Despite the excitement of being at the big council meeting and the challenge over their camp space, they all crashed pretty early that first night. It had been a long day. The next day would be the real beginning anyway, the first big council where Fenrir would announce his intentions to unify all the midwest werewolves under one banner.

Jonathan was up early. It had rained and was surprisingly cool for this far south this time of year. It made the pavilion a god send. Amanda rose, shoved a few sticks into the rocket stove and soon warmth was spreading across the space. She shuffled wearily back towards the sleeping mat she shared with Connor.

Jonathan rose, pulling a sweat shirt over his chest. Amanda gave him a look but he waved her back. "Sleep. I'll work on breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Tanner said, rising.

Jonathan snorted, remembering Amanda's jokes about Tanner waking the instant food of any kind was mentioned. Jonathan was already sorting through their supplies. "We've got oatmeal. We can heat it on the stove."

"Sounds good," Tanner said. "Water?"

"They hauled a bunch of barrels of potable water, up on the far side of camp. Let's take both the big containers, be set for the day."

Tanner nodded and dressed quickly. He shoved a granola bar into his mouth and they were off.

The camp was still mostly quiet, a few people moving here and there and hushed conversations. Most hadn't expected the weather to be this cool and were crowded close together, shivering or huddled under blankets.

The few that were up and moving were mostly moving towards the far end of the camp, where water and a shower house of sorts had been erected. A small crowd had gathered around the water barrels, filling pots, canteens or containers like Jonathan and Tanner carried.

The two stood next to Ben Oleson, a Skollsen wolf they'd met yesterday. "Notice something strange?" Tanner asked the other two.

Ben raised an eyebrow.

"We three are the only men," Tanner said.

It was true. The crowd was overwhelmingly female. Many had short hair and wore leather collars. Two women were dressed in long dresses and bonnets, like Amish or Mennonite women.

Ben gestured at those two women. "Let's just say women's lib never made it as far as the Grimweir. Or the twentieth century for that matter, let alone the twenty first."

"The collared ones are slaves," Jonathan added. "Fleischer, Negelman, most of the eastern tribes now thanks to the Sons of Garm, keep slaves. The rest?" He shrugged. "Ben's got it. Women's lib didn't make nearly the same dent in wolf culture."

"But slaves," Tanner whispered. "I thought that was a game or something. S & M, that sort of thing."

Ben snorted. "Among humans, yeah. The Sons of Garm don't follow those rules. It's trafficking mostly, human women."

"Are these humans?" Jonathan asked.

Ben shook his head, no. "They traffic the humans. They keep kin or full wolves for their own slaves. That's what these are." He leaned in conspiratorially. "My alpha heard through his contact with the Jaeger that the Fleischer's have a camp of human slaves not far from Branson. Running them into town, along with plenty of drugs and setting up deals. That's how they are financing this whole shindig."

Jonathan scowled. He wasn't sure how he felt about even being part of a meeting that was funded with crime and slavery.

The crowd around them was slowly filling their pots and moving on, the three men nearing the barrels now. The woman treated them to curious looks, unused to men running basic errands, perhaps. Jonathan found it more than a little offensive, and not just because of the presumption that this was women's work. There was also the presumption that he couldn't do these things, that as a man he was somehow incapable of finding his own water, cooking his own meals.

Ahead of them was a tall thin woman with short dark hair and a leather collar. She wore very little, most of the slaves were scantily clad and a few completely naked, this one had tight jeans and a tank top. Goosebumps stood out on her bare shoulders but she gave little notice.

Tanner wagged his eyebrows as she bent to fill her basin. Jonathan rolled his eyes. He knew most men enjoyed ogling women and his lack of desire was as likely a flaw in him, but this woman was rail thin almost to the point of starvation. Weren't curves supposed to be sexy?

The woman rose and turned. Her eyes went wide and she dropped the basin. Ben stooped to retrieve it while she stared at Jonathan. Jonathan stared back into his sister's eyes.

Johnnie Boy was ten, bouncing impatiently on the threadbare sofa next to Robbie, watching cartoons and waiting for his sister, Grace, to come home from camp. If they were lucky she'd be bringing another load of foster brother and sisters with her. If not, well there would still be a big welcome feast before they all headed on to some other farm. Dad would be a good mood, beaming and smiling.

He never even noticed Robbie's strained smiles, Mom are already a couple of six packs into forgetfulness or Dad's absence from the house all day. None were good signs.

But when Grace came through the door alone, her ride, Soldier already gone to find Dad, even at ten he couldn't miss that something was seriously wrong.

"She didn't convert," Robbie would whisper in explanation.

Dad had been cold, his voice tight. It was far scarier than his anger. "Pack your things. You are no daughter of mine." Those were all of the words that Jonathan remembered.

Tricia, a year younger but already bolder than Johnnie boy, had been the only one to protest her eviction. "I want Gracie to stay, you mean old man," she screamed at Dad as her mother, dragged her from the house. Their whole family stayed at their own cabin, on the edge of the farm, for several days, not talking to anyone.

"Your basin," Ben was saying, offering Grace the basin.

She broke eye contact with Jonathan suddenly. She snatched the basin and mumbled something akin to "thank you" and dashed off down the lane, her head down.

"What was that all about?" Tanner mused.

Jonathan swallowed hard, a lump in his throat. "That was my sister, Grace."