Mates Conquer Everything, Right?

“Can I come in?” I ask when I see Maya sitting in a little office at the hospital.

“Yes, you can always come in when you need it. What brings you here?” She puts down the folder she is working on and gives me a hug.

I wave my piece of paper in front of her face. “I brought my research about Luna-courage.”

“Oh great! Let’s take a seat.”

She gets seated and starts typing on her laptop.

“It was not easy to find information and to apply it to my situation. A lot of things have to do with the wolf side, which I don’t have.”

“That is what is so exciting about your situation. You are human, so we can detect when it is the wolf side or human side active when something related with Luna-courage occurs. Not only is it of scientific interest where the line between human and wolf is, but it is also interesting for you. If you know what you are capable of, you can control it better.”

“Control it? I read it only shows if I want to protect the pack.”

“Yes, it will become active when you are in danger or the pack is. Well, the pack of the Luna of course. You aren’t an Alpha Female, so it is kind of different.”

I give her a shy smile. “Sounds like me.”

“Okay, tell me what you experienced when it was happening. How did your body react?”

“The first thing I noticed was my quick thinking. How I could think not only quick on my feet, but also access parts I felt I never used before or something like that. My mind was running, but I was still able to act normally. No panic.”

“I will write it down,” Maya tells me and types with werewolf speed. Looks like the letters are flying off.

“Oh, and I was growling. Something inside me made me growl like, well, a wolf.”

She looks up from the screen and scans my face. “Growling?”

“Yes, that was one of the first things I noticed.”

“And you didn’t do it yourself, it was automatic?”

I nod and move on, “I had the overwhelming feeling I needed to be there when the rogues were standing in front of me. It was my place to be there and protect the children. I was determined to fight them off, even when I didn’t have a chance.”

I look at my hands, remembering the traumatic event.

“If this is too much…” Maya begins, and I cut her off. “No, it is okay. I am fine.” And I mean it.

She nods and types away.

“At one point the primal feeling took over my body. I was scared but I didn’t show it. Again, a growl escaped my mouth, and my focus was extreme. That’s what I experienced when it happened.”

Maya stops typing and looks my paper over. “Did you feel like you had better senses than normal?”

I think it over. “I did see a smudge on the rough and discovered it was oil. I don’t know if I saw it because of better vision or if I would have noticed it without the Luna-courage.”

“It is possible that it was the Luna-courage. Heightened senses are part of it. You wrote it all down. Heightened senses, ability to move with speed, heightened bravery, quick thinking and protective power.”

Yes, I wrote it down, but that doesn’t mean I know what everything is and what Luna-courage can include. We talk everything over and she tells me not to worry, because I never have to think about it again. And she is right, if I never have to think about it again, it means I never will be in danger again.

Oliver took me to Joe and Rose’s, where a package from my parents arrived with some nice presents. I took my time going through it. There were some nice thick socks with funny cartoons, some candy I can’t get over here and some stationary my mom knows I love. I showed everything to Oliver, and he loves the socks with the pizza slices on it. I gave them to him, a belated birthday present.

I practice shooting in the garden with Joe who was impressed with my aim, and we went home after that.

Entering the pack house, I see Igétas, the Alpha and two head warriors going into the meeting room.

“What is that all about?” I ask Oliver who is still by my side.

“There was a hole in our defenses and a rogue came close to hurting someone. We were okay, but we think he was a scout, someone to check for weaknesses and they found one.”

“Oh no,” I say, and horror takes over my face.

“It is okay, they are going to talk about the situation, probably thinking about where the rogues can be at this moment and which packs we need as allies.” I nod and start walking, and then I stop.

“Do they have any information, a starting point to know where they can be?”

“No, a young warrior didn’t have the skills to leave the rogue alive, so we couldn’t question him.” Oliver tells me.

“And with the other attack, did you know where they came from?”

“We didn’t take prisoners. It was a close call, you know why.”

Yes, I knew why. If I hadn’t killed him, the pack would have been taken over.

Wait, I know more than that. They never questioned me about the attack, the wolves must say something that they can use, right?

“I know things.” I say to Oliver. He raised a brow. “What kinds of things?”

“I was there when he attacked, he talked to me. I know more than they do. I need you to get me in there.” He nods and his eyes become milky.

Then he smiles down at me. “Igétas wants to talk to you first, however, the Alpha wants to know what you’re holding back.”

I shake my head, “I didn’t hold anything back, they never asked, and I was a little bit busy in the hospital.”

Oliver holds up his hands, “I believe you. Let’s go in, I will be at your side.”

I smile at his offer, and we walk in.