Life With the Pack

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

(Ray's POV)

I awoke to find myself surrounded by darkness and warmth. I blinked. I was awake... Right?!

My eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light and I realized I was inside a deep cave. The warmth came from a body pressed up against me. I stiffened, wary of the stranger beside me. Suddenly they moved and turned to look at me. "Ray...? W-what happened...?" She groaned and I relaxed, recognizing Snow's white pelt.

She noticed the deep claw marks in my chest and winced, the incident suddenly coming back to her. She leaned in close to me and pressed her head into my chest. She sighed, seemingly troubled. "Snow... Is it true? Are we really mates?" I asked hesitantly. She nodded carefully so as not to disturb my wounds. I bent my head and licked her forehead soothingly. A sigh of content escaped me. It was really happening! I had found my mate - or rather she had found me - and she was the most beautiful shifter around! I couldn't believe this. The Elders must have a liking for me to bless me with this amazing young Alpha.

"Ray?"

"Hmm...?"

"Well, I mean... I think we need to talk to my mother about this whole business..." Snow said, glancing up at me.

"Of course," I replied, savoring our closeness. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but return one of my own wolfy smirks.

Sensing another presence, I turned my head to find a male shifter approaching us. Immediately I tensed, emitting a low snarl from my throat. However as he got closer, I sensed the power coming from him and knew he was Beta. Now's my chance to talk to the Alpha with Snow, I thought.

He finally arrived and nodded a simple greeting. "Anything I can get for you?" he asked. I thought about my response before speaking. "Yes, actually. I was wondering if I could have a word with your Alpha? We have some important matters to discuss, if you don't mind."

"I will let her know. If you need anything else, just let one of us know," the Beta said politely, then walked off.

A few minutes later, the Alpha walked in. "Greetings, Alpha," I said, dipping my head. She nodded in response.

"What can I help you with?"

"Snow and I would like to have a word with you about this whole... occurrence." At my words, the Alpha bristled ever so slightly. She inhaled sharply then nodded for me to continue.

"I should start from the beginning, but I must warn you; you will not be pleased." I took a deep breath, then continued. "A few of my pack-mates and I were hunting near the edge of our territory when we picked up the scent of several different Pack shifters on our side of the river. My pack-mates were outraged, and one of them headed back to tell the others and to seek reinforcements. The rest of us headed into your territory in search of the Alpha to speak of this outrage. We stopped for a while when the scents split apart, then continued on towards the mountain following the majority of the scents. Unfortunately, this is when a large portion of my pack returned and charged into your cave without listening to me.

"I refused to join the battle and waited alone near a clearing. After a while I noticed a few of my comrades running past with wounds and assumed the battle to be over and lost. I had shifted into a bird and was circling around when I saw a lone Pack member of pure white in a pine tree. One of the Wilds had also noticed Snow and was creeping up on her, so I dove in first and shifted mid-air to tackle her from the tree. I would have left her alone but with-" it was at this point that Snow cut me off.

"Wait, TWO of you saw me?! I was totally hidden in that tree! I made certain of it!"

I smirked my wolfy smirk, then remarked, "The wind was blowing just enough to shift the branches, and enough to reveal you." She huffed at that.

Anyway, I would have left you alone if my friend hadn't been watching. So instead I threatened you to make it look convincing, and you know the rest." I said, looking at Snow, then to her mother.

"Actually I don't 'know the rest'," Alpha Night said, sending me a cold glare. I looked to Snow and she explained the rest to her mother, about the trip and our underground caverns, then her escape and up to the most recent time.

The Pack Alpha did not looked pleased in the least after Snow finished, and she continued to glare at me. "Mother, stop being rude. This was all a misunderstanding," Snow said. "Besides, there is really no way this can work between Ray and I. I'm the heir of our pack and Ray has his own to lead." At that last bit, Alpha Night's fur bristled. My head tilted slightly. Hadn't she detected my power earlier?

"He is their Alpha?!" she exclaimed, muttered something under her breath I couldn't make out, then continued. "This is outrageous. I will not tolerate your intrusion on our territory!"

I snarled at her. "Our intrusion? What about yours?! It is your Pack scent on our land that drove my pack-mates here in the first place! I find this incredibly disrespectful, and I promise you, if this contin-" I began my rant, and was once again cut off, but this time it wasn't Snow, but the Beta.

"Alpha! The Wilds have returned and demand the return of their pack-mate, or else they threaten to attack. What shall I say to them?" Beta Black said somewhat worriedly. My pack-mates were here? But how had they known I was here? I thought for a moment. Fang... He must have hidden after I told him to leave and eavesdropped.

Alpha Night growled. "You'll tell them nothing. Gather everyone able to fight. I'm going outside," she said and got up, stretching her stiff old legs.

I glanced at Snow, not sure what to expect. Her fur was bristling and her ears were flat back against her head. Protectiveness over her mate was settling in. Shouldn't I, being the male, be protective over her? This was one weird relationship.

"I won't let them take you away. Not yet, not so soon," she growled slightly at me. We both got up and walked into the main part of the cave to see the others heading down the tunnel to confront my Wilds. I could barely hear Snow's mother as she addressed whom I could only assume was my Beta, Ripple. "Your pack-mate is our prisoner, guilty of stealing the heir to the Omega Pack. He shall be rightfully punished. Movement on your part opposing this decision will be seen as an act of war!" I looked at Snow worriedly. This was not going to turn out well.