Wolf Born

Chapter Two.

The closer we got to Trojan territory, the thicker and more damp the air would get. The smell of sea salt and damp soil got stronger. It was around midnight when we reached the pack lands, crossing the border line and heading straight for the pack house that sat in the hart of the territory. I sat up slightly, my body still molding with Silas’s back and noticed that we were surrounded by wolves. I glanced back, noticing two wolves closely tailing us while two more flanked our sides. The largest of the wolves was ahead of us, leading us deeper into the pack land. I sat up as I watched the wolf on our left flank running through the trees. It was a light grey wolf with a familiar set of dark blue eyes that were focused straight ahead. I turned my face into the strong rush of wind, closing my eyes as I savored the feel of it, whipping through my hair. I felt an immediate desire to feel the same wind brush through the fur of my wolf, but I knew that there was no way to do so without placing everyone around me, including Silas at risk. I opened my eyes slightly, fingers tangling in the dark fur beneath me as I tilted my head back to look up at the sky. The moon was in the shape of a crescent with millions of tiny specks lighting the dark sky around it. I was so lost in a trance that I hadn’t realized we’d reached the pack house until the large black wolf in front of us turned and snarled at Silas. His demand forced Silas to slow down to a stride and eventually a walk until he was stood still in what I recognized as the backyard of the pack house. Two wolves appeared on either side of us, all facing the pack house with their heads hung low to the ground. My eyes widened the moment I sensed him, my grip tightening on Silas’ fur and signaling him of my discomfort. My back muscles tensed as my head turned to look at the pack house porch. The black wolf stepped aside to reveal a man, one I knew all to well. He didn’t look a day older than he had seven years ago, apart from a few grey streaks in his midnight black hair. His eyes were the color of molten silver, reflecting the light of the moon in their depths. The same small scar was still visible beneath his right eye, a gift he bore from having had defeated his brother for the title of Alpha all those many years ago. I lowered my head, hiding behind a curtain of red hair as I stared down at Silas’ back. I wasn’t sure how to react and Silas sensed it, turning his head to glance back at me from over his shoulder “Father” the title escaped my lips in a venomous snarl as my shoulders and arms trembled in rage. The man before me had made the first eleven years of my life a living hell, first blaming me for the death of my mother and his mate and treating me as an outsider because of me being different. I used Silas’ fur to hoist myself off his back and onto the ground beside him with a thud of my feet against the dirt and grass. I landed in a crouch and stood as Silas dropped the duffle bag and shifted back into his human form beside me. He wasn’t about to leave me at the mercy of my father to go shift in the woods just to avoid having everyone see him naked. He wasn’t affected by their gazes as I stood upright and looked up at my father “It’s been a while, Blake” he said, letting my name roll off his lips like some type of curse. He was dressed as he always was, in a pair of black dress pants, a long sleeve, white button up shirt with a few buttons done down and a pair of neatly polished, pointed shoes. An expensive silver watch was wrapped around his left wrist and his wedding band sat on his left ring finger, having never taken it off, even after the death of his mate but I knew better. That silver band did very little to keep the widowed she-wolves away “Indeed it has, Alpha” Silas had managed to pull the same grey pants on from earlier but left it at that, crossing his strong arms over his chest as he watched the man, framed by the light of the porch lamp, study me with judgmental eyes “You’ve grown” I wanted to say something sarcastic but restrained myself, feeling my wolf rise in the back of my mind, she wanted blood, she wanted murder. I forced her back down, feeling her claw desperately at the edges of my mind “Yes, well seven years tend to do that to a person” Silas explained, using the sarcasm I had been trying to restrain. The black wolf snapped at Silas, bearing his teeth and letting the fur on his back stand on end, making him appear larger. I recognized the wolf, he had the same grey eyes as my father and smelt of bonfire smoke with a hint of citrus “Dustin” I greeted him, nodding my head in his direction. My eldest brother slightly raised his head and closed his mouth, taking a small step back from the two of us. Silas wasn’t phased by my brother’s threat and instead gave him a bored look “Silas, it’s nice to see you again” my father casually said, ignoring his earlier remark. My father was a cold man, not easily bothered by insults or snippy comments but once his anger flared, he became more wolf than human. Silas was larger than him, towering over him by a head with much more muscle to accompany his height “Likewise” Silas replied, uncrossing his arms and allowing them to dangle freely at his sides. I noticed his fists clenching but paid it little mind, knowing it was his way of calming himself. He disliked my father as much as I did but had no choice but to obey his Alpha. The grey wolf from earlier stepped into the forest tree line and disappeared leaving only three on our sides and my brother, ahead of us “I do apologize but we’re very tired from our trip and would like to rest before the meeting is scheduled to commence” I announced to which my father nodded, he motioned to somewhere behind us and both of us turned to see what he was gesturing towards “Nick will show you to your rooms” the youngest of my five brothers was stood with his hands clamped together behind his head with a sheepish smile plastered across his lips. He wore a pair of maroon sweatpants and had the same black hair as Dustin. His eyes were the same blue as that of the wolf from before. His familiar honey and pinecone scent filled my nose “I wish to have Silas stay with me” I declared, turning my attention back onto my father. His jaw tightened, and Dustin let out a low growl. Silas stiffened from beside me as Nick began coughing violently, having choked on his own saliva from shock. My father glanced at Silas then looked back to me “As you wish” Silas nodded, bending down to pick the heavy duffle bag up off the ground. He slung it over his shoulder to more easily carry it. My father stepped aside on the porch, motioning for us to enter the back house through the sliding glass door. Nick gasped to catch his breath and hurried past us, leading the way into the house. Most of the pack were fast asleep by that late hour which meant the house was silent and dark. Nick lead us up the large staircase and to the third floor where my brothers and father stayed along with Silas’ family. Only the higher ranked wolves were allowed on the third floor. Nick walked alongside me while Silas stayed behind a few paces, watching over me in silence “I take it the two of you are-?” Nick trailed off scratching nervously at the back of his head. He was taller than me but much shorter than Silas, like almost everyone else were due to the Beta wolf’s large size. I knew he was talking about why I’d request to share a room with Silas, but it had nothing more to do with it than the fact that I wanted him as close as possible for my own safety “He’s my protector and tasked to keep me safe” I casually said, there was a strong scent leather and musk in the air. It was distracting as we further down the hall. I glanced to the side where closed doors passed us by and felt my canines ache as my taste glands watered in response to the smell “I just can’t believe Dustin’s older than him” Nick muttered from beside me, snapping me out of my daze and drawing my attention back onto him. He was the fool of our sibling group, the one that was always goofing around and making everything funny. It was most likely because he was the youngest of my five brothers with Dustin being the oldest at twenty-five, a full two years older than Silas “How come?” I asked. The hallway was lined with wooden flooring that had heating panels installed underneath for winter. Family photos hung on the walls along with a few paintings. Modern chandeliers lined the hall while the walls were painted a dark shade of brown. Nick turned his head to look back at Silas “The man’s built like an ox” he explained, eyes watching Silas who had his eyes down but was listening in on our conversation. It was considered rude for someone such as himself, ordered to serve and protect me to interrupt one of my conversations, especially if it was a conversation between me and one of my brothers. Laughter bubbled up in my throat, as flowy and light as possible since I was trying to be quiet for the sake of the rest of the pack house “I guess I’ve grown accustomed to it” I said, never really having paid attention to his sheer height before. When we were younger it bothered me but over the years, as time passed, I began to adapt to him towering over me like a skyscraper. The corners of Silas’ lips tugged upward slightly in a faint smile at my words “It’s a weird combination, considering that you’re so small” he was teasing me, placing his elbow on the top of my head to emphasize his words. I swatted his arm away and glared up at him. It was true that I was considerably shorter than all my brothers and a few girls, but I blamed it on everyone else being freakishly tall instead “Well here we are” Nick announced as we reached a door near the end of the hallway. The door was made of a dark oak like all the rest and polished to shine in the light. Nick reached for the door handle and swung it open for us, holding it so that I may step inside. The room itself was easily as big as our cabin with a large king size bed pushed up against the side wall to my left and a living room area placed straight ahead. There was a balcony and a fireplace along with a walk-in closet and bathroom. The furniture was modern with the theme of the room being dark wood and white fabric “I expect to see you tomorrow around eight for the meeting?” Nick asked as Silas followed me into the room. He strode over to the bed and placed the duffle bag down on the foot of it. I turned to look at my brother, his eyes the eyes of our mother. I simply nodded my head in response “I’ll leave you two to rest then” he was about to turn away and close the door before he left but he paused, looking into the room at Silas who wasn’t paying us any attention “Oh and Beta” he called, catching Silas’ attention “Don’t touch my sister” with that he shut the door and made his way back down the hall. I stood staring at it, both Silas and I well aware of what Nick had meant by the word ‘touch’.