44

Mika headed down to the main floor with Devion. Theo was waiting there for them. "So what’s the news?"
Nothing right now, the about have said the males do not appear to be traders, or hostile."
"Do we have a map of the territory yet?" Mika's voice turning to stern and in command.
Theo pulled several long sheets of cream-colored papers and laid them out. "So far the reports changed what the old maps had. For instance, this territory we had miles south of the vampires. yet here was a massive nest. here is the new lay out from what we have seen." he pulled a equal sized sheet out that was a few shades lighter than the original map. Colors had been marked to show what they had encounter along the way. Mikas gaze swept over, haunting when he got to his old pa k lands Boulders. He took a black pen and wrote WENDIGO. "We need to keep track of every incontrovertible. O am not giving him that land, but I want to know where the bastard is. And how far out he travels." the men nodded in agreement.
"Can anyone give us more information on this shit?"
"Nothing more than rumor. An elder, Marie had said her great grands had spoken of one creature. Said it can not be killed but prefers cold weather. As we all are aware our territory is the ass crack of hell so if this is true. He will not remain there."
"Why take it then?" Devion asked.
"Apparently," Theo continued, "It eats flesh. So, assuming it'll get a food supply. Make them breed and then return to your comfort zone when you are hungry to get your supply. This thing can travel *fast*"
"How long did it take you to get back to the pack lands hauling ass Theo?" Mika looked over the maps as he asked.
"Hauling ass with Talia it took three and half weeks."
" When it attacked me, maybe four weeks later you showed up. How long were you home before Niko showed up?"
"Wasn't long, less than a week. Then it took a week to get those that would leave. it took another four to finally get here." he finished.
"So traveling to an unknown place it went at speeds you were hauling ass at. If this thing is clear on its path, it could potentially travel faster than a wolf. We need to bare that in mind." Mika stated.
"Do you think it'll come back here?" Devion asked.
"No one truly knows. Hell we know nothing really about this thing."
"I suggest this, we know the west coast is infected by this thing. What if we *test* treatments on them to see if we can release them from its influence before trying it on our people?" Theo suggested.
"A wolf's life is a wolf's life, however I can not say I disagree with you Theo. The idea of freeing father and the rest is weighs heavy on me."
"So are we to go hunting then?" Devion's grin darkened, making his already dark eyes look sinister.
"I believe we will have room service actually." Mika turned to Theo, "Have the scouts bring them in. Let's have a talk."

A few hours later Mika, Devion and Theo were standing in the same building they had first trapped the wendigo. Five men were being led by two of the scouts. One was a tall tanned skinned man burnt by the sun with sandy blond hair tossed back in a tight bun. His partner was a shorter male with a bushy red brown beard that matched his top. Both men had piercing green eyes and said little. Behind the west five were three others who remained cloaked in black. The three appeared similar in height and broadness.
Mika watched as the group came up to him. The blond man and red hair man stopped, placing their right arms over their hearts, "Alpha." they bowed their heads.
"Colt. Ash." Mika returned.
The blond man, Colt, introduced the group. "These men are from the west coast pack. They were seeking refuge from their former alpha."
"Oh?" Mika let his voice sound as I'd he was interested.
"Yes alpha," a deep voiced man with a scare trailing along his cheek spoke up. " We were unaware of another pack’s territory being here. Our apologies for approaching."
Mika waved his hand dismissively, "Why have you left your pack?"
The group looked uncomfortable and shifted, "We were kicked out by our alpha."
Mika's eyes did not betray the interest he really had. Why had they been sent away? He looked closer at the men now. Stepping g up sniffing each as the men stood perfectly still. Not a single man met his stern gaze for fear of what he might do. These weren't men, no these were boys barely out of their teens, maybe early twenties. They were prime age for fighters, yet they looked poorly fed, and clothed.
"Why?" Mika growled looking each one over.
A slender, tall male with green eyes and straight brown hair spoke up, "Because of the breeding rights King Henry claims. The less the males present the more females available."
Devion came up to the male inches from his face, growling and sniffing him over. "Name." he rumbled.
"Zeek." this time he met Devion's gaze, but his tone was even. He knew who was alpha and we was the beta.
"Go on Zeek." Mika prompted; Devion never moved.
"King Henry has declared that certain males may have privileges for more than one female. He has reserved the right to have 38 mates. Less males around to share with the females. Unless they cannot produce then they are sent to the lines."
"What about his forces? “Mika paced back and forth looking at each male.
"The younger males are sent out to the lines to hold the boundaries. Food, clothing, housing are all reserved for the females and his chosen. The barren females are sent to be among young males, who have been without the company of females. It is not a place my brothers and I desire to be in. We felt King Henry had already kicked us from the pack as a male with no mate we did not have a right to a voice in the pack. This seemed the logical step."
"What makes you think we will take you weaklings into our pack?" Devion growled.
"I don't. As we said before we had no knowledge this pack existed. We were headed to the east coast pack, the Crimson Moon, as they had once been our allies. Alpha Kelon and his son Mika run that pack; we were seeking an audience with them."
Mika's flashed blue with a cocky grin, "Well isn't it your lucky day boy."
Zeek looked up at Mika but making sure not to look him in the eyes. “Wait you are Mika? er Alpha Mika?" he corrected.
"That is right, and you are standing on Crimson Moon pack land. And I ask you again what makes you think I will allow you into this pack. AS you can see things have changed, allies are no longer."
Zeek puffed his chest out some, standing straighter, but keeping his face perfectly forward, "Alpha, I and my brothers will do whatever it will take to be found worthy to be a part of your pack. We do not wish to live the lives that we left behind."
Mika turned his back to the newcomers, stopping short of leaving. "You will remain on the out skirts. Theo will be in charge of you. I am not allowing you into the pack house. However, you may join us in various activities until we deem you worthy to be a part of us." He turned looking at each one, "But make no mistake, if any of you step out of line i will gut you from your ball sack to your throat and feed your testicals. Am I clear boys?"
"Yes alpha!" the boys sounded off.
"Theo find these boys work. They can stay in this building as we know it is sound."
"Yes alpha.' Theo said in a stern voice looking over his new charges.
"Colt and Ash you will stay with them tonight as well." Mika said as he walked up to the men.
With that Mika and Devion along with the three cloaked scouts returned to the pack house. Tonight, was the night that the pack was paying their respects to the other three fallen wolves.
In the front of the pack house two massive pillars had been erected. Top each one was a white sheeted body, once having two for Mitchell and Georgia. One was for the fallen guard, Clarance. Mika had known little about the man other than he knew he had been his father's inner guard at one point. But once Mika was old enough to wonder the pack lands his father had kept him away, so he never really got to know the man.
The other two were place side by side so that even in death they would be together.
Mika recognized Mitchell as the farmer who would be milling about the outer land bands, his wife Georgia was one of the women he'd seen walking their little village streets. He couldn't tell you their likes or dislikes or even how old they were, but he could tell you that Georgia always would buy small pastries in the evenings and would pass them out to the children. He knew that Mitchell would grow corn and would make mazes out of them for the locals to have some entertainment in the fall. They were good people. That was what mattered to Mika.
Mika's heart was sad for the loss of his people's lives; however he was ever more grateful that tonight there was only two pillars in place of three.