"Where you been, sis?" Danny questioned after she'd stepped inside the house. The teen was lounging on the living room couch, feet propped on the coffee table, looking at the girl suspiciously.
Charlotte froze.
She knew Walter and Elaine weren't home because they'd told her they were going into town and then to a meeting. She hadn't expected Danny to be home that day either.
Before her foster parents left, they'd told her not to leave the basement until they returned.
She wasn't sure if Danny knew, but she hoped the boy wouldn't snitch or call her out on it.
"I went for a walk," Charlotte responded, twisting her hair nervously. The girl chanced a glance out the window, but if the wolf was still out there she couldn't see him.
"Through the forest?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, behind the house."
"You should be careful," Danny warned. He sounded serious this time—not his normal mocking tone.
"Why?" Charlotte asked, surprised by his concern.
"The forest is dangerous," the boy replied simply.
Although he did his best not to show it, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. In his own way, he was trying to look out for the girl.
"I know, but I can take care of myself," she asserted trying to appear confident.
"A skinny useless shrimp like you? Have you ever seen a mirror?" Danny snorted, turning his attention back to the T.V. as if unbothered.
Charlotte rolled her eyes at the insult. He was one to talk—like he was so tough, she thought sarcastically. Yeah, he was almost a foot taller than her, but he still had those lean teenage muscles, not the strong bulky muscles of a man.
"Whatever," the brunette huffed, walking off.
*** GIO ***
Weaving carefully through the crowd, Gio did his best to appear inconspicuous. Unfortunately, it was not easy for a 450-pound beast to blend in, so his efforts were not very successful.
As people noticed the wolf, their eyes turned to follow him.
Whispers flitted through the crowd, preceding his movements. The wolf padded along, uncomfortable with the attention he was drawing.
There were more people in attendance than he recalled. Truthfully, he couldn't remember the last time he had been to one of these meetings. Likely it was back when his father, the Alpha, still lived with the pack.
Not surprisingly, Gio was the only wolf in the crowd. The wolves had separated themselves from the rest of the pack long ago. They simply didn't have much in common anymore.
Nowadays, it was unusual to see a wolf among the human-skinned. Although the other attendees seemed surprised to see him at first, many people smiled and bowed their heads respectfully as he passed.
There were others though, who ducked their heads and shied away from the wolf in fear. They seemed nervous as if he might reach out and claw them. Since those in human form had lost their strength and abilities, many had become afraid of the wolves.
Physically the human-skinned were much weaker than their wolf counterparts. They needed the wolves to protect them from outsiders, but sometimes they needed protection from the wolves themselves—their more feral instincts had led to injuries and death amongst their own pack.
Werewolves were never meant to be more wolf than human or vice versa. They needed both sides to be balanced. Without that balance, they were weak and vulnerable to attack from other packs as well as human hunters.
The pack's curse was a well-guarded secret for that very reason—they feared being attacked if it ever became known.
To keep rogues and other packs at bay, the wolves patrolled the borders. Their presence gave the illusion that nothing had changed. Although the wolves technically didn't have the numbers to protect the human-skinned, keeping the illusion going was enough to deter most enemies, and the wolves could handle a few rogues here and there.
Of course, the pack's sudden withdrawal from their allies had caused rumors, but so far none had discovered the truth. The human-skinned made contact with nearby packs and even humans when necessary to keep up their side of the ruse.
"Giovanni! It's good to see you." A voice called out warmly, speaking above the noise of the crowd.
The wolf stopped; it was his uncle, Jacob.
Gio dipped his head respectfully in acknowledgment. As his father's Beta, the second in command, Jacob was above him in the pack hierarchy.
"I'm glad you could make it, it's been far too long nephew! Where have you been? I've missed seeing you around. You know you're always welcome at my house," the man said, stepping closer to the wolf, and patting his shoulder.
Back before everything changed, Gio and his uncle were quite close, bonding over their shared love of baseball. It was hard to connect with people like that anymore. He could mind link the other wolves but the human-skinned had lost that ability.
"Come join me in the council room, we have many things to discuss and your opinion will be welcome," Jacob said, gesturing for the wolf to follow.
With the Beta and future Alpha walking side-by-side, the pack split before them; dividing like the Red Sea.
Gio followed his uncle around the back of the town hall to where the entrance to the council room was located.
Once they'd reached the entrance, Jacob held the door open so the wolf could enter the chamber.
The room was spacious, covered from floor to ceiling in light wooden paneling. Intricate carvings furnished the wood, telling the stories of their pack.
A long table stretched out across the back where the Council Elders sat, facing the open floor—like the last supper, they all sat on one side. Other pack members could then occupy the open floor and speak to the council without having any of the Elder's backs turned to them.
As he and his uncle stepped inside the room, Gio saw that the Elders were already seated at the council table. It appeared they were readying themselves for the meeting. A few were looking through notes, while others talked amongst each other about the agenda.
The wolf quickly settled himself into an empty spot just past the far end of the table while Jacob went to take his seat at the head.
"Ah, Gio so glad you could join us. It's nice to see the next generation learning about our administrative process." The Elder next to him said, noting his arrival. The woman's name was Lori, at 110 years old she was the oldest in the pack and an unofficial leader of the Elders.
"For a future Alpha, it's more than that though, isn't it? It's a duty. One which I hope you will no longer shirk," she continued with a smile.
The wolf twitched his ear in annoyance. Council Elders were highly respected members of their pack. However, he didn't appreciate them lecturing him about his duties.
"Council members, tonight we have several orders of business to discuss. Let's go ahead and dive in...." Jacob began. As the Beta, it was his job to head the council. Normally, the Beta headed all administrative matters, while the Alpha handled the regulatory matters.
However, Jacob had been running double duty since the Alpha left, performing both Alpha and Beta duties. It was a lot for one person to handle, especially in a pack their size, so he did delegate some things to others.
The council began by discussing the need for additional farmland, then they moved on to allocating funds for upcoming ceremonies and pack promotions.
Gio was beginning to remember why he didn't like attending these meetings before—they were horribly dull.
It didn't help that his mind kept drifting back to his little brunette. Not being able to complete the mate bond was driving him crazy. He hated how it clouded his mind. The worst part was, it wouldn't clear up unless they completed the bond which they couldn't do.
The wolf tried to force himself to concentrate as various pack members were called in to give testimony.
But again, he found himself distracted, this time from the noise filtering in. Outside, he could hear the murmur of voices from the town hall. While the council met, the rest of the pack caught up with each other and announced events or celebrated milestones. It was basically a big party. One which he used to enjoy.
"Alright, we've settled on a date for the warrior ceremony which Lucas will organize. Now on to the next order of business. We need to discuss whether the Watson's foster daughter..." Jacob paused to read something off the paper "... Charlotte Lightningstorm should be allowed to stay and live among the pack."
Gio's ears shot to attention, suddenly alert. Finally, he had learned his mate's name! He turned over the new information in his mind.
Charlotte LightningStorm—an odd name for a human. It almost sounded fae, but he didn't dwell on it for long, turning his attention back to what Jacob was saying.
"We first discussed this a couple of months ago when the Watsons came to us saying they wanted to offer up their home to a foster child. The Watsons said they were interested in fostering because it would allow them to help a child and to bring in more money from the state. According to them, they have the time and space since they only have one wolfling. Well, I suppose he's not a wolfling anymore, Danny is 16 now I believe...."
The wolf quietly snarled at the imputation that his mate was being used as some sort of cash cow. He was angry and surprised that the Beta allowed it in the first place. Although it was certainly possible his uncle had been outvoted.
"....We told them they could take in a young human child. Our reasoning for that, if you recall, was that if anything unusual occurred in front of the child, it wouldn't be too difficult to write it off as creative imaginings, and also it would be easier for the wolves to accept a younger child into the pack. Even if the wolves became... confused, they wouldn't see a youngster as a threat. Thus, we thought a younger child would be best, both for their safety and ours." He continued.
Gio winced, remembering how he had almost attacked Charlotte. Wolves were very territorial and even he, who was not entirely lost to his instincts, had wanted to harm her for trespassing on his territory.
Honestly, it was just a stroke of luck that she was his mate and he had been the one who found her. Had that not been the case, she would be dead.
Now though, she was relatively safe since the other wolves knew that the tiny brunette was his mate. Because he was their leader, they'd felt a shift in the pack bond when he had his second awakening. Afterward, he'd explained, albeit leaving out some details, and ordered them to stay away from her until they were bonded.
The wolves understood and likely would have done so anyway. Coming between a future Alpha and their unmarked mate would be a terrible—and likely fatal mistake.
His attention snapped back to the room when the Beta announced the witnesses.
"The Watsons still want to keep a foster child, they argue the violation of the order was unintentional and they are here to speak on their own behalf." Jacob nodded to the guard to allow the couple into the conference chamber.
The guard stepped out for a moment, before returning to hold the door open.
A large man entered the council room followed by a thinner woman, his wife, Gio presumed. The man was sweating nervously even though the proceeding had yet to begin. He hovered by the door, allowing the woman to step forward and take the lead.
The wolf studied the newcomers intently, he didn't know much about this couple. He'd never interacted with them before. At least not that he could recall. And he knew the vast majority of the pack.
To have never crossed paths with him before, they must be extremely low on the totem pole.
The wolf continued eying the couple suspiciously as he waited for them to speak.
His stomach rolled thinking back to the comments about state funding. How could someone be so dirty as to use an orphaned child for income? It was such a low-life move. He was disgusted that anyone in his pack would think to do such a thing.
If his father was there he would probably say it was a failure of pack leadership... if a pack member was struggling, they could give them odd jobs or more ethical ways of making money. It was a disgrace to their pack that they allowed its members to become desperate enough to seek money from the state.
"Walter and Elaine. You are here before us today because you defied an order of the Council. What do you have to say for yourselves?" Jacob began harshly.
The wolf's gaze flicked to his uncle curiously.
Normally his uncle had a rather easygoing demeanor, even when it came to pack regulation. So Gio was surprised by the roughness in his tone. It gave the impression that the Beta wasn't too fond of these people.
The woman, Elaine, immediately started speaking, appealing to the Elders while her sweating husband remained silent, standing behind her like a useless lump.
"We had no idea they would send us a teenage girl!"The woman screeched. Gio winced, her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. "We told them we were hoping to foster a younger child, between 2 and 5 we said."
"Why not send her back?" One of the Elders questioned.
"Because we didn't have the heart! The caseworker had already brought her to our doorstep; we couldn't turn our backs on this poor sweet orphan girl." Elaine replied.
Falsity rang behind her words, as well as what sounded like a touch of contempt for his mate. His lip curled over his fangs in anger.
The wolf did not like this couple, he decided.
Although he didn't really know them, something about them rubbed his fur the wrong way.
He wasn't happy that Charlotte was staying with them, but there was little he could do about that. His paws were tied. No doubt the girl would be scared and confused by a wolf stealing her away.
After Elaine finished saying her piece, Jacob asked the Elders if they had any questions for the couple before dismissing them. They did not.
The couple was quickly ushered out so the Council could talk amongst themselves.
"We should tell them to send her back," Elder Lucas declared once the Watsons had left the room. He was the only male Elder.
Male werewolves typically didn't live as long as females. It was common for them to die in battle, protecting the pack. Gio wasn't sure how Lucas lived for so long, but he'd always suspected the man was a bit of a coward.
The Elder's comment did nothing to endear him to the wolf.
A low growl formed in Gio's chest. His body unconsciously rose into a crouch.
Other than Lori, none of the Elders seemed to notice the wolf's odd behavior.
"They can request a different foster child if it's so necessary," another Elder suggested.
"Yes, we can't allow such blatant disrespect of our rulings."
"I don't know why we allowed it in the first place. A human homed inside of the pack? That would have been unheard of not too long ago." Doreen grumbled.
This was his mate though! Gio wanted to shout. He wasn't sure how he could make them see.
Frustration coiled inside of him, like a whip cracking back and forth.
"I agree, although unfortunately, we must face the reality. At the present time, many of us are human, more or less," Jacob sighed.
"Yeah, what about the giant half-tame wolves though," Elder Lucas snorted. "They're volatile. What if one kills the girl? What then?"
The black wolf's low snarl abruptly turned into a deep thunderous growl. All of the Elders now took notice, but it was too late.
He charged at the Elder. Lunging across the table to snap at the Elder's face. He wasn't going to hurt him, but he was furious with the man for speaking in such a way.
The wolf wanted to let his fury be known. He wanted to put the man in his place.
The Elder's eyes went wide with fear. Instinctively, he recoiled from the attack, dramatically leaning back in his chair. It looked as if he might fall over backward in his effort to avoid the wolf's snapping teeth.
"Gio get down! What do you think you are doing?!" Jacob yelled, sprinting around the table.
The Beta grabbed the wolf, winding his arms around the wolf's torso, and tugging him back with surprising strength.
The wolf growled but allowed himself to be pulled him away from the Elder. Had anyone else touched him, he might have ripped their head off, but this was his uncle and the pack Beta.
"If this is how you plan to show the wolves are not a threat, it's a poor way to do it." The Beta pointed out, as he struggled to get the wolf under control. The guard had stepped forward to help, but Jacob shook his head, calling him off.
Gio grumbled unhappily but forced his muscles to relax, showing he was no longer threatening to attack. Only then did his uncle release him, allowing the wolf to settle down on the open floor.
Jacob was breathless from the sudden exertion. He paused, panting as he push his now messy black hair back.
The wolf heaved a heavy sigh. He began pacing back in forth in front of the Council table while the Elders looked on in concern.
Gio knew the Beta and the Council must believe he was offended by their comment about the wolves' lack of control. They didn't understand why he was angry. He shook his head back and forth in irritation, annoyed by his predicament.
It was clear the wolf was agitated.
Jacob opened his mouth, likely preparing to lecture his nephew about his behavior, when a voice behind them spoke.
"The girl must stay, the fates demand it." Elder Lori asserted, rising to her feet.
All eyes turned to her in surprise. It was the first time she said anything regarding the issue. She had remained oddly silent throughout the whole discussion which no one seemed to have realized until now.
The wolf stopped pacing, turning toward Lori in surprise.
"And pray tell, why is that?" Elder Lucas sneered, having recovered himself from the shock of the attack.
"Because the girl is Gio's mate, and our future Luna," she answered.
The wolf wanted to sag to the floor in relief.
The shock in the room was palpable. Everyone, even Gio, was looking at the white-haired woman in utter surprise.
How did she know? he wondered.
"Oh, hush child," she said, glancing at Gio. "No alpha is that protective over someone who isn't their mate. I could hear you growling every time her name was on another's lips."
Jacob closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. His brows furrowed with frustration.
"Is this true, Gio? Is the girl your mate?" He asked, looking at his nephew.
The wolf responded with a curt nod.
Jacob inhaled deeply, seemingly troubled. Gio could see in his eyes that he was calculating everything this might mean, all the problems it presented.
"Well, obviously the girl must stay then, but this is... quite the situation. One I'm afraid we were ill-prepared to discuss at present. Until we are able to work through how to handle this, we should keep this amongst ourselves." Jacob said. It was going to take some time to wrap his mind around this new revelation.
In a rare show of agreement, every single one of the Elders murmured affirmatively at the Beta's suggestion.
Human mates always created problems, but in this situation, it was particularly problematic.
With the pack already facing an uncertain future, none of them were sure what this might mean.