To Walk Alone

- revelations -

- Jake -

Tires crunched over the crumbling pavement as the black pickup truck finally came to a halt in front of the small restaurant. An old neon sign flickered above the doorway, but half of the letters remained blank, as if the light bulbs burned out long ago and no one thought to replace them. Ten years ago, this was probably the focal point of the little town and had probably been the main hang out. Aside from the two bars Jake and his crew passed, there wasn't much here to begin with.

The crumbling skeleton of a bowling alley stood down from the diner just a short way, but it was clearly abandoned and left to rot. Big planks of plywood covered the front windows. It was unfortunate that bits and pieces of the town were left to disrepair.

He turned his head from side to side, sniffing the air that drifted through the open windows, and his Beta, Lucas, gave him a hard look from the driver's seat of his truck.

"They're all over the place," Lucas grumbled as his eyes shifted to a small group of males just down a block by the gas station.

"It is their town," Jake replied steadily.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Jake grinned. "Nope, you don't, but too bad. It's not our territory. We're only guests."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Stinks like them," he grumbled under his breath.

"We there, Jake?" a voice from the back seat groaned out.

"Dinner!" Lucas said with a forced cheerfulness to his voice and a fake smile that faded just as quickly as it came.

"Dinner? You couldn't hold out till we got to the pack house? We're only like, an hour out, aren't we?" The voice wondered with a yawn, and Jake twisted around in his seat to look back at his Gamma, who had fallen asleep a little over two hours ago. His tall and lanky frame was spread out across the entire back seat.

"Since when do you turn down food?" Jake asked, raising his eyebrows.

A blank look crossed over Ben's face. "Never!"

Lucas snickered as he thrust his door open and peeled himself out of the driver's seat. The SUV next to them began unloading also, and Jake was the last one to slam his door shut. The five werewolves that surrounded him sniffed at the restaurant in mutual interest. It didn't look like the best place to eat, but it sure smelled good. A nine-hour car ride certainly made for a long day, and aside from having to stop for gas, the thought of food was enlightening.

The six of them exiting the vehicles drew the attention of the males down the street. When the wind shifted, their noses sniffed the air and then the group turned away quickly without even acknowledging the newcomers. Jake almost snorted. He could tell from here they were young, probably only fifteen or sixteen years old if he had to guess and would have been no match for Jake and his crew.

Six tall and powerful warriors could have easily taken out the lighter frames of the teens down the street, but Jake paid them no mind. They were guests of the Greyback Pack, and it was made known ahead of time through the surrounding territories that they were passing through to the western settlement.

Ben let out a rather wide yawn, but it was cut short when Lucas backhanded him in the gut.

"How can you still be tired?" Lucas groaned. "You've been sleeping all afternoon."

Ben finished his yawn then shook his head. "Because you drive like a grandma."

His response earned himself a growl from Lucas and a snicker from Tuck and Lane, two pack warriors.