Game of Destiny by Dripping Creativity novel Chapter 8

Game of Destiny

Chapter 8-1

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was sitting in the back of a truck, riding alongside an Alpha I barely knew, en route to a pack I had never heard of. How had I let myself agree to such a reckless plan? It felt like I was losing my mind—accepting an offer so extraordinary and risky. And Finlay, the Alpha, must have been even crazier to make such an offer in the first place. What kind of Alpha would offer a place in their pack to someone who wasn’t even a wolf? Clearly, only a mad one. And yet, here I was, the fool who had agreed to climb into his truck. I had even suggested taking my own car so I could drive away if I changed my mind—and I was sure I would. But Finlay had insisted it made more sense to travel together, to get to know each other better along the way.

I glanced out the window as the thick forest blurred past and broke the silence. “If your pack has only existed for two years, have you even ranked yet?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

“No, we haven’t. We didn’t leave our old pack until just about two years ago, after the latest games,” he replied.

“That sounds rough,” I muttered.

“It really does,” he agreed, his voice softer now. There was a brief pause as the truck rumbled along the road. Then, with a lighter tone, he added, “Since you’re coming with me and don’t really have a choice, I suppose I should tell you about our history. It’s bound to come up sooner or later, so better you’re prepared.” His cheerful voice didn’t quite match the weight of what I sensed was coming. I tensed, bracing myself.

“Okay,” I said cautiously.

“Have you ever heard of the Ocean Shore pack?” he asked. I snorted.

“Have I heard of the pack that’s ranked in the top three for the last hundred years? Of course I have,” I answered. He gave me a small smile, but it wasn’t his usual relaxed one.

“Alpha Johannes was my father,” Finlay said quietly, and I felt my breath catch. One of the most powerful Alphas in recent memory was his father? He had belonged to the Ocean Shore pack—and then left? My curiosity peaked.

“My father was a great and powerful Alpha,” Finlay continued, “but he had a cruel streak—something he knew about and kept tightly controlled. He only let it surface when dealing with rogues or during times of war.” I nodded, understanding that it wasn’t unusual for Alphas and Betas to have a darker side. “He passed away a little over two years ago. It was during a rogue attack that went terribly wrong. He was injured while rescuing some pups that had gotten lost.”

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. The words felt insufficient, but I didn’t know what else to say.

“Thank you. It was a difficult time,” Finlay admitted. “After his death, my brother Jason became the new Alpha since he was the oldest. I didn’t mind; I always knew that would happen. But Jason had the same cruel streak as my father—only he didn’t control it. He let it take over completely. At first, I didn’t want to believe it, but eventually I couldn’t ignore it. My instinct was to challenge him for the Alpha role, but my mother begged me not to. She had just lost her mate and didn’t want to see one son kill the other. So I obeyed her wishes and asked the council for permission to form my own pack. They granted it, and when I told my brother, he lost his temper. He called me a traitor and forbade me from entering the pack lands again. Before I left, I offered every pack member the chance to join me. Nearly half of them came with me.”

“That takes real courage,” I said, impressed. His smile in response was genuine and warm.

“I’m not sure about that,” he replied with a hint of humor. “If I’d known what I was getting into, maybe I wouldn’t have even thought about it. Do you know how much paperwork running a pack involves? There’s an endless mountain of it.” He chuckled, and I laughed with him, understanding the need to lighten the mood when discussing such heavy topics.

“Not as glamorous as you imagined?”

“Not even close. And then there’s the constant stream of complaints and questions. ‘Alpha, his apartment in the pack house is two square inches bigger than mine.’ ‘Alpha, why doesn’t he love me?’ ‘Alpha, why is the sun brighter than the moon?’ I swear, the questions never end.” He said it with a grin, but I could tell he didn’t hate it as much as he pretended.

“Have you managed to settle the pack down yet?” I asked.

Chapter 8-2

“Yes. We pooled our resources and bought a decent amount of land. It took some time to build houses and establish good relations with the local authorities, but now we’re finally starting to see the fruits of our labor,” he explained.

“And do they know you’re bringing a stray home?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He laughed at my question.

“I told my Beta, Martin, and my Gamma, Sam. I asked them to inform the pack that we’d have a guest staying. If I know my pack, they’ll all be excited to meet you,” he said with a smile. “How do you feel about that?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify