A Deadly Obsession

Chapter Five - The Moonstone Pack

3 weeks later

I slam my fist down on the table in the motel room.

"This is useless. We've been all over Arizona, and no one will talk to us," I say in frustration.

"You can't really blame them. From the little we have found out, what happened is a tragedy."

"Well, someone needs to talk. How are we supposed to find out who did this if they refuse to talk about it?"

"Who are we meeting with today?" Enyo asks as I stand up and pack my things into my backpack, getting ready to leave.

"The Moonstone pack. Let's hope they're willing to talk," I say as I pick up my backpack, leave the hotel room, and head to the truck and get in. I throw my gear onto the seat, start the truck, and head towards Arlington Valley outside Gila Bend.

I travel south along the old US 80 highway until I finally come across the turnoff we need. I pull onto the old dirt road and find an SUV parked on the side of the road. The young guy standing near the vehicle waves me down, so I pull over and wind my window down.

"Hey there, are you Athena Argos?" He asks.

"That's me. Can I help you?"

"I'm Beta Jason of the Moonstone pack. I'm here to take you to the pack compound," he tells me.

"Okay, thanks. Lead the way."

He gets into his car, and we pull back onto the dirt road. I follow him for about 15 minutes when we turn down another dirt road that eventually leads to a large metal gate surrounded by tall brick walls. Beta Jason leans out of the window and presses buttons on a keypad. When he finishes, the large gate opens, and he starts slowly driving through. I follow him through to find a small community. We drive down what seems to be Main Street, with small shops and a large library. I follow the Beta further into the community towards a neighborhood. A few moments later, he finally indicates to turn into a long driveway leading up to a large three-story brick house.

I park behind the Beta, lean over, get my backpack, and get out of the truck.

"Welcome to the Moonstone pack. This is our pack house. Please follow me inside. Alpha Peter is waiting for us."

I nod and follow the Beta into the house. Inside is a large open plan living room, with plenty of chairs and couches, and a large dining room to the right. Further back is the kitchen, and Beta Jason leads me to a small hallway at the back of the house and knocks on a large double door.

"Come in," comes a voice from inside. Beta Jason opens the door and leads me into a large office. He directs me to a chair opposite the large mahogany desk, where an older gentleman with black hair and dark brown eyes sits. I sit down and place my backpack at my feet.

"Welcome, Miss Argos. I am Alpha Peter. What can I do for you today?" He asks.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Alpha Peter. As I told your assistant last week, I'm from the Blood-Moon pack in Montana. I am here in Arizona to find out what happened to the packs down here five years ago," I explain.

"I see," he sighs. "And why is a young wolf from Montana interested in what happened here?" He asks.

"As you may or may not know, Alpha, my pack was attacked too."

"I know about the attack on your pack. Your father was a good friend of mine. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," I say with a small smile. "I was working with a private investigator in Montana to try and understand why my pack was attacked and by whom. Three weeks ago, the investigator sent me to an old hunter who he thought could have information about the attack. When I confronted the hunter, I found out that not only was he involved, but that the private investigator had also been involved. When I went to confront the investigator, he had disappeared." I explain. "However, in his office, I found documents that led me here, to Arizona."