My Say

13

"We need an up or down vote on Rebecca." There it is, I said my piece and now wait for a second.

"As much as I don't want to..." Nell starts.

"Then don't. We can protect her." Nick is already sliding towards Craig.

"As I was saying, but she endangers all of us. We have children to think of."

"So do we give up someone because they're a mate? Does that mean we should just turn ourselves in because we all have that possibility." Nick continued.

I hoped he wouldn't remember the incident by the creek in the first months we had arrived.

"One of us is already a mate." D stares at me, "Isn't that right Rommie?"

"What is he talking about", Nan who had been willing to lay back and listen to both sides is now fully engaged. "Rom what is he talking about?"

"You remember when we first arrived, Monica called me down to the creek because wolves were there. I guess she thought that it would be a good time to do some observations. Turns out one of them had scented his mate." I was no longer standing, my legs had given out. This was not information I wanted to share.

"That's why we all must wear the scent cover." Monica's calm voice helps to break the tension.

"Would you toss whoever it is out?" Craig snarks, he's pissed that this meeting is happening.

"You need to listen carefully to me, she has not only been scented she's been seen. No one here has been seen. The male felt more than scented his mate's presence. The wolves assumed it was just a female passing through. But this male, Rebecca's wolf, he will not stop until he is reunited with her, his soul connected with her's. It's why she is always crying and is doing so poorly. It would be a mercy for her to be put out of misery by letting him find her or her death. But if she dies, I do not know what will happen to him. If we take the novels as manuals then he will suffer from her death but not die because he hasn't claimed nor marked her."

"So we'd have a large, sharp fanged, razor clawed beast after us for disposing of his soulmate." Nan put the point to a laser focus.

"That's it." Running my hand down my face, "It's time to vote."

"One thing. Monica, what happens if we keep her here?" Mark asks. I frown, what's he trying to get at?

"Her soul will continue to call out to him. She will either flee us for him or she will kill herself because of the depression."

"Well fuck, isn't this just special!" Craig's chair slams the wall of the cabin. Slapping his hands on the table, "So what do you want to do?"

"She needs to be returned to the pack." Monica is once again the voice reality and reason.

"And how do you suggest we do that o'wise woman of the mountain?"

"Craig you snark at her like that again and you'll be hunting and cooking for yourself outside." The glare Nan received was huge but she didn't back down.

"Fine", through gritted teeth, "Monica, any suggestions as to how we accomplish Rebecca's rehoming?"

"It's warm enough that we can leave her out on the lower slopes. I'll knock her out and give her something to fuzz her memory, you can pack her down and leave her in the open. Roomie can direct you to a patrol path."

"Tomorrow." Nell says closing the meeting. I wondered who was going to tell her.

Morning came and she was told at breakfast with all of us present. The kids took it hard.

"NOOOOO!!!! You can't go!!!!!" "Don't leave us!!!"

The sounds were heart wrenching. But it changed nothing and after a time they calmed down and we told them the reason for this decision.

Rebecca seemed relieved to be going, "I am sorry for all the trouble I've brought y'all. But when you told me I was being taken to the pack, my heart soared and a warmth bloomed in my chest." She bent down, kissing each child and speaking to them softly. When she was done, "Thank you for saving us and I promise I will never reveal you or your location."

"They will question you, your mate will ask you many questions about us. Your Alpha will too, so in order to protect you Monica has created a potion that will help you not be able to answer, that way you tell no lies." Craig moves to pull her close for a hug but she quickly backs away. As a precaution she was sent to bathe and put on freshly laundered clothing. We didn't want to leave any of our scents on her. But it was cold so I had Craig wrap her in my coat.

It took 2 hours to get her to the designated spot. The guys left to return home. I told them I was going hunting, instead I watched over her. Within an hour patrol found her, they did not touch her waiting for her suspected mate to arrive. By the time he arrived she was beginning to wake. It was beautiful, they both cried as they were reunited. All the warm and fuzzies disappeared when a huge black and grey wolf arrived. All the wolves stood taller, and her mate engulfed her in his arms as if to hide her.

"Who brought you here?" His rumble shook my spine.

"Alpha, can we do this at the packhouse. My mate is cold." The young male requested with a bowed head.

"She has been in contact with my mate?" The others froze.

"Alpha?"

"Where have you been hiding, little one?" Her mate asks while cuddling her.

"I don't know. The last thing I clearly remember is leaving town as the buildings exploded."

"Alpha, she's not lying." I can tell he's trying to protect her.

The Alpha leans in, sniffing her. "Open your mouth." She looks to her mate, with his nod she opens up and exhales. "She's been dosed with a potion."

"What!" Now her male is terrified she's been poisoned. Grabbing her up he rushes her off.

"Do you think they gave her something harmful?" I am guessing it's the Beta who is speaking.

"No, just something to mess with her memory."

"Why?"

"What would you do if you had to send one of our's out but didn't want them to have to lie about the location of the den?"

"Smart, we can't punish her for not knowing nor for lying because she is being honest in not remembering." He slaps his Alpha on the back, "I'm thankful the Goddess granted me a wolf as a mate. You are going to have your hands full."

"Nope, she will obey or face the consequences of disobedience." I am frozen as he looks around, staying long after the others have returned to their duties. "Oh little mate, the punishments you will receive for hiding from me. You know it's me you belong to and you had better come to me untouched." With one last look around he shifts and runs off toward town.

It took me till the next morning to return to the cabin. "Where have you been?" Nan says setting a full plate in front of me. "It's not like you to miss dinner."

"I stayed to watch over Rebecca, the potion did it's job." I can only poke at my food, my stomach churns as the Alpha's words ferment in my mind.

"You feelin' OK?" Nan puts her hand on my neck, "Don't seem to have a fever. Guess that jerky might have needed a longer drying time." She wanders off muttering about how we need to get some pepper plants and hopefully we'd have a full garden this year.

I wondered how long it would be before I could settle back into my life. That male scared me like nothing before.