"Strangers can become best friends just as easy as best friends can become strangers."
~Unknown

Caleb

It was Saturday morning, and the pack was preparing for the weekly morning run and hunt. The twins were the last to come outside. They rarely missed an alarm, so one of them must've stayed up extremely late. My guess was Elsa, based on her murderous expression.

"You look fantastic," Thea said, glancing up and down at Elsa. My sister shot daggers at her, causing Thea to take a few steps back.

"You know better than to mess with the twins in the morning," Hunter laughed, approaching the group with Josie by his side.

"Yeah, but since when does she oversleep that badly? Something's fishy about that."

"The only thing fishy is your breath," Elsa retorted.

"I had smoked salmon for breakfast!"

"Still could've taken a breath mint."

"Why are-"

"Okay," I interrupted before the two girls got into it. "Elsa, Anna, Gracie, Sebastian, Dmitri, Akira, Jake, and Diana, you're with me. The rest of you are with Hunter. We're taking the west side of our territory. Hunter is taking the east. We'll see you soon. Howl if you need anything. We'll meet up in two hours and go for the big hunt. See you all soon."

My group and I shifted. Anna trotted beside me, but Elsa lagged behind. Akira attempted talking to her but must've failed because she ran to catch up with Jake.

What's wrong with Elsa? I asked Anna.

Beats me. She was up super late last night. I went to the bathroom at like... four in the morning because I woke up from a bad dream, and her light was still on. Anna answered, glancing back at her sister, who was letting out a big yawn.

You don't think she's seeing someone, do you?

No. She would never be able to keep a secret like that from me. You know she's always writing chapters for her fanfiction stories and how into those she can get. I bet you anything that's what she was doing.

I'm just worried about her.

Talk to her then. Next to me, she's always been closest to you.

I will, but I'll wait for her to calm down a bit. I said, glancing back when I heard her snarl at Dmitri. He hastily backed off.

That might be a while. Anna chuckled.

On a different note, I've been talking to mom and dad. They're thinking about reinstating her as Beta.

Really?

Yeah. Since you two are most likely going to end up with me when the pack splits up, I was thinking that the two of you could share beta responsibilities because I feel bad putting one over the other.

Caleb, if you wanted her over me, I wouldn't care. If you wanted me over her, she wouldn't care. She'll just be happy to be out of the Omega position.

I know... this alpha stuff is complicated.

That's why it's your job and not mine! I could sense the humor in her voice, making me both amused and agitated at the luxury she had of not having to worry about everything on a consistent basis. Alphas had to watch out for the pack. The pack came over everything, even family. I had some problems with the mentality of it, but I also understood it. Alphas were nothing without a pack to lead, so we had to ensure their safety and well-being. We couldn't play favorites either. My parents managed to follow that rule, but I worried about doing the same.

"Where's Elsa?" Diana asked, halting me in my tracks. I turned around in circles, trying to figure out where my sister went. We all shifted into human form, calling out her name, but we received no response.

Panic began to make its unwanted presence, but I swallowed it down. I couldn't let my pack know what I was feeling. Mustering up all the strength I could, I barked, "Find her!"
___________________________________

Elsa

I knew my brother and sister were discussing me despite not being included in the conversation. The fact they kept glancing at me alluded to the fact. Both Akira and Dmitri tried to talk to me, but that hadn't gone so well.

I'd been out most of the night with Spencer on the closest thing we could come to as a 'date' with our relationship being secret and all. He'd brought some sandwiches and cookies, and a small bouquet of daffodils, too, which smelled heavenly.

I lagged behind my group, my mind returning to last night and repeating everything we talked about. We chatted about everything we could think of and got to know each other. Our conversations at school hadn't really allowed us that. I learned a lot about Spencer last night. Despite being more reserved than his siblings, he was ironically the most outgoing. Apparently, Dom could be a bit of a partier in the right situation, but he wasn't exactly open to meeting new people. I learned Spencer had a love for all things Star Wars and Star Trek, he had a habit of watching the Food Network channel, and he had a passion for non-fiction books.

My thoughts were interrupted when I picked up an unrecognizable scent. It didn't smell like a mountain lion or a bear, so it must've been human. Slipping away from my pack, I put my nose to the ground and followed the scent. I'd been tracking it for a few minutes before I figured out what it was. My realization was only because the origin walked in front of me. Although I'd made no sound approaching him, he must've sensed my presence because he whirled around.

I stood my ground as I took him in. He was tall but no more than six-foot; he was undoubtedly muscular, although just how much I couldn't tell due to his oversized jacket. His expression was that of exhaustion, but his eyes showed no fear of me.

"You a lone wolf too?" he asked with a sigh. I cocked my head, wondering if he meant he was just a person by himself or if he was, in fact, a wolf like me. "If you are, be careful. There are two big wolf packs out here. They haven't caught onto me yet, but it's only a matter of time. I'll be dead if they find me. I have a feeling the wolf packs won't be as forgiving as you are if and when they find me. I know you can't understand me, but if by some miracle you can, run before they find you."

The guy started backing up, keeping a cautious eye on me. Once he decided I wasn't going to attack him, he turned around, walking towards the area that would lead him directly into the path of my pack. I darted after him, gently grabbing his sleeve and tugging on it. Needless to say, it freaked him out immensely, which made me let go. He stumbled back as I let out a small woof, trying to tell him to follow me. It wasn't working well.

"Oh come on, I turn my back, and then you attack?" he groaned. I let out a small bark again, making sure it wouldn't be loud enough for my pack to hear. Knowing he thought I intended to attack, I lowered my head to let insinuate I meant no harm as I slowly approached him. He stood perfectly still, allowing me to come up to him. Once more, I gently tugged on his sleeve, even whimpering to try and convey what I wanted. He finally seemed to understand the message because he went along with where I was leading him.

Trusting we were now on the same page, I let go and turned my back so I could start running. The guy ran alongside me. He seemed to be fleet-footed, so I increased my speed. However, when I began to outdistance him, I slowed down and turned around to see where he was.

Instead of a guy, there was a wolf, but he shared the same scent.

I came skidding to a halt, shifted, and stated, "You're one of us."

The wolf stopped, turning back into the guy I'd initially been with. He cocked his head, saying, "You're like me."

"What are you doing out here?"

"My pack disappeared. I was out taking care of our business, and when I came back, they were all gone. I don't know if they left me or if something happened to them, but I'm pretty sure it's the latter, so I've been on the run ever since. Being a lone wolf is dangerous. Either you know that, or you're part of one of the two packs here."

"It'd be the latter of the two. I'm glad it was me that found you and not one of the other members of my pack. They're not as... forgiving as I am to newcomers, let alone wolves they think might be trying to infiltrate us."

"Why would I be trying to infiltrate you?"

"We have a massive feud with the other wolf pack going. They might think you work for them."

"I don't. I came from a pack in Idaho. I came out here to get as far away from there as possible. I'm Finn, by the way. Finn Bridges."

"Elsa Laroche."

"Laroche? As in Ren and Arya Laroche?"

I scrunched up my face. "You've heard of my family?"

"My parents knew your parents. If any of us entered into a war, we would be allies. I didn't know this was the Laroche territory, though. That must mean the Starks are the other pack here then."

"You'd be correct."

"Then I'm glad I ran into you. If I ran into the Starks, they would kill me."

"Maybe. Listen, since you're an ally of ours, you're welcome to stay with us. My pack won't attack if I tell them the situation. Just follow me and let me do the talking," I told him.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. We started walking back in the direction my pack had last been. We'd barely gone a hundred feet when Sebastian slid to a stop in front of us. He growled viciously at Finn, baring his teeth.

"He's an ally," I said firmly. "He belonged to a pack up in Idaho."

"What do you mean belonged?" Sebastian asked when he shifted.

"His pack has disappeared. He's been on his own ever since. Where are the others?" I asked.

"Searching for you."

"Then let's go find them."