be the same. They will stop. They will be confused. There aren't a lot of other shifters. Wolves have been successful, but the rest? They're rarely seen. I mean, most of us can list one or two in our lifetimes, and we're wolves."
"And then we just run for it?" she asked.
I nodded. "You'll need to have everyone look out for two partners. So, Gabby watches Roman and Olivia, as an example. Roman watches Gabby and Nik. That way, before you take off, you'll have someone screaming to wait if someone got left behind. Set up a rally point. Someplace that if you pull away, they keep running and you'll get there to pick them up."
"Basic hit and run stuff," Lane assured her.
She looked up at him, then down to me. "You've done things like this before?"
All I could do was sigh, but Lane didn't have that problem. "Yeah. Between school rivalries gone wrong and packs sneaking in for control of safe land, it happens enough that we all learn to fight. Not just because it's some ancient traditional holdover. We settle our disputes with teeth and claws. Diplomacy only goes so far, and sometimes, it makes a much bigger impression to hit a pack in their beds and remind them that we are the stronger wolves."
She just nodded. "Not anymore, ok?"
"That's why we built Wolf's Run," I told her. "As a boy, I thought it was just what everyone did. When I got older, I realized that humans are so much more civilized, and I wanted that. I learned how to hold my temper. I made myself. Not because I don't have one, but because I'm not barbaric, and wolves aren't beasts."
"No," she agreed, "we're not. So, how do we do this without the kids?"
And we were right back to her problem. She wanted to snap her fingers and fix this, or call someone to do the dirty work for her. She just didn't understand that men like Damon weren't going to cooperate with the police. They'd rather kill them, and the cops wouldn't see the wolves coming.
With Karen pushing him, he'd probably do a lot worse. Never mind that the woman was our biggest problem. I still didn't know what to do if she spotted the girls, because she would recognize them. If that happened, the only chance would be if they ran, and I wasn't convinced that either one would do it.
"Elena, you can take Sheridan and Ridley and leave the teens at home, but is that really any better? We've taught Gabby how to fight. Olivia's been learning since she was a toddler. They can hold their own, and are you sure the vixens can say the same?"
"No," she muttered. "I just hate the idea of using more kids for this."
"But Damon's picking them young," I countered. "You need the kids because they're the ones who won't stand out. You need the boys because they will not let anything happen to the girls. Gabby's group is tight. Her betas are impressive, even if I keep pushing them for more. Xander's a hot-headed little shit, but Olivia directs him well."
"And you're taking their moms," Lane pointed out. "I mean, not Xander's, because his parents tend to always be at work, but Kim will watch out for him. Besides, do you honestly think that a pack of she-wolves protecting their pups is something Damon really wants to mess with?"
"We shouldn't have to do this," she said. "This whole thing is just wrong!"
I nodded in agreement, but what could I say to that? Try to tell her that there were bad people in the world and that being a wolf didn't always make it better? Sadly, that helped no one. So I decided to try a different route.
"Elena, in all my life as a wolf, I've never seen an alpha like you. And yes, I'm convinced that you're an alpha, because I feel the strength in your eyes when you stare at me. I see it when you push yourself just a little harder. But where most alphas tell others what to do, you spend your time trying to fix it. You turn that strength and pride into love and nurturing. You are the den mother. You make people feel safe the moment they lay eyes on you - and what's this? It's a situation where they need a safe place to run."
"But I don't do anything," she insisted.
I just canted my head and shrugged. "I think you do a