Pack Trip

Our clothes are grey. Like it is outside. Raining and grey. It puts me in a poor mood. Jordan’s in a poor mood too though for a different reason. Mother, father, Amy, Conner, and Hollynn do a trip to Blackwood ever year. They invited me along. They said we could invite friends, so I asked Jordan to join. Hollyne asked Cheryl, but she’s staying at with her mom this week in a Plaza in the city. She’s been sending me pictures of cocktail party’s, and fashion shows. Alice heard and insured Jordan bring her along. Being a friend of Amy, who have gotten close over time, especially since I started babysitting the both of them. She was allowed to come. Jordan’s dad was taking her in another car. The van could fit all of us. I leaned on Jordan’s shoulder. We had hunted last night. I had gotten stabbed in the leg. It wasn’t deep, but I had a limp, and the normally calm Jordan was pissed. On top of that Jackson had cornered Raina in the store again. I was about to kill him myself at this point. He didn’t hurt her, but he did spit a bunch of insults until he got kicked out. Jordan’s eyes kept switching back, and forth. No one noticed yet. We stopped at an Inn. The hotel we where staying had all you could eat breakfast. It was old stone. Pretty. The second I was outside in fresh air I sniffed around. Circling the cars. Jordan’s dad saw what I was doing, and helped me pretend to help carry stuff. (Me and Jordan were the strongest ones here anyway).

“Char?” Jordan say. With the gas I hadn’t smelled it at first, but there was no denying it.

“Alice stay with your dad.” I tell her.

“What’s that smell?” She asks. I don’t answer. I go, and stand next to Jordan. We’re in another wolfs territory. And there are a lot of them. It’s customary for an Alpha to meet with another Alpha when staying for an extended period of time. Some packs are more violent to strangers than others. More wolves meant more dead body’s, less food, more hunters. We’re territorial creatures.

“Only hunt cattle for now.” I had seen some down the road. Taking note for this exact reason.

“Me, and Charlotte are going to visit that cafe down the road.”

“You two can go on a date in the morning. Let’s unpack, and get some sleep.” Mother said. The sun was setting.

“She’s right.” I address Jordan. “You can hang out with your family tonight. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” Father asks. I don’t answer. I speed walk down the road. I pass a wolf-shifter. Who stands protectively in front of the human they’re walking with. A mate maybe. Don’t worry I’m not hunting. I run once I reach trees. The sent gets stronger. I shift. I pass a wolf-shifter in wolf form. I shift human once I reach a series of caving in the side of a mountain. I look for a meeting place. In one of the caves is a carpet, and a desk with a log book. A curtain blocks an opening into another cave.

“You want to meet with the Alpha.” Someone asks. A familiar looking person. Tall, feminine, wearing camouflage, and a grey wolf mask.

“Yes.” I assume they’re the Alpha’s assistant. Cypress, and Raina both share this role. Scheduling meetings. Typically with other pack members about problems.

“Another Alpha hasn’t met with ours in a long time. Linley. She, her.”

“Charlotte.” She moves back a black curtain. There’s a series of rugs, and pillows on the floor. On a pile of pillows is who I assume is the Alpha.

“Vixen?” I rush forward. My mistake. I shifter in wolf form gets between us. Growling. My eyes change. I crouch.

“Enough. Percy.” I walk around Percy.

“I’m Alpha Vixen.” I tilt my head like a dog. She doesn’t remember me?

“Vix it’s me Charlotte.” I say. “From the RedCreek pack.” I see a flurry of emotions cross her face. Her tear filled eyes are green.

“Oh pup.”

“You can’t really believe her Alpha. The RedCreek pack is gone.” Someone speaks up.

“Clearly not.” I snap. I don’t like being talked about like I’m not here. There are two others on the pillows besides Percy, and Linley. Feminine. One with dark hair, one with light hair. All five of them are around the same age. About seven years older than me. I’m almost nineteen now.

“I’m sorry about him. If you want I can-“

“It’s good to see you Vixen.” I lower my head. She does the same.

“Your Alpha now?”

“My parents are gone. They’re only two of us.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry. Sit, sit. Tell me what happened.” I do. When I’m done she says. “A whole pack. As big as ours. Gone.”

“A third has joined my pack.” I say.

“I looked I couldn’t find a trace of you.” I grew up with Vixen. Her parents also Alphas of a town. That has changed places since last I visited. That happens sometimes with hunters. Every couple seasons. She’s the Alpha of the wolf-shifters, and humans in the know in this town. Many moved from their old town with her. Her mother used to be mayor of Shoreshine. She was good at fishing in her wolf form. I was not. Blackwood is filled with valleys, Rocky Mountain landscapes, and thick forests. Wolves will change territory too. She is no mayor but she seeps leadership, as she did before. Even more so. I remember when she started taking up her parents jobs as Alpha’s. Visiting more often after she turned eighteen. Being diplomatic. After I turned eighteen we had a match to see who was the better fighter. Despite being the smaller wolf I won. That had been the last time I had seen her. About half a year before my pack’s deaths.

“I’ve been staying in FallenGreen. Sharing territory with that pack.”

“How many are there in total?”

“Three RedCreek wolves including me, two FallenGreen wolves. One is a child though. Cypress is alive.” She wasn’t very close to him but her eyes brighten in recognition. “The FallenGreen Alpha is my mate. A new wolf-shifter. He’s here with his sister.”

“They have safe passage here of course. You’ll need to point out all those under protection.” I nod. “I want to meet your pack.”

“They can get here in a day.” I assume they’ll skip school for this. If not we can rain check. Thunder rumbles over head.

“I have to return to my mate.” I say getting up. She wraps me in a hug. She’s like family. And she knows what it’s like to loose your parents. I slip into the night. I point out the sent of those off limits, showing pictures. The word will spread. I jump to a low hanging roof, going in though the open window. I crawl into bed with Jordan.