The Liability (2023 - COMPLETE)

IX - The Letter

Juno Schneider,

As you may know, the Kingston Association has a long and colorful history of caring for the wolf population with Monosomy 44. Officially founded in 1827, long before the disorder was medically explained, Joseph Kingston founded the association for people like his wife, Martha.

Martha and all of the Kingston children had what is now known as Monosomy 44. Mrs. Kingston had been thrown out of her home in Delaware when, at seventeen, had never grown into her wolf. After marrying Joseph in 1822, the two of them moved to New York and started adopting the unclaimed youth nonshifters. This was the beginning of the Kingston Association.

We, here at the Association, have been made aware of your situation, and we want you to know that there is a place for you. Even with the passage of time, Monosomy 44 has not been accepted into society, even though there is no one at fault for having the disorder. The Association has expanded well beyond the family that Joseph and Martha started, but we still continue as a family.

The further Juno reads, she can't help but wonder what it is about this letter that makes her feel not so alone. She has spent most of her life alone and she knows that there are reasons for her life turning out the way it has. Living in Washington hasn't been the best for her, and she knows now that there are people out there who want to help her. The letter goes on for another few paragraphs, explaining how the organization has grown over the years into a necessary part of wolf society. Not only are they taking in the rejected youth, but they also aid in some of the most important rouge counter-missions that have been conducted in the past few decades.

The prospect of the association is a lot to process, I know that, but I want you to know that there are a lot of people like you who found hope when they joined.

My name is Imogen, and a few years ago, I was in a very similar situation. I had been cast away from my family when I had gotten my diagnosis, suffering abuse for years following. Finding a mate didn't help my situation any. After being with Kingston for the past seven years, I can assure you that life here is worlds away from the pain that you are feeling in Washington.

The writing in the letter switches between straightforward facts and the personal stories of the person who had written it. The style that Imogen writes is effective and Juno has yet to decide if this entire letter is simply a hoax. Sure she has heard of Kingston in the past, but it has never seemed like the type of organization that would be interested in a no one like her. That must be the point, though, if they take in abused runts. The no ones like her seems to be their specialty.

The document that she is reading is four pages long and it details everything that she could ever possibly want to know about the organization or even what she could expect from a mate bond. That was the information that made her most uncomfortable, seeing what it is Imogen has to say about the topic.

A wolf's mate bond is very strong, and when it is ignored, it is something to be feared. Many runts find their mates not long after coming of age, and for that, they are put in danger of being harmed by their mate. Because of the stigma around having a runt mate, many are overlooked or rejected, but that does not mean that their bond is completely severed. By the nature of the ailment, the submissive mate of the bond is established as the carrier, and they do not have the power to reject the other.

In every soulmate bond, there is a dominant partner and a submissive, and it isn't always in the male's favor, it has more to do with the health of the wolves of the bonded pair. As someone who has monosomy 44, you are the submissive one in the bond. This means that, if or when you are to meet your mate the acceptance or rejection cannot be initiated by you because of how much weaker your wolf is. This can be devastating because of how dangerous a wolf can be without a completed mate bond. The dominant's wolf will become more unstable the longer the bond isn't completed, and harm usually comes to the submissive approximately a year after the first contact.

Of course, this is not always the case, but it is more common than not. Unfortunately, that means a high number of individuals with monosomy 44 are assaulted at the hands of their mate because their wolf has become so unstable. If you have already met your mate, be wary of them. Especially the longer that the soulmate bond has been apparent.

Juno worried, so lost in the letter and what it all meant. She had spent so long stuck in a situation that had caused her harm that she couldn't help but be wary of the letter. Wary of the association. Wary of Imogen. How could it be that these people on the other side of the country put more care for her into one letter than her own pack had in a decade?

She sits in her little cabin late in the night, once again unable to sleep. Her injuries are healing, albeit slowly, and she had to focus on her assignments before she was to go back to school. She was tired of school, of all of the assignments she had, and the long days just to get an education she wasn't even sure was worth it.

The wolves were quiet and the other animals could be heard scuttling, enjoying their freedom without the predators around them.

Juno yawns, craving sleep, and yet finds herself too wrapped up in her letter. There was just so much for her to consider. There were several pages of words to process, so much that had been written, and Juno couldn't help but want to take it all in.

There are people in your pack who care for you and have recommended you to the association. Elizabeth Verdansky has spoken highly of you and your desire to leave Washington. We believe that you would make a wonderful addition here with the Kingston Association.

If you would like to discuss this further, or have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at any time. I would be happy to discuss anything about the association with you.

Stay safe; take care.

Imogen Archibald,

Kingston Association Outreach Liason 

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1126 Words. Published 12.19.2022. Edited 12.12.2023