One of Runts

Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Names, So Many Names

        I stand next to Mac in the chilly air. The wind is barely blowing, but it bites at my pink cheeks. I look at the dark sky, the stars very visible against the night sky, despite the small flurries of snow flowing around the training field.

        It's early February, though the snow usually falls late where I live. Sometimes it'll snow in November and stop in December, only to start again in March for a few weeks.

        I stand tall next to Mac, even though my head barely reaches his shoulders. Sometimes being a runt has its disadvantages. Regular female wolves are usually around five-foot-five or five-foot-six, unlike my five-foot-three. I've seen runts and omegas that are shorter than me, though.

        Good thing my size means that I tend to be faster than the average wolf and can hide easier.

        I keep my eyes straight, waiting for the Alpha King to call the names of the wolves that will be going with him. Unless they are older wolves with mates and children, no one will choose to stay. Our pack was built like that.

        Samantha shifts around on my left. She's a rank below me: Cayden, Daniel, Marissa, and Conner stand beside her in rank order. Conner is the newest to the squad and is by default the lower ranking squadron member. There's also the fact that he makes a mistake at least once a week. Like earlier today.

        I mentally shake my head at my thoughts, trying to focus my attention in front of me. I stand in the tracking wolf section and beside my section are the warrior wolves.

        I stand to the right of the second row behind Squadron 1. The Alpha King stands a few feet away, talking with my Alpha, his brother. I can hear their mutters, though I don't think anyone else can. They are wrapping up a discussion about some of the warrior wolves.

        I guess I missed their talk on the tracker wolves.

        I know I will not be picked, but I can't ignore the pounding of my heart and the sweat on my forehead that beads despite the chilly air. You won't be chosen, I try to tell myself. You're a runt. The Alpha King won't want a runt to track for him.

        I take a steadying breath as the two Alphas cease their talking and face the two groups. The Alpha King walks over to the warrior wolf section, most likely needing more wolves that know how to expertly fight.

        I know my fair share of fighting, though I am too small to do some of the maneuvers that the larger wolves can. Through my pup training, I usually ended up sporting quite a few bruises, though I always managed to get many hits on the wolves from my speed.

        Though I am fast, I am not that strong. I hold the strength of the average wolf, nothing like the warriors that could easily crush my skull if given the chance. That's one of the reasons I decided to become a tracker. I was practically made for it.

        Like my mother, an average wolf.

        The Alpha King stands before the large group of warrior wolves. There are around two-hundred that stand there. Less than fifty percent are seasoned warriors that I know will choose to stay with their mates and with our Alpha.

        My father is one of those wolves.

        Majority of the wolves are younger males between the ages of sixteen and thirty. The Alpha King will not choose any of the sixteen or seventeen-year-olds, they're too young. He'll most likely choose the unmated wolves between the ages of 18 and 30.

        In his hands is a large piece of paper. "There must be around fifty or sixty names on there," I tell Mac. I see him nod his head in the corner of my eye.

         The Alpha King clears his throat. "I have a list of wolves that I have selected to be suitable of joining my ranks in the fight to find this one rogue," he states, his voice full of authority. "I need at least thirty of you to join me as I suspect many on this list to deny joining me to stay with this pack, their mate, and their children. That is fine.

        "I have chosen these wolves to join me," he states clearly. My heartbeat rises.

        I hold my breath as the last names near to the R's that are close to mine. "Alexander Ravas, Kirsten Ravalla, Samuel Raverel, Jackson Raverin," the Alpha King continues to list off. I hold my breath as the spot to where my last names are called comes closer.

        "Tyler Ravericsil, Austin Raveril, Kayla Raveril, Daniel Rave-" I let out a deep breath of relief as my father's name isn't called. My father is still young, only at the age of forty-three. I wonder why he wasn't called, I think to myself.

        My father is one of the top warriors, so it is weird that his name wasn't called. Maybe he's too valuable here?

        I stand for a few minutes as the Alpha finishes calling the warriors. Leah's name isn't called, but that's understandable since she is low ranking and trains the pups. She's not one for battle, either.

        My hands start to get clammy as the Alpha King takes out another piece of paper with names written on it. It looks like only about thirty or forty names are written, but for a group with only a little over one hundred wolves, that's a lot.

        "There are so many names on that list," I mind-link Mac.

         "I know," he projects to me. "I didn't expect for there to be that many names given the number of trackers our pack has."

        He is right, though. The average wolf pack holds around four-hundred to a thousand wolves. The amount of tracker wolves is usually a third or fourth of the number of pack members. So a pack with a bit over five-hundred wolves, it is odd and concerning to have only around one-hundred trackers.

         So, with how many names that are written down, it is a surprise that my Alpha didn't refuse to take a lot off the list.

         You won't be chosen, I tell myself. Runts don't get chosen for royal business.

         The Alpha King begins to read off the list and I hear many higher and middle-ranking tracking wolves get called. It's not a surprise, though. The Alpha King would want some of the best wolves on his team.

         Despite the fact that I highly doubt that I will be picked, I can't stop my heartbeat that increases and the sweat that beads on my forehead as the last names close to mine are called.

         The Alpha King's eyes are focused on the bottom of the list, meaning that there are a few names left.

        "Caroline Ravera, Jackson Ravericci, and finally-" my heart skips a beat, "Evergreen Raverik."