******CHAPTER 10

MAE'S POV
 
I disobeyed Snow again. I sneaked out of the house and visited the bridge that night. I could not stay at home. I could not stand the pitiful stares of my mother and my sisters. I could not stand the arrogant sneers of my father. I had to leave the house before I would think of doing something stupid again to redeem myself and wipe that arrogant sneer off my father's face.
 
And now, here I was on the bridge, taking solace in the waters again. Sometimes, I felt she might get tired of me and try to push me away. I never visited unless I was going through something and needed some kind of comfort or someone to talk to. I wished the waters would understand that all my life, I had only had bad days and rarely good ones. Well, except for the day I met Oliver for the very first time. I had run all the way to the bridge as fast as my tiny legs could carry me and had almost fallen into the water in happiness. That was the only time I had ever been truly happy.
 
I took in a slow, deep breath as I watched the calmness of the night, and as I looked around my surroundings, my eyes caught something close to where I was seated that caused a frown to appear against my forehead. It was a piece of paper that was folded neatly and precisely, like it was the craft of a perfectionist. My mind played back to the last time I was here and had written a letter. I was sure I had thrown it into the water like I usually did. Why, then, was there another piece of paper lying right beside me? perfectly folded and uncrinkled, unlike mine.
 
I reached for the piece of paper, and my fingers felt the texture of the paper. My heart stopped beating for a moment as realization slowly dawned on me.
 
Someone else had been here. This piece of paper wasn't mine. It belonged to someone else.
 
My senses heightened on instinct, and I quickly looked around me, suddenly conscious that there might be someone watching me. Monitoring me.    Someone else had visited this place. Seeing that the coast was clear and there was no other single soul around the area, I exhaled in relief and returned my eyes to the piece of paper that I had placed on my lap now. Cautiously, I set it to open.
 
A perfectly arranged handwriting came into view, and with my heart beating fast and hard against my poor chest, I set to read the content of the letter.
 
Dear Mae,
 
Do not be afraid. I do not mean to frighten or harm you. I am just a random person like you. I am lonely, tired, and fed up with everyone, even life itself. I have no friends and no one to share my escapades with. Life has been cruel to me just as it has been for you. I apologize for reading your letter. I am usually not this inquisitive and curious. At the same time, I wish you would understand that I can feel some sort of connection with you. It's weird.   I know.   But coming across your letter made me realize I am not the only one who feels this way about life.
 
Let's be friends, Mae. Let us allow this small bridge to bring us together. What do you think?
 
Love,
 
The stranger from the bridge
 
 
…………….
 
ALCOT'S POV
 
As the elders of the council discussed the issues facing the pack in the council meeting, my subconscious self zoned out and my mind traveled to another space that was far from the present moment.
 
It had been two weeks since I started visiting the bridge Oliver recommended, and the continuous stream of conversation between me and the stranger girl, Mae Barrows, was getting stronger and more informal with every passing letter we exchanged. The first time I replied to her letter with mine, I was surprised that she had written back and agreed to be friends. After that day, we continued to write to each other and leave them off at the bridge to be found by either of us. I started to look forward to days when I would visit the bridge and receive her own letters. It was both fun and therapeutic at the same time. For the first time, it felt as if there was someone out there who understood me and whom I could understand too. Someone who cared to listen to my rants without judgement Even though I never revealed my identity to her, I did leave snippets of my life, and it was comforting that she never pushed me into disclosing more about myself. In return, I never pressured her for the same thing. The only thing I knew about her family was that her father was a lazy and abusive man. Her mother was a sick woman. Her eldest sister was literally the most useless older sibling. And her youngest sister was a quiet, shy teenager. Whenever she wrote about how much her father had hurt her and her mother, I felt some kind of anger push through me, and I wished I could lay my bare hands on his neck and squeeze the life out of him. I promised myself that I would seek him out and find him someday. And when I did find him, I would make him pay dearly for mistreating his family and leaving them in neglect.
 
"What does the Alpha think about this latest development among the packs in the country?"
 
I was immediately plunged back into reality as soon as my name was mentioned by beta Jax and my attention was brought back to the gathering. I cleared my throat and straightened my back, sitting properly on my throne. I had never been caught off guard in a meeting before. This was my first time allowing a distraction to take over.
 
"My Lord.   What do you think about the idea of the Forest Pack joining ally with us? "Do you think it is a welcome idea?" Jax rephrased his question so that I might understand with ease. One thing I had always liked about Jax was his way of understanding when to act a certain way and when not to. Just like how he just saved me from embarrassing myself in front of the entire gathering, right now.
 
"About that…"  I cleared my throat again and proceeded to answer. "It is quite a small pack, isn't it?" What use could their ally be to us? We have a hundred sizes of their army. "In fact, we have the strongest army base in the entire country, don't we?"
 
"My Lord, you are right." One of the elder's voices came from the gathering, and then he stood up to identify himself. It was Elder Jacobson. The man who was once framed by another elder of the council, seeing him standing hale and hearty before me, gave me the satisfaction that I had judged the case fair and square and each man had gotten what he deserved. For elder Jacobson, his title and good name were spared. For elder Matthias, however, it was his head.
 
"However, allow me to raise a suggestion, Alpha Alcot."
 
I gave a go-ahead signal to him, and he thanked me and gave me a small curt bow before straightening himself again, and then he continued to speak.
 
"My Lord, it is true that we have the strongest and most extended military base in the entire country." But accepting to become allies with smaller packs like the Forest Pack can do us much good that we never thought of. First of all, we would offer them our backing and protection, and in turn, they would help us gain influence over the other minority packs. With this influence, other larger packs would not have the power and influence to set up the minority packs against it. "May I mention that we have all heard about how good their merchandise is as well?"
 
The gathering nodded and murmured in agreement as he spoke.
 
"I believe joining allies with smaller packs like the Forest Pack would not only give us an upper hand over the minorities, but at the same time, it would also help us expand our merchandise and make us better partners with them in trade and business."
 
Again, everyone nodded and whispered amongst themselves in agreement. Even I was impressed with his idea and nodded at him.
 
"That is a good suggestion, Elder Jacobson." I commended him after the whispers had died down. "We shall grant them an ally, then." They shall gain us influence over the minority packs and join us in partnership in their merchandise. In return, we shall grant them protection and have their backs."