Sharkbait Down Under Ch. 11-20

"Both are," my mate said evenly.

Her eyebrow raised as she looked back to her screen. I could see how the other Council members wanted to interject, but the Chairman was holding them back, and all the Alphas had their feeds muted. He was not going to be embarrassed in front of the European Council like that again. She continued. "The discovery statute requires that the claiming Pack discover a territory that has never been under the jurisdiction of another Pack. A member of Pack leadership must claim it before the leadership of at least two other Packs. The usage statute is similar, although it does not require the Pack to be first. It requires continuous occupation of the claimed territory by at least five Pack members for a minimum of one year with no conflicting claim from another Pack."

"Surely we aren't saying that visiting Australia on a jet plane is sufficient to meet this statute," Chairman Platt said with disdain.

"No, we aren't, and don't call me Shirley." He got a few laughs out of that old joke. "Traveling on a sailing ship for six months in the eighteenth-century counts," Nicholas countered. "Our Pack traces back to Philip Corcoran, a werewolf and Beta's son from the Wicklow Pack in Ireland. He was arrested and convicted of Treason in the 1898 Irish Rebellion at the age of thirteen. He joined thousands of other prisoners shipped off to Australia, landing in the Sydney colony. He earned his freedom, married, and raised a family. His descendants have continuously occupied the Australian Territory ever since."

The mention of the Irish Pack caught Chairman Svensson's attention. "The Corcoran Pack relocated to Australia?"

"The Corcoran Pack is dead, Mr. Chairman," Nicholas said. "Philip was a Beta, and he had one son. The English wiped out his entire Pack between the rebellion and the reprisals. A check of the European Pack records showed that he had no living relatives, which he found out for himself in the early 1800s. We are not reclaiming that Pack name, nor are we placing ourselves under the dominion of the European Council. We are not North American, European, or Asian, and we are the only Pack in existence in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia does not fall under the dominion of your Councils; we do not ask for nor desire your help."

The rejection had Chairman Carver leaning forward, holding back his anger. "Miss Lawrence was under the North American Council! That puts your Pack under our authority as well," he stated firmly.

"It does not," I said. "Nicholas did not join my Pack, nor did I form a Pack in North America. I joined Nicholas's pack in Australia. When a female goes to her Mate's Pack, the Pack and Council she came from cannot retain oversight or rights to her. It has ALWAYS been that way."

Carver looked over at his lawyer, who nodded her head slightly, telling him I was right. He looked back towards the camera. "You have a mantle, and he didn't. By rights, he should be joining you in the Miesville Pack."

"That is a convention, not a law. Circumstances allow for the newly mated pair to make their own decision. It was not in the best interests of his Pack to be ruled from an Alpha seven thousand miles away, and they did not want to relocate to America. The only choice I had was to join his Pack as I did."

"How large is your Pack? Who is in it?"

"I would rather not say, as the number is still changing. After centuries of living here, it's far more than five," I said. "I am not required to submit a Pack roster to you, and I have no plans to do so."

"I can attest that Nicholas and Vicki meet the minimum requirements for a Pack under the laws of either Council," Leo said evenly. "Not that she is subject to either, of course."

I just smiled at that. "Unfortunately, this is a busy time for our new Pack. As such, we will not be entertaining visitors or granting access to our territory for at least a few months. I would remind you all that prior permission from myself or Alpha Nicholas will be required before any werewolves enter Australia."

Chairman Platt was so red it looked like he might stroke out. "This is completely unacceptable. No Pack is outside the jurisdiction of the Councils! You can't let them hide out down there and pretend our Councils don't exist!"

"Why not? It's been that way for centuries," I said. "This Pack got along just fine without you, and it doesn't need you now." My statement caused another round of shouting; the Council hadn't been my friend, and they weren't going to bully me now.

"Mates," Chairman Wolfe said, and that quieted everyone in the room. "There must be werewolves in your Pack looking for mates."

I nodded. "I was not the only one to find my Mate in this Pack. I intend to help them find their matches after they have learned the basics of Pack life as we all know it. As you can imagine, with no contact with outside werewolves for centuries, it's going to take a while to get them ready. With that, I will let you go. We have a lot of work ahead of us today, and our business here is complete."

"Wait," Chairman Svensson said. "I would like to offer the services of the European Council Archivist to help you research the history and lineage of the Wicklow Pack. You also have my support if you wish to reclaim your ancestral lands in Ireland and return home."

"Thank you for the archivist, but no to the reclaiming," Nicholas said. "We are Australians, and always will be."

Lars nodded at that. "When you visit, we'll show you all we can of your heritage. Your ancestor was a strong man to survive all that, and you've kept this secret from everyone, including us, for centuries. When you are ready, we will be happy to welcome you back to the rest of the werewolf world."

I needed to bring this to an end before it got out of hand. "Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, fellow Alphas. Have a good day." I ended the call before anyone could say anything, switching to the Pack-level feed that Leo had the codes to access. We could listen in and see the reactions as they argued back and forth.

The arguments continued for twenty more minutes with three major factions. The first, mostly in North America, wanted that Council to bring the Southern Cross Pack into its jurisdiction by any means necessary. The second centered around the Europeans and wanted to wait things out until we would voluntarily join a Council. The last group ate popcorn and laughed at how much trouble an eighteen-year-old part-time college student could stir up without even trying. They wanted to know if their mates were in the Southern Cross Pack all along.

"How did we do, Uncle Leo?"

He ended the feed and turned to me. "You kicked over the hornet's nest, that's for sure. I'm glad you stepped up when you did, or this could have gone differently."

"Claiming the whole Continent was the key," Mom said. "If you had just claimed Southern Australia and Victoria, the Council would send a small Pack to claim Queensland, maybe another to Western Australia. Those Packs would be under the North American Council, and they could use that to force you into their council as well."

"Any attempt to plant a Pack in Australia now would be an act of war," Leo said. "Loving, brilliant, and driven. You're my favorite niece."

"Thanks, Unky."

"You need to get back out there with your Pack," Leo told me. "You don't have a lot of time to get to know them, and those bonds are important."

He was right, and not just about the Pack bonds. I still had a month of touring left, and I'd have to leave Nicholas behind to do Alpha stuff. "Carla, I need to free up some blocks of time to visit Pack members and be with my mate. Talk to Linda and Mercedes and see what kind of flexibility we have in terms of dates and travel. See what Linda thinks about having more adventure days with me sitting out, too."

"I'll get on the phone," she said. As our security, she had all of the details available to her.

"I have to get to the airport and pick up Hammer and Susan," Ian said. "We should all get going."

I let the others leave, telling Nicholas I'd be with him shortly and pulled Joseph aside. "How are you holding up?"

"It's hard," he said. "Margaret is filing for divorce today; I hope we can keep them civil, but even with that, it will take four to six months before it is official. Fiona refuses to mate with me while under punishment, and she hardly has time to sleep." I could imagine; she was the 'dirty little jobs wolf' in a Pack where many blamed her for splitting up a happy marriage. Right now, we were limiting her tasks while her back healed, but that wouldn't last. I'm sure people were thinking up all kinds of unpleasant things for her to do. "It hurts me to see her in pain."

"It will get better. When Margaret finds a mate and more Pack members find theirs, they will understand why it had to happen," I told him as I pulled him into a hug. "Every time you see or talk to Fiona, tell her that you love her, and you are proud of her. A lesser wolf wouldn't have the strength to do what she is doing."

"Thank you, Luna," he said as he stepped back. "I think I'll do that right now."

I spent the next few hours talking with my Pack members and getting to know them. It was a lot of fun hearing about their homes and lives, but I could sense their fear of the changes coming. Everyone came out to meet Hammer and Susan when they arrived with Ian, a fresh mating bite displayed on Hammer's neck. "Congratulations," I said as I hugged them both. I pulled his shirt aside to get a good look at the scabs. "Last night?"

"Late afternoon. We wanted to time it so the fever wouldn't start on the plane, but we weren't up all night with the change," Susan replied.

"Wouldn't want to keep you up past the late news," I teased. "We've still got the tub out back, so we'll organize for ice."

"No worries, the Eskys are in the back," Ian said. I got a couple of the boys to haul them out back while we walked back inside to introduce them to everyone.

After lunch, I gathered all of the humans with Olivia, Hammer, and Margaret. I started by reviewing what the Council laws were about humans, and how my actions this morning ensured they didn't apply to the Southern Cross Pack. "The Councils are paranoid about humans finding out about us, but you've managed to live for centuries without their rules," I said. "If you are happily married, nothing needs to change right away. Your husband and your children will be Pack, and you will be too, except the whole mind link and furry butt stuff." This crack earned me a few chuckles. "We've also decided to make a few changes in how we handle your husbands if you stay together. I think we all understand the risks of making the change are too high, even if your husband takes you as a choice mate after."

"What are you doing?"

"We decided our plans might help wolves in other Packs, but it would be at your expense," I said.

"Maybe I can help," Margaret said. "Let's say you decide not to change anything; you stay married, and you stay human. Vicki was trying to help the fated mate your husband was abandoning to tell her she should look elsewhere."

"It wasn't that simple, of course," I said. "For your husband's intended to get a new mate, he needs to reject her, and that has to be in person. It doesn't matter whether we send him or his clothing around; at some point, he'll have to look her in the eyes and reject her for you to break the potential bond."

"And we all saw what Joseph did when he found his mate," Margaret continued. "It may not matter how much you love each other, not when his wolf is coming forward to claim what is his. He could leave you for her, just like Joseph did, and it's not his fault. It's what his wolf is demanding of him. A mate is THAT important to a wolf."

Olivia picked it up next. "Let's say we send his shirt overseas, his mate recognizes the scent, but he doesn't go. She doesn't get a second chance mate without the rejection, and if she takes a choice mate, it might be someone's fated. It wouldn't shock me if she tried to show up at your doorstep and confront him directly."

"So what do we do," one asked.

I didn't want to say these things, but I had to. "Think carefully about what you want. If you aren't happy in your marriage, cut your man free. Divorce him and let him find his mate. I will make sure you are taken care of in the settlement, along with your children, and you keep the secret to protect your family."

"And if we are happy? If we want to live the rest of our lives together?"

"We do have to consider the fated mate in this case." I let out a breath. "There is only one other way to break the potential bond he has with her. His wolf has to die."

Ch. 17

"Die?" My statement shocked the women in the room, and Sally in front was the first to speak it. "That's necessary?"

"I'm looking at it from the perspective of his fated mate," I said. "She's only cut free to find another if your husband takes another wolf as his mate, or his wolf dies."

"I'm sorry, but screw her," Bevery said. She was a young woman, married only three years, with a baby girl almost a year old. "We don't know her, and we don't have any obligation to her. I don't mind sending Hank's shirt over, so she knows he isn't claiming her, but I'm not taking away his wolf for anyone." Many of the women nodded at this, and I understood why. They had to love their spouse enough to accept his wolf, and they knew how important it was to him.

"Letting her know that way has to be better than not knowing at all, which is where we were until you showed up," Debbie said. "I'm less worried about his fated mate than I am about myself. I know you said you'd protect me, but we've also learned what the Councils think about humans with knowledge of your kind. They are going to figure it out as soon as they start digging into our family trees."

Shit. I hadn't thought of that. Tracing back the line of the Corcoran family would show all the branches that were grafted in by marriage. Since no other wolves were around, they'd have to be human. "They'll have a list of you by nightfall," I said softly. "The Councils can't do anything about us immediately, except to learn all they can about your lineage. I bet the investigators are already digging into public records."

"It's all going to show up; marriage certificates, birth records, census records, property purchases, employment, everything," Olivia said. "We have to assume they will have a list, and it's not realistic to assume they don't know. If you have children that shift, you'd HAVE to know."

"Let's say you're gone, and one of these Council types shows up at my doorstep," Sally said. "What are they going to do?"

My blood ran cold at this. "The Enforcers would kill you on sight to protect the secret," I concluded. "That is Council law on the matter."

"I don't think this would happen right away," Olivia said. "After all, you just found out about the Council, and they will give you some time to 'do the right thing' and take care of the problem. It's when they conclude you won't handle it yourself that they might send people to do it. It would be against Pack law to come onto our territory, but humans are not Pack, so killing them would only have recourse in the human system. They could even send other humans or vampires to do it for them." She shook her head as she looked at me. "You'll be under a lot of pressure to resolve the problems without your help."

Sally stood up and faced me. "Harry and I talked about this last night, and we made our decision." She pulled her shirt aside, showing the scab from his bite on her shoulder. "I want to be like him. I want to be able to protect our children, and I want him to be happy. Once I make the turn, Harry is going to take me as his mate."

You could hear a pin drop. Louise stood up next, showing the bite on her neck. "I asked Ted to change me. I want to run next to my mate and feel the bond that you have."

I looked between the two. "You've seen what a change looks like, and you know what the odds are, and you still want to proceed?"

They both nodded, and Louise responded first. "It's the only way to make sure he is mine forever. If I stay human, there's the possibility his true mate finds him someday and takes him away. All of you will be wondering the same, plus you'll have to worry about people wanting you dead for what you know. Vicki hasn't said it, but I will. Taking your husband's wolf away won't keep you safe from the Council; it just gives them two humans to kill instead of one." She let that sink in; I couldn't argue with her logic. "Even if you divorce him, the Councils will know who you are and what you know. You'll still be in danger, but without the Pack to protect you. Ted and I went through all the possibilities, and the BEST one, the ONLY one with a chance for both of us to have a happy life, was to turn me. The mate bond is forever if I live, and the problem goes away if I don't."

The women in the room looked at me. "Can you protect us from the Council," one finally asked.

"I can try," I said honestly. "It would be difficult. We aren't like some Packs with a small, defined territory and everyone living in the same building, or at least the same complex. We have families scattered across three states, and no groups larger than ten. If the Council decides to send in Enforcers to remove humans from my Pack right now, it would be hard to stop." I wasn't going to lie to my Pack, ever. "That's why in the long term, we need to come together as a cohesive unit in one area."

"Where?"

"I have no idea. I want access to the ocean, access to land to run in, and enough land to ensure our privacy. How we achieve that, we'll figure out as a Pack."

We talked for another half hour, stopping when Louise started to get the fever. I was shocked that the two went ahead, but there was nothing to do now but support them through their change. "If anyone else is thinking about this, please don't take a bite now. I have to leave tomorrow morning for Perth, and I wouldn't be here to help you shift." I looked at the two. "Why didn't you tell anyone before now?"

"It was always our decision to make," Louise said.

Tonight would be a lot of work with three humans changing at the same time. Mom, as always, went for the practical aspects. "Joseph said to use the hot tub for the ice bath, but we're going to need a LOT more ice. He's sending some of the boys into town now." The four-person portable spa was a better idea than more cattle tanks; it was insulated and big enough to submerge the three. "Take Louise and Sally, get them into suits, and bring them outside. We've got a lot of work to do."

That was for sure. Math told me that there was a one-in-eight chance that all three would make it through the change, the same chance as all three dying tonight. I couldn't imagine the damage it would do to Susan and my new Pack if none made it. I walked outside on my own, finding a spot in the trees a few hundred yards from the house where I could think. "Luna, I need your help here," I prayed. "You've given me all these humans, and I want them all to live. I don't know if I can do this if half of them die, or the Council goes after the ones who don't make the change." I wasn't a mystic or a priestess; I never saw Luna or heard her words, and I didn't know what her answer would be. Luna gave me Nicholas as my second chance mate, and that meant exposing his family to the rest of the werewolf world. I had to believe it wouldn't end in tragedy.

"Are you all right?" I smelled Nicholas before he wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me back into his hard chest.

"I'm worried," I confessed. "We opened Pandora's box, and there's no easy way to fix everything."

"Events will have to run their course," he said. "It's like a viral infection; you can't stop it or cure it. All you can do is treat the symptoms, and hope the patient survives. It's not a reflection on you or your leadership, because there is nothing you can do to fix centuries of isolation."