The goal is for Sam and Tim to get together. But I have no idea what happens in between. Suggestions are appreciated. And yes, Do Androids dream of Redheads? does have a similar author's note. BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN I AM GIVING UP EITHER STORY.

Chapter 3

To the Grand Fir Pack

Sam's POV

A few days later, Clover's heat broke. We ate a quick breakfast of dried berries and deer jerky, got our winter coats, and left for our old pack's territory. It would take most of the day to get there. We headed to the forest. It was snowing and the wind was blowing on and off. The trees would provide some cover, but not a lot.

The first half of the journey went by with very little talking. We were still missing our nests. I was in front with Alex and Britney in the back. Clover was in the middle. She was still exhausted. But we couldn't let the heat scent linger. Roaming Alphas or Betas might follow it. It was better for us to have them to find an empty cave rather than unmated females. The nests, food could be replaced.

Things picked around lunch. We had some fresh rabbit and mole. I pilfered some nuts from a food cache. I found it on accident when I was trying to catch a rodent. Alex and I ate the nuts. Our bellies were satisfied for the moment. We talked about what we do when we got to the pack. Eventually, it died down. Then Alex decided to play a game.

"I spy with my little eye something… small." Alex smiled.

"Where'd you learn this game again?" Britney asked.

"My grandma." She answered.

"Ah. A bird?" Brit guessed.

"Nope." Alex shook her head.

"Pine cone?" I threw out.

"Nu huh." She said.

"A tw- Do you smell that?" Clover sniffed.

The strong scent of Alphas blew in on the wind. Alex pushed Clover behind her. I barked in warning. A group of males appeared on the horizon. A male cougar with short, black hair was in front. Next was a brown haired male dog. He had a square chin. The last was another cat, blond. They all had green eyes. Their noses flared.

"We don't want any trouble. Keep moving." I told them.

"We're going to the Grand Fir Pack. I'm Kyle." The blond said.

"The creek is probably flooded. It'd take too long to go around." Britney pointed out.

"Ugh, fine. But we lead." I groaned.

"Hey, cutie." Clover smiled at the cougar.

"Clover, no. That's just post heat talking!" Alex held her back.

"I'm Blaine. I hope we get to talk later." He waved.

"And I'm Dean." The brown haired male tilted his chin.

We all introduced ourselves. I realized Blaine was in late post rut, almost done. I whispered to the girls that we'd have to keep an eye on him in particular. I heard rumors Omegas could get pregnant in between heat and post heat. Alphas could still breed right after rut, although they were less potent. Clover liked his scent. She was pickier around/after heat, but she had the most partners out of us.

We took the lead; the males followed. Kyle and Dean left a buffer between us. The creek was flooded. We crawled over a partial fallen down tree, climbed a few boulders, and took the bridge across. It was high enough the beavers couldn't get to it. After the bridge, it was pretty much a straight shot to the pack. My tail wagged when I saw my mom getting fire wood. She put the bundle down.

"Sam, darling!" She rubbed her cheek on me, marking me.

"Hi, mom." I said.

"Are you here for the night?" She asked.

"Yeah." I nodded, turning back. I frowned.

"The Alphas left to go steam." Alex told me.

"I think Dean's a Beta. Well, him or Kyle. I didn't get a good sniff." Clover said.

"You girls better go eat with your families. We'll meet at the lodge." Mom told them.

They left. We went in the den. Dad was making lentil soup for dinner. I coughed. The smoke went out the smoke hole, but it was an adjustment from been outside all day. I hugged him.

"Hey, sweetie." He marked me.

"We're going to stay the night." I said.

"Good. It's not safe out with the hunters." He stirred the soup. My ears flattened.

"Come sit, dear. It's been too long." Mom sat.

I sat. "How's it been?"

"The Black Valley Pack came to trade a few days ago. Your father traded some seeds for more blankets." She looked at me. "It seems he had the right idea."

"Seeds?" I asked.

"Yes, carrots and tomatoes." Mom nodded.

"They were two years old. It was time." He brought us some water.

We talked as Dad ate. We would be back to eat. He would make sure the soup didn't get cold since he was going stay in the den. Mom and I went to the lodge. It was the only lumber building on pack land. Small with two rooms, the dressing room and main area. Alex's mom, Carmen, and Clover's mom, Stella, had come with them. They carried in more wood and got water. I felt a bit of warmth as they went in the main area, but Stella would have to stoke it again. The Alphas let it cool too much.

Soon, the bath was hot. We all got undressed. I took off my coat and set it aside. Everyone sat, giving each other enough room. The floor was flat except for the pit for the stove. Our moms slowly ladled the water onto the stones. Steam filled the room.

"Did you meet any cute males?" Carmen asked.

"Mom." Alex complained.

"You've been trying to make it on your own for 5 years now. You can't have a pack without an Alpha or any males. Maybe it's time to come back." Mom said.

"You can't be serious!" I barked.

"At least, give the next ones a chance to court you." Stella said.

"We'll think about it." Britney said firmly.

We talked about smaller things after that. I knew they hadn't wanted to upset us. But finding mates was hard. We had looked at the feasts and dances, but that meant running into our old exes. The roaming males were either too old, creepy, or just didn't want a pack. We didn't want to give up what little territory we had to look further.

The bath got hotter and hotter until the stove shook and the pipe was red. We all laid flat now. Mom poured more water. The steam billowed. Sweat rolled out of my pores and my skin, especially the side facing the stove, tingled.

Everyone went out to cool off or drink water at some point several times. Clover went the most. When the wood stove cooled, we brought in some shampoo, soap, and basin for water. Then we washed up. Our legs and tails took a bit to dry.

Then we went to back the dressing room for the final time. Mom stayed to squeegee the floor the dry. Stella dumped the extra water, which was only a bucket. Our skin was red and lacy from the steam. It'd fade after dinner. We said our farewells and went back to our dens. Mom and I ate our soup and washed the bowls. Then I made a temporary nest. Mom and Dad kissed and marked me good night.

The den is supposed to be like a pit-house. Pit-houses are buildings that are partly dug into the ground, and covered by a roof.