The Bond Between Us

Chapter Four: A Unexpected Letter

Nathaniel

I sat at my desk in my office reading over the reports from the day before. The early morning sunlight shined off the mahogany wood and warming my skin. I enjoyed the early mornings, you could smell the dew on the grass, and if the wind blew just right you could smell the ocean. My pack was hidden in one of the souths most famous National Parks, The Okefenokee. Generations ago my great grandfather made a deal with the park rangers. It was a fairly simple one for us, we made sure any nosey hunters didn't come onto the park hunting, and they gave us some of the park to stay hidden. We didn't trust many humans with our secret but they had to be an exception. So far they have never let our secret be known and only a few of them know of our existence.

I loved it here, in the swamp. This place protected us for as long as we've been here until now. Recently there have been rogues attacking our borders more often then not, but its nothing that we can't handle. We were a strong pack even though our kind is diminishing in numbers.

A strikingly large envelope the dark shade of red stuck out from the rest. Pulling it from the pile I could see the three phases of the moon symbol printed neatly on the front. A letter from the council was never inconspicuous, they wanted you to notice it. I opened it up and on the inside was a thick piece of aged paper with a short neatly written message.

The Alpha Meeting

Big Timber, Montana

February 26th

Looking at the calendar, today was the 20th. I Didn't even have time to prepare, I had to leave today. slamming my fist down onto the table, cracking the wood slightly, I yelled out in frustration. I couldn't just leave my pack behind. That's easily a five day drive there and then the couple of days that I would have to stay, then another five days back. That's almost two weeks! I sworn to protect them, and with the borders getting attacked by rogues everyday, what happens if my patrol can't handle it? Growling in frustration I mindlinked my beta and gamma to meet me in my office while I quickly looked through the rest of the mail. I was signing a check for a bill when I heard them approaching the room

When the door opened and the two men that I have grown to see as brothers walked in, I knew they could sense my frustration. James was a tall lanky man with honey brown hair and green eyes. For his thin figure he was surprisingly strong and fast. He usually had a lopsided grin on his face, but not today. Geoffrey on the other hand was shorter and bulkier with dark brown hair and tanned skin much like my own, he showed his strength through his sheer muscle mass alone, but the man's mind was as sharp as a knife. He was a strategical genius.

"Whats going on Nate?" James, my beta, asked and I held out the card for him to take a hold of. He handed it to Geoffrey while he shocked his head.

"Already that time of year, and this time its much farther away." I huffed in response, taking back the card and slipping it back in the envelope.

"I'll have to be gone for almost two weeks. I just dont know if I can do that with the way the borders have been." I grumbled while I rubbed my face with my palm.

"This is not something you can deny, Nate." Geoffrey spoke with a calm manner. "We can handle the borders while your gone." He was right, if I denied the council they could kick me from my alpha position. What help was I to my pack if my canines were removed. I would be just like any other human. I held the urge back from punching my desk again and ground my teeth together. Geoffrey walked forward and placed his fist over his heart.

"I swear to you and to the moon goddess that this pack will be safe until your return." James raised his fist to his own heart, swearing his own oath to me.

"I can't go alone, James, you should come with me. Your my Beta and its best for you to get used to the council. If something were to ever happen to me you would take my place." He nodded and let out one of his signature lopsided grins.

"Of course, only if we'd ever let anything happen to you." I stood, the chair sliding against the wood floor.

"Then its decided, but Geoffrey, I expect a phone call twice a day letting me know everything that is going on here." Geoffrey nodded placing his fist over his heart again.

"Say your goodbyes James and pack some things, we leave tonight." With a nod they left the room and I focused on cleaning my desk off. After the mail was put back in order I left the office myself and went to go pack my things for the trip.

Hours had passed and I know the rest of the pack has heard of my departure this evening. I had packed two weeks worth of clothes including a suit for the Meeting/Dinner with the council. I was in my room setting my toiletries bag together when my door slammed open and stormed in my sister, Alyson, in all of her glory. Her yellow stilleto heels clicked against the floor as she strided towards me. She was wearing a white sundress with yellow daisy's that clung to her curves, her brown curly hair bouncing around her shoulders. We shared the same color eyes, the anger visible in them as she slapped me on the chest.

"So you were just going to leave without even saying goodbye?!" I held my hands up in surrender. I could tell she was seriously pissed.

"I was going to say goodbye, closer to the time that we had to leave." She crossed her arms over her chest and her hip jutted out to the left.

"Why do I have the strangest assumption that you were avoiding me." I rolled my eyes and sat on my bed. Secretly Ive been avoiding everyone. I didn't want to see the worried, or disappointed, faces of my pack. She sat next to me and patted my hand.

"Just be safe out there. I have no idea what you'll be facing but the wolves up north are a different breed, especially the Artic ones." I chuckled at the thought.

"The Artic wolves are just a bunch of religious wolves." I stated and she laughed.

"Yeah a bunch of religious nutcases. You know the rumors, how they sacrifice one of there own every year to become closer to the goddess." she visably shook.

"Well there not going to sacrifice me." she laughed and leaned in giving me a tight squeeze.

"Your damn straight, no one sacrifices the Hunters moon Alpha." We shared a laugh and some more jokes together in my room. She helped ease some of the tension I had, while also forcing me to eat before I left. When it was time to leave me and James waved goodbye to the pack before we got into our Kia Optima and started the long drive up north.