My Say

12

I think I lost a bit of my humanity the morning after the problems were disposed of. The children nor Rebecca asked where Rose, Carl, or Tate were or why they hadn't joined us for breakfast. It was as if they never existed. We too ignored their absence instead we set about creating a school for the children and setting up their schedule. We all just pretend this was a normal day, and so it was.

Craig ordered me to the gym. "You'd have never made it in the military."

"Guess it's a good thing I never aspired to join", we had run laps on the treadmill, done some weightlifting, and now we're circling each other on the sparring mats.

"You can't feel guilty for protecting family." I feign left, he doesn't bite, catching me on his right and tossing me to the mat.

"I don't." Getting up slower than before. "I feel guilty that I brought danger to my family."

"Reposition", the cirlicing begins again. "This will be the only time I tell you this, never get in my line of shot again." Grabbing me by my head he drops us, my face slamming into the mat. Leaving me holding a bloody nose, "Your job is to evaluate them, my job is to end the threats."

With that said and done, life returned to our normal. It continued that way until the snow melted and the wolves returned in mass to our mountain.

My feelings about Rebecca had never been resolved. Craig had told me to leave it, I think he knows the answers I seek. She avoids all the guys never being in a room alone with one of them, she also always has something between her and one of them. I was good to leave it until one day I caught her alone in the cabin. "What's your deal?"

"Excuse me? I'm sure I don't know", her mousy voice so soft and demure. It rubbed me the wrong way.

"Save it for one of the guys. It's just you and me, chicky. So cut the BS and let's have it." We'd all made an effort to curb our language after Kirby had been heard using adult wording during a fight with Katie. It had been eye opening to a group of young adults who had forgotten not everyone spoke like drunk WWII sailors. "I want to know why you are so afraid of the guys. Haven't they gone out of their way to prove that you're safe here?"

We stood eye to eye but she never quite met my eye instead she seemed to stare at my ear.

"I'm sure I don't", she murmured.

"No dice, spill it before I take you out for a long walk." The horror and terror on her face could not be feigned.

"No, please, no." She dropped to the floor grabbing onto the leg of the table and held on for dear life. Her sobbing was heartbreaking.

"Give me one good reason."

"I'm a mate and if you take me out there he will find me." Her words hit me like a Mike Tyson prime days punch.

"What the actual FUCK!!!! This is something we needed to know!" My yelling alerted the others and they came running.

"What's the matter?" Nick, skidding through the front door. The others pile in from seemingly everywhere.

"Little miss mousy here just informed me that she is a mate. A known mate!" Staring daggers at her as she softly sobs. "I told you something was up with her, this is on you Craig. She knew and failed to alert us so we could prepare." Squatting down next to her I forced her to lift her head and look at me. "You know the saddest thing is that if you would have told us we would have still kept you safe."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. But now you have endangered our family. Give me one good reason not to take you on a long walk?"

"She's family", the children had entered as we had been preoccupied with the unfolding drama.

"She lied and endangered us all", for me that trumped everything. I had lost family again and again because of outside forces and I would fight tooth and nail to keep mine safe.

"Ohana means", the children began.

"I know, I know!" Pulling at my hair I slump down the wall and onto the floor. "Sometimes I regret bringing back all those DVD's." Several weeks back I'd gone out for a scouting trip, while out I discovered a house full of games, DVD's, and other entertainment devices. It had taken me roughly a dozen trips to move them all back. Seeing everyone's faces when they'd been unveiled was worth all the hard work.

"Fine no long walk, but she needs to be punished. Lies like this can get us killed." Craig leans over to help me up but I pull away, "You better go get your girlfriend ready for her day in court."

"Somebody sounds jelly." Nell says with a twinkle in her eye.

"Not likely, that is never going to happen. He's a brother and you can love a brother but ya can't LOVE a brother." I remind her of my motto. "I know Mark and Monica have finally gotten their heads out of their asses but mine hasn't been there." I am proud of myself, the door gently shut instead of slammed as I had wanted to do.

Now that I knew the secret I needed to know who else knew. "Craig, did you know?"

He had joined me in the pool as I swam laps. "I suspected something so I had Monica run some tests." Monica must have had some witch blood because the things she could do with her mixtures was mind boggling.

"And you failed to tell us?" Treading water was safer than being close to him at this point. I was pissed.

"It was needed to know." I had crept closer.

"You and Monica made that call?"

"No, I did. Monica followed my wishes."

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong. She didn't follow your wishes, no she followed your command." He was above me standing on the edge of the pool. "You ordered her not to inform the rest of us about how dangerous Rebecca is. Why was that?"

"She's not a danger, she hasn't been marked." Boy, was he stupid.

"Have you read any of those Shifter romance novels?" I knew he hadn't. "Cause I have. But even then, I have studied wild wolves and canines. When they smell their bitch, it sets off a need in their primitive little brains. They will follow that scent until they find it, it becomes an overwhelming need to claim. What do you think will happen if a male who has found his mate, is deprived of her for say an entire winter? Not knowing if she was safe, if she were with other males, not knowing what she is experiencing. What do you think a male who loves his mate might do to those who hid her from him?" I now stood facing him. "He might do this", pushing him into the water. As he came up "You wouldn't have come up if a raging mate had pushed you. These males are strong enough to rip doors off cars, they have nails that peel metal like tissue paper. I haven't forgotten the sight or smell of that day." Leaving him in the pool, my mind made up. We needed a vote.