Sacrifices

Saul lay on his bed, arms tucked beneath his head. He stared up at the ceiling of his RV blankly, not really seeing what was in front of him, lost in thought. Music filled the tiny space from the small boom-box on the kitchen table, which was little more than a pull down shelf. Saul did not know who sang the song that floated over him, and he couldn't really make sense of the words, but the melody, a melancholy heartache that touched his soul, that he understood.

His time recently had gone from bad, to worse, to almost impossible. Since the judgment, he had not seen Mia, though he had tried to contact her twice. The first time, outside his home Sept, it had been Speaks With Many Tongues, Den mother of Ghost Keeva, who had answered his call, turning up holding Mia's phone in her good hand. "You cannot see her Saul." She had said, though not unkindly. He could see the sympathy in her eyes, hidden behind the tight lipped glare Garou society demanded she present him with. "Soothes the Raging Heart is being kept on the Sept until she has proven she can be trusted again. I am surprised your own Sept mates have allowed you to come here."

"Our mission was one that concerned Talking Crazy." He explained. "My knowledge of him was required."

"And now it is over. You should leave Saul."

The young man had nodded, and turned to go. He had taken perhaps three steps when he turned back. "Mother, please tell her I love her, and always will." he had pleaded desperately. "The words alone can do no harm, surely."

Speaks with Many Tongues glared at him again, silent for a long time, before she nodded. "The words, no, but the intent behind them can destroy everything. I will give her your message Saul, Guided by Truths Echoes, but only this one time. Now go from here. It will be a long time before you will be welcome in this Septs Territory. Do not return again unless invited."

Saul sniffled, wiping away a tear which had formed at the corner of his eye. He wondered if Mother had given her his message. He had always known the old Metis to keep her word once it was given, so he supposed that she had indeed passed on his words, but there was no way of knowing for sure.

The weeks following had been no picnic either. Following the judgment, his teachers in combat and the ways of the Umbra, Jurgen and Templars Benediction, had withdrawn their support. He had scored a verbal hit against Jurgen, reminding the warrior of his own breach of the litany, not caring that it would anger the Get of Fenris Ahroun further. But it was the loss of Templar's teaching that he really did feel. The Silverfang had been showing Saul the secrets of the Umbra, a side of Garou life that Saul found fascinating. He hoped that in time, he could win back Templar's trust. Only time would tell.

He had tried to contact Mia again a second time, but this time there had simply been no reply.

And then, with the sudden change of the weather, and the addition to the ground of almost two feet of snow, Saul had become locked in place. Digging out his RV from its berth at the trailer park where he was wintering would have taken hours, and besides, he didn't trust the old monster on roads as icy and unpredictable as this. As it was, his lime green VW Bug (named Bertha) had survived several near death experiences by only millimeters. He'd had to take her to a mechanic twice already this week just to keep her alive.

"Blue…. Songs are like tattoos," Came the woman's voice on the stereo, causing Saul to glance over at it and make sure it was still working. Odd lyrics indeed, but still the haunting melody soothed him. The melody was interrupted suddenly however, by the first strains of an Etta James song, one of Saul's ringtones.  He sat up immediately, so quickly that he banged his head on the low ceiling of the RV above him. Swearing, he fumbled for his phone. Able to set multiple ring tones for each of the people he had in his phone book, the only person the song 'At Last' had been applied to was…

"Mia?" Saul asked, holding the device in shaking hands. "Is that you?"

"It's me Saul." Mia told him, and Saul felt his heart literally skip a beat. "I've been granted permission to leave the Sept, and my phone has been returned to me. I want to see you Saul."

Saul, who had already thrown himself off the bed, and was heading for the door stopped suddenly. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "They just gave you the phone back?" he asked.

"Uh huh." Mia replied. "Saul, what's wrong?"

Mia was Lupus. The fact that she was capable of using a phone at all was a minor miracle. She knew nothing of technology, nor how easy it would be for someone who did…the Glass Walker tribe for example…to tamper with it. There was a small Glass Walker population in Phoenix, not far from Ghost Keeva. It wouldn't surprise Saul one bit if someone from Ghost Keeva hadn't paid them a visit. "Mia, that phone is not safe to use any more. People can hear what you say to me."

Saul was thinking quickly now. She was free. She wanted to see him. He had to believe she still loved him. He wanted to speak with her so badly, but He knew that there were probably unfriendly ears on the line. "Mia. Don't call me again." He told her. "We've gotten each other in enough trouble as it is. An egg shatters in the fire, and from it is born new life.  We have been given our new lives, our second chances, and we should make the best of them. Monday is a brand new day Mia. Start living it at noon in the bright sunshine, and you can look behind you and see me encouraging you. Good bye Mia." He hung up on her. It hurt to do so, but he had no choice. His message to her was as convoluted as he could possibly make it. He only hoped she had understood his words.

Saul packed a few things into a bag, and left his RV, heading for the Bug. Climbing in, he shivered as he started the engine, praying to Gaia that the car would start up. It did, with a splutter, and Saul took it as an omen.

He was already rummaging in his bag for his new mask as he drove up the freeway towards the airport. He was pushing the bug as fast as she would go without falling apart, approximately 70-something miles an hour. (He couldn't tell for sure as his speedometer needle no longer went above 50.) Slipping the new mask in place, it covered his entire face. He could feel it shifting over his unburned skin, molding itself to him, and changing to appear as whole and perfect flesh. With a simple thought it could change his appearance through the fetish he had worked with Chameleon to create.  

Changing his scent would be a problem if any Garou decided to tail Mia, provided she had understood his message at all, but he could deal with that as the need arose. He may have been denied access to Sept territory, but there was nothing saying that he could not visit his grandparents, who lived outside the Sept lands, in Phoenix.

The flight to Phoenix seemed to take forever, but it had been reasonably priced, as had the parking garage at the airport, so Saul tried to take his mind off the long flight by watching a movie. With a smile, he saw that the Golden Oldies channel on the plane was showing 'Dances with Wolves.' Nothing like a little white guilt to make a Native American happy, he thought to himself. Saul was aware of the irony of that thought of course. He looked western, with the pale skin and blue eyes of his father's side of the family, but he had begun more and more to identify with his mother's races, the Mexican, and Navajo.

Phoenix was pleasantly warm as he stepped out of the airport. 70 degrees and sunny was a far cry from the below zero temperatures he'd left behind in Minnesota. Shedding his jacket, he threw it over a shoulder, and made his way to the Enterprise car hire, remembering at the last minute to make his face appear as it did on his drivers license.

Renting a car was no problem, and Saul pulled out of the airport driving a lime green modern Bug. He had to admit that the new Bug certainly had some advantages over the old one, not least of which were an Automatic gear box, a speedometer that gave accurate readouts, and a more spacious cab. Perhaps when he got back, he'd think about replacing Bertha. The thought made him feel instantly guilty. Bertha had been with him since he'd first moved out to the US. His grandfather had given him the car after putting her together from scrap parts. There was no way he could ever sell her.

On his way to the Hotel where he would be staying, he stopped off at a holistic medicines shop and purchased a bottle of Aniseed.

It was a short drive from there to the Sunshine hotel, and he checked in under a false name, slipping the counter clerk a fifty to forget him. His mask made him appear like a Latino man in his mid forties, and Saul thanked Gaia and the chameleon spirit again for such a useful tool. While in the lobby, he 'accidentally' dropped the bottle of aniseed, filling the lobby with the strong sweet smell.

He had a few hours to kill until noon, and he knew just what he wanted to do. Heading out of the hotel, he made his way to an electronics store and bought a new phone.  Once back in the room, he quickly activated the phone, and put the bill onto his credit card. Then he lay back on the bed and waited.

At five to twelve, he made his way back to the lobby. The smell of aniseed still permeated everything in nasal range, and he smiled to himself. Everyone who had walked through this lobby would have picked up the smell on their shoes, and carried it with them, spreading the smell of the oil far and wide, and effectively masking all scents. With his legs crossed, and a news paper in his lap, dressed in slacks and a thin sweater, his mask making him look like a young black man with dark hair and a thin goatee, he appeared for all the world like a young tourist. He was careful to keep his hands out of sight however, as his mask could not hide those.

He knew the instant Naomi walked into the hotel lobby. Even over the smell of aniseed, he could detect her scent, wild jasmine, though he wouldn't have needed to. He could feel her presence. She was just as stunningly beautiful as he had remembered. Dressed in a honey yellow sundress, her long corn-rowed hair caught up at the nape of her neck in a loose scrunchie, she took his breath away without even trying. She had a small backpack hanging loosely on her shoulders.

Saul stood, and crossed the room to her, walking past her without acknowledging her. "Rom 303." He told her as quietly as possible as he passed. "Take the stairs." Mia's eyes widened as she heard his voice, but she had the presence of mind not to acknowledge him.

Saul entered the elevator and made his way up to his room, opening the door, and leaving it cracked open just a little. A minute later, Mia was pushing her way through the door, her breathing heavier than usual, and an excited look on her face. Saul crossed to her, his finger against his lips, and took her backpack from her shoulder. He pawed through it quickly. When he was certain she had not been bugged he sighed and pulled his mask off.

"It is you." Mia squealed happily, and threw herself into his arms. "I wasn't sure. That lobby reeked. Couldn't get a decent scent for five blocks in any direction.

"That was the general idea." Saul said, wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her lips tenderly. "Gaia's grace, I've missed you Mia. "

"And I you." She replied, returning his kiss with more passion, pushing him to deepen it as she pressed her body against his.

"Mia," he protested, trying to push her away from him, though he really didn't want to. "You know we can't. It's forbidden."

Mia took a step back, and rested her hands on her hips. "Wolves mate for life Saul." She told him. "You are my mate, and always will be. I know we can't make love. I know that is forbidden, but there is nothing in the Gaia damned litany about kisses! So get your ass over here and show me how much you missed me, or I'll start to think none of this was worth it."

Saul grinned, and without another word, tossed her on the bed, falling on top of her and giving her exactly what she wanted.

***

"It's been terrible Saul." Mia said, snuggled in the circle of his arms, her head pressed against his chest as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heart beat. "I was watched day and night. I was treated worse than any Metis, omega of the entire sept. If it hadn't been for the raid on the hive out in Gallup, I'd probably still be the omega."

"What happened to change their minds?" Saul asked.

"I saved White Man's Bane from a bunch of spirals. Got me some honor and glory to replace that which I lost. I was the hero of the hour, so they let me have free roam again. When they gave me back my phone, I called you right away. Thank Gaia I understood your message. Why couldn't we speak over the phone?"

"They probably bugged it." Saul explained. He saw her eyes go blank, and guessed she didn't understand what he was saying. "They placed a weaver device in the phone to make it tell them what we said." He told her. "It probably told them where you are too. That's why I searched your bag."

Mia laughed. "Good." She said. "I hope they enjoy chasing it. I mailed that thing to Seth."

Saul laughed happily. "Is he still in Alaska with the Wendigo?" he asked. Mia nodded, her grin lighting up her face and making her eyes shine. "That reminds me. I got you a present." He slid from the bed, ignoring her protests and retrieved the new phone he had bought her. "It has a different number, and requires a code to open its features." He showed her the code, teaching her how to use the new device until he was sure she could do it alone.

***

"We should probably talk about our relationship." Saul said over dinner, Chinese food they had ordered in. He fixed his eyes meaningfully on Mia's.

"Must we?" she sighed. "Saul, I'm never giving you up. You know that, right?"

He nodded. "I know, but there are other things we need to discuss. While we are part of Garou society, we can never be true mates. They're all so terrified of us making a Metis. Stupid hide-bound idiots…Technology has changed and medical techniques have advanced a hundred fold since the litany was written. But until I can change the litany, and I do intend to do that, we need to tread carefully. We can't be intimate with each other. We must give the impression that we are done with each other, or that we have reconciled ourselves to just being friends. There are those who won't believe us, but we'll deal with that as it comes along.

"But we are more than just friends Saul." Mia insisted.

He nodded. "We are, but we can never let them know this. We're going to have to be patient, and we'll need to make sacrifices. Mia…I need you to…" he paused, trying to get the words out. "I need you to take another lover."

Mia was on her feet instantly. "Never." She growled. "I will not give myself to any but you. If I can't have you, then I don't want anyone else."

"Saul closed his eyes, and shook his head sadly. "You have to Mia. They will be watching you more than me, because you're Lupus. If you take another to your bed, they will be satisfied that you no longer love me."

"I won't do it Saul." She insisted. "I won't betray you."

"I know that." He said. "That's why I'm telling you to do this. It won't be a betrayal. The Garou require you to breed with a viable mate, so that the next generation of Garou can be born. We'll give them that. You have to breed, to have pups. If you do that, they'll believe anything we tell them. Can you do that? For me?"

Mia growled unhappily. She was silent for a long time, slipping into her lupus form and padding back and forth through the room. Saul watched her silently, enjoying the sleek lines of her pure black body, with that one starburst of white fur on her thigh. She really was a stunning wolf.

Finally, Mia seemed to come to a decision. She changed, taking her time to replace her clothing to give Saul plenty of time to enjoy the sight of her. Once she was clothed again, she joined him on the bed once more.

"One litter." She said, her eyes flashing dangerously to tell him that she would stand for no argument. "I give the Garou one litter, and whoever the father is, I shall be thinking of you when they are conceived. You, not he will be the father of my pups. After that, I belong to you and not the Garou any longer."

Saul sighed, grateful for her sacrifice, and kissed her tenderly. "Thank you." He whispered.

"I mean it when I say they will be yours Saul." Mia said earnestly. She looked away, staring off at some unseen future. "When my time comes, I am coming to live with you. Our pups will be born under your roof, and we will care for them together. We will raise them together."

"I wouldn't want it any other way Mia." He told her.

***


They parted company the next morning, with a loving and deep kiss. Saul showered and dressed alone after she went. He was satisfied that if anyone used gifts upon him, he would stand up to questioning. They might punish him for coming here, but they could not punish him for mating with her again, for he had not done so. But her promise to him weighed heavily on his mind, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she became pregnant. At that time, she would come to him with their children in her belly.

What might happen then, he did not know.

***

The flight back was terrible. Saul could not stop thinking of Mia, and not even her phone call once he was back in Minnesota could cheer him up. He had told her he wanted her to mate with another. He was glad she did not have his gifts, for she would have known then and there that he was lying. Sharing her with anyone made him so mad, he wanted to tear something apart.

Driving into the center of Saint Paul, he parked Bertha in a garage out of sight and crossed into the umbra. As banes began flocking to him, he smiled happily, switching to his war form.

"Come and get me boys."