Beginnings of the Treaty

Allen leaned back into his chair, frowning slightly. Beth glanced at him sideways. Another male, an older biker, leaned forward in his chair.1

"You should know, Josiah, that there are a lot of wolves around here." The man rubbed his knee, smiling through a long gray beard. "We know of at least five separate family groups with four generations. And that isn't including our mixed group. I'm guessing we know of..lets say..eighty individual wolves within a four county area."2

"Harold DeBann is one of our elders," Beth explained to the vampires. "He has been around for a long time. I'd trust his judgment better than anyone else. Among our little group, Harold is as close of a leader as we have."3

"But I do not control all of the wolves here," Harold admitted. "Each family unit has its own hierarchy, its own leaders. In order to get clearance with everyone, you would have to gain permission from each alpha individually."4

The room became tense once again. This was a problem. There was no way of knowing if the other alphas would agree to accommodate Kitra's little coven. "If you like, I could call a meeting to voice your request," Harold continued. "But that will take a week."5

"I trust you," Beth said to Kitra and the other vampires. "You seem sincere. If you really intend to live here peaceably, then I see no reason to cause a fuss."6

Allen patted Harold on the back. "You seem like nice folks," he agreed. "I think we can come to some sort of arrangement. For the time being, we can let them hunt in our personal territory, correct?" He glanced at Harold, who nodded.7

"You have our permission to the town of Kendallville, Indiana and the surrounding countryside up to the city limits of neighboring towns. I cannot guarantee your safety in the other towns, so I would advise you to stay away from them."