Battle of Fate - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Game of Destiny
I couldn’t believe I was sitting in the truck of an Alpha I hardly knew, heading towards an unknown pack. I must have lost my mind to have accepted his crazy offer. He must have been even more insane to make the offer in the first place. What kind of Alpha offers a place in their pack to someone without a wolf? An insane one, that’s who.
And me, being the idiot that I am, agreed to get into a truck with said insane Alpha.
I had suggested taking my own car. That way, I could drive myself back if – no, when – I turned his offer down. But Finlay had insisted it made more sense to drive together. That way, we could keep getting to know each other.
“If your pack has only been around for two years, you haven’t ranked yet?” I asked.
“No. We didn’t leave our old pack until about two years ago,” he said.
“That sucks,” I said.
“It does,” he agreed. There was a pause in the conversation as I watched the forest roll by outside the window.
“Since you agreed to come with me and you don’t really have a choice, maybe I should tell you about our history. It’s bound to come up, so it’s better if you’re prepared,” Finlay said in a cheery voice.
I tensed up. That didn’t sound ominous at all.
“Sure,” I said.
“Have you heard of the Ocean Shore pack?” he asked.
I snorted. “Have I heard of the pack that’s ranked in the top three for the last hundred years? Yeah, I’ve heard of them.”
He gave me a small smile, but it wasn’t his usual relaxed one.
“Alpha Johannes was my father,” Finlay said.
I stared at him, shocked. One of the most powerful Alphas in modern times was his father? And he had left the Ocean Shore pack? My curiosity spiked.
“My father was a great and powerful Alpha. But he had a cruel streak, something he knew about and kept at bay. He only let it out when dealing with rogues or during times of war,” he explained.
I nodded. It wasn’t unusual for Alphas and Betas to have more flexible consciences.
“He passed away a little over two years ago. It was a rogue attack that ended badly. He was injured while rescuing some pups who had wandered off.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. It felt inadequate, but I had nothing else to offer.
“Thank you. It was a hard time. My brother, Jason, became the new Alpha. I didn’t mind; I’d always known that would be the case. Jason had the same cruel streak as my father, but he didn’t control it like my father did. Instead, he let it take over.”
Finlay paused, his jaw tight.
“My instinct was to challenge him for the Alpha position. But my mother begged me not to. She had just lost her mate and didn’t want to see one of her sons killing the other. So, I asked the council for permission to form my own pack. It was granted. When I told my brother, he lost his temper. He declared me a traitor and forbade me from ever entering the pack land again.”
Before I left, I offered every pack member the chance to join me. Almost half of them did,” he said.
“That took a lot of courage,” I said.
He gave me one of his genuine smiles.
“I don’t know about that. If I had known what I was getting myself into, maybe I wouldn’t have done it. Do you know how much paperwork there is when running a pack? There are droves of it,” he joked.
I laughed. I could see he didn’t hate it half as much as he pretended to.
“Has the pack been able to settle down?” I asked.
“Yes. We pooled our resources and managed to buy a good amount of land. It took time to get the houses built and to establish a good relationship with the local authorities. But now we’re finally seeing the rewards of all that hard work,” he said.
“And do they know you’re bringing a stray home?” I asked.
He laughed. “I told my Beta, Martin, and my Gamma, Sam. I asked them to inform the pack that we would have a guest staying. If I know my pack, they’ll all be excited about getting to know you.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“To be honest, I’m nervous. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a pack,” I admitted.
“Don’t worry. It will be like riding a bike. You have a solid upbringing, I can tell. I wouldn’t have brought you back if I thought you wouldn’t fit in,” he said.
We continued to drive for miles until the afternoon. The mountains that had been a backdrop in the town where I lived were now right in front of us, with thick forests spread out like a green carpet around them.
Finlay turned off the main road and we headed deeper into the forest. After a mile or so, a checkpoint appeared. The man and woman manning it greeted Finlay and let the truck pass.
“Welcome to Blue Mountain pack,” Finlay said.
“Thank you,” I responded.
I hadn’t expected to feel anything when we drove onto pack land. It wasn’t my pack. I had no connection to it. But there was a slight vibration running through me, a faint reminder of how it felt to drive onto pack land back home.
“This is us. Most of the pack lives in or close to the village,” Finlay said as the trees thinned and opened up to reveal a large clearing.
In the clearing was a village. The focal point was a three-story timber house with a square in front of it where people moved back and forth. The main road ran through the village, lined with shops. The rest of the village was made up of small houses with gardens. A creek ran behind the pack house. It looked idyllic.
“That’s the pack house. Most of the single wolves of age live there. We provide a small apartment for all pack members who need it, free of charge. The first two months, food is included. After that, they either buy their own food or contribute to the communal food budget,” Finlay explained.
“That’s generous,” I said.
“It gives them a chance to save up and build a house of their own. It’s good for the pack,” he said.
We got out of the truck, and at once, there were happy greetings called out to Finlay. He smiled and waved back.
“Grab your bag and follow me. I just need to find my Beta to see which guest room they prepared for you,” he said.
I grabbed my bag and followed him. Curious eyes tracked me as I walked beside Finlay, but I didn’t sense any hostility.
“Alpha, welcome back,” a deep voice called.
“Martin, just the man I was looking for. I see you didn’t burn the place down while I was away,” Finlay joked.
“I’m twice the Alpha you are,” Martin shot back with a grin. Then he looked at me.
“Martin, this is Amie, the guest I told you about. Amie, this is Martin, the pack’s Beta,” Finlay said.
“Beta,” I said, lowering my head in respect as was expected.
“Nice to meet you, Amie. Hey, man, I thought you said she was a lone wolf,” Martin said.
“Even lone wolves can have manners,” I said.
Martin looked at me, surprised, then laughed. “I think I like you, Amie. I set up the guest room on the second floor overlooking the creek,” he said.
“Thanks, man. I’ll get Amie settled and then come find you,” Finlay said.
He led me to a cozy room with white and beige decor and large windows that let in plenty of sunlight. It smelled clean and airy.
“I’m sorry to just leave you, but I need to check in with Martin and Sam,” he said.
“It’s okay. I could use a moment to freshen up and get used to being surrounded by wolves again,” I said.
“You have your own bathroom through that door. I’ll be back in thirty minutes to show you around,” he said.
“It’s fine. Take your time,” I said.
With a final nod, he left. I let out a breath and sank onto the bed, letting the overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by pack energy wash over me.