Page 50 of Campfires & Canines
She spins, throwing her arms out. "Welcome to your official tour of Bracken Creek Pack."
"Okay, the training room." She points behind us.
"Oh?" I frown. "What's the deal there?"
"We learn defense and offense, both in human and wolf form."
The strangeness hits me again and I want to laugh in disbelief. "I guess that makes more sense for a wolf pack than a group of forest rangers."
We stroll onwards. "You know the store and the school, of course." She waves her hand to our left.
I study the diner across from us. "Now everyone eating free dinners together every night makes a bit more sense too."
Marigold giggles. She wants me to love the pack for what it truly is, now I know the truth.
"What you probably didn't realize, is that everything in the store is free too. We only take what we need, but it's pretty cool."
I pause, propping my fists on my hips.
"Okay, so what is my uncle? The king?"
"He's our Alpha." Marigold raises her chin, meeting my gaze with confidence.
"Oh. What about everyone else?"
"Slate is his Beta, which is like his second in command."
"What?" I scrunch up my face, bewildered.
"Yeah. Heath has been mentoring him for a few years." She nods. "And then Hawthorne is third in command, called the Gamma. He is considered the Mediator and helps with disputes within the pack and our relationship with other packs too."
"You've got the whole Greek alphabet going on." I try to make light of the information.
"Let's see. The twin's dad, Fisher, is Delta. He is like a trainer. And my dad is a Zeta, which is like a guard or a fighter, along with Lazuli and Cassia. Remember the cute couple with the new baby?"
"That's a lot of positions."
"It keeps everything organized and running smoothly."
"Anything else, while we are at it?" I suspect I won't remember all of it, but I find it fascinating.
"There's also Thetas. They guard and fight too, or whatever, but they're more like scouts. It’s a step down from Zeta."
"Who is that?" I glance around like they might all pop out to surprise me.
"Aven. She's older than us and keeps to herself. And then the newest is Vale. He's seventeen."
"Seventeen?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Yeah, we usually start training for a position around fifteen. Trying different work skills. And usually, everyone is done with their school credits by sixteen or seventeen anyway. "
"That's why you only teach the elementary kids?"
She nods. "Like my brother, he started an apprenticeship with our grandma."
The image of Sable tending to Slate's shoulder flashed in my mind. "She's not exactly a nurse..."
"More of a healer." She smiles proudly.
