Time seemed to go by fast after that.
It has been almost a week without Clarisse saying more than a passing word. She hasn't blown up again and smiles at me when we pass each other, but I know she's not happy.
I really do not understand what caused her to get so upset. At least, to the point that it has been a week and there has been no difference.
Other than Clarisse, though, there have been a lot of changes this past week.
After posting the sign about people's skills and what they desire to learn, many people had gotten involved in makeshift groups all around the territory. Many wolves coming through even have been taking some time to add their knowledge during one group's session or another's. It has definitely seemed to help people get moving and become a little more settled.
I also managed to get the two kids from the plane crash to finally move up into a room in the main house. They are still sleeping in the same room as each other, but it is progressing. Even if the girl is still just 'the girl' because she still has not talked.
I have also had many tacos over the span of one week. Granted it is not quite like what I think of when I think of tacos, it's still amazing to have it. Though I would love to have some sour cream.
The Oaxaca pack had come and gone, along with several other packs from around the world. The Sonoma pack left as well, though Silver was still here.
I enjoyed hanging out with him and learning all kinds of things, despite Jonah's annoyance. He said he needed to make a trip to check out his pack's territory in the Old Arizona and California territories anyway. Yet, he had not left Eric's pack grounds so far.
I did not mind, though. Silver was keeping busy- helping Ana and me with the garden, teaching everyone about the safety of food in the wilderness and how to make ingredients for foods he taught us. He even helped Jonah with my self-defense training. At least verbally since Jonah was not letting any other guy get close enough to touch me.
But the reason why I did not mind having Silver around longer was because of the lending ear he gave me with Clarisse still not really talking to me. Do not get me wrong, Jonah is always more than willing to listen but it's nice to have someone else to talk to also. Ana is nice to talk to but it's just a convenience type thing at this point. But Silver understands more than the others do. Maybe it is because his pack is used to cultural differences anyway. Maybe it is because being an Alpha of such a big and constantly moving pack could be difficult without having someone to talk to yourself. I don't know. But I do know, he will make some lady really lucky one day.
Over the past week, I have also been helping out with the record-keeping of meetings with all of the Alphas.
I internally laugh every time I think of it. If you had told me six months ago I would be going from a bestselling author to a glorified minute-taker for werewolves... well I would have probably turned it into a book.
However, it was not only important but was also helping me to learn about wolf shifter packs better than I could otherwise.
I also was getting closer to Jonah and the idea of finally becoming his mate in more than just name. Or, at least, running out of excuses about pushing it off. Not that Jonah would say anything about it. But I do know he is getting more restless about the fact he has not claimed me yet. Especially with the number of men constantly coming.
One day, one of the few times I was having a cooking lesson with Silver that Jonah was not at, I had talked to Silver about mates. I figured it would be nice to learn about it from a guy's point of view who was not going to pull his punches, so to speak.
When we think about what we have read in books about werewolves or shapeshifters with their mates, it is all true for the most part. Their one true love is bound to lead to possessive and protective tendencies emerging in a species filled with animalistic characteristics. But adding that on top of very few people even finding their mates now and I can see how that would make it worse to not have your mark on your mate for others to see. It helped me to see how Jonah may be really feeling about how we are waiting.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?"
I jumped and swung around to see Jonah standing there watching me. I guess I had been so caught up in my thoughts I didn't hear him come in.
"Oh! Hey. I-uh, nothing really. Just how fast this week's gone by. Why?" It looked like he had an actual reason to ask and was not just wondering. Which was just as well seeing how I probably would not want to tell him, "Oh, nothing. Just the fact I am still wrapping my head around everything, including being your mate, and even though I think I may be starting to fall for you and I know how much it is upsetting you to wait to mate with me, I still don't know if I'm ready."
Yeah, I'm a rambler and a serious run-on type of thinker. Even if it is just in my head. But really. How does one even know when they're ready to irrevocably tie down their life to another? Especially when they have not even known that person long.
Yep. So not saying that to him.
When I blinked out of my thoughts once more I noticed Jonah watching me with a slightly tilted head and a small curve to his lips. "I know there's more to it but I'll let you keep your secrets, Mine."
He walked over and sat next to me. "I wanted to let you know one of Eric's pack members is going back into their nearby town. If you need anything, he is leaving within the next hour."
I frowned a little. "Why is he going back into town so soon?"
Jonah blinked and looked away evasively, "Just needing to look for something."
I narrowed my eyes. "Jonah. Tell me. Please. We promised to be open and honest. That's the only way this will ever work between us." It was a low blow. Despite honesty being an important aspect of our relationship, if he really did not want to tell me why someone was going to the town that was his prerogative. I would not necessarily be happy about it and would try to find out, but I would not be mad enough to let it fester.
He grumbled and stretched his head then ran his hand through his hair while he shifted. "Okay, fine. I didn't want to worry you but there apparently have been some rumblings amongst the town humans. Somehow they learned about there being a group of humans here. But they were told the humans were being held against their will."
I raised my eyebrow.
"Okay. Yea, they kind of are. But that's because we agreed upon it. So they kind of aren't."
I chuckled a little, "I know. I know. I was just messing with you." But then the smile fell from my lips. "I really don't know how they'd know about any of this anyway. Or why they'd care."
"Well, about why they'd care. Well, that's not something super shocking. Sadly, it's more to do with potential women that we are getting first chances with than humans being here. This world we live in is not always bad but it is not always good."
"The 'how they know' part of that sentence is what we would like to know also. The only way would be for someone from here to tell them or one of the town humans come here. Neither option makes sense. We haven't let anyone other than pack members leave recently and the pack guards would have been able to scent any human who doesn't belong after this much time getting acclimated to your time's humans."
I shake my head, "So, someone told them things that aren't true. Or at least exaggerated versions of the truth. But I don't understand who would do that. Why? And it sounds like if you're sure no stranger can get here undetected the only option is someone got out without anyone knowing. But I don't understand why any of the plane survivors would do that. Not only did you guys save them, but this past week has seemed great!"
Sighing in frustration Jonah answered. "I agree. That's what is so frustrating and why Eric is sending someone. He's hoping we can either find out how they found out or find a way to defuse the situation. The last thing we need is this leading to a situation where they try to come here to take people."
"I just don't see how anyone would do this," I groan and massage my temple. "I really don't."
Standing up, Jonah holds out a hand. "Come on. Let's go meet up with the others downstairs. They're probably all talking about it in Alpha Eric's office right now."
I chuckle and roll my eyes at him still using Eric's title but take his hand to follow. "Okay. I just hope there's something we've overlooked and it's not someone here trying to cause problems."
Kissing my forehead and pulling me out the door of our bedroom, Jonah agrees with me.
When we got downstairs it was to a lot of raised voices that even I, a human, could hear through the thick wooden door of Eric's office. Not so much as yelling at each other as it was people with differing opinions trying to be heard over others.
Walking in, I was shocked to see a few humans in the office as well as quite a few shifters. Two of whom were the Doctor and Clarisse. The latter was even more shocking to me, seeing how she had made it no secret how she felt about being here.
A strange feeling went through my body but I shook it off. I was just being paranoid.
Seeing us enter the room, silence fell. Until Eric broke it from his place behind his chair, standing with his hands on Ana's shoulders. "So, we are sending a runner into town to try and find a way to fix things from that end while we increase our border patrol units. As you can see, Alpha Jonah, Luna Emilia, we decided this situation was important enough to let the humans here know. If we are unable to de-escalate this situation or find who caused it in the first place, it is highly problematic. When I say this, I mean it. Not just for us but also for all of you humans from the past. These humans here, the ones getting all angry over you being kept in our territory, are not getting angry because of any humane reason. They're angry because there are females here and they want females. It is as simple as that. They will try and kill the human males just as much as they'll try and kill us shifters. They'll steal the women and, at best, sell them to The Gathering. At worst, they'll rape and pass the females along to each other. This is a serious and potentially deadly problem for all of us here."
There were lots of murmurs after that statement, mainly from the humans in the room.
"Quiet. Please." Eric's voice interrupted them in a barely raised voice, but once which carried. "I am not saying this to scare you. Though being aware enough of the situation to be scared is necessary."
With a furrowed brow I spoke. "In all honesty, I feel the only way we may be able to de-escalate this situation is to somehow make them stand down. I'm sure many of the town people don't want to cause problems with your pack. You said before you guys were particularly close to each other since you protect them. So, why would they even be ruining all of that simply based on a rumor?"
Ana shifted and spoke, "I was thinking that as well. We've never had a problem with them before."
I saw many of the shifters nod and murmur in agreement.
"I believe it's not the humans of the town that are making the situation into... well, a situation. Apparently, some men came through a couple of weeks ago. They are Gatherers. What we call the people who kidnap women for The Gathering. Now, we nor the town never let them do business or take women from around here. But we can't exactly run them off for doing nothing. I think these men are the ones who heard this rumor and are trying to rile up enough people to do something."
At Eric's words, the noise level in the office was once more filled with loud voices and growls.
"Wait. Wait! So, that's good don't you see? If they are in fact the people adding fuel to the fire, and the town's people already don't like them, then just use that to diffuse the situation!" I raised my voice to speak over the noise.
Jonah nodded, his arm wrapping around my waist. "My mate is right. Most of us stay clear of the humans around our pack territories but you have told us you have a much friendlier arrangement with the town. A mutually beneficial one. The town won't want to risk that simply based on the words of untrustworthy outsiders if you can find a way to prove to them it's a lie."
Eric nodded. "That's a good idea. But how do we prove to them it's a lie? We don't let them come to our territory. For safety reasons, as I'm sure you understand. The same reason is why we've been keeping the plane survivors here and not letting them go into town a lot. So how do we convince them it's false, knowing that? And how do we do that before any action is taken?"
Just then Eric's Beta walked in. I had not realized he was missing until now but, by the look on his face, I could tell there was a good reason for his absence. Or a very bad one.
Ignoring everyone, he looked towards Eric. "I'm sorry, Alpha. But I have some news. I was speaking with the pack members we sent for the supply run last week and they remembered something they heard in town about a rash of women being kidnapped randomly throughout the entire country."
"What do you mean women being kidnapped randomly? Gatherers? Why are we just now hearing of this?" Eric demanded in a snarl.
His Beta and many other pack members lowered their heads a little in what I could only assume was a submissive gesture.
"They didn't recall it until now and at the time thought it was either just a tale being spread around or a positive thing. See, it's not Gatherer's. In fact, apparently, all of these women who are being kidnapped are victims of The Gathering themselves. The people they're being taken from are their buyers."
Shocked silence filled the room but I was intrigued. "That's a good thing, then! Isn't it? These women are being rescued!"
The Beta shook his head. "No, Luna Emilia. It is. But not for us. Right now this story is just hearsay. Enough evidence to know women are being kidnapped but nothing else. Despite the humans in the nearby town not condoning the kidnapping of women and The Gathering, they won't stand by and allow any type of kidnapping. Even if it's from those who are victims of The Gathering trying to escape. At least, not publicly."
"But I don't understand. That's crazy! It shouldn't matter if these women want to escape by any means they can. If they really are being rescued then I'm assuming only the women who need to leave are being rescued. The ones who are in terrible situations!"
Eric growled. "While I agree. What does this have to do with our immediate situation?"
His Beta cleared his throat. "Right. Well, see, whoever spread the word or however they learned of the humans staying here, they weren't exactly told where these humans came from. So, they heard the rumor of the women who have been going missing for the past 6 months now and then heard of the sudden appearance of a group of humans being held here. Now, the townspeople may actually be giving some credibility to these rumors. What I'm saying is, it may not even be about the fact we have a group of humans as much as it is they think we are kidnapping women and holding them here."
Ana and Clarisse gasped while all of the men growled or yelled. My eyes widened and I looked up at Jonah. "This situation just got much more serious. We need to figure something out now."
Jonah opened his mouth to say something as a muffled scream from outside filled the air and the scent of smoke wafted from under the office door.
"I think it's too late for that."