Word Count: 5110

Harper was surprised and had to do a double take when she walked into the kitchen at seven am and found Celie and Eden making breakfast, Celie was at the stove laughing hysterically as she tried to coach Eden through making an omelet. Porter and Lorelai were also sitting at the island shouting pointers and encouragement and snickering together at Celie's comments.

"Okay, I might be in the twilight zone," Harper said, rubbing her eyes as Matt came up behind her, also blinking in shock.

"Yeah, since when are you a morning person Celie?" Matt asked.

"I was always a morning person when we were younger, if you'll remember, Harp. I just started sleeping later when I started working later and didn't get to bed until two in the morning every night," Celie explained. "Harper and I have switched places, when we were in high school I was the perky morning person, and she was the grouchy sleepy one. All that changed after we got to Miami. But I'm assuming you're referring to this morning in particular, well, I actually got to bed early last night, so I woke up early today. I had a nice warm, great smelling Eden pillow, and my shoulder is feeling, much, much better, so I'm in an awesome mood."

"That is so amazing!" Harper said, smiling in relief. She went to the sink and washed her hands, then started inspecting Celie's stitches, she gently poked and prodded a few and watched Celie flinch a few times, but over all her reactions were normal. "I think I can probably take the stitches out day after tomorrow, you're healing up really well, considering how deep the tissue trauma was."

"I thought you said I'd get them out today," Celie frowned.

"I would have if they hadn't been so deep," Harper said, apologetically. "But the tissue damage was worse than I realized at first and you're healing a little slower than I expected because of that. Plus I'd rather be safe than sorry, I'd rather have you on standby for an additional day, than cause worse damage by taking them out before you're fully healed."

"Safe is certainly better than sorry," Eden said, and he slid his mutilated omelet onto a plate as everyone in the kitchen chuckled at his sad attempt.

"I shouldn't be laughing, my omelets aren't much better," Lorelai said. "Cooking is not a skill I possess."

"What?!" Porter exclaimed. "Well, you'll need to learn because I can't cook."

"Excuse me?" Lorelai said, cutting her eyes at him. "I don't think so, you can forget any of that, 'you're the woman', bullshit with me. I'm a warrior, I don't cook, I kill shit. If I get hungry, I go catch a rabbit or a deer and eat it raw. I have no problem living wild, so if one of us needs to learn to cook, it's you."

"She told you!" Celie laughed. "I'm a little disappointed that you even said that Porter. Get your head out of your ass, being mated is a partnership, you don't dictate to her, she doesn't dictate to you. You figure out what works together."

"Well said, Cel," Matt said. "Sometimes I cook, sometimes Harper, we share that shit, just like you will. You're young and kinda dumb though, so it might take you a while longer to figure that out."

Everyone in the kitchen cracked up, after a second even Porter laughed.

"Okay, well I guess you all told me," Porter shook his head. "But sorry, I grew up in a house where my mom took care of the house, kids, and domestic stuff. Dad took care of the yard, the cars, and the warrior stuff, though truthfully Dad took care of me as much as mom, so that was a group effort. But I see where you're coming from, Mom wasn't a warrior, she trained, but that wasn't her primary focus or how she was raised so her role was different."

"I wasn't raised," Lorelai said with a shrug. "I raised myself and then lived in the wild, I haven't had a home life since my mom got sick. I can't see myself in that role because I haven't really been around it. My dad was busy taking care of my mom and the pack hospital, my step mom was a monster, and then I was a rogue living in the wild until I was taken in by the council pack, where I lived like a warrior."

"I can't imagine that," Celie said. "I don't think I could survive on my own in the wild if my life depended on it."

"Mine did," Lorelai smiled. "Don't underestimate yourself Celie, you're a wolf, living in the wild comes more natural to us than you'd think. You're just convinced it doesn't because you've never experienced it, but your wolf knows exactly what to do."

"So what's on the agenda today, Harp?" Celie said.

"Well, everyone is supposed to be here around eleven o'clock, so we've got to figure out lunch and where we're going to put everyone. How many elders are there? I don't even know for sure." Harper asked, turning to Lorelai.

"Eight are on the official council, though there are an additional four who are like, elders in training," Lorelai answered. "Not sure if all of them are coming or not, I'm betting they probably all will, if for no other reason than to see a real live siren for themselves. Plus they'll have a small squad of enforcers with them, the elders never go anywhere without protection."

"Oh, great," Celie sighed, "we're already running out of room and chairs for people to sit on, if this keeps up we are going to need to rent a freakin ballroom at the hotel just to have a meeting."

"Or we can start meeting at the pack house," Porter suggested. "We have more than enough room there, and the pack will have an easier time feeding everyone than you do since there's a kitchen staff used to cooking for the whole pack every day anyway."

"I wish that were an option, Porter, I really do," Harper said. "But the issue I see is that we can't take the baby with us, and we need someone here with him all the time. We also need to be here because this is where the patrols are needed, and if anything happens we've got to be here to direct the response. We need sirens on site because wolves can't follow tritons into the water. We've got warriors patrolling the waters all the time now, and just because they haven't scented any tritons since the attack that killed Sana, doesn't mean there's nothing brewing. If we take off and leave the house unprotected with the baby in the tank, there's no telling what could happen."

"I keep forgetting about little fish," Porter said. "And I think your elders prefer being here in the tank anyway, so traveling out there, staying all day for meetings, and then driving back might be a little too much for them."

"Yes, it would," Eva said from the doorway with a smile. "It gets harder for our kind to leave the ocean as we get older if we've lived in the sea all our lives. For those like Matt, who have spent much time on land they don't have this issue, but the longer you live in the sea, the harder it becomes to shift or stay on land for long periods of time. We can do it, it's just very uncomfortable until we become used to it."

"It's the same for wolves as we grow older," Harper said. "We have more and more trouble shifting into our wolf form because shifting is so physically taxing. I think because we are born in our human form, and it's the form we stay in most of our lives. There are some who choose to live in the wild in their wolf form, not many, but they eventually lose the ability to change back to human. I think it might be the same for sirens, you're more comfortable in your marine form unless you make the choice to live in your human one, and whichever form you choose, is the one you eventually get stuck in."

"You're very insightful, Harper," Eva said approvingly.

"I can't turn my brain off," Harper smiled. "If a thought comes into my head, I have to think it to absolute death, it just circles around until I figure it out or it drives me crazy."

"Unlike some of us," Celie quipped. "Who can't manage two thoughts in their head at the same time." Then she turned to stare wide eyed at Porter who just narrowed his eyes at her and gave her an exaggerated sneer, causing everyone to chuckle.

"We're just trying to figure out how to fit everyone in the house since our meetings seem to get bigger and bigger every day," Matt smiled, but tried to get back on point.

"Why do we not sit outside?" Charo asked as he entered the kitchen. "There is ample space in the courtyard for everyone, though I would put warriors between the house and spring after what happened to Sana, just in case the tritons somehow thought to sneak up on us."

"You know," Matt said, turning to Harper. "We could do that, we could run to wal mart or target and buy a bunch of beach chairs and folding tables, we can move some stuff around in the dock storage building and make room for us to keep them when we're not using them. We'll just have to be ready to run into the house if it starts to rain."

"Let me pay for all that," Porter said. "After this is over we can just take it to the pack, we're always in need of that stuff for BBQ's and festivals and when other packs visit. Then you don't have to worry about storing it for very long. I'd say let's bring some of the stuff we already have at the pack here, but by the time they decided what to send, it all got packed up, and they got someone to bring it...it would be next month, and we wouldn't even need it anymore."

Everyone chuckled about that.

"I don't know, Port, Luna Penny can move mountains when she needs to," Celie said. "She put together that whole party in two days."

"Yeah, first of all, she was so happy you were finally ready to join the pack she wasn't going to waste any time and give you a chance to change your mind. Second of all, if I ask her, she'll just tell me to buy the stuff because the pack can use it when we're done. Mom prioritizes like crazy, and beach chairs wouldn't be a priority for her," Porter laughed. "Especially with the elders here, you know she's out there sprucing the pack house up, making everything presentable, running everyone ragged, driving everybody crazy, and she's probably chasing the pups around with a fly swatter as we speak."

"I love Luna Penny," Celie smiled. "She's just so no nonsense."

"You would," Porter mumbled.

Celie glared at Porter for a second before whirling around and running into the pantry. Everyone glanced at each other in confusion, not sure what was going on until Celie came back out with a triumphant look on her face and a fly swatter in her good hand. The all laughed until they cried watching her chase Porter around smacking him with it and ordering him to do every household chore she could think of until he was finally able to convince Eden to take it away from her.

Eva and Harper were still chuckling as they brought fresh towels into the tank room.

"Is that how all wolves are?" Eva asked.

"Wolves are some of the most playful and joyful creatures in existence," Harper smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes. "But at the same time, we have the capacity to be the most violent and brutal species you'll ever encounter."

"Like your friend Lorelai?" Eva asked.

"What do you mean?" Harper asked, looking at her sharply.

"I was told she brutally attacked and ravaged two people at the pack initiation," Eva answered, confused as to what she'd said to offend Harper.

"That was not as simple as the sirens unfamiliar with werewolves have led you to believe," Harper said. "The wolves who were defeated were some of the worst in the pack, routinely bullying and trying to abuse weaker members. Bullies like that always target new pack members because they think they'll be hesitant to fight back, so they gang up on them, embarrass them, and make them look weak as soon as they arrive. Lorelai knew that, she's already been warned about them. Then they started the fight with her by challenging her. They did it for three reasons; one: they wanted to intimidate her before she was settled into the pack; two: the female was jealous when she found out Lorelai was Porter's mate; three: they wanted to undermine her position from the very beginning, they never expected her to fight back, they expected her to submit to avoid a confrontation. So, being new to the pack, and the future Luna, Lorelai had to make an example of them. She had to show her strength so that she wouldn't be challenged again and again in the future. But by doing it the way she did it, she didn't just defeat them, she took away their power, and she took it away from their friends too. With one challenge she prevented them, or anyone associated with them, from ever being able to hurt or abuse anyone in the pack again, and she showed the weaker pack members she was someone who would stand up for them. They gave her a golden opportunity to prove her strength, solidify her position, prevent future violence, and punish abusers. She recognized that opportunity the second they presented it to her, and she took it. I'm grateful we have her on our side, just imagine what she can do to a triton."

"I see," Eva said slowly.

"There is another aspect you're probably not aware of, and that is the nature of Lorelai herself. She has one of the most powerful, dominant wolves I've ever seen in my life," Harper said. "She shifted years before most werewolves, only the most powerful can do that. She lived in the wild and survived alone since she was a child, then as a juvenile she was able to battle her way to a top position in the most highly trained pack in the world. There was no possibility for her to refuse that challenge or to end it any other way than the way she did."

"It was more complicated than I realized." Eva said.

"Isn't it always? Never assume when it comes to the politics of any race or species you're unfamiliar with," Harper said. "There are always hidden agendas, motivations, and alliances that are not obvious to an outsider."

"Insightful and wise," Eva said.

"I'm a watcher and a thinker," Harper said. "Not sure wisdom is something I can claim."

"We'll see."

**

"Hey Porter, got a sec? I've been meaning to catch up with you since last night," Harper said as caught Porter getting ready to head out to rent a truck to move patio furniture with Matt.

"Of course, Harp, what's up?" Porter asked.

"I spoke to Reese last night about taking Finn to his pack for a while to help him get over the rejection," Harper said.

"I don't know, Harp," Porter said, immediately on edge. "After what you told me about that pack, I don't know if I trust them to take care of Finn, I don't want him to get hurt worse than he already has been."

"Things have changed a lot since Celie and I left," Harper told him. "You know, Alpha Lucas and Luna Sophia made a lot of big changes, put laws in place to stop that stuff from ever happening again."

"Well, Reese is in charge now," Porter snorted.

"Alpha Lucas and Luna Sophia still spend a lot of time at the pack and help out, but I think Reese has grown up a lot since then," Harper admitted. "Plus, they have a male breeder in their pack who was rejected and abused by his mate. The guy ran away and crossed two states to get to their pack because he heard they protected runners. Reese actually fought a war with the old pack to protect him after his alpha mate tried to force him back."

"Really?" Porter was surprised. "I hadn't heard about that."

"Happened last year from what I understand, they've had two kidnap attempts on him since then, so they built him a home in the center of the pack lands to protect him. He also found his second chance mate there, and since everyone now knows they protect breeders and are a very accepting and tolerant pack, Reese has been flooded with transfers from gay warriors who are hoping their mates show up there looking for sanctuary. So I thought, it might be good for Finn to be around another breeder who'd gone through a similar experience and could help him cope, and maybe find a good mate out there." Harper said. "Plus, I'm sure he wants to get away from Thomas and the embarrassment he probably feels after getting rejected. It's a humiliating experience to go through, being told your whole like your mate will love you, only to be rejected and informed you're not good enough or they don't want you is horrible. Getting out of there after it happened to us was the best thing Celie and I ever did."

"Yeah, I really hated Thomas for doing what he did to Finney," Porter said, his brows drawn together in anger. "Everyone knows Thomas is in the closet, it's the worst kept secret in the pack and no one cares about that, so it's not like we didn't know he'd have a male mate anyway. He'd just looked down on Finney for so long and tried to bully him so much he wouldn't accept him. I can't tell you how many times I had to put that asshole and his sister in their place, they just refused to learn."

"They've learned now," Lorelai snickered.

"Thomas did Finn a favor," Harper snorted. "Trust me as someone in the exact same situation as Finn, this way Finn gets away from his abuser and gets a second chance and Thomas doesn't. If Finn had rejected him, he wouldn't. But I think the rules are probably a little different for breeders, since they can mate anyone and still have pups. Anyway, I asked Reese, and Reese said he'd be more than happy to take Finn, and Tosha too if she wants to go with him. He said he'd look out for him and protect Finn himself, not just for Finn, but to try to make amends to me for what he's done in the past."

"Tosh probably will want to go with Finney if he leaves, she'd never let him go alone after everything that's happened to him. Plus she knows her mate is not here or in the keys pack, she's talked about going to visit other packs before so she might jump at the chance," Porter mused. "If you say they'll be safe and cared for, I'll agree to it, I trust you completely. But if anything, and I mean anything happens to them out there because of Reese and his abusive asshole tendencies, I will personally go out there and rip him apart."

"I'll help you," Lorelai said.

"Well now," Harper laughed. "After watching you take out Jocelyn and Thomas without breaking a sweat, I think that might actually scare Reese."

"He's a mediocre alpha at best," Lorelai said with a shrug. "Defeating him would not be that difficult. I think you certainly could have challenged him and been successful."

"Well, it's not something that appeals to me," Harper said. "I don't think he deserves that much of my attention, forgetting him was the worst thing I could do to him."

"Hit them where it hurts," Porter laughed.

"Exactly," Harper grinned.

"Now, Mattie is probably waiting, and we need to get all those chairs and tables for the patio and courtyard," Harper said, then rubbed her forehead. "I'm really, really looking forward to this being over and us getting our home and normal life back."

"Speaking of which," Porter smiled. "Lore and I are moving in here permanently."

"Excuse me?" Harper raised a brow at him.

"I got accepted to University of Miami, so I'm going to be staying here to attend school," Porter said. "You have such a big house, I figured you wouldn't mind putting me up while I'm in school."

"Oh, you figured that, did you?" Harper laughed. "I thought you were being named alpha and taking over the pack in a few weeks."