Chapter 6
As the hours turned into days, everyone started to become irritable.
A journey, or adventure is not always as fun as TV makes it sound. It's quite boring, walking north, not knowing if the others are alive and well. Not knowing if you'll even make it to your destination.
So far we'd been blessed. Not a single rogue wolf has come across us. We have had to ask permission to cross an others territory. But it was only because it wasn't a wolf's territory. It was a vampires. They'd agreed, since we said we were only passing through, and we wouldn't be spending the night.
Their lord had agreed, so long as someone saw us through to the other side. We had agreed to the arrangement. A soldier, built like fighting machine had walked us through their territory. It was beautiful, and strange. Their town was nothing like ours. The people were quiet, and skid-ish around us. Almost as if they knew who we were. Of course, that is a possibility.
But Scott, of course, stayed extremely close to me. Growling at any man whose eyes lingered longer than he liked.
Thalia seemed to have realized what had happened. As did Brian and Ren, though it took them a minute to figure it out. We all knew what this would mean. If we lived through this, our packs would merge, and share which ever territory we decided on. And since Scott was a free range, off grid, type alpha, we'd settle in my town. Thalia hadn't stopped smiling at us since she put two and two together.
The four coyotes still didn't know what was going on. They looked just as confused as ever.
I tried not to notice that Scott's eyes would linger on mine, for a long while after we'd stopped talking. It was something I would have to get used to. Not that I wanted to. But Scott was my mate. And my best friend. And whether I liked it or not, I was, and have always been, deeply in love with him.
I think that's why we got along so well.
"Alena!" Thalia said, jogging up behind us.
"Yes?" I asked, knowing what she was going to ask. To verify her suspicions.
"Are you and Scott-"
"Yes, T. He's my mate." I answered.
"Yay!" Ren said, from just behind us, as the coyotes listened, staring between the two of us.
"Damn, you must have some serious game!" Thalia said to Scott. "Do you know how many people have tried to get her on a date? And you manage to make her your mate? Heh."
Scott started laughing, as he looked behind him. Drew was walking behind us, slowly. Keeping his distance. He and Brian had been bonding this whole time. Staying back from the rest of us, taking up the rear. But somehow they'd managed to catch our conversation. And both young males perked up. Quickening their step.
"How do you two back there feel about it?" I asked, as Scott looked to me with a smile on his face.
"I'm fine with it." Brian said. He looked to Drew, who I'd never actually heard talk. At least not to me.
"I'm just happy that we'll have a female touch around." Drew said. "So, yeah, I'm fine with it, too." Finally, a small smile crept onto his face. Something I hadn't seen either.
"Good to know." I said, looking over at Scott. A soft smile on his lips.
"What are you so smiley about?" Thalia asked. "We're headed off to find a place that may not even exist anymore."
"Yeah, I know," Scott said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't help it. Do you know how long I've been waiting to tell her?"
"You are so corny, you know that?" I said, shaking my head, before I kept moving. Time was running short, and needed to hurry up.
The day progressed as normal. Walking miles upon miles, before stopping, briefly for a bathroom break, and a bite to eat.
Brian and Drew started a fire, as the sun began to set. Less and less light escaping in through the clouds. The trees looked black, and the smoke was no longer white, but a dark coal colour. The mountains were gold-ish orange, with a bright yellow glow at the very top.
Ren was playing a card game with the coyotes. Lina and Carrie were playing together, seeing as Carrie was too small to know the game completely. But Miranda and Justin seemed to be smiling more. Getting comfortable. Coyotes and Wolves don't get along in the wild. So it would make sense why their animal half would be iffy about being around us. While the human side knows to stay with the strong.
Then something expected happened. It was a call for help. It wasn't a howl, per say, but instead, a yipping noise, that could be heard like a howl.
Scott and I looked to each other. The others looking around them. It was than that Miranda stood up, and stared at me.
"That's a Fox!" She said, alarmed. "It's in trouble!"
"Stay here with Ren and Brian!" I said. Thalia, Scott, Drew and I ran in the direction of the yipping.
It didn't take us long to come to a gully. The wolf we let go, when we saved Lina and Carrie was beating up a small pack of Foxes. Three of which were already dead. From what I could see, it was their alpha's. The stronger ones.
As we quickly shifted, I ran for a Fox cub that was about to chomped. I burst out of the brush, and landed over top of the Fox pup. I snarled in warning to the other wolf. The pup under my feet didn't try to get away. Instead it laid down, panting heavily.
Scott and Thalia took on some wolves that were attacking the adults, sending them my way. The Foxes now mostly behind me, the wolves turned their attention.
Drew came flying out of the brush at a wolf that was heading for another pup. He smashed into the wolf's side, sending him flying a couple feet. Baring his teeth, he calmly picked up the baby by the scruff of the neck, and made his way over to me, placing the pup by my feet.
And to my surprise, Ren came out of the bushes in wolf form. She nudged one of the older foxes, and tilted her head, as a way to say, 'follow me'.
She came over to the front of me, picking up a pup, and walking on. Miranda doing the same thing. She looked at me, before taking the pup, knowing she shouldn't have been there. She grabbed the pup, before glaring at the other wolf. She took off into the forest after Ren and the other Foxes.
'What are you doing? They're weak. They have no place among us.' A wolf said, stepping forward. 'How dare you betray your own race!'
'Excuse me! You killed our king! You're trying to take over Canada! Killing our wild life, and people, that we don't bother, because they don't bother us!' I yelled. 'This is our land, now get out! You're not welcomed here!'
'Well someone has to do your job. They're pests. They have no real right to live!' The wolf said.
I growled, lowly, before jumping on the wolf. I tore at his neck, and shoulder. Scott, Thalia, and Drew doing the same. And as the man turned back into his human state, I went for his neck, snapping it, before throwing him to this pack members.
'I said, leave!' I howled, my alpha voice seeping through. The others cowering in fear. 'And you can tell your alpha who said it!'
I stood to my full height, gazing down at them, baring my white teeth, freshly stain with red blood.
They ran into the night, whimpering to each other. I turned back towards camp, running off in that direction, in case they wanted to turn around.
Thankfully, they didn't. Instead, the Foxes sat, and laid down, next to the Coyotes, and a human Ren. I grabbed my other cloths with my teeth, heading behind a tree. As I quickly changed, I could feel my wolf. She was proud.
I came out from behind the tree, looking at the Foxes. Their once terrified faces were now calm, and relaxed.
"Scott went to see if they're still lingering," Thalia said.
I nodded, before asking, "are they okay?"
"A little shaken, and tired, but they seem to be. The pups are the most shaken. I don't think they fully understand why one wolf was trying to eat them, while another saved them." Thalia said, truthfully.
"I see," I said. I looked at one Fox who kept licking it's paw. I could see on it's face that it was in pain. "Excuse me."
I walked up to the wolf. It's face staring up at me, with slow blinking eyes. Its fur was matted, and stained with blood.
I bent down, and attempted to touch its paw. The poor thing bit in an attempt to get me to stop.
"It's okay, I just want to see if it's broken," I said, simply. "I'll try my hardest not to hurt you. I'll be gentle, I promise."
The smaller Fox looked to one of the bigger ones, as if to ask for permission. The other Fox only nodded, before it put its paw out for me to take.
I lightly moved the fur from around the poor Foxes wound, seeing a deep cut on its paw. I couldn't feel any broken bones, or cracked bones.
My wolf came to the surface all at once, and I turned my head away. She came out of nowhere.
"What the hell?" I asked myself. I looked back at the Fox. It was still looking at me, with big orange eyes.
"Your wolf." a voice said. "She's very territorial."
I turned to see a man, wearing a blanket around his waist. Scratches covered his body, as dried blood stained his pale skin.
"I'm Daniel, I'm one of the Foxes you just saved. I figured it would be better if we could talk in mortal form."
"Ah, I see." I said, standing up, and shaking the man's hand.
"I'm Alena Bloodwood." I said, and all of a sudden everyone's posture changed. Instead of sitting, they all seemed to bow. "Did I say something?"
"Remember how I said you were a role model? Well some of us look to you as more of a goddess type deal. A queen." Lina said. "An Alpha's Alpha."
"Okay, but why?" I asked. "I'm not all that special-"
"Why would you say that?" Daniel said. "You are a female alpha. You have beat the system of male alpha's who have done nothing but send us away. You saved us."
"I was a little late. I wouldn't call that a save." I said, fiddling with my finger nails. "I am sorry I couldn't be here on time to save your alpha's."
"It's fine. We'll get over it. We'll join a pack that has an alpha." Daniel said.
"Uh, if there are any left," Scott said, coming out of the bushes, in a pair of jeans. Well, he was toned.
"Sorry?" Daniel asked.
"I caught one of the little ones. It appears they have been killing the alphas and letting the packs fend for themselves, causing them to go rabid." Scott said. "At least that's their plan."
"I'm gonna rip that evil ass man's head off!" I growled. I could feel my wolf scratch at the surface. She wanted out. And I was almost willing to let her hunt that man down. But we had a mission. And we needed help.
"Easy Alena," Scott said.
"I know. I can handle my wolf. That part's not hard. Except for when she wants to assert her dominance. That I can't control. Yet." I said.
"That's because you want everyone to know that you are an alpha. That you are worthy. But, now please pardon my boldness, a true alpha does not look for the approval of other alphas. That is why no one is taking you seriously. You still don't think you've proved your worth. But, my lady, we would not think of you as a queen if we thought that you hadn't. you proved who you really were when you chose not to follow the rules of men. The same men that will one day have no choice but to follow you. The same men that turned us away." Daniel said.
"The same men that are dying because their king is dead." Thalia said.
"You are not effected by the kings passing because you are not bound to him. You are not bound to the laws of men, because you do not follow them. Nor did the female alpha before you." Daniel spoke, softly, as hinted.
"Huh?" I asked. "I'm the only alpha female in history." I said.
"On record, yes. But the only one? No." Daniel said.
"Female alpha's," a female voice spoke. One of the other Foxes had covered themselves with a blanket. "Are not what you think. Chosen by the Moon Goddess to rise up and lead in times of sorrow, and war. Sahara, the last alpha female died in the sixteen hundreds. She brought the packs together during the witch trials, and killed eighty or so church people, and freed every witch they could find. Taking them into the mountains, and away from Salem. She is your ancestor."
"My what?" I asked. I looked to Scott, but he seemed just as intrigued as I was. Everyone had seemed to have pulled up a log, and was listening to her story.
"It's a blood line. She brought together the strongest alpha, and the weakest daughter of a proud alpha, starting your bloodline. She may have been weak, and small. But she, too, went against her family to be with the man she loved. She was the first woman to hunt, and fight with the pack. Her resilient, resistant and defiant nature flows through you." The woman said. "Just as it did Sahara, and all the women that came before her, in times of great distress."
"So what are you trying to tell me?" I asked, politely.
"I'm telling you, that the Goddess chose you to save your country. Not because you can, but because you have the heart to do it. Because you care enough to do it. Because you will do it. Because you have done it. You stood up to someone who thought you'd back down. Someone who thought he was messing with a girl pretending to be a strong alpha. But you are not weak. You are strong. You are the alpha! But you need to believe that. Stop looking for the approval of your father. Of other men. They will only respect you, when you respect yourself, as an alpha, and as a woman."
"If you're an alpha, act like one. Quit letting people tell you how to run your pack. Stop letting your mother and father get under your skin." Daniel said.
"Stop letting you tell me how to be an alpha!" I said, extending my claws and fangs.
"See, you get it." Daniel said. "That is an alpha I would fight beside."