Chapters of a Life: There's no place like home

10

My 21st birthday had come and gone and more and more wolves were asking about me going out on a mate hunt. I had reached my limit last night, the older she-wolves had been telling their mate tales; 'Oh, I met my mate in my own pack' or "Frank and I met when I ran into his territory' or 'My pack had a mate hunt and I was'. After listening to what felt like, my millionth tale, one of the females turned to me and asked, "Are you excited to meet your mate"? Look I know that most females are excited to meet their mate and their mothers send them off to sleep with wonderful tales of mate and mating but that has not been my life. So why were they surprised by my answer? I have no clue, "Nope, I really hope I don't meet him for years". Ya could have heard a pin drop, the silence was deafening. The backlash though, that was worse. "What do you mean?", "Your mate is special." "You need your mate." Were all heard but this one caused me to explode, "We need an Alpha".

"Excuse me", my tone was harsh but my voice was quiet. "Care to explain that last statement? I thought you said we need an Alpha, but I must have misheard."

"No, that is what I said", she was a mature she-wolf, not an elder but close and that meant she was to be respected.

"What's wrong with the Alpha we have now?" I ask as I take another sip of my mead.

"Don't be childish, pup. You are female and females are not Alphas", she says as if this is a law handed down in stone.

"Watch me! Listen up! All of you, there will be no more talk of mates. When it is time for my mate and me to meet it will happen and I will follow the wishes of the Goddess. But make no mistake I am Alpha here, when the time comes I will defend my position against any challengers and there will be no submissions." Looking straight at the she-wolf, "That includes my mate". I slam the stein down and walk into the night.

It took me several runs around the border to calm down but I discovered several things. The patrols were lazy and failed to cover the entire territory, the patrols took the same path each time, and someone else had noted this and had made use of it. I stayed out all night to see if I could catch who was in our territory, just about dawn I caught sight of my target. It nearly tossed me out of the tree I was hiding in, several younglings and more pups were walking in a single line dragging a small deer. I waited till they passed and followed them off our territory. "Alpha, Beta I need you to send Healers, Edgar, and several of the smaller warriors to my position. Have them hold here until I send word."

"What did ya find", a drowsy Beta answered back?

"Alerted and on their way", Alpha replied.

"I don't know but I will tell you as soon as possible. I'm headed off territory." I knew they would be upset that I was taking off without someone with me but I knew I had to find out what these pups and younglings were doing out here and if they were alone.

For several miles, they marched in that single file until they came to a cave with a large opening. A young male called out that they were back. A small mature female came out and hugged the male praising them all for the meat. She sent them inside to warm up as she began to prepare the deer. She did not take it from the entrance; she did a poor job of gutting the deer and left the innards in the front of the cave. All of this screamed trouble. After letting the gathered pack know where I was and that they were needed I waited until I could hear them and made my move. Walking up to the front of the cave I hollered, "I'm coming in".

Where seconds before there had been laughter and gaiety there was now terrified silence. All my life I had known scents and had lived and hunted with them but the scent of terror wafting within this cave, I prayed never to scent again. "My name is Bo. I am from the pack whose territory that deer came..."