The Chronicles of Moon

Packhouse

Moon reluctantly walks out of the clinic with Colin. Before leaving, she checked on Johnny, and Chris looked awful; Moon was sure he had been crying a bit. Chris was holding Johnny’s hand and refused to leave at all. The nurse who took Moon’s blood promised to look after Johnny and Chris and let her know if anything changed.

As they walk to the SUV, Moon Hopes that staying here won’t be as bad as she thinks it will be. She hates being away from home and everyone she knows. She feels out of place and even more awkward than she normally does.

Colin opens the car door and helps Moon up into the seat. She still soar, and the thought of taking a long and very hot shower is all Moon can think about. Colin has been quiet as usual as they drive down the streets of Colin’s pack, and Moon takes in how similar it is to hers. It has the same small-town feeling, but it is clearly much larger. Moon wonders how he was able to accomplish so much so quickly.

“I have to ask, how did you do all this?” Moon asks in awe as they drive down the central part of town.

Colin smirks, “It wasn’t that hard. The town was here and belonged to my uncle. He didn’t have anyone to take over for him as alpha, so I did. Then I just added to the town.”

“But they say you started your pack from nothing?” Moon is confused.

“It was a small pack, and my uncle was a bit like Alpha Mark, I guess. He didn’t associate with other packs until most forgot he and his pack existed. I just brought it back from the dead, so to speak.” Colin remarks.

“But why?” Moon keeps looking out the window at the passing buildings turning to houses.

“Why what?” Now it’s Colin who is confused, looking at Moon from the corner of his eye. Something about how she is looking out the window in wonder of his pack makes him feel something he has never felt. It’s like a warmth in his chest.

“Well, you are the oldest right? Why didn’t you inherit your pack?” Moon asks the question innocently enough, but Colin visibly stiffens.

“It’s complicated.” Colin’s tone is so cold Moon turns to look at him.

“I’m sorry I was just wondering.” Moon starts, but Colin cuts her off.

“It’s fine. I just don’t want to talk about it.” Colin’s bristly tone is more emotion than he usually shows, and Moon goes back to looking out the window.

The rest of the ride was silent, and Moon watched the cute little houses go by. Moon knew they must have reached the packhouse when they started down the long driveway. The perfect lawn on both sides of the paved drive leading up to the large pack house reminded Moon that Colin’s pack and hers were not on the same level.

The packhouse is like one in all of the stories gramps would tell her about. Giant packhouses full of wolves all living together in them. she had always wondered what that would be like. Living with so many wolves was a strange idea to Moon. It had just been her, gramps, and Ben’s family in their tiny packhouse, and Moon was sure this place was fifty times bigger.

Moon looked in awe as they pulled up to the house, the red brick walkway and steps leading up to the large dark oak doors. All Moon could think as she looked up at the three-story house was how lost she would get.

Colin had gotten out of the car and opened her door as she continued to half gawk at the building. Colin smirks at her again as she gets out of the car.

“Come, I’ll take you to a guest room. You can have a tour later.” Colin seems in a hurry to get Moon to her room, and Moon follows him quickly.

They get to the second floor and head down the hall till they reach a room all the way at the end. “I think this will do. I had some clothes brought up here all ready.” Colin opens the door, and Moon steps inside. Before she can say anything, Colin turns and heads back down the hall.

Moon just shakes her head and bows a puff of air out her nose. He can be the rudest and most frustrating person she has ever met. Moon starts to look around the clean white room with soft pink bedding. She loves the bright and clean look of the room, and as she wanders around opening doors, she finds the closet and sees some clothes that look her size. She wonders how Colin knows what size she wears.

Moon finds the bathroom and smiles happily as she looks at the large shower. Thankful to finally get clean. She walks into the bathroom seeing the soft, light pink towels on the white counter. She gets the shower going, and it quickly starts to steam up the glass shower walls.

Moon carefully takes the borrowed shirt off. She didn’t think about it when she put it on, but the plain black shirt had the faint smell of chocolate and coffee. Once she was undressed, she got in the shower. The hot water felt so good, and the dry crusts of blood started melting off her skin. She must have scrubbed her hands three or four times just trying to get all of Johnny’s blood off her. She knows she needs to get to a phone and call Ben; that is a conversation she isn’t looking forward to.

As Moon washes and soaks in hot water, she thinks over everything that has happened and what she will tell Ben. She knows for sure those were definitely not rogues that attacked them, but if they weren’t rogues, then who were they?

Moon finishes her shower and dries off, wrapping the town around herself as she heads to the closet. She finds some comfy-looking leggings and a simple tank top. She is happy to see all the underwear is new.

Once dressed, she heads back to the bathroom, looking for a brush. She stops and looks in the mirror at the cut on her head. To her amazement, it is healed; Moon wonders if Doc could be right and if she does have a wolf. If she does, why is it late?

Moon gets her hair brushed out and even finds a hairdryer. Once she is done drying her hair, she heads back out of her room. She needs to find a phone and call Ben. He needs to know what happened.

Moon is in the hall, and if she recalls all of gramp’s stories, the alpha and beta wings of packhouses are on the top floor, and that is where an office will be, and she can call Ben. Moon heads down the hall and up the stairs. She knows it’s rude not to ask, but Moon isn’t really thinking much about if she’s being rude or not. There was no phone in her room, and her cell got left in the truck. Moon is sure Ben must be worried that he can’t reach her or any of the men.

Heading up the stairs, Moon starts down the hall looking for any open door that looks like an office. Lucky for her, the second door she came to is open and very clearly an office. Moon peeked her head in, but no one was there. On the desk was a phone and she hurried to it sitting on the desk.

The office looks like it is never used. Everything is so neat and clean. Nothing is on the dark wood desk except a business magazine. There is nothing to show whose office it is. She picks up the phone and dials home.

As it rings, she picks up the magazine and, looking at it, rolls it up nervously in her hands. Then the receiver is pulled from her hand and slammed down. The growl beside her startles her. A large man is growling in her face. Moon takes the rolled-up magazine and swats the man in the nose. The ringing laughter from the door startles both of them. What is more astonishing is who is laughing; it’s Colin.