Sharkbait Down Under Ch. 11-20

I think we were all a bit nervous as we drove past farms and parklands towards Bonnie Doon. Our plane had arrived from Brisbane just after midnight, bringing me with Amy, Makani, Noelani, Nicholas, Fiona, Carly, Olivia, and Leo. The girls had changed their flights so they could support us.

My Mom had arrived in Melbourne an hour before we did, and it was great seeing her again. Ian and Dorothy had flown in two days after the wedding, and Susan and Hammer would fly to Melbourne tomorrow with Linda and the crew. "How many people showed up?"

"Most of them," Craig said. He was Uncle Joseph's eldest son and still lived at the family compound where the meeting was. He was single and a sophomore in college. "Dad said only three of our kind couldn't make it. Most of the wives came with, so this is the biggest gathering in a long time."

"That's good," I replied. "How is your wolf doing?"

"He's a little intimidated right now," Craig replied honestly. "I've never felt the kind of dominance Leo puts out, much less yours. And it is a little weird feeling Nicholas' wolf now; our wolves used to be equal, and now mine just wants to roll on his back when he comes up."

"A lot will change now," I said. I'd spent a lot of time talking with Nicholas, Ian, and Leo about what we would be doing.

"Remember when you were worried that mating and becoming an Alpha would mean you might not get to go to college for what you wanted," Mom teased. "Those were the days!"

"Oh, my," I replied. "Easy button compared to this." Heck, it was going to be hard to balance a mating with my career and commitments, much less family on the other side of the world and an untrained Pack.

Craig told us about his family and their land as we drove, and soon we arrived at his family's station. He pulled to a stop in front of a sprawling one-story farmhouse. There were tents pitched around the yard and a few campers off to the side, only a few with lights showing. "Full house?"

"You wouldn't believe how full. Come on, my parents, Joseph and Margaret, are waiting by the door."

As always, I let my bodyguards get out first, and that's when everything went to shit. "MATE," Fiona growled out, and she took off for the stairs and Joseph. He had no idea what was happening, so he growled and pushed his wife behind him. By protecting this woman and growling at her, he was rejecting her. It was a slap at her wolf, and she shifted to eliminate the threat to her mating.

"NO! STOP," I yelled as her wolf leaped for the pair.

Joseph shifted as well, but his wolf was confused. It wanted the beautiful she-wolf running towards it, not the human behind him that his other half loved. Fiona crashed into Margaret and bit into her arm as she screamed and tried to fight off the enraged wolf.

Leo shifted before I could, and he knocked Fiona off of Margaret's chest. He quickly pinned the struggling wolf, holding her neck until she submitted to him. Joseph's wolf thought about interfering, but Leo's dominant wolf looked at him, and he backed down.

I took control. "Craig, take your mother inside and take care of that bite. Joseph, go inside and change while Leo and I deal with Fiona."

Craig helped his Mom up, holding his shirt over her bleeding arm as she cried. Family members had started to gather around, drawn by the screams and the dominance of the new arrivals. Joseph shifted back first. "Don't hurt her," he asked.

"She attacked a human," I said. "That must be dealt with." He grabbed a pair of shorts that one of the family members tossed him and grabbed his torn clothing before going inside. I took over for Leo, kneeling and holding Fiona's scruff while he jumped back into the van and pulled on new clothes. Ian approached me. "Do you have a silver collar or something you use to restrain wolves?"

"There are a post and chain in the back Joseph use for punishments," he said.

I pulled an apologetic and devastated Fiona around the house, chaining her up to the thick post set into the ground. I didn't have to tell her how badly she'd messed up; she'd attacked a human, and there was a fifty-fifty chance that Margaret would die. Fiona's life was forfeit if that happened. Even if Margaret survived the forced change, Fiona earned a harsh punishment.

There was no guarantee Joseph would choose Fiona over the woman he'd been married to for decades, and no guarantee he'd forgive her for his wife's death. Fiona let out a mournful howl before lying down, her head on her paws.

If there was a worse way to bring the Werewolf world to this family, I couldn't think of it.

"We could have handled that better," Amy sent to me as I finished up.

"No kidding." I'd reached my limit on problems three problems ago. "Can you and Leo handle things for a few minutes? I have to call Alpha Steven and tell him what happened."

"Sure, but don't take long. Craig will finish bandaging up Margaret in a few minutes, and everyone is gathering in the living room to figure out what is going on. They are pissed and scared for Margaret, who they think is in for a painful death."

I pulled out my phone and walked away from the house as I made the call. "Vicki? What's going on?"

It was close to noon there, so they knew it was the middle of the night for me. "We arrived at the station to meet everyone, and things went bad. My dog Fiona bit the owner's wife. I've got her tied up in back until the test results come through."

He didn't say anything; I was speaking in code with the open line. I couldn't openly say that his Pack Warrior went full loco werewolf on the human. "Will you send her home?"

"I was going to ask you about that after we know how bad Margaret's bite is."

"Keep me posted; when there is a chance, we should probably have another videoconference. In the meantime, I'll defer to Leo's judgment on things if it can't wait until you get home." That was the kicker; it would be dangerous to bring Fiona home with a death sentence on her. Leo would make the call and would carry out the sentence here if needed.

"I'll let him know he is acting for you locally. Thank you, Steven, I'll call you when I know more."

"Thank you, Vicki. Good luck."

I hung up the phone and went inside through the door to the kitchen. Margaret was sitting at the table, tears streaming down her face as Craig finished taping the dressing down. "Margaret, I'm Vicki, Nicholas' mate. I wish we had a better meeting than that, but thank you for opening your home to us."

"She's killed me," Margaret said as she looked at her arm.

"Maybe not. Come on, let's join the others, and we'll unpack everything that just happened and what it all means." Craig and I helped her to her feet and brought her into the living room. Adults packed the room, maybe fifty of them, most of whom had just woken up. Every horizontal surface had someone on it, including the floor. Joseph was sitting in his recliner, and Craig moved his Mom to sit on his lap. Although his arms held her, I could see in his eyes how conflicted he was.

Well, I might as well get started. Since I was likely to be the Australian Alpha, Leo thought it would be best I linked my hands with Nicholas and faced the crowd from the kitchen entrance. "Hello, everyone. My name is Vicki Lawrence. Arriving with me tonight are Alpha Leo Volkov, from my home Pack in Miesville, Minnesota, in the United States." Leo waved and smiled, but few met his eyes. They'd felt his power when he shifted, and everyone knew it was more than their wolves had. I quickly introduced my mother, Amy, the twins, and Carly. "It is late, so I thought I'd answer some of your questions quickly tonight, and we can go over them in more detail when we've all gotten some sleep."

"What is happening to that wolf who attacked Margaret for no reason? He's killed her," one person asked.

"That wolf is Fiona, a warrior in the Three Sisters Pack in Oregon. She is my bodyguard and my responsibility," I said evenly. "I'll explain what happened soon, but she is tied up out back until we can set her punishment for attacking a human." I looked out among them. "What is your experience with bites?"

"They are always fatal," Ian said.

"Not for us," I said. "When a werewolf in its wolf form bites a human, a transformation begins. My mother used to be human until a werewolf bit her during an attack on our car. She survived, but not all do. We don't know why some make it, and some don't, but we DO know that an Alpha needs to be present at the change. If the person is strong enough and in a Pack structure, about half make it." There was some grumbling. "We will be here for Margaret to give her a chance."

"Why was she attacked?"

"I should first explain what mates are," I said as I put my arm around Nicholas. "When the Moon Goddess created our kind, she gave us mates. Your wolf recognizes its mate by the smell, and the attraction between you is strong and immediate. The bond is until death; it is deeper and more satisfying than any marriage. Since we have some new mates here, maybe they can explain what it felt like." I gave Nicholas a chance to describe it. It was all new to them, and I could see it on their faces. None could deny what was in front of them, though. "Joseph is Fiona's mate. She saw Margaret as a threat to her mating and tried to eliminate it."

Margaret stood up, looking at her husband. "You knew?"

"It all happened so quickly," he said. "At first, I was defending you, and then my wolf refused to harm Fiona."

"And this is the problem your isolation has created. Just because you don't interact doesn't mean Luna hasn't placed mates in the world for you. Fiona waited for a quarter-century for her mate to find him married and living here. Marrying a human doesn't break the attraction to a mate; only by rejecting the mate, the death of the mate, or claiming another wolf as your mate does the attraction go away."

It was a lot to take in, especially for Joseph. "What happens next," he asked.

"You, Margaret, and Fiona will hopefully have choices to make," I said.

"Hopefully?" Margaret asked.

"Well, if you don't survive the change, Fiona will be executed, and there aren't any choices left. When you become a werewolf, you will not be Joseph's fate mate. That is Fiona; you'll have a fated mate out there as well, someone we don't know yet. If the two of you decide that your life together is more important than your fate mates, you claim each other and become choice mates. Your mating breaks the bond with Fiona and whoever your fate mate was, allowing Luna the chance to find another wolf for them. That is what happened to me; my fated mate rejected me for another, and Luna gave me Nicholas instead."

"What if I want Fiona," Joseph asked nervously.

"If you choose to mate with Fiona after her punishment ends, you would divorce Margaret in the human world and allow her to go around other Packs to find her match." It caused another round of murmuring.

"What about me," a woman asked while being held by her husband. "I don't want to risk death for him, even if it is a coin flip."

"No one can make you risk the change if you don't want to, but there are other people affected than just you," I replied. "You all live your lives with human spouses, but your true mates suffer because they never find you. They might die, frustrated and alone, never knowing why."

"We owe it to them to help you find each other, even if only to reject them so they can get a second-chance mate," Leo said. "What we would do is send a piece of clothing with your scent around to the Packs until someone recognizes it. We would then bring the two of you together so you could reject them in person, or claim them and put your wife aside."

"It's a lot to think about, and nothing must happen immediately," I said. "I think we should all go to sleep and pick this up tomorrow. Make sure you spend time with Margaret, as once the fevers begin, it won't be easy on her."

"And tomorrow we will talk more about Pack structures, Alphas, and our wolves," Leo promised.

There wasn't much room, and there was so much unrest that Leo and I decided our group would shift and puppy pile in the living room. It didn't take long for others to join us; it was natural for wolves to gravitate to the dominant wolves under stress. By morning, the majority of the assembled wolves had joined us on the carpet.

Ch. 12

My wolf woke to the smell of bacon frying. Untangling myself from the puppy pile, I trotted over and grabbed my bag before heading to the bathroom. Emerging clothed in shorts and a T-shirt, I walked into the big kitchen where Margaret was cooking up breakfast. "Good morning," I said sleepily.

"Not a morning wolf, are you," Margaret teased as I wiped the sleep out of my eyes.

"No, but I never sleep through a meal. Can I help?"

"You can take over pancakes," she said. I started making platefuls as I chatted with the other women helping out. Olivia joined us, pitching in with eggs. Honestly, I was surprised Margaret was here at all. I would have thought she'd be with Joseph or her family. "How are you feeling?"

"The wound tingles, but no fever yet," she said. "Is there anything you need to prepare?"

"Ice. Lots of ice, and if you have a bathtub-sized cattle tank or tub, that would be good. It's better to do this outside on the grass." I talked through what would happen during the change; one way or another, it would end tonight. "I believe that those who make it through the change do so because they are too stubborn to die."

"You'll want to, trust me," Olivia added. "I had a daughter to live for, and my mate was there. I didn't know how important that was, but my new wolf did. It was the most painful experience of my life, but it's like having a child. As soon as I was in my wolf, I didn't mind the pain anymore."

Margaret nodded her head at the thought. "Joseph isn't my mate. I could see it in his eyes; his wolf wants Fiona, not me. He's going to leave me."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps, but your family is here. Your son and daughter will find their mates, and they will give you grandchildren. Your mate is out there, waiting for you. Today doesn't have to be the end. Make it a new beginning."

She nodded. "They're beginning to wake up." There was no way everyone could eat at the table, so instead, the food went into warming trays on it. As people came through with their paper plates, they would find a place inside or outside to eat. I kept making pancakes with the other women until Margaret stopped me. "Grab a plate; we need to talk." She asked my Mom and Leo to come with her, ending up in her sitting room with our food on the small table. "I want to talk to you about Fiona," she said.

"Why?" Fiona was still chained up in back, and Amy had taken her some food.

"What is she like?"

I told her what I knew about her. I talked about Fiona's degree and service, her retirement from the Secret Service, her time as my bodyguard, and her family. "I think she came along because she was frustrated," I said. "Imagine going to gatherings year after year to find your mate, and it never happens. All she had was her work, and the girls and I became her family to protect."

"She sounds like a tough woman," Margaret said.

"She is. I know she regrets what happened. It wasn't you that she was mad at, it was Joseph. She thought he rejected her without giving her a chance." It was a crappy situation all around.

"I don't want Fiona to die," Margaret finally said. "Even if I don't make it, I don't want you killing her on my account. It's bad enough Joseph loses me; don't take away his mate, too."

"That isn't how it works," Leo said. "We have laws on this."

Margaret laughed. "Laws? What laws of yours apply to an isolated group of werewolves who had no idea what mates even were?"

"Fiona knows the laws," Leo said.

"And I'm the one she harmed. I forgive her for what she did, and I'm asking you to show her mercy. Surely she deserves that after the life she's lived for others."

I looked at Leo, glad that I wasn't the Alpha who had to make these decisions. "You're a good person, Margaret. You're going to be a better wolf." We saw a shiver run through her; the fevers were coming. "You should eat all you can now as you'll need the energy for later. Go, be with your family."

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and got up, taking her plate with her. When the door closed, I turned to Leo. "Can you reduce the sentence?"

"I'll have to talk to Steven first, but yes. As long as the Council is not involved, there is flexibility with this." We didn't talk for a bit as we finished our plates. "This is only the start of the problems. Margaret and Joseph are willing to let each other go, but what happens to the husband who chooses his mate, and his wife doesn't want the change? What do we do then?"

"I could ask the vampires to help. Wipe their memories?"

"I don't know how that would be possible," Mom said. "We're not talking about removing a single memory from something a person saw or did. We could be talking decades of living with and among wolves. What are we going to do, wipe out everything back to their high school days? And what about their families? Everyone knows who they are and who they were married to."

It was a dumpster fire. "We'll deal with that later. We've got a whole group of people out there who don't even know what an Alpha is."

"Or a Pack," Leo said. "You are right; mates can wait. Forming a Pack out of them is a higher priority. I think we should demonstrate by bringing you girls into the Miesville Pack again." My eyes got wide. "Alpha Steven suggested it, and it makes sense. You and Nicholas may end up being Alphas here, but you have other commitments. I agreed to stay down here and help get these wolves settled. I can bring them into the Miesville Pack for now, and you or another Alpha can split off with them later."

It solved a lot of problems that I'd been unable to resolve. "Thank you," I said as I hugged my Unky Leo. "Nicholas isn't ready to be an Alpha yet."

"I'll keep him with me while you continue on your tour, and he can learn as we go. We should get going," he said.

I made sure Margaret was getting what she needed first. Her daughter Bonnie was using cold rags to help her since drugs didn't work on this fever. Mom volunteered to stay with her, while Craig was setting up a cattle tank outside and filling it with water. Olivia would be able to listen in on our training through the link and keep the two updated.

One of the cousins had collected every Esky they could find before making heading into town for ice. With everything set and the morning dishes cleaned, Leo gathered everyone in the back yard for class. I noticed that Joseph was sitting alone, keeping himself between the families and Fiona as he scratched her neck. He'd made his choice.

Leo started with the stuff I learned as a pup. "Leadership in a Pack flows from the Alpha," Leo said. "The Alpha has the power to bind the Pack together, to enforce discipline, resolve conflicts, and to keep everyone working together as a unit. Packs have a minimum of five members, with the largest Packs having close to five hundred. My Pack, the Miesville Pack, is a common size with about a hundred members."

"How many Packs are there," one of the young men asked.

"Over two hundred in North America, each claiming an area of land as their own," Leo answered. "Another eighty-seven scattered across Europe, Russia, and Asia. Each Pack governs itself, but the Alphas elect a Council to resolve conflicts between them, set and enforce laws for the Packs, and protect our secrets."

"Membership in a Pack is a mutual agreement between the wolf and the Alphas," I said. "Movement between Packs requires relocation, so it isn't something done on a whim. Most transfers happen when mates find each other, and the female goes to the male's Pack unless she is of higher rank. You can also transfer because of school, jobs, or a desire to move. I grew up in Leo's Pack, then transferred to Alpha Steven's Three Sisters Pack when I started college."