Claws (Rewritten)

Twenty Six

Adelyn

"So we missed you by hours?" I asked, unable to believe that we'd camped literal minutes from Markus' mate's pack. I didn't know all that much about werewolves, except for what Markus had told me, and that wolf was more of a cunning fox who dramatised everything and no doubt embellished every aspect he could, but I had to admit there was something beyond lucky about that close call and the subsequent chance meeting in the forest. Like fate. Aww.

"Yeah, you have no idea how frustrating it was," Noah replied as we picked our way through the forest. "I used every bit of my influence to find this place."

"Well, I appreciate it. Very noble of you," Markus commented, glancing at Noah and smiling widely. "Am I worth the wait?"

Noah studied him. "I'm still debating." He laughed, nudging Markus' shoulder lightly.

"I'm taking that as a yes," Markus retorted.

"Markus?" Chloe called back. She was up ahead with Caleb, and they both glanced back at us.

"Yes, dearest friend?" He replied, making me and Caleb glare at him.

Chloe either took no notice of our betrayal or just ignored us. "You said last year that mates are people that are made for you," She began.

"Last year? How good is your memory?"

"Exceptional," She answered, "I was just wondering if your father was always...uh--"

"Such an ass?" I filled in. Caleb looked away to hide his smile.

"Not always," Markus told us, an odd touch of nostalgia and pain lining his voice that sobered us immediately. "He was strict and had the pack's best interests in mind-- or, that's what he believed. He always had us training, even before we first shifted. He'd make my brothers and I chop up firewood for hours on end, but he made sure to take care of the land and replanted triple whatever we took down. And at night we'd sit around the fire and listen to his stories. I was too young to realise it, but he wasn't happy being below Kaden and Callum. He claimed that he was next in line to be alpha in his own pack - whether that was true or not, I'm not too sure - but he gave it up to be with my mum. So he thought it was his right to become alpha of this pack, instead. He had a mate and three kids to continue his line, so in his mind, he had more of a right than Kaden to be alpha. So he challenged him. And he lost.

"Things were rocky after that, and Kaden only agreed to let my dad stay because of my mum and us. He didn't want to tear our family and pack apart, unlike Damien. There was always some animosity between them, and my dad became consumed with the thought of power and usurping Kaden's title. When Kaden found his luna, Sierra, we thought Damien would back down a little and accept his place. But then we found out that, well, Sierra couldn't have children, and my dad, like a damn psycho, thought that was even more proof that he deserved to be alpha. It didn't really help that, around the same time, Caleb helped me out with some hunters. My dad was a little obsessed with the werewolf legacy and having a pure pack with absolutely no outsiders. Especially not vampires."

"He chased my brother and me out the house with a stake," Caleb added, his eyes narrowed slightly as he held up a low-hanging branch for us all to pass. "Like Lyn said, a complete ass."

"That was almost the last straw for Kaden and the others. Even my mum was less forgiving of his behaviour. I guess she realised he didn't really love us-- he only loved the idea of his perfect little family. And when Reece and Ash wandered into our territory and we took them in and didn't execute them - shameful, I know - Damien sort of...lost it. So Kaden kicked him out and warned him to never come back. I can only imagine what he thought when he first came back and saw all the new people we've taken under our wing. Tyler, Renée, you three..." He trailed off, his gaze fixed on me, Chloe and Caleb before shifting to study the forest.