The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)
Chapter 22
Jara
I hear the pack members carrying their pizzas to the dining room where they will eat while we have our movie night and sleepover in the living room.
When I get there, Mignon moves over, and I sit down beside Layan.
“Did you eat?” I ask her.
She shakes her head, no, at me. I grab a plate and put two pieces on it, sitting in on my lap, then tucking her under my arm. “What did we decide to watch?”
“Some rom-com about a girl who has no short-term memory and can’t remember that she falls for this guy every day.”
“Sounds fun!” I say and pick up a piece of pizza. I lean my head against Layan’s. “Will you try to eat for me, please?” I say quietly, but I know all the Lunas can hear me.
Layan looks at the pizza for a moment then picks is up and takes a bite before putting it down. It takes her awhile to chew and swallow it, Hana giving her a drink to help her wash it down. But, as we watch the movie, Layan slowly eats the piece of pizza.
We’re about halfway through the movie when I realize she’s sound asleep. I lean sideways, Annabel helping me tuck some pillows under my body and pull Layan against me so she’s in a more comfortable position.
Asher has been giving us space, but always keeping us in eyesight.
“You all did a great job with her tonight.” He says and Mignon goes to sit on his lap.
I watch him, seeing that he has something else he wants to say.
“Look, it’s not my place and I’m not your mates, but, I don’t think. Mason or Seth would appreciate knowing that the two of you are touching every unmated male in this pack.” Asher says.
Hana and I look at each other before turning back to them. “You don’t know?” Hana asks.
“Know what?” Asher asks and Annabel turns to look at us. “I noticed you touching all of them too. What don’t we know?”
Just then, Alpha Davis walks in, and a small smile crosses his face when he sees Layan sleeping against me. “I sent her mother to bed. I told her Layan would be safe with your four tonight.”
“Good.” I say, making a decision.
“Alpha Davis, would you mind helping us for a moment?” I ask him.
It’s touchy. Having others know he’s close to going feral could be dangerous, but he’s in an alliance with all of our packs. And I have every intention of helping him and his pack as much as I can.
“What can I do for you?” He asks, walking into the room.
“I’m sorry for asking so publicly, but Alpha Asher, Mignon and Annabel don’t know about how to tell if someone is going feral. Would you mind if…” I break off, not wanting to reveal his secrets.
“If you tell them that I’m going feral?” He finishes for me.
“No, not tell. Show. You know how you felt it when I touched you today? I can feel it too.” I tell him.
“I guess that makes sense. You seemed to recognize right away that it has started in me.” He says.
“Please, if it will help others, I’m more than willing to do what I can. What do you need?” He asks.
Hana stands up, walking to him. “Let us touch you.” She says.
“Don’t tell Alpha Seth you said that.” He jokes.
Hana laughs. “He already knows. His mother is the one that taught me.” She tells them.
“And me.” I say.
“Taught you what?” Annabel asks, moving to stand beside Hana. Hana puts her hand on Alpha Davis’s back, and I know she feels his darkness.
“Put your hand on his back.” Hana tells Annabel. Annabel hesitates a moment, then complies. Immediately, she sucks in air and pulls, her hand away.
“What was that?” She asks, looking between Alpha Davis and Hana.
Alpha Davis looks at her sadly. “I’m close to going feral. At best, next year is my last chance to claim my mate before it’s too late for me.” He tells her honestly. Slowly, Annabel puts her hands back on his shoulder, looking at Hana.
“Do you feel it?” Hana asks. I notice that now that he has two Lunas touching him, Alpha Davis’s body is relaxing.
“I do. It ripples.” She says.
“Yes, we, as females or as Lunas, or both maybe, can push their feral-fever away. Not forever, but for a while, extending their lives.”
“Wait. You’re saying as a Luna I can help keep my pack members from going feral?” Mignon asks.
“Yes.” Hana and I say together.
Mignon turns to look at Asher. “Asher, if this can help our pack, I need to learn.”
I can tell he doesn’t like the idea of his mate touching another male, especially an unmated Alpha.
“You’re sure this will work?” He asks me.
I shrug. “One way to find out, Alpha. Let her see if she can feel it. If she can, I’d say yes. She could make a difference in your pack.”
He looks at Mignon for a long moment before nodding his agreement. Immediately, she hops up and moves to Alpha Davis who is still feeling the effects of two Lunas. “I would add to what Luna Jara said.” Lewis, my guard says from his spot against the wall.
Everyone turns to look at him.
“I was nearly feral, ready for Alpha Mason to put me down, I was that close. When Luna Nina came to our pack with Luna Jara, I didn’t realize how close I was, that’s how bad it was for me. But being with them, spending time with them, being around them and having them touch me has pushed my feral-fever away. It takes more than a few days, that’s why Luna Jara wanted me as her guard, so that I could stay close to her. But now, it’s like I’m 18 again. I feel great. No darkness, not lack of control. It works.”
Mignon gets a look of determination on her face before reaching out and touching Alpha Davis. As soon as she does her eyes go wide and she looks at Asher. “I can feel it, Ash. I really can.”
“What does it feel like, baby girl?” He asks.
“Dark.” Mignon and Annabel say together.
I see Asher move to pull Mignon away from Davis. “She’s okay, Asher. My mother never suffered ill effects. The feral-fever is a direct result of there not being enough she-wolves. We can feel the darkness, but we push it away.” I say, trying to help him understand.
“Yes, you do.” Davis says, quietly, almost reverently.
Asher moves to stand in front of him. “You can feel it that quickly?” He asks. “Yes.” Both Davis and Lewis say.
I look at Asher. “That’s why Hana and I were touching so many the males in this pack. Some are very close to going feral. Giovanni is probably the closest.” I say, looking at Davis.
“Yes, I was about ready to put him down. I hope that now I won’t have to.”
I watch Asher look at Mignon before turning to me. “Are you sure it won’t hurt my mate and our pup?”
“You can speak to my mother. She’d be happy to talk to either or both of you. And, if you’d like, I can ask her to come visit your pack. She could show Mignon how to help your pack members and, of course, having her there will help them as well.”
I can see Asher and Mignon having a private conversation. He turns back to me. “I’d like that. I’ll get her information before we leave.” He says.
As they pull away from Alpha Davis, he takes a deep breath. “It’s like your brain is released from a mental prison.” He says, his eyes closed.
“That’s a perfect way to describe it.” Lewis says.
Everyone takes a minute to think about that before Asher turns to look at me, still holding a sleeping Layan.
“What do you want to do with Layan?” He asks me.
“I’ll carry her to my room. I’m going to have her sleep with me tonight and see how she does.” I say.
“I can come too.” Hana says. “We can surround her and maybe she’ll sleep through the night.”
“And if not, we’ll take turns.” Annabel says. “I can rotate in when one of you needs a couple hours of sleep.”
“Me too.” Mignon says and I hear Asher’s low growl.
“No, Mignon. You’re pregnant. You need your rest. Get some sleep and we’ll come get you, Annabel, if we need to switch out.” I tell her.
With that. Hana helps me get her up and into my arms. I carry her to my room, getting her settled into the middle of my bed before Hana and I crawl in on either side of her, surrounding her once again in our safety net of love.