Chapter 2

The woods were bursting with wolves of all shapes and colors when I finally arrived at the home of the Alpha. Autumn leaves coated the ground matching the red color of patches of my own calico fur. The air smelled so cool and crisp that a wolf could almost imagine that she could find a fresh start in this place. And what a beautiful place it was. The main building othe alpha's home was a wonderous wooden mansion that looked as though it was made from logs and blended in with the natural colors of the forest as though it was part of nature itself. Many other smaller buildings were scattered around the estate. I imagined that is where most of his guests would stay along with buildings for his employees and probably a couple just for storage. The Alpha must prefer the outdoors to his extravegant mansion anyway because his gardens were elaborate and provided plenty of room for wolves to train or relax and even a large pavilion for eating and events. A stone wall; however, bared my entry and two wolves, one with a clipboard, stood at what seemed to be the gate to paradise. I shifted into my human form and donned my travel cape that is customary for wolves shifting often who wanted to retain some modesty and joined the long line of  stunning eligible bachlorettes that was growing by the second. How could the Alpha ever pick one. 

"Did you travel far?" the wolf in front of me turned to ask. She had tanned brown skin that showed she enjoys spending a lot of time in the sun and brown eyes to match. Her hair was longer than most she-wolves liked to keep it and reached all the way down to her waist. 

"Not too far, just from the Tail pack about twenty miles west of here." I said trying to make small talk without revealing too much of my family history that would be sure to damn me. I wasn't positive  if these Games would be the right place to make friends at. We were all going after the same guy and any friendship could end in a betryall if a wolf found away to elevate her own status to the Alpha. Would I betray a friend if it would help me win the title of Luna and change my life? Maybe if I didn't make any friends I wouldn't have to find out.

"Lucky, I'm from a Claw pack nearly on the other side of the whole forest. At least if felt that way. I love your hair by the way", the dark haired wolf complimented and I saw the relization hit her.

"You're one of the wolves with mixed fur that he asked specifically for. What an advantage! I bet he has a type," she exclaimed. Neither of us said the words "threat of death", but we were both thinking it and it hung in the air. Would an Alpha kill his packmates all because he simply has a type? Before I knew it we had reached the front of the line.

"Name and Pack, please" said a older female wolf with cat eye glasses and the clipboard.

"Rayven of the Fang Gibbous pack." the girl ahead of me answered. The older wolf wrote something down on her clipboard.

"Cabin H please. Dinner will be at the pavilion at eight. Next!" The wolves eyes widened when she looked up and saw my hair patterning.

"Name and pack." 

"Elma of the Waxing Tail pack." I noticed she flipped to the next sheet to write my details in a different section. 

"Cabin B, please. Dinner is at eight in the pavilion." Rayven had waited to see where I would be asigned, but her face fell when she heard we wouldn't be anything close to roomates. I joined her and her luggage with a shrug. 

"Wow, Cabin B, that sounds way better than H." she commented.

"Well I'm sure they're all about the same. The Alpha won't fall for anyone simply because of there cabin number. And you are from a great pack." I attempted to comfort her. Secretly I was glad I was granted this one advantage. My family was depending on me and I needed everything I could get. My brothers could be being ripped to shreds behind enemy lines at this very moment. It was no time to play the long game.

"Cabin B," I heard the woman say behind me and I turned around to see my new roomate. She was a very slight girl with dappled grey hair cut into a straight bob with bangs. 

The man who stood beside the woman with the clipboard now turned to us. He was as pale as the dead and gave us a greasy smile. 

"Cabin B will be the second one to your left and H will be all the way down to the right."

Rayven's cheerful attitude vanished at a word from this unfortunate fellow. 

"Right. Thanks." she said stiffly and hurried off leaving me and my roomate trudging through the leaves dragging our luggage to the cabin that would be our home for the next several weeks. After a few moments of walking in silence my companion, timid though she seemed, decided to be the first one to break the silence.

"You don't have to worry about me," she said, "I'll never win."