Part Ten



Word came the next afternoon. Daphne was being called before the elders. Justin swore up and down but Brian assured him that she wouldn’t face them alone. In fact, there were a number of their pack who decided to go to protect the young healer, including Jennifer and Matt. Their entrance did not go unnoticed; with so many of them it was impossible to stay in the shadows as Brian had once done.



“You have no right to be here,” Garret said as soon as he saw the entourage enter. “This is a pack meeting.”



“Daphne has been called before you because she healed our son,” Justin said coolly.



“Your son?” Craig sneered.



“Our son,” Brian confirmed.



“Fine,” Garret said as if he had an actual say in the matter. “Let the outcasts stay. They’ll soon have another piece of trash to join their so-called pack.”



Brian and Justin saw the way the Sherry’s face tightened when Garret said that. It looked like she hadn’t abandoned her daughter to her fate the way Craig had abandoned Justin.



“Daphne,” Sherry said gently. “Can you explain your actions?”



Daphne looked nervous but nodded. “Justin called and said that his son was sick and stuck in his lion form. They couldn’t take him to a regular doctor and his fever was very high. So I went over to help him.”



“So you admit that you willfully broke pack law by associating with two forbidden shifters?” Craig pressed spitefully.



“There was a child’s life at stake,” Daphne said, her voice stronger than before. “My power, my calling, is to heal all who are sick or injured. There is no limitation to that calling.”



“Pack law puts limitations on that calling,” Garret said snidely. “The riffraff should have been left to die.”



There were murmurs of discontent through the room and Justin and Matt had to physically Brian from attacking Garret for that comment. It would not be a smart move to engage the old pack in a fight with so few of their own pack in attendance.



“You would allow an innocent child to die over your petty bigotry?” Justin asked. “And you wonder why your pack is dwindling.”



“We may be outcasts,” Brian said. “But your people seem to like us better than they do you.”



It was true. There were twelve people that had originally come from Garret’s pack that had chosen to leave in favor of the freedoms that Brian offered.



“Weaklings,” Garret growled.



“I think not,” Jennifer argued. “Some of the best and brightest have left because you refuse to see past your prejudices. Matt, Justin, Emily, Sophie, Tony… these were the future leaders of your pack, but they have left you because you are blinded to the need for change. And now you sit there and threaten Daphne, one of the most gifted healers I have ever seen with expulsion for doing what she was born to do. You are a fool Garret.”



There were more murmurs from the pack around them and Justin stepped forward to hold Daphne’s hand. “Healers are a gift to our people, but they cannot walk away from the ill or injured, just as an empath cannot help but sooth those in emotional pain. It is who we are.”



“I will not apologize for saving a life, any life,” Daphne said quietly.



“I call for the immediate expulsion of Daphne Chanders,” Craig said with a malevolent smirk aimed at his son.



Sherry looked shocked. “You would truly expel her over a minor transgression such as this? She did no harm to our pack. She only healed a sick child.”



“She associated with them!” Garret shouted. “She’s as bad as the rest of them!”



Sherry shook her head. “For too long I have allowed you to lead this pack to ruin. I am ashamed to call you Alpha.” There were murmurs of agreement from those standing around the ballroom. “Jennifer is right, we have not only lost the confidence of our pack, but we have pushed our young ones out because of our need to hang on to outdated traditions and blind prejudice. Well I, for one, refuse to allow this to continue. I call for the immediate removal of Garret as Alpha.”



“I’ll second that,” one of the elders said with a smile. She looked down at the group standing before them and saw none of the weakness that Garret claimed but strong, courageous and innovative shifters. That is what they had been losing and it was time to stop the steady decline of their pack.



Unlike most votes, the removal of the Alpha had to be voted on by all pack members and they had to have at least two thirds support for it to pass. It was a risky move for Sherry. If the vote failed, she would more than likely be forced to leave the pack along with her daughter. Ballots were handed out quickly to the pack members and votes cast into a box on the elders’ table. It took a while for the votes to be tallied, but when they were one of the elders rose from his seat and called for order.



“The votes have been cast,” he said with authority. “Garret has been removed from the position of Alpha with 32 votes to keep him and 347 votes for his removal. We will now accept nominations for a new Alpha.”



Brian rolled his eyes at Justin as they stood there for another half hour while the pack went through the formal nominations and then the election. It was no real surprise that Sherry was voted in as the new Alpha. Normally, an Alpha would name his successor but, since the pack removed Garret, he lost that right. Garret and Craig were both escorted from the dais and Justin smirked at his father’s disgrace.



“My first formal act as the Alpha of this pack is to put forth motion to remove all laws that restrict our pack from interacting with other packs, including the pack of Brian Kinney,” Sherry said.



The elders quickly voted in favor of the motion.



“In light of the change in laws, I move that we dismiss the charges against Daphne,” Sherry said.



Again the motion passed.



“In the coming days, we will begin to review all of the pack laws that are driving our young ones away,” Sherry said. “We will review all of our preconceived notions and begin looking for ways to bring our pack out of the dark ages and into the new millennium. I extend an olive branch to your pack Brian Kinney.”



Brian snorted. “We’re good.”



“And if you’d like we’ll offer the assistance of some of our pack who have been crucial in structuring our pack laws to be more inclusive,” Justin offered. “As a thank you for healing our son.”



“Your thanks have already come through your support of my daughter here today,” Sherry said kindly. “But your offer of assistance is a welcome one. I thank you.”



Once the meeting was adjourned, there were many hugs exchanged as Matt was finally able to introduce his mate to his family and Sophie saw her mom for the first time in almost a year. But the biggest hug of them all was from Daphne.



BJBJBJBJBJ



There was a celebration at the club that afternoon. Not only was the news that one of the old packs had called a truce a great relief for many of their pack, but it was soon obvious to everyone that Brian and Justin were back together.



There was hope that now that one of the old packs had accepted them that more would soon follow. The members of the pack didn’t necessarily want to return to their old packs, but to be able to spend time with their families and friends again would be a huge relief.



Brian and Justin had begun a revolution without bloodshed, and they were eager to see the final results. If this single victory was any indication, they were sure to turn the world upside-down.



BJBJBJBJBJ



“So, Sherry seems like she’ll make a decent Alpha,” Brian said in bed later that night. “She said something about inviting those who have been expelled back into the pack.”



Justin shifted so he could see Brian’s face. “I’m not going back. My place is with you.”



“No matter what?” Brian wondered.



“No matter what,” Justin agreed. “I… I was wrong to leave. Being with you is more important than some measly ceremony. I know how you feel about me. I know my place in your life and I’m okay with that.”



Brian nodded. “Good.” They were both quiet for a time before Brian spoke again. “Think Sherry’ll perform our mating ceremony for us? Or we could ask Ben to do it.”



Justin sat straight up and looked down at Brian. “What the fuck?”



Brian shrugged and pulled his lips between his teeth. “You said it won’t change anything between us, but I think maybe it will. I think maybe it will make things even better.”



Justin blinked at him in shock. And then a smile slowly formed on his lips. “You do, do you?”



Brian grinned back. “Maybe. Besides, the pack needs the stability.”



“So we’re doing this for the pack?” Justin asked skeptically.



“And to make you happy,” Brian agreed.



“And it has nothing to do with your happiness?” Justin asked quietly.



Brian pulled Justin down on top of him and kissed him breathless. “I thought you were so good with that empathic shit. You should know by now that your happiness is my happiness.”



Justin grinned down at Brian. “I just had a thought.”



“That’s dangerous,” Brian teased.



“Fuck you,” Justin said as he swatted his lover’s arm. “My dad’s gonna shit when he hears about this.”



“Another good reason to do it,” Brian said. “He and my mom can get drunk and curse our names together.”



Justin laughed. “Sounds like a party.” He kissed Brian once more before settling back into his side. “You sure this is what you want?”



Brian thought about it and had to say, “Yeah, I’m sure. As long as we can still trick.”



Justin chuckled. “Absolutely. Hunting for tricks is one of my favorite pastimes.”



“I knew there was a reason I loved you,” Brian murmured sleepily.



Justin froze. That was the closest Brian had ever come to declaring his feelings for him and it felt like a huge step, even bigger than agreeing to the mating ceremony. Justin surreptitiously wiped tears from his eyes before whispering, “I love you too.”



Brian kissed the top of Justin’s head and closed his eyes. He had once thought he had everything a man could want in life but Justin had shown him how much more there was to life and then had offered him the chance to make those things his own. Justin had given him a pack, a son, a family, and a home. He thought back to that night on Liberty Avenue three years ago and smiled. Justin had given him the world when he had given himself to Brian and Brian was more grateful than he could ever say.



“Thank you,” Brian said softly into the dark room.



“Welcome,” Justin said, already half asleep.



Brian chuckled and pulled him tighter to his side and vowing to never let this miracle go.



The End