Golden Rule

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Miriam

    “Ma, we don’t have to get so much, I can just get whatever I need there.”

    “but what if they don’t have what you need?”

    “I doubt that, their pack is bigger than ours, so I assume they have all the stores and necessities we have and more. Also, I don’t want to travel with so much!”

    “alright, alright… wouldn’t it be great if you found your mate there?!”

    “yes, sure mom.”

    “a strong, handsome Golden Warrior!” she says and we both start giggling.

    I was excited to finally be heading to the Golden Cross pack. I was due to go last year but my pack needed me here. Our Luna asked that I stay to work with the future Alpha’s tutors for new curriculums for him for his secondary school and the rest of our pack schools. The education councils at both packs reached a solution with me agreeing. I would stay at my pack for a year and then spend two years at the Golden Cross schools. It worked out for everyone.

    Our pack, the Canon Mountain Pack, is known for intelligence and strength.

    Often, other packs we had close alliances or treaties with asked for our educators to go run their schools and train their pack teachers. It was a trade of sorts; we had many strong packs at our side and because we worked with many, we lived in relative peace other than the occasional rouges that our warriors could handle with not much trouble.

    I was excited to start a new job and form new relationships with everyone from fellow educators to the smallest and youngest of students. My job excited me. The possibility of finding my mate and risk leaving my family and pack? I was not excited about that. The chances of finding your mate outside your pack was a perfect 50/50. Since I was 22 and almost every male my age in my pack was mated, the chance that I find my mate elsewhere went up exponentially.

    That petrified me and excited me at the same time.

    I had had a long relationship with my high school sweetheart that ended with me finding him making out with my best friend. He tried to explain that nothing happened between him and her other than that kiss, but I the whole incident made me realize how it just was not worth being with someone knowing they were not meant for you.

    We werewolves find our mates and we know as soon as we do. It can be at any age after puberty. So, while my grandparents found each at an incredibly young age, 15, some of us take longer to find our other half. When we hit puberty, our wolves start to develop inside us, hence why we know how to find our mates. It’s an exciting time. Once we have a good grip on sharing a mind with another being, we are able to share our bodies. That is truly phenomenal.

    My high school boyfriend eventually found his mate, a girl from another pack and they settled in our pack. Here I was 22 and still with no mate, while he continued his life with his pretty wife and two adorable little girls. So, I dedicated myself strictly to my career. My life revolved around my students, coworkers and family.

    Everyone says I will be complete when I find him, my mate. But I am happy with my freedom. Plus, I have my school kids and my nieces and nephews to spoil for now; and they spoil me in return. I am an overall happy person. My brothers tell me all the time how annoyingly chirpy I am. I’d have to say that’s what my kiddos love about me, and I can be myself with them.

    But a Golden Warrior mate? I could lie to my mother and act like the thought never crossed my mind. But that was far from the truth. The Golden Cross pack was much larger, so I found myself preparing for the possibilities. I knew the number of males my age there were mostly warriors and a good number of them were still unmated. I also knew that the warriors were man w****s. When you are a strong warrior from a mighty pack, girls literally throw themselves at you everywhere you go. Our pack warriors were no angels, but my brothers were the type of men every girl wanted to be mated to.

    The twin alphas that ruled over the Golden Cross pack were equally known throughout our world. Brandon and Nathan Duran. 27-year-old fraternal twins. I was not sure which was the eldest. The both of them were known to be a great warriors and any wolf or man cowered in their presence. We have heard the eldest studied abroad and is an intelligent and fair leader for his pack. The youngest had already met his mate and they had a child together, a little boy I believe. He had settled down much sooner than his brother.

    My parents had met them when they were babies, at their pack presentation/baptism. Mom and dad had two of my three older brothers then who were very young, my other brother and my sister and I were not born yet. Apparently, they had visited our pack once as young adults, but I was too young to remember probably running around with the other kids.

    The Golden Cross pack are the most feared and respected pack and have so much history in our were-world. I am excited to go and learn and see firsthand their ways and customs and history sites. They were the first established pack after our ancestors from Europe arrived and mixed with the locals. They lived amongst many humans and witches. There were even vampires rumored to be in their ranks.

    There is so much outsiders did not understand about Golden Cross and I was more excited about the lessons that would be taught to me than anything I could bring to their table. They were historically rich and culturally diverse. I was so giddy over all of it!

    What I had learned about the Golden Cross pack I took with a grain of salt; they were stories past down from my grandparents. Stories of powerful Alphas; some humble and honorable while others were cruel and merciless. Stories of wealth and solid gold items (hence the Golden Cross name bestowed upon them). Everything from pens to women’s hair combs. Houses so grand that even our own pack house would look like a shack in comparison.

    Then there were the love stories, the ones my brothers would groan to have to listen to, but they stayed and listen anyway.

    It was known that something had happened within the Golden Cross pack that outsiders were not privy to. And it was as recent as around the time I was a toddler. Something that caused a shift in our world as it affected all packs that Golden Cross had dealings with.

    And it had something to do with whatever was locked up at an unknown location in our pack lands. The only reason I had any knowledge of this was because since my parents held authoritative positions in our pack’s education council, they were entrusted to keep a log of sorts for the pack’s history. I just happened to overhear a conversation between mom and dad about when the pack would be able to rid itself of the Golden Cross curse.

    I wondered how much the curse extended to our pack and to others.

    Most if not all packs struggled in the Mother Mountain. With human laws and maintaining the pack way of life. That is why our alliances and treaties were so important. There was always a battle somewhere. There was always death near. Rogues roamed free along much of the Nazas River along the Mother Mountain Range. No pack was willing to be fully independent of the others while we struggled to maintain cordial relationships.

    It was a difficult time for everyone.

    I felt I was doing my small part in going to a friendly pack to contribute. My brothers had taken advantage of the Golden Cross warrior training program. Very few werewolves were fortunate to participate in and witness this highly advanced fighting program. Their rank leaders and warriors wanted to fight alongside competent warriors. That made them willing to include other packs’ warriors that passed an extreme physical agility test.

    My three brothers were all elite warriors and my sister and I both pursued careers in education. I always excelled in school, including university and loved the teaching environment. Many female wolves from our pack chose the path to education and it felt natural for me to do the same.

    My father’s family were descendants from a previous Alpha, that allowed my parents to hold seats on our pack council and the school council. We did not live a life of abundance or luxury, but my parents had inherited a large cabin and land from my father’s family. We were an awfully close and growing family. My three brothers, Eric, Aaron and Chris had their mates with 3 children each, for now. Eric and his mate were expecting a baby girl. That would make seven nephews and three nieces. We were all so excited and I hated I would miss all the newborn excitement.

    But duty calls.

    Now my mom and I are at the store because she thinks I need to pack loads of toiletries and extra everything for my two years at the Golden Cross pack. I convinced my mother I did not need to pack so many things and we left the store with new undergarments and a few professional pieces of clothing. Afterwards, we met my sister at the grocery store to shop for dinner.

    My sister and I did not look much alike, I felt, she took after our father’s side of the family. All the women were shorter and had those child-bearing hips and ample bosoms, light brown hair and light brown eyes. I was more like our mother. We were both taller and slimer with just enough curves to be able to wear anything. We hide our strength and speed very well under our girly ways. We were always underestimated by outsiders. We both had light beige skin, brown hair with soft curls and green eyes.

    Once we were home, we quickly started preparing dinner since my brothers and all their families, along with my sister Rose and her mate (our pack’s third in command), my parents and me were all having dinner together. These were my favorite events. A simple but loud dinner with all my loved ones. This would be my last dinner with them for goddess knows how long since I would be leaving in a few days. My brothers had pack duties to attend to and this was the only night everyone was free to come over.

    “Remember you can reject a mate if you want to.” My dad casually mentioned when we were all seated at the dinner table with the older children at the breakfast bar and the younger ones with their parents.

    “Nickolas! Don’t say that to her!” my mother exclaimed giving him a sharp look.

    My dad and brothers just chuckled.

    “All I have to say is, be ready to kick someone’s ass if they try something with you. Remember what we’ve taught you Miri” said my eldest brother Eric.

    “well, she can kick Chris’ ass so she can handle any ‘ole Golden Warrior” responded Aaron and we all burst into laughter.

    “whatever” said Chris still laughing.

    “we’re sure going to miss you babygirl, especially when the baby arrives” said Mari, Eric’s mate and wife.

    “I’m going miss the baby the most” I replied with tears forming in my eyes. Everyone gave me loving looks; oh! how I would miss them.

    “you know I’d be surprised if you didn’t find your mate there. Those mateless wolves there love to party and have a good time. Even the humans can party like no other. You’ll learn all the fun spots in no time. Just take care of yourself while you’re at it.” Said Chris matter-of-factly.

    “Hey dumbass, don’t encourage that on her” snapped Eric.

    “Relax, our babygirl can take care of herself. She’s been living like a cloistered nun for years. She needs to get out and have some fun.” Responded Chris seriously.

    “Don’t worry Eric, I promise I’ll stay safe and Chris, thanks for the heads up” I say winking at Chris.

    “See what you did boy?!” yells my father and we burst into laughter once more.

    “I’ve let my buddy from their warrior training know you’re coming as the educational coordinator. He and his mate can help keep an eye on you or help you if you need anything.” Said Aaron. I nodded at him in appreciation.

    “I’m so excited for you Miri, and I really hope you find your mate!” Said my sister as she turned to look at Jack her mate.

    “thanks sissy, please don’t have a baby while I’m gone, I couldn’t bare missing out on two babies.”

    “I can’t promise that babygirl” she says before looking at our father with a deep blush and again there’s laughter from all of us while dad plays with the food left on his plate. Jack, her mate, kisses her hand while looking at her with so much love.

    “I just want you to have a great experience Miriam, mate or not” says my mother to me.

    “thanks mom”

     I welcomed all the possibilities that this experience had to offer.