Chapter 68

"How did that many Beta wolves worm their way into packs without us noticing?" Francis asked, watching Krey pace back and forth in front of the door. Wolves had to time their exits and entrances around Krey, not daring to get in his way.

"This has been going on for years. They've had time to settle and earn our trust," Krey muttered, trying to think about the pack, but constantly thinking about Pip instead. "Did I do the right thing?" Krey stopped pacing and stared at Francis with his cold hard eyes.

"The right thing?"

"Should Pip be with me?"

Francis tried to show only calmness, but she was worried about Sid and Pip. "I think you would have regretted taking him to the heart of the fighting."

"Where do you think Sid will take him?"

"Somewhere where they can hide. Sid will keep him warm in his wolf form. I don't think anyone would expect you to let him out of your sight, so I think they'll be okay. I don't think anyone will be searching for them."

Krey's palms were sweaty. If anything happened to Pip, Krey would spiral and blame everything on himself. Krey wasn't sure how his mother had pulled through her grief. Krey wouldn't be able to live without his Pippor. "I hope not. They won't get far with Sid's injury."

Francis rested against the back of an armchair and fiddled with the silver ring on her thumb. "I'm just shocked that so many Beta's are traitors. How did the South find so many rogue Beta wolves?"

"I'm not shocked," Krey muttered, staring up at the clock on the wall for the third time in two minutes. "Jordan lived with us for years, and he was the Southern Beta's mate. Yeah, he was a twat, but he risked his life for my dad many times. If that didn't prove his loyalty, then I don't know what would."

"I suppose this will unite the North. Everyone has been betrayed by the same pack."

"I suppose it will." Krey and Francis looked at each other with the same solemn faces.

* * * * *

Pip gripped Sid's wolf form as tightly as he could, but Sid had a harsh limp, threatening to dislodge Pip from his back with every step.

Pip couldn't look back to see if wolves were still chasing them. His head was tightly pressed into Sid's neck.

Sid ran and ran, struggling up hills and through thick snow, but he didn't give up, even after he jumped over a fallen tree trunk and landed awkwardly. Pip fell from his back then, but Sid licked Pip's cheek as an apology and encouraged him to climb onto his back again.

They ran for almost an hour until Sid was sure that nobody was following them. He slowed down, so Pip could sit up on his back. Sid emerged from the trees and stayed close to the edge of the woods. Pip soon climbed from him, and Sid transformed from his grey wolf, to his human form.

He winced from the pain in his arm. Changing back moved his bones. The pain was almost unbearable, but Sid simply gritted his teeth until the pain simmered.

"I-Is your arm hurting worse now?" Pip asked with arms around himself. He stared all around them, then stepped into the sun, which wasn't hot, but enough to make his skin feel a little less frozen.

"It's okay." Sid looked around too. "I didn't know where to run. We should keep moving. Walk along this bit, so we don't leave tracks." Sid pointed to where the grass met the raised path. There was a little gap where no snow had fallen.

They walked along the cliff side for a while until the path curved back into the woods. "This path leads to another Packhouse." Sid paused. "They're allies, but with the Beta situation, I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"I'm okay to keep running on foot." Pip was worried that Sid was too sore to travel in wolf form.

Sid was worried that they'd run into the enemy. If they were safely in another Packhouse, they could at least phone Krey, so he knew where to look when the fighting was over.

"Wait," Sid whispered. "Wolves scents are getting stronger. Let's go." They turned abruptly back to the cliffs and decided to jog together to keep Pip warm. Not having a destination was difficult. Sid didn't know when too far was too far. He didn't want to exhaust Pip, but they couldn't rest.

The further they ran the more impressed Sid was of Pip's fitness. Often, Sid found himself running a little faster just to keep up with him. The only other person Sid had known who could sprint so fast for so long was Krey.

After miles and miles of running through the woods, they soon approached a town that Pip recognised. It was a little beach town that he had visited a few times with his aunt and uncle, though the trips were never fun because his cousins were always pushing their luck, and they had to leave early. As Pip got older, they stopped taking him. Pip was often left behind when his aunt and uncle went on holiday, and those times were some of the loneliest times of his life.

They crouched by the edge of the trees, looking down the street leading to a collection of ice cream shops and surfing shops. West beaches had good surf. Pip wondered if anyone was crazy enough to surf in freezing temperatures. He knew he'd see a few brave people bobbing above the waves if he looked.

"You partly smell like me now," Sid whispered, looking around. "Southern wolves will know your scent, but I can try my best to mask it." Sid took his blazer off and handed it to Pip. Sid was lanky, but tall, so the blazer was long on Pip. Still, the extra fabric helped Keep in some warmth.

They moved to a bench under the trees and sat for a while. Almost fifteen minutes went by and they didn't see a single soul.

"It's hard not having a plan," Sid said. "And your Krey's mate. If anything happens to you, I'll get it right in the neck."

"I-I'm sure nothing will happen to me." Pip awkwardly shifted on the bench when Sid looked at him.

Sid studied Pip for a moment, looking down on him with his pointed nose. His red hair was vibrant against the snow. "I'm sorry for the night you broke in. I should have worked harder to stop Jordan from hurting you. After what happened with Krey's dad, we're less forgiving to humans who try to see what goes on behind our walls. I know there are rumours among humans about our Packhouse. You guys call it the institute."

"My uncle was, uh, pretty big on making conspiracy theories about your Packhouse."

"Oh yeah? What's the craziest thing he came up with?"

"He used to call it the Institute for the elite. He was convinced that everyone had powers and worked for the government to help fight aliens."

Sid snorted. "Sounds like he watched too many x-men films."

"Yeah," Pip chuckled. "There's a few about werewolves. Um, for me, that was the most far-fetched rumour."

Sid was amused by that. He rubbed his injured arm and smiled to himself. "It's nice having a human in the Packhouse. You've given everyone something else to talk about other than Krey's incompetence."

Pip flattened the snow with his shoe. "Did Krey really struggle to be Alpha?"

"Yes. He was very angry, and sad. He refused to join meetings and training. If we asked anything of him, he snapped and lashed out. It was very hard on the pack, but we tried to give him space. Krey's mother puts pride above everything else. She was on his back since day one to step into his dad's shoes. We all knew she'd cry herself to sleep every night but put on a very brave face during the day. Krey had been a mess up until you arrived. This is the most leadership we've had from him. He's doing well."

"What was Krey's dad like?" Pip asked. He wanted to talk about anything to take his mind off the fighting.

"He was a kind man. He was friends with everyone, even the Omega's. He knew everyone's names, everyone's birthdays, everyone's age, everyone's hobbies. We were like a big family." Sid's smile faded at how times have changed. "The only person Roden couldn't keep up with was Krey. Every day he would ask where is that damned boy of mine?" Sid chuckled. "Roden was a very busy man and sometimes couldn't find the time for Krey unless Krey had done something wrong, then Roden would pull him into his office to talk about it. We think Krey spiralled and started doing everything that would get him into trouble, just so his father could spend more time with him. Roden was a good dad, but a little absent." Sid sat back against the wooden bench. "The night Roden died, he had pulled Krey into his office to talk about why Krey kept stealing things from his office and hiding them around the Packhouse. Krey would drive him mad sometimes, but Roden loved him, despite all of Krey's bad choices."

Pip tugged Sid's blazer tighter around himself to keep warm. "He would be p-proud of Krey now. Wouldn't he?"

"Yes, very proud." Sid looked back down to Pip, inspecting him once more. "Roden would have liked you. He used to say that Krey needed a big bucket of water to fizzle out his anger. I think you're that bucket of water."

They both chuckled, which was nice after such a stressful morning.

"Right then Pip, let's keep moving. I don't have a clue where to go. Let's just think of this as a sight seeing adventure. We're in other wolves' territory, so we can't linger for too long." They left the bench and ventured down the empty street.

"How do they know if you're in their territory? Can they smell you?"

"There are things on trees that can detect only wolves when we pass. It's how we keep track of where everyone is. Krey has access to the tracking device on his laptop. You know that big map of England Krey has above his desk? Those pins are placed where there are packs. Krey has always kept track because he knew he'd be Alpha one day, but he didn't know the role would come so soon."

After walking for a while, the sound of breaking waves pounding the sand was closer. "I think Krey will make a good Alpha," Pip said after thinking about how far Krey had come since his father's death, and how far he could still go as a leader.

"Yes, me too." Sid looked out across the cliff, and so did Pip.

The path they followed curved towards the edge, and Pip saw the waves for the first time in years. He smiled at the few people bobbing in the water far below, braving the sea in rough conditions. Those people had no idea that a big fight between werewolf packs was happening while they swam to catch waves.

Pip thought he would be jealous of their obliviousness. Pip was only thankful for meeting Krey and hoped the fighting would be in Krey's favour. "Sid, if something happens to Krey, will I feel it?" Pip couldn't bring himself to ask what would happen to him if Krey died.

Sid couldn't bring himself to say that Pip would whither away if Krey died. Bit by bit, Pip would grow weaker and weaker, and soon die without a mate because he didn't have a wolf to lose instead. "Let's not think about that. Krey is a good fighter. The pack is strong. I have faith in them."

Pip looked ahead, following the path with his eyes. "Then I have faith too," he said quietly, hoping the noise of the wind and the waves masked his thumping heart.