Yvonne Belcourt smiled around the room at the party goers. The difference between this year and last was still startling. There were no forced smiles. No calculating eyes. Just laughter and dancing. It was also quite a bit bigger affair. Wolves that had never come before showing up.
The most fun was to watch the males enter the room, though. She'd been enjoying that for the last hour. Watching one enter and take a deep breath. Then mostly watch their faces fall into a pout. The best were the ones who entered, took a deep breath, eyes widening, then frantically looking around. Following their nose they'd stop in front of their mate, offering them their hand. It was really quite charming.
A man who fit the description of tall, dark, and handsome to a 'T' walked in. Surprisingly, he didn't follow the others example. There was no hopeful deep breath, no happiness or dejection. He entered like he owned the room and everyone in it, glancing around casually until his eyes stopped on her. He smiled and walked to her. He stopped and offered her his hand, palm up, like any of the other males who had found their mate. She narrowed her eyes. Did he think she was stupid? Instead of placing it in his, she held hers out to shake above his. "Yvonne Belcourt. And you are?"
His mouth pinched before he controlled it back into a charming smile. "Alpha Mitchell at your service." He took her hand and tried to raise it to his mouth to kiss. But both her disinclination for that kind of thing and the bone deep feeling of coldness his touch gave her had her ripping it away at the last second, causing his dark eyes to burn.
"Yvonne?" She felt someone come stand beside her and turned with a smile to her big brother. "André."
André was glaring at the Alpha in front of her. "Mitch." He gave the barest of nods.
Alpha Mitchell's nostrils flared at the disrespect. "Andy." He returned it with malice, only to be rewarded by André's blue eyes lighting with laughter. He turned back to Yvonne with a quickly concealed scowl. "Lovely to meet you, Yvonne. If you'll excuse me."
"What did he want?" André growled, watching his retreating back.
"I don't know. Nor do I care. Never mind him, isn't this wonderful?" she asked with a laugh, throwing out her hands to encompass the room.
His teeth gleamed at her. "It is." His smile slowly faded.
"What's wrong?"
"Do you think my mate is still out there? Or was she claimed by someone else?" he asked softly.
Yvonne grasped his arm in sympathy and understanding. She and every other still unmated wolf shared that same fear. That, as the first wave of rebels, many of them would be mateless, because of mistakes their ancestors made.
"I'm sure she's still out there. To be your soulmate she'd have to be spunky and smart. Funny and strong. Able to take on the world with a smile and win. She wouldn't have been claimed so easily."
He kissed her cheek. "Thank you. Yours is out there, too. I know it." With a wink he walked back into the crowd.
She blinked back tears and made her way out of the tent to get some fresh air. Her eyes widened at the darkness. Pulling out her phone she checked the time. 10:34 PM. How had it gotten so late?
Suddenly she wanted Phoenix to talk to so badly she shook with the need. Unfortunately, the party this year wasn't on the same land. And there was no water to walk to. Still she headed to the forest. She needed to be alone if she couldn't have the one person she wanted.
She wandered for a while until she found an impressive oak. She imagined her sister's glee at this tree. It truly looked like it was made for climbing. She leaned against it. "Damn it, Phoenix. I miss you." she growled.
Laughter sounded above her. "Well, damn it, Yvonne. I've missed you, too."
Springing away from the tree with a gasp, she searched the leaves, spotting the combat boot swinging lazily first. She followed the leg up to an adorable pixie face.
"Phoenix!"
More laughter spilled from her mouth. "Not so loud!" She pushed off the branch and landed cat-like in front of Yvonne and standing, was still so tiny!
"Have you not grown at all?" Yvonne asked, putting her hand on the top of Phoenix's head and pulling it back to her chest.
Phoenix laughed. "Mean. And, no, I stopped growing when I was thirteen. Apparently, this is the height I'm meant to be. What about you? You seem taller."
"Heels."
"It's funny how they help some people more than others. Hey, by the way."
Yvonne pulled her into a tight hug. "Hey, yourself!" Pushing her back, she smiled down into the dark brown eyes. "I didn't think I'd see you again! What are you doing so close to this gathering? Are you hoping that your mate will get your scent and follow it to you?"
Phoenix stared at her a long moment before she again started to laugh. "What scent, Yvonne?"
Yvonne blinked and then, leaning forward, sniffed. "Oh, right. I meant to ask you last time we met. Why don't you have one?"
"Magic, and expensive magic at that. It lasts for a week at a time though, and a lot of the herbs I need I can find at a grocery store. It makes life easier if every werewolf I bump into doesn't want to kill me for being a rogue. Or drag me back into some pack life since I'm a female. To most werewolves I come across as being human. Only the strong ones, Alpha bloods, Beta bloods, sometime Gamma bloods, can even tell. So I'm not here to be found. I must tell you, the gossip since last year has been a lot of fun."
"Why are you here, Phoenix? Much as I wish it, I know it's not just to see me."
"Well, it is to see you. But, no, it's not because I missed you. It's because I need to warn you." Phoenix laughing eyes grew serious.
"About what?"
"Alpha Mitchell."
Yvonne felt her eyes narrow. "What about him?"
"He plans to claim you at the end of this. That stupid law is still in effect. So he plans to use it. To either get you or kill your brother. In fact he's hoping for both."
Yvonne felt the blood drain from her face and started to sway. "Hey." Phoenix jumped forward and grasping an arm, lowered her until she was seated with her back to the oak. Yvonne put her head in her hands, breathing hard.
"I thought I was done with this. But no! I'm going to live the nightmare over. Only this time it'll be a dark cold Alpha rather than a golden spidery one? He knows I can fight. He'll be prepared for me. There's no way I can win. And I can't let André fight him. Not if he wants to kill him. And they interacted earlier, there is no doubt that they hate each other." Her eyes filled with tears and she looked up at Phoenix. "How is your warning going to help me? I don't see a way out of this."
"That's because this time you're thinking too small." Phoenix's brown eyes glittered. "This isn't your fight anymore. It's everyone's. If wolves are allowed to claim mates that don't want them, then others are losing their soulmates. Not one unmated wolf should be okay with that. And that's all that's needed. Just for ninety nine percent of you to say no. The only good part of the law? Not coming is only a small fine, that's why this party is bigger. Ones that usually paid the fine came instead."
Yvonne sat up and stared at her.
Phoenix smiled. "It's time to kill the law. Start with the women. And I don't care if they found their mates tonight or not. Which I've heard a few did. Anyone unmated at this party can still be claimed by a higher blood ranking at the end of it. Period."
Yvonne gasped. "But no one would do that."
Phoenix shook her head at her. "You can't be sure of that. That Beta last year almost turned from his soul mate for a more 'proper' mate. I'm sure there have been many before that who have also done so. You can't be sure. No one can. That Alpha will claim you whether your mate found you tonight or not. Why would others be different?"
She leaned close. "You have to stand and say no more. And they have to stand with you. Otherwise, it won't stop and your daughters will be going through the same thing. Let alone your sister."
"Fine. You're right. I'll talk to them."
"Yvonne, you have to be careful."
Yvonne sighed, feeling disheartened, "Why?"
"Because the ruling wolves like the status quo. When you talk to these girls have your brothers walk the perimeter fifteen feet out from wherever you are. Counter clockwise. It's better they don't know what you're planning."
"What am I planning?"
"Right now to just let them know what might happen. In the long run? To bring down an unjust law."
"How?"
Phoenix sighed, "When I met you this time last year, you were distraught and I was able to give you hope. This year you were happy and I've brought you misery. But know this. At the end of this I will help you say 'no' to him, too. Tell your brothers tonight and go back to the party and get the girls to meet you tomorrow so you can tell them. Have your Alpha of a brother tell the newly mated males and ones who walk into a crowded room and draw a deep breath that they might be wasting their time. This first meeting is only to ask if they are willing to fight this law. If one or two of them aren't or you doubt them, tell them it's okay, but ask them to leave. The same for your brothers. And make sure they don't invite your new Alpha pest, or any other that might want to use that law to their advantage. Think back, were there any that didn't follow the new norm when they entered the room? Then meet me here at ten. We'll discuss the next step." She looked towards the party. "I have to go. If they decided to chase me here, I'd have a harder time getting away. Too much open space. Hey. We're going to get this done. Once and for all. Then every female will be free. Doesn't that sound nice?"
Yvonne straitened her shoulders. "Yes, it does. Thank you, Phoenix."
"Don't mention it." And she disappeared into the night.