Chase the Moon (On Hold)

Fourteen

It was a few more days before I stumbled into the Little Valley pack. I hesitated before stepping into their territory. They knew I was coming, right? Alpha Anderson would have called their Alpha to notify him of my current path of travel.

With those thoughts of reassurance, I hiked my bag farther up on my shoulder and took confident, purposeful steps forward.

It wasn't long before a crazy white haired she-wolf dropped from the trees and tackled me. I didn't fight back. Instead, I let her pin me to the ground with a shoe to my throat. My backpack was awkwardly slumped underneath me, so my back was at a sort of awkward, uncomfortable angle.

"Hello," I wheezed from beneath her foot with my hands raised in surrender.

"Who are you and why are you here?"

"My name is Marcus Young, I'm from the Yellow Moon pack, and I am just visiting. I'm trying to find my mate."

The she-wolf raised a brow, "You are not a rogue? My wolf is telling me you are."

"She's probably sensing my wolf. I was forced to become a werewolf at a young age by a group of rogues who put their dying Beta's wolf inside of me. I was found by Yellow Moon patrol and Alpha Anderson allowed me to become a part of the pack. I am not a rogue, even if my wolf wants me to be."

She seemed to study me for a moment. After she seemed to believe me, she removed her foot from my throat and held out her hand to help me up. I took it.

"We've been expecting a young man from the Yellow Moon pack to show up. I'm assuming that man is you."

"Yes."

"Good. Then follow me."

I did.

It took a while for us to break through the treeline, but once we did, I immediately understood why it was called the Little Valley Pack. The pack house, as well as the surrounding buildings were nestled between several different hills.

It was beautiful, of that there was no doubt, but the warrior in me couldn't help but notice the tactical flaws in establishing a pack at the bottom of all these hills. They would be screwed if rogues or another pack ever decided to attack them. 

I guess it was good that the Little Valley Pack was at peace.

"Keep up," the white haired she-wolf called to me. I looked to see she was already halfway down one of the hills and hurried to catch up with her.

We were silent as I followed her through the pack. There were some pack members that stopped to look at me, but most just continued on with their business.

Before I knew it, we were inside the pack house, staring at the big oak doors of the Alpha's office. Without hesitation, she lifted her fist and knocked on the door.

"Enter," was heard from within. She pulled open the door and walked in with me following close behind.

"Alpha," she said with her head bowed in respect. I did the same, "This is the warrior from Yellow Moon."

"Ah, yes. Thank you Anya. You are dismissed."

With a curt nod, she spun on her heel and left the room.

"Mark, is it?" the Alpha asked me.

"Yes, sir. Marcus Young."

"And you are searching for your mate?"

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

"May I ask what brought you to search in Little Valley?" he asked with a raised brow.

I cleared my throat a bit awkwardly and said, "I know it sounds weird, but I've always felt this inexplicable pull to the east. I've been following it."

"Interesting," he said. "Well, I am holding a pack meeting tomorrow morning. Most of my members will be in one place, so you might have an easier time searching then."

"And if she does not live in this pack, then I will be out of your hair by sunset tomorrow," I told him.

"You are permitted to stay a bit longer than that," he chuckled, "but I understand your urgency. I didn't find my mate until I was twenty-five. Living without her was torture."

"With all due respect, Sir," I shot him a small smile, "you have no idea."