One Bite

Istas Territory - Epilogue 1

We shared a desire to help rebuild the country we lived in, exerting an indirect influence over. Solomon also wanted to ensure separate agreements with every pack before we left for good.

Safe to say, by the time the Central Territory dust settled, four new territories lines were drawn, and alliances between them and the Istas pack were forged, things worked out for the better.

If I thought libraries were boring, pack meetings squabbling for territory land sure was a next-level snooze-fest.

Lucus and Aspen retained control of the Northern Territory, where we forged a new agreement that neither pack attacked the other. Lucus was true to his word. Despite the Northern pack being in a desperate rebuilding mode, he offered reparations to their pack's history against Istas. Any Istas pack member was granted continuous safe passage within the Northern territory and Lucus provided Caleb, Solomon, and I his personal ships to go home.

By the time I visited the Eastern territory that tended more to itself, Future Alpha Torak tried to rekindle our 'more than friendship' relationship. His betrayal couldn't have made him less attractive to me. The pull to the unknown North was too great for me, but they welcomed Rose and Idris into their pack.

Between Lumi's destruction of the pharmaceutical lab and post-war demolished silver mines and weapons manufacturing factory, the Western territory needed the most infrastructure rebuilding and redirection for its future. Alpha Fenris was stripped from his position and the lab rebuilding was charged to Tobias, Meredith, and Simon's direction. In my biggest moment of trust, they offered reassurance that only beneficial medications would be developed under ethical practices.

After Sandolf was injured in the attack against Cassius, Theo assumed his role as the South's alpha, everyone knowing that Raina called all the shots. Cole and Elena moved back there after the Central territory's pack members returned to their original territories. With Caleb's absence, Cole assumed his role as Beta. Elena got her pack ceremony, which I attended crying like a baby.

In a bittersweet moment, I stayed inside Caleb's room while we were in the South. Stripped of most of his belongings, the notable exception was the picture collage of me still hanging in its wall space. His scent lingered inside his pillows if I buried my nose deep enough.

How he left hurt me more than I admitted to anyone. Most nights I cried myself to sleep, not for the reasons why he left but... I missed the stupid jerk.

The Central territory, my father's stronghold, no longer existed. The land was carved up and absorbed into the neighboring territories, his wealth and assets distributed accordingly. Solomon and I wanted nothing to do with those affairs. His single request was that we secured a small number of transportation equipment, like boats and helicopters, for our pack.

The tiring journey had also felt to some extent like a farewell tour. I'd met amazing werewolves, friends I intended to stay in contact with, and grown more than I could've hoped. I had found my brother, permanently. And now he took me home, to form the family that Cassius' cruelty denied us.

Despite being full of equal parts hope and uncertainty, my heart still felt like it had holes punched through it. Like a sieve, the warmth of foreign concepts like home and family slipped through those holes, leaving me with an empty feeling.

Why isn't it enough?

'No mate.' Lumi reminded me. I felt her sadness in each word and the silence that followed after.

I know Lumi, I'm lonely too. It'll be fine, we tried our best.

You'll have to behave if I start collecting cats like a spinster.