Women have fought for freedom for hundreds of years, they still do, they deal with preconceptions, stereotypical gender roles, inequality and unapologetic judgement every day for many of their actions.
One has however to admit that some women have it infinitely worse than others and changing the world is a long-term process.
What can change the world though in the end? Probably only education, tolerance and kindness. And time...what about time? That was something she did not have.
These thoughts were crossing Samira's mind that day after the phone call she had with Michael. He had some points, she had to admit, or at least she knew where he was coming from, but she couldn't give in, the world changes with resilience, blood and sacrifices if you lack time.
"They are here. Ganiru too," said Akin apologetically.
Ganiru was one of the regional leader, warden of South Africa to be precise and no fan of hers.
"I am sorry, I tried, they just don't want to go away."
"I can only imagine a few worse ways to end a day. Tell them I will be with them in a few minutes."
When Samira entered the meeting room she found there all the pack leaders of the African continent. She blinked to conceal her concern. All men, all bearing grim expressions.
"It makes no sense to talk a lot. The point is, Sanjay, alpha of Asia, let us know about the proposal he made you and we have accepted on your behalf," said Ganiru.
"You did what?" asked Samira dumbfounded.
She just couldn't hide the anger and disgust in her tone and expression.
"Gentlemen, you do know it's the twenty first century and that I am your fucking Alpha. If it comes to that I can comand you all to slit your throats."
"Samira... You know you can't. That would mean a revolution and your death."
The way in which he was saying her name was driving her crazy. He would have never dared to address Dahiru like that. But she was female, the first female Alpha and only half African not from a reputed linage like Dahiru. Her mind was working frenetically to find a solution, an adequate answer.
What could she possibly do? Fight them. And kill them? That would indeed mean a revolution, she would go down in history like Samira the bloody. And they were twenty, it would be difficult and they could injure the baby. She could run away but what then? Turn rogue? Go seek asylum? But where? Angel had very similar problems and she just had a fight with Michael. Abandoning her position would mean admitting defeat.
She could barely breath and her knuckles were white from clenching her fists in anger and dispare. She felt like crying, fucking hell, she couldn't cry in front of them, that would be the end.
The instinct was to pray to the Moon Goddesses to give her strength, but the Moon Goodness was evil and most of all gone. If she would be praying now it would be to the probably deceased Mila.
Fight or flight?
Say something. Anything.
"Okay. When?" She answered simply.
Ganiru smiles the creepiest smile Samira had ever seen.
"I would have expected you to put on a fight. It is good you didn't, that would have obliged us to eliminate you and you are still a reasonably popular even if controversial leader. The first female Alpha. Well not for long anymore but it is still a thing all females of the continent, and some men, take pride in. Anyway, it's in one month, before new moon. Prepare yourself, you will be marked beforehand, probably in one week from now."
Samira shuddered at the thought. She didn't want to be marked and by Sanjay even less. She had loved Dahiru so she didn't mind when he did it, it was some sort of wolf wedding band anyway. When she looked at the black mark that extended from her right knee up the side of her leg and her torso to her ribs, in the mirror she couldn't stop her eyes from watering.
She had to find a solution in one week. She needed allies and a plan, she needed to make up with Michael and talk to Angel and she needed another Alpha's support as her own pack seemed to rebel against her.
Stupid tradition, why doesn't anybody mind what is going on?
That world needed a drastical change and Samira was convinced she had to be that change forced by circumstances.
There was no way in hell she was going to get marked.
The morning of the next day she called Angel but to her surprise, he didn't pick up the phone after several attempts and when she called Alejandra, she found out that Angel had left for Europe and was nowhere to be found. That was sub-optimal.
Her first thought was that he flew to see Michael. If they made up it could only be good for her.
Swallowing her pride she decided to call Michael again.
"Michael, it's me. Is Angel with you?"
"No. I told you we are not talking."
"He is gone."
"What do you mean, gone?"
Ha! I have moved on, my ass. Told you, Michael, you cannot just move on from such a love.
It was clear from Michael's voice that he was mad with concern.
"Alejandra said that he flew to Europe. So you are probably going to meet soon. Michael, my pack is planing to make me submit forcefully to Sanjay and be his Luna. I am facing a rebelion and need your help. Both of your help."
"What? Samira and you are still staying there. Board immediately a plane and come to Scotland."
"No! Under no circumstances. That would mean I am fleeing, plus they will come after me unless I give formally up on being Alpha."
"Yes but you would be in my territory and I could protect you."
"I don't know Michael."
"Well the situation is in any way suboptimal. If Sanjay and the Australian dumbass are coming at me together with the deserters from your pack we will be grosely outnumbered. We need both Angel and Nodin."
"Fine, I will see what I can do."
"Thanks, I will organize the part of my pack that is still loyal."
And after she hung up it was exactly what she did for the next two days. She agreed to give Sanjay a surprise for when he was coming for the ceremony in three days.
If it will be necessary, I will kill them all but I will never go down without a fight.
The bathwater was cold but she was too lost in thought to notice until a faint knock interrupted her reverie.
"What is it now, Akin?"
"It's not Akin, surprise-surprise!" said a familiar voice and shortly after a familiar face peeked inside.
"Jesus, Kiera! I have not seen you in ages, I even thought you might be dead. Where were you?"
"Around the world to try to mend my broken heart. Now come and give me a hug," she said holding a towel for Samira.
Samira exited her bath and couldn't help feeling Kiera's gaze on her.
"Looking hot, pregnancy suits you. How far along are you?"
"Ten months almost eleven."
"Means you cannot have a drink with me but how about I make you a tea?"
"Sounds awesome."
Minutes later they were sitting in the living room of Samira's mansion.
"Here you go, my grandma's tea recipe and I will have the palm tree liquor I found around here."
"You could settle for tea too, you know."
"I most certainly could, but do I want to?" answers Kiera smirking.
"How have you been?" asks Samira sighing.
"Mostly shitty."
"Thought so, me too." If there was someone in that world that understood how she felt it was Kiera.
"I dream of him often and when I wake up I see the black mark and it reminds me of how horrible reality actually is."
"Have you been to Australia?"
"Not since his death. I don't want to see Yarran unless I can kill him."
Samira took a long look at Kiera's face, at her tired grey-brown eyes.
"My pack is rebelling against me and I have decided to fight. Sanjay is trying to force me to be his Luna and I plan to kill all the ones that are against me in the marking ceremony. If you don't want to be part of this fight you better walk away tomorrow in the morning because Michael is arriving with his men tomorrow in the evening."
"I won't go."
"Thought so. Nothing like a good fight to mend a broken heart," answers Samira smirking and letting her eyes shine briefly. She was happy Kiera was there she was her friend and a good fighter.
"I also know something else that might help," said Kiera and leaned over to kiss Samira.
Samira was so profusely surprised without even knowing why everyone knew that Kiera liked females too it was jus that they never interacted in that way before, it had always been platonic. But she had always been mated before and in love but now... they were both alone and hurting. And Kiera's lips felt soft and sweet and the way she smirked and the allure her Maori tattoo gave her in the dim evening light, made her appear certainly attractive.
In her time before meeting Dahiru she had been a few times with females too but she never dwelled on the thought since her mate was male in the end.
"Goddess, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Samira. I had a crush on you since... forever."
"You had lots of crushes."
"Yeah but none of them as suppressed as the one for you," said Kiera and kisses her again deep and passionately, lowering the strap of the dress to caress her breasts.
Her arching skin shortly bore goosebumps and her now too sensitive nipples grew hard under Kiera's touch and she was somehow not stopping her because it felt good, because she wanted to enjoy the feeling a bit longer, because she didn't have had sex in a long time and because it felt good to give up control for a brief moment, to not think about the present and the future and the problems for a few minutes.
Her body was heavy and she felt so tired so she just gave in to Kiera's fingers and her tongue on the heated skin. It felt good, it felt good to be cared for, for a change.
Her core was aching and she laid there almost numbed enjoying Kiera's thrusts and the tongue that traveled down her stomach to her wet and pulsating clit.
It felt so good and it consumed her and the whole Vila shook in the end when she orgasmed shiny eyes, sweaty and panting... and oh do tired that she just slipped unconsciously into a heavy slumber.
Her eyelids were so heavy but she felt a hand on her face. The touch woke her up, but her body was aching profusely.
"Kiera," she said softly, still fighting to open her eyes.
When she tried to move her hand to rub the sleep off she noticed she couldn't, something was holding her back, something wasn't right so she tried one more time to rip her eyes open and succeeded just shuddering in shock.
"Morning sunshine," said Sanjay from a chair. He was smiling maliciously and she, she was chained to her own bed with... enchanter silver chains, like the ones Kiril had used back then on her to prevent her from turning.
Fearful and full or rage she summoned her power but the earth quacked only briefly.
"What did you give me? And where us Kiera, what have you done to her?"
"Kiera is with Yarran, don't worry about her, she is being taken care of.
"Where is she? Did you hurt her?" thundered Samira.
"Most certainly not, she had her sweet time with Yarran last night, they had a brief but beautiful mating ceremony."
"What?" That just couldn't be true. Kiera would never willingly mate with the one that took Cohen's place and made her leave her homeland.
"Bullshit, where is she?"
But then the door opened and Kiera entered together with Yarran. A thunder mark was visible on her left arm, it was not dark like the one on her left arm but shining bright golden. It was true and that truth also struck down like thunder.
"You treacherous bitch!" screamed Samira.
"Samira, I had to. For my people."
"No! I will kill you, even if it is the last thing I do. How could you?!"
"Calm down, sweetheart, it's not good for the baby," said Sanjay.
"Don't you fucking dare speak to me!"
"Kiera, go away, we need our privacy now," said Sanjay, and Kiera exited obediently.
"What do you want? Michael and his pack will be here anytime soon."
"No, he won't. He has his hands full and I am going to mark you now and you are going to yield your elemental power to me, recognizing me as your alpha."
"Never," chuckled Samira, though chained down and with whatever drug they gave her she was really in no good position to negotiate.
"I didn't ask. If you don't comply we are going to kill you and your child. Samira, you are the last living mage wolf. I don't want you to die, you can give me extremely powerful offsprings and I want to breed with you but if you don't give me an alternative I will kill you. So what do you say?"
"Fuck you!"
"Nah, fuck you, but not right now. Right now you kneel and accept me as your master or I kill you. It's that simple."
Death sounded better than that future but if she died, so would her daughter.
Sanjay forced her down from the bed.
"See, the chains are long enough. Now kneel."
Shaking and with the silver blade at the through, Samira knelt on the wooden floor.
"Now submit to me, my love."
Tears were streaming on her cheeks but there was no other way to survive.
"Ego, Samira Nnama Amir Borgia, te Sanjay Vengalil agnosco sicut Alpha et meum dominum meum. Tuae voluntati parebo et sub tuo imperio pugnem, voluntate diligam et moria/ I, Samira Nnama Amir Borgia, recognize you Sanjay Vengalil as my Alpha and my master. I shall obey your will and fight under your command, I shall live and die by your will," she said meekly almost choking on the words while she felt the power leaving her body and witnessed the alpha markings of the African pack appearing on Sanjay's chest entwined with the ones of the Asian continent making him the most powerful Alpha alive.
He smiled triumphantly and summoned his claws to slice the skin from her left collar bone, along her breast down to her heart. Biting his own lips bloody kissed and licked along the cuts moaning slightly and humming in delight, "Sanguis sanguinis mei, pars animae meae".
"Now you, my love."