Silver Moon: Bk. 02 Ch. 01

Pam could both hear and feel his anger at what had been done to Sylvia. "I might just go with you and hold your coat while you deal with him." She didn't know exactly what had happened but if Dan was this worked up it had been bad.

Dan smiled at her and opened the door to find Gettie in the suite again. "Um, I thought we were getting a replacement for you." When they had gone to Geoff and Mari's suite he had expected Mari to take charge of her again.

"I did go to Mari's suite but she told me to keep taking care of her favorite Alpha. Seems Sam wants Mari to work with a new girl who is from a remote clan. Sam figured that since Mari is from something similar she would be a good one to work with her. I will go back to helping Mari once the two of you head back home."

Dan traded looks with Pam and he gave a wry grin. "She is probably doing this to ensure that I don't have any oopses and end up with more children." He had to make a joke of it because he wasn't looking forward to the meeting with the wolf spirit's father.

Pam frowned at him and narrowed her eyes. "No oopses with or without children being conceived." She wasn't quite as annoyed as she seemed but she wasn't going to share him with anyone.

Dan blushed. "I have no intentions of any more oopses like that. If I did at this point I would end up going bankrupt with child support payments." That was a growl and Gettie laughed as she went back to what she had been doing.

"Oh, there is clothing in the bedroom for you for dinner. I am going back to what I was doing so I don't burn dinner." Gettie moved back to the kitchen and kept cooking. Since she was used to cooking for Mari she knew how much to make.

~~~

Time for dinner had finally rolled around and both Dan and Pam were somewhat dressed up. He would call it business casual if it included tailored silk shirts and fine wool pants. "Darn it I was hoping for cut offs, flip flops, and a ratty shirt." Dan casually mentioned that as they walked out. It was just to tease Gettie.

She snorted and looked at Dan and a slight smile crossed her face and since she was in mid-form she flashed a tail towards him. When Gettie did that Dan felt a zing of power and suddenly his ears and tails were showing. "There you are now properly dressed."

Pam started laughing till Gettie zapped her as well and she changed as well. "Hey, is this needed?" She still wasn't comfortable with everything that had happened that morning.

Gettie smiled at both of them. "It is since it shows your alliances and allegiances. Dan is an Alpha hence the black tail, he is a clan lord hence the silver tail, and allied with your clan hence the red tail." She came over and stroked the tails. "Dan's wolf tail is longer due to what he is. His silver tail now has some beading showing he is a clan lord. The red tail doesn't indicating that he is mated but when it becomes formal some beading will show as well."

She turned to Pam and said essentially the same thing only in her case the Red tail was longer than the other two. "Both of you are special people and are going to change this land. I don't know what you are going to do but I can feel the road ahead of you. It will be a hard road but the end will be worth it."

Right about then there was a knock on the door and Emelia escorted both Arthur and Helda into the room. "Good evening Dan and how are you doing Pam?" He asked as Emelia headed towards the kitchen to help Gettie.

Helda glanced around and had to smile. "Spiffy digs Dan but I think I like my comfortable home as well." She wandered over to the sofa and settled down. "Come Arthur have a seat and relax." Helda could tell that he wasn't feeling comfortable with everything.

Dan and Pam settled back down on the couch they had been aiming for. "I am doing well thank you Arthur. We will see in a few months when I start showing." She gently punched Dan in the side. "I hadn't planned on getting pregnant this soon but... Mr. Super Sperm seems to have managed it."

Dan instantly turned red and growled at her. "I don't remember you screaming no. Actually it was more like..." He snickered at her starting to turn red. "I don't kiss and tell you know." He leaned over and nuzzled her neck. "My love and my life. I will never leave you."

Gettie snickered. "Take it to the bedroom you two. Not all of us have a significant other to cuddle with." When Dan and Arthur groaned at the same time Gettie shook her head. "It is time for dinner and for a more serious discussion between the two of you. Us ladies might just sneak off to the hot springs and relax."

Arthur stood up and offered a hand to Helda and helped her up. "Smells lovely Gettie and thank you I am sure it is as good as or better than it smells." Without thinking he tucked Helda's hand in his elbow and escorted her over to the table and held a chair out for her.

Dan didn't even really think about it since he was doing the same for Pam and finally settled down. "You will be joining use ladies correct?" He had noticed the two other settings but decided to do that whole clan lord bit.

Emelia looked at bit startled and then she curtsied. "Of course milord. We will sit down once we have the food on the table." Gettie was bringing the salads out and Emelia went and collected the main course. Once they were done all the food was neatly placed next to the table on a sideboard that the two ladies could reach. "Please eat and enjoy."

Dan had to smile since his salad had bits of rabbit in it which pleased his wolf. "Thank you Gettie and I do appreciate all the work you have put into this." He started eating and was greatly enjoying the food.

By the time dinner was over the food had been decimated and both men were looking content. Arthur couldn't help but grin. "I would offer to marry you Gettie but I have a feeling you wouldn't want to leave here."

Helda laughed at him and leaned lightly against him. "I think Mari might have a few issues with that as well." She had been enjoying the conversation and company. Helda wouldn't admit it to Dan but she was glad he had insisted that she come to dinner. "Well time for you boys to become serious and we will clean the table and go soak."

Dan laughed at her. "Silly woman we could soak as well and have a serious conversation." He rubbed in chin though. "I have to admit that it might be distracting sitting in a tub with three lovely women. Go have fun and maybe we might join you later."

Dan walked over to the couch and pulled out a folder and dropped it on the table. "Well shall we?" The two of them started going over the documentation he had brought with. "It is going to drive me nuts knowing my mate is soaking in hot water and I am not there."

~~~

Eventually they finished and Dan leaned back. "Well that was a decent start but we probably have a few more days of fun before we get to the real meat of the audit." It was getting later and right as they were finishing up the ladies wandered in.

Dan stood and stretched. "Well I am going to take a shower and I will see you in the morning Arthur. Helda it was good to see you and actually have you over for a meal." He gave her a good hug and after wrapping an arm around Pam headed towards the bedroom. "Night all and see you in the morning."

That was an obvious dismissal and the other three quietly left the rooms. "Would you like a cup of tea Helda? After all that I feel the need to sit down with a nice cup of tea and relax." He wasn't thinking of anything other than talking a few minutes. When Helda agreed he looked at Emelia. "Make a pot of tea please and I will see you tomorrow."

~~~

The next morning Dan and Pam woke and rose to the smell of breakfast. "I would love to cuddle love but breakfast is calling." She kissed his jaw and after rolling over and stretching she sat up. On the chair next to her was a robe and she pulled it on before heading to the main living area.

Soon after they walked in and sat down at the table Arthur and Helda walked in. Dan managed to keep his face straight since Arthur had a sort of confused look and Helda looked quite content. Dan glanced at Pam and back at the two of them and suddenly his brows rose.

"Um, Arthur what is that hanging over your left ear?" Dan could see what it was but was having trouble believing it.

Arthur didn't even think when he reached up and touched the tail that was hanging down. A slightly horrified expression crossed his face as he pulled it forwards so he could look at it. It was actually two tails, one silver and one black with a white tip. Over Helda's left ear was a single black tail with a white tip.

Pam simply smiled at the two of them before going over to Helda and giving her a hug. "Congrats Helda. I am pleased for you." She had a good idea what it meant and really wanted to tease the two of them but decided not to.

Dan and Arthur traded look before Dan waved at the table. "Have a seat and some tea Arthur. After a while the shock wears off and it leaves you just confused." Dan really hoped that Arthur's life would be calmer than his was. What he was going to need to find out was how Arthur was supposed to fit in with everything else now.

Arthur rubbed his face with his hands. "I have no idea what this is going to mean for me and my job. How the heck did I get the tails and why is one of them black?" Most of the ideas that were going through his mind were not pleasant. He had greatly enjoyed last night though he hadn't intended on it but he was single and Helda wasn't anywhere in the chain of command.

Dan couldn't help but give him a wry grin. "I know what you mean. It feels like I have been stumbling from one mess to the next. By the time I figure out the meaning of the mess I have another dumped on me." He looked at Gettie. "Show him how to change forms please since I can tell he needs to. Make sure to remind him to imagine changing with clothes on as well."

He probably could have had Helda show him but Gettie was Mari's assistant and higher up in the food chain. Dan was sipping on his coffee as Gettie worked with Arthur on the changes. It took a bit of time but eventually he had the basics down and was now in his mid-form. "Well at least both of your ears are silver unlike mine."

Arthur stood there and much like Pam had was feeling his ears and tails. Even though Helda wasn't an official clan lord or lady she had four tails due to her age and skills. Arthur also had four but Dan could tell that he would still be considered subservient to him or even Pam. He had been trying to read some of the books Alysson had so kindly sent to Saul but it was taking time.

Helda was in her mid-form as well and she smiled at him. Once he was changed she had wrapped an arm around him and kissed him. "You look lovely Arthur and we will need to talk later." And depending on the answer she would need to talk to Alysson.

Eventually breakfast was done and Dan stood and sighed. "Well we might as well go and talk to Alysson about this and what it might mean." He looked at Pam with a serious expression. "As long as you are with me I am pretty sure she won't strike me down. While we are here for the rest of the time expect to have me stuck to your side."

Gettie didn't say anything but she and Emelia shared a look and after the others left the room they followed behind. A normal attendant would stay in the rooms or be available as needed. Since Dan was a clan lord unless dismissed Gettie would be by his side. The same went for Arthur now that he was a senior kitsune based on his tails.

When they did arrive at Alysson's office she didn't even bother waiting. "Get your ass in here Dan. I think I am going to limit your visits to once a year since I think I need a vacation now." She was sitting in her chair behind her desk and was definitely not looking happy.

Dan growled slightly at the way she spoke to him but in a roundabout way she had the right to. She was the leader of her country, was loosely considered his leader when it came to things kitsune, and this impacted on the clan. He did do as asked and walked in and waved Arthur and Helda up next to them and then gave her a nice smile. "Good morning Lady Alysson and it appears that there is a new kitsune for you."

Alysson narrowed her eyes at him and contemplated zapping him but decided not to. In this case it wasn't really his fault even if Arthur did come up to see him. The spirits had been so bloody active over the last year or so that in her own way she was having a bad year. She was still rather upset since this was probably going to lose their senior seamstress. "So I found out this morning shortly before you arrived."

When she turned and looked at Arthur her expression softened and she did actually smile. "Welcome to the clan Arthur and I will have the documentation ready when you head back. I will have my state department contact yours and work this out so it won't impact on you." She finally stood and walked over and gave both of them a hug. "Please have a seat and relax. There is much to discuss before you and Dan go about your day."

She walked back around her desk and looked at Dan and Pam. Her voice was mellower than when she had first spoken. "Please have a seat and relax. Sorry if I was a bit grouchy but having the clan bonds changed usually gives me a headache." Alysson turned to Helda. "The answer is yes if accepted. Let me know what is decided."

Helda grinned at her. "Yes Clan Leader I will inform you of any and all decisions made." Arthur was looking a bit concerned as well as confused and she simply patted his hand. "I will talk to you later once we are done here."

He settled for nodding since he really had no idea what the hell had happened. Last night while he was talking with Helda they had ended up cuddling and somehow, he still wasn't sure how, they had ended up in his bed. It had been very enjoyable and both of them had greatly enjoyed it. He had a feeling that at some point during the intimacy he had been given the tail though he hadn't noticed.

Dan settled down and tilted his head slightly. "Though this time I am not directly responsible if you feel the need to ask for some sort of recompense do so. Before we get to the subject of what happened to Arthur I have one other item I need to talk to you about. Is that acceptable?"

When he said that Alysson had absolutely no idea what he was going to talk about. When it came to spirit things that directly impacted on the clan, or the clan within her territory she usually had some idea. In this case it didn't feel like it was a clan item at all. "If you feel it is important enough then please ask."

Since he was now on official business he was sitting upright in the chair instead of leaning back and relaxing. "I do not think Sylvia will ever be able to really integrate back into a pack. Paulo is going to be her mate and I can tell how comfortable she is here. Sam has taken her under her wing and is doing wonderful things with her. Would it be possible for the two of them to remain? They can look to Geoff and Mari as needed. I would be their pack leader still but with your permission they would be working for the clan."

Now that definitely wasn't what she had been expecting. She had considered the two of them being assigned to one of the packs here, probably Ben's but not this. Alysson considered it for several minutes as she ran through implications and impacts on the clan. "I am going to really need to think about this as well as consult with the clan lawyers. I will say that for the time being I will accept them as part of the staff as out of country workers. That will allow them to stay here and once they are adults and mated to find a place of their own."

"Thank you Alysson and that is one problem off my shoulders for a while. I haven't talked to Maric yet but I don't see him having an issue with it. He might want to come up and talk with Sylvia but that is only to be expected." Dan was very greatfull that Alysson was willing to go that far. It might be possible that she might be able to come back eventually as long as her father was there. He wasn't going to hold his breath on that but he hoped they would.

She nodded back at him and then after several more minutes of contemplation she spoke. "Something you might not be familiar with is how the spirits normally work. When they do something there are always two sides to it, sometimes more, but usually only two." Sometimes it took years for the changes the spirits made to really see what the sides were. "The two sides are neither good nor bad but simply are. They can be made good or bad based on how we react to what they have decreed."

It almost sounded like she was preaching but she wasn't trying to. She had kept in touch with Saul so she knew how far Dan had gotten with the additional learning. This was so she could judge when she needed to step in and expand on some of the learning. "I am not trying to sound like I am preaching so please don't take it that way. You are at a spot where you need to know a bit more about the spirits. The do things for their own reason and normally they are not this active. Sometimes it can be years between major changes."

She took a sip of her tea before continuing. "I have a feeling that we are approaching a major nexus simply because they have been so active. I do not know what it might be or what prompted them." Alysson gave him a wry smile. "As I am sure with your Mistress sometimes things happen and we aren't told why. In this case you are in a way exchanging the loss of your submissive with a kit from Sheliae. In the case of Paulo and Sylvia depending on how things work out I have a feeling that what is happening with Arthur and Helda is in exchange."

For that she had to make another wry face. "I hate to use the term exchange but though we are people and have free will the spirits do their own things. When I learn more about this I will inform you."

All of them were obviously paying close attention to what she was saying. Some were looking confused but Dan and Helda weren't. "I think I understand Alysson and I have to admit I keep seeing the bonds between our clan and packs getting stronger. It does concern me since the last time, in my experience, the packs were involved was when the counsel was formed. It was an ugly time for both the supernatural and humans. I didn't see that but I know of its history in my world and it was so ugly I won't share memories of it unless my Mistress commands me to."

Both shared a worldly look and nodded at each other. Dan stood and sighed. "Well Helda why don't you take Arthur and start fitting him for clothing appropriate for his new station. Whatever jewelry and such as needed as well please. Bill it to my personal account and I will take care of it. I am going to go and see my children and then spend some time with my soon to be mate and relax." He rolled his neck. "I will see you this afternoon Arthur when you are done and take your time. I am sure that you have a number of questions Helda will be able to answer for you." He had a feeling about why Arthur received the tail but wasn't going to get involved.

~~~

As they were walking out Dan had to slump a bit. With the birth of Mari's babies he had really hoped that things would start calming down. So far it didn't look like it was going to happen in the near future and the Lady only knew what was next. He might have to go out the night before the full moon and call to her. "Pam you are going to see the special bond the Alpha's have with their Submissives. Since they don't fight unless it is to protect all wolves in my pack know that they are safe around them. I am going to her room and ask her for comfort."

Pam tensed a bit since that sounded odd and in a way it hurt since it felt like she couldn't measure up. Dan had given her a general idea of what Mari had done for him and she knew that he did love her. It wasn't the way she was loved but it almost felt like she was having to compete for her mate and that was upsetting.