I watch silently as the young alpha grabs both of their necks, one in each hand and pulls them apart while in a booming Alpha voice commands; “Submit!”
Both of them struggle but eventually fall to their knees, growling loudly at one another.
“I just told you no fist fighting and no sooner than you get off the bus you're coming to blows, over what?”
“He’s taking my bag!”
“No I’m not! Your bag is over there!”
I can’t help but facepalm myself as I listen to them argue. No fighting, no drugs, no raping and no shit faced drunks. Sounds like a pack that just wants you to be responsible, reasonable and take care of one another. Here are the two youngest warriors who qualify for the program and they act like mere children.
I walk over to the matching pack to the one they’re squabbling over and kneel down beside it. I go over it with a fine tooth comb finally locating a tag with the name Taylor on it. I sigh and shake my head as I pick up the pack and walk over to the twins. I stand silently until they stop arguing and notice that I’m there.
“What the hell do you want!” Taylor yells as he tightens his grip on the pack he’s holding.
“I would think at eighteen years old you would be mature enough to check the tag on the bag before arguing over it. Plus you’re twins. I thought everything you owned matched.”
My voice is quiet and submissive in nature. I’ve learned the hard way how to talk without ruffling the feathers of anyone as dad has used any report of disrespect as a logical reason to have me brought to his office so he could beat me as a child, the training center after I broke his desk four years ago.
I reach down to the tag on the bag I am holding and flip it in my hand exposing the name on the tag before looking at Taylor with my head cocked slightly. He lets out a final growl before tossing the bag he’s holding hard into Tyler’s chest. Alpha Damian lets them both go, stepping back as they stand.
Taylor approaches me quickly, snatching his bag from my hand before going towards the pile of luggage I had picked it from. I sigh lightly as I look among the luggage looking for my second backpack and my duffel bag. Unfortunately I don’t spot them quickly enough and someone else has grabbed at least one of them.
I start looking around for sources of water. I’ve been going around to different packs in the warrior program with two of the same prospects for the last eighteen months so I know their games now. It’s only after the bus pulls away that I spot my duffel bag and all its contents spread out in the mud. I sigh and run my hand through my chocolate brown hair, disappointed in myself. I’d win money betting on the idea that the twins were used as a distraction to me.
I walk slowly towards the water, testing the area to see how deep the water is as I don’t think I can handle the pain from the numerous cuts and burns all over my body getting wet, especially the large blister that is wrapped around my left thigh.
I can’t see the rest of the group but I can tell that two more of them are arguing over luggage. Fairly simple rules to follow but Red Fang is such a brutal pack that’s how everyone lives, by fighting for everything you have. Alpha Damian submits them out shortly before hearing another, booming voice. Powerful and unmistakably the lead alpha. I stop on the edge of the water as it seems to be deeper than what I expected for the distance that my stuff was thrown.
“That’s enough! For all the years I’ve been working with Red Fang, never have I encountered a group so keen on bickering with one another over something as simple as luggage! Especially since everything is labeled with first and last name before being placed on my bus. Now, everyone, get in a single line shoulder to shoulder! Damian!”
“Yes father.”
I’m surprised at how calm he is considering his father’s yelling.
“Help the young man over by the pseudo pond. Never have I seen such disrespect for a pack member as that.”
“Yes sir.”
I stop in my tracks only a few feet from the edge of the water. The alpha is sending his own son over to help me? I’m shocked and confused with their kindness towards a complete stranger in their territory. I’ve heard stories of how rogues have never been seen again after entering their territory. How Crimson Dawn is as brutal as they come. Yet I’ve seen more care and kindness in the thirty minutes that I’ve been here than any other pack I’ve been to so far. Maybe I won’t have to go rogue. Maybe I could come here instead. They seem nice.
“Hey. Cole, right?” Damian speaks while touching my arm, bringing me quickly from my thoughts.
“Yes, sir.” I manage to barely get out. I’ve had a hard time even speaking to upper level wolves since I was a young child. It has always been easier just to stay quiet.
“Let’s see about retrieving your stuff, shall we?” I nod my head lightly.
“Yes, thank you.”
We walk back over to the pond. I shiver slightly as the wind starts blowing lightly. Even though I’m from an area with regular snow in the winter I’ve chilled easily ever since the whipping.
Just as I was getting ready to step into the water Alpha Damian grabs me causing me to startle badly enough to yelp. I cringe at my own failure to stifle my yelp, cursing my anxiety for getting so bad so quickly. Alpha Damian freezes as silence falls across the land.
“Are you okay?” I nod as I start to stutter.
“I-I’m okay. N-new places just make me an-anxious. I-I’m sorry.”
Just as I finish struggling with such a simple answer the rest of the pack burst out laughing. I can clearly hear the twins jeering at me.
“The alpha’s son is such a baby.”
I clench my fist and stifle a growl as Alpha Damian starts talking again.
“You look like you’re already getting cold so...” he slows down talking as he kicks off his shoes and removes his socks and pants. “I’m going to go get your bag and anything near it, bring it back here to you, then go back out and toss the rest to you. It usually snows more than it rains in the winter but so far this winter has been mild. It’s rained hard for the last week and this is a low spot near the training grounds. Anything that has sunk to the bottom that I don’t feel will turn up once the water dries up. I’ll make sure it gets back to you once we find it.”
As he finishes speaking he’s already waded out to my duffle bag. I usually only bring it and two backpacks. My most important items are always in the pack that I keep with me. It’s as Alpha Damian is bringing my bag back with a handful of my clothing that the pack starts laughing resulting in the alpha’s booming voice again.
“Silence! Since a lot of you can’t seem to act much more than children, that's exactly how I’m going to treat you. Stand still in the line. Do not move or speak unless your name is called. Everyone in front of me, pull out the key to the room you were just given. Patrick, collect the keys. Dominic and Lucas.”
“Yes sir.”
I hear in unison as I catch two more wet balls of clothes coming my way.
“Dominic, do you have the keys to the third floor?”
I cock my head as I hear Alpha Damian choke on a laugh.
“Yes sir.”
“Give half of the keys to Lucas. Now, since you can’t be grown ups about collecting your things on your own and are so keen on destroying another pack member’s things my beta, Patrick, is going to grab a bag and call the name on the tag. Raise your hand and say here when you hear your name and Patrick will hand your bag to either Alpha Dominic or Alpha Lucas. One of them will hand you a key to your new room on the third floor. There is an elevator but it is only used by housekeeping to stock the supply closets and during medical emergencies. The stairs are indoors on the north end of the building.”
“This is the last that I can actually see floating on the surface.” Damian says as he throws the last of my clothes to me. “We’ll have to check again in the morning. We might even find anything that sank once the sun comes out.”
I nod lightly as I ring the water out of the clothes in my hands and toss them in my bag. I kneel to close it up just to hear Tyler start running his mouth again.