Epilogue

Annie

Things in Denali hadn't been right since Leah and Charlie took Bella to save her life and it seemed no one was prepared to talk about it although I had heard mutterings mainly among the women. Eventually, Mary came to see me looking troubled and asked if we could speak in private. As Johnny and the guardians were out on patrol I invited her in and made coffee before seating ourselves by the fire. She was nervous, and I allowed her time to broach the subject when she felt ready although I thought I knew what was bothering her. Taking her time as always she drank slowly then put her half empty cup down and took a deep breath.

"Annie, I'm not sure who to talk to but I don't think I could face Johnny and I know he listens to you so I'm hoping you might be able to help us."

"Us?"

She nodded still looking uneasy,

"Yes, us, the women of the reservation. We understand that guardian business is really Johnny's concern but we are deeply uneasy about recent events."

"I see, go on Mary."

"The girls, Leah, and Jackie came to Denali at Johnny's invitation. He promised them a home, somewhere they could feel safe, somewhere they would belong."

"And they were accepted when they arrived."

"Not by everyone. You forget many of the guardians have wives or sweethearts and they hear what the men feel and think."

What it boiled down to was the fact that the women felt a great injustice had been done to the two female guardians.

"It's not as if they asked to become guardians, they had no control over what happened to them and we all think they should have been shown more kindness and understanding. Then when they helped Leah's friends and were banished we were shocked and horrified, it was tantamount to a death sentence. They are vulnerable to any nomads or even other bigoted tribes and recent events have proved that. Yes, they were perhaps wrong to have allowed the girl to become a vampire but it was her wish, she was already involved with one of them."

"Don't forget that the role of a guardian is to protect against vampire attack."

My argument held little force as I agreed with the other women in all that they were thinking but I had a duty to play devil's advocate.

"Now we hear that he refused to step in and help them when they were falsely accused of murder by our own kind. It was the vampires who saved them and what does that say about us? How can we hold the moral high ground if we act so? It is wrong Annie and someone has to tell Johnny before the vampires decide we are no longer a force to be reckoned with. We are ashamed to be a guardian tribe Annie and that hurts."

After she left with a promise that I would speak to Johnny he came in through the kitchen door where he had been waiting since hearing her voice. His expression was grave as I looked at him,

"I told you there would be consequences to your decisions."

He nodded and slumped into the chair opposite gazing into the flames.

"Yes, you did Annie and I ignored your words. Now I have to live with those consequences. There have never been female guardians and we have always considered it a male preserve."

"Times change, women are stronger and more opinionated than they were. Leah took on two vampires and beat them, how many males can boast that?"

"Very few but it is an ingrained attitude, that women are to be protected, standing beside us to fight feels wrong somehow. What would you have me do to put this right Annie?"

I leaned forward to touch his knee,

"Times change and females have begun to phase, they must have a place in the guardian packs. It is up to you to order them to be accepted and welcomed. But, before you do that you must invite Leah and Jackie back and make it clear they are valued members of your pack. If you don't the guardians will split as more females join them and you will have opposing packs which will make them all weak and vulnerable to vampire attack."

"They won't come back Annie, why should they after the way they have been treated?"

"Perhaps you will have to give them a good reason, you should show your change of heart by raising them to positions of power, Joe is leaving to go to college, make Leah or Jackie a Beta in his place. You are fortunate in having three Beta's here in Denali where the pack is large and the area extensive."

"The pack would never accept such a decision, Annie."

"You are the Alpha, it's your decision to make and theirs to accept but of course, you must do what you feel is right."

Bella

When Leah rang us with news I thought Jackie was getting married or perhaps Charlie and Sandra were going to have a baby but I was stunned when I found the reason.

"Johnny H came to see you? What now? Does he never give up? Did the locals start complaining to him?"

"No, he came to apologise and tell us that he has given female guardians full status among the packs. It doesn't mean much yet, Jackie and I are the only ones he knows of but he thinks there will be others eventually."

"What does "full status" mean exactly?"

"It means we are accepted by all tribes as guardians and have the protection of Denali, it means we don't have to hide our true selves any longer and no one will be eyeing us suspiciously. He offered us two choices, we could stay as a small pack on our own or join his pack where there is a vacancy for a pack Beta."

"A bribe?"

"I guess so but it will make our lives easier, or mine anyway. Jackie is getting married and wasn't sure how to tell me that she wants to live as a normal person. She was holding off because she knew it would leave me alone in the world."

"So, you are taking the Beta position? It's not going to be easy. From what you have told me, the other guardians aren't going to be happy about it."

"Since when has anything been easy for me Bella? They'll soon learn I'm no pushover."

I was glad and I thought Leah was right, she would do everything to ensure the other guardians treated her with the respect she deserved.

THE END

I WILL BE TAKING A FEW DAYS BREAK BEFORE STARTING THE NEXT STORY AS I'M STILL SUFFERING WITH MY ARM UNFORTUNATELY, BUT I WILL BE BACK SOON. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THE JOURNEY WITH ME AND ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED. LOVE JULES XX