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The Moon Goddess shed a tear as she watched another innocent die a horrible death at the hands of those in power.
At the same time, her spirits rose at the pure joy she felt blooming within her as the Mahani wolves were in the middle of a mating ceremony. This was one of the few werewolf packs that had no evil souls. They cared deeply for all the people on their seven islands, wolves and humans alike.
She watched the caring wolves for a bit longer, reveling in their love for their fellow man.
The Moon Goddess returned her gaze to the young wolf killed by her Blood Alpha during her first shift. The young pack wolf was an Omega - intelligent and loyal. She was also his son's mate. The Blood Alpha wanted better for his son. He took the poor girl's innocence before beating her to death.
A plan formed as the Moon Goddess turned back to the Mahani Islands. Her people needed a champion to protect them from those evil, corrupted beings - wolves and humans. All it would take is a little magic and some wolves with big hearts. She had plenty of both.
And so it begins...
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Present day (5000 years later)
POV - Grace
"Delta Four to Alpha Three. You are clear to leave. All the leaders are in custody."
"Understood, Delta Four. How many children did we liberate?"
"Sixteen. Two are Mahani. That's more than we were told were here. It's a good day."
While that last statement on the group link may be up for debate, I knew what she meant. My best friend felt overjoyed when we saved children from these slavery rings. For me, it was too close to home.
People have been stealing and hunting Mahani children for thousands of years. When the Moon Goddess made the Mahani the guardians of the wolves being abused or killed, it made our children targets. A Mahani child is worth millions on the black market. While modern technology gives us more resources to find the people who need us, it also creates a way to check a child's DNA for Mahani genes.
A descendant of a Mahani that left us is an easy target for these monsters. While we chip Mahani-born children with trackers at birth, the descendants don't have that protection. It is uncommon for a child to be born a Mahani several generations after leaving us, but it happens.
I'm living proof of that.
Not being able to tap into the Mahani powers until one comes of age is also a considerable downside. These children can't defend themselves or have their wolf cry out to us, letting us know of the abuse and need for help. It didn't take long for the abusers to learn this minor fact either, so they tend to kill the children on their thirteenth birthday, knowing their wolf would emerge during that year.
"How are you doing, Grace?" The voice inside my head was soothing, and I was thankful my father didn't use the group link.
"Honestly, I'm happy and sad at the same time."
"Any flashbacks?" I'm really happy my dad has stopped pulling punches with me and I hope this never changes.
"No. Just the heartache of knowing what they've been through." I deliberately kept my voice even, knowing he would worry.
"Use a ring to come home. I want to see you."
I pulled a transport ring from my pocket while sending a message through the group link. Some of the Betas would stay behind to protect the medical team and the children, transporting them by air to a secure location for further medical treatment and evaluations of their mental condition. The rest could come home with me through the ring. Only Mahani can pass through it.
I sent my power through the finger-sized ring in the palm of my hand, then tossed it a few feet away. It opened a portal to a location I know well, the camp where I live and where my parents are. The mates of my group are there too. We can also open a ring using the mind link. It's like a GPS to a specific person.
Not one of my people died today, which is always good. Most Mahani have chosen mates because the pack wolves reject us more than accept us. Fated mates rarely survive the death of their mate unless they have children in the household to care for. Choice mates feel death deeply, but it won't kill them.
No tears await us, making this homecoming easier, since I'm stressed.
Once everyone was through, I stepped into the ring. As my feet touched the other side, I mentally closed the portal and caught it before it fell to the ground. Only Alphas can use these rings, and we all have several with our engraving on them.
My dad was waiting with arms outstretched. I gratefully walked into them. My emotions were high, but not out of control. Somehow, he always knew when I needed to be touched and when it was a bad idea. I love him so much.
"You all did a great job today. Did any of the children stand out to you?" he asked through the group link and out loud so the others left behind could hear him.
"Yes. One did." came from Beta Nine. Her mate's face lit up.
"Really?!"
"A little boy about five years old with dirty blonde hair. He said they called him Mutt, but he didn't know his real name. I'd like you to meet him," she told her mate.
He picked her up and twirled her around. He is a Delta with the IT department, and their children are just about grown, having come into their wolves several years ago. Most couples will continue to adopt to keep kids in the household. Once their wolves emerge, the parents offer the children who are not Mahani the choice to become Mahani. A Mahani Blood Alpha can change a wolf's DNA and give it our powers.
"Anyone else?" My father asked.
No one responded to him.
"Thank you all for the effort you put into today. Everyone, get some rest, and please have your therapist clear you for future groundwork."
All Mahani takes turns in a rotation for groundwork, as it's hard on the soul to see firsthand what we see. Therapy is mandatory for everyone; no exceptions are made. We have a small army of Gammas that handle our emotional breakdowns and mental health.
As everyone parted to go their separate ways, my mom approached me. Her hug was just as good as Dad's.
"That goes for you too, little one. I wish you would talk to Nicolas now, but it can wait until morning. I can see you are exhausted."
"I am. But I promise to see him first thing." I replied.
Nicolas and I have a genuine love/hate relationship. I consider him a friend; he knows how far to push before backing off. But I hate how he can get inside my head.
After giving my goodbyes, I headed back to my house. Being an Elemental Alpha means I'll never have my destined mate, even though I feel he still lives. All Elementals, except for Blood Alphas, face rejection because their mates cannot handle the power and responsibility of being mated to such powerful wolves. Having complete control of one of the four elements will make any mate look elsewhere, especially a prideful pack wolf. The Blood Alpha's mate within the Mahani, so they don't have that issue.
I pray I never meet him. The mate bond fades at age thirty, so I have seven years to go before I can see if anyone within the Mahani suits my wolf. Choice mates can love each other but never have the deep bond of a destined mate.
I showered and put on my most comfy pajamas. My plush green rocking recliner calls me as I remove my bracelets that I rarely take off. The scars on my wrists from being tied down are hard to see but will never fade entirely because of the age at which I received them. Our super-wolf healing doesn't kick in until our wolves emerge.
My mind wanders as I stare out the window.
It's going to be a long night.
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