Don’t you dare cry,” I told myself. The air was freezing, and I was pretty sure that I was starting to come down with something. It had been an hour since my standoff with that soldier, and I still had a little ways to go before I got to the refugee camp.

I tried my best not to cry during these times. When my father passed, I knew I had a role to fill. My childhood was over. I was now a man of the house, officially. I had to protect my family.

But I already failed that task. I let those bastard soldiers take my father away. I watched as they laughed in his face and called him despicable things. Halfling. It revolted me.

Before we were divided into sides, I never thought of the humans in any negative way. We are all living beings, and we all had a duty to help our fellow man. I thought we were in this together, but I was more wrong than ever.

I knew the refugee camps would be a terrible sight to see. Even now, I didn’t want to give into anger and irrational hatred, but I thought that seeing the camps first hand might send me over.

I was fucking right. Just ahead of me were the smoking embers from the endless amounts of trash piles. My people were living in filth.

When I got to the entrance, the guards didn’t pay any mind to me. I was in the no-man’s zone. Oddly enough, their duty there was merely to keep the peace.

I found an old bench to sit on, near a giant bonfire. I was so tired and cold that I nearly collapsed onto it. I took off my shirt and placed it on a woodpile near the warmth, hoping that it would start to dry soon.

I reached into my red bag and dug through the contents. I knew the emergency plan like the back of my hand. My dad used to quiz me on it every single day. “What do you when you get to the camps?” he asked me.

“I give this letter to the guard in the south of the camp,” I said.

“And how will you know which guard that is?” he would ask me.

I’d smile. This was when I thought everything was going to be okay. I thought the borders were a temporary solution. I thought life was going to be normal again, but my dad knew better. I was so naïve.

“I’d know him by the armored vehicle he sat in,” I’d say.

But now that I was in the camps, everything felt far too real. The gray wolves that lived in here didn’t look like any of the gray wolves I grew up near. Their bodies seemed hungry. Their faces lacked any joy of life. They were expressionless and defeated. And there weren’t any omegas in sight.

I had to do something, but I knew that now wasn’t the time. When the opportunity presented itself, I would act. And then, it would be another soldier’s sad day.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a picture of the camps. I was going to document my journey. I was going to make the government’s cruelty known.

Quickly after, I pulled out the letter inside and read it. “Valchek, my old friend. It’s Daren. Yep, that’s right. We aren’t young anymore, and the situation has grown dire.

If you’re reading this, you know what has happened. The time has come. I have been arrested for treason, and I need your help.

Now, now. Don’t get upset. This is the way life is now, and we both need to deal with it. That’s my son, handing you this letter. Remember him from years back? You attended all of his birthday parties. I need to ask you for a favor. You need to get my son to safety. That means getting him over the borders up north. I can’t argue with you. Though, I’d love the chance to argue with an old pal like you again. Please, just do me this favor. If you can’t do it for me, then do it for Garreon, my late omega. Enclosed is five hundred dollars. Let’s just say that it’s a tip for being so loyal. Old friend, you’re our last chance. With love, Daren.

After reading the letter, anger filled my heart. I wasn’t supposed to go north. Whenever we talked about the plan, we agreed that I would get this Valchek guy to work a deal out with the soldiers. I’d just go home and wait for my dad. It was becoming more and more apparent now that this whole ordeal was worse than I ever imagined.

I folded up the letter and found myself in a daze. Without my father, there was nothing for me anymore. I was too young to lose both of my dads. “Will life ever let up on me?” I asked myself aloud, while staring into the flames.

“What’s wrong?” I turned to see an elderly man standing behind me. He was hungrily eating a large piece of meat, and genuinely being creepy.

“What’s wrong? Look around you. Everything is wrong around here. Can’t you see?” I asked.

I jumped up from my seat and nearly tripped into the fire. He ignored my foolishness, to better care for his own. “I asked you a question, didn’t I?” When I looked into his eyes, I noticed that they had a grey glaze to them. He was blind.

“No. I can’t see a damn thing, actually,” the blind man said. He threw his piece of meat into the fire.

“How did you notice me then?” I asked, shocked.

The man simply laughed. Looking right into my eyes, he said, “I can see more as a blind man than you can see with your eyes open.”

“My father was imprisoned today. They got him on the outside of the camps, near our home. The soldiers set the house on fire before they left,” I said.

“The bastards seem to be winning. Don’t they?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I guess so, yeah. There’s not much we can do anymore. The rebels tried. They were all killed,” I said.

It wasn’t that long ago when we thought we could win this thing. Once the soldiers really started getting out of hand, a new coalition was formed. The Northern Pack Alliance. Of course, forming it was a double-edged sword. The media immediately regarded them as terrorists. It gave the government even more firepower. After that, anything went down the drain.

That is when the wars started. The government wouldn’t call it a war. Neither would the media. But those of us on the streets knew what it was. When soldiers are pointing guns at you regularly, you know you’re in a war zone.

The old man put his hand on my shoulder. I noticed the faint bite marks on his neck, from where his omega might have bonded with him. I tried my best to ignore them because it made me too sad. I would never have someone to bond with. I’d always be alone.

“The war isn’t over yet, son. You must have faith,” he said.

In the distance, the sun was setting. The sky illuminated purple and pink hues of vibrant color. “It’s hard to have faith out here. If you saw the condition of these camps, you’d agree,” I said.

“I know damn well what it looks like here. I can smell the burning rubber and smoldering ashes. None of us get any scraps of food unless the Peace Corps drive in. And I’m usually last in line when that happens,” he said.

I grabbed my shirt from above the fire. It was suitably dry enough to wear now, so I threw it on. In the bag was a jacket. Tonight was going to be cold, and I knew I’d have to camp out here.

I had some pieces of meat and bread, so I decided to give it to him. I felt awful for the guy. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Some silence passed. Well, I’m sorry to break it to you, buddy. This ship is sinking,” I said.

The old man laughed and sat down next to me. “I’m dying. Slowly, but surely, I’m dying. But you… you’re lucky. You’re young. You have your health and a ton of strength. You don’t know it yet, but you’re a leader.”

This time, I was the one laughing. “Leader? No, thanks. I’m just a loner,” I said.

“Acting aloof won’t do you any good. The packs may have dissolved, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t born with special abilities,” he said. “Everyone was born for a reason.”

The old pack mentality was for the seniors. No one believed in that way of life anymore. This was the modern world, and it was every man for themselves.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. There’s no one to lead,” I muttered.

I started to walk away. The conversation wasn’t doing me any good. But the old man grabbed my arm one last time. This time, it was with a high amount of urgency. “They’ll show up when the time is right,” he said.

I pulled away. “Oh, yeah? And who’s they?” I asked.

“Those you least expect,” he said. “That’s how it works. Anyway, be gone with your negativity. I’m too old to engage in this debate. You’ll see soon enough.”

I walked away, shaking my head. Grabbing the tent from my bag, I proceeded to set my space up. I didn’t want to humor the old man’s words, but I couldn’t get them out of my head. You’ll see soon enough. What did he mean by that?

When the sky turned dark, the smartest of the wolves packed it in. Those who were brave left the camp, but no one expected them to come back.

I desired so much out of life. I wanted a beautiful home, an omega to care for, and some cubs of my own. Inside my tent, I felt hopeless and alone. None of those things were ever going to happen to me. I just wasn’t lucky enough.

Before I zipped up my tent, I looked into the night sky. I watched a shooting star fly across the darkness. I closed my eyes, knowing that I was acting immature. Still, I felt myself wishing for a mate.

“Someday,” I whispered, “I want to know what it’s like to have someone love me as much as my dad loved his omega.”