Page 19 of Those That Defy the Realm

Since Henry left with Ty and Rory, I’ve thrown myself into pack politics in a way I never have before. I might be an alpha myself, but I’ve never been interested in the actual details of what it takes to keep everything running before. My parents, whilst nearing half a millennia in age, are not old, so it’s not like I needed to learn how to take over. And anyway, my older brother Colton is also an alpha so the reins would be passed to him should anything happen to either my mum or dad.

No, I have been happy, more than happy, with my role as caregiver. I look after our families food supply as well as overseeing several of the imports for the entire town. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than ensuring they’re well fed and eating a good balanced, yet tasty, diet.

Henry changed things. I’ve been denying it to all, and a little to myself. My wolf, on the other hand, can’t be fooled. He’s forcing me to feel what I’m trying to bury; that I miss the giant, stoic, nerdy vampire. The sex was wild, but it’s more than that.

And even though it’s unlikely that I’ll ever see him again, an urge I feel to my soul is driving me to do something, be a part of whatever my mother is currently working on. She hasn’t given me details yet, much to my frustration. Instead, she handed me three boxes of old papers and told me to catch up and said that if I passed her quiz then she’d let me assist her properly.

“What bit are you trying to work on at the moment?” Dad asks. “This is the protection treaty.” The one that stops the fae from ever travelling to our island, providing we never step foot off of it.

“I don’t know. I was reading about the citizenship laws that were passed, the ones that automatically made any wolf shifter a resident of the Northern Isles. This later passage,” finding the original document I was reading, I hold it up, “referenced something about our legal status being compromised if we are found outside of our territory.”

My father nods to show he’s following.

“But then the document linked to it,” I hold up the other one, “states that the local authorities have the right to serve punishment according to our state law, not the federal one. That’s where I’m getting confused.”

“What that means is that the council that governs the Northern Isles cannot step in should the mainland authorities find us to be in breach of the treaty. If any wolf is found to have left our island, the council has to let the federal authorities enter the territory to punish us all.”

“You mean kill us all?”

“Yes. Sadly.” His mouth forms a grim line. “Your mother was distraught that she couldn’t talk them down from that particular ruling. She managed to get them to agree to not come after us if a wolf, proven to not be from this pack, happened to turn up on the mainland. But they wouldn’t relent any further.”

It’s the rule imprinted on us from a young age. And the teenagers are reminded of it often when they get frustrated with our restrictions. If one wolf from this island is found in the wrong place, the whole pack will die. No discussions, no trials.

“But why would our legal status of residency matter?”

“Because if one of the humans or demi-Fae that reside on the Isles is found committing a crime or something elsewhere, they can demand to be tried by their country of residency, i.e. our local authorities and judicial system. Or they at least have the right to seek legal help from our council even if they commit the worst of crimes and extradition is denied.”

“It’s so unfair,” I whine like a pup, much like I remember teenage me doing when it happened. Before I decided that we just had to make the best of it. Before I discovered cooking and found ways to be incredibly happy in this harsh, cold environment.

“It is, but at least we’re alive and we’re able to live a life.”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” I tell him sincerely.

“I know you’re not that. And it is true, it is unfair. There are many injustices left unresolved from that war.” He trails off like he’s about to say more but no more words come.

“Are you thinking about Ty?” I ask. Really I’m thinking about Henry but our cousin is a safer bet to bring up.

“Indeed. It’s wonderful that he seems to be in a better place, and Rory is a delightful mate for him. But they don’t have any of the legal protection that we do, as little as we might have.”

“That’s what Mum is hoping to change, isn’t she?” I’ve suspected it for a few days but seeing as I haven’t finished my assignment, I know she won’t talk about it with me yet, even if my guesses are correct.

“I’m trying to not let her get her hopes up too much.” Dad lays his hands flat on the table, bracing for the response he knows I’m going to give.

“But that would be incredible. If she can reverse the automatic death sentence on the vampires, get them a similar deal to our own, at least they’d be able to set up somewhere like we have.” I can’t help the tingle of hope in my gut at the fact we’re even discussing this, let alone the fact my mother might be acting on it.

“It’s not as simple as bargaining for that.” My father’s eyebrows extinguish my small bout of joy. “Remember that the central authorities have no idea that the vampire numbers are anywhere near what we know them to be. They have a unit which investigates any suspicious activity and most likely believe that a few rogues are still at large, but they have no idea, as far as we know, that entire packs have been formed and that an underground network is starting to operate. And society at large thinks that vampires are extinct entirely. Even broaching the subject of altering the illegal status of their kind would raise alarm bells.”

Fuck, he’s right. “But Mum must know something, or she wouldn’t be working so hard at the moment. Wouldn’t be so secretive about it until I’d read up on literally every treaty term like she’s tasked me to do.”

“We are aware of certain open doorways,” my dad says cryptically, reminding me that he is also Mum’s mate, and therefore privy to what she’s doing.

“This would be huge. Bigger than huge.”

“Yes, it will. If it comes to pass,” he agrees. “And if you want on the inside of it, you’d better finish up with these documents.”

I groan at the warm smile that stretches his lips. Of course I know that if I’m to be of any help, I’m going to need to know the ins and outs of all this legal jargon. Doesn’t mean my brain isn’t tired of the information overload.

“I’m sure Henry will thank you for it.” Dad winks at me before getting to his feet.