Fall of the Packs: Void

Chapter Twelve

In a word, Desert was furious.

Furious that Draco had never listened to her. Furious with the Wind-dog that had killed him. Furious that Gannon and Jas had lost both of their parents. And more than anything else, furious that, one way or another, she had let her little brother die.

She knew better than to really blame herself. But she had always felt a responsibility to take care of him, and him being dead meant that she hadn't done her job.

Why, oh why were you always so stubborn?

But it didn't make a difference anymore. Draco's body was in the ground and it was time to choose the candidates for their new alpha. Night Pack couldn't afford to linger on the past, especially with winter here and the prey once again dwindling. No one could tell yet whether this winter would be as harsh as the last one, but few were willing to take chances.

Pebble and Tansy were standing together in the center, just underneath the lip of the overhang. "It's time to decide who our new alpha will be," Tansy said. "I know all of you have been thinking about it, so now is the time to say which dog you would like to nominate."

"I wanted to say up front," Pebble added, "that I have no desire to be alpha. If any of you were considering me, I ask that you choose someone else."

Some dogs nodded in response. Desert understood Pebble's decision. He was a good organizer and very dedicated, but he did not have the strong will necessary to lead this pack.

It was Tucker, one of the hunters, who spoke up first. "I nominate Colt," he said. "We should have a hunter as a leader. Hunters understand the needs of the pack even more than defenders do."

Desert saw a few of the defenders bristle in response, but she understood what the Great Dane meant, even if his wording was somewhat lacking. She wasn't entirely sure whether or not she supported the nomination, however; she had always known Colt to be stiff-necked and abrasive even in the best of times.

Regardless, about half of the pack, and not just the hunters, voiced their agreement. "Do you accept the nomination, Colt?" asked Tansy.

The Bull Terrier stood up and dipped his head. "Yes, I do."

Tansy looked back at the rest of the pack. "Are there any other nominations?"

There was silence for a few moments and then Ajax said, "I nominate Desert."

Desert looked up, slightly surprised. She had been so wrapped up in thoughts about Draco and everything that had happened that she hadn't even considered that she might be nominated. But she wasn't actually opposed to the idea. If she became alpha, then maybe she could lead the pack out of this war.

The other half of the pack, which hadn't openly supported Colt's nomination, were now nodding in agreement with Ajax. Desert realized the difference between the two groups: the dogs who had nominated Colt were the ones who were the angriest towards Wind Pack--dogs like Emma and Rosaria and Baron, while the ones who had nominated her had always been more reluctant to fight, even if they were not as outspoken towards Draco as she herself was.

Tansy appeared to notice the distinction as well, her eyes flickering briefly. "There can still be one more candidate," she said. "Is there anyone else who wants to nominate one?"

No one did, and Tansy nodded. "Tomorrow night is the Hunter's Moon. In the meantime, consider your options and get ready to make your decisions."

~

In what Minerva guessed was the most awkward turn of events possible, Wind Pack was hosting the Hunter's Moon. Night Pack took its time arriving, and when they had reached the center of the snow-dusted meadow, all of the other packs were already there, even Frost Pack.