Hammers in the Shadows

Part Two: Hammers in the Night - Chapter Nineteen

I nodded softly, "That's the thing about governing and ruling through fear love."

"That's just it Mark, by upgrading our security and restricting the movements of our people we're doing their job for them, we're letting them win, without even a fight."

I stood and walked over to my mate, gently rubbing her shoulders. "Kitten, there are differences in what we're doing out of prudence and what they want us to do is much different." I said softly, while closing my eyes and recalling how it was in nations that had ruled through fear in the past.

"As long as things return to normal as soon as this situation is over Mark, I don't want our cub to grow up in a world of fear and oppressive security."

"Nor do I love, nor do I." I told her before leaving the office and heading down to Security where I had to meet with Yvegeny.

That evening after dinner we all spent time together, the entire family. My parents, my siblings, and all of my own cubs who were with us. It was fun to watch my siblings playing with the youngest cub that we'd adopted, though from time to time the she would look to us to make sure that she wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Mark that's so sad to see that they still aren't sure that they're doing the right thing when they're playing." Anna said softly while she gently hugged Nathan in her arms, the sleepy little cub was only just barely awake while his sister played with Elizabeth and William.

I nodded softly, "Yes that is very much true love," I replied while watching, "She doesn't understand what she was doing wrong when they were in charge here, all she knew was that they were hurting her." I finished before she stopped playing and ran up to me, requesting to be picked up.

I could see the question in both William and Elizabeth's eyes as they wondered why their playmate had decided to stop playing with them. "She just wants a cuddle." I told them while softly patting Natalia's bottom and pushing her gently to rejoin her playmates.

Now that she was sure that I wanted her to keep playing she rejoined my siblings with a happy noise as she tried to bowl them over.

I could see dad's smile as he watched me interacting with my adopted cub before he finally said, "Mark, you make me proud when I watch you here now. You've lived up to every bit of potential that we saw in you when you were a child."

I smiled and nodded in reply, "Thanks dad, though it took being turned into a cat to really be able to utilize that potential. As a human I had my problems, but as a cat those problems were removed and now I can do anything that I set my heart to, though I also have many responsibilities now." I said while watching Tanya and the Berekov twins sitting to one side talking softly to each other. I already knew that Tanya was learning what it was like to grow up in a healthy pride with parents that loved her instead of the travesty that Ivan had tried to create here.

The next few days were nerve wracking to say the least as Anna and I tried to locate any information that we could on the web as to the activities and whereabouts of those that meant harm to us. Distressingly information was scarce, even with access to the Dark Web, which was the darker, nastier underbelly of the internet.

"Mark, we have to face the fact that these Hammers have long learned how to keep themselves more, or less concealed from those who want to find them." Anna said to me as I growled and leaned back in my chair and massaging my forehead.

"I know that dear heart, but all the same I would like some way to predict their coming and prepare for it." I answered her while standing and turning to face the window that looked out over the open yard in front of the Pride House. I'd taken to wearing my weapon's belt due to the risks that we could come under attack at any point in time and I looked down at the pistol holster on thigh. "I want to be done with wearing this in my own house Anna, it shouldn't be like this." I told her softly.