58. Cade

Cade

The challenge was supposed to see how you work as a pack. It was a simple game of capturing the flag. I knew it would be a challenge for Cresent Moon. They only had three people here, and that was only if Saka would be participating. They would have one hour to hide their flag, and then whoever brought a flag back of someone else would win. There was no third place or second, only one clear winner.

"Cade, I don't know this game," Len said. "It is simple. You just hide the flag, have someone guard it, then the others go find the others and take their flag." Len looked at Kimi. I knew they must be mind-linking. "When does the event start?" "In an hour. They are giving everyone an hour to strategize." "Kimi, I am going to get Saka." she nodded.

"Cade, can we hide the flag anywhere?" "Yeah, anywhere is fine. The goal is to use all of your senses to find it." She nodded. "Where is Kaya?" "She went with Robert to make sure George had everything he needed. She insisted he stay in the packhouse to recoup." "You know you would not have found a better mate. You are lucky you guys found each other." She looked sad as she said that.

"What's wrong?" "I don't know if Kaya told you about what happens in the north regarding finding a mate." "She said the guys travel to different packs and then join the females' packs." "Yes, that is right, but this last year, in the spring and summer, is when they come. Not that many showed up. There was only a handful from a few different packs." "But is that not normal?" "No, it is strange. We usually get a lot; there are a ton of small northern packs. We usually get a lot of unmated wolves passing through during the year. Now it is winter, and no one will be out looking for a mate, so barely anyone found a mate this last year. Kaya was one of the few."

I looked at her strangely. Kaya had not mentioned this well other than saying how they got mates in the north. "Do you know what kept them this year?" "No, Nieva has no idea. She thought about sending some people out to look into it, but the winter is here, which is out of the question with the winter storms." "I don't know what I can do, but I can talk to Nieva and see if there is something I can help with." "That is nice of you, but like you said, you can't really do anything. But thanks anyway." Kimi's face changed, and then she smiled. "What is it?" "Saka is in for the game of capturing the flag."

I was shocked how that guy was able to do anything but sleep. George was basically unconscious from exhaustion. "Do you guys have a plan to win? You are outnumbered." "Should I tell you? Won't you just tell your pack, and then we would lose." "I am not going to tell them your plan. Kaya most likely helped them with forming their strategy." Her eyebrows raised. "I don't know for sure, but she seems to be giving them advice during the challenges cheering them on over mind link that kind of thing." She looked both ways then, in a hushed voice, said.

"We are burying the flag, and you Southerners should not use scented cleaning products, which makes you easy to track. But I will say no more." I cracked a smile. They were smart. They would hide the flag, cover it, and no one would be all the wiser. Then, they would track the others to their flag. They would be outnumbered, but their stagey was sound. I wondered If Kaya had given our pack something clever like that plan. Who knows, maybe our pack would bury their flag, too.

I mind-linked Kaya. "Kaya, how is George?" "I left him in the room. Robert and I are just sitting in the kitchen hanging out. I want to be here when he wakes up. I left him a note next to his bed to mind link me when he gets up." "Good." "Is the next challenge going to start soon?" "Yes." "I talked to our pack, and we devised a great strategy." "Want to tell me, Kimi told me the crescent moons strategy?" "She did?" "I told her I would not divulge what they plan to do, but I was curious, seeing as we can't actually see what is happening. All we will know is whoever returns first with a flag of one of the opponents." "Okay, well, I told Shadow Pack that they need to hide the flag in one of their pants and tie it around their thigh under their pants. They will be looking for the opponent's flag but keeping ours safe for themselves. I also told them to look in pairs; the best fighter needed to go with the person with the flag. They are allowed to shift, right?"

"Shifting is allowed." "That is what I thought. The flag won't be discovered if the one carrying the flag stays in human form. They would have to remove a guy's pants to get it, and they would not think of that." I smiled; she was smart. I mind-linked her. "I wonder what the other pack's strategy will be?" "I don't know, but I hope either Crescent Moon Pack or Shadow Pack wins, and no one gets hurt from either." "Me too. Hey, look, they are starting. I will tell you what happens." "Thanks."

I watched as everyone set out to hide their flag. Then, a considerable alarm went off, signaling the hour was up, and they needed to look for each other's flags. I sat with Mark and Helen, waiting to see who would be the first back. Mark spoke, "Some of those packs had a lot of numbers for this game." Helen added, "I hope Crescent Moon does okay. they only had three, but did you see everyone's face when they saw Saka." Mark and I smirked. "They were so fucking shocked he was participating and not in a sleep coma like George and the other guy who fell asleep in the arena."

The three of us started laughing as the snow began to fall heavily. Helen looked at the sky "Shit, Shadow Pack is not going to win." Mark agreed with her. "Len, Kimi, and Saka are white wolves like Kaya; they move in the snow unseen." I looked at them. "Plus, they don't have smells like we Southerns do." Helen corrected me. "Cade, everyone has a distinct smell." "Yes, they have their own scent, but they use odorless soap and unscented things, so unless you know their scent, you won't pick up on it. And I don't know if you ever got a whiff of them?"

Mark cut in. "Yeah, we know, Cade, we had smelt it enough when we were in the north. They smell like wild wolves, even Kaya; we know she smells different to you, but to others, the whole lot of the north smells wild." I nodded. It gave them an advantage in this challenge; the snow made this an even fight with their small number. I told my friends what Kimi had said about the north. I could tell by their faces they were trying to piece together why that would have happened.

We were watching the tree line when we saw a small wolf running as fast as it could with a blue flag in its mouth. I only noticed it because it was covered in bright red blood. It was a white wolf, one of the Crescent Moon Packs. Several more wolves came out of the tree line, some chasing it and some fighting with two other white wolves also covered in red blood.

I watched as the wolf with the blue flag was tackled to the ground. A more significant grey wolf bit into its back leg. The wolf contorted and bit the wolf biting it. The white wolf broke free and once again was racing to get to the finish line. It made it over the line as one of the grey wolves ripped it into its side. The white wolf turned and snapped at him. They began to circle one another. I ran to them, but when I arrived, they had started to fight, and it took a few of us to break them up.

The Crescent Moon Pack was covered in blood they had won. Daybreak was furious. It had turned out the grey wolf that had attacked Kimi at the end of the challenge had been daybreak. Saka and Len were both beaten just as badly as Kimi. Mark, Helen, and I helped them get to the clinic even though they insisted they would be fine.