Not A Mate

Talking With the Family

  I head to the Smaten house, and have to park a little ways down the street due to the volume of cars in front of the home. If you want to see a group outpouring when someone needs aid, this is not the family you mess with. I get out of my car and a group of ten children mod me, "hey look it's her. Wow mommy said she was just like anybody else, I didn't believe her. Think we can get her to shift?" I chuckle, those kids all talk fast as most children do; and are as curious as anything. I had to learn that sometimes kids ask very blunt or silly questions and you just have to deal with it.

A group of voices come out of the house, very matronly; "you leave Nancy alone and go play or you'll regret it." All the kids look scared a moment then dash away at the speed that all young children seem to have. I walk towards the house chuckling to myself, seems Mrs Smaten came by her 'maternal voice' honestly.

I enter the house to see a group of teens in the living room entertaining the babies for the family, and Mrs Smaten's voice comes from the kitchen. "In here dear, we're all at the table discussing." I could see why Mrs Frendal wanted me to nudge them, there were more in this single family home than I saw at the home Drake had while his Pack was still intact; and this was just one raccoon family.

I walk into the kitchen and numerous women sat at the table, the men were standing about the kitchen. Mrs Smaten waves to a chair at the table, "sit dear. You are a part of this too." I nod my head and sit down, Mrs Smaten looks at me expectantly knowing I had something on my mind. So I take a moment and gather my thoughts and decide to be bluntly honest.

"Listen Mrs Frendal suggested I nudge you into consolidating the council for all shifters. Honestly I don't think you'd listen to me nudging you towards it. So let me instead tell you why you should." I see Doug's great grandmother smile and nod her head, "please do young lady. I knew you had a decent head on your shoulder's."

I smile back at her, "thank you gram." she insisted everyone address her as grandmother aside from her own children of course. "Well just by observing your family's way of dealing with conflict, you rush to support the member of the family that needs it. Then you have an automatic breakdown of roles for everyone. I observed that while the wolves tend to work together, you could still see the stiltedness of it. They don't really mesh as a well oiled machine like your people do."

I see heads nodding as I speak, "I would suggest that you all work with other shifter families to set up a panel that can approach the council of supers to petition that they reorder the shifter council. Everyone here has an equal say, the wolf shifters just automatically do whatever their Alpha's say. Sometimes the people on the top just don't see what the others do." I wave my hand towards Mrs Smaten, "she has a great deal of power in her hands; yet she doesn't use it. While Drake's mother used every advantage she had to slide her son through what she considered a formality. That's not right, the humans believe in everyone should have an equal say in how they are governed. While we have different laws dealing with what we are and are not allowed to do, because to be frankly honest; we are dangerous to the human majority. So having slightly draconian laws for us is necessary. However, we should still have an equal say. The wolves should not be allowed to make all the choices for all of us."

Everyone's head nods again, "we can't get the council to put in sentencing for wolf shifters who can't control themselves. That is sorely needed to protect the human population, they cannot do anything directly against us due to how powerful our people are. So we have to be the adult in the room, I also think that some alterations to some either laws or punishments for breaking those laws need changing." I wave a hand randomly and Mr Smaten places an Iced Tea in front of me, "example. We have a teenager who becomes emotionally unbalanced and is old enough they have shifter a number of times. Enough they should be able to control what they do, they destroy property. Current rulings make it so the teen is not responsible and neither are their parents. This is wrong, first their parents should have to pay to replace the damage. The teen themselves, let their punishment be based on their species. In the case of a wolf, due to how brutal their in Pack mechanics are; a beating by someone they can view as above them in ranking. For example a raccoon like your people, call their mother or closest adult female relative." I see the women around the table all grin wickedly. There is nothing a young raccoon does not fear more than their mother, well maybe their grandmother. Doug's great grandmother speaks, "well said Nancy. You do speak the truth on this, and we really should do something about the mess the shifter council is. Thankfully the shifter member of the super council isn't a wolf, they had made it a hard requirement fifty years ago that the shifter on the super council be of one of the other species." I nod my head, thought I had not known this myself; it did not surprise me greatly.

One of the older male raccoon's comments, "yes and we will discuss it. Right now we need to figure out what to do with our current situation." I nod my head, "I have spoken to my uncle and he can set up for June to be sent to the Canadian Pack. However Mr Blackstone said he would prefer that her parents push for it. Though from what I have heard from Mrs Frendal I doubt they will go for it."

Doug speaks from behind me and when I turn to look at him I notice he is very haggard looking, probably from lack of sleep. "They won't, while Brenda was very close mouthed about her parents. I did get the feeling that her parents were not thrilled that June was going to need to look at places not near them for her mate. So I believe she was coddled a little too bit."

I turn back to the faces before me, "well I will let you make the attempts. Mr Blackstone can make it her punishment, but he will have to call in a favor to do so." The group nods their heads collectively, it was almost creepy. Mr Smaten rubs his fore head, "I think we need to broach Doug and Brenda having permission to marry out of them first." I sigh, knowing that if we badger them about their favorite daughter first Brenda wouldn't be given permission.

I take a sip of tea while they debate the easiest why to convince her parents to let them get married. I listen and I just hear them arguing the same points and Doug sighs heavily and leaves the room. I shake my head and speak above the family's voices. "Mrs Frendal said she'd push the council for permission, especially after what happened with her other sister." I see Mrs Smaten's head swivel in my direction and she speaks in a slightly angry tone. "What happened to her? They told us nothing of her other sister, and it seemed to pain Brenda."

I shake my head, "Mrs Frendal said that she is partnered with a stag and they disowned her for it." I hear a collective gasp come from the women and I see some dark patches form on the men, that defiantly stirred the pot. Mrs Smaten speaks again, "I will call her later to talk about this. We can see what she thinks should be done about it." I nod my head, "good; because if we can get them permitted to marry she said she can also get her sister to her wedding."

I hear a voice that makes all of the heads turn towards the door, "I'd get to see Gisellie again? Mom and dad said she betrayed them by being mated to the person she was mated too." Brenda was awake and being supported by a very tired Doug. I hear Dr Peter's voice from the outside door, "oh; I guess I got here to late to see her wake up. Sorry about that Mary."