Isabelle was sobbing and I rattled off theaddress, telling Tristan not to involve the police. That we would explain why later.
Diya helped put make up on Isabelle’s bruisesand scars to make her more presentable for her family. I lent her some clean,colorful clothes, and Kai and I waited outside with her. I prepped Isabelle totell her husband she didn’t want a media circus. That the man who did this toher was dead and she was safe now. Meanwhile, Kai put in an urgent call to thecouncil to ask for permission to bring three humans into the pack. He said inrare cases like this, it was approved.
He thought the fact that there were childreninvolved would get it approved. Children in packs was rare, even if they werehuman. Also, Dane did a bad thing and brought a person into the pack aftermugging and attacking her. Then he kept her hostage. She could go to the mediaand expose our kind. This all made a good case for telling her husband of ourkind. The kids could learn later, when they were older. When I questioned howpack bonds worked on humans, he said pack magic worked to bring any speciesinto the pack, if an Alpha allowed it.
A maroon Ford Explorer made its way up thehill and Isabelle shrieked. “Tristan! Connor, Violet!” She ran towards the car.Her husband braked hard, kicking up bits of gravel with the tires, and jumpedout. He ran towards her and picked her up spinning her around. They were bothcrying freely as the children got out of the car and ran to their mother,clinging to her legs.
Kai reached over and held my hand. All wasforgiven.
***
Kai had increased pack training sessions toonce a day ever since the vampire attack. It had been a week since Isabelle hadbeen reunited with her family. Kai had been given approval from the council toexpose our kind to Isabelle’s husband, Tristan, and to make her family part ofthe pack. They only made one condition, a witch needed to put a spell on him sothat if he tried to tell other humans our secret, he wouldn’t be able to.Tristan seemed shocked at first, but was turning out to be a great guy and wastaking the news fairly well. He was a firefighter and strongly built. He didn’tseem too intimidated by us. Kai had a special ceremony to bring him and thechildren into the pack. This gave them our scent so that other werewolves wouldknow they were claimed and not to mess with them. Kai also gave them a house onthe mountain because an unmated female werewolf living in Portland was adisaster waiting to happen.
It bothered me that Isabelle was consideredunmated even though she was married. Kai explained that eventually her husbandwould grow old and die and Izzy would live hundreds of years. She could searchfor her werewolf mate after Tristan was gone. That thought unsettled me. Whatif Tristan was her mate but if he never changed into a werewolf then wewouldn’t know? My mind chewed on this for hours.
When Sylvia put the spell on Tristan, shealso told me she could open up my magic so that I could better protect myselffrom vampires and any other threat. I was tempted but Kai seemed against theidea. After the spell was put on Tristan, I confronted Kai about something thatwas bothering me.
“So no one knows of our kind? We have beenaround hundreds of years and it’s still a secret?”
Kai looked at me for a long time, weighingsomething in his mind.
“None of the general human population knowabout our kind.”
That was vague. “Okay, but some humans know aboutour kind?”
Kai sighed and leaned in to whisper in myear. We were outside and a few wolves were lingering about.
“Every intelligence agency in almost everycountry knows about the three supernatural races. We scare them, and they keeptabs on us, but they don’t approach us. Many younger wolves don’t know that thegovernment knows about us. It’s better that way.”
My mouth dropped open. “So the CIA could bewatching us right now?” I whispered back.
Kai shrugged. “Possibly. I know a few wolveswho work for the CIA that we could ask.” He winked.
So we had people on the inside? Interesting.I wonder if the government ever felt that our kind was a threat, if they wouldtake us out. I shivered at the thought.
***
I awoke slowly, Sadie’s wedding was today andDiya and the rest of Kai’s family were going home tomorrow. It had been athought provoking week. Kai had woken early to go meet with pack members livingin Portland and establish a bond. Everyone had found their place in the packand I was still second. Emma was no longer the most submissive member. I lay inbed stretching my back when my door flew open. I jumped up quickly and got intoa fighting stance. Diya flew across the room with her hand out and shoved it inmy face.
“Trent proposed! Oh my God! Isn’t itbeautiful?”
There was a modest princess cut ring on herleft hand. I took her hand and brought it closer to my face.
“It’s beautiful.” I agreed. Wow they movedfast. Anna and Jake were talking of a mating ceremony too. Was I jealous? I hadasked Kai to go slow. Was I ready for marriage? She dropped her hand and huggedme.
“Don’t worry, you will get one too and yourswill be bigger, if I know my brother.” She gestured to my hand. I blushedunsure of what to say.
“So, when’s the big day?” I asked, to changethe subject.
“I have to talk to Papa, but the sooner thebetter! I love Trent.” She swooned and dropped on my bed just as Emma burstinto the room holding a small white plastic pregnancy test.
My mouth dropped open.
“I’m pregnant!” Emma screeched. Diya and Istarting screaming, then laughed a little at our ridiculousness. If my visionwas correct. Kai and I would be married in the next 4-5 months. Emma washeavily pregnant in my wedding vision.
United
I looked down at the deep blue silk dressthat clung to my petite figure. My hair was a spill of curls that were expertlypinned all over my head and cascaded over my left shoulder. My lips werestained red with lipstick and I wore heavy eye makeup. Diya had made me overand I liked what she had done. Most of the old Mount Hood pack was in route toSadie’s wedding, while the new Portland members stayed back to defend our territory.Kai was driving his family and me to Seattle. He kept giving me side glances inthe car. I smiled. He cleaned up well. His wild hair was slicked back and hewore a grey silk suit with a bright blue shirt.
