Mate Mysteries

Chapter 41

Krey rounded up Bethan and Rocket who were trying to shove each other into the sea. They were laughing and having so much fun, they barely noticed their impatient Alpha standing on the sand with crossed arms and a scowl.

Krey felt a little bad dragging them back to the Packhouse where they could barely leave the grounds. His wolves had been restless with both him and their situation for some time now. He had to fight for the freedom to roam their territories again. With everyone involved, Krey would have a better chance of figuring out what the hell was going on with the Southern Alpha.

Bethan and Rocket followed contently with their shoes in their hands and wet feet covered in sand. Pip and Krey walked hand in hand to the top of the cliffs. Pip stole a last glance at the sea, not knowing when he would see it again, and let Krey guide them along a path made of slabs. They took a different route this time, walking through a tiny beach village with a few houses and a few shops.

Pip noticed the odd stares the werewolves received from the few people they passed. Krey was a large person, tall and muscular with a frown that meant trouble. Though people stared because of his wolf aura. They felt the presence of his wolf without understanding it.

Most people crossed the road before they could pass. No wonder Krey had a grudge if he has been treated this way all his life, Pip thought. He had felt an intense vibe from the moment Sid and Jordan dragged him to the cellar, though the next time he saw Francis and Krey in Crescent Town, that feeling had diluted. Must have been the bond thing. Pip smiled to himself and Krey squeezed their hands.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked as they neared the edge of the trees.

"Humans know about you guys deep down, don't they?"

"Yes. It makes their hairs stand on end and their pets hiss at us. They look at our human forms as though this is our monster. But sometimes I just wish I could shift in front of them to see the true horror on their faces."

"Same," Rocket said, glancing behind them at two elderly guys pointing.

"Is this why you can't live with humans?"

"Well, we don't really want to, and humans don't want to live with us. We both have no place for each other," Bethan mumbled, glaring at the elderly men until they diverted their eyes.

"We would be fine if wolves weren't so power-hungry and territorial," Rocket sighed, shrugging. "But that's just who we are."

"That's not who we have to be," Krey mumbled, walking ahead.

Rocket and Bethan shared surprised glances. Even Pip was a little shocked.

Soon, an autumn forest painted their vision. Oranges, reds, browns, and the occasional green dotted all around them, along with thick trunks with falling leaves. Pip could see his breath as he struggled to keep up with the werewolves' large strides. He wondered how he had managed to paddle in the ocean in such bitter weather.

Krey sniffed the air as they walked and soon found a comfortable spot to shift into his wolf. Pip perched on the base of a cut trunk and distracted himself with insects on the woodland floor. Three wolves shifting wasn't kind on his ears, especially when the occasional whimper slipped from the pain.

Pip was once again travelling through the woods on the back of his large werewolf. In the daylight, travelling that way felt too risky, though Pip enjoyed the thrill of potentially running into other humans. He wanted to show off the werewolves, though he knew that could never happen. The rumours at Crescent Town were dangerous enough. If the locals acted on them, the werewolf world could be severely under threat.