The Ice Alpha

16

Libby POV

"Family keeps their promises."

As soon as I finish the link I zip my bag.

"I'll see you sooner than you think, brother." I whisper to myself.

I watch as the last of the warriors shift for the run. We don't take cars to the pack lands so it is a long run to the garage where all pack vehicles are kept in the nearest town. I should be able to get into the bed of a truck after everyone has loaded their bags.

No way am I staying here! I'm not going to sit around doing stupid schoolwork while my pack is fighting. I can't listen to my aunt and uncle bicker while my brother and only friend are gone... Paxton. I won't stay here while the people I care about are there. Not gonna happen!

I shift and run after the pack. I am quite small I know but that just makes it easier to hide. Plus one of the benefits of being a female of Ice Winter is you get white fur no matter what your hair color. People argue the reason behind the strange fur either 1.) An ancient Alpha mad a deal with an angle or deamon to bless and hide the women of his pack or 2.) Our wolves adapted to our surroundings over the generations. Either way no one is going to see me.

I follow the men all the way into town. Just like I guessed a few men shift and take bags from the muzzles ot the other wolves and throw them into the bed of a truck.

"Is that everything?" A warrior yells as the others begin shifting back to their human forms.

"Alright, load up!" I hear Bane yell and I back up a bit. He can't see me.

As soon as most of the men are in the vehicles I run and dive into the back of the truck.

The ride is forever long until the truck stops. When I peek up to see where we are all I see is forest. We aren't there yet! We've been driving all day and my legs are cramping!

"We'll camp out in the woods and finish the trip in the morning." I hear someone say as rather men all get out.

"Dude I'm shifting. If we're sleeping in the forest I'm doing it as a wolf." A man responds.

I peek out trying to find a way to escape the truck before the men come for their stuff. As soon as I see my chance I take it and run, as best I can on my stiff legs, into the bushes.

I watch the men dig in the truck as I stretch. This is the longest drive ever!

"Five men do a parameter sweep. I don't want any surprises." Bane orders and I groan. How can I keep them from finding me?

I run away as quick as I can. I just need to stay away until the parameter sweep is done then I can come back and sleep until it is time to go again.

Once I think I am far enough away I stop. 20 minutes should be eno...

Grrrrrr

I hear the growl and look around. In a second I am blindsided. Pinned under another wolf. He is bigger than me. Not as big as Bane but big enough to scare me. He growls sniffing me. I sniff back and relax only for him to growl again.

"What are you doing here, Libby!?" He links.

"I'm not staying home, Paxton!" I respond.

"I have to tell Alpha." He says stepping off of me.

"No don't! Come on Pax, just wait until we reach the royal pack so it will be harder for him to send me back." I try to convince him.

"No, Alpha Bane trusts me. He is talking about holding out the Gamma position for me when I turn 18. I'm not going to go against my Alpha." He says and I growl.

"Who's side are you on! I thought you were MY friend! I can't stay home while you guys are there!" I scream through the link.

"You will get hurt." He whines.

"I won't... I just don't want to be alone again... I promise to go to Bane once we are there. I won't tell him you found me. Once we are in the royal pack it will be harder for him to send me home. Please, Paxey... I don't want to leave my family or my best friend." I say nuzzling the bigger wolf. Yes it was manipulation. No I'm not sorry. It is all true anyway. So what if I know what buttons to push to make Pax do what I want.

"Hey!" I yip as he picks me up by my scruff and drops me in front of him.

Paxton starts licking my head, ears, back. I try to squirm away but he just pulls me back by my scruff and continues his licking.

"Stoooopppp!" I whine and he huffs before sniffing me. He shakes his head before laying on top of me and licking my neck again. "Paxxxxxxxx!" I whine again. He sniffs me again before nodding and letting me up.

"Your scent is strong, Lib. It took a lot to mask it. You smell like me now so the patrols should ignore you. I'm gonna carry you back and place you in a bush close to camp. You will stay there until it is time to leave then you will stay in the back of the truck until we get to the royal pack. Once there you will tell your brother within 24 hours or I will. Am I understood?" Pax links sternly.

"Thanks Paxton." I respond ignoring how much he is treating me like a pup.

"You are lucky you are my friend. Any other wolf would have turned you over to your brother... I probably should but I'm not going to. Just listen to me pup." He says and I growl.

"You are less than 5 years older than me! If I'm a pup than so are you!" I growl at him.

"Five years is a lot between 10 and 15, Lib... you are still a pup." He tells me.

"Am not! I'm gonna graduate high-school in two years. I'll still be out before you!" I respond. I have advanced classes planned so I can do 2 years of high-school at a time and be done with it. I'm gonna graduate before him.

"You are a genius. I never said you weren't but you have a lot of maturing to do, Lib. Schooling has nothing to do with it." He says before picking me up by my scruff. "Let's go, pup."