Hidden Peak (Book 5)

Chapter four: The Deal

Chapter four

The Deal

My head was still buzzing the next day as I sat by the creek. I thought spending the night alone would help, but I still felt unsettled. The thought kept entering my mind that maybe August was right for leaving. The pack was hopeless, it would have been better to cut my loss and go rogue.

“There you are,” said a stern voice behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder at Cane, but didn’t give him the proper greeting of an alpha. He was weak in my eyes. He didn’t desire my respect as a superior.

“I had a feeling this would happen one day.” He stood tall.

I grab a thin branch and started snapping it into pieces. “What I final grow to big for you to handle?” I chucked the pieces into the trees.

“You’ve been rather irritable lately.”

I glared at the water. I wasn’t in the mood to be lecture by a werewolf like him.

“Aggressive,” Cane walked toward me. “Unpredictable, violent,” he leaned against a tree nearby me and folded his arms. “Rather dominant in my opinion.”

“If your here to give me a promotion save it.” I grabbed a rock and chucked across the clearing. “I’m not interested.”

“I’m here to make a deal.” Cane narrowed his eyes at me. “I know what you are, and I rather settle this now.”

I looked out of the corner of my eye at him. “If you’re looking to fight me for the position, I will kill you.”

Cane laughed. “You don’t give a damn about being alpha.”

I shrugged and leaned back on my arms. “I don’t consider us a pack. More like surviviors waiting to die.”

“You don’t want the pack to die out though,” he glanced back the cave. “Not really Ranger.”

“So,” I muttered. “There’s nothing I can do about it. This territory isn’t very prosperous.” 

“I’ve realized that myself,” he breathed, walking over to the creek and studying the water. “That’s why I have a proposal for you.”

“I’m listening.”

Cane looked to the sky before turning back to me. “You have the alpha instincts.”

I shrugged. “The what?”

“In a normal pack, it dictates who the alpha is going to be. This particular pack has never had one, since your father established it from a bunch of rogues.”

Gritting my teeth, I snarled at him.

Cane didn’t pay it any heed. “I don’t need any problems Ranger.” He smiled to himself. “I honestly thought it would be August, or I would have killed you as pup.”

My muscles seize and I had to restrain myself from jumping up and strangling him. 

“So the deal is this. I’m moving the pack, and I need your help to obtain some new territory. We’re not the only pack that doesn’t have a designated Alpha. So once they see you and see you have that requirement, the transition will be slightly less painful for them.”

“Why on earth would you ever think I would help you? Let alone when you’re asking me to do exactly the same thing as you did to my pack.”

“You’re getting older.” He let out a deep breath. “Alpha instincts coming in, the need for a mate should follow soon enough.”

I glared at him. “The pack is dying out. Me taking a mate would be pointless at this point.”

“Not if we expand the pack,” stated Cane. “Combine with a younger group in a better territory. Help me, and you can have anyone you want. Carry on your father’s line and preserve what little remains of the original pack. You’d be lying if that didn’t sound tempting.”

“You’re sick.” I turned forward. “I’d rather die here than help you.”

Cane chuckled to himself. “You’d rather sit here and watch them die one by one. What a noble wolf.”

“If you right about the alpha instincts,” I looked him in the eyes, “you really shouldn’t be mocking me.”

Cane just smile and shook his head. “Just something to think about Ranger. I’m going hunting. Unlike you, I’m not going to starve to death in this frigid death trap.” Turning his back to me, he wandered back to the cave.

I didn’t believe. I won’t believe him. That man was liar, and would make up anything to get what he wanted. My mind was already made up. I would never help him expand his domain. Enough werewolves had died already. It would be better to just let the pack die and erase all he had done than live having to call him my alpha.

***

I stood by the entrance waiting for Cane and the other to return. What he had said was getting to me. I shouldn’t be debating it at all. It should have been a solid no.

“Ranger?” My mother walked over to me and touched my arm. “How are you feeling? You look tense.” She brushed hand through my head fur. 

“I’m fine,” I muttered. I didn’t unfold my arms as she snuck one of hers through.

She laid her head against my shoulder. “I was worried about you.”

“I need to clear my head.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you. I just-”

“Don’t,” I breathed. “I don’t want to think about last night. I rather we both just forgot about it.”

She nodded and leaned into me.

I snuck a quick peak at her. Could I really just sit around and let my mother die. I swallowed the lump in my throat. The remaining member of the pack might be old, but they were my family. As much s I hate my life here, watching them die and knowing I could have stop it wasn’t a guilt I was ready to bear. 

I cursed under my breath. “They’re taking forever to get back.”

“The herds has gone farther south, we just need to be patient.”

She was right. I was just incredible antsy for some reason. The thought kept occurring in my mind that maybe Cane would just abandon us. He was a rogue original. They would be able to survive better if they didn’t have us to feed as well. 

“Mom?”

“Yes,” she nuzzled my arm.

“What are alpha instincts?”

She let out a sigh. “I don’t really know. Our packs always been bit and piece of abandon wolves that had been left behind. It wasn’t until your father that we were able to organize and claim territory of our own and became an official pack.”

“He never mentioned it then?”

“No, never in details. I could tell you what is exactly require of a werewolf to say they’ve gained them. Cane has done nothing special, and he’s still alpha.”

“What if they not gained, but something you’re born with?” I looked down at her.

“I really don’t know Ranger. I was born in a rogue pack. Your father and now Cane are the only alphas I’ve ever know. Why do you ask?”

I shook my head. “Nothing, just something I overheard Cane talking about. Just was curious.”

“Did you patch things up with him?”

I nodded. “I apologized,” I lied. “We fine now.”

She hugged me. “Thank you Ranger. I know it hard, but for the time being, we really do need him.”

“For the time being,” I said softly. And as soon as he become useless, I would kill him.