Englewood Camp Ground

Goliath arrived just as I hung up the phone. My eyes were stormy grey. Goliath saw them and stopped. "What is wrong?"

I looked at him and growled, "How long have you known who murdered my parents?" My eyes grew darker." I swung my fist at him and knocked him to the ground.

He slowly got up, "I don't know what you mean. I have no idea who killed them."

"Liar. I just got off the phone with Warrior Phoebe, who is at the counseling center. Suppose you had put a warning out and sent enforcers after them; we would not right now be looking for their murderers. My uncle would not right now be chasing prisoners."

Tianna's quiet and furious tone stated, "Charles, you better sit your ass down before I knock you down. You should know your uncle has never lied to you. You owe him an apology."

"You will deny that you refused to help The Outlet Pack?"

Tiana replied, "They were not registered as supernatural groups, and by law, we cannot help unregistered supernaturals."

Goliath replied, "What does that group have to do with the attack on your parents and the prison."

"If you had acted and gone after the people who attacked Outlet Pack, there would not have been an attack at the prison or my parents.  It is the same group. Outlet Pack members have identified and given us more sketches of who attacked them. They match who are people of interest in my family's murder."

Goliath said, "shit." He looked at Tianna, "That ancient law needs to go."

Tianna looked at him, "We can only change laws brought to us by others. We cannot request laws to be changed. We cannot change laws for personal gain."

Charlie growled, "The Outlet Pack requested help."

Tianna said, "They were not registered or recognized as a pack."

"They are still supernaturals, registered as they had and their application on file. You should have assisted in that attack. It would help if you told supernaturals so security could have been tightened.  Then security would have been tightened up," I growled back. "How many of these types of attacks have happened with applied unregistered supernaturals? How many unregistered have gotten attacked that you haven't helped?"

"We get two or three a year."

I grab my phone, "Charles finds out as much as you can about the Outlet Pack registration. Get a list of all other groups that have applied for registration and been attacked. I mean ALL SUPERNATURALS and not just wolf packs. Please find out how many times anyone was sent out to assist them. Plus, find out where they are now. Make a report and file a complaint to the supernatural committee on behalf of Juniper. Ask Solomon to sign off on it. Plus, send a copy to me and change it to SNAP. Then check with our close allies if they, too, will sign off on it." He paused and listened to Charles.

"Yes, there is a reason. The Supernatural Council's inaction is starting to look like what caused my parent's death and the prison breakout. A rouge village known as an Outlet applied to be a pack. Their application was on file. The council has not yet completed their application to certify them as an official pack.  The soon-to-be official OUTLET PACK was attacked. Their surviving members are getting counseling but are refused help because the council does not recognize them as supernatural because they are not registered. The group that attacked Outlet Pack we have now tied to the same group who did the bombings."

Pause to listen to Charles, "Make sure all reports are sent to me. Make sure I get a letter to file for a change of law. I know I cannot apply in person until after I finish the SNAP mission, but I will." Pause. "Thanks. Bye, talk later."

I glare at them, "I will run off your anger? Then we get down to SNAP business."

I shifted, and I went running. I got back as they finished lunch. I got dressed and sat down to eat. I look at them, "I won't apologize for being angry or knocking you on your ass. You know, when I am done finding those responsible for their deaths, I will take this matter to the committee. Laws will be changed."

Tianna laughed, "I just realized how much you sound like your mother. Your mom went after all sexual laws that were ancient. You're now going after laws concerning rouges. Charlie, I love you." Her voice then went severe, "You can be angry, but before the end of the day, I expect you to apologize for calling him a liar. He has not lied to you ever."

Charlie looked at her, "Was it, not you who told me when I did not tell you who I saw drive your car into the field and get it stuck that me not saying it was your oldest who did it was a lie of omission? I just stated I saw your car in the field."  I stared at her, "When you omit something like a group applying to be a pack had their leader killed. We all should have been alerted. You not passing on what happened to Outlet is a lie of omission."

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "When you did not act to protect supernatural lives, you are not withholding your promise to protect all of our kind. That is disappointing. There is part of the oath you took that says "to always listen fairly and judge in good conscious base on facts and not personal opinion when it comes to passing laws and helping others in the Supernatural World." It states helping others in the Supernatural World. It does not say only registered species. That law has been made that goes against your oath."

Beth, Gwen, Yuri, and Zeus walked over toward us. They look at us in surprise. "The Council doesn't help all supernaturals," Zeus asks.

Tianna looked down, "By-laws passed before our time. We cannot help any unregistered supernaturals."

Yuri asked, "Then why haven't they been changed as we have changed our values? That law goes against your oath, doesn't it?"

Goliath replied, "We can only view and change laws brought to us by others to change. We cannot request laws to be changed because it could lead to personal gain for self."

Gwen replied, "I guess when we are done with SNAP1 commitments, we will work to change them."

Beth added, "We won't stop until we win. You stated new laws cannot be passed or old laws changed unless outside sources ask. My suggestion is to request a new law that states... When an old law is outdated by modern times or is old fashion tradition that the supernatural council can request three packs, flocks, nests, or covens to review that law of the supernatural group it affects. Then at the same time, you look and see if similar laws of other species have a similar law. If so, they also get to reevaluate it. All their votes are tallied. If the majority wins if voted yes, then the old law will go before the council to be modernized.  If voted no, it can be reevaluated in five years."

Goliath sighed, "Should we warn the council or let them be blindsided?"

Tianna replied, "We will tell them when we return to the chambers. We already know a letter or letters for change is coming. As Charlie said, the omission is still a lie. Ok, now that this argument is done, let's get to work."

"Aunt Tianna, it has started to rain. Would you like to go inside the office?  We are filing and organizing records, but it will be dryer than standing in the rain."

"Let me help Zeus file. I will join you."

"I can do it. It won't take long. Yeah, I guys could go inside the mess tent. It is dry and has tables."

"I am helping. Then we will figure out dinner." Tianna replied.

Beth said, "Our mates at the Eaglewood Farmer Market. They will grab something for supper."

"I know that market. We go there a lot. Contact them to go to Fiona's Freshness in 2 hours. She will have everything they need. I will contact her about what is in stock today. I will ask her to put aside enough for our group. How many totals?"

"There will be 15 of us tonight," Gwen replied.

"Will get enough for 20 because I know how much wolves can eat. Maybe say 25 since you seem to attract others here."

"Tell her that they have the credit card. Ask if they have a bakery nearby. I like the idea of cookies." Gwen added.

"Ok, let me call her. Then I can assist you." She then looks at her mate and Charlie, "You two still have attitude. Now go for a run together and make sure you come back with no attitude unless you want to deal with me in angry mode."

I say, "Before we run, I want you to look at this photo.  This person is supposed to of died, but his body was never found, according to Elder Alpha Bruno."

He handed the photo to Goliath. Tianna looked over at the picture. "When you say he supposedly died and his body was never found. He does remind me of Michael Branson."

Charlie said, "You're the second person who said that. We did message Peter to ask if that could be his cousin. We are waiting to hear back from him."

Goliath growled, "They never did find Michael, Styles, or Kyle from the avalanche that Xavier started. The GPS collar they had on died several years ago. It was considered too dangerous to try to recover their body. But I cannot say 100% it is him. The resemblance is uncanny."

Tianna replies, "Well, you two go. I will ask Elijah to look at the photo too." They walk into the woods and strip. Then shift and take off running.

It was starting to rain harder. Gwen, Beth, Yuri, and Zeus were all in the office area of Charlie's trailer. They had finished filing all items away.

The rain had let up. While it was drizzling, they went to each trailer to gather what they needed for tonight's dinner. They met at Yuri and Zeus' trailer. They took out the casserole dishes and baking pans from all the campers. They were all stacked in the trailer waiting for Elliot and Elijah to return with the food. They decided this would be the best place to prep the dishes for dinner since Elijah would put away medical supplies in his trailer. Then the alpha's trailer could still be accessible for SNAP business.

Fiona had sent Tianna the recipes for the meals she gathered items for. They knew what utensils and kitchen stuff they needed. 

Salmon potato corn bake
Two werewolf servings
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted
⅓ cup finely chopped garlic
3 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1lb. baby potatoes, halved
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 ears of corn, husked
1½ lb. skin-on salmon fillet, cut into 4"-wide pieces
1 lemon, halved, divided
½ large red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch chives, cut into 3" pieces
½ cup (packed) parsley leaves
Kosher salt
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 400°. Whisk 12 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, melted, ⅓ cup finely chopped garlic, 3 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning, 2 Tbsp. Garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. Onion powder, 1 Tbsp. Paprika, and 1 tsp. Sugar in a medium bowl to combine. Set spiced butter aside.
Step 2
Place 1 lb. baby potatoes, halved, on a large rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer and roast until slightly tender, 15–18 minutes.
Step 3
Cut 3 ears of corn, husked, into 3" lengths. Remove potatoes from oven; add corn to baking sheet and drizzle with 3 Tbsp. water and half of reserved spiced butter. Carefully toss with a large spoon until corn and potatoes are well coated. Nestle 1½ lb. skin-on salmon fillet, cut into 4"-wide pieces, skin side down, into vegetables. Drizzle remaining spiced butter over salmon, corn, and potatoes. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until potatoes and corn are tender and salmon is flaky and just cooked through, 18–22 minutes. Remove from oven and squeeze juice of 1 lemon half over.
Step 4
Toss ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced, 1 bunch chives, cut into 3" pieces, and ½ cup (packed) parsley leaves in a medium bowl to combine. Squeeze juice from remaining 1 lemon half over, add a pinch of kosher salt, and toss again.
Step 5
Top salmon and vegetables with red onion and herb salad.

Red Onion Herbs Salad
2 werewolf servings

4 medium red onions (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (See our Guide to Balsamic Vinegar)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Step 1
Prepare the onions:
Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice off straggly roots from the onions, leaving the firm root centers intact. Cut the onions in half from the tip to the root area. Peel off the skins until all the papery layers are removed. Cut each half into 4 wedges, slicing through the root so the wedges stay intact.
Step 2
Pack onions into a baking dish:
Pack the onions as tightly as possible into a 1 to 1 1/2 quart baking dish (9-inch round or oval, 8-inch square).
Sprinkle the olive oil, balsamic, 1 tablespoon of oregano, salt, and pepper evenly over the top. (No need to stir, or you'll disturb the pretty arrangement!) Pack onions into a baking dish:
Step 3
Roast the onions:
Cover the baking dish with foil and roast the onions for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting the onions uncovered for 30 minutes more.
Step 4
Make the glaze:
In a bowl, whisk the balsamic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
Step 5
Pour the glaze over the roasted onions and return the dish to the oven:
Continue cooking another 10 minutes, or until the onions are very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife
Step 6
Sprinkle the onions with the remaining 1 teaspoon of oregano before serving.

Goliath and I got back just as Elliot and Elijah got back.  Elijah started taking all the medical supplies into his trailer. Yuri and Zeus came out to help Elliot. Goliath and I helped Elliot carry in the food. Tianna saw how muddy Goliath and I were. "Hand me the food. You are not stepping in here until you clean up.  Go use the campground showers." She hands them both a bag of clean clothes and towels she had waiting by the door.

Once the food was all put in the trailer. Zeus ran and turned the oven on in each trailer to preheat.  Yuri, Tianna, Beth, and Gwen started prepping the food but wasn't much to prep since everything had been cut and prepared. 

Elliott went to help Elijah. When Zeus started toward where back to where food prep was going on, he saw the trackers with Elder Bruno returning.  He noticed they were wet and muddy. "You guys better head to the campground showers. I will get clean clothes and towels for you."

Benjamin said, "Why can't we shower and change in our trailers?"

"Councilman Tianna is here and threatens her mate and Alpha Charlie about muddy prints. They are right now showering there." They all turned and walked to the showers while Zeus got them clothes and towels.

While Zeus was gathering the clothes and towels, he saw Kyle and Phoebe returning. He said, "You can find everyone in my camper, the Doctor's trailer putting away supplies or campground showers."  They headed toward Zeus' trailer.

Zeus brought the warriors dry clothes and even grabbed rain ponchos for them.  Yuri linked him, "What's taking so long?"

"The trackers came back wet and muddy with Elder Bruno. I sent them to the shower and am bringing them clean clothes. Kyle and Phoebe just got back, and they look exhausted. They are heading to you guys."

"Tianna said to grab the paper plates, plastic utensils, and sodas. Set it up in the tent where all the tables are.  Tell the others supper should be ready in about an hour and a half, so no rush. I am putting away all the pans and utensils we got out. Everything came prepped in aluminum foil pans. Plus, plastic serving utensils. So no washing is needed tonight.  She said when we pull stuff out of the oven, wipe down cabinets then. She also said to add a couple of extra trash bags just in case they needed them. Place the trashcan and recycle can outside the tent exit."

"Will do."

After dinner, Tianna called out, everything is disposable. I don't see any leftovers. Throw everything away. Wipe down the tables. Charlie and Goliath, it is your turn to take all trash and recycle items to their appropriate cam dumpsters."

They glared at her, and she started back, "ok."

Everyone started to stand up when Yuri looked at everyone, "Can we all go to the Alpha's office? I know it will be crowded, but I would like to show you what Beth, Gwen, and Zeus got done today." They helped clean before they all followed Yuri in. He went behind the coffee table. He popped up the desk. He pulled out the laptop. He signed in.  Zeus then took over at the computer. He clicked some buttons, and everything showed up on the tv screen.

Charlie looked at the screen and said, "Great job."  They looked at labeled folders of various items they had accumulated.

Connor added, "It is great. Is it easy to add information to it?"

Zeus replied, "Yes, I can add information to it. Beth and Gwen also know how to use this program. I will show everyone how to use this program so you can input new information as found."

Connor replied, "No, it's better to keep only a few people editing the information. Be sure always to back up a copy before you add information. This way, if we lose information in a crash, we have a backup."

Zeus replied, "I already set that up. As soon as you log off, it does a backup. The files are set up so you can log into your trailer SNAP laptop. Each person will have a different password code. This way, else know who added something. Each trailer has its WiFi. You can request information be added to the file. Then only I, Alpha Charlie, or Enforcer Connor can approve the item to be added or changed. This keeps information from being deleted. If something is rejected, you will see why it was rejected the next time you log on."

Charlie asks, "What if someone forgets to log off? Won't someone else be able to add something instead under that name? For example, I am on, but I get called away. I don't log off, and the villain gets on the computer; they could delete or change file information."

Zeus replies, "In training, you will learn you submit a file, you have to enter a special code of verification it is you.  If you are inactive for more than five minutes, you will automatically be logged off. It might be a nuisance, but it is a security measure.  When we go to approve what they requested to be added, we cannot approve it unless their code is on it. We will see they put information in the system, but it is not considered complete unless they hit a submitted code."

Connor replied, "Take my name off as approval. I admit I crash computers. Better I am not listed as the editor of files.  I can request items to be added or moved somewhere else."

Zeus does a few clicks, "done. Now it is just Alpha and me."

Connor says, "Now, onto business. Be sure to add the approximate heights of each person in the file. Then we can fine-tune it when we confirm information."

"One second, Connor," and we hear a few clicks.

Then Zeus brought up description boards of each person, "How does this look?"

Connor said, "This looks very good." He handed an electronic device to Elliot. "Councilmen Goliath and Tianna, please step outside since the rain has let up. I want you to listen to what is being said from the tent. This way, you stay dry if it starts back up. Write down all you hear and what time you heard it. When it has been quiet for two minutes, come back in." They walk outside. "Everyone starts talking about miscellaneous items." He walked over to Elliot and wrote in five minutes, plug in that device. Click the red button and make it green. They all started talking. When Tianna and Goliath walked back in, I motioned everyone to be quiet.

"Tianna, please tell us about various conversations you heard?"

7:51 pm- Charlie- is this the game mom used to play where it was working on our listening skills?
7:51 pm- Gwen- I remember that game, and if we quoted it right, we got double dessert.
7:52 pm- Beth- remember when we made up a story about making out with a guy at Uncle Easton's Pack?
7:52 pm- Dave and Zane refused to rat us out. Mom also knew about our trick. Charlie went around trying to find out who it was.
7:52 pm- I remember he came over to the Lycan Pack. It was after a visit with your grandfather. He got into several fights until your grandfather stepped in and informed him of the trick.

This went on for five minutes.
7:56 it became hushed
7:59, they walked back in and could hear everyone talking.

Connor said, "They never stopped talking. I just wanted a test of a device that makes a room soundproof. When we need confidential information shared, you click this button. If green, it is going ahead. Suppose it is red think before you talk.  Am I going to say something that is top secret? If yes, turn this to green. Every camper had one placed inside it when the IT Izzie was here, but I wasn't here to tell you about it.  She didn't on my request."

They all nodded, "Now, this information will only be shared in this room and only talked about when this device is a green light." They all shook their heads to acknowledge what Connor said. "Oh, Yuri, send a copy of the five updated wanted posters to Dave's group and your father. This means we have only four more to identify. Find out if our traveling warriors got one. If not, arrange for one to be sent to them and installed immediately."

She heard some taps. "Ok, sent out. Izzie said she had a box sent to Alpha Bronze to be given to them. It was labeled not to open until in their trailer. Alpha Solomon gave her permission to do that. He vouched for Alpha Bronze."

Connor said, "Now for a difficult part of what we discovered. The trackers discovered some things, and as a group, we are not 100% sure, but I felt we should tell all of you. We are about 80% sure that Jocelyn might be alive. We believe it was the farmer's wife and two missing sons we had a memorial for. Remember, not enough remains to DNA match them."

The room gasped in shock.

Below are some screenshots shared.