A pack of their own

KESKA: "James, Jessie, Lissa, Liam! Come on, let’s go! We're going to be late!" mom yelled. Leaving me out of the mix again. My name is Keska, I'm the middle child in the Alpha family, stuck between two sets of twins.

Today is our cousin Adrian's swearing-in ceremony, as he has found his mate, he will be taking over the Moon Rise pack from Uncle Asa and Aunt Gina.

I learned rather quickly after Lissa and Liam turned five that I needed to pay attention, or I would get left behind and left out of family functions. Sometimes I wouldn't mind, but not today, so when mom yelled for them, I made sure I was ready to go. I was not going to miss Adrian's ceremony.

I was the first one downstairs, while the other four took their sweet time. I used it to grab snacks and water for the trip. It was a two-and-a-half-hour drive from our pack, Blue Crescent, to Moon Rise. I headed out the door, there were three big black SUVs in front of the Pack house. They all had dark-tinted windows and were the ones that had three rows of seats.

Heading to the last one in line, I got in the very back and waited for the rest of the family to get loaded. Why the last one? Because none of the twins wanted to sit with me, so it was just easier and less time-consuming if I was just in a different vehicle all together, and taking the last one they wouldn't see me and complain, "How come she gets to be first!" so the last one, it is.

The first SUV was all warriors, eight in the first SUV, then two warriors and the family, Father, Lissa, Mom, James, Liam, Jessie. So, no room for me anyway. In the last, seven more warriors and me.

It was close to 9:0'clock by the time we drove out of the pack's gates. I linked my only friend, Mackie, to remind her about what today was. Mackie, short for Mackenzie. "Mackie, remember I have Adrian's ceremony today, so I won't be around till late."

MACKIE: "Shit I did forget, now what am I going to do all day? I was hoping that we could get some practice time in on the range." She linked me back.

KESKA: "Sorry, girlfriend, I promise we will get some time tomorrow for the range, and maybe get in some Aikido work in as well. I just can't miss Adrian's ceremony." I linked back.

MACKIE: "Yeah, I know, hope you at least have some fun." she sent.

KESKA: "Thanks, hey, maybe you could go bake cookies with Nana Lilly, she is always up for company, and just think of all the cookies you will be able to eat."

I sent her. "Just save me some."

MACKIE: "You know, I might just do that, and I’ll think about saving you some.”

She shot back at me.

KESKA: “Hey, not fair, I really do need to be there.” I replied, I closed the link after we went through the gates, and just sat back and watched the scenery go by. Most of it was forest, and there was a small lake, there were pines, birch, and oaks that surrounded our pack, and we used it to hunt and run in. Our pack had about fifteen hundred pack members, so not the smallest, nor the biggest, but we were one of the strongest.

KESKA: About an hour or so into the trip, I passed out the snacks and water I had brought to the guys I was riding with. "Anyone want water or a granola bar?" I had just asked when my phone pinged.

KESKA: It was odd, as no one but Mackie called or texted me, and as I had linked her as we were leaving, she already knew, so thinking it was a wrong number, I ignored it. But it pinged again, so I checked it.

From Jessie: (x2) Will You!! Tell your friend Seth to leave me alone!!! (angry emoji)

KESKA: After reading her text, I chuckled. So, she either forgot to tell him or just didn't tell him that we were going to be gone today. Ha!

From Keska: I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about. (confused emoji) I sent back to her. But I knew exactly who she meant: Seth Harpper, right forward guard for our hockey team, the Blue Howlers, which was the mascot for all our sports teams. And my second X best friend. Ha! My phone pinged again.

From Jessie: YOU know exactly who I mean (angry emoji). He's your stupid friend!!!

KESKA: I couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. I wonder what Seth would say if he knew that’s what she really thought of him.

"What’s so funny?" Frank the warrior, driving us, asked.

KESKA: "Jessie," I say, "She thinks that I have control over her boy toy flavor of the quarter, just because we used to talk." That got a chuckle out of the guys I was riding with. (Did that sound mean? Sorry- not!)

From Keska: Oh... You... Mean... Seth Harpper... Sorry, I haven't spoken to Seth in over a month. Last time I tried calling him, I got the message: “The wireless number you are trying to reach is no longer in service." Sorry, Jessie, guess you’re on your own with this one. I was speaking out loud as I was texting Jessie back.

The guys were getting a good chuckle out of all of it. My phone pinged again.

From Jessie: Well, can't YOU just go tell him to leave me alone!!?

KESKA: Typical Jessie, she thinks I got left behind again. That's the way it usually goes in my family. If I am not standing right in front of their faces, I don't exist. I let out a frustrated sigh.

"What does she want now?" Frank asked.

KESKA: “Typical family shit, they all seem to forget about me unless they want me to do something for them, and right now Jessie thinks I'm back home and can just run over to Seth's place and tell him to back off." I told him.

KESKA: I sent a quick text to Mackie to give her a heads-up on what was happening with Jessie just in case Seth tried to come cry on her shoulder. Seth didn't give her his new number either, so I don't, for see her being too sympathetic to him right now either.

KESKA: "Do any of you have Seth's number?" I asked. Pete, one of the warriors, answered, "My little brother David has it, I think, they are on the hockey team together." "I hate to ask this, Pete, but will you call your brother? And see if he can go and distract Seth, maybe get him out on the ice or something?" I really did hate to ask him, but since I was here and not at home, it was all I could do. I know what you’re thinking, hockey practice in the spring. We have an indoor rink, and the coach took a page from the football coach. Senior class practices year-round, and it's not like it’s constant, maybe 3 days a week, 3–4 hours a day, to help the next year’s team be at their best for the start of the season.

Pete was riding shotgun next to Frank, and he turned slightly in his seat to look back at me. "Aren't you and Seth friends?" he asked. "I haven't spoken to Seth in over a month. I think he got a new number and hasn’t bothered giving it to me or Mackie.” Pete pulled out his phone to call his little brother.

"Hello," Dave answers. "Hey little Bro, how are you doing?" Seeing as all of us are wolves, we can hear both sides of the conversation, especially being in such close quarters.

Even me, and I technically, don’t get my wolf for another two and a half years, but then again, if anyone actually paid attention, they would know things were different with me, other than just my looks.