“After most of the members finally agreed I’d serve as their Manetu, those against it decided it was up to them to save the tribe and they concocted a plan to kidnap and kill me. Unfortunately for them, one of my grandfather’s friends overheard them one night and warned him of the plot.
“That’s when my parents and grandfather decided it would never be safe if I stayed, so we moved away and, from that point on, lived off the grid…no phones, no contact with anyone in the outside world…nada. I was home schooled by my mother and grandfather…we never traveled anywhere and it wasn’t until Kevin and his parents moved up there and became our neighbors that I had a friend.”
“Holy smokes!” Theo murmured. “Did the ones who wanted you dead ever discover where you were?”
“Nope,” Smokey said, shaking his head.
“What happened to your family?” asked Norm.
“My grandfather died when I was fifteen and my parents died the next year. That’s when Kevin’s parents, Elen and Harte, took me in and I lived with them until I joined the agency.”
“Does the agency know who you are?” asked Norm.
“As far as they’re concerned, I’m a grizzly…”
“And since grizzlies live by themselves…” Norm added.
“Exactly!” Smokey growled. “My birth hadn’t ever been recorded with the High Council so it was easy to claim I was born up in the Arctic Circle. You know the rest…I worked for the agency until five years ago when Ghost and I left.”
“Does anyone else know who you are?” asked Norm.
“Just the oracle my grandfather spoke to…but I think Elen and Ghost might have figured out I’m more than just a grizzly.”
“Can you trust them to keep your secret?” asked Norm.
“I trust them with my life, so yeah, they won’t say anything,” Smokey said.
“I’d like to meet Elen and Harte so I can thank them for taking care of you after your grandfather and parents died,” murmured Theo.
“Elen and Harte would kick my butt if I didn’t introduce you and Eagle Feather to them,” Smokey said, grinning. “Especially since they’re the reason I’m here.”
“How so?” asked Norm.
“Glenn sent me to get them and bring them to the Blackwood Pack.”
Theo’s eyes widened. “You mean they’re here…now?”
“Yeah, I’d just driven up with them when you came out of the house.”
“Oh wow, talk about timing,” Theo said, grinning.
“Or Fate,” Norm added, smiling.
“Whatever it was, it shocked the shit out of me when I realized Theo was my mate,” Smokey said. “Then Norm appeared and…”
“Oh yeah…sorry about how I reacted,” Norm muttered.
“Thanks, but it’s not necessary,” Smokey said. “I would have acted the same why if I’d been in your shoes.” Falling silent, he didn’t see any reason to dwell on the past, because it served no purpose other than to make his mates upset. The only thing that truly mattered was that they ended up together.
Looking at his mates, Theo saw both were lost in sad memories for different reasons, and that was not good, so Theo raised his hand. “I have one question, what happened to your mother’s tribe when you left? Did someone else become their Manetu?”
Shrugging, Smokey said, “Honestly...I don’t know. My grandfather and parents wouldn’t talk about it, but if the Great Spirit didn’t give them a new Manetu, then it wouldn’t bode well for them.”
“How can you be sure?” asked Norm.
“Because without one, all parts of life would be affected…for the worse. Crops would fail more frequently, the fish would disappear, animals would become scarce, and most important of all, sickness would become rampant affecting everyone, adults and children alike. If the Great Spirit decided to withhold another Manetu, my mother’s people would be doomed.”
Smokey noted his mates’ puzzlement over his explanation and could not fault them. It took several years before he really understood who he really was and that didn’t include the many years his grandfather spent teaching him about his abilities. Trying again, he said, “In our world, there are many types of spirits, and a Manetu has the ability to use spirit magic…”
