Page 31 of Welcome Home: When Shifters Unite!
Eating my breakfast, I’m listening to Robbie gushing about his training with Leo and Thorn, but my mind is jumping from one thought to another. “Are you even listening, Alpha Adira?” Robbie asks, shaking me out of my head.
“Sorry, Robbie, my mind keeps thinking about the visit coming up from the Elder Council. But tell me now. You have my full attention.”
Again, Robbie throws himself into his explanation of his fighting. “Thorn threw a punch, and I ducked, ran around him as fast as I could and jumped on his back. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed the top of his head…” bursting into laughter, I can see that the training turned into a free-for-all.
Thorn has walked into the kitchen behind Robbie, who is still laughing at the antics he has described. Thorn wraps an arm around Robbie’s neck and kisses the top of his head. Which has me laughing at the disgusted look that crosses Robbie’s face, and the amused one on Thorn’s.
Rom enters the kitchen, yawning. “What are you two up to?”
“They are going to mate, I think!” I keep a straight face as Robbie and Thorn jump away from each other, keeping a distance and giving each other disgusted looks. Rom chuckles and I have an inkling he’d seen and heard what was going on as he entered the kitchen.
“I’m off to do patrol.” Thorn stomps out of the kitchen, and I look at Rom as we both burst out laughing.
Now, that is a better start to the morning, and has taken away some of the stress I have building. I tap my fingers on the table after taking the last sip of my chamomile tea. “Do you think Blue needs more training, Rom?”
“She did well and is a fast, and to be honest, vicious she-wolf. I think the tricks we gave you regarding different species' weak points will help her in a fight. We will test her memory on that and make sure she knows where to target to do the most damage to her opponent.” Rom takes a seat and gives a thankful nod to Robbie, who has placed a plate of breakfast on the table in front of him.
We discuss the finer points of Blue’s training, and where she may have some improvement, but I have to admit I’m proud of her, and know she’ll have every chance of survival for us both if it comes to a fight.
Robbie looks at me with a raised eyebrow as someone knocks on the kitchen door. I shake my head to indicate that I don't know who it is. Robbie opens the door and looks surprised at the visitor.
“Come in, Councilor Shaw,” Robbie states loudly enough that he’s pre-warning me of who is stepping into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry to disturb you all, but I would like a quiet word with Alpha Adira if that is possible,” Councilor Shaw says as he enters the kitchen.
"Come in, Councilor. Follow me to the office." I signal Rom to follow as, being the second Beta, he needs to understand when to follow and when to stay in the shadows.
“Please, have a seat.” I step around my desk and take a seat myself, then look at Councilor Mato Shaw. “What can I do for you?”
"I need nothing, Alpha Adira. I came because I'm worried about the Elder Council's constant pushing. They've never been this aggressive with orders before. I think it's because of your royal blood. My bear, Beorn, is unhappy too. He's concerned about what might come next if we let them push you into this. Pups! Pups that they might try to control."
“Let me be clear, and put your mind at rest. I have no intention of taking a mate unless the Goddess herself gives me a second chance mate. I have no inclination to join forces with another pack, or start throwing around the fact that I have a tiny drop of royal blood. I want to concentrate on our pack. Make sure everyone is safe and that we all have a good life here.” I sigh, then continue, “The drill we have in place works perfectly. I don’t know if we will ever need it, but it is better to have it in place than not. I’m not sure an Alpha will want to go to war with us to push his agenda of having me as a mate, but my warriors are more than happy to fight them off. Not forgetting I’m happy to stand alongside them and am training to be the best I can be in that regard.”
“That is good to hear. I don’t agree when anyone pushes another into any kind of mate situation. My bear agrees fully that nobody should have to take a mate under duress. Now, I want to offermy full support in any way that I can. I would be happy to step down from the Town Council position if that was required. I will, however, keep my ears to the ground and fill you in on any situation I think needs your attention.” Standing to leave, he says, “Oh, and call me Mato. All that councilor stuff just gets annoying.”
“Okay, Mato. Thank you for coming and giving your support. It means a lot to me, and in turn, the pack.”
After silently listening to the conversation without participating, Rom guides Mato from the office. I lean back in my seat and think that things are getting interesting. Having this happen shows that more and more people are rejecting vehemently the idea of anyone, not just myself, having to take a chosen mate because any council thinks you should.
Rom returns and stands quietly waiting for me to speak, whether it’s discussing the conversation or to give him an order. “Take a seat, Rom. No need to stand to attention. Do you think that Mato Shaw was being honest?”
“Ramo did not detect any lies. He said he smelled of honesty. I am not sure that anyone wants to be pushed into being a mate with another. It doesn’t matter what species we are. Whether it be a fated mate, or a chosen one, it should be our choice. I know as wolves you have the Goddess…”
I cut Rom off at that point. “Do you have a deity?”
“We had one years ago, more years than I know. But if legends are to be believed, our Goddess Karelina was killed by an evil sorcerer. We have no Goddess now.” Rom states it with such certainty that I have a twisted feeling in my gut.
“Rom, I want you and Ramo to consider the Goddess Selene as your goddess, too. I am sure she will take you into the fold, butyou need to believe in her. I will pray for all tigers to be her children, and hope that you will soon feel her warmth.”
Rom is looking at me, shocked, and I can see his eyes flicking to Ramo and back again. I'm patiently waiting while they have their discussion.
“Ramo thinks it is a good thing to have Goddess Selene as ours, and we will try to turn our thinking to her when needed. I thank you for thinking of this, and I hope that your goddess will warm to us. We are not a species that have fated mates, we mate with many females because of our normally solitary nature. We would do that to ensure cubs are born and the future of the species continues. Once we have mated our females find a safe place to have the cubs. Oh, and they do mate with multiple males to ensure they are pupped.”
I can’t stop the frown that crosses my face. “Well, we are having none of that here, Rom. If you get yourself a nice human, which is more likely than you finding a tigress, you will stay with her, and only her. I don’t want to see you going from one female to the next.” I have Jenni in the back of my mind when saying this. She’s not a person who would want a man that flits from one woman to another. I’m positive about that.
Stella bursts into my mind,‘Lions on the border.’
Rom is already on his feet as Stella has mind linked me, Rom, Thorn, and Leo. We rush outside and shift, sprinting to Stella and any potential danger.
