Electrum

“You ready to go, Susan?” Mathis asked me. “The rest of the Erate pack isn’t far from here.” He carefully helped me up, being conscious of my injured leg. Placing an arm around my back, I was able to stand balanced without putting any weight on it.

“Yeah…” I agreed, still dazed from the kiss. “Lead the way.”

It had been strangely quiet between Mathis and me since, well, that incident. It wasn’t the bad sort, just a comfortable serenity. Although the silence made my mind drift off in all sort of strange directions, mostly revolving around him.

He looked around my age, but his eyes somehow made him look much older. Around a leader like Rias, you couldn’t act your age. Most of his subordinates had had the same dead look about them, as they fought for reasons they no longer cared for. But Mathis was different. The flecks of purple-yellow in his eyes were unique to only him, just as his soul’s survival in the Aliath pack. It wasn’t filled with undiluted hatred or vengeance, Mathis was just…Mathis.

His arm around was around me, supporting me. It was so comfortable for me that my cheeks burned unwillingly. He had helped me from before we knew each other as anything but enemies by association. It was dangerous for him as the Aliath’s Beta to move into Erate territory just for the sake of caring for me. I unconsciously turned my head to face him, and found he was staring right back at me.

“Susan, why are you staring at me?” he asked, much to my embarrassment.

I averted my gaze. Man, those rocks near my feet sure were interesting. “I could ask you the same question.”

“Who said I was staring at you?” A smile graced his features.

I rolled my eyes. “No one did. But that doesn’t mean you weren’t…” I added under my breath, knowing he could hear.

“What are you going to do once you get back to your pack?” Wait, since when did I become a part of the Erate? We’d fought alongside one another so often, been through so much, I guess I was a member, even an estranged one.

I frowned. “I could also ask that about you.”

He shrugged with the shoulder that wasn’t holding me up. “Rias won’t be too happy, that’s for sure. I’m not even sure I want to go back to that hellhole anyway.”

“It’s that bad, huh? I’ve heard the exact same thing before.”

Mathis paused for a moment. “Being in Rias’ pack…it’s as though your life is being slowly taken away. You can hate him all you want, but there’s no escape. Rebel and you die. I followed him so loyally because of that; the Beta can influence his decisions and at least stop some of this madness. I was the only thing standing between Rias and his victims’ death, and I didn’t want to move aside.”

“I-I’m sorry.” So he was not afraid for himself, but the other wolves.

“Don’t be. I’m not proud of some of the things I’ve done, for a long time I believed Rias’ way of life to be the only one. Back then I was no better than Cobalt, Halifax, and the others.”

“But you’re not like that.” I insisted, and another small half-smile swept over his face.

“You have no idea what that means to me,” he said softly as we stopped next to a small creek. “Let’s rest here for a bit.” Neither of us looked the least bit tired, but I agreed nonetheless. I didn’t feel ready to face the other wolves. And somewhere inside me I just wanted to keep my world of two, the one with Mathis.

We sat down on a large slab of rock next to the creek, water running just in front of it in a small stream. The little pebbles glistened under the cool flow, the morning sunlight casting little rainbows across their surfaces. Spider webs shimmered and swayed in the breeze, and small lizards darted in and out of their homes, tongues flicking in and out. Here was probably the densest part of the woods, trees making a leafy canopy over our heads.
Despite being a realist, there was only one way to describe this place: magical.

I swung my legs over to one side, careful not to get the bandage wet. Gently I trailed my fingers through the water. It was cool and refreshing, and the strange sparkling patterns of the light ghosted along my fingertips.

I looked up at Mathis beside me. He was sitting to my right, watching me pensively. A small yellow butterfly fluttered down and landed on his nose. The brown haired youth grinned – a real full smile, going cross eyed. Reaching up, he cupped the insect in his palms, watching as it flew off, its’ beating wings matching the rhythm of my heart.

Seized by a sudden urge, my left hand stopped its’ course through the shallow water. Smirking at Mathis, I flicked my hand open, droplets flying over his face. “What was that for?” He asked, wiping his face on his sleeve.

“Silly Mathis, this isn’t the way back!” I laughed. Somehow, I didn’t mind though.

“It is…I just wanted to make a little detour. It’s on the way, I promise.”

“Then how come I’ve never seen this before? These woods are so bland; you wouldn’t think something beautiful like this would be here right under our noses.” I must padded by here a thousand times and never taken a second glance.

“Sometimes the best things are found in the strangest places.”

“It just takes the strangest circumstances to find them.” I agreed, looking him straight in the eye.

If a week ago, someone had told me about Mathis of the Aliath Pack, I would have recommended them for therapy. I didn’t sugar coat things, and would have stubbornly insisted they were flat wrong. Right then, I had been almost thankful for my mangled leg. If I had been the strong Susan Viljoen everyone knew, I would have never met him. Strange circumstances and strange places, they sheltered the best things indeed.

I know it wasn’t right, to be this way after only one day. I knew it was rash and careless, and yet I couldn’t help myself falling headfirst. You can’t just fall in love overnight, was something I had always told my tearful friends after one of their heartbreaks. But now it was official.

I had lost my scepticism in that.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” I began nervously. “How did you end up in the Aliath Pack?” Mathis’ expression changed, unreadable. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…I know it was a personal question.”

He shook his head. “My parents founded their own pack decades ago; they taught me everything I knew about being a werewolf. There were five others in the pack; I was probably the baby of them, the kid brother.

“I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle when I was ten. They knew nothing about me turning into a wolf, and they were always kind to me. It was hard keeping the secret from them; I would sneak out of my window and return at ungodly hours covered in sticks and mud. They always tolerated it, probably out of pity. All anyone heard was that my parents had been out in the woods and mauled by wild animals. But I knew the truth; I had smelt the blood.

“I was desperate, stupidly so, to find my parent’s killer after catching the scent of the wolf. I had trailed him down for weeks on end, and that was how I met Rias. He was standing in the middle of a plain, surrounded by the carcasses of the other missing pack members.
“I knew it was him, I always had, but Rias approached the scared, thirteen year old that I had been. He told me the killer was a wolf known as ‘Amber’. I knew it wasn’t true, but what could I do? I was offered to be, no, told to be, a new pack member.

“The next few years are just a blur to me. I finished High School and managed to move up the ranks to second-in-command. Rias allowed me a college education, but only because of my position. He liked having wolves to follow him mindlessly. But I don’t think he wanted an uneducated person as Beta either.

“Yesterday I was sent on a scouting mission, and that’s how everything came around.”
I nodded. “I thought smelt something unfamiliar.”

“Yeah, that was me. I spied on your meeting too. It was strange to see you all getting along like that,” Mathis said.

“Getting along?” I raised my eyebrows. “Takis and Camden always bullied Ifan, and Alex would have tried to kill Ruairi or something if she hadn’t felt so indebted to him. I think Ruairi would have attacked me at first if Charms and Isra hadn’t stepped in. That’s why I don’t hang around packs, too much socializing.”

“At least they’re allowed to have personalities.” He said. “The way you talk about them shows you care. But I do see your point. I should have left Rias years ago, but I didn’t want to waste the influence I had. Did…did Ifan ever mention what happened to his family?”

“Not really, he said they’d been killed by the Aliath Pack. We found him bleeding in the middle of the forest.” I barely remembered it, but the scared face of Ifan had been etched into my memory.

“Rias was either going to recruit him or kill him. When he decided on the latter, he left me to…” He didn’t even need to finish the sentence.

“But you didn’t.”

“I couldn’t,” he said simply.

I smiled up at him. “I don’t think I ever got to thank you for everything.” I said shyly, looking at Mathis’ distorted reflection in the water.

The reflection smirked. “Exactly which part of ‘everything’ are you thanking me for?” he asked, a sly note not going unnoticed by my ears.

I bit my lower lip. “T-that’s not what I meant! I-I mean not entirely but what I was really trying to say was-” Here I tuned out of my own voice, which just kept rambling away without my consent. What was I, some stupid teenager with a crush? “So you see, that’s why I-centipede!”

A fuzzy, black many-legged critter was inching itself along next to my knees, unnoticed until now. I shrieked and grabbed Mathis, who was watching in mild amusement. “You can handle bloodthirsty werewolves, steel bear traps, and charging into battle against enemies twice your size, and you choose centipedes of all things to be afraid of?”

“Shut up,” I mumbled, “just get rid of it, alright?”

“Okay, okay…” Mathis reached over me and picked it up, throwing it into the bushes. “Happy now?” he asked, glancing at me. The glance turned into a stare which neither of us cared to break.

The impulse was subtle, and had been niggling at me ever since Mathis had told me his story. I hadn’t even noticed I was kissing him until he started returning the favour. I sighed softly as he pulled away, and let him pull me to my feet once more. “Now I am.” I said simply, smiling softly.

“What the HELL?” an only too familiar voice slashed through the moment. I turned, shocked.
“Camden? What are you-”

The dark haired boy snarled distrustfully. “What the fuck, Susan? You run off, abandoning us when we need help, and I find you screwing around with this piece of shit?” His language was never completely clean at the best of times, but this was a whole different level. He closed the distance between us in one fluid step and shook me by the shoulders.

Mathis made a move to stop him, but I pushed Camden away and muttered quietly to him. “I’ll handle this.”

I turned back to Camden. “I was never a part of the pack to begin with, so how can I possibly have betrayed it? Besides, it’s not like I could have come to the fight since-”

“Don’t make excuses! Because of you Takis lost a couple fingers! Takis, my best friend. He wanted to become a pianist, you know that? Guess he can’t now. And remember Charms? She almost died out there! Then there’s Isra, and God knows what Xochil’s been exposed to! She’s five years old!”

“Mathis didn’t have anything to do with that!” I defended. “He’s different from the others, he disobeyed Rias and spared Ifan.”

“Fat lot of good that did,” Camden said coldly. “Seeing as Rias killed him anyway.” A shudder rippled down his spine and a snarl erupted from deep in his throat.

“Stop Cam, don’t say that! Charms wouldn’t want-”

“Don’t you dare pull that card on me!” Camden had a well known soft spot for my best friend. “What she wouldn’t want is you hanging out with this…this scum!” He gestured to Mathis.

“Oh, so is Alexandra scum too? You attacked her first time you saw her, and last I checked you two were good friends. And I think I heard something about you lot taking in a group of newbies,” I demanded angrily.

“She wasn’t there of her own violation, I didn’t know the whole situation! Those Aliath wolves protected Charms from their own former pack. Besides, I don’t see him saying anything.” Camden was losing the argument; there was a waver in his voice. Bringing up Charmaine had certainly struck a chord somewhere in him.

I scowled. “You don’t know anything about this either, Camden. You can’t just charge first and ask questions later. That’s how regret is made. You can’t just justify things by mindless fighting, seeing only in black and white. There’s heaps of grey area.”

Our dark eyes met, and I stared at him unblinkingly. He raised his gaze to meet mine, in a standoff that seemed to last forever. Finally, he broke the hold and looked down, his breathing calmer. “Let’s talk when we get back,” I suggested. “Ruairi will decide what to do.”

Camden looked up slowly and nodded. He was always loyal to his leader. He gave a short nod to both of us and stomped through the undergrowth.

I took a nervous breath, searching for Mathis’ reaction. “Let’s not keep him waiting.” he said, taking my hand. Somehow the gesture relaxed me, taking the edge off my anxiousness. Mathis was with me, so I was alright. I would always be alright, so long as he never let go. I squeezed his hand as he led me into the thicket after Camden.

It wasn’t long before the Erate’s makeshift camp came into sight. If everyone went into hospital after an injury, there’d be rangers all over the area looking for the wild beasts who attacked us. There’d be a lot more security, and getting in and out would be almost impossible. Isra worked in the emergency room at a private hospital a few miles along the highway, and I remember that some of the others once attended the first aid course she’d hosted.

A simple tent had been set up, and several unfamiliar faces –five in fact, where standing around outside it. I assumed these were the ex-Aliath werewolves. Ruairi was pacing back and forth, sleeping daughter in his arms. Xochil had so wanted to join the ballet classes I taught next term, I wondered if she’d still be allowed to do so. A very pale Takis was sitting cross-legged on the grass, holding an ice pack over a heavily bandaged hand.

Limping, a bloodstained white wolf approached us. “At ease, Camden. Ruairi says to scout the perimeter within a 2 mile radius. He needs all the relatively uninjured hands on deck. I’ve dealt with Charms’ major injuries; she’s out of any immediate danger. Isra has stitched Takis’ fingers back on, but he won’t be playing piano again. Severed nerve endings, you know.”

“What about that?” I asked, indicating to the pooling blood spreading from her shoulder down her left foreleg.

“Not half as bad as it looks.” She shrugged to demonstrate, wincing slightly. “Aw shit…”
Camden gave a sidelong glance at Mathis and I, and Alex followed the direction of his eyes to our connected hands. “Go, Camden,” she ordered flatly. The man’s dark eyes flitted to her, to Mathis, to me, and over to the group next to the tent. “We’re not going to take advantage of the vulnerability and go kamikaze on everyone.” She sounded slightly offended, and I might have caught her adding ‘dumbass’ under her breath as he marched off to change into his werewolf form.

“Mathis.” Alexandra greeted neutrally with a nod of her head before facing me. “Charms is waiting for you, Susan, and Isra will patch you up as well,” she said in a friendlier tone that made her sound more like the fifteen year old she should have been. “Mathis, come with me. Ruairi’s orders.” The formal attitude had returned. “It’s always the young idealists, isn’t it?” she added vaguely.

“But-” I began as Mathis’ hand left mine. I didn’t want him to go, didn’t want to lose the support that would hold me through anything.

“It’ll be alright.” He kissed me on the cheek. “You’re strong, Susan.” With one last look back, he followed Alexandra towards Ruairi, who was putting Xochil down on a folded blanket.
My sandy-haired friend was in the first aid tent. Isra sat me down and began re-bandaging my leg, the temporary one having become dirty and loosened. She was about thirty years old with cropped auburn hair her daughter had inherited. Despite her position as Alpha Female, she never abused if for personal gain.

“The trap ripped through a little muscle, but it’s not too serious. I don’t think it’s infected but you should clean it regularly. You should be up and dancing again in no time,” she said comfortingly.

Charmaine watched complacently with her grey-green eyes until Isra had left. She had bandages strapped across her body, especially her arms where she had tried to defend herself. There were several bruises and scratches across her face and neck. Her shirt had been lifted to reveal a large amount of bruising, a small section of her ribcage moving in a way not in sync with her breathing. I’d wager a guess at a broken rib in two places.
She opened her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it. “Look Charms, I’m so sorry about not being there to help, if I had been there none of this would have happened.”

“You don’t know that, Susan,” she said. “Anyway, winning the fight wouldn’t have changed anything. Besides, you came back looking pretty ragged. Are you sure Jan was kidding about you running away with some guy?”

I groaned. He’d told her about that. Geez, my brother just had to go shooting his mouth off. “No, he was just being stupid.”

“Really? Because rumour is you brought an Aliath dude back,” she told me.

“Says the girl who had five of them tagging along.”

“Three, actually. Two of the deserters were girls. Someone had to stop the fight. Someone had to say no.”

I smiled. “And that girl just happened to be you, Charms.”

“But Susan, what happened to you? Everyone was so worried! Where did you go? How did you get those injuries? And who’s the guy?” The sparkle in her eyes was beginning to come back, reminding me of the hyper girl she normally was.

“It’s a long story.”

“And I’ve got a pedicure appointment in half an hour. Not. Do I really look like I’m going anywhere anytime soon?”

Sighing, I began to answer. “His name is Mathis…he saved me when I was in a sticky spot the other day, which was why I couldn’t come to the fight. Heck, I didn’t even know there was one until it was all over.” It wasn’t long before I was spilling the entire story to Charmaine, who listened without interruption.

When I had finished, she stated bluntly, “You like him.”

“Of course not, that’s why I kissed him,” I said sarcastically. “It’s just so strange, I know him so well but hardly at all.”

“Some things you just don’t question. Like Takis’ relationship with his car.”

I giggled. “Or the stash of magazines under Camden’s bed...”

“What?” Charmaine’s eyes went wide as saucers.

“I’m kidding!” I exclaimed. “There aren’t any…that I know of. Don’t worry, he only has eyes for you!” I teased.

“That’s not funny!” Charms pouted.

“It was and you know it. I was just kidding…or was I?” I raised my eyebrows mysteriously.

“Susan Viljoen, if I weren’t a pacifist and had full use of my arms…and what do you mean ‘only has eyes’ for me?” she demanded.

“Slow, aren’t we?” I smirked. “Haven’t you seen how Camden acts around you? He’s not half as violent or rude.”

“He just doesn’t want to hit a girl.”

“So Alex and I aren’t girls? Charms, it’s you he doesn’t want to hurt.”

She rolled her eyes, probably the only part of her body without injury. “Cam knows I wouldn’t hit back, that’s why the Aliath wolves stopped attacking too.”

“Whatever you say, Charmaine, whatever you say.”

She frowned at my teasingly self-righteous dismissal, but decided to ignore it. “What do you reckon Ruairi is going to do about them?” she asked concernedly.

“How should I know? I only just figured out what Ruairi is, let alone what he’s thinking right now.” I stuck my head outside the tent and saw the Erate leader deep in conversation with Mathis, the other Aliath wolves standing awkwardly behind him. Neither looked angry, but neither looked particularly happy either. “Not even the slightest clue…” I pulled my head back in.

Camden pushed aside the tent’s flaps and came in, bending his head to avoid hitting it on the top. “I’ll just go…visit Ifan.” I said, deciding it was a good time to take my leave. As soon as Camden went past, I moved the still swinging flaps and took a step into the midday light.
“Susan, one last thing.” Charmaine began, and I paused. “About Mathis…he stayed with you at your worst, so he deserves you at your best.”

“Thanks, Charms.”

“Say hi to Ifan for me.”

“Will do.”

Our former Omega had been buried a couple hundred metres from the tent. There was no need to go through formal certificates of death and the like. Ifan had no family, no one would miss him. I didn’t even think many people other than us would notice his disappearance, and his memory would soon fade in the minds of those who did.

His grave was no more than a deep hole, the disturbed dirt the only indication that it was his final resting place. Someone had smoothed over the ground there, and another had placed wildflowers over the grave. Probably Isra and Xochil.

“Hey Ifan, how’ve you been?” I began, not expecting an answer. “I’m really glad I got to know you, huh.

“Remember that conversation we had before I left?” I asked. “When I called you a fighter? Yeah, I almost labelled you as a survivor, but you don’t have that edge. And remember how I didn’t know what Ruairi was? I figured that out too, just thought you’d want to know.

“He’s a leader, see? He takes responsibility, and even though he leads with an iron fist, he still is looking for the overall welfare. Someone has to make decisions, even if they hurt, even if they seem wrong at the time. So Ruairi’s a leader.

“I met this Aliath wolf, Mathis, when I was out. He’s the guy who didn’t kill you, even though he was supposed to. I don’t know if you were around long enough to see Charms make a change in five wolves, but now you know. I reckon they’re soldiers. But as for Mathis…now he’s the real enigma. I don’t know what he is.”

I hadn’t even noticed Isra coming up behind me. “He’s yours, isn’t he?”

“Mine?”

She nodded. “It was even obvious to Xochil.”

“Did she make that?” I pointed to a daisy chain adorning Ifan’s grave.

“Yes.” Isra smiled wistfully. “She was like a little sister to him. But the fight…it’s not something I had wanted her exposed to, especially not at such a young age. She understands more than you’d think.”

The little girl’s tear-streaked face as her father held her came to my memory, and I sighed sympathetically. Xochil didn’t deserve this. No child deserved this. She’d rarely been around children her own age, not knowing why she couldn’t transform in front of them. Xochil had been sheltered in a world where werewolves were normal. She had been brought up in a world where fighting was the norm.

“Time to say goodbye to Ifan you two, they’ve reached a decision,” Takis called.

“Really?” I jumped up from my crouch and running towards him. “What did he say?” I asked eagerly.

“Woah, woah, don’t shoot the messenger, you’ll find out soon enough. I’ve already got a bad enough headache,” he said, and I noticed a deep taped cut on his forehead.

“Can’t you just tell us if it was good or bad?”

“Sorry Susan,” Takis said. “I was too busy making sure those Aliath guys weren’t going to go on a murder spree.” Nice to know how much trust he had in them.

“Didn’t Ruairi tell you anything?” I snapped.

He shrugged. “Nope, he just said to get everyone.” Typical Takis, never questioning his orders and getting a move on. No wonder he got a job at FedEx. “Looked awful serious though,” he added as an afterthought.

“Wow, that sure lifted my spirits,” I grumbled, stalking after Takis.

Isra strode forwards to match my pace. “So…” she whispered, “is he a good kisser?”
I coughed embarrassedly, choking on air. “W-why do you care?” I spluttered, going red. Isra was like the aunt everyone had; the one who was never without the most humiliating of questions.

“Ah, so he is,” she said triumphantly.

“I-I never even said that! Or that I kissed him in the first place!” The only person I had told was Charms, and she hadn’t blabbed. Had she?

Isra caught my worried expression. “No one told me. He just had that look about him.”

This threw me off guard. “What look?”

She smiled. “The same one Ruairi had after he kissed me. It funny really, totally out of the blue.” There was a faraway look in her eyes. “We couldn’t stand each other all through college, and then bam! It just happened. At first I’d thought he was mocking me but I hadn’t expected him to be so rough but careful at the same time. I almost slapped him when-”

“Alright Isra, I get the picture!” I really didn’t want or need to know anything about the Erate leader’s smooching skills. Gag me please. But I still made a mental note of the blackmail material.

We came to the clearing once again. Yes, that clearing where everything started; where Ruairi had made his speech announcing the movement of the Aliath. It had all began here, and this was where it would end. As soon as I saw Mathis, I immediately felt the need to be at his side. He was talking to Charmaine (who had been assisted to the meeting place by Cam) and Alexandra, who had a developing black eye.

“Susan!” He exclaimed, pressing his lips against mine. It was unlike the others, more desperate, as though I would be ripped away from him at any second.

“Eew!” Xochil cried, pointing a tiny finger at us. She paused, confused for a moment, before asking innocently, “But why aren’t they sitting in a tree? That’s what the song says!”

“Where have you been?” I gasped, slightly out of breath.

“We were just telling him about how it only takes a few ounces of pressure to castrate someone,” Charmaine interrupted, smiling sweetly.

“We’re going now; Charms, Yvette, Lee, Lucian and I need to make plans to go to the beach,” Alex said. I assumed the three unknown names she mentioned must have been the deserters from the Aliath pack. All of them looked quite young, they probably hadn’t been with Rias long enough to forge a loyalty yet. With one last glance at Mathis she added. “Seriously though, don’t break her heart.”

“Did those two just…threaten you?” I asked incredulously as they left.

“Probably,” Mathis shrugged. “I’m not worried.”

“You should be,” I told him. “I wouldn’t recommend getting on their hit list.”

He shook his head. “They’d only put me on it if I broke your heart, which I never planned to and never will do. So what is there to worry about?”

I almost grinned, but didn’t forget another major problem. “Um, what was Ruairi’s decision?” I asked, fearing the answer.

“He’s not letting us join the Erate pack, he made that much clear,” he said.

“Did you want to join?” I asked.

Mathis shrugged. “Not really, it’s obvious most don’t want us here.” He was clearly speaking about Camden.

“But then what are you going to do?” I took both his hands and stared up at him.

“Don’t look so upset, Susan. They’re not going to kill or ship us off to the middle of nowhere. He’s been surprisingly generous, actually. We’re allowed to share the land, just as long as we don’t bother his pack and have no contact with Rias and co.”

“That doesn’t sound like Ruairi at all; what’s the catch?”

“That was the catch.”

“But then how come he’s not giving you a more serious catch, I mean, that catch wasn’t much of a catch and –argh, you’ve confused me again!” I shook my head exasperatedly.

“Do I do that often?” he asked with a slight smirk.

I thought of the one-sided discussion I’d had with Ifan. “You have no idea…” I admitted, half-hoping he wouldn’t hear. “But what brought about Ruairi’s change of heart?”

“Probably what happened on the fight. Those five Aliath wolves; Lee, Topaz, Yvette, Lucian, and Ebony almost died for the Erate. And a couple of them haven’t even hit their teens yet. He must have seen them as children, just like his daughter.” He paused. “And the fact that Xochil has latched herself to Lee probably influenced him too. But I’m no shrink so I wouldn’t know.”

“So all the ex-Aliath are forming their own pack?” I asked.

“You could say that. Even that fluff ball from the Erate Pack is joining.”

“But who’s going to be the Alpha?”

Mathis smiled. “I was Beta of the Aliath Pack, they trust and actually chose me to lead them.”

“But a new pack with such young werewolves…and all on your own? That’s gotta be tough.” I said.

He shrugged. “The only person I would have wanted by my side as Alpha Female doesn’t like being in a pack.”

“Oh, really?” I raised my eyebrows. “Who would that be?”

“I’m talking to her right now.”

“Mathis!” called an unfamiliar brunette, stomping her foot. “Lucian called his father to pick us all up at the dirt road from our ‘camping trip’. We’ve got to get going now, so hurry up!” She couldn’t have been older than twelve. Thirteen at the most.

“Coming Yvette, just give me a second!” he called back without even looking over his shoulder at her.

“Is she one of your new pack members? Still haven’t officially named the pack, right?” I asked.

“Yep,” he confirmed. “They’re a handful. We’re holding a meeting back in town to decide positions, rules, and such. If I can get them to sit still and be quiet for more then ten seconds, that is.”

“Hm, sounds like you’ll need help dealing with a bunch of precocious kids.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying…” I told him, leaning closer. “That maybe…being in a pack might not be so bad.” At least, not as long as he was there.

Mathis bent down and kissed my forehead. “Then why are we still here, Alpha Female?” he whispered to me. “Our pack is waiting.”