An Alpha's Claim

Look

J put the indicator on and pulled the car onto the side of the road. In habit, she checked her mirrors to see if anyone had followed, but of course they hadn't, because her days of running from crazy alphas was long, long gone.

She grabbed the map from the back seat and traced the road they'd driven and checked it against the scribbled directions that Will had shoved into her hand as he left. Eyes watched her every movement, silently staring. J cricked her neck, trying not to get annoyed, but she hated being watched.

"If you're going to keep staring, you could at least help me read the map." she snapped.

Callie shifted in her seat, dropping her head in embarrassment, "sorry, I was just trying to work out where we were going."

J sighed and threw the map onto the back seat as she scrambled to remove her seat belt and ease herself out of the car. "You and me both," she mumbled. "We're going that way," she wildly pointed her arm in the vague direction of east, as she grabbed the thick coat Kelsey had leant her and pulled it on. "It'll be on foot from here, so come on, out the car."

Callie jumped out and jogged to J's side, hopping from one foot to the other as she came to a rest. Ever since the little wolf had begun eating properly, she had more energy than J was willing to acknowledge.

J zipped up her coat and paused to lock the car, grabbing Will's directions at the last second before she shut the door.

Callie's eyes scanned the treeline along the road. "Any danger?" J asked softly, doing the same but knowing she wouldn't be able to see much; nothing at all in comparison to Callie.

Callie narrowed her eyes for a moment but then shook her head, "nope. All good. Though there's some rabbits around. Might do for a snack?" She offered with a wicked smile. J chuckled as Callie tore off ahead of her in the direction of said rabbits.

When she'd told Cassidy where she was going, the alpha had nearly demanded to come with her, but J had explained it was something she needed to do alone. Although, apparently 'alone' now included Callie. Though J would never admit it, she was glad Callie was here. Glad that she wasn't alone.

J rolled her eyes light heartedly as Callie ran from left to right up ahead, zig zagging through the trees as though trying to sneak up on the rabbits. Either oblivious or uncaring that J's heavier footsteps and clumsy human actions would announce their presence anyway.

Leah had given J some more medicine, but this time had agreed to lower the dosage, so that J didn't need a ten hour nap after every sip. The pain had eased in her joints, but her energy levels were waning.

According to Will's scribbled directions, the Arkansaw pack were about a mile off this road, in dense forest. Supposedly there was a road that would lead into their territory, but J had been driving around for three hours and still hadn't found it, so on foot was the only way forwards.

Callie returned, a splatter of blood on the collar of her coat indicating that she'd managed to catch something. She was smiling as she fell into step beside J, not seeming to mind the slower pace. "So, we're going to meet your grandmother?"

J glanced at her out of the side of her eye as she stepped over a thick bundle of tree roots. "Yes. No. Maybe? It depends. Will's note said that she was last spotted here. But, that was years ago, so it might not be her, or she might be-" J couldn't finish that sentence.

Callie nodded, catching hold of a thin branch on a tree and yanking it off as she walked past. "Right. So, if she's not there? What then?"

J shrugged, she had no idea. "It's worth a try." Was all she could offer as they kept going.

**

It had been a very long time since J had walked onto another pack's territory and not been automatically seen as a threat. She wasn't sure if it was because of Callie's sunny disposition, or if it was that they didn't know her and had no reason to fear her, but none of the wolves in the Arkansaw pack were anything but friendly.

A few gave small greetings of hello, others waved. A couple stared, but they didn't hold anywhere near as much animosity as people normally did when looking at J. It was strange, unsettling, almost...nice.

Callie trundled along beside her, completely unaware of the weirdness of their greeting. Instead, the previously monosyllabic frightened she-wolf, waved back with as much enthusiasm, if not more. She called back hellos to those that spoke, and even the ones that stared were not spared either a wave or a 'hi'.

J watched in abject horror as Callie ploughed a path of potential friends right through the middle of the packlands. By the time the enforcer who'd met them on the edge of the perimeter had led them to the Alpha's house, they'd already been invited to dinner by not one, but two families.

As J walked past Callie and into the awaiting doorway where the alpha stood, Callie froze at J's expression of utter confusion, but gave her a small shrug and a smile.

Speechless at the little wolf's ability to make friends so easily, J stopped in front of the alpha and offered a weak smile, "hi, I'm-"

"You look just like her."

It wasn't the alpha that had spoken, in fact he directed a reproachful, but warm glare at the old woman who stepped forwards from the adjoining room. The alpha faced J again, "Hello J, I'm Carl, Alpha of the Arkansaw pack. When we received the letter from the alpha's of the Rootbridge pack, we were quite surprised. As you've probably guessed, there's someone who'd like to meet you..."

He stepped back to let the old woman step forward, but J's attention hadn't left her since she'd first spoken. Kind eyes housed in aging skin, she looked exactly like J remembered. The old woman hobbled closer, the scent of lavender bathing J's skin.

"Grandma?"

**

A/N

Dun. Dun. Dun....

Thanks for reading! If I get a chance, I will update again later because I can't wait for you all to read it! You see, the next chapter is full of revelations...

V_F