Feral Bonds

Epilogue

Natania purred with delight as she watched Meriam and Bran teach the children about the richness of the earth, the stars bright and comforting overhead. Their daughter, Sasha, listened intently, her giant paws kneading at the earth. They didn't quite know what she was yet, she had the size of a wolf, along with her father's grey-ish colouring, but her body was more in line with a cougar, except for the huge bushy tail. She was the most devoted cub Natania had ever met.

Their son, Mateo, was a fox, through and through. He was a sleepy pup, half dozing as his parents lectured. Sasha occasionally nudged him to keep him awake.

Alex and Hayley's son, Theo, a grey-black wolf, was twitching with impatience, ripping up the grass around him with sharp claws.

Natania smiled to herself. As word of their odd little tribe had spread, more and more people had asked to join. A few pridelanders, a few wolves, and, after the first year, six coyotes. The nimble little beasts had arrived after a referral from Vincent, with the hope that she might protect them and their children, so they didn't have to partner with something else.

As one of the coyote pups tumbled playfully with Theo, she knew she had made the right choice. They were making something new. A place for anyone that needed a home, or a place to be safe.

They had reopened the school, to everyone this time, witches and pridelanders included, and Gretchen had taken up teaching. Watching her mate melt as she taught the tribe's children and their friends computers and science had never failed to brighten her day, and Natania occasionally snuck in just to watch her.

Natania had been roped into teaching a couple classes as well, not daily, but in between other tasks, music and the basics of supernaturals. She wanted to ease some of the fear they all had of each other. As she watched the new generation play and tease each other without malice, she felt at peace.

"Do you ever regret that you won't get one of your own?"

Natania's ear twitched as Lily dropped down beside her. They had set aside a home in town for the vampires, blacking out the windows so they could stay the day safely. Lily used it most often, but Vincent and Ray dropped by occasionally as well. It felt right to have her second family close too.

"No," Natania answered honestly, shifting to her human form. "I'm content to be their protector," she gave Lily a wry smile, "without having to listen to their wailing."

Lily laughed and ruffled her hair. "Sounds about right." Lily got to her feet and held out a hand. Natania took it and let the vampire tug her to her feet. "Come on," Lily said. "Your gift from Naomi arrived."

"Naomi?" Natania frowned at Lily, but let her drag her towards her home.

"And Skylar. Just a little something. Amani asked me to drop it off. Tyson and her were in town tracking down another runaway."

Natania growled in her chest. "Someone I need to take care of?" Once in a while, when word of an abusive alpha got around, Natania would go out to terrify a wolf who thought they had the right to torment their half bloods. Usually a warning was enough, a reminder that there were bigger predators out there, but occasionally, it wasn't, and she didn't hesitate to kill them when needed. She wasn't going to stand by anymore.

Amani and Tyson, who had made their relationship official a couple years ago, hunted down any half bloods who were fleeing, and then came in to help organize the remaining members of the pack. Adopting them, or convincing them that they could choose their own leader, that they were free.

"No." Lily's hand tightened around hers. "We took care of that one."

Natania didn't need to ask. If Lily or Vincent killed the alpha, then they were far beyond redemption.