Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 41:
Once I set her shoulder, Skye is a true champ as Will teaches me how to properly feel for the break and set her arm. Will tells me I risk disturbing the set of the arm if her relocation is done afterward. He also makes sure to tell Skye that she needs to keep it immobile for 15 minutes before shifting to feed. Once she shifts, I’m to splint it. By the time she’s done with her meal, her arm should be healed.
Malachi’s hand will end up with a decent scar, but since nothing vital was hit when the limb was jammed through his paw, he will heal. He has feeling in all of his fingers, and though it hurts like a bitch -his words- he has full mobility and can already nearly make a fist. Right now, it has salve-covered gauze on the entry and exit wounds, and it’s wrapped from the middle of his pinky to his wrist.
After I feed and shower, I enter the kitchen to find Sinopa and Lily talking. She’s holding little Kai, and Taha is pulling down the extra tea tin I made up for Sinopa’s visits. I gently pat her tummy, then whisper, “Be good to your Mama, little one.”
She chuckles as I kiss Kai’s cheek. He holds his arms out for me, so I take him from Lily before smiling at my mate. “How soon should I start cooking?”
He shakes his head, “You don’t need to. Lily brought a few sides, and the grills are loaded with chicken. Ahanu is on his way. He should be here in ten minutes or so.”
I nod, asking then, “And our injured? How are Malachi and Skye?”
They both chuckle as they stop near the dining room table. Skye calls, “Coming to see you for our checkups.”
I grin and silently ask if Lily minds me taking Kai. At her smile and nod, I walk into the dining room while whispering, “I need a helper. Can you be my assistant, Kai?”
Kai’s whole face lights up as he says, “I can help!” His face scrunches after a second, then he whispers in my ear, “Are they like you and Daddy?”
Skye’s trying to hide her smile as I grin at Kai, “Yes, Sweetheart, they are protectors, too. They don’t turn into big coyotes like me and your daddy, though. These 2 are both big cats. This pretty lady right here? Her name is Skye, and she is a mountain lion. This smiling guy is Malachi, and he turns into a big orangish-yellow cat with black splotches called a jaguar. Skye and Malachi, this is my assistant, Kai.”
Kai ducks his head into my neck, but I can feel him smiling as he whispers hello to both of them. He is the best helper as I look over both of the feline shifters, though. When done, he gives Skye a clean bill of health (with my help) and tells Malachi to keep the new wrap dry while I remove the stitches in his head.
I ask when I’m done, “How’s the pain in your hand?”
He shakes his head with a smile, “Your herbs are still working, thankfully.”
I nod, then say as a final note, “When they stop working, don’t be stubborn. Finish the bottle, then just set it on the back of the kitchen sink. If nothing else, it will help you relax enough to sleep tonight, and rest promotes healing.”
He nods as his eyes meet mine, “Yes, Ma’am. Heard and understood.”
Kai follows me back to the kitchen as I clean up the mess, then we both wash our hands. I pick him back up off the counter when done, smiling brightly, “Let’s go check on dinner. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry!”
An hour later, everyone has eaten, and Ahanu stands next to Zander at the fire. Everyone else is either sitting on outdoor furniture or relaxing on the grass. Zander lets out a loud whistle, causing everyone to quiet. Ahanu’s deceptively clear voice carries easily through my backyard as he speaks. “Thank you for traveling here for this meeting. You were asked to come because one of our own is under threat of death from an enemy we all know well. If it was a reservation human and a random cold one, the situation would already have been dealt with. The problem we face is that one of the coyotes, who is considered family by Blackfoot and Quileute alike, is under threat of death by the rulers of the cold ones.”
All at once, it seems like all eyes are staring at me. As Ahanu says my name and nods, I take a deep breath, then gently squeeze Taha’s hand around mine. I stand from my seat, saying, “I won’t bore everyone with every detail of my life story, but please hear me out. Before I knew of my family history, I didn’t feel like I fit anywhere. I tried, but I always felt like an outcast. It was so bad that I got tangled up with a cold one. His coven made me feel welcome, and he dazzled me with ideas of a future together, claiming he loved me. In reality, my blood called to him, and I was a tool to conquer his blood lust. Me being alive proved he was stronger than the call of my blood.”
I shake my head, then continue, “The number one rule of the cold ones is that any human who knows that they truly exist is to be turned and guided, or immediately killed. No human who knows is to be left alive. He abandoned me in the forest behind my father’s house, and the wolf pack found me. A few months later, after a set of compounding coincidences, he thought I killed myself. If I was no longer alive, he could no longer say he had control over his lust for my blood. He went to the rulers to beg for death. Still believing he once cared, I went to save him. I left the Italian headquarters with a heartbeat under the condition that within one year, I would either be turned into a supernatural or be killed. It was made clear that they would send scouts to determine my status, and they would take action if needed. The night that their first scout happened to find my scent in the woods was the night Taha imprinted on me. He was severely injured during that fight. He was not completely healed the night my ex found me. To protect us, I was forced to shift for the first time, and he is now ash. This isn’t over, though; more will come.”
Ahanu nods his head to me, then Zander takes over. “I’ve seen these rulers in Bella’s mind. I agree with her thoughts of them, and that they won’t stop until they are forced to. Bella is not human. She is a mated shifter. If she’s killed, at the very least, 2 tribes will go to war to avenge her.”
Kendrick’s deep voice sounds from several feet to my right, “So what… you want us to go to war with you?”
Zander looks at me, so I say seriously, “No. I want a show of unity. I want enough bodies here to make them stop long enough to show them that even though it wasn’t expected, I am a shifter. I am tied to the supernatural world just as surely as they are, so I’m not an exposure risk. Without the show of force, they kill on sight. If Lily or Sinopa were to be found by one -or any of your human families that know the danger they possess- they would be killed on sight. It needs to stop. They need to stop long enough to smell shifter and walk away. My goal is this, no individual little treaties between a single coven and a single tribe… they either sign it into their laws to leave us alone, or they continue to come at me and we will go to war. The thing you have to understand is the main leader’s arrogance. If I make him believe he will be breaking his own laws by killing me, since I technically have fulfilled the ruling passed, he is more likely to hear us out. To him, being outed as flouncing his own laws would undermine more than 1500 years of ruling. On the other hand, if he can be seen as ensuring the law is upheld without raising a single hand or killing anyone…”
Kendrick nods, “Then he is seen as a just ruler, ensuring the law is upheld. And if this shifter safety law gets put through?”
I smile, “I live in peace with my mate and family. We all do. Anyone invading tribal land or killing imprints/families is seen as breaking the law, and is, therefore, dealt with accordingly. I don’t want to go to war, but I will to ensure that another shifter’s mate doesn’t die just because they are ‘in the know’. I want to let them know there are still many tribes with the ability, and we have the numbers to go against them if they force our hand.”
Skye is next to ask, “How do you plan to convince them? You killed their scout, and they are in another country.”
“Some cold ones have what they call gifts. My ex could read every mind for over a mile. He couldn’t read mine. His coven mates… one could see the future, based on the decisions a person would make. Another could feel and influence people’s emotions. I tell you this because one of the prized guards on the payroll of the rulers is a gifted tracker. It is guaranteed he will track the first scout when he doesn’t check-in or return. That will lead the tracker here. My plan, with the numbers here, is to capture him and force him to witness as he video calls his boss. I will shift during the call, on camera. If need be, to show our strength and seriousness, I would ask all of you to do the same. We release their tracker back to them once we have written proof of my freedom and the safety of the tribes. Each tribe would get a copy of the law in writing. At that point, if the tracker turns and attacks, he’s breaking the law. Good riddance.”
She nods, saying softly, “You’ve thought this through. You seem sure this will work.”
My dad pipes up from next to me, saying, “I know I’m not a shifter like you all, but I know my daughter. She agonizes over situations before she makes a decision. She works everything through in her mind 150 ways to Sunday before she ever speaks up. She wouldn’t ask Zander to call you all unless she was sure there was a high possibility of this working. Hell, do you think if she knew this was going to fail, she would risk Taha by marking him?”
It’s Zephyr who answers that question in a soft but sure tone, “No… no shifter would. Our instinct is to protect our mates from any harm. If Bella felt this plan had more than a sliver of a chance of failing, she would refuse his mark and not mark him… if only to protect him from the pain of her death. Any shifter in her shoes would do the same.”
Ahanu says one last thing before retaking his seat. “You know the threat facing us. You have heard our plea, and you know the plan. It is up to each of you, now, to discuss it with your tribes and make the decision right for you. Whether you agree to stay or feel it is best for you to leave, know that you have our blessing of peace and our continued friendship.”
Once I set her shoulder, Skye is a true champ as Will teaches me how to properly feel for the break and set her arm. Will tells me I risk disturbing the set of the arm if her relocation is done afterward. He also makes sure to tell Skye that she needs to keep it immobile for 15 minutes before shifting to feed. Once she shifts, I’m to splint it. By the time she’s done with her meal, her arm should be healed.
Malachi’s hand will end up with a decent scar, but since nothing vital was hit when the limb was jammed through his paw, he will heal. He has feeling in all of his fingers, and though it hurts like a bitch -his words- he has full mobility and can already nearly make a fist. Right now, it has salve-covered gauze on the entry and exit wounds, and it’s wrapped from the middle of his pinky to his wrist.
After I feed and shower, I enter the kitchen to find Sinopa and Lily talking. She’s holding little Kai, and Taha is pulling down the extra tea tin I made up for Sinopa’s visits. I gently pat her tummy, then whisper, “Be good to your Mama, little one.”
She chuckles as I kiss Kai’s cheek. He holds his arms out for me, so I take him from Lily before smiling at my mate. “How soon should I start cooking?”
He shakes his head, “You don’t need to. Lily brought a few sides, and the grills are loaded with chicken. Ahanu is on his way. He should be here in ten minutes or so.”
I nod, asking then, “And our injured? How are Malachi and Skye?”
They both chuckle as they stop near the dining room table. Skye calls, “Coming to see you for our checkups.”
I grin and silently ask if Lily minds me taking Kai. At her smile and nod, I walk into the dining room while whispering, “I need a helper. Can you be my assistant, Kai?”
Kai’s whole face lights up as he says, “I can help!” His face scrunches after a second, then he whispers in my ear, “Are they like you and Daddy?”
Skye’s trying to hide her smile as I grin at Kai, “Yes, Sweetheart, they are protectors, too. They don’t turn into big coyotes like me and your daddy, though. These 2 are both big cats. This pretty lady right here? Her name is Skye, and she is a mountain lion. This smiling guy is Malachi, and he turns into a big orangish-yellow cat with black splotches called a jaguar. Skye and Malachi, this is my assistant, Kai.”
Kai ducks his head into my neck, but I can feel him smiling as he whispers hello to both of them. He is the best helper as I look over both of the feline shifters, though. When done, he gives Skye a clean bill of health (with my help) and tells Malachi to keep the new wrap dry while I remove the stitches in his head.
I ask when I’m done, “How’s the pain in your hand?”
He shakes his head with a smile, “Your herbs are still working, thankfully.”
I nod, then say as a final note, “When they stop working, don’t be stubborn. Finish the bottle, then just set it on the back of the kitchen sink. If nothing else, it will help you relax enough to sleep tonight, and rest promotes healing.”
He nods as his eyes meet mine, “Yes, Ma’am. Heard and understood.”
Kai follows me back to the kitchen as I clean up the mess, then we both wash our hands. I pick him back up off the counter when done, smiling brightly, “Let’s go check on dinner. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry!”
An hour later, everyone has eaten, and Ahanu stands next to Zander at the fire. Everyone else is either sitting on outdoor furniture or relaxing on the grass. Zander lets out a loud whistle, causing everyone to quiet. Ahanu’s deceptively clear voice carries easily through my backyard as he speaks. “Thank you for traveling here for this meeting. You were asked to come because one of our own is under threat of death from an enemy we all know well. If it was a reservation human and a random cold one, the situation would already have been dealt with. The problem we face is that one of the coyotes, who is considered family by Blackfoot and Quileute alike, is under threat of death by the rulers of the cold ones.”
All at once, it seems like all eyes are staring at me. As Ahanu says my name and nods, I take a deep breath, then gently squeeze Taha’s hand around mine. I stand from my seat, saying, “I won’t bore everyone with every detail of my life story, but please hear me out. Before I knew of my family history, I didn’t feel like I fit anywhere. I tried, but I always felt like an outcast. It was so bad that I got tangled up with a cold one. His coven made me feel welcome, and he dazzled me with ideas of a future together, claiming he loved me. In reality, my blood called to him, and I was a tool to conquer his blood lust. Me being alive proved he was stronger than the call of my blood.”
I shake my head, then continue, “The number one rule of the cold ones is that any human who knows that they truly exist is to be turned and guided, or immediately killed. No human who knows is to be left alive. He abandoned me in the forest behind my father’s house, and the wolf pack found me. A few months later, after a set of compounding coincidences, he thought I killed myself. If I was no longer alive, he could no longer say he had control over his lust for my blood. He went to the rulers to beg for death. Still believing he once cared, I went to save him. I left the Italian headquarters with a heartbeat under the condition that within one year, I would either be turned into a supernatural or be killed. It was made clear that they would send scouts to determine my status, and they would take action if needed. The night that their first scout happened to find my scent in the woods was the night Taha imprinted on me. He was severely injured during that fight. He was not completely healed the night my ex found me. To protect us, I was forced to shift for the first time, and he is now ash. This isn’t over, though; more will come.”
Ahanu nods his head to me, then Zander takes over. “I’ve seen these rulers in Bella’s mind. I agree with her thoughts of them, and that they won’t stop until they are forced to. Bella is not human. She is a mated shifter. If she’s killed, at the very least, 2 tribes will go to war to avenge her.”
Kendrick’s deep voice sounds from several feet to my right, “So what… you want us to go to war with you?”
Zander looks at me, so I say seriously, “No. I want a show of unity. I want enough bodies here to make them stop long enough to show them that even though it wasn’t expected, I am a shifter. I am tied to the supernatural world just as surely as they are, so I’m not an exposure risk. Without the show of force, they kill on sight. If Lily or Sinopa were to be found by one -or any of your human families that know the danger they possess- they would be killed on sight. It needs to stop. They need to stop long enough to smell shifter and walk away. My goal is this, no individual little treaties between a single coven and a single tribe… they either sign it into their laws to leave us alone, or they continue to come at me and we will go to war. The thing you have to understand is the main leader’s arrogance. If I make him believe he will be breaking his own laws by killing me, since I technically have fulfilled the ruling passed, he is more likely to hear us out. To him, being outed as flouncing his own laws would undermine more than 1500 years of ruling. On the other hand, if he can be seen as ensuring the law is upheld without raising a single hand or killing anyone…”
Kendrick nods, “Then he is seen as a just ruler, ensuring the law is upheld. And if this shifter safety law gets put through?”
I smile, “I live in peace with my mate and family. We all do. Anyone invading tribal land or killing imprints/families is seen as breaking the law, and is, therefore, dealt with accordingly. I don’t want to go to war, but I will to ensure that another shifter’s mate doesn’t die just because they are ‘in the know’. I want to let them know there are still many tribes with the ability, and we have the numbers to go against them if they force our hand.”
Skye is next to ask, “How do you plan to convince them? You killed their scout, and they are in another country.”
“Some cold ones have what they call gifts. My ex could read every mind for over a mile. He couldn’t read mine. His coven mates… one could see the future, based on the decisions a person would make. Another could feel and influence people’s emotions. I tell you this because one of the prized guards on the payroll of the rulers is a gifted tracker. It is guaranteed he will track the first scout when he doesn’t check-in or return. That will lead the tracker here. My plan, with the numbers here, is to capture him and force him to witness as he video calls his boss. I will shift during the call, on camera. If need be, to show our strength and seriousness, I would ask all of you to do the same. We release their tracker back to them once we have written proof of my freedom and the safety of the tribes. Each tribe would get a copy of the law in writing. At that point, if the tracker turns and attacks, he’s breaking the law. Good riddance.”
She nods, saying softly, “You’ve thought this through. You seem sure this will work.”
My dad pipes up from next to me, saying, “I know I’m not a shifter like you all, but I know my daughter. She agonizes over situations before she makes a decision. She works everything through in her mind 150 ways to Sunday before she ever speaks up. She wouldn’t ask Zander to call you all unless she was sure there was a high possibility of this working. Hell, do you think if she knew this was going to fail, she would risk Taha by marking him?”
It’s Zephyr who answers that question in a soft but sure tone, “No… no shifter would. Our instinct is to protect our mates from any harm. If Bella felt this plan had more than a sliver of a chance of failing, she would refuse his mark and not mark him… if only to protect him from the pain of her death. Any shifter in her shoes would do the same.”
Ahanu says one last thing before retaking his seat. “You know the threat facing us. You have heard our plea, and you know the plan. It is up to each of you, now, to discuss it with your tribes and make the decision right for you. Whether you agree to stay or feel it is best for you to leave, know that you have our blessing of peace and our continued friendship.”