Blood and Silver: First Bite

Starting anew

A week later, negotiations were in full swing to slowly integrate the Blood Crescent Pack into the community. Laura hadn’t felt ready to see Caleb yet, and had been shocked to discover that he had been living so close to her for years.

In the meantime, Jackson had organised clothing and food packages for the pack, and contracted builders, with the help of Mr Tate, to build a housing estate on the outskirts of town near the woods. He knew that they would always feel safer closer to the woods, but he still wanted them to have a place within the town where they had access to clean water and basic amenities. Work was due to start in the next 6 months, so for now, Jackson made daily trips in his truck to drop off supplies. He felt it safer that he went alone, as the two packs were still wary of each other and he didn’t want to ruffle and feathers or reverse any of the progress he was making in getting them to trust him.

Most people were unhappy with the changes being brought upon them, but with the help of Serena, who was all for the merge, people were starting to come around. The fact that each of their packs had suffered a similar fate in terms of the children born to the packs was a common thread that seemed to tug at the pack’s heartstrings, but it still wasn’t time to start the introductions, and Jackson dropped off supplies on his own, and meetings were solely between him, Caleb, Serena, and Caleb’s Beta, Remi. Abigail would also join them occasionally, when she wasn’t consoling her mother and preparing her for the eventuality of meeting Caleb again.

‘Our people are coming around, Alpha Caleb, but we are still going to have to pace the integration. It’s difficult for people to forget what they thought they knew. How is your pack getting on with the changes?’ Jackson asked.

‘To be honest, Alpha Jackson, much the same. They are afraid of how they will be received and some are untrusting and hesitant to accept your help. This is decades of damage we are trying to undo, and I don’t see it being a quick process. I do appreciate everything you are doing for us, and I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime. I was always against the fighting, but when our fathers were around, they were too stubborn to sit down and negotiate a truce. I’m glad that you are a reasonable man.’ Replied Caleb, gratefully.

‘I’ll be honest, I probably wouldn’t have been quite this reasonable if it wasn’t for Abigail!’ Jackson chuckled. ‘I have obviously softened slightly to the idea over the years, staying on the border for years with no incident. But her total trust for you, well I feel what she’s feeling and I want to make up for the past. Seeing how your pack has suffered as well, I can’t believe that this has happened right under my nose. Many of your pack were born long after the wars and are still paying for something they had no part of.’

The two men looked at each other with a mutual respect and admiration, and Serena and Remi smiled. Serena had always been open minded - she had played as a child with a child of Blood Crescent, and had always wondered what happened to her and missed her. Remi, although older and more hardened by the war, had had enough of watching the she wolves suffer and their children dying, either through lack of food or medicine, or because their bloodline had become so congealed in their desperate attempts to keep the pack going that they had been born with deformities incompatible with life.

‘I know it may take some convincing, Caleb, but I’d like to invite your pack to stay at our pack house. There is more than enough room and we have several buildings on the land. They would have access to food and healthcare, and it would help to get them slowly integrated with our pack.’ Jackson suddenly said.

Remi spoke up gruffly. ‘Is that not where your soldiers live? Are you wanting to keep an eye on us?’ He growled, and Caleb gave him a look to calm down.

‘Yes, it is where our soldiers train and live. But the pack house is standing half empty since most of our she wolves are getting past child bearing age, and we have no female soldiers. We often invite other packs to stay when we have meetings. The housing estate won’t be ready for quite some time, and if I have the ability to provide shelter, food and medical care to the Blood Crescent Pack, I would like to do so.’ Jackson said, politely but authoritatively.

‘They won’t agree to it.’ Grunted Remi.

‘They will, because it will be an order and not a request. I don’t want to go against their wishes but I also don’t want them to suffer any longer.’ Caleb responded to Remi.

‘Thank you, Alpha Jackson. We would love to take you up on your offer.’ He continued.

‘Then it’s settled!’ Jackson clapped his hands together gleefully. He knew his actions were needed, but the thought of how Abigail would react to this news was what made him happiest. He couldn’t wait to tell her.

He ordered Serena to get the preparation underway, and Caleb and Remi left to return to their pack, ready for a discussion that would probably be explosive but would be for the good of the pack. Jackson, too, left in his truck to pick up Abigail and head to the pack house, where he would undoubtedly encounter a similarly difficult reaction to his decision.