After dinner Stan told Alex that the council had decided that it was too late to sort anything out at all. They were going to be sending the pack members home so that they could ‘think’ about their situation and how they would prefer for this matter to be resolved; but only after Stan would give them a little speech of how wonderful it is to be part of the other packs that have responsible leaders in place. Hopefully that would encourage them to ‘make’ the right decision tomorrow.
When there was not even a crumb left on any of the tables; Stan addressed everybody and gave them some background about what they could expect if they were part of a different pack. He took some questions and answered only those that would have a positive influence on their decision; the others he postponed; saying it would be better to discuss those issues privately as they only concerned a few people. He skillfully steered the discussion to lighter topics and when the atmosphere was relaxed; he asked them to gather in the early morning so that they could have breakfast and then discuss together what their plan of action would be.
The mood had lightened considerably during the impromptu meeting and they all dispersed quietly. Tess hung around to find out what Cassy had planned for their sleeping arrangements. Cassy explained that they would be using the sleeping bags they had brought with. The guys would be taking out the seats in the van and the girls would be sleeping on blow up mattresses inside while the men would be taking turns to keep watch during the night.
At first Tess tried to convince Cassy to sleep in the pack house; but before Tess could argue for too long; the men had already taken out the three rows of seats in the van and Ethan and Carter were using a foot pump to inflate the mattresses. She stood chatting for a while and when she wanted to wish them all a pleasant evening; the men had all gone, taking a run in a close perimeter to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary was lurking in the woods.
Tess indicated for Grace to join her and immediately the six girls protested.
“Please can she stay over here for tonight? It would be like a sleepover.” Lucy pleaded. She had started taking Grace under her wing and the two girls were getting along like a house on fire; at least in the short moments when Grace forgot to be self conscious about herself and remembered that she had no reason to be afraid.
Grace looked at Tess uncertainly. She had never spent the night away from Tess before and even though she felt a bit uncertain as to how she should be behaving at a ‘sleepover’; she really wanted to stay with these brave women for a bit longer.
Tess agreed reluctantly when Grace looked at her with longing in her eyes. “At least just come back and get something more comfortable to sleep in than that.”
“Don’t worry.” Lucy added hastily; worried that Grace might change her mind when she was away. “I have an extra set of warm track pants and a t-shirt that she can use for the night.”
Cassy saw Grace frown and before she could gather up enough steam to feel offended; she chipped in quickly. “Good; then you two girls can get the sleeping bags all sorted out. And try to figure out how to get the blasted mattresses into the van.”
Lucy giggled at Cassy and Grace managed a tentative smile.
Tess gave Grace a long hug before walking away; as she left, the guys passed her and she waved a good night at them. They were all carrying wood for a fire and it surprised her that even their alpha was carrying his share of the load.
When the guys reached the girls Conrad was relieved to see that Grace was still there and he suppressed a bark of laughter as he saw how she and Lucy were struggling to get the blown up mattresses into the van.
Grace nearly jumped out of her skin when the mattress she and Lucy were struggling with was taken out of their hands.
“Let me help ladies.” He offered and took the mattress to the back of the van. He opened the rear door and reached inside with his one hand and pushed the back rest down. Then he angled the mattress and with hardly any effort; the mattress went in.
The two girls rushed around to the side door and grabbed the mattress and put it in place as Conrad brought the next one. Soon the whole floor was covered with the mattresses and sleeping bags were neatly placed on top of them with pillows in the proper positions. Satisfied, the girls joined the rest of the family outside around a roaring fire.
Startled Grace froze in her tracks. The mated couples had paired off and the guys were holding their mates. Carter, Dennis and Derrick were sitting with their mates between their legs, supporting them as the girl relaxed against them. Brian was sitting with his legs crossed and Sam on his lap; his one hand tenderly caressing her extended belly. Alex had gotten Cassy to lay down on a heap of sleeping bags and he was busy rubbing her back; following her instructions to the letter as she directed him: to the side, higher up and no, the other side.
Grace saw Lucy walk to where Ethan and Conrad were sitting. Ethan held his hand out to her and she sank down next to him; putting her hand in his. Lucy did not need Conrad to make her aware that Grace was standing as still as a statue; she beaconed her closer with her free hand and when Grace took a hesitant step closer; she patted next to her on the sleeping bag. Grace sat down carefully and avoided looking in Conrad’s direction; there was something about him that made her nervous. She sat listening quietly to the soft chatter around the fire until Cassy suddenly jerked upright and turned to Alex.
Her eyes were bright as she slightly punched Alex on his arm. Only Conrad saw as Grace’s eyes grew wide with horror as she stared breathlessly at Alex and Cassy. What would he do after she had punched him like that? She shivered in fear on Cassy’s behalf.
“What?” Alex asked; playfully rubbing his arm where Cassy had punched him.
Cassy then went ahead and behaved so unlike her that everybody was staring at her in amazement. She squealed excitedly and waved her hands in front of her face while she just about burst with energy.
“What?” Alex repeated.
Cassy stuck a pointed finger in his chest. “You,” she began dramatically; “can marry me now!”
Her words made all the other girls go crazy while the guys merely laughed at their antics.
Alex was stunned; then he smiled at Conrad brilliantly and sent him a silent ‘Thank you’ before he kissed Cassy eagerly.
Conrad returned his eldest brother’s smile just as brilliantly and stared at his mate from the corner of his eye. She still looked a bit shocked that Cassy’s behavior towards Alex had not led to any serious repercussions and he wondered if she would ever be able to relax enough to not feel so afraid.
Suddenly Cassy and Alex broke apart; both of them staring at her stomach. Then everybody could see the way her belly was pushed from the inside as the babies decided to join in the fun.
“Wow!” Carter said and he nearly dumped Tina as he rushed to Cassy and reverently put his one hand on her belly while holding his breath. Soon Dennis, Derrick and Ethan were there as well and after a brief struggle with himself; Conrad joined them as well. Every one of them had one hand on Cassy’s belly as they looked on in wonder as the small movements could be followed. Alex was lovingly holding Cassy; her back resting against his chest as he rubbed both hands up and down her sides.
Brian sat contentedly with Sam in his lap as he continued to gently rub her tummy while they watched their brothers.
“I honestly don’t know how you are going to cope with three.” Sam told Cassy over the heads of the guys as they prodded Cassy’s belly.
“Three!?” Grace asked breathlessly. Here she was under the impression that Cassy was practically due to give birth, and now she finds out that she is so big because she is carrying three babies.
“Yeah.” Alex confirmed as he nodded at Grace.
Grace was a little flustered at first. Normally her alpha would only speak to ordinary pack members if they did something that had angered him. It took her a short while to realize that there was not going to be any kind of punishment for her speaking out like that. She gasped when Conrad rushed to her and dragged her back to where Cassy and Alex were standing. Gently he took her hand and placed it on Cassy’s belly so that she could also feel the babies move. The brothers eventually stood back so that Grace could have a turn and they went to sit with their mates again.
When Grace was the only one with her hands on Cassy’s belly; she moved her hands to the sides, gently pressing in to feel for the babies. Then she moved both hands together and slid them along the side; her top hand gently formed a ‘T’ at the top as she continued to move her other hand; gently probing. By now Cassy, Alex and Conrad were watching her closely.
[This is just like when Barry examines me.] With that silent exchange she opened her mind wide open and let Alex share the feeling of Grace gently probing her stomach.
[Yes; it does rather.] Alex confirmed with a slight frown as he looked down at the top of Grace’s head; trying to figure her out.
Luckily Grace was completely unaware of the close scrutiny she was receiving; or else she would surely start to panic.
“So, how far are you?” Grace asked absentmindedly. The way she continued with her examination with a quiet self assurance made them all wonder about how contradicting her behavior was. Normally she is a careful and scared girl that cautiously goes about keeping herself invisible; but now, she was behaving as if she had all the authority in the world.
She frowned up at Cassy when she did not get an answer to her question right away.
“Just over five months.” Cassy said in a hurry. If Grace had more confidence when she was caring for others; she would make sure to find a way to do exactly that. “Is everything still on track?”
Grace shook her head in wonder as she looked down at her hands. They were about twenty centimeters apart with the thumbs pointed to each other. She nodded at Cassy absentmindedly.
“Yes. Everything seems to be alright.” She glanced down at her hands that were still in the same position. “They are about this big; from head to their bottoms, not their legs.” She placed her hands back on Cassy’s belly.
Alex nuzzled Cassy in the neck while he peaked at Grace while she was moving her hands across his mate’s belly.
Grace straightened up. “I can feel two of them at the sides; but I am sure that I can feel three pairs of feet at the bottom.”
“But shouldn’t they be head down?” Sam asked as she put both hands on her tummy.
“Not until the end.” Grace replied as she flashed a reassuring smile at Sam before she walked back to her seat next to Lucy.
Conrad watched as she moved away from Cassy and he could almost see her change with every step she took away from Cassy. As she walked back to her seat he could see how she lost her self assurance and became the frightened and timid little girl again. He made a silent vow to do everything in his power to make sure she became a fulltime self assured person.
For the rest of the evening they sat talking about nothing in particular until Cassy stretched. “Bedtime.” She said and everybody protested until she took out a box of cookies. She also fished out a kettle that they could put on the fire.
Conrad took the kettle and stepped towards Grace. “Could you please show me the nearest tap?”
Grace stood up and walked ahead of Conrad to the back of the pack house. There were two taps; both dripping; and he made a mental note that they either fix all the leaking taps or turn of the water when they left. There was no doubt in his mind that the pack would be disbanded. It was simply too unhealthy for these people to stay here.
On their way back, Grace stumbled over a stone and Conrad quickly caught her hand before she could hit the ground.
“Thanks.” She mumbled shyly; angry with herself for such clumsy behavior. And because Conrad did not let her hand go until they reached the flickering light of the fire. Grace was sure they all must have seen Conrad hold her hand; yet not one of them said anything about it. They did not even look at her funny. If this was her pack; they would have had a lot of nasty and dirty comments. She had a feeling that Conrad would have not let things there; so she was glad that none of them could see her now.
After having coffee and the best cookies ever, the girls wished their men goodnight and went inside to change into something more comfortable to sleep in. Soon Grace was surrounded by the reassuring sound of sleeping people while the fire was kept going by whoever was on duty. Curious, she peeked out of the window. She saw the vague outline of a wolf next to the side entrance of the van and she knew; she knew that there was another at the back. Sighing, she fell back into her mattress and went to sleep almost at once; for the first time not wondering if anything bad would happen while she was sleeping.
*****
The next morning was a busy one. Cassy woke all the girls up as soon as she was up. They washed quickly at the taps outside; filling the kettle again so that they could make some coffee to drink before they tackled breakfast.
The kitchen was a lot smaller than Cassy’s so there would be no more help for them. Cassy asked Grace to clean up one table properly so that the guys could butter the bread and when they fell in without any protest, Grace stared at them for a while before going back to the kitchen. Most of the surface space in the kitchen was some kind of cooking unit. It was either a stove top or a grill. Cassy got two of the guys to bring one table closer to the kitchen so that they could have at least one proper flat surface to work on. Between the seven of the girls, they managed to scramble all the eggs they had; they roasted the bacon in the ovens and grilled the sausages. Tina quartered at least four boxes of tomatoes to have with breakfast.
By the time breakfast was done, the clearing was filled with hungry people. Cassy had the boys move the tables so that the people could move along both sides to dish up. At the starting point, she had paper plates and plastic knives and forks. At the end she had put various kinds of fruit in baskets that she had managed to find in the pantry. There were bottles of all kinds of sauces all along the table and at the finish end; there were boxes on the ground with fruit juices and a variety of snacks for them to take along with their breakfast.
When breakfast was over and the tables all cleared off, Stan addressed the pack and they all quickly agreed that they would split up the pack and join other packs in small groups of three to five people per pack. All that was left was to decide who was going where.
Stan also asked the mated couples if they wanted to remain in the forced relationships. He explained that there was a cleansing ceremony that the couples could undertake to reverse their so called ‘mated’ status. There were a lot of them that were reluctant to believe him, so he told them that they could rethink their situation once they were placed and they had time to see what a shifter community looked like when the mating was not forced amongst them.
The packs that had space available for new members were on a list and the people were asked to decide who would be going together so that they could start making arrangements. The decision of who would be leaving together seemed to be going a lot smoother than they had anticipated. Once they had decided who would be going together, they approached the table that Stan and the other council members were sitting at to find out where they would be going. The alphas that had stayed behind in the little town had been called in after breakfast and if new pack members were assigned to them, they immediately went with their new pack members to help pack up so that they could leave straight away. They would make arrangements later to come and collect any furniture they wanted to keep.
Tess had been approached by one of the alphas to join his pack as healer and she was insisting that Grace go with her until Alex and Cassy pulled her off to one side and told her softly that Grace was Conrad’s mate.
“No she is not. She has not been claimed yet. And as mean as Simon was, no body was allowed to touch a girl that had not been in season yet.”
Cassy clicked her tongue impatiently. “That might be true for a forced mating; but Conrad is her true mate.”
“Then why doesn’t Grace know?” Tess demanded to know.
“Because she has not shifted yet.” Alex explained calmly. “She will only recognize him as her mate when she and her wolf have joined and not before then.”
“Tess?” Conrad asked as he quietly walked up to them. “May I make a suggestion?”
Tess was reluctant to agree, but decided that hearing him out would do no harm. “Alright, I will listen to what you have to say; but if I do not like it; I am afraid that Grace will be coming with me.”
Conrad managed to stop the growl from breaking past his throat. “Allow Grace to come with us. Lucy has already said that she would be welcome at her house if you do not like the idea of her living at the pack house with the rest of us. Lucy’s mother is a dear and would love nothing more than having another girl in her house. I promise that I will not touch or do anything to her until she shifts. If she decides then that she does not want me; she can leave. If she wants to; or she can stay; whatever she wants she can do.” He swept a nervous hand through his hair as he waited for Tess to give him her reply.
She folded her arms. “I don’t like it.”
That was all she said and before Conrad could argue back, Cassy spoke to him silently.
[She doesn’t like it. It actually means she thinks it is fair. She is only being hones with you. Don’t argue with her; convince her.]
“We will all take good care of her. I promise.” Conrad pleaded. He knew that if Tess insisted Grace would eventually agree with her, no matter how reluctant she was.
Tess thought about it carefully. “I will ask Grace what she wants to do. If she would rather come with me then that is what will happen.”
Conrad was relieved. He had seen the way Lucy and Grace had been interacting the whole day. He was sure that Grace would be coming home with them. As he had hoped, she decided to go back with them to Yellow Stone after Tess gave her a choice.
Tess and Grace fell into the line at the table to let the council know their decision. They were about three people from the front when one of the other males approached them. He wrapped his fingers around the top of her arm and pulled her out of the line.
As he dragged her along behind her he spoke to her. “Come with me. You will be my mate.”