AMONG THE STARS

EIGHT : QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

"Where to?" Jake asked.

"Panera." I replied. "I'm starving."

"Okay," Jake began, after several minutes of silence. "I have a feeling we both have questions, and we both want answers."

"Then you're right." I stated.

"You first." He said. "Ask me anything."

"How many are there in our..." I paused, thinking of the right word. "Pack." "Not sure. There's an Alpha, and Omega, and the warriors. There's also just the wolves that need extra care or training. But I wouldn't know an exact number. Maybe fifteen, maybe twenty." He answered. "Where do we" He cut me off mid sentence. "My turn." He said.

"Why fever medicine?" He asked me. I thought a moment, then understood what he meant. "Body temperature controls the change. I was overheating, for whatever reason, and fever medicine reduces the body heat, even if just for a little while."

"Okay, so, like I was saying, where do we fit into the pack?" I asked him. "His expression changed to something I couldn't read. "That's the thing. I'm a warrior wolf." He hesitated, so I urged him on. "And what am I?" I asked slowly, waiting for a response. "Jake?" He swallowed. "You're the" He paused again. "Alpha."

"What does this mean?" I asked him, very curious at his uncertainty.

"You can't love me." He stated. "There is an Alpha Male and an Alpha Female. You are destined mates with the Alpha Male. And you can't love me." He finished his sentence with an uneven voice, like he would begin to cry. Then I saw the Panera up ahead and decided to wait until we got inside to continue this conversation.