The Colt Clan was a place I never imagined could exist. Community, family. Things I hadn't been able to experience in so long that I almost ran when I found it.

Dozens of smaller houses lined the edge of the new property we'd moved to. The numerous families within the Pack would live there, while the grandest of them all was reserved for the top of the hierarchy.

I watched in envy as the Deltas in the Pack carried things into the Alpha house, a sizeable multi-floor building with a grey and white facade. It was a dream, really, even seeing something so human so far out in the trees. Ordinary werewolf settlements were small, modest, mainly constructed of older wood tossed by the humans after use or trees and logs that had fallen or been cut. But the buildings on the Colt Estate weren't modest at all. The property screamed wealth, no matter where you looked.

Lush green grass covered the ground in every direction. The roofs of the houses were fitted with sturdy material instead of the remnants of trees or metal. I could even smell the water that flowed through the underground pipes in and out of each home.

Almost an acre of what seemed to be a secret human existence was something more; it was home to wolves. And I was thankfully one of them.

I spotted Eric from my perch at the tree line, struggling with a cart that carried supplies to one of the houses, and called out to him. "That would be a lot faster if you had some help, don't you think?" the smug grin that spread across my face was enough to warrant an irritated laugh from him.

"So why the hell don't you get off your lazy ass and help me?"

"No way, I'm the screw-up, remember? Get another Delta to help you out." I looked back over to the Alpha house, where they continued to shuffle things inside quickly.

Eric growled, calling my attention back to him, "They're busy, so if you aren't going to help, then don't bother me. This is already punishment because of you, and I don't need anything extra added on, Pup."

"Fine." I laid my head back as Eric pushed the cart away, distancing my mind from the bustling chaos around me.

In the last eight years, I'd found that I couldn't shake the stigma of who I was—a nobody with nothing to offer except another mouth to feed. Packs finding me, taking me in, and then kicking me out was something I was used to. It was also how I got the name Pup. My real name was Lacey, but it wasn't something I identified with; in fact, I sometimes wished I could forget it and all the memories that came with it.

Being with the Colts now was a miracle. If I'd chosen to stay in Canada for even one more minute, I would've missed them, or he, Dane, would've missed me.

It wasn't typical for a pack of this size to take in a rogue or even let one live if it crossed their path, but they did. One sniff from Dane. One reassuring whimper that I was of no threat and I was 'welcomed' into the Pack. Of course, at the time, I thought that the twenty or so members were all there were to be seen, but that turned out to be wrong.

Once we were on their pack grounds, I saw just how extensive the Colt Clan was; even now, I'm still surprised. One would say that you should thank Neama, the moon goddess, for gifts such as these. For a place to stay, food to eat, and a family to love you, but I wasn't so sure she existed. One tended to lose their beliefs when they were inexplicably abandoned.

____________________

Day turned to night as I'd slept; with it came the sounds of smaller insects that sensed no threat from us. The sounds of settling in within the Estate had dulled, and only the faint talking of older wolves still moving around could be heard. It was a peaceful evening that I was sure I could often enjoy while living with the Colts. However, the sound of crushing debris in the nearby area sent me into a defensive stance.

Eyes wide, body low to the ground, chest heaving as my heart sped up. It put me on edge, placing me right back in a place I was just a few years ago.

Before going to Canada, I lived for a while, maybe for too long, in San Francisco. The zoo was a place of easy pickings. Blend in enough with people, sneak in, and then, during feeding time, take whatever I could steal from an open back room. It worked for a long time, but I got spooked one day.

It was just before midnight. Near the group of trees that I usually slept in, I heard the most ferocious growl. It woke me up, causing me almost to topple off the branch I was sleeping on. Four sets of paws ran erratically through the trees, followed by others, too many to count. Just like now, I could hear but not sense the approaching danger.

Something bigger. Fiercer. Stronger than I was, being chased, pursued by a group.

That night, I could feel my body screaming to run, to try and get far enough away that I would be safe. But by the time I came to that decision, it was too late as glowing yellow eyes looked up at me as the wolf bounded into the clearing near my tree.

He snarled, lips pulling back over his teeth as he sniffed the air around me.

Certain I was dead; I felt my legs going weak. My body was giving in to the fear that had welled up inside. But then, seconds later, I heard a voice, "You're done now, Rogue!"

The first of the pursuers, a naked werewolf, slammed into his side as the wolf hesitated to pull his attention from me. The two rolled into a mess in the dead leaves on the forest floor, and within the chaos, the world shifted into feral form.

Equals now, the two snapped at each other. Jaws crashed into fur and limbs, blood staining their coats as the vicious fight quickly became deadly. As the other pursuers gave chase, the sounds were lost through the snarls and growls of fighting wolves. They tried to approach, circling the Rogue to trap him; he did what I can only describe as a backflip from the trunk of a tree and bit down on his assailant's hind leg, breaking it in two.

The rest watched in horror, shocked at the sudden twist in fortune. The injured wolf shifted back into his human form, and his friends circled him. 

Shifting back as well, the Rogue put a growing distance between them.

I went unnoticed with all the struggle and scents mingled in the air, and as soon as it was safe to descend the tree the following day, I left California.

Running from the sounds of crushing debris wasn't an option at this point since there was only one way to go. Calling for help was useless, too. I had one choice, either fight or keep them talking long enough for someone else to notice intruders on the Estate since I'd most likely have my throat slit before anyone could hear me scream in my human form.

"You're refusing to join the rest of the pack tonight. Does that mean you won't be staying?" he asked. 

In the dark of the night, the figures that moved through the trees became more threatening. Their bodies offered no scents, no distinctive smells that could tell me who they were.

I was growing more uneasy. "Stop where you are!" The words barreled out of my lips. And sadly, what should've been a warning, sounded more like a frightened child begging for the other party to maintain the distance.

"Can't really do that," he answered, continuing to stalk closer with his three companions.

I swallowed hard, bracing for an attack of the feral kind. "Who are you?"

The young man stepped out of the cover of the trees. Blonde, windblown hair sat messily atop his head. His muscles bulged under the tightness of his black shirt, sending curvy shadows stretching across the darkened pasture just ahead of the tree line.

"Nathan," he laughed, "You must be the only person here who doesn't know who I am, so that means," he took another step forward, "you're the rogue."

I'd heard the name before, but after three months in a place with over a hundred other individuals, you try to remember just the ones that matter.

For each step that Nathan took forward, I took another back. His companions stayed behind, still covered by the darkness that the forest had offered. I shook my hands out, glancing around to see if I was still the only one this far out from the houses.

Distracted, I answered him, "I am the rogue, but I still don't know who you are." The three others laughed, and I couldn't help feeling irritated. Strangely, the doom I'd felt had dissipated into something mellow. I was no longer scared; my feelings morphed into annoyance, frustration, and exasperation.

Nathan cleared his throat, "I'm the Alpha."

Of course, he was the Alpha, Nathan Colt. The same Nathan Colt who'd permitted me to stay with the pack. The same Nathan Colt who'd said I'd be able to move to this new Estate with them. The Nathan Colt who had just spent three months separated from his pack to fix relationships with another pack up North.

"You're the Alpha?" I couldn't hide my awe.

"And these are my Betas."

"Okay, nice meeting you. I'll see you around then." I made a hasty exit, and with it came laughter and scoffs from the four men I'd just met.

My inner wolf growled.

I was okay with people calling me names, and leaving me out of important things because I wasn't capable enough. However, even knowing that I wasn't equipped to be involved in pack matters, I found it rude to laugh at someone. Beyond my better judgment, I found myself running back toward Nathan, his three Betas finally leaving the shadow of the trees.

Stopping just a few feet away from the group, I dug my bare heel into the grass, "What the hell is so funny?"

"You are." Nathan turned to look at the Alpha house that was partially illuminated before looking down at me. "You seem to be just as bad as I've heard. No respect for the hierarchy. Barely civilized. You do plan to stay with this pack, don't you?"

I gritted my teeth. "You're the Alpha. If you want me to leave, then just say the word."

He walked over, but I stood my ground, subtly challenging him out in the open, "Why would I do that? Things are just getting interesting." He leaned over, edging his face down so that his lips were just an inch from my ear, "you are making things so interesting for me."

____________________

Dane leaned under the branch, grinning as he saw how uneasy I was. "I heard you pissed Nathan off?"

"That's debatable and the complete opposite," I hissed at him, pacing the tree line as I struggled with the decision to stay or leave.

"Well, you should apologize. You're only here because I asked him to let you stay with us."

"Yeah, well, I didn't ask you to. I was fine by myself at the falls, Dane, I didn't need you to ask permission for me to stay with your pack, and I certainly didn't need your help."

"While that may be true. . . " Dane started, ignoring my childish outbursts.

"It is!"

"You should be nice. Nathan didn't have to let you stay here. And he can decide to revoke your free membership at any time."

"Then let him. I'm sick of this pity party anyway." 

That was a lie. I'd be devastated if Nathan chose to kick me out.

"Alright, calm down. How about tonight you sleep in my room?" Dane asked, smiling.

The prospect of someplace warm and indoors brought an instant smile to my face. We were still a week or so away from spring. And while my temperature ran high enough to block out the brutally cold nights, being somewhere that felt cozy was better than being in a tree.

"Of course, I'm sleeping in your room. Where else would I go?" He lifted his eyebrows, smiling at me as he playfully gave me a hint. "Does that smile mean I have my own room?"

"Alpha's orders."

Anxiety rose inside. I could feel the strings attached to that statement, holding me in place like a puppet in a box.

The walk back from the woods seemed like an eternity. Behind the heavy wooden doors of the Alpha house, Nathan was probably sitting on his throne, readying himself to throw in my face all the glorious luxuries that he had bestowed upon me. 

And I was ready to throw them right back just as soon as I knew I could leave and not be hunted down by the Colt warriors.

As Dane pushed open the doors, two things became clear to me. One, Nathan was much more threatening than I had given him credit for. Two, there was no way I was leaving the pack in one piece.

His voice roared downat me as I entered the house, sending cold shivers down my back."You," Nathan commanded, his eyes fixed on me as I hesitated at theentrance, "Get on your knees and bow to the Alpha."

AUTHOR NOTE

Hey there, I wrote this story a long time ago and have since rewritten, published, unpublished, and have finally decided to give it a try at the wattys. It's definitely my baby, and this is definitely not the cute laughter-filled story that I wrote before.

It's better. Fleshed out. Cleaned up. Edited. And the plot has changed a lot. 

I hope that you enjoyed this first chapter, and if you didn't, feel free to tell me why.

Thanks for reading Pup book 1- Seizing the hierarchy.

 Stay Fly Guys