The Moon Cliff Pack

Dawn's POV

Waking up this morning felt the most bizarre, the house was in a buzz. You could hear people stirring from all corners of the house and it reminds me about what is happening today. Mates saying goodbye to their loved ones, hoping to return to them safely. The pack cooks can be heard whisking over time down in the kitchen, Gretchen, the head chef yelling at the others to hurry up. I chuckle to myself peeling the warm blankets off me and sliding to the floor.

I walk into my naked walk-in wardrobe, all my clothes packed into a large suitcase except for one single outfit sitting on my shelf. It feels strange, my room feels so bare. I have to admit I am nervous about today, although I have complete trust in my pack members this is our first official pack deal. It makes the whole idea of having my own pack...real and I can't pretend any longer. The pressure is hanging heavily on my shoulders, the expectations feel suffocating at times but I've gone through too much and done too much work to give it all up know. I built a family of my own where what is right is actually what is done.

Dragging my bag down the stairs I walk through the living room leaving my bag by the front door before wandering into the kitchen. Gretchen smiles warmly when she spots me and waves me over and I chuckle peering over her shoulder. Gretchen reminds me of Rosella at times, her homemade cooking, family recipes and the way she makes the whole house smell like cookie dough. Although I love the small reminders of the Alpha pair, it made me miss them more than ever.

"What's for breakfast?" I ask looking into the bowl and I got my answer, she is making waffles. She chuckles turning her head to look at me.

"I'm making your favourite of course, just a lot of it." She says with a smile, getting back to work and I leave her to it. Walking back into the living room I spot Finn waiting for me on the couch. He stands up when he notices me and nods his head respectfully and I give him an nod in return.

"Has the Moon Cliff pack arrived already?" I ask and he shakes his head , flicking his hair over his eyes.

"They should be here soon Dawn, any minute now." He informs me and I nod taking in a deep breath hoping to calm my nerves.

"Is everything prepared for their arrival?" I ask him and he nods his head in agreement and I give him a smile of appreciation. He is a good Beta, making sure everything is ready and taking a lot of the stress right off my shoulders. There is a heavy knock on the front door and one of the men on border patrol walks in.

"Dawn the Moon Cliff pack have arrived and are seeking entrance." He informs me in a very serious way and I give him the look at says this-is-not-the-army before I followed him out the front door. I follow him out the border where a small crowd of about 50 people were waiting patiently outside my land. I walk up to the edge of my territory before I start speaking.

"Welcome to the Non Grata Pack, my name is Dawn and you can call me as such." I say and the crowd goes quiet as they listened and I smiled internally, I was almost afraid they wouldn't respect me at all but it seems as I am giving them refuge they seem to be playing nice. Turning to my left I point at Finn.

"This is Finn my Beta, he will give you a quick tour of the pack land before showing you to your rooms. Over the next few weeks you will be watched over by my fourth in command Sarah while my beta, third in command and I leave to help your pack." I explain allowing them entrance into my land as they follow behind Finn silently, the children clinging to their mothers shirts as they walk into unfamiliar territory, friends clutching each others arms and elderly mates wrapped around each other and I hope they felt comfortable enough being here, I didn't want them to feel like burdens or unwanted considering that's how many see us.

There is barely any time left before we strap ourselves down to their car seats and make the journey to the Moon Cliff pack driving their cars back for them. I feel a presence behind me and I turn with a smile as I spot Patrick walking towards me slowly.

"Hey buddy how are you?" I ask softly bending down in a crouched position and pull him into my arms and patting the hair that's sticking up out of his head.

"Sarah says you have to come back home so she can say goodbye before you leave." Patrick tells me in his soft child voice and I smile nodding my head before scooping him up into my arms and carrying him back to the pack house. He looks over my shoulder as we walk rambling on about a hundred different things at once. I carry Patrick right into the pack house and place him down gently on the couch before walking up the stairs following Sarah's unique scent finding her in the movie room sitting on one of the couches chewing on an handful of popcorn.

"Sarah?" I call out and she jumps off the couch as if a rat had bitten her before she jumps into my arms wrapping them around my back.

"HOW DARE YOU GO BEFORE SAYING GOODBYE!?" She exclaims hysterically and I sigh hugging her back.

"I'm sorry I've had a lot on my mind" I apologise and she sighs loudly almost dramatically might I add before realising me from her killer grip. After we escaped from the pack cells she started to come back out of her shell and revealed herself as having a actually funny, loud and bold personality that almost startled me back into my own shell. I don't think I've completely healed and became the happy girl I used to be, of course this is definitely something I want to do and that makes me happy but it's still not the same as it used to be. I'm missing my parents and being loved whole heartedly by someone in general.

"I'll forgive you." She breaks the news to me with a cheeky smile and I smile softly back at her sweetly. I pull her back into a less dramatic hug and rub her back softly.

"I'm going to miss you while I'm away." I admit and she giggles softly to herself at my admittance.

"Of course you're going to miss me." She says in a lot more serious and less playful voice meaning what she said she takes seriously and I nod. Then I start to feel Finn poking at my mind barrier, meaning he wants to speak to me. I put two and two together and knew it is time for me to leave. I pull out of the hug from Sarah.

"Bye Sarah, I have to go now." I tell her and she nods with a sad smile and watches as I leave the movie room and make my way out to the driveway. The bags have already been packed away into the cars and people were already picking groups that they wanted to travel with. My travel group is already decided, I will be travelling to the new pack with Joey and Finn as I thought it would be easier to keep the leaders of the pack in one car travelling in front of the pack leading the way.

I walk up to Joey and Finn, smiling as the two men kiss their women goodbye. Joey promising his mate he'll come home safe and sound and Finn reassuring his mother that he'll take care of himself and eat right. I chuckle silently to myself as they leave to go back inside and help serve the pack and the new temporary additions breakfast, which smelt delicious by the way and it shall be a pity to be just eating a granola bar in the car on the way.

"Okay guys let's go." I tell them and they all nod their heads climbing into their car waiting for me to lead the way. Joey already volunteered to drive us so I sat in shot gun and Finn sat in the back seat by himself and the thought of him possibly having a mate sit next to him on the way home made my heart pang. It feels heavy and it aches and I push away the feeling and direct my attention back to the road.

"Come on Joey drive." I instruct him and he nods in recognition and starts to drive with the pack following closely behind. The drive only took two hours to reach the pack house of the Moon Cliff pack which is ironically located a few kilometres from the edge of a steep cliff which would over look the moon if it was night time, how perfectly cliché.

Pulling up to the driveway of the Moon Cliff pack, I see who I assume is the pack's Alpha standing in front of a group that must be his top ranked members. It was the future Alpha and then I realised that the Alpha that I knew of must have died for his son to be the one standing where he is now, as the new Alpha of the Moon Cliff Pack.

Climbing slowly out of the car, Finn comes to stand at my side and Joey follows behind as I step towards the new Alpha. It is silent for several minutes as we stand and size each other up. He is tall at least 6'2 with dark brown hair with dark brown eyes to match. He is dressed in what could be described as business casual, a nice button up top and a nice pair of jeans. I noticed how he looked at me, it is shaking, fearful almost not that it isn't suspected. The rogue brand is supposed to make pack members anxious and wary of us, to keep their eye out. A gust of wind flows through the pack land and the smell of the new Alpha slapping into her senses. I can smell his power and I can smell my mate. As much as my wolf is raging against my skin, itching, clawing to get out but now is not the time to latch myself into a lip battle with some young hunk, I am an Alpha and I'm going to act as one...