Preparing the meat was one of the main occupations of the pack during winter, along with making clothes. Hunting was also important, but it was a task that wasn't given to everybody because the pack had to keep strong able bodied warriors to protect the pack in case of an attack, and so those who wanted to hunt had to prove themselves once they became mature enough.
The smell of blood and seasoning hung in the air of the meat house, but the open windows which were close to the ceiling provided a slight draft.
Zoe told Jonah that the smell was even worse during summer because of the heat. However, when the warm season arrived, the pack relied mostly on the crops they harvested in the fields they had around the camp.
Overall, Jonah enjoyed his time there. He listened to Zoe talk about important members of the pack, as well as different traditions they had depending on the season and the occasion. The boy was also happy to help as much as he could, because it gave him a sense of purpose.
The day passed quickly like this, and soon enough everyone who was working began to store the rest of the salted meat in the storage outside and cleaned up their working area.
Jonah went inside the storage, placing the last piece of meat he had salted on one of the designated shelves.
"Hey! You there!"
Jonah jumped slightly as he turned towards the voice. He saw a man with a gruff beard, who shoved what appeared to be the skinned leg of a deer in a man's chest before approaching him with determination and his fists clenched in anger.
"You're the rogue who attacked my mate!" Before Jonah could even say a word, the man was onto him. He threw a solid punch to his face, making Jonah fall to the ground.
Alec did intend to hurry back to Jonah as soon as he was done talking to Moira, but as he walked outside he saw some packmates who were busy renovating their cabin. They were struggling to carry several heavy logs, so Alec rushed over to help them. However, what started as a quick affair turned into a few hours since he ended up helping them some more.
He was just starting to make his way towards the meat house when he heard commotion coming from there. He got into a jog to see what was happening. As soon as he got close he saw someone beating up another person while the people around tried to restrain him. It was only when he realized the person being hit was his mate that he went into a rage.
He grabbed the man throwing punches by the collar and threw him onto the ground. He tried to stand up again but Alec held him down and snarled at his face.
"Stay. Down." Alec was struggling to reign in his wolf that begged to be let out and make the man bleed.
"No! He attacked my mate! he should be killed for what he did!" It was then that Alec recognized him as Eric, the husband of the woman who Jonah had attacked when he came into the territory.
Just then, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and push him back as Zoe came into view. She helped Eric stand up before turning to Alec.
"I'll take him to Thomas, go help your mate." Two other wolves joined them as Zoe escorted him away. Alec turned and went to kneel beside his mate, who appeared to be unconscious. His nose looked broken and he had other contusions on his face. Alec felt his heart clenched at the sight of his mate in this state.
He scooped Jonah in his arms and began walking to the healer's tent.
Half an hour later, Jonah was laying on the cot once again with several bandages on his abdomen to settle his broken ribs. Moira had also applied some ointments on the bruises of his face. The boy looked peaceful now, but he would probably be in a lot of pain when he woke up.
"I have to say, he's lucky Eric wasn't in his wolf form." Alec stayed silent. It was already bad enough he had been hurt in the first place.
"I told him that he'd be safe here, and look what happened. I can't even protect my mate from my own packmates." Moira sighed and shook her head.
"Alec, you couldn't predict he would come and hurt him. It isn't your fault." Despite saying this, she knew her words wouldn't stop the guilt he felt.
Alec walked up to Jonah's laying form and brushed a curl away from his forehead.
"Watch over him for me, I have to go talk to Thomas." He didn't wait for her response as he walk to the door.
When Alec barged into Thomas' office a few minutes later, the other man didn't appear to be surprised by his presence.
"Don't bother explaining, Zoe already told me what happened." Alec couldn't help but slam his first on the desk, which made a couple of wood chips fly off.
"You can't let this go unpunished! My mate is now laying at the infirmary unconscious! If you don't do something about this, I will!" Thomas laid back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I understand where you're coming from, and I don't approve of what he's done. But since he's mate was attacked by Jonah in his wolf form, he has the right to seek retribution." The alpha raised a hand just as Alec was about to protest.
"But! I'm well aware that it wasn't an attack Jonah did voluntarily, and that's why I talked to Eric earlier to reason with him. I told him Jonah would give his mate a formal apology, but that he has to either apologize to Jonah, or duel with you. I suggest you talk to Jonah about what he wants to do before taking any drastic measures."
Alec was satisfied with the agreement, but was still wearing a frown that Thomas was familiar with.
"Is there something else you want to talk about?"
"I'm afraid that the other wolves will remain hostile against Jonah since he's still a rogue who has no place here in their eyes, especially because he attacked someone. Don't you think it's time you accept him formally into the pack?" Thomas nodded.
"You're right, and by what I've seen so far Jonah himself hasn't caused any problem and isn't a threat to the pack. We'll do the ceremony as soon as he's well enough." It would still take some time for the pack members to warm up to Jonah, but his integration into the pack by the alpha would remove any doubt that he wasn't trustworthy and dangerous.
"Thank you Tom, it means a lot to me." The alpha smiled at his friend.
"Don't thank me, your mate deserves to live in a place where he feels like he belongs after what he went through."
The sun was setting in the sky, which was now painted in shades of orange and pink. Jonah had woken up half an hour ago, and he had been surprised to see Alec sitting by his side, waiting for him to open his eyes.
The boy was sore, but he would recover well from his injuries. Alec still hadn't told him why the man had attacked him. He preferred to do so tomorrow, when Jonah would be well rested.
"I'll bring him back to my cabin." He announced to Moira as he helped his mate to stand up.
The healer stood at the entrance of her tent as she watched the pair walk away.
Soon enough, they arrived in front of a cabin which was located in the middle of the camp. The interior was modest, but Alec had built it with the thought of his mate and their pups living here in the future, so it had more than one bedroom.
"Do you want to sleep in the spare bedroom?" Alec wanted to sleep with his mate, but he didn't want to make him uncomfortable. As for Jonah himself, just the thought of having a bed to sleep on was surreal to him, but he didn't want to ask too much of the beta. The man had already been so kind and generous to him.
"I don't mind sleeping on the floor. That's where I sleep usually." Alec once again was angry at the hunters for treating his mate so terribly. He did his best to make his anger as he shook his head.
"You dont have to sleep on the floor anymore Jonah. Come, I'll show you the room." Alec also lent him some of his clothes to change, but not before telling him where the bathroom was so he could take a shower.
Once he saw the clueless look in Jonah's eyes, Alec quickly showed him how plumbing worked. He also warned him to be careful with his bandages before he left the room.
Jonah, who had never had a shower before, felt in heaven as the steaming water flowed down his skin and washed away the grime that had accumulated. He also used the soap and shampoo Alec had showed him to make sure he was properly cleaned.
By the time he walk back to his assigned bedroom with fresh clothes on his back and damped hair, he felt exhausted by the day's events.
As he settled under the covers of the bed, Alec came to wish him good night. He gave his mate one last warm smile before he closed the door behind him.
Jonah let his head sink into the soft pillow and let out a sigh before closing his eyes. However, despite feeling tired, he found he could not fall asleep. He was hyperaware of every little noise he heard. Of the insects outside, cricking and buzzing in the humid air of the night, and the creaking wooden planks the cabin was made of.
He didn't know how much time passed before he got up from the bed. Slowly, and trying his best not to make a sound, he left his room and crept to Alec's bedroom. Jonah was a bit apprehensive to wake him, because even though the man had been nothing but nice, he was still scared of his reaction. He also felt bad for disturbing him in his sleep, but Alec did tell him earlier to not hesitate if he needed anything.
By the time he opened Alec's bedroom door, Jonah's hands were sweating slightly and his stomach was tied into knots from nerves.
"Alec?" It was barely above a whisper, but the beta's trained ears which were alert to any danger lurking caught it. He sat up in bed and rubbed at his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Jonah nibbled on his bottom lip and took a couple of steps closer.
"C-Can I... sleep with you? Please?" It took some time for Alec to process what he said, but once he did he was quick to draw back the covers and motion for the boy to come. Without a word, Jonah climbed in beside Alec.
The two men slept on their own side of the bed that night, but Alec was happily surprised that morning to find Jonah's head laying on his chest with his arm thrown over him, snoring slightly in his slumber. He stayed like this for a couple more minutes before getting out of bed, and decided to keep this precious moment to himself.