A few hours later, I believed that I had found the place I wanted all of us to settle in. We had had breakfast back at the clearing, some venison that Luke had done out to get, and it had been a hearty meal, with enough leftovers for us to drag along with us as we went on our way now. It had taken us some time too – I had almost asked to stop a few times but since the littles were walking on without any problems, I pushed myself to do what they were doing. I suspected it was because I was not used to this kind of work since my entire walking experience in the pack I was from was walking to the stream. Once at the spot, we had immediately made some new friends. We had been smelling the scent of nearby wolves for a few minutes, and everybody was on edge, until I had enoihhband fishef out the two wolves who had bee skanking behind us on our way to the clearing. “What do you want?” I'd asked, unblinking. I had sensed no threats from them, and everyone else in the pack seemed to be jus
Snapping back to reality, I stepped aside and went to rest my back against a piece of bark so I could watch my pack members go at it. I wondered how I had made the transition on a few days. I already thought of them as my pack, even though I had made a resolution not too long ago not to belong to one. The irony was not lost on me. Just then, I got a vision of the pack having a lot more members, thinking of how fast word spread and how many more people were being thrown out of their packs every day. I felt a little bit giddy at the thought. Sure, it was a terrible thing to be thrown out of your pack and the family you thought you had, but look at me, the same thing had happened to me, and my chosen family was leagues better than the set I had been packed with initially. We made our way back to our settling grounds that night, and everyone set up camp, making plans for our futures. There were a lot of trees beside us, and with the river, we could construct huts. From nearby towns, we
In a month of belonging to the pack and doing the things I had started to, my strength had started to develop even more, and the respect I got from the pack members was even greater than it had been before. I had worries about my mate and my former pack, and how they were faring, but whenever I needed a reminder, I would tell myself some of the things they had told me before. I was becoming someone else, free from them, and now I felt the need to talk about it with someone, which was why I went to find Lee. “Hey,” I said, smiling at him. He was seated in between quite a number of men and women at a corner of our land, just watching them talk, and I was trying to get him away from there.“Hey,” he smiled, taking my hand. “Do you want to sit down?” he asked, shifting over. With a smile, I shook my head no. “No, can you come with me please? Are you in the mood to talk?”“Sure,” he said, expression morphing into a frown. I considered assuring him it was nothing too serious when I turn
Over the next few weeks, word spread to the other nearby packs, and my reputation as a warrior grew. There had been an increase in gifts from suitors, and I had reached a point where the influx of gifts were simply being gifted to other people. I had gotten sent some things that we needed from our neighboring pack, and at the same time gotten so many gifts that I did not know what to do with them. That aside, the number of suitors asking for my hand in marriage had doubled, if not quadrupled. They had been accosting me on my way to the river, at night, and even during shifts, approaching me with the promise of a future with them, yet, each time i declined their offers and propositions, fully aware that there was no one for me but my mate. He had rejected me, but holding out for him seemed to be in my best bet. I could not imagine a world where I ended up with someone else, and it made me feel selfish, hurting so many other people for the sake of someone who did not have any regard o
The moon was full, and it was time for another shift. Normally, the shifts were led by an alpha or their mate, but I had quickly realized that their only option was me and sucked it up. Without the moon, I could not transform, but with most of them also being Omegas, no one held it against me, waiting patiently until I had begun before beginning themselves. I am a big person, I realized. I am important to the pack, big enough to make a difference, big enough to lead them all to shifts, and I could see myself even better, I get that would have been impossible in the darkness of my former pack. That night, the crickets were whistling, a silence taking over the pack, and making it more evident that something was going on. Worried, I called out for the original outcasts I had met; Luke, Lee, Kimora and David, needing to see them with immediacy. Something was off, and without them, I would not continue. Eric, Erin and Remy came over to me too, and I pulled them into a quick hug, wonde
I was sure that many people died, but I had not been there to witness enough of them. It was funny; although none of it was my fault and I was not in control of it, I told myself that Luke was just temporarily away, and sometimes, I found myself looking out for him when the day started to come to an end, wanting to make sure that he was in the pack safe and sound. It was probably quite infuriating, and was probably driving everyone to their wits end, yet they remained gracious to me. Lee especially worked very hard to be kind to me, alongside Kimora. On occasion, I would overhear them talk about how terribly I was taking the news, and although I agreed with them, there was no way in hell I was going to admit it to any of them. “Do you guys think it's okay to talk about Luke as often as I do? Am I doing too much? Overshadowing you in my grief?” I heard myself ask once, worried about the pain that I was potentially causing them. I did not want them to be in any pain whatsoever, and I
The weight of responsibility settled heavily on my shoulders as I knew it was time to address the pack and reveal the marker I had made for Luke. Since his passing, we had all been in mourning. But, I strongly believed this marker would be a symbol of remembrance and a tribute to our beloved elder.Gathering the pack around me, I took a deep breath to steady my emotions. Kimora, David, and Lee stood there with understanding and support in their eyes, ready to listen to whatever I had to say."Thank you all for coming," I began, my voice firm but tinged with vulnerability. "These past days have been tough for us, and I know we've all felt the void left by Luke's absence."Kimora nodded, and David placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. Lee remained stoic but attentive, a manner very unlike him.I continued, "I wanted to create something that would remind us of Luke's importance and the love he had for each of us. This marker represents the bond we shared and the legacy he left behind.
In the heart of the wilderness, I, representing my pack, approached the leader of a neighboring pack with a nod of respect. Seeking an alliance, I understood the need for caution in our dealings. It was a decision I had decided upon without input from anyone but the main outcast gang, and now it was time to present my case.The neighboring pack leader was a friend, but he regarded me warily as I walked in his direction, his eyes scrutinizing my intent. They knew about the death of one of our members, and had shown us nothing but support. I wasted no time in explaining our purpose, sharing that recent encounters with rival packs had underscored the necessity of unity and strength. I believed that by forming an alliance, our packs could defend each other, secure territories, and create a safer environment for our kin to flourish.As I approached the clearing, my heart pounded with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. The leader of the neighboring pack, Dan, stood there, his expre