Sidney
A few days had passed with me having taken over as alpha of the Shaw or Blake pack as the boys were teasingly calling themselves now. The Alvalrado's had congratulated my claiming of the title and the boys and were all very happy for us, even little Ruby. I liked the little rescue pup quite a bit but not nearly as much as Madison, seeing how her twins played with the little gem of a girl she had claimed her as he own. The Alvalrado men had caved easily enough and Ruby was overjoyed at being adopted into a pack where she'd have siblings and parents that would love her after we'd found out she'd been orphaned.
It took a bit more persuasion to convince Rose especially that it was the best option for Ruby, it had come down to a brief fight between the four of us in the end. I had taught Rose a well deserved lesson with my teeth this time and Sarah caved easily to her spar with a very motherly Madison. I had begun losing my patience fairly quickly with Rose, Sarah had accepted my claim on the boys but Rose pushed at boundaries that threatened to end in her very near death. I knew I had to get them gone quick and I had sent a message out after returning from that claiming run and the next day I'd gotten a response. My connections agreed to take them both and offer them protection as long as they desired it and I had everything settled within the hour, the meet up would be a wary one but they would be waiting for us.
When Mads learned of my continued secrecy and that I had gained the approval of bringing my friends and pack she had insisted they tag along for the mysterious meet up. Nate had refused at first until I explained that there wasn't a safer place for Mads and the pups to visit than where we were going, he begrudgingly agreed they would all go. So quite a few passports, plane tickets, dog sitters and a little cold weather packing later both our packs and the two rescued females were on our way to Alaska. The only place with enough hidden and untamed wilderness to hide one of the biggest secrets I'd ever come across since my time of my escape to freedom.
"So you're really not going to give us any hints at all?!" Mads asked in outrage for the billionth time as we rented a few off road vehicles and some camping gear for the trip. "No I'm not, giving it away now would ruin the surprise when you see it for yourself." I wink to her grumbles. "It's cold, but not unbearable at least." Rose huffed her own annoyance, I kept my mouth shut that she should wait till winter before she had any real say in it. The journey was a long ride even after we'd gotten off the roads and into the off-road bits. "Stop here, we won't be able to take the vehicles any farther anyway. We'll hike and run from here, carry only what you can because we're leaving everything else, we need to get moving if we're going to get our camp before the dark hours, not many of them but still." I stated.
"You mean we're camping out here?" Sarah squeaked nervously. "That's kind of the point of the camping gear, don't worry we won't let the bears eat you." I huffed as I grabbed my share of gear and started leading the way towards the destination few survivors knew of. It took hours and I helped carry the pups every now and then to let their legs rest, and we stopped a few times to let them enjoy the view and the animals in the distance. When we got to the campsite I gave out the orders on how to set it up as I put up the electric solar powered perimeter fencing that would protect whatever food and things we had from the surrounding wildlife. "It's beautiful here even if it is a bit on the wild side." Colton remarked softly.
"I lived here for a few months once, some with the connections I'm taking you to meet and some amongst the natural wildlife here, both I enjoyed but it wasn't a place I could see myself in long term." I shrugged, it had certainly been fun though. "But you do like to visit?" Asher questioned softly and I smiled back. "Yes, I enjoy the wildlife and the habitat enough that I'm glad I had a reason to come back and see it all again." I sighed out honestly, it really was beautiful despite it's hidden dangers. "Maybe we'll make up another reason to come back and visit again in the future." Daniel stated even as he looked to me for agreement.
The boys were still trying to figure out the whole thing about my ruling way, I might be their alpha but I valued their input and considered them as equals in most things outside of my power alone. "I think I'd like that." I smiled my encouragement to the suggestion and he was puffing up in that proud male way that had me chuckling softly to myself. "When will we meet these mysterious contacts anyway?" Mads quipped as she eyed Ruby and the twins made themselves at home in one of the newly made tents. "It's another three or four hours hiking from here but we all need to get some rest before we head out in the morning, it's not as long of a hike as today but it's on rougher terrain." I stated as I looked up at the mountain we'd be making our way over sometime tomorrow.
"Well then time for bed girls!" Nate barked out to the kids who immediately started to whine their complaints. "But it's still light out, the sun hasn't even gone to bed yet!" Lilly pouted out. "And it won't for quite a while yet, out here you go to sleep to the sun and you wake up to the sun, it takes some adjusting but you get used to it eventually." I figured it best not to mention how long eventually might be as everyone tried their best to get some rest. Once everyone had slept enough that I was satisfied they could handle the hike we chowed down on our packaged breakfast as quick as we could. The whole camp was a buzz of wonder and guessing on the surprise in store, I doubted that any of them would be able to figure it out.
"Now what Sid?" Fletcher had become my ever eager right hand, always ready and willing to do whatever I asked. I think in a way my favoring of his company had skyrocketed his original pack rank from bottom to very near to the top, not that I allowed any of them to battle for the rights of silly positions. "Well now we pack food and water to last us a few days and leave everythimg us here, the electric fencing should keep away the wildlife until we get back." I gave the gentle directions and then we were off as I slowly led the way up the steep mountain in our path. We crossed two mountains and one large stream before continuing the last hour of forest so thick you couldn't see five feet in front of you. We did come across one grizzly bear but it was fairly young and ran off when it caught sight of our sizeable group.
When I caught sight of the large rocky outcropping that appeared in a sparse and abrupt clearing I stopped in my tracks and smiled. "We're here." I breathed out happily, the others looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Here? There's nobody here, it's a giant freaking rock, how it this supposed to be a safe haven for anything, let alone us!?" Rose screeched out and I growled at her tone. "You just don't understand anything, they're watching us now and I can guarantee that they are listening, and it was very rude to insult their meeting place." I scolded her as the pup she acted like, before motioning for them all to stay quiet as I stared into the impenetrable forest around us.
"I know you're there and I know I've brought many friends but I promise you they are good ones and they will keep your secret. None of us wish to harm you nor do we wish to fight, we are only seeking aid for the protection of the two single females, are you still willing to talk?" I called into the trees and after a few tense moments of nothing but silence a familiar middle aged black haired blue eyed form emerged from the trees to meet us. "It's been a long time Sid, when I granted permission for your friends to come along I wasn't expecting quite so many. As for the talking we both know you're not going anywhere even if I told you no." She spoke so sternly but her eyes were shining her greeting to me.
"True. It's good to see you alive and well Amanda, how have things been since I branched off?" I step forward and shake the she wolf's hand with a grin as she finally cracks a small smile in return. "They've been pretty good actually, our numbers have grown a bit since your last visit. I take it these boys must be the pack of yours you mentioned in your message, they carry some of your scent. The ones with the pups are your friends, how well do you trust them?" She asked as she eyed them coldly to their growls of annoyance. I knew she didn't mean to offend them she had a lot at stake that she could not risk if this place was to remain a safe haven.
"They are the only pack outside of my own that I trust completely." I stated firmly she shot me a look but nodded in understanding, we were friends but she knew I did not always agree with her ways. "Very well then, speak of this place and you will never speak again." She turned to them with a warning. "Sisters and daughters of the moon do not be afraid, Sidney Blake is an old ally, and who she trusts we may trust!" She called the words loud enough for all to hear. The boys started to joke of our insanity but quickly all was silenced at my back as she rock outcropping came alive. Wolves poured from the trees onto the higher vantage point the rock provided, some bunched behind Amanda as their leader as they eyed us wearily.
"So the numbers grew a bit?" I snorted in sarcasm to Amanda's smirk. There was easily over two hundred wolves here more than double the amount that had resided here before and all sharing one very key factor, every single one was female. "Mother heifers that's a lot of she wolves!" Simon squeaked out fearfully, Micah however was sharing an intense stare off with one of the females beside Amanda. "Amanda is the leader of this almost entirely female pack, she's not an alpha by blood but she's earned the title." I stated in explanation as the female Micah had been watching darted off only to return a moment later in clothed human form.
She had red hair and green eyes and many of her features looked so familiar to me that I felt a flood of understanding why she'd been so focused on Micah. "Mic, is it really you?" Her tone was hopeful but weary and Micah looked a mix between devastated and overjoyed. "Sarah bear?" He croaked out and suddenly they were crashing together in a crush of tears and hugs. I watched the sibling reunion silently as they blubbered through their joy. "Sis when did you... how did you... you're a wolf too?" Micah finally choked the words out.
"I wanted to tell you but by the time I'd gotten free from everything and wound up safe here, I couldn't risk giving everyone here away. Turns out we're both adopted and apparently have strong wolf genetics because I shifted a year after you left and they kicked me out too." She chuckled darkly. "You could have come to me, we'd be happy to have you." He sent me a look with an unspoken question, I nodded slowly. I wouldn't be thrilled about it but she was his family and if she wanted to join, I would allow it for Micah's sake. "Thanks for the offer but my home is here now, I've got friends and people I love, but you'll always be my brother Mic." She added the last bit to help sooth his pouting.
"So you're the one that taught Carrots about feminine hygiene products, got to thank you for that." I smiled cheerfully to her laughter. "So she's the one you messaged me about?" She raised to Micah's blushing nod. "You really are whipped aren't you?" She seemed pleased with that fact as he beamed a grin at me. "Totally, but she's worth it." He stated proudly. "Well we'll go get our two guests settled in while you catch up, fallback ladies!" Amanda called as the she wolves pack dispersed into thin air with Rose and annoying Sarah, leaving Micah's sister with us. "Are you sure you like living here?" Micah frown after them as he posed the question.
"Yes, I promise it's not so bad when she's not worried about our immediate safety. The winter can be a bit rough but we get by." Sarah snickered out. "Amanda can be a bit of a pill when she gives orders but she is a decent enough leader that looks after all in her care, they are safer here than anywhere else." I shrugged my agreement and her attention was pulled back to me. "So you're THAT Sid, I've heard quite a few stories from the older members about you." She raised an eyebrow and I grinned. "What can I say, I tend to leave an impression wherever I go." I smirked playfully.
"You know Amanda tried giving your girlfriend the alpha position here?" Sarah asked as I held back a wince to everyone's questioning looks. "That was a long time ago, I might love it here but I can only tolerate so much estrogen." I snorted softly, besides the tempers and bloody fur fights were too much back then. I fell back to hang out with the Alvalrado pack while Micah introduced his sister to the rest of the boys. "There's not even half their numbers recorded in existence." Kasen remarked in amazement. "And that's the way it's going to stay, for their safety and many others, it's better this way. I told you there's more of us girls than anyone knows, to survive and be free we learn to stick to the shadows." I hummed out carefully as I sent Mads a sideways glance.
"How did it all come about?" Mads voiced softly. "Amanda started this place up five years ago, she and a few of the older females had already been running together for a while and just got tired of always watching over their shoulders. They found this place and started to build it into a fortress of a home for themselves as they gathered more females in search of sanctuary. Their numbers grew slowly at first because nobody really knew about the place, and even now there's only unconfirmed rumors that it exists." I smiled at the memory of how I had learned them.
"They say there's a place where there's more she wolves than you can put a number too, a pack with no males at all that nobody knows about. Those rumors catch the interest of she wolves and their friends that go in search of this safe haven of sorts. The second rumor doesn't mention the gender but it gives an idea of the location, far into the Alaskan wilderness. They speak of a place that wolves of all sorts were known to be traveling through but none of them ever returned, and no one has ever found them." I murmured softly as Nate tensed uneasily. "What happens to the males, there were none amongst them?" He voiced darkly, suspecting the worst.
"The few that do reside in this pack stay back at the fort during meet ups like this, it's safer if they have a female that vouches for them. Amanda knows the territory well so when males get a bit too close they have set plans. They go out to cut them off, first they send out one or two girls to be 'found' while more stand guard, this tests the males initially. If they stay together and try to help the girls in kindness or off they have a partner already they are given a chance to choose. They may either join the pack or swear secrecy of it's location, even though no one outside the pack is allowed near the main fort for quiet some time." I muttered softly. "If they don't play nice or swear secrecy?" Denzel frowned. "Then they are killed on sight. It's too dangerous to risk a leek bringing danger to everyone here, there are pups here too. I didn't always agree with Amanda's ways and we clashed over her choices many times, but I can understand her reasoning to a degree." I sighed out heavily.
"What if the girls are looking for a partner, can they leave?" Mads asked slowly. "The girls are free to come and go as they please as long as they keep this place quiet. As to finding partners if a respectable guy comes through and doesn't want to stay permanently then the ladies are welcome to leave with them and many have done so. They also go in groups into areas with pack males and known nomads if there are females looking to start families of their own. From their if they find a partner they can either return here to live or make a way for themselves elsewhere." I stated, that was one of the things I did like about Amanda's ways.
"It was here that I learned of the strange concoctions that could hide the scent of heat, they needed it too. Those that aren't in heat protect those that are, the main focus when I stayed here was training them all how to be better fighters, before their numbers grew so much." I huffed, I only hoped they kept up that training. "Why doesn't that surprise me." Kairo puffed out with an eye roll. "Will you come back now that you have the boys?" Wes asked curiously and I growled under my breath at the thought.
"If I did I'd probably end up killing the girls I was supposed to protect. Like I said there's not many males in residence so the girls can get a bit desperate, they share males sometimes or pair up with each other if necessary. I wouldn't trust myself bringing twelve young males in their prime to stay here, it's all kinds of a bad idea." I snorted out in response. "Are you nervous that we'll be heading back to our own territory in a few days, parting ways?" Nate asked softly. "I'll miss you and the pups but I wouldn't say I'm nervous, more excited and curious to start this new way of life I think." I hummed out thoughtfully.
Once they were gone then this whole being alpha of my own pack would be all the more real, and it was an adventure I was eager to begin. "In the words of George Santayana, 'the family is one of nature's great masterpieces' and your's little wolf is only just beginning." Denzel smiled kindly towards me. "I couldn't have said it better myself." Mads nodded her agreement and I sighed happily. "Well, I have always had a fondness for nature." I hummed thoughtfully. As I watched the boys and Sarah laugh together I couldn't help smiling, this was my home, my family, my pack, and I was finally the alpha I was born to be.
*Well that's it then... I just was not expecting that and I'm so happy I made this story. I want to thank all you reader for your comments, votes and everything else, you are all amazing and I continued this story because of all of you. This is the last official chapter and I won't be doing a sequel to it sadly. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the ride, and thank you for reading!*