Ivan Corvin sat in his office at Hectric Pharmaceutical Labs and watched several monitors of the operation playing out. His little force of mercenaries was literally storming the gates of the werewolves’ home.Ivan could see the dollars rolling in as each one of these monsters was made into a commodity. Ivan knew somewhere in there his wayward wife was hiding the little coward. He wouldn’t accept her running away from him like she had. Rebecca was his and that would never change. It didn’t matter what the courts of any country said. She’d always be his. “Mr. Corvin, the men are almost in place. We still haven’t found many, but we’re sure they’re there somewhere. Should they continue the search?” “Of course they will continue the search. I want everyone of them we can get, and I want my wife in front of me as soon as they find her.” The little bitch would learn the hard way that her fatal mistake was to betray him and with an animal like that. It burned
Becky soon learned truly how annoying the elders of the pack could be. While she was trying to help other women of the pack, settle the pups down so they would be more comfortable and less scared. The elders were moving through the crowded room, warning various pack members that she was trying to gain favour so she could continue to sleep with the alpha. No human could understand and lead a pack of wolf shifters effectively. They couldn’t understand their ways. It was a great smear campaign they had gone on. It was tiring to watch so many faces with a mixture of fear, hate, and loathing on them before they rejected her offer of help. “Well, Jane Ann? What do I do now?” Becky looked at Grace and Barbie in case either of them might have an idea or suggestion for her. “Anyone? How do I combat these men and what they are saying? I am human and I don’t know your culture or traditions. How do I change the narrative? Is it even possible?” “Becky, stop it. We’re w
Rob listened through the radio to Bart’s conversation with Ivan and his father. Which distracted him from the next stage of the conflict. As he listened, Rob missed the first report of the fifth invasion from a fifth entry point. This time, he needed to lead the group to defend their territory. Rob grabbed his equipment bag, shoved the radio into it, and picked up his gun. This wasn’t the end. What did this human want from this? “Move out. They’re too close to the packhouse and the noncombatant shelter. Let’s get them away from here. I want this over and done. You know the rule. No killing them and don’t let them kill us. We want to send them home and give a clear message.” “We lost them somewhere between the entry point and a half mile in.” “Your wolves. They’re human, find them.” Enforcers scattered in organised groups, heading out to do exactly what Rob ordered. The pack wouldn’t run and they wouldn’t win this round. “Make sure a
It wasn’t easy. It took far too long to end the conflict. They’d achieved securing both alive and dead creatures. Though several were still being hunted. Wolfsbane didn’t work on these things. They’d not left them very many ways to secure these creatures short of killing them. The ones that were alive were only alive because they didn’t have a death wish and they didn’t have any loyalty to Hectric or the mercenaries. Or that was the story they gave Rob, along with several of his people didn’t believe their noses. It sounded and smelt like the truth, but if wolfsbane and shifter silver didn’t contain them, what would? This is why the Ruling Council wanted them. It wasn’t a shining moment for them, but it was necessary for the future. Laws did not control these things on either human or the ruling council’s courts. Though, he’d hedge his bets that there were some loopholes that stretched the ruling council’s powers to cover the discovery of a new supernatura
Rob didn’t have a clue if his presence ability would work on these creatures. This was presence was a tell that a wolf shifter was strong enough to be an alpha or luna. The creatures were ready to fight before Rob demanded they stop and shift. They shifted and appeared as confused as everyone else who witnessed the confrontation. “How…? How did you do that?” One male asked, clearly confused about what was happening. He looked genuinely confused and angry until he saw the shifters in their fur and skin. Pretty much Rob’s command forced everyone into their skin. These were the first of these creatures to shift back. Before this, no one was sure if they could shift back. All the others were still in whatever form it captured them in. Unless they were killed, and they returned to their human form. “You were human, weren’t you?” Rob asked. Hedging his bets that his reaction was a mixture of confusion and lack of education. “Yeah, this is all so weir
Someone invaded his territory a third time in one day. The only difference was these were friendly, and they were here to deal with the mess they ignored too long. Rob grant his people permission to leave the shelter and listened to the mixed reactions about Becky. “Wait, what are you talking about? Start from the beginning and explain step by step. Then tell me who you have your beef with.” “The new humans that were in the shelter with us. They were doing many things. From researching laws and how they might affect us, to if we’re considered persons, animals or other. Then the elders stepped and within minutes, they were arguing. Someone called for the humans to be put out of the shelter. I can’t be sure, but I think it was an Elder. But I’m not sure which one. Then the human named Becky got in the Elders’ faces and pointed out how they were failing to help their pack in their time of need. They then helped settle the pups, among others. My question is, who
Rob was more annoyed with each Lycan. They were a mixed bag of once human and once shifted. The poor humans were confused and angry because they didn’t know what was truly happening to them. It would take time. They needed to know what triggered their shifts to help them fear their situation less. The security information was surprisingly easy to obtain along the way. But it would take longer to get any real understanding of them because Rob could tell these people were kept in the dark about what they could do. Which made everyone present wonder how little these human scientists understood about this entire endeavour. Were the scientists just splicing genes together and hoping for a good outcome? Or did they know what they wanted but got unforeseen complications? Either way, they would know soon enough. With the information about the security and layout of the lab, the Ruling Council would go in and clean out the lab. Rob finally made it back to th
Rob watched his enforcers assemble. It wouldn’t be long before they literally stormed the gates of the lab. The founders knew nothing of magic or any of the other supernatural creatures that were called upon by the Ruling Council, as they too were members of NARC. Mages would portal them in, the vampires would command obedience of those they could, shifters of all ilks were to go in, remove the guards, druids would clear the way to and from the portals. They’d use their abilities with nature to remove as many of the traps as they could find. This was a group effort, but the greatest fear because this was so high profile an attack, that the Hectric founders would paint themselves as the victims to the human world and start a genocide against shifters. They had the creatures. The results of their experiments. They called themselves Lycans and the Ruling Council was going with that. If they couldn’t hide the evidence of this from the human world, then they’d have to f
Becky stopped in at the new broadcasting centre in town to have lunch with Grace. Jane Ann was back in the pack, claiming she couldn’t get away because her twins didn’t let them sleep last night. She’d had two males in offspring. Becky still thought it was odd to say that, but they could be lynx, wolf, or human. It was anyone’s guess right now. No one would know for another seven to ten years. Grace sadly lost a pregnancy. The healers claimed it was because she was doing too much, and the stress was too much for her. They would continue trying to have pups once Grace’s schedule settled down and became more manageable. Becky and Rob were still trying after a few false positives. But today was the day they’d first gathered as the mate’s self-help group and explained everything to Grace. How did the pack take the news that their Beta’s mate wasn’t human but a lynx shifter? It was mixed, but nothing like the reaction of the elders who were remo
3 Months later- First Lycan Pack The seer entered the new territory and felt the rush of the past and present mingling there. Sadly, she may feel it. She wasn’t strong enough to see it. Thankfully, she couldn’t see it either. The headache she received to some time to get rid of. The land had a lot of traumas associated with it; the druids did their job and tried to wash it away. The issue was that only a god or time could purify a land fully, and no one had time like that to wait. She settled into the seat the pack provided for her as she waited for the time she’d be needed. Many spoke carefully with her, and it was all quite sombre and different from the last one she’d presided over. Someone pushed her right shoulder forward and when she looked behind her, there was no one there. Well, no one with a physical body. She’d told no one that she had a physical connection to the dream realm. She’d encountered no one with this curse? Ability? Whatever people
“Jon, wait. Uh, we need to talk. I want to know when we’re breaking the news to everyone. I mean, what’s one more scandal? One more controversial mating fact? I hate sitting here lying to everyone.” Jane Ann held onto Jon’s forearm and looking into his eyes. Her guilt and frustration were written all over her face. Only Jon knew their family’s secret, the reason they were one of the few families that kept the pack’s secrets over the years. Only the alpha’s knew about them, except no one told Rob directly and since Rob didn’t correct anyone about assuming Jane Ann’s species, she’d struggled with telling him. Jon though kept begging her not to say anything to him, because it was all too much at the time. Her big secret? Her mother and she were lynx shifters. One of the few shifters that didn’t have a pack or community. They lived usually in family groupings only. Jane Ann’s father followed her momma here and kept her secret and that of the pack this entire tim
Becky couldn’t believe how quickly the pack pulled off the preparations for the mating ceremonies. Two for the price of one. It seemed this was offending the case where there would be a spree of matings at the same time. She’d been given several reasons for this, but it all came down to people finding the one that fate made perfect for them. The wolf shifters don’t believe that people complete each other. Rather that they complement each other. No one is lesser in a pairing. Where one goes, the other will surely follow. The drive for family and community or pack was a driving force for the wolf shifters Becky was somehow now intertwined with. Rogues were an exception to the rule she found out, and it often harmed them mentally and eventually they would see physically it. That’s why the Ruling Council and Rob were so keen on convincing the young rogues and their pups to settle for the pack life. They didn’t show the signed of the mental of physical decay yet;
Everyone in the First Lycan Pack territory was trying their best to adjust to the changes. Even Bart found he had difficulty adjusting to the new routines. Half his problem, he found, was that he needed to write the routines so he could refer to them again and again. The week went by far too fast. Bart learned quickly that the rules and routines he introduced were a strong suggestion. Those rules and routines right now needed to be written in wet cement rather than be set in stone. Grace’s day was insanely busy with her forced to travel between the packs for her job with the Ruling Council. Once the rest of the pack was here, they’d find people to train for the jobs she’d need help with, and then they’d move everything over to their territory. Rob right now was being nice to them and more than generous to let them use the space they were using. Today, the plan to bring the rest of the pack here was in full swing. There was an excitement in
The seer sat last, and she smiled nervously between her guests. “Now, let me guess. You’re here because you want your lives to go on as the Moon Goddess planned them, but you’re encountering obstacles. Am I right?” She looked expectantly at Rob and Becky as if they had the answer she sought. They looked among themselves to see who would be the first to say anything, but the seer carried on as if there wasn’t an awkward silence. Her friendly voice prattled on as she tried to entertain her guests. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t anything mystical or magical that gave me that information. My phone and messages have been lighting up like a Christmas tree mid season with calls from many people who are angry one way or the other. Heck, one elder called me to find out if I, a seer, could put a curse on you, like I was a mage, druid, or witch. When I told him I couldn’t and wouldn’t he threatened to harm me. You really must get those old wolves under control, Alpha Northgate.”
The next day, Rob took his brother and their mates to see the local seer. She wouldn’t accept membership within his pack, but she didn’t have to. All she needed to do was provide guidance when some came looking for it. They well paid the seer for that. They hoped she wouldn’t respond like the Council of Elders had. If she did, they’d have to delay the mating ceremony until he would repopulate the Council of Elders with a better representation of the pack. This wasn’t something Rod discussed with anyone else. It was a silent worry that nagged on his mind as they travelled the distance to get to the Seer’s small home, which she’d built in a quiet corner of the county district. “How are we going to approach this one? A little more information would go down more nicely this time, because what you did yesterday, Rob, was a shocking revelation, and it doesn’t look good when the people backing you up have to pick up their jaws off the floor. We should k
“Okay, now I have a list of all your names here, and packages with the information you’ll need to know to settle in here. These packages contain everything from what room you’ll have here for now to the house that will be yours. Contact numbers are pre-programmed into the phone inside each package, so when you get your package, don’t drop it. Yes, your new position is within the package, along with a list of your duties. There are several maps, so you can get around here on your own. Your phones have an app that, if you get close to one of the current borders, it will beep. No one is coming to get you if this happens. But if you’re lost, please call. I’ve seen the land out there and it’s a mess. The humans messed with the terrain extensively. So try going for a run in pairs or small groups until you are familiar with the location. Or at least tell someone you’re going and about when you’ll be back. One of the lynx stone masons found a rather steep hillside one evening and wen
Becky and Rob were both pleasantly surprised by the response his speech received from the pack. Rob learned quickly that he’d been wrong. His pack was with him, and not the Council of Elders. He couldn’t believe the support he received with people volunteering to help set up the mating ceremonies for both couples. “Yes, I’ll let everyone know when we have a planning meeting, and we can make all the decisions then.” Rob assured them over and over until he had to stop the crowd forming. “I’d like to thank everyone who’s offering or offered to help right now. I’ll set up a meeting for everyone who’s interested in offering their services or volunteering. We’ll take a few hours and decide, organize who’s doing what. Just set things up so we don’t miss anything, or have too many people doing one thing. We’ll make this a success.” A murmur of approval went through the small crowd of people, and they talked among themselves. “Look, I’ll put a clipboard out tonight in the pac