Care to join me in making a part of the Were world a safer, better place?"
Alpha William Jenkins wondered what he'd ever done to deserve this. It seemed he was caught in one of those "wait-what-do-you-mean-you're-a-lost-princess" stories his young daughter loved so much. There was a Richard Alpha heir, she wanted her kingdom, and she was going to save her people. Shit!
He'd been prepared for a plea to save the twins but not this. Was it even believable? Just because she was wearing the fancy piece of jewellery that Mark Richard had been so annoyingly insistent that he find and return did not mean she deserved to wear it. This could just be some elaborate scheme by the de Vries brothers to create confusion and gather support for another attempt at the Richards - it was a clever one it that's what it was.
Yet ... Jessie Taylor seemed sincere. She'd been touching him when she said who she was and he could sense no deception, she believed she was the Richard heir. What she was asking of him ... could he take that chance? However appealing the thought of removing the Richards was, he would be risking the lives and future of his pack to help her.
Beth was looking at him.
Bill she's telling the truth. I was the one who helped her find out who she is. The picture of her grandmother ... only I could have identified her ... it was Miriam Richard, Jacques Richard's daughter.
I did not expect her to take it this far this fast but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She's young and inexperienced but she is an Alpha and it seems she's found her purpose. Let's help her as much as we can, please.
Jenkins had to give an honest answer to Jessie's question. "I care ... I do. Do I want the Richards gone? ... I do. But join you? ... I hope you understand, but I couldn't help you unless there was a failsafe in any agreement. If something goes wrong, if you are discovered or you get into trouble, I and mine may not be able to help you. In fact, if it comes to it, I might have to report you to save my pack - and I would do it. Can you accept that?"
Jessie nodded, "Yes, we understand. Will you agree to keep our secrets as long as you can, and give us as much warning as you can if your silence must be broken?"
Jenkins looked at Beth and Dean. They were both nodding. "Very well, I will agree to that."
Jessie wanted something more. "Can Beth and I meet again? We can do it carefully and quietly. In order to prove who I am I will need Beth's sworn testimony regarding my grandmother's existence. Beth, will you give it?"
Beth nodded, "Yes, I will."
Jenkins was worried, "Beth, your knowledge will make you a target if this gets out."
Beth sighed, "Yes, I know. All the more reason for us all to keep their secrets."
"Very well, we'll sort out how you can meet or just talk with Beth. I think it will be best if any meetings happen here. I won't invite any of you onto my pack's territory, sorry, and if we don't know where you are living that will keep you safer, yes?"
Jessie nodded, "Yes. I would like to ask one more thing. I am going to need as much support as I can get in the Council. There are six packs in this part of the country. I'm sure you know the other five Alphas well. How many of them might consider supporting me do you think?"
Jenkins frowned, "I think four others can be persuaded if you are as forthcoming with them as you have been with me. The one holdout would be the Western Cedars Pack. The Alpha there sides with the Algonquin Pack Alpha in Council, it would be best if you stay away from him. There are other Alphas farther away that would be interested though, I can give you a list of names."
Jessie smiled, "Thank you. I have a lot to learn about every Alpha on the Council - will you help me, give me your thoughts about each of them?"
He sighed, "Yes, I can do that."
Jessie nodded, "I meant what I said earlier. If there is anything we can do for you, ask us - we will help in any way we can. Before we break this up for today may I speak with Beth alone for a few minutes?"
Jenkins nodded. Jessie stood up and walked over to Beth, offering her arm. Beth stood up and they walked slowly down the beach.
"Beth, I have more information to share with you now about my grandmother. I found a letter from my father that revealed more details. Miriam had two children, twin girls she named Lillian - my mother's real name - and Elizabeth. You may never have found her but she knew who you were."
Beth sighed, "You have no idea how much that means to me, thank you."
"I'm afraid I have some bad news too. Miriam, her husband and her daughter Elizabeth were all killed by someone on the same night - I think this happened in 1922. My mother survived, but was badly hurt, and had tremendous struggles for the rest of her life."
Beth's eyes were full of tears and Jessie had her sit on a log. "Killed ... why?"
"I don't know. I will keep looking for answers, I promise you. Anything I find out, I will share with you."
Beth nodded, "Good, thank you." She wiped her eyes and said, "I've been wondering ... what pack did your father come from? What rank was he?"
Jessie smiled, "My father was a good man, strong and smart ... and simply human."
Beth gasped, "You're a half-breed? Robin ... sorry ... Jessie ... that's a big problem for you!"
"Why? I'm a Were, same as my mother."
"Yes, that happens. But the children of such unions may be weaker, lower ranked, have shorter lifespans. You claim you are an Alpha but with an ordinary human parent your enemies will encourage everyone they can to challenge you, saying that you are not fit. There's a tremendous amount of prejudice in the Were world regarding half-breeds. You may have to prove yourself in battle for the rest of your life!"
Jessie sighed, "Great, just what I need. Well, nobody has ever said that what I want to do was going to be easy. At least I'm warned, so I'll prepare to counter whatever comes up. I'm surprised that Helen and the others haven't said anything about it though."
Beth looked at her, surprised, "They wouldn't have that prejudice would they? Helen especially."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know? Helen Lavalle married an ordinary human, had a daughter with him. It undermined her influence in some places but she has never let anything stop her from doing what she feels is right."
Jessie shook her head, "I'm sorry to say that I have never asked about Helen's family. It's never come up before. She has a daughter, that's nice to know."
"Had a daughter ... her daughter was killed 20 years ago."
Jessie gasped, "Was it during this war everyone mentions? I haven't got all the details about that yet."
Beth sighed, "You should probably ask Helen and your twins about it ... I only have an outsider's knowledge of what happened ... but yes, what I know is that the Richards and their allies tried to wipe out Helen's organization 20 years ago. In the initial attack Helen was critically injured and her daughter Lily, Helen's heir and co-leader of the group, was betrayed and torn apart by a group of wolves from the Algonquin Pack. Jacob and Liam de Vries, and others, took their revenge. Jessie, the entire family of every wolf involved in killing Lily was wiped out. Any wolf from the Richard side that had participated in any way was targeted and most were eventually killed. The whole thing escalated to the point where no wolf was safe within a large part of Eastern Canada - if you saw one that wasn't known to you, you had to assume it was kill or be killed. It was a disaster and was getting lots of notice by the human world as well. It had to stop, so there was an arduous negotiation resulting in a cease fire on both sides but there is no true peace even today."
"You want to walk into the middle of what is really a huge mess and declare yourself the Richard Alpha. You'd better be ready for anything and everything, because when you do that you'll be upsetting something that is balanced on a knife-edge. Remember all the lives you'll be risking, most of them good people who just want to be safe, secure and happy with their families."
Jessie felt a bit sick. She'd been so focused on Jacob's and Liam's situation that she hadn't really appreciated how much what she wanted to do would affect the lives of others. "That's why we need as much time as we can get Beth, to decide what to do and how. I promise you, I will try very hard to keep it contained to as few people as I can."
Half an hour later everyone was saying goodbye and getting in their vehicles. Jessie should have been pleased with how well the meeting had gone, but now she wondered if the whole idea of claiming what was hers was the right way to go.
*********************************
Jessie couldn't sit still. A few minutes down the highway on the way home she felt a desperate need to leap out of the car and run for miles.
"Jacob, find a spot to pull over where we can hide the car."
He glanced over at her, "What's wrong? You ok?"
"Just pull over please."
As quickly as he could, Jacob pulled off the road into the trees. Jessie got out and took some deep breaths as she paced back and forth. They were parked on a higher spot and she glimpsed the ocean through the forest to the west. She looked back at the twins who were both now standing outside the car looking at her.
"Are we on anybody's land or can we do what we want here?"
Liam answered, "This is all government land. There's a public hiking trail close to the coast, otherwise it's all wild."
"Good.
She
doesn't want to be the car right now,
she's
feeling trapped. I need to run!" Jessie quickly stripped, dropping her clothes in a careless pile on the ground. She looked the twins. "Last one to get their paws in the ocean is a mangy lazy dog!" Shifting, she yipped loudly and took off into the trees.
Jacob grabbed her clothes and popped the trunk open, throwing his clothes and hers in as Liam stripped quickly beside him. As Jacob bent to hide the car keys under a rock Liam took off after Jessie.
Shifting, Jacob called to his brother,
Be careful! Remember her leg! Don't push her too hard, there are ravines and drop-offs all over the place.
Jacob knew Jessie had no idea what she had started, they hadn't discussed this kind of thing yet. She probably thought she was just running off a lot of pent up stress from the past few days. His wolf however - and Liam's - had a very different view of things. They were now chasing a very desirable female in a game as old as time.
