Breeding Rights

chapter 1

Season 4 - Gathering of Elders and Doctors #423 - at the Council of the Elders Conference Center

"Concern number forty-nine..." Elder Raphael called to attention.

Elder Marla stood and spoke her concerns, her pack, Juniper Valley, was entering the cold season and their roads out of the valley were of concern. "Please, we need help pushing the transportation department to get our supplies in before it's too late!"

"Marla. You worry every year and every year we remind you that we will get your supplies in plenty of time." Elder Hendrick grumbled dismissing the older elder. She was so old fashion that she had forgot that there was plenty of ways to get supplies into the valley.

"It is not enough!" She cried.

Elder Clyde leaned toward Elder Raphael, "I have already sent a request for Elder retirement. Seems they have not an elder of age." Elder Raphael nodded.

"Thank you Elder Marla, we will revisit concern forty-nine in one month time. We may just meet over conference call." Elder Marla wanted to argue Raphael could see it in her eyes bit she didn't. "Okay now... lets go to concern number fifty..."

A small woman stood up. She had crisp grey hair prim and primed into perfection. She hadn't voiced concerns in many moons. Her golden brown eyes were filled with worry and the other elders gasped and whispered among themselves as their eyes fell upon her form.

"Elder Whitney," Elder Raphael' voice showed his astonished surprise, "welcome, what is the concern of the War..."

"Elder Raphael, please call us by our pack name. Honestly, act your age," she ground out through grit teeth.

Elder Raphael bowed his head respectively. "Please heed my apologies. It is out of pack slang." He tried to make excuses for himself but it was a giant fail. "What is the concern of the Shadow Pack?"

She eyed him for a moment before she spoke. "Our pack does not have enough females. Our alpha heir, his beta to be and many more will be mateless if we do not do something. I am here with the Elder doctors for they have found through research that our bloodlines are diluting. Many a pack are." She paused and looked around the room as she straightened herself up. "If we do not do something our future will be nothing but nonshifters."

She stood silently for a moment before looking on around the room. "Let us break for pack discussions, one hour. We will meet back together at 8:30." Elder Raphael adjourned the meeting temporarily.

All the elders began hushed conversations with their phones, pack links didn't travel as far away as most have traveled today. The elders began to filter back in slowly. Some meandering back in at the very last moments.

After slight rambles of mumbling elders and quite a long silence an elder stood. "Despite our differences, please allow me to speak."

Elder Whitney looked at the man for a long time then nodded, "your opinion is welcomed, Elder Michael."

"What about a Moon Ceremony?"

"A Moon Ceremony!?" The older woman gasped. She had long been an activist against such old practices. Barbaric and cruel she had used to describe.

"Yes." Elder Michael nodded. "It has helped many packs in the past... by forcing shifters into the event we are forcing them to mate with other shifters. The Harlow Moon pack has had an abundance of females in the past two generations. Our female population is three to one right now. We have even allowed for a few select shifters to breed with a mate and have one mistress. That has went over well for males and our pack, giving us many newborns through the past few years..." He paused.

Some elders scoffed in disgust while others chuckled or gasped. Breeding outside of the mate bond was a highly frowned upon thing, it was rare.

"You all do different or controversial things in your own packs, so hush up!" Elder Whitney snarled. She was an old woman, but her tone was absolute. She nodded allowing Elder Michael to speak further.

"Thank you." Their respect was not easily given, as the two packs had been battling in territory wars for centuries and general dislike for generations. "We have many females ready to breed." Elder Whitney rose a brow and her head tipped slightly as she wondered.

"What exactly are you proposing Elder Michael?" Elder Raphael voiced worriedly.

"Harlow Moon feels as if a Moon Ceremony will help all packs. We could all use peace among the packs. We will offer our non-mated females to Shadow Pack if you choose to announce a Moon Ceremony."

Elder Whitney's jaw fell. This was beyond an unique and most astonishing treaty ever offered. Packs faught. That's just what they did. They argued over land. They argued over power. They argued over strength... and they argued over women. Women were coveted and giving them away in return for peace was unheard of.

The Shadow Pack being reveared for their privacy, their dangerous lands, and feared alphas, had never visited the Elder Gathering with concerns. They kept to themselves but listened to what every pack was going on about.

Understanding Elder Whitney's silence and unsaid concerns, Elder Raphael spoke up. "What has the Alpha asked for in return?"

Elder Michael smiled, "In return of no more war. Peace is all we ask. Our fight has gone on for far too long."

Finally, getting a grip on her thoughts, Elder Whitney spoke with unsturdiness, "You understand, I have to clear this with my alpha..."

Elder Michael nodded, "We wouldn't accept any less."

Elder Whitney nodded slowly and sat down in her seat making notes on a pad of paper.

Elder Raphael finished off the meeting with the the last two concerns. "So concludes our Season 4 - Elder Gathering #423. You are all dismissed."