Sharkbait Down Under

Linda was disappointed I wasn’t going along to dive with Great Whites, but she understood I had more important things to do right now. We finished up the hotel breakfast, and Mom and I sat in the back of our borrowed SUV. Nicholas drove, since Carla was not comfortable with driving on the left side of the road.

During the drive, we used his phone to video conference in with the relatives who left early. Nicholas let them know that we would be taking over from Leo today; since he knew them all, he did most of the talking. “Events are driving us to do this earlier than we wanted, but we believe this was always the path set for us.” He asked them to keep an open mind, as the option to join us was always there. “There are going to be a lot of changes coming, as you can imagine.”

“Whether you formally join us or not, you’re still family,” I said. “We will still love you and protect you.”

Nicholas promised to keep in touch with them all, and we ended the call shortly before arriving at his great-Uncle’s station in Bonnie Doon. I’d let the Pack know we were coming, and they were waiting outside for us when we drove up. Leo and Joseph were at the bottom of the stairs, while the rest gathered on the porch and lawn. “Welcome back,” Joseph said as he greeted us.

“Thank you; it’s good to be back.” I saw Fiona standing stiffly in the back, her eyes down, and tears still running down her face. I looked back at Leo. “What did you decide?”

“After discussing it with Alpha Steven and Margaret, we agreed that death and banishment were not appropriate punishments. Fiona had a chance to apologize not just to Margaret, who she harmed, but to the family members who saw it.” Her attack was the worst possible way to introduce new werewolves to the isolated group, and Fiona made our jobs far harder. “The first part of her punishment is complete; she received ten lashes this morning.” Lashes would remove skin and leave permanent scars. “She has been stripped of Pack rank for six months. She will eat last, get the worst job assignments, and work harder than anyone else during this time.”

In a society where rank was everything, and you’d spent years earning your spot as a warrior, the loss of a high Pack rank would be tough to take. Some wolves would choose the life of a rogue rather than the humiliation of being unranked. “What about my tour?”

“Fiona will continue to protect you, but Carla is now in charge of your protection,” Leo said. “Carla, that does not mean you cannot take advantage of her knowledge and experience. Fiona also understands that she is to do whatever is necessary if Vicki is in danger.”

I looked back at Fiona, whose eyes met mine briefly. “I will protect the Alpha with my life,” she vowed.

“Her salary for the next six months, minus minimal living expenses, will go to Margaret. That includes any payments for her work on shows taped during this time. In essence, Fiona will do all the work and reap none of the benefits. After six months, you may restore her position and privileges within the Pack.”

It was a harsh sentence. “Fiona, you have agreed to this?”

“I have,” she said quietly.

“Thank you,” I sent to Leo. I knew Leo had told everyone what had happened and why he was turning the Pack over to us. I was glad I didn’t have to explain Council laws and politics to them. “Does anyone have any questions before we do this,” I asked.

There were a few, and they weren’t easy to answer.

“How are we going to live as a Pack? Ian is in Port Lincoln, while we live in Tasmania,” a cousin asked.

“I don’t know yet, but nothing will change right away,” I said. “Nicholas still has his school in Adelaide, and I have my work. I plan to get my Australian citizenship and settle down here. I’d like to have Pack members close by where I can, but it isn’t a requirement.”

“In my Pack, everyone lives within a twenty-minute drive of my house,” Leo said. “We can relay the mind link to anyone in the Pack, and we gather together often. My home is the social center of our Pack. Over the years, Pack members have purchased surrounding lands, giving us more privacy and freedom of movement.”

I nodded at that. “I will not make moving a requirement of being in the Pack. If you want to move closer to us, we will help with that. What I can promise is that it won’t be in a big city, but it will be near enough to one. I like having room to run.”

“Who are your Betas going to be since we are all descended from a Beta,” another asked.

This one was more interesting. “I will start with temporary Betas who are familiar with how a Pack runs. We are doing this because I have work commitments until Christmas, and Nicholas will need help. My Mom has volunteered to stay for a few weeks, as have Hammer and Susan.”

“Hammer wants to become a werewolf, and he’s asked me to do it down here rather than waiting until they return to Minnesota,” Leo said. “It’s one more chance for those considering the change to see what is involved.”

Nicholas pulled me into his side. “I’m not the only one who is going to find a mate and change my life,” he said. “All of you who choose to look, we will help you search for the one meant for you.”

“The first weekend of February, there is a gathering of North American Alphas. At this event, Beta level wolves and above of mating age attend a social function nicknamed the ‘scratch and sniff.’ The purpose is to find mates. I intend to bring up as many of you as wish to attend, and I’ll request they bring unmated of ALL ranks. I expect some of you will leave for your mate’s Pack, while others will bring new blood into our Pack. I’ll wait until after that upheaval before I formalize any ranks.”

“And for a lot of you, it won’t matter,” Nicholas said. “If you’re living remotely with your family, nothing will change unless you visit others.”

We were out of time before the phone call, so without objection, we proceeded with the transfer of the Alpha position from Leo to us. I felt the power shift and the weight of the mantle on my shoulders for the first time.

It was a heavier burden than I had anticipated. Our wolves pushed forward, helping us shoulder the weight of our new responsibilities. “We can do this,” my wolf assured us.

We accepted the congratulations of the Pack before heading inside to Joseph’s office. Ian, Joseph, and Olivia sat outside the view of the camera, leaving me in the center with Nicholas on my right and Leo on my left. I could see dozens of people had already joined the secure teleconference, which the North American Council was hosting. Chairman Carver was in a fancy conference room with four Regional Chairs, the Council lawyer, and the head of the Council Enforcers.

I did have friendly faces in the crowd. Adrienne was representing the Miesville Pack, with her son Andrei next to her. As soon as my announcement came, everyone would know he was the Mantled Heir to the Miesville Pack. My biological father, Ivan Volkov, would lose the most. No longer could he hope that I’d take over for him when he and Luna Karen retired. Instead, they would pray one of his older girls would mate an Alpha blood strong enough to defend his position. Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn were waiting, and they had a bowl of popcorn in their lap. I snorted and pointed it out to my mate; I loved those two.

Like all Council videoconferences, there were two levels of access. The Alphas appeared on the screen and could talk, while lower ranks could watch the feed but not participate. I adjusted my dress, making sure my mating bite was visible as the meeting started.

“This informal meeting of the North American Alpha Council will come to order,” Chairman Carver said as he banged a gavel. As the leader of the teleconference, everyone saw what he wanted them to see. If you wanted to talk, you had to ‘raise your hand’ in the software and be recognized; everyone was on mute by default. “This is an informational meeting, so no official Council business is on the docket for today. Joining us by invitation are members of the European Council and European and Asian Alphas. Thank you, gentlemen, for staying up late enough to participate.”

Lars Svensson, the European Council Chair, spoke next. “Thank you for the invitation, Chairman Carver. We are curious as to our involvement in this topic,” he said.

“Perhaps Luna Adrienne can help with that since she requested your presence on this call. Luna Adrienne?”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll send you to Melbourne, Australia now, where my niece has an announcement to make.”

Leo unmuted our microphone, and I smiled at the camera as I squeezed Nicholas’ hand. “Hello, everyone. My name is Alpha Vicki Corcoran, and this is my mate, Alpha Nicholas.”

“Congratulations on your mating,” Chairman Carver said with a smile. “It must be a wonderful feeling to take over Miesville from Alpha Leo and Luna Adrienne, both of whom must be looking forward to their retirement.”

I smiled and turned to Leo, who was shaking his head. “You are mistaken, Mr. Chairman. Adrienne and I remain Alphas of the Miesville Pack. Our son Andrei remains our heir.”

Chairman Carver smiled and unmuted Alpha Ivan. “Congratulations to you and Luna Karen. You must be excited to have your daughter taking over the Stillwater Pack!”

Ivan leaned forward with a grin. “We aren’t going anywhere, Mr. Chairman.”

I waited until the Chairman turned back to me. “What Pack are you two Alphas of?”

“The Southern Cross Pack,” I said. “Our Pack territory encompasses the continent of Australia.”