Every Were Gets A Mate

Chapter 21

I told my story again, including all the details. The leaders of Traveler Pack listened avidly. When I was done, they asked many questions.

Fidoro asked, "Why have so many humans died when Fury tried to turn them? I thought the turn success rate was fifty percent."

"I'm not sure, but the legend of the first changes may explain it."

"What's the legend?"

I was surprised Fidoro didn't know this. No one else volunteered it when I looked around.

Cade smiled at me. "You're the daughter of a Knowledge Keeper, Jess. You tell us the legend."

I hadn't recounted a legend for a crowd, only for my family. When my father did it, his words would wrap around the weres listening like a magic spell to hold their attention. I felt suddenly nervous, but told myself it was silly. I had been telling a story since we sat down around the fire and holding their attention with no problem.

"In the ancient time, a were scented her mate but found he was a human. Contact was forbidden, but Fate had decided, so she mated with him. At the height of their passion, she felt an instinctual demand to bite him. Not wanting to hurt him, she resisted as long as possible, but couldn't stop herself. He developed a fever. In his delirium, he shifted and healed. She brought him to her pack, and he was accepted there.

"An older were who had not found her mate decided to find and bite a human, hoping he would be hers. She bit one, he survived, but he was another woman's mate. She bit another, but he died of the fever. Afraid to hurt another, she gave up but met her mate a few years later, a born were. Since that time, a human mate always survives. Among those not identified as mates beforehand, some live, some die. Fate decides, but the criteria is unknown.

"The best guess is that they only live if Fate foresees a mate for them, since every were has a mate. I thought it might be that Fisher tries to turn mainly males. There aren't enough females or homosexual males for them."

The group was silent for a minute as they considered my words. James broke the silence, moving on to another question. "You called him Alpha King Fisher. Is Alpha King his title?"

"No. King is his first name."

One of the lieutenants said, "I wonder why he didn't name his kid God."

I smiled, and other laughed.

Another lieutenant spoke. "Are you sure Colton and Fisher are coming after you, that they won't stop when they find out you've mated with someone else?"

"Colton is Fisher's only son. Fisher is obsessed with continuing his family dynasty as alphas of Fury Pack. Without a mate, Colton can have no children. Their line will end. Fisher said Colton won't accept another woman now that he has found and recognized me as his mate. Even without that, I expect Colton's instincts to force him to come after me. The same instincts that won't let us reject our fated mates will not allow him to leave me alone."

I sternly kept my emotions down to prevent tears. "Neither of them are ever going to leave me in peace. I don't want them to know about Cade. They would kill him without a thought if they knew."

Cade gripped my hand, but it was Fidoro who spoke. "They won't be able to get to Cade or you." Many others agreed.

Fidoro changed the subject. "Why did Fisher agree to let you leave if you didn't find a mate at the lineup? You still could've been mate to someone he turned in the future."

"Women who don't find their mates in Fury have the option of going out to find them. We're supposed to lie about our pack affiliation and return to Fury with our mate, who is hopefully a fighter to add to Fisher's army."

Someone asked, "Why would anyone go back after getting out?"

"For fear of Fisher finding and punishing you. Fisher is the boogeyman. Parents tell their kids he'll come hurt them if they don't behave. Like, if you don't eat your peas, Alpha Fisher will come alpha command you to eat only vegetables for the rest of your life."

Some uncomfortable laughter sounded and quieted almost immediately.

I knew I hadn't painted the Fury weres in the best light. "Most weres in Fury are good. Fisher controls them with fear and alpha commands. Yes, it is cruel to threaten your children with the boogeyman, but it serves a purpose. This boogeyman is very real. Fear and respect must be ingrained on the young, so they live long enough to teach their own kids."

A captain said, "But if the children were taught to stand up for themselves, for what's right, wouldn't they have been able to stop Fisher long ago?"

I was relieved when someone else answered for me. "No. Fury Pack has been living in fear of their alpha for many generations."

And another spoke. "Yeah. The first to stand up, to defy the alpha, always dies. No parent wants their own child to die, so they teach theirs to stay quiet."

"But how can they all stay quiet when so many terrible things are happening?"

"They can't. The ones who couldn't are the ones Jessica saw die right in front of her."

"Having a conscience can get bred out of a people."

"Obviously not entirely. That's why individuals kept disappearing."

"Their only chance was banding together, all doing something at once."

"But they can't. They're paralyzed by fear."

"Each death reinforces the fear."

"They need help from the outside."

"They need help from us."

"Yeah."

"Yes, they need help from us."

"The Council clearly isn't doing anything."

"I bet they know too."

"That's why they need help from us."

I watched this group conversation in awe. In the end, everyone around me was nodding to each other. The small flame of hope inside me flared bright, stinging my eyes. I turned to Cade. He smiled broadly, leaned in, and kissed my cheek.

Fidoro had been silent, but now his voice boomed with authority. "Right. We're agreed then. We'll get Jessica to Oregon, to her family, and make our stand there. Fisher and his son will come after her. We'll take them out. We keep Jessica safe and make sure she and Cade have the future they deserve."

Yells of agreement sounded from all sides.

Fidoro said, "Tomorrow night is a full moon. We start moving on the day after. Make sure everyone knows and is prepared."

A chorus of, "Yes, alpha!" rang out, and the crowd dispersed, rushing off with purpose.

Cade and I were suddenly alone with Fidoro.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N

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