I heard the blood rush in my ears as soon as the Alpha's hand met mine, my body became numb and I counted my breaths, trying to leave my mind open as a vessel to contact my pack. Since Beta Friendrich's death we rarely comminucated through the mind link anymore. It was mainly used in emergency situations or to announce the arrival of visiitors. I could almost hear the sound of the door opening, rusty and creaking in my mind. Before long Alpha Rhode's voiuce rang out, clear through the routes and tunnels of the link, visiting every pack member.
"My name is Alpha Rhodes, I hereby lay claim to this pack. The Ember Pack will now be joined with the former Kronos and Genesis packs of the West. Any and all questions will be answered in person this evening. Theo Martin will explain the details."
I felt the snap as my mind link became my own, now with the murmerings of nervous pack members across the entirety of the town. I swallowed hard, before speaking "Al
The sound of my alarm blaring stirred me out of bed, and I sluggishly pulled myself from the comfort of my blankets to silence it. I was exhausted, my whole body yearned for rest. It had been alert and on edge for twodays now, having been battered unwieldingly by the rapid changes around us. "Don't expect it to stop anytime soon!" Sage warned me, but I knew she was right. Something told me that this would be the first of many days in a row spent training under the guidance of the new Alpha, and my already sore muscles were about to be beaten to submission.I stumbled to the bathroom, hastily brushing my teeth and pulling my thick hair into a bun at the top of my head, securing it with a thin elastic headband and several bobby pins. While I was physically fit enough, I was by no means athletic and my stomach turned thinking about the battering I was to endure. I slipped into a pair of tight wrestling shorts I had bought ages agoto wear when I wore a dr
I had hoped to make it to the car and hope without being caught by Mains or my mother, but Goddess knows I could never be so lucky. She stuck her head out the door toward the back parking lot the minute I walked up to the car, her voice clear and warning across the lot,"Not so fast, young lady. I expect a report!"I sighed, and followed suit, not wanting to play victim to the same wrath I'd felt the day before. My mother swooped on me in the doorway, peppering me with questions about the turnout and the training, asking if I'd learned anything about our new neighbours from the West."Whoa, Mom, slow down!" I laughed, amused at her antics. Ignoring her huff, I patted her arm, "I'm spent. Maybe a seat and a cup of tea?""Fine! But then you're telling me everything!" She said, wagging her finger at me before disappearing to her office to get a cup of tea ready. I made my way over to a soft little nook in the front
As quickly as I noticed it Rhodes had pulled his hand away and I willed the furious blush to subside from my cheeks. As someone flicked on the lights, the room started to clear, chatter about the movie and ongoing pack programs lingering in the air. I looked towards Alpha Rhodes, but he didn't meet my gaze. My head was swimming, confused with thoughts of confusion and longing for this strange new Alpha. I barely knew him, knew so little of his story but I couldn't deny the magnetic pull I had to him.Beta Gideon mentioned something about reviewing border lines before patrol to the Alpha and he nodded, leaving the room with the last of the warriors as the credits finished rolling across the screen. I collected my thoughts, swallowing hard as the dark room filled with light, willing the blush forming on my cheeks to subside before Torrance or her mother noticed. They chattered away, talking plot points and sequels, before Leona turned to me, "Would you like to stay a litt
While I'd slept in some, I nearly shot out of bed the next morning, full of excited nerves shooting through me like live wires. I was nearly tipping over with excitement to begin combat training today, to learn how to move my body on the offensive, to become a weapon in protection of my pack. I had never thought about it before yesterday, the physical classes we took in our towns small high school were lacklustre and unenthusiastic. Our pack had resigned in the past decade to allow the elements to act as our main line of defence. Sage had always urged me to seek training once I turned 18, had always been teething at the bit to unleash the furious side of her and use her given talent, but I'd never given in. I had always perceived myself as a small meek girl, incapable of this level of power but in only one assessment I was shown my potential. I love a challenge.The clock read just after noon, meaning I had plenty of time to get ready for training and relax a bit. My mind
I awoke refreshed, my mind alert and buzzing. I'd fallen to sleep early after the exertion of the sparring training, even Mom had commented on how fast I was fading. I lay happily in the quiet, the only sound being the thump of my heartbeat and the light patter of rain on our cabin roof. I took my time getting out of bed and inching to the shower. I still worked at the library, but we'd worked it out that I had no set shift time, just that I was expected on my days free from training and in a drop-in basis. Mains was still hard at work reviewing the historical texts pulled from the old town hall ruins, and with the sudden influx in population size mom was kept on her toes serving new customers. She would need an extra set of hands if this traffic kept up, and I made a note to poke around the training grounds for any young wolf who may be interested.I turned on the shower to warm up while I examined my bruise on my back. The tape had held through the night, and where a
My mind was occupied all day with the information Mains and I had dug up, coupled with worry for his health. The coughing fits were getting more frequent and violent as time continued to pass, and I couldn't stop my brain from believing the worst. I pushed my worry aside as much as I could and focused my energy on preparing for the training session ahead of me.I dressed simply and warmly, a pair of striped leggings and a deep blue long sleeved athletic shirt, my usual uniform. I secured my hair in two thick braids, and pulled on my sneakers before beginning my new ritual run to the field. I drowned out the pounding thoughts of worry with the rush of blood pulsing through my body, focusing instead on each step and stride before me.Once I arrived at the field I claimed a seat on the bleachers and tried to engage in conversation with Torrance and Alex as they happily chattered about their day off and weekend plans. I kept zoning out into my own head, their voices be
The days droned on, long and monotonous. The worry that plagued me never fully left, but every day Mains seemed stronger, and we came closer to finding answers in the pages of the old books. We cross-referenced the claims in the leatherbound history with newspapers, land surveys, even medical charts and death certificates. As much as I didn't want it to be true- the claims were adding up. Our pile of confirmed Rogue battles was growing taller with reports of casualties, all verified by death certificates and obituaries. Land surveys from the time period proved the area was littered with charred rubble, especially on the outskirts. Mains took these discoveries hard, disappointed that he couldn't remember this time of turmoil and chaos. He was the only one in town who would have been alive when this all transpired, though he was a child. The dates were almost 75 years ago to the day, the larger events happening as winter trickled in.I begged Mains to let us take our find
I leaned my forehead on the cool window of Leona's SUV as it drove along the winding roads from our remote village towards the bustling city a little over three hours away. My mom, in the front seat, excitedly chatted with the Beta girls, learning about their old pack and lives before coming to Stay's landing. I took a long swig of the coffee we had stopped for before leaving town, the spicy sweet liquid gliding down my throat and waking me up from the inside out."When was the last time you girls went shopping?" Leona asked, looking at me through the rear view mirror."Oh gosh, it would have been just before the old Beta's wife passed. So what, at least three years, Theo?" my Mom answered, and I nodded in confirmation."Three years?!" Torrance exclaimed, her voice shrill with shock and mock disgust, "what cruel and unusual punishment you've had to endure."Leona laughed as Torrance pawed at my hair, a pout on her face, "Don't worry, lik