After driving for another thirty minutes I finally make it home around 8:45. The entire drive my thoughts never leave Rachel, especially the feeling that would happen each time we touched. 'What was that anyway,' I wonder to myself. 'I've never felt it with anyone before,' my thoughts continue, 'it isn't anything bad, is it?' My wolf shakes her head adamantly.
I get out of the truck while Luna hops up front to follow, but gets stuck so I help her down. I turn around to find my waiting for me patiently on the front porch. "How did the conversation with Santana go," she asks as Luna runs up to her and she kneels to pet her.
"It went great," I distractedly inform her while I go to sit on the front step, mind still on Rachel. "She said yes."
"That's great Quinnie," she says. She peers curiously at my vague expression before asking, "Did something else happen today at the lake?"
"What was your main issue with me dating Mack," I ask, catching her off guard with the seemingly out of nowhere question. "Was it because she's from a different park or was it because she's a girl? I mean you don't seem to mind San and Britt or Kurt and Blaine, but I'm your daughter, so," I trail off as she raises her hand, silencing me.
She contemplates for a moment, and then begins. "Well first off, what kind of name is Mack? Were her parents on something when they picked out that name?" We both laugh for a minute, then she turns serious again. "Secondly I had no issue with you dating her, because she was a girl or the fact that she came from a rival pack, our biggest one at that. I had issues with you dating her, because she didn't treat you right Quinnie. She didn't respect you at all. She didn't respect this family or this pack. I couldn't stand to watch her drag our family down no what you did in attempt to stop it. I hated seeing her tear you apart after you put yourself almost back together, practically by yourself, after what your father and, mainly, what I did to you." I start to interrupt her, but she quiets me again with one look.
"She lied to you, she betrayed you, she did everything she could to alienate you and make you feel as if you couldn't trust us. No one should break someone's heart they supposedly care for, whether they were an Alpha's order or not. That's why she pursued you, wasn't it? Her Alpha ordered her, didn't he," she asks, concern laced in her voice.
"Yes," I answer, my voice and eyes distant as I remember my time with my first girlfriend. "She was suppose to drive a wedge further between you and me, to separate me from S, B, and the rest of the pack, to make sure I didn't claim my birth right. When you told me that I am to become the new Alpha our relationship finally made sense. Her Alpha wanted me to become a lone wolf, to never have a pack of my own," I finish softly.
I look to my mom who had tears in her eyes before turning back around. I sigh as I start again, "I broke up with her once I realized what was happening. I hated fighting with Santana every waking moment, detested myself for making Brittany cry almost every night. I loathed the fact that we still hadn't fixed our relationship. Hell, we still haven't Mom. " I finish for a moment, chuckling bitterly. I head a sniff behind me and decide to add gently. "We're getting there Momma. I mean today has been the most we've ever talked. It's just that I'm still waiting for the day you get up and walk out again," I admit reluctantly wiping a few stray tears away. I hated this part of fixing our relationship, but for our pack to work my mom and I had to be open with each other.
"I will never do that again Quinn, I can't do it," she tries to assure me genuinely making me looking at her, my mom's eyes speaking volumes of her regret.
"I'm sorry mom. I want to, but I just can't believe that right now," I tell her sadly before standing up and dusting myself off.
"Where did your question come from Quinn," she asks, her foot still rubbing a now sound asleep Luna.
"Can we talk about it later? I have the meet up to lead before it gets to late. Is everyone here?" She nods her head to both question as she informs me that they're out back around the pool.
I make my way to the back yard and find everyone there, laughing and talking amongst themselves. I see that they must have all went to change into different clothes as none of them had a swimsuit on, many of them in sweat pants and t-shirts. I lean up against the house, crossing my arms, and stare at them with a small smile.
'My pack,' I think fondly, 'they've been with me through everything. A second family made up of friends, what more could a girl ask for? Hopefully Rachel won't figure our secret out when she joins Glee.' I get lost in my thoughts of the pro's and con's of Rachel finding out until B snaps me out of them.
"Hey Q," she yells excitedly as she runs up and hugs me tight, I instantly return the gesture.
"Hey B."
"Guess what Q." But before I can she tells me as we make our way over to the group, "We got you a present."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," S answers handing me a perfectly wrapped present with a smile that would make Satan himself wary.
"Kurt wrapped it," B says, bouncing enthusiastically, impatience beginning to seep through as she continues, "Come on Q. Open it."
"I figured he wrapped it Britt." I smile over at a cuddled up Kurt in thanks, appreciating that he took the time even though he knew I'd just rip the paper off. Which I do, unapologetically, finding a box. Kurt shakes his head, appalled at my antics just like he always does when I open something.
"Open the box, Quinn," Puck pushes.
"Okay, okay. I am. Patience, Puckerman, learn some," I lightly joke as I take the lid off the box. Inside I find a dog bone with a gold ribbon wrapped around it and tied into a bow. I pick it up and narrow my eyes at everyone's who's laughing at their little joke. "Ha, ha very funny guys," I say trying to sound unamused, although I was, making them stop.
"Oh come on, don't get all scary Quinn on all of us. It was all Sam, Puck, and Santana's idea," Finn points out as he reaches for the bone.I smack his hand hard, making him cradle it to his chest, before he can grab it.
"You know Finn if I were I'd stop trying to put my hands on things that aren't your's," I admonish him fiercely, my thoughts instantly going to Rachel again. I shake imperceptibly. 'She isn't your's Quinn,' I remind myself. 'Yet,' I think as an afterthought.
"So you like your present Q," Sam asks sheepishly, his arms wrapped around Mercedes from behind.
"Of course I do," I answer honestly. "Did you guys get me a water bowl as well," I joke as I pretend to look for it.
"We figured the pool was good enough," B says in her fake serious tone, causing a confused Finn to look at her.
"She can't drink that Brittany. The chlorine would make her really sick," he tells her as if speaking to a child.
Before Santana decides on whether to kill him or not, I sit the bone on a lounge chair and go hug everyone. "Thank you," I say sincerely before asking if its okay if I give Luna the bone. They all congratulate me again and answer in the positive. "Alright everyone to the woods," I command loudly once I finish my round.
Puck takes off first, getting a running start then jumping over the pool. Britt follows closely, flipping in the air, before landing on the other side. S and I laugh as we hold up our hands showing that we her a ten.
"Show off," I hear him tell her, she sticks her tongue out playfully in reply.
The rest of us follow before I make it to the front and take the lead and finish heading to the woods. Once we get there we start stripping and hand our clothes to a blushing Tina, who organizes them. Puck begins to say something, leering at all of the girls, before I interrupt him. "Absolutely no lewd comments, Puckerman, or I'll make you start waiting with your back turned until we already switch before you even get to undress." He pouts childishly, but keeps his mouth shut. "Okay everyone you already know what to do. Find your wolf, release them enough that they show through, but that you still maintain control," I repeat my mom from earlier in the day.
I watch as everyone takes a deep breath before all of their bodies go entirely stiff. Some of them begin to sweat as they struggle, others pant instead. I nod to Artie, Tina, and Blaine after several minutes of keeping a watchful eye on the transforming wolves, reminding the trio that at 11:30 to call for us to come before I close my and start the process to switch.
For five minutes I stand there rigidly, fighting to keep the wolf adequately under my control, until I feel the welcoming fire go up my spine. As my giant paws hit the ground, I open my eyes to find that Puck, S, and B switched at the same time I did.
"I cannot wait for this to only take seconds," I hear Santana complain, her wolf still panting from the exertion, as I look over at Puck.
Puck proudly stands as tall as Brittany, but I still have to look down at him. He's more muscular than me though, the threat surprisingly doesn't antagonize me into a fight or make me fear him. In fact, I see it as a giant asset for my pack. His fur a shade or two lighter than San's but not by much. Down the middle of his back the hair was longer and standing up on end, making him look like he has his mohawk in wolf form as well. Also causes him to look like he's always on edge for a fight or to protect his pack. His hazel eyes are more or less emerald green now, but I still could barely see flecks of brown in them. I see his mark on the right side of his chest, a light brown paw print, specifically a wolf's paw.
"Look Sanny," I hear Britt grab Santana's attention. "Puck's mark looks like Kocoum from Pocahontas." San and I both make snicker like barks as Puck scowls over at Brittany.
"He sure does Britt-Britt," San agrees as we feel the rest of the club join us. I look at each of them for the first time in wonder. The same look adorning Blaine and Tina's faces as they pet Kurt and Mike behind their ears making their tongues hang happily out of their mouths.
Kurt's light brown fur darkens around his glowing glasz eyes, making it look as if he were wearing a mask. Mike's built just like Britt's, making me believe he's almost just as fast, with fur darker than San's, yet still brown.
'His mark must be under his head or on his stomach,' I determine since I can't see it as I look over at the others.
Sam has golden fur that make his now mint green eyes pop even more. He's the size of Puck, slightly less burly, with a dark chocolate waxing gibbous moon in between his eyes. Mercedes is beside him, making me see that Sam's mark matches her fur color. Her mark matches his fur as well, a golden sun in the exact same place as Sam's, between her brilliant ember eyes.
Finn turns his back to us to look toward something he thought he heard, giving me a perfect view of his since he's almost less than a centimeter shorter. Right between his ears, on the back of his dark brown head, there is a red bone.
"Look at Finn's mark," I say to Santana, blocking everyone out besides B. They both turn their heads away from each other to his direction before letting out loud barks of laughter, causing him to turn around curiously.
"What," he asks self-consciously.
"Oh nothing Finnept," San answers causing Finn to glare at the fact she wasn't actually going to tell him as her and Britt keep laughing. He turn towards Kurt since S wouldn't avoid his glare, giving Puck and Sam a chance to see it. The two wolves actually fall to the ground from trying to keep their laughter under control for the sake of their buddy, and soon after San and B join them.
I move my head back and forth at the four wolves turned hyenas before demanding their attention, motioning for us to start walking further into the woods. Kurt and Mike lick their respective others on the face goodbye, wiping the confused look on their faces as they laugh and I nudge Artie with my nose making him pet me gratefully before we take off.
"Okay everyone," I start off as they look at me, "I know it's getting late, you're all tired, and we have school tomorrow but I need for us to do this. I know we work great already, having grown up together, but that's as humans. I have to make sure the same can be said when we're wolves. Its necessary for us to work better actually, like a well oiled machine." They all nod in agreement as I continue speaking, "Tonight we are just going to together, get a feel of us together as a pack, if we come a mob of deer we'll hunt together. If you didn't catch on," my focus goes to Finn as he was trying to catch out of the air until he realizes I'm looking at him and stops, "the point of tonight is togetherness." As I finish telling them my objective I realize I need to put everyone into their positions.
"San," I say grabbing her attention from the ground,"show B where I want her." I smile as Santana moves Brittany to my left flank, before going to my right side, and Britt grins brilliantly. "Mike," his ears perk towards me, "go behind B, Sam move behind S, Puck go between Sam and Mike." As they get in position I turn my head to look at the other three as they wait for instruction. "Kurt, Cedes move behind them. Kurt between Mike and Puck, Mercedes go between Puck and Sam. Finn take the rear." Once they finish, I take off.
We run for forty-five minutes, dodging every unearthed root, leaping over or ducking under fallen trees, before I realize Finn's thoughts start to drift from the pack mentality to Rachel. With each passing second of him trying to figure out a way to ask her out, I get more and more irritated. I see, with a small smile, that he's going to run head on into a passing tree and I bark a second to late for him to focus. He hits the tree so hard with his he flies back and lands on his ass. He shakes his head to rid himself of the effects of the impact, everyone laughs as we all stop, and I strut back to him; my head held high as I look down at him in what I hope comes off as disgust.
He scramble to stand as I reach him, my gold irises burning into his bright brown ones. "Maybe next time you'll pay attention to where you're going instead of fooling around with the idea of a girl you probably stand no chance with." He glares at me and begins to growl until I snap at him and bare my teeth, centimeters from his nose, resulting in him instantly dropping his eyes and gulping.
"Bonehead," I hear San mumble, triggering everyone to snicker, as I take my spot at the head of the pack and we start running again. Now that everyone is focused I find that we've picked up the trail of a herd of deer, I stop instantly and everyone follows suit. I lift my head, sniff the air and let out a piercing howl into the night before turning to head east. I hear answering backs and yips behind me as my pack try to keep up. It takes less than two minutes for us to find the deer. We slow and sink to the ground and what to make sure they stay in false sense of security.
"Get them," I order and everyone springs into action as I sit and watch.
Puck jumps over top of me and takes out a deer, instantly killing it. S and B go for a deer together and put it out of its misery before long. Finn and Kurt corner a buck as Mercedes comes up behind it and snaps it's neck between her teeth. Sam and Mike go for two does, effectively taking them out after making them collide together.
As soon as they finish eating kill, Blaine's voice reaches us, "Quinn its 11:30! Time to bring them on home! Renee says for you to hurry home!" After they clean their muzzles off in a nearby stream we take off back to the house. It takes around twenty-five minutes to drive to the backyard since we sprinted. Tina has nine separate piles of clothes set for us and we walk up to our personal pile. Two minutes later we are all back to normal and getting dressed.
"Great job tonight everyone," I commend the group as we walk to their cars parked along the side of the house to head home. "We'll do it again next weekend and thank you three," I say to Tina, Artie, and Blaine, "for keeping track of everything." I hug each of the group bye aside from S, B, and Finn.
Once I reach him, I straighten to my full height making him shrink at the same time. I glare at him and lower my voice, "If you ever lose your focus when we are running as a pack again I won't hesitate to show you where you actually stand." He looks to the ground after he nods his head shamefully before getting into Kurt's Escalade and they drive away.
Santana comes and slaps me on the back, "You did good tonight as well Q. And don't worry you'll figure out something to do about Lumps the Clown, you always do." She goes and kisses Britt bye before heading to her red Camaro that has been in the drive way every day for the last three months.
"You heading home S," I ask.
"Yeah, mi madre wants me home since tomorrow is the first day back."
"Tell Maribel I said hi," I tell her and she waves her hand indicating she will. Turning to Britt, I wrap my arm around my shoulder as San disappears into the night. "Come on B, lets go to bed," I say as she yawns.
When we step in through the front door I literally run right into Aunt Renee, her arms crossed over her chest and her toe tapping on the floor. "Have fun Q," Britt says sympathetically before kissing me on the cheek goodnight and running up the stairs.
"Hi Aunt," I greet her, attempting innocence, "how are you?"
Ignoring my question she tells me to look at the carpet, when I finish do that she asks, "Now, will you please tell me what you see?"
"Nothing," I answer sheepishly.
"Exactly, nothing. Quinn Fabray if I ever have to scrub your muddy paw prints out of the carpet again, Alpha or not, I will skin you alive."
Not taking her threat seriously I kiss her on the cheek and walk up the stairs, calling out behind me, "Good night Aunt Renee."
She chuckles lightly, before answering, "Good night Quinn."
After getting dressed in red Soffe shorts and a grey WMHS Cheer shirt, brushing my teeth, and washing my face I climb into bed after seeing my present my friends got me on my floor. Luna shuffles instantly into my side, curling up, as I say to her, "It's been one hell of a day, hasn't it pretty girl?" All I get back in reply is a huff of air and yawn as I check my phone and see I have a new text from an unknown number.
'Hello Quinn, it's Rachel Berry, the new girl you met today. I got your number from Kurt, I hope that is okay. I just wanted to say I cannot wait to see you tomorrow and I hope we share at least one class together. Good night and sweet dreams Quinn.-*'
I shake my head as I save the number, chuckling at the proper text, use to having to decipher Puck and San's. I see that she sent it at around ten and I figure she had already fallen asleep. I plug my phone in and settle further into my bed, pulling Luna closer, a smile plastered on my face. 'I can't wait either Rachel,' I think as I fall asleep.
Tonight I dream of a pure black wolf with silver eyes, howling melodiously at the full moon, a top of a giant boulder over looking Lima.
AN: I know that there wasn't a lot of Rachel in this, but I wanted to show you all the Glee Club wolves. Thank you once again for the reviews, favorites, and follows y'all are amazing. Keep them coming please :)