Rogues: The Beginning

Chapter 18 ~Experience~ Zaru pov

   With the full moon finally risen the war meeting begins. The first few hours went as usual meetings in the past, words of successions and pack vitalities. With the elders political talks concluded the atmosphere in the great hall shifts and I feel all their eyes on me now.
  I stand and walk to stand in front of the Alpha Council, I sense their burning questions as day in their gazes.
    "Zaru tell us what transpired at the pits?" Father speaks first and firmly.
    I sigh deeply, knowing that with what I have learned so far, this will change everything from this moment on.
    "The wolves in cages that were feral, we assumed them rogues but they were children.. children of the pit." I rub my temple knowing the door I just opened.
    "What do you mean by that?" Father's tone carries absolute authority right now.
    "They were all sired by rogues King Alpha. The pups are branded and the ones with numbers are actually the offspring of that pits' master...They force them to shift early." Unable to bite my tongue I continue, "Any longer and even my mate would've succumb too-"
    "No use in fretting in the past Son." Father cuts me off instantly, "Going forward what should we do? I never thought-"
    Before he can finish, I cut him off this time, "Neither did I Father. Not till Ryo opened my eyes to what we have never seen. If we really want to lessen the rogues that raid small packs then we need to find the root cause of what makes a rogue /a rogue./" I know this will not sit well but I need to make them see.
    "YOU DARE to question the very understanding we have of ROGUES! NEVER in our history has this been questioned! Since the dawn of the first wolf, rogues have always been evil! Rogues are ROGUES!" Father's voice booms loudly and the other alphas look down. Instantly submissive.
    I stand up, slamming my hands on the table, "Why!? Why is it that way? Why hasn't anyone ever thought about it?"
      I feel the rage slapping me as the King Alpha responds. "It's known to all that the birth of the first werewolves were twins and they split divided in their ways. One sought love and family, while the other sought power. Thus packs and rogues were born from them."
      "I understand that King Alpha but that is where our understanding of rogues end! They are forming packs now! Raising children, creating territory, and even have established rankings. Plus their numbers are growing while our's shrink."
     "Blasphemy, a few random fighting dens is hardly-" Another Alpha tries to interpret me.
     "You weren't there!" I snapped to the alpha across from me before looking at my father, "King you didn't see what I did... Didn't hear... I swear on my royal blood, there is something happening with the rogues and not just the ones here. Now with this creature that I can't even understand.."
     "If it is as you say-" Yet again another alpha of the meeting tries to interfere.
       "No, it's probably much worse then what we already know. Given the fact a wolf as fierce as my Mate was so out of sorts she shifts at the mere feeling of this stranger's presence.."
     "We should go raid-" The same alpha goes to say before my father speaks up again.
     "No. No one will act until Ryo is at her full strength and we know what triggered all this mess." Alpha King's words silence the chatter.
      We all are fully aware the causalities would be to high without Ryo's information. Especially if that mysterious person shows up, there be no survivors based on her reaction alone.
     "It was definitely Ryo the man was after. Her instincts knew that and the only way to protect herself was to shift. Which means Prince Alpha Zaru is correct, something is coming and it isn't anything good." My father's command is absolute.
      I am surprised that Father was so quick to figure that out on his own. Both my dad and Jin knew the true cause and I didn't figure it out as quick.
     After the meeting, I return to the guest house in the side yard. My mind is still racing at what could be after Ryo. Lost in the stars and my thoughts, hours tick by before I head to see Ryo.
   Opening the door to the bedroom, I burst out laughing. My Mate sitting lopsided on the floor and is intently starring daggers at a sock in her hand.
     "Do you want me to do-" I move to take the sock, wanting todo it for her.
    "No!" She growls with frustration, "Just show me.." Accepting this as a fair compromise as she didn't want my help at all but needed it.
     I sit down next to her smiling, pulling off my shoes then my own socks. Her nose crinkles as a foul odor rises from the shoes, embarrassed I quickly speak.
      "Slowly roll the sock up like this, then place it over your toes and pull up."
     Ryo smiles, pleased she got it on after watching, quickly putting on the other one, "Now I'm dressed. I can leave this room?"
     "Yes. First stop is the bathroom." I smiles gently.
      "A bathroom?" Ryo looks up questioningly.
     "It's where you can wash yourself."
     "So it's a river?"
     "Not exactly Ryo.. you'll see"
   After much fumbling, eventually Ryo was able to walk properly by the time we entered the washroom down the the hall. She pushes away from my grip and proceeds to explore the bathroom with zealous.
    Only stopping when she seen herself in the mirror. She snarls fericously watching the female human in front her mimic her moves. Slowly Ryo raises her hand and touches the mirror, pulling away surprised.
   "What is this? It's cold and who is that? Why does that one mimic me?"
   "It's called a mirror and that female is you. It reflects your image like stilled water."
   "That's what I look like? I'm short and skinny! How am I gonna-"
   I lean down, kissing her lips to silence her panic. Pulling away shortly after, "We will worry about everything else later. For now let's get you washed then head downstairs to the kitchen."
    I poke her nose, taking her arm and leading her to the shower stall that's already on.
    "A kitchen?" She looks up excitedly.
    "That's where we will eat." I chuckle stepping her into the warm water.
   "Meat! Thank Goddess I'm straving. Hurry up and show me how to wash." Ryo orders out hastily.
    She refuses to allow me to use any of the soaps I bought. The smells burn her nose and she will not have such scents on her period. In the end it was more standing in the shower then actually washing. I make a mental note to buy more natural smells for my Mate and less lavish ones.
    As for the stairs that lead down to the kitchen, I ended up carrying Ryo down them. As the first half was too much stress for my heart and probably her's as well.
    Ryo takes a seat at a bar stool at the kitchen island willingly, watching intently as I crack eggs into a pan. I had to beg her to not explore the kitchen till she could walk better.
    I didn't like reminding Ryo of her current weakness but I am pleased she listens fairly well. Ryo knows how out of her element she is and when I remind her, she can't help but step down.
      I just know her instincts are telling her she can't win so don't challenge. Years of conditioning are still present no matter what form she takes.
    "I know that smell, but what are you doing to the eggs?" Ryo snaps her eyes back to me.
    She may not be able to touch but she will look around. "I have to cook them so your body doesn't get sick from eating-"
   "What about meat?" She blurts out, cutting me off.
   "Don't worry Love, I got bacon to cook up for you." I chuckle, her excitement goes from ear to ear.
    For the next 20 minutes Ryo sat in silence not wanting to distract me from getting the meat in front of her.
   By the end of it Ryo had consumed 7 eggs and nearly 2 pounds of bacon. I just sit next to her with my head resting on the cooling marble stone.
    "Where did you put all that food?" I ask but leave my head down.
    "I don't know, I ate till I felt full." Ryo shrugs like it's the most obvious thing.
   "Well now that you're full, follow me across the hall." I stand and point to the room just behind her.
    The living room is pretty barren compared to most. I felt having too much at once would overwhelm her and I didn't want a repeat of the bedroom. Only a simple tan couch and a black entertainment stand fill the room. As well as a few scattered books to fill empty shelves along the walls.
   Ryo flops on the couch and stretches out playfully, "The long bed is cozy too!"
   I chuckle again, my heart feels so light watching her, "That is a couch. We sit here and watch TV."
   I point when she looks around lost, picking up the remote to put on a simple cartoon channel. Not too sure where to start, but to my astonishment her eyes are plastered to the TV.
   "You can't sit that close, come back and sit down." I laugh loudly holding my stomach.
   She growls and looks me down with a familiar look, "Why can't be I close?"
   "Your eyes are sensitive, and the TV gives off strong light that can hurt your eyes.."
   She thinks for a moment. "I suppose so. None of my senses seem effected by the shift."
   "They should be duller when shifted." I recall when she first woke and was covering her ears at basically every  sound.
   "Maybe for a wolf who was raised human." She shrugs uninterested in furthering the conversation.
   "If that's the case, it should be easy to train yourself to be strong in this form."
  "Train? I'd much rather train then sit here.."
   "Would it be ok if you trained with me? I'd rather not have you fight with the pack till you have adjusted a bit more."
   "Alright then let's go. I wanna see what I can do." Ryo smiles excitedly at me.
    I waste no time and walk outside, shifting in the yard. Ryo climbs to sit on my back and my wolf is massive compared to her human self. She leans forward and holds onto my fur. I take Ryo to her favorite spot, the clearing in the woods where moon flowers bloom.
   Our match goes as I expected, I end up putting Ryo on her ass many times without having todo anything more then stepping. She tries to punch but kicks instead, she goes to lunge, missteps and face plants the grass.
   My Mate's movements are worse then a child learning to walk for the first time. I refrain from laughing as she is trying to be serious. Ryo gets a few hits in but soon enough I pin her. Drawing an end to the match.
    I stand, feeling my eyes swirl colors as my Mate slides out from under them. Even Jin can't help but admire Ryo's beauty. She goes and lays in the field of flowers and looks up into the sky above.
   I am truly feel blessed to have such a Mate and for the first time it feels like I truly see her, it's like the first time meeting all over again.