Tristan
"Come with me to Nova Scotia," Tristan said to his brother Roman. Roman wasn’t technically his brother, but he was as good as. The two of them had been friends and packmates since they were children, and they’d attended the Blackwood Academy together when they were eighteen. The bond had left them as close as any biological brothers could be.
Speaking of brothers, Tristan’s actual brother, his biological brother, had moved all the way over to eastern Canada for college, and now he wanted Tristan to visit. He was living in a town called Wolfville, which Tristan suspected was the reason he’d chosen the college, although his little brother denied it.
"You know I don't travel unless I have to,” Roman said.
"But you'll be with me. And we’re going to go see my brother. He would love seeing you; it would mean a lot to him." Tristan was laying it on a bit thick, but it was true that it would mean a lot to his little brother if Roman, the Alpha of their pack, came to visit him in college.
Roman, despite being young, was very traditional. His father, the former Alpha, had been killed when Roman was only seventeen in a terrible forest fire. Over the next few years as Roman took over his duties, he buckled down on pack traditions, which included living in a remote area on their ancestral pack lands and not integrating with humans at all.
But many of the younger pack members, especially the teens, had begun to rebel over the years. Many of them had become restless. Some had already left, like his brother. They had Roman’s blessing, but it was a grudging blessing. And they had all promised to come back.
Secretly, Tristan doubted that that would happen. Around the world shifter packs were becoming more open-minded about allowing their members to interact with humans. Some didn't want to join the human world, and that was okay by him. But others did. Some were fascinated by science and research. It was true that they didn't need the same kind of medical research that humans did, but humans had advanced their studies in chemistry, mathematics, space exploration, astronomy, and so many other fields.
His brother had been particularly fascinated by computers. Their pack was so remote they didn't even have Internet access. They had a satellite where they could hook up one computer, and many of them had cell phones so they could call each other when they traveled, but reception was hit or miss. Much of Alaska just didn't have good cell service and to Roman, the thought of moving anywhere closer to civilization was abhorrent.
For years,Derek, Roman’s second-in-command, had been pushing Roman to reconsider his stance. But he’d made very little progress. While Roman considered Tristan his brother and a high-ranking member of the pack, he was even closer to Derek. So if Derek couldn't make any headway, then Tristan would not be able to either.
So he tried to just show Roman how much the world outside of their ancestral pack land had to offer.
Derek had even been fairly blunt with Roman a few times, implying that if Roman didn't adapt, then the pack would eventually abandon him. Roman just didn't believe it. He just didn't think the humans had anything to offer. He wasn't hostile or resentful toward them. He just had no interest in living in a human society.
But just words wouldn’t convince Roman – he needed action. And yes, he had traveled for pack business, but he never went somewhere to visit, with the goal of just having fun, so Tristan was going to try to make this trip to Nova Scotia fun for him.
Finally, Roman gave in and agreed to go. "Okay, I'll go.”
“Great!" Tristan slapped him on the back. “You’re going to love it.”
And Tristan was right. Roman did love it. Nova Scotia was just as pretty as Alaska. The scenery was a little different, but there were still so many breathtaking landscapes, and so many wide-open spaces along with woods, trees, mountains, and grass, with the promise of an ocean stretching beyond a soaring set of cliffs. It was the perfect place for Roman because he wouldn't have to try to avoid a big city.
He seemed to enjoy the trip and the visit with Tristan's little brother. Four days after they arrived, his brother took them to a campground.
"It's part of the national park, and the streams are just as clear as the ones at home,” his brother said. “We can go kayaking.”
Tristan was glad to hear his brother still called Alaska home, even though Tristan wasn't sure where he fell on the scale of home versus moving away, probably somewhere in the middle.
He never wanted to leave Alaska, but he wouldn't mind living closer to a city. Part of him also wanted to go away and get an education just like his brother had. He’d like to train for a career in the human world. No one wanted to admit it, but pack life could be a little bit monotonous.
Not that he’d ever tell his Alpha that.
The three of them headed toward the campground, ready to kayak. Tristan had no idea his life was about to change forever.