No!

Alic POV

I wake up to momma Ray's screaming again and quickly make my way down stairs. Breakfast served and coffee poured. Strangely I can reach the pot much more easily. I grab a piece of toast as I am dismissed to get ready for school.

"Man I'm hungry " the voice returns.

"No this is not real I am not crazy!" I think as I get dressed.

"That's right you're not. We need to talk tho." The voice says.

"NO! Shut up! Shut up! Shut UP!!"

The voice goes away and I breath a sigh of relief. Now for school.

○●○●○●

School was rather uneventful. Ruby was quiet all day which is odd. She told me her dad says to her "if you keep your mouth shut too long your tongue will beat your brain to death." I thought it was a funny way to say you talk too much but I guess she is testing thet theory today.

I noticed alot of the kids kinda stink... I guess I just never paid attention to it before. The bell hurts my ears but I'm adjusting. After my nap in the woods everything is heightened and I feel on edge.

Towards the end of the day Ruby finally talks to me.

"Hay Alic." She says awkwardly "you wanna come over to my house?" I was surprised no one ever goes in that community unless they live there. Poppa Jay says it's a cult.

"Ummm... am I allowed?" I ask unsure about this.

"Yea... I asked my dad and he said I could. I guess I talk about you alot... he wants to meet you." She says.

"You talk about me?" I ask. It is odd to think someone cares enough to talk about me in any good way... And her dad wants to meet me?... I dont know about this.

"Yea of course your my best friend! Come on I just wanna hang out... we can play board games, watch TV, video games. Come on it'll be fun!" She says. Well poppa Jay did say he wanted me to stay away more so why not.

"Yea I guess I could go." I say.

"Great!" She says with a smile.

Ruby's POV

All day I tried to get the nerve to ask him over. It's not something I've ever done and I know what the kids at school think of the pack. When I finally ask he agrees to my surprise. After school I grab his hand and pull him along with me. Alpha Aaron told me to walk ahead of the rest of the pups so the teens could watch me but so none of the others would let anything slip and freak him out.

"What are you doing?" Alic asks as I pull him through the crowd.

"We gotta hurry... dad has to work tonight and I want you to meet him." I lied but I needed a good explanation for the hurry. We ran past the pack kids and kept a quick pace staying a good bit ahead of them. He kept up easily. He hes to be a wolf no way he could keep up other wise. It is a long walk home. I usually don't mind but with Alic it was awkward and tense. We don't bring outsiders into the pack boundaries ever. The looks we're getting are driving me nuts.

"Here we are." I say as we finally hit the security checkpoint. They let us through no problem but I can see them eyeing Alic. I'm nervous for him and he doesn't even know what he's in for.

Alic's POV

Ruby pulled me ahead of the others as we basically ran through town toward the wooded community she calls home. It was awkward and silent the entire time until we reached a gate in the woods blocking the road we are on.

"Here we are." Ruby says as the men let us in. They are looking at me like I have three heads... this is so weird.

"Hay... not to complain but how long to your house? we've been walking forever." I say.

"Not long." Is her reply.

We go through the woods a while then it opens up to a large area with many houses. I hadent realized how big this community was until I saw it. I couldn't say how many houses there were but alot. There is a big house in the middle that looks like a mansion. Ruby leads me to one a few houses down from the mansion. Still big and nice. Two stories with a big porch.

"This is me!" Ruby says happily as we step onto the porch. She opens the door and we walk in.

I can hear voices speaking in hushed tones.

"Who all is here?" I whisper knowing I hear more than just her dad.

"Why don't you come in and see for yourself." A low male voice echos. How did he hear me? That voice... it didn't sound scary but something about it makes me shake all the same.

"Come on." Ruby says leading me through the house to a small sitting room.

"This is my.. um... uncle Aaron, his... wife Lilly, and my dad Clay." Ruby says.

"Nice to meet you pup." Aaron says as he holds a hand out to me. I take it and can see him inhale deeply. What is going on here. No way this is her uncle she could hardly say the word.

"Ummm you too Aaron." I could see his teeth clench as I said his name. What's wrong with this guy. He let's go of my hand and looks to the other adults.

"Well you two go play in the other room." Aaron says over his shoulder the other adults not speaking.

"Yes sir." Ruby says and pulls me into a much larger living room with a TV.

"Wanna watch TV?" She asks.

"No. I wanna know what that was all about!" I say

"Shhhh! Calm down or they'll hear you." She pleads in a hushed voice. How could they hear me we are on the other side of the house.

"They heard you at the front door." The voice says.

"No not you... SHUT UP!" I think. I've found that when I will it to shut up the voice goes away at least for a while.

"What is going on?" I ask matching her hushed tone.

"Come on one show then I'm sure you will get some answers." Ruby says.

"Fine." I respond and throw myself on the couch.

Clay's POV

I could smell the boy as soon as he came in and I get what Ruby was saying. Something about him seems familiar. Seeing him walk into the room he looked familiar too. Alpha Aaron got a good whiff of him and sent the kids away.

"Definitely a wolf." He says turning to me.

"And not a rouge." Alpha Lilly adds

"He belongs to someone." Alpha Aaron says

"No from what Ruby said he was abandoned as a toddler." I tell them.

"We need more information about his past." Alpha Aaron says and his eyes become unfocused. Most likely mind linking someone to look him up.

"What are you gonna do with him?" I ask. I don't know why but I want to protect the boy.

"I don't know yet." Alpha Aaron responds

"We could always put him in the western sector of my territory we have many orphan pups there." Alpha Lilly suggests.

"He's not rouge tho." Alpha Aaron says "he belongs to a pack. Born into it. Someone must want him."

The room got quiet. The orphan pups Alpha Lilly's pack takes in are rouge. No one to miss them abandoned and alone. He doesn't have the foul oder of a rouge so he must have a family in a pack somewhere.

"We need to talk to him." Alpha Aaron says "the only info we can get is that he was in a hospital at the age of 2 then in a children's home and bounced around after that. No history before that no telling where he came from."

Alic's POV

We sat through some cartoon that I didn't really watch I just watched the door.

"You ok?" Ruby asks after the 20min show is over.

"Yea... can you tell me what's going on now?" I ask

"We're gonna need some answers first pup." The man... Aaron says as the adults enter the room. Ruby looks down not meeting his eyes. This is making me mad no one is telling me anything and he wants answers from me?

"Why do you keep calling me that!" I ask looking the man in the eye. I can't keep my eyes locked on his long and I look away just like Ruby. Man he is intimidating.

The man chuckles. Surprisingly he answers.

"I call you that because it's what you are... pup." He says popping the p's. Not really an answer but at least it's something. "Now my turn. Do you remember anything from before you were orphaned?"

Why does he care?

"Ummm why?" I ask

"Because I need to know and I asked nicely." He says. Man this guy won't give a straight answer.

"Nothing before the hospital. I was 2 what do you expect?" I answer.

"Why were you in the hospital?" He asks.

"Hay shouldn't it be my turn?" I ask remembering how he opened his first question.

The man laughs out loud this time and I flinch away as he steps closer.

"I like you pup. You got a backbone. Fine ask your question." He says.

I take a breath. His presence is intimidating but he actually seems nice enough.

"Why did you bring me here?" I could tell as soon as he was introduced he was the reason I was here.

"Perceptive little one. I wanted to meet you." he says. This man won't give me anything. "Now my question."

"I was found bleeding in the road. They took me to the hospital and saved my life." I say

"What were your wounds?" He aks.

"Nope my turn. What is this place?" I ask knowing I'm testing his patience but he is obviously boss here and I want answers.

"My pack." He answers "your injuries?"

I don't know how to answer that so I turn away from him. I don't know what hurt me only the marks it left. I place a hand on my chest remembering.

"Answer ME!" His words make me stiffen and I feel my hands reach for the bottom of my shirt. I slide it off and turn to the man.

A stand there chest exposed. I'm boney from lack of food and brushed from my foster father and brother. Amid all the fresh brusing three white lines stand out stretching from my shoulder to my hip.

"This is what they were healing!" I yell trying not to cry. I remember the pain of the marks when they were fresh. Feeling embarrassed I put my shirt back on.

"Rouges." The man whispers.

"Those bruses." Ruby says from behind me.

"The "Love" of my "family."" I tell her.

"My turn." I say and the man turns back to me as he was facing the other adults. He raises his eyebrow and I take it as permission to continue. "What are rouges?"

"Packless werewolves." He says.

My jaw drops. werewolves? WEREWOLVES!? What the?

"They are just a story." I say.

"You know better than that." He says.

"No I don't!" I tell him. This guy is crazier than me!

"My turn." He says and I look up at him. "Where were you after school yesterday?" That surprised me. What does that have to do with anything?

"Nowhere." I say he looks down at me and I hear a faint growl. "I fought with my foster brother and ran off into the woods and passed out."

"Hmmm... how about I tell you what happened?" He says.

"I just told you..." I start.

"Do you want answers or not?" He asks. I don't have words so I just nod. He walks around the room and sits on the couch. The other adults join him. "Have a seat pup." I sit in the chair opposite them and Ruby sits at her father's feet.

"What's going on?" I ask finally finding my voice.

"Yesterday after school your brother hit you correct?" He asks and I nod "you lost a tooth." It wasn't a question but I still nod in reply. "You had pain all over your body so you ran." I'm sure I look like a dashboard ornament bobbing my head up and down. He's been right so far. "Over the course of I'd say a half hour you coughed up all your teeth." I stopped nodding that wasn't real! no way that was me being crazy! I have my teeth I checked as soon as I woke up. "Then the pain got worse and you shifted. You ran through the woods then met a black wolf. He ran you off. Then at some point you either shifted back or were knocked unconcious."

"I ran into a tree." I said looking at the ground embarrassed. The man laughed. "No that wasn't real! Werewolves don't exist!"

"You are a tough nut to crack pup." The man says. "Your wolf really hasn't talked to you at all?"

"My wolf?" I ask

"A voice in your head." This time its Ruby talking. "Its like another personality in your head but it is a part of you. You are one together."

"No you hear voices because you are crazy." I say.

"Well then I guess I'm nuts!" The man says with a laugh.

"Me too!" the woman says smileing at me.

"Same here!" Ruby's dad says.

"All of you? Really?! Ruby?!" I ask.

"Yup!" She says "ever since I shifted."

No way! I'm not crazy?! Maybe they are all crazy.

"I can't hear it right now... I kinda told it to shut up... Like every time I heard it." I say.

The man laughs again. Shaking his head as he speaks.

"You blocked him out." Still laughing he continues "wow pup he's gonna be mad at you... listen take a breath and open your mind... Start with hello."

I roll my eyes but listen to the man. I take a breath.

"Hello... ummm wolf?" I think

"Well it's about time you little twit!" The voice says.

"Soooo... these guys aren't crazy... I have a wolf?!" I think.

"Well no duh... you are so thick I've been trying to talk to you for the past 26 hours jerk." My wolf says "and it's more accurate to say you are a wolf we may be different but we are still one."

"Ok... um wolf. Nice to meet you." I think. I can feel him roll his eyes and laugh.

"Yea you too human." He says

"Sooo youguys seem on better terms yes?" The man says with a smile.

"Umm yea." I say

"Good." He says standing Ruby and the adults join him and I follow. "I guess proper introductions are in order. I am not Ruby's uncle." Well No duh was all I could think but I said nothing. "I am Alpha Aaron Rose and this is the Midnight Moon pack. My mate Alpha Lilly of the Red Rivers pack. My Beta and Ruby's father Clayton. In a pack you address the leaders by title."

"Sooo Alpha Aaron, Alpha Lilly, Beta Clayton." I say nodding to each of them. "Its nice to meet you."

"You too Alic." Alpha Aaron says "one more question... what is your full name?"

"Well I don't really know Alaric is my first name I know that. I apparently told them as much in the hospital. They filled in the rest with Alaric Jameson Cloverfield after the home that got me." I saw the Betas eyes go wide.

"Shift." He said to me.

"What?!" I ask alarmed by the order.

"Shift!" He repeats.

"Clay calm down!" Alpha Lilly says

"Shift now!" He yells at me and I step away.

"Clay!" Alpha Aaron says forcefully. Beta Caly calms slightly and looks at the Alpha.

"I need to see his wolf Aaron." He says quietly. Alpha Aaron nods.

"Alic listen to me." The Alpha says kneeling so he is eye to eye with me. "We need you to shift again." Seeing the fear in my eyes he continues. "It won't hurt as bad... the more you do it the less it hurts." I nod to him then realize I don't know what to do.