The Truth

Chapter Four

I walked into the woods quite a ways before I could see the first signs of the pack. If you where human you wouldn't notice them unless you where a really good tracker. A bent limb meant to take a left. A paw print in the dirt, go straight. A fully broken tree limb, take a right. I had hiked deeper in. Turning right and left as needed. I started to wonder how in the hell my mother made it out here with heels on. Then I saw the group. Some cheap torches had been lit in a clearing. Nothing to extravagant, a big bonfire would attract unwanted guests.

I looked around and saw my mother, I plastered the same smile I use for customers on my face, and greeted people. Be polite, the voice in my head was saying. Some of the girls where standing in a close group, all talking. Females where allowed to skip pack meetings if they where pregnant, but since it's about an alpha the few that were showed up anyway. I recognized a few of the girls standing in the group. Some had made the mistake of coming over to be "friends" and try and give me pointers on how to find a mate.

I saw Diesel, his sister and younger brother, along with few of his cousins. There where some new faces, no one young, just those unfortunate enough to have attracted a wolf. I pitied them, when they find out they might not ever have children they will be just as depressed as the rest of us.

I walk over to my mother's side and she looks sideways at me. "What happened to the top I layed out?!" I signed openly "No worries I have it on...just underneath this one" She smiled at someone she recognized and waved.

An older wolf stepped into the center of the clearing and howled. All conversations came to a complete stop, eyes locked onto him. The meeting had begun.

He spoke loud and clear, ancient words of our pack, the call for any contending alphas to line up. I wasn't at all surprised when Diesel stood up and moved forward. A few who had already been in line looked over, then quickly stepped out. Smart wolves. Once they had lined up the elder stepped back. He howled again and the quiet of the night broke with violence.

It was clear earily on that Diesel had size and strength on his side, one of the smaller men made the mistake of not jumping back fast enough, the crack was loud as he fell, limp, onto the ground. I watched in horror as the man fighting opposite Diesel walked over to the one who was just knocked out pulled him up by his hair, and snapped his neck without a second thought.

If I had to choose between Diesel or Jeffrey, I'd choose 'or' and get the hell out of dodge. A smaller man took me by surprise, he jumped on Jeffrey's back. He was powerful yes, his claws grew without needing a full shift, and then he dug them into his opponents neck. Remember how my mother spoke of pack meetings like they where a grand old time? Its not even an hour in and two people are dead. Diesel faced off with the smaller man, just the two of them left now. I watched intently. The man was small yes but still he was fast, Diesel grew his claws out, his reach was twice the length as the other guy. I wish I knew his name, seems a shame to pretend to mourn someone and you don't even know what to call them. I watched as Diesel's hands came down directly on the smaller man's head. He dropped to the ground. A howl went up through the group.

Well, asking the new Pack Alpha for help with the human death would be pointless now.

The wind goes out of me as I feel a kick from behind. I hit the ground hard and look around, there, just behind me was someone I didn't recognize. I felt no sorrow as I kicked out,targeting her knee. I heard the nasty snap as it bent backwards, and watched as she fell to the ground. My mother was fighting behind me I looked and saw someone on her back holding a rock about to hit her in the head. I rushed them as fast as I could knocking the girl off my mother and into a tree. My mom stayed down and didn't move.

What the hell was going on. Did these woman suddenly loose their minds!? I punched, kicked, used what the forest had to provide until it stopped. I stood there looking at the blood on my own hands and felt sick. Quickly I took my unicorn shirt off and used it to wipe my hands clean..howling. Why were they howling?

I looked at my mother, she had a look of triumph in her face. I shook my head over and over. Where was the line up for the Luna contestants? I wasn't lined up! I swear I wasn't lined up!

Diesel was standing in the middle of a newly formed circle. They had moved around the both of us. My own mother had tricked me, she had planned this! Make me fight, make me choose even if I don't want to, even if I didn't know it had started. That stupid b***h! His hand was held out slightly inviting me as if I won some great prize. I shook my head no. He laughed and my mother pushed against my back. I did the only thing that felt right to do. I punched her in the face, she dropped like a sack of potatoes.

The people around took a step back, quickly, before they could recover, I ran.

I left the circle of the pack and headed straight into the forest. I ran until the acid in my legs screamed at me to stop. I had to be a good mile and half away from them all now. I had to think, I had to find a way out of this mess. Could I join another pack? Would they take me? If I screwed one of their members sure but how much was a new pack worth to me? I wouldn't sell myself to someone just to make this nightmare end. 10 years. The alpha and Luna are stuck tougher for 10 fricken years! What the hell was my mother thinking!?

A twig snapped behind me, I quickly turned to face the sound, was it the pack? Did they want me to screw him as they watched!? I won't do it. I'd rather they just killed me. Diesel stepped out of the woods into my small clearing. I kept the trees to my back, moving opposite of him. He takes a step forward, I'd take a step back. "What do you want?" I growl at him. He smiles "You know what I want. I'm here to claim my Luna".

He stepped right, I stepped left carefully circling, calculating each move. "There wasn't a starting signal. Go back and tell them to do it over" A do over. That's what the pack needs is a do over. He shakes his head. "You where ten at the last one, no one bothered to step up against the Alpha or the Luna. There is never a starting signal for Luna, it was fair." My turn to shake my head.

"Go back and tell them to choose someone else, someone who ACTUALLY wants you."

He laughs at that. He moves so quickly I didn't even see him. My back hits a tree, the wind is knocked out of me for a moment. "If you didn't want me, you would have stayed down when you where hit from behind." His voice growls into my ear, I can feel his lips on my neck teeth biting teasingly. "Don't. I mean it Diesel. "

He moves slightly and I can feel the weight of him pressing against my leg. That's when it stuck me, I can get out of this, I just need to play along for a little bit. The next graze of his teeth, I let out a sharp gasp letting it turn into a slight moan. He takes it as a good sign and again, moves his face over mine.

I can see it in his eyes, the wolf behind the man. I register his blue eyes for a moment before moving my arms up to lock around his neck I bring him down for a deep kiss, carefully pressing against him, moving just the way I need to. He let's out a sound into my mouth. He's distracted now, fully distracted. I smile against his lips, then I bring my knee up with everything I have, it hits home. He grabs himself between the legs and falls to the ground.

"Asshole" I mutter as I walk off.

I shift and run home leaving my car. I lock the door for all the good it will do me, before locking the doggy door. I make quick check of all the windows, pull the blanket off my bed and bring it into the closet. Even my wolf looks scared. My green eyes looking out of all that blood red fur. I use the cloth attached to the closet door and pull it closed. My house is locked, my scent may be everywhere but I might get a jump on any problems from being in the closet instead of in my bed. Dropping the blanket on the ground I circle it three times for comfort in a clockwose direction, undo the evil of the last day, and lay down in the center. Fitful sleep follows, if you can call it sleep. Waking up every 20 minutes or so afraid I'd heard something. Sitting upright on the hard floor for 30 minutes before trying again. No, not sleep. Brief moments to rest my eyes sounds right.