Chapter 97: Chapter 35

HALEY

Sorting through all the prisoners takes us weeks. Those who have mates here, which turns out to be nine in total, are sent to their home packs. None of them are from the Grey pack.

It’s not as if he can keep all these prisoners for life, although there are a few who will spend twenty years in the cells. We have seven lifelong prisoners, unless the Goddess or the Alpha King say otherwise.

Uncle Ryan, Realta, and Dara execute thirteen men with the permission of the Moon Goddess, based on their crimes against human girls or other atrocities. The ones that came from other packs are returned to their packs for their alphas to deal with. Uncle Ryan contacts their alphas to inform them of the situation.

Some are not very happy, while a few others couldn’t care less. It’s frustrating and seems unfair, but Uncle Ryan had to do something.

The following day, I receive a plane ticket. There’s no other information. Uncle Ryan doesn’t think I should go, but Realta does.

I’m legally an adult, so I’m able to make my own decision. There’s no return ticket, so I pack enough for a week. I can always do laundry if need be.

Glory gives me a replacement charm and Realta blesses it for me. They weren’t mad at all that I gave my other one away. Glory drops me off at the airport for my six-hour flight to Bismarck, North Dakota.

I have no clue what lies in Bismarck, North Dakota. I grab my bag and head out of the terminal. A young man in a suit and hat holds a sign with my name written in black marker.

He takes my bag and shows me to my limo. I’ve never been in a limo and it’s pretty amazing.

“Where are we going?” I ask the driver.

“I’m to take you to your auntie’s mansion. Yes?”

My auntie? Who the fuck is that?

~Language, child.~

~Hello, Auntie.~ I exaggerate with a smile, finally relaxing knowing where I’m headed. ~You could’ve mentioned something sooner.~

~Did it make a difference?~

~I guess not.~

~There is a meal provided for you in your car. It will be late when you arrive. I have a room set up for you. Second floor, third door on the right. I will see you in the morning. Good evening, child.~

~Good night, Oracle.~ I know Uncle Ryan has been worried, so I let him know that I’m staying with the Oracle. After eating my supper, I close my eyes and envision Virgil.

I watch his wolf while he’s on patrol at the Redd Pack. A blue stone is barely visible through the white fur of his chest. I smile that he’s still wearing it.

I let the vision go and fall into dreamland.

“Miss, we’ve arrived,” the driver tells me. A moment later the door opens and the light turns on. I step out of the limo onto the stone driveway of an actual mansion.

The place is ridiculously huge. It’s even larger than the few pack houses I’ve been to. The driver opens the imposing twelve-foot-high wrought iron double doors and I’m barely able to keep from pissing myself with how perfect this place is.

My mouth drops open as I look around the black, white, and gray room with accents of navy blue. The driver tips his hat then closes the door behind him.

I take my bag up the stairs to the specified room. It’s decorated almost identically to mine, complete with a navy blue couch and twinkle lights. The only difference is that there is a wardrobe instead of a closet and where the closet would be is an en suite.

I can’t help but smile at this room. It was decorated specifically for me. An old-fashioned alarm clock goes off and I jerk awake.

I know I didn’t set an alarm. After figuring out how to turn the damned thing off, I get out of bed, shower, and dress, then wander my way downstairs.

The Oracle fills two cups of tea then returns the teapot to the warmer. Her white hair hangs to her shoulders and she’s tastefully dressed in a pantsuit.

“Good morning, child. It’s a pleasure to have you in my home.” Her voice is deep and rough, but for some reason, I find it quite comforting. “There is breakfast on the stove for you. Dishes are on the shelf.”

The kitchen would be any chef’s dream. The stove has eight hobs and a grill top with three ovens of different sizes. The cabinetry covers an entire wall.

The refrigerator is massive with a pull-out bottom freezer. The sink is big enough to wash a golden retriever. The countertops are a charcoal gray, I’m guessing granite. It’s so beautiful.

I pull a plate from one of the three shelves holding the dishes then fill my plate with the breakfast scramble that looks freshly made. I lift a lid off a small pot to find a white gravy. My mouth waters as I ladle a scoop across my plate.

“Your home is lovely, Oracle,” I tell her as I sit down at the breakfast nook. A set of utensils and orange juice already await me.

“Thank you, child. I recently had it renovated. My name is Lindra, if you wish to use it. I rarely hear it anymore.”

“Lindra.” I test it out, but it seems too formal. “May I call you Auntie Lindra?”

“You are my distant niece, that would be appropriate.” She sips her tea then spreads marmalade across her toast. “Eat, child. We will have plenty of time to talk later.”

I dig in and hum. It is so delicious. “I have a chef. She just left to the market. There are also two maids and a butler. You met my driver. They are all human and know nothing of our world.”

Once finished eating, I follow Auntie Lindra to a large office filled with tomes and books, a sitting area, and a large, very attractive desk. She motions for me to have a seat then takes the chair opposite mine.

We’re facing a large window that opens to the woods around the secluded mansion. “I brought you here to train you. You’re quite advanced for your few years. I am pleased with the efforts you have made. Realta has done well to guide you, but she is not an Oracle and does not see as we do.”

“I noticed that there was no return ticket. How long am I going to stay here?”

“As long as necessary,” she said. “As to your unspoken question, it is the very center of the continent. It makes it easier to visit the packs. My lawyer will be here tomorrow. We will get your passport so you are able to travel into other countries.”

“We will begin with languages. It will be impossible for you to attend the summits if you do not speak the languages. You will pick it up easily, just as you excelled in school. Do not be intimidated.”

I can’t help but feel like she’s answering every question that pops into my mind. It’s as if she can hear my thoughts. “Yes, you will learn to hear thoughts as well, but only those in the same vicinity.

“That skill took me the longest to learn. We will begin with French Canadian as that is the first summit outside of the US that we will attend. The west coast summit will be held next week.”

“You missed the middle American summit while your pack was being attacked. I have a calendar with all of the dates and locations prepared for you. You will need to learn the werewolf laws as they stand in each country.

“They do vary. If, or once you find the alpha heir, he will be able to make changes as necessary.”

I can’t help but feel intimidated. I wonder if I’ll ever find him. It sounds like she doesn’t even know.

Her soft, warm hand covers mine. “I do not know. I felt as you did long ago. I promise it will all come naturally.

“My mentor was only eighty-four. I should have been replaced three times over. I have a vast amount of knowledge at my disposal. I will share with you all I can in the time we have.”

She gets to her feet and walks to one of the many bookshelves. “I have read them all. You will also need to read through them at some point. They contain a wide array of information. Some more valuable than others.” She lays a book in front of me. “Begin with this one.”

I thumb through it and then look up at her. I know she already knows my question, but I ask anyway. “Will I really be able to learn this?”

“You will. The more you study, the faster your mind will retain the information. I will help you with any questions you might have. I am here for you, child.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” She gives me a soft smile and then retrieves another book from a different shelf. I chuckle when I read the title. ~Billionaire’s Masquerade~?

“I’m a fan of sappy romance. It’s been a long time since my Nathaniel was taken from me. He was my second chance, so of course I was not allowed another. I don’t know that I would accept another anyhow.” My heart hurts for her. She must’ve had such a lonely life. “At times yes. I did have my daughters and their daughters.

Enough of my life, though, Haley. It is time for studying.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I open the book and begin reading all about French nouns and the male and female connotations.

By dinner time five days later, Auntie Lindra is speaking to me in French Canadian. The impressive part is that I understand what she’s saying and am able to respond appropriately. I next learn Finnish and Norwegian for their summits, followed by Italian.

Utilizing her private plane, we attend the summit outside of Twin Falls, Idaho for the west coast packs. I’m introduced as the Oracle’s guest and every alpha and every guard bow their head in respect to her. I sit beside Auntie Lindra and she includes me in her visions as well as listening to the thoughts of those in the room.

I try to understand how she’s doing it, but it’s not until we attend the summit outside of Oulu, Finland that I finally understand. However, doing it proves very challenging.

She informs me that we only hear the minds of our kind. Human thoughts are not accessible to us as the Oracle. This explains why she was unaware of humans within the camp back home.

I find it intrusive, but necessary under some circumstances, a summit for example. Through her, I’ve learned the kind of alphas they are and most seem to be pretty stalwart and good, but there are a few that I will be keeping a close eye on.

It’s October and I’m studying Japanese, then will come Mongolian, Russian, and Hindi. Eventually there will be French, Dutch, Icelandic, and Greenlandic. Those summits will be taking place next year.

I’m so grateful that the Russian summits will take place during the summer. I like winter and snow, but not that much. “Auntie, will the Alpha King be able to learn all of these languages?”

“You can always translate, but it would be best if he learns as much as possible. You will need to get him a passport right away if he does not already have one. You have met my lawyer.

“He will help get him settled. I am unaware of any remarkable gifts regarding the king other than his command and ability to shift power.”

“Shift power?”

“Yes. He will be able to remove any alpha’s power or create a new alpha by granting power. My Nathaniel had to remove two alphas, he took their power and sent them to other packs where he made them guards.

“I remember they were not happy, but they needed to learn. Of course they did not. He was very intelligent. He liked studying and learning. He did not need to know other languages at that time.

“We did not have summits until the airplane was invented.” I smile picturing exactly what she sees from her memory. They were so in love. He was very handsome and they were together for a short twenty-three years.

“The happiest twenty-three years of my life. My three girls loved their papa and they were all his princesses.”

“What happened to your daughters?” I ask. Lindra and I have become very close over the last few months. We’ve shared many of our personal stories, sometimes in other languages.

Even though we could easily bring up any memory we choose, we do enjoy the conversation.

“They all found their mates and gave me ten granddaughters. My great-grandson was the first male in our line. He went rogue along with four other great-grandsons.

“At that time I was busy in Russia. The government allowed the killing of wolves so I had to establish rules for the safety of our kind. I was gone four years and when I came back, my daughters had all passed.

“America was going through the Indian wars, the Alamo, and pioneers moving west. My great-grandchildren no longer knew me. I was no longer able to distinguish my line.

“It was a similar situation for my brother. His mate died during the birth of his fourth daughter. They all had daughters. It’s not until the third generation the males and twins are born.”

“I guess Glory and I will have to get used to all the female hormones in one household,” I muse. The thought of the chaos that just the two of us caused makes me laugh. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like with two or three more.

I picture Glory having a blast with her princesses and tea parties. The image of Spencer in a pink dress and a tiara, letting his girls paint his fingernails, comes to mind. Lindra begins to chuckle at the thought.

“He is a good one,” she says. “I’m glad her mate is a little silly.”

“I am too, Auntie,” I reply. “We should invite them up here for a weekend or something. I really miss my family.”

“I sent the tickets yesterday,” she informs me.

I laugh at her foresight, then turn my attention to finding the book containing werewolf law in Russia.