Night with The Twin Rivers

Ch. 17

They headed towards the pack house, with Steven and Shawn at her side. Upon arriving she sniffed around and found no signs of him. She went inside to look around just in case, but it seemed as though he hadn’t been there except for the first night. 

She walked back down into the kitchen and her phone rang, it was her grandfather. “Hello?” She asked. 

“The elder’s are coming together. James approached them with some concerns.”

“Great. My mates and I are already at the pack house waiting.” She said to him. 

There was a small silence, “mates? You mean you mated with them already?”

“Yes. We have marked each other. Some wolves tried to attack me at my home last night. How did they know where I lived?” She asked him curiously. 

“I don’t know. All of this seems strange to me as well. I will head on over, I am sure the elder’s will arrive shortly. Just wait for us.” He said and clicked off the phone. 

Jena turned to the others, “the elders will be arriving shortly. I guess we should make ourselves comfortable.”

Shawn looked between them, “I am going to go gather our pack…the River pack. Although we can mind link with them, it would be easier and less stressful if I pull them all together and make the announcement that the packs are joining together. We will be back shortly.” He leaned over and kissed Jena briefly. 

She smiled at him, “I understand. Be safe.”

He nodded and then left, leaving her with Steven. There was a bit of an awkward silence as he wasn’t much of a talker. But it was easier on her now knowing that he accepted her as his mate and he didn’t want to push her away. Jena sat down at the kitchen counter and he joined in next to her. 

“What could the elder’s possibly want from all of this?” She asked out loud. 

Steven shrugged, “I don’t know. I am still trying to process all the information. Shawn has been filling me in with the things he has been finding out about James and his clan as he has been gathering information. I agree with both of you, I think there is something else going on here. I think James is the alpha of that clan, I don’t think there are two alphas. I think he was trying to force you into giving him your pack so he could make his stronger and bigger. They don’t have much hold in the human world. They don’t have money to back them like you do. I think he was trying to come in and take it all just to become more powerful.” 

She nodded, “that’s what I think too. But why didn’t the elders realize what he was doing? Wouldn’t they want to stop him from doing that?”

“Unless he promised them something in return.” Steven said. 

“What could he promise that we don’t already have? The elder’s are here to make sure everything is being handled fairly between the clans. They are well taken care of and they are treated with respect everywhere.” She said. “They don’t need any more power. They don’t need land.”

Steven sat there off in thought for a moment. “Maybe they didn’t want a woman to lead them.”

She could feel anger rising within her at the thought. “There is nothing wrong with a female alpha. There have been plenty in the past. I have done nothing but make this pack stronger and healthier since I took over.” 

He nodded. “I can see that. Can they see that? Maybe one of the elder’s has something against the Night pack. Maybe they wanted to see it fail.”

Jena thought about that and then nodded. “That is possible. There are a couple elders I can think of that weren’t too keen on me taking over. They were upset I even took out the previous alpha and claimed control of the pack.” She paused a moment then continued. “When the previous alpha was here, my family was killed. They were murdered when I was younger and I stayed with my grandfather who took me in. I trained and studied to become more. To fight back as it was clear the Alpha was a tyrant and couldn’t handle being our alpha. It wasn’t just my parents, and my family. Many wolves were dying simply because they challenged the alpha and he didn’t like that. When I was strong enough I stood my ground and I decided to go after him. I killed him and took his place.”

Steven said nothing but looked at her with a small smile. “You do seem pretty feisty.” He said with a chuckle. 

She enjoyed looking at his smile and seeing him actually happy for a moment. “You should smile more. It suits you.”

He blushed and turned away from her again. 

Jena was about to say something else when she heard someone clear their throat and her grandfather entered the room. She slipped off the stool and Steven followed suit standing beside her. She quickly gave her grandfather a hug. 

“How are you doing my dear?” He asked her. 

She gave him a small smile, “well enough.”

Her grandfather looked at Steven and looked him over. “You seem like a strong lad. I hope you mind yourself and take good care of my granddaughter. She can be a bit feisty but I am sure it will be worth it.”

Steven smiled, “I understand. I wouldn’t have her any other way.”

“Where is your other half? I thought you had a twin?” Grandfather asked. 

Jena nodded, “Shawn went to gather the River pack. We have some merging to do and we thought it would be best to gather everyone in one place. He will be back shortly.”

Her grandfather nodded. “That’s a good idea. The faster we blend the clans the better it will be.”

She looked at him curiously, “what do you mean? Is there something happening we should know about?”

He looked at her sadly, “there are quite a few things that need to be discussed.”

“We have time while we wait for the others to arrive.” She said. 

He nodded and signaled for them to go into the other room to sit. 

Jena sat down on the small couch with Steven, as her grandfather sat down on a small chair and looked at them. He smiled as Jena and Steven were sitting closely together. “I am glad to see that you are happy. I was worried after you told me you found your mate but were waiting to mark each other.”

Steven shifted a bit uncomfortably, but Jena grabbed his hand and squeezed it slightly giving him some reassurance that everything was okay. She turned back to her grandfather. “So what is happening?”

Grandfather sighed, “several years back a prophecy was mentioned. It said that when the mirror rivers come together at night during the whole moon on the summer solstice the clans will fall into turmoil. The female alpha will destroy time.”

She looked at him skeptically. “That doesn’t make any sense. What does that even mean?”

Her grandfather looked at her and shrugged. “They have been worried since they heard that prophecy about a female alpha taking over. Then you came along and made a lot of them nervous. As the solstice has been approaching they have been concerned. When you didn’t find your mate they figured they would try to hook you up with another alpha, one that would be a bit more dominant in hopes to reign you in. They were probably hoping to stop you from ending time, or destroying it. Whatever that means. I thought the whole thing was full of crap from the beginning. Usually all these prophecies do is cause it to be true because people worry too much about it.”

Jena sighed and shook her head, “I am not going to destroy time or whatever. I just want to do my job. I am the alpha, and they aren’t allowed to go against me.” She said. 

The old man nodded. “I understand. You can stand your ground when they get here. You have your mates now after all. They can’t do anything to stop you.”

“Do you think they will challenge her?” Steven asked curiously. 

“I don’t think so. With this they will have to stand down and send James back to his pack.” Her grandfather looked at the both of them. “I think some of the elders are siding with James and the Grey pack. I think I can agree that this came about too quickly, and James has been a bit aggressive.”

Steven growled a bit at the thought. Jena smirked at his response. “I’ll do what I must to prove my place here.” She said. 

Both men agreed. 

“I will stand by you my dear. You are my granddaughter and my alpha. We will convene in the other room.” He stood up and they followed him into the table room. 

Jena stood at the head of the table and Steven stood next to her. 

Steven turned to her. “Seems as though Shawn has run into James out on the streets. Things are getting a little tense. What would you like to do?” He asked her. 

There was a commotion and a few elders walked into the room. She clenched her fists. She couldn’t leave now to deal with it. She turned to Steven. “What is he doing?”

“Apparently he is walking the streets, heading this way with a whole pack of wolves. They look like they want to start a war.” Steven said. 

“Have Shawn continue his way here. He and the others can join the pack here. I will mind link Jeromy and make sure everyone that’s here immediately to show them our strength. This is the perfect time to have everyone become introduced to their new pack members.” She said with a smile. 

Steven nodded and relayed the message to Shawn as Jena turned to greet the elders that were now filling the room. 

As most of them were now in the room they looked between her and Steven curiously seeing the marks on their necks. Jena couldn’t help but give a small smirk to them in response. 

Everyone finally gathered around the table. Jena didn’t bother to sit and stood at the head of the table staring at all of them. “I have been told of the prophecy. I know what has been really going on. I don’t appreciate nor take lightly to the fact that some of you violated my trust.”

One of the elders spoke up. “The prophecy stated that you would destroy time.”

She glared at them. “There is a lot of meaning to that phrase. It could literally be a hundred different things. Did you ever think that you may be causing the prophecy to happen by trying to prevent it?” She looked at them all annoyed. 

Most of them were quiet. 

“You would destroy us.” Zed, spoke whom she knew was against her from the beginning. 

“I would destroy those who would oppose me. The rules are in place for a reason. You are strictly here to keep the peace between clans. Nothing more. You are not to interfere with alpha’s or clan activity. You have violated this rule by causing discourse between clans, and for favoring one clan over another.” She stated. 

“We have favored no one.” They stated. 

She looked at them curiously, “James is the alpha of the grey clan. You would forcefully try to blend the two clans together without Luna’s approval. Alpha’s only mate with other alpha’s by Luna’s guidance.”

“James isn’t the ruling alpha of the gray clan.” Another stated. 

“I have enough evidence to prove otherwise. He has been using that as an excuse to try and take over my clan. With the help of a few of the elders here. That will not be tolerated.” She said. 

“What proof do you have?” Zed asked. 

“I can send you the full detailed report if you so wish, however I don’t think that will be necessary. James is on his way here now with his pack to confront us. Where will you stand?” She asked them all. 

“He can’t bring the Grey clan here.” One said. 

“He is supposed to become her mate and settle this.” Another stated. 

Steven growled at that statement. “We are her mates. No one will be taking her from us. The River clan is now standing outside waiting to be brought into the Night clan.”

They looked at him curiously. 

Jena nodded in response. “Now that we are all here together. We will go ahead and make this official. The night clan and the river clan are now one in the same. We will bring everyone together from this day forward. The Gray clan is to go back home, or face the consequences.” She said to them all. “Showing up unannounced is a threat and the first sign of aggression. It will not be tolerated.”

Several of the elders were quiet, but then most of them nodded in agreement. 

The two elders that didn’t agree were getting upset. “That isn’t the plan. We shouldn’t be forcing them out. They need our help.”

“They have a funny way of showing it. If they need assistance then it needs to be done formally.” Jena stated. 

Several others again agreed. 

Her grandfather spoke up. “I think we need to go out and greet the Gray clan and explain to them that they are dismissed. If they need assistance they need to put in a formal request and we will deal with the matter at a later time when we have all calmed down. Decisions were made that shouldn’t have been made without an agreement from all parties.”

Most agreed. 

The two didn’t and they stood up and became angry and pointed at Jena. “She will be our destruction. Our downfall. We cannot let this continue. We need to put someone in place that will strengthen the clans.”

Another elder spoke up, “she is doing just that. The Night clan has never been stronger. I am sure the new clan will do nothing but benefit from this merger.” They stated. 

Several others agreed.

“She will destroy time.” Zed stated. 

“Like she said, that could mean anything.” Another said.

“She could kill us.” The other elder stated. 

Her grandfather chuckled a bit, “just you for opposing her and violating the elder agreements. Which is fully within her rights to do so. However, it could just mean the start of a new era. She could bring about a peace no one has seen before. An end of a time and the beginning of another.” He stated. 

Everyone else agreed. 

Zed scoffed and looked around at everyone. “You all would agree to this?”

“You cannot start discourse for no logical reason. What you are doing makes no sense, and you have no probable cause. All you have done is create tensions between two clans that didn’t originally have any. I think we should stand aside and end this before it gets out of hand and people get hurt.” One elder said. 

Several others nodded in response. 

“Very well.” The elder siding with Zed seemed to understand his place and he stepped down. “We will inform James to stand down and go home.”

Steven let out a small breath of relief and Jena could see that he was informing Shawn of what was happening. Jena looked at the elders and gave them a nod. 

“A few of us will go out to greet him and send him on his way.” Two elders signaled for Zed to follow them out. They headed out. 

Jena followed with Steven trailing behind her. She walked out and into the front of the yard, and the three elders walked towards the edge of the property as Shawn came into view with the rest of the River pack. The elders nodded to him in response as he passed and brought everyone onto the estate. Shawn walked up and wrapped his arms around Jena and gave her a small kiss which she accepted graciously. 

Several pack members started crowding around them looking for guidance. Steven stepped forward to speak to the River pack. “Jena is now a part of our pack. River and Night are now one. Moving forward you will treat the Night pack as your brothers and sisters.” They all nodded towards them in understanding. 

Everyone understood and agreed to the merger. 

Jena spoke between the twins, “on Monday we will need to create the merger between companies so that we are one moving forward.”

The two nodded at her. “Very well. I can start putting something together immediately if you wish.” Steven said to her. 

She nodded. “That sounds good. I will leave it all to you.” She said without showing any sign of hesitation. Now that they were mates, she was confident he would do everything and anything so that everyone in the pack benefited. He had been worried about his pack, and now it was stronger and more powerful than before. 

James and his pack started to come into view. Jena, Steven, and Shawn stood there and watched the three elders approach him and start talking. They would be ready if anything went south. The pack was gathering around them, James didn’t bring nearly enough men to challenge the newly grown pack. 

There was some intense arguing, and then James looked over at Jena and locked eyes with her. There was a small smirk on his face that made her shiver a bit. She had a feeling this wasn’t going to be over just yet, but she had her mates with her now. After a few moments he turned away from her and then signaled for his pack to follow him out and they started leaving. 

Jeromy walked up to the three of them. “Would you like me to send a few to make sure they leave?”

Shawn and Steven wanted to say yes immediately. 

Jena smirked, “very well. I think that will be beneficial to everyone. Please go with the beta of the River clan, it will be good for the both of you to get to know one another.” She told him. 

Shawn and Steven’s beta walked up and gave the three of them a small bow and introduced himself to Jena properly. “We are all one. I will do everything in my power to support all of you.” 

Jena nodded at them and the two betas signaled for a few others to follow them as they slowly walked down the street. Keeping a distance between them and James as they watched him walk through town and back towards their own land.