BODIE POV

I held the phone to my ear and waited for my long time friend, Parker, to answer the phone.

"Not even 24 Hours. You can't live without me, can you?" I chuckled, she knew I would call.

"I need you to do me quite a big favor…" I decided to get right to the point, things needed to happen fast anyway.

"Name it." I loved her. Wickedly good at her job and one of my good friends, lucky me.

"You remember that house I bought a few years ago?"

"The one the guys decided you couldn't live in until you got a wife?"

"Ha! Yeah, it was on a pretty big plot of land…"

"Uhhh, yeah. Almost 300 acres, I understood why you wanted it. It's very beautiful."

"I hope you're not the only one that thinks so. I need you to put some shipping containers on that land. Enough to build 50 houses. And a fleet of cars."

"Done. Should I ask what this is for?"

"I don't think I should say right now, but I really appreciate you doing this." Parker was one of the few people I trusted with my life, but she needed to earn the trust of the others. I wouldn't force it on them.

"Anytime! I'll shoot you a text when everything is set up."

"Great! And, I might call you for more help." I thought I would never see anyone from my team again, I didn't want her to think that I only wanted to talk when I needed her.

"I'm here for you, Bodie. You can call me anytime. I'll text you when it's set and I won't tell anyone." She must have known I was starting to feel uncomfortable and ended the call quickly.

I checked around the room before turning off the lights and getting into the bed. I thought about the beautiful seaside property that I had bought on a whim.

'I think it's a good idea.'

'I thought you were sleeping.'

'No. I'm still here, and I think the pack would like a fresh start.'

. . .

I woke the next morning feeling rested and with the smell of morning rush hour assaulting me. I could hear and smell everything. The coffee the elderly desk clerk was grinding, the body wash from the guest stepping out of the shower in the room next door, exhaust from the cars passing by. It was overwhelming, but it was also the only evidence that I hadn't imagined all the events of the past evening.

'Caine?'

"Good morning Bodie.' I heard his gruff voice come through to me and let out a sigh of relief for the extra confirmation that I hadn't gone crazy.

'Good Morning. What should we do first?'

'A man of action. We have to pee.' I let out a laugh that the neighbors could have heard and made my way out of the bed. I stretched my shoulders on the way to the bathroom to relieve myself. 'After, we should get ready and eat something.'

'Ok, ok Smart ass. I meant, should we run, or rent a car to the pack?' I chuckled and moved to turn the water on for the shower.

'We won't be able to run, there's the other pack lands and we shouldn't run through them. The easiest thing would be to rent a car.'

I stepped into the shower nodding at him, we were on the same page. I showered and freshened myself quickly. I didn't particularly enjoy meeting new people and as I was already walking into a sensitive situation, I wanted to get it over with. I'm sure they spent all night wondering what was going to happen next. No use in keeping them waiting any longer.

After a watery cup of coffee from the front desk and a stale bagel from the deli next door, I took a cab to the nearest car rental location. The business was empty and I was able to get my hands on they keys to a Bugatti Chiron. I sat inside and Caine force his way forward.

'I can drive.' There was fresh excitement coming from him and a purring. Wolves can purr?

'Uh no, I'm going to drive, this is my dream car. I'm considering this a test drive…'

'I will let you drive, if you buy one.'

'Ha! Ok, tough guy.'

I took off down the street trying my best to keep it to the speed limit. When we hit the forest surrounded roads, I picked it up at Caine's insistence. The drive wasn't long, only an hour to the pack gate. Which was mangled, like a bomb had gone off. I carefully drove through the hole barely big enough for the car to fit through. The road was dirt and I could only follow it with Caine's guidance.

I started to see the bodies piled up as we drove on the road between them and the burnt and bombed homes. There were people milling about, some carrying bodies, some trying to patch together windows and stairs on some places. The car came to a slow stop and I realized I had relinquished control to Caine while I looked at the damage.

It was heartbreaking. I stepped out of the car and looked around slowly. I'm sure all my emotion showed on my face. Caine's feelings coupled with mine left me stunned. There was a row of bodies covered with sheets. All different patterns and threads, like they were pulled off random beds. The children who died… It could only be that. I closed my eyes against the tears that began to gather.

When I opened them again, there were a few people beginning to gather around the car. They looked hopeful, If not a little scared. I felt Caine come forward, but it was as if he was standing next to me. One man standing the closest let out a sigh of relief. We stood staring at each other while the others started to gather.

"Alpha, I - " I held up my hand, Caine telling me that this man was named Howard. I looked over the crowd and behind me up toward the burned pack house. I was confident in my plan to leave this place, these people needed that.

"This is… Wow." I turned back toward the group, everyone watching me. "I… I - umm, can we get - do we bury them?" I wanted to start something, but I couldn't do anything with the children lying there.

"We built a pyres for them, Alpha." Howard said quietly.

"I haven't earned the right to be called your Alpha, yet." I looked over the crowd again and saw some people standing with fresh tears in their eyes at the mention of the children. "This place was beautiful, before the war. But, you've all lost so much here." I stopped and my eyes went back to the covered children. I could make out the rose embroidered pattern at the base of one of the sheets.

"I took some liberties after I met Caine. Ah Shit, I never formally introduced myself. My name is Caine Bodeen, I found out yesterday that The wolf's name is Caine too. Everyone just calls me Bodie."

"Alpha Bodie, Sounds nice!!"

'That's Quest. Always the clown.'

I chuckled to show him I acknowledged his compliment. "I have a property that I bought years ago. It's about 300 acres, lots of tree coverage on three sides. The third opens to a beach…" I trailed off to gauge the reaction of everyone. When it was clear I had their undivided attention and no one seemed outwardly offended or angry, I continued.

"I was thinking we could move there. I wouldn't want to walk around a place that was a constant reminder of all the people and things I had lost. And please feel free to tell me to fuck off, that we're staying here and there's nothing I could do about it. I just wanted to be prepared."

"You said there's a beach." One of the teens huddled in the middle called out.

"Yeah. It's apart of the land, so it's private. It's why I bought it." There was a hushed whisper through the crowd charged with excitement. "How does that sound to everyone." I couldn't do more than whisper the question. The people have every right to turn me down, they don't know me. And I'm a human - 'Not anymore. They can sense me inside you, I came forward when Howard stepped up, so he could see that the Moon Goddess' mission was a partial success.'

'Partial?'

'We still have to lead the pack, accept the mate she sends us with grace, grow the pack so we can become strong.' I decided to leave that comment about the mate alone, he did say that the moon goddess sends one to all her children. It was too early to think about that anyway.

"Alpha?" I looked up when I realized they were trying to get my attention.

"Yes. I'm listening."

"You'll get used to your wolf talking to you. It'll become like your thoughts after a while." Howard offered a soft smile. He looked like everyones dad, wearing a flannel shirt and a trucker hat over his bald head.

"I asked when we're leaving." The same kid from the middle of the group spoke up. I would guess that he was about 17, He had a long gash on the bicep of his arm that wasn't done healing.

"Whenever you're ready."