Mateless

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I could feel the eyes of the taxi driver staring at me though the rear-view mirror. I ignored him and stared out at the tall trees, not offering an explanation. He was likely wondering what a girl like me was doing getting a ride to the strange community a few kilometers away from the city. The strange community was my father's pack. Werewolves had pack houses far away from human cities in concern for their safety. Yet despite all our care humans still got in the middle of werewolf affairs, more importantly they ran into rouges.

Rouges were werewolves with no packs either by choice or by exile. These werewolves were either the ones that resented listening to a higher authority and so chose to be by themselves or ones that were banished from their previous packs because they broke some important fundamental rule.

The driver stopped the car right before the huge, black silver gates and I threw a couple of bills at the driver and exited before he could give me change. I took my lone suitcase out of the popped trunk and without another look at the driver I walked the rest of the way to the gates.

The massive painted black gates were of course made of silver to deter werewolves as well as humans from trying to enter the main pack territory. The gate and the huge, tall wall silver fence extended into the forest. The gate was mainly there so no one would be able to drive into the territory where the pack houses were. If one were really determined they could walk a huge distance into the forest either way and make it to where the fence abruptly stopped but border patrol would definitely have intervened.

Judging by the two brown blurs I had seen along the drive up I knew that the border patrol had alerted my father that I had arrived. So it came as no surprise that the gates opened as I neared. With a glance back I noticed that the taxi was long gone. Humans typically felt threatened by things they didn't know about or understand. Werewolves and packs' main estates were only two things on a long list that humans didn't understand.

I shifted the one strap of my backpack to make it sit more comfortable and took a deep breath as I passed the gates. I never thought I would see the day where I would be coming back to my father's pack for good.

I thought wistfully about my apartment back at university and my two friends that I had been rooming with. I had left without an explanation, deciding it would be easier that way. If I tried to say goodbye for good I would have been forced to come up with some lie. So really I spared all of us from that ordeal.

The gates closed behind me with a whining high pitch screech leaving me basically alone. I continued, heading to the Alpha's house but my parents met me halfway there.

My mother engulfed me with a standard hug, no doubt feeling obligated to do so. I wrinkled my nose as her blonde hair tickled my face. She quickly pulled away, her blue eyes showing no emotion. Her medium length hair was put up in an elegant up-do, not a hair out of place and she wore a black pencil skirt and a white blouse. The entire outfit reminded me of what a waitress might wear at an upscale restaurant.

When my father copied her it felt much more sincere. He may be Alpha and normally acted strict but moments like these I was reminded how nice he could be when he wanted to.

I cleared my throat and my father stepped back, his gaze sweeping over me before nodding. My parents were the only ones to greet me. My father had probably told them to keep their distance for now until I readjusted. A decision that was uncalled for. My father confirmed my guess when he spoke.

"Reese," he said in his confident and powerful tone. "It's good to see you. Your brother and sisters have missed you." I smiled at the thought of seeing them again. "I hope you don't mind that I decided to tell everyone to come see you after you've settled in."