Fates Must Be Kidding

May Blood Moon be with you

It turns out it's not as hard to find a pack as I thought it would be. A friendly truck driver dropped me off not far from Tucson, and from there I put my tracking skills to use. It didn't take me long to spot remarkably big wolf paw prints most of which led in one direction. Without putting much thought into it I followed them, and it might have been not my brightest idea ever. It kind of slipped my mind how territorial werewolves are. I blame my exhaustion, stress and lack of previous experience of dealing with pack wolves. I guess now I have a fantastic opportunity to fill in some of the gaping holes in my knowledge, as soon as these four wolves stop growling at me.

"Guys, if it's not too much of a bother, let's avoid the Little Red Riding Hood routine here. Why don't you shift and put some clothes on, so we can talk like civilized werewolves?" It doesn't look like they appreciate my joke, tough crowd. However they did listen, which I take as a win. They went behind the nearby cacti, and came out in their human forms, wearing basketball shorts. And damn, they were totally pulling off the whole naked chest look. 

"What do you want little girl?" says one of the men, looks like he is their superior.

"Firstly, this little girl can kick your ass, so get off your sexist high horse. Secondly, I have things to discuss with your Alpha, so I would really appreciate it if you could take me to him. Like right now," honestly, I try to sound as friendly as I possibly can. And once again, my extra effort is wasted on them, as they surround me looking unamused. Oh well, the hard way it is. Even though they are clearly suspicious of me, they are not taking me seriously, which is a huge bonus point for me. Also, I can't sense a Beta or even Gamma aura coming from them, and that's a double bonus. This must be my lucky day, I honestly don't know how I would fare against a ranked pack member. Split kick here, roundhouse kick there, a quick series of punches to someone's jaw and a kick in the balls of the ass who called me a little girl (yes, I'm not above it!), and I'm surrounded by four groaning men on the ground.

"So, like I mentioned before, I would really like to talk to your Alpha."

I'm not sure when exactly one of them used a mind-link, but in a couple of minutes I hear a car approaching. It pulls up right next to us, and out of it step two men whose posture screams authority. "Hello, Alpha," I say to a tall, well-built built blonde guy with dark blue eyes. "Hello, Beta," I address the second one with curly chestnut hair and caramel eyes. "My name is Mia and I would like to request safe passage into your pack."

"Nice to meet you, Mia. I am Alpha Darius and this is Beta Nathan. Did you do this?" the Alpha asks pointing at his men who finally managed to get up.

"I apologize Alpha. I'm hot, tired, hungry and stinky, so my fuse is a bit short at the moment. And they were not taking me seriously!" I have to call upon all my willpower not to stomp my foot like a child. I'm tired, so sue me!

"I see, then they have only themselves to blame!" chuckles the Alpha. "Let me take you to the pack house where we can make you more comfortable!"

Those words are like music to my ears, so I nod eagerly and skip to the car. I'm stoked my guys can't see me right now, they would lose all respect for me and definitely choose a new leader! I'm so deep in my thoughts that the Alpha has to clear his throat a couple of times to bring me back to reality.

"So, Mia, would you care to explain to me how you managed to beat up four of my warriors?" asks the Alpha with a small smile. 

"I sincerely hope that those aren't your top fighters otherwise you're in deep s**t! Their biggest mistake was underestimating me. Despite me warning them that I could kick their asses!"

"You sure did that! And how exactly did you pull it off?"

Of course I understand what the Alpha is trying to achieve with these questions. He is evaluating the danger, any smart leader would attempt to do that. And I do need him on my side, if I don't want to end up in the dungeons or get kicked out of this pack. 

"You seem like a decent Alpha, so I will be straight with you. I ran away from a military school where I was taught hundreds of ways to kill sups. If you let me stay here, I can help you train your warriors and protect your borders. I'm pretty low maintenance, so I wouldn't bother you too much. However, this is my first experience of dealing with a pack. Oh, and I don't feel the presence of my wolf, I think doctors at the school somehow blocked her..." as soon as I'm done with my speech I look at the Alpha trying to see what's on his mind, and that's when the car comes to a stop.

"It seems like a reasonable offer. Let me take you to a guest room where you can freshen up and have some rest, and we will pick up where we left off tomorrow."

"Sounds good!" and I'm already out of the car imagining the feel of hot water on my hair and skin.

Alpha Darius opens the door to a three story building in front of us, which I assume is a typical pack house. We walk though a spacious hallway, kitchen and living room with humongous sofas, and up the stairs to the third floor. Looks like the Alpha is so wary of me that he wants to keep me close to his quarters. He takes me to the last door on the right and pauses at the door. 

"Get comfortable, I will send someone with food and clean clothes. I'm afraid I have to insist that you not leave the room until I come get you tomorrow."

"That's fine with me, see ya!" with these words I get in, close the door and look around. The room, just like the rest of the house, is done in light and warm colors - beige, caramel, a little bit of gold. A queen bed, a TV, a cozy work area with a bookcase, a desk and a chair, beautiful full length windows with a breathtaking view of sand covered hills. Not to shabby, I wish I could have my family here with me. I am brought out of my daydreaming by someone knocking on the door. I open it slightly and see a beautiful Native American woman with shiny black hair and kind brown eyes. 

"Hello, Mia, my name is Luna Esme, welcome to the Blood Moon pack!" 

"Hello, Luna!"

"I brought you some food and necessities. Is there anything else you need?" Judging by the pile of clothes and a tray set on the floor, I have all my needs covered for the next month.

"Thanks a lot, Luna! I'm quite sure I won't need anything else."

She gives me a dazzling smile and turns to leave, but then pauses and says "Have a good rest, Mia. I'm looking forward to getting to know you!"

I'm not sure that I feel the same, but at least I'm not getting any bad vibes from her or this place. I guess time will tell, as for now, it's time for me to get acquainted with that bathroom of mine! After a short and hot shower, I soak my stress, worries and grief in the bathtub. I can't say that I rid myself of them all, but I am feeling much better. My hope is that everyone else is well and safe. With these thoughts I drift off to sleep on the softest bed I have ever laid on.

I wake up only once to eat my BLT sandwiches, the next time I open my eyes it's already 9 am. Well, that was the best sleep ever! If they decided to kick me out, I might have to steal this bed. I freshen up quickly and get ready for my meeting with the Alpha.