85. Woman Chief

85. Woman Chief
Torin's pov

“Siyo said that I can only tell this story to the ones that will come with me.”

“Oh, no. We forgot Ruth!” Mom suddenly said.

“That old bat will be fine.” I said, which earned me a scolding look from Mom and Raelyn.

Mom grabbed her phone and called Ruth in the bathroom.

“So?” I asked, Raelyn, but she told me to wait.

“Ruth and I think we should go on a vacation. She said something about a cruise for old ladies. Not that I’m old, but it should be fun. And safe.” Mom said. “I wish I could come with you, but I’m not as strong as I once was. After losing your dad… I don’t feel like I’ll be able to really be there for you.”

“Mom…” I walked to my mom and looked into her eyes, “I want you to be safe, but I would never keep you from coming with us if that’s what you want.”

Mom smiled sadly at me, “we just lost our home. And it feels like I’m losing Corbyn all over again. These were our people, and… I understand why you didn’t fight for them, but they should have fought for us. For you. It just… It feels like he sacrificed his life for nothing, you know? He gave his life to protect this pack, and now they turned their backs on us so easily.”

“Mom…”

She shook her head, “it’s not just you, Tor. Someone could have talked to me about everything. I could have helped be a bridge between the people and you. I was their Luna. None of my friends even contacted me. None checked to see if I was alright. I’m not even sure they know that Enya and I left.”

Tears were streaming down her face, and she wiped them away angrily with the back of her hand. “They’re not my people, I guess. And I have to come to terms with that in my own way. And I would just feel like a burden if I went with you.”

Enya stood beside me and leaned her head against my shoulder, “I could come with you?”

Mom took Enya’s hand into hers, “no, Enya. You’ve always spoken about seeing the world. This is your chance. Maybe you’ll meet your mate on the way.” Mom looked at me, “take care of your sister, okay?”

I nodded, “I will. I promise.”

Mom swallowed and took a deep breath. “I’m going to the store to get you all some supplies, and you can tell them everything they need to know, Raelyn.”

Raelyn’s head was down, her eyes glued to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“Look at me,” Mom said as she walked towards my mate. “I am honored to have you as my daughter-in-law. None of this is your fault. And I might not know you very well, but I love you.” Mom chuckled, “I’m only going on vacation. You’re the ones heading on an adventure. Now… I’ll be back in half an hour. See you all soon.”

Mom left, and while this wasn’t goodbye yet, it still felt strange. I honestly don’t think I’ve been away from my mother for longer than a week.

Yet both of us sat down at the small table, and I motioned for Raelyn to start. “You can tell us. I will follow you anywhere.”

“And I want to come too. I love a good mystery.” Enya encouraged Raelyn.

Raelyn nodded and looked up at us, still a bit unsure as she started. “When I blacked out after, um, the marking, I saw my grandma.”

It seemed Enya and Willow had already heard this story, but I hadn’t. Raelyn shared what her grandma told her. “So, I first thought it was a dream, but then when I shifted, I realized it must have been real. And when I had to shift back, I heard this voice, explaining everything to me.”

There are legends that we used to be able to communicate, but that we lost the ability over the years. But no proof of it.

Raelyn continued, “at first I didn’t really question where the voice was coming from. I was in too much pain, and I thought maybe it was something like my grandma. Maybe it was my mom, or someone else? But then Siyo introduced herself to me.”

“Siyo?”

Raelyn nodded, “her real name is very long. Godasiyo or something; I’m not sure I’m saying it correctly.”

Willow began to laugh, which drew all of our attention to her. “Godasiyo? Really?”

“What?” Enya asked. “Why is that funny?”

“She was the woman chief, a legend among many tribes. A great leader, who drew people to her. But when there were too many people in the group, they took up more land across the river. Soon, two groups formed on either side of the river, still one tribe speaking the same language. It wasn’t until she went into a canoe with two people from either side of the river that things took a turn. They argued over which way to go, and they all fell into the water. Long story short, this led to the formation of two tribes with their own language. This was the beginning of many more tribes across America.”

“So what does that have to do with Raelyn’s wolf?” Enya asked.

Willow shrugged, “names have meaning. And it seems very fitting. We’re heading North. Cerce used to work for the first pack, the first tribe of wolves. Raelyn’s wolf has a native name... If I were a betting woman, I’d say we’re heading back to where it all began.”

I looked at Raelyn to see if Willow’s words bothered her, but she seemed calm. “Siyo said we need to find out what happened to my parents and then go back to my home. She says we should take our time and travel through the woods. Not on human roads. She wants me to get used to shifting. And that you and Enya should train me to fight.” Raelyn blushed as she looked at me, “oh, and she said I need to mark you sooner than later.”

“Alright, Enya, I think maybe we should do a supply run too. Can’t have too many supplies, can we?” Willow said with a glint in her eyes.

“Please open a window when you’re done, okay?” Enya said.

While normally none of this would put me in the mood, frankly, I was just happy to have a chance to be intimate with Raelyn again.

I never thought I’d get a mark from her. That was an added bonus.

Raelyn giggled uncomfortably at me as soon as the door closed behind Enya and Willow.

"This is all a lot, isn't it? It's super weird." She said awkwardly.

I walked towards her in quick strides and lifted her up, "I love you, Raelyn. And I don't care about all of that. I just want you to be happy. And if getting answers to some of your questions is what you need, then I will be there to help you find them."

"Thank you. But right now, I need a different kind of help." She said shyly.

"Oh, yeah?" I asked as I looked into her pretty eyes. "What kind of help do you need?"

"I need your help getting undressed…"