Stolen Birthright Ch. 21-25

I laughed. "You already have stuff to do!"

"Please. We're used to taking care of a full family and Pack functions, and all we have is you now. We will only be able to clean the guest bathroom so often, you know. Besides, we're your Pack, we are here to support you. Remember that those bastards took us hostage, threatened our lives, killed our Beta. We want revenge just as much as you do." I hadn't thought about it that way, but they were right. "What can we do?"

I thought about it for a while. "I'm going to order a bunch of supplies- cork boards, white boards, and a photo printer. The first thing I need to do is start putting together a roster of all three Packs with all the information we can obtain. We can use one wall of the office for each. I want to know as much as we can- names, families, jobs, ranks, friends. I also want to tie in any relatives or close friends outside their Packs; we might be able to use those to get more information, even as leverage. We've got a lot of work to do just to figure out how best to bring the Packs down."

"Come on." I brought the ice cream with me as we walked to the office. It was about half emptied, the bookshelves still in place. "So you will want the bookshelves down, and all the other stuff moved. You want to get down to bare walls?"

"Yep, leave the big desk but add a table we can spread stuff out on, something a few more people can work from."

Mabel came in and we filled her in, and she had ideas too. "You know, they make these cork tiles that glue over the walls. If we got a couple white boards to go either side of the window, we could cover the rest of the walls with it. That way you could work floor to ceiling, move things around, whatever you need."

"Good idea, can you take care of ordering it?"

"Sure, I'll put a dent in your credit card for you." We both smirked at that, she knew what my financial situation was. "Now, I want you to let us take care of a few things while you get some sleep, young lady."

I tried to object, but she took my ice cream away and gave me that Mom look, you know, the one that says the discussion is over. "You are pregnant, you had a tough day and you got almost no sleep last night. You take a shower and get to bed, I don't want to see you until breakfast." She was right, I was dead on my feet and the rest could wait.

The next morning I felt much better. I spent most of the day ordering supplies off Amazon; by the time I was done, I thought UPS was going to send me a dedicated truck.

By lunchtime, Marge and Mabel had the office cleared out, and had brought in a large table to put in the middle of the room. I did make a phone call to Carol at the North Shore pack. She was happy to hear from me, and they were settling in to the Alpha roles quickly. She did say that their Pack had lost all three wolves they had sent on the attack, and gave me their names.

When I told her I was gathering information on the other three Packs, she agreed to send me their current Pack roster plus the list of transfers in and out over the last twenty years. That would help kick start my list.

The other thing she did surprised me, but I could see the wisdom. She had asked her Pack members to talk to their relatives in other Packs about what had happened, including sending them a copy of the video from the trial. It let everyone know that the sins of the previous Alpha had been dealt with, and new leaders wouldn't let it happen again.

Wednesday a bunch of orders started to arrive, so much of our day was spent setting things up in the office. I had set up a home office network, with a big desktop for me and some powerful laptops to go with it. Marge got all the cork board up, and using the big printer/copier she was already putting Pack members up on sheets of paper with their photos and ranks. We could use string to show relations as we went.

Finally, Thursday came and Mark picked me up on time to go to our appointment. There weren't a ton of doctors around, and the nearest clinic was about a half hour drive in Tioga. The drive was quiet, I could tell Mark was still mad at me and didn't know how to behave around me anymore. He didn't try to hold my hand or touch me, and I missed that.

Dr. Felder was an older OB/GYN, and seemed nice. He told me he had actually delivered me; as a small Pack we didn't have a doctor, and used human health care for most things. Before I knew it, I was knees up in the stirrups and he was poking around down there. "Your blood test showed an elevated level of HCG, that's the hormone that pregnancy tests detect. There are a number of potential causes, and just to make sure everything is all right I'll be doing a fetal ultrasound." His assistant wheeled the machine over and I watched as he lubed up the wand.

He didn't say anything as he moved it inside of me; I watched the screen but couldn't really tell what was going on. Finally, he clicked on the machine and the picture froze, a printer then pushed out a hard copy. Mark's jaw fell, he was the first to realize it, then I did too.

Two. Two tiny babies in their little black amniotic sacs.

I was having freaking TWINS.

I silently badmouthed Luna for once again giving me more than I was ready for.

The doctor confirmed that I was having twins. I told him I'd had an ultrasound a few weeks earlier and there had only been ONE! He laughed. "Unless you are lucky or looking for it, it is very common to miss additional fetuses early on in the pregnancy. I just took a little more time because I suspected multiples." I made a note to tell Remi her Pack doctor missed it. Multiple births are more common among werewolves, he should have been looking. If I had known then, I could have been totally freaked out for a few MORE weeks.

Taking some measurements and knowing my conception date, he verified that they were progressing normally. It was still way too early to determine gender, or whether they were identical or fraternal twins. After a discussion on prenatal care, and direction to buy and take prenatal vitamins, I was ushered out of the office.

Mark held my hand as we walked back to his car, I think both of us were too shocked to say anything. It wasn't until we were heading home that he broke the silence.

"TWO! Two babes in one!"

I sprayed spit on the passenger side window as I started to laugh with him.

"Oh God, I'm going to be so huge. I'm going to look like one of those snakes that swallows the mouse." I looked down at my still-flat belly. "Sorry, tummy, I'll take a picture tonight because you'll never be the same."

"You're going to be a great Mom, Ella. You can do this, I know you can." He reached over and placed his hand over my tummy. "I still can't believe I'm going to be a father."

I put my hand over his. "Stop at your house, let's tell your parents."

He grinned. "Mom's going to shit a brick when she hears this. She'll have to go back and buy another of everything she's bought already."

My eyes went wide. "I'm not even eight weeks along and she's already buying me baby stuff?"

He nodded. "Yep. She's so happy to become a Grandma." His look turned devious. "How should we break the news?" I smiled at him and we began plotting.

We stopped at the store and picked up our supplies. Meanwhile, Mark called his Mom to see if they would have time to meet us both; Shelly insisted we come over for lunch, and said she would "make sure" that Tom was there too.

She had made lasagna and garlic bread, and it was fantastic. We deflected questions about the doctor visit, just saying it "went well and everything looked normal" before changing the subject. Shelley was more than happy to discuss colors, names and to tell stories about her own pregnancy. I was happy that I had her to lean on with my own mother gone.

Finally, as we ate cake, Tom had enough. "I know you two didn't call me home for lunch just to talk about color schemes for the nursery. Now, out with it. What's going on?"

I smiled, and out of my pocket I pulled a pair of knit white booties and set them on the table between us. Shelley was about to say something when Mark pulled another pair out of his pocket and set them next to mine.

Tom's jaw dropped. "Does this..."

"We're having twins." I pushed the ultrasound photo across the table to them as Shelley screamed.

Ch 23

Things calmed down a little after the birth announcements, but there were a lot of things still happening. The office was fitted out with all the equipment that had arrived, and Marge and Mabel were working on populating the walls with the people and their information. Tom had located an office space and I had leased it under the name of the shell company we had formed, and we were actively looking for a manager to get it started up. I still had high school stuff to complete and testing for the first semester, and I got that done, even if my heart wasn't in it.

I was young, rich, and pregnant. If it wasn't for how my parents raised me to value my education, I might have dropped out to focus on other stuff. At least it was online high school so I could do it without school hour restrictions.

I went outside every night and sat on the porch with a hot cocoa, hoping my mate would make an appearance. He never did. I cried myself to sleep every night, wondering if I had ruined it before I even knew his name.

The second week in December arrived, and we packed my truck so I could head out on my goodwill tour of Packs. Marge was coming with me, while Mabel would stay home and keep working from the office. I had arranged with the Alphas and Lunas of the surrounding Packs to stay overnight in some places, and make short visits in others. I was starting up north, so after a visit in the morning with the Minot Pack, I was off to Winnepeg.

Alpha Dennis and Luna Kay Coleman met us as we got out of the truck in the late afternoon, and introduced us to their senior wolves. Our bags were taken to the guest room while we walked to the Alpha wing offices with him. Over drinks and snacks (I had orange juice, of course), I filled them in on what was happening on my end. They were very interested in what I was putting together.

"What can we help you with, Ella?" Kay was a woman who, despite her beauty and grace, just had a way of making you trust her like you had known her forever. I did.

"I'm looking for people who can help me with intelligence and planning. As I said, I don't want a war. Innocent wolves would take the brunt of the battle, and they don't deserve that. I want to do more along the lines of what the North Shore pack had happen. I want to have the Alphas watch their Packs, their power and their money be taken away, to lose all that is important to them before they are finally killed."

"And what would these people be doing?" Dennis was wary of being pulled into something bigger, his revenge was already complete.

"They would work for me, out of my house, and help me identify and exploit weaknesses in the Fargo, Brainerd and St. Cloud packs. For instance, we need to map the members of each Pack, and also their family and friend relationships outside the pack. Let's say there's a female from your Pack who is now mated to a St. Cloud pack member. We could feed her information on what her Alpha is doing; not all the wolves agree with it. If we convince them to leave, maybe make an offer for them to join your Pack, we do two things. We weaken his Pack further, and they spread the word about why."

"You're taking the long view on this, aren't you," Kay said. "It could take years for you to weaken them enough."

"Maybe, but you might be surprised. I've already heard from Packs around the country who saw the video of my story; it is being passed among young women and Lunas alike as a cautionary tale. We could do the same with the video of Scott Tanner's trial. Pretty soon, those three Alphas will have no allies left, and no Packs will allow their women to go there." I smiled briefly. "There may be Alphas out there who still believe in forced matings, but not many parents want to see that for their children."

"I can see that working to isolate them, but what else?"

"I am putting together a different group to go after their businesses and investments. I am hiring humans for this, they won't know about the Packs. Once they learn the weaknesses of the companies, I will use my resources to attack them and force them out of business. Whether it is driving away customers, using government inspections and audits, or taking away their financing, I'll bleed their companies dry and along with that their power."

He rubbed his chin. "That's dangerous, letting humans get to know too much about Pack life."

"I know, but I'll manage it. When it starts to get too close, I'll move the operation so it is handled by wolves instead." I answered a few more questions and then I made my ask. "I have the time and the money to accomplish my plan, but I need some people with specific skills. I need ones with computer hacking, database and social media talents, those with a financial or banking background, and I'd like to bring in someone who is a lawyer with Pack law experience. I would appreciate it if you would search your Pack, and if interested, allow them to come to my home and into my employment."

Luna Kay looked at her mate, then at me. "Would you accept mated couples?"

"Of course. I have leased several homes from former Pack members of mine who have left for other Packs. I can put them up in a home, provide a good salary and important work. They will technically be on unclaimed land as my Pack doesn't officially exist now, and they could visit when time allows. I'll warn you, it's a very rural area, there isn't much around for them other than work."

Dennis took her hand and nodded. "I will pass the offer along to my Pack now, and ask anyone interested to speak to you privately after dinner, if that would be all right." I nodded. "Luna Kay has set up a meeting with our Pack females if you are up for it; they would like to talk to you and ask questions."

She led me out of the office and to a lounge area where about twenty women, ages twelve to fifty, were sitting on the couches and chairs around the room. They all stood and bowed their necks when Kay walked in, and greeted me warmly. I talked with them for about an hour about my experience and what I had learned before dinner was ready.

Dinner was very enjoyable, I had missed the large gatherings of family and friends, and they made me feel at home. After dinner, a family of four pulled me aside and asked to talk. To my surprise, it wasn't the parents that wanted the job, it was their fifteen-year-old son Josh. "He's a total computer geek, and since he is homeschooled, moving won't be a problem," his father Jim said.

"What talents do you have, Josh?"

"I'm a hacker," he said. "My parents are worried that I'll get in trouble with stuff I do for fun. When the Alpha talked about what you were doing, I wanted to use my knowledge in a good cause. I can help you with your revenge."

I nodded. "What about the rest of you?"

His Mom, Angela, picked it up. "Well, our daughter Jane is twelve and I'm homeschooling her. My mate is an accountant, he helps with our Pack finances but that isn't a full-time job. We've been looking for something else but the job market isn't strong."

The gears ground. "Have you ever done forensic accounting?"

"I did it for a few years after college, but nothing recent." Forensic accountants were often used in bankruptcy, divorces and police investigations when you needed to figure out what happened to the money.

"I can use you as well, if you would like. It would probably be part-time, so you could still keep your Pack work going." They agreed, and I told them that they could start in a week if their Alphas approved. I got their contact information and let them know I would prepare a house for them and email them the address in a few days.

I slept better that night, as things were starting to come together. The next day we met the Vermillion pack for lunch and then it was on to the North Shore pack. Of all the places I would visit, this made me the most nervous; it was the only one where I might have killed one of their members. I also didn't know how mad they would be about the pelt thing.

Marge pulled into the driveway and I got out, only to be embraced immediately by Carol and then Al. "Welcome to our Pack, Ella. We're so glad you could visit." I could see Carol's happiness, she almost glowed as she looked at her true mate.

It went better than I thought. The mother of one of the lost warriors came up and hugged me at dinner; she thanked me for bringing part of her son back to her. I told her that despite what we told the Alphas, we had sent the men off to Luna with the funeral prayers. I just regretted that we didn't collect the ashes.

We talked with the Alphas and the pack leaders about many of the same things, but there were a few questions I asked her in private that were different. "I met my true mate, Carol."

"That's amazing! Where is he?"

"I don't even know his name." I talked through our first meeting when our cars were attacked, and described the wolf that stopped in detail.

"Ermagerd..." She was shaking her head. "I can't believe it."

"What? Do you know him?"

"Yes." She looked in my eyes, tears pooling. "It's Olivia's twin brother, Craig. That white streak on his chest is distinctive. He wasn't at the gathering, you know. He was back home with his Mom, he had a soccer tournament."

Thoughts were swirling in my head. My mouth hung open, and finally I started to laugh. I laughed so hard I cried.

"What's going on, Ella?" Carol was on the floor with me as I tried to get control of my emotions again.

"Fucking soccer. I hate that sport." I started sobbing, burying my face on her shoulder as I let it all out. "Don't you see? If it wasn't for his stupid soccer tournament, he would have been in that reception line. I would have met my true mate, he would have claimed me, he could have taken his place at my side since he isn't the heir. The Packs would have their ally and NONE OF THIS STUFF WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME." I broke down even more at that, and she cried with me.

She must have linked her mate to help, because I felt myself being lifted off the floor by strong arms and carried to the bedroom I was using. Carol and Marge undressed me and put me in pajamas while the emotions continued to pour out of me; Marge went to get changed as Carol sat holding my hand. "Carol, can you do something for me?"

"Anything, Ella."

"Do you have his email address?" She nodded. "Send him a copy of your father's trial. It includes my story, and he deserves to know what happened to me. Tell him I'm sorry. If he asks, give him my phone number."

"Of course, I'll do that right now." Marge had come into the room and was getting under the covers behind me, there was no way she was going to let me sleep alone tonight.

I could only hope he hadn't rejected me already.

Ch 24

I hadn't let my phone get out of reach for the last week. I was almost obsessively checking it, making sure there were no missed calls or text messages from my mate, but there was nothing. Carol did send me a photo he was in from the summer; I cropped out everyone else and saved it on my phone to look at. I was beginning to wonder if my home screen was the closest I'd get to him.

We had left the North Shore pack and had made the rounds through the Wisconsin packs (Flambeau, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Black River Falls and LaCrosse) before going back through Minnesota and South Dakota. Stops there included Rochester, Sioux Falls, Rosebud and Deadwood before heading back home. Marge and I were completely wiped out by the time we were done, but it had been a good trip. We had established or built on our previous relationships, had multiple offers of help, and I had found three more wolves to join my revenge quest.