Seeing my daughter change so drastically had been horrifying. It wasn't just her appearance that had changed, her mind was changing to that of the man who claimed to be her mate. It was insane. Protectors didn't have mates. We didn't have such concepts as romance and love. Sure, parents would show affection to their children, but to have emotions would drive us insane. We would become like the humans, or the races of the realms, lose our minds with power, start our own conflicts. And yet, I still felt things right now that I wouldn't have naturally felt at home. Misery at knowing that my daughter was not only lost to me, but she was also talking things that would get any of us removed if heard by the council. And, now, I had to return home and relay what I had learned.
But, could I? Could I offer my daughter, the girl I had raised from a baby, to the council, knowing what they would do to her? I truly had no other choice, lest I be deemed a threat as well.
When she approached me as a massive wolf, I had wanted to reach out to her, wanted to let her know I still cared, but I was torn between my affection for her and my loyalty to my people. She no longer had a place in our home. I still did, assuming that I did my duty.
So, when she and the male wolf ran off into the woods, I went back inside long enough to leave a note and an emergency contraceptive pill on the living room table, and I left.
An hour later, even from the center of town, I could hear it. The howl that was filled with such pain that it made my heart tremble. I knew it was her. But I couldn't stop.
As I had once been in charge of a realm, I didn't need anyone to open a gate for me. I went to the most isolated clearing I could found and I called forth the gateway and left the wolves realm.
I left the gateway chamber, stepping out into the grasslands of our home. Where the red grass and the purple sky lit my way to the building that housed the council.
With each step, I felt the calming energy of my homes power. It helped to balance the conflict within me, helped me to make my decision. I would not lie to the council, and I would remain loyal to my people no matter what, even if my own daughter was the threat.