The evened odds gave Thomas a chance. Lightning fast, he reached out and caught one of the two remaining wolves.
“Enough,” I said as Thomas grasped the wolf’s throat. Thomas hesitated a second then opened his hand. The wolf yipped and fell to the ground.
Thomas glared at the remaining wolf, almost daring it to attack, while I eyed Thomas’ cuts and bruises. At least, they hadn’t ripped his ear, again. I didn’t want to pick out any more stitches. The wolf finally looked away. Satisfaction coursed through me, then Thomas’ tired gaze met mine.
I gave him a worried frown. When I’d asked him a month ago what he’d needed, his answer had been correct. Cooperation.
I turned to address the men around us.
“If you want to behave like animals then society will continue to treat you like animals. You will be hunted down and killed. Maybe you can accept that but look through that door,” I said, pointing toward Mary and Rilla, who’d rejoined us.
“They don’t want to accept that. They are willing to change to give the next generation a chance.”
“A chance for what?” one of the men said. I turned, trying to find the voice in the crowd but couldn’t.
“A chance to survive.”
“There aren’t enough Mates. You’re promising the impossible,” the voice said again. I recognized it. It was the man who’d attacked me then later joined Thomas’ pack.
“Aren’t there?” asked Winifred, stepping out. “You sensed Charlene was a possibility when you first arrived here. Her desire to change things upset you, and you’ve refused to see her as what she is. A potential Mate. I’ve listened to your concerns. She’s too human. She’s too weak. Did she look too human or too weak just now? She stopped this fight, not me. Not Grey.”
The men stared at me, and I struggled not to look away. Fear and shame dug into my belly. Hands settled on my shoulders, and a wave of reassurance washed over me.
“We Elders have spoken with her and have watched the changes she’s made. We believe she is the future of our race. We can’t force you to accept her, but we will not let you harm her or drive her away for as long as her existence continues to benefit us.”
I sensed her will split at the same time I sensed Grey’s. They worked together to touch every wolf. Numerous strands whipped out of the clearing, fading from what I could feel, only to return moments later with the rest. They’d spoken a command to all of their kind, not just those here.
I reached up and placed my hand on top of Thomas’. He leaned forward and kissed the back of my head.
“Your race can be something great,” I said, “but it will take cooperation and hard work. The things we do today will impact tomorrow and the future of your people. What future do you want? More fighting amongst yourselves?”
“I want a future where my son has hope of a Mate,” Rilla said from behind me. “I want a safe place to live until I give birth to this next one.” She patted her still flat stomach.
The tension in the crowd seemed to break after that. Many of the men shifted position to study Rilla, and I wondered how many were hoping she carried a girl. Her husband stood behind her, a protective hand on her waist.
Thomas’ hand dropped to my back, and he nudged me toward the door.
“Wait, what about the new members?”
At the sound of the familiar voice, I stopped moving. I wanted to reach out and grab the man by his throat. Instead, I took a calming breath.
“Recall our deal. He will accept new members the day after you return. That’s tomorrow. Today, give yourselves time to get to know one another.”
I kept walking forward, glad that Thomas stayed with me.
“I have warm water in there for you,” Mary said to Thomas as she walked out of the tub room.
I moved to step aside since he was still behind me, but he wouldn’t let me. His hand stayed firmly on my back as he steered me toward the tub room.
I twisted to give him a look.
“I can’t reach my back,” he said softly. With a sigh, I willingly went with him.
A chair waited near the washbowl. He sat sideways so I had full access to his front and back. I wet the cloth and started with the marks between his shoulders. Several of the gashes worried me. These weren’t small, clean cuts but jagged tears. All of them had stopped bleeding already, though. So I gently washed away the blood. When the water was dirty, I left the tub room to empty the bowl and fill it with more.
Grey and Gregory sat at the table near the door. Rilla and Mary sat at the smaller table near the stove. They were in the process of butchering a deer. I saw Rilla snitch a piece. Mary caught me gagging and grinned.
I retreated to the tub room again and closed the door behind me. Thomas was in the same spot, but his eyes were closed. I wanted to hug him.
“Save your pity,” he said softly. “These scratches aren’t worth it.”