Feral

Chapter Five

         Lacey recalled her first encounter with a lone wolf who crossed their borders. She ran ahead of her mother during a group hunt. It was not uncommon for them to go on their own. The land itself was generally free of campers, hunters, and other large animals. She stumbled across the timid wolf on accident. He immediately froze and glanced at her. His eyes pleaded for mercy and secrecy. She wondered how an adult wolf could be so scared of a small pup? She was barely ten years old. She had not grown her adult canines, and she was not strong enough to defend her territory. What harm could she do to him? Lacey tilted her ears back, gazing at the wolf with curious eyes. She sniffed, saying: Why are you so afraid? He quickly lowered his gaze and they mirrored each other. One wondered why the other was unresponsive and the other feared the consequences of entering pack territory. He stayed that way until they heard her mother's calling howl.

         Lacey's mother stood over her protectively. She watched the wolf for any threatening signs. He lowered his gaze instantly and tucked his tail between his shaky legs. The wolf lowered himself to the floor. The familiar scent of fear coated him in a protective layer. It was not the dangerous type of fear. The type of fear that causes a beast to strike when it is backed into a corner. It was a respectable fear. The lone wolf respected her authority, even if she was not a pack leader. The mother wolf decided his fate. She motioned her muzzle behind him, allowing him to pass through their territory. At the time, Lacey did not understand the wolf's odd behavior. She never witnessed such a display from a full-grown wolf. Now, she understood him.

         

         Lacey remembered how fast that male wolf lunged at Peter. How did I miss him? She queried. He was twice the size of Peter, yet he moved soundlessly through the forest. How long had he lurked, watching them get closer until he was ready to attack? How cruel, Lacey realized. He knew Peter did not intentionally cross their territory but he attacked anyways. So this is how the Canis Blue pack welcomes newcomers? She bit her tongue, holding back the angry grumbling that threatened to escape her. She felt his gaze burning holes on her flushed skin. He was watching for any excuse to attack again. "What do we have here?" A powerful voice caught their attention, but they did not look up without the command. "Please, rise. I was expecting you, George Viallobos"

         Lacey jumped to help her father rise to his feet and Peter awkwardly kicked at some sticks by his foot. "Yes. I apologize for the commotion. We did not mean to disrespect your pack," he replied. She caught a glance of the male wolf and the incredibly short woman who stood in front of him. The woman's voice did not match her appearance. She looked more like a pixie than a pack leader. Another, much taller, woman stood behind the wolf and handed him a pair of basketball shorts.

"Ah, there is no harm done. It was a misunderstanding."

         George waved his hand to the ice chest, saying, "We offer you this fresh kill." He stepped back when the woman moved closer. She lifted the lid of the chest and appreciated the view. "This is a nice kill," she gawked. "On behalf of the Canis Blue pack, we accept your humble offer. Who was the great wolf behind this kill?" George proudly pushed Lacey forward to accept the leader's praise. She nervously looked up, pretending to be as proud as her father. Her mask did not fool the short woman, she sensed her humble nature. "You did well," she smiled.

"Thank you, uh," Lacey paused. She realized she did not know her name and dragged the statement clumsily.

         "Ylva." The woman raised her hand and grasped Lacey's. She smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Roman, please take this gift back to my home." A tall man in shorts nodded nonchalantly and lifted the heavy chest as if it were a box filled with bubble wrap. Lacey averted her gaze when she realized the type of basketball shorts he had on. At least I know the face of an enemy. I'll have to be careful around him. 

         Ylva clapped her hands together and said, "Now that the formal mumbo-jumbo is over, feel free to come into town. I emailed you the address earlier..." She rambled to George. Her sudden change confused Lacey more than before. She seemed too nice, but her aurora suggested otherwise. She was the alpha consort for a reason. She could command them to jump off a bridge if she wanted to. Ylva was kind natured but harbored an intense presence. Lacey knew she was not a tyrant, but she was also not the type of leader who would be so forgiving of insolence.

         Roman put the chest down for a break. Edna eagerly lifted the lid to see the offering. "Do you think she took down a buck that big? Just the two of them?" She rubbed her chin as she admired the carcass. Then she opened the long cut along the belly, checking the level of workmanship. "Her scent is all over it," Roman answered. "She did well for a city wolf." He examined the clean punctures along the neck. She did not make a mess of her prey. He grinned, remembering her feisty challenge. "What do you think of them?" Ylva crouched beside him. She picked up the separated antlers and turned them in her hand. "The boy will be a problem," he said with a tone of disgust that surprised Ylva. Edna said, "He seems weak. I think he'll land himself in the omega position, but there is room for him to grow."

          "That reminds me," Ylva crossed her arms. "Tell me what happened at the border. They were ruffled over something. I could cut the tension with a butter knife. What did they do to get you in such a state?" Ylva knew her brother would be wary of newcomers, but she did not expect their first encounter to be so rocky. She hoped it was a misunderstanding as she initially claimed. "That boy does not respect authority. He is the omega in their group but he speaks like a beta. I do not think he'll adjust well here if he can not understand where his place is in the pack. He disrespected both the woman and his elder."

"He could be their beta," Edna offered.

          Ylva shook her head, "No. I sensed it too. They don't have any positions established." She continued, "But you should consider their situation. Their way of life was ruined. He did not give many details, but I know their pack was practically slaughtered. We, of all people, know what it is like to recover after so much death." Edna looked away when Ylva spoke. The wound in her heart still ached and she gently caressed her hair. It finally reached the bottom of her ears after weeks of growing it back. Ylva did not need to feel her short hair to remember her loss. She bore the burden as a single alpha.

"The girl does not like authority," Roman sighed. "I have a feeling she'll challenge everyone at one point or another."

Ylva laughed, "She'd be a fitting match for us."

         Edna teased her friend, "Roman, you act as if you didn't spend most of your time challenging our authority. I like her. She is humble and strong. We could use more powerful women in this pack. Maybe she'll be the one to finally mate you" Roman planted a heavy palm on his face as the women cackled at the idea. He turned his flushed face from them and picked up the ice-chest. He groaned underneath the weight and said, "Let's go already."