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King was already moving through the room refilling coffee cups. Olivia was watching him and thinking. Abby watched Olivia.
I think that’s the next question actually that you should ask. Where do we go from here? What do the women need? Ask us.
Abby considered that and nodded.Whatever it is, we’ll make it happen,she promised.
King filled her coffee cup, and she thanked him; then she took her position at the lectern again. She looked at Benny until he looked up. He met her eyes briefly, and then tipped his head in submission to his Alpha. “And you would have deprived us of that?” she said softly. “You would have deprived us of your extraordinary skills, Keeper of Stories? We cannot let you go, Benny. No matter how much you wish it.”
“Alpha,” he said hoarsely.
“So the question becomes where do we go from here?” Abby said, looking around the room, meeting the eyes of the women there. “Women of Hat Island, you tell me. What do you need? I have realized in listening tonight that we have not done right by you. We haven’t given you the support and education you need to become shifters in this pack! I apologize. That’s on me. Ironically, the person who has probably done the most is Benny Garrison, and we burned him out. And that needs to be fixed as well. But first? Women? What is it you need?”
The women looked at each other. Sarah Blair in the panel box whispered something to Olivia. Olivia cocked her head as if she was intrigued by what she heard. She nodded. “Sarah’s got a good point, and it resonates with me, and maybe with some of the others,” Olivia said. “We need off this island.”
There were murmurs at that. And Jake looked ready to protest — something she was surprised at — and so did Cujo.
“No, hear me out,” Olivia said. “Here we are, traumatized and fearful, and not entirely sane. And we’re surrounded by people who insist they’re werewolves. Sometimes I wonder if I’m in an insane asylum — me because I think werewolves exist, and others because they think they are werewolves.”
Abby nodded in agreement. She’d had the same nightmare. She felt Jake’s concern, and she sent back reassurance. She was fine.
“Mei? You’re fixing your apartment complex for some of the women from Vancouver,” Olivia continued. “Can we move there too? Just the notion of being able to go shopping whenever I want? You don't know how much pleasure that gives me! Well, actuallyyoumight.”
Mei laughed at that. “It could be done,” she said, considering it. “But we would need security. And I think you all still need therapy. A lot of therapy.”
Olivia looked at Cujo. He met her eyes and nodded. “Cujo will go with us,” she said. “And he will organize security. The women who go to Everett will promise to abide by his rules. I’ll see to it.”
No one seemed to think she couldn’t, Abby saw with amusement.
“Not everyone will want to go there,” Olivia said, looking around. “Hat Island is a safe place. And there’s nothing wrong with being on an island with hundreds of fine-looking men.” The women laughed at that. “But some of us? For some of us, it’s not a safe place, it feels more like a trap.”
Sarah nodded vigorously to that.
“Benny?” Jean asked gently. “Would you come with us? Set up that center for reintegration that you’re talking about? For us? For the Vancouver women?”
“Whatever you need,” Benny said quietly. “But we should come to the island regularly — maybe even daily. We need a place where we can shift and run. I’ve learned some things about my own wolf this trip. Things that I think might help you all too.”
“It will take me most of a month to make this happen,” Mei warned.
“We understand,” Olivia said. “We’ll even help you make it happen.” The two women smiled at each other, and Abby had a moment of panic at the idea of the two of them teaming up. She looked at Cujo. If she was panicked, what did he think?
He just looked thoughtful.
“Then we will pause here,” Abby said. “We’ve done a lot tonight. But we’ve just begun a healing process. So in a month, we will reassemble, and see where we are. And Benny? You will give some thought to teaching stories for all of us. We need you.”
Benny nodded.
And don’t you dare even think of doing something like this again,Abby said, opening their link back up again. She closed the one with Olivia — she didn’t know if that had been temporary or permanent. Whatever it was, it proved Benny’s earlier thoughts about links and bonds, however.I need you too much. Things are coming our direction, and I can’t do it without you.
Benny looked up at her, and she smiled at him. She rested her hands on her belly, as she leaned against Jake, talking to Mei and Cujo about the apartment complex.
Abby Stafford! Alpha, are you pregnant?Benny demanded.
Yes,Abby said simply. And I have no intention on raising a child without the Teacher.
Dear God,Benny said.Who knows? Jake? Akihiro?
Just Jake, and now you, Abby answered. Well, Yui and Emiyo —they’re the ones who told me. Promise me? You won’t leave me to face this alone?
No Alpha, I won’t try to leave again,Benny said, sounding dazed. Well, it was only fair, she had a hard time believing it herself.
