"I really don't know what to say, or even if that's possible," Huan Li was saying after having heard Acharya's deal that was struck with the Bultungin Matriarch. "We have no real say over what the other Cities do, it was hard enough getting any support at all for us, but this…?" Huan Li shook his head.

Acharya never let his smile fall from his lips. "Huan, this is bigger than all of us, and I have every faith that the other Cities will see the benefit of having other Shape shifters in our cities, learning from us, aiding us when needed. This only makes us stronger and with our combined strengths, we can offset our weaknesses, against the vampires and any other threat. Maybe even against the Shadows and the Whyte plain."

"A nickel doesn't make a dollar," Huan Li said.

"It does if you add ninety five cents to it, or one hundred and fifty Bultungin fighters, in this case," Acharya responded.

Huan Li was tired. After his grueling trek up north with Keva, everything they had been through with the Berserkers, and then having just as hard and arduous a trip back, heading east back to India through the Whyte Plain. They had only encountered two groups of shadows, but even one group was enough to sap his strength these days. He hated being old.

"When the other werewolf Shape shifter packs arrive, we will discuss it with them. Unless they bring an Elder or two with them, which may be the case, they won't be able to turn down the offer from a city Elder outright. We'll just have to make them see the logic in this decision and pray that they understand what's at stake for accepting the deal, and what's at risk if they don't."

A commotion rose up from the outside courtyard of the villa where they were staying. Huan Li and Acharya rushed out to the balcony to see what was going on.

The night was sultry. The moon and stars were hidden by a thick and angry blanket of clouds that had decided to disgorge their water on Agra where they were staying, exiles from their home under the Mountain.

Standing in the open courtyard was Ansuya, Aceso who had shifted back into her native wolf form, and her pack, they made it back with their pack intact, in fact they had brought a few more with them, one wolf and one man who Huan would guess to be in his mid-thirties or early forties.

Ansuya was already moving to the villa that Huan and Acharya were standing in. The rest of the pack followed, with the two new comers in tow. The group swept into the house and Huan waited from them to climb the stairs.

The French double doors into the room swung open and Ansuya swept in with the whole group in tow. Even though she had a healthy amount of rain water dropped on her in the courtyard, she maintained her dignity and grace and carried herself as if she hadn't been rained on at all.

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Ansuya nodded to Acharya, and swept her gaze over to Keva who had up to that point remained silent. Ansuya nodded to the Alpha. Keva nodded in return but to William something seemed off about the redhaired Enforcer.

Before William could ask anything, Aceso having shifted back into her werewolf form spoke, "Elder Li, I am sorry, but we failed in our mission."

Huan Li raised an eyebrow towards Ansuya, but nodded to Aceso to continue, "When we left and entered into the Whyte Plain, we were ambushed by a large group of Shadows…"

Over the next hour, Aceso retold their story of being rescued on a cargo slave ship, fighting their way free, their involvement with American federal agents, their meeting Celestino and the tribal councils, and finally meeting Thom and Dutch and bringing them back. She told of how they ran into several small groups of Shadows on their way back to India. She was especially proud of their newcomer Dutch who fought just as hard as any of them and his strength seemed to match even William's. Thom had also proved to be a competent fighter and had proved himself as well.

When the Alpha finished, she held the Elder's gaze, "I'm sorry we were not able to bring the natives to our cause. We seem to have lost, for the time at least, a connection to our past and the promised allies that you had hoped we would bring back into the fold."

Huan Li smiled as he and Ansuya shared a glace between them, "Aceso, don't be too hard on yourself. The fact that you have made some contact and even brought back a native Shape shifter speaks to your success, more than a failure. It is better than even I and Keva were able to do. We met the Berserkers of the bear clan in the frozen north and we were refused aid outright. The choices of others should never be a burden on you. I am very proud of you, and you should be too. It sounds like you and your pack were put through a lot. The fact that all of you are standing here, even young Amanda, is a testament to your leadership and the strength of your pack."

Aceso nodded, "Thank you Elder."

"Are we strong enough to make our assault on House Dukart?" William asked. "I don't see any more allies than we had before we left."

Acharya smiled and shook his head, "William, don't sound so pessimistic. We have allies ready to aid us when the time is right. We will meet them in Los Angeles when we are ready to move."

"Meet them?" William asked.

Acharya just smiled.

Huan Li said, "Acharya and his pack has been able to secure the aid of the Bultungin." William and Aceso and her whole pack, including the newcomers looked very confused as the name didn't register. Huan continued, "The Bultungin are Shape shifters that are human born, but when they shift, they shift into a full hyena form, not like our werewolf form at all, but fully into a hyena."

"Great, so we have a bunch of mangy, poaching dogs helping us, how could we fail?" Nicolas scoffed.

Acharya cocked his head to the side, "Do you have any idea how strong the jaws of a hyena are? How much pressure they can bring to bear in a single bite?" Nicolas shook his head. "Eleven hundred pounds per square inch. A Pitbull, a dog bread for pit fighting, can only bring two hundred and thirty-five pounds of pressure per square inch. A Great White shark? They can only bring six hundred and twenty-five. In hyena form, one of them snapped Mary's leg in half, crushing it like she was biting into a ripe strawberry. I've seen them fight, and I vouch for their abilities. So, show a little respect."

Nicolas rolled his eyes and idly waved his hand.

Ansuya, wanting to get back on track, asked, "How will they meet us? Surely, they won't be flying into Los Angles commercially?"

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