My Aunt Prudence flew out to Colorado to meet my new pack and to offer moral support. We were waiting to find out not just if the Elders would be unseated and new Elders put in their place, but if we’d face the death penalty. If the current Elders kept their seats, their power would be reaffirmed, and they’d find a way to ensure that we were executed.
I was hopeful, but frightened. I knew that the majority of shifters wanted change. As human society and rules had changed, Shifters had followed suit in some ways, but in other ways we’d been far too slow to adapt. The Elders hadn’t helped their cause over the years, becoming more arrogant and imperious with every passing year that they’d held power. Their attitude and behavior was obsolete.
Still, to get a vote of 90 percent of the Alphas…that was the challenge.
While we were waiting, Kray’s compound was raided by the Wardens, in an attempt to arrest the scientist. Before he could be captured, he was shot to death by Kimball, who was in turn killed by the Wardens. They found a laboratory hidden on Kray’s property, which was seized. Who was this human, and where had he come from? How did he know how to create magic formulas that enhanced a werewolf’s strength? Nobody knew, and that had shifters everywhere very worried.
We got the news on a Monday, as I sat with a circle of wolf cub girls teaching them origami. Max had already arranged for me to start teaching third grade when the school year started up in September.
When I saw Max striding up to me with a huge smile on his face, I knew.
“Yes?” I called out to him.
“Yes,” he said. “Eleven of the thirteen elders have been replaced. The two remaining Elders are among the more progressive ones, and now we will be able to propose an immediate change that allows shifters to leave their pack without fear of their Alpha coming after them.”
I leaped to my feet, ran over, and threw my arms around him.
“Are you going to take over the Iron Claw pack’s territory, then?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No need to. I never wanted it in the first place. I don’t want to disrupt the lives of a bunch of shifters who simply had the misfortune to be ruled by an abusive dictator. I’m drawing up paperwork to ensure that the property is theirs, and they’re going to select their own Alpha, by a democratic vote. The Renker family, however, has been kicked off the property and they are now homeless.”
He picked me up and spun me around as if I were light as dandelion fluff, then set me down and kissed me, hard.
“I’ve never been more proud of you,” he said. “The change you made will benefit all shifters. The wolves from the Iron Claw Pack are safe from retaliation now.”
“Wow. Who ever thought that having a big mouth would finally pay off?” I said. I grinned at him wickedly. “Speaking of my big mouth, I plan to put it to good use later.”
“I will hold you to that. And now, I have one little favor to ask of you,” he said.
“Anything for you. Wait. Let me rethink that.”
He went down on one knee, and I was shocked to see that he was holding up a diamond ring.
“Josephine Southpaw Battle, will you marry me all over again?” He winked at me. “I want to do it right this time. By the way, I mean really marry me. All of it. The ceremony, the Running, the Claiming…”
“Why yes, Maxwell Battle,” I said, tears running down my face. “I will marry you again.”
THE END