The Wolf Spirit

Red Stone Pack

*Stormy POV*

My pack was made up of 500 people. It doesn't seem like much, but our little town had very nice homes. Each home was lined up like a birdhouse, sitting side by side. Each one had a small front yard and a big backyard with a white picket fence that wrapped around it. They all looked the same. The only thing that was different was the shade of color on each house and the flowers that grew in the yard. A few blocks down we had a strip of businesses, a theater, a small shopping mall. A very popular diner and next to that was a Bed and Breakfast Inn. Everyone in the Pack that wasn't a warrior would work there. Some left for college to come back to become Pack lawyers, first responders, or teachers. We had everything like an original small town. We were just secluded, hidden away by the big forest so that our wolves could never be seen. The Tongass Forest covers 500 miles in Southeast Alaska. The tall trees and variety of mountains protect all of our packs. Our pack rangers are our border warriors that guard the pack borders. When a human gets too close, they will alert the pack, making sure to stay clear and out of site. The forest hides our town very well, even from above. Honestly, every pack was hidden. If humans found out about our kind, then we would be hunted down, tested, and become weapons to whoever had control of us. My pack was the lowest and smallest pack, so we were hidden well. With 500 members of the pack, it was a lot to feed and take care of. Hunting the animals around was not allowed. We had distributors who came from the Moon Stone Pack who would send food, medical supplies, weapons, and any supplies needed for buildings, schools, homes, etc. The pack would also make things and send things back. We had farms so vegetation would be sent back and then distributed out to the other packs. That's how we lived in peace for so long. We had the occasional uproar from the other packs when they felt greedy, but it would be shut down before the pack made a fool of themselves.

When I was young, I used to adventure around town, but after my father remarried I was told to only attend school and return home. Even though I was of Alpha blood, I was made to work as a servant. My parent's home had 10 rooms and each room was decorated differently. Of course, the higher the rank, the more extravagant the room would look and how big it was. The kitchen was big, even the storage place was too. Outside it had a breezeway that connected to the servant's corridor. It had 4 rooms. The first room was for men. It had 2 butlers in it. The second room had 3 maids. The third room was the kitchen area and had a small storage and dining room in it. The fourth room was mine and was the smallest of all the rooms. My room was big enough to fit a twin bed, a small dresser, and a sink. The closet was made into a bathroom. I wasn't allowed to leave often, so they made it so that I could stay for long periods of time. I did have a small window where I built a small window planter box and filled it with herbs. Above my bed, I built a small bookcase, so I could read in the passing time. That's all I ever did when I was locked away for days at a time. My bed was old and the blanket I had was small and thin. I would have to sleep in my clothes to keep myself warm during the winter. I had 4 pairs of clothing, all long sleeves and slacks which I had to always wear just in case others saw me. It would cover up the bruises and cuts that they placed upon me. I would wash my clothes in my sink and dry them out in front of my window. Even though I had it hard, my room was the only place I felt safe. The window overlooked the forest and when the sun came I could see it peak through the forest trees and shine in waking me each morning. I would open the window, letting the sweet breeze come fill my room. It was peaceful for a moment till Lora and Lorraine began their demands of the day. Even though they had maids and butlers, I would be made to do the dirty work, clean bathrooms, prep, make the food, do outside landscaping, and anything else they made me do. I would get beat if I took too long, or I finished too fast. Sometimes I was beaten just because I raised my head. I learned that anything could upset their moods. My father would walk away before my beatings would start. The rest of the pack could hear and yet turn a blind eye to it. If they were caught, even trying to help me could result in a beating or being placed in a lower-ranking place. Lora would have her followers also join in the fun when we went to school. My once-long hair was cut, and they would throw buckets of cold water on me, so I would be made to sit in class soaking wet. I would be pushed down, and I could hear their smart remarks like "Oops I didn't see you there" or "Watch where you're going, nothing".

Yeah, that was me, a nothing. I lived as if I was a nothing. It would take days for my cuts to slowly heal, and weeks for the bruising to go away. At times, I would even feel as if I had broken a bone, but I could never seek any medical attention because if I did and word got out I did, the punishment could be worse. I was alone. The only thing that helped me get through was the books I got from the library. I loved to read anything and everything. I learned so much about plants, and how they can heal. I learned how to cook, which helped me when it came to feeding the higher ranks. I even read about each pack and what makes them amazing. I found out the history of each one and how we came to be. Some of what I learned seemed like out of some fairytale book, but hey look at my pack. Half human and half wolf, Werewolves are what we're called. So maybe the fairytale books could be true. When I cleaned the rooms of the pack house I would also take time to read a few chapters every day, making sure not to get caught. The school only contains so much information, but the books within my father's library held many more secrets. Yet there were books that I remember my mother hiding away. Yet everything became so foggy after many years of beginning abuse that I can't remember where.