Wolfs Pet Ch 15

Friday

Time dragged without Lee here. Carr looked around and noticed those whose mates had gone to the mountains looked like he felt, like a piece of themselves was missing. The only thing allowing them to keep their sanity was the faint echo they could feel through their bonds. Carr could tell Lee was busy, trying to keep the females and the cubs busy making their temporary home liveable, but just biding their time until they came home to their loved ones. He felt her longing for him as much as she could feel his for her. "Soon love, as soon as we can bring you back, we will." He hoped she could hear every word. When he felt the warmth in his heart, he knew she did.

Carr got the call about the line of black SUV's entering pack lands about 90 minutes before they arrived. The new outer perimeter had done it's job well. The pack was assembled in the courtyard to welcome the Council. Cole and Brett flanked Carr as he walked to the first car to welcome the distinguished looking gentleman who stepped out of the back seat.

Alistair Alexander watched the approaching Alpha. He was young, untried. This would either solidify his hold on this pack, or destroy it. Alistair had come to this country from Scotland along with Carr's grandfather. He'd known Carr his entire life and liked the young man. He hoped he was up to the challenge and the tough decisions he would have to make. He stepped out into the sunlight and squinted as Carr reached him, holding out a hand. Alistair smiled as he gripped it. "Hello Carr, sorry I have to see you in such dark circumstances. The Council decided it was best to intervene at this point." His Scottish brogue was still evident, even after over 400 years in America.

"Intervene?" Carr's face had darkened. I think he meant interfere. "Before we discuss anything further, would you like to be shown to your quarters?" Carr looked at the long row of cars, each with a Council member, his mate, and entourage and was glad he'd told Lila to be sure to have lots of rooms ready. They still might be short.

"No, we would like to see the human females first. Where are they?" He scanned the faces of the assembled pack members and knew they were not among them. He'd heard that at least two were mates to Carr's pack members, so why weren't they here with them?

Carr cleared his throat. His anger was boiling up inside and it took all his strength to hold it back. "Right this way Sir."

Alistair nodded to Carr and the eight other Council members who followed as a group to the Omega's quarters. Alistair noticed the female Betas at all the doorways and windows at the same time he noted the noxious scent that surrounded the building. "What is that awful odor? " They were all looking around, wrinkling their noses, and making comments about the disgusting smell.

"It's the only way to be sure we don't have anymore matings. There are four un-mated females inside and I didn't want anymore surprises for the moment. It masks any scents from the un-mated males. I've gotten to the point where I think these women are meant to be Were mates. I just want it to be at better times, not right now, in the middle of this uncertainty."

The Council members seemed to relax when they stepped inside and the smell was almost, but not quite, gone. They followed Carr into the large room where the human females waited, and the odor was thankfully missing.

As they entered the room, Lila stood and came forward to greet them. "Alistair, this is Lila, my mate's second, and in her absence, she will be in charge of your accommodations. If you have any needs, please ask her." Alistair nodded to Lila.

"Where is your mate Baxter?" The voice from behind Alistair startled them all. Council member Niklas Metzger stepped forward. He was never the most politic of the group, very blunt and to the point.

Carr's father had never liked Niklas Metzger, and Carr felt the same. There was something about him that grated on the Alpha's last nerve. "My mate, many of the mated females, the cubs, and our injured have gone to the mountains for safety while we deal with this issue." Carr glared at Metzger, who for a Were, was small at six feet. Carr stood over half a foot taller. He suppressed the urge to send him flying across the room. That could be considered bad manners.

Cole could hear the uneasiness in Carr's voice. He knew it was hard for him to talk about Lee being gone. And of all people to mention it. He looked from Carr to the Council member, the tension in the room thick.

A kind voice rang out from behind the group. "I would like to meet these lovely women who are gracing us with their presence." Rhys Davis walked through the group to stand near Alistair. He was a giant of a man, but his warmth shown through and cleared the tension in the room. Carr turned his attention to the Chief Archivist.

"My apologies Gentlemen. May I introduce our guests." Carr motioned to each woman as he introduced her to the gathered Council. "This is Karen, my brother's mate."

Karen stood and nodded to the group, the mating bite visible to all. It did not go unnoticed by any of the Council, and she saw the frowns on a few faces. But most remained impassive, except of course for Rhys who seemed to be beaming.

"This is Sarah, mate to one of my Betas, and Melissa, Danielle, Rebecca, and Katy." Each woman looked up at the assembled group as her name was called.

"It is very nice to meet you all." Rhys flashed a devastating smile at the women and took each one's hand in turn. "I hope to speak with each of you about your families. Becky has been keeping me apprised of her progress on your ancestry, but I'm hoping to make even more headway while I'm here." When he came to Katy, he held her hand and lingered, looking directly into her eyes. She couldn't look away from him and blushed bright red. "It's very nice to meet you little one." His voice dropped so only she could hear his emphasis on the word "you".

Cole and Carr exchanged glances. It couldn't be. Carr looked at the Archivist practically salivating over the petite red head. It was obvious to all in the room that they were mates.

"Carr, why don't we discuss the situation in private, shall we? Rhys, please join us." Alistair turned to leave the Omega quarters and the remainder of the Council followed him. Carr and Cole walked with them and showed them the way to the main meeting hall. The Archivist reluctantly followed, his gaze lingering on Katy as he gave her a quick smile.

When all were in the room, Cole closed the doors and Brett, James, and Bryant took up positions outside. No one would be allowed to interrupt.

Alistair stood and waited for all to take their seats, staring at Carr until he as well was seated. "We have been watching Gary for quite some time. We have an idea about his plans, but maybe you will be able to fill in some of the holes." He looked to Carr who looked ready to explode.

"You knew? How long have you known he was in my territory?" Carr looked accusingly at Alistair and at every Council member. How dare they just sit back and watch as this rogue came into his territory and threatened his pack.

"Crane had been advising us of his activities. We knew he'd been researching the Slovakian Pack that had been destroyed. We just didn't think he could do anything with the information."

Carr was ready to explode. His wolf paced at the front of his mind. These old men sit in their council chambers taking in all this information and don't bother to share it until it may be too late to stop Gary's plans? "Just what information does he have about the Slovakian Pack? What information do you have that we don't know?"

Alistair cleared his throat and began his explanation. "The European Council destroyed the Vlkolak in the late 1800's. Or at least that was the intent. A few escaped to America but were thought to have assimilated with the humans so were not going to be a threat. Our Council kept an eye on them for several years but they blended in with the other Hungarian immigrant populations, married humans, and their descendents had forgotten their origins."

"Destroyed? They killed them?" Cole spoke in disbelief that his kind could kill their own. Carr made a motion for Cole to stop. As his second, he should not speak to the Council unless addressed. Cole took a step back and struggled to keep his mouth shut. There was so much he wanted to say to them.

"Why did they kill them? What does this have to do with Gary? And how could they possibly be a threat?" Carr was torn between anger, rage, and confusion. It seemed the more answers they got, the more questions he had.

"It's a long story." Metzger had spoken up and seemed impatient. "Why don't we just do what must be done and move on? We must find all the women and destroy them." He said it so matter of factly that Carr and Cole didn't react, at first.

Cole shifted and his wolf was standing, teeth bared, hackles up, ready to fight to the death for his mate. Carr commanded him to stand down, and it took all of his concentration on Cole to keep him from lunging at the annoying little Were and ripping out his beating heart.

The three Betas exchanged glances when they heard the snarling and growling going on behind them. They were tempted to open the door and...do what? They had no idea what was happening, and they hadn't been summoned by their Alpha so they were duty bound to stay put.

Rhys stepped forward, his face glowering, but not at Cole, at Metzger. "That would be a grave mistake Niklas. One that the Council should not make. These women are special and should be allowed to find their true mates. We should not be guided by silly superstitions of the past. We have so much more knowledge now than the European Council had then. Let us make better decisions than they did."

"Rhys, we're not blind, we saw your reaction to the little human. She's your mate. You're speaking with your heart and your wolf, but not your mind. We can't have the destruction that happened the last time. We can't allow it. Our kind would suffer, and even the humans. You know that."

The two men stood toe to toe, neither backing down.

"Just kill them and be done with it. Baxter you can have your females return and all will be right with the packs again. All of this uproar over some insignificant little humans. Your wolves will find other mates. Rhys, if you could find this second mate after one hundred and twenty years, wait a little longer and you'll find a third." Metzger had a smirking look that left his face when Rhys grabbed him by the lapels and picked him up like he was a cub.

"Niklas, if I were to tear out your throat, do you think you could still manage to heal?" Rhys' eyes were swirling pools of blue and amber looking directly into the terrified eyes of the pompous Were. His voice had a growl to it, and it was obvious his wolf was in control. He would not allow anyone to take his little one from him. He used one hand to hold the smaller Council member above his head, his other hand at the ready, a simple motion all it would take to end this simpleton's life.

Alistair gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and spoke in a low voice. "You're right Rhys, we should think more about what we are doing and what decisions we make. Let go of him, and we'll talk. We should tell Carr all we know and then discuss options. You're right my friend." He watched Metzger's legs kicking three feet above the ground. He was helpless in Rhys' grip.

Rhys slowly relaxed, dropped Niklas to the ground, and smiled, his face returning to his earlier happy countenance. "You're right as always Alistair. I rushed to judgement. Excuse my outburst." He nodded to Alistair, Niklas, and the remainder of the Council and returned to his seat.

Several of the Council members had to hold back their laughter. No one was a fan of Niklas. And they all had immense respect for Rhys. He had refused to become a member of the Council every time he was asked. He liked being an Archivist. It was his domain. And as the Archivist, he advised the Council. He was the keeper of the past, and they knew when he spoke, it was important to listen.

Niklas took a moment to recover from his fright but now took the opportunity to lash out at Rhys. "How dare you threaten to kill a Council Member. A few years ago I could have ordered your death for that!" His face was turning red with rage. He expected some of his fellow Council members to concur but heard...silence. He looked around at the impassive faces surrounding him.

"I ask your forgiveness Council Member Metzger." Rhys bowed low, acting contrite. But those around the room knew it was an act. Metzger was using up the last of the good will he would receive from the Archivist. "I allowed my wolf's concern for our new mate to rule my body. It will not happen again." If Metzger overstepped again, he would die. Even as Rhys stood and smiled, all in the room knew it.

Alistair stepped forward. "Carr, it would be a good time to show everyone their quarters. I think all would benefit from some rest. When we reconvene we will explain all to you, and we will discuss the available options. And, as Rhys said, we will not jump to any one conclusion. He's right, we don't have to repeat the mistakes of the past. We'll make new ones for the future." Alistair smiled at his last remark knowing how right he probably was with his little joke.

The door opened and Brett was relieved to see everyone walking out under their own power. There was no blood or tufts of hair. That was all a good sign.

Lila arrived with the Omegas to show the Council members to their rooms. Their companions had already been taken along with the luggage. "We'll be serving dinner in the dining room at seven pm. If you need anything, you each have an Omega assigned to you." Lila smiled and took her leave, having to move on to dinner preparations. She never realized how much work Lee actually did. She hoped she'd be back soon. She wanted to spend time with Nathan.

Carr and Alistair walked out of the room, Alistair speaking quietly so only Carr could hear. "I've sent for Torrance, Crane, and a few of the other surrounding pack Alphas who've lost members to Gary. They need to be here as well."

Carr nodded agreement and told James to advise Lila of pending new arrivals.

He stood watching the Council leaving and heaved a big sigh. He needed Lee here, he needed to touch her, to feel her. He closed his eyes and felt her presence. A smile came across his face, and he was able to open his eyes and continue with his day. He felt someone behind him and whirled around to find the giant Archivist standing quietly. Gone was the earlier rage. He was the quiet and friendly looking man he had met at the start of this wreck of a day. "Yes Sir, can I help you?" Carr really liked Rhys. Even more after he put Metzger in his place.

"If you would allow it, I would like to meet with Katy. I would be most happy to have a chaperone if you feel the need."

"Of course Sir, she's your mate. I'll have her brought to your room. And I'll leave the need for a chaperone to her." Carr smiled. A true gentleman. If this were Metzger, he wouldn't be asking about a chaperone, he'd be expecting to mate with her right then and there. Hell, he probably wouldn't even take her to a private place, he'd just throw her down in front of a crowd.

Rhys paced in his room. After all these years, to find another mate, and for her to be Vlkolak. He laughed to himself. If Metzger had his way, she and the other women would be dead. Well that was not about to happen, not while he was living. Metzger would have to kill him first. The knock on the door startled him, until he caught her scent. He closed his eyes and inhaled, mmmm, mint and cinnamon. He smiled as he opened the door. Katy was there alone. He looked in the hall but saw no one. He took her hand and led her inside.

"No fear little one? You don't think you need a chaperone?" He looked down at her, so small, so fragile. She smiled up at him, so trusting.

"You're my mate, I don't need to be frightened. You won't hurt me." She moved slowly across the room to the bed and sat down, facing him. "I wondered how long it would take you to find me, I just didn't know it would be twenty nine years."

"You knew I would find you? How?" He knelt in front of her, taking her small hands in his larger ones. He hadn't felt this way since Katya so long ago. Were's did believe in reincarnation. Her name was not lost on him.

"I dreamt of you, on my eighteenth birthday. Momma said if I dreamt of you claiming me, that you were meant to be my mate and that I should wait, that I should stay away from human males. So I did. I'd hoped you would find me much sooner, but now you're here, and I am yours." She pulled one of her hands from his grip and slowly stroked the side of his face.

"And how did your mother know that? Did she dream of her mate?" It was hard to talk with the feel of her soft hand stroking his face. It had been so long since he'd felt a loving touch. After Katya's death he stayed away from the females who wanted his attention. He just didn't feel anything anymore. His wolf wasn't interested in any of them, but he was at attention now. Katy was his!

"Oh no, she dreamt of wolves, but never of her mate. She married my father and had me and never met any Were. But her mother did after she'd been married to her husband for over twenty years. One day a man came and she told my mother she was leaving with him. She said she had dreamt of him claiming her on her eighteenth birthday and hadn't understood the dream. She explained it to momma and told her that if she didn't want to hurt anyone the way she was hurting her husband that she would look for the dream. If she had it, she shouldn't marry, she should wait. Momma never dreamt of being taken by her mate. So she knew she could marry. And then she explained it to me."

Rhys was amazed by her story. He had never heard of anything like this before. She had dreamt of him, twenty nine years ago. It was incredible, and he believed every word. "So you never married a human."

Katy shook her head and blushed a deep crimson. "More than just not married. I was afraid to get close to anyone. I didn't want to hurt someone if they feel in love and I didn't feel free to marry. So I pretty much kept to myself." She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "You'll be my first and only Rhys."

He was stunned. She was a virgin! And she was his. His wolf was spinning in his head. He wanted to claim her now, before someone could try to take her from them. Rhys shook his head to clear it. He had to force himself to stop from taking her now. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. "Are you sure you want this little one? You'll become a Werewolf like I am. Your life will be very different than you've known."

"I know, but may I ask a question?"

She looked so innocent to him. And so tiny in comparison to his almost seven foot frame. He nodded to her.

"How long do Were's live? I know you're much older than I am. How long will we have together?" She seemed more concerned than anything.

"I'm five hundred sixty three years old. I'm the oldest Were in North America that I'm aware of. To tell the truth, I don't know how long we can potentially live. In ancient times a Were of three hundred was considered old, but that was more because of death in battle than how long the life span actually was. So really, I don't know how long we'll have. I just know that we will be happy."

She smiled and leaned forward to hug him around the neck. "I know we'll be happy. My dreams can't be wrong. I dreamt of cubs too."

"Cubs?" Rhys pulled himself away from her and held her at arms length. "Cubs?" He'd never thought he'd have more children. He had lost the one child he'd had with Katya. She'd been killed by a group of wolf hunters when she was on her first hunt. She'd been separated from the group and wandered into cattle country. She never would have taken down any cattle, but the ranchers protecting their herds didn't know. The thought of youngsters running underfoot again put a silly grin on his face. He pulled her back into his arms and held her tight.