Escaping Death and Finding Mate

The basket, well, similar to the burrows I slept in, it matched my size and unlike the burrows, there are tiny holes where light and air could peek in. Luigi is currently carrying the basket in his jaws and they all took turns carrying the basket with me in it. They covered more ground in a day than I could in a week on foot. I bet we are almost halfway to their territory.

It was a silent run and quite relaxing in my case. Now I felt bad for letting them carry me in a basket. They were probably mindlinking each other and their pack, but I wouldn't be a part of the pack link until the Alpha bound me to the pack in a ceremony of acceptance.

When it was already dark, they made me sleep in the basket while they curled up around it in case wild animals ambush us. It was unsettling to sleep, but I trusted them to keep any predators away. Most animals wouldn't mess and challenge four full-grown werewolves.

I was surprised that they didn't pick up on the scents of rogues who covered their scent with foliage and forest odor, despite the fact that we had already crossed several scent trails. Maybe because I was used to picking up on slightly odd scents and detecting them with ease. When I mentioned the rogues' scents the next morning, Liam was taken aback. Maybe I'd been a rogue for too long. Or maybe they needed to have their noses checked.

Over the course of the week, I learned more about the four of them when we came to a halt in the evening and shifted to our human form. They were actually returning from a meeting with a pack much further east than where they had discovered me. They'd been stopping at most packs to see if one of the pack members was one of their friends, but they hadn't had any luck.

They were a laid-back and easy-going group. They were also insatiably curious about my life as a rogue, despite the fact that they didn't seem to understand most of my explanations. They couldn't get their heads around such a different way of life.

I lifted my head and smelt the wind; I could smell the Starblood pack's boundary from here. We are close. What would the pack think about me? Me entering their territory? A runt and rogue.

We crossed the line about ten minutes later. Soon after, I picked up the scent of several sentries and patrols that we had passed through as they guarded the border against trespassers and feral wolves. I looked up into a nearby tree and saw a human sitting in silence – a game blind – among the branches. The sentry was watching us and seemed surprised that I had found him so quickly. I heard Luigi chuckle above me and noticed the other three looking at me, somewhat… impressed. I assumed that the sentry had mindlinked them when he noticed I had spotted him.

I'm not sure why the sentry was taken aback. His game blind didn't blend in well, and his scent was strong in the area. We were used to the forest's natural rhythms

because it was a home to us, rogues. Anything that was even slightly different or out of the ordinary drew our attention like a neon sign at midnight in the middle of the desert or a strong smell of pack members running in the distance. I didn't even need my Omega senses to tell me that the sentry was watching me right now.

I'd been relying on my Omega senses a lot more in the last few days as I tried to get back into the habit of doing so. I hadn't used them in years because they hadn't helped me in a long time. If I was going to be joining a pack, then they would be helpful once more.

We kept moving, and after about an hour, the trees thinned out and we came to what appeared to be a village. Several central streets were lined with forty or fifty different shops and buildings. On the far side, I could see small cottages with dozens of trees providing a more natural ambiance. However, no tree could help hide the massive pack house, which stood like an earthy jewel on display among the oak trees. Its brown brick walls were softened by dozens of vines that could climb all the way up the entire pack if necessary.

The scents of the plants in town and… And oh! Mushrooms! I mentally shook myself; once I was accepted into the pack, my scent would begin to reflect the pack I had joined. Covering it up would be pointless at that point but I’d like to try and see if rogue tricks would work. That thought had been a rogue's automatic thought, not something a pack member would consider doing. Would it be weird to cover your scent? I think not, self-assurance has always been at the top of my head.

Luigi came to a halt and placed the basket down before shifting so he could speak with me. He opened the basket and looked down at my wolf form curling inside the basket. He said, "Etheral, we figured that you might want to enter the town on your own feet."

I leaped out of the basket and shifted quickly. The other three had shifted seconds after Luigi, so by the time I shifted, they were human. They were on my side as we walked along the forest's edge, skirting towards the town. I noticed that the main street was fairly busy with people coming and going.

"How many members are there in this pack?" I inquired.

Liam shrugged and narrowed his eyes. "Two, three… About three hundred. That was the average for most packs, and the majority of the members would be spread out on various tasks. Some were fighters and scouts, while others worked as cooks, storekeepers, or in any other capacity that was necessary.”

I nodded and focused my sight toward our destination. We appeared to be heading for the pack house. "Who are we going to see?" I asked, looking at Liam.

"The Alpha is currently visiting another pack, so we'll see the Luna for now," he explained. "She is currently in the pack house, and she is excited to meet you."

I nodded again, still surprised that they would accept a runt so willingly. Over the years, I'd been turned down by well over a dozen packs. I couldn't get my head around the fact that they'd made the offer. Even among rogues with exceptional

fighting skills, packs approaching them directly with an offer to join their pack was extremely rare. Even for a runt, it was unheard of and extremely rare.

As we walked past several pack members who were also on the path, I noticed a few children playing in a playground off to the side. Many people looked at me with interest, even though they probably knew I was the new member who happened to be a runt because gossip vines in a pack spread any information like wildfire in dry grass.

I hadn't used my Omega senses in a pack situation like this in years. I was relieved to discover that my abilities had not deteriorated due to inactivity. I was also relieved to notice and sense that there was no hostility from anyone, only curiosity.

We got closer to the pack house, and I struggled to extend my Omega senses inside it. But once my senses got through, I can sense a bright, soft aura, which I think is the Luna. Since it was mid-afternoon, the pack house was fairly empty, but I could detect about twenty sparks moving inside. I sensed one spark coming from a Beta female and two Omegas in the same large room where the Luna was.

And there is another spark I couldn’t describe. I had no idea what it was; it was like red-hot coal from the heart of a fire. It had an odd feeling to it as if it was dormant until something fanned it to life. The rest of the sparks were regular pack members, but the ringing quality made me think there was an enforcer in the room. He wasn't using his abilities, so I wouldn't know which one was his unless he used them or I saw him up close while using my own sensing abilities.

We took our time walking down the street, admiring the gardens on either side of the main walkway. It was as if the forest had retreated to create a clearing just for the pack house. The place was clean and well-kept. Nothing fancy too, but it was tied together with earthy tones that blended in beautifully with the surrounding forest.