A loud beeping noise rang through the whole house loudly, at seven thirty.
I jolted out of bed, and ran to my window. What the fuck is that? Is that a U-Haul? Why is there a U-Hall in my front yard at seven thirty in the fricking morning?!
I turned and walked out of my room, down the stairs, and through the front door. The man, whistling, got out of the truck, and started towards me, on the screened in porch.
"Are you miss Bloodwood?" the man asked, looking at me.
"Yes, I am. But I didn't order anything by U-Haul, and I sure as hell don't like my stuff to come at seven thirty in the morning." I said.
"My apologies, the person that sent me said that you were always up at five am. It won't happen again, I promise." The man said.
"Ugh, who sent you, exactly?" I asked, sighing in annoyance.
"A Charles Bloodwood…" the man said, quickly going through his papers. "Yes, a Charles Bloodwood."
"Heh. What's in the truck?" I asked. "And don't say 'I don't know,' because I know you do know."
"I'm sorry, ma'am I really don't know. I didn't check it this morning. My supervisor did." The man said.
"Well, can you at least help me open it?" I asked.
"Of course, that's my job." He said, walking to the back of the U-Haul.
Inside the truck was nothing more than a few old trunks, and a white envelope attached. There was also my mothers old vanity.
"What the?" I said to myself.
"Is everything okay?" a voice asked from behind us. I turned to see Derek standing like a soldier behind us.
"Yes, Derek, every thing is fine. Would you help us, though?" I said.
"Certainly," Derek said, grabbing a trunk and carrying it to the porch.
After a while, and very long bill to pay, I started to go through the trunks, until I remembered one of them had an envelope attached to the front of it.
I ripped open the envelope, and pulled out a piece of paper.
"Dear Alena," I began. "I'm sorry it took me so long to find you, but this is all your stuff. Don't tell your father. Love Mom."
"Whose it from?" Thalia asked, sitting beside me.
"My mother." I said. Something hidden stirred in my bones. Almost as if my wolf was becoming more aware. That bitch let us leave, she didn't fight for us. Don't fall for this. She's a traitor all her own. If she truly cared, she wouldn't have let us get on that bus! My wolf growled in the back of my head.
I cringed at my wolf's harsh words.
"Your mother?" Thalia asked, a slight distaste in her voice. "I thought she was as good as the devil?"
"I thought she was…is…I don't know what I was thinking-is as good as the devil. I don't care if she did send me my stuff." I said, trying to find something to pit against her.
"But?" Thalia pressed.
"But, maybe she didn't know that night until it was too late? What if I was already gone before my mother knew what had happened? That would mean that I blamed an innocent person." I said, rubbing my temples. "It's just, I just…there are too many factors to consider now. I built a pack on the grounds of a point to prove to my father. I trained hard, and and tried my hardest to keep everyone safe. All on a point to prove." I stood up, and walked to the screen, picking the bugs out. "I've spent these last three ish years holding a huge grudge against my family, and the rest of the people who said I couldn't be an alpha. And now, my mother sends me my things. I don't know if it's supposed to be an apology, or a goodbye…"
"I don't really know how to answer that." Thalia said. "But I do know one thing. Had you not found me, I would be dead right now. You saved all of us from going insane, or dying of some sort of weather condition. I guarantee that both Ren and Brian would follow you to the ends of the earth. Would go to hell and back, on a hunch you had. I would stake my life on Dallas, the first pack member you will ever have, would rather take his own life that join any other pack. And the rest of us, which I know for a fact, would rather die than betray you. You gave us a new hope, in being our alpha. And that has nothing to do with your gender!"
"Thank you, Thalia." I said, turning and giving her a hug. "That means a lot to know you care so much about me."
"Care? No, no. We love you. You made us a family. And I want you to always remember one thing, family doesn't come form blood. It comes from the love in your heart." Thalia said. "And yours is our home."
"Where ever you go, we go." Ren said, from behind Thalia. A small, sweet smile on her face.
"Thank you, both so much. This truly does mean a lot to me!" I said. "Uh oh. Looks like the other boys are up. I suppose we should make breakfast before they blow up the kitchen?"
"I suppose too," Ren said, giggling.
"I second that," Thalia said. "I've seen Dallas and Jaxon cook. It ain't pretty."
After dinner, Jaxon took us to a local bar, called the Tavern of the Gray Wolves.
"Come on Thalia, one drink!" Jaxon said, pulling Thalia up to the bar, and ordering her favourite drink.
"Jaxon, I said no. I don't like to get piss drunk like you!" Thalia said, before canceling the order. "Now if you want to dance, that I can do. But I won't be your boozing buddy."
Thalia ran off to the dance floor, pulling Derek along with her. Now those two I could see being together for the rest of their lives. They were quite similar, and had many things in common. But than again, I could also see Thalia and Jaxon getting together, and proving us all wrong. Like usual.
"So, are you gonna sit there all night?" Simon asked, sitting down at the table on the opposite booth.
"I might. I'm not in the greatest of moods." I said. "Now I know my father is an evil douche bag, but what if my mother is really trying to make amends, and I just can't get over it?"
"It's been my experience, that if your wolf doesn't agree with resolving the issue, than you probably shouldn't." Simon said.
"Was I that bad this afternoon?" I asked, looking at him guiltily, that everyone might of heard me talking to my wolf.
"It's alright. We all have arguments with our wolves, but sometimes they are the ones that are right." Simon said.
"I know. I just…it would be nice if I had a reason to forgive my father. But I've come up with nothing. Even before, when I tried to conceal my wolf's power from the world, and even before my wolf got her full power my father was still an asshole. I promised myself that if I ever became an alpha female I would never marry a man like that. Its wrong for someone to abuse the power they've been given. Or to use it for no reason at all, an people that don't deserve it." I said. "My father used to use his alpha tone on my all the time, until I was eighteen, when I decided to leave that part of me, forever. I swore I would never go back for myself. Only work related. And I also swore that I wouldn't give him the time of day."
"If you went in there…in a room full of men, they would laugh you out of this that room. As common as it is in Africa for women to be in charge, AKA the Lionesses, we as wolves don't have many alpha females. Actually, now that I come to think of it, you may be the only one that wasn't killed at birth." Simon said. "Anyway-sorry, that was gruesome. Point is, male alpha's around here aren't used to taking orders from women. Why would they listen to you?"
"Because I'm going to-one day-show them all that a woman can lead. That a woman can be all powerful. That change isn't always bad. And that even though I am a woman, I am not fragile-but agile instead!" I said.
"Good!" Simon said, a smile on his face.
"What?" I asked, a smile edging at the corners of my lips.
"I'm glad to know you still know what you're fighting for. And it's not because you hate your father. Its because you have a point to prove, and he wouldn't listen. And now, you get to show them how wrong they are. And I want to be apart of that!" Simon said.
"I hear that," Dallas said, plopping down beside me, a can of Pepsi in his hand.
"Me too, girlie," Thalia said, sitting beside Simon.
"Me too, I love a good old fashioned show off fight." Derek said, pulling up a chair. "Anyone else?"
"Just you Soldier Man," Jaxon said. "But yeah, count me in."
"It's a shame that Brian and Ren are only sixteen. I can't wait until they're nineteen and can come to the bar with us!" Thalia said.
"Yeah, and I'll-" Jaxon started.
"You so are not buying Brian his first drink! That they will be having at home. Its safer there." I said, glaring at Jaxon who only laughed it off.
"Oh please-" Jaxon stopped talking as we heard a bone chilling howl. But it wasn't a wolf's howl. It was a coyote's howl. By the sounds of it, she was young.
"Boys, scatter, Thalia, come with me," I said, as we all got out of our seats. "Wendy, we'll be right back."
"Okay, yeah sure. I'll keep the tab open, girl. Should I wait until morning?" Wendy asked.
"Probably. Yeah that's a safer plan." I said, signing her a thank you, as I ran out the door. I hopped into the truck, with Thalia riding on in the box. I could hear the boys trailing along behind us, as I sped off down the road.
Half way down the highway, I heard a small whimpering noise, before another loud yip-like howl. I pulled the truck over, got out, and transformed into my wolf, darting into the forest. Thalia was right behind me
'Thalia, get the girl,' I said, through the Link.
'Sure thing!' she replied, running to the little coyote in the middle of the fight. The boys had already found them, and had began fighting. Tearing and clawing at the other wolves.
Thalia stood in the middle, growling in warning, when ever one would come too close.
A bigger wolf came out of nowhere and tackled into Thalia, forcing her down on the ground, with a sickening crack on the leg. Thalia almost instantly shirted back, shifting her body into a fetal position to hide her body, while clutching, painfully onto her left arm. Simon fought his way over to her, growling menacingly at the bigger wolf. But instead the wolf turned around and went to the coyote.
It was then I came out of the bushes, growling in my alpha tone, startling the bigger wolf. His charcoal gray fur unmarked. But looked dirty and flea infested. I jumped over him, and stood in front of the young coyote.
'Touch her, and die, asshole!' I said. 'This is Canada, not the wild west. Here we don't pick on the weak. We protect them!'
The wolf backed away a few feet.
'You're a female?' he asked. 'That is impossible!'
He started towards me, licking his lips.
'Impossible this, bitch!' I said, lunging on him, before pinning him to the forest floor, and biting down, hard, onto his neck, snapping it. I dropped his lifeless body from my jaws, and stared at the other wolves, daring them to fight me. They started to run off into the night, one by one, before they were all gone, and we were left alone in the dark.
I turned to the young coyote, licking he snout, in reassurance that we were here to help. I turned to Dallas, who automatically knew what I was saying. He tore off into the woods, coming back minutes later, fully clothed, and with a backpack.
He handed zip-lock bags to everyone, including Thalia, who still laid on the ground. He put two in front of me, before going back to Thalia, holding out his jacket to her. Simon let her lean on him, as she stood to her feet. Dallas helped her behind a tree, before opening the bag, and as hurriedly as he could, helped her into the clothes.
I pulled one of the bags in front of the young coyote, pushing her with my nose behind a tree. She took the bag in her mouth, before getting changed. The rest of us doing the same thing, as well.
One by one, we came out from behind the trees.
Simon, gave Thalia a piece of leather to bite on, as he realigned her arm. She gave out a small whimper, while shutting her eyes.
No one else seemed to be hurt, until I turned to see a small blonde girl, around thirteen or fourteen, come out from behind the bushes. Bruises covered her face, and scratches ran up and down her arms, and a few on her neck. Her scared blue eyes staring at me.
"Y-you're Alena Bloodwood?" she asked. Surprised, I took a small step back.
"How did you know my name?" I asked her. She looked at her feet.
"Everyone knows the story of the only female alpha. You're a hero, and role model to us coyotes, and foxes. Especially to those whose alphas have been murdered." The little girl said.
"Is your alpha dead?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied. "That's actually why many of us are here. You're our last hope. No one will help us. They all think we're pulling their legs. Please help us. We're dying. All of us weaker beings are dying. All because of some Southern Wolves."
"Southern?" Thalia asked. "As in the States?"
"Yes, ma'am." The girl replied. "They come at night."
"Great. While they're sleeping!" Thalia said. "Panic and fear instilled into children before they die! That's-that's just great!"
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Lina. Lina Nova." The girl said. "I was from the-"
"West Lane Pack by the boarder." Simon said. "I've heard of it. It was quite large for a coyote pack."
"And now there are only five of us. Speaking of, my little sister is hiding in the woods." Lina said, looking around her.
"Derek, find her sister." I said, looking over at him. "Please."
"Already on it," he said, sniffing the air for something small, and coyote.