SIW : Christopher Saint Ives – Whelan.
Here we are with the last chapter for Chris and Mia. I'll be taking a short absence after this while I work on the next story : Adam and Bronwille. I'd love to have a few chapter completely ready before I start posting them up so it's more regular then it is now.
Many thanks go out to Asylumseeker, for his ace editing skills, to Jaz for being my super-duper proofreader and towards the Guild for their ongoing support.
Enjoy the last chapter.
Mokkelke
Chapter Thirteen : Friends and Family.
Sshhh, it's ok, just relax,
Chris told Mia when he saw her perking up her ears.
The pack is almost here.
I know I shouldn't be, but I'm feeling nervous all of a sudden,
she replied, trying to just get that little bit closer to Chris.
Lovingly Chris licked her muzzle, trying to ease her anxiousness.
Sweetie, you swept me off my feet, if you can accomplish that, then the rest of the pack is a walk in the park.
Mia snorted in disagreement.
Just you wait and see, mark my words.
Chris could understand her anxiety but knew she didn't have to worry. He sent warmth and comfort through their bond hoping it would help her relax.
Putting his head over her neck he gently pushed her down, indicating she could go back to resting. It would take a while longer before the pack arrived.
Sometime later he saw a sleek white wolf emerge from the bushes lining the forest around the lake, followed by a huge black wolf he knew was his eldest brother Nick. Knowing the Alpha always ran first he could only assume the white wolf had to be Fran, his brother's newly turned mate.
His eyes traveled over her, knowing how rare it was to see a white wolf, let alone a turned human being one. He would have snickered if he were in human form. Only Nick would have the luck to find one of the most rare wolf types around. Chris watched as the two skidded to a stop and were obviously talking mentally to each other.
He saw Nick nudge Fran forward into their direction.
Relaxation time is over,
he thought to himself. Nudging Mia gently, he wanted her to stand up and properly meet Nick as Alpha and her friend Fran as her new Alpha Madam.
Do I really have to shift?
Mia whined through their connection.
I understand your reluctance, sweetie, but you have to do this. Not only out of respect to your new Alpha, but also out of respect for Fran. In her case not just because she's now our Madam, but she's your friend as well. Everything that posed an issue has been taken care of. You're done hiding, it's time to step up and claim your place in our pack.
Somehow he didn't like feeling he had to lecture her in what she should be doing. She was usually so sassy but now she was shy and hesitant. Giving her another loving push he told her once more,
Go on, it's time.
Turned halfway towards Chris, Mia told her wolf to retreat and a second later she stood in front of them. Normally her nudity wouldn't really bother her, it was natural for a were. But being like this in front of her friend made her shy, something she wasn't used to feeling much.
"Mia? Is that you," she heard Fran whisper.
Turning a little bit more towards Fran, Mia realized Fran had a good look at the butterfly tattoo on her hip. One she practically forced Fran to come with her for her moral support.
"Yes, it's me," Mia replied shyly.
The black wolf with Fran dropped a bunch of towels between them, then moved back. He rubbed himself gently against Fran's legs. One could tell those two were communicating. It showed the two black wolves were brothers because she saw Nick nudging Fran in the same way Chris had done with her. Fran took a few steps her way then reached out her hand.
Together they walked away after securing the towels around them and settled in a quiet spot next to the lake. They had their mates in their view and that was all either needed right now.
Both stayed silent, neither sure how to start this conversation.
After a few minutes both of them talked at the same time. "So werewolves?" and both burst out in laughter, breaking the uneasy silence.
Fran spoke first after their outburst died down.
"So one has gotten his paws on you as well?" Fran asked amusedly.
"It seems so, who would have thought that we would be snatched off the singles market so fast?" Mia replied with as much amusement as her dear friend.
"I couldn't believe it at first. First Nick asked if I believed in stuff like this. Or people like Merlin," Fran told her. She didn't notice Mia freezing next to her when she mentioned Merlin. "Turns out Nick even knows him and has him on speed dial. It's when he changed in front of me it really sank in this wasn't all a hoax or anything. Part of me still has a hard time believing all this," she continued, spreading her arms widely, pointing towards the woods where now the rest of the pack had emerged.
"How did he tell you?" Fran then asked.
Mia wasn't sure how to reply to this. Thinking about Chris' words she knew there was only one way to answer and that was truthfully.
"He didn't have to tell me. I always knew what he was. I even knew about Nick that first day," she confessed.
Fran looked surprised. "How is that possible? And why didn't you warn me?"
"I'm a born werewolf, Fran. I can sense them a mile away if need be. And about not warning you, Nick has that Alpha aura around him and once he was introduced I knew you would be fine. The Whelans are legendary, they're one of the few packs that run things fair and with as little violence as possible. But don't let that fool you, they are fierce fighters too.
"Nick is also the Alpha Alpha of this part of the world. He's got quite a reputation. I'm wondering who of us got the better catch, you or me." Mia smiled as she went over everything she knew about the Whelans. "Think I'm happy with my own wolf."
"How come you never told me? We were always so close. You're the sister I never had," Fran questioned Mia.
"There is more to it than just being a were, at least in my case. If I were just 'a' were I might have told you at some point, but I'm not. Telling you would have put you in danger and that was the last thing I would have wanted for you. I hope you understand."
"So what changed things?"
"Finding Chris for starters and my wolf having a mind of its own for a change," Mia laughed as she said this.
"Come on, don't keep me hanging here. Spill! Dish the dirt!" Fran urged Mia on.
"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses. The reason why I, and my parents, were cautious about living in the 'public eye' is because of who my parents are. I'm not going to bore you with all the history now, we can do that later with a good cup of coffee. My father is Richard McLachlan, he was banished from his own pack by his father the Alpha. When my mom found him there wasn't much life left in him.
"She knew right away what he was. You see my mom is even more special, she's a few centuries old. She's an Ancient. I guess you could compare them to what you would call a druid, but with unlimited power. There is almost nothing they can't do."
"Them?" Fran jumped in with her one worded question.
"There are some Ancients left, but personally I only know two, my mom and her father, Merlin."
Fran squealed at that last little revelation.
"Merlin as in Merlin Merlin? No way, you're kidding right?"
"Nope, I'm not kidding. The one and only Merlin is my grandfather. Though I admit, I didn't know that until I met Chris. You see my mother was living on her own in a secluded area. When she nursed my father back to health she picked up on his behavior and she felt the mating pull as well. When he told her why he ended up in the state she had found him they agreed to stay hidden.
"Mom being an Ancient, she took over the wolf gene when they mated but she kept all of her Ancient powers as well. That is rare on its own. She knew how to mask her added scent and what she turned into. After a lot of practice my Da learned to do the same thing. This helped them to live a somewhat normal live. It took ages for them to conceive but when I was born they doted on my every whim.
"It's when my mom found out I could do a few things too we really went into hiding. Every five years we'd move town, making sure there wasn't any trail left of us. When we got together at the university I dreaded saying goodbye. Oddly enough my mom decided to stay, so I accepted the offer to work for your dad."
All this time Fran was listening intently, soaking up each and every detail. Her world had been turned upside down with meeting Nick and now it was shaken again with everything Mia was telling her.
"All this time and I never once suspected anything," Fran shook her head in disbelief.
"I know, but believe me it was for the best you didn't know, at least not back then. Everything is sorted now and mom and Da don't have to hide anymore. You'll hear about it soon enough, but for now I prefer just to enjoy being here. I'm finally home and I still have you." Mia turned and hugged Fran.
Taking a sniff, she smiled. "You have a wonderful scent, Madam."
"What's with the Madam thing? I noticed a few others calling me that as well."
