The Mahani Wolves (Completed)

Chapter 4 - Sam

A file was emailed to me within minutes of hanging up with Blood Alpha Sinclair. It was bigger than it should be. I settled down to read it.

Kayla was at the Wolf Camp for this region eight years ago. It was the year of the massacre. I remember it well, as the father of the she-wolf that caused it to happen is still causing trouble for those involved. He never accepted the death of his daughter.

I then pulled up the medical file for Nicolas. What I'm reading does match. He almost died that day, but he was born and raised in a different tribe, so we didn't put them together until now.

If she rejects him, it will kill them both as they are too weak from the attack. It's better if I go and speak to her directly. From what I know of this pack, they may accept a Mahani. While I'm hopeful, she is an Alpha. They usually will not tolerate a lower-ranked mate that has more power.

I sighed heavily as I walked over to the medical building.

"How is he?" I ask the Omega in charge.

"His human side is unconscious, but his wolf is awake and whining. He's concerned for his mate and the children."

As I walked into the room, glowing eyes turned to me and whined. At least he stayed in human form without me giving an Alpha command.

"Your children are fine,"  I said through our link. "I've also located your mate."

Several images and emotions bombarded my brain at once. Severe stress seemed to be the most prevalent one. He was happy but scared and concerned about how much pain she must be in.

"She's an Alpha. She's tough."

He let out a loud whine, thinking the same thing I did. He's a Gamma, which is several rankings lower. The odds of her accepting him were very low.

Most Alphas and Betas will mix, but most won't go lower. Deltas, Gammas, and Omegas usually don't care about rank, only the love of the mate bond.

"Relax, my friend. Get some sleep. We will talk when I return."

I nuzzled his hair and squeezed his hand. He closed his eyes and relaxed. One of the perks of being a Blood Alpha is calming others. It's more problematic when it's another Alpha, but it can be done.

I contacted my older daughters, letting them know where I was going, and headed outside. Looking at the clear sky, I realize it's a pretty day. I hope it gets better. Nicolas didn't deserve this.

I check the time, pull a ring out, and open a portal. I hadn't been here since Alex had taken over as Blood Alpha. I see him waiting, so I reel in as much of my power as I can before stepping through. My natural Mahani Blood Alpha aura will bring a lesser wolf to its knees or force a spontaneous shift. I want to keep that to a minimum.

"How are you, Alex?"

"Honestly," he paused. "I'm very stressed by the situation and you being here."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I needed to do this in person. Can we speak privately with Kayla?"

"Of course."

He led us into his castle and through several winding halls before coming to a closed door. I could feel a few people in the room and -- a sense of family? This will get interesting, but I don't know if that's in a good way.

After walking into the room, Alex proceeded with introductions.

"Blood Alpha Cooper, may I present my second in command, Lachlan. Next to him is my head of technology, Keith. Beside them is their parents, Thaddeus and Mary Sinclair. This is their sister, my cousin, Kayla," he said as he pointed to the woman barely standing on her own but refusing help, even though it was apparent she needed it.

"It is my pleasure to meet you. I'm very sorry that it is under such circumstances. Please be seated."

"We need to speak to Kayla. If you will excuse us," Alex stated.

"Pardon me, Blood Alpha, but if you approve, I'd like them to stay." I've been in this situation many times, and I know it's best to tell it once to all than to separate them.

"Of course."

Once everyone was seated, I turned to Kayla.

"I'm so sorry this happened. We got to him within minutes, but it was too late to stop the damage. It was a well-planned attack."

"Is he going to be alright?" she asked softly.

"Eventually. The physical damage has been resolved, but it may be a while before the emotional damage fades. It never truly goes away."

Her eyes held mine as she whispered, "I know."

I paused for a moment as I thought of how to say this. Each pack is different, but from what I remember of my last visit here, they prefer direct speech rather than saying things nicely.

"Kayla, you can still feel the mate bond because it wasn't broken when he was forcibly marked. He is Mahani."

I waited a few seconds to judge her reaction. My heart filled with hope when she didn't sneer at the thought. She looked interested, so I continued the conversation for a destined mate. 

"Mahani are fated with normal wolves except for the Blood Alphas, which are mated to another Mahani. As a whole, we are rejected about 70% of the time, so our chosen mates are normally made within the Mahani."

I could see the horror on their faces, and my hope soared as I continued.

"Mahani are rejected for five main reasons. First, our fated mates will NEVER be the same rank as us. This pairing is frowned upon in most packs; some that follow the old ways even have laws against it.

"The second is our shifts do not look like pack wolves. We were put here by the Moon Goddess to do a specific task, and to do that well, we must seem approachable, especially to those terrified of their current situation. An abused child will come to us because we look cute and cuddly, like an oversized dog.

"The third is we do not live in packs, so the Mahani will go to live with their mate unless the situation is abusive. The look of our shift may be very uncomfortable for the pack and the destined mate. As we all know, wolves are prideful creatures, which is a huge issue.

"The fourth issue is we have made enemies over the last five millennia. These enemies target our children and families. An unhappy pack member who complains or gossips to another in a public place has resulted in people being tortured and killed many times.

"And lastly, we come with emotional baggage. What we see and do and what we personally experience have taken a toll on us. While we may be the most powerful wolves alive, we are not the greatest catch."

I took a deep breath, letting what I said sink in before continuing.

"I have more to tell. Kayla isn't the only one mated to a Mahani." I turned to the two brothers.

"Both of you are as well."

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Thank you for reading! This story has quite a few characters. Please be patient as they are all introduced.
--April