William took a moment to think over the last day or so. “Actually, I have had a visitor. I have met briefly with Amanda on several occasions. She brought me food. I would love to say she was a very nice young woman but that wouldn’t be entirely true.”
The comment drew a wry smile from Jacob’s wrinkled face. “You don’t agree with the bedside manner of my daughter?” he said as he arched an eyebrow toward William.
“I’m sorry, sir. I had no idea that she was your daughter. I’m sorry if I offended you in any way.” William was sputtering out his sentences trying to cover for the insult that he had given to the Elder’s daughter.
Jacob laughed out loud. “Why are you sorry? I know how she is. All you did was speak truthfully about her. She can be a little rough around the edges sometimes. But once she gets to know you better, she’ll loosen up a little.” Jacob paused and let his gaze drift toward the ceiling. “No matter how many times I see it, the lights of our city are really beautiful.” William found himself looking at the lights as well and nodding. “Besides,” Jacob continued to no one in particular, “I’m sure she doesn’t exactly like having to serve a bedridden pup any more than you would. Am I right?”
William was lost and in a very confused state answered, “Right about what?”
Jacob leveled his gaze at William. “Having to wait on a bedridden invalid.”
William wasn’t sure if Jacob was talking about him or if he was asking him if his life ambition was to work at a nursing home. He shrugged. “No, I guess I wouldn’t like to be a wet nurse to someone who was bed ridden.”
“So, you and my daughter have something in common. Isn’t it great how we can find common ground in the most menial things?” Jacob turned away from William and was pacing the open, empty space that was William’s room. “So, aside from my headstrong willful daughter and your teacher has there been anyone else to visit you?”
William wasn’t sure but this was starting to sound like an interrogation. He was pretty sure that trying to lie to an Elder would only get him into trouble. He thought back to his first memories of his room. He had woken up and Ares was there then he had doubled over with hunger pains, the most intense that he had ever felt. Then she had been there. “I saw a beautiful, all white werewolf. She didn’t say anything to me but she eased my pain. She seemed to know Ares because before she left, they looked at each other. There was something there even though they only looked at each other for a moment.”
Jacob nodded to the far wall. “How perceptive of you.” Jacob turned to face William again. “The all-white werewolf that healed you is called Physis and she is Ares’ mate.”
“Ares isn’t the alpha of his pack how can he have a mate?”
Jacob smiled at William’s perception. “You speak, of course, of the fact that only alpha male wolves mate within a pack?” William nodded in assent. Jacob continued, “If you remember I said one of our most important rules is the formation of our packs. Next to that law all other laws and rules, both human and wolf, are bent or broken to preserve our culture’s number one rule of pack construction and integrity.”
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William was completely lost. “Wait a minute, you mean that you people have a set of laws for this place? You have a constitution for the United City of Werewolves?” William tried to hide his smile but he couldn’t.
Jacob wasn’t laughing, “Our laws are kept by the Elders, me. Mr. Davis is human born while Physis is wolf born. Human born and wolf born don’t mate, it just doesn’t happen. She wanted Ares. Ares agreed and the union was accepted by their alpha. Maintaining our population is a concern but we do not force our females to breed if they do not wish too.” Jacob looked like he was telling a four-year-old child not to grab his drink off the coffee table… for the seventh time that day.
William lowered his eyes to the floor. William felt the sudden urge to crawl into a hole somewhere and not come out for five or six months.
“What’s wrong, William? No jokes?”
“I’m sorry, sir I meant no disrespect.”
“I would hope so, being that I could rip your arms off and beat you with them.”
The thought of Jacob beating him over the head with his own disembodied arms was disturbing at best, but he couldn’t help the small bark of laughter escape his lips.
“I’m not so terrible either.” Jacob smiled and began walking around the room with his one hand in his pocket. “Actually, I’m really quite surprised that more shape shifters haven’t come to visit you. It’s not every day that we get a new werewolf in the city.”
William let himself relax a little bit. “Why would anyone come and visit me? I’m not so special, am I?”
Jacob smiled at the question, “You really believe that there is nothing special about you?” Jacob intentionally looked up and down William’s six-foot-high frame. “I heard about your little tussle with Ares in the tower. You have amazing stamina, even for a werewolf.” William accepted the compliment and allowed himself to smile. He supposed that he was fairly enduring, but he had gotten the crap kicked out of him by Ares. “Even so, most of the shape shifters here are naturally curious. I have heard people talk about you nonstop ever since you arrived.” He was lost in some memory or other and he started talking to the black polished walls. “When I was still a pup, we used to see new werewolves in our city every other week it seemed. Now though, we are lucky to see a new werewolf every month.” Jacob turned back toward William.
William regarded the Elder. “Could I go out and visit other werewolves?”
Jacob smiled at the pointed question. “I assume you wish to go see Aceso?”
William tried to keep his facial features smooth. But he couldn’t hide his desire to see his alpha and his face was as easy to read as a book. Jacob saw the hope written there on William’s face but he shook his head and looked toward the ground. William was crestfallen. His shoulders slumped and his eyes drooped toward the floor as well.
“Unfortunately, no, you can’t see Aceso. And you won’t be able to see her for some time. She is still serving her penance for what she did to you.”
“You mean accepting ‘my oath’? What does that even mean, anyway?”
Jacob breathed a deep sigh and looked William in his eyes. William had a hard time looking back. When he did, he felt the same immense weight of time and power pressing down on him. It was the same feeling that he had felt when he had looked into Ansuya’s eyes.
“William, we shape shifters have a very rigid way of doing things. The most important thing we hold to is how we form our packs. I’m sure that you have been told about your little trip into the Whyte Plain?”