by Leeda Vada
The Powhatan and Lakota union would produce generations of Were-enhanced progeny, leading to the Canid race becoming the fearsome and powerful force in the modern world that it had been in ancient times, before humans systematically massacred every last one they could find.
Their women and children would no longer have to live in fear. They could come out of the shadows and command their place in society.
Though Duncan put little stock in the legend, he realized how dangerous such talk could be for all Canid, whether they believed in the legend or not. Spreading such rumors would put all of his people in danger. The last thing the human population wanted was the emergence of a race of beasts who would threaten their existence. The repercussions for present and future Canid offspring would be catastrophic, igniting a full-blown war between Canid and humans.
Duncan could not let that happen. When he had shared his concerns with the parents, he received the go-ahead to recruit Dr. Win Arjani, a Canid pediatrician specializing in genealogy to be the triplets’ doctor. In addition to the routine pediatric care, she was given the task of assessing any differences between their DNA and those of other Canid.
It became clear almost immediately that the DNA of the newborns was markedly different from that of other Canid offspring. And after the first incidence of shifting when the triplets were three months old, they all went into panic mode.
#
Dr. Malachi had asked for a private meeting with Commander Montauk. He had alerted him to his suspicion that young Calli was Canaan’s mate.
In making the comparisons, Dr. Arjani had discovered common strands in Calli and Canaan’s blood. Though they found elements of the same strand in the brothers’ blood, the similarities were much more pronounced in Calli and Canaan’s blood.
Initially stunned, Duncan, after remembering certain incidents in Canaan and Calli’s interactions over the years, soon acknowledged Dr. Malachi’s hypothesis as a possibility.
#
Canaan, the son of the Supreme Canid Alpha, took his responsibility for the safety and security of all pack members personally. Odin had always been one of Canaan’s heroes, and Laura, his wife, was one of his mother’s best friends.
As the future Alpha, Canaan’s protection was top priority with all clan members. Laura had put Canaan’s life ahead of her own and that of her unborn child. She had suffered the loss of her first child during her struggle to save Canaan and the other pack cubs during a Hounds’ kidnapping attempt. Canaan had never forgotten and had promised Laura that when the triplets were born, he would always look out for them.
Since Calli’s birth, Canaan had been a part of her life. Since he included all the triplets in his involvement, no one suspected anything out of the ordinary.
Not one to leave anything to chance, Duncan assigned Spirit Achak, one of his Stealth Team leaders, the task of monitoring Canaan’s behavior whenever he was in Calli’s proximity. He was to look for any signs of change in Canaan’s attitude toward the young girl, anything other than a brotherly interest.
Achak had not missed Canaan’s strong reaction to a teenage Calli at the pool competition. He realized the urgency of alerting Commander Montauk to what he had observed.
After dismissing Achak, Duncan called for an emergency meeting with Apollo and Odin.
#
As he shared the information with the two men, he was surprised that neither father seemed shocked.
“I guess it was too much to hope for that we were wrong, and this would not happen,” Odin said.
“Yes, I guess it was,” Apollo conceded. He faced Duncan. “Thank you for your speed in bringing this to our attention, Commander,” Apollo said. We’ll take it from here.”
“I beg your pardon, Apollo,” Duncan responded in astonishment. “I need to be involved in this discussion.”
“And why is that?” Odin interrupted.
“Because Canaan is essential to the future of the Canid community, and not just locally, but nationally and internationally too,” he answered. “He is the symbol of the future, and what affects him affects the security of our people, and what affects the security of the Canid race is my business.”
“Canaan is my son, and Calli, Odin’s daughter. This is a family matter, not a security one,” Apollo corrected him. “You are dismissed.”
“I want my objection noted,” Duncan responded as he left the office.
#
“You don’t really think he will let this lie, do you?” Odin asked, his voice full of suspicion.
“Of course not,” Apollo grunted. “But hopefully we can get ahead of his machinations and put our own plan in action before he has time to put one in place.”
“Good luck with that,” Odin responded. “But I will not tolerate his interference in my daughter’s life.”
“At our last Alpha Assembly, Duncan suggested that we put Canaan in charge of the Global Initiative. Since the Assembly knows that we have been considering it, his absence from Bakari for a few years will not raise any red flags. Also, Canaan, and just as importantly, Belen, will not consider the appointment anything out of the ordinary.”
“Is this the only way?” Odin asked. “It seems extreme to separate Canaan from his home and family because of something we suspect.”
“What is the alternative?” Apollo countered. “Do we bring him and Calli in, sit them down, and explain Etrus to a sixteen-year-old girl. Just in case they are mates? I can’t see Belen or Laura sanctioning such an action, can you?”
Odin paced. He slammed his fist into the wall next to the window overlooking the courtyard. “No, I can’t,” Odin responded, sighing heavily. “What about the Council? Do we alert them?”
“No, this is a family matter. We will handle it as such,” Apollo insisted.
“What about Duncan and Achak? Will they keep quiet?”
“They will follow my orders,” Apollo asserted.
“And Canaan? If Duncan is correct, and Canaan now realizes that Calli is his mate, will he accept exile from her?”
“If Canaan realizes the truth, he will see the necessity of putting distance between them. I cannot conceive of my son entertaining the notion of mating a young girl,” Apollo argued.
“I agree. How much will you tell him, Apollo?”
“Only that I need him to take this assignment. If he suspects the truth, he will not need an explanation. If he does not, an explanation would change nothing.”
“I have a bad feeling about all this,” Odin declared, concern evident in his voice. “It feels wrong somehow.”
“I don’t like it either, my friend, but I can’t think of any other viable option,” he stated. “If the two of them make physical contact now, Etrus will kick in, and neither of them will be able to deny their physical need for each other.”
“Calli becoming a mother at this age is not acceptable,” Odin conceded. “And the long-term effects of the forced separation?”
“Unknown,” Apollo acknowledged. “That is a risk I’m willing to take. Can it be worse than an innocent young girl being forced into womanhood before she is ready?”
“Very true,” Odin conceded. “The effects of Etrus are devastating.”
“We both know what our wives went through. And they were grown women who had lived in the adult world of sensuality years before we mated them. Calli has not even begun to travel that road,” Apollo concluded. “If she is Canaan’s mate, and I believe she is, I want her to have time to develop a sense of who she is, to explore all the opportunities available to her, time to prepare to stand beside her husband as an equal and assume her place as future Lupa of the Cumberland nation.”
“You do realize, Apollo, that we are violating the main tenet of Canid law, the edict against interference in the relationship between a Canid and his or her mate,” Odin reminded him.
“Yes, I realize that,” Apollo responded. “The decision is mine. I accept full responsibility.”
“No. We accept responsibility,” Odin
insisted. “We make this decision together for both our children.”
A few moments of silence passed between them.
“And our mates?”
“What about them?” Apollo asked.
“How much do we tell them?”
“Nothing. At least not now. I would prefer not to involve them, “Apollo answered.
“Keeping a secret of this magnitude from them is dangerous. Our marriages will suffer,” Odin warned.
A subdued Apollo responded, “That is another risk I have to take.”
“I pray our unions are strong enough to handle the fallout when the truth does come out. Because it will, Apollo.”
“I know,” he told his friend. “I know.”
Chapter Five
Canaan had readily accepted the Council’s assignment to spearhead the Cumberland Nation’s Global Initiative to strengthen existing alliances and develop new ones. For Canaan, it mission would provide him an opportunity to recruit new members for his Mestizo League and provide the distance he needed from Bakari.
It took him and his team five years to complete their mission, and now they were excited about returning home to Bakari in time to celebrate the holidays with friends and family.
#
As Apollo’s mate, Lupa Belen was an integral part of the foundation that sustained their community. The others looked to her for encouragement and relied on her strength. They saw her not only as their Alpha’s mate, but also as his equal, and gave her the same level of respect they accorded him.
The whole of Bakari was decked out for the annual Christmas ball. It was important to Lupa Belen that Canid experience the culture and traditions of mainstream society. She lamented the forced isolation of their lives.
Seated at the head table with the Powhatan Alpha family were the Alphas and their wives from neighboring states as well as prominent Canid figures in the Cumberland Nation. At smaller circular tables were seated family groups, Warriors, and social groups of the younger generation. The air was festive, the main meal finished. The younger generation had taken over the musical program.
Their parents sat back and observed with mixed feelings of nostalgia and censure as they recalled the playful misadventures of their own youth. They were also grateful that their offspring did not have to suffer the devastation of the territorial wars that had been such a big part of their parents and grandparents’ lives.
Belen registered the exclamations that rose at the appearance of Calli and her brothers at the main entrance. From birth, they had been beautiful, so it was no surprise that their entrance commanded the attention of everyone in the room. They carried with them an aura of sensuality and unleashed power wherever they went.
Especially Nathan. The oldest by two minutes was a younger version of his father Odin. Broad-chested with shoulder-length, coarse, jet-black hair, piercing blue-black eyes, a swarthy complexion, and a physique that reflected extensive training in the martial arts, he was every young girl’s self-pleasuring, late night phantom lover.
Nathan craved adventure and thrived on the danger and adrenaline that came from living life on the edge. He seemed to have inherited the bulk of the animal magnetism that was such a part of his father. He liked to run with the pack, readily accepting any challenge that involved the possibility of blood and sweat.
And his sexual exploits were already legendary. His lovers would be beyond sated, unable to move, covered in sweat, and hoarse from the screams that his passion had forced from their throats.
On the other hand, Rand, born second, had the sensitivity and charm of his mother. He had Laura’s soft, curly, auburn locks that needed no styling mousse to hold their shape. His light blue eyes reflected warmth and compassion, eyes that promised nights of patient, gentle loving. His body also reflected the same intense physical training of one of the top Warriors, which was not surprising since Odin was the Commander of the most prestigious of all Warriors throughout the Canid nations.
Yes, Rand was Laura’s child. Whereas Nathan would use brawn to win his battles, Rand used stealth and stratagem to be the victor in his challenges. In bed, he knew the language of romance, the phrases that were the tools of seduction.
While Nate was the passionate vanquisher in a woman’s midnight Viking fantasies, it was Rand who rescued the fair maiden and made her swoon with lines from the Bard’s sonnets. He would make slow, gentle, all-encompassing love to her, treating her body like a sacred vessel of passion.
Then there was Calli—the Warrior princess. She was rebellious and adventurous—some might say wild—following behind her brothers in all their escapades. Odin encouraged her in her exploits, treating her no differently than her brothers or the other Warriors under his tutelage.
#
The triplets were met with cheers and whistles as they strode into the room as self-possessed as young gods. Rand and Nathan, ferociously protective, flanked their sister. Though they were both famous Lotharios, they had made it very clear early on that Calli was off limits, which they really did not have to do. What Warrior in his right mind would make a move on Commander Odin’s daughter?
Chapter Six
As Calli entered her teens, the social constraints of being Commander Lakota’s daughter did not sit well with her.
Raised to believe that she could do anything a male could do, she could not accept that she could not have sexual adventures like her brothers.
Walking into the palladium tonight, Calli was making her womanhood clear to any male in the vicinity. While her brothers wore the traditional black tuxedoes that emphasized their robust masculinity, Calli drew all eyes to the heavily brocaded, long-sleeved, dark silver sequined gown that draped the front of her body.
Her raven, shoulder-length tresses framed the light, smoky-gray eyes that shocked in the dark olive skin of her face. Her lips, a very soft translucent pink with a wet sheen, promised a lustful, tireless battle with anyone trying to dominate any part of her.
It took some effort to pull the eye away from her face, but the reward was well worth it. As she turned to speak to a well-wisher on her left, she exposed the split that ran five inches below her hip to the floor.
The mind had only a moment to absorb that shock when she did a full turn to allow the males in the audience to feast on the plunging back of the gown that ended in a teasing curve just above her buttocks. There was no way that any male could dance with her without touching her skin.
Laura had to push her nails into the flesh on Odin’s arm to keep him in his seat. Standing across the room from the garden entrance, Canaan, home for the Christmas holidays, felt his entire body flush. He forgot to breathe and found himself almost choking when Calli turned in his direction, their eyes locking momentarily, sending a challenge meant only for him.
Nate and Rand each took one of Calli’s arms and began traveling the perimeter of the room. After stopping frequently to exchange greetings with friends and acquaintances, the trio finally made their way to the head table.
They first went to Laura and Odin to exchange hugs and kisses and to drop off Calli’s luggage. The brothers were staying in the barracks so they could freely carouse with their friends, while Calli was staying with their parents.
Despite Laura’s protest, Odin grasped Calli’s elbow and steered her out to the garden entrance.
“What in the hell are you doing?” he charged.
“What are you talking about?” Calli responded, struggling to free her arm.
“Dressing like a flesh peddler on the make, that’s what.”
“Daddy, please! There is nothing wrong with the way I’m dressed,” Calli insisted. “Look around. I am dressed just like everyone else.”
“You’re not everyone else. You’re my daughter, and I want you to go home this instant and change into something decent.”
“Oh, no, daddy. That is not going to happen. There is nothing wrong with the way I am dressed,” she protested. “I’m not a child. I’m a grown woman, and I’ll dress the way
I please.” “Oh, really? We’ll see about that,” he said, steering her through the garden to the back exit.
“Odin, stop it,” came Laura’s voice. “She’s not a child.”
Her husband kept walking. Nathan and Rand joined their mother, trying to cut them off before they reached the exit.
“Come on, dad,” Nate said. “We’re with her. Nothing is going to happen. There are other girls dressed a lot more seductively than Calli.”
“I don’t care about other girls!” Odin roared. “My daughter is not going to parade around dressed like this.”
Calli wrenched her arm free of her father’s grasp. “I’m going back inside. I am not a whore and have never done anything to make you think that I am. You have no reason to insult me.”
As she stalked off in that direction, Laura grabbed Odin’s arm before he could follow.
“Let her go, sweetheart. She is not our little girl anymore. The boys will be right by her side and they will not let anything happen to her. Come on. Let’s not make a scene,” she pleaded, taking his hand and turning him to face her. “Your daughter is just like her dad. The more you push, the more she pushes back. Let’s not spoil this evening for everyone. The community needs this night to be a good one.”
“You go,” he said, with a heavy sigh. “I’m going home.”
“Just another hour. We’ll stay one hour. Then we’ll both go.”
Odin grunted but allowed her to lead him back inside.
#
For Calli, her encounter with her dad foreshadowed the rest of the evening. Though she had no dearth of dance partners, she did not get to dance with the partner she wanted.
As the night wore on, she became more and more frustrated. As soon as courtesy permitted, she paid her respects to the head table and made to leave.
Shani rushed to get to the table to retrieve the item she had hidden in Calli’s luggage, but she was too late. Calli got there first, and as she jerked the heavy bag from under the table, it slipped out of her hand.
