assumed that all Shifters kept themselves hidden from humans, the way he and the Wolves did. But this Bear organization worked with the government? For how long?
No wonder Zoe could find out all she did and get us passports to leave the country.
"As for you," Chani focused on Peter. "We have you on record stating that there was going to be a Wolf invasion—"
"Easton told me he would kill Amy if I didn't."
Andre nodded–that made sense. Amy made a whimpering noise.
Chani's shoulders slumped. "I wish I could say that was against his character, but we have unfortunately received many such allegations of late. There will be a thorough investigation. And we will require you to facilitate communication between us and other Wolf families—"
"When we heard that the Bears were coming, we went to ghost town," Peter interrupted. "Families all go their separate ways and there is no communication between them."
"Then you will find them," Chani said firmly. "There is much yet to be discussed and decided, but we may be able to convince the government to set aside some land for a secondary Wolf community, for those of you that wish to build a new society."
Andre's lips twitched into a smile. He knew they had been watched in that prison cell.
"We will require many things from you, including your fertility secrets. Once we know how all your children are born with Wolves, we can bolster the fading Shifter communities around the world. We will expect you to prove yourselves in your new community, but the rewards will be well worth it."
Peter frowned a moment, then nodded. "I can't speak for all the Wolves in my community. But as for myself, I would gladly take part in this, for a chance to make up for my past sins and to give the next generation a chance to be better than we are."
Andre looked away. His Bear grunted, but in sadness, not anger. He didn't know if he'd ever forgive Peter for what he did, but he agreed with the sentiments the Wolf just stated. He wanted his and Mary's baby to be a better person than he was. The darkness inside him should not be passed to the next generation.
He smiled at Mary, taking her hand in his. He wanted the baby to be more like her.
"Well," Chani said. "Let's get started then, shall we?"
***
Five months later, Mary lay in bed in the house she and Andre had moved into some time ago. So much had happened in the last few months that if she thought about it all, her head spun.
They were now living near the new Wolf community, although there were just as many humans in the area as there were Wolves. There were quite a few Bears as well. Things were tense at times, but it was more the awkwardness of clashing cultures than the fear and potential violence that Mary had expected. Several families, including the Miltons, Monroes, Fennings and Amy's family, the McGintys, had all settled down in this new community. And new Wolves arrived every day.
Most older Wolves refused to stay, but there were many young adults and older teens that broke away from their families for this chance at a new life. The fact that all children were enrolled full time in schools, with grants being organized to send the older ones to college and university was certainly a big draw for the Wolves of that age.
Those that were not interested in further schooling were provided jobs and places to live with human roommates in the town. All the humans knew who they shared their lives with.
After some discussion, Mary and Andre had chosen to live on a farm ten minutes from the town. It was fairly small, and both knew it was going to take a lot of hard work to get to the point where they could be independent, but they were also excited about the prospect.
Mary had already decided she wanted a half dozen goats, so she could make goat milk soap to sell. Andre agreed, at her insistence, that they would be her goats and her responsibility. He was researching what crops grew best in their climate and in the meantime had taken a translation job online.