[Gemma]Before I went to bed on Sunday, Carmen called to wish me luck at the conference. She said she and Rock would be praying for me to find my mate. I really hoped I did as well. Ben and Ashley had gotten all of the travel plans confirmed before she left for Alaska with Roald. He asked me to come work for him now that Carmen had someone else to help her. I told him I would. The pack needed someone good to assist their Gamma and I was damned good. On Monday morning, the group gathered outside the packhouse. There were a couple of buses waiting to take us to the airport. I was excited and I could see that a few others were. Trent, Mike, and Ben stood on the steps of the packhouse, everyone settled down. There were only fifty or so people going. Mostly women, but a few male warriors were coming along, too. It was our first trip to the national mating conference since it started, so we were trying to keep the numbers low. “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you how happy I am for you to go to the conference. This is the first time our pack is going and I know all of you will represent us in the best possible light. I know it doesn’t seem fair that our numbers are so low, but this was all we could book for with such short notice that we’d be able to attend. “You will gather information and tell people about the experience, so they can be prepared for the next one. Though, I hope many of you will be returning with plans for your mate to join us or with plans to join them in their pack.” An excited titter went through the crowd. “I’m not going to take up more of your time. You all have a flight to catch. May the Goddess guide you to the other half of your heart.” Everyone clapped and cheered our Alpha. He wouldn’t be going with us, only Ben and Darla. It was the most thrilling thing that had ever happened to most of us. None of us had ever been outside of the state. Seeing a whole new place, flying in a plane, the whole experience was new and exciting. I carried my bag with me. Some of the other women had wheeled suitcases, but I made sure to have a bag that was carry-on size. It held all the clothes I would need, mostly clothes made of thinner material so I could cram six days’ worth of clothing in it. Ben and Darla told us that we could pack tents if we wanted. I had a popup two-person tent. It fit easily into my bag that I was taking with me. Since it was summer, I didn’t need more than a couple of thin blankets to make it cozy enough. Sleeping in a tent in our human form was one option, but there were some people who would sleep in their wolf forms on the ground. A couple of the warriors planned to do that. They said it meant they didn’t have to carry a lot with them. Their bags were about as big as mine. We boarded the busses and got settled in. Once the busses started rolling, there was another cheer. Some of the pack was lining the main street to wave us off and wish us luck. I could see some sullen faces. Ranked blood pack members got priority, the rest of the seats were done by lottery, first for common and omega-ranked wolves, then a second drawing to fill ten warrior slots. With Carmen and Ash no longer going, we’d had another lottery draw for the two free slots. Some people were still a little salty about not being picked. I sat near my cousin and his mate while we headed out to the airport. We were lucky not to have to drive all the way out to Portland in order to fly. Our airport wasn’t huge, but it had some smaller commercial flights. Ben told me there were several seats in business class that he got and he was able to book the seats by the emergency exit for some of the warriors. “You’re going to sit in business class with us and we’ll have a couple of the larger pack members up there, too. There weren’t a lot available, but we bought all of the seats we could. Luckily, the plane was mostly empty when we were purchasing,” Ben said. “I’m excited. Do I get to sit by a window?” I asked. “Yeah, we have a window seat for you and one for Darla. I know how excited you two have been for the flight.” “Awesome. I wish my friends were with me, but I think it’s better that they found their mates. I’m happy for them. I want that, too. Do you think I’ll find him this week?”Darla frowned and looked at Ben. He patted her hand and smiled at me. “We’re making sure everyone knows that this is only one chance. Not all packs can afford to send their people to the national conference. If you don’t find him this week, then you have next year’s regional conference. Without the curse, you will have more opportunities than ever before,” Ben answered. “Right. It will be more disappointing if I put all my eggs in one basket here. This is just a vacation with a chance to find a mate. I’m good with that,” I replied with a smile. For the rest of the drive, we talked about what would happen once we reached the airport. Ben and Darla had done some test runs to prepare for this. They were nervous about something going wrong. We got checked in for our flight with few problems. I got to keep my bag, as planned and I was amused by all the women who pointed out my little bag as a reason they should be able to carry on their larger cases. Even werewolves weren’t always reasonable. They dropped it with an order from their Gamma. It was a couple of hours before we could board the plane. The excited energy of our group spread to the other people who were waiting. I watched over everyone with Ben and Darla. As a ranked blood wolf, it was partly my duty. One of the things that were expected of us, other than watching over everyone, was watching out for threats to the pack. The warriors were on guard as well, not falling into the chatter of some of the more excited wolves. We had all ranks in this mix. The warriors stayed close to the omegas, to make sure they were safe.Omega wolves were the weakest, being not much stronger than humans, and they needed our protection more. They cared for the pack in other ways. They didn’t just work in the packhouse. They were teachers, doctors, nurses, accountants, and lawyers for the pack. Because their wolves weren’t as active as ours, they did better in human colleges. They were able to finish doctorate and master’s level schooling without feeling overwhelmed by all the humans around. They were better able to be the things our pack really needed. Some of my favorite teachers were omegas, though there were some common wolves who did these jobs. They weren’t called ‘common’ because they were less than anyone. It was just a label that stuck for people who weren’t ranked blood but were stronger than omegas. My grandfather was the Gamma before Ben’s dad. My dad was the second son. We had an aunt, as well, but she went to another pack with her mate. She had four pups who are our cousins. It was a pretty decent-sized family. Grandpa and Grandma moved to Aunt Leah’s pack but would come and visit a couple of times a year. I was stuck in my reverie and shook my head when I realized that they’d called for everyone to line up for boarding. They had children and disabled humans board first. When we got on the plane, we made our way to our seats. I put my bag in the overhead storage and sat down. With childlike eagerness, I watched out the window the whole time we were boarding all the way until we were in the air. A thrill of nervousness ran through me. I couldn’t believe I was really leaving Oregon. I never thought I would be able to. The flight was only four hours, but we had a two-hour layover in Denver. I was frustrated by that, but it gave us time to check in with our people and stretch our legs. We would be flying into Rapid City, South Dakota, then catching a chartered bus to Belle Fourche. We would be arriving around five in the afternoon if everything went smoothly. That was good because the first gathering was set for six o’clock with an address by the Chief Alpha who ran the town. The city started as a human town with a pack nearby, but the pack and town had merged and soon the pack engulfed the entire town. Chief Alpha Vance Pappas was the Alpha of the Belle Fourche Pack. The pack was about ten thousand people, but about half of them lived in the larger Spearfish, South Dakota. Our pack didn’t have nearly that many people. -When we finally got there, I was excited to see all the people. The roads were clogged with people walking around. We could see mates finding each other already. Some rowdy men banged on the sides of the bus we were on and catcalled the women they saw. We progressed to the campgrounds. We weren’t even in town yet and it was just that full of people. It felt like it took longer to get to the campgrounds than it took to drive to the town. After we got to our spot, we deboarded the bus and some of the women went to get their bags from under the bus. I carried mine with me, like a few of the others. A crowd formed around our area. People were eagerly pushing others aside. I went to find a place to set up my tent. Some of the single males in the crowd came to help the single females in our group with their setup. One tried to approach me, but I unzipped my disk and tossed it on the ground before he got halfway to me. I chuckled about the confused way he looked when my tent popped up before he went to help someone else. Setting up didn’t take long, and I was happy to have it over with because I could catch a ride to the center of town with my cousin and his wife. The bus would drop them at their hotel and leave. It would return to pick us all up on Sunday morning. A few others were ready to go when the bus was turned around and ready to leave the campgrounds. I wasn’t the only one who bought a popup tent. A female warrior was keeping her stuff in my tent. We’d already talked about it because she planned to sleep in her wolf form. We rode into town, seeing a thicker crush of people. This wasn’t a great place for a bus to drive through. Especially one as big as this one was. The town was adorable. Instead of a blacktop paved road through town, the roads were paved with bricks. The storefronts were clean and decorated with flowers and welcome flags. People tried to stay as close to the sidewalks as possible. When we reached the hotel, I got off with everyone else who managed to get ready in time to catch a ride. If I was lucky, I would be finding Ben and Darla in the next couple of days to report finding my mate. If not, I likely wouldn’t see them until Sunday. “Good luck, Gemma. I hope we see you soon,” Darla told me with a hug while Ben got their bags from the undercarriage of the bus. “I hope so, too. Stay safe and keep an eye on my cousin. Don’t let him get lost.” She laughed. “I’ll do my best. Go on, the first gathering is starting soon.” “What are you still doing here, Gem? Get out of here. Have fun,” Ben said. I gave him a hug and said goodbye. He was like a big brother to me and I knew he wanted me to be safe, but he wouldn’t say that. Ben and Mike always watched over the three of us as best they could without being overbearing. It was hard for them to see us grow into adults because they still thought of us as little girls. Turning toward the street, I started following the movement of the crowd. The downside to being new to all of this was that I didn’t know where anything was. People moved through the crowd, sniffing. They were tracking the scent of their mates. When I arrived at the center of town, there was a stage set up. A microphone was set up. Werewolves surrounded the stage. We settled as a man went to the center of the stage. He was a thickly built man with a commanding presence. By the time he picked up the microphone, you could hear a pin drop. This was the power of a Chief Alpha. “Welcome to Belle Fourche and our conference. There is a party in the center of town every evening where you will be able to find food. We only cater one meal and it is done by stands you’ll find around the area. “There are three rules to remember while you are in my pack lands. First, respect everyone no matter their rank. I know some packs have different rules, but if someone catches you being cruel to our humans or omegas, then you will suffer and your pack will face sanctions. Second, keep our town clean. Pick up after yourselves and don’t leave a mess. Third, no fighting. Conflicts between packs do not exist here this week. Keep that ѕhit out of my town.“We welcome the Hallowed Moon Pack to their first national conference. If someone from Hallowed Moon asks you a question about the conference, answer them honestly. They’ve recently overcome a curse that kept them trapped in their pack’s territory. That’s it. Have a good time everyone.” Chief Alpha Pappas announced. The crowd went wild. I could feel the excitement of everyone in the area. The stands where food was offered were swarmed. It looked like it was going to be a struggle if I wanted a free meal. Instead, I headed to a restaurant. I would rather pay than get stuck in the crush of hungry werewolves. I wasn’t worried that I hadn’t found my mate yet. There would be plenty of time for that and he’d likely be smart enough to get away from the thick crowd. I had a good feeling about this conference. I’d find my mate. I knew it.