A Winters Memory

Chapter Ten

Alec's twentieth birthday was just around the corner which had the pack members buzzing about what they should do for the young male's birthday and how they should all go on a hunt together since it had been so long since they hunted as a pack.

The Alpha agreed that it would indeed serve a good purpose and decided that it had been settled for a good ole' fashion pack hunt. In coming to the decision, he decided that he would allow his son to lead the pack in the hunt.

"Because my son is becoming a man, he shall take honors in leading the hunt. We shall leave at dawn so prepare yourselves for the day."

He looked to his son, gripping his shoulder with a firm grip and a wide grin on his gruff features. Alec gave him a tight smile before placing his hand on his fathers and giving him a nod.

"I shall not let you down with the hunt..."

His father chuckled. "I know you won't my son. Now go on and get yourself a bath."

He motioned for him to head out before turning towards the sitting room and taking a seat in his usual spot.

Not only was Alec's birthday coming soon, as was Ara's. She was finally going to turn eighteen but turning eighteen for a she-wolf was a very a different feeling than that of their counterparts.

The eighteenth year for a she-wolf was a rather large deal, for it was when her wolf came into their heat and if their mate was found by their eighteenth birthday, that mate would help relieve the she-wolf by consummating their mating ritual.

Of course, not many pairs that were mated waited since it was so hard to keep their hands off one another once they found their other half. Little did Ara know that this was exactly what was going to happen once her heat began. Not only would she be going crazy, but she would also be driving Alec crazy and every other male in the cabin who hadn't been mated.

It was any man's game at this point if the female hadn't yet been mated, any male wolf could come and relieve the she-wolf but only her true mate could quench that never-ending fire that would burn through her.

A few days later the pack left for their early morning hunt with Alec leading the pack, Ara stayed back to clean up as she was not allowed to join them for she was a mere slave and not actually part of the pack. Once she was finished she decided that it would be okay to just lay back and relax for a while since she was the only one home, it wouldn't matter if she just laid there and perhaps take a bath herself.

Leaving the cabin, she decided to head out to the lake, a place she hadn't been to in so long that she found herself craving it. Once she got there, a wave of relief washed over her as it still looked the same, nothing had changed except for it was frozen solid from winter leaving the water in a shiny gloss of ice.

She smiled to herself as she walked over to one of the large boulders and wiped off the snow and sat down, her knees pulled up against her chest as she stared at the frozen lake before her in silent wonder.

The moment hadn't lasted very long when the sound of snow crunching underneath the weight of something caught her attention.

"You're not supposed to be here..."

She stared at the girl who she came to know as Amelia, Alec's younger sibling.

"You need to get out of here before my father or the others catch you."