The Wolf Folk Series: The Rebuilding Of A World

Mr. Meese stood in front of the Warrior formation and said, "I welcome you to Washington and I am confident you will protect me and all those whom I hold dear." He then continued in mind speech, "Yes, I mind speak as all you do, I am not Wolf, but I am the proud father of a Wolf, your Commander, Wolf Warrior Commander James Meese. You are Warriors, not servants, nor errand boys! We have reason to believe there are those who wish myself and the President dead. I ask that you Warriors make sure they fail. Barracks have been established for you in the basement of this building, The White House, and I am temporarily living there also, along with my wife, James' Mother. Please think of me as an Uncle and I promise I will learn each of your names. I have never been so impressed with a group of Warriors as I am with you, the Warriors commanded by my only son! Welcome to Washington!"

Warrior Commander James Meese Tate was an instant celebrity among those in and about the Nation's Capital and his Warriors were frequently seen escorting Mr. Edgar Meese, the Secretary of State, as he went about the Nation's business.

As in the past, the rumor mill in Washington was alive and well, there were whispers that the ceremonial warriors were anything but ceremonial and that they were some kind of magical wolves.

There were those who had met those same wolves before and not in a good way. They knew exactly what those wolves were and what they could do.

Most of their kind departed Washington that same day, telling their bosses that they quit. They had met those warriors before and barely survived, they weren't going to give them a second chance to make dog meat out of them!

The underworld, was used to manipulating officials of the American Government to suit themselves, they decided they were going to retaliate, they intended on maintaining their stranglehold on the United States and its Government.

They felt that something like a few tame dogs was not going to keep them from their profits! They figured they could end their troubles if they got rid of the leader of these so-called wolves.

Warrior Guard Commander James Meese was making his last rounds for the night when he caught the flicker of movement just outside the emergency fire door from his Father's office.

He opened the door to investigate and he was immediately jumped by six burly men, thugs and enforcers for the criminals who had infiltrated the government.

The next morning, the secretaries coming to work, came in screaming that there were naked dead men hanging by their heels from the cherry trees outside. Their throats had been sliced open and there was a pool of dried blood on the lawn beneath the hanging bodies!

Warrior James Meese Tate was standing inside his father's office. The elder Meese said, "Did you…"

Warrior Leader James Meese replied, "Ask me no questions, it is better that you do not know, for, if you ask of me, I will have to tell you the truth."

The event made national headlines, "Businessmen found hanging on White House Grounds, their necks brutally slashed!"

The President asked his staff, most said they didn't know anything about it.

The Secretary of State asked the President, "What were those businessmen doing here in the middle of the night?"

That was a question the President of the United States would not dare to answer!

The next night was much the same, except the group of thugs was much larger. The result, however, was the same, the secretaries reported there were twenty naked bodies hanging in the trees by their heels and their necks were ripped open, like some savage beast had killed them!

This time, an enterprising reporter had snagged a few pictures before the Capitol Police had run him off. Those pictures made every major newspaper in the country and most of the smaller ones, also!

The President was in his office screaming at the Chief of the Capitol Police, telling him to catch those murderers or he was fired!

The Police Chief came out of the President's Office growling and muttering to himself.

Warrior Leader Meese Tate was walking through the corridor and he fell in beside the angry policeman. He asked, "Been a rough morning?"

The Police Chief replied, "Hell yes it's been a rough morning, twenty dead men out on the front lawn and the President in here screaming at me to put a stop to it! Hell if I know what to do, but how did the President know the names of those dead guys anyway?"

James raised his eyebrows in question and the Police Chief continued, "He knew who they all were and who they worked for. Damned if I can figure it out! Maybe it's time I should retire? I'm getting too old to take all this crap!"

The next two nights there were no further bodies decorating the trees in front of the White House and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, hoping the problem had gone away.

It had not, the next night there were twenty more bodies hanging from the trees, all dressed in Capitol Police uniforms. The problem was, none of them were members of the Capitol Police Force!

The "fat was in the fire" now. The dead bodies were no longer news, the fact that the dead bodies were dressed in Capitol Police uniforms made the headlines!

The President was in his office talking to himself and the Elder Meese was beginning to have an idea about what was going on.

He mind called his son, asking him to come to his office for a "little chat". James knew the "game was up", while his father could mind speak, he did not have a wolf's mind shields and his father's mind was leaking like a sieve.

He stepped into his father's office, closing the door as he said, "Dad, any questions you ask, I WILL answer truthfully, make sure that you are ready for my answers."

The man sat in his chair thinking and finally he asked, "Are all the killings done now?"

Warrior Commander James Meese replied, "No sir."

Secretary Meese groaned and asked, "How many more?"

James replied, "Just one, sir"

Edgar Meese replied, "I hope it is taken care of tonight, so we don't have to call the Vice President back from his vacation."

James smiled and replied, "I would expect that might be a problem, sir. Is that all you needed?"

Edgar said, "Yes, that is all I needed to know. Thank you."

As soon as his son left, the Secretary of State walked down the hall and knocked on the President's door.

The next morning, the White House Servants were in an uproar, they had discovered the President dead on the floor of his office. He had shot himself sometime during the night in the head and died instantly.

When Edgar Meese learned of the incident, he sat in his chair and prayed, "Great Lord of Wolves Above Us All, I am but a human, but I give you thanks and praise for my son, Warrior Commander James Meese Tate, a Wolf Warrior. Protect and guide him for all his days."

Vice President Richard Mason became President of the United States after the suicide of the President and Mr. Edgar Meese was asked to serve as the Vice President.

The new Vice President elected to retain his ceremonial guard and his son, Warrior Guard Commander James Meese Tate continued guarding his father, now the Vice President of the United States.

Things were very different under President Mason, an orderly housecleaning was undertaken and, as certain individuals were fired from their positions in the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, there was a mad rush of second and third level bureaucrats applying for early retirement.

All of a sudden, the various Departments of the National Government began to work more smoothly and at a greatly reduced cost.

For the first time in longer than anyone could remember, departments had budget surpluses at the end of each fiscal year!

James Meese Tate was an enigma to the White House Secretaries, he never dated, although he was reputed to have a young son living somewhere in North Carolina. Several letters had come for him postmarked Cashiers, NC.

Finally a young secretary, Vivian Nash, got up courage to ask the imposing man about is son. The young woman did not know she was a mind-speaker and she was radiating like a searchlight.

James smiled at the young woman and said, "My son was one of the children rescued by my folk from Eastern Mongolia. He is fifteen now and will soon be an adult among us."

The young woman replied, "You're folk?"

James had decided that he had enough "pussy-footing" around, so he replied, "Yes, Miss Nash, my folk are the Wolf Kind."

The young woman's eyes got huge and said in a quivering voice, "yu yu You mean llllike werewolves?"

James laughed, "Well maybe. There are no such things as werewolves. Legends about Werewolves came about by some of the Human Kind seeing my folk way back in the past. We can shift our shape to look and act like wolves, but we are descended from the same people as you humans. We are shape shifters."

He continued, "My folk made a pledge more than ten thousand years ago that we would never hurt an honest human, nor allow harm to come to one. We still honor that pledge, however, those who hurt other humans have given up their own humanity and we will take them out in a heartbeat."

The young woman was intrigued, in spite of her fear, and asked, "You have wolves for parents?"

James was having a hard time keeping a straight face as he answered, "No, my father is Edgar Meese and his wife is my mother. I was born of the human kind, but my war injuries were so severe, in order to save my life, Lord Jeremiah, our High Alpha Wolf, allowed those who had assisted him in saving me to change me to the wolf kind."

Vivian Nash asked, "What is a High Alpha?"

James smiled at her and replied, "He is our leader, think of him as a King."

It suddenly struck her, "How did you know my name?"

He laughed and said, "From you, your mind is radiating like a searchlight, our kind are mind speakers and so are many humans. Evidently, you are one of those humans."

Vivian sat down in a nearby chair, thinking, "He is so handsome, if only I was a wolf like him……….."

She nearly fainted when she heard in her mind, "It is possible, we would have to ask permission of Lord Jeremiah. You are a very lovely woman…."

It soon became common knowledge that Vivian Nash and Wolf Warrior Guard Commander James Meese Tate were dating.

Vice President Meese was sitting in his office when his son, Warrior Commander James Meese Tate knocked on the door. Edgar answered, "Come" and his son came in the door.

It was obvious James was upset and Edgar moved over to the couch and motioned for his son to sit beside him. James was so upset, his shields were leaking like sieves, he said, "Dad, I got troubles and I don't know what to do."

Edgar smiled and said, "Miss Vivian Nash, perhaps?"

James replied, "I guess my own shields are leaking now, huh?"

Edgar laughed, "Yup, like a lighthouse!"

James said, "Well, Dad, what do I do about it?"

Edgar hugged his son and said, "Well, first ya had best go talk with your young woman, then you both need to high tail it up to Cashiers and explain yourselves to Lord Jeremiah."

James was out of the room in a flash and was running at wolf speed down the halls of the White House in search of Vivian Nash. He left a trail of frightened secretaries and upset paperwork as he headed for the Secretarial Pool. He was radiating so heavily, Vivian was standing back from the door, knowing it was going to burst open any second.

It did! A grinning Wolf Warrior burst through the door and held her in his arms.

He convinced her that they had to go right now, he would take his father's car and they were going to Cashiers to speak with Lord High Alpha Jeremiah Franklin Tate.

Edgar had stretched his mind-speaking capabilities to their ultimate and had reached Lord Jeremiah. He apprised him of what was going on and asked the Wolf Lord to be easy on his son and future daughter-in-law.

At first, Jeremiah was astounded that Edgar Meese could send that distance and then, he could hardly contain his laughter at the antics of Warrior Commander James Meese Tate!

Edgar sent, "Please My Lord, if you must say no, let them down gently. I love my son more than life itself and I would not have him hurt!"

Jeremiah replied, "Why would I say no? Warrior Commander James is one of my finest Warriors and, if he says this is the woman he wishes for his mate, then, who am I to disagree! Of course, I will do as he asks and do it gladly!"

Later that afternoon, the young couple arrived at Jeremiah's office and James knocked timidly on Jeremiah's door.

Jeremiah knew who was outside his door and he stepped to the door and opened it himself. His huge smile told James that all was well, they stepped into the office and James dropped to his knee, "My Lord High Alpha Wolf, I beg thy assistance. This Human Woman is whom I wish as my Life Mate, we beg your permission that she be made wolf."

Vivian copied what James had done and she said, "Sir, I do not know your customs or your laws, but I beg you to allow me to marry this man eer wolf and bear his children. I will do whatever is needed to be his mate. He and only he can I love."

Jeremiah pulled them both to standing and led them over to the couch, placing one of them on both sides of him. He said first to James, "Does she know that she must be changed and it cannot be reversed, once done?"

Vivian answered before James could even open his mouth, "Lord Jeremiah, why would I wish to reverse being married to James, he is my Life Mate; that means for so long as we both shall live."

Jeremiah smiled and said to the young woman, "Have you any idea how long that could be?"

Vivian shook her head in a "No" and Jeremiah continued, "I am a young wolf yet, I am only three hundred and fifty years old. My Father is over two thousand years of age and his father is living still at twenty-eight hundred years."

Vivian, slightly addled at what the Wolf Lord had said, just smiled and said, "All the more time to spend with my love, James Meese Tate!"

Lord Jeremiah replied, "So it shall be, even though thy Father still lives, I adopted thee when I stood donor of your change. So also will I adopt thy mate, Vivian. Therefore, let all know that there shall be a wedding in my House, I, Lord High Alpha Wolf, High Alpha of all the Wolf Clans of the New World do announce the wedding of my son Prince James Edgar Meese Tate, Warrior Commander of Wolves, to my daughter, Vivian Alice Nash, who, after her change, shall be known as Wolf Princess Vivian Alice Nash Tate. May The Great Lord of Wolves above us all, bless what we shall do here!"

Jeremiah stood and gently took Vivian's hand, saying, "My Dear, let us retire to the infirmary, your change shall require a week to accomplish."

He turned to James and said, "My son, thee may not accompany us, this is for thy Mate and myself, only. I shall return her to you in one week from this day and I charge thee to arrange for a ROYAL WEDDING to take place the next day. All in Wolfdom are invited to witness the marriage of my children Prince James and Princess Vivian. I have said this, so it shall be!"

James had to sit down before his knees flatly refused to obey him. He was shaking so badly, he could only speak in stutters. Lord Tosco's Secretary, Shirley came over to the shaking young Wolf Warrior and led him downstairs to the cafeteria.

She had observed and been part of conversions before and she was able to answer all of James' questions and still his fears for his newly promised mate. She told him she would standby when Lord Jeremiah returned his loved one to him after her conversion.

James must have been radiating wildly, his mother and father came screaming up the highway from Washington, led by six state highway troopers, their lights and sirens going full blast! His Grandmother was holding on for dear life in the back seat!

When Edgar and his wife understood what was going on, Vice President Edgar Meese and his wife Eleanor Meese decided to remain as guests at Wolf House in Cashiers, North Carolina. James' Grandmother was offered an apartment within the Manor, where she would live for the remainder of her life as a member of the Royal Family of Wolfdom.

It was a long week of waiting and poor James had practically worn a rut in the Infirmary Waiting Room floor, pacing back and forth.

Towards the end of the promised week, he began to hear squeaks and groans he was sure were coming from his beloved Vivian. He began to worry.

His pacing became fierce in his need to be doing SOMETHING! Just when he was sure he was going to burst, a tired Lord High Alpha Jeremiah Franklin Tate emerged from the Infirmary, leading a beautiful woman, who was obviously wolf! Her wolf was seen shimmering just below the surface of her face.

James stood there with his mouth hanging open, just trying to stammer something, ANYTHING! He finally just grabbed her and hugged her to himself, no words were needed! He sat beside her as she made first change and returned to him in her human.

The wedding was to be the next day and all of Wolfdom was invited to attend the wedding of The Lord High Alpha's children! The Great Bell in the Manor Tower mysteriously began to toll on its own.

A steady stream of arrivals had begun that morning and had now reached crisis proportions. Guests were having to be put up in private homes and some were even having to stay down in Charlotte at Greystone Manor! Wolf House Manor was completely filled.

Lord Tosco even made arrangements for the University to open up unused dorm rooms and, finally, they were bedding visitors down on the gymnasium floor!

Wolves came from as far away as Northern Canada and the southern tip of Chile and Argentina! A delegation arrived from South Korea and two wolves arrived from Europe, from a small clan that none had heard from in over ten thousand years! They had come from Scotland.

Shirley was watching over James carefully, but, as the excitement rose, he became more steady and calmer as he greeted all the guests and thanked them for coming.

Lord Jeremiah was referring to James as Prince Warrior Master James Edgar Meese Tate and every time either father OR grandson heard that, their buttons became more endangered!

The wedding was a grand affair that even made notice in the human newspapers.

Lord Warrior Master Jonal confirmed James' promotion to Warrior Master of Wolves publically at the wedding reception and assigned him command of all Wolf Warriors in North America. No longer was he just a Guard Commander!

Vivian was walking on air and every time she looked at her handsome new mate, she had to pinch herself to make sure she was not just dreaming. His kilts were sharply pleated and the silver buttons shone like diamonds. Two young wolves carried his Great Sword and the Pipers piped the couple in and out of the room.

By the time the day was out, the happy couple was worn out and exhausted, and Shirley ushered them out of the reception and to her own apartment that she and her husband had given up for the couple's first night as a married pair.

There will be new emergencies as soon as the new Lord Warrior Master of North America returned to duty. The new found Clan in Scotland needed to be protected and, while most of the problems had been secured in the American Government, there were still a few diehards who would rebel against President Mason's authority.