The Characters of Clayton, Rya, Kennedy, Dallas, and the Valentines belong to Rachelle. The character of Cora is expanded on with Permission from Rachelle, and is written for the pleasure of the International Wildflower Pack, the WhiskeyQueenn fandom. #WildflowersUnited #iwp   

::Thank you  for your inspiration- Clayton #5 in Werewolf stories 6.2017::

Time to Listen

Midwife Gretchen's POV

As I walked through the sunshine, the steady  beat of an ax told me Mark was at my house again. He was a handy wolf to have around, used to working in the elements. My yard and home had not been in such good repair in decades, prepared for their next occupant. He insisted on 'paying for' Cora's care, and since I refused to take money, he worked. HE was a very prideful wolf, determined not to own anyone anything. I made a kettle of tea. Pouring part into my mug and part over ice, it was time for Mark to learn about his mate and her nature. And tomorrow I needed to talk to Catherine about ordering them into couple's counseling with Aurora. I did not care for that healer, she made some poor and misguided choices, but her skill of helping heal the internal anguish of wolves could not be denied. I had already informed her that she would help Rya upon her return, no excuses. She failed to treat Rya's physical scars in a timely manner, the least she could do was help the poor she-wolf with her emotional ones.

I carried the glass of Iced tea out to him. He split enough fire wood for the next two winters. Coraline told me that Cora had been brutally unforgiving to him this morning.

"Mark, come have a drink and sit with an old wolf," insisting, I smiled.

He buried the ax in a stump and saunters over, he's a cowboy even when he wasn't around his horse. My wolf and I found it funny. He took the glass, and swallowed half of it. "Thank you , ma'am."

"How's your Grandmother Hannah and your sister Blessing?" I asked.

He grunted out his answer, "Fine, Ms Gretchen."

"I heard about Blessing's eye surgery in January, it was good that she healed quickly enough to watch you win your buckle," I added.

"Yes, ma'am."

Internally my wolf groaned at his response, it is like trying to dig gophers out of the garden. "Have you been listening to what Charlie has told you about Cora's past and Rya?"

His back became rigid, but he just stared out at the lake.

"Then I will tell you again, it is time to listen," I scolded.

"Look Ms Gretchen, no offense but I don't see what a girl she hasn't seen in years has to do with the fact she won't come with me. A girl Charlie says is so damaged she doesn't even remember the people she knew here. Cora owes her nothing." His voice was harsh. His attitude bothered me, I had already decided it was time to burn him with his own fire.

"She could say the same thing about your family, they are dead or at home while you ride the rodeo circuit, and yet you live like they are all that matters. But when you are home, you spend all your time out on the range like they mean nothing and you owe them nothing." I explained harshly.

Mark slammed the glass down so hard that I'm surprised it doesn't break. He started to stand, "I think I am done here for today..."

"You will sit down and listen, pup, or I will pinch your ear." My wolf bared her teeth at him.

Hesitantly, he lowered himself back down. His wolf bared its neck, I liked his wolf, that was a respectful pup and a good mate for my girl.

I sighed heavily, I was getting too old for this. "Mark, I am trying to help you save your relationship with Cora by teaching you why she is the way she is. You can't ride away from this, and she will not bend to your will and follow you meekly to Big Sky and you wouldn't want her if she did. Cora was born to the strong Shill Gamma lineage, and a more powerful Beta line. She was trained by Catherine and a dozen Lunas from around the world to be a Luna. She never gives up on something once she decides it is her duty. She was taught from the time she could crawl that it was her duty to protect and care for lesser wolves and she always has, but to her, it means any wolf that is suffering or in need. No matter where she goes or whom she meets, she does it. It makes her a lighthouse on the shore, drawing wolves of every type to her. Her selflessness makes her courageous beyond any other wolf I have know and once she make a promise, she will never break it. That damaged girl that you so quickly dismiss was her best friend, her family was the only family Cora knew growing up. Carl and Becky were horrible parents, self-absorbed, consumed with their status in the pack. Held together by the mate bond and nothing more."

I paused to give him a moment to think about that. "At five-years-old, Charlie was taking care of Cora so they could go out and socialize with the pack hierarchy. He has been all she had her entire life, except for Rya, who was like sister. Cora is about to be a mother and doesn't have the slightest idea of how, except from what she saw Rya's mother do with them. As a child, she promised to protect Rya. She has been beaten, punished repeatedly, forced to endure an alpha command to not see her, or speak of that day or even say Rya's name. The Alpha and Beta broke her, but she got back up. She has endured repeated threats against herself and Rya at great suffering to herself and her wolf, and yet she still believes she failed as her friend. She refuses to forgive herself, thinking she is at fault because Alpha Adams made her be the one to tell Rya she had no place with the wolves in the school. Cora learned to fight because the rejection painted a target on Rya. There were those who wanted to hurt Rya, rape her, kill her, and no one would protect her, not even her mate. Every time she fought for Rya the Alpha Command tortured her. Cora is still punished for doing the right thing."

"I understand that they were friends and all a long time back, but Rya isn't her family, she shouldn't put herself through all that," he sounded frustrated.

"Would you stop protecting Blessing? Would you walk away from her and never look back if you were commanded by a more powerful wolf to do so? Or would you fight it with everything you are? She promised to protect Rya the way you promised to protect Blessing." I revealed seriously, he looked thoughtful, but conflicted.

"You didn't listen when she told you or tried to tell you. That is the truth." My eyes bored into his and he looked back at the lake before bowing his head in shame.

"You're right, ma'am. I didn't listen. I didn't think it was as important as us being mates, I didn't realize it would be the thing to stand between us. That some girl she ain't seen in years would be more important to her than me, I'm her mate. It ain't right, mates are supposed to be the most important thing to a she-wolf, mates and pups." He sounded so upset, so offended that anything or anyone would be more important that himself.

'Alphas.. pshaw!' my wolf cackled, laughing at his bruised ego. I sipped my tea to hide my smirk, and give him a moment to sulk. "Do you know what happened that day and afterwards? I mean what really happened."

"Not much, ma'am. Charlie and Dallas told me some of it," he responded quietly. "It sounds like the girl had it coming, wouldn't take no for an answer when her mate chose another, and Cora just went off the wagon about it."

I nodded my head slowly, that's what they tell everyone, what everyone tried to believe now, but not as many believed as the Alphas think. Wolves were smart creatures when they wanted to be.

"Dr. Valentine will believe whatever Alpha Clayton tells him. It wasn't like that at all. I want you to listen carefully. When Rya turned sixteen, she was forced to go through her first painful shift alone without her mate, later that day she confronted Clayton and Kennedy at school, she just asked for a chance. Just one chance. He wouldn't even consider it, just held Kennedy's hand. Kennedy made some flippant remark and they tried to walk away. Their friends in the crowd began mocking Rya and laughing at her. Rya's wolf took over and she almost killed Kennedy, fighting for what was hers as promised by the Moon. And do you know why Clayton chose Kennedy and rejected Rya?" I watched as the wide-eyed pup shook his head, at least he's listening.

"Because Rya is an unranked "lesser" wolf and Kennedy is the Beta's daughter. They were raised together, they had even been sharing a bed since they were in diapers. Clayton and Kennedy think they love each other, but in truth, they have never know anything but the other's presence. And the Alpha and Beta and Luna knew... even Cora's parents knew before Rya's birthday. For two years they all knew that Clayton was her mate. None of them did anything to ease the blow, except to put in place a doctrine that said choice mates have more rights than moon mates, especially if the choice is of higher rank than the rejected mate. The Alpha lashed that pup with a silver whip, and then made the healer let it scar as a message to the whole pack, not to defy the Alpha or disparage his son's choice of mate. At sixteen, Cora knew this was wrong and she stood up to them and they broke her. They broke her with her parents' blessing. It is why she can't be broken now, because she already was and no one has ever put her back together. "

I paused to sip my tea, he just stared at the ice in his glass like he didn't truly understand.

"The Gamma and Beta in her blood and her wolf drove her protective nature into overdrive after that night. She nearly killed herself that first year fighting the Alpha command, she needed to learn to fight and so she did. When it was found out, she got beaten almost to death. Beta Killian had her fight three warriors and a gamma while her own father stood by and watched. Her father cared more about his precious place in the pack hierarchy than his own daughter. Her mother was the same, didn't even visit her in the clinic before they sent her away, concussion, broken arm and ribs, partially dislocated jaw, bruised from head to toe, Dr. Peters said only her wolf saved her. Adams leadership saw her as a trouble maker, but Coraline and the Elders in Noble pack saw in Cora what I did,  and they made sure to foster it. Noble gave her every support, every opportunity, because it is her destiny to change things. Maybe not herself but she is a catalyst and will be here when it happens, either standing by Rya's side or behind her in the shadows like an invisible guardian angel. Cora will make Clayton see the poison of his actions." 

I couldn't help the heavy sadness in my tone, "Everything Cora had done, and suffered through has been to right a fundamental wrong done in this pack. As much as she hates Adams pack, Cora wants to save it. She will sacrifice herself to do what is right, she will sacrifice you. She does not believe she has a choice, she has a duty to do, she made a promise. This pack teaches Duty over Self. So she promised Catherine to return and do her duty to the pack, if they let Rya go. She dreaded the time she found her mate because of this. But you made it easy for her, you walked away after your dream. And she lived through the rejection."

"I didn't reject her," he grumbled.

I slapped the back of his golden curls. "You walked away from your bleeding, suffering mate because your pride was hurt and never called her. You rejected her and admitting it to yourself and her will be the first step to getting her forgiveness. If she can learn forgiveness." I let my words sink in. I was getting tired this had gone on all afternoon and he had an appointment with Leong soon.

"I think you need to go for a run around the lake a few times and think about things, pup. Leave your clothes on the porch." I rose out of my rocking chair. "Goodnight Mark. Think about what I told you, remember Cora doesn't know how to forgive or be forgiven, you are going to have to teach her that. She only knows how to fight, how to bleed, how to make others bleed."

I took my weary bones inside and warmed up some of Coraline's excellent perogies. Through the window, a giant black wolf crossed my yard without a sound, so I stepped out onto my porch.

His head was level with mine. I bowed respectfully, "Any message for your parents or great-grandfather?"

His eyes held mine and a low rumble comes from his chest. Both of us knew this was the last time we will meet until we both stood in the fields of the moon, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"Just thought I would offer, young pup." I snapped in a waspish tone, those dark orbs regarded me with amusement. "Did you get Cora home?" He nodded.

We stood silent for a moment, his large head bowed to my hand as I stroked his fur. "He's waiting for you, he doesn't know he is but he is. Show him who you truly are. Make Min's son, your nephew, into your heir, not Tran your cousin. It is what the Goddess wants. Be well, Grandson of Tsang Lao, find happiness where you can. Even if it is just a butterfly in your grandmother's gardens."

The giant wolf stepped back from me and bowed before silently bounding off toward the far side of the lake.

I stood there a long time, waiting and watching the sky. Finally, I looked up at the rising moon. Soon My Goddess, soon.

Leong's POV

I bowed to the ancient midwife, she was older than my great-grandmother. Her years were known only to the Moon herself. Soon she would go home. This day we worked together to try to ensure Cora's happiness. I was grateful for the time I have had with that courageous she-wolf who returned light to my soul. I love her more than I loved Mulan Mai who waited on the Moon for me, I would do anything to for Cora, so tonight I will let her go. I bounded through the trees at the edge of the lake. Seeing her burned, I feared for her, that her courage would lead her to the Moon before me. While watching her sleeping, I longed for just one more kiss, but since she found her mate and carried his pup, it would not be honorable to steal another as I had in the airport or on the forest watchtower.

I had breathed part of my soul into her  in that moment at the airport . It saved her when she breathed in the fire of the burning kitchen. I had felt her die for a moment and my wolf's dragon spirit sent her his strength, keeping her and her pup in the dusty, grey land between life and death while her body healed. It saved her and now, I would forever be bound to her in a small way. If my wolf could weep, we would, instead we steeled our pain to face her mate. To teach him with certainty the consequences of ever betraying our Cora. I settled down to wait, my wolf watching the ripples of the water. I could hear him coming; the wolf I respected, the man I could end in a heartbeat. This time he will listen to me.

My beloved Cora, I do this for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9.2018 - CLAYTON is published!!!

Clayton (The Wildflower Series) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/164034487X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_S8sbDbB084P46 via @amazon

2.2019- DALLAS is published!!!

Dallas (The Wildflower Series Book 2) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXRVB7M/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_o9sbDbPFY61NH via @amazon
Find them on Amazon

::Thank you to Rachelle for allowing this CLAYTON Fanfiction to be published.:: 

If you are reading this on a site that is not Wattpad, it has been taken

and published without my permission.