"Can strangers be friends?"
It was silent.
The silence could not be broken.
A similar silence when Reeve had finally convinced Leroy to hear what Beau had to say. The same silence that followed when Beau gave them everything in his knowledge. The world was riddled with silence and there was no will to break it.
The jeep hummed along the road, the trees growing denser with each passing mile. Leroy was oddly calm in his seat on the passenger side while Asher drove. They had nothing else to lose. They had no other place to turn. It seemed like it had been the end of the road until Reeve discovered an unexpected bridge that might help them fight the war.
A dark storm was brewing.
Beau was seated in the back next to Reeve, who sat in the middle, and Elijah sat on her other side. Leroy has insisted they bring Beau. They didn't really know what they were getting into, they were climbing out on a branch in hopes of it not snapping under their weight.
Was it a suicide mission?
They'd left the pack three hours ago, trekking a straight shot right to Canada. Leon stayed behind in case of a surprise attack. It was only the five of them heading straight into the heart of the monster - or so it felt.
Yet, they had hope that they could persevere. They had accomplished the impossible with Reeve, made her human again.
Maybe everything wasn't impossible.
Leroy let out a sigh as he leaned his head against the glass. He didn't have any other choice. There was no pack that would ally them against the Conquistadors. Although many wished to fight back, the Conquistador Pack was far too big, far too cynical.
It would take a miracle.
Another hour passed and then the silence changed.
Elijah was the first to become tense and then Leroy straightened in his seat, then they were all rigid as they felt another pack's territory.
"We're here," Beau murmured and his companions turned their eyes outside the vehicle.
The terrain was rugged and wild. The pine trees held a roughness in their appearances and the ground heaved with jagged rocks and ledges. The jeep tossed to the side as Asher slowed and the tire tracks they followed were so faint they could barely be seen.
A wilderness that sheltered the most wild.
They crept along for only a few more feet and suddenly a black mass appeared through the trees. A large wolf ran with the vehicle and then another, soon the jeep was surrounded by wolves. A moving sea of the mightiest warriors who embraced their beast.
"Steady," Leroy uttered.
The anxiety thrummed through them all. They were treading on unfamiliar territory - dangerous territory. The wolves outside did nothing to ease their nerves and it worsened when Asher was forced to stop the jeep. A sheer boulder blocked their path, ending their journey, and the wolves moved from the vehicle by a few feet.
It was clear they were to exit now. Leroy glanced at his pack members, reading their expressions, and then they were all looking at Beau. Their eyes said it all: You better be right.
Slowly, they opened the jeep's doors and stepped out. The silence broke as feral growls and snarls thundered around them, the wolves displaying what seemed to be power and dominance. It was enough to set any outsider on the run but they had to stand their ground, for the sake of their own lives. Either way, threats were all they had.
Leroy remained composed but let his eyes take in the wolves around them. Slowly, he moved towards the front of the jeep and his members hesitantly followed in a cluster.
Suddenly, silence vanquished the noise.
The wolves became statues, blending into their wilderness. No longer did they growl but stood silently. Their behavior was the most unusual and it was their sudden change in nature that made Leroy tense again. It was normal for a wolf to be vicious in defense of their territory but this was nothing of the sort.
This was something else.
He observed the wolves, trying to calculate their plan. Would they attack? They simply returned his gaze with brazen eyes, judging, waiting.
Reeve stood just behind Elijah, and yet, she stuck out. She wasn't intimidated by the feral behavior of the wolves for she shared the same qualities. She held the same wilderness in her soul. The males she stood with weren't like her, she wasn't like them. She shared the rogue appearance of the wolves, she should belong to the same wilderness they did, and somehow her home was elsewhere.
Abruptly, the wolves turned their heads to the north and their gazes followed. A man emerged from the wolves. He walked towards them confidently, the wolves moving to allow him a path. Leroy stepped in front of his pack, establishing Alpha, and the man came to a stop a few feet away with small nod of respect.
"My name is Fox," The man spoke nonchalantly, smoothly, "I am the Gamma. You have entered the territory of the Radburn Pack, my Alpha will be here shortly."
In the manner that the man spoke, it left Leroy baffled. For the wilderness, he hadn't expected such fluent and civil words. "Are we not a threat to you?" He hesitantly inquired.
Fox titled his head, the intensity in his hazel eyes breaking to bear amusement, "We are not threatened. In fact, we get many visitors."
"I am Leroy, Alpha of Aloysius Pack," He extended his hand to the Gamma.
Fox blinked and then took his hand, "It is an honor. What brings you here, Alpha Leroy?"
Leroy sucked in a breath, hesitant to break the friendliness of the Gamma. There was a different aura in this pack. He could sense a predatory nature of the wolves but he feared they weren't sane to their humanity. That the littlest of things could set the wolves into a massacre. He secretly prayed to the Moon Goddess.
"A war has been declared and it threatens the life of my pack."
Fox didn't show any change in emotion, "You seek an alliance."
The statement was clear and Leroy swallowed. Suddenly, he felt like he was treading on glass that was slowly cracking, "If your Alpha is interested."
Fox was quiet for a minute, observing, then he replied, "My Alpha has much vigilance. He has not accepted an alliance with any pack. We are strong on our own but many wolves come to us because they think they are superior. Some wolves are dishonorable and we despise them."
Leroy opened his mouth to reply but Fox held up his hand, silencing him.
"My Alpha has arrived," As if on cue, the wolves once again looked to the north and then their heads bowed, "You may plead your case to him." Fox spoke once more before he turned to acknowledge his Alpha as well.
Leroy observed the way the wolves behaved, how their respect radiated off of them, as if they were in the presence of a king, and then his eyes turned to the man they called Alpha.
The Alpha walked without a sound and two large black wolves accompanied him on either side. The trio emitted a storm of dominance and Leroy couldn't help but lower his eyes in respect as they approached, for this Alpha was stronger than he. An Alpha who truly was a King.
"Greetings, my fellow wolves," The Alpha spoke, his voice soft and velvety, "My pack and I are honored to have you as guests. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Alpha," Fox answered, "They come in seek of alliance."
"I believe they may speak for themselves."
Leroy glanced down at the two black wolves, who once stood beside the Alpha but now they slowly stalked towards him, "My pack is at war, we're at risk of losing everything." Leroy said, his gaze switching between the wolves and the Alpha.
The Alpha's eyes narrowed, "And who is on the other end of this war?"
"The Conquistador Pack."
"I have heard of them," A flash of green, the Alpha's wolf was close to the surface, "Tell me, what could you have possibly done to cause a war with such a large pack?"
Leroy heaved a breath, the black wolves wandering closer, "My father attempted to forge a peace treaty with the Conquistador pack years ago and it went south very quickly when they realized that my fathers pack could rival them. Along with my father and mother, nearly half the pack was killed. I was taken hostage for almost four years until my brother managed to find me."
A dangerous fire blazed in the Alpha's eyes, a rage beneath the surface that began from unknown bounds, "Were you given justice?"
"No, and it seems the same hatred has flared between us again. We're here in seek of help."
"Help?" The Alpha chuckled, almost cruelly, "You seek my help? Our strength? Who do you think we are, a charity?" The two black wolves began a slow circle around Leroy and his pack as the Alpha continued in a bitter tone, "No, you see, we do love ourselves some justice but a battle with a pack just as large as our own could cost us more blood. We do not enjoy losing brothers."
"Neither do we but if you can help us defeat the Conquistador pack - "
"You speak boldly, Alpha," The black wolves growled, their glistening fangs growing closer as their circle tightened, "You assume much and yet, what do we get in return?"
Leroy remembered what Beau had said, and he chose his words carefully, "Justice and an alliance for life."
The Alpha scratched his chin, musing, "You know my weakness for justice," Then his eyes hardened, chilling, "But an alliance means nothing to me. You have been brave to come here, but I refuse your offer. My Gamma will escort you from whence you came."
Leroy couldn't hide the shock in his expression. The Alpha's abrupt rejection of his only offer crushed the air from his lungs. They had nothing else to offer. He could feel his pack members similar reactions, their emotions quickly turning into despair. This was their final option. The Alpha walked away from them, the black wolves slowly retreating.
They had failed.
No one would assist them in the war.
"Please, reconsider." Elijah spoke the words Leroy couldn't muster, the desperation couldn't be hidden.
The Alpha paused, his back still turned to them. There was a breath of silence, "Good day, my friends." He continued walking.
It was over.
"Coward."
Everyone froze, including the Alpha, and shocked wolves snapped their heads towards the she-wolf who had the audacity to insult their Alpha. Leroy's face fell pale but Reeve didn't cower beneath the heavy gazes, she straightened her shoulders and braved the fate.
"What did you call me?" The Alpha slowly glanced back over his shoulder, a deathly chill following his words.
"You heard me." Reeve snarled, emotionless silver eyes blazing.
The Alpha gave a humorless chuckle, "My my, brothers, do I hear a challenge? Or perhaps it is stupidity." The Alpha's eyes narrowed on Reeve and as if the two black wolves were on command, they swept forward on swift paws; canines gleaming, eyes burning.
Reeve didn't flinch as the black wolves surged towards her. Leroy and his pack members were forced away from her as the wolves circled their large bodies around Reeve. They snapped their teeth, snarled and glared, but it did nothing to scare Reeve. She stood steadfast, her gaze locked on the Alpha.
A sacrifice for family.
"A single snap of my fingers and my Beta's end your life where you stand, she-wolf," The Alpha glided towards her, his eyes glowing, "And yet, you refuse to show an inch of fear." He made a noise in the back of his throat and his expression suddenly turned curious, "A fascinating creature, you are. Darling, tell me, what are you willing to sacrifice?"
Reeve raised her chin, the black wolves settling on either side of her in readiness, "My life, if you help my family."
There was silence.
A deathly stillness and then the protests of her pack members wrecked the clearing. Leroy grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her, cursing her, and the others joined him in yelling at her. The wolves around them glanced at each other, communicating silently.
"Enough!" The Alpha silenced them all, then he settled his attention on Reeve once more, an emotion alight in his eyes, "You drive a hard bargain, my dear. You must really care for your family to make this kind of offer."
"Do we have a deal?" Reeve bit out.
The Alpha's eyes lit up with an emotion that could only be described as admiration, "No, darling. We do not have a deal."
"You - "
"Ah," The Alpha held up his finger, "Let me finish. I am not inclined to accept your sacrifice because you have intrigued me. I have never come across a she-wolf so fearless as yourself - or any wolf for that matter. You have something very different about you, I do wonder what it is. My, I almost thought you would not speak but then you found your voice. What is your name, she-wolf?"
Reeve eyed the Alpha suspiciously, "Reeve."
"Well, Reeve," The Alpha gave a small smile, and then the next words he spoke changed the fate of the war. A miracle finally did happen.
"The Radburn Pack would be proud to be your ally."
✙ ✙ ✙ ✙ ✙ ✙
Ha. And you guys didn't trust Beau *snickers*
But seriously, Reeve challenges yet another Alpha! ... maybe she likes the thrill?
What do we think of the Radburn Alpha? Good or bad?
Plus, book two is less than four chapters away from being completed, can you believe that?! Gosh, it feels like I just started on chapter one a few weeks ago. *scratches her head*
p.s its legit 2:30am right now haha
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