Alpha, Beta, Omega

Chapter Four

Around five that evening Kali told Amy to head home, that she could handle the last hour by herself. Amy, true to fashion, had hesitated before Kali assured it that it was fine, that even if there was a customer or two it wouldn't be as hectic as earlier had been. Not when it was a full moon. Amy still hadn't looked convinced so Kali had resorted to threatening to call Roy and get him to come collect his mate. Amy had huffed and informed her that when she mated then she, Amy, was so going to use that ploy to make Kali do as she said.

Kali had laughed and waved her friend off.

Now, locking up the shop, Kali sighed and glanced around.

Was this what her life was to be?

College through the fall and then working in this little book store in the summer?

And what about after college?

What would she do then?

Come back and work in the book store while she had a master's degree in English Literature?

Sighing softly, doubling checking the locks and the lights, she grabbed her coat and shoulder bag from the break room before slipping out the back door, locking it behind her. Thankfully the rain had stopped earlier in the afternoon, though the sky remained an ominous grey color. So nature was still threatening rain, it just had yet to open the floodgates. Praying that the weather held long enough for her to get to the meeting circle, Kali climbed onto her bike and headed out.

The streets were oddly empty for a Wednesday night, but given that it was a full moon everyone was either heading to, or already at, the meeting circle. The pack ran together during moon nights. Well, everyone but Kali ran together. She was a pack member but hardly considered part of the pack. Too docile, she thought bitterly as she headed down Oak Avenue towards the forest were the meeting circle was set up. Too kind. What kind of she-wolf doesn't have some kind of backbone?

She huffed and shook her head.

No sense dwelling on things she couldn't change.

Once college was done maybe she'd leave.

Find another pack.

One that would accept her and her peculiarities.

If such a pack even existed.

As she reached the access road leading into the forest she stopped, leaving her bike against a tree and walking the rest of the way. She could hear and smell the pack. She heard laughter and a small, sad smile graced her face. What wouldn't she give to be included like a normal pack member? What wouldn't she do to have her pack stop looking at her like there was something wrong with her? Like she was a disease that could rub off on them?

She continued down the access road until she reached where most of the pack had parked. As she stopped peddling she scented the air, easily finding her parents' scents amid the numerous scents of the pack. She wouldn't end up running with them, she never did, but it was expected that she would at least stand with them during the pack meeting. With a soft sigh she left her bike leaning against the tree before walking the rest of the way to the meeting circle.

People glanced at her as she passed, finding her parents by their scent, she walked up beside her mother and stood in silence. Glancing at her mother, Renee, Kali could easily see where both she and her sister got their looks, though Chloe had their father's eyes. Renee Edridge was of average height and was slender, like a jogger or swimmer, with thick, chocolate brown hair and big blue-green eyes. Her skin was pale, like Kali's, but not so much that it made her appear sickly. In Kali's eyes her mother was beautiful. But it was also such a shame that her mother was like everyone else in the pack and thought there was something wrong with Kali.

Renee spared Kali a brief look, nodding as though pleased she'd shown up, before returning her focus to the center of the circle where the pack Alpha, Deucalion McRae, was now standing. Swallowing around the sudden lump in her throat, a reaction she'd always had when she saw Deucalion, Kali, like everyone else, bowed her head in respect to Deucalion.

"Welcome," Deucalion said as he looked around at the pack, or at those who had thus far gathered. Others would come, later, and join the run on their own. "So, we all know why we're here." He smiled while most of the pack laughed. "Now, as you know there is now a pack in Lawton which means the forest towards the north has been divided by the council in order to support two packs during the moon.

The area has been scent marked so you'll all know where the boundary line is. Please, and this is really for the younger wolves, do not cross the line. Once you are in Lawton territory you will be considered rogue and the Lawton Alpha will deal with you as he sees fit. Understood?"

There were murmurs of acknowledging the Alpha's words and Kali knew most would purposely keep the young wolves from the northern section of the woods. Just to prevent anything bad from happening. It made a small smile spread across her face. She'd run the northern section, just to avoid the pack, to avoid being bullied by Chloe and her little flunkies. She drew a deep breath, glancing around and finding Amy standing across the circle, wrapped up in her mate's arms. Her friend looked up at her, a smile gracing her face, and Kali gave a small nod, telling Amy without words that she'd be fine on her own tonight. Amy's eyes showed some concern but then she nodded, turning her head and whispering to Roy, who gaze her a somewhat surprised look before looking over at Kali and giving her a nod.

Amy must have asked Roy to let her run with them, thus surprising him by saying it wasn't going to happen.

Kali nodded back to him, just to show she understood, before returning her attention to Deucalion, who was leading his Betas, including her father Nolan, off to the woods. The pack broke up then, people heading, in groups, into the trees. Kali watched Amy and Roy disappear through the trees before she turned, picking a random direction, stopping only when a hand touched her arm. Looking over her shoulder she found her mother staring at her.

"Umm..."

"I want you to listen to what Alpha Deucalion said about the boundaries," Renee said as Chloe shot Kali a look before walking off with some of her friends.

"I will."

"Kali, it's very important that you watch yourself." Renee gave her a rather serious look. "Getting too close to the boundary line could...well, you could get hurt."

Kali found herself in some sort of shock.

It was the first time in a long time that her mother had expressed any really concern over her wellbeing. She drew a deep breath and pushed the shock to the back of her mind. "I'll be careful, Mum," she said with a small smile. "You don't need to worry about me."

Renee gave her an unreadable look before nodding and walking away, following after Nolan and disappearing into the shadows. Kali sighed softly and shook her head before turning and heading towards the northern part of the forest, she could feel the moon calling to her wolf and the need to run was becoming difficult to ignore.

She walked, in human form, for quite a ways until the call to change became too much. Only then did she stop and strip off her clothes, folding them neatly, wrapped in her coat with her shoulder bag, and tucking them beneath some bushes.

Stepping back she shivered in the cool night air, gooseflesh breaking out over her skin, head tipping back and her gaze finding the spot in the cloudy sky where the moon hung. With a deep sigh she let the change overtake her, felt her human form slip away like water rushing over rocks and soon she stood as a wolf, glossy white in the darkness of the forest. Shaking herself to remove the last tingles of the change she threw her head back and howled.