Bound by Pride Ch. 09

Everyone went back to eating and their separate conversations. Bastion walked back in with two women, one was Boadicea, and the other was a tall woman who was unknown to all of them except Jesse and Mayhem.

Mayhem stumbled trying to get out of her seat, her legs weren't responding as fast as her body was trying to move, Jesse steadied her for a moment so she could get her feet beneath her. Once she was standing, she raced to her mother.

Gale took several steps to meet her daughter; they wrapped their arms around each other as soon as they were within reach, and held each other tightly. Gale rested her head on top of her daughter's as she was much taller at six foot two compared to Mayhem's five foot five. Gale's pale blonde hair brushed her shoulders and her blue eyes were closed in pleasure, Mayhem was her world and finally she had a chance to hold her daughter who she hadn't seen or held in over ten years and not fear a savage beating for doing so. She was long and lean and dressed simply in a pair of jeans and shirt.

Gale finally released her and pulled away to let her eyes run over her daughter, she noticed the scars from the collar which had circled her daughter's neck, and carefully tilted her head up to see them better.

Mayhem pushed her head down obscuring the scars. "They'll fade." She told her mother.

Gale nodded then glanced around as she could feel the silent scrutiny of those in the room. Amy cleared her throat reminding everyone they were being rude and everyone quickly turned their attention back to their plates. Electra stood and made her way forward, Maddie moving to stand behind her.

Mayhem glanced back and smiled at Electra before turning back to Gale. "Electra this is my ma Gale. Ma this is Electra... my mate." Electra stepped forward and held out her hand.

Gale glanced quickly at Mayhem then straight back to Electra to study her as she took Electra's offered hand. "How long have you been mated?" She asked trying to understand what was going on, how her daughter could even think about taking a mate after everything that had happened to her.

"Only a few days." Electra answered as she released Gale's hand, she then reached back and grabbed Maddie to bring her forward.

"And this is our fosterling, Maddie." Mayhem said as Maddie came to stand between them.

Gale watched Maddie for a moment, fosterling was a term used for a child who was a good as adopted, which meant that she had a granddaughter. She smiled and offered her hand to Maddie. Maddie took her hand to shake it; Gale tugged her into her arms and hugged her tightly. Maddie was tense for a moment but relaxed as she could sense that Gale just wanted to greet her. Gale rubbed her face against Maddie's for a few moments before she released her.

"Come... eat some dinner." Electra gestured to the table. Jesse had already moved letting Gale sit next to Mayhem and Electra. Maddie went back to her seat next to Keira who was trying to ignore the temptation and true desire to scratch at her healing wounds. Her arms were a few more days off being healed completely but as of yet she hadn't felt her beast stir but she wasn't concerned, no one who was scratched or bitten failed to turn. They talked lightly over dinner leaving the more important conversations until they were in a less public forum.

When dinner was over Mayhem, Electra, Gale and Jesse went to one of the small libraries. Gale wandered around the room for several moments as Electra quickly went to get coffee and biscuits. When Electra returned they all sat cradling their mugs.

"How... how did you get free?" Gale asked.

Mayhem glanced to Electra and smiled, "it's a long story..." Mayhem started before taking a deep breath and launching into a condensed version of her story. Gale's hands gripped the arms of her chair with white knuckles. When Mayhem finished Gale put her head in her hands and cried.

Mayhem jumped to her feet and raced to her mother resting consoling hands on her mother's shoulders. "Don't be sad." She said softly.

Gale shook her head. "You don't understand..."

"I do..." Mayhem interrupted, "You did nothing wrong." She said trying to console her mother.

"You're wrong..." Gale told her, "I could have gotten us both out... before your birth I wasn't watched as closely, I could have gotten us both out and into another pride, I could have plead amnesty for both of us. None of this would have happened if I had just taken that chance and fled." She pulled away from her daughter. "But I didn't leave... I stayed even when everything in my body told me to flee."

"Ma..." Mayhem said trying to cut through her mother's guilt. "You did the best you could with what you had."

"But..." Gale started.

"No..." Mayhem said firmly. "I don't blame you for the way my life turned out. If I must blame someone I will blame my father as he was the one who sold me."

Gale shook her head slowly, "Darrel isn't your father." She said softly.

Jesse closed his eyes and sighed, "I thought as much", prompting Mayhem to turn to him, "more so when I first saw her after so long, as a child she looked much like you but as an adult she looks a lot more like James."

Gale nodded, agreeing with him. Mayhem turned back to her mother wanting answers, needing them. "James was your father; he was also my first mate and Alpha of the Ambush. We had been mated for several years and I had yet to fall pregnant. Darrel and several men ambushed your father and his second and killed them." Gale paused as James' death pained her to this day. "Darrel then dragged me, still grieving, into a mating ring and took me to cement his place as Alpha."

"Did he know that I wasn't his?" Mayhem asked determined that she would not run her pride like that, but not commenting on her mother's treatment as that was how that particular Ambush had been run for generations.

Gale shrugged, "he may have guessed, I was pregnant directly after him taking me and when you were born you were the daughter who should have been a son. He allowed me to have you until you were weaned then pushed you out of the house and into another away from me. That was when he put guards on me, to keep me from you, to keep me put. Then when you vanished, his guards doubled and he made veiled threats. I thought he had killed you at first until Jesse told me you couldn't be dead, because he still felt beholden to you."

"Even if he guessed you weren't his, he wouldn't have killed you because there was still that chance that you were." Jesse added, "That's what he told my father the night we split, he was hoping someone else would have killed you and that your blood would not be on his hands."

Mayhem thought for long moments, she hadn't moved from between her mother's legs. "How did you get away?"

Gale went pale, "It was scary that morning... when Darrel realised more than three quarters of the Ambush had vanished without a trace. He was in such a rage, when he finally calmed down he called some people and set up a hit on you to have you killed. He thought that those who left, their loyalty would revert back to him... doubtful after everything he'd done by that stage, but he was power crazy." She took a deep breath. "He also knew the Alpha's would have known what had happened by now and would be getting ready to arrest him and charge him for his crimes. So he told what was left that he was leaving the Ambush and that Jackson was taking over. But before he left he told several of his most loyal men to lock me up for a few weeks then make me disappear, to keep me from warning the Alphas."

"Then what happened?" Electra asked.

Gale smiled, "most amazing thing I've ever seen, they walked me into the forest to a pre-dug grave this morning and went to kill me, then from nowhere came this feral battle cry and Boadicea was there hacking those men away from me. She then grabbed me and we were in England. She got me cleaned up, new clothes and then brought me here."

****

Mayhem watched the passing countryside out of the window of the car the next day. Her stomach twisted into knots as she thought of the number of people who now looked to her as their Alpha, three thousand tigers, a mere fraction of those who followed Amy and Wolfgang but still a big number for someone who had never run a pride before.

Maddie sat next to her holding her hand with Electra on the other side; she had finally managed to cast aside her visor as her eyes no longer needed to be protected from light. Her steel grey eyes watched everything that went passed the windows with boredom, the only reason she was here was because like Mayhem had said last night, when Electra and Mayhem mated it made her their fosterling. She didn't mind as it was another person who could keep her safe and to talk to.

Gale sat in the passenger seat next to Jesse, they chatted lightly, him telling her about the estate they were building for the central pride. They pulled onto a dirt track that led to a large field, which was crammed full of people. He pulled over and they got out. Noise was loud as people talked and laughed.

Jesse gestured to the small raised platform that stood before the mass. Mayhem gulped nervously and approached with Electra and Maddie one-step behind, Jesse, and Gale following them. Mayhem walked onto the platform with the others following.

Jesse grabbed the microphone and cleared his throat loudly to get the crowds attention. The field fell silent instantly and all eyes turned to them. "Thankyou all for coming, I'll hand you over to our Alpha." He handed the microphone to Mayhem with an encouraging smile as her people clapped, cheered and whistled as she went to take the microphone.

Breathe Mayhem. Electra told her silently. What ever happens today doesn't matter. I will love you regardless.

Mayhem turned to her and offered her a small smile before taking the microphone from Jesse and stepping forward she waited a few moments but her pride were reluctant to stop their cheering. She gestured for silence and got it a few moments later. "Hello everyone and I thank you for your patience and your faith in me." She began "Where to begin..." she mused to herself for a moment before deciding to cut the legs out of one particular sentiment carried by her pride. "Darrel... I know some of you want to call a blood feud on those who sided with Darrel and for everything he did to you during my... absence." There was mass agreement with her on calling for a blood feud.

"But I will not call for one." She said cutting over the voices. "Darrel will be dealt with by the Alphas for his crimes against me and you, if Jackson is proven to be just as culpable he too will be dealt with but not by us. I will not see a Were war come because we cannot let the Alphas deal with Darrel and they will deal with him. Amy in particular can't wait to get her hands on him for what he did to her and if you haven't heard he ordered an attack on her home, threatened her young cubs and family, to try to get to me."

Silence met her as her entire pride had gained a healthy respect for Amy after everything she had done for them as a race and a pride. It was also becoming common knowledge that a stupid fool was one who pissed off Amy Luis.

Mayhem let them think on it for several moments, "I will not see my pride ruined after everything you had to put up with just because some want vengeance."

"PRIDE?" Some one called out.

"Yes... pride... we will no longer be an Ambush." She explained. "We are a new pride; we will make our own new ways, our own new traditions."

"WHAT ABOUT THE OLD WAYS?" An Elder called out.

Mayhem turned to the elder, "some of the old ways will be kept, some of them won't."

Many nodded with her sentiment.

"Too long we have clung to those old ways and look at what happened to us, the first ever split in all Were history. If we are to be a strong group, we must look to the future and be with the times. I will be discussing these changes with the elders and you will all be informed in due time, there is however one tradition I am doing away with right now... the mating ring... gone... never again will a woman be dragged into a mating against their will."

There was a cheer of approval, most had not been pleased with what Darrel had done to Gale but they had no power to stop it or to denounce it as the law had been on his side.

Mayhem waited for them to quieten, "I guess that is all I want to say at the moment." She told the crowd.

"YOU CALL US A PRIDE. WHO IS OUR NON TIGER MEMBER?" Someone called out.

Mayhem glanced to Electra, they had talked last night about what Electra would do her loyalty, she had decided, would be spilt between both groups and as long as they didn't have a conflict, which she doubted would ever happen, and she wouldn't have a problem.

"The first non-tiger members are my mate... Electra Luis... and her fosterling Maddie." She waited... hoping that this information would not lead to a mass exodus.

She heard the murmurs... Luis... one of Amy's daughters... our alpha has tied us to one of the most influential packs in the world. After about thirty seconds people started to clap and cheer. Happy that their Alpha had not only given them security in the form of a bond alliance with the most influential pack in the world but had also found love, which some if not most considered more important than the alliance.

Mayhem cleared her throat to call for silence, "I am Mayhem Collins daughter of James Collins, Alpha of the New Hope pride..." The field was suddenly filled with pops and cracks as people shifted to roar their happiness.

Mayhem stripped and shifted into her tiger form, the field went quiet... waiting... waiting to hear their Alpha roar. Mayhem glanced back to see that Electra had stripped and shifted as had Jesse, Gale and Maddie. Mayhem took a deep breath and roared. Electra stood up beside her and as Mayhem went to roar again she howled.

Everyone roared in chorus to Mayhem. Jesse nudged Maddie as he noticed that she hadn't roared. Come on, roar little one.

Maddie chuckled mentally, I can't roar. She told him amusement colouring her voice.

Of course you can, this is as much your pride as it is theirs. He told her.

She snorted, no I mean... I literally can't roar... when I am in full snow leopard form I have no voice box... no voice box... no roaring... or growling... or snarling... I can't even purr in this form but I can do all those things in human and hybrid form.

Jesse dropped his head in embarrassment, coming from a pure tiger pride he knew little about the other cat races and even less about any of the other races and it made him feel like an arse for making such a wrong assumption.

WE ARE PRIDE. Mayhem shouted out as loud as she could.

BOUND BY PRIDE. Was thrown back at her by everyone.

****

Mayhem yawned as she again watched the countryside zoom pass the car's windows. She rested her head against Electra's shoulder and sighed, today had gone better than she had ever imagined. After the pride's declaration of being bound she had wandered amongst her people for several hours just letting them know she was there for them until Jesse reminded her that there was currently nowhere for her or her family to sleep just yet and it was time to return to the manor.

Electra stroked her hair causing her to purr. See... you're a natural. She told her silently.

Mayhem grinned for a moment before closing her eyes to take a nap on the way home. Electra continued to stroke Mayhem's hair gently as she too closed her eyes to take a short nap.

Jesse watched them in the rear view mirror and shook his head he glanced at the fuel gauge, which was getting too close to empty for his liking, then back at the road his eyes searching for the first gas station. The car pulling over caused the girls to wake up and glance around to see if they were home yet. Mayhem yawned and stretched before pushing Electra out the door, when the car came to a stop beside a pump, so that she could get out.

Maddie got out and went to Electra. "Can I get something to eat I'm starving." She begged.

Electra checked her watch, they still had a good few hours before dinner so she nodded and handed Maddie some cash, before returning her wallet to her back pocket. Mayhem reached around Electra and slid her hands into Electra's back pockets, kissing her as she tugged Electra's wallet out, she broke the kiss with a cheeky smile and followed Maddie into the small diner to get something to eat.

"Some times I feel like a walking cash machine." Electra said slightly annoyed to Gale who smiled in reaction. "Jesse, want something to eat?" Electra asked as Gale came to stand next to her.

Jesse gave them a wistful look, "Burger, fries and a soda." He said before turning his attention back to the pump in his hand. Electra and Gale turned to the diner and joined Maddie and Mayhem at the counter, where they were reading the menu.

"Jesse wants a burger, fries and a soda." Gale told them before glancing up and frowning as the menu listed almost twelve different types of burger. "Only which burger?"

Electra chuckled and deftly tugged her wallet out of Mayhem's hands. She turned to Maddie, "Know what you want yet?"

Maddie nodded enthusiastically, she could already taste the food on her tongue. "I'll have the cheese burger, fries and a vanilla milkshake." She said confidently.

Electra studied her for a moment, "you better be able to eat something at dinner or Bastion will be put out."

Maddie thought about it carefully, "Okay I'll skip the milk shake and have a soda." She conceded.

"Go tell Jesse we'll be eating here." Electra told Maddie who nodded and raced off.

A waitress walked over, "What can I get you?" She asked pleasantly.

Electra glanced up, "We'll have a cheese burger, fries and a cola, a big man steak burger, fries and a lemonade, and I'll have the house special burger, fries and a cola." She finished before turning to Mayhem.

Mayhem smiled at the waitress. "I'll have a double beef and cheese burger, fries and a chocolate shake." She said with a smile and turned to Gale.

Gale smiled, "I'll have the surf and turf burger, fries and coffee."

The waitress glanced at them when Gale finished. "Will that be all?" She asked.

They nodded as Jesse and Maddie joined them in the diner. They moved over to a booth and sat.

"So what did you get me?" Jesse asked as he read the menu.

"Big man steak burger." Electra told him.

He smiled pleased.

"So what now?" Mayhem asked suddenly.

"We eat?" Gale queried not quite getting her daughter's question.

"No... I mean what do I do now, the house won't be finished for a month so we won't be able to move in for at least six weeks." Mayhem said expanding on her question.

Jesse smiled as the drinks were put down. "Simple... at the moment the pride is still settling in, so maybe you should start working on getting your body into shape... that's if Nathanael clears you for it." He corrected himself as he knew Nathanael would throttle him for side stepping in his field, if he didn't want Mayhem to start training then she wasn't allowed to.

Gale smiled, "You also have a mating to affirm, since technically you mated before Mayhem officially took over her pride you don't have to have a gathering and I think the alpha's will understand that you just don't have the facilities to handle a gathering."

Maddie bounced as the waitress reappeared with their food. "Okay cheese burger." Maddie held up her hand and her plate was passed to her, "Big man," she said putting the plate down before Jesse. "House special," she put a plate down before Electra, "double beef and cheese," she put a plate down before Mayhem, "and the surf and turf," she put the last plate down before Gale. She put the check on the table beneath the saltshaker and went to serve some more customers. They all started to eat as they had missed lunch.