Wolf #1: The Pack [COMPLETED]

Chapter 21

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Chapter 21

Rachel cringes as I jam my phone back into my pocket, "Voicemail?"

"Yeah," I mumble, leaning against the passenger door and staring out the window. It's been six days since I have been taken to Breccia. They have let me come and go since, but I haven't spoken to Jace since.

I've tried to give him space, but my patience is running thin today. He's avoiding me, and I don't know why. I thought we had put aside what happened with his pack finding out about me, but apparently not. Or maybe there's another reason—I can't tell.

Rachel and Young-Jae have been hanging out with me during and after school, answering the questions I have about the Wolves. They all worship the three Goddesses that Mallory had told me about, each pack varying in their level of piousness. Apparently, Breccia is considered fairly religious which is why they have a pack healer. My understanding is that some packs are far more religious—namely the packs that are closer to The Order—while others possess a mild awareness to the Goddesses but don't actively practice their beliefs. That had stuck out to me because I hadn't thought that the pack cultures would vary so greatly.

It also turns out that being a Wolf is passed on genetically, even if only one parent is a Wolf—although that rarely happens because Wolves can rarely reproduce with humans. They don't know why, and I plan to ask Mallory today.

I read the books she gave me, but they haven't revealed much more than what I already know. Most of them are books on herbology and alternative medicine, and the others have touched base with mythology and the history of the Oregon packs. There are two—Breccia, the western pack, and the eastern pack called Ameku.

Cross-referencing the information that I found in the books and the library book, Tale of the Moonlands, I managed to confirm what is fact and what is...to be determined.

"He...just needs space," Rachel asks as she turns down a wooded road. At first glance, the surrounding forest looks dense and scarce of life. But the longer I stare, the more Wolves I spot. Rachel had told me that everyone takes turn on guard duty, and that there are certain Wolves whose sole job in the pack is to patrol. They're called Sentries if I remember correctly.

"You would tell me if I did something wrong, right?" I look from the patrol and at her. She smiles and nods. "So did I do something wrong?"

"Amelia..." She glances away from me and lets out a nervous sigh, "You're human. Which there's nothing wrong with...but some Wolves have a problem with that."

It doesn't take a genius to surmise that she's saying that Jace is one of those Wolves. I nod and settle back in my seat. Tears prickle at my eyes, and I wipe at them before Rachel can notice. It's stupid to feel as broken up about the situation as I do, and as much as I try not to, I can't deny that I have developed feelings for Jace—strong feelings. He feels important to me. I know that the strength of this attachment is due to our shared bond, but I can't stop it. In some ways, I wish I could, but quitting seems too easy.

"I just don't get why he's acting like this," I groan, "He'll be fine and we'll be good, but then it's like a switch just flips and he can't stand me. And he shouldn't have to—we've only been seeing each other for a month or so."

"It's different for mates—"

"Is it, though?" I look at her as she parks outside their cabin. She turns to look at me and I continue, "Because it doesn't make sense. Yes, being mates mean we have this...natural attraction to one another, more so than anyone else. But does that really mean that we have to pick one another?"