The Fox in the Pack House

The soft sound of rain on my window woke me from the deep sleep I was in. I could smell the rain and feel the cold air seeing as I sleep with the window cracked. I opened my eyes to see that it was still dark. I dare not to look at the clock in fear that I would be five minutes away from my alarm going off. Just as I roll back over and close my eyes my alarm started to scream. Damnit, I knew this s**t was going to happen. I hit that snooze button fast hoping my mother did not hear it and I’d get just five more minutes to enjoy the dark and the smell of rain. “Allysia I heard that!” my mother yells from down the hall “your father leaves for the pack house in thirty minutes. If I don’t hear that shower on in five minutes, I’m telling your dad to leave without you. You can have fun running to school!” “I’m up! I’m going! Stop yelling!” I swear she was the only women I knew that was up and done for the day at five in the morning. The sun wasn’t even up yet. Well I’m up now, no point in just making her mad. I didn’t have to fight anyone for a bathroom seeing as I had my own and since I live in jeans my outfit selection wouldn’t take me more than a few minutes. The water was so hot it was boiling as I stepped in the shower, but I don’t mind I like it hot. I keep my hair extremely short and spiky. I like it that way, better for when I run. I also don’t have to worry about my hair getting in the way when I train with the pack warriors. Plus, I don’t have to worry about someone pulling my hair in a fight, I learned that lesson real young. After the water starts to cool down and I’m official clean from the day before I figure I might as well get out. Going to my closet I grab my favorite skinny jeans, my black tank top along with the hoodie on my bed and figure that is good enough for today. I try to stay away from skirts or dresses they seem to draw to much attention. I’m a short girl standing at about five foot, but I have more curves then a seventeen-year-old should. Personally, I don’t mind all my curves but when the she-wolves fine their so called “mates” staring at my ass, it paints a target on my back. So, jeans it is. If I’m being honest, they still look but the jeans don’t make me seem like I’m asking for it. Growing up in the pack house and being close to all the top-ranking wolves I had to learn not to step on any toes.  As I run down the stairs, I catch my dad just getting ready to walk out the door. “Hey kiddo I didn’t know if you were going to make it, thought you might enjoy a run in the rain” he says around a laugh “by noodles see you at lunch” my dad yells as we walk out the door. “so, when we get to the pack house grab some food, I don’t have time to hang with you before you head off to school. There is a meeting I must go into with the alpha and crew this morning all hands-on deck.” “Well if the alpha’s wife would stop spending so much money on stupid trips and s**t maybe we wouldn’t have to pull money from other projects to justify the money being spent.” I keep my voice matter of fact hoping that my disrespect would go unnoticed. “Allysia! Watch your tone that’s the alphas mate, I will not lose my only daughter because you can’t watch your tongue. Just because you are a fox don’t think you can get away with it. Good job following the money tail though, I taught you well. Looks like I will have to put another lock on the door.” My dad said looking proud.  My Father is the Gamma Male he is third ranking in the pack. A spot he has held in the pack for many years seeing as he hasn’t had anyone to pass the job to. The job would usually get past to the male child but seeing as my mother couldn’t have pups of their own and had to adopt me, a fox, the job cannot be passed to me. These wolves still live in the stone age. That never stopped my dad from teaching me though. I live and breathe this pack only difference is I shift into a fox not a wolf, and because I live and breathe this pack, I know my dads’ lie. “Mate?” I start to laugh “we all know that’s Sam’s just his wife. Married and had a baby because he was 23 years old with no mate and the pack got worried. I just feel bad for the day that his mate comes walking through the pack house doors and Sam is faced with the fact that she never had a chance of him loving her. Maybe that’s why she is spending so much money she knows she isn’t loved like a mate. Maybe she should just get a therapist, save the pack a s**t ton of money” I said with a shrug. I could feel my dads’ eyes on me, but I just got in the car and waited for my dad to drive to the pack house. “I taught you to well” dad said breaking the silent car ride. “You see a thing or two when you spend your whole life in the pack house. I’m still surprised our alpha is even alpha.” I laugh in return; I know he’s proud, but he can’t show it. “Did I not just tell you about your mouth.” “Come on you know I’m right you watched him grow up even before his family gave you me. Joey was always a wild kid, less responsibility the better. Now he’s the alpha of the largest pack on the east coast. Definitely not his first choice.” “You may be right but that wild alpha you speak of  is the one that found you all those years ago and gave you to me before one of the pack ate you for a snack. So wild or not he has done good by this pack and by you. Remember that next time.” Dad sounded short with me, making the rest of the car ride tense and awkward.  He hates when I speak the truth. No matter how proud he is that I see through all the bull s**t, it also scares him. Being a fox means that I don’t have to play by all the rules of the pack. I don’t have to submit to the alpha, I don’t have to play silly dominance games and none of us are sure how this whole mate thing is going to work for me. Wolves mate for life. They may not always find there mate sometimes they just marry and have kids but that doesn’t make them mates. Seeing as I’m a fox we are pretty sure I won’t have a mate. That doesn’t make the female wolves of this pack very happy because the males want to just mess around with me, and the females think I’m taking their mates away. Honestly, I’m sad that I won’t ever know the love of a mate or know the feeling of truly belonging someplace, but things could be worse. Maybe I’ll marry and have pups just like the alpha. I don’t need a mate as much as I may want one. I kind of look up to him for not having a mate and being alpha. Even though he may not have wanted the job he has done a damn good job with it, and that I will respect.