The homestead was what we called the settlement we lived in. It consisted of a narrow dirt road, with two rows of eight cottages on either side of the road. They were all identical when they were built, but that was a long time ago. In the years since then they’d been altered and extended, cobbled together, depending on the needs of each family. Each cottage started out as a two-bedroom ski chalet with a small, covered porch out front. The timber had grayed with age and most of the roofs would have benefited from being entirely replaced. Technically, the homestead used to be a low-budget ski resort, but since snowfall became nearly nonexistent in Clearwater Valley many years ago, the place went under, and Dallas Cleary bought it for a song.

Dallas Cleary was Dalton’s father. He was our alpha before Dalton. I had no memories of him, he died when I was very young, but everyone who did remember him said he was the best. I guess that’s why Dalton’s so great. He’s from good stock. That’s what everyone said. I’m a Cleary too, so I loved it when people said that. My dad is Dalton’s second cousin once removed. It’s a distant relation, but blood is blood. Pack is pack, too, but you know what I mean.

Dalton and his brothers, Keith, Kevin, and Llewellyn, lived in the pack house at the bottom of the hill with two of their first cousins, Marty and Doug. We called them The Brothers even though that’s not technically what they were. They were all big men. They looked like they could have been line-backers in their day. The family resemblance was strong. They all had dark hair, dark eyes, and thick beards that were highlighted by shades of gray. Dalton was the biggest of the bunch, but that wasn’t the first thing you’d notice about him. If you met him, you’d probably notice his swagger, or maybe you’d notice a glint in his eyes. If you were a woman, you might notice something else. I’m not sure exactly what it would be, but it would probably be the type of thing that would make you start asking if he was single. The answer would be yes. He’d been coupled several times, but it never seemed to take. Most of The Brothers were single and each had a similar story.