The Pack Down South

Ch 1

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.

- Muhammad Ali

**Gabriella**

Every night I have the same dream, calling me back, but back to where I can’t figure out.

I’ve had this dream consistently for the past few years, always the same thing, up until recently.

I’m on top of what appears to be a mountain, and I’m talking to someone that I can’t see, or hear.

“Gabs, we need to hurry up and get ready in order to make our flight,” my wolf mind links me.

“Ok Penny”

“You need to hurry and get in the shower and get Matt’s stench off of you.”

I smirk at my wolf and walk to the bathroom, leaving Matt sleeping in my bed. Penny has never really approved of Matt and I’s relationship. Being a wolf, she has always wished that we had met our mate when we first shifted, like so many others in our pack. But she understood, as the future Alpha, I had a higher-than-average s*x drive, and without a mate, we still had needs. The only thing we both agreed on, was that we wouldn’t sleep with anyone in our pack.

I rush around the bathroom, finishing my last-minute packing. Matt stood there staring at me unhappily. He didn’t want me to go on the two-week graduation trip my parents had planned for me to unwind before I went back to the pack to complete the last portion of my Alpha training.

“Why can’t I come with you?”

“Matt, it’s a girl’s trip that my parents planned for Sarah and I.”

“Gabby, why does it feel like you don’t want me to go”

Penny links me, “because we don’t”, I smirk internally at my wolf.

“Matt, I will only be gone for two weeks, and I'll be back before you know it. Plus, you start your new job next week, so you won’t notice that I’m not around.”

"If you go on your trip, I won't be here when you get back.”

Penny then came forward and took over and replied, “Oh Matt, I’m counting on it.” I stand there not quite believing my ears, my boyfriend of two years giving me an ultimatum.

“What does that mean?”

“It means exactly what I said Matt, if you’re giving me an ultimatum then fine, grab your things and leave.”

“Baby, you don’t mean that, I’m just worried you’ll forget about me since I won’t be there with you for two whole weeks. You’ll be in Hawai’i with Sarah, who will encourage you to talk to other guys.”

“Matt, if you don’t trust me than what’s the point of being in a relationship? Maybe you did mean what you said, and its for the best?”

I don’t wait for him to answer, as Sarah mind links me that she’s right outside my condo. I ask her to come in and help me with my bags. Sarah walks into the living room, and screams “Gabs lets go, traffic to LAX is going to suck”

Matt looks at me with pleading eyes, as I walk to him, and kiss him good-bye.

Sarah and I walk to the car, as she looks at me, “alpha, its for the best.”

I look at my best friend, and future beta a nod. I know she’s right, its best if Matt breaks it off now, instead of me ghosting him. Penny would never let me continue this relationship, he knew nothing about the shifter world, and he was not my mate.