Chapter 9

By nightfall everything was peaceful after the bit of hectic confusion when the Vet came with the supplies. However, she was now gone, though under protest. The pups were sleeping happily with full tummies and their father curled around them, occasionally nuzzling one that would get fussy but would fall back to sleep a few moments later.

"That's just one of the most amazing things I've ever seen," stated Kert as he watched the interaction.

"What's that Kert?" asked Linda as she sat next to Trap absently petting his fur.

"I've watched animals for years and wolves always held a special wonder for me. But in all my years, I've never seen a male act quite like this with newborn pups before."

"Did you ever watch a pack that lost an Alpha female with newborn pups?" Linda asked amused.

Kert had to think on that and he even tried to remember any reports that might have come to him about it. However he knew deep down the answer was no.

"No. I wish I could but no, not with newborns. One or two with three to five week old pups but not new borns."

"Well then, you have now. The male wants his pups to live just like any father would. We were just lucky enough to be able to help and make it happen."

"Linda I'm going to ask you something. It's going to sound a bit off but I have to know some things."

"As long as it's not that you're in love with me and want me to marry you, then I think I can listen," Linda said with a chuckle.

In her mind she heard Grawl and Trap laughing.

"LINDA! You ... you stinker," said Kert when he realized Linda was picking on him. He was also surprised to hear what could only be described as grunting laugh sounds from the two wolves as they too laughed at him.

"Ok, so you all are stinkers."

This of course set them off even worse and it was a good long while before the echo of the laughter stopped.

"Ok, now that we've had our fun at my expense, there are some things I would like to know," said Kert but he was smiling.

"Well since you asked so nicely, I'll try to answer what I can," replied Linda as she tried not to start laughing again.

"Now, mind you, these questions come from observing you, Linda, and how you interact with completely wild wolves you have in your house and as your back rest right now."

Linda looked at Trap as he turned his head up to her. Both could only imagine what they had given away.

"Ok, why don't you start with your observations and we'll go from there," Linda said as she turned back to Kert.

"Well, just sitting here is a lesson in the abnormal. Wild wolves indeed; one might think you kept them as pets or something."

"I think it's more like the other way around, myself," interrupted Linda.

"Maybe, now with what I heard from the town's people, the sheriff, and reports I looked over before coming; the wolves here have always acted differently, though they are not the only ones. Our group has a pair working up in Canada, a husband and wife team that are watching a pack up there, in the Canadian Tundra. They were the only ones the wolves themselves didn't drive off. Those two have gotten close but not this close.

"Now, back to here. I've watched how you interact with the pack but mainly these two. To the larger one you show complete and utter respect, which is completely understandable but, yet, the level you show, isn't.

"Now, to the smaller one. You watch him when you think he isn't looking. And I swear he stares at your butt every time you walk away from him."

Trap actually started coughing as Linda fell over laughing. Kert gave them time to compose themselves and then continued.

"There are also times that I have seen all three of you and the pack, just look quickly at one another. The feel of something would pass between you that to me looks like you were talking, which would be followed by an action.

"The questions I have starts with, am I seeing the truth? What is really going on between you and this pack? And is there more between you and the wolf you call Trap?"

Linda had stopped laughing to give real thought to what the man before her said. She wondered how many others had seen what Kert had. She looked to Trap, but he was just as perplexed as she was. Then, she looked to Grawl.

"I do not feel that he means to harm us by gaining this knowledge. He is the type of being that must try to find the answers to the questions in his head."

"And the pack in Canada? Are they as you are?" asked Linda.

"Yes, in fact it is the pack led by the greatest of us, my own sire. The two that have been allowed to observe them are both of the blood though know nothing of it."

Linda looked back at Kert, "Kert, you have asked some interesting questions. However, no matter how I answer them, I would have to wonder about how you would use the answers. You are a man driven to find answers. To that end you study the ways of science in order to find those answers.

"I would have to worry if what I said garnered more questions. So many more that the only way to answer them would be to force the answers. There are many who would not think twice about capturing me and the pack, and making 'lab rats' out of us, just to see if there was even a hint of truth in the questions you've asked. How would I combat something like that?"

Kert was shocked but let his mind see that Linda did have a reason to worry.

"Linda, all I could do is give you my sworn word that anything you tell me will not leave this room. Yes, I want to know all there is to what I see. Please believe me that I will never tell anything to any one about any of this. I will even let you read my report and Larry's before we turn them in."

Linda looked to Grawl, who looked at Kert and nodded his head in agreement.

"Your sworn word has been given and accepted. The pack, have your scent, and if you break that oath, they will hunt you down.

"Honor is very important to all wolves. This one and the other as well as a few others even more so. Honor is everything, break it and die. That is all there is."

Linda again looked to Grawl, who sat up straighter to show pride in the words his son's mate had used.

"Before I answer your questions, let me begin by telling you a story.

"Many, many years ago this planet was home to more than just humans. Elves, fairies, gnomes, dwarves and many others came here, from their homes, by way of special doorways.

"The doorways (or portals as they are sometimes called) were also the gateways to other universes and other realities. That was also a time when magic was the norm. As time went on, the humans, who lived here, began to realize that they had less in the way of magic than other races, so humans set out to control or destroy all magic.

"To do this, many groups created religion, and through dogma, forced people to stop believing in magic. Except for a select few, and in certain areas, magic was destroyed by the simple act of forgetting about it.

"With the magic being lost to time, the power to open the portals was also lost. Those beings that still knew and could use the magic summoned all their peoples and told them to flee this world or they would be lost forever in a powerless place that cared nothing about them.

"Before the end of the age of magic, there were still some who had not forgotten and called themselves wizards and sorcerers. Most were cruel, evil creatures that wanted nothing more than to rule over everything or destroy it so no one else could have it.

"Some, though, were good and fled to the lands of the Elves and the Fey.

"There was one that learned that if you could go to another universe, you could draw to yourself all the power of that place and that you could hold and bring it back with you.

"When this mage reached a point that he thought he could do this, there were only a few creatures left that had the power he wanted and craved.

"He chose the power belonging to the Weres as what he wanted. To be true, it was the Werewolves that were his chosen targets.

"The mage had amassed great wealth and power and with his army he took captive all the werewolves that were left and slowly drew from them what powers they had until he came to the leader.

"The mage demanded the leader of the werewolves to open the portal to his home world. The leader would not. Even as he was forced to watch his family tortured, he would not open the doorway to his home world for he knew what the mage would gain if he did.

"In the end, the mage cast one final spell against the werewolves. That spell locked the werewolves into their wolf forms. It was his hope to force the werewolf leader to agree to the mage's demands.

"There was one exception to the locking spell. One lone female was not locked into her wolf form, but rather, she was locked into her human form. She was the mage's key to reversing the spell.

"The mage grabbed the female up off the floor and then turned to the Were leader and demanded he open the portal or he would take his pleasures out on his daughter.

"The moment the female woke she found herself being held by the loathsome mage. She saw her father, mother, brothers and sisters then looked down at herself. She could only guess at what the mage wanted however with how she looked she had a bad idea what part of it was going to be.

"It made Star angry and with the last of her Were-strength that she felt slipping from her, she made a claw of her hand and struck, ripping out the throat of the unsuspecting mage and ended his miserable life.

"Shortly after, Star and her family, with all the werewolves, were freed and fled the place of pain. However, with Star locked into her very human and mortal body, she could not stay with her family.

"With the pack now having to wait for the mage's curse to weaken so the werewolves could gain back their powers and break the spell locking them to the one form, Star knew she would be needed.

As she was mortal, she would never live long enough to see her people free. However she did know her blood could be continued and and would be ready when the time came. So she left the pack to find a worthy mate and hope that her children would be ready.

"More than fifteen hundred years have passed and the spell holding the werewolves has started to weaken. So the Weres will come together, break the spell and return home."

Linda stopped. She felt a bit overwhelmed as she recited the story. In her mind, she could see all of it so clearly; it was as if she were there.

Kert listened with rapt attention. The story, to him, was more than he expected. Part of him screamed that there was no way any of it could be true. Another part told him that with everything he had seen that it was all very much true. Another part, though small, was still heard as it told him to leave and get someone to come with all the research equipment he could get and document everything possible.

Kert also realized the level of trust now placed on him. What he knew could destroy an entire race if he did the wrong thing.

Then, some parts of the story made him look at Linda, then to the big wolf and back, then again at the wolf.

"She's one of you? She's a child of the female that was turned into a human isn't she?"

Grawl was impressed, he didn't even know if Linda realized it. In answer to the human sitting and looking at him, he nodded his head.

"So this spell the mage cast is weakening enough that your people might be able to break it soon?" Kert asked.