throughout the gathered council. I felt light headed. There were allowances for bonding humans? Why have there been no rumors of such things happening anywhere?
“It is highly unusual though, the vast majority of alphas have bonded mates much earlier than Liam.” The moose elder then focused his attention on Jen. “the opportunity for alphas to bond humans is rare indeed.”
The bear shouted, “He was only made alpha this morning! In a sham of a ceremony! Well past when he committed the crime!”
“I’ve been alpha for some time now,” I spoke to my accuser. “The ceremony is just to give others a chance to see.”
“Is that all you have? That you were alpha, so you get a free pass?” The fox and bear shared a smirk.
“No.” Logan turned and, one by one, looked them all in the eye. “They are a true pair. I have those that will vouch for this if required.”
There was a great deal of murmuring at that pronouncement. Jen hugged my arm more tightly. I looked down, smiling, but she was focused on the elders, staring at them intently...
Reading them.
The bear seemed particularly angry at this turn of events, disproportionately so. “And we’re just supposed to believe any old wolf you put before us? Do you take us for fools?”
“I believe Ian’s testimony would hardly be just ‘any old wolf’ but I can tell him you said so.” Logan’s words brought utter silence. Even the bear stared wide eyed.
Ian was one of, if not the , best hunters in the entire tribe. Everyone knew of him. If he vouched that Jen and I were a true pair it just might work.
The fox recovered quickly. “Again, that is irrelevant...”
He was cut off as Jen spoke, all eyes turning to her in shock. “You aren’t angry that Liam broke the law, you’re angry that it wasn’t one of your own.” Jen turned to the bear. “You as well. You both, you all knew that this was going to happen.”
The stillness that descended on the group at my mate’s words was shocking. Every elder, even Logan, stared at her. I felt my own eyes straining, for that matter.
She looked at them all in turn, some actually flinching away, before continuing. “This is why you wanted to have a reservation next to a human town. It just didn’t go the way you had planned, you couldn’t have known a true pairing would happen.” She paused, shaking her head. “You each hoped it would be a member of your own clan that would be given permission to bond a human.”
“We had also hoped to have more time,” the moose spoke into the silence that followed. “More petitions to mate with humans, eventually giving an alpha permission to bond.” He looked at Liam and sighed, “We were still decades away.”
“But, why?” My head was spinning. The elders had intended to have a human and shifter bond? It was unbelievable.
“They were told to.” Jen said, looking up at me, confusion on her face.
“Who could tell the elder council to do something?” I couldn’t keep the incredulity from my voice, it was a ridiculous thought. Maybe there was a council of even older elders somewhere? It made no sense
Looking around, I saw that all of the elders were uncomfortable. It was some time before Logan spoke. “The Primes.” The two words hung in the air and caused a stir among the gathered elders.
“Who, what are the Primes?” I had never heard anything about them before.
“Primes are alphas that have bonded with a human.” The moose looked between Jen and I. “If you are allowed to live, you may become Primes yourselves.”
“Why haven’t I ever heard of them before?” I asked. I hadn’t even heard the name.
“Seriously?” The bear laughed bitterly. “Only tribal elders are told of them. Can you imagine the chaos if this were general knowledge? Humans would be being bonded left and right by force!”
It made sense when he put it that way. It would mean the end of our way of life, likely an end to us all. The total exposure of shifters to the
“It is highly unusual though, the vast majority of alphas have bonded mates much earlier than Liam.” The moose elder then focused his attention on Jen. “the opportunity for alphas to bond humans is rare indeed.”
The bear shouted, “He was only made alpha this morning! In a sham of a ceremony! Well past when he committed the crime!”
“I’ve been alpha for some time now,” I spoke to my accuser. “The ceremony is just to give others a chance to see.”
“Is that all you have? That you were alpha, so you get a free pass?” The fox and bear shared a smirk.
“No.” Logan turned and, one by one, looked them all in the eye. “They are a true pair. I have those that will vouch for this if required.”
There was a great deal of murmuring at that pronouncement. Jen hugged my arm more tightly. I looked down, smiling, but she was focused on the elders, staring at them intently...
Reading them.
The bear seemed particularly angry at this turn of events, disproportionately so. “And we’re just supposed to believe any old wolf you put before us? Do you take us for fools?”
“I believe Ian’s testimony would hardly be just ‘any old wolf’ but I can tell him you said so.” Logan’s words brought utter silence. Even the bear stared wide eyed.
Ian was one of, if not the , best hunters in the entire tribe. Everyone knew of him. If he vouched that Jen and I were a true pair it just might work.
The fox recovered quickly. “Again, that is irrelevant...”
He was cut off as Jen spoke, all eyes turning to her in shock. “You aren’t angry that Liam broke the law, you’re angry that it wasn’t one of your own.” Jen turned to the bear. “You as well. You both, you all knew that this was going to happen.”
The stillness that descended on the group at my mate’s words was shocking. Every elder, even Logan, stared at her. I felt my own eyes straining, for that matter.
She looked at them all in turn, some actually flinching away, before continuing. “This is why you wanted to have a reservation next to a human town. It just didn’t go the way you had planned, you couldn’t have known a true pairing would happen.” She paused, shaking her head. “You each hoped it would be a member of your own clan that would be given permission to bond a human.”
“We had also hoped to have more time,” the moose spoke into the silence that followed. “More petitions to mate with humans, eventually giving an alpha permission to bond.” He looked at Liam and sighed, “We were still decades away.”
“But, why?” My head was spinning. The elders had intended to have a human and shifter bond? It was unbelievable.
“They were told to.” Jen said, looking up at me, confusion on her face.
“Who could tell the elder council to do something?” I couldn’t keep the incredulity from my voice, it was a ridiculous thought. Maybe there was a council of even older elders somewhere? It made no sense
Looking around, I saw that all of the elders were uncomfortable. It was some time before Logan spoke. “The Primes.” The two words hung in the air and caused a stir among the gathered elders.
“Who, what are the Primes?” I had never heard anything about them before.
“Primes are alphas that have bonded with a human.” The moose looked between Jen and I. “If you are allowed to live, you may become Primes yourselves.”
“Why haven’t I ever heard of them before?” I asked. I hadn’t even heard the name.
“Seriously?” The bear laughed bitterly. “Only tribal elders are told of them. Can you imagine the chaos if this were general knowledge? Humans would be being bonded left and right by force!”
It made sense when he put it that way. It would mean the end of our way of life, likely an end to us all. The total exposure of shifters to the
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