15

Coral Sexson's POV

Arrowhead Pack House

As soon as the trial ended, I ran over to congratulate Chase and Rori. "

Thank you,"

Chase sent to his family and Pack as we gathered around them.

"

I need to get back home,"

Carson sent to me. "

My jet is waiting at the Twin Harbors airport, but the pilots have FAA-required rest until six PM. If you want to fly home with us, you can pick up a flight from Yakima or Seattle to get to Blue River. Mom and Frank are going back with me as well."

I hadn't even made return flight arrangements. "

Maybe I'll have Keith bring Hope down for a visit. She misses Grandma. Can we stay a day then head back?"

"If you can both be away, then fine."

"I'll call him and see. Things have settled down in the Pack, but I wasn't about to bring them around the Council. Even Rori sent her babies away."

She looked over at the Arrowhead Alpha; just because they won, didn't mean it was over. She was hosting twenty-one Alphas and the Council, all of whom wanted to get on the road and go home. She and Teri were frantically coordinating rides to the Two Harbors, Duluth and Minneapolis airports. Her Omegas were frantically assisting with packing and loading the vehicles as they pulled up. "

I bet she'll be thrilled when things are back to normal."

"Three months without your babies is too long."

He shook his head, unable to imagine how they'd done it.

"I accept the ride. I'm going to go pack, but we should all talk before we get out of mind-link range. Chase and Rori need to know what happened in the jury room."

We quickly linked with Chase; he said we should be able to get together in an hour in their office after they'd gotten the bulk of the Alphas off their land. "

Also, Mom wants to be in on the link but doesn't want to leave Spider Monkey's place. There's no point in doing anything to attract attention that way, and we're not sending any cars out that direction,"

he said. "

You could go for a run, work some of the energy off."

I'd enjoy a run, but I had something else to do. I spotted Alpha Ivan and Luna Svetlana in the dining hall, drinking coffee at a table with their Head Warriors, Vasilie and Ekatarina, and walked over. "Hello," I said with a smile. "May I join you for a moment?"

"Of course, Alpha Coral," Ivan said. Of all the Alphas in the world, Alpha Ivan was the one I thought least likely to join our side. It must have pissed his father off when he found out what happened in the jury room.

I took a seat. "I wanted to thank you for your words this morning in the jury room," I said. "Having your support not just for Rori and Chase, but as a female Alpha worth listening to, was a big help to us."

"We have been doing a lot of reflection recently, Alpha Coral. Anyone can see that the hand of Luna is on your family and what they are doing. When she is making her desires so clear, men such as I must acknowledge it, even if it challenges everything we once believed."

Previous Evening, Jury Room

The jury had taken a vote after we left the trial room to see where we were. The first secret ballot was for the prosecution or defense requests for sentences or neither one. You wrote YES for fifty years confinement, and NO for no punishment at all, and OTHER was self-explanatory. With twenty-two Packs and two (Arrowhead and Monongahela) forced to sit out as prosecution and defense, I was nervous that the other side might take the day.

I didn't know many of the European Alphas, being new to being Alpha myself, but older Alphas tended to be more traditional.

Fourteen out of twenty Packs had to agree in for us to reach a verdict. I knew we had three votes from my family (me for Blue River, Carson for Cascade and Ashley for Donner) along with two from Rori's family in Alpha Martin from Adirondack and Alpha Michael from Oxbow Lake. We needed nine more votes with only ten new voters; I wasn't confident at all.

I was shocked when the results came in. There were five votes for the Prosecution, ten for the defense, and the rest were other.

I had hope.

As we started to discuss the options, I was shocked that two Alphas from North America had flipped. Alpha Richard Long, who had taken over the dysfunctional Bitterroot Pack, was first to speak up. "What I have realized over the last three months is that we are no longer in black and white situations. When I put myself in Rori's position, knowing what she knew of Frank and what following the law strictly would mean, it changed things. I had to look at what was good in the long term. Having an ally like Frank Grimes is good for us as a people. That is why I voted for no punishment, and I hope you will too."

You could have knocked me over with a feather. Alpha Long had been a Council lawyer and had prosecuted me when I first became Beta under Alpha Rori. "I expected more from you than this," Alpha Paxton said. Katahdin had been against Rori since the beginning.

"What good would removing Rori do at this point," Alpha Steven March said in reply. We had hoped to swing him to our side three months ago since Luna Connie had come to Arrowhead with the other Bitterroot refugees, but he had stayed firmly on the other side. "She made decisions we would not, but it was not because she is a bad Alpha. Her upbringing is far different than ours was, as is her view on humans. It would make sense that this would affect her decisions regarding them."

"The law was clear, and reinforced to her just before this," Alpha Ulf Svenson, from Skel Pack in Norway, said in response. "That's why I voted other. I understand why she made the decision, but that decision has to carry consequences. It wouldn't be the right picture to let her off with nothing."

The conversation went back and forth, and as we went into the night, we couldn't get that fourteenth vote. Finally, Alpha Ivan spoke up. "Gentlemen, Ladies, it's been a long day. We have a great responsibility here, and I don't mean just in enforcing the law." He stood and leaned over the table. "We are werewolves, and we are Luna's people. She places us in our positions. As leaders, it is our job to know her will and to follow it."

"Follow a female Alpha? Ridiculous," Alpha Robertson said. "It's not natural."

"And yet both Rori and Coral are dominant Alphas, fully capable of taking down a trained male. If Luna blessed them to be Alphas, why would your opinion matter?" I smiled, thanking him for saying that out loud. No matter how strong I was, some Alphas refused to see me as more than a baby incubator.

"If Luna wanted us to have relations to humans, she would let us turn them," objected Alpha Martin Nemmers, from the Black Forest Pack in Germany.

"And if Luna wanted to tell us what side she is on in this, she might show favor like this." He pointed at me. "Pregnant on her first heat after mating," she said. He pointed his finger at Luna Ashley. "Pregnant in her first two years mated." His finger moved to Alpha Michael. "After all these years, his Luna is now pregnant. Show of hands, how many of you have ANY pregnant female in your Pack right now?" Only seven hands rise. "Alpha Rori has THREE, despite having a small Pack with few mated pairs. She's making plans to build a Pack nursery, something none of us have EVER needed. No, Luna is with her, and she's showing which side she is on by blessing some and not others."

"You're saying she is cursing us?" Alpha Nemmers said.

"I'm just saying that Luna is showing us what she wants. I am going to follow her, and that is why I am voting for her to be released. I would encourage you all to reflect on this tonight and ask a simple pair of questions. Is Luna on Rori's side? And If Luna is for this, why are you against it?"

This morning, after everyone reflected on what he said, we took another vote. This time we had the fourteen votes we needed.

Present Day

I looked over at the Russian pack Head Warrior pair. "How do you see Luna working in the lives of your children?"

"Both have been blessed to find their mates so early," Vasili said. "Perhaps too early. Greg and Tatiana are learning hard lessons right now. Their mating is under a lot of stress, and they have embarrassed our Alphas and our Pack. It will take time to recover from this."

Ekatarina smiled. "I am happy my boy Timur found his mate, but he has a hard road ahead of him as well. They cannot fully mate until she is of age, and she's been through a lot in her young life. It could take longer than that for Timur to be trusted."

"From what I have seen of him, he will do what he must." I reached my hand over and squeezed hers. "You may have heard that I was at Bitterroot as a trainer. Mykayla was young and grew up in that, but she was close to the older women. When they arrived at our Pack, she didn't want to be around any of the males, even Chase. Her wolf will be strong, we think. She was strong enough to come forth and defend her years early."

"I asked my Pack historian to look into it," Alpha Ivan said. "There are other instances, including Alpha Rori. Most of them ended up being dominant wolves. Do we know the father?"

I shook my head, no. "In that Pack at that time, it could have been any of the dominant wolves or even a visitor." There were growls as they processed that. "Mykayla is a good person with a horrible past. She made a lot of progress, and she saw Timur fight for her. That should help her overcome her fear."

"That is our hope. He is fighting for her even now. She is afraid of his human form, but tolerates his wolf," Vasili said. "He's barely left her room."

"How are you going to handle this?"

"Alpha Rori and I need to finalize the details, but we know two things. Tatiana won't be welcome in Arrowhead after what she did to Heather, and Mykayla isn't ready to move to live with us. We are going to trade warriors until Mykayla is of age and can make her own choice. Greg and Tatiana will return and join my Pack, while Timur will join Arrowhead," Alpha Ivan said. "Alpha Rori promised she would keep up his training and send him to college, and he will return to visit when he can."

"I just hope Mykayla isn't too damaged to accept him," Svetlana

"He will work his way into her heart," I said. "Can you contact your son? I'd like to see Mykayla before I leave, but I don't want to disturb them."

Vasili closed his eyes. "She is awake now; they are watching television."

"Perfect." I stood up, and they all stood with me and said goodbye in traditional Russian fashion, with two kisses. I walked out of the room and across the busy compound to the Pack Clinic.

Entering the Clinic, I walked down the hall and knocked on her room. "Mykayla? It's Coral. Can I come in?"

"Alpha Coral? Please," she said.

I opened the door to find her sitting on her bed with an enormous wolf wrapped around behind her. She muted the show she was watching and smiled as I walked over. "How are you feeling?"

"Everything hurt when I shifted back," she said with a grimace. "I wanted to stay wolf, I'm safer that way, but Alpha Chase ordered me to."

"It's a good thing he did, though. I wouldn't be able to talk to you since I'm not your Beta anymore," I said. "And I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye." I sat on the bed, and she threw her arms around me. "You have a friend?"

"My mate," she said. "I didn't ask for one."

"He is kind of big," I teased her, and she giggled as Timur chuffed in annoyance. I scratched his ears. "Mates are a wonderful blessing, and you have years to get to know him before you have to make a decision. Don't block him out just because other men have hurt you." I kissed her head. "He is a good man, but make him prove himself to you."

"If I have to," she said. We talked for a few more minutes before I had to go and left her with her walking carpet.

Before leaving the Clinic, I looked in on Tatiana's room. She was sleeping, and Greg was sitting in a chair by her bed, holding her hand. "Warrior Barks," I said.

He looked up, and his eyes got wide; standing without letting go of her hand, he bowed his head towards me. "Beta, I mean, Alpha Coral."

"Sit, we need to talk." I sat on the doctor's stool by the desk as he sat back down. "You disobeyed the order I gave you to protect Heather and stay professional."

He nodded. "I tried, but I couldn't help falling in love," he said.

"Then you should have reported back and asked for assistance. Instead, you broke Heather's heart and left her pregnant, leading to all this. Giving up your parental rights was the right thing, but now we have problems in three Packs," I said. "What have you learned?"

"Humility," he said. "It's about more than just me. I should have listened and controlled myself."

"Good. That was the lesson of the trial; what seems right in the short term may be damaging in the long term. Your mate should learn the same lesson. I just wanted to remind you both that you are still young, and the story of your lives has much left to tell. Live with honor, listen to your wolves, and show everyone you have changed. I heard Tatiana wants to be a Pack Doctor?"

"She does," he said.

"That lesson in humility will serve her well. Support her and love her, Greg. It's what being a mate is all about."

"

Coral, we're meeting in my office in five,"

Chase sent to me.

I stood and left, leaving him with his sleeping mate and his regrets.

Ch. 12

Heather Rhodes' POV

Cascade Pack Dining Hall

Every table in the dining hall was full. I only knew a few of them, but we all watched the big screen and barely breathed as we waited for the verdict. "Alpha Blackledge, what says the jury?"

I was holding Mongo and Three Tequila's hands as they sat on either side of me. Rori and Chase were my friends, they'd taken me out of Orlando and hid me for months, and now they might be imprisoned and removed as Alphas. My hands were squeezing so tightly I couldn't feel them.

"The jury sentences Alphas Rori King and Chase Nygaard to time served, and admonishes them to focus on changing laws they find unjust rather than breaking them."

The hall erupted in cheers, with people standing up and hugging each other. I sagged in relief, finally letting out the breath I'd been holding. Mongo was a little more excited; standing up so quickly he knocked his chair over, he yelled "FUCK YEAH" before grabbing Three Tequila and spinning her around. I couldn't hear the rest of the feed from Minnesota, but I could see Chase and Rori accepting the congratulations from the people around them. I realized I was crying and used the back of my hand to wipe the tears away.

"Heather?" Three Tequila was looking down at me as I blubbered away. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Hormones are all over the place, I guess." Now that it was over, I was finally able to eat. Everyone was in a good mood, and one of the ladies serving brought her a hot serving of pancakes and sausage. I was finally getting past the morning sickness stage of my pregnancy, and my appetite had expanded along with my belly. "How much longer are you two staying," I asked my aunt and uncle.

"I don't know for sure. We need to make sure you're safe and cared for before we head back home. I think we need to talk to Carson first."

"He won't let anything happen to me, Mongo. He'll make sure the babies are safe."

"We need to keep you safe as well, Heather. There's got to be a way around this one-year thing." I didn't want to think about the time limit on my existence, so I went back to eating my pancakes.

The room quieted suddenly, and I looked up to see Beta Carl and his mate Angelina standing with their hands raised. "Our Alpha has informed us that he will be arriving at approximately eight this evening. The Cascade Pack is going to welcome him back with a feast in honor of our Alpha, and our guests. Beta Madeline will organize the meal, Beta Angelina will organize the party, and I will lead the hunt. Our patrols located a herd of deer in the ravine to the west, and we will need five or more. Clean up and prepare, Cascade Pack!"

An answering cheer of "To HUNT!" rang out before the group started breaking up. As the room cleared out, a man approached our table and waited until I noticed him. He was middle-aged, with silver flecks in his otherwise black hair. Like most of the people here, he was in great shape and good looking; heavily muscled, he wasn't intimidated by Mongo's size. "Hello, Miss Rhodes. My name is Nathan Bannister, and this is my mate, Patricia." His mate was his match, tall and muscular. Her blonde hair and ice-blue eyes were always moving, taking in her surroundings. "May we join you?"

"Of course," I said. One of the serving ladies came by and took my plates as they sat. "Please, call me Heather," I said as I leaned forward with a hand. Nathan grasped it gently, bringing it to his nose and sniffing it for a second before he passed it to Patricia, who did the same. "Thank you." I introduced my aunt and uncle to them before settling back in my chair. "Aren't you going on the hunt?"

"That is not our job," Nathan replied. "We are the Head Warriors of the Pack."

"You look like fighters," Mongo said. "What exactly does that mean? Arrowhead doesn't have that position."

"I am in charge of Pack security, so it is my job to keep the borders secure and protect everyone in the Pack. Now that Heather is here, that includes her."

"And as the Head Warrior's mate, I am the primary bodyguard for the Luna," Patricia said. "That means Heather's safety is my job. We overheard your concerns about her safety and thought it might be helpful to show you all why she will be safe at Cascade Pack."

"I'm not the Luna," I said with a wave of my hand.

Patricia just smiled at that. "Our Alpha claimed you as his mate, and with that, you became our Luna. It does not matter to our Pack or us that you are human or haven't mated with him yet. Pregnant werewolves cannot shift, so my position is common among normal Packs."

Three Tequila got a little upset at that. "You mean Arrowhead isn't normal?"

"No, it's not," Patricia said. "Rori is the dominant Alpha, so they do not have the typical dominant Alpha/supporting Luna dynamic of other Packs. Chase is more of a co-Alpha, and since he can't get pregnant, they don't need the Head Warrior's mate to perform those duties. Beta Vic is in charge of Pack security, making him my mate's counterpart."

"I understand then," Three Tequila said. "Forgive us, our knowledge of the Packs is not that high. In most of our visits, Rori ordered everyone to stay human to protect the secret."

"Well, come on then, and we'll give you the tour. I think you'll feel better about your niece's safety when we complete the tour."

We all got up, and he led us out into the center section of the Pack House. "Our Pack House is designed to prevent intruders from getting easy access, at the same time giving our people time to get to the Safe Rooms. You noticed that the entire ground floor on the outside looks like stacked river rock. That is a stone veneer over an insulated wall of fourteen inches of reinforced concrete. It will withstand small artillery fire, much less small arms. The sixteen-foot height of the wall is more than a wolf can leap in either form. The doors are laminated steel and Kevlar, covered with wooden trim."

"That's quite the wide set of doors you have there. Aren't you concerned someone could bust through, maybe drive a vehicle up the stairs and in?" Mongo was testing the doors, which moved smoothly despite their weight. They were a good six inches thick, opening outwards into the covered entryway instead of inwards like a typical entry door.

"The outswing design makes it difficult to ram, and look closer at the painting above the door."