I was in the room, nervous and apprehensive, feeling Alastair's scent getting closer with each passing second. Hunter was downstairs, trying to wake up the other wolves, and the commotion quickly spread throughout the cabin.
Caleb emerged from the next room, visibly confused, and asked Hunter the reason for all the shouting.
“What's going on? Why all this commotion?” Caleb asked.
Hunter replied hurriedly, “Alastair is coming. Fierce sensed his scent a few minutes ago.”
Caleb turned to the other guys who were still asleep near the girl they had brought the night before and began shouting, ordering them to wake up.
“Wake up, guys! Get up now!”
The girl, now awake, asked the reason for the commotion, but her voice was nearly drowned out by the sound of the cabin door almost being torn off its hinges. Alastair had arrived.
His shout echoed through the cabin as he ordered everyone to present themselves immediately.
“I want everyone down here now!”
Hunter, Caleb, and the other wolves hurried downstairs, clearly nervous, leaving the girl alone upstairs.
However, Alastair ordered the girl to come down as well, and she obeyed, though visibly apprehensive.
“You too, come here,” Alastair said.
While they were all downstairs, I quietly opened the door of the room and went to the top of the stairs, trying to see what was happening.
Luckily for the girl, Alastair was in his human form, with his long, straight hair, and his robust figure resembling that of a Native American.
“What are you all doing here without my permission?” Alastair roared furiously, his gaze scanning everyone in the cabin.
The atmosphere in the cabin was tense, and the tension between Alastair and the other wolves was almost palpable. I kept watching, hidden at the top of the stairs, wondering how this situation would unfold. Alastair was clearly furious, and the uncertainty of what he would do next made me nervous.
***
I remained hidden in the shadows, my skin covered in goosebumps under my human skin. I watched Alastair, the alpha of our pack, closely. He was downstairs, in his human form, furious with the guys who dared to invade our sacred lands. I had my reasons for staying hidden, but I also had my part in all of this.
Alastair stared at the guys with predatory eyes, asking with a deep voice, “What the hell are you doing here, disrespecting my leadership and the sanctity of our territory?”
Jeff, the boldest of the group, dared to answer that they were looking for a bit of fun. Alastair stood before him, his imposing figure and authoritative aura almost tangible.
Jeff, nervous, stammered, “We just wanted some fun, Alastair.”
“Having fun, are you? You want fun?” Alastair roared, making everyone instinctively step back.
Caleb tried to defend the group. “Alastair, they're not to blame, it was all my idea.”
“Breaking rules is what you excel at, isn't it, Caleb?” Alastair growled, looking deeply into Caleb's eyes, who hung his head, guilty.
Hunter intervened, trying to pull Caleb out of the line of fire. “It wasn't Caleb's fault, father. The idea was mine.”
Alastair approached Hunter, his anger visible, and ordered vehemently, “Shut up, Hunter.”
The girl the guys had brought the night before, clearly nervous about the situation, expressed her desire to leave. Alastair approached her and, with a gaze that could freeze even the bravest of wolves, stated:
“You're right to leave. And you must never speak about this place to anyone.”
The girl looked into Alastair's eyes, now almost completely gray, almost white, and shuddered, running away without looking back. She ran as if the devil were chasing her. The girl ran off, and Alastair turned his attention back to the guys.
“So, you left the night watch to have fun at the expense of the pack, is that it?” Alastair said, his voice resonating in the night. Caleb, known for his transgressions, fell silent, as did the other guys, aware that their fate was sealed. “While you sought amusement, a grizzly bear attacked the pack. Some wolves suffered the consequences of the night watch that should have been yours.”
Caleb seemed genuinely surprised and guilty for not being there to protect his pack.
“I didn't know, Alastair. I'm sorry,” Caleb murmured, his voice trembling.
The alpha wasn't interested in apologies at that moment. He pronounced the sentence with an unwavering look.
“You'll be sorry indeed, Caleb. From now on, you're banished from this pack.”
Hunter let out a protest. “No!”
Alastair turned to his son, his gaze hardened. He slapped Hunter hard across the face, the pain evident on my brother's face.
“Don't interfere, Hunter. I'm not finished yet.”
Alastair turned again to the other wolves. His eyes, now calmer, descended upon them. “And you're banished too.”
The shock was evident on the faces of the guys, who never imagined that their quest for fun would have such drastic consequences. Hunter, despite the pain and confusion, managed to find his voice.
“Are you banishing me too, father?” he asked, his voice trembling.
Alastair smiled, but the smile didn't reach his nearly white, gray eyes.
“No, my son. I have something much more special reserved for you.”
Hunter swallowed hard, not knowing what to expect. Alastair had decided, and those young men's fate was sealed that night.
***
I kept watching from the shadows, my loyalty torn between my pack and the complicated web of emotions now unfolding before me. Alastair's order was clear and incisive. His voice echoed in the night, penetrating the darkness like thunder. The boys were banished, and instructed to leave the cabin immediately and never return. Caleb and the others, now marked as exiles, turned into wolves, their howls resonating through the forest as they ran aimlessly, leaving behind the pack they could no longer call home.
Alastair turned his attention to Hunter, his own son, and the order to return to the pack was given. Hunter transformed into a wolf and headed toward his true home. The separation between father and son, marked by the lament of the banished wolves, weighed heavily in the air.
Alastair remained in the cabin, an imposing and severe figure. He seemed to be making a decision, and I remained hidden, hoping to go unnoticed. However, the pack leader noticed my hidden presence in the shadows. His voice resonated, echoing my location, demanding that I reveal myself.
“Come down, Fierce. I know you're there.”