Fifteen minutes prior to the meeting Tyr found Tamerlane waiting in the
council chamber. The boy rose when his father entered the room, as was the
custom amongst the Kodiak whenever the Alpha first appeared. Tamerlane had
never shown his father the courtesy. Tyr, taken aback, stopped on the
threshold to regard his son.
"That was a fine gift, son. Your mother and I thank you for it." The words fell from his mouth of their own volition. He had not been aware of the thought that propelled them.
"Beka has been a mother to me longer than she has been a mate to you, Father." There was a question in the eyes of the boy.
"She was my trusted friend before you were born, Tamerlane." Tyr strode across the room to his seat. "As I have been her friend. Friendship is a good place to start, when searching for a mate."
Tamerlane sat on his haunches beside his father's chair, one hand on the arm, the other on his thigh. He stared forthrightly into the eyes of his father. Tyr could not help but see himself in the young man. There were traces of Freya too. Tamerlane had inherited his mother's prominent cheekbones.
"Your birth mother, she would have become a friend had we the time to know each other." Tyr patted the hand that rested on the arm of the chair. "She sacrificed her life to ensure that you lived, son. We will honour her memory always for that."
"We are in trouble, aren't we, Father?" The young man whispered his question. "Beka came to our world to support you in our fight, didn't she? If she carries your child, she can no longer fight. I can."
Tyr drew his son into a powerful embrace, then whispered in his ear, "Your first foray against our invisible enemy is to remain silent during this meeting. Watch for unusual behaviour. Make mental notes. We will compare them afterward, when I bring you up-to-date."
"Excuse me, my Lord." Tyr and Tamlerane broke their embrace, when they heard the words. "I did not mean to interrupt."
"Nestor," Tyr rose to greet his second-in-command. "Tamerlane has agreed to apprentice in the family business. His lessons begin today, with this meeting. I have told him to avail himself of your experience and wisdom."
"I am honoured, my Lord."
Nestor invited Tamerlane to join him in the salute of the warrior. Tamerlane was now a man.
Beka expected Olma to visit. She had not expected the visit to occur while she was eating breakfast.
"Good morning, Olma."
She may have been surprised, but Captain Valentine refused to let the woman know it.
"One must arise early to participate in the business of the House of Anasazi, I see." Olma settled in the chair beside the fireplace. "How are you this morning, Rebecca?"
"Pregnant, I hope." Beka sipped her juice. "I am waiting for the results of the blood test."
"And if you are not?" The matriarch's eyes darted about the room, taking in the scattered clothing, the disheveled bedclothes and Beka's apparent nakedness. She raised an inquiring eyebrow?
"Then the Alpha will be informed." She put the juice glass down. "Have no fear, Olma, the Alpha will rise to the occasion."
"Perhaps you would like a shawl around your shoulders?"
"No thank you. I am quite comfortable." Beka did not want the woman close enough to read the flexi screen.
"Where is Tamerlane? It is my habit to breakfast with him. He was not in his room."
Fear clutched at Beka's gut. We must break that habit she thought.
"He wanted to be the first to congratulate his father. He presented me with a wonderful gift." Beka smiled with pure pleasure.
"A gift?" Olma looked around the room. "May I see it?"
"It wasn't that kind of gift. He asked his father for permission to address me as mother."
The smile changed to a beam. Beka was truly thrilled at the gesture and pleased that it clearly up set the matriarch. A gift that keeps on giving, she thought.
Beka poured salt into the wound. "He told me that he has no preference as to gender, as long as the baby is healthy. Tamerlane is looking forward to becoming a big brother."
"You are a fortunate woman indeed, Rebecca." Olma rose to leave. "You have become a mother twice in one day. The ritual certainly is potent."
"And so is the Alpha." Beka had the last word.
"But Dad, I like Uncle Seamus. He still has a lot to teach me."
The principle males of the Kodiak Pride breezed through the doorway into the suite. The guards had opened both doors to let the large men enter at the same time unencumbered by doorknobs and narrow passages.
Beka gazed on her men with appreciation. She would be hard pressed to find two finer specimens in the universe. Tamerlane was still a scrawny boy, but the frame was evident. He would fill out magnificently.
"Olma!" Tamerlane greeted the matriarch warmly. "Did you hear? Father let me attend the council meeting as a warrior."
"Your - mother - has just told me. It is about time you took your place at your father's side." Olma kissed the boy on the cheek - bowed her head to Tyr - then left the room. The matriarch's cool demeanour had dropped the room temperature 10 degrees.
Tyr turned to Beka. "What was that all about?"
"We will discuss it later. Tell me about the meeting."
She patted the empty space beside her. Tamerlane fell spread-eagled onto the spot. Tyr closed and bolted the doors, before settling in the chair recently vacated by the matriarch. He crossed his legs out in front of him, pleased to be surrounded by his family, even if the arrangement were only temporary.
"That was a fine gift, son. Your mother and I thank you for it." The words fell from his mouth of their own volition. He had not been aware of the thought that propelled them.
"Beka has been a mother to me longer than she has been a mate to you, Father." There was a question in the eyes of the boy.
"She was my trusted friend before you were born, Tamerlane." Tyr strode across the room to his seat. "As I have been her friend. Friendship is a good place to start, when searching for a mate."
Tamerlane sat on his haunches beside his father's chair, one hand on the arm, the other on his thigh. He stared forthrightly into the eyes of his father. Tyr could not help but see himself in the young man. There were traces of Freya too. Tamerlane had inherited his mother's prominent cheekbones.
"Your birth mother, she would have become a friend had we the time to know each other." Tyr patted the hand that rested on the arm of the chair. "She sacrificed her life to ensure that you lived, son. We will honour her memory always for that."
"We are in trouble, aren't we, Father?" The young man whispered his question. "Beka came to our world to support you in our fight, didn't she? If she carries your child, she can no longer fight. I can."
Tyr drew his son into a powerful embrace, then whispered in his ear, "Your first foray against our invisible enemy is to remain silent during this meeting. Watch for unusual behaviour. Make mental notes. We will compare them afterward, when I bring you up-to-date."
"Excuse me, my Lord." Tyr and Tamlerane broke their embrace, when they heard the words. "I did not mean to interrupt."
"Nestor," Tyr rose to greet his second-in-command. "Tamerlane has agreed to apprentice in the family business. His lessons begin today, with this meeting. I have told him to avail himself of your experience and wisdom."
"I am honoured, my Lord."
Nestor invited Tamerlane to join him in the salute of the warrior. Tamerlane was now a man.
Beka expected Olma to visit. She had not expected the visit to occur while she was eating breakfast.
"Good morning, Olma."
She may have been surprised, but Captain Valentine refused to let the woman know it.
"One must arise early to participate in the business of the House of Anasazi, I see." Olma settled in the chair beside the fireplace. "How are you this morning, Rebecca?"
"Pregnant, I hope." Beka sipped her juice. "I am waiting for the results of the blood test."
"And if you are not?" The matriarch's eyes darted about the room, taking in the scattered clothing, the disheveled bedclothes and Beka's apparent nakedness. She raised an inquiring eyebrow?
"Then the Alpha will be informed." She put the juice glass down. "Have no fear, Olma, the Alpha will rise to the occasion."
"Perhaps you would like a shawl around your shoulders?"
"No thank you. I am quite comfortable." Beka did not want the woman close enough to read the flexi screen.
"Where is Tamerlane? It is my habit to breakfast with him. He was not in his room."
Fear clutched at Beka's gut. We must break that habit she thought.
"He wanted to be the first to congratulate his father. He presented me with a wonderful gift." Beka smiled with pure pleasure.
"A gift?" Olma looked around the room. "May I see it?"
"It wasn't that kind of gift. He asked his father for permission to address me as mother."
The smile changed to a beam. Beka was truly thrilled at the gesture and pleased that it clearly up set the matriarch. A gift that keeps on giving, she thought.
Beka poured salt into the wound. "He told me that he has no preference as to gender, as long as the baby is healthy. Tamerlane is looking forward to becoming a big brother."
"You are a fortunate woman indeed, Rebecca." Olma rose to leave. "You have become a mother twice in one day. The ritual certainly is potent."
"And so is the Alpha." Beka had the last word.
"But Dad, I like Uncle Seamus. He still has a lot to teach me."
The principle males of the Kodiak Pride breezed through the doorway into the suite. The guards had opened both doors to let the large men enter at the same time unencumbered by doorknobs and narrow passages.
Beka gazed on her men with appreciation. She would be hard pressed to find two finer specimens in the universe. Tamerlane was still a scrawny boy, but the frame was evident. He would fill out magnificently.
"Olma!" Tamerlane greeted the matriarch warmly. "Did you hear? Father let me attend the council meeting as a warrior."
"Your - mother - has just told me. It is about time you took your place at your father's side." Olma kissed the boy on the cheek - bowed her head to Tyr - then left the room. The matriarch's cool demeanour had dropped the room temperature 10 degrees.
Tyr turned to Beka. "What was that all about?"
"We will discuss it later. Tell me about the meeting."
She patted the empty space beside her. Tamerlane fell spread-eagled onto the spot. Tyr closed and bolted the doors, before settling in the chair recently vacated by the matriarch. He crossed his legs out in front of him, pleased to be surrounded by his family, even if the arrangement were only temporary.