An Unexpected Mate

Chapter 22 - A final impasse

I should be working on finishing up for the semester, but I really wanted to get this story done before the holidays and chaos. Plus...it is a great way to procrastinate from what I SHOULD be doing...enjoy the end to this story (for the moment). This might be another chapter I come back to edit, maybe even turn into two chapters to give more depth.

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After  Lily had gotten the kids stuff together and the horde out the door to Steve's new apartment, Braxton had stayed over for the night. The closeness was needed after the rough week, on both sides really. Lily's nerves started to even out some with Braxton over. 

Over breakfast on Saturday, before he had to head back to the pack territory, Braxton opened up to her. With very little questioning, Lily learned that there were issues within the pack. While it was not a lot of people, they were very vocal. A small segment of the pack was concerned about both Lily being the alpha's mate, but more so the changes that Braxton had put into place to modernize the community.  Braxton had described it as holding onto the past and xenophobia of the unknown, the human realm really. Many older generations had grown up with stories of how humans were a weak enemy, but had the numbers to annihilate werewolves if they knew of their existence. Braxton had no plans to expose their type to the human world, but he had integrated their businesses and people further into human society. It was part of being more stable economically and ready to face the future, but a segment of his pack wanted to keep with the past. In addition, there were males that were specifically upset about females gaining equality within the pack. This was what Braxton was most concerned about because one of the older wolves, Sam, was getting some of the younger warriors riled up. He was pushing that they had no mates because of Braxton's modernization plans and that they really deserved to have a female taking care of them.

Lily was glad that Braxton had opened up to her, but then had to tell him she overheard some of the conversation the weekend before. Brax wished she had told him sooner, but she explained that she wasn't even sure what she had overheard or high to broach the subject since they had not seen each other since. It really wasn't something to talk about over text. 

Although the weekend had started out stressed, it ended on a high note. Steve brought the kids back Sunday and Lily had been able to catch up, even getting ahead, on course prep after Brax had head home. Steve seemed to take the hint that she was not going to take him back, at least for the moment. Things felt like they had smoothed out really well. Lily felt positive looking forward and started making plans to head up to the pack lands the next weekend for a winter festival they were throwing to mark the changing seasons. What did one bring to a werewolf potluck anyways?

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Braxton had hoped all week that the winter festival would help to ease some of the stress within his pack and calm the undertones of concern that seemed to be building. While it was only a small number of people, specifically men, that were causing issues and pushing towards conflict, Braxton could sense that it was rippling through his community. 

Everyone loved a party and this one was for the whole pack, families came to celebrate and socialize, singles came to mingle and meet potential mates, and the elders came to reinvigorate their connections with the pack. These were important moments throughout the year for the greater pack community. 

Brax looked around at the set-up. They had the open areas cleared of snow with bonfires lit throughout. In addition, there were a number of ephemeral shelters set up for those that did not want to socialize outside. Kristy had taken the lead and decorated using pine boughs and Christmas decorations to add more ambience to the event. She had put both twinkle lights and candles around the area as well. Of course, some had questioned why Lily was not involved. They did not like his response that she was both human and unaware of their traditions (yet) and that she had a job and life in town. Weres were known to give up everything for their mate once they found them, specifically the female. Although Braxton hoped that they would one day move to the pack territory and integrate further, he was not going to push Lily in any way.