Redeeming the Lost (A Comforter's Tale)

Chapter 29

Alpha Kiel leaned back in his chair as Vera, Andrew, and Anabel sat in the chairs on the other side of his desk. I yawned and stretched out on the windowsill seat cushion where I had been enjoying the sunshine most of the morning.

"Thank you for coming," Alpha Kiel said. "I have some questions that I'm hoping you might have some answers to."

Anabel and Vera exchanged a look, confused about what questions he might have since their backgrounds were so different. Andrew seemed curious and patiently watched the Alpha.

"I've been thinking about what you told me. Do you know why some ferals were able to remember, while others weren't? Or can you tell me about any precautions to help our pack members dissuade the aggressive ones?"

Anabel remained silent and waited for her two companions to reply.

"There seem to be two main types of ferals," Vera slowly said, her eyes and voice distant. "Those who go feral from loss or heartache can usually come back. From what I have seen, those who went feral due to sheer rage, revenge, or a desire for blood had the hardest time coming back. I suspect the ones whom Julie couldn't help were among the latter group."

The Alpha thought for a bit. "I've heard of some people coming back after going feral, so I assume some manage to get through it. Considering how many Julie helped compared to the two that were too far gone, I'm surprised that more people don't recover from such a state."

There was a faint edge to Vera's voice as she replied, "Have you ever wanted to get better, but felt it was too impossible to even attempt? Or have you ever tried to do something and continuously failed? How many times do you try something excruciatingly painful and fail before giving up? I know I tried hundreds of times but didn't succeed until I had Julie's help. I had almost given up hope. Imagine the pain of seeing your own family slaughtered in front of you."

Kiel's jaw tensed at that thought, and I strengthened my aura to keep his Alpha instincts from shifting into a protective mode. He undoubtedly felt it, but didn't resist or even look at me. It was one sign that he was valuing my efforts to keep this discussion conversational.

He inclined his head. "I see your point. Earlier today, someone from the pack to the south passed by our borders and stopped to chat. They mentioned that several rogues were in the area and looking for a group that had recently been ferals."

Vera sat up straighter at this news. "I know we told a few groups of rogues that we had been feral, but they weren't in this area. What did they say?"

"The rogues managed to cage a feral, and they wanted to ask the former ferals how they could help him. It was one of the rogues' siblings, so I don't think they're going to give up their search easily."

Anabel murmured, "News and rumors spread quickly among the rogue groups, especially if they are the types to set up camps and linger in an area. We also stopped at several of those groups to ask for directions and to pinpoint exactly where we were on a map, so between checking with the stationary rogue groups and finding our camps and break spots, it was only a matter of time before this group caught up."

I sat up. "If we are thinking of helping this feral, I'm all for it if they can bring it to the border."

"The other consideration is that such a direct action will also make it widely known that the Darsha Pack now has a lot of former ferals," Andrew said thoughtfully. "It may create complications."

Alpha Kiel tapped a pencil against several papers in front of him. "That is my main concern. Your group has been fitting in well over the last two weeks, and while I would allow several more such people to join, I don't want a large number showing up right away thinking we're an easy pack to get into. That's a sure-fire way for troublemakers or thieves to slip in. I also don't want the other packs to see us as a possible threat and attack."