Saturday July 30th Pt. 3

“The families that believed that this attack was a coup found a way to leave during the year Anderson allowed the pack the freedom to leave. For those of you who are not familiar with council law, all alphas must give members five years to decide if they wish to remain in the pack or leave.

Declan believes those who left either went rogue or found their way into a different pack but because the council’s database is locked to him he cannot compare the list of wolves residing in Blue Ridge thirteen years ago to those who are currently there. It is only his loyalty to the oath he took as head of security with Hunter and Melina to protect those within the pack that he remains within its borders. 

Alrik’s poor use of money and refusal to work has left those who remain within the walls of Blue Ridge destitute. Only a select few have found jobs in the neighboring town but his stranglehold on their ability to move around makes keeping that job difficult at best. They need help escaping from a life they shouldn’t be living and I have agreed to provide that help.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Damian’s anger finally boils over. “Why would you help those who didn’t defend the Alpha and Luna. It’s their fault they’re in this mess.” 

I pace silently as I wait for his outburst to subside. 

“All of you will start receiving training on the way we will be interacting with all trespassers coming onto our land. While I will not be returning to open borders with them until Alpha Alrik is removed I will be doing everything I can to help those who want out to do so. Any questions so far?” 

I can only hear Damian still grumbling under his breath. 

“Now, Blue Ridge is on our southeast border. Once Declan was healed enough to comfortably shift I escorted him back to the trail he was using when Damian found him. I went as far as I could with the mule before undressing and shifting to mark the rest of the path. I remained in my wolf form until we got to the border. I crossed into Blue Ridge territory and continued to follow him as he started to break tree branches to make the path he wanted. I stopped at the edge of the trees and watched to make certain he made it home without being attacked. 

Many of the things that he spoke of in our meeting were true. There is no longer a border patrol on their side of the wooded area and his home is located less than a mile from where the tree line begins. While he didn’t detail what his plan was, the most important detail he could give me was the time frame. Every night from 11pm until 1am his access to the security program has allowed him to schedule that time frame as an update time. All the cameras on the property go down allowing him to sneak whoever wants to leave into the woods.” 

I pause to take a sip of my coffee and a bite of the French toast I have sitting on a plate. 

“What I have agreed to is one family at a time. Smaller families can come three times a week but a large family or a family in need of significant medical resources needs to be once a week. The families that need the most help need to come first but I understand that he may have to base it off the ones most eager to leave. He now has a burner phone from me where he has promised to text me details of the family that he’s bringing but we need to be understanding of emergency situations where they have to leave suddenly. I have already alerted the council to my involvement with getting these families out of harm's way and they have given me detailed instructions on how to get my expenses reimbursed. I will be providing them everything they need until the council can work out the family tree as the council prefers keeping families together. If no living relatives are found to help the family through the move then suitable packs that have been vetted will be the next choice for transfer. 

As for you, my warriors. My eyes and ears on the border. Everyone seeking help from me will be in human form. They will be unarmed and likely carrying only what they can in their pockets; backpacks or duffel bags if they have them available. We will approach them with respect. We will ask questions first. If they identify as coming from Blue Ridge seeking sanctuary you are to offer your assistance. If they have an immediate need such as shoes, clothing, water or a light snack; all of those items will be hidden in preplanned spots. A light snack, such as protein bars, and some medical supplies will be carried by at least one person during your patrol.

 You will continue patrolling in your standard groups of six with one person being a field medic. While I believe most questions will be answered during the training sessions that will start next week, what questions do you have now?”

“What’s the plan for getting them back to the pack house?” Ron is the first hand up. 

“If Declan gives me a heads up on the number coming then I can make arrangements to get the mule out there but unfortunately they are going to have to walk until they get to a path the mule fits on.” 

I see another hand go up. I have a difficult time concentrating on the individual as I can see Parker struggling to keep Damian seated. Even though they are nearly equal, Damian ultimately wins and stands suddenly from his seat. 

“Daniel.” I finally call out. 

“Will these families all have children?” 

He uses air quotes around the word family. 

“Yes. According to Declan, the squalid conditions that Alrik has allowed the pack to fall into has resulted in an extremely high mortality rate for pregnant women and children under five. The medical wing of the pack house was illegally shut down five years ago and those who have remained in the pack don’t have the resources needed to seek medical attention when they need it. Alrik has only maintained the services that are necessary for him to live in comfort instead of being a true alpha. The one who protects them all.” 

“Why?” I’m startled by the sudden appearance of my son in my face. 

“Why what?” I ask as I step away from him. 

“Why are you so willing to help them?” He demands, his alpha aura flaring. 

“I have explained that. When Alrik took over everything fell apart. They have an extremely high mortality rate and the pack members are finding themselves having to fight for basic necessities.” 

“But why? They brought this upon themselves when they failed to protect their alpha.” 

He all but screams in my face. 

“A proper alpha fights alongside his warriors. They are the first one out when the pack is attacked and are the last one to return unless they are killed or found severely wounded at which point, yes it’s the pack that will rally around them to save them.” 

“That’s not good enough!” Damian explodes. 

While I will not pretend to know what’s going on with Damian, I most certainly am at a loss for his strong feeling of contempt towards this pack.