Chapter 416 Chapter 416
Cooper watched Gary as he hopped out of one rig and went toward another. “I used to work for the Alliance.” He glanced at him, “when I was young and rambunctious like you boys.” He smirked like he was lost in memory for a moment. “I found my mate, loved her—” his expression changed, “but she loved another, so I put all my woe into helping the Alliance keep order.” He rolled his eyes; both knew the failings of that.
Noah forgot to breathe as he processed that. Cooper had a mate out there.
“It was Kelsey’s mother.” Cooper said softly, “and I don’t go spreading that around.” He took off his hat and looked at it, “there are just some things that are best if few know.” He looked at him and Noah nodded, still trying to think past the surprise. “When she was killed,” regret filled his eyes, “I know it because of Aiden Tomas’ father and his lot of assholes.” He nodded his head slowly, “I had to decide if I was going to watch over Kelsey or continue to help the Alliance.”
“You chose Kelsey.” It was a stupid thing to say.
“I did.” Inhaling slowly, he put his hat back on his head, “I told you that part, so you’d see that I understand with mates and that.” He gave him a hard look, “knowing them and walking away isn’t an easy road to travel, you understand?”
Noah nodded, he understood more than he wished. For six years he’d seen Emersyn’s face haunt his every moment of living.
“Yes, you understand that part good.” His expression lightened, “I figured you’d be over the moon to know she was alive.”
Noah felt like he’d smacked him, “well—yeah, I’m happy she’s alive, of course, I am.”
“Good. that’s a start.” Cooper turned and watched Gary put the loader in drive, then move a few feet and put it in reverse again, shaking his head, he huffed out a breath. “My father and grandfather worked with the Alliance, way back.” He shrugged a shoulder, “none of us knew how bad it really was or was going to be.”
Noah leaned on his knees and watched him, not wanting to interrupt with comments.
“Before the Alliance, each clan had their own laws, looked out only for their own,” he paused, a faraway look on his face, “things were pretty bad from what I understand, clans feuding, a lot of fighting going on,” he lifted one shoulder, then dropped it, “everyone wanted more territory and shit like that.” He finally looked at him, “our numbers were strong then, you see, there were as many of us and there were one-forms and in most cases, we stood side by side and no one cared if we grew fur or had skin.” He shook his head, “those that didn’t know, never would, we blended with the one-forms like there was no difference.”
Noah heard a crunch of metal and looked to see Gary jumping out of the rig and glaring at it. One more ding for him to fix, he thought.
“We should keep count,” Cooper said with a smirk, then sighed again. “The hunting of our kind started to get bad, like hiding in the hills kind of bad.” Cooper waved his hand in the air, “with cars coming along and communication getting faster, we were no longer able to live side by side with them and be safe.”
Noah watched him and listened, he’d been denied clan life for too long, and he felt he needed to know the reasons why and if anyone could lay it out for him, it would be Cooper.
“One clan went to another, then they to one, and so on until all these waring shifters finally realized they’d have to work together to survive.” Cooper snorted, “of course, more fighting among us went on for a few years after that because each clan figured they were the best to be at the head and lead all the clans through this.” He smirked, “the bigger shifters thought they’d be the best at it because of their size, or the strong ones their strength,” he gave him a quick glance, “I’m sure many lives were lost trying to prove all that.” He rolled his eyes, “but in the end, a vote was decided on,” he looked around like he was thinking it through, “which was a lot more complicated back then, right, you couldn’t just call someone up and do a video phone call thing,” he shook his head, “the logistics of how they did this worldwide in a time where you had to ride a ship for weeks to get from one side to the other,” he nodded, “that there is commitment, and if they hadn’t none of us would be here now, we’d all be extinct, know what I’m saying?”
Noah nodded but didn’t say anything.
“So, the voters chose the wolves, now there’s more than one kind, so at that point, they had to kind of group us into categories right, like cats, wolves, all the bears,” he waved his hand around, “then it was decided each clan still had their alpha’s, and the alpha’s had a second, or seconds in some cases,” he shrugged, “they would represent with the Alliance.” Cooper frowned, “the name just suddenly made sense to me.” He grinned, then sobered again, “There were a lot of battles over the vote, as you can imagine, but I wasn’t there so I don’t go presuming who did what.” He held his look for a second before continuing. “It was decided that there would be Ambassadors in each country that kept watch on things for the leader or Devin’s kin that was at the helm.” Cooper sat there for a moment and then finally sucked in a breath and continued, “shit started going south when the one-forms started having wars of their own, communicating got harder, and countries had to start looking out for themselves more and more because it was too dangerous to travel for many years at a time as the one-forms battled over,” he shrugged, “this isn’t a history lesson, you can research that shit.” He grinned briefly, “a lot of ours died in those wars too, we were still trying to blend for the most part.” His expression was haunted for a moment, making Noah wonder who his family had lost in the one-form’s wars. “Anyway, with the distraction of global wars, other factions were able to establish a foothold on things in life, like the novelty of having a pet shifter, and such.” His jaw clenched for a moment, “by the time the Alliance clued in, it was out of control.” He turned to look at Noah, taking his time searching his face, “we didn’t know it was a worldwide problem, you understand? We thought the Tomas family just had a few friends scattered about and that’s how they were pulling it off.” He gave him a hard look, “but as you know, your girl isn’t from this continent, so you know it’s not as simple as stopping one man’s organization in one country.”
Noah’s stomach knotted, “yeah, I’ve been hearing bits and pieces from the teams, so I have a pretty good idea of the whole picture.” He rolled his head from side to side; the ever-present knots were tight today. “I just need to know that we’re getting somewhere with it.”
“Here? We are. You ask Calum the numbers, he’ll tell you.” He looked at him with a softer emotion on his face, “we’re really proud of you boys doing what you’re doing.”
Noah’s eyebrows went up.
“You and Blair, rolling in those places and getting ours out, damn proud.” Cooper jerked his head to the side and looked in Gary’s direction again as he took off his hat and rubbed his hand over his head. “I know you’ll succeed.” He said it softly and then put his hat back on, “but now, after you fix that mess in the shop, you need to get your ass over to your girl and help her.” His expression was dead serious now, “I’m not saying mate her up or anything, but be there.” The creases around his mouth were enhanced as he scowled at him, “she’s never known freedom or what the world is like with all its gadgets and things,” he gave his head a shake, “she must be missing her little girl something bad too, she’s going to need someone to lean on, Noah. Someone that understands where she’s been.”
Noah opened his mouth to tell him that it couldn’t be him. What did he know about being a parent, hell, what did he know about helping others, he could barely get through the day himself.
“You’d rather it be one of the other guys? How about that Cale boy, he’s got a good soul in him, a friendly disposition—you’d rather it be him looking out for her?”
Noah’s cat was paying attention now, in fact, it felt like it was trying to climb out through his chest. “No.” It was more growl than word when it came out.
Cooper nodded his head once, “good. Now go get that panel off so I can fix what you broke, then get your ass back over to Blair’s and help there, so you’ll be handy if she needs you.” He stood up and then looked back down at him, “and for god’s sake stay away from the saws and nail guns.”
Noah dropped his head and couldn’t help smiling. He’d almost taken his hand off with the skill saw the first time he tried to use it. Standing up, he looked at the other man that meant more to him than he’d ever be able to express. “I’m just not a tool man.”
Cooper laughed, “oh I know, but you are a fighter and that’s what is most important right now in our world.” He held his look and Noah wasn’t a hundred percent certain, but it looked like pride on the older man’s face. Had anyone ever been proud of him before? “I know you’ll find the right way, just like I know you’ll be there the day Aiden Tomas is brought down.” He nodded his head again and then started to walk away. “You need an instruction book on how to drive those?” He yelled in Gary’s direction.
Noah watched him go over to give Gary an ear full. It wouldn’t be a demoralizing thing, not with Cooper, he’d smack him down a wee bit, then build back him back up again so he’d be a better man when he was done.
Blowing out a breath, Noah walked back into the shop. He didn’t know if he could be over there with Emersyn all the time, what if she didn’t want to see him? Was he supposed to creep around and stay out of sight? How was he supposed to find out what he should or shouldn’t do when he was around her? He could talk to Blair. If anyone knew, it would be him, he was good around females.
Noah went over and picked up the wrench and looked at the nut still stuck inside it. Females. He blew out a breath, he still couldn’t handle being near any. His heart sped up so fast when one of the women over there even looked at him. How the hell was he supposed to be there for Emersyn when he couldn’t breathe? Growling low, he looked over at the stereo. Music wasn’t going to fix anything, but at least if it was loud enough it drown out the volume of his thoughts temporarily.