Hidden Peak (Book 5)

Chapter two: The First Sign

Chapter two

The First Sign

I stood near the main entrance to the cave, watching the tree-line for any sign of movement. Fiona felt the warmth of the middle rank and walked over to me. She held a fur around her shoulder. My fur was thick enough that the cool night air didn’t affect me.

“Eve hasn’t made it back?”

I shook my head. “She went to the grave. She probably won’t come back until morning. It’s her day to grieve.”

The old werewolf nodded. “She’s lost so much. Her mate and your poor brother, and then when August ran away.” She let out a deep breath. “I’m surprised her heart can handle the pain.” She glanced up at me. “Without you, I don’t think she’d be able too.”

Leaning against the wall, I nodded. “She’s tougher than she looks.” I peered down at her. “You don’t go to the grave anymore. Your mate and pup were buried there.”

She sucked in her lips and looked out into the darkness. “They would not want me to waste away mourning them. I’m not as strong as your mother. If I let the pain in, it will eat me away inside. I like to dwell on the memories not the lost.” She grabbed my hand. “Now come back inside. You maybe a strong young dominant, but in these temperature, you’re not invincible, you know.”

I laughed and let her take me back to the warmth of the inner cave. Sitting down with the middle ranks, they all slowly crept toward the warmth I offered. “What do you think is going to happen to this pack?”

Fiona sighed. “We’re getting older Ranger. Cane killed most of our youth and the ones that survived left with August. Hidden Peak numbers are dwindling. I don’t know if we have the strength to carry on much longer. Cane won’t even knowledge you as a dominant.”

I scowled at the ground. “I don’t want the stupid position anyways. I refuse to kiss his ass all day like everyone else.”

“I think they’d have better luck hunting if you went.”

With a sigh, I let my head roll to the side. “I’ve never hunted a day in my life. I don’t know the first thing about it.”

“Still you’re a strong boy. With a few lessons, you’d be as good as your father.” Giving me a smile, she patted my arm. “This pack might be failing but you’re still young. I think you need to have a plan if something happens.” She laid down with the others. 

I sat there for a moment. She was right I needed a plan, but I’d never leave my mother or the others. Abandoning them now would crush any hope for a future. I was all they had left. Without me this pack really would ceased to exist. 

***

“Get up.” 

Someone kicked me hard in the back of the leg. I opened my eyes to see the middle ranks scatter, and West standing over me. 

“Get up.”

He had no idea how much I wanted to hit him, more so than usual. The others had done nothing wrong, and he had scared them off like that. Climbing to my feet, I scowled at him.

“What’s wrong with you,” he sneered. “Bad night.”

I quickly gritted my teeth before something I would regret slipped out. He was right though, something wasn’t right. 

“Nothing,” I muttered. “I slept on my neck wrong.”

“Well if you didn’t lay around with a bunch of flea ridden mutts you wouldn’t have that problem.”

I blinked, and the act was already done. I stood there frozen as West stared up at me from the ground with blood dripping from his muzzle. Glancing my fist that sat in midair to him, I felt just as shocked as West. “Sorry.” I spun around and marched toward the exit. I had just hit the alpha’s son. It wasn’t just a tap on the muzzle either; I had knocked him flat onto the ground. 

Running outside, I went down by the stream and sat down on a rock. I closed my eyes and took deep breathes and with time, the weird aggression inside me calmed down. “What have I done?” I ran my hands down my face. “Idiot.” Shaking my head, I pounded my fist against my forehead. “Stupid idiot.”

My mother stepped through the trees and gave me a sad look. “Ranger, what have you done?”

“I didn’t mean to,” I replied, ringing my hands together. “It just happened. I didn’t even have time to think.”

She walked over to me and sat beside me. “I didn’t expected to return to the cave with Cane ripping the place apart.” She grabbed my muzzle. “Why did you hit him?”

“I didn’t use my claws or anything,” I muttered. “I didn’t hurt him that badly.”

“Ranger?” She place her hand on top of mine. 

“I don’t know,” I breathed, looking off into the trees. “I woke up and I… I was just in this weird mood, and West called them mutts.” I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth. “It happened before I could stop it.”

“That’s not like you Ranger.” She massage my hands until the tension subsided. “You better at holding your temper.”

“I know,” I snapped, feeling my anger rise. “I told you I didn’t mean too.” I stood and glared down at her. “It just happened.”

“Ranger?” She gave me a concerned look. “Why are you getting so worked up about this? I just wanted to talked to you.” My mother held out her hand. 

I grabbed it and help her up. She pulled me into his arms, and I tucked her head under my chin. 

“I’m sorry. Something’s just off with me today.”

“You’ll figure it out sweetheart.” She squeezed me tightly. “Just apologize to Cane and everything will be okay.”

***

“So like I said, it was an accident. It won’t happen again Alpha.” I glanced up at Cane, who hadn’t said a word throughout my entire apology. “I’m really sorry West.” I glanced to the werewolf next to my alpha. “It won’t happen again.

Cane stood and held his head high. “It better not.” He motioned to the other and left the room. They hurried after him and left the cave.

I cursed under my breath and ran my hand down my muzzle. “I’m such an idiot,” I muttered, bouncing my fist against my forehead. “Stupid, stupid.” Let out a heated sigh, I went to do my chores. Cane was already in a bad mood, I didn’t feel like making it worse. 

My mother walked into the eating chamber, where I had been cleaning things up. “How’d it go?”I shrugged. “He just gave me a warning. West wasn’t going to admit that I hurt too bad, so I got lucky.”

She touched my arm. “You still seem tense.”

“Well today is just an overall bad day.” I brushed past her and carried the leftover bones and bits of fur outside. I didn’t want to be chastised by her either. Every little thing was grinding on my nerves, and I was doing my best to not let it show.

I left something land on my nose and looked to the sky to see snowflakes starting to fall. The first snow fall was already here, and I don’t think we were ready for it. I dumped my load and went back to the cave. The other were gathered around the door way watching the small white flecks filter to the ground. 

“More will come with that,” whispered my mother. “Once it starts, it never stops until spring.”

“Will figure it out,” I said, giving the group a smile. “We always do. We’ll be fine.”

They gave me scared looks before looking back toward the sky. Winter was coming, and for some this might be their last.