The Mahani Wolves (Completed)

Chapter 24 - Leah

"I've been busy with the medical team all week. We are seeing an upsurge in rejections from the packs. I'm starting to wonder if someone or something is behind it."

My mother is not usually paranoid, so that statement caught my attention.

My mate, Daniel, and I were hosting lunch for my parents. We get together at least once a month to chat.

As the next Mahani Blood Alpha for this tribe, I have so much to learn. I spent the first four years after my first shift studying everything I could get my hands on. Thank Goddess, I won't become the tribe's new leader until I'm thirty.

Everyone was shocked when my wolf emerged. We had assumed I was an Elemental because I was a prodigy. My passion is languages, unlike my sisters, who prefer the sciences.

But a female Mahani Blood Alpha? Only once before was there one born, and she was killed before she could assume her destined role.

I'm fluent in over 23 languages and still learning. My fated mate was within my tribe, and we met when I was eighteen at a get-together for the Gammas when I had started to accompany my father around.

Daniel is my rock and my heart. His training in therapy helps me to ground myself. No pun intended.

My element is Earth.

All tribes typically have all four elements covered, and we do. My father is Wind, Doc is Water, and Grace is Fire. We also have a few others throughout the territory we control. Those who are mated chose Mahani.

We only allow Elementals out of our various camps if they are mated, and even then, it's limited to when they can be heavily guarded. Wolves and humans widely hunt us.

My brother Thomas and I were the only two birthed by my parents. Over the years, we've had several siblings, all of them Elementals, as they come to live with the Blood Alpha after their wolf emerges. Thomas died in a car accident right before his wolf appeared.

But right now, I'm having a rough week. My mate calms me, but I can honestly say I miss Nicolas. He has seen Gamma Two every day since the attack, and she assured my Father that he could return to duty yesterday. But after finding his mate and moving, he was given another week off.

"Do any of these rejected mates have a common link?" I asked my mother, getting back on topic.

"Not that I can see, but we all know a Blood Alpha can command one to reject their mate."

"I can absolve all former Alpha commands on the ones who rejected them and then take a look, narrowing my power to previous commands."

"I got a call from one Blood Alpha that his son, who rejected his mate, is showing signs of rejection sickness. This is unusual unless he was forced to reject his mate. He also won't talk about it." My father said. "Or can't, if you are correct, my love." He added, looking at my mother.

"I'll get on that this afternoon," I told them. "Anything else?"

"Let's see... The Blood Alpha that attacked Nicolas and rejected Amanda was put to death. His brothers were, too. It was odd that there was no Blood Alphas within his pack, so the Council put an Elder in charge until one emerged. They are checking out any suspicious deaths in the pack during a first shift."

"They think he killed the next in line!" My mother was furious at the very idea.

"You know it happens, love."

I decided to move the conversation along before my mother went off.

"Blood Alpha Sands was fined and confined to his packhouse for six months. I don't see that stopping him, but at least we may have peace." It angers me that he gets away with everything.

A member of the Council also lost a daughter due to her reckless behavior, and he talks the others into going easy on the man, stating the grief is overwhelming for someone so strong, especially since he lost his mate the year before.

My mother interjected at that point. She dislikes the topic of Blood Alpha Sands.

"I almost forgot, Evan was just banished from his pack and allowed to leave. He believes the Luna intercepted on his behalf. He should be arriving back sometime tomorrow. I told him to stop and sleep, knowing he didn't get much while Amanda was so sick. We will declare him a Lone Wolf after he returns. He had called to check on his friend." She explained to my father, who raised one eyebrow as if asking why she was contacted instead of him.

I was relieved to hear that. If his Blood Alpha did anything or imprisoned him, we couldn't help. Evan disobeyed a direct order. As an Alpha Warrior, that was a huge deal, punishable by death in most packs.

We all helped with cleaning up the table and kitchen. My mind was attempting to solve the problem of the rejected wolves. I'll read over the records before going over to them, but I have a feeling--

All thoughts cut off as I felt my sister's terror through our bond. All four of us shot out the front door as my father opened a ring to the house Nicolas was moving out of.

Grace was in puppy form, yelping and shaking as Doc tried to calm her. When Doc looked up, I was shocked at the tears in her eyes.

"What happened?!" My mother demanded as she reached for the crying pup.

"She's mated to Lachlan," Doc said sadly, wiping her tears away.

I could feel our mother's Omega power flowing through my sister, and within a few seconds, Grace was starting to calm down. She was still shaking and crying softly, but the yelping had stopped.

"Lily, can you take her to our house? She's staying with us for a while. Daniel, stay on this side of the portal, understand." My mate nodded and then gave me a quick hug.

As they walked away, my father turned to the ring we came through and changed the location to Nicolas via the mindlink. When it opened, they were all staring at Lachlan in shock.

However, Lachlan looked heartbroken.

"They all saw her shift. They know she's an Elemental." Doc said through the link.

My father walked through the ring, and they all stepped back. His power was more significant than I'd ever felt from him before. He was close to losing control.

"We need to talk."

*******

Sorry about the two cliffhangers in a row.
--April