Everything Is Different Now
Chapter 29
August 19, 2013
Laura's POV
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be. Let's do this."
I held my hand out to Jacob and we entered the parlor. Our newest family additions had been served
breakfast after a long night's rest that began in their own suite right next door to our quarters, but ended
otherwise.
~EIDN~
It was a good move on our part. There were several moments of terror and panic, when one child
started screaming in the throes of a nightmare, waking their sibling who also began to scream. We ran
into their bedroom together and attempted to calm them. We had discussed our plan on the plane trip
home. I spoke words of comfort, in their language, slowly enough for Jacob to copy me. He repeated
the phrases and I then said it in English, Jacob repeating that as well. This had two purposes. Jacob
would eventually learn some Thai and the children could begin to recognize and assimilate English
words.
It didn't take long for us to decide that the youngsters would need company throughout most of the
night. The bed in our room was spacious and soft. We brought them with us. They were timid, shy,
quiet, yet curious about everything they saw. Their wide dark eyes roamed around the room, taking in
the furnishings and decorations. No doubt they were amazed at the differences. Western interiors were
far and away from the norm in Thailand. These children may have come from a city and been
accustomed to exotic Oriental interiors. But they would only be exotic to Jacob and me. Then again,
they may have been born and raised in a rural setting. It was possible they had come into the world in a
mud or grass hut or something equally rustic. The interior of our bedroom would be exotic to them and
their reaction told me this was so. I would later learn that I had that all wrong. The entire estate was
exotic to them in that they HAD been brought up in a rural setting. The surrounding landscape was
anything but exotic to them for they had grown up in the wilderness. It was only the species of flora and
fauna in our Colorado homeland that was different from their home.
I directed them to climb onto the bed and they crawled up in the very middle, snuggling into the pillows.
Jacob and I slid in on either side of them, leaning back against the pillows and headboard. The girl sat
next to Jacob and when he reached his hand out to her, she looked at it with awe on her face. She
reached down with both of her tiny hands and held his. She lifted it up and turned it this way and that,
examining his skin texture, tracing the veins under the surface. Her amazement was written all over her
face because it was clear that she'd never encountered anyone with hands as big and strong as Jacob's.
She held it toward her brother so he could see it clearly and spoke to him softly. The boy nodded his
head, said a word or two back to his sister and turned his head to look up at me. He smiled and tilted his
head toward Jacob.
"This is your mate?"
"Yes, he is."
"He is very big and strong. You must be very happy."
I laughed softly and nodded at him.
"Yes, he has made me very happy. And he and I will look after you and your sister. We will take care
of you and keep you safe."
"What are they saying Laura?"
"The girl says she has never seen a man as big as you. She wondered if you were human. She told her
brother you must be my protector. He asked if you were my mate. I told him yes you were and he said
you were big and strong and I must be very happy. I told him yes I was."
"Thank you baby. I'm grateful that you feel that way about me. Ask them if they understand what
happened to them. Do you think it's too soon to ask if they understand what they are?"
"Maybe not. If we take it slowly."
"I would like to ask you and your sister a question. Will that be okay?"
The boy nodded and the girl placed Jacob's hand in her lap, still gripping it with both of her own. Their
attention was focused entirely on me then.
"One reason my mate is so big and strong, is because he is what we call a shifter, a shape shifter. He is a
Spirit Warrior and he can change his body into that of a very large wolf. His wolf is strong and protects
me, his family, his people and all his children. Have you ever heard of anything like that?"
The boy and girl looked at each other and seemed to silently agree to trust us. The boy then turned back
to me and began to speak so fast I had to ask him to slow down so I could follow him. In their village,
there were 5 men who were taller and bigger than all the other men there. One of them was their
father. Their mother had told them once that their father was a warrior and they would always be safe
when he was around.
Uniformed troops had stormed into their village one day and, at gunpoint, forced the five men and their
wives to come with them. Their parents had barely had the chance to tell them goodbye or anything else
before they were dragged away. The brother and sister stayed in their family hut that night, alone and
frightened. The next day, another contingent of soldiers had stomped into their home and hauled the
children out, throwing them into the bed of a big truck. The story became muddled at that point. It
seemed as if perhaps the children had been drugged before being transported to the United States. I
paled and drew in a sharp breath as tears began to leak down my face. Jacob reached behind the
children and gripped my shoulder comfortingly.
"What is it Laura? What is he telling you honey?"
"They were kidnapped, drugged, their parents are gone. They don't know if they're alive or dead."
"Oh God, baby! What have they been through?"
"It's horrible Jacob. They were lost and afraid. Their father was a shifter and troops came and took him
away along with their mother."
"They took both parents?"
"Both. The next day, the children were taken, drugged and brought to the United States. There were
people who inspected them, naked, and then they were sent to the institution where we found them.
They were not awake for much of the transportation and they didn't know they were in the United
States, just somewhere that was not home. Jacob! They're just babies!"
"I know honey. We'll take care of them. Don't worry. It'll be fine."
I told the twins about our family of shifters. I told them they should never again think about the nasty
people at the facility in Oregon. They were bad people and the children did nothing wrong. They were
only defending themselves. I looked intently into the boy's eyes and asked him the million dollar
question.
"Did you know that you and your sister were shifters like my mate here and like your father? Did you
know that your father was a Spirit Warrior? That is why he and his friends were so big and why you
would always be safe with them around."
"We were told stories when we were little. They were just stories. But yesterday, they came true. My
sister and I are animals. We killed those people."
"Those people were trying to hurt you. You have done nothing wrong. You are not that kind of
animal. You are shifters, Spirit Warriors. I believe you may be tigers."
"There are many tigers at home. The jungles outside our village are dangerous at night, sometimes
even in the daytime. Are me and my sister like that?"
"Not exactly. You are human. But you can change. You can become tigers to defend yourselves and
your people, your family."
"We could not defend our mother and father."
"That's because you are young and didn't yet know how to change. You will become strong now and
learn to change to a tiger anytime you want. My mate can teach you and maybe we can go search for
your parents."
"Can we learn to be a wolf like your mate?"
"No, you can't pick any animal. You and your sister are tigers, I believe. My mate is a wolf, and only a
wolf. There are many other kinds of shifters. There are bears and lions, eagles and leopards."
"We don't know all of those animals. We don't know for sure what a wolf looks like. Can we see your
mate change?"
"I'm sure he would be happy to show you his wolf. Perhaps tomorrow. For now, let's scoot down and
pull up the covers and get snuggled up. We will sleep together and maybe my mate and I can keep the
bad dreams away. Will that be okay?"
"That would be nice, thank you pretty lady."
"My name is Laura. My mate is Jacob. Can you say those words?"
"Rawra and Yakeb?"
"That's pretty close. You can work on it tomorrow. What are your names?
"My sister is Pakpao Fa Ying. I am called Yuthakon Chatri."
"Do you know what those names mean? I think your mother and father may have known what you
and your sister would become when you got older."
"We do know. Our mother and father told us we were brave and had a great destiny waiting for us.
Now we will never know what it will be."
"Oh, don't worry young one. You will know. I promise. You and your sister are exactly where you
need to be to meet your destiny, just like your parents knew you would. You will make them proud."
"Laura, I'm going crazy over here. What are they saying?"
"They know now that they are shifters. They realize their father was one. They wanted to know if they
could turn into a wolf like you. I told them that they were stuck being tigers. They want to see you
shift. Their parents told them they had a destiny to fulfill. I have a feeling that may be why we were led
to them, Jacob. They're meant to be here with us. By the way, you'll like this. Their names mean
'Celestial Princess Fighter' and 'Brave Knight Warrior' though the translation is a little loose. I think they
will be okay with being call Pak and Yut."
"Okay, Pak and Yut it is. Now, howsabout some nap time? I'm fading fast and these kids have to be
exhausted."
~EIDN~
We walked around to face our young charges as they sat patiently waiting in the big velvet chairs in the
parlor. Pak and Yut had scooted the chairs close enough together so they could hold hands. They
wanted to be in constant physical contact with one another. I didn't blame them one bit.
Jacob and I sat in the loveseat across from them and we took each other's hands as well. The children
seemed to appreciate the similar gesture. Jacob spoke to them, I translated.
"Pak, Yut, this is where we stand so far. We don't yet know where your parents are. If they are alive, we
will find them. I swear to you, we will. For now, you can stay here with us. We want you to live with
us as if you are part of our family. The shifter world is very large. There are many of us. I am the
Alpha. That means that I am the shifter leader. Think of me as a big brother who's here to help you find
your way. We can go outside, into the woods, and shift together. When you are tigers and I am wolf, I
believe we can speak to each other with pictures and thoughts. My mate will not have to use words for
me. I will learn as many of your words as I can, as fast as I can. I want you two to learn our words
too. Are you ready to help me and the rest of the shifters in the world? We want you to be a part of our
family."
The youngsters stared, open-mouthed at Jacob, then at me. I nodded my head in encouragement. Pak
began to cry and buried her face in Yut's shoulder. Jacob looked at me in panic mode.
"I didn't mean to make her cry. Laura, what did I say wrong? Please don't cry Pak. It'll be okay."
Yut hugged his sister, stroking her hair and cooing to her softly. He turned his head toward me.
"My sister is not sad, Rawra. Well, she is because she misses our mother and father, as I do. But she is
not sad because of what your mate said. She is crying because she is grateful that you want to keep us.
Can we really stay here with you and your mate? Does the Alpha really want us to help him? Does
Yakeb really need us to help him?"
"Yes he does. Yut, you and Pak are very important to both me and Jacob, Yakeb. We want you to stay
with us as long as you want. This can be your home for as long as you want."
"Honey, fill me in. I didn't mean to make her cry."
"It's okay sweetie. She's crying cause she's happy. You know, that girl thing. They are grateful you
need their help and want them to stay with us. They didn't expect to be saved, much less wanted.
They're tears of relief and gratitude not fear."
At that moment, Pak leapt to her feet and rounded the table more rapidly than I could follow. She
practically tackled Jacob, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, clinging to him like ivy. At first
my man didn't know what to do. He looked at me, terror on his face. I smiled at him and nodded my
head, held out my arms in a hugging shape. Finally he wrapped his arms around the tiny girl and she
hung on him, drenching his shoulder with tears. Yut reached over and took my hand, squeezing it and
smiling at me.
"Thank you Miss Rawra. We will be honored to stay here with you and Yakeb and help wherever we
can. Thank you for saving us."
"Oh Yut. You've saved us, I promise. We needed both of you very much."
Once Pak regained her composure, the youngsters seemed more comfortable with us and their
surroundings. We took them outside to see the grounds and get them familiar with the estate layout.
Barney was brushing down Cranberry and we entered the barn to introduce the kids to the horses and
their caretaker. He was totally caught off guard by their language and my translations. I had never had
cause to use my Thai or other languages with my Colorado family. Barney had taught me his dialect
from Scotland and Marie and I often spoke French or Italian to each other, but Thai (?), no. I used
Cantonese at the local Chinese restaurant, but Barney had never heard me. Pak and Yut were
completely taken with the horses, saying that the United States grew horses much bigger than their
home country. We told them they could learn to ride any time they'd like. That excited them.
Finally, we walked toward the edge of the property and approached the woods. I gave Jacob a deep and
passionate kiss, for the kids' benefit so they could see the love we shared.
"I'm going to check in with Marie and get dinner started. You kids have fun and don't be too late okay?"
He held me tight and kissed me again, holding me with my feet off the ground while Pak and Yut giggled
at us.
"Yes Ma'am. We'll be on time for the dinner bell and our nails will be clean, promise."
"That's my good boy Alpha. I love you."
"Love you too baby."
JPOV
I watched my lovely woman walk back toward the house, my heart on my sleeve. When I looked back
to the two children standing by me, it was plain that they had understood the emotion and affection that
Laura and I shared. They both beamed at me, cast a longing gaze in the direction Laura had gone and
nodded their whole hearted approval. Here was yet another two children that would look on Laura as a
mother figure. That much I could translate on my own. I jerked my head toward the woods and we
started off together.
We got a couple hundred yards into the cover and I stopped, the kids stopping beside me. I pointed to a
copse of shrubbery and tapped Pak on the shoulder. She smiled and skipped away and behind the
shelter. Laura had explained to them the need to strip off our clothing before we phased, so we wouldn't
shred them. She also explained that sometimes anger helped the phase to happen. They said they would
have no trouble summoning up anger. All they had to do was remember the soldiers who took their
parents away and how rough the ones who took them had been.
Yut and I went behind an outcropping of rocks and stripped off our pants, shirts and shoes. The boy
tickled me when he glanced down at my 'package' and looked away quickly, turning crimson as he
looked down at his own. He was barely 15, he didn't need to feel embarrassed, but that didn't stop him
from blushing furiously. I touched his shoulder to get his attention and when he turned his eyes to me, I
let the wolf come forth, slowly. The look on Yut's face was one I wish I could have saved forever. When
I shook out my fur, I lifted my nose in his direction and stepped heavily toward him with one big paw.
He scrunched up his eyes and seemed to be straining against his own muscles. Nothing was happening.
I nudged him with my muzzle and when he opened his eyes to me, I raked my front claws slowly
through the dirt under my feet. I bared my teeth and gave him a low growl to emphasize my point.
Anger. He needed anger. He needed concentration. I gnashed my teeth and snapped my jaw sharply.
Understanding bloomed on his young features. He looked down and closed his eyes. He held his hand
out toward me and beckoned me to help. I growled at him again, loudly.
The heat waves began to rise from his form slowly at first, then more rapidly and thickly. Suddenly,
without warning, Yut's body jerked; his arms and legs flailing out, a scream escaping his lips. The tiger
formed with a loud snarl and stumbled to his belly on the ground, dazed. I moved to his side cautiously
and prodded him gently with my nose, giving him a little whimper of comfort. The great cat shook his
head and opened his huge orange eyes to me. A tiger can look surprised. Yes, he can. I jerked my head
in the direction of Pak's hiding place and walked out from behind our rocks. Yut followed me and we
approached the vegetation covering Pak and Yut growled loudly in her direction. Could she understand
him if she was still human? Would the brother/sister connection work across species forms?
My questions were answered quickly. There was a feminine yelp that morphed into a feline snarl that
would make any normal human's blood freeze. Yut's tiger was only slightly smaller than my wolf and
the tigress that walked out from behind the shrubs was merely a tiny tad smaller than him. They really
were impressive for such young children. It was time to try our communication lines. I concentrated
solely on the two in front of me and sent messages, pride, affection, hope, acceptance.
The tigers stood side by side, unmoving at first. They looked at each other then back to me, their orange
eyes glittering in the evening sunset. They seemed to reach some conclusion together and both of them
bowed to me, stretching their front legs and placing their foreheads to the ground. I walked forward and
nudged both of them with my muzzle, prompting them to stand tall. In a movement as old as time, yet
unheard of in normal feline/lupine relationships, if there ever was such a thing, the three of us began to
rub our heads together, sharing our scents and joining our essences.
We sent pictures, thoughts and feelings back and forth, sharing our histories, our experiences, our hopes
and dreams. I showed them the prophecies and legends of the Ultimate Alpha and the task that was
before us. They showed me that they had been aware of creatures like vampires but didn't know how
dangerous they were to the human population. We considered together the possibility that the soldiers
that took their parents, and them, might have been vampires, or minions of vampires. Anything was
possible, anything now seemed likely. We 'discussed' the instructions received so far about what the
shifter population would need to do to eliminate the threat and I explained to them that they would stay
with me because they were young and inexperienced, but also because I wanted their help guarding my
mate and the other humans who lived on the estate and in the area. I showed them that many of the
shifters in Boulder County had human mates who would need protection as well as Laura and Marie. I
shared with them the phenomena of Laura's effect on my ability to communicate to far-flung locales. I
told them how she saved me, how she strengthened me, how she loved me, how I loved her. They both
expressed their hope that someday they could find mates that suited them as well as Laura suited me. I
told them I was certain that would happen, that they only had to wait a few years, till they were older.
Finally, we went for a run together. They were fast. They were almost as fast as me and I was
impressed. The thing that impressed me the most however, was something that I knew would be
invaluable in the upcoming battle. I had never thought of it before but since I had panthers, leopards,
lions, tigers, cheetahs, this was a break that we needed. I can't believe it hadn't occurred to me before.
Back in La Push, we had always had trouble following a leech if they decided to go up. Well, by golly,
not anymore! These cats could climb! Trees were their second home. Yut and Pak were able to help me
confirm with other shifters that I allowed into our 'conversation' that cats and eagles and other birds of
prey could cover almost any altitude that we needed to access. Particularly it seems, the leopards were
especially good climbers, especially the snow leopards. This was some of the best news I'd had in a while
and I couldn't wait to tell Laura and the others.
We 'signed' off as I promised to connect to the ranks later and went back to our shelters to phase back
and get dressed. I waited patiently while my young charges struggled with phasing back to human. This
was so new to them and I sent images of myself as a wolf and then a human, then images of them as
tigers and then as humans. I phased back myself to talk to them some more with my human voice,
giving them suggestions to calm their minds; pulling them back and allowing them to 'feel' and seek out
their humanity.
After a few more minutes, Pak and Yut were back in their sweats and t-shirts and we headed to the
house for some supper. We were tired and hungry and ready for a nap. I was also ready for some good
lovin' from my girl. Hours away from her had made me miss her way too much.