The Pack - On the Run

Birds chirped loudly in the trees.

I was basked in the warm sun rays, and while their gentle light caressed my exposed skin, the breath that left my mouth created small foggy puffs in front of my face.

It was chilly outside.

I was sitting on the wooden bench on the porch, the cup of now cold tea long forgotten in my hand, and I was staring blankly at the dirt road ahead that vanished somewhere in the trees just at the edge of the woods.

The same road my mum took only a few hours ago.

It felt like a lifetime.

I still didn’t tell Mikey that mum had left us. For one, he was currently sleeping. It was ungodly six in the morning, after all, and two, I really didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t just dump the news on him like that...

I dreaded telling him the truth.

I sighed, leaning my head back so that I was facing the wooden ceiling. It was impossible to believe how shitty my life became in a span of a week. My dad turned into a monster, and we had to go into hiding. Mum abandoned us, and we now found ourselves at the mercy of some strangers who claimed to be werewolves. We had nowhere else to go unless I stole a car. And cash. I suddenly became a sole provider of a seven-year-old boy at the age of eighteen - and I wasn’t ready to do it - so I had to find a job. Something decent and full-time. I had to get used to the idea that I would go furry pretty soon, and I could do nothing about it because, apparently, the cure didn’t exist.

Sheesh, this surely sucked.

I closed my still red and stinging eyes and sniffed my watery nose. I wasn’t crying. I stopped doing that halfway through the night when the tears refused to flow.

Light footsteps interrupted my lone gloomy party. They were followed by the smell of chocolate and the distinct scent of lilac I already recognized.

Rosalynd found me - not that it was difficult.

“Coca?” She asked cocking her head to the side and handing me a cup.

I peeked at her through the lashes, then shrugged. I took a cup and swapped the cold drink for a hot one, but, again, I didn’t drink it. Instead, I leaned forward, holding the cup between my spread legs, and looked back at the woods while the woman rested next to me.

We sat in silence for a minute or two, listening to the birds chirping.

“You know your mother didn’t want to leave?” Rosalynd started, taking a sip of her drink. Coffee, my nose decided.

“Mhm,” I mumbled, my voice bland.

The woman glanced at me from the side with her amber eyes. They were drilling a hole in my head, but I didn’t react. After a second or two, Rosalynd gave up. She sighed.

“Jack had no other choice. He had to drive your mum away. She attacked me, the Luna of the Pack. Under normal circumstances, it usually means death on the spot,” she explained, though it still didn’t make any sense. I had no idea who that Luna was. Nevertheless, the statement finally coaxed a reaction out of me.

“Killing people is not a way to solve problems, you know?” I said, a new emotion kindling alive in my chest.

Anger.

“It is in the world you’re now living in. Most often, anyway. As you can see, there are exceptions... Your mum is one,” Rosalynd countered calmly.

“Well, just fab! And you want me to do what now? Congratulate Jack? He could have just killed her; the outcome would be the same,” I growled. My breaths were heavy and loud, my hands fisted at my lap.

The woman’s eyes flickered yellow and as soon returned back to normal.

“No, it wouldn’t, and you know that. Your mum cannot return to the pack land for reasons she perfectly understands. I know you love her, and your feelings may blind you to the truth, but your family isn’t as innocent as you may think. Your dad wasn’t bitten for no reason. Melinda told us as much before she left.”

“What are you even talking about?” I asked furiously, facing Rosalynd and daggering her with my eyes.

She didn’t like it - the low growl that immediately followed told me as much. But I ignored it. I also ignored the nagging feeling, which prompted me to look away. I didn’t, even though unease tried to override me, crawling my insides raw.

Rosalynd growled again, a bit louder now, her amber eyes ablaze, a beast peeking through it. I snapped my gaze away, and just as suddenly, this feeling inside me subsided. It pissed me off, and I clenched my fists harder at my lap, my nails digging in the soft skin of my palms, drawing blood.

Rosalind sighed and shook her head.

“Your family history is not for me to tell. But you’ve been a part of this world longer than you may think. Your father was a very talented hunter after all,” she said after a pause.

I snapped my gaze back to her, my brows creasing.

“What’s wrong with being a hunter?” I asked, trying to understand whatever she was implying. I was aware my dad used to go on weekend trips with his friends to reduce the population of some animal species. But it was done within government regulations. Nothing out of the usual.

Rosalynd smirked, though her smile was bitter.

“It depends on what you’re hunting,” she retorted darkly. “But that is a talk for later. Now, we have more pressing matters to discuss. First of all, do you know anything about werewolves?”

* * *

We were moved to the Alpha’s house. Apparently, that was what their leader, Jack, was called. The Alpha. I still inwardly scoffed whenever I heard the term. It sounded ridiculous.

The house looked like a small mansion, although it was actually a bungalow with two garages and dark grey tiles. It was located further into the woods and was surrounded by smaller lodge houses that sprung out of the ground without an actual design or sense. It still looked somehow planned.

Jack was the only one to greet us, but I could feel many curious eyes on me. Being in a spotlight like that was stressing me out, and I had to force myself not to fidget or squirm. Instinct told me it would be interpreted as weakness, and I couldn’t be weak with my brother under my care.

I squeezed Mikey’s hand harder and forced myself to remain calm while my brother came closer to my legs, squirming at my side and clearly trying to appear even smaller than he already was. He whimpered, unable to lift the weight of the unwanted fame, and started to reek of fear and stress. My protectiveness went into override. Driven by instinct, I shielded my brother with my body, leveling my surroundings with a murderous look as an unnatural, guttural growl unexpectedly left my mouth.

Jack finally noticed our agitation and decided to give a damn. I had no idea what he did but the looks just stopped, and I could finally breathe a little.

The man - or rather a werewolf/the Alpha - smiled.

“The Pack can be a pain sometimes. We share too many similarities with our wolf cousins. And, as you can clearly see, curiosity is one of such,” Jack explained, not exactly apologetically, as he approached us, his moves slow and deliberately unharmful. I watched him like a hawk the entire time, still not letting my guard down despite his attempts to appear less threatening. He ignored my suspiciousness and simply sat on his hunches in front of Mikey and gave him a warm smile. He even put up his fisted hand so my brother could bump it in a greeting.

“How are you today, little one?” He cooed, his voice softer.

My brother gave Jack a shy fistbump. His scent slowly returned to normal as he started to relax. It finally eased my shattered nerves.

“Is my Mommy in the house?” The boy asked timidly.

“Mum went on a trip, Munchkin. We’ve already talked about it,” I murmured, rubbing his arm soothingly.

“Your sister’s right. Your mum had to go somewhere, and you and Josie will be staying with me for a while. Is that okay?” Jack filled in smoothly, his eyes flickering with sadness.

He could have fooled me.

Mikey cocked his head to the side like a dog.

“But only if you don’t make Josie cross. I hate it when she’s cross,” he decided, taking me completely off guard.

I threw him a surprised glance while Jack laughed, ruffling Mikey’s mop of hair. “Smartass, ain’t ya? I can’t promise I won’t ever upset your sister, but I’ll try. Alright?”

My brother seemed to mull his words over.

This conversation was getting weirder and weirder.

“Okay...” He finally agreed and just as suddenly changed the subject. “Is Louis with you? We could skip stones!” Mikey faced me with an expectant look. I managed to give him a small, weak smile.

“That we could,” I admitted, then almost jumped as a familiar, melodic voice came from behind me.

“Sounds like a plan.”

I whipped around to see Louis nearing us with a broad smile on his handsome face. He was dressed a bit like a soldier - clad in all green with a small exception for black cargo boots that reached up to half his calf. Louis’ hair was ruffled by the wind, and he sported a light sheen on his forehead as if he had just been running. His quicksilver eyes seemed to sparkle in the sun rays.

A strange fuzzy feeling pooled in the pits of my stomach as my heart skipped a beat. I frowned. Was I an idiot? That guy had betrayed me twice in one night. I still hadn’t forgiven him for kidnapping my mum and manhandling me. Why was I attracted to him? Was I sane?

“Louis!” Mikey exclaimed, slipping from my grasp.

He rushed to Louis - much to my unease - and the other boy lifted Mikey and swiftly placed him on his shoulders. My brother laughed. I fisted my hands at my sides, conflicted. I didn’t like that Louis weaseled into Mikey’s grace so quickly. I didn’t like it.

I didn’t like that one bit.

“All will work out in the end,” Jack suddenly said, smiling at Louis’ and Mikey’s antics. “I know it doesn’t look it right now, but it’ll be alright. Once you shift and learn how to control your wolf, I’ll let you meet your mum.”

If Jack wanted to placate me, he had done a shit job.

“You’ll let me?” I spat out.

Louis’ dad gave me a wide, predatory grin.

“I’ll let you.” He repeated, leaving no room for discussion. “Right now, you’re a danger to yourself and your surroundings. You’ll find yourself fighting for control with your wolf more and more, but I’ll help you with that. We all will. And once you are ready to leave, you’ll be free to go. Unless, of course, you’ll decide to stay.” He said, looking me dead in the eye. I bit my lip and found myself nodding. “Just one more thing, Josephine. Do not share your family details with any of the Pack. At least not yet. Let’s just say there would be some unpleasantries should anyone learn you’re Melinda’s daughter.”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

“What do you mean?”

Jack just smiled.