A Shifting Land

Chapter 33.5 (The Author Is Too Lazy To Relabel Chapters)

Firestorm closed her eyes, fighting back tears. "I don't like it little one. Not at all. I just don't have any choice in the matter. How could I risk the greater good of the people for just a few..."

Swift forced herself to take a step forward, then 2. She headbutted Firestorm, sliding her body under her chin with a light chirr. "Why not let another Alpha take the risk?"

Firestorm shook her head, "Shadow... I-" She took a deep breath, "I wouldn't want to risk someone else's people with my cast offs. Besides, we are stretched thin. Far too thin. Aside from you, and my son from just over a year ago, there are no other alpha line Dukari. At least not on planet."

"Bladen, how're you doing over there?"

"Quiet."

"What do you mean, there are alpha Dukari not on planet?" She pulls herself away, her tail brushing over the floor. "Why not just call them back?"

"Shadow, do you know what slave means?" Firestorm paced, examining the memories around her.

"No, not really. I know it's not good though."

"Those wars... They were." Firestorm glanced to the door. "Essentially they were harvests. All those aliens, they came to put us in chains." She shifted to a biped, catching a rope in her hands. She took two deft steps back towards the little cat, hooking the rope around her neck with a sharp tug. "Chains to keep us in place. Just like this."

Swift pulled herself back, choking as the rope only tightened. "Alpha!"

Firestorm released, setting the rope back where it lived. She shifted back with a quick shake. "They still come here Shadow, though it's been quite a few years since their last raid. They... Last raid they caught someone who was family. He was a good man. An alpha and he had met his fated mate. The one who mirrored his soul, no matter how it was. He was like a brother, though he had never actually chosen a name. Well, he had, but we still just called him Pup."

Swift sat, her head tilting to the side, "What happened? How'd they catch him." She paused, "If you don't mind me asking."

Firestorm gave a half smile, "I don't mind. He stayed away, with outlanders. He had little interest in pack dynamics, and especially not when the elders started being, less then ideal." She snorted, "They have their own ideas for preserving the packs, and we have enough of them that they can be far too influential. He was originally an outlander himself, left with the wrong pack. He grew up training with Frost, learning to be an alpha over there. But he had a very strong sense of morals, and duty, but also loyalty. He didn't want to find any lovers but the one who mirrored him."

"Wait, were the elders trying to force you two to-" She gagged. "Sorry Alpha, no offense but that is horrible. It's wrong."

"That was his opinion too. That's why he avoided it here as much as he could. He didn't have much in the way in terms of support. I became Alpha the same year he joined me, at the delightful age of 16. He was 10." She frowned, "I do have a point with this, I know it's roundabout. There are old portals still, portals that can teleport you to different worlds. I think he was playing between those, and lead someone back here. He wasn't in mental range. We just felt the moment he was cut off."

"What happened to him?"

Firestorm stood up abruptly, "I think it's time to come meet some of the others in the pack."

"Did you never-" Swift froze at the raw pain glaring back at her.

"We were delivered his pelt, a pelt badly scarred. Do you know what that means?" Firestorm bared her teeth, "It means he was tortured badly enough that his headmates started dying Shadow. They stood in his place, taking the torture, until they died. Permanently." She shivered. "The pelt reeked of death. There is little we could even do to try to track him or find him. I tried for months. Until that pelt came to us."