THE COALITION

ROWAN.

FOUR YEARS AFTER.

“Mama!”

The shrieking voice of my daughter, Jhnelle, as she bursts into my office, a dazzling smile on her face followed by Lisa brings a fuzzy feeling over me.

“Mama, save me. Aunty Lisa is going to eat me,” she shrieks as she heads for me only to be swept off her feet by Lisa.

“Got you,” she crows as she lifts her up into the air. “Your mama can't save you now!” she announces before proceeding to pretend munch on her tummy.

More shrieks of laughter fills the room, bringing a wide smile to my face and a respite from the documents before me.

“Lisa, please don't eat my daughter,” I say as I get to my feet, heading over to them and placing a kiss on Jhnelle’s hair. “She is the only one I have.”

“Very well,” she says mournfully before turning to the girl. “I will set you free on account of your mother who is working so hard for all of us here.”

The all of us that she refers to are known as the Winter Wolf Coalition.

It is a… large group of rogues who while not willing to belong to a pack, yearn for a place to call home.

We are not a pack.

No one is obligated to stay if they don't want to.

We… just provide shelter, comfort, help for those in need of them.

It had started out small.

Few months after Jhnelle was born we came across a wounded wolf, who was on the brink of death.

Lisa had been out voted on helping him by Rina and I, and we had taken him, nursed him back to health.

He was the first.

Soon, we became a group of fifteen, twenty, setting up camps as we moved like hippies. Group of people who stayed together for safety and company.

It soon became apparent that we were going to need a permanent place.

One to call home.

It had been touch and go from there. Any place we settled on, we were soon accosted by packs who either wanted to kill us or absorb us into their packs, two things we clearly did not want.

Most times we escaped bruised but alive, sometimes there were casualties on both sides.

Each time made me angrier and tougher.

Angrier because I couldn't understand how people would attack a person who has an infant with them, who never did anything to them.

Tougher because I had a child to protect. I can't continue hoping for the non existent mercy of people who had no idea what it meant.

I had no idea how cruel packs actually were to outsiders.

Downright beastly.

So I came up with a dangerous plan, one that could end disastrously for us if it doesn't work but if it does go well, it will ensure that we have a place to have and also give packs pause before they approach us.

FLASHBACK.

“That is the most insane plan, 5he most insane thing you have ever said!” Lisa snaps at me as she paces along the river bank. “I know that it has been tough but that doesn't mean you have to develop suicidal tendencies.”

“I don't know, Lis,” Rina says as she keeps her gaze on me. “It seems like a viable plan.”

“Viable?!” she screeches. “She is saying we should attack a pack. A trained pack!”

“Not really,” I interrupt. “I am not saying we go up and take on a well trained, dangerous pack. No. My target is going to be a pack which has a relatively large territory, big enough to contain us and more. They have to be annoying or should I say irritating to the werewolf community, one that most packs won't want to associate with and won't bat an eye if they get… annihilated. They also have to be weak, lazy, arrogant enough to not be careful or mindful of their territory.”

“You want to use the theory weakness against them,” Lisa says. “A pack of relative strength that we can match.”

“Exactly.”

Thanks to the varied and different categories of wolves who have joined us, we have a diversified crew of talents and strengths, something that most packs lack.

“Who is your target?” Rina asks.

“I have two. The Pine pack and the Onyx pack.”

“Hmm, both eyesores to the werewolf community, arrogant members, and they mostly keep to themselves,” Lisa remarks.

“Yeah, but we are going to need more than that,” I say. “We need more information on both of them so as to know which one is easier to attack.”

“We are going to need the others' help,” Rina says.

“Naturally.”

“And a leader,” Lisa adds.

“A leader?” I ask.

“Someone who is going to call the shots. Give directives. Someone who cares and is willing to make the tough decision for people, even if it doesn't agree with them as a person. Someone everyone looks up to and cares for.”

“Okay, that makes sense but who would that be?” I ask as I mentally go through the list of those in the camp.

“You, silly!” Rina exclaims with a smile.

“Me?! What are you talking about?!” I demand. “I am no leader!*

“I beg to differ,” Lisa says with a gentle smile. “Everyone in the camp loves you, cares for you, as well as Jhnelle. And you are the one who came up with this plan, despite you not liking violence. You know it is necessary and you are choosing to make the choice. You have even selected the packs to attack. If that is not a leader then I don't know what is.”

“I don't know, shouldn't it be you?”

“Please,” Rina scoffs. “She is way too uptight and high strung to be a leader. And I am too nice and gentle as well, you are right in the middle. You are perfect.”

“We still have to discuss it with the rest,” I tried again.

“Sure, though I don't think they would be bothered with the choice.”

They weren't.

PRESENT DAY.

We had gone with the Onyx pack.

Taking over was relatively easy, it was almost annoying considering the amount of fear and trepidation we had when approaching them.

Most of them had fallen, and when we had given the survivors a choice to stay with us or leave, some chose to leave, too embarrassed to remain in their conquered home.

Most of the women and children had chosen to stay, in need of security and a new government.

And that is how the Coalition was formed.

And how I came to be the leader.

“Guia!” *A****n title for leader.

We both turn toward the door to see one of the wolves running in.

“Alden,” I call. “What is wrong?”

“The patrol tram found something, corpses.”

“Where?”

“A few miles north of the border.”

“Lead the way.”