Only Human (40 page)

So Randall spoke out loud. “This should be an interesting diversion until it’s time to get started. The two of you go down and choose weapons. We’ll all meet you outside.”

Kenny chose a padded quarterstaff so he wouldn’t hurt me too bad, and I chose a wooden one because I couldn’t really hurt him too bad.

“Anything I should know? Something I should or shouldn’t do?” I asked him.

“No, just show ‘em what you’ve got. I don’t know what you’ve done to get Randall to give you status, but congrats. The pack will accept you because Randall says they have to, but to get them to really let you in and be friends, you’ll have to earn their respect. I’m hoping to help you with that a little.”

I smiled. “Thanks. Let me stretch out down here first so I don’t have to do it in front of them.”

When we went back up and out to the back yard area, everyone was gathered in a large, well lit grassy area, forming a circle around where they figured we’d spar. Looking around, I decided if we had this much room, I didn’t want to be constrained, so I asked everyone to back up and make the circle bigger, give us room to move around more. While they moved back, I asked Cora to hold my jacket.

As soon as we had a nice sized space, I started in on Kenny with no warning. He lifted his staff in time to block me, and we were off. Kenny and I spar fast and furious, and we move around a great deal. I frequently have to take last-second evasive action, and I find myself alternately rolling on the ground and doing this jump/levitate thing over his head, or just over one of his sweeps. It looks like I can jump really high, but no way could I do it without using levitation as a boost. He slows down so we’re well matched, but we still go quite fast.

He once told me he slows down for the beginning, but once I get focused he can speed up. He doesn’t go into full wolf-speed with me, but tonight he kept upping his speed, little by little, more and more, far beyond what he did when we sparred at Drake. I kept up as long as I could, but after seven or eight minutes I yelled “Mercy” when I was on one of my big jumps, and he dropped his staff before I landed. I saw he had and I dropped mine too, and we hugged.

Cora stepped forward and helped me into my jacket. I was breathing heavy and I leaned into her for a minute before standing back up. I hated being this winded in front of the pack, but then I realized Kenny was breathing heavy, too.

No one spoke for several long moments, and Randall finally broke the silence. “What a riveting exhibition, thank you both. Kirsten, you’re a woman of many talents and I don’t think my wolves quite know what to think of you. You walked in and they saw a small female human, and they’ve just watched you hold your own against one of our best warriors.”

One of their best warriors? I looked at Kenny with a question in my eyes, but it was Randall who answered. “Ah, you didn’t know. I forgot you only know who holds the top three positions. Kenny is my Delta, my fourth.”

All I could manage was, “Oh.”

But then I remembered — Kenny slows down for me, I’m not as fast as him. However, by then Randall had told everyone to head out to the agora, and Randall walked beside me, speaking into my head.

That was perfect, now you have their respect, and a little bit of fear, I think. Also, I don’t feel so bad about you beating me; you’re good even with a plain wooden quarterstaff, so of course you’re deadly with one made of light that burns like fire.

I wasn’t sure how to respond to the compliment, so I asked,
What happens next?

The naming ceremony, where I name you a Friend of the Pack and explain what you’ve done to earn this standing, and then we do a group energy ritual I think you’ll like. Just let the energy flow in and around you, and join yours to it. Once it gets going it’s almost spiritual. No human has experienced it in quite some time, but follow my lead and you’ll be fine.

He switched to speaking with his voice. “Here we are. You and I need to step up onto the stone stage. My fifth isn’t here, so it’ll be my second through fourth up here with us tonight. How fortunate you’re already friends with two of them.”

We stepped up and Randall stood with his arm around me and spoke in a powerful voice, “We come together tonight to hear a story that begins many millennia ago and continues up to the present day. Who knows where the story will finally end?”

I could feel him weaving the tale, and almost wished I could be in the audience listening. I had a feeling the energy out there was completely different, as Randall projected his story to them.

“Many moons ago, thousands of years ago, there was a race known as the Berserkers. It is said they became the first werewolves. Our ancestors.”

The area was set up like an amphitheater, and the wolves were seated around us, totally caught up in Randall’s story.

“One of these Berserkers was grandfather to a giant. Not only a giant, but a being of great power who was also considered a god. This being was so powerful he fought even the gods, wielding a terrifying sword of light no one could stand up to and live.”

“In modern day, the past couple of weeks, Kirsten and her associates were made aware of a series of murders happening in the area, but in different cities and states, so law enforcement couldn’t put the clues together since they only knew about the murders in their own jurisdiction. Kirsten found a pattern that helped her associates figure out where the giant would next kill, but they wouldn’t let her, a human female, go and fight the giant who once defeated gods. So Aaron Drake, Mordecai, and the Amakhosi of the Lions asked some of us to help them defeat the giant.”

I knew what had happened, and even I was waiting with baited breath to hear what he said next. Most of the audience knew a good part of this, but none looked bored.

“But the giant’s grandfather was a Berserker, and somehow the giant took control of our pack. You all know what happened, but what some of you don’t know is that Cora was with Kirsten, watching a live feed of the action, and Cora did
not
pass out. Cora had no effects at all. Kirsten protected Cora from the giant. She
took
Cora from the giant.”

He looked around, and I would have sworn he made a one-on-one connection with all one-hundred plus people in the space of a half-dozen seconds.

“During the battle,” he continued, “Mordecai was gravely injured. He has still not awakened; his heart still does not beat. Aaron Drake and Nathan the Amakhosi were also seriously injured, and had to pull out of the battle and shift to save themselves. This giant took out the three of them, and two dozen wolves.”

His arm was still around my waist, and I could feel his entire body tighten as he admitted, “At this point in time, I was fighting to maintain control of our pack, though I didn’t put it together at the time. I knew something was wrong but was still trying to figure out the problem. I now understand the giant was making himself Alpha of the pack. It was only a matter of time before he wrested the power from me. As a Berserker, we were at his mercy.”

I could see the worry, concern, and fright on the faces of the people watching us, and I realized this was news to almost all of them.

“The next day, Kirsten figured out where the giant was going to strike next, and she snuck away from the bodyguards who were supposed to be keeping her safe, as she planned to confront the giant on her own.”

The audience didn’t quite gasp, but it wasn’t far from it.

“She not only confronted him, she singlehandedly killed him, and by doing so, the control of the pack came firmly back to me. Our pack owes Kirsten a great debt. I name her a
Friend of the Pack
, and I declare that anyone who harms Kirsten, harms the pack. She is as one of us, she is under the protective mantle of Pack. Let us show her that protective mantle at this time.”

I felt Randall’s power again, and then I felt the power of the others, and I did as Randall said and didn’t try to block it. I allowed my energies to mingle with the power, and it was a beautiful thing. Randall had been right, it was almost spiritual.

The Alpha walked us down to the ground with the rest of the pack, and I felt Zach, Cora, and Kenny behind me, their energies mixing with mine as well. The next five or ten minutes is a blur, as I merely experienced what was going on and didn’t think about it. I was safe and warm, and a part of something very big and very magical. It was rare for me to be comfortable thinking of something as
magical
instead of metaphysical.

The Pack’s energy caressed every cell in my body as it cleansed my chakras and made me one of them — made my aura part of the energy of the pack, joining me to each one individually, but also as a unit. A whole. It was
glorious
.

When it finally started to fade, the people started undressing and shifting into their animal form, and before long I was standing with dozens of wolves around me, and only Randall standing beside me on two legs. The wolves ran off into the woods, everyone’s clothes folded and put into a huge outdoor wardrobe, with cubbies marked off for each person. Randall closed the doors of the wardrobe and walked me back to the house.

“Aren’t you going to run with them?”

“No, I’m the only one strong enough to keep from changing after we share our energy like that, so I will stay in this form and be a good host. It would’ve been rude to leave you standing there by yourself.”

Uh Oh
. I hadn’t counted on this. I didn’t want it to be just the two of us, and I needed to get to my car and get out of here. It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested, it just didn’t seem to be a good idea.

“I thank you for your hospitality. And you’re right about the sharing of energy — it was amazing. However, I’ve had a rough week and I should go home and get some sleep.”

“I can feel your exhaustion, you speak truth. I will walk you to your car, then, though I am disappointed we won’t have a chance to speak privately tonight. Hopefully there will be another time.”

As we walked through the house I commented about how nice it was, how it was a home and not just a house. He thanked me for noticing, and I realized I had a few questions I’d like answered. I stopped and looked at him. “Werewolves are born, right? How do you deal with a kid who turns into a wolf? I didn’t see any kids here tonight.”

“Yes we’re born, but most don’t shift until puberty, usually between twelve and fifteen. My twin brother and I are the exceptions. We first shifted into a wolf at eight.”

“Your twin?”

He looked as if he wished he hadn’t spoke, and after more than a few seconds of painful silence I gave him an easy out. “It’s okay, you don’t have to explain. Did you shift so early because of your power?”

“Possibly. Or maybe my power is because of the early shift. It’s a chicken and egg thing.”

“Do pack leaders tend to run in families?”

“There are a few families more likely to produce a future pack leader, but it isn’t a sure thing, and honestly it may just be that a child who grows up watching their dad or granddad be pack leader might be more inclined to believe he, or she, can do it.”

“Was your dad pack leader?”

“No, but my grandfather was.”

“You’ve been pack leader around ten years?”

“Yes. I know you’re tired, let’s sit in the front parlor while I answer your questions.”

I followed him into the room we were standing beside, and we sat on what looked like an antique settee. The front parlor was more formal than the rest of the house.

“You can’t be more than twenty-five, but that would mean you fought your way to the top at fifteen?”

“I’m thirty-one, and I became pack leader at twenty-two. Werewolves usually live to be about one hundred and twenty, so we age a little slower than humans.”

“Is it awkward to be Alpha over your parents?”

“At first. My dad was so proud his son was pack leader, he was annoying. But then during the binding ceremony, where he had to take to his knees in front of me, he almost couldn’t do it and I thought we were going to have to fight. My mom didn’t have a problem with it, though the motherly smile she gave me wasn’t exactly that of one showing respect to a leader.”

“It’s possible to also turn people into werewolves, right?”

“Yes, if we bite or scratch someone it can turn them, though it must be done in wolf form. It’s hard to do by accident — when we mean to do it we bite and then let extra saliva drip into the wound, just to be sure.”

Which would explain why he used a needle to get blood from me, if a scratch could turn someone.

“And you have rules about who you can turn?”

“Yes, but the problems usually come from a seventeen or eighteen year old who falls for a human and turns them without their consent. Most of us as adults wouldn’t dream of turning anyone without them asking for it, and without a lot of discussion first. I’ve had many people bring me a human who wanted to be turned, so I could talk to them ahead of time and make sure they understand what they’re getting into.”

“What’s the penalty for turning someone without their consent?”

He looked at me a second, contemplating, and I knew I wasn’t going to get an answer.

“Without full pack status, you’re considered as one of us, but you aren’t actually one of us, and pack discipline is probably one of those things best kept within the pack. If you’re ever present when I need to discipline one of my wolves, I’ll need you to remain quiet for it and not try to intercede. Also, remember we can heal from most anything.” He paused a moment and added, “I’ve answered many of your questions, can you answer a few for me?”

“Depends on the questions, but ask away.”

“Your daughter was adopted. You’ve never married?”

“Correct on both,” I told him with a wry smile.

“Why is that?”

“Never found the right man, I guess.”

“So, you’d marry if you found the right man?”

“Probably.”

“Would you be interested in going out with me, on a date?”

I was afraid this was where he was going. I tried to soften my voice as I told him, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”