Part of the Pack (Book 1 in the 'part of' series)

Chapter 20 the reveal

Chapter 20 The Reveal

It didn't take long to get back to my tent that night. We had mostly walked in silence. I could tell that something weighed heavily on Ralph's shoulders. I was hesitant to ask if he was alright. After all, we had only just met. Why would he bother telling someone like me his issues? I really couldn't stand the somewhat awkward silence so I spoke up.

"Did you have a nice run earlier?" He looked at me with wide eyes which were full of surprise. He seemed to stumble a little bit so I slowed down, we weren't far away. I could see the silhouette of my tent slightly. "You did go for a run right?" I was nervous with my words, I was sure that was the right terminology. I could've also used the term storm off but I thought that would be pushing it.

"Yes actually." He paused, a small smile coming onto his face. "It was rather pleasant, the wind brushed through my fur as I ran. That is something we don't get often here, with the trees so close together." I nodded as though I understood, I understood the part about the trees and the wind. I could only imagine what it would be like to be a wolf. "I'm sorry about leaving so suddenly. The topic of..."

He trailed off slightly, he sounded defeated and sad. He looked down at his feat and moved some dirt out of the way. We had arrived at my tent by now, I leant against a tree, making no move to sit or get settled. "Becoming Alpha?" I questioned slightly and softly. I had learnt that it was a rather difficult job, it was busy and hectic. It was something that you would need to learn how to do for years.

"Yeah that." I watched as he ran a hand through his beautiful locks of hair. He gave a weak chuckle and stood opposite me, but he wasn't too far away. He was also leaning against a tree, one foot leaning on the trunk to keep him steady. "I wasn't expecting to be Alpha, though two years ago...We found out that I was meant to be the future alpha and that Lathen wasn't meant to have children."

I nodded slowly, though I was quite clearly confused. "That must have been a shock..." I mumbled as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that they had discovered something like that.I didn't quite understand how you would find out that you would be the next Alpha. "If I might ask...how did you find out?"

The question seemed to worry him. There were clear signs of nervousness, he bit his lip and scratched his wrist, his eyes wouldn't meet my own. "well...Werewolves don't tend to...have...soulmates." He nodded with each word he spoke. His brow was creased and he seemed to be searching for answers. "It's most common in those who are,uh, going into the alpha role...such as myself." He got quieter and quieter. I found it rather difficult to hear him.

"So you...found your mate?" I tried to put the information together like puzzle pieces. It was a rather blank puzzle, it was as though I was trying to piece together the moon and the information I had was the shadows and holes we could see. He shut his eyes and he nodded slowly, breathing out deeply.

"Yes. I-" He paused slightly and opened his eyes again, he looked right at me. "I found my mate two years ago, in this forest. Not too far from here." I had the feeling that he was trying to tell me something, that he was getting at a secret which only a few would know. "Their birthday is on January 23rd 1997."

I froze slightly, my eyes narrowed and my breath was caught in my throat. "That's my birthday..." I trailed off slightly. It was strange. We had met two years ago, not too far from here. "Surely you do not mean." I stopped before I could finish. I was not foolish enough to think that I could be the person who Ralph was talking about, I hadn't even told him my birthday,it must be someone else.

"yes , I eman you!" Ralph said somewhat loudly as he pushed himself off the tree and closer to my tent, where a pile of wood for the fire stood. "Trust me, I wasn't expecting it. I surely was not expecting to meet you again. I sure as hell didn't expect to tell you like this. " I was in shock and I was convinced that he was pulling my leg. How could I be soulmates ro Ralph? We had spoken only a few times, though i suppose that was the point of soulmates.

I don't think that he liked my silence, he looked at me somewhat pleadingly. "Say something Aiden." It reminded me of when we had first met, when Ralph was a human. It reminded me of when he was trying to get me not to faint on him when I saw the wolf turn into a little girl. "Aiden." My mouth was dry and I was stuttering.

"I never told you my birthday." My voice was like an echo, it was like it wasn't coming from my mouth. I shook and I leant against the tree even harder, sliding down it so that I was sitting in the dirt. "How did you know my birthday?" I didn't know if that was the best question to ask but it was the one which came from my mouth.

"It's a wolf moon...and I kind of deduced the year." He chuckled weakly, he didn't make any further move towards me. He stayed where he was and watched me on the ground. He was extremely intimidating from this angle. "Mates are usually born on a wolf moon, if they're human. Which hardly ever happens." He sighed and looked at me with sad eyes. "You are my soulmate Aiden."