Chapter 3 - Noah
The healer's cabin, with only the nearly-silent Sage for company, was starting to feel like a cage.
Once I was waking up with regularity, she spent less time with me, just bringing me food, medication, and using her magic to speed up my healing when necessary.
No matter how much I tried to speak to her, everything that came out of her beautiful mouth was just medical jargon and vague promises that I would be able to return home in no time.
I had five years of questions to ask her, but the woman who was taking care of me seemed more like a Sage-shaped robot than my long-lost mate.
If it wasn't for her delicious smell and the way our bond continued to strengthen, I would have begun to question my sanity.
I was missing entire days of memory anyway.
But no. She was my Sage. She was just doing her damndest to ignore me.
She was spending less and less time at the cabin, and I took the opportunity once I was alone to get outside and breathe some fresh air.
Or some space. Anything besides the suffocating silence between Sage and I.
My wounds had closed, bones had stopped aching, but my wolf was still pacing close beneath my skin, angry about my injuries and frustrated beyond belief that our mate was denying us.
When I pushed open the door of the cabin and stepped out into the cool, sunny morning, it was like I was shaking off the last bit of frost that had kept me frozen to the hospital bed.
I stretched, muscles aching and stitches straining, but it was so worth it.
The forest was vast and green around mine, smelling of pine and not all that different from home.
There was a note of salt from the nearby ocean that really drove the point home that I was in another pack's territory, but there wasn't any wolf waiting to tear my throat out, either.
Not exactly welcome, but not considered an enemy, either. That was a fine position as far as I was concerned. Until all of my memory returned, being in a neutral position with the local packs was the best-case scenario.
All I had were a pair of generic gym shorts on, something provided to me by Sage so I didn't have to spend my days in a backless hospital gown with my ass hanging out, and my feet were bare. The ground was rough, covered in brush and deadfall, but my skin was thick and calloused.
Compared to the past week, it was downright fucking blissful.
I pushed myself even when my muscles complained, following the sound of birdsong into the trees. I'd been sitting still for so long that it was difficult, but I persevered, and eventually I was walking somewhat normally.
But I wasn't alone for long. I sensed him before he even spoke. "Up and walking, huh?"
The voice was a deep drawl, casual and nonthreatening, but Joe Longwood's power was obvious without him even needing to be threatening.
I turned to find him approaching me on the path, expression neutral, and his hands shoved in his pockets.
Even if Sage hadn't prepped me about the fact he'd be by to visit, I'd have known he was the local pack's Alpha.
"Yeah. Slowly." I paused and let him catch up to me. "You're the Alpha, Joe Longwood, right?"
"Yup." He jerked his head towards the path, indicating that we should keep walking, and he kept pace beside me. "My wolf Sage tells me that you're Noah Aldrige, Alpha of the Silvervine pack."
Hearing her name coming from another man's mouth made me feel an unwelcome surge of jealousy, but I suppressed it, even if my wolf was furious hearing Joe call our Sage 'his wolf'. "Yeah, that's me."
We walked for a few moments, and even though I was silent, Joe didn't push. I could see him studying me out of the corner of my eye, not hostile, but simply assessing. I knew what he was going to ask before he asked it, and I wished I had a better answer for him.
"So, Alpha to Alpha...what are you doing in my territory, Noah? And what happened to you?"
Blowing out a slow breath, I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking.
The truth was going to be frustrating for both of us.
"Ah, well, there's not really an easy answer.
My memory has been coming back in bits and pieces, but I don't have a clear picture yet.
What I do know is that I was tracking someone, and that I didn't mean any harm towards your pack.
I must have stumbled into your territory while I was following whoever I was on the trail of. "
Joe grunted. "And that's when you were attacked."
My jaw tightened and my pulse kicked up, shadowy shards of memory hitting me hard but still failing to provide a clear picture. There was shock, rage, pain, and then nothingness. That was all I knew. "Yeah. I don't know who did it, either, but I do know they nearly killed me."
"I might be able to fill in the pieces for you there a bit.
We'd been having trouble with a group of rogue wolves just days before you were attacked.
Hell, depending on how long you were laying there unconscious, it could have even been the same day.
They were looking to take some of our women, but the other Alphas and I drove them off. "
Rogue wolves, huh? The words made something in my brain tingle, but I couldn't grasp the thought, and it faded before I could confront it. "I think there might be a connection, but I can't be sure. Don't worry, though. I don't plan on overstaying my welcome."
Joe grunted in response. "I appreciate that. We contacted your pack's Beta and let him know you're alive. Everything is good on that front."
His words gave me a surge of relief. "Thank you. For everything." I laughed ruefully, "Most other Alphas would have just executed me on the spot instead of handing me over to their healer."
"You're not wrong. But this alliance we've formed between the four local packs has been a huge success.
We've been able to keep our wolves, our mates, and our pups safe against threats that would have taken us out individually.
I know some packs think that makes us soft, but it actually makes us smart.
Our packs have grown stronger through cooperation.
It's also made us a lot less inclined to just murder outsiders on sight.
" He gave him a grin. "A potential ally is a lot more useful than a corpse. "
I shook my head. "It's just so hard to believe. The alliance, I mean. Four Alphas putting their egos aside to work together sounds impossible."
"I would have agreed with you a few years ago, but things have changed.
With all four packs." Joe paused, turning to me.
"That's another reason I sought you out this morning.
Me and the three other Alpha's are having a meeting this afternoon, and I wanted to invite you to sit in and observe.
I know you don't remember exactly what happened, but maybe some of the news we have about the rogue wolves will jog your memory. "
I considered it and then nodded. "Yes. I can do that."
"Good. The meeting is at three. See you there, Alpha,"
***
Joe gave me directions before he left me back at the healer's cabin, and I spent the next few hours showering and racking my brain to try to remember more of what happened to me.
I had no idea who I was tracking or why, but it seemed more and more likely that the rogues Joe spoke of were the same wolves who attacked me.
The timing just lined up too well for it to be a coincidence.
Rogue wolves were all that rare, but when they formed loose groups and attempted to make packs of their own, problems could crop up. Mentally stable wolves didn't go rogue, so those groups were the worst of the worst, all working towards one goal, and it could lead to catastrophic results.
After I'd showered and gotten dressed, my mood had significantly soured. I felt weak, which pissed me off, and going through the shift from man to wolf was way more painful than it should have been. But finally, I was on four feet and headed to my destination, aching bones and all.
I knew I was pushing myself more than I should, but damn...I'd been attacked. I didn't have time to be weak. I needed to get back to fighting shape as soon as possible.
I stayed hidden in the trees while I underwent the once-again painful process of shifting, not wanting strange wolves to see my struggles.
Once it was done, I limped into downtown.
The streets were alive, which I didn't expect.
With downtown Crystal Creek being the central hub for all four packs, I expected it to be tense, fights threatening to break out all over the place, but instead it looked like a damn Hallmark card.
Wolves from all packs mingled freely, pups playing together, and no scent of anger or rage anywhere.
It was peaceful. Impossibly so. And it made my chest hurt to see.
Fuck. I wanted that for my pack so damned badly.
I'd tried to change things after taking over from my father, but the Silvervine pack was full of old, stubborn wolves, and change was hard won every step of the way.
If so many gathered in one place like they did here, there would be suspicion and fights. Not this...normal, everyday life.
If my pack had been more like this, had moved into the modern times, maybe I could have been the mate Sage needed, and she wouldn't have left. But I couldn't dwell on that thought, because if I let it creep in too much, the regret would pull me under.
My muscles had eased, and my limp was gone by the time I made it to the cafe, and the bell rang above the door when I pushed the door open.
It was warm inside, the buzz of conversation low.
My stomach rumbled at the smell of something baking and roasted coffee beans, but instead of going to the counter, I looked around for the men I was supposed to be meeting.