Exchanging Secrets
They didn't really know what to expect when they had herd about Hector. But the whimpering mahogeny wolf wasn't even remotly close to what any of them had thought. While Sam lead him through the open room with a tense sort of comfort Hector kept his tail tucked and gave the Autobots a wide berith. Even as a wolf they could tell that Hector was meek. He was the type of person who teneded to fallow orders only because he didn't have the courage to stand up for himself. In all truths Hector was pathetic as a wolf and also -as they found out a few minutes later- as a human. Hector trembled as he eyed the things around him.
These were the things that Ronnie had told them about. The things that were dangerous but they couldn't be bad could they? Sam trusted them and Sam was nice so it was possable that they were too. But they were so big! Hector swallowed the huge lump in his throat and tried to scrounge up any measure of courage that might still exist in his body. Needless to say he failed at finding any. So in a desprite attempt to find even the smallest amount of hope he turned to look at Sam and Miles. The two were talking quietly back and forth. Whatever they were talking about had to be important or he hoped it was. Hector quickly eyed the other two people in the room. A man and a woman, the ones that they had been ordered to kill. The baby was nowhere insight so it was probably safe for him to assume that it was tucked away asleep in one of the bedrooms.
"Hector." Sam called from his place a few yards away from the boy. "I need you to tell me everything that Kale's planing and anything that might give us an advantige." Hector was about to nod before his eyes flicked up to the large beings standing in the room with them. "But Sam the rules..."
"I know all about the rules and what I have to do to be able to keep us safe Hector don't worry about that." Sam said as he pulled his phone from his pocket and opened it dialing quickly. "I plan on fixing that right now but afterwards I'll need you to tell me." Hectors voice was quiet when he answered. "Okay Sam." Sam offered the boy a quick and small smile in return. He knew the risk that Hector was taking doing this. He'd just put himself and his big sister in a great deal of danger. But right now he had a few kind old but not all that old customs to follow.
Sadly it was something that he had almost completly forgotten about but then again his education on part of his history was sevearly lacking. Settimg his phone on speaker before setting down himself Sam looked up at the people and bots that were still waiting for all thir questions to be answered. The air around him was filled with a slightly tense scent. Will and Sarah were still weary of him and Miles. They had every right to be. The sound of his phone ringing was the loudest noise in the whole room. the others seemed to sense that whatever was about to happen was important. Though they had no idea who Sam was calling they could only assume that it was someone who could help. They weren't expecting the soft female voice that sounded from the speaker of Sam's phone.
"Hello Taylor residance." Sam licked his lips once before speaking. "Hey Grandma is Gramps there?" Silence filled the other end for the briefest of moments.
"Yes he's here Sam. What do you need him for?" Something in the womans voice sounded both shocked and nervous. "I gotta talk to him about something and it's important. Really important." The womans silence only lasted a few seconds.
"Okay Sam I'll go get him." A soft click sounded from Sam's phone and one could only assume that his grandmother had set the phone down.
"Sam?" Sam turned and looked up at Optimus Prime for the briefest of moments before turning his attention back to his phone. "Just wait Optimus and you'll have your answers. I promise." Dispite the fact that Sam wasn't looking a him he nodded his head anyways. Surley whatever Sam had planed was going to do more good than harm. So for now they'd just have to hope that Sam knew what he was doing. The voice that ssounded from the speaker on Sam's phone wasn't quite what they were expecting. For one thing it sounded far to young to belong to someone who should be in their fifties or sixties but there was something in the tone that seemed to hint at a type of wisdom that only comes with great age.
"You called Sam?" Sam at hearing his grandfather's question couldn't help but arch an eyebrow.
"Ya Gramps I called. Are you aware that Kale has gone completly of his fucking rocker?" Silence. "What the hell are you talking about Samuel?"
"Kale showed up and started killing people on my territory and not only that he's threatened my girlfriend and he's had members of his pack trying to kill my friends." Sam growled as he glared at his phone. It was almost like he was hoping some of his rage would bleed through his end and wind up on his grandfathers side. "What are you talking about Sam and start from the begining. Don't leave out any detail no matter how small."
Sam sighed as he began his tale. He told his grandfather everything. He told him about the murders before Kale officially arrived and of the threats made against Mikaela. He told of his response and of Eddie's attempt to kill Will and Annabelle and Miles forced intervention and the fallowing limited explanation. Racing to get too Sarah and the fight between the packs and of the deal that was made and finally of Hectors betrayal. The room sat in silance as Sam's grandfather digested the information he'd just been given.
"Son of a bitch. How the hell could all this be happening right under my nose?" Sam shrugged forgeting for a moment that his grandfather couldn't actually see him. "Don't know Gramps your supposed to be one of the big dogs in charge so your guess is as good as mine." A sigh sounded from the other end of the line.
"Okay I'll worry about how Kale managed to get like this without us noticing later. Right now what we need to worry about is helping you survive the fight thats going to come because I have no doubt in my mind that there will be a fight."
" Okay we can worry about that in a moment. I need you permission to tell my friends everything Gramps." "You know how that works Sam. One secret cannot be told unless the other side is willing to give up one of their own."
At this point Sam turned and looked up at Optimus. "It's your choice big guy. You don't have to but it'd make things a whole lot easier." Optimus looked down at the young man in front of him. The deal sounded fair but he was worried.
"How would this work Sam?" Optimus asked. Sam thought a moment before answering. "Well more or less you agree to this and I can tell you everything about our kind that I know. I warn you now that my knowlage of my kind is fairly limited. All you have to do is agree to keep our secret and meet one of the elders." The voice that emerged from the phone was unexpected. "You'll be meeting with me. You shouldn't worry so much and if what Sam said is true you agreeing to this will keep Kale from telling anyone else outside of the pack."
"How does it work?" Ratchet found himself asking. It was Miles that answered his question. "No one really knows how it works. It's kinda like the alpha male thing. The secrets are exchanged and you won't be able to tell any strangers about what we are without our permission and vice versa. It has something to do with the fact that your making the deal with one of the elders. One of the top dogs."
They knew. All of them knew that this was something that needed to happen. It was something that had to be done or else things between them would be forever strained and tense. Sam was asking them to trust him. He was asking them to trust his kind with their secret and their kind wioth his. "I agree Sam." Sam smiled and nodded.
"I agree as well." Sam's grandfathers voice said from the phone and for a split second something seemed to change and then before any of them could figure out what it was the feeling was gone. "Now then I'll let then explan everything to you once their done with me and I'll answer any other questions you may have when I see you. Hector I need you to tell me whats going on with Kale." Hector gave a single gulp and stepped forward. The boy had been completly silent through out the whole meeting so far. "Yes sir." Hector took a deep breath before begining.
"I don't know much about whats going on. Kale's never been willing to tell me much. I guess he always thought I'd run from him eventually dispite my sister but I will tell you what I know."
"Thats all we ask of you young one."
"Kale started acting really strang awhile ago. He was always demanding but he's reached a new level as of late. He started muttering something about the council choosing one of the young pack leaders to join them or something. I think he overherd you and Grandma Lee talking or something. He got this idea that if there were fewer to choose from then he'd have a better chance of being picked."
"We've spoken of the young packs but never have we said anything about having one of the young alpha's joining us. Do you know why he decided to come after Sam?" Hector turned and looked at Will nodding slowly.
"It's because he has such a small pack. Kale knows about how Sam feels about biting people and how far he'll go to keep things as normal as possable for his mother."Hector winced as if he'd said something wrong and turned to look at Sam who shook hid head and then motioned for Hector to continue. " I guess he figured that because it's only Sam and Miles they'd be easy to take down. The only thing that they have working for them is how well they work together." There was silence for a few moments as everyone digested what Hector had just said. It was Sam's grandfather that broke the silence.
"I see. Thank you for your help Hector and don't worry about your sister we'll rake care of her." "Thank you." "Sam if you don't mind I'd like to talk to you in private for a moment." Sam sighed as he picked up his phone and turned the speaker function off. The only other gesture he made before leaving the room was a quick nod towards Miles. Miles nodded in return before turning to look at all the other occupents of the room a smile on his face.
"Okay story time will offically begin when Sam gets off the phone with his Gramps but I suppose that in the mean time I can try to answer some of your questions." Miles stood there waiting for someone to say something but noone did. There was only silence.
"Oh come on guys you were ready to strange me for answerers earlier and now you don't have any questions."
"It's not that we don't have questions Miles it's just that were not sure what to ask first." Prowl stated as he looked down at his young was half surpriesed that his logic circuts hadn't frozen yet but then again once he realy thought about it Miles and Sam were kinda like organic versions of them. "I have one Miles." Miles turned and gave Sarah a wide grom. "Shoot."
"What are we supposed to call you guys?"
"Miles and Sam." Will and a few of the others let out something that sounded like a series of groans while Sarah gave Miles the same look that his mother gave him when he'd done something really stupid. Hector's response was aparently the response Miles had been aiming for because Miles shot the boy a wide grin.
"That was a good one man." Hector said in between laughs. "That isn't what I ment Miles and you know it." Sarah said as she shot Miles her best stern mother look.
"I know its just that everyones so tense I thought I'd try to lighten up the atmosphere a bit. As for what to call us I'm not really sure. Me and Sam haven't ever really had to refer to ourselves as either a werewolf or shapeshifter. I tend to call us shapeshifters but Sam just uses whichever."
"Kale never really had a preference either though he aways refered to us as a group as the pack but I think most of our kind do that." Miles shrugged. "Call us whatever you want."
"That really dosen't help Miles." Miles found he could only shrug as he looked at Sarah. "Where did you come from?" Ratchet ased as he watched the two boys. "Not you personaly" Ratchet said before Miles could answer with another smart remark." but the breed. Where did it come from?"
"That we actually have a lot of old stories about." Sam said as he walked back into the room. "Some people think that Shapeshifters and Werewolves both come from Indian tribes and that a male and female crossed paths by accident and we were the result."
"So basically you guys are mutts." Will said as he sat down near Sam, Miles, and Hector pulling Sarah along with him. He didn't see the point in stading up anymore and if the feeling he had was right then he wanted to be seated.
"Ya kinda just be careful who you call a mutt. I don't really care cause your my friend but there are others that'll rip your head off for doing that." Will nodded in understanding. Sam looked around at his ring of friends from the people sitting with him then to the Autobots standing around them.
"Okay it's story time. Cause the easiest way to wxplain this is to tell you the same story my Gramps told me. Then if you have any questions afterwards you can ask them." Sam cleared his thraot before beginning.
"The meeting of the Shapeshifter and Werewolf was one of fate or so the elders say. The Shapeshifter was an old wolf from a tribe that lived near the sea and our cousins live ther still. Noone knowa where the Werewolf came from. Many believe that she came from across the sea with a ship full of traiders or settlers. We only know that she came alone. The rest of her pack had been slain by one of the cold one in a widespread slaughter. The first time they meat was on the night of a full moon. He had been hunting and so had she. In the end they ended up hunting together and so it was that a friendship was struk. He was an older man and she a younger woman but they had much in common. As it turned out she had come back from across the sea. Her and her pack had ran from their home not long after the moon had cursed them but she had returned after the cold one had slain them all. He had left his pack after a cold one had slain his wife. He never told her the full story but as time went by they grew closer. As it turned out something of a relationship formed between the two and one full moon after a hunt and in a haze they mated. The man overcome with greaf for what he had done left he the next day before she woke up. He left her only a letter. She understood and like the man didn't really understand why they had mated. One moonless night sometime later the Goddess came to her.
"I cursed only your tribe on this landmass and when the time came let you run. I had hoped that you would find a mate within another pack across the sea but that did not happen. You dear one are one of my children and sadly one of the last." The Lady that sat before her cried a single silver tear and them pulled her into a hug. "I will not let one of my creations be wilped out and so I influenced both you and the old wolf. I knew it would cause you both great pain and suffering but I will not let your breed dissapear so easily and if I must mix the two than I shall. Forgive me for the pain I have caused and the pain that will befall you in the months to come.."
Having said her piece she kissed the woman on the head and vanished. Nine months later the woman gave birth to three children. Two males and one female. Thirteen years later on the night of the fullmoon closest to the night of their borth all three of them changed. At first they fought amonst themselves a terrible hate filling their vains but one brother best the other two and became the alpha. As soon as he stood above his siblings they relented and the rage began to fade into the very back of their minds. Eventually the moon lost her sway and they were able to change whenever they wanted. It was years later that the alpha meet a woman and fell in love. Something in him called out to her and she was all he wanted but he feared what she would think of him if she saw him change. So he sought council from his brother and sister first and then he preyed to the moon. She answered.
"If this woman truely loves you than she will look past the animal and to the man within." It was a month later on a night lit by a full moon that he showed her and she still loved him. She had no fear of him and in a moment of desire asked if she could ride upon his back. He was so happy that he knelt down so she could climb on. He took her on a wild run throughout the forrest and with every second that passed a kind of bond between them grew. It was as if they were the only people in the whole world. It was the first imprint. It was during that run however that he discovered something else about himself and about the abilites he and his siblings shared. Sometime during the run he found himself traveling by a clif. Something happened and she fell from his back and in his attempt to keep her from falling to her death he bit her in order to pull her back up. the result was almost instint. She screamed and fell to her knee's in pain and began to transform. He had spread his ability to her ans through the bond he shared with his siblings they now knew of this ability as well. Over the years they formed a pack as they found others to imprint with and others (mostly indians) who whished to become one of them. The alpha female never blamed him for what happened and was happy that she could join him and the others as a wolf. Over time they discovered that only those of blood could pass on the ability and eventually the Alpha let his brother and sister form their own packs. They however were the oldest of the wolves and were given the title the great wolves. And so the bloodline carried on untill mine."
The room was silent for a moment as most of its occupants were digesting Sam's story. Will opened his mouth to say something only to close it again when the lyric's from Linkin Parks song Numb filled the air. Sam cringed and pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was his mother.
"Sorry he muttered before answering. "Ya mom. No I at the base. No I wasn't aware that it was that late. Yes I'll be home as soon as possable. Bye mom." Sam hung up the phone with a soft click. "Okay I'm gonna have to go home soon so do you guys have any questions that can't wait untill tomarrow?" He asked as he looked around the room.
"No and the ones we want the answers to can wait." Sam nodded. "Come on Bee we gotta get home." The yellow Autobot nodded in understanding. "Sam what about me?" Hector asked as Sam started to walk over to Bumblebee. Sam smiled. "You're staying here. Miles you had better be heading home too. I'm sure my mom called your mom before calling me." Hector's response was to look at the alien robots surrounding him and prey that he didn't piss them off. Miles on the other hand gave Sam a quick salute before nodding and heading in Prowl's direction.
Will stood silent thinking something over. He was wondering if he should ask or not. That Hector kid had said Sam didn't like doing it but would he be willing to if he (Will) himself was willing. He was far more than willing if it was what it took to keep his family safe. Sam and Miles were just kids and they were out numbered. Even with Hectors help they didn't have much of a chance and he knew that the Autobots wouldn't kill the other wolves because they were human. He doubted Sam would ask them to kill the others anyways but there was always the possibility. Besides he had bedt to pay to both Sam and Miles. He owed both of them his life and his families lives. So if he could get Sam to say yes then he'd do it but Sam had also said it had to be a full moon.
"Sam can I talk to you for a second?" Sam turned and looked at Will for a second before nodding. There was something in the older man's eyes that almost seemed to demand that he say yes. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Sure. In here or outside?"
"Outside." Sam nodded again. "No listening in." Sam turned his gaze from the Autobots to Hector and Miles. "Any of you."
"Will?" Sarah asked as she looked at her husband. He only smiled at her in return before kissing her on the cheek and responding. "It's nothing hum. It's just a kinda personal question." Sarah 'ohhed' and let her husband go. Will followed Sam outside the cool night air chilling them both. It was Sam who spoke first.
"You can ask Hector questions too. I sure he can answer most of them better than I can." Will nodded slowly and took a deep breath exhailing slowly. "I wanna help Sam. I want to help you and Miles fight."
Sam smiled and shook his head. "No you don't Will. You know as well as I do that they'd kill you with ease." Sam felt his gut sink as he looked at the soldier in front of him. "You don't owe us anything Will. We did what we did because you're our friends and because it was the right thing to do."
Will looked at the young man in front of him and for a second it seemed as if he were seeing Sam for the first time. This wasn't the scrawny teenager he forced to run in a battlefield but a young leader trying to keep his friends safe and his world from falling apart. He had a feeling that Bumblebee would corner him on the Mikaela department when they left and he was more than willing to let the scout take that mission. He had something else he wanted to do.
"I know you don't expect anything from me in return but please Sam listen to me. I'm doing this because I want to help you but mostly it's because I want to keep my family safe. Please Sam I want you to bite me." Sam sighed. He'd been right but for some reason he couldn't find it in himself to be mad at Will for asking. He was asking for this with all the right reasons but...
"No, Will. I'm sorry but I can't."
"It's because it's not a full moon anymore isn't it?" Sam response was a surprise. "No, thats not why. I could bit you right now and in a few seconds the transformation process would start. That was one of the things my Gramdfather wanted to talk to me about alone. It dosn't have to be a full moon for a bite to work. Biting during the full moon is more of a tradition than anything else. I swo..." Will inturrupted. "Then why the hell not Sam. Why won't you do it I'm willing." Will's voice wasn't a yell but a quiet whisper. "I swore that I would never bit another person after I bit Miles. I won't put another person through that sort of pain ever again if I can help it."
Will's voice turned pleading. "I not asking Sam I'm begging. Please help me protect my family and my friends." Sam sighed and for half a second Will thought he had won.
"I'm sorry Will but I'd rather die than tear you family apart like this cursre has torm me away from my mother." Sam turned and walked back into the base leaving Will standing in the cold night air alone.
oOo
I don't much care for this chapter. Sam talks too much and the others don't talk enough. I really need to work on that. Sorry I haven't been answering reviews but to tell you all the truth I haven't really felt like it. I'm thinking this story will be three to four more chapters long tops. I hope you enjoyed and will leave a review. One makes me happy all day and more than one has me walking on freaking sunshine. Sorry for any spelling mistakes but my betas have all dissapeared and truthfully I'm not bothering to look for them anymore.
