"Alena, is that a good idea?" Simon asked.
"What are you stressing about now, Simon?" I asked, looking up from my papers.
"Taking in two coyotes, I mean, we're a small pack. We can't hold them off forever. Hell, we can't fend them off period!" Simon said.
"And that is the difference between men and women. You want to tuck your tail between your legs, and would prefer to cover your own ass these days. I'm not scared of a few southern wolves. And I will not tolerate bullying, either." I said. It's not right. I was bullied out of my home. I would never let anyone else be.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you what to do, I just don't know if we can keep the promise you made." Simon said.
"Look," I said, calmly. I pinched the bridge of my nose, before looking at him. "I know what its like to be bullied and tormented out of my home. Its not fun. In fact it's an awful feeling. It feels like your heart is constantly being ripped from your chest, and stomped on, while you watch."
"Alena, I didn't know that's why-"
"And another thing. I didn't promise that I would reunite them with their family. Just that I would protect them, and they would be safe here. Especially, if I'm right. If they only go after the weak, and the defenseless, than they won't come after us. Especially when we kicked their ass." I said. "They are in fact safe here."
"Okay," Simon said. He opened the door to my room, and left, closing the door behind him. I sighed, and went back to my work.
The two girls were given the other two rooms upstairs. It was only fair. I sighed in frustration as I had in fact listened to Simon's ramble. Was he right? Were we that defenceless? Could we hold them off?
But why would they have been coming to us, if they didn't think that we could? I mean, they had stories about me. Me, of all people.
It was then, I heard the familiar howl.
"Thalia?" I asked myself, as I looked out the window. Lina and her sister Carrie were running back to the house.
Brian, who was with them, was in his wolf form. A simple gray wolf, like his sister. The only difference was he was taller, and not as scrawny looking. The two girls were beside him, as a tall red wolf came out of the tree line.
I ran down the stairs, finding Dallas, and Jaxon running up the basement stairs. The two boys charged out of their rooms, turning into their wolves the second they were free of any house structures.
Ren came out of the library.
"Alena?" she asked.
"I know." I said. But when Dallas and Jaxon turned, and emerged from the house, more red wolves did too.
Simon came out of the kitchen. A grumpy look upon his face.
"Don't." I stated. "Come on Ren, lets help the boys out. You go out the back door, an find out what Thalia wanted."
As Ren and I walked out, and stepped in front of Brian and the others, Rem quickly pulled the two girls behind her.
"State your business, red wolf!" I growled. The wolf turned to look at the bush, as a bigger red wolf came out from behind.
I knew that wolf. Where did I know him from, though? I searched my mind for the answer, but it wasn't coming up with anything.
'Hello, Alena, you got big since the last time I saw you.' The voice said.
I looked at the wolf. His eyes shifting from his wolf's red eyes, to his normal green, and back again.
"Scott?" I asked, looking back at the others as if they'd know who he was. "Scott is that you?"
The wolf went back behind a tree, and came out as a beefy, boyish looking man, who was only a few years older than me. His dark chocolate brown hair, and green eyes, hadn't changed a bit. He still had that annoying boyish smirk.
"Scott!" I said, as I jumped into his arms, for a hug. His laugh filling my ears, and stirring up memories I forgot I had. Good ones. I almost didn't feel the calmness that came from him. I was just too happy.
"Hey, kiddo." Scott said, putting me down. "I see you kept your promise, and didn't listen to your father."
"Hell no! But wait, what are you doing here?" I asked, confusedly, looking at him. He sighed deeply before looking at Lina and Carrie.
"We were following the wolves that killed most of their family. We were following their scent, and it brought us to you." Scott said, honestly. He scratched the back of his head.
"Oh, we didn't mean to take them on you. We heard Lina's cry for help, and sent them packing. For now." I said.
"Not to sound rude, but I assume you know each other?" Dallas asked, coming up to me in human form. Wow, that was fast. I didn't even hear them go in the house. I turned to see that everyone else was also back in human form.
Lina and Carrie were still clinging to Ren, and Brian was still in front of them, but they were human.
"Yes," I replied, realizing I was standing there saying nothing. "We were friends when I was little. Before he became an alpha."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Scott said. "I didn't even know you left until your mom finally called me last month, asking if I'd seen you."
"Oh, yeah, I didn't know where to start looking for you." I said, honestly, scuffing my foot on the dirt.
"It's fine. But you should know, your father is on his death bed. And your brother died a year ago." Scott said. The others went silent.
"If you think I'm going to go home, you're nuts!" I said. "They made their bed, they can lie in it. They're the ones that didn't want a woman as an alpha!"
"Well, from what I can see, you've proved them wrong so far." Scott said. "Your father didn't even think you were still alive. Neither did the rest of the pack."
"Did?" I asked.
"Your mother hired a witch. She did a locator spell, and found you." Scott said. "It's how you got your stuff. And its how I knew-"
"How you knew what?" I asked,
"Nothing, never mind. Don't worry about it. It wasn't important. I think…I forget what I was talking about." Scott said, running his hand through his hair.
"Come inside, and we can talk. Outside seems so…"
"Like your father?" Scott said, sighing. "I understand why you don't want to be like him. I do. But you gotta respect that he's kept most of his pack alive. That's more than most can say with a pack that big."
"No, I don't. I lost all respect for that man when he said a woman couldn't be an alpha." I spat back at him, before turning towards the house.
"Miss…" Lina said, stopping me.
"Yes," I asked, my mood changing instantly, at the girls soft voice.
Lina looked from Ren, and back to me. "Can Ren take us into town to get ice cream?"
"She most certainly can. But my name is just Alena. Or Ali, you don't have to call me miss." I said. "And could the two of please accompany them?"
"Of course," Jaxon said, a goofy smile on his face.
"Sure thing, boss!" Dallas said, sharing the same goofy smile. I walked on, into the house, Brian right behind me.
"Back off asshole! This is our turf!" Ren yelled in a wolfs face. "Now get out of my way before you find out what a girl can do!"
Ren rarely gets mad, and when she does, we stay out of it. I didn't doubt that she could in fact hurt him. If she was given a chance to advance. Both Dallas and Jaxon were very protective of her. Acting more like her big brothers, rather than pack members.
Both Lina and Carrie didn't seem to be afraid when they were near Ren, Thalia or I. Just when they were near Simon. To be honest, I don't think they like men.
"Let them pass Scott," I said. "She, very much can, and will, hurt him."
"Stand down, Drew." Scott said. "Let them through."
The red wolf backed down. But never stopped looking at Ren. So much that Dallas walked on the other side of her, glaring down at him.
Scott's eyes lingered longer than expected with Drew's, when they turned to face each other. Scott nodded before coming in the house.
I put the kettle on, as soon as we got in the door.
Brian of course sat at one of the stools on the island. Scott sitting at the other end. I watched them closely. Something in me told me Scott was different. But what ever it was Brian seemed to feel it too. In fact they all seemed to feel it.
He seemed slightly off. And it bothered me. Scott wasn't the secretive type.
"So what was that back there?" I asked, leaning on the island. There was still nothing on the island. It was a clear space. None of us had much use for knickknack's, and we didn't have a whole lot of dishes, or pans. We just liked to keep everything simple. Ren was the one with the most stuff. But she liked to keep things because of all the things that were taken away.
"What do you mean?" Scott asked.
"With Drew and Ren. What was that. And please, don't lie to me." I said. I watched Scott carefully.
"Uh, ahem…" Scott said, running his hands down his face. "It appears that Drew thinks Ren is his mate."
"Wait! Ren…my little Ren? Is-is-is his mate?" I asked, shocked. "Little Ren who is only sixteen? Wait how old is Drew?"
"Drew is only two years older than her. He's eighteen. Don't worry about it." Scott said, brushing it off. "Besides, most people find their mates in that age range."
"That's just the thing, Scott. I do worry about it." I said. A sigh escaping my lips. "I have worried about every last one of my pack members since the day they each came into my life. Dallas was the first. And the first turned. I trained him first. I grew a very close connection with him. We saved this town together, from an awful rogue wolf, that kept killing people."
"I'm sorry."
"So," Brian said. "How is it that you tracked them so far?"
"Well, to be honest, I did a little digging first. I called the local packs, and tried to get as much information as possible." Scott said, folding his hands on top of the table. "And with the news your mom gave me about you, I thought this might be the place they would find. It wasn't much, but it was a start."
"Good guess." I said. "But do you know who these wolves are? What they want?" It was frustrating that I didn't know that these wolves motive was, and what their true intentions were, with the coyotes and foxes.
"Sorry," Scott said. "We met up with a few of them, but we didn't stop to ask questions."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." I said, ruffling up my hair, messily, in frustration. "God this is so frustrating! I got used to there being a reason why. Why they did what they did. There always was a reason before. I guess I got too used to it. I guess I forgot what savage animals some packs really were."
"Yeah," Scott said. "The world isn't as friendly as we all used to think it was. It's gotten colder out there. And I don't see it warming up any time soon."
"That's what I'm afraid of." I said.
"Alena!" Thalia's voice rang from outside. Her voice was cracked, and raspy.
I shot out of the house. The boys behind me. Derek was carrying a dead boy in his arms. A frown on his face, as if he were about to cry.
Thalia had blood running down both her arms and legs. Gash wounds all over her skin.
"Thalia, what the hell happened?" I asked. Simon was behind them. Two teens were behind him. Limping.
"They ambushed us, as we tried to save them. Simon found us on our way back. We didn't call sooner because there were wolves already headed here. We didn't want to leave them unprotected." Thalia wheezed, holding her arm.
"How many did you kill?" I asked.
"None." Derek said. "They ran like cowards."
"Why?" I asked.
"That may have been us." Scott said. "We attacked a few wolves on our way here."
"That might've been helpful twenty minutes ago." I said. I wasn't trying to be a bitch. I wasn't. I was trying to figure shit out. People were in danger, and I couldn't stop it. Not yet. Not until I was pounding my fists into the man's head. "I'm sorry."
"What would you like me to do with him?" Derek asked.
"Call Carla. She'll know." I said. I looked over at the other two. A girl and a boy. "Are you two okay?"
"Yes ma'am. We're fine. Just a little scratched up." The girl said.
"It's just Alena." I said, a small laugh appearing on my face.
"Alena?" The boy said. They looked at each other, before looking back at me. "As in Bloodwood?"
"The one and only." I said. They looked at each other. Their faces in total shock, before the girl came to a realization.
"Please tell me you found Lina and Carrie?" she asked, panic covering her face. She scanned the grounds for a sign of them.
"They're fine. They're getting ice cream." I said.
"They aren't alone, are they?" Simon asked.
"No." I said. "I'm not a complete idiot. They went with Ren, Dallas and Jaxon."
Simon looked off in the distance. He almost seemed unsure.
"Simon, if you're so worried, go after them." I said. I was getting annoyed with Simon. I realize he was older, and that was probably for a good reason. But I was the alpha. Not him. If he didn't like it, he shouldn't have stayed.
"There isn't a need." Scott laughed. "I had nothing to do with this, I swear. But it seems Drew has gone off into town."
"Really?" I asked. "Tell me you're joking!"
"Sorry, Ali. But I ain't. contrary to popular belief, members don't always follow the alphas command." Scott said.
Thalia looked at him sideways. Than she looked back at Simon and me.
"Tell me you're not serious?" Thalia said. "That's how people get killed. We're supposed to listen to the alpha! That's the whole point. No wonder so many wolves die each year. They're stupid and don't understand the word 'orders'!"
"Easy, Thalia, Drew thinks Ren is his mate." I said, with a laugh.
"Wow." Scott said. "I thought you were intense!"
"Ha, ha. Nope." I said. "Thalia follows my rules better than me."
"I can see that. Wait are you saying you never disobey?" Scott asked. "Like ever?"
"Never." Brian said. "Her word is law. Hell she's the reason most of us are alive. Why would we defy her, when she's managed to keep us all together?"
"Because, no one is that perfect." Scott said. "Everyone breaks the rules."
"Not if you're always at war." Thalia said. "An order is an order. Disobey, even for a second, and you could lose everything."
"We hit hard, and vanish." Derek said, coming down the porch stairs. "It's simple and efficient. And once your job is done, you get the hell out of there. No room for mistakes when someones life is at stake."
"Jesus, girlie. You run your ship tighter than anyone I know." Scott said. "When do you have fun?"
"We have fun when the job is done." Thalia said. "We have fun just being us. It ain't that hard to follow an order. But since he thinks she's his mate, maybe we should cut him some slack."
"Good thinking, T." I said. A laugh escaping my lips. "We make due, Scott. We have fun all the time. It's not like it's prison. I just don't want anyone getting hurt. Speaking of, training starts tomorrow for you two."
"Us?" The girl asked. "Why?"
"Because," I started. "There is a murderous wolf pack gunning for you, and all the others like you. I don't know why, and until I know what they truly want you need to know how to defend yourself. And a hell of a lot better than you have been."
"Oh," the girl said, putting her head down. "Our leader didn't train us at all. He believed in letting out coyotes figure it out."
I just stared at her. Was she serious? "Look, there are some things the animal will know, and others you have to teach it. Use your reflexes, yes, but learn to control them, and teach your animal to use it more often." I said, trying to get her to see it my way. "How do you think we get so good at fighting?"
"We thought you just let your wolves run around training themselves." The girl said.
"No," I said. "Well, yes, we let them run around for a little while, as they try to figure out how to control their senses, but we don't let them kill anyone, without reason. And we certainly don't make them fight alone. Those who do, make their wolves rabid, and viscous. Which is something you want to avoid. Because then its extremely hard to control them, when you want to."
"Indeed, it is." Thalia said. "I know that first hand."
"How so?" The girl asked, intrigued.
"Well, my let let his wolf fight for the family, because he himself was a small guy. So he thought that if his wolf was able to train itself it could defend us. But all he did was make an emotionless fighting machine." Thalia said. "My mother was able to kill him one night, by-never mind."
"Was it really that bad?" The boy asked.
"I was afraid for my life every night, that I never invited friends, or got a dog. Hes also the reason why my very human father is dead." Thalia said.
"He killed him?" The boy watched Thalia closely.
"Yes he did. Because he thought my father was trying to kidnap me. When in reality, he was taking me for ice cream." Thalia said. "It's also why lone wolves turn viscous, and rabid. With no one to teach them how to control their wolf, the wolf take over. Even in human form. Keeping that person on the run. Unable to trust anyone."
"Where were you?" the girl asked.
"I was in the car." Thalia said. "That morning while my uncle slept, my mother killed him. Than she took me and ran. We lived on a reserve for a while. Until we moved here. Where my mother left me, and took her life two towns over."
"So you came close to being just like your uncle than?" the girl asked, looking down.
"Yes," Thalia said. "If Alena hadn't found me, I would have been that. Or dead." Thalia looked away. Her brows knitting together, frowning at the sky.
"What?" I asked.
"You can't hear that?" Both Scott and I tuned in, listening to the wind.
"Derek!" I yelled. "Head for the Ice Cream Parlor!"
I turned on a dime, shifting into my wolf, grabbing some clothes from a bag that were behind a tree. I ran down the street, hiding the clothes behind the diner, Wendy worked at.
Scott was behind me, with his pack of wolves. Simon must have stayed back with the coyotes, as Brian was gaining speed behind me. The parlor was just up ahead. Dallas, and Jaxon were extremely out numbered, but holding up. Ren on the other hand was still in human form, kicking the crap out of some guy.
Drew, or whom I thought was Drew was backed into a corner, snapping at tearing at those who tried to kill him.
Brian had decided to help him. Why, I have no idea. Brian was small, and lanky as a wolf, but he was fast, and had some hidden strength he only ever got when he was fighting. Scott helped Brian keep the other wolves off Drew. Thalia, Derek and I tore into the wolves trying to kill Dallas and Jaxon.
It was only than that I saw Lina and Carrie in the parlor watching in horror, and hope. Almost as if wondering if we'd win.
I turned back around, and lunged on a wolf, tearing at its neck, not allowing it to get a level foot.
"Alena!" I heard a voice call. It was familiar, and it sent chills up my spine. I threw the wolf to the side, watching as it squirmed away, growling.
I turned to see a woman who looked like me. An older woman behind her. A few others scattered around her, watching as we sent the other wolves howling off in pain. Mother! I turned to face them. I growled down at them, forcing my alpha presence out.
I saw Scott look at me surprised. He shook his head at me. Almost to say he had nothing to do with it. I watched my mother carefully. The older woman watched me. Only half of the pack was with her.
I looked to Dallas and Jaxon. Their chests and necks bleeding, but it wasn't so bad that I had to worry. I watched as my mother stepped up, and watched me carefully.
As she went to pet me, I let out another alpha like growl, and snapped at the woman. I watched as Derek than snapped at the woman as well. I walked behind the diner, grabbing my clothes, and shifted behind the tree.
"What the hell are you doing here, mother?" I asked, forcefully, pulling my tank top down.
"Excuse me young lady, that is your mother!" Grams said.
"Biologically, yes. In every other sense of that word, no!" I spat back. "I don't care if you did send me my stuff. You let him kick me out of my home, because I wasn't going to hide who I was! So I will ask again, what the hell are you doing here?"
"We were attacked, because our alpha is dead." My mother said.
"Not my problem. You made your bed, lie in it!" I said, without skipping a beat.
"Listen young lady! You may be an alpha now, but I am still your mother!" my mother said. "I get some respect, whether you like it or not!"
"I always was an alpha!" I said.
"A pity poor excuse for one!" grams said. And that was when the unexpected happened. Just as I was about to say something, both Dallas and Thalia jumped down her throat.
"Hold on just a second." Thalia said. "I have a question. If you saw a girl on the side of the road, huddled under a tree, freezing to death, what would you do?"
"It's none of my business," replied my grams, though I could see it on her face, it wasn't what she wanted to say.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Thalia scoffed.
"And how about if you see a guy dying on the side of the road, but with one little bite you could save him?" Dallas asked. "What would you do?"
"Again, none of my business," grams said, this time a little more cold.
"Uh-huh." Dallas said, crossing his arms, and staring holes into their souls.
"Alena brought us together, and saved us from living lives of pain and terror!" Brian said. "She saved each and every last one of us."
"That's less than I can say for you!" Jaxon said. "You would have let them die, or become rogues that you would have to later kill! You disgust me!"
"Agreed!" Derek said, standing just like Dallas.
Lina and Carrie came out of the store, hiding behind Ren, as Ren made her way over to me.
"She saved these two without a thoughts hesitation!" Ren said. "And we would never question her."
"You see, mother, I have more respect from people I only met a few years ago, for who I am. I never got any from any of you. You all thought I was an idiot. Weak. Stupid. Why on earth should I help you now?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Scott, I thought you said she would be a nice alpha?" my mother asked Scott.
"She is. She hasn't killed you yet." Scott said.
"Wait, you think that because I'm a woman that I would be nice, and bend to your every whimper?" I scoffed. "Like hell. You would have had an alpha, had you not chased me off."
"But I am your mother…" she said.
"And as of three years ago, I disowned you!" I said. "Besides, even if I did let you in, you wouldn't follow an order I gave you. You'd do what you wanted anyway. So do yourself a favor, and leave!"
"Well, well, well…aren't you just the cold hearted bitch." A male voice said from behind me. I turned around to see a man with a jagged scar running from the top of his hair line to the bottom of his chin. It went through his eye, but his eye still held some colour.
"Who the hell are you?" I asked. Lina and Carrie ran beside me, hugging my hip as tightly as they could.
"You!" my mother yelled.
"Yes, me." The man grinned. "I killed your husband, and your son."
I gave a deep menacing growl, from my lungs. Powerful, and to the point.
"Help!" a girl screamed. I turned to see the young girl and boy running. Simon, whom I thought was a friend, was the one chasing them.
"Get back here," he hissed.
"Ah, Simon!" the scar faced man said. "I have not seen you in about three years! Keeping an eye on Alena for me?"
I nearly murdered Simon, than and there. I looked back at the rest of the pack. It had made sense in a way that he'd be the one to betray us. He was older, and wiser, and always had an opinion. And rarely remembered what I told him to do. Clear signs of a wolf that already had an alpha.
"Get away from them!" I said, launching forward. Lina and Carrie, were safe behind Dallas, Derek and Jaxon, who all stared at Simon, with deep glares of murder.
"Or what? You'll kill me?" Simon laughed. "You'll like her, she's a fiery one. Not like the last one."
The last one? What did that mean?
"You'd better back off Simon!" Derek said.
Scott and his wolves had already made a formation around me, and the others.
"Yeah, Simon. And you too, Draco Khan." Scott said, stepping up beside me.
"Ah, the smart mouth boy knows my name!" Khan said, signally from the shadows of the trees. "But you hurt some of my men, young lady. I can't just let that go." His grin was disgusting and foul.
"Well maybe your pack should learn to leave innocent children alone!" I said. "Besides, you pissed me off first."
"Oh, and how did I piss you off?" He snarled.
"You picked on defenseless coyotes, who have done nothing to you!" I yelled. "You aren't from around here, and you made decision about our native species, that they should die! I don't know how you do things south of here, but this is Canada! These actions are punishable by death!"
"Ooh, I'm so scared!" the man said, faking a shiver. "What are you gonna do? Girl me to death?" but something in his voice sounded scared of what he'd just said.
Both my wolf and my gut told me he was more afraid of me than he cared to admit. And one thing my father was right about, is that fear can make people do some questionably bad things.
"Yeah, I think you really are." I said. "But, I'm not afraid of you. I don't fear anything. Fear is for the weak. And I am not weak!"
"So leave!" Scott added.
"And leave them alone!" Thalia said.
"Or, we'll make you!" I added, stubbornly
"Oh, ho. This shall be fun!" The man chuckled, before disappearing back into the brush of the woods. Simon along with him.
"We're not safe here, are we?" Lina asked. I turned to the rest of the packs. They all looked terrified.
What was I gonna do? I said they were safe here. Did I make myself a liar? Did I bite off more than I could chew?