Living in A Pack (Book One)

Chapter Thirteen

I woke up early the next morning and decided to go for a walk. The air was cool and crisp and smelled of fall. There was something else though too. Winter. I could smell winter on the air. It was getting closer with every day, and I couldn't wait. Fallen leaves crunched under my feet and I strolled through the forest. I had given a lot of thought to my choices last night but it didn't do me any good. I still didn't know what i was going to do. I really enjoyed being in a pack but at the same time I didn't want to have to give up my ears, my last connection to my family. I loved my friends and I would gladly give my life for each one of them but I wasn't a fighter.

"Going for a morning stroll?" A voice startled me from behind. I had been so deep in thought I hadn't notice them come up behind me. I turned around to see an unfamiliar face. It was a teenager, probably about my age. It had black hair and green eyes and looked to be about six two. I could tell he was a lion shifter. I could also tell that although I didn't know his name, he was one of the pack.

"Yes, just had to get some thoughts out of my head." I smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Iris by the way, what's your name?" The boy took my hand and shook it.

"Dan, you're the polar bear shifter aren't you?" He asked curiously. I nodded. "Awesome, so what's troubling you?" He asks again and we sit down together with our backs against a large tree.

"Oh, I'm just thinking about whether pack life is for me or not."

"What made you change your mind?" He questioned.

"I haven't officially changed my mind, I love being in a pack, more then I thought I would and I've made lots of great new friends. The only thing is I don't always feel like I belong, and also The Alphas want me to learn how to retract my ears and it's the only tie I have left to my family. I just don't think I can do it."

"Well, I can't tell you what to choose, but I can tell you that one of the best things you can do is tell the truth. Tell the Alphas how you feel, the worst thing they can do is shoot you down over it, and then I think it will make the decision a little easier." Dan smiles at me and stands up. Extending a hand to me. I take it and he pulls me to my feet. "So why don't we get back to the house." I grin and nod and the two of us head back to the house.

When we exit the woods I hear a shout and look up to see my friends coming towards me. I wave to them and shout hi back.

"Oh my god." Dan suddenly whispers behind me. "You know Cameron? He is so cute."

"You like Cameron?" I ask turning to look at him.

"Yes he's so cute, I've had a crush on him for so long but I don't really know him so I couldn't say anything." I grin at Dan.

"Want me to set you up?"

"You'd do that?" Dan asks excited. I nod and wave Cam over.

"Cam, I would like you to meet Dan, I just met him in the woods." Cam looked at Dan and smiled holding out his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Cam says shaking Dans hand and flashing him a smile. Dan blushes a little.

"Why don't the two of you go hang out and get to know each other." I suggest causally.

"I'd love to." Cam grins, holding out an arm. "Shall we?" The two guys hook arms and stroll off together chatting causally.

"Did you really just set my brother up with some random pack member you just met in the woods?" Amber asks shaking her head. I shrug my shoulders.

"Dan said he thought Cam was cute and Cam's always wanted me to help him find a boyfriend so I figured why not give it a try." I laugh. Amber shakes her head and laugh.

"He's going to love you forever for this." 

"Enough of this it's time to start training Iris." Dylas growls

"Dylas..." I begin.

"No Iris." He growls again louder. I take a step back and glare at him. His voice softens a little. "Listen Iris I'm sorry, I know you don't want to train, I know it hurts, but it has to be done. My parents said so which means it has to happen. Just get past the pain now and it won't hurt later."

"Dylas you don't understand." I growl angrily at him. "It's not about the fact that it hurts. I don't care about that, I don't care if the alphas say I have too. The thing is I can't. It's the only thing I have left that links me to my old life, to my family, without it I have nothing to remember them by. Hell, I don't even know if it's physically possible for me to do it. I've already lost my home and my family, don't make me lose this too." I sigh, it felt good to get that off my chest. Everyone looked a little shocked for a moment before the shock was replaced by regret.

"I'm sorry Iris, I didn't know you felt that way." Dylas whispered quietly, he looked the most regretful. "I will talk to my parents about it. Maybe they will let you just learn to do it without it causing pain but still let you keep,out your ears most of the time." I nod and thank him. We begin to head back toward the house in order to tell the alphas but Sasha speaks up.

"wait a minute, what do you mean not physically possible. I know it hurts but it should still be possible."

"I was born in my animal form, it makes it difficult for me to switch my ears."

"Wait what, but usually people don't shift until they're at least ten, eight at the earliest." Dylas said confused.

"Yeah but on rare occasions someone is born in their animal form and once they shift to human they can't shift again till they're at the right age. My mom and dad were out hunting on the ice when mom was pregnant with me and she started giving birth, she had no choice but to give birth to me in animal form, I would have frozen to death otherwise."

"Interesting." Sasha said thoughtfully. "I guess we'll just have to see how it goes then."

A howl sounded from the direction of the field. It was Alpha Doug. The alphas must have decided what was going to happen about the Dark Forest pack. We headed towards the field so we could see what he wanted.

When we arrived at the field I could see Doug and Pearl standing on top of the rock. We stood and waiting for the meeting to begin. Pack members filed slowly into the field and surrounded the front of the rock minute by minute. Dan and Cam came up and joined is in our spot near the front of the rock.

After about ten minutes Pearl motioned for the pack to be seated and everyone sat in front of the rock.

"We would like to inform you of some news that will come as a shock to most of you." Pearl began.

"Yesterday two pack members found and fought an outsider on our territory. This outsider was in fact part of the Dark Forest pack." Doug continued. "They brought a threat with them. They have told us we either have to leave our territory, or fight for it and die trying." The statement was met with uproar. The whole pack started shouting and growling at the fact that they were being threatened on their own territory.

"Everyone quiet down!" Pearl shouted making everyone shut up instantly and sit back down. "Doug and I have decided that we are not going to leave our territory. It is ours and we have a right to fight for it. We beat the Dark Forest pack once before and we can do it again." The whole pack cheered and shouted in agreement.

"That said." Doug began again. "A few days before the day that the Dark Forest pack decides to attack, we are going to send all pack members who cannot fight, such as elders, pregnant women, children, and mothers with small children, off territory until the battle is over. We cannot risk our enemies getting to the pack house and harming our pack members. We are also going to begin training everyday starting tomorrow. That also means for the next month we are going to have to pull any younger members going to school out of school. We will tell the schools you are going to try home school but my still come back if it does not work out." There were a couple more cheers from the teenagers of the pack. "That will be all, let's train hard everyone so we can win this battle."

The pack began to leave to go about their own business but I just sat there staring at the ground. Could I really go through with this?