Chapter 9: Chapter 9
The smell of the freshly cooked pasta slowly fills the kitchen and extends into my living room as I pull a dish out of the oven and scoop a generous heap onto my plate. I do a once over of my kitchen making sure the oven and stove tops are off and that the dishes were in the dish washer ready to be cleaned when I’m done eating before I grab a bottle of water from my fridge and make my way into the living room. With a plate of food in one hand and the remote for the television in the other I settle into the plush sofa and surf Netflix trying to find something to watch with my meal.
It has been three months since I left my old pack – a decision I do not regret – and I had been lucky enough to find a house that the realtor described as a “mini mansion” just inside neutral territory but hours away from Forest Paw. The best part about this place is the large green house that I began using right away to grow fruit trees and vegetables. Since being rejected and becoming a rogue my life seems to become easier. I had no one to listen to and no strict Head Tracker yelling at me and forcing extra training onto me at the end of the day. There were no patrol shifts or late night tracking a soulless that slipped into the territory. Most importantly I had freedom. I did not have to avoid Mia and Zack like the plague and school I had to rush too. Actually when I explained to the principle what happened before I left I was happy to know that She would allow me to email my homework to the teachers and now my Diploma sat in a pretty black frame on the wall in my office .
Living on my own is easier than I expected especially since I had enough funds saved up and my inheritance from my parents in my bank or in the safe located in my walk-in closet. But there were some things that you could only get in a pack that I needed. Medicine and special cloths specifically created for us wolves either by fellow wolves or witches were a few of these items that needed to be stocked up. But the thing about being a rogue is that no pack was willing to help you out. You were either chased out or killed.
After searching mindlessly for a good movie to watch I soon give up on Netflix when nothing catches my eye and instead take my laptop out, going to the secret website meant only for us werewolves. Everyone had a membership in the werewolf community since the day that wolf was born. It is something that was created when the internet first came out as a way for news in the werewolf nation to spread as well as for ways packs can connect and form bonds. Even rogues that still have their sanity left could still get onto the site if they had access to a Wi-Fi connection. After keying in my I.D and logging in the first thing I do is send a message to Axel and Serena. I knew that many people were worried about me after I left Forest Paw but only my friends Kent, Kevin, Ivory and Dawn as well as Serena and Axel knew where I settled and what I am up to these days.
My screen soon flashes to an incoming video call and I quickly click accept, the faces of Serena, Axel and Claira filling the large screen.
“Hey Amber how are you doing?” Serena asks the moment the call connects. I could not help but smile at the three of them, my eyes scanning little Claira’s face. I spend my time between eating the pasta and talking to the two wolves I consider family as well as the pup I called my sister that I missed dearly. The worst thing about leaving was leaving these three behind.
“Have you talked to Blue yet Amberle?” As always before we hang up Axel brings up Blue. It was only at this time that this question comes up because Serena has already said goodnight to me then left to put Claira to bed. I let out a long sigh before shaking my head no after a moment of silence between us.
“I can’t Axel. His son still hurts me to this day. Don’t think that I don’t know about the girls Leo fucks. I can feel the pain each time he does.” An ache in my heart throbs so painfully that it has me clutching at my chest. The ache – although painful – wasn’t as strong as the first month of being rejected. I remember nights I spent curled up into a ball in my bed sobbing from the throbbing of missing the other half of your soul.
“I understand Amby Bamby. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll have him join our call one night.” Axel reassures, a sad smile on his lips. He could never understand the pain that I am going through but at least he never forced the issue of talking to Blue onto me. As always Axel is patient with me.
“Thank you. I’ll call tomorrow as usual. Good night Axel.”
“Good night Amberle.” The call shuts off as I am left with the screen of my contacts. I had always set my profile to appear offline since becoming a rogue not wanting to be bothered by others from my old pack. Those who I speak to know I will message them when I log into the site. With a sigh I turn my eyes to look outside into the forest. So much has changed in the last three months for me that the forest seemed to be the only constant in my life right now. Deciding to check the forums I drag the mouse across the screen until I come across the news forum, one post having my face light up with a huge grin.
"Fire Foot Strike Again." I read the title of the latest post out loud. The large title to the article catches my attention as a slightly blurry photo of what I knew to be my wolf form takes up half the page. I couldn’t help the chuckle that escapes my lips as I continue to read on.
Fire Foot has been sighted many times in the Blood Moon pack during the night and even in the day light, appearing and disappearing like a ghostly flame whose light vanishes into thin air. Many wolves cheer him on even though he is a rogue, enjoying someone who isn't a soulless make the number one pack look stupid.
"I saw him on patrol one day heading into Soulless territory." A witness says after I interviewed her.
"He was incredible with fast reflexes and speed. It’s no wonder no one could catch him.”
Every time I read these articles; I couldn’t help but laugh at how the witnesses always describe me. Everyone automatically assumed that I was a male. It was rare for a female wolf to become a rogue and ever rarer for us to have specialty fur. Statistically for every fifty wolves turned rogue only one would be female.
My eyes continue to scan the article about how I made the Blood Moon pack wolves look like idiots. It was common knowledge that before the current Alpha took over the pack was always seeking to expand its territories and soak up any small pack in the area. That all stopped when the previous Alpha was killed in a Soulless attack and the new one Gave the land back to the small packs that his father once conquered unfairly.
The pack was still not one to mess with as it has helped their Allies attack against enemy packs which lead to a massacre of wolves. They were feared in Canada as one of the largest packs and one that did not mind bloodshed.
The article continues as it describes the multitude of items I have stolen from throwing knives and training gear to medicine and bandages. I used to steal from smaller packs when I first started as a rogue and realised the small-town north of neutral territory couldn’t provide what I needed. When I realised how close my house was to Blood Moon’s pack borders, I switched to stealing from them and would occasionally leave a box of goodies to the small packs I stole from. Most days now I would just go into Blood Moon to practice my Tracker skills and get a good laugh out of messing with them. I was thankful for one thing about my raids.
One, I never had to worry about my periods being once a month like a human female would. Instead we would get our “Heat” and urge to mate with our soul mates once we found them. I had experienced it only once last month and having to rely on the “Toys” I bought in the small town to make it go away as fast as possible.
And two, once the Heat is over and if I did need any form of materials to deal with my period that would come only at the end of my heat, the town’s stores provided a multitude of feminine products that I could purchase making it easier for me to continue concealing my identity as a female and fool these wolves. Thank the Goddess that my Heat didn’t happen every month or I would go insane from the burning desire that courses through my body painfully.
After reading the article I came to the realization that I am low on medical supplies. Living life as a rogue sometimes mean I have to tangle with Soulless and when I have strong ones like ex-alphas or ex-betas trying to tear me from limb to limb I find myself left wounded from the battles with those strong Soulless. With a smirk I race around the house double checking what I need before pulling a baggy black hoodie over my body and grabbing a duffle bag.
Blood Moon Pack will not know what hit them.
…
"Get him!" Angry shouts sound behind me as I race through the night, howls from those who shifted into wolf form hot on my trail. But tonight is a successful night of looting. My legs carry me past houses, the window curtains opening as wolves peek out to see what the commotion was about. Just a normal night of looting as usual. Soon the safety of the trees comes into view and the notion that I will be back into neutral territory brings a sweet relief into me. Lately the Blood Moon Pack has been laying traps for me and many have become faster, but none could keep up with my speed both in human and wolf form. No one in this pack is my match and it sucks not having a challenge to face as you can only grow stronger in the face of danger or a challenging situation and that is what I need to be – stronger.
The sweet scent of the forest surrounds me, my body dodging the densely packed trunks as twigs snap behind me with the pursuit of the pack. But I am a trained tracker, and the forest is my domain. With quick foot work I increase my speed and leap towards a tree. The moment my feet connects to the trunk I quickly push off towards another tree going higher and higher until I find myself on a strong sturdy branch. Without losing momentum I keep pushing off branch after branch using the tree highway to my advantage. As a tracker my greatest skill is my balance and ingenuity of finding the fastest way to our target. Why dodge the trees when you can use them as a path. As my friends in high school used to state, I have mad ninja skills.
A loud crash below me has me stopping in my tracks to peak down at the forest floor. Apparently, the idiots in charge of capturing rogues fell into their own pit trap they set up. Better them than me though.
"Where did he go?" A deep voice roars into the night as a man catches up with the group, rage simmering in his voice. Some wolves were trying their best to help their pack members out from the deep trap, their pursuit of me halted due to their own stupidity. You would think a warrior would be smarter than a tracker but nope. Most were all brawn and no brain. Many wolves were running back and forth from where they lost sight of me to the large tree that I took sheltered in in an attempt to catch my scent but the thing is, once a tracker reaches the tree canopy their scent would be harder to find as it would barely linger in the air.
I couldn’t help but chuckle and enjoy the show of wolves scampering around like ants as a man orders them about. He was strong but not one I would want to fight with yet. Definitely an Elite member. Maybe a Head Warrior or Tracker. Possibly a Beta. Leaning against the trunk I grab the Ziploc bag full of cookies I stole from their pack house kitchen and settle down in the dark. The wolf in charge continues to bark out orders as wolves scatter in different directions hoping to catch me. After thirty successful raids I no longer felt surprised by their lack of co-ordination.
“Beta Christian we have a problem.” A high-pitched voice shouts out. Moments later a lanky teenage wolf in shorts crashes through the bushes, his face red with exertion and dripping with sweat. The teen must have been in the middle of night training because his build screams tracker. Skinny body with long legs and a tall six-foot-five frame made the ideal frame for a tracker. It is clear that this teen is new as a tracker, his stamina is low with how out of breath he is and how he pants in between his words.
“There are Soulless chasing the Alpha. We were doing a training session with the pack link closed and they came out of nowhere.” The teen stutters out, collapsing onto the ground with exhaustion. This is bad news to the pack. The fact that a trainee was sent to get help meant that the Alpha is seriously injured.
"Where are they at?" The Beta asks the sound of urgency in his voice bright and clear. I train my hearing onto the two considering I would need to figure out the way home. No one wanted to deal with Soulless. Soulless were what the werewolf community called wolves who have lost their mind. Their eyes were blood thirsty and dull as if they no longer had a soul left in their body. They were wolves who had lost their soul mate either in a tragic accident or through rejection or they were kicked out of their pack. In the end they become rogues and lose their humanity until they are nothing but rabid beasts whose body start to decay until they smell like death and are close to the end of their life. The more crazed the Soulless is the less humanity they have until their blood is nothing but black foul tar. Soulless were notorious for killing and slaughtering wolves without restraint even killing those in the small groups they form. The difference between the Soulless and I is that I still held my humanity and held onto the hope that I will find my second chance mate and live the life I always wanted. Yes, being rejected hurt like hell but being able to live my life without worry or ridicule is something I cherished.
“We were training by the north border. They should still be there now.” The teen’s words cause my blood to freeze as anxiety take hold of me. The north border of this pack is close to where my home is. If the Soulless took out the Alpha there are one of two directions they could escape to. They could either continue onto the territory and kill innocent wolves or turn around and chance upon where I live and destroy the house I have been working hard to improve. I decide to rush past the group of wolves searching for me not bothering with the loud sounds cause by hopping from branch to branch hoping to rush to the site where the Soulless were. I wasn’t too concerned with the Alpha of this pack as my lively hood and house is more important to me.
The path I took through the forest lead me out of pack territory and into neutral territory to check on my house, happy to see that no one had been there since I left and that everything is still intact. This meant that the Soulless have not reached my house yet. Leaving the duffle bag in the kitchen I run upstairs taking off the clothing I wore when raiding and switching to the Tracker outfit I had. It was a Iga Hakama Flat Hood Ninja suit with exceptionally light weight black Damascus steal armour that only high ranked trackers were given in any pack. The all black blend into the night perfectly but is still light weight and flexible to be able to manoeuvre and fight in. Lastly, I grab the throwing knives I cherish from Serena and Axel before leaving my house in search of Soulless. If the teen’s dishevelled and exhausted form is any indication, then they would be hard to deal with.