BK 4 - Chapter 30 - The Hidden Tribe
"This is so infuriating. All of these laws just make me angry. Why can't we just make a law that states everyone needs to treat others how they would want to be treated? We shouldn't have to have a law to keep people from killing us." Lisa banged her fist on the table in outrage. Jayce stood behind her rubbing her shoulders. They had been going through laws for hours but hadn't found anything to help them. They both looked up when there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Lisa asked, not wanting to get up.
"Wesley and Mindy," They heard Wesley say.
"Come in; it's unlocked," Lisa replied. Mindy, followed by Wesley, walked in carrying bags of food.
"We figured you might be hungry, and we know you forget to eat when you're hard at work," Mindy said with a smile. Lisa jumped up and hugged her.
"Thank you. I'm starving, and I'm sure Jayce is too." She said. When she let go of Mindy, she hugged Wesley.
"I'm so glad you're here. We have been going through these laws forever, and there's nothing there that can help us. I hope the others are having better luck with the tribes." Lisa said as they all took a seat and dug into the food Mindy and Wesley brought.
"That's another reason why we're here. I've found a few laws that I believe may be of help. In 2007 the United Nations declared the rights of Indigenous Peoples. This established a framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of indigenous peoples and elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples. This did not impose legal obligations on the government. However, in 2016, the Organization of American States ratified the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This law recognizes a suite of human and civil rights relative to the first peoples of the Americas." Wesley looked up from the document he was reading and saw Lisa and Jayce beaming at him.
"See, this right here is why I love you, Uncle Wesley. You always come through when we need you the most." Lisa said before taking a bite of her sandwich.
"How can we make it so shifters, vampires, and witches are included in these laws?" Jayce asked.
"That's where we're going to need to rely on Alex, Dustin, and their mates. Whatever information they can find at the reservations will be crucial in connecting us to the indigenous tribes. In the meantime, we can work on picking apart the nuts and bolts of these laws and write something preliminary. What do you think?" Wesley questioned Lisa and Jayce.
"I agree. We'll work on that as soon as we're done eating." Lisa replied while taking a bite of macaroni salad. When everyone was finished eating, they stayed at the kitchen table. They began taking out pieces of the laws that could benefit them. It was going to be a long process, but they were all dedicated to completing what Roger had started.
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New Mexico
Dustin and Breanne took a quick flight from Sacramento to Albuquerque, New Mexico. They rented a car at the airport to use while they were there and to drive back to California through Arizona. They checked into a hotel and pulled up the locations of several reservations nearby. Brianna was feeling sick from being newly marked, so they decided to stay in their room and make a plan, then head out in the morning when she would hopefully be feeling better.
"I feel horrible that I'm the one holding us up. You can start without me," Breanne said, lying on the bed shaking with chills. Dustin closed the laptop and wrapped his arms around her.
"No way am I leaving you here alone. I marked you, and I'm staying by your side. You should feel better tomorrow. You don't have any regrets do you?" Dustin asked, kissing her forehead. He hated seeing her so sick but was glad they were on their way to being fully mated.
"No regrets. For someone like me who didn't have anyone to rely on until I met Lisa and her family, it's incredible to know that the man I love will be by my side forever. I never thought I would experience love because I didn't think I was good enough. Lisa helped me overcome some of that, but there was still a piece of that girl in my heart that wouldn't go away. Not until you told me you loved me. When you showed up yesterday, it felt like everything I had ever wished for finally came true. I love you, Dustin, and thank you for this incredible life you're giving me." Breanne put her hand on his cheek and looked into his pale blue eyes.
"I love you too. You know, when the werelions rescued me in Rio, I had been kidnapped and taken to be sold. All my family, except my mother, were killed trying to protect me. My mother was taken and experimented on. This crazy scientist was trying to separate our animals from us. I don't know what the purpose was, but he tortured many shifters trying to achieve this. He had just killed my mother when the werelions and others showed up to rescue us. I was so depressed from losing everything I thought there was no coming back. I wanted to die. However, a feisty little blonde lioness smacked some sense into me. I mean literally smacked me hard across the face. Lisa was only five years old and told me my parents would be disappointed if they saw that I was wasting my life. She said I better get up and do something rather than feel sorry for myself. That's when I started taking an interest in law enforcement. I talked to Roger and Trey about it a lot. Lisa can be a brat and annoying and make me want to forget that she's a woman so I can hit her, but she also has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. I don't know where I would have ended up if it wasn't for her. You and I may not have been born into this amazing family, but I don't think we could have asked for anything better." Dustin laid back with Breanne's head on his shoulder. He really owed the family his life.
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Alex, Kiersten, Kele, and Tom were driving to another reservation. Kele told Alex exactly where he needed to go. Everyone, including Tom, was surprised at her accuracy. He started to think he didn't know as much about his mother as he thought.
The reservation was a little over an hour away from Lake County. Alex had never been to that part of Califonia. It was really beautiful, with tall trees, steep mountains, and no people in sight for miles. Kele told them there should be a narrow road to their left when they come to the bottom of a mountain. Alex slowed down and found the road that was barely wide enough for them to drive down.
The road was rough, and it didn't seem like anyone had traveled down it in a long time. When they reached a clearing, there were a couple of old cars parked. Kele said they would need to get out and walk the rest of the way. Alex parked off to the side and helped Kiersten out of the SUV. They let Kele and Tom lead them.
"Mom, are you sure we're in the right place? It doesn't seem like anyone's here." Tom spoke quietly as they walked down an overgrown path.
"I can feel them. They're still here." Kele replied. She wouldn't say any more, but Tom noticed she began smiling more the further they walked. She suddenly stopped.
"Osiyo. (Hello)" Kele spoke in a language Alex and Kiersten didn't know.
"Gado digwvnhdi jaduli? (What do you want?)" Alex watched in fascination as Kele and a man he couldn't see conversed. It seemed to take forever before she stopped and turned to them.
"They'll let us through. This is an old tribe that still follows some of the ancient ways. Many people, including the white man, don't know they're here, and they want to keep it that way." Kele said as they began walking again. After a few yards, there was a large weeping willow tree that made a curtain. Walking through it, Alex and Tom couldn't believe their eyes. It was as if they had taken a step back in time.
There were teepees and small huts made of mud and wood. In the middle, there was an enormous fire pit. Several men were standing before them, wearing nothing but loin clothes. Women and children were behind them, also wearing little to no clothing. Alex felt like crying. Why did he feel like he knew these people? It was as though a piece of him had returned home.
"Hello, my friends. I have brought these young people here to get answers. They are part of us. This man is a grizzly shapeshifter whose mate is carrying his cub." Kele spoke loudly with authority. Alex and Kiersten had assumed the tribe didn't speak English, but the gasps they heard from everyone told them they were mistaken.
"How do we know this isn't a trick to get us to tell you all our secrets?" A tall, muscular man stepped forward. Alex stared at the man in disbelief. He looked familiar but how?
"I promise you we only hope to get information to help our kind. People are trying to hunt and kill us. My family is in danger, and we want to keep everyone safe." Alex replied, squeezing Kiersten's hand. He watched as the tribe seemed to have a private conversation without saying anything.
The men suddenly turned to a woman who was behind them. She slowly walked forward with her eyes on Alex. He couldn't move as she came toward him. She looked like she was in her late forties or early fifties. She had long dark brown hair and huge brown eyes. Alex felt his heart rate speed up the closer she got to them. She had tears streaming down her face when she stopped and looked up at him. He didn't know why, but he felt like hugging her.
"My name is Yona. What is yours?" She asked with a soft voice that broke Alex's heart.
"Alex." He replied, unable to say more. Yona suddenly dropped to her knees, crying in pain. Alex knelt down next to her and held her as she cried. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with pain.
"Alex. I am your mother."
