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LYKOS

Third Age

Chapter 6

(Convocation)

Winter was a strange phenomenon for Marco after a childhood in Hawaii. He'd been spared the physical rigors of it in his freshman year thanks to the bite, but there was no escape now. He'd set out a few minutes before eight, intent on getting some errands done before classes. The campus was silent. Snow still hugged the ground in places, but sleet was coming down like icy pebbles. Marco had bundled up, pulling his hood up over his head and sliding his hands as deep into his pockets as he could get them.

The walk to the University Center had been solemn and still but the interior was even quieter. The campus bookstore was closed, as were the other offices upstairs. The only reason to come to the center at such an hour was the bank of mailboxes covering the far wall. Marco made his way around the corner and found his. The key went in, the lock was turned, the door was opened, and nothing was inside. Marco crouched down, peering through the open back of the mailbox at the mail center inside. The lights were off.

"At least I got to stretch my legs." Marco murmured to himself before he turned, trying to decide between taking the long walk back to the dorms or just getting breakfast by himself. He had gotten halfway across the university center when his ears popped from a sudden drop in pressure, followed by an odd thud upstairs. Marco's heart skipped a beat. He felt the adrenaline starting to course through his system. He jogged up the stairs to the second floor, coming around the corner to a bit of a mess.

Whatever had happened had sucked every pamphlet, newspaper and scrap piece of paper toward the center of the room before scattering them outward again. One of the campus keepers knelt on the ground, scrambling to pick everything back up. His cheeks were red with the heat of his blushing. Marco glanced around, relieved that everything was still closed and there had been no witnesses. He bent down, picking up some of the papers. The keeper turned, brushing his blond hair behind his ear, looking at Marco with concern that quickly thawed.

"Thank god it was you." Simon said softly. Marco scooted over to grab more pamphlets, realizing they were from the health office and talking about safe sex.

"What happened?" Marco asked. Simon looked even more ashamed.

"I needed to file for a GATE loan, but I got here early. I thought I'd practice one of my spells to pass the time." Simon said. Marco looked around, then back at the keeper.

"Was it a wind spell?" he asked. Simon shook his head, realizing he had mixed all the English and Spanish copies of the international exchange program applications. He started setting them down, trying to straighten them out.

"It was an offensive spell, but it was just supposed to be this little pop." Simon murmured. Marco nodded a bit, feeling a weariness resting on his shoulders.

"Maybe you should save the practice for somewhere a little more private... I'll see if I can figure out a safe place. Somewhere with less paperwork." Marco said. Simon smiled at that.

"Thanks Marco. I know I should be more careful." Simon said.

"I guess we all should after the year we had. At least it is almost over." Marco said, moving on to gather up the next pile. The two worked for a few minutes, returning the documents to their respective holders and pinning up a few posters that had fallen. They were nearly done when Marco felt the familiar vibration of his phone in his pocket. At the risk of someone spotting them, Marco pulled it out and turned it on.

As the screen illuminated, two notifications jumped out at him. One was a missed call with a voice mail. The other was an email at his school address. Marco hardly ever used it, and something compelled him to tap it. The phone took a moment to load before presenting him with the unread mail from the office of the president of Grand Mesa University. The subject simply read 'Requested Meeting - 11AM.' Marco felt his stomach tighten. Somehow it felt as if he'd made fewer ripples as a werewolf. Maybe that was the problem. It was a lot harder to remain hidden when the whole world knew what was out there.

****

Even for one that was not a werewolf, it was easy to get territorial about a college campus. It often felt intimate, familiar, almost like an extended home. Some people called in the bubble, while others called it their stomping grounds. Marco had wandered the campus for a year and a half, imbuing each bit of cement, brick, grass and stone that he came across with memory and purpose... at least for the places he had traveled. It was becoming abundantly clear that, since his return from Houston, he had been visiting parts of the school that he had never had reason to before... and he'd never been summoned by the school president.

Marco stepped off the path well-traveled, taking a moment to look up at the Walden building. It was tucked between two academic buildings, but because it operated as an administrative office, he'd never paid it much mind. It almost seemed out of place. It had operated as a church for the school back when Grand Mesa had been founded before eventually being converted. Despite its secular transformation,,the building still boasted stained-glass windows seated in an ornamental edifice that stood out in contrast to the much more clean-cut buildings around it.

With a glance at his watch, Marco realized that he didn't want to be late. He pulled open the door and moved through the ground level of the building. The ceiling felt almost oppressively low and the yellow lighting seemed almost harsh. The walls were covered with plaques and certificates heralding Grand Mesa's accomplishments and history. One display case showed the original layout of the school and the surrounding town. Marco made a note to himself to check it out when he had more time. There was a desk at the end of the narrow hall, though no one was behind it. Marco exhaled a bit, pressing the button for the elevator. After a moment the doors parted, allowing him to step inside.

The ride up seemed unusually slow and the elevator itself felt oddly archaic as well. An effort had been made to liven things up by installing raised metal plates with pancake sized circles cut out, but all it made Marco think of was a cheese grater. At the very least, he was relieved that the school didn't spend tuition on opulence. The building had been upgraded piece by piece over the years rather than any great remodeling in a way the students would never benefit from. Marco could appreciate that.

After rising two stories, the doors parted, and Marco was engulfed in the pristine silver-white light of an overcast day coming through large, clear windows. It seemed that the low ceiling on the ground level had been to make room for the upstairs floors. Marco blinked a little, letting his eyes adjust as he stepped out. Slight movement from his right caught his attention as Marco turned, spotting a woman in her late forties, her eyes surveying him for a moment before a slight, formal smile crossed her lips.

"Mister Iona?" she asked. Marco gave an uncertain nod.

"Yes?" Marco said. The receptionist smiled a little more.

"You are right on time." she said before pressing the intercom on her desk, "Mister Fernandez, Marco Iona is here." she announced.

"Please send him in." the voice came back almost at once. It was a voice Marco had heard almost too many times to count in recent history. He had played the address the city leaders sent out dozens of times. Marco looked back at the receptionist one more time for reassurance and she gave a nod. Marco walked toward the office at the end of the long strip of pale blue carpeting, pausing just a moment before he eased the door open.

More bright light filled the space beyond, washing over a warm wood desk and the almost regal leather backed chair. The university's president sat behind it, his dark hair slicked back and shaved on the sides. He was normally clean cut, though the stubble on his cheeks betrayed the recent distraction and focus of the task at hand. Despite that, his dark gray suit was pristine. He smiled what felt like a genuine smile to Marco, though his eyes contained a private weight to them that seemed well more than a man of the president's years.

"Mister Iona, a pleasure to have you join us. This is Mayor Lewis," he introduced, gesturing to his right. Marco had seen the mayor in the videos as well, with his shaved head and short coarse beard. His glasses sat low on his nose as if he was sizing Marco up with his own eyes. The president then gestured to the other side of the room, "And I am sure you are already familiar with Miss Sekikomori."

"Of course, I am very lucky to know her." Marco said. Ren smiled a bit at that from where she sat. Ren looked over at the president.

"As my first suggestion for this meeting, I think we should dispense with the formalities. We have worked with one another on a first name basis for years. I see no reason to change the nature of our cooperation just because we will be working with someone new." Ren said. Marco's eyes widened.

"I-I'm alright. I mean, this is the Mayor of Echo Creek, and the President of the university..." Marco said. The mayor made a slight noise with his throat.

"He's not quite what I'd expect." he considered.

"He's hardly had a chance to say two words yet, Horatio." The president said, his eyebrow arching. Marco looked between the two before the president gestured to the remaining empty chair in the room. He took another breath, "Let's begin again, perhaps. I am Julio, this is Horatio, and you know Ren. Would you like some tea?" the president asked. Marco moved to sit down in the chair.

"Yes please." he said, looking at the mayor and then at Ren. Julio moved to pour the tea into a waiting cup before he sat back down in his seat. Marco lifted the cup and sipped at it, waiting a moment before returning it to the saucer on the desk. His eyes narrowed a bit as he looked around before he finally spoke, "Is this about my meetings with Mister Halyard, or Futurza?" Marco asked.

"Not quite, at least not exactly." Julio said, eliciting both a mild smile from Ren and a momentary twitch from Marco who had heard that particular phrase just a few too many times in the last year. Unaware of his social gaffe, Julio continued, "As I am most sure you are aware, the announcement we made to the world about Echo Creek being a sanctuary has set our town apart. The decision casts a light on everyone here, especially the school. Some of our students and faculty have already departed, many more will leave at the end of the semester with no intention of returning... but many new students from diverse walks of life will be enrolling."

"I've seen some of the students leaving. But what does that have to do with me? Why invite me here?" Marco asked. Julio took a sip of his own tea, holding the cup in his hand, surrounded by the late morning light as the silver clouds slowly drifted across the horizon beyond the window.

"As you may have gathered, nothing done here in Echo Creek is done without some semblance of planning. Historically, the Mayor's office, the dean or president of Grand Mesa, the head of the keepers, and other pillars of the community have worked in a quorum to ensure the safety of our citizens - both human and otherwise. With our recent shift, we have to be prepared. This school will host students that are taking a phenomenal risk in order to be themselves. They will be stepping out of the shadows and into that very harsh, very focused light. It has always been the job of this school to ensure we are providing the education, guidance, and opportunity for our students to learn and grow and step out into the world reborn. They need more than just professors, especially during this harsh time. They need mentors, guides, spiritual... Sherpas for lack of a better term. I reached out to those we work with, and one name kept coming up... yours." The words hung in the air for a long moment as Marco processed them before he finally looked back at the president, then at Ren, then back again.

"I understand that's why you invited me here, and I have to admit I'm honored, but... I'm not sure I'm the most qualified. I'm still trying to sort myself out after everything that's happened. I'm not even a werewolf anymore." Marco said.

"No one is asking for perfection, but your record speaks for itself. In your freshman year you helped raise the quality of living for the werewolves on campus by ensuring a fair and balanced leadership before taking on the mantle yourself. You then participated in the liberation of students kidnapped from our own backyard as well as countless other werewolves both in the same facility and in the Futurza tower incident. Doctor Woods, Ren, and Trevor all independently recommended you to act as a liaison for our new arriving students. It is a position most desperately needed, but it isn't something that can be assigned to you. Are you saying that it wouldn't be a right fit?" Julio asked. Marco looked up at him, feeling an odd stirring. It was as if his self-doubt was being pushed back by his experience and pride and whatever fragments of being an alpha had left in him.

"It sounds like exactly the sort of thing I want to do, what I'd even be good at. I just... don't want to mess it up. This is so important. I've heard how coming here has changed lives for werewolves when they had to live in secret, but being able to be themselves openly? All I can do is share what I've been through... but some of them may not want to listen to me. I'm not a werewolf like them, not anymore." Marco said.

"Maybe he is right." Horatio interjected, "It would be a herculean task for anyone to take on. After everything he has been through, do we have any right to ask more? What about his education? Hasn't he already missed enough while trying to save the world?" he asked. Ren scowled at that.

"It may not be the way of politics, but fire can be used to temper a blade, to strengthen it. How many people can say they walked the path of the human and the wolf, to approach it from both perspectives?" Ren questioned.

"To answer your first point, Marco, your professors tell me that you've been catching up on the course work?" Julio asked. Marco nodded.

"My pack and I have been working hard. We've caught up with most of what we missed, and we've made special arrangements to submit some of the materials and take some of the tests over winter break before the new semester begins. Between us all, there are only one or two classes that may need retaken next semester." Marco replied. Julio nodded.

"Then it seems you have charted your course, that you are set to be back on track in less than a few months' time. The destination, of course, is still up to you. The question remains, when the new semester starts, will you be leading the way for others?" Julio asked, looking into the eyes of the young man sitting before him. Marco found it hard to look back, almost as if he was staring through space and time to see his own future. He had been finding his path as he went along, but he couldn't keep doing it by instinct. Not anymore. It was time to make a choice.

****

The sound of rain hitting the metal roof of the athletic building was almost deafening even as Tobin descended the cement stairwell leading down to the locker rooms. The workout had been exhilarating. His heart was still racing, not just from the exercise but from the excitement of it all. Each day brought new gains and they came easier and easier. Every rep with the weights, every crunch, every pull up had been rewarded. He had watched his muscles grow and balloon outward and it had felt as good as any sex he'd ever had.

Tobin's feet skipped down the steps as he came to the door frame, grinning ear to ear as he realized his shoulders had grown wider during his workout as well. His activewear shirt seemed strained to its limit, showing off his nipples and his more than ample set of abs. He walked into the locker room, catching a whiff of his own scent. He smelled like sweat and exertion, of virility and strength. He smelled like any Alpha should. The werewolf had almost made it to his locker when he heard something familiar - but not exactly what one might expect to hear in a locker room. It was the sound of sloppy kisses, of skin on skin, of heated breaths shallow and awkward in the midst of the embrace. They were sounds Tobin had grown to enjoy very much.

The Alpha stepped out around one of the banks of lockers, standing at his imposing stature of six foot three, weighing a few hundred pounds of muscle and meat. Despite his size, the two hadn't noticed. One was one of his new recruits, Kevin. He'd embraced his new lycanthropy, wearing tight-fitted or torn up t-shirts and jeans. His mustache and sideburns were filling in, he'd even gotten his ears pierced. He was a handsome specimen and always so very, very thirsty for his Alpha. Tobin enjoyed it immensely, but it seemed Kevin's thirsts were hard to satiate.

Tobin stood there, crossing his arms in front of his thick pectorals. The fluorescent lights showed off the bleached highlights of the twists in his hair, contrasting it with the tuft of black hanging down from his chin. He turned his attention from Kevin to the other. He seemed to be another freshman, one that had not yet embraced the bite or the taste of lycanthropy. He was fresh, new, untouched, just as Kevin had been. He was a blank slate waiting to be welcomed into the fold.

"It looks like you two are having fun." Tobin said. Both young men jumped. Kevin blushed furiously, realizing who had caught them while the black-haired freshman looked petrified. Tobin grinned and opened a random empty locker as he started to peel off his sweat soaked shirt, tossing it inside, "Don't let me interrupt. Boys will be boys. Like I said, looks like fun. Still, might be more fun if you show him your other side, Kev." Tobin said as he leaned down to untie his shoes, showing off his pert, full ass. The black-haired freshman looked at Kevin in confusion.

"What does he mean, other side?" he asked. Kevin blushed more.

"I mean, it's... I was going to tell you soon, Spence. I just didn't want to... scare you. This is all so new." Kevin said softly, looking at the locker room floor before looking back up, his eyes gleaming gold. Spence inhaled softly in surprise, reaching out to touch Kevin's cheek. As he did, the hair began pushing out from Kevin's cheeks as his ears took on points.

"You're a werewolf..." Spence whispered.

"Not just any werewolf, one of my best. You're a lucky man." Tobin said before he dropped his pants, revealing both a lack of underwear and the fact that he was blessed with the gifts of the werewolf himself. His over-stuffed balls were covered with fur and his manhood seemed far closer to being a wolfhood. Spence looked at Tobin in shock before looking back at Kevin.

"Is it true, what they say? That if a werewolf bites you..." Spence trailed off.

"You become one? Yeah... There are other ways to become a werewolf too. That's why I was going to tell you before we went all the way." Kevin whispered. Spence blushed a bit, petting Kevin's soft, thick sideburns before feeling the contour of his pointed ear, looking into those golden eyes. He almost lost himself in them before he glanced back over at Tobin.

"Are there any rules about, um, any of it?" he asked. Tobin read the room and grabbed his clothes from the locker.

"Just that you're fully prepared to embrace the wolf, and that you have fun. Welcome to the pack." Tobin said before he excused himself. The two freshmen remained in each other's arms, hearing Tobin return to his actual locker, change and then leave. The heavy locker room door swung shut with a thud, leaving only the distant pitter pat of rain cascading across the roof. Kevin looked at Spence before he leaned in, bringing their lips together, kissing him hard and deep. His hand slipped up under his friend's shirt, tracing up and down. Soon Spence felt something new as sharp claw tips began tickling down his skin, leaving tiny irritated lines that stung so good. He moaned and murmured, but Kevin was far from done.

The more worked up he got, the more the wolf emerged. Fur bristled from the back of Kevin's pointed ears as they changed more. His brow bone began to swell and push out. His pants rode down lower as his tail pushed out from the waistband of his pants and a distinct wet spot formed in his gym shorts as pre leaked out from his cock. The musky, spicy smell filled the air as Kevin leaned Spence back and started to grind and hump against him.

Spence's back arched and he moaned, his toes curling and uncurling in his gym shoes. Kevin panted hard before he reached down, brandishing a claw to cut the fly open on Spence's shorts. He reached in and pulled out his cock, then withdrew his own before resuming the heated, friction filled grinding. He moved to nibble and suckle on the human's neck, drawing until blood welled up along the surface.

"Kev!" Spence moaned, feeling as if his senses were overwhelming him. He grabbed onto his friend, his fingers digging in tighter into his back. Kev growled at that, his teeth pushing out into fangs. He licked at the hickie he'd given Spence with his wet, slightly longer tongue.

"How do you want it... The classic bite, or my wolf cum?" Kevin whispered. Spence moaned harder at that, lifting his hips to join Kevin's thrusts, grinding against him frantically. He forced his eyes open, looking up at the uncanny face of the person he knew so well and yet had just met. He panted hard before he tilted his hips, sliding his legs up on either side of Kevin's ribs. Kevin let out a slight growl, delighted by the answer. He grabbed onto Spence's shorts and gave them a tug, wriggling them off of his legs. The underwear proved a bit more cumbersome, but a quick slash of a claw took care of that. Kevin took a big, deep breath of what his partner smelled like before the change, using one hand to caress his perfect, pristine ass cheek.

The grope was appreciative, tender, but it was like the calm before the storm. Appreciation turned to something more direct as he pulled the cheek to the side gently, making ample room. Kevin felt blood pushing into his cock as it grew harder, longer and thicker. His balls ached with need. His stomach rumbled with hunger. That part could wait, but he needed Spence, he needed him in every sense of the word. He began pushing into the freshman, feeling his tight ring of flesh spread around his tainted cock.

Kevin was gentle at first, but as he eased in more and more, he started to become emboldened. He pulled back a little and then thrust again, electing to spit in his hand and then use that saliva as some rudimentary kind of lube. He reached down, slicking himself up as much as he could. If he was going to turn Spence, it would be with every method he could manage. He grinned and pulled back, lingering for just one more moment before he thrust in deep and tight, grinding and pulling back again.

Spence arched his back again, trying not to fall off the locker room bench. His face was tight with pleasure and lust. His legs wrapped around Kevin's ribs, anchoring on his back. He felt that hot, hard cock spearing into his bowels time and time again, finding ways to go deeper with each attempt. He moaned, then cried out, hearing his voice echo on the walls off the locker room. It was a shrine to masculinity, soaked in the musk and sweat and tears and every other fluid known to mankind. It was a place where only men could do what men did, and now they were pushing past those limits. Spence couldn't believe he was being fucked by a werewolf, a monster, a beast... and he loved it. There would be no more good boys, nothing to keep him from being what he was meant to be. No one could tell him being gay was a phase, that he'd grow out of it. This would seal his fate, and he welcomed it.

"Fuck me Kev, fuck me hard!" he begged. The pleading pleased the werewolf and he picked up the pace again, starting to slide Spence up and down along the bench with each thrust. The friction blossomed inside of Spence like a flower, spreading out wider and wider from his ass. It hurt and yet felt so good. His ass felt like it couldn't take much more. He wasn't sure how much he could take, but he didn't want it to stop. He moaned harder, his muscles contracting involuntarily as he arched his back and splayed his neck.

Seeing his partner like that, exposed and vulnerable, basking in the pleasure, there was no way that Kevin could hold back. His instincts took root. He was a werewolf; this was his mate. Their bonding had to be complete. Kev came down, his lips clamping on to the dark bruise he had created before he took it a step farther. Spence's eyes snapped wide as he felt the stinging, wet heat of a bite. He smelled the sharp tang of blood. He felt his own mortality suddenly on the line. He felt the tight, focused grip of the werewolf's jaws on his neck and the fast, pistoning pressure of the cock lodged in his ass... and then he felt a different kind of heat blossoming inside of him. It was a wet heat, just like the bite, but it wasn't blood spreading inside of him. It was the cum of a werewolf.

Kevin was in heaven, feeling his maw around his partner, his cock gushing forth with seed. It was a deep, primal feeling of completion. Even his thrusts became ragged as the base of his cock expanded, locking himself inside of Spence. He could feel the pressure of the human's heart beating against his fangs, his tongue, his lips. Kevin could taste the blood that he had loosed from his bite. He slowly withdrew his fangs, gentle and careful, licking and lapping at the injury. At first the flesh remained punctured, damaged, serrated, but little by little it began to seal up. The blood stopped, but the bruise remained dark for the moment.

Kevin moaned, still cumming a bit more inside of Spence. He ground tightly, working out every drop until there was no more to spare. He stood there, braced over Spence, panting and sweating. His ears pulled back, his brow bone receded, his facial hair returned to normal. After a few more moments the only trace of anything amiss was the dark bruise on Spence's neck and the fact that Kevin was most assuredly knotted inside him for at least the next few minutes. Spence gazed up at his lover with love and lust, a strange dreamy expression. His body felt well used, spent, and yet reborn. He reached up to pet Kevin's cheek again.

"How long will it take, until I'm like you?" he asked softly. Kevin grinned a bit, leaning down to kiss Spence's lips.

"A day or wo... It's faster when we're close to the full moon." Kevin explained. Spence smiled at that answer.

"And how long until we're not connected?" he asked. Kevin chuckled.

"A few minutes, maybe? I'm not sure. Usually, I'm on the receiving end." Kevin admitted. Spence looked around as much as he could, pinned to the locker room bench.

"And if someone finds us?" Spence asked.

"If someone else finds us? We can ask if they like wolves..." Kevin said before kissing Spence again, filling his mouth with a very ample, very eager tongue.

****

Rain pelted the upstairs window, running down in transparent rivulets as the last light of day, unable to filter through the heavy clouds, was supplemented by the orange glow of the streetlights. The thick evergreen trees swayed outside from the strength of the wind and the weight of all of that water coming down at once. Normally it would have made Silas feel incredibly cozy and comfortable, but he found himself far more reflective instead. His reflection was faint in the windowpane, backlit by the cotton-colored lampshades on the lamps around the room.

Silas reached up, resting his hand against the glass, feeling the biting chill of the wet and the cold outside as it translated through the partition. It felt so visceral, so direct despite the disconnect. His green eyes fluttered shut before he snatched his hand away and held it to his chest. A moment or two passed before he realized he was hearing another heartbeat other than his own nearby. Silas forced his eyes open, seeing Auel's reflection in the glass, standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." Auel said, though he didn't move. Silas could tell his comment wasn't entirely truthful. Silas smiled a little.

"It would have been hard not to. I was in another world." he admitted. Auel nodded at that, moving to sit down on the twin bed, looking over at the red headed werewolf perched on the window seat. Silas turned to face inward, looking at his fellow resident.

"We... both gave up our lives, didn't we? Or at least, had them change completely?" Silas asked. Auel's eyebrow quirked a little, realizing the depth of the conversation they were about to have but he nodded.

"We did." Auel replied. Silas gave a meek smile at that.

"I picked Grand Mesa sort of at random. I got accepted to a couple of schools. There were one or two that cost less, a lot that cost more. I fell in love with the pictures of the trees. I came here, and I was only here for a few weeks and then everything changed." Silas explained, running his hands up and down his thighs before he looked back at Auel, "Did you know I was paralyzed, before? I was in a wheelchair." he said. Auel nodded.

"You mentioned it, but never in a lot of detail." Auel said. Silas smiled sadly.

"My dad thought I was crazy for coming out here, thought it'd be easier to go to some school built after accessibility laws were founded. I wanted a taste of the wilderness and I got it... I died, I woke up as an animal, and then I had to learn to be a person again. It took months and months and I still feel like an imposter. But you and I both have been going to that school and walking those halls. I just thought I'd feel more normal by now." Silas admitted. Auel gave a wry, sad smile as he looked at the floor.

"I don't know if anyone ever feels normal, at least not really. When I was a kid, I felt like an outsider because my family knew this dark secret, that werewolves were real, and that we had to do whatever it took... and no one else knew, no one else believed. Then I started realizing that everything ran deeper than that, that somehow there was this connection, that all the werewolves were having dreams of something bad coming... and working to stop it." Auel paused, looking at Auel with a note of concern, "What happened to your dad?" he asked. Silas started blushing beet red.

"After those commercials from Futurza started going out on the television, I told my dad I was a werewolf... I tried to explain it, but he asked if I was like those monsters that attacked during the full moon. I couldn't lie. During that time, I was... I was a direwolf. He said his son was killed by a werewolf. He hasn't spoken to me since. I've been doing loans and grants since then." Silas said. Auel didn't know what to say, but his face spoke to the concern, empathy, pain and shock of it all. He stood up from the bed and moved over, sitting down on the other side of the window seat, leaning over to wrap his arms around Silas.

"We may not have the families we started with, but you're my brother, alright? You got that? You're my little brother and I'm going to make sure you're okay." Auel promised. Silas grinned at that, pressing his face into Auel's chest for a long moment.

"Will you help me with my homework, brother? I suck at algebra." Silas said. Auel winced at that before he turned his head toward the door.

"Moooom!" He shouted out before both men broke into laughter.

****

Despite its large size, the dorm seemed filled to the brim. Fletcher sat at his desk, his chair turned into the room, holding a to-go cup of coffee in his hands. Yom sat cross legged on the corner of the beds that had been pushed together for the nightly wolf pile. Udo and Duncan sat on the couch, both looking at where Marco had opted to sit, taking the somewhat uncomfortable countertop that ran the length of the double long window, the plastic blinds slightly askew against his back. Everything was lit only by the warm, creamy white Christmas lights taped around the ceiling edges with painter's tape.

Marco looked out at his pack, his boyfriends, his family. He wasn't quite as intimidated or scared by what he was going to share with them. If anything, they were just as much of a comfort and strength as they had always been. Werewolf or not, they'd made an indelible bond. Marco didn't feel any of the doubt or hesitation that he had in the president's office. It seemed that it was all crystal clear and that made Marco smile a little.

"We've all been through a lot." Marco began, "It seems a bit surreal when someone points it out, but we have. It's been hard, but we've done a lot. We covered a lot of ground, matured, grew. We saved a lot of lives and earned ourselves a bit of a reputation. You all know that I was asked by the town council to act as a sort of mentor to the class to any new students starting next semester. Grand Mesa is going to be welcoming people who have lived with the same secret we have, and some that are still living that secret. It isn't just werewolves applying. There will be vampires, maybe even deer spirits or tanuki. I want to help, I want us to help." Marco said. Fletcher looked up from his coffee, shaking his head a little.

"It may be a heavy burden to bear, but someone has to share the wisdom of the campus with the new pups. Besides, at least one of them might be good at gaming." Fletcher said.

"Count me in." Udo smirked. Duncan shrugged.

"I've always been a team player, no matter what team I am on." Duncan said. All eyes fell on Yom. He grimaced a little.

"You know I'd do whatever you needed me to do... I'd die for you... But I don't know anything about teaching anyone anything. I'm still learning myself." Yom said. Marco nodded.

"You are, we all are. No one's asking us to be teachers. We've got experience. Some of us were born werewolves, some of us were turned, some of us are entirely unique." Marco said. Fletcher raised his coffee cup to that.

"So, what is the timetable?" Udo asked.

"A few of the students will show up a week before the new term for orientation. We've got a week past the end of finals to catch up on what we missed, that leaves about two weeks in the middle to rest and recuperate." Marco said.

"Movie marathon?" Fletcher asked, "Lord of The Rings extended cut?" he asked.

"No, not again, it takes days to watch those." Yom groaned.

"Admit it, you like the beards! All those dwarves and humans with their rugged good looks." Fletcher said. Yom said nothing, not entirely unable to disagree.

"Working with us will be optional, we're a supplement to the school's staff. I think we'll be good at this, especially since we don't have to be managing the campus pack anymore." Marco said. Duncan shifted a little on the couch at that.

"Are you... sure about that? I mean, I know a lot of them still would follow you if you wanted to stay as their Alpha." Duncan said softly. Marco seemed wounded at that.

"I can't start a civil war; it'd be a nightmare for everyone here. The pack is falling in behind Tobin. He's welcome to ask for guidance from us just like the new students, but we can't force ourselves on anyone." Marco said. Yom exhaled.

"What if it gets bad, like before? Like it did with Seamus?" he asked. Marco was quiet for a moment, considering.

"We can't fix a problem that doesn't exist yet. We'll try to lead by example with those we're helping. We've been able to encourage people to do the right thing before. We can do it again. I have faith in all of you." Marco said. The others nodded, some right away and some after another moment of consideration, but in the end the agreement was made.

"What about... all of the Star Wars movies?" Fletcher asked. Yom growled and grabbed a pillow, throwing it at him. Fletcher instinctively held his coffee away from his body to avoid spilling it from the impact. Duncan roared and jumped off the couch, lunging across the room to tackle Yom and roll with him across the mega-sized bed. Udo shrugged, grabbing the cushion off of the couch, ready to beat them both with it if necessary. Marco just chuckled, watching it all unfold, feeling the liberated lightness of having a common purpose.