Redeeming the Lost (A Comforter's Tale)

Chapter 26

"Well," I said, "since that pack wasn't interested in adopting us, which pack is next on our list?"

"Those were the only five Alpha Bennet gave me," Conrad replied, his voice downcast with disappointment at being turned away again. It seemed that no pack wanted to bring in so many people at once.

"There has to be more than five packs in no man's land."

"There are, but not all of them are approachable."

"Why don't we track down some rogues and ask them which ones don't mind rogues, then approach those groups? No harm in trying, right?"

He was silent, although the other twenty-one wolves were listening.

I glanced at our growing group and grinned at him. "If we keep finding ferals at this rate, we'll be able to start our own pack soon."

Andrew murmured, "You need an Alpha with a mate, a Beta with their mate, and at least thirty wolves to erect pack boundaries. Once a pack is established, you only need one descendant in the Alpha line to maintain the borders. It's part of the Alpha's abilities, and without an Alpha, the borders dissipate."

I sat up straighter in my basket, suddenly intent on this conversation. "What are the odds of us finding a shrinking pack? They might accept us if it keeps their pack from collapsing. So far, every pack we've approached has had several hundred members – they weren't lacking the sheer manpower needed to maintain a pack. I know how hard it was for Alpha Nix with just forty-three pack members. It was why we occasionally hired outsiders to come in for various tasks or during the harvest."

"That actually might work," Andrew slowly replied. "Most people don't try to join a dying pack because they will be right back out in no man's land with others trying to find a place to join. Then again, most rogues only travel in tiny groups, and they don't want to have to do the extra work that comes with being in a small pack."

"I don't think we're scared of a bit of hard work, are we?"

Howls rose from my packmates, ringing with their power and strength. As if a bit of work was going to deter a former feral. Part of my mind wondered how badly the chorus was alarming the pack we had left ten minutes ago.

Anabel barked a laugh. "I can tell you from experience that being a rogue is far more work and danger than being in a small pack!"

"How hard can it be to find a small pack?" I asked eagerly.

"That depends on how quickly we can find a friendly rogue who likes to trade and is willing to talk. The biggest question is if the pack will be willing to take the risk of accepting us. If they are that small, they'll be worried about us taking over."

"Well, we won't know until we try, will we?"

Howls rang through the air once more, and we picked up our pace now that we had a goal and a plan.

~

       "Amber, Daryl, and myself will see if this group of rogues is willing to talk," Conrad said. "If too many of us go in, they'll think they're under attack."

Vera yawned lazily and rolled on the grass. "Sounds good. Keep us updated."

Josh and Anabel wandered in the other direction, hand-in-hand, and I knew better than to bother them during their first chance at alone time. They had done very well with the constant travelling and press of unmated comrades while their matebond was so new. Josh had marked Anabel two days after meeting her, and the scar on her collarbone was like an engagement ring, which helped level out the matebond somewhat.