A Welcome Without Wolves
1274 Words
Reza
Two hours.
That’s how long I’ve been driving through winding, empty roads, swallowed by towering trees and an almost unsettling silence. The scenery barely changes, endless stretches of forest, interrupted only by the occasional road sign that reminds me I haven’t accidentally driven into some forgotten corner of the world.
I drum my fingers against the steering wheel, my patience wearing thin.
- We would’ve been there already if we’d run, Starla mutters for what feels like the hundredth time.
- I heard you the first ninety-nine times, I reply under my breath. And the answer is still no.
She bristles inside me, pacing restlessly.
- Running is faster. Natural. And it doesn’t involve sitting in a metal box pretending this is enjoyable.
- She’s called a car, I snap. And I didn’t make the rules.
The Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack did.
When the pack instructs you to enter their territory by vehicle, you don’t argue. You don’t ask questions. You follow protocol. Especially when you’re an outsider trying to prove you belong.
Starla goes quiet then, offended silence. She folds herself away somewhere deep inside my mind, refusing to communicate.
I sigh.
She’s right, of course. She usually is. But I wasn’t about to risk crossing an Alpha I hadn’t even met yet by ignoring a direct instruction.
At least this way I didn’t have to rely on my parents to ship my luggage later.
Still… the boredom is slowly killing me.
The road finally begins to change. Traffic thickens. Streetlights appear, followed by tall buildings breaking through the tree line like sentinels. Large signs announce the city limits, and I feel a flutter of anticipation settle in my chest.
Blue Moon Pack.
One of the largest packs in the region, and one of the few that successfully operates within a major city.
From the outside, no one really knows how they manage it. Wolves living and working among humans without exposure, without chaos. It’s always fascinated me. That fascination is what pushed me to apply here in the first place.
I’ve been here once before, years ago, when our pack met with Blue Moon for official business. My father had turned it into a small family trip.
I remember luxury. Clean streets. Wealth that didn’t scream but whispered.
Using my GPS, I navigate through the city with ease until I pull up in front of a tall, elegant hotel. Glass windows gleam in the late afternoon light, and a uniformed doorman opens my door before I even have time to reach for the handle.
“Thank you,” I say with a polite smile as I step out.
The lobby steals my breath.
Everything shines, polished floors, crystal light fixtures, gold-accented décor. It feels expensive. Untouchable.
Definitely not where I expected my welcome to take place.
I approach the reception desk, where a woman with perfectly styled hair looks up at me, her smile sharp and practiced.
“Good afternoon. How may I be of your assistance?” she asks, her nasal tone grating instantly on my nerves.
I frown.
- She’s not a wolf, I tell Starla instinctively, hoping she’ll answer.
I turn slowly, inhaling deeply. Nothing. No familiar pack scent. No hint of wolf anywhere.
My unease sharpens.
- Where are they? Starla stirs again, anxiety rippling through her. We should smell them.
- Relax, I try to ease her. They might be meeting me somewhere else.
- We would still sense them, she insists. Even a few floors away.
Before I can respond, the receptionist clears her throat pointedly.
“Madam?”
I close my eyes briefly, forcing my irritation down. I remind myself that she has no idea what I am, or what I can hear.
“I’m sorry,” I say, turning back to her with a polite smile. “I was told someone would be expecting me. My name is Reza Runner.”
She shuffles through some papers, her expression shifting to recognition. “Ah, yes. Mister Snoker was meant to welcome you personally, but he was called away unexpectedly.”
Of course he was.
She slides an envelope across the counter. “Here is the key to your furnished apartment. Pineapple Road, number 32B. It’s nearby.”
“No problem at all,” I reply, though Starla scoffs loudly in my head.
- No problem? He couldn’t even be bothered to show up.
- At least we’re escaping that voice, I tell her internally, earning a huff of reluctant agreement.
Once back in my car, the unease lingers. Why bring me here at all if no wolves are present? A neutral location? A test?
I shake the thought away and follow my GPS two blocks down the road, pulling into a small apartment complex.
This makes more sense.
The instructions were clear: arrive quietly. Avoid attention. Once settled, the pack would decide whether I could stay or not, if so, I will be transferred from human ground to packground.
In other words, they’re watching.
I unload my suitcases and head toward the gate when a small voice stops me.
“Hi!”
A little girl with chocolate-brown hair in uneven pigtails beams up at me. I smile instantly.
A wolf.
I can sense it immediately, faint, young, but unmistakable.
“Hey there,” I say warmly. “You look like a very smart lady. Do you know where 32B is?”
Her grin widens. “Over there!” She points enthusiastically.
“Thank you.”
“Are you moving here?” she asks.
“I am,” I answer. “Do you live here too?”
She nods so hard strands of hair escape their ties. “I live there!”
“We’ll be neighbors then,” I say with a wink. “I’ll try to behave.”
She giggles, waving as I head toward my door.
Inside, relief washes over me.
The apartment is clean, modern, and welcoming. Light-colored walls, wooden furniture, a comfortable couch. It feels… safe.
I sink down for a moment, breathing it in.
This is real.
Dragging my suitcases into the bedroom, I freeze.
A large double bed dominates the room, looking impossibly inviting. Two doors catch my attention, one reveals a spacious walk-in closet, the other a sleek, modern bathroom with a bathtub that practically begs me to use it.
Later.
After a long shower, my phone rings.
I glance at the screen and roll my eyes.
“Really Thom?” I ask out loud, then I decline the call.
Five minutes later, the phone rings again, but this time it’s a local number.
“Reza,” I answer.
“Good evening, Miss Runner,” Doctor Parker greets warmly. “I trust you arrived safely?”
“I did. And the apartment is lovely.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He hesitates. “There’s been a slight complication regarding pack procedures.”
My stomach sinks. “Oh.”
“You won’t be able to start at the hospital immediately. There’s paperwork, at least two days’ worth.”
I sigh, then laugh softly. “Sounds thrilling.”
He chuckles. “I promise it’s temporary. The children are eager to meet their new doctor.”
That warms something in my chest.
After the call, I unpack essentials and text my parents. By the time I crawl into bed, exhaustion weighs heavily on me.
As I close my eyes, Starla shifts.
- New pack. New rules, she murmurs.
“Yes,” I whisper. “But it feels right.”
Sleep claims me quickly.
Unaware that this quiet beginning is exactly that.
Only the beginning.
- Writer
