Chapter 7 - Keith

The Mahani Blood Alpha left a few minutes ago, with instructions given to Alex for the Mate Meet tomorrow. My brother and I aren't allowed to go, just my parents. I'm not sure how I feel about all this.

My mate was Mahani.

I will remember that day clearly, forever.

I was sitting at my desk, coding a new app for the school. I felt her sudden fear and she fought hard for about 2 minutes before she let out a scream. The fear in it was for someone else, not her.

My mate gave her life trying to save this other person. I heard that scream and the name of the person she was protecting. Holly. I have prayed to the Moon Goddess many times, hoping she lived so my mate's death wasn't in vain.

Now I find out she was Mahani.

I glance over to my brother, who is looking out the window at nothing. I could easily accept any wolf, even if her shift looked like a dog. I'm a Delta. I'm also the youngest.

We always thought Kayla would find her mate first, and she did. As the oldest, it was normal but we never expected it to be a Mahani. My thoughts go to the packs we trade with and our allies. I haven't heard of any of them having Mahani mates.

I can't imagine it's very common but at the same time, none of them having mated with them seems off. The odds are against that happening. Blood Alpha Cooper stated all the reasons for rejection as well as that talking about them can get them killed. There probably are fated mates in those packs, it's just a secret, to keep them safe.

His power to calm me was incredible. I could feel it flowing through me. My curiosity is getting the most of me and I want to know more. What other powers do they have? No one seems to know much about them.

As I glance over at Lachlan and wonder if I can help him in the process. I don't want him to reject his mate and regret it later.

"Since we may have a Mahani coming to live with us, I want to know more about them and their powers. Do you think Alex will let us raid the old library? Since we can't go with Kayla tomorrow, it will keep us busy and maybe, a little more prepared."

His thoughts mirrored on his face. I could see the protector in him coming through. Protect his sister. Protect his pack. Maybe, just maybe, we could also learn something that would help him not reject his mate too.

"Let's do it."

*******

"My Goddess," I said for about the tenth time. I can not believe how badly these people are treated even though they are the most powerful beings alive.

"According to this, Blood Alpha Cooper was not lying. They have a predisposition, by the Moon Goddess, to not kill unless someone is in danger or ordered to by the Council. And even then, they will stop if their instincts tell them to." Lachlan said as he turned a page.

"This one talks about some of their powers. They shift with their clothes intact as well as anything they are holding. It reappears perfectly in order when they shift back. All of the ranks have calming abilities, with the Omegas having the most power in that area. They can all sense someone in pain from about five miles away. It's a scent they can follow." I added.

"They can also sense when someone is truly evil. That is the only time they will reject a fated mate. They can also prevent a forced matebond, as Kayla's mate did."

Silenced prevailed for a while as we systematically went through the library.

"The Elementals are the most powerful and are widely hunted. Several millennia ago, they were wiped out for five generations in a row. That was when it was put in the school books that they are always rejected. The Mahani did that to keep them alive."

"If they're so strong, how did they all die?" Lachlan asked.

"Within the Mahani, the more powerful you are, the cuter and less intimidating you look. The Elemental's shift is a puppy. They will die when their mate does, even with children in the home. They have their power even when shifted but most died by someone killing their mate.

There was also a time when it wasn't mandatory to be changed to a Mahani wolf if your mate was of the higher ranks. The mate could be given an Alpha command to use the Elemental's power, through the matebond, to hurt or kill an enemy." My heart was hurting with every book I read.

I rubbed my eyes as I continued talking. "Their enemies steal their children and torture them until they come of age. They kill them right before their wolf emerges."

"It gets worse." My brother stated sadly. "This book is newer and it states when a child with Mahani DNA is sold on the black market, it is normal for it to go to a child sex ring as they are worth millions to predators."

"These people were sent to protect the Wolf world and this is what we do to them!" The more I read, the angrier I became.

My brother laid down the book he was reading.

"Kayla's mate won't be a threat. Even though every Mahani is taught how to kill quickly and efficiently, they rarely use it. If someone is sentenced to die, they do not suffer, no matter their crime. The only time they truly lash out is when they are protecting their children, and even then, they will normally not kill."

I thought of my mate and how she died. I hope Holly survived. Maybe I can ask Blood Alpha Cooper about her and my Mate.

If you had asked me yesterday, I didn't want to know. Today? Everything changed.

Where are you now, Holly?