Chapter Four: the trip "home"

Athena (Cynthia) and Leo (Conrad) headed back to the Bood moon pack. It took them just over four days. Where it took just two days to get to the mountainous cliffs and the cave, Conrad didn't want to push Cynthia. Each day Leo and Athena would hunt and each evening Conrad would build a fire and cook the meat for Cynthia. He would shift into his wolf and snuggle around Cynthia to keep her warm, insisting that she not stay in her wolf form too long. When they sat around the fire eating he would share about the pack so she would know something about them. She would listen quietly.

On the third night Cynthia asked Conrad if the pack had slaves. Conrad chocked on his meat. "Never!" shaking his head vehemently. "That's barbaric." Cynthia was stunned. The Silver Moon pack had slaves. Well, it had at least one, her! "What about females? Are they sex toys for you males?" Conrad was shocked. His mouth flew open and he choked again. "What? Sex toys? huh? No. Certainly not! Our females are equal to males in every way. They train as warriors and can be anything they want to be, except the Alpha...but if they wanted to challenge for the Alpha position, they could. Why do you ask? What barbaric pack did you live in, Cynthia?"

"I ask because in the pack I came from there were slaves. At least I was a slave. I was a slave in the pack house. I had no rights and I lived in a storage room with the cleaning supplies. I bathed in the stream out back year round,even in the cold of winter when it wasn't frozen. I ate only from the scraps of the pack tables. I cooked. I cleaned. I took insult after insult and after I was 16 years old and didn't shift for the Alpha I was beaten and tortured. They even hired a human. hunter to force my wolf out. The pack thought I was a human. They hated humans so I was safe from being raped. But other females were seen as mere sex toys for the males. Only males had any status and only males trained as warriors. There was no respect for mates. Males took whoever they wanted to bed. It was brutal." Cynthia was sobbing by the time she ended her explanation. Conrad rubbed her back in soothing circles while she cried. She turned to him and hugged him. Tears soaked his t-shirt. He held her gently and just let her cry. She fell asleep that way and he didn't shift right away that night. He just held her until the fire died out then laid her down on his bag, shifted and cuddled around her to keep her safe and warm. Conrad didn't sleep. He kept thinking about that pack of brutes. Not just what they did to his mate but how they chose to treat females and humans. They were a pathetic pack. They were barbaric. What went so wrong that a pack could treat their females and mate bond that way? And detest other creatures, like humans?

It wasn't the way the Moon Goddess created werewolves to be, not at all.

Conrad kept pondering the things Cynthia shared all night. Just before dawn he fell asleep. Cynthia woke when the sun was high. She had not slept that well since ...well...ever really. Maybe when she was a baby she did, but she had almost no memories of then.

She stretched and hit a warm, furry body. Leo. He was fast asleep next to her. Protecting her. Keeping her warm. She smiled. Athena spoke up,"I told you he is our mate. He is good." Cynthia smiled at that thought, "Could it be true?" "It is." Athen responded.

Just then Leo stretched. He nosed Cynthia gently. Cynthia scratched behind his ears and snuggled into his neck. Leo closed his eyes and laid his head on her lap. He liked this very much. He could stay like this forever. But he had a pack to care for and a war coming that he and Cynthia were expected to win for the sake of all Supernaturals...no pressure there at all.

Cynthia shifted even before Leo nudged her. She knew they needed to get going.

Athena and Leo took off. About four hours later they neared the Blood Moon pack border. Leo was excited. But just before they were to cross over Athena froze. Leo looked behind him and saw that something was terribly wrong. He shifted, quickly dressed in shorts and a t shirt and jogged over the Athena. He rubbed her head and stroked her fur. She whimpered. She shifted and Cynthia stood there crying. "What's wrong?", Conrad asked. Cynthia gulped. "No. I cannot cross. I just can't!" She turned quickly, shifted into her wolf and darted away from the border back into the forest. Conrad shifted into Leo and took out after her. He mindlinked his Beta, Simon and his Father telling them he was close but his mate was scared. They said all was well and to take his time.

About an hour later Cynthia stopped at a stream to drink. Leo stopped behind her and nudged her. Athena turned and linked Leo, "I am sorry. My human is afraid." "I know." He laid down beside the stream and waited. Soon Cynthia shifted and sat down with her feet in the stream. Conrad shifted and pulled out his shorts and sat beside her. "What's wrong, Cynthia?" "Conrad, I don't think I can enter a pack after all I have been through. Maybe it is best I just become a rogue and live alone. I am sorry. I know you have waited for me but I am damaged and I just can't..." she began to cry.

Conrad wrapped his arm around her shoulders and just held her. How he hated that damn pack! He really had to control his rage.He wanted to kill them all, especially the Alpha.

After a while, Conrad lost track of the time, Cynthia sat straight up and wiped her tears. She turned to look at Conrad. She asked him, "Why do you sit here and wait? Go home." Conrad smiled and said sincerely, "I am home. I am with you." Cynthia was shocked. "What do you mean?" "My dear, where ever you are is my home."

Cynthia thought nothing sounded more sweet than that. She took his hand and looked into his eyes, "Let's go. I will try for your sake, I will try." He replied, "Are you sure?" "Yes. I cannot promise I will be okay but I will try." "That's good enough for me." He smiled and so did she. They held hands and walked back towards the borderline.

Conrad had mindlinked the pack to go into their homes and for those in the pack house to go to their rooms as his mate was nervous and shy. They all did.

When Cynthia and Conrad arrived it was quiet. They approached the pack house when Cynthia asked,"Where is everyone? Didn't you say your pack was one of the largest packs in North America?" "It is. I asked them all to go home or to their rooms as you were nervous and shy." He didn't hide anything from her. He never would. He wanted her to know she could trust him completely. She once again was surprised by his genuine concern about her well-being. He had waited a long time for his mate, for her. He has said he wanted to "show her off" but he didn't...he asked his pack, his best friends and his family to give her space...and they did! She was deeply touched.

"Conrad?"

"Yes, my sweet mate?"

"How many she-wolves or human females have you had?"

Conrad was taken aback. "Why do you ask such a question?"

"I just want to know how many jealous females I will have to fight off? How many will hate me?"

It is not uncommon among werewolves for the males to be somewhat promiscuous while waiting for their mate. Conrad had waited a long time. Surely he had bedded many females.

Conrad chuckled. "None."

Cynthia looked at him with wide doe like eyes then furrowed her brows. "None?"

"Yes, my love. None. I waited for you. Like my father before me, I had no interest in bedding females of any species, including our own kind. I only wanted YOU." Cynthia was beyond shocked...and she was very pleased as well. "So I am your first everything?" "Yes."

"Did no female ever try to kiss or seduce you? You are very handsome and powerful,too. Surely females tried?"

"Yes. They tried. She-wolves and humans, a witch and a vampire too. But I had no desire to be with anyone. I knew the Moon Goddess had you waiting for me somewhere. I knew I would find you!" He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. Then smiled at her.

Cynthia was deeply moved. She could feel something moving in her heart.

They entered the pack house. It was quiet and Conrad guided her up the stairs to his room. He gave her a t shirt and sweatpants and a towel and showed her the bathroom. He said he would shower down the hall and grabbed his clothes and left. She entered the bathroom and locked the door. She looked at the claw foot tub and smiled.She was taking a bath! Her first ever bath in a real bath tub with hot water! She climbed in and sighed.