Chapter 3: Our New Home

"Stop right there!" A males voice erupted through the forest.

I turned my head to and spotted a bulky man coming towards us. There was a little brown she wolf at his side, probably there to act as back up.

The man snapped, "This is Snow Wolf Pack, what the hell are a bunch of rouges doing inside our borders?"

Nat stepped behind me and Luke just stared at the ground.

I stepped forward and bowed my head, "I want to speak to your Alpha. The three of us are seeking refugee."

The male looked at us with suspicion in his eyes. It was obvious he didn't trust us. He looked down to the female guard who nodded back to him and then turned her muzzle up to the sky. She let out a sharp and loud howl, signaling to the rest of the pack of the oncoming trio.

"Come with us, but don't get any funny ideas. Our pack knows you're here now." He scoffed.

"Thank you." I smiled a little to show my appreciation.

He nodded back at me and turned to walk further into the woods. The little female walked behind us, keeping a close eye on us. Luke seemed uncomfortable to be around so many she wolves at once. I never noticed how incredibly shy he was before because he had actively avoided being around me while we were at the shack. Nat on the other hand was very curious and kept looking around the forest.

"I don't see any snow?" She whispered.

"It's still summer. We won't have snow till around October." The male guard corrected her.

I scanned my surroundings. Taking note of how far the pine trees stretched up in the sky and how bushy the cedar trees were. I could hear a river in the distance, but I couldn't see it from where we were. The smell of pack wolves filled my nostrils, it must've been a large pack.

Before long, we entered a clearing that had a walking path leading up to a massive three story house. That must be the pack house. I thought to myself.

The female guard shifted back into her human form as we reached the front porch. Her clothes were neatly piled up on a chair. I turned to see Luke had turned his back and his cheeks flushed pink. Poor Luke wasn't sure how to feel about all these women. I was shocked to see her human form compared to her small brown she wolf form. Especially considering I've always heard Snow Wolves were silver and white.

"I'll go see the Alpha. Stay here." The male guard snapped.

He disappeared into the house and slammed the door. The little she wolf guard turned around to face us once she had her clothes situated. She was skinny with long blonde hair. She was actually really pretty.

"Don't mind Ricky, he's just protective." She reassured us.

"We understand. We are guests in your territory, we have no right to complain." I calmly shook my head.

"Still. He can be a little stiff." She laughed.

"Shut up, Tracey." Ricky come back out the front door and glared at the she wolf. Tracey just shrugged her shoulders and rolled her pretty blue eyes.

"Our Alpha has agree to at least listen to what you have to say. Follow me." Ricky said sternly.

I follow the guard wolf downstairs to the basement, urging my companions to follow me. The basement had a dark red carpet. A leather couch sat on side of the room by a TV. A dark wood table on the other. That's where the Alpha was.

The Alpha was quite handsome. He had dark brunette locks of hair that was neatly combed down on his head. His eyes were a pretty hazel green and brown color. His jawline was perfectly chiseled.

He cleared his throat and I realized I had been staring. I shook my head and walked to the opposite end of the table. Nat and Luke stood behind me.

"This is Alpha Travis." The guard, Ricky mouthed at me from behind his Alpha.

"My guard wolves informed me of a group of rouges requesting an audience with me. I would like to know who you are why you were banished before I even entertain your requests." Travis sighed and gave me a hard stare.

I nodded to him, "My name is Ann Wind. I was exiled for refusing to bed my Alpha because I was loyal to my mate. The pack took the Alphas side and I was banished."

He eyed me suspiciously, but turned his gaze to Nat who nervously lowered her gaze, "My name is Nat... I'm..."

"She's my mother. She argued for my dignity in front of the Alpha regarding his advances made towards me. She was also banished for making claims that were declared false by the Alpha." I spoke up.

Nat gave me a thankful gaze and spoke more confidently this time, "My name is Nat Wind. It is as my daughter says."

"I-I am..." Luke studdered, "L-Luke. I was b-born a r-rouge. My m-mother abandoned m-me when I was a p-pup."

Alpha Travis raised his eyebrow, "Just a regular band of misfits I see. While I sympathized with you three, I can't accept anyone who can't hold their own weight. What can you offer my pack?"

"Nat is good at cleaning and cooking. Luke was a guard for our little rouge shack. He can learn to be a pack guard." I tell him.

"Very well. What about you?" He asked, his gaze softening.

"I can help cook and clean-"

"I don't need two maids, but I do need a nanny. Are you good with pups?" He interupted me.

I was startled, but answered quickly anyways, "Yes. I used to watch pups in my old pack."

"Perfect. Luke will join the guards. You and your female companion will become omegas. I want you to watch over my son and educate him. Nat can start her kitchen duties in the morning. Any complaints?" Alpha Travis sat up and straightened his paperwork.

We all nodded no. He dipped his head, "Great. Ricky will take Luke to the sparring pit. Tracey will take Nat to the omega house. Ann will stay in the spare room next to my sons room. I want you to go ahead and meet him. I'll take you up."

I flinched when I realized Nat would be staying in the Omega house by herself. I thought we'd be together, but I'm being assigned to the main pack house. I wasn't in any position to refuse though.

I said goodbye to Nat who reassured me she would be okay. If she could handle James will these years, a few omegas wouldn't take her down. Luke didn't say much before he left. Then it was just me and Travis.

Travis got up and walked toward the stairs, "Follow me." He commanded.

I followed after him, admiring his backside without even realizing it. I flushed red as I tried to put my attention back up on his shoulder blades.

Travis walked me up stairs and stopped after passing a few rooms. He pointed to a door to my left, "That will be your bedroom. Andrew's room is to the right."

He knocked on the door and a little boy hesitantly opened it. He couldn't have been much more than 2 feet tall. He had pretty silver hair and the same hazel eyes as Travis. My eyes stopped on a scar that stretched from kids eyebrow down to his nose bridge. He was shy and nervous. He clutched a stuff toy wolf in his arms.

"Andrew, meet Ann. She will be your new nanny." Travis pushed me forward.

I bent down to be on his level and smiled at him, "I like your wolf."

His little cheeks flushed pink and he mumbled, "Thank you..."

"Can you show me around?" I asked him.

The little boy nodded and he went back in his room. He flagged me with his hand and I walked in. Travis left once we were inside.

"This my room. No one except me is allowed in here." He asserted.

"Not even me?" I pouted my lip at him.

He turned around and seemed to be in thought for a moment, before he answered, "Well you seem nice. So I guess you can."

I smiled and pointed to his dresser where he had a bunch of wolf figures neatly lined up, "You have your own little pack?"

His eyes lit up and he smiled, "Yes! That one's Travis cause he looks like daddy. That one there, that's Tracey because she's so scrawny. That one there is..."

I let the little boy introduce me to all his toy wolves. He even told me what their rank was and who they were friends with. I smiled to myself, I forgot how happy spending time with the pups made me. Seeing little Andrew here reminded me of my own son Max. Max had little collection toys with names as well. He loved to invent stories for them.

"I like you, you're not mean like the other lady. She makes fun of me." Andrew smiled.

"Well I won't be mean to you. You're just too cute!" I playfully tickle the pup.

Andrew blushed at what I said, but he laughed and giggled when I tickled him. Thrashing against my hands. I think I won him over already. That will help me keep my place in the pack.

I didn't know his father was standing outside the door listening at the time, but I noticed his presence when I heard his foot steps go down the stairs. I figured he just wanted to see how I would treat his son. I couldn't blame him, I wouldn't leave my pups with a strange wolf either without watching them first.

"I wanna show you around the house. Come on." Andrew wrapped his little fingers around my hand and lead me downstairs to the living room.

I made sure to try and learn everything I could on Andrew's little tour, so I wouldn't get lost. He showed me where all the pack members liked to sit in the living room and then showed me all his favorite movie he liked to watch. Then he walked me into the kitchen where he told me his mom used to make his cookies.

"Would you like me to make you some?" I asked him.

Andrew's eyes lit up again, "Yes! Chocolate chip is my favorite."

"Alright, chocolate chip it is!" I walk over to the cabinets after helping Andrew to get on top of a stool at the bar.

I pulled out a measuring cup and basic ingredients then made my way over to the refrigerator and grabbed the milk along with a bag of chocolate chips. Andrew curiously watched me mix the ingredients up.

I turned around and asked, "Would you like to help?"

Andrew nodded eagerly, "Grab a chair and I'll let you mix the ingredients."

Andrew jumped down from his stool and grabbed a chair from the table. He slowly brought it over the counter beside me and climbed into the seat where he could reach. I handed him the spoon and shoved him how to stir the batter. Once I made sure he was stable, I look down in the lower cabinets for a pan. After I sat it on the stove, I laid a cookie sheet over the top of it and sprayed it with non stick spray.

I let Andrew help me roll the cookies up into balls before putting out on the sheet and pressing them down to get a flattened shape. Then Andrew tried to make one look like a wolf. It was a decent attempt for a little boy, but it looked more like a smushed wolf.

Still I encouraged him, "It looks just like an Alpha!"

Andrew cheered, "I wanna give it to daddy when it's done."

I let Andrew "help" me slip the pan into the oven. We sat at the bar while it baked.

"How old are you?" I asked him.

"I'm 3 and a half!" He declared proudly.

I chuckled to myself, "Ooooh you're almost a big boy."

"That's right!" He smiled. "I'm going to be a big strong wolf one day. Then maybe my scar won't be so weird."

"Your scars not weird. It adds character." I told him.

"You're my new favorite wolf. I like you." Andrew shamelessly hugged me around my waist.

"I like you too." I rubbed his back.

I noticed the pup was awfully clingy around a stranger, so I figured he must've been alone most of the time. After he mentioned his scar, I really started to suspect he was bullied. I noticed I never seen his mother or heard mention of a Luna, but I figured that was none of my business.

The time went off and we raced over to the oven to pull out our creations. Andrew's little wolf cookie swelled up and it didn't necessarily look like anything more than a blob of cookie. I let him add another chocolate chip to make eyes for the wolf. He was so proud.

I made him wait till the cookies cooled off a little so that they wouldn't crumble apart when we got them off the sheet. I pulled out a plate and scooped the cookies off onto the plate. Andrew eagerly waited for me to hand him one.

"Tell me how it taste." I gave him one with a lot of gooey chocolate chips.

Andrew excitedly bit into the cookie and purred, "I love it!"

"I'm glad!" I smile at him. I loved how pups got excited over the smallest things.

Travis walked into the room while we were cleaning up after ourselves from our baking adventure. I spotted him and nudged Andrew. Andrew turned around and gasped. I handed him his wolf shaped cookie.

Andrew timidly held the cookie out to his dad, "I made this for you."

"A cookie?" Travis looked at his son in confusion.

"It's not just a cookie," I corrected him, "a WOLF cookie!"

Travis looked at it and turned it over, "It doesn't look like a wolf?"

Andrew frowned and walked back over to me. He grabbed my hand and I shot his father a glare.

"Andrew, why don't you go to your room? I'll come up in just a second." I smiled at the little boy. He nodded and sadly took his cookie plate upstairs.

Once he got out of hearing range, I snapped at Travis, "What the hell was that?"

Travis looked at me bewildered, "What? I didn't do anything."

"Are you daft?" I rolled my eyes and pinched my nose.

"Is that anyway to speak to your Alpha?" He snapped.

"My Alpha hurt his sons feelings! He made that cookie for you thinking you'd like the little wolf shape." I scold him.

"Well it isn't." He stared me in confusion.

"It doesn't matter. You are supposed to pretend it does and thank him for making you a special gift. Now go apologize to your son." I shoved the Alpha towards the stairs.

He protested, but I ended up winning the argument when we reached his son's bedroom. Travis took a nervous gulp and opened the door. Andrew looked up at us, but when he saw his dad, he looked away sadly.

"Hey... Andrew..." Travis called out.

When Andrew wouldn't look at him, Travis turned to me as if he were asking me what to do. I pushed him forward and urged him to talk to his son.

"Look... buddy... I'm sorry." He sighed.

Andrew turned around and looked at his dad with big eyes. Travis continued, "I think it looks just like a wolf and I love it. Thank you."

Travis looked so awkward and uncomfortable having to pretend the cookie looked like a wolf. Andrew threw his arms around his dad's neck and laughed, "I'm glad you like it!"

Travis froze and looked to me for help. I held my arms out and hugged myself. He picked up on my meaning and held his son in his arms. The two sat there for a second before Andrew happily declared.

"Ann and I make the best cookies! You should bake with us next time." He told his dad.

Travis's expression softened, "Maybe if I have time, we'll see little buddy."

The scene warmed my heart and I smiled to myself as I watched Andrew excitedly tell his dad how we made the cookies. He made hand motions to imitate the stirring motion and then talked about how he added chocolate chips to the wolf to make the eyes. I stepped out and let the father and son have their moment.

After a little while, Travis walked out the room and stopped in front of me. He stammered, "Thanks... I haven't heard him laugh like that since he was a baby. I think he likes you, please take care of him."

I nodded and smiled, "I think he likes you too. You should spend more time with him. He was really happy when he made you that cookie. It may not have meant much to you, but to him, that meant the world."

Travis took a second to think about what I said, "I guess I never noticed how little things like that meant so much to a pup."

"It will go a long way if you just entertain their childish ideas and innocence." I tell him.

"Being a parent is hard though. I don't expect an omega to understand what it's like to have pups." He scratched his neck awkwardly.

I had three, I know it better than you do. I thought to myself, but I didn't say anything. Giving too much information about my real identity could put me and my pup at risk. I was just happy to be reminded how nice it was to have a little pup that looks up to you. It gave me a sense of purpose that I desperately missed.