Welcome To The Pack

Chapter 7 - Arthur

I’m desperate to speak with Eden again. Eden. Even her name makes something inside of me stir. Since the first evening she moved into that house she is all that I have been able to think about.

I constantly have the greatest urge to be near her. To talk to her. But the Alpha has spoken. And so I have to try and stay away. That’s been going well…. Sort of.

OK, so I’ve bent the rules a little bit. Well not even bent them, I justify to myself. I’ve kept my distance. Across the road from her house in the woods could be argued as a distance. And I would argue that if I needed to. And I’ve maybe walked past her house a couple of times in the hope that I might bump into her again, but without any luck.

But the need to be close to her, to touch her, to smell her…. Smell her? Well that’s a new one. I think to myself. I shake my head to clear these thoughts from my mind. I can’t spend all my time thinking about a woman I had a couple of minutes conversation with. That is just crazy.

Today is Friday which means there will be a pack gathering up at the lodge. Everyone in the sloth tries to attend the weekly event to catch up over food and drinks and a run. I usually looked forward to these. I am a naturally sociable person. I enjoyed talking to everyone. Keeping up with their news. Being part of a big family. Guess that was good seeing as I was heir.

But today was different. I didn’t want to be out with lots of people. I didn’t want the woods full of people. I wanted to be able to keep an eye on her house. On her. Be by myself to think about her. Oh and there I go with the crazy again I think pushing away the voice in my head. The voice that only seems to pop up when I think about her these days.

But it was my current reality. I wanted to do anything to feel close to her. Being there. Watching her. Being close to her in any way. It was the only thing that settled the feeling inside. A need that is getting stronger the longer it goes without me seeing her. I need to talk to her the voice inside my head says. But I shoosh it. I need to get up to the lodge and forget about her for the night while I play my part.

Up at the lodge the party is in full swing when I arrive. My mother gives me the look that states I’m late, even though there is no set time for these events to start. The barbeques just get lit once the working day at the quarry is done. Even if it’s raining. They have a roof over them and as we don’t feel the cold, which lets be honest is a good thing around here, there is no need to change away from that plan unless its too windy. But with the woods surrounding the property, and well, the village, it would take a lot for it to be bad enough to cancel this.

I chat with a lot of the men that work at the quarry. There with their wives and children. Its great seeing all the children running around in the big garden playing together. All the adults are milling about either inside the lodge or spilled out onto the decking area.

Its already pretty dark but with lights strung up around the decking and strategically around the garden it gives enough light for us.

My brother and father come up and stand next to me while I finish eating as I’m watching the kids playing.

“You’ll need to be finding yourself a mate soon son.” Dad says giving me a slap on the back.

“There’s a few single ladies over there that look like they might be interested” Ben states with his usual annoying smirk on his face. He tilts his head to the side indicating to where there a couple of ladies standing in a group. When they notice him looking at them they all do a fake little giggle, pretending to look all shy and alluring, and Ben rewards them with a small salute and a wink.

But while my twin might be interested in them, at least as for entertainment for the night, the thought of being with any of them just soured my stomach. And my easy smile from a minute ago turned into a frown.

“I was meaning both of you” Dad clarifies, and I almost laugh as Bens’ cocky smirk drops as his face pales. “Full moon next week” he continues “so your mother and I have invited guests from other packs to come join us for the evening. Lets see if we can’t get one of you married off an out of your Mothers hair.”

He walks away then, down the stairs onto the grass area, leaving both Ben and I with what I can only imagine is matching frowns.

People start noticing that Dad has gone down onto the grass and begin to follow him, pouring out of the lodge to get started for the run. Some of the women there start trying to gather up the children and heard them back up onto the deck area to watch.

Ben marched up to the front next to Dad, his need to be at front shining through. I stay at the back still shaking hands and greeting people I haven’t spoken to yet this evening.

And then it’s time.

With a giant roar, Dad transforms from Kurt Forvie, Business owner, into Alpha Kuruk, leader, and the biggest bear in the Forvie Sloth. The largest Bear sloth in the area. Around me men, women and even some kids transformed into bears and, as they start running towards the woods, I drop down on four giant paws and followed them.