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Chapter 4: On the Way We Go

I tossed and turned restlessly throughout the night. I finally decided it was a bust at around two a.m. I got up and decided to go for a run. It was mid-fall and a crisp evening with a half waned moon. I thought to myself how I was previously looking forward to our pack Thanksgiving feast. Now all I wanted was to find the family that housed my potential lover.

I snuck through the halls trying to not disturb my mother. Why was this house so damn big for three people? It had at least ten bedrooms, half of which coveted their own personal mini spas and walk in closets. The other half of the rooms could house a small family of four comfortably. I never thought about how priveledge I was before, until now.

I rounded another corner coming to the kitchen staircase knowing that'd get me outback faster than any other entryway. I slid down the railing straight into... my mom. "And where to you think your off too?" She stood their with a half smirk. I was dumbfounded. I smiled. "I can't sleep!" I said while tousling my own hair. "I'm gunna go for a run, wanna come?" She eyed me for a moment. "Not thinking of running off early now are you, because ya kno..." "No nonono." I cut her off not wanting to waste time. " I know I'm going to need all the help I can get with this. I don't plan on running off. Jeez.. I thought you said I was responsible Mom." She had a cut me a break look on her face now. I laughed. "Listen go for you run and make sure your back before dawn. Don't wanna piss Tate off anymore this week." she was being sarcastic now. "Got it!", I said as I quick pecked her on her cheek and flew out the side kitchen door.

I was standing on the balcony and stripped quickly. I peeled off my shirt and shoes, undid my pants and boxers. I stood fully bare as nature intended. The moon only half full was bright over the mountain side. Rays of the moon caressed my solid abs and chest. If there's anything I love as much as my mother it's the moon. She plays a silent song just for me every night. I walked out onto the chilly, dewy grass and shifted without strain.

Shifting used to take me a few minutes when I first started, now it happens within a snap of my fingers. I was a four foot tall on all fours, white wolf with onyx black eyes. I stood there for a moment readying myself to dash at full speed, but something caught my attention. I smelled blood and alot of it. I howled loudly to alert my father as I ran off into the direction of the scent. I heard the back door of the house and several others slam open as I went. I ran directly to the source while hearing multiple voiced come over the link. "Phi don't engage any enemies if they're there", Tates came the loudest through. I heard my father agree and I let them know I wouldn't.

I climbed atop a high hill just before the base of the mountain and looked below. I seen a all white wolf with what looked like a body hanging from its mouth. I stomped around eagerly waiting for the others to catch up. I howled again and the white wolf dropped its kill and took off into the mountain. I pursued not allowing him to get away.

"Dad, Tate I'm going into the Eastern mountain there's a wolf running that way!"

I heard my father howl angrily for not listening to his orders and just like a magnet to steel I was frozen in place unable to break my Alpha's orders. Tate and a Omega named Riley flew past me after the wolf. I heard my father call from the empty field below. I ran to his side. After a few moments of snarls and growls about safety, protocol and something about my mom killing him had I been injured, he finally asked what I seen. I explained the scene before him.

He nudged the body of a young boy that lay before him. "Human.", he said through the link to our Luna back home. I heard her voice come though like a ethereal ring. "Not one of ours at least, still unfortunate, sad. I'll change, bring clothes for you and we can call the authorities." "I'll send Phoenix back to walk with you.", he answered.

I looked at my father standing at least a foot taller than I and basking in his glory. I was white, but he was ice white. Long fur that clinged to his toned muscular form and piercing gold eyes a trait bestowed to the Alpha of our pack. I reveled in the thought that one day possibly I'd have them. He broke the silence after carefully checking the scene. "He looks, to me, no older than five." A solemn look in his eye. "This Wasn't Our Packs Doing!" He yelled through mind link. Tate responded, "Definitely not! I got his scent, not one I smelled beofre but lost him in the ice river!" he sounded tired. "We are continuing the search, you should alert the coven, Riley thinks they headed off near their grounds. Let them know we will be around.". "Copy." my Dad replied. He gave me my rules and sent me on my way to escort my mother back to him and to have her alert Valary at once.

I couldn't sleep before, and now as I'm running through the forest chest on fire from the cold, I can't help but to think about how tired I was. I burst through the clearing and ran to the house seeing my mom standing on the balcony. When I reached her she threw her arms around my neck and sobbed into my fur, then she punched me right in the snout and yelled about me being ignorant for running ahead. She hugged me again, though. I whimpered and headed towards the side balcony to change and retrieve my clothing.

I quickly jumped into my things, slid my shoes on and ran back to her side. I apologized for my error and gave her Dad's instructions. She ran inside and returned with a written note, and her pet raven. She tied the message to the raven and he took off into the night sky. I looked at her and reminded her of cell phones. "I already called Val and told her I was sending a message with details. We don't want a phone tap." She was right, she was always right.

We headed to my father on a four wheeler to quicken the walk for her. He was still in wolf form surrounded by a few other pack members now. My mom and I walked towards them, she seen the boy and clapped her hands to her mouth. "Do you know him?" my father asked. She explained how he went missing two days prior, she had seen it on the news. Tears glistened on her cheeks and my father nuzzled her. I told the others to get out of range and continue to help with the search because the rangers would be incoming. They followed my lead and started to disperse. My father changed quickly and stood around my mother and me bowing his head. "Well how the hell are we going to explain this?".