[AN No, I'm not dead. :)

It has been quite awhile though. Lot's of life and work things that are finally starting to change and stabilize so we will see if I can keep with updates.]

About 15 minutes before the last scene in the previous chapter...

Ralph kept his eyes focused on the road, one finger tapping on the top of the steering wheel, as Nadine watched him out of the corner of her eye. Maybe I shouldn't have done that...

He's been through a lot as well the last few days and hours.
So you're saying I shouldn't have?
I didn't say that - I'm just saying he's been through a lot. He's working through things...just like you are.
It sure sound like you're saying I shouldn't have.
Sigh.
Well-

"I'm fine Nadine; there's just been a lot happening," she turned and saw him glancing at her with a smile on his face. "That...that was just intense. The radio. The timing. How'd you know? Were you Dreaming again?"

"I...uh...maybe? They weren't, haven't been, normal dreams. It's like they were real."

He chuckled and nodded. "You know," he licked his lips, "I think...I think I had a Dream this morning too. Not a dream, a Dream - like I think yours were."

"What?"

He laughed and tapped the steering wheel again. "Sorry. A Dream. With a capital D, not a dream."

"Well that clears everything up," he snorted back at her eye roll.

Hey - play nice. She's handling everything that's happening really well.
I know. It's amazing. I think most mammals would have run away screaming at this point.
She's not most mammals.
No, she isn't.

He held up a paw when she started to talk. "Your Dreams...earlier and the one you had when you got back in the car - they weren't like normal dreams were they? Jamie was in them, the vividness, what you talked about - you remember every single detail don't you? Not like a regular dream where everything is muddy or jumbled when you wake up." She nodded wordlessly at him. He nodded back, "So...Dreams. With a capital D."

"What does this mean Ralph? Is she...Jamie...I mean, I never even met her before...some of the things she said, that she told me. Some of them were things I could never have known," she trailed off.

"I...I really don't understand fully either. I know she...she would be happy for me. For us. I don't really know how to explain it."

"This morning, was she...Jamie...was she there? In your dream? Dream?" She shook her head.

Another thin smile stretched down his muzzle. "Yeah...she was. It was...weird," Nadine snorted and rolled her eyes at him - he laughed as well, "I mean weirder than the whole Dream weird. Some of the things she said." He shook his head before continuing, "She said that you were calling to me. I could hear you - I was in a cottage, I think it was her grandmothers actually - and as I walked up to it and even when I went inside I kept thinking I heard you shouting out my name." He looked over at his partner and shrugged with a paw. "She said it was okay for me to go to you. That I didn't need to be alone anymore."

Nadine reached and put paw on his arm, "That...would make sense wouldn't it? With some of the other things you've said about her? What she made you promise to each other?"

"Oh, absolutely. That wasn't what was weird. What was really strange..." he clicked and licked his lips as he rocked his head side to side a few times, "What was really strange is that I kept having the feeling she told me this before. That I'd heard it before. From her. Almost Deja Vu inside of a Dream." He gave a full shrug as she let her paw drift back down to her side. "She also reminded that I needed to stop thinking of you as something to be scared of losing, that I now had something to cherish and I shouldn't let fear stop me from living again."

For a few minutes they drove in silence.

"Ralph?"

"Yes?"

"So...I know...I mean I don't know but I kind of get that wolves have a lot of rules."

He snickered, "We do indeed."

"So...do you like...have rules you have to follow after, after someone passes away? Not you. I know you do, did. I mean them? Do they...have them to? You know what...I can't even believe I'm asking that question. Forget I said anything."

"Hey...it's...I get it, okay? To be honest I'm amazed you haven't just run away given what's been happening. You're handling everything, not just this, I mean everything...I don't know how you're doing it. And through it all, even though you aren't a wolf and didn't grow up in a pack or have to study our writings - yes, it's required reading - your not only handling it somehow...you seem to even be understanding part of it. Like with that question."

She snorted and shook her head. "Handling it well? I made you stop the car, had a flashback and passed out. I almost attacked the mayor earlier. I'm still hung-over and keep feeling off and on like I need to puke - and I'm not sure if that's from the hangover or not. That's handling it well?"

"You're still here. With me."

She started and stopped speaking several times before anything came out. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."

"So...back to your question. Yes...kind of. My mother could answer it better. That question starts to bring up a lot of other topics about our beliefs, and about The Mistress."

"The Mistress? Not like the Mistress or Mistress so and so; it's The Mistress...with a capital T?"

"Yes. It's where the honorific of Mistress comes from for she-wolves and the pack Alpha female in particular. Why my mom is always referred to as Mistress Wolford."

"Is she your goddess? I'm sorry if that's a stupid question or offensive."

He shook his head. "Don't worry, but no, that is Asena. The Mistress is something else - this is definitely something to talk to my mother about, it's much more a she-wolf thing, but I can share some of the most important parts. You know how some species have avatars? Some figure from history that stories and legends say so demonstrated the traits of the species that the gods themselves took notice?"

"Yeah...kind of. To be honest...I'm really not that religious. Or haven't been anyways."

"Well, the Mistress is a little different. Our writings say - and I'm going to do a horrible job at describing this - that Asena searched through the packs to find her, the very first Mistress. A she-wolf that could help her - our goddess Asena - guide the packs. It wasn't about what the she-wolf had already done, like with avatars. It was about what she would be capable of doing - of becoming. Stories say she was granted the discretion of Asena, and that means she's allowed to do almost anything she needs in order to help the packs grow, survive, be successful and thrive. There's a lot more to it but those are probably the two most important things to understand. My mom will be able to give a lot more detail."

"Uh...sure. I'll add it to the list of things for your mom." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Fine we have The Mistress. What does that have to do with my insane question?"

"Weeelllll...um...if these are Dreams, and they uh seem to be...then that would kind of mean that we - you, me, and maybe even Jamie - have the...uh...attention, of The Mistress. Since I can't even count up the number of rules that have been broken along the way that ended up with us together. And that means great discretion...and that kind of discretion almost certainly means The Mistress."

"Oh."

Silence filled the car again; glances to the side showed Nadine leaning back in her seat, eyes closed.

She's working through it.
What?
Just let her be for a bit.
Okay. I'm a wolf and I need more time to work through it.
Yes. But sometimes you're an idiot. She's not.
[grumble]

Nadine let out a loud click, and then another. "Okay. So...let me see if I got this straight." Her eyes were still closed as she stayed leaning back in her seat. "I'm a princess. I'm a princess because you're a prince and we're betrothed. Even though we're betrothed and there's been no ceremony or announcement that really doesn't matter since we're actually life mates - even though we've never had sex. Are there any rules around that I need to know about? Any other ceremonies or things that need to happen?"

His ears went flat; a quick glance away from the road showed she hadn't moved or opened her eyes. "Uh...what? Rules for what?"

"Sex. Mating. The whole mate part of life mates that we haven't done yet."

"Oh." The suddenly felt very warm, it was an effort not to pant. "No...no...uh other rules."

"You're sure? I don't have to ask your mother for permission or anything like that?"

"What? No. Are you serious? I mean...really Nadine?"

"Just checking," a grin filled her muzzle; he shook his head and couldn't keep one off his own. I guess she is going to be okay.

"Good. We need to fix that. Soon."

"Uh...okay," he couldn't keep a quaver out of his voice.

"All right then. So we're life mates because of what happened when you were shot; when I called to you and you answered. That made us not only life mates but made a soul bond between us - which is another thing I'm just going to assume I need to talk to your mother about so I'll add it to the list. That is going to be a pretty long phone call. Anyway, all of that broke all sorts of rules so it shouldn't have happened. But discretion makes it okay to break rules - sometimes - depending on what rule and who gave the discretion. Is all that right so far?"

"Uh...yeah, yeah it is."

"Okay then, so on top of all that we've both just had Dreams - with a capital D. Jamie was in them and not only approved of us being together she was encouraging it in both our Dreams. In fact, it seems like she's been watching over you and now both of us for awhile, all because of the promise you made to each other and has been guiding us along the way - including the night you were shot. Rules still apply even to Jamie but discretion is even more important - in my Dreams she said said had discretion but that even it had some limits. So with so many broken rules, discretion, and Dreams that means - most likely - The Mistress is involved. Her discretion would be great enough that almost anything would be allowed. And if The Mistress is involved or we have her attention or whatever then...what? Somehow you, me, Jamie, your mom, and who knows who else are part of something she's doing for the betterment of the packs?" She finally turned her head to look at him and opened her eyes.

"Maybe?"

Nadine let out a loud sigh. "I need a drink."

"This is really something to talk to my mom about - she'll be able to help." Although it almost seems you don't need it. How do you keep doing this?

"What's the question you didn't ask me right then?"

"What?" How did she-

"You started taking another breath and then stopped. So you were going to say something else. And I don't know how but it feels like it was going to be a question? It's kind of like earlier when we were finishing each others sentences with the chief I just know there was something else."

He shook his head, "I was going to ask how you keep doing this? Putting together all these things. You did it last night, this morning with the Third, a little while ago when we stopped, and again now. It's...amazing doesn't even begin to describe it but that's all of I've got."

Her eyes closed again, "In my Dream when we got back in the car...Jamie called me something. It was - I'm sure I'm saying this wrong - gerçeği arayan. She said it meant a seeker after truth and it was why I ended up being a police officer and why I was good at it; questions have to be answered, the truth has to be known." She shrugged, "everything makes sense if you know how to look at it. Just because what I said about us and The Mistress sounds like the plot of a bad science fantasy romance novel written by an author who's high on something doesn't mean it didn't happen or isn't happening. So I just keep working through what I know. Same way I work a case I guess." Nadine's stomach gurgled and she grimaced slightly. "Are we almost there?"

He glanced down at his phone, "Almost. Looks like we have maybe another mile to the Hopps' farm driveway. With Hopps and her hundreds of siblings."

"Her what?" Nadine sat up and straightened in her seat.

"Hopps' family? It's huge from what she says, and I don't think she was exaggerating. She has two hundred or something brothers and sisters. She's one of the oldest from the her mom's first litter so most of them still live at home and work on the farm."

"Hundreds, wow." Nadine said incredulously.

"That's what she said. Nick was talking about them one time after his first visit. They're adorable - don't use the 'c' word - like almost all kits. Some are a little skittish but they warm up quickly. Predators aren't that common our in the burrows so it's understandable."

"Hmm, I wonder if they've ever even seen a tiger up close."

"That is a good point. I don't know - maybe not. Nick has visited lots of times and he is a fox - so. If they warmed up to him it should be fine. We'll just take it nice and slow, soft voices, and so on - with Judy and Nick being our friends and helping out I'm sure it won't be a problem."