Seizing the Hierarchy {Pup Book 1)

CHAPTER 1

The Colt Clan was a place I never imagined could exist. Community, family. Things I hadn't been able to experience in so long that I almost ran when I found it.

Dozens of smaller houses lined the edge of the new property we'd moved to. The numerous families within the Pack would live there, while the grandest of them all was reserved for the top of the hierarchy.

I watched in envy as the Deltas in the Pack carried things into the Alpha house, a sizeable multi-floor building with a grey and white facade. It was a dream, really, even seeing something so human so far out in the trees. Ordinary werewolf settlements were small, modest, mainly constructed of older wood tossed by the humans after use or trees and logs that had fallen or been cut. But the buildings on the Colt Estate weren't modest at all. The property screamed wealth, no matter where you looked.

Lush green grass covered the ground in every direction. The roofs of the houses were fitted with sturdy material instead of the remnants of trees or metal. I could even smell the water that flowed through the underground pipes in and out of each home.

Almost an acre of what seemed to be a secret human existence was something more; it was home to wolves. And I was thankfully one of them.

I spotted Eric from my perch at the tree line, struggling with a cart that carried supplies to one of the houses, and called out to him. "That would be a lot faster if you had some help, don't you think?" the smug grin that spread across my face was enough to warrant an irritated laugh from him.

"So why the hell don't you get off your lazy ass and help me?"

"No way, I'm the screw-up, remember? Get another Delta to help you out." I looked back over to the Alpha house, where they continued to shuffle things inside quickly.

Eric growled, calling my attention back to him, "They're busy, so if you aren't going to help, then don't bother me. This is already punishment because of you, and I don't need anything extra added on, Pup."

"Fine." I laid my head back as Eric pushed the cart away, distancing my mind from the bustling chaos around me.

In the last eight years, I'd found that I couldn't shake the stigma of who I was—a nobody with nothing to offer except another mouth to feed. Packs finding me, taking me in, and then kicking me out was something I was used to. It was also how I got the name Pup. My real name was Lacey, but it wasn't something I identified with; in fact, I sometimes wished I could forget it and all the memories that came with it.

Being with the Colts now was a miracle. If I'd chosen to stay in Canada for even one more minute, I would've missed them, or he, Dane, would've missed me.

It wasn't typical for a pack of this size to take in a rogue or even let one live if it crossed their path, but they did. One sniff from Dane. One reassuring whimper that I was of no threat and I was 'welcomed' into the Pack. Of course, at the time, I thought that the twenty or so members were all there were to be seen, but that turned out to be wrong.

Once we were on their pack grounds, I saw just how extensive the Colt Clan was; even now, I'm still surprised. One would say that you should thank Neama, the moon goddess, for gifts such as these. For a place to stay, food to eat, and a family to love you, but I wasn't so sure she existed. One tended to lose their beliefs when they were inexplicably abandoned.

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Day turned to night as I'd slept; with it came the sounds of smaller insects that sensed no threat from us. The sounds of settling in within the Estate had dulled, and only the faint talking of older wolves still moving around could be heard. It was a peaceful evening that I was sure I could often enjoy while living with the Colts. However, the sound of crushing debris in the nearby area sent me into a defensive stance.