Endangered Species Ch. 25-32

I felt a little better at lunch. I filled Cole in on everything we were doing to integrate the Pack, even though I was sure Melanie was keeping him up to date using their link. Still, he openly supported me and encouraged the changes. "I even like the nametag thing," he told me. He proudly displayed an 'Alpha Cole Chapman' badge on his chest, while mine said 'Future Luna Angela Summers.' He was always touching me, and before leaving, he lifted me off my feet and let me slide down his chest until I was on the ground again. We kissed goodbye, and I let out a low moan as his hand ran down my back. His teeth went to the junction of my neck and shoulder after we kissed goodbye, and I froze. Cole bit down with human teeth while sucking hard on my skin. It was only hard enough to leave indents with the hickie.

I was more annoyed by all the saliva than the love nibble. Possessive males! EVERYONE in his Pack knows I'm his mate, so what was he so worried about? I rolled my eyes as he turned to leave to take care of urgent 'alpha business' somewhere outside the gates. "Males," I muttered to myself.

The females at the table just laughed. "You're driving his wolf insane," Melanie told me. "As long as you refuse his claim on you, this will go on."

"Does it get any better?"

The girls laughed at this, too. "When you're pregnant, he won't be so jealous, but he'll be three times as possessive," Lois replied. "You're the only one who can get a rise out of him." At this, all of us girls started laughing.

"Very funny," I said as I sat back down. I touched the tooth indentations on my shoulder. "I thought Cole was going to bite me for a second."

"He knows the Law, but your little moans have him ready to blow," Melanie replied. "The longer you hold out, the harder it will be."

"Literally," Lois added to more laughter.

"Give the Alpha permission to mate and change you, and you won't leave your bedroom until your shift is complete," Doctor Pine said.

"I'm going to be so sore," I mumbled.

"Werewolf healing, Luna. Thirty or so hours of near-constant sex before the fevers finally stop you," she replied. "Then you get your wolf, and the next marathon begins."

"That seems a little excessive."

"It grows the bond and gives the new pair their first shot at pups," Doc replied. "It seems like a lot now, but the mating bond will drive you both to continue."

"And Alphas feel everything stronger than lower ranked wolves," Melanie added.

"Well, his human Luna has strong feelings too. If he wants me, he needs to start treating me more like an equal and less like a subject." I stood up, and Lois stood with me. "I need to continue the interviews. Thank you, ladies."

I stopped by the tables where the bitten women sat together. A few were starting to feel hot, but most of the conversation revolved around the healings they'd already experienced. Scars and aches disappeared, tattoos faded, wrinkled skin tightened up, and old injuries no longer bothered them. Some of the women healed from radiation exposure or diminished vision in hours. "That's amazing," I said to Nurse Theresa. "How much of a recovery is possible?"

"We don't know," she replied. "None of us had significant exposure-related injuries when we arrived." Left unsaid was the reason for that; the wolves had killed any females with severe medical conditions. Why bring breeders in who might not make it?

"Make sure the Alpha and the men out there know this is happening," I ordered Lois, who could link him. "It changes the dynamic if they find survivors with exposure symptoms. We might be able to save them if they agree to the bite."

"And dying people will willingly accept it to survive," Nurse Theresa agreed.

Lois looked at us. "The Alpha acknowledges your information but says they are finding few suitable survivors to bring in. It appears the survivors in the Silverdale area are in the middle of a disease outbreak. The ones they have seen are in bad shape. Severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration."

Nurse Theresa paled, and I looked at her for more information. "Gastroenteritis, even cholera? It's not unexpected. The sewer and water systems have failed, and people are shitting everywhere. It's common for more people to die of dehydration following a natural disaster than from the disaster itself."

"More reason to get people here that we can help," I said. "Every day, there are fewer out there to find." I was disappointed we hadn't returned with any recruits during my night out with the guys. Maybe tonight would be different?

I spent most of the afternoon doing interviews with my women, learning their names and backgrounds. We were a diverse group, mainly military wives and civilian employees at the base when the solar event occurred. As Bangor was a nuclear submarine base, the commanders identified the radiation danger and escorted people to shelters underground.

It was in these shelters where the invading werewolves found them.

I was surprised at the number of college degrees and the depth of skill. It would suck to have degreed women cleaning floors, but life had changed. The Pack didn't care about degrees in journalism, women's studies, or political science. We had plenty of women skilled in cooking, child care, and education. What we needed were mechanics, machine operators, and building trades. I made notes for those who might show aptitude and went on.

Just after three in the morning, Lois stopped talking and began linking. A minute later, two female guards appeared at the door, rifles at the ready. They looked nervous. "What is going on?"

"Visitors. An Alpha and his delegation. Our Alpha isn't here, so the Beta will meet them at the gate. He will bring them to the conference room."

I looked down at my clothes. "I should get changed. Is Melanie meeting me in the conference room?" Lois didn't reply. I got up and walked to the door, but the guards blocked my way out. "Seriously? I'm the Alpha's mate. It is my job to host them until my mate returns."

"Our Alpha does not agree. He wants you out of the way and under guard until he returns."

That pissed me off. "What? Is he afraid I'll find someone better than him?"

Lois paled. "Do not even joke about such things, my future Luna. Alpha Cole would kill anyone you showed interest in, regardless of the cost."

"Then what is his problem, Lois? Is he embarrassed I am his mate? Is he afraid I'll do something that will embarrass him?"

Lois took my hand and led me back to the table. "You have not accepted the change or his claim," she said as we sat down again. "Yes, you are his mate, but without that, you have no official position in the Pack. Let him bite you, and Melanie will step aside so you can rule by his side. Until then, you are both human and vulnerable. Cole will not allow outsiders to be near you unless he can personally see to your safety."

I sat back and thought about it for a moment. It made more sense now, given how protective my mate was. Another Alpha wanting to harm the Pack would find me the easiest target. "Who is our guest, and what do you know about him?"

"It's the Quinalt Pack, Future Luna." Shit. That was the group that had visited a few days ago. Two males found human mates and took them back. We'd talked about the threat posed, and they wouldn't know of the deal I'd made about the human females. "Alpha Edward Winters, his Lead Warrior, and ten warriors."

"Twelve isn't enough to take over," I said.

"It's enough to take you out," she replied. "I don't think that is why they brought this particular group, though. Only the Alpha is mated."

That could be fun. "We should segregate the human females until we can do introductions in a controlled manner," I ordered.

"Luna Melanie already ordered that, and the rooms are all guarded now. We wait here," she replied.

"Great. Can we continue the interviews?"

"Not a good idea to have the humans walking around," Lois replied. She walked to the door just in time for it to open. A guard handed her a small bag and a slab of wood, maybe three feet long and almost that wide. She set the wood by the wall and sat by me, removing and untying a leather roll. Inside were a dozen throwing knives. "Have you done any knife training?"

"I played around with knife and hatchet throwing as a camp counselor," I replied.

"These are my mating present for you, my future Luna. The blades are silver-plated. Any werewolf skin that touches them will burn, and any stab wounds will be slow to heal. The handles are stainless steel."

She motioned for me to take one out. The knife was slightly longer than my hand, with the front half a double-sided blade. Thin linen cord wrapped the handles between the ring at the end and the ridge of the handguard. "Not much of a blade guard. Well-balanced. Heavier than I expected."

"All throwing knives have to balance the throw and the thrust," Lois instructed. "These knives lean towards throwing. I'll speak to the Alpha about letting you carry a concealed pistol outside your quarters. That isn't always practical in meetings, but these knives hide well under your clothing. I expect you to wear at least four at all times until you have shifted." She helped me put on the matching sheaths. Two went on my forearms, one on my thigh, and each could hold two knives. "We've got an hour, so let's see what you know."

She had me throw the twelve knives at the target board from ten feet. I was glad the walls were gypsum board and the floor carpeted; I only stuck two into the wood. Lois began to coach me on my form. When the hour finished, my arm was exhausted, but I had that up to nine. "Not bad for a beginner," she told me. "One hour of throwing practice and one hour of knife fighting training every day until your fevers hit."

"Then we stop training?"

"We'll pause for your mating," she replied. An evil grin crossed her face. "Then it goes to four hours per day until I'm satisfied you can defend yourself against multiple werewolves. We'll fit that in between your shooting and wolf-fighting lessons."

Great. Getting my wolf was going to get my ass kicked.

Ch. 26

"Alpha Cole is at the gate," Lois told me. "Get ready to go."

I ensured my sheathes had securely held knives, then covered them with my clothes. The other knives went back in the leather roll and then the bag. "I'd feel better with a pistol," I complained.

"The other wolves would smell the gun oil on you. Custom is for the Alphas and their guards to disarm while meeting on each other's territory. It shows faith and trust."

"Not everyone, right?"

She smiled. "Everyone near the meeting does. Alpha Winters is perfectly safe here. He came in peace, and the Beta allowed him into the territory. Once the host extends his protection, it is sacrosanct."

"What would happen if Alpha Cole attacked Winters and his men?"

"The other Alphas would band together and wipe out our entire Pack," Lois replied. "The customs of hospitality predate the Werewolf Council and its laws. What is he worth if you can't trust an Alpha's word?"

Indeed. What would that word be worth if Cole lied just once? The Academy had an honor code. We did not lie, cheat, or steal. It was important because only leaders with honor were worthy of leading Sailors and Marines. A Pack should be no different.

We exited the room with the two guards flanking us. "What happens now?"

"Beta Campbell will stay with Alpha Winters while his delegation waits outside. The Alpha will go straight to the conference room to greet him. Unless requested otherwise, the two Alphas will meet in private first before any larger discussions occur. Since the visit was unannounced, his temporary absence is not an insult."

"I mean with me," I said. "Am I to be at his side or guarded elsewhere? Is Melanie standing by him as the Luna?"

"Alpha Winters requested to meet alone with Alpha Chapman and his future Luna. He knows enough of your situation from the girls who came to his Pack."

This request had to make my mate nervous. I saw Cole leaning against the wall outside the conference room.. He caught my eyes, and I almost stumbled when I saw the intensity of his gaze. I yearned to be in his arms again, and Cole didn't disguise his desire for me.

Damned mating pull.

I hurried my steps, my body responding to his presence subconsciously. I blushed as he pulled me close for a kiss. I was getting aroused, and sensitive werewolf noses would pick that up. Cole rubbed his skin against mine, refreshing his scent on my skin and placing fresh indents of his teeth on my bruised neck. "You are mine, and I will protect you with my life," he told me.

"We shouldn't keep him waiting," I replied breathlessly. "Do you know what he wants?"

"We'll find out soon. Don't leave my side, my mate." Cole opened the door and held it for me. He took my hand as I entered, letting the door close on its own. The man on the other side of the table stood up and smiled. He was tall, almost six-foot-five, lanky, with glossy back hair starting to grey at the temples. It was held back from his rugged face in a ponytail. The Alpha had majority Native American blood. "This is an unexpected pleasure, my friend. Alpha Edward Winters, may I present my mate and future Luna, Angela Summers."

"It is my pleasure, and please, call me Edward," the middle-aged Alpha said as he came around the table. I held out my hand, and he took it old-world style, bringing it to his nose and placing a kiss on the knuckle. "I've heard good things about you."

"Please, let us sit and get to know each other," I replied. There was a coffee service in the room, so as the hostess, I served both men before making my own. I sat to Cole's right, took a sip, and smiled. "My guard tells me the Quinalt Pack lands are beautiful but remote. You must have had a long trip."

"We are blessed to have vehicles that still work, and the roads didn't get blocked in the remote lands of our reservation. The drive was uneventful until the last twenty miles or so. It is faster to run as wolves than to try and negotiate the roads in such populated areas."

"I didn't get much of a briefing on you. Your Pack lives in a temperate rain forest?"

He nodded. "We sit between the Olympic Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The mountains wring the moisture from the air like you wouldn't believe. Twenty to thirty inches of rain in a month is common in the wintertime." My jaw dropped; that was a shitload of rain!

"You live on tribal lands?"

He nodded. "My great-great-grandfather found his mate among a woman of the Quinalt people. He was the second son of an Alpha, those who joined him found mates among the tribe. Our Pack is tied to them by spirit and blood. The old ways are coming back in style," he said with a smile. "The loss of technology will strengthen our people, not diminish them. It is a return to our traditions and heritage."

"I am glad to hear you are holding up so well. Everything around us is collapsing. It is not a pleasant thing to witness."

"I suppose not," he said before setting his coffee down. "We will have time to discuss pleasantries later. This is not a social visit, Alpha Cole. The reports I received of your Pack's actions are concerning." He reached in his pocket and removed a letter. "I am filing charges against you for violations of Werewolf law in your treatment of your human captives. I have sent messengers to the other Packs, and the Alphas will arrive within three days to convene an Alpha Council to hear the evidence and render a decision."

That couldn't be good. "You are operating under old information, Alpha Winters," I said evenly. "My mate has placed me in sole charge of the humans and their treatment. I have ended forced inseminations. Alpha Cole offered my fellow females the change, and dozens have accepted it. Many others have accepted membership in the Pack while they consider accepting the change at a later date. The ones who want to leave? We are letting them go in peace, with the ability to return if they change their mind. Everything changed with the solar storm, Edward. I am the voice for humans in the Pack."

He nodded, looking at my neck. "Yet you haven't accepted a wolf or your place in the Pack."

"I feel the mating pull, but I have my responsibilities. I know that Cole is my mate; the timing of my mating is no one's concern but ours."

He looked away from me to my mate. "She speaks for you in this matter?"

"She is my mate and future Luna. She spoke to our leadership about the pitfalls of our path, a path that brought you here today. Two of your men have mates because we kept those women alive instead of killing them with the others. None of the men with you are mated, Edward. I am sure that is not accidental."

"Should the unmated of my Pack find their mates, that would be a blessing from Luna. To remove them from a Pack that would mark, enslave, and breeds them? A double blessing." He looked back at me. "It speaks to your strength that you were able to change the course of this Pack regarding humans. That does not excuse the laws Alpha Cole broke or the ones he continues to break."

"My women are no longer slaves, Edward. They are Pack, and I am dedicating my efforts to helping them find a place in it where they can be happy and have a good life."

"I am pleased with your changes, and the Council will consider them when determining their fate and the punishment for the two of you. You were not wrong to hold off on the mating. You are held responsible under Werewolf law as soon as you become a wolf."

I didn't understand; we were doing the right thing! "What exact violations are we being charged with?"

"Our laws are clear," he said as he leaned forward. "Human mates are Luna's blessing and should be turned. Those who learn of our nature must be turned or killed. No exceptions."

My heart dropped. By forcing Cole to release the women who didn't want to be here, had I doomed our Pack? "Surely you can't hold us freeing the slaves against us!"

He shook his head, no. "Those taking the change are not the problem. The ones who you killed are not the problem. It is the ones that you offered the bite to and refused that are the issue. They still live; thus, they present a risk to us all. Their continued existence is the violation of werewolf law."

That didn't make sense! "Wait, these women have pledged their allegiance to the Pack! How are they a risk compared to those we let go?"

He snorted. "We saw the women you released on the way here. They must have thought they were home-free so far from your Pack House. Pistol shots at close range to the back of the head, Alpha Cole? Noisy, but effective."

No.

Oh, HELL NO! It couldn't be!

I looked at Cole and saw the guilt on his face.

Ch. 27

It took every bit of self-control I could muster to avoid reacting to the news. My hands turned white as they gripped my legs just above the knees. I couldn't look at Cole, or I'd lose it. One excuse from Cole, and I'd be cutting him up into little chunks of stew meat.

I couldn't do that. Like it or not, Cole and I were linked together by the Moon Goddess. I didn't know or believe in her, but I couldn't discount what she'd done to me. If I was to lead by his side, we had to present a united front to the Pack and outsiders. I had to choose my next words carefully. "You should have come to see for yourself before calling the Council together. The world is collapsing, and we must consider more than just Werewolf Law to navigate through the aftermath. Dinner will start in about thirty minutes. We should focus on introducing your single wolves to our females."

Cole picked up on my change in the direction of the conversation. Thankfully, he understood that discussing the females who had left would go badly for him. "The last time your men were here, we handled things poorly. We cannot allow them to be chased or scared out of their minds by a male out of control. I trust you'll keep your men under control?"