It’ll look intimidating at first when you see all those people, but you get used to it after awhile. Just remember that you’ll have Cody, Melissa, my parents, and me up there with you, so you’re not alone. We all had to go through our first meeting, think of it as a milestone we’re finally hitting, he tells me as he slips his shoes on to tie them.
Yeah, I guess you’re right, I whisper, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands.
Come on, we gotta meet up with Cody in the courtyard to talk through some things before it starts, he tells me as he kneels in front of me to put my one shoe on before making sure my boot was secured.
We met with Dr. Moore a few days ago and he told me that I didn’t have to use my crutches, but if it starts to hurt again, then I could. I felt a lot better being able to just freely walking without having to worry about the crutches slowing me down. I stood up with Joey’s help before taking his hand and walking out the door with him.
When we get to the courtyard, I see some people setting up chairs in rows while more people set up the stage that was collapsible and was usually held in a shed that sat next to the quarter house. Melissa stood next to Cody as he talked to some guards that were nodding to whatever the beta was saying.
When Cody noticed us, he said one final thing to the guards before giving them a smile and coming over to us. Okay, so I have a few things that I know we need to talk about. You have no idea how many people have asked me about the whole rogue situation, that should be our top priority.
Joey nods his head. It definitely is. I found out from Jay that we have 35 new guards and they’re figuring the schedule out right now, but we’re hoping to have at least 60 guards on the perimeter at one time until all of this is solved.
Melissa came to stand next to me. They usually talk like this about pack stuff, they use a bunch of names of people I have no idea who they are. You shouldn’t even ask who they are because it’s a new name every minute, you’ll get super overwhelmed if you try to learn everyone’s names that they say.
I nod my head. I’ll keep that in mind. Do you know how many guards we even have ?
I haven’t asked in awhile, but I know it’s over 200 who are willing to be known as guards, especially during a time like this. We usually have about 20 guards guarding our perimeter, which isn’t enough. Right now, we’re in a state of emergency, meaning that we have to double up on guards and check everyone to make sure they’re meant to be here, she tells me, crossing her arms as she watches the people setting up the meeting.
What do you think will happen with the rogues ? I ask her as I can hear Cody and Joey talking to each other next to us.
She lets out a sigh. I think something bad will happen before it gets better.
Why do you say that ?
Because that’s usually what happens, she whispers, staring out at the trees and I notice the look on her face that looks so scared. I reach out, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as I set my head against hers as she leans into me.
I know you’re scared, I am too, but we have to trust that they’re going to do what’s right and what will protect us in the end, I whisper to her, hating to see my best friend so terrified of the future. She nods her head against mine as she continues to stare off into the distance.
About an hour later, Cody, Melissa, Lila, Conner, Joey, and I stood up on the stage. I stood next to Joey, who was standing in front of a podium with a microphone on it along with a clipboard with multiple points that he needed to get to during the meeting. Cody stood next to him in front of another podium while Melissa stood next to her boyfriend. Lila and Conner stood next to me with a microphone in their hands, in case they had anything to say.
I looked into the crowd to see people walking towards the courtyard to take a seat. I catch a glimpse of Isaac with an older woman, an older man, and a kid and I assume it’s his family as they take their seats. I watch as Tyler sits next to him along with her parents as they all start talking.
You doing alright ? I know this is a lot, Lila asks me as she stands next to me.
I clear my throat, realizing how dry it suddenly is. Yeah, it-it’s a lot. I don’t even know what to think right now.
What I’ve learned is to focus on that they’re not looking at you. They’re forced to attend these meetings and they’re all probably just tired and want to get back home. Just remember that and maybe it’ll help you like it helped me, she tells me with a small smile.
I nod my head at her. Thank you.
Joey reaches over to wrap his arm around my waist to pull me into his side before kissing the top of my head. How’re you feeling ?
I’m okay, I feel better than I thought I would, I tell him, looking up at him with a smile.
Good, I’m glad, he whispers, kissing my head again before looking back out at the crowd. I notice that everyone’s signing something at a table and I guess they all have to check in, so we’re aware that they were here and didn’t decide to skip out.
There’s a lot more people here than usual, Cody says.
There are ? I ask, noticing that almost all of the chairs are taken or saved by bags and clothing. There are still people walking in by the group and the line at the check-in table is pretty long.
Meetings are mandatory for everyone over 18, so we usually have about 450 people here when we really have over 600 people in the pack. I guess because this is about the recent rogue attacks that people decided to bring their kids for them to hear what we’re going to say, Joey tells me.
I nod my head, looking back out at the diverse group of people. About 15 minutes later, the meeting starts and Joey starts it off by naming the 35 new guards to thank them for stepping up to help the pack. I stand next to my boyfriend, kind of hiding behind him while my hand grips the back of his flannel for some stability as I watch as everyone in the crowd’s eyes scan over the six of us as we stand up on the stage.
Once Joey finishes naming all the new guards, Cody clears his throat. I know you are all worried about the recent rogue attacks, but with these new guards, we will have more security than ever. We are actively working on trying to track down the pack that seems to be targeting us. Whether it be soon or later, we will find them and serve out their consequences for hurting out pack.
Due to the recent events, hunting will be on a curfew of 9PM every night. You all will be assigned hunting groups that you must go with if you would like to hunt. Each group will have two guards running with them for extra protection. You must be over the age of 21 to hunt, as of right now. Once we lift the restrictions, you all will be the first to know, Joey says. I notice the way some people get angry knowing that you have to be a certain age to hunt, which makes me think, what’s hunting to them ? Do they just shift into their wolves and run around to kill animals ?
Conner clears his throat and I look over at him as he lifts the microphone up to his mouth. If you leave the camp to go hunting after 9PM or you go alone at any time of the day, you will be given one strike on your record, no exceptions.
Some people start to groan and stand up to say something, but my eyes widen when I see Joey and Cody raise their hands at the same time and all talking ceases. I notice the smile that Melissa has on her face when everyone goes silent and those people who stood sit down again. I tighten my grip on Joey’s shirt as I see the power that he holds in his hands being used. I see the hint of a smile on his face when he notices the way I’m looking at him, but he holds it back as he continues to look at his pack.
There will be no exceptions to that restriction. If you go hunting after the curfew or go alone at all, you will receive a strike because you not only will be putting yourself in danger, you’ll be putting all of us at risk, Joey says before moving on from that topic.
The meeting lasts an hour and once it’s over, we all make out way to the quarter house as everyone else moves back towards their own houses in groups. When we walk into the house, Lila lets out a sigh as she falls back onto the couch. Well, that went good.
Yeah, it did, I’m pretty surprised no one made too big of a deal over the hunting thing, Melissa says, sitting down on the couch next to her boyfriend.
Cody wrapped his arm around his girlfriend before letting out a sigh. Well, they were about to until we stopped them. I don’t even wanna know how that would’ve turned out.
My phone started vibrating in my pocket and when I saw that it was my mom, I went into Joey’s room and put the phone up to my ear. I sat up on the bed, pressing accept before holding the phone up to my ear. Hey, Mom, how are you-
She interrupted me instantly as she heard my voice through the phone. Kade, something happened.