Dominant Species Ch. 44-45

"It's Tom!"

The news over the Pack link caused Alpha Calvin to freeze. "He shifted?"

"Yes, Alpha. He stopped at the border, howled once then shifted. Now he's just sitting there." Travis looked down briefly, taking his thumb off the trigger for now. Looking back up, he saw Tom, a man he had known for years since he worked with some North Fork pack members at times, tilting his head trying to hear if anyone would reply. "He's waiting, that was a hailing howl, should I answer?"

"Yes, see what he wants," the Alpha replied.

Donald joined in. "Travis, don't leave your post and your orders haven't changed. If he isn't hostile, he will stay where he is and not shift back, all right?"

"Yes Beta." Travis stood up, keeping the detonator in his hand but his fingers off the button, he yelled back down. "TOM! REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE AND DO NOT SHIFT OR YOU WILL BE TAKEN OUT."

Tom located him immediately, and was shocked at the reception. "Travis? What's going on? I need to speak to Alpha Calvin, can you take me to him?"

"Why?"

"I have a message from Alpha Reggie."

There was silence on the link for a few seconds before Alpha Calvin broke in. "Ask him what happened to Alpha Richard." Travis passed the question along.

"He's dead. Listen, a lot is happening now, Reggie and Josi are now the Alphas and they need your help."

There was silence for a moment before Donald piped up. "What do you think, Boss?"

"I think you both need to stay in place, I'll go talk to him. Travis, tell him to stay put, I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Donald, since there is no imminent attack, I'm going to let the Pack leave the shelters, but I don't want anyone getting too far away from them, just in case. Eric, Derek, you're with me. Your mates stay here."

A few minutes later, Silvia left the safe room with the rest of the Pack members, thankful that it was over because Michelle had dropped a bomb in her diaper a few minutes earlier. "Abigail, can you take Zach with you to breakfast? I need to get her changed."

"Sure, Silvia." She headed for the picnic area where the kitchen help was going to set up for a pancake feed, holding Autumn in one hand as Zach took the other. Silvia moved slowly towards the hotel room, she had been given a small flashlight that still worked since she didn't have the night vision the wolves had. Working quickly, she changed her daughter and put her In fresh clothes. She put her in the baby carrier before grabbing her diaper bag.

Leaving the room, her flashlight swung around and she noticed the door to the room next door was open. Focusing the light on it, she watched as the wind banged it against the stop, then again.

"I wonder who forgot to close this?" She walked over and reached for the handle, just as another wind gust blew past her. A piece of paper was caught up in the gust, and it skittered across her feet before going outside. She stomped on it with her feet, then reached down and picked it up. Setting her daughter down, she was almost to the desk inside while returning it when her eyes caught what was written on the outside.

"Silvia."

Her hands trembling, she looked at the name for a few seconds before opening it up and reading.

"My dear Silvia,

If you are reading this, I didn't make it. Do not grieve for me, I've lived a good life and I died protecting my Pack and protecting you and your children. It was my fate.

I love you.

I've loved you since I first got your scent on the road and recognized you were my mate."

She froze, dropping the paper to the ground as she slid down the wall, stopping only when she was sitting on the threshold of the room. Mate? MATE? She knew what it was, what it meant, but she shook her head. It couldn't be. Picking up the paper, she continued.

"I was blessed by Luna to be paired with you, a woman of strength and beauty, with a family I would have been proud to call my own. I only regret that I did not tell you. I know what you have been through and it wasn't time to add on to that, but know that everything I did from that moment was with you in mind.

I'll never know what it feels like to hold you in my arms.

I want you to be happy, to raise your family to be strong and loving, to have every opportunity at a good life. I have no other family, so I want you to have my house and my possessions as your own. I hope you stay here, the Alphas and the Pack will take care of you now.

Know that I died thinking of you, my love, my mate.

Donald"

Her hand went to her mouth as she stared at the words. Donald, that big, scary, lonely old man who was so upset about her story; that Donald thought SHE was his mate.

She sat there for a few minutes composing herself, then she stood up and put the letter in the pocket of her jeans. Closing the door behind her, she picked up her daughter and went to the park.

Luna Kelly was the first to note her emotional state as she reached the tables where the Pack was starting to sit down for breakfast.

"Silvia... are you all right?" She almost ran over to sit by her, her arms reaching to hug her shoulders as her new friend broke down completely. Abigail came over and took her other side, taking Michelle out of her car seat as she started to fuss. They both waited until her sobbing started to slow down, while the rest of the Pack maintained a concerned but respectful distance.

Kelly talked her through controlling her breathing, and a minute later she could finally talk. "Donald... it's Donald."

"What? Did something happen?" Luna Kelly sent out over the Pack link for Donald, he said he was fine and was in place on top of the roof still. She told him to get a relief and get his butt down to the park, his mate needed him.

"No, I... I just need to talk to him. He said some things, they aren't right. They can't be right. It's not possible." She started to cry again, and reaching into her pocket she pulled out a photo of her family. It had been taken at Michelle's baptism, she was holding her in her dress, and her son was hugging her waist on one side while her husband David stood proudly behind her. Touching him with her finger, she started to wail again so Kelly just held her tight and rocked her.

A few minutes later Donald ran into the park, stopping on the other side of the picnic table as he took in the scene. His gut twisted as he felt her pain and saw her distress. He shook his head, here he was a warrior for thirty years, veteran of battles large and small, a man who had no fear of death, and watching his mate cry like this was ripping his heart out of his chest. He stood there, looking at his Luna and wondering what was going on, until she turned and looked at him.

As soon as her watery eyes met his, the mate bond pulled him to her. Moving quickly to her side, he took the place that Abigail quickly vacated. She didn't move towards him, so he fought off his wolf's desire to carry her away to his house and make her his. She needed a gentler touch. He held his hand out to her, both of them looking at it before she placed her hand in his. She almost pulled away as a tingle moved up her arm, but when she realized it was a pleasant sensation she left it there. Somehow, she thought, it just seemed right even though it was so wrong.

"We need to talk." The four words every male knows, the words posted at the emotional minefield of a relationship.

He gulped down his thoughts, and forced a smile. "Walk with me?" She looked at Abigail, she nodded and patted Michelle, and Kelly encouraged her as well. He stood up, still holding her hand, and she looked in his eyes again before standing up with him. "We can't go far, but we can walk along the river here. The Luna will keep everyone else away so we can have our privacy." She nodded as he led her along the path; the moon had just risen, making it a little easier for her to see. She was a little jealous of his wolf vision, she knew he could see perfectly.

When they reached the river, she stopped and faced him. Dropping his hand, she almost grabbed it again, somehow it didn't feel right to let him go. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter. "What is this?"

His eyes bugged open as he recognized it; taking a deep breath and letting it out, he took her hand back in his and looked deep into her eyes.

"It's the truth." She looked down at the letter again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to find out like this. I wanted to tell you myself, after I'd had a chance to get to know you and you were more comfortable. I didn't know what would happen tonight, but I knew if there was an attack I would die before I let them hurt you. I couldn't go into a battle without letting you know how important and loved you are."

"You've seen me for what, thirty minutes? We've barely talked. How can you be so sure?" She looked at his hand, his callused thumb was rubbing gentle circles on the back of her hand, causing a heat she'd never felt that went all the way to her core.

"I don't need to know you to know you are destined to be with me. I knew as soon as I smelled you on the road." She shook her head no, but he squeezed her hand and continued. "You were there when Josi found her mate, right? What happened there?"

She closed her eyes and thought about it. "They just knew, and a few seconds later he was kissing the life out of her."

"That's how it works for us. If I hadn't seen the place you were attacked, if I didn't know what they had done, it would have been the same. I just knew that you weren't ready, so I held my wolf back." He led them over to a bench by the river and pulled her down next to him. "You've been through so much in the past few days. You lost your husband, your life, you've been thrown into our world. I know it will take time, and I promise you I'll give you all the time you need."

She looked out at the river for a few minutes. "What if I don't want you?"

He froze, his wolf howling in the back of his mind. "You can reject me, it is your option. I will find a way, however long it takes or whatever I have to do, in order for you to love me and accept me." He put is hand under her chin and gently moved her so he was looking into her eyes. "I've waited my whole life for you, Silvia. All I wanted was a mate and a family, and with you I will have both. All I ask is that you give me a chance."

"I don't know if I can love again, Donald." She stood up and turned away from him. "I can't do this." She walked back up the path, leaving him alone on the bench. He held back until she couldn't see or hear him, then he put his face in his hands and broke down.

--

Kelly had been nervously waiting for Donald and Silvia to reappear, but the waves of despair she could feel coming from him now crushed her. When Silvia appeared- alone- from the trail, she knew it hadn't gone well. She tried to put on a friendly face as the mate of her close friend came to her. "Silvia, is there anything I can do to help you out?"

Silvia sat next to her with a huff. "You can help me get home."

Kelly's mood instantly shifted, but she knew she had to maintain control. "Where is home?"

"Missoula." She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, Kelly could see how determined she was. "My parents and brother are up there. If I can get some gasoline and food, I should be able to make it there by tomorrow night."

"Silvia, when you came here we promised we would help you, and we will." She closed her eyes and sent out directions via the pack link. "We will have your car filled up, and a couple extra cans in the trunk, and we'll pack some food and water for you. I just... I don't think it's safe for you to be on the road alone."

Silvia snorted. "I'm not taking Donald with me, if that's what you are thinking. I don't need that man trying to force his way into my life. I just need to get away from this all."

"Is this really so bad you have to leave right now?" Kelly looked around at the park. "You are safe, you have help with your baby, your son has other kids to play with. We have food and shelter, and you are welcome to stay as long as you want. Why be in such a hurry to leave?"

"I never planned to stay, Kelly. If we hadn't been attacked on the road I would have been home with the rest of my family already. I need to get home, I need to know they are all right."

She spotted Zach playing with some of the other children, some in each form. "Zach, we're going back to Grandma's. Go back to the room and pack our stuff up, all right?" He nodded and ran off, and she got up to follow.

Kelly walked with her towards their motel room. "If I can't talk you into staying, can I at least send someone along to keep you safe? Not Donald, but someone else?"

Silvia shook her head. "You don't have to, I'll be all right. I still have the firearms I brought with me, and there shouldn't be that many people left on the road any more."

Kelly sent a mental link to Calvin, who was running down to the southern border. Getting his concurrence, she called for Mitch, one of the younger Pack warriors, to meet them at her room.

They reached the room and Silvia stopped at the room next door and knocked. She stayed outside while Abigail invited her friend in to talk.

Kelly used the time to talk over the bond. "Donald, Silvia has decided to leave tonight, she's headed up to Missoula. She's leaving within the hour."

Donald's reaction was fast and furious. "WHY? Oh Luna, she can't go back on the road, it's too dangerous! Luna, you have to convince her to stay!"

"It's too late for that, Donald. She's going, and you're part of the reason. That letter, it spooked her."

Donald ran up to her, panic in his eyes. She moved away from the door and around the corner so they wouldn't be seen. "I know it's dangerous, that's why I'm sending you. She won't let you drive with her, so I'm going to convince her to let Mitch ride shotgun with her. Meanwhile, you need to gear up and get on the road. We haven't pushed out past our borders on that side yet, and this will let us know what is going on. Run in wolf form, make sure the road is clear of danger, and whatever you do... Don't let her know you are out there. She's scared, Donald, I can see it in her eyes."

"She's my MATE, she has nothing to fear from me. I'll never hurt her."

"She will figure that out eventually, Donald, but right now she needs to get over the loss of her husband. Your job is to keep her safe until she's ready." Kelly gave him an encouraging hug. "Stay safe out there, Donald."

"What about the Salmon Pack? I can't leave with our Pack in danger."

Kelly shook her head. "There is no danger. Calvin just linked me, he's talking with Tom. It's a long story, but Reggie and Josi are the Alphas now and they aren't our enemy." She looked back at the parking lot, she could hear Abigail's door opening. "Now go." Donald smiled and ran off to his house, he needed to grab a pack of supplies and gear and get going. He was fast, but Silvia's convertible was faster and he needed a head start. She walked back around to the front, where Silvia was just getting to her door. "Is Abigail going too?"

"No, she's staying. She knows Autumn will need the Pack around to help with the change." She held up a key and a note. "She did ask me to check on her house and her family in Corvallis. I can at least let them know she is all right and where she is." Opening the door, she grabbed the first suitcase that Zach had finished with.

As she was packing the car, Mitch ran up. He had just turned twenty and had the rugged build of a lumberjack, which he was. "Silvia, this is Mitch."

"Hello Ma'am." Mitch held out his hand to her, and she looked at him before shaking it.

"I'd like you to let Mitch ride shotgun with you," Kelly said.

"I don't need a babysitter."

"I know, but an extra pair of eyes won't hurt, especially if you run into trouble. You're doing us a favor, really." She looked around at the surrounding mountains. "You see how isolated we are here, we don't know what is going on in the bigger cities, or the Packs to our north. We planned to send messengers out to them anyway. He can catch a ride with you and then run back."

Silvia looked at them both, then nodded. "Fine, but you do what I tell you. If you don't, I'll leave you by the side of the road."

"Fair enough," Mitch said. "I need to pack my gear, and we should probably eat an early lunch before we hit the road. Leave in about an hour?"

"I suppose." He ran off to pack, and Kelly went back to the picnic area to help set up for lunch.

After a quick lunch, they were saying their goodbyes. Surprisingly, it was Zach who was having the most trouble leaving, he had made some friends and was sad to leave them behind. Silvia could see him holding back tears as he got in the back seat with his sister. "Mom, do we have to go?"

"Yes, baby. We need to go back to our family." As she finished securing Melissa in her car seat, Mitch came around to the driver's door. "What are you doing?"

"I'd like to drive." She glared at him. "It makes sense. I know the roads, and my wolf vision can see better. It also leaves you free to take care of your family." He watched as she considered it, then tossed him the keys.

"Don't scratch it, David will..." She froze, tears coming to her eyes as she remembered her husband and his love for this car. Choking it down, she moved quickly around to the passenger side and jumped in, fastening her belt, all while not looking at anyone. "Let's go."

The classic car fired right up and Mitch pulled out of the parking lot and onto Highway 93. The Pack members waved at them as they passed, all hoping that she would return and take her place next to Donald. The Luna had explained to the Pack what was going on, and for those born wolves they just couldn't understand how the mate bond could be denied. Who would walk away from the person made just for them?

Mitch reached out with his link. "Donald, we're just leaving town now. How are the roads?"

His response was weak, he was near the edge of their range. "So far so good, there are a dozen vehicles on or near the road but no people yet. You might want to warn Silvia to have the kids avoid looking around too much, there are a number of bodies and after a few days in the sun... well, they aren't pleasant to look at or smell."

"I'm surprised the vultures and varmints haven't gotten to them already."

Donald kind of laughed. "The radiation did a number on more than just humans. I haven't seen an animal alive yet." There was a pause. "I've got a good pace going, but I have to focus here. How the hell did I get stuck on road duty while you get to ride in the car?"

"I guess I'm less threatening." He felt Donald's irritation over the link. "Don't worry, I'll take care of them."

"You better. My family is in your hands." Donald reached the top of a hill and started down to the river valley again after a quick sniff and scan. "How is Silvia doing?"

"She's kind of withdrawn right now. She slipped up and mentioned her husband's name when talking about the car, and she's been avoiding looking at me since. Melissa is sleeping, and Zach is trying to."

Ten minutes later, Donald was working hard as he ran up to the next mountain pass. "Mitch, I'm just about to Sula. Have you made it to Gibbonsville yet?"

"We're two miles out. Why?"

"Don't stop, and tell the two of them not to look."

A few minutes later, Mitch understood why and was glad he was warned. The small mountain town only had fifty residents, but in the summer tourists doubled that number. The hotel and restaurant had burned to the ground, but it must have been during the day because there were people everywhere on the roads and in the parking lot. They must have been blinded during the escape, and some were burned. The smell was intolerable. He went as fast as he could through the no-stop-sign town, and let them know when it was all right to look up again.