Rille (Tribes, Book 2)

Chapter 3

Preston Stryker folded his hands behind his back, prepared for the inevitable outburst. The disapproval never came as tantrums, but rather as cold calmness. Now would not be any different.

Preston's father, aging and often relegated to his bed, tossed his blanket aside to rise to his feet. "You did... what?"

"You heard me," Preston retorted. A little sarcasm would tell his father the seriousness of the situation.

With a growl, then a cough, Preston's father sank back onto his bed. "I sent you after a rabid wolf and this is what happens? You're capable of better."

"Whatever I did or didn't do, this is my responsibility now." Preston crossed his fingers, hoping his father would realize he could do nothing about it. "I will handle it all."

"What about Ava?"

Ah, yes. Ava. Preston did his best not to roll his eyes. Ava had hovered around him since they were small and, yes, there had been a brief time when Preston had considered her as a mate. He had quickly ruled her out, but it appeared his father had other plans.

Mating Ava would be the best strategic move for Preston, that much he would admit. Her family had power and fame in the Rille community. In fact, should he mate with Ava, Preston could secure a lot of things for the future generations. But he didn't like her. Not like that.

Ava didn't represent the very basic principles of Preston's role as alpha and high priest. Of course she believed all the things the rest of the Rille progeny believed, but she didn't stick to any of it. That's what happened when an allowance was made for pretty, talented Ava to attend university off-res. As far as Preston was concerned, Ava was just as much an outsider as the human woman. He wouldn't take back his decision.

Preston's father sneered again. "You're choosing a human over the mate prepared for you. You know we don't allow our wolves to mate with humans."

"And that's part of the reason that our population is diminishing." Preston let the comment fall as it may on the jagged cracks of his father's stone heart.

Inter-marrying the Rille wolves would only work for so long before it wore on their numbers. Wolf females didn't present turning tendencies and, quite frankly, were a rare find. They needed the human mates meant for them. Mates connected by love would, surely, produce a healthier tribe environment than the match-made families currently running rampant.

Preston's father inhaled long and slow. "We had a pact with Ava's family."

"Are we the alpha family of this tribe or are they?" Preston refused to back down. He had seen it for too long now, how Ava's father controlled the tribe at his own bidding, ignoring the sovereignty of his alpha. Ignoring the power of the high priest.

Preston had long ago gotten tired of leaving the decision-making power in Ava's father's hands. An alpha without power was no alpha at all.

"As alphas, should we go back on our word whenever we feel like it?"

Preston saw the point in his father's argument, but what had been done could not be undone. Especially in a situation so delicate, involving many who didn't want to be involved.

"We should not," Preston agreed, "but it was an emergency and I will not set aside the woman I am now responsible for. I think it is only fair that I keep the promise I made by deciding to give her my mating mark."

There had been a moment, albeit brief, where Preston considered how the mating mark would change his fate. How it would give him an excuse to leave behind the woman his father wanted him to mate. On one fact, Preston stood firmly: futures could be changed.

"Mating marks are trivial things here," Preston's father waved his hands to dismiss the notion. "Not like the bloodmark."

"Mating marks may be trivial in our tribe," Preston agreed, "but not to the humans on the outside. It is my duty, as alpha, to ensure that we live in harmony with those who have been prejudiced against us. If I allow her to go around with a mating mark on her shoulder, alone, I would be no better than the humans think I am."

"I didn't make you High Priest so that you can go and do whatever you wanted. You promised to look after our tribe."

"I will." Preston leveled his gaze at his father, letting his eyes flash once to denote his seriousness. "I intend to regain all the power as Alpha and High Priest."

"Ava would help you to—"

"Won't it be more interesting if I accomplish the task while protecting Tribe Rille's first human woman?" If he could not appeal to his father's logic, perhaps he could appeal to his competitive spirit. Either way, Preston made the final call. He would not be mating Ava.

His father, though old and crusty, knew when he had lost an argument. Preston rarely stood his ground so firmly against his father's wishes. Thus, both recognized how the argument would end. With or without his father's consent, Preston would have his way on this subject.

Preston didn't explain further. His father wouldn't approve of the changes he planned to make over the coming months in Tribe Rille. For too long, the alphas of the tribe had been too lenient toward power grabs from others. True power would return to the true leaders, of this Preston was certain. It had been foretold at his birth.

Finally, with a nod that didn't seem pleased at all, Preston's father agreed. "You take care of the human's paperwork and regulations, then. But let me warn you, she will not have it easy within our borders."

"I'm well aware." Preston had already thought of a whole host of things that could go wrong. He would just have to be strong enough to overcome them all.

With his father's consent acquired, Preston had only a few more details to sort out. Details like the smell of a man on the woman's skin. The two government agents flitting around the hospital like flies. And the reticence of the woman herself. That would be hardest, getting her to agree to come along with him.

If all went according to plan, he would bring the woman home within the week. If not... well, Preston didn't want to think about that.  

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