Breaking to Pieces

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

Ryder and I were currently doing what werewolves call ‘patrolling the border’. While on our little getaway Ryder received a call. Apparently the people who were meant to patrol border B had plans and couldn’t make it and the others are too busy patrolling the other borders. Ryder told me that every pack has a territory, in our case; our territory is Fresno, California. A few pack members patrol the border every night to look out for rogues.

Rogues were wolves without packs. Some are banished and others don’t prefer the pack life. I’ve read a fair share of werewolf books, to be honest, and they all talk about how cruel and awful rogues are, but Ryder said that rogues are allowed in pack territories if they don’t harm anyone. I guess they seem pretty decent, but they still have to be careful because some can be dangerous.

Now at first when I asked Ryder if I could patrol with him, he said no. Too dangerous, he said, but I am not taking fighting lessons so that I could sit at home and do nothing. Besides, if my fists don’t work I always have my trusty ole pocket knife. I smirked while thinking about the pocket knife my dad gave me during one of our fishing trips.

If my dad is watching me from wherever he is, is he proud? I wonder if he feels happy knowing that his little girl has grown up, that she’s evolved from what she was four months ago. I looked over at Ryder, who was scanning the trees. I smiled. He unknowingly helped me, along with Eva and Summer.

“So Mr Alpha notice anything out of the blue?” I questioned. Ryder looked at me his serious face softening a little.

“Technically I’m not the Alpha” he corrected me. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Why is he referred to as the future alpha then?

“I’m referred to as the future alpha because I’m the first born but that does not mean my position as alpha is guaranteed” he answered as if he read my mind.

“But if the alpha position goes to the first born, why wouldn’t you be guaranteed a position?” Just when I thought I had the basics of the pack figured out, something else comes in my way.

“Yes, it’s true the alpha position goes to the first born, it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or girl, but if they decline the position, the alpha role goes to the next child. If the previous alpha doesn’t have or only has one child who doesn’t want the alpha role, then the alpha can pick who becomes the next alpha. The alpha role doesn’t have to be hereditary; this also applies for roles like beta etc. The alpha role is handed down whenever the previous alpha feels they can’t do it anymore or when they feel the future alpha is ready, it doesn’t necessarily have to go to you at the age of eighteen. Every future alpha has to undergo intense physical and emotional training, to prove to the alpha whether they’re ready or not. This could take weeks, months or years.”

“If anyone questions the alpha’s position they have to fight each other and whoever falls first is not allowed to be Alpha and the winner automatically is the alpha. It happens often but it’s not considered bad since it is fair and whoever wins, earned it.”

“However, if the alpha has two children or more who want the role, they have to fight over it” Ryder solemnly said. The air suddenly seemed colder, and I shivered.

“But not to death, right?” I whispered, my breath floating away with the wind into the deep abyss of the woods. I didn’t get an answer, however, Ryder only nodded. I gasped at how they could let siblings kill each other, it seemed barbaric.

“It doesn’t happen often, the last time it ever happened was hundreds of years ago. But...”

“...you feel that Blake may question your role and you’ll have to fight him” I finished off for him. Ryder gave me a small smile, but I could see the pain in his eyes. I let out a shaky breath. I don’t know if it was the mate bond, but I felt my heart crack a little when I saw his pain.  Instead of saying anything to him I walked over to him and hugged him. I didn’t have anything helpful to say, and all I could do at this moment was express to him he wasn’t alone in this battle.