To Bob: Welcome to FANFICTIONdot Net. It's for fan-fiction. Plus, read carefully on the differences between who I called Wolves (with a captial W) also known as Loup-Garoux, and werewolves or Lycanthropes.
Although those born as Wolves are called that in both Twilight and Vampire Diaries worlds. I never claimed to be telling truths/real-life legends, myths or folklore. And this is a Twilight fan-fiction, even as a crossover.
"Building a strong future is living at the intersection of today and tomorrow: where living in the moment and who we have chosen to become dance together as one."
Bill Jensen
Gabrielle showed her a photograph. Leah took and peered at the picture.
It showed an incredibly handsome man with tousled dark hair that she initially thought was a male model. Brows furrowing, she looked up. "Who's this?"
"The Alpha of the Appalachians Pack," Gabrielle answered smoothly. "James."
She took another photo out. Leah passed the first photo onto Seth who also took a look and passed it along throughout the crowd. "This one is Greg, his Beta or second-in-command." She nodded to both Leah and Jared. "Your equivalent."
"And this one-" she pulled out a third photograph "-is Michael. The Gamma of their pack."
"Gamma?" Paul asked, bewildered. "The third-in-command," Gabrielle informed him patiently, as if speaking to a child. "The one in charge of training the warriors of the pack and making sure everyone is fit for battle. If the Beta is like the vice-president who acts as a regent and the Alpha's deputy, the Gamma is the general of the armed forces. He's going to be coming along with the Alpha."
Leah peered at the photograph. "I heard about Beta but I've never heard of Gamma," she admitted.
"They're extremely important," Gabrielle shrugged. "Even though the Alpha leads and commands them, including in battle, the Gamma is responsible for organising and leading their training, even if the Alpha- or leading Luna- mentors all of them. Gammas also leads the attacks, often being the one who leads the charge in attacks and are responsible for the pack and the Alpha's overall security and defence, even being known to be the last person to stay behind if the pack is attacked on their home turf and are on the verge of losing- sometimes the Gamma even sacrifices him or herself in order for the survivors to get away." She winced. "This one has a reputation." Gabrielle nodded to Michael's photograph. "I tell you, he definitely has the air of a four-star general and he's not one to be crossed, even by the most difficult youngsters. He takes his job as the pack's third-in-command quite seriously."
Paul's face lit up in glee and excitement. His pack-mates edged away from him. Jared gave a wary glance and Sam smacked himself on the forehead. Gabrielle wondered if she had said something she shouldn't have.
"So he's my equivalent?" Paul asked, excitedly. Everyone was edging away from him now, including members of the other pack. Billy shrugged and mouthed 'Good luck,' to Sam and Jared, nodding sagely all the while.
Gabrielle blinked. She looked at Sam in question. Said Alpha covered his face with his hands along with his Beta Jared.
"Apparently," she shrugged, deciding it wasn't her business to get worried enough about this. She had enough on her plate.
"Considering that the Appalachians pack is one of the strongest, safest and most prosperous packs with some of the highest living standards and largest territories in North America, and for all I know probably the rest of the Loup-Garou world, and have at times ranked at the very top, expect someone that is like a four-star general" She informed them all "combined with the president's secret service. The Appalachians Wolves didn't get to where they were by simply inheriting from their predecessors and not working or fighting to get on top." She warned. "Sure, they've got a history and generations of fighting and working to get where they are now, and the distance and space from not only other Wolves but supernatural threats and humans also helped give their pack a head's start, but the current generation certainly did more than its fair share. Before even James' rise to power as Alpha, Michael was one of those who had been with him the longest. He certainly had the most experience, knowledge and skill to be responsible for the pack's safety, as Gamma."
Paul's eyes widened and now it was Jacob who slapped a hand to his forehead. Seth winced and covered his face with both hands. Sam and Jared both sighed fully expecting something to happen as soon as this meeting had ended, and the Wolves of their pack shifted, uneasily trying edge away from Paul as much as possible. "So yes, if and when you do form some form of an alliance, he will definitely be meeting and speaking with you." She nodded to Paul. Some of the Wolves groaned. "And your equivalent in your pack." She looked at Jacob and Leah.
Instinctively, the members of Jake's pack all turned to Embry. "Me?" His voice came out higher-pitched than he expected. They all stared incredulously.
Someone snorted. Before anyone could pick out who did it, a roll of snickers ran throughout the crowd. Embry's jaw crashed open in outrage. Seth rubbed his head nervously and Quil and Jake both grimaced.
Embry's face burned. "What?" He demanded. That only made the audience laugh harder, including Paul.
Embry still looked outraged. "You think I can't do it?" He demanded.
A lot of snorts happened almost simultaneously. Quil patted Embry's arm while the latter's eyes sparked black flames which didn't help with all the sniggering.
This was the first time Quil had been seen in days. In truth, he was feeling low, to say the least. However, it wasn't as seriously heartbroken as he thought he would be- that everyone believed he would be had his imprint gone missing, been taken away, died or had chosen someone else over him. He still felt the loss- the keen loss of what he once believed would have been, the lack of the 'other half' to his own self- but it wasn't grief, anguish or heartbreak. It didn't feel like what Taha Aki or anyone of them felt if and when their imprints died or been somehow lost to them. He knew this for a fact, and this gave him hope- gave all of them hope, especially knowing what they knew now: that Claire wasn't his soulmate, anymore than Renesmee, that imprinting just gave them a better chance of finding the right person to become an eventual soulmate as well as the mother of their offspring (ideally)… but it clearly overlooked the needs, rights and overall well-being and future for the person who was imprinted upon. Gabrielle had suspected that Quil had imprinted upon a two-year-old not because he was a paedophile, but while because he wasn't ready for a romance yet, and would not have been at least for quite some time, he inwardly wished and longed for the connection he observed that Sam and Emily had or Jared and Kim, or else he had simply wished to know who his soulmate was despite not wishing to immediately get together from the first meeting (or close enough), because he didn't feel ready.
Of course, Claire wouldn't be ready to enter any romantic relationship for a long time, either way.
Gabrielle forced a smile, but while Quil was subdued, she publicly turned her attention to the other Wolves. "It looks like they've been at it for a while," Sam frowned, and he wasn't the only one thinking this. Gabrielle could see everyone from the Council of Elders, to the various members of both packs, and even the imprints having the same thought: just how far and how high would their species have gone if they hadn't kept going dormant or had emerged earlier?
She stifled a wince. Gabrielle decided to change the topic and move on.
"This is Emmeline," she showed a photo of a dark-haired woman. Leah's brow furrowed as she took it before passing it along.
"Is it just me or do these Wolves look like they could be models from a photo shoot?" She asked.
Gabrielle gave an amused smile. "It's not just your vision." She arched an eyebrow. "Haven't you ever seen your own selves in the mirror?"
That got her some stares and double-takes all around.
Gabrielle smirked and shook her head, stifling her laughter. "Loup-Garou," she patiently explained "are always meant to be at the peak of their physical health and fitness, hence the reason why you physically mature to adulthood and recover from injuries faster and have a far better immune system and metabolism than humans. While you do not require visually appealing and attractive appearances to lure humans for prey like vampires do naturally, nor do you require humans to be lured for breeding purposes like my mother's species…" she sighed "for the most part, anyway, their good looks and yours are a mere result of your preternatural physiology. Don't you think it's strange that once you have phased that you're suddenly in such good shape? Even though you don't seem to be exhausted and sweat as much, you do burn out more energy than you expect, all the while consuming larger quantities of food than humans." Gabrielle pointed out. "Yet no matter how much and what kind of food you eat, you basically look like you've been on the kind of healthy diet and exercise regimen that models, body builders or professional athletes undertake. You require more food and burn off more energy, due to your metabolism, than humans. I suspect with the amount you consume, even with exercise, if you were human, you would've gained noticeable weight."
Leah blinked, and Gabrielle caught brief glimpses of what looked like envy on Rachel, Kim and Emily's faces. "But back on topic," she waved a hand. "Emmeline is one of the archivists and elders in the pack, with experience in pack and general Loup-Garou wolf knowledge and history. She works in close tandem with-" Gabrielle pulled out another photo. "This lady. Maya is the pack's chief doctor and leading scientist." The woman looked younger with curly brown locks that reminded her of buttered wholemeal toast. "A salutary they used to call it during ages past. It's still a formal title but less commonly used these days.
"I don't know how many warriors they're bringing for security- there's always a considerable amount, which is why some dedicated Alphas don't usually leave home if they can't afford to split up and take some of their warriors away during times of potential attack. But the Appalachians pack is not only one of the safest, they have a high number of warriors and their home is incredibly safe." Gabrielle assured them. "Let's move onto the now-Vermont based pack now, shall we?"
She pulled out some photographs. An extremely well-built man with wind-swept dark hair, chiselled features on a strong face and ice-blue eyes dominated the first photograph.
"This is Gabriel, the Alpha."
Leah took the photo and passed it around. Like James, she noticed that Gabriel could have been snapped up by a modelling agency. Or Hollywood.
"And this," Gabrielle pulled out another photograph "is Vivian, the Luna of the pack."
Leah peered into the picture. It showed a very beautiful woman with a fair complexion but tanned gently golden, and a long, thick, tawny wild mane with soft blue eyes.
What did she look like when phased? Leah wondered. The woman in the photograph could have been a top or supermodel or an actress but not in the same showy way as Rosalie. She could have just as easily been an Olympic athlete, a pro-hiker for an adventure reality show on TV- anything. While vampires had supernatural strength, their physical beauty often deceived it. Maybe Gabrielle herself was the same. This woman, this female Wolf, this Luna… looked like she could not only hold her own, but could take anyone down in a fight, no matter who or what they were.
Wordlessly, Leah passed the photo onto Seth and Jacob. In a way, this Luna, Vivian, reminded Leah of herself. She was just so cooped up in her own self-misery that she no longer appreciated what she saw whenever she was confronted with her own reflection in the mirror. All she saw and felt were her own inadequacies, her perceived freakishness, the differences between her and, well, everybody else from Wolves to regular humans, especially since if Sam had imprinted upon someone else, that someone being her cousin no less, despite having been in a long-term relationship with Leah, and she had always missed out or been skipped upon when it came to finding one's soulmate or other half.
Although now she knew better.
Now that she knew that her shifting wasn't so much as a sign that something was wrong with her physically, like a hormone imbalance or infertility, or even her secret fears about being intersex without previously knowing about it, than simply their tribe's Wolf species taking its natural course through evolution (albeit with a few hiccups), Leah seemed to finally come face to face with what she had missed when she was focused on her perceived failings and apparent inadequacies: if this was what someone of their kind looked like, a woman and a female Wolf, a Luna or leading female no less, someone who led the pack and was high-rank, even with authority, as well as a mate and kids…
She didn't look so bad. In fact, she looked great. And she reminded Leah of herself. That was probably what was the most startling thing about it all, that and the fact that Vivian was a Luna, what Leah was supposedly chosen, by the nature or the spirits beyond, to be someday. Leah felt like she was slammed with the sudden fact that there might not be something wrong with her but something right, even though Gabrielle had told her so before…
Leah could see the glances and double-takes as everyone saw the picture. Some of the un-mated looked… fascinated to say the least. But Leah caught a glimpse of Emily's face, along with Rachel's and Kim's when they saw the photograph of a werewolf Luna and she caught something there, something which startled her even more, though she kept it to herself.
There was awe there. And more than a little envy. The picture of the Luna Vivian radiated confidence, strength and leadership as well as being rather physically impressive. And it struck her that even though the imprints were believed to have been soulmates, at least until now to a few, few of them felt like they belonged, at least not in the same way as Vivian or even Leah, an unwanted outcast she might have been.
She was part of their world. And so was Leah.
And Leah felt more than a tinge of guilt and worry over having to cause Emily's world to come crashing after it had already been turned upside down when Sam imprinted. No need to make her feel inadequate, Leah thought, stomach churning. The tub of magic cream was something she fully intended to give to Emily… though she couldn't do it without Emily or Sam asking questions. Best to wait until after everything comes out into the open.
Then something occurred to Leah. "Why didn't you show us a Luna?" She asked Gabrielle. "Before, for the Appalachians pack."
Gabrielle looked startled. "Well, Alpha James hasn't mated yet."
Leah's eyebrows rose. Gabrielle blinked. "Not everyone feels the Pull as soon as the imprinters here do." She sighed. "In any case…" she hesitated but continued. "Alpha James has… a bit of a sad history with his Pull."
Leah blinked. "Why, what happened?"
Gabrielle winced. "I won't go into any details- that's his business and I'm not barging into anyone's privacy," she warned. "But it's already well-known fact that he… once felt the Pull for someone. That sense of Pull… well, first you have to know that for every species it's different. The Appalachians Wolves, their sense of Pull is based on scent. For the now-Vermont-based Wolves, it's triggered by touch. Every species feels it in different ways, but it always feels as if gravity is moving, pulling you into their direction."
"Yeah," Sam, Jared, Jacob and Paul all said slowly. "Hence why it's known as the Moon's Pull or the Moon's Draw." Gabrielle confirmed. "Considered the gift of the moon goddess, whichever one any particular species tend to worship, since the moon's gravitational pull is what you can compare it to. For the Vermont-based pack, it's only recently emerged and established. It's difficult but they feel it when touching the other person for the first time. They may meet them, see them, speak with them, they may even pass them by numerous times. But only once they make physical contact, well, Vivian described it feeling like electricity as well as a strong gravitational pull that comes afterwards. And in truth, she and Gabriel had already gone out for a long while before they both felt it when touching each other's hands just as they were deciding to get really serious with their relationship." Leah blinked. "Older generations, like Vivian's mother, have never felt it, even though she was certainly deeply devoted to her late husband and in truth, she still loves him and has never gotten over his loss. It takes a while for some species, even though the Vermont pack have been around for at least thousands of years and originate in France and Germany as separate species, the Pull has only recently emerged with them. It will evolve to grow stronger and clearer with time, especially with future generations.
"The Appalachians Wolves have had it for much longer, and have since long-evolved to refine, fine-tune and hone their instincts. Their sense of Pull happens when they come across the other person's scent for the first time. Even in a crowd and from a distance it stands out and smells addictive, according to them. It smells like whatever scents appeal to the individual the most, only much, much more addictive." Gabrielle frowned as she thought it sounded too much like Amortentia, the magical world's most powerful love potion and potentially the cause for Voldemort's conception. "Their Pull can compel or enable them to be led, guided solely by the scent itself even when it's more than a mile away, towards the direction of the other person, even going through a corridor or maze of rooms and crowds, no matter where they went. Some of the more alert can instinctively realise what is happening, others don't know what's happened until they finally catch sight of the person they are being drawn towards, but they always can't seem or even consider turning away from this. And when they do finally meet the bond forms. The other person is suddenly the most wonderful person, most amazing and beautiful person in the whole world. It feels absolutely right to be with them." Gabrielle paused. "It feels like the entire universe has pulled you towards this one person, this one moment. But in Alpha James' case…"
She paused again. "She was already dead by the time her scent led him to her. Mortally wounded in an attack by some rogue Wolves. They never even got to be introduced."
Leah's eyes widened and she wasn't the only one. She heard Emily gasp.
"Yes," Gabrielle said shortly. "Which is why I must ask you to please avoid confronting Alpha James over this topic or even speaking about it within his earshot. Some things are now a reminder of what could only have once been and what will never be."
Quil looked up, his dark eyes wide and sympathetic. For the first time, he forgot about his depression and his feelings of… loss or loneliness, he didn't know what, only that it was not as severe as it would have been without the soul-link, as he saw just how much worse it could have been, especially if Claire and he had been forced to stay within that arrangement, with no hope of deciding or choosing otherwise in the future, at least not without incredible agony and grooming her. Quil felt sick just thinking about it. He knew now that he always would, and he would never look back on himself and his state of mind after imprinting on Claire with fondness, even though he felt nothing romantic or lustful (thank God) back when they were connected. No matter how lonely, empty or depressed he felt, Quil knew that he did the right thing in requesting the imprint be reversed and would forever be grateful to Gabrielle for saving both him and Claire and, hopefully if all went well, the rest of the pack and their imprints- certainly for Renesmee.
And now he could see that someone else had it way worse than him… while being reassured that said someone could still have hope for the future. Unfortunately, the other Wolves and even their imprints weren't so lucky as they still weren't aware, and their eyes widened in horror.
Gabrielle was fully aware of this as well, but had chosen to tell the packs of the Pull processes of these different species because she wanted to show them that they all understood and knew, or at least had a good idea of what they felt like and what had happened to them, and most importantly, telling them about Alpha James' tragedy with his Pull might soften them towards the idea that, surely if James could have hope and be happy someday, they do not have to be together and remained connected just to be fulfilled. And that there could be others out there for them if things didn't work out.
She just couldn't break it to them just yet. No one could. But maybe Alpha James' story could provide some measure of hope and acceptance of the idea that one's imprint or Pull target was not immediately an identifying or establishing marker for one's soulmate...
"Yes, it's all very tragic," she explained patiently as Sam, Jared, Paul, Jacob and Quil himself looked anguished at the thought. Even Emily and the non-Wolves were horrified. "But there's still hope. Alpha James may still have a second chance."
"How can anyone get a second chance from that?" Paul blurted. Gabrielle shrugged.
"They may be able to shed better light on this than I can," Gabrielle confessed. "But a few Wolves are magic-keepers, capable of magic, albeit limited compared to those of mages or even vampires of older species, but there's another person somewhere out there who might be a good match for him. After all, it's not like the Alpha and the poor girl ever even got to know one another, much less started a relationship. There's hope, certainly. Their astrologers have claimed it so, and I don't mean the astrologers from magazines that readers consult about their love lives." Gabrielle warned, receiving a few snorts. "Non-magical individuals rarely get proper astrology, or divination of any kind, correct. There are things that I don't know about, as a technical outsider despite being welcomed, things which I happen to have enough tact not to ask about. Sensitive, sacred information and rituals, which are specific to certain packs and species, if not the entire race of Homo Lupus, like your firm belief or conviction about how your species came to be, and who you are all descended from. Now, I don't doubt your version of events of how you all came to be," she stated quickly, "especially since it provided me with a wealth of information about your genetics and the logic and evidence that I've personally observed from your species and those of the others'. And no one ever made me a diplomat for my lack of tact and prying into certain sensitive information that aren't even necessary for outsiders such as myself to know about. Maybe you can ask about these things and how they work, but not from me." Gabrielle shrugged.
Good, let them think she was overall a neutral party. Better than biased or motivated by certain things, even her own opinions. They were more likely to listen to reason when the time came for the news to break out, if she gave her input.
As it inevitably would have to for Jacob and Renesmee's bond to be reversed.
Gabrielle had examined the romances of the imprints according to the Council of Elders and the Wolves that knew. With their permission she even performed legilimency within their minds to know what it was like precisely for them, although the other Wolf species had shared with them their own experiences. It had a great deal of similarities to the Pull processes felt by the other species, but with a few differences. Variations, of course, were to be expected, but if anyone had any doubt that they were of the same kind as the Loup-Garou Wolves from the Appalachians, Vermont, New Orleans and all the rest, this had certainly dispelled them. Her descriptions of the other species' Pull processes and the strong similarities it had with their imprinting certainly cemented than fact in the minds of the entire audience.
So it would be easier for them to accept, especially once the other Wolves had arrived and shown their points of view and reasoning, that imprinting did not immediately establish a couple as soulmates from the get-go, nor did it identify them- only potential soulmates whom you had the best chances of being happy together with and producing the healthiest offspring.
"I find that hard to believe," Jared was saying quietly. Gabrielle shrugged. "I'm afraid you'll have to ask them more about it, but please, please be tactful and mindful of everyone's feelings, including Alpha James." She pleaded. Everyone nodded at that. The last thing anyone wanted to do was to offend another pack and go to war when they were supposed to be making friends with, or allies.
"On a side-note, how is the cabin going?" She asked the Council of Elders, particularly Sue and her children, about this. Leah blushed crimson.
Sue nodded. "We've got one up. I had to ask Charlie to help with setting things up, along with some of the boys."
"And it's been established that it's right in the middle of a ten-mile radius which is now a no-go zone, for male Wolves, especially if they're new and just phased?" Gabrielle asked, arching an eyebrow. "We don't want any... regrets once everyone comes back to their senses."
Everyone looked both horrified and mortified, but it was necessary. This was a serious thing. A female Loup-Garou's scent while she was in Heat, Gabrielle had insisted, would drive any un-mated and un-related male completely wild. They would do anything to mate with the female whose scent they had caught, even to the point of becoming violent.
"I'm sorry, but until there's such a thing as better birth control and protection for Loup-Garoux, there really is no other way to avoid it."
Gabrielle looked at Collin Littlesea who blushed. "Has your family been informed?"
Collin's shoulders slumped and Billy sighed. "Yeah, we talked to them." The latter admitted. "Connie and Kevin were shocked to say the least, but they adjusted enough I believe. Of course, my sister was so young back then that she thought that she'd been imagining or dreaming things when she saw Grandpa phase for the final time with his pack members." An unknowing smile crept up in Billy's face. "I suppose Kevin just needs time to get used to the idea about the supernatural and that his kids are a part of it. And that their little girl is evidently likely to be the second female Wolf in our history- or legends."
"Hm," Gabrielle sighed. "Yes, it certainly takes a while." I'm glad it wasn't me that had to do it. Poor Billy Black- as if he didn't already have enough on his plate. She never envied the Beauxbatons, Hogwarts or any other magical school's staff, or any country's Ministry or Council officials in the arduous and sometimes difficult task of introducing non-magical parents and previously-unaware children, of the supernatural and that said-children were a part of it. There were set protoccols, at least in France, but things could go badly and have. They also needed time to adjust and being overwhelmed, no matter the awe and wonder, would only likely cause more negativity, so it was always a delicate thing.
Gabrielle was aware of the French Ministry's protoccol on introducing those unaware to the magical world and had sometimes used it, but it didn't mean that she enjoyed the task. It always felt like treading on eggshells, more than anything else she had ever done, even the most dangerous of experiments and situations, like everything could explode in everyone's faces and snowball into an even-worse disaster than it already was unless handled meticulously.
Thankfully, Amber was unlikely to get her first Heat until at least after her second year of phasing. It varies not only between species, but individuals. Hopefully, neither she nor Collin, nor any member of both packs, would imprint on anyone until they get this whole mess sorted and fixed.
By this point Gabrielle was not only well-versed in the Loup-Garoux Pull instinct and processes, but she learned all there was to know about Jacob and Renesmee's imprint bond (more than the couple themselves) and she had a good understanding of what happened and the true nature of Sam and Emily's relationship. The other imprint-bonds mystified her: Jared and Kim were said to have gone to the same school as each other, and Kim had a crush on Jared. It was possible that the two would have ended up dating eventually, and Gabrielle had agreed with that sentiment: it did sound like that if Jared had never phased and imprinted, the two might still have had a good chance of being together, although it would take extreme circumstances and odds for them to marry during adulthood. They were young after all, and young people often had individual hopes and dreams, plans for their life which may differ from that of their significant other, and they may also feel contained and may wish to broaden their horizons and stretch their wings to fly independently. Few wished to settle down and have a serious romance at that stage, not for some time. And while Jared may have thought and felt that he was ready, and Kim had been infatuated, if she wanted to stretch her wings and fly, broaden her horizons, see the world, rise up in the world of careers, well, even Loup-Garou at that stage didn't want a mate or even a casual boyfriend constantly hanging or hovering them.
And they themselves wouldn't be certain what they truly wanted or needed at such early stages of their independent adulthood, including in choices of companions, including romantic interests, certainly permanent ones. At such early stages, few rarely ever knew what they themselves wanted or needed in a relationship. So, while Jared and Kim may or may not have ultimately ended up as soulmates if Jared had not imprinted, but ended up dating nonetheless, there was a chance that he and Kim may have parted ways once they had run through the natural course of their relationship. And Gabrielle had glimpsed warning signs about the two in any case in this regard: according to the Wolves that knew, while Kim certainly had a crush on Jared, Jared had not once glanced in Kim's direction or taken notice of her before his Wolf gene activated itself from dormancy and his Pull instinct triggered.
And then there was the fact that Kim now, if only briefly, had showed signs of irritability and feeling contained. The imprinters acted as if standing physically separate from their imprints without touching them and with space in between them, especially if they were within sight but not touching distance, caused them immense pain. Kim seemed snappish, and like Renesmee, showed signs of wanting some space without Jared. Gabrielle grimaced, being fully aware due to her own personal history and Fleur's, as well as other relationships, that space and time alone, or with different friends and individual families was something individuals in a relationship, even in happy, stable ones that tended to last like with soulmates, greatly required. Individuals made up couples after all, just as they made up friendships and members of family; their individual needs should not be neglected, even if they tended to put their romances first. If their significant others became too 'clingy' or in any way hurt or offended, despite it being only natural for any relationship, that was a warning sign that something wasn't right, even if either of them had a point. Imprinters like Sam, Jared, Paul, Jacob and previously Quil never seemed to want to leave their imprints alone, nor did they seem to respect them as equals which Renesmee and apparently Kim certainly craved and chafed over.
And Rachel, Gabrielle thought darkly. Her father Billy had admitted that he suspected Rachel often insisted that Paul stay put in the Blacks' house in order to get some time and space for herself. She certainly showed signs of even more strain than Kim. She certainly told him to occupy and help himself to whatever was in the Blacks' house: Billy had put up with it because before Paul had imprinted, Rachel and her twin Rebecca had desperately avoided returning home, due to the hard loss of their mother. Parental loss seemed to be something that affected every person more than they were willing to admit, even to themselves. Gabrielle agreed with Leah that this may help explain Jacob's issues, as well as Edward's. And the absence of a stable set of parents and family life in Bella's upbringing certainly impacted her to the point where it affected her relationships and interactions with the world and individuals around her.
If anyone else imprints, Gabrielle thought, it might be amazing and wondrous at first, but this can explode in everyone's faces. They had to handle this carefully and delicately but also swiftly and limit the chances of anyone else imprinting until after they had gotten this fixed. Just because someone's significant other, or even established soulmate if they truly had succeeded in making things work that well, wanted to have some space, it didn't mean that they wished to part ways or will eventually start getting ideas about that! It might even be because their imprinters didn't respect them and their needs for personal space nor to be seen as genuine equals that they would end up wishing to leave. As far as I can foresee, this can only lead to more problems and breakups, rather than successful marriages. They don't respect their imprints as individuals, much less equals. Always worshipping or, in Edward and Jacob's case, being belittling and condescending as well.
Suddenly, Gabrielle was forced to confront the fact that this was a race against time itself to save a species. And on top of it all, she had to manage relations between wizard-kind and vampires of all species, and she had to help the Cullens with their situation... it was a little overwhelming. But she didn't have the time to hesitate or break under pressure, she thought grimly.
Maybe after all of this, she would take a very long holiday. And finish those books that she wanted to write.
"So, did anyone else find signs of the gene triggering itself awake, or likely passing down to someone else?" Gabrielle questioned. "How did the little 'project' go, anyway?"
They told her that there wasn't much luck in identifying the girls around the reserve that were likely to phase. But find some they did. Two or three showed signs of the gene activating itself, like with Amber, and Gabrielle suspected that if the gene triggered itself awake at the presence of a known and ancient enemy like vampires, then it could also trigger itself awake at the presence of other Loup-Garoux, especially to acquire the chance of not merely expanding the gene pool in the hopes of a large and healthy population, but a chance of better-passing down the Wolf gene in active form so that the next generation and all future generations to come would all phase fully and easily, without the gene sporadically going dormant or dying out like with Rachel Black and likely her twin Rebecca. Hopefully, Jacob and his descendants wouldn't suffer the same fate.
She also suspected that some would imprint on the Wolves of other species. If the Vermont pack's ancestors were initially two separate species that each came from France and Germany and then merged together, there was a likely chance that the Quileute packs would do the same and imprint on Wolves of other species once they had made contact to absorb their traits and fresh genes into the gene pool. Usually, Loup-Garoux children phase at the ages of one or two years, but this species had parents and grandparents as well as children and grandchildren who never phased, and it seemed to be especially slow to trigger in females. Of course, being descended from only one Wolf tended to slow the process a little, even if he lived for roughly two hundred years and had separate broods of children with three different women, all of whom left descendants. Nature wanted them to be Loup-Garoux and to join their world. But it wasn't an easy journey.
Gabrielle sighed inwardly. Leah put up a hand. "I have a question," she began tentatively. "How do you know if any of us are Alphas- or Lunas?"
Gabrielle sighed inwardly once again. "Because it shows in your Wolf genes," she explained, dreading the explanation. "Someone who is a born-Alpha or Luna will be born with a slightly different type of Wolf gene that sets them apart from the others'. And it's also markedly obvious in your behaviour patterns. There is a strong difference between someone who is born to be an Alpha- or a ruling Luna- and a person who is not. Actually, it's clear even in children from their early infant stages."
Everyone blinked. "How so?" Sue questioned politely. "Well, first keep in mind that Loup-Garoux children physically mature much faster than human ones," Gabrielle warned. "So while this might seem overly shocking to you, like say, seeing signs that a baby is going to grow up to become an Alpha before even phasing, it's actually quite normal for them. Signs usually start to manifest during and between the ages of five or six months when they first start crawling and being mobile, growing teeth and eating solid food." Stunned silence descended upon the crowd, especially with Sue, Billy and Old Quil who were parents and grandparents, and individuals like Emily who had observed babies growing up close and personal. "They usually tend to show signs of having a dominant personality, but not at all like a spoiled brat throwing their weight around." She smiled slightly. "If they have siblings, particularly if they come from a litter of twins, triplets or even quadruplets which, I must admit isn't uncommon-" the younger Wolves' eyes bugged, Leah, Emily, Rachel and Kim all looked queasy at the idea of having that many children at the exact same time, and even the guys and the council looked uneasy. "-then they would exert dominance towards their siblings, but also a strong sense of protectiveness. Like for example, they would get really protective whenever someone, a stranger, would come around and try to approach or pick someone they instinctively know is a baby Wolf, even if it's not one of their siblings, from the creche or playpen, and react strongly, even aggressively. They would look over and make sure the others are safe and they know where they are, and if someone crawls away without the adult caretakers knowing, they immediately make calls for the child or children to return, which they do, or to say where they are and alert an adult to go get them."
Everybody stared, stunned. Billy and Old Quil appeared fascinated, awed even. Sue as well, her dark eyes widened.
"In return, their siblings, and any other Wolf babies who are placed in their near-vicinity, instinctively sense that that infant is not only a leader, but their leader. They gravitate around them without realising it, become submissive, protective even. They don't even think to question their Alpha or Luna's lead at that age, nor consider why they must do things their way, but if the Alpha or Luna child indicates that something should be done this way, or if they want everyone to play a certain game, or even want something for his or herself, as remarkable as it sounds, as unbelievable, the other babies echo the call and support their leader, even if they can't speak yet, even getting upset if the Alpha or Luna infant isn't getting what he or she wants." Jared and Paul's jaws crashed to the ground. Sam looked like he'd been hit over the head with a frying pan.
Gabrielle nodded in understanding. "I know, I couldn't believe it either. I saw a baby future Luna get placed in a nursery creche with some other Wolf babies, even ones from a different pack or species, and they all instinctively gravitated around her and she became increasingly protective of them too." She smirked. "They also try to protect the baby Alpha or Luna whenever a stranger comes close, especially if they sense that that someone is not a Wolf or smells remotely unfamiliar or strange. She would make sure each of them were eating before she took a bite, they would make sure she was getting a good portion of food and that it smelled and looked alright before she could taste it." She tried not to laugh, knowing how entrancing her laugh was, even to non-humans like Loup-Garou. She didn't want any of them distracted or to become seriously attracted to her. "Nothing suspicious. As if they knew about poisons at before they turn one. They would howl, cry, even bite and attack if they see her or him being taken away from their sight, especially by an unknown person and aren't above trying to protect her or him with their own bodies." Gabrielle smiled.
"It's quite extraordinary." She remarked. Everybody appeared stunned, unable to comprehend or simply believe that such things exist.
"So, like, the Alpha or Luna, is he or she born from a previous Alpha or somebody?" Seth asked.
Gabrielle frowned, pursing her lips. "That's the complicated part. It's easy identifying an Alpha or Luna, even as infants. Yes, Alphas and ruling Lunas are usually born into the same family line, but it doesn't always happen that way. Sometimes, it can skip generations and alternate. Like say, an Alpha or Luna was born into this family, and then suddenly, another family gives birth to a child who is a born-Alpha or Luna as well and around the same age group. It doesn't even have to be a family with a long-standing tradition of being werewolf royalty or the equivalent anyway. It just happens, but it's rare enough that people notice. I don't know what causes the birth of an Alpha or Luna child, whether it's because the pack is growing too large and would eventually need to split and find new territories, or if the succession of who is supposed to lead the pack is unclear and muddy, or if the powers that be predicted that another leader will be necessary in case of a dangerous future that approaches, or if another Alpha or Luna shows signs of failing and being unfit for the job, and would require a successor sooner rather than later. Maybe environmental factors play a role in it, like this family environment may seem alright, but this other family's dynamic and environment seems better suited for training and grooming a child for leadership. Maybe it's the parents who are the ones best-suited to produce and raise a future Alpha or Luna, due to their healthy genes and personalities. Maybe it's fate that brings forth another Alpha or Luna, or maybe just coincidence." Her eyes met Leah's, albeit momentarily. "Maybe it's because something monumental is about to happen in the near future. Or maybe, like the two families in New Orleans, the Labonairs and Kenners were supposed to be, it may be because their genes and traits were better merging with one another. Unfortunately, that wasn't what ended up happening to them." She grimaced.
"They're the ones who got killed along with their baby," Leah remembered, her dark eyes wide with horror, same as Emily's. They looked too alike.
Gabrielle looked grim. "Yes. Two families each with the Alpha gene, which manifested within several members of each family. Technically, nature would find a way to make things work and improvise, unless they already had things planned out to begin with. Of course, the individuals would always decide in the end whether or not to go through with it, even with the Pull," Gabrielle emphasised, but she continued before any of them could react to that final statement.
"In 1990 or 1991, their astrologers and oracles, even witches outside the pack had predicted that the Alpha's baby daughter Andréa Labonair would grow up feel the Pull with and marry the Kenners' son Jackson. Unfortunately, Jackson's grandfather didn't want to wait or share the glory with another family line, so he made a move, orchestrated a coup and murdered the Labonairs along with their child and tried to cover up his crime."
Everyone looked sick. "Of course, there was a chance that Andréa and Jackson would have never ended up together," Gabrielle pressed. "It could mean that one person from one family was going to take turns being an Alpha or a Luna before going to the other person from the other family. The existence of two child Alphas from separate families could be a sign that the pack was facing an imminent population overload and needed to split apart and search for better territories, meaning that if someday, either Jackson or Andréa stayed behind as leader, the other would be leading half or at least a quarter of the pack to find a new home somewhere. The births of two Alpha or Luna children could have signalled a potential crisis in the future that could only be averted by having two leaders, but alas, we will never know now, will we?" Gabrielle's breathtakingly beautiful face darkened considerably. "If this is true and if and when such a crisis happens, then this could only mean that Jackson Kenner's maternal grandfather, Richard Xavier Dumas, may have potentially doomed the entire species, if he didn't simply place them in terrible danger when he committed murder and treason." She shook her head. Leah and the others felt sickened.
"What he did wasn't just morally reprehensible; it was highly dangerous for his entire species, including his own family. No Alpha or Luna exists without good reason or cause, even if they make mistakes, even if some of them, from time to time, fail and lose their way. Yes, Alphas and Lunas can challenge each other for ultimate authority and leadership, but those circumstances are rare, and this usually ends in a single duel rather than an all-out civil war. There are laws and traditions governing how these things go, including in succession crises. It didn't mean that Andréa and Jackson were going to fight and challenge each other's authority someday, least of all to the death." Gabrielle emphasised. "Unlike in many a kind's politics, no one thought about getting rid of either baby or their parents, until Dumas had the idea. They just went with it, and believed it happened for a reason. Something which would benefit the species for their own good overall, especially in the future."
Silence reigned over the audience, as the congregation tried to absorb this.
"Dumas initially covered up this disgusting and traitorous act by committing the murders during a vampire conflict, where seemingly all the family were killed in action. Being stabbed in the back by someone they trusted." Jared, Embry, Billy and Old Quil looked disgusted. Sue was horrified. "But that was suspicious, considering that the Labonairs were opening peace talks with the vampires in that area, and the coven there also sought peace talks and they were certainly upset by the Labonairs' deaths, whom they had respected. Their deaths didn't benefit any vampire in the long-run, so the vampires were certainly nothing more than scapegoats for the murders, which were committed during a battle and looked like they'd broken their word for no violence in peace talks.
"When the truth came to light, although I forgot how precisely, Dumas tried to claim that the Labonairs were acting against the best interests of the pack by beginning peace negotiations with those same vampires, and therefore their leadership was put into question, which would have made it one of the few rare occasions in Loup-Garou Wolf culture and tradition which would allow anyone to challenge a leading Alpha or Luna to remove them from their leadership position. However, even if this was true, the way he got rid of the Labonairs was certainly morally disgusting and dishonourable, not to mention treasonous, self-serving and dangerous. He had something to gain with the Labonairs' deaths. The vampires did not and it only made things worse for them. Yet Dumas fully expected the pack, no the entire kind's general hatred for all vampires to completely overtake all common sense and morality, as well as loyalty.
"Even if he claimed that the species wasn't in any actual danger or that he knew how to avert such any potential crisis, that's just Narcissm speaking. He had an overly-inflated sense of self and an overly-persistent yet insane drive to get what he wanted. As a result of the Labonairs' deaths, the werewolves of that same species and the vampire species of that area went to all-out war, which was what Dumas had wanted anyway." Gabrielle's heartbreakingly lovely face twisted in outrage and disgust. "Or rather, he wanted his family line on top beginning with his daughter's son. And of course, the conflict escalated, which resulted in the Crescent pack, which both families had been a part of, being defeated and cursed by a witch on the instruction of the local coven leader named Marcel. You see, even once the truth came to light about what Dumas had done and why he had done it, the Wolves of his pack still considered him and his family as leaders since they didn't have another option, which caused tremendous outrage within the Loup-Garou world, not just the local vampires.
"As far as the others were- and still are- concerned, the pack members could have easily left and joined other packs, or selected a leader 'the Old Way' by challenging Dumas to a duel, which was what tends to happen, particularly in the past on the rare occasions there are no clear or easily available Alphas or Lunas that could be selected and established. Or if one Alpha or Luna's leadership has been called into question, like if they were self-serving, unreasonable, insane or simply unfit for leadership." Her eyes moved through the crowd in general but Leah easily caught the flash of violet-blue which momentarily pierced into her soul, making her stiffen. "In Dumas' case, they wouldn't have challenged his underage grandson, Jackson, but they could have removed his regents.
"Their species are considered accursed, now treated as pariah within the Wolf world. No pack would ever ally themselves with any of them. No pack or Wolf from anywhere would give them shelter or aid should they ever require it. Their economy has totally crashed, their living standards have seen far better days, particularly under the Labonairs' leadership. No one wants to even be seen in their near-vicinity, so much so that the Wolves who don't have violence in mind avoid going anywhere near New Orleans entirely. They're considered easy pickings for rogue Wolves and other enemies, not just vampires and other packs and species. No one will be brought to justice for killing any of them, even if some other Wolves, vampires or even my kind have made some kind of sport or sick game to hunt along the outskirts of the pack's territory and pick out any Crescent Wolf unfortunate enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, to kill or maim for fun." She winced. Leah drew back, and Emily covered her mouth. Rachel and Kim's dark eyes were wide in horror. The Council of Elders looked sick.
"The other Wolves had no reason and thus no legal right to declare war against them, but it doesn't mean that they are obligated to defend any of them in any way after what they had done or failed to do. Although I personally believe that it's taking things too far, it's the Wolf equivalent of slapping sanctions and barring certain single-regime or dictatorial nations, renowned for Human Rights abuses and illegal takeovers or genocide, from being considered a respectable and full member state of the United Nations, NATO, and other things, and receiving any benefits or alliances from the international community at large." She sighed. "Harsh, but the other Wolves seem to believe that even the Crescent Pack's young are better off dead than living because there's no hope of a future for them, so they think it's a kind mercy to kill their children."
The Wolves, imprints and Council of Elders all looked incredibly horrified. For a long moment, no one spoke. "It's harsh," Gabrielle agreed, after a while. "But this is the world you are already a part of, whether you like it or not. Why else would fate have pulled you into the conflict with vampires in the first place, even a single species, hundreds of years ago? Why else were you given supernatural powers in the first place, even before you phased? Why else do you imprint or feel the Pull, or any of the other species often have multiple births and their young grow so quickly yet age so slowly and live far longer than regular humans? Why else did evolution push you to such new heights in such a short amount of time, like with your gigantic sizes, having your first females, more imprinting, even though the previous two generations, your parents and great-grandparents, never even phased? Why do you heal so quickly? Why do you rarely get sick? You live in a harsh and dangerous world where mercy and hesitation can sometimes cost lives. If you don't even try to keep up, your very future could be in danger. And who will protect the humans of your tribe and land without you? At some point, it's not just the Cold Ones, but other enemies, maybe some hostile vampires who have no interest in being pacifists like Carlisle Cullen, nor to listen to reason- or maybe it's because some vampires mistake Loup-Garoux for Lycanthrope werewolves whom they have an eternal enmity with and usually kill on sight. But then again, maybe it would eventually be other werewolves who will, Loup-Garou packs who want your territory, or Lycanthropes who are far more uncontrollable and dangerous than the newborn vampires and literally feed on human flesh." Several people, Sam, Jared, Paul, Jacob, Quil, Embry and Leah among them, drew back.
Well, they had clearly heard very little about Lycanthrope werewolves, apart from brief mentions from both the Volturi and Edward around New Year's.
Gabrielle gave them a warning look. "You think that those newborn vampires that you easily disposed of or even the Volturi are as dangerous as a Lycanthrope who cannot control him or herself, particularly during the full moon? I have known good Lycanthropes," she warned them. "I don't believe that just because a person is unfortunate enough to be bitten or scratched by a werewolf during the full moon, that they lose all sense of morality and deserve to be killed. I will never believe that, and I will claim that I will always be among those who argue for fair treatment and merit, as well as judgment based on what we know for certain about an individual, rather than generalised stereotypes. But some Lycanthropes give up on human society. Or rather, they don't see themselves as human anymore, or feel any sort of empathy with them, especially since many magical humans tended to discriminate against them, particularly in the past. In my world, it was comparable to meeting someone who has HIV or AIDS when it was first introduced, or leprosy in Ancient Israel. The general attitude is much improved now, but still there are problems." Her eyes softened. "And there are those who react badly to being mistreated via a cycle of revenge. This has happened in their conflict with vampires of all species. And Loup-Garoux and Lycanthropes do not generally like each other, any more than they like vampires. That's probably because vampires have often mistaken Loup-Garoux for Lycanthropes and killed them the same way as perceived threats or animals." She sighed. "And Loup-Garoux have hated vampires and blamed Lycanthropes for being dragged into this conflict of theirs."
Gabrielle sighed, looking over a silent audience. "Sad and horrific the fate of the Crescent Pack may be and no matter how unfair life seems for its future generations, the world truly is a terribly dangerous place. It's the pack that has the best chance of surviving out in the wild; the lone wolf is most likely to die, and it's the same for all Loup-Garoux. Rogue Wolves with no pack suffer and are constantly in danger. They have no pack, no family and no home. The Crescent Wolves may be part of the same pack, but they're alienated from the world at large, treated as pariah with no honour or moral conscience, certainly no trustworthiness. Richard Xavier Dumas doomed his own pack and his family when he did what he did, even if he didn't threaten the future safety and stability of his own. But worse, he may have affected the wider world of Loup-Garoux when he did that, because every pack, every species is connected and better off, stronger with one another. By being cast out as pariah, the Crescent Pack are completely isolated and have suffered for it. You live in a dangerous world, and you're going to need, if not friends, than allies. You're stronger if you unite with the rest of the world. Don't end up like the Crescent Pack."
"They're still outcasts today?" Somebody spoke up.
"They're still cursed and targeted, to say that they are outcasts is most certainly understating it," Gabrielle remarked calmly. "The last I heard the vampire leader in New Orleans, Marcel, has gotten a witch to cast a curse upon the Crescents after the conclusion of their war and the revelation they'd all had about the true nature of the death and betrayal of the Labonairs whilst framing him and his coven. It's a reverse-Lycanthrope situation, quite ironically. They are all forced to stay in their Wolf forms unless it's a full moon, which is the only time they can change back into human form." Everyone looked pale. "But human or Wolf forms, it doesn't matter. The other Loup-Garou like to target and pick them apart for sport, they refuse to give any form of aid, no one gets punished for killing even their young, even vampires, and no one wants to even be seen near them for fear that they could be considered sympathisers or traitors. Whatever lives they had prior to the curse are not just ruined: they're utterly destroyed. And I don't say this lightly: the Crescents were one of the wealthiest and most powerful Wolf packs in the world. They were on top of the food chain." Gabrielle gave them a warning look. "Even if they somehow manage to break the curse, they've lost everything else, including all their wealth, security, their reputation and standing in the supernatural world and so forth. New Orleans has been dominated by vampires and all species of mages ever since, not just wizard-kind. It's an un-official competition between the two kinds now to dominate New Orleans and the Wolves have long-since been taken out of the fight, even though it's their home and it has been since even before the city's founding. Even if the curse can somehow be broken, it will take decades or centuries, or even countless generations of long-lived Wolves, who can live for centuries, for the pack to regain anything they once had: money, living standards, social standing and reputation, security..." she trailed off. "If they are even still any Crescent Wolves left alive by then. They've lost literally everything."
Huh, so there was more than one species of witch, Leah thought. A part of her felt like the Crescents deserved what they got, for not only being self-serving traitors and murderers but spineless cowards who couldn't stand up for what was right, yet she also felt like the punishment was too extreme. After all, no kid deserves to get punished for something their parents or grandparents did or failed to do and to be marked as traitors. Still, to betray their entire pack like that... Plus, she was absolutely horrified at what the pack had been reduced to.
"So our mission is not to end up like the Crescent Pack," Leah muttered. Gabrielle nodded.
"Or to get hunted like the now-Vermont-based pack had been, repeatedly over time." She warned. "And it could be quite perilous for you guys living here since your human kin have long-since put their roots in place. Their pack was in Maryland for only a year, after they fled from the fire which killed most of them including their Alpha in West Virginia Hills where they had been living for generations since they settled after clashing with the Crescent Pack in New Orleans and getting kicked out." She shook her head ruefully. "Even before the Labonairs' deaths happened, they didn't get along with the Crescents. But leaving that aside, West Virginia Hills where the pack, which is small compared to the ones in the Appalachians and New Orleans, ran an inn, was miles from the nearest town. They now run an inn and own a parcel of land right next to the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, where they run a good business and are isolated enough from humans to run free and live in greater safety and freedom. They've been there since 1998. Maryland was only intended to be a temporary stop in between after a human mob or a gang of supernatural hunters set fire to their inn in West Virginia in 1996- and the local sheriff covered up their tracks to let his friends destroy them." She gave them a warning look.
Leah felt chilled as Gabrielle continued, "They settled in a small town in Maryland to lick their wounds, recover, and save enough money to go somewhere better. But there were too many humans all living close together to each other and the Wolves. Sooner or later, they knew they would be forced to leave, and it would be better if they left sooner and on their own terms, especially in regards to the younger ones who don't have as much control over their impulses and instincts being left to be around that many humans."
Leah shuddered and she wasn't the only one. Many of their audience looked reasonably disturbed and worried. She saw Emily exchange worried glances with Billy, Sue and Rachel. Old Quil looked grim.
"You mentioned that one of them broke the taboo on killing humans," Leah's lips- her whole body in fact- felt icy cold as she spoke. Gabrielle nodded, gravely, eyes focused on hers. "A teenage boy named Axel. He lost control after the girl reportedly rejected his advances and wanted nothing to do with his romantic interests." Gabrielle sighed saddened. "He phased and killed her, and unfortunately for the pack there was at least one or even a few witnesses who glimpsed the incident and spread the word that Axel was a 'werewolf.'" Rachel sucked in a sharp breath and Emily's hand flew to her heart. Sam paled and so did Jacob, Paul and everyone else. Not only were they remembering the times they did something similar, particularly Sam with Emily, they understood the implications of what this could mean for them. And most of them had lost control at least once in their lives, phased and attacked without meaning to. Emily threw Sam a worried look.
"Once Axel had been released from jail after the lawyers and forensic investigators proved that the girl was indeed killed by an animal attack, he was executed by the Alpha for his crimes, but it was too late. Word had spread. Rumours about werewolves circulated around town and apparently, at least a few people believed it. They identified the 'werewolf' pack as the ones running the inn and ranch and decided to strike when everyone least expected it and thought that all the commotion had died down. The local Sheriff, a man named Wilson had helped and armed the mob hunting the Wolves and covered up the crime they committed, but because he did that the survivors were able to claim the insurance money and eventually save enough to buy an inn and some land that's isolated from any human community, once they had also temporarily resettled in Maryland and took some jobs. You don't have that luxury; you are bound to your ancestral lands and protect them, along with your people, and you have also undertaken the task of protecting the non-Quileute humans in this area, particularly from any vampires. Yet even if you've protected the humans living here, do you think they'll all see it that way? That you won't be considered a potential threat to them?" She asked, dubiously. "That they'll believe you when you claim that you've never harmed them nor pose any threat to them?"
The silence was ice-cold. "Or would they at least insist on censuring you and taking away your liberties, if not outright taking you away for imprisonment or panicking to get rid of you?" Gabrielle questioned. Despite the air of incredible unease surrounding the audience, she calmly raised an eyebrow. "How many of you have lost control and phased, also sometimes lashing out at least once in your lives?" More unease.
"What if you were spotted- if you aren't already?" She asked, archly. "Even for the longest time, even for Wolf packs who live alongside humans like the Crescent Pack and the ancestors of the Vermont Pack during the nineteenth century before they clashed with them, all in New Orleans, a major city in Louisiana, United States, living alongside a major coven of a powerful vampire species, and all kinds of witches and wizards..." she shook her head, grimacing. "They had to be extremely careful. The Crescents' species was unique in that they had biologically evolved to trigger the gene only when they had made their first kill, even by accident. There's no other species like them, but it was, I suspect, more due to magic that they couldn't phase until their instincts take over, and the necessity to keep themselves hidden, especially if they decided and evolved to live amongst humans. But once that predator-instinct has been triggered by their first kill, even by accident- which admittedly happens quite a lot with Loup-Garou when they are around humans-" Gabrielle warned darkly, causing many a face to pale at the implications and the memories she no doubt stirred up. "-there's no suppressing their inner Wolf. Still, they've been cursed now so no one can look into any of their traits any further. No one has seen any of them in over a decade, and there's a belief in some of the Wolves of North America that the majority have been hunted down to extinction by the other species, vampires, witches and human supernatural hunters, while the rest fell to civil war. They might already be extinct by now. Richard Xavier Dumas died not long after his betrayal of the Labonairs, lynched by being torn to pieces by his own pack, and was reportedly dumped and buried in a place set aside for traitors and outcasts."
"Nothing less than what he deserved," Sam remarked, Jacob, Jared, Paul and many others nodding alongside him. Even Sue looked like she agreed, a glint in her dark eyes and her lips pursed. Leah also agreed, but a thought occurred to her. "Wait, if he was already punished," she began. "Why did the rest of the pack pay the price? Weren't they the ones to take him out?" Sam frowned, and everyone looked like they wanted to know the answer.
"That happened only when it was too late and they were already outcasts," Gabrielle scoffed. "They accepted Dumas' takeover to begin with and accepted his family as Alphas on his terms even after revealing his treason, and then allowed him to continue framing and blaming the vampires solely for the Labonairs' deaths which was a complete and utter lie." Gabrielle patiently explained. "No one had the guts to stand up to him or to defect from the pack and gain outside help, even from other packs, or try to reveal Dumas' crimes to the world, or make things right by calling for a truce or ceasefire after such baseless grounds for constant war, and revealing what had happened, even if it meant getting rid of Dumas and punishing him for what he did. None of them stood their moral ground and challenged Dumas to a duel, or even tried to punish him for his crimes, either by themselves or with outside help, even with such widespread destruction, and even with his treason and murder against the family who had led the entire pack to where they had gotten and whom they had been loyal to for countless generations. Those that did know what he had done, and even those that didn't like the rest of the pack, had helped him cover up the crime and continue to pin the blame on the coven of vampires there for the deaths, causing an all-out war as opposed to the peace that the Labonairs had been in the midst of negotiating for. Those that initially didn't know claimed that they were forced to do so because they feared Dumas, and had no other leaders other than his underage grandson whose family were now regents and were thus compelled to follow and protect them, and they didn't want any any outside interference even from their own kind, even in regards to the murders of a major family like the Labonairs.
"This wasn't just any family, mind you, even of Alphas and Lunas." Gabrielle warned. "They were a major power-player in the Wolf world, and at times the entire supernatural world as a whole. During their rule, their influence dominated not only the Crescent pack but other more minor packs of their own species over a large swathe of territory across Louisiana and beyond. They also had a significant amount of influence over other Loup-Garou species. The family claimed to have traced their origins to the emergence of the first-ever Loup-Garoux, and have produced a great many Alphas and ruling Lunas. The pack reached the height of its prosperity and influence under the Labonairs and the family were believed to be a major yet secret reason as to why New Orleans was one of the wealthiest and most influential cities in the United States. Of course, the vampires living there, along with the witches also played key roles in that; despite any conflict or uneasy tension, it was one thing that they all contributed and teamed up to do: ensuring the advancement and well-fare of New Orleans. No one reacted well when the Labonairs were killed, and all Loup-Garoux, not just the pack, have been all the poorer for it."
Gabrielle paused for a moment. "That's why even with more than one leader, Alphas and ruling Lunas, this sort of thing isn't tolerated- at all." she stated flatly. "Anyone would find it disgusting, but to Wolves, it's an abomination among crimes. The pack is everything to a Wolf. You do not betray it. Ever. Or anyone within it. The overall needs and well-fare of the pack come first and foremost, even above anyone's personal wants and needs, or ambitions and inflated opinions of any singular person's own superior instincts, guidance and leadership. They caused an open conflict between vampires for no good reason and tried to frame them for a disgusting and treasonous crime, because one guy thought he knew it all and could do it better." She shook her head grimly. "And nobody even tried to stop him. It doesn't matter if his grandson was a potential future Alpha, all lined up and ready to take over. It doesn't even matter if he was right that the Labonairs were morally unfit for office and they shouldn't have peace with vampires. He put his own inflated opinions about how the pack should be run and the vampires dealt with, as well as his own ambitions for his grandson to take over, over the greater good.
"While the astrologers and oracles among the magic-keepers suggested that Andréa and Jackson had a good chance of feeling a mutual Pull, thus marrying and merging the two dynasties, there was still a debate over which of them would be Alpha or Luna, and which would be simply be a consort. Reportedly, Dumas wanted his own grandson to lead and be an Alpha, while Andréa would be his Luna consort. But alas, even with the Sight there wasn't even a guarantee that Andréa and Jackson would have ended up as soulmates and married with offspring, and live happily ever after." Gabrielle made a face, shaking her head. "Even if they felt the Pull and mated, there may have been disagreements. And Andréa was a Labonair: that name alone has power and influence in the Wolf world and would make other supernatural beings pause and hesitate at the very least before crossing them." She gave them a look. "Jackson was more than likely to just be the husband of the ruling Luna rather than a leading Alpha if they did feel the Pull and became mates, in which case Jackson would more likely end up taking her surname instead of his and be considered a part of her family tree, same as their descendants. Or else if they didn't end up together, Andréa would remain behind in their home territory if the pack's population split and sit atop all the wealth, power, security and standing the pack had accumulated and earned over the generations, while Jackson would lead the others to find another home and to start over from scratch.
"That wasn't what his grandfather had in mind. Richard Xavier Dumas had been the grandson of a successful Alpha, even though neither he nor any of his children had the gene, traits and powerful identifying instincts that marked them as Alphas. He saw his grandson's birth and identifying Alpha traits as a sign of his family's greatness and their soon-to-be permanent ascension to power over the Labonair family which had risen to power far earlier and only seceded authority to his grandfather at one point. Dumas had been bitterly disappointed that neither he nor his children were born-Alphas or Lunas, so when his daughter gave birth to a son with the identifying markings of a future Alpha, he saw it as a sign from above that his bloodline was meant to rule and take over from the Labonairs. Although he initially went with the idea that Jackson and Andréa would someday grow up and marry, there was too little chance of that nor of his grandson taking direct control over the pack and their surrounding territory and wealth: he didn't want any of his family line to join the Labonairs; he wanted them to be better and to have more than them." She said with regret.
"Looks like somebody got greedy." Billy muttered. Gabrielle nodded. "Yes. He put not only his own ambitions, but his personal desires, as well as his own sense of superiority and the belief that he was the one who knew what was best above the overall well-fare of the pack and the good of keeping peace between all kinds." She was silent for a while, before Gabrielle gave them a look. "No one like that deserves to be an Alpha or a Luna. The pack, the species, the entire world of the supernatural and the mundane, is bigger than that of the one person, no matter how high their rank or how good their leadership and understandable their reasons for doing morally questionable things. Or even the family and loved ones of such persons. He simply didn't deserve to lead."
Her lovely eyes settled on Leah for a moment and the potential future Luna shivered. They held a hidden message and a warning.
I'm merging the various canons a great deal so it's challenging, but it's important to look from more than one perspective.
I also offered reasons as to why the werewolf gene in the Vampire Diaries universe triggers only once the Wolf has made their first kill. Technically though, they should be considered in the category of born-werewolves or Loup-Garoux, as Annette Curtis Klause called them, even though the plural is a faux-French form; the correct term would be Loup-Garous, but I chose to stick with her plural term to distinguish these ones between infectious werewolves or Lycanthropes (lycans) who are also called that in French. Also, this is written in English, so despite Gabrielle being French she uses the term Loup-Garou, which actually means werewolf, for those born to phase into Wolves. Whereas, Lycanthrope or lycan, as well as the English werewolf is used for those who received it via infection like Remus Lupin.