Chapter 17 - Hunt

511 A.R. September 25, Psychiatric Clinic, Morning

The scenery of the clinic had changed, the sky was filled with clouds, the temperature had dipped below freezing and a gentle dusting of snow painted the world in white. It was different though beautiful compared to the warm hues of summer.

The cool air felt invigorating as I drew a deep breath and walked through the arch guarding the clinic.

Dried leaves crunched as I walked up to the doors and eased it open, warm air brushed against me and it felt like being hit by a concentrated wall of scents. Humans, hybrids, and the pleasant smell of fresh baked ginger biscuits.

A gentle melody played in the background as I looked in front and saw the receptionist.

She made a courteous nod in my direction as I approached, "Morning Vilkas."

"Good morning," I answered as she motioned to a plate filled with ginger biscuits.

"Have one, Jason helped bake them," She said.

"Jason, in a kitchen?" I asked in surprise as I took a biscuit.

She made a humored nod and motioned to the stairs, "He's upstairs in his room."

"Thank you," I answered as I bit into the biscuit and headed toward the third floor.

My ears perked as I heard something odd, a female laughter followed by Jason's voice. I followed it down the corridor and then glanced into Jason's room.

Hedwig was seated in the middle of the sofa and had a large blanket wrapped around her, she was holding a controller in her hand and was staring at the wall-mounted screen with a smile on her face.

Jason was sitting at the end of the sofa with a humored expression while holding another controller.

Something stuck out to me as I watched Jason, he looked shabby. His beard grew wild, his hair was unkempt and fat while his clothes seemed old and faded.

I tapped at the wall and watched them both glance my way as I spoke up, "Hi."

Jason lit up in an instant, "Hey Vilkas."

I stepped into the room while Hedwig smiled and spoke up, "Hello Vilkas."

"Hello Hedwig," I said before focusing on Jason, "How are you doing Jason?"

"I'm doing good, you?" Jason asked.

"Good, are you busy?" I asked.

Hedwig spoke up, "We're just playing a game. Jason's told me you used to like games."

"I still do, but-" I answered before Hedwig interrupted me.

"Life's busy, I understand. Join us?" Hedwig said as she motioned for me to sit down next to her.

"Jason and I were thinking of doing something," I said.

Hedwig looked surprised and turned her head to glance out of the window at the falling snow.

"In this weather? It's cold and it's looking like there's going to be a storm, and you were feeling a bit under the weather as it is Jason, didn't you?" Hedwig said as she brushed close to Jason and moved her blanket to cover him.

"... Yeah, a bit," Jason answered.

Hedwig looked back at me and offered her controller, "Come on Vilkas, you can have a go and you can tell us all about your pack of wolves."

I pulled a deep breath and feigned a slight smile as I stepped up to the sofa.

"Have you been at the clinic for long Hedwig?" I asked as I got seated while the sofa groaned in protest.

Hedwig nodded, "As long as Jason, I was caught in the outfall of the Happy Trails incident."

"I see," I answered.

Hedwig scrounged her nose for a moment as if she had smelled something foul, "You're the alpha of your pack, aren't you Vilkas?"

"Yes, I am," I answered.

"That must be a big responsibility, keeping 3 huge wolves under control."

I don't like you...

"It's not like that Hedwig."

Hedwig issued a few commands with her controller and then looked over at Jason, "Your turn dear."

Jason seemed to blush for a moment and then focused on the screen as he continued playing.

Hedwig looked back at me and made a slight smile, "No need to be humble Vilkas."

Whatever her goal was it became clear that she already won the battle, Jason was under her control and any attempt to wrest him from her at this point would only seem desperate.

I leaned forward and focused on Jason, "Jason?"

Jason snapped out of his focus and looked over at me, "Yeah?"

"Get better all right, we'll do something fun next time. Okay?" I asked.

Jason looked a bit stunned as he nodded, "Oh, all right."

I pushed myself up from the sofa as Hedwig spoke up once more, "You're leaving already?"

"I prefer not to be the third wheel, goodbye," I answered as I walked out.

I walked to the stairs and then glanced back as I waited for a few moments. No one followed and it filled me with unease and wonder as i headed down the stairs to the ground floor.

To my surprise the reception was empty and silent except for the blurring sound of a hot drink machine occupied by a human male with a wool sweater.

I ignored it and marched past the reception as i heard the human humming while the scent of lemon tea wafted from the machine.

The man turned around and faced me while staring down his cup, his demeanor changed in an instant as he stopped humming and glanced up.

Our eyes caught and the man made a surprised shiver that shook the cup with enough force to make the hot liquid spill. Panic grew and twisted the man's face as he made a pained cry and let go of the cup.

The cup fell and hit the ground with a resounding cling but did not break as it tumbled while the hot tea was thrown across the floor.

My first instinct was to approach but the reaction made me hesitant to step closer, "Are you all right?"

The man clutched his hand and seemed to cower as he stumbled back.

"Sorry..." The man whispered as he stepped back and hit the machine with a thud.

The man looked older than Jason but didn't seem worn enough to be called middle aged.

"I didn't mean to scare you, should I get someone?" I asked.

The man shook his head, "No, stay away."

A female feline clad in a lab coat came around the corner a mere moment later, she was quick to join the man's side as she spoke up in a soft voice.

"Milton, are you all right?" The doctor asked.

The man gulped and averted his gaze, "Yes, Helen."

Something moved at the edge of my vision and I glanced to the side as I saw a small drone emerge from the wall. It moved along the floor and wiped it clean in a circular manner while a small gripping arm picked up the mug.

"Find Fabian, he'll help you with the burn. All right Milton?"

Milton sighed and took a deep breath, "I'll do that... find Fabian."

Helen touched Milton's shoulder and made a gentle smile, "Good, on your way now."

Milton nodded and then turned around as he ventured deeper into the clinic.

"Hello Vilkas, sorry about that," Helen said as she approached the reception.

"Likewise, I didn't to intend to scare him."

"I know, Jason should be on the third floor as usual."

I nodded, "Thank you, but I've already visited, how come you know who I am?"

Helen made a gentle smile, "There are 24 patients at this facility, we get to know all of them very well."

"I see, Milton seemed a bit... shaken?"

Helen stepped closer and lowered her voice, "Many of our patients have troubled pasts and some are heavily medicated."

"I don't mean to pry, but why such an extreme reaction, he seemed really scared of me."

Helen shook her head, "I can't discuss his case, sorry Vilkas."

"I understand, I have another question if you don't mind?"

"Go right ahead?" Helen said with a gentle nod.

"This medication you're giving them, what is it?"

"There are many kinds I'm afraid, are you thinking of something in particular?"

"Jason spoke of something that's supposed to make his mind like putty?"

Helen nodded, "Ah, the plasticity enhancers. That kind of drug sets the mind into what you could call a... learning mode, it makes it easier to look beyond the past and take in new things."

"Could it be used as a brainwashing mechanism?"

Helen raised her brow in wonder, "Yes, but only in high doses. It's one of the reasons why it's a tightly controlled type of drug. Why would you wonder something like that?"

"Just curious, is Jason still on that kind of drug?"

"I'm not supposed to discuss his medication... but, no he isn't. This kind of drug is only meant to mend severe trauma, long term use and high doses in particular are dangerous."

"Can it be used on hybrids?" I asked.

Helen made a slight frown, "Sort of, it is used to help meld the symbiont to a human mind but our bodies grow immune to it after the initial bonding. You're still young but far beyond the point where the drug would have any effect."

"I see, thank you."

511 A.R. October 4, Volkov Household, Night

It was late at night and I could feel my thoughts slipping as I was drifting off to sleep. My focus lay on trying to enter the mindscape but the fine thread between sleep and focus was difficult to maintain.

Something was revealed by the blur of my mind as something bubbled in the depths of my unconscious. It was like an ocean of tar and it both scared and intrigued me.

I reached out and I thought of Volkov as I sought to enter the mindscape, the ocean reacted and it reached out like tendrils as it grabbed hold of me. It felt warm, sleek, and I could feel myself waking at the same time as it pulled me deeper.

It enveloped me and I fully woke as the world of the mindscape formed around me.

The wind brushed against me, the sensation of wet grass tickled my paws and the smell of spruce filled the air. I drew a deep breath and looked up as I caught sight of the moon contained in my mind.

A slight smile spread on my muzzle as I glanced around, "Volkov?"

No one answered and I wondered where he could be as I decided to explore.

One step at a time I walked past shimmering shards of memories and headed to the edge of the forest.

The depths were near pitch black but something urged and told me that this was the way to Volkov's den. I entered the darkness, brushed past branches, bushes, and walked in a straight path until I caught sight of light and what looked like a cliff face.

My ears perked at the sound of music while I brushed up against a tree and glimpsed into the den. The place was a mess and the shards littered the air and filled the cliff face like a great interactive painting.

Volkov was standing in front of a large shard in the air and he held what looked like two drumsticks. The music had a pleasant though foreign tune and it filled me with the sensation of déjà vu.

My focus caught on Volkov whose neck seemed to have straightened a little to give him a less hunchbacked look, "Volkov!"

Volkov stopped moving in tune with the music and turned to look at me in an instant. His ears perked, his tail wagged, and his face lit up in excitement as a sudden wave of joy ambushed my mind.

Volkov dropped the drumsticks and rushed toward me while I raised my hands, "Easy-"

Volkov slammed into me and wrapped his arms around me, "Vilkas! You came!"

"I'm here," I whispered as he nuzzled and squeezed me tight.

The excitement and joy emanating from him was infectious and it made my own tail wag as my thoughts were warped into strange sensation of excitement at not being alone.

Volkov let go of me and was panting as he spoke up, "How long can you stay!? All night!? We can play!"

It took me a moment to clear my head as I realized that the sudden sensation of loneliness wasn't my own, but Volkov's.

"For a while at least, how are you doing Volkov?" I asked.

"Great! You're here! We're not alone!" Volkov near yelled out as his thoughts and sensations slammed into me.

"Your speech..." I murmured.

"We watched! We learned! We saw! Do you like it!?"

"Yeah, you're a quick learner Volkov."

Volkov nodded while his tail lashed, "Yeah, we are. We didn't understand before but we do know, so we listen... I listen, and understand!"

"That's good," I whispered.

Volkov's smile faltered, "We... we're suspicious, scared... you... me... no. Wait..."

"Calm down a little, OK?" I asked.

Volkov drew a deep breath and nodded, "All right... calm. We're calm... I'm so happy you're here."

"I understand Volkov."

Volkov glanced away for a moment, "I feel what's going on, I try to help and watch but... It's lonely in here. I have the shards and the memories but this place... it's just reflections... the past."

"Sorry about that," I whispered.

Volkov smiled and nodded, "I know, I understand, I can hear us always..."

"Can you... read all my thoughts?" I asked.

Volkov cocked his head, "I don't understand."

"My thoughts, what I'm thinking, can you hear them?" I asked once more.

Volkov motioned to the shards, "My thoughts?"

"Most of those are mine, not yours Volkov," I answered.

Volkov's ears folded back as he avoided my gaze, "Don't... say that."

"... Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," I answered.

Volkov's ears perked, "Yes you did, I can feel what we're thinking, you're scared... you think that I am not you. That's confusing... and mean."

"... I'm Vilkas," I answered.

Volkov smiled and nodded, "So am I and mom and dad are my parents," Volkov answered.

They're my parents, not yours...

Volkov leaned back with a stunned expression on his face, "That's not true... why would you say something like that?"

"I... sorry, but it's true."

Volkov frowned, "We're part of each other, they're my parents as well."

That's not true...

Volkov's expression darkened, "I'm related to our parents, something you aren't!"

My ears perked while I frowned in surprise, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If I'm a symbiont, then that means that I'm made out of mother and father's symbiont, you're just a human!"

An eerie silence filled the den as we both stared at each other.

"I'm no longer a human," I whispered.

Volkov's lips quivered for a moment as anguish emanated from him, "I'm no longer a symbiont."

"I believe you... forgive me," I whispered.

Volkov nodded and held out his hands, moments later a large ball materialized in his hands.

"I understand. Can we play? I've wanted to play for so long..." Volkov asked.

Doubt filled my mind as I decided to play along, "Sure, just one question?"

Volkov's ears perked, "Yes?"

"That music you were listening to, what is that?"

Volkov glanced over at the large shard in the air and motioned with one hand, the shard seemed to obey and floated over to us. It showed the perspective of a wolf sitting by a set of drums, a large crowd had gathered and they seemed to be cheering.

"An old memory... it feels familiar... it's part of us yet it is foreign, I like it," Volkov mused with a smile.

"Could we listen as we play?" I asked.

Volkov nodded and the shard obeyed as it playing.

511 A.R. October 8,Forest, Morning

The tension in the air was worse than usual as we undressed while Kato's pack approached.

"Calm down, we're all friends here," I whispered to the others as I took note of the slack tails.

My focus shifted to Kato, Reville and Monty. They were bigger than the rest of us and they were starting to remind me of father as I glossed over their huge frames and the bulging musculature that shaped the layout of their fur.

What caught my interest though was the fourth member of their pack, he was smaller like us and it made me realize that he was a year younger than Kato.

How did such a thing happen?

The younger wolf had beautiful gray fur in front while his back was covered in black, a rather stark border of yellow separated the two.

The others moved up behind me and it felt strange to be at the forefront, to be the alpha that others looked to for guidance.

"Hey Kato," I said as I stepped up to him.

Kato made a feral grin and crouched a little as he leveled with me, "Hey Vilkas."

Our muzzles touched for a moment as we shared scents while we shook hands. It eased my mind and it acted as assurance that we were both on friendly terms.

I focused on the newcomer and motioned to my myself and the others, "I'm Vilkas, this is my pack, Peter is my beta and this is John and Allen."

Kato made a warm smile followed up with an introduction of his own, "I'm Kato, Monty is my beta and that's his brother Reville, our fourth is Marcus."

It caught me by surprise to hear that Monty and Reville were siblings but I ignored it as I motioned for the pack to approach while I stepped up to Marcus.

"Nice to meet you Marcus," I said with a light smile as I offered my muzzle for a proper greeting.

Marcus glanced over at Kato and then made a sheepish smile as he stepped up and exchanged scents. The others started their own greetings while I leaned back and caught Marcus yellow eyes.

"I don't mean to pry, but do you mind if I ask your story?"

Marcus ears folded back for a moment, "That obvious huh? I'm from a broken pack. Kato accepted me into his own, I'm very grateful for that."

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay, I wont mention it again," I whispered.

Marcus brightened up a little and made a light smile, "It's all right, after all we're here to get to know each other, good and bad."

I motioned to the scar hidden by my fur, "Most know who I am, do you?"

Marcus made a light nod, "Yeah, who doesn't."

"I see, I'm afraid I don't know the concept of a 'broken pack'?"

Kato stepped up to us and focused on me, "Sometimes packs don't work out, but our bonds still run deep and it makes people hesitant to split up even if they're dysfunctional. It can't last though and the result is a broken pack, split up and divided among others."

My instincts called out to me and I could feel Volkov pulling at my strings as I leaned in and gave Marcus a gentle nudge and a caring nuzzle. It felt better than words and it seemed to convey my feelings as Marcus nudged back while his tail started to sway in a steady manner.

Marcus then leaned back and met my eyes, "... Thanks."

Kato raised his brow and spoke up, "Are you done?"

I glanced over at Kato, "All done Kato, what's the game-plan?"

Kato motioned to the forest, "Two herds clashed and one of the doe's got badly hurt, it won't be much of a hunt exactly but we're tasked with ending it."

"All right, so we spread out and start looking for a trail."

Kato nodded, "It'll be a good exercise to see how we work as a team, you know standard signals, right?"

"... Standard signals?" I asked.

Kato raised his brow in confusion and held up his hand as he made a series of signs.

"... No, sorry," I answered.

Kato made a light sigh and raised his voice, "All right newbies! Gather around, time for a lesson!"

511 A.R. October 8, Forest, Midday

The wind wasn't in our favor and the herd was on the run. The scents told a story though and it revealed that the hurt doe was already limping behind the others.

I hopped up on an old stump and glanced around as I caught sight of the others.

Kato raised his hand and made a sign, it took me a moment to remember it as the all-clear for us to continue our approach.

I understood the reasoning behind the signs and I relayed it to Peter while wondering if our hunts needed to be this structured, then again, the hunts may have been little more than exercise in disguise.

Peter made a sign of his own, 'Maintain formation?'

I started jogging once more and observed Kato as I noticed that his pack was drawing closer to the center.

'Join up,' I relayed to Peter before I started drawing closer to Kato.

"Are these signs the same ones they use in the defense force?" I asked as I joined Kato.

"Yes, my brother is in the defense force, he taught me," Kato answered.

"Marcus seems like a nice guy," I said.

Kato nodded and made a light smile, "Yeah, he deserves a proper pack after what he went through."

"Mm, I was wondering, Monty and Reville seem to be the same age yet they're brothers, what's the reason behind that?"

Kato glanced over, "They're not actually the same age, one just waited for the other."

"I see," I answered.

Kato kept his eyes on me, "Why so curious Vilkas?"

"We're about to team up, it's in my interest to learn as much about you as possible."

"I understand that, you'd do well to respect the borders though."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Kato's look sharpened, "You're the alpha of your pack, I'm the alpha of mine, the alpha of the team directs orders through the pack alphas. We don't butt into the internal affairs of the other."

"I can respect that," I answered.

"Good, Marcus bonds with my pack, not with you Vilkas, keep your distance."

"I only tried to be kind earlier, nothing else Kato."

"I know, just setting down the lay of the land so that there's no confusion."

"There's still one big question lingering though..."

"Oh, and what's that?" Kato asked with a curious glance.

I met Kato's eyes, "How did your pack lose one?"

Kato's pleasant demeanor faltered and the air grew tense, "That's none of your business."

"We're about to team up, it 'is' my business Kato."

"Not this Vilkas, back off."

Kato played hard, so could I, "Unacceptable Kato, I'm not teaming up with a pack that would hold something like that a secret."

Kato bared his teeth and inched closer as he made a sharp but hushed whisper, "You're not the only one with a past Vilkas!"

"I know that, and every bloody wolf around here knows. So what's your dark secret?"

"Are you serious Vilkas? You're willing to call this off because I won't tell you?" Kato asked.

I nodded, "Yes, I am. Others will notice, others will ask the same question, you either tell me or this deal is null and void."

Kato glared at me in silence while the others drew closer. Something snapped inside him as he raised his hand and made the sign for the others to back off.

The others stopped their approach while Kato resumed glaring at me, "... We could find another pack."

"And they would ask the same question Kato," I answered.

"I'm going to kick your ass later," Kato whispered.

I huffed, "The feeling's mutual Kato."

Kato took a deep breath and made an irritated growl, "Fine Vilkas, you win. He died..."

"How?" I asked.

"Because we were young and stupid pups that thought we were immortal, but we aren't and the glaciers are a dangerous place."

"What happened?" I asked.

Kato his lips trembled either from anger or heartache, "We had just gone through our rite of passage and we felt like we were on top of the world. We were brash and decided to go for an illegal hunt... we took a shortcut to the mountains by passing over the glacier. Things were fine one moment... we were laughing... joking around... chasing each other... then... a crack later... he was gone. Swallowed by the depths of a glacier, a crevasse so deep that we couldn't even see to the bottom."

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Kato made a snarl and looked away, "Happy?"

"I needed to know Kato, it's something I couldn't leave be if we were to team up."

"... Yeah," Kato whispered.

511 A.R. October 5, Forest, Evening

The skies were bright orange, the air was chilly and the frost on the ground crackled as we drew closer to the doe. Her hind leg was broken and dangled, it no longer bled but the smell wafting from it told us that it was infected.

The doe glanced around and locked eyes with each and everyone one of us before coming to a stop.

I could feel my instincts wake as we had traveled far and had become hungry during the journey. Part of me felt sad for the creature and even considered that we might have been able to heal the wound.

The notion seemed silly though and I could sense that Volkov did not understand, after all, this was not our equal, nor friend, or ally. It was just food that knew how to run and play coy, food that had reached the end of the journey known as life.

So like the fables of old we took on the role of the grim reaper and asked...

'Greetings weary traveler, your time has come to an end. Are you ready?'

The doe seemed to realize her fate, relaxed and then grew still as if to answer... yes.

We encircled the doe, our fangs hungered and our claws were ready. All that remained was the spark that would turn this pristine spot of forest into a crimson slaughter.

Kato was the biggest of us and his fangs were even bigger than my own, he approached first and I could see the focus of a predator as he aimed for its throat.

Someone stepped on a twig and the light crack was all that was needed, in an instant we were running and leaping as feral instinct took over.

Claws and fang tore and ripped as the creature was ended in the blink of an eye. Volkov approved of the quick ending and so did I. The atmosphere was far from peaceful as snarls and growls mingled with the sound of tearing meat and bone.

The doe came apart in peaces and the frost was stained red as the meat was divided between us.

Somehow I had gotten intertwined with Kato as we both pulled and tore at the neck until it snapped in two. It was bony and gnarly but the vertebrae hid rich marrow.

My body moved on autopilot while I observed the others, they feasted side by side and it felt like a good sign that our feral sides approved of each other in an important and intimate ritual.

I tired of gnawing on bone as I let go of it and set my sight on the centerpiece where Monty was feeding. Monty looked up as I reached out and made a warning growl while he shuffled back to keep the piece for himself.

Rage and anger flooded my system and I could hear Volkov snarl in anger at the rude attempt of greed.

I let it flow through me and my body tensed up in an instant while my tail rose as I let out a ferocious snarl and snapped at him with a ferocity that made the others jump in surprise.

It worked as Monty's ears folded back while he relinquished part of the centerpiece.

I fed side by side and let my eyes wander as something caught my attention. Allen was feasting on a hind-leg and his bright white fur grew more crimson with every bite. Marcus inched closer but seemed to have little good in mind as he reached out to grab the piece for himself.

Allen didn't notice at first and seemed stunned for a moment as the piece was almost yanked out of his hands.

Allen was gentle if a bit silent, but his instincts ran strong and the wolf inside him would not hesitate to show its feral side if needed.

Marcus yanked at the piece once more and Allen reacted this time as his face twisted into a feral snarl while he lunged at Marcus. Allen used the hind-leg as leverage and slammed it against Marcus chest.

Marcus leaned back in surprise while Allen followed up and slapped him in the face with enough force to make Marcus fall to the side.

Allen retook his prize and glared as Marcus sat up once more with a hurt expression of shame.

That's it...

Allen saw the reaction and his demeanor changed as the growl ceased. Moments later his expression softened as he crept closer to Marcus and offered one end of the piece.

Marcus latched on and it didn't take long before both of them were gnawing at the piece side by side.

511 A.R. October 5, Forest, Night

It felt like being drunk as the packs walked shoulder by shoulder in search of a good place to rest. The scents were pleasant, my gut was content, Volkov was happy and my mind wandered.

"How do they know..." I whispered.

"What?" Someone asked.

"The doe, is someone monitoring the herds? Athena?" I asked.

Someone wedged between my arm and brushed up against me. It smelt like Marcus and I gave him a friendly nudge as we walked side by side.

"People don't realize just how engineered our environment is..." Markus answered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The lusus ate everything outside the walls, every animal, insect, even the birds didn't stand a chance in the long run. They even infested the trees and rooted themselves to the very earth. Nothing you see around here is natural."

"Oh," I whispered.

"Everything is engineered, the grass, the trees, the animals, everything had to be remade in order to be resistant to the lusus. The trees form antennas at the tops and you can ping them to get a report on their health, it's the same with the animals."

"They're part machine?" I asked.

Marcus shook his head, "No, all organic, just engineered so that they respond in a way we typically attribute to machines. There are signal towers spread throughout the forest and they gather reports from every tree and larger animal that exists, we knew the moment that doe got hurt."

"How did they ever manage to cleanse the land?"

"Fire," Marcus answered with a voice that indicated little more needed to be said.

"I take it the humans did the same?" I asked as the others began to settle on the ground.

"To some degree... they've never managed to fully eradicate the lusus in their parts of the island. But the Etemenanki makes sure that the surviving ones are weakened to the point of not being much of a bother."

"How do you know all this?" I asked as everyone began to stretch and yawn.

Marcus smiled and chuckled, "I want to be a biologist one day."

Kato moved in and gave me a sharp eye before grabbing hold of Marcus, "We'll sleep here."

I had no intention of stealing Marcus, but I wasn't going to actively push him away either.

511 A.R. October 6, Forest, Midday

Someone stirred in the pile of fur and it made me glance up as I caught sight of Kato.

"Morning?" I whispered with a groggy voice.

Kato motioned to the forest, "Talk, you, me, the forest."

"Lead the way," I whispered.

Kato got up and tiptoed through the others while I felt a tug on my arm. I glanced down and caught sight of Peter holding onto me.

"Are you going to be all right?" Peter whispered.

I made a gentle smile and eased out of his grip, "Relax Peter."

Peter didn't seem to like it but lay down once more while I got up and followed. Kato kept walking until we were out of sight of the others and then took to a tree as he heeded nature's call.

The air felt tense as I joined him and spoke up, "The others seem to be getting along."

"Yeah, which leaves us to settle the finer points of our arrangement," Kato answered.

Part of me wished for this to be nothing more than a civil discussion of merit, but it didn't feel like it on the inside.

I felt like a wolf who walked on two legs and everything surrounding me only spun my instincts further into gear. The smell of two alpha's, only made worse by the strong scent of our marks, the underlying conflict and the abrasive nature of two dominant personalities.

My heart picked up pace while I felt warmth fill my insides as my readied myself to assert myself as pack-alpha. At the same time I urged caution, Kato was older, bigger, he had more experience and I did not want to be the one known as a mindless brute, it was not befitting of a proper alpha.

I latched onto the thought and made it a model to strive after, a big and proper alpha, with the virtues of honesty, compassion, valor, and honor so that I could live without regret and stand beside others without shame.

It made me smile for a moment as I realized how much I had changed both in mind and body.

I pushed the thought aside and let my new conviction steel me as I stepped away from the tree and faced Kato, "So who's going to be alpha of the team?"

Kato motioned at himself, "I should be alpha of the team."

"Why?" I asked.

"I have a brother who's in the defense force, he's up to date on how they do things and he's taught me what he can. The team will benefit from my knowledge."

"Go on," I said.

"I'm older and more experienced and we'll be almost fully grown when we start, that's a benefit."

"Go on," I repeated.

"I know my way around Waldo tech, ever heard of it?"

I nodded, "Me and my pack know touch telepathy, basic usage of Waldo units, and we've all been to the mindscape, you?"

Kato made a slight frown, "We haven't had much experience with it actually."

"All right, anything else?" I asked.

"I'm calm, collected, fair. I can be a bit silly at times but not when it comes to serious business."

"Anything else?" I asked.

Kato made a bemused grin, "I think it sounds like I have the advantage already, what about yourself?"

The question was simple and valid yet it presented me with a conundrum that I didn't appreciate.

Kato and his pack had the experience and connections that I lacked, what filled me with doubt though was his manners of dealing with others.

"I'm better at dealing with people," I answered.

"What?" Kato said as his ears perked.

"The others at the university think of you as a bully, I know that you're a nice guy Kato but you're playing into a stereotype that isn't beneficial to us."

Kato glared at me, "We're wolves that are going to serve in the defense force! Not diplomats!"

"The defense force does more than guard the wall, we protect the people and that means interacting with both society, the powers that be, and perhaps even enemy forces. Can you do that?"

Kato's glare softened a little, "Yes, I can. I've never laid hands on anyone at the university nor have I ever been mean or crude to anyone, it's not my fault people think we're brutes."

"But you didn't do anything to fix it either?" I asked.

Kato raised a clawed hand and pointed at me, "I helped with the club, I played nice with everyone and so did Reville and Monty."

"I know that, and you did very well."

"Don't patronize me Vilkas."

"I'm not, I'm trying to determine whether or not you have my support as alpha."

Kato looked surprised, "What are you saying, you don't want the spot?"

"I want a proper alpha to lead the team, if you're not it then I'll vie for the position, but you have the experience, something I lack."

"Oh, huh, surprising..." Kato whispered.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"You always seemed so eager, I figured... never mind. Listen..."

"What?" I asked.

Kato pulled a deep breath, "Do you know how many have died in the defense force lately?"

"No," I said.

"Two years ago one of them died in a freak accident, a big armor plate fell of the wall and crushed him during an inspection. A year ago someone broke protocol and stuck his head out from protective cover long enough to be taken down by a Dyssian sniper."

"One a year... it's grim but accidents happen. What does that have to do with anything?" I said.

"I'm getting to that... have you ever seen the statistics regarding the human nations?"

"Some of them, what are you referring to?"

"Death statistics. There are thousands, per day, and I'm not talking about natural death. Murder, executions, traffic accidents, disease, war, suicide, insanity rules the rest of the island."

I cocked my head, "Thousands per day, and you're not counting natural deaths? There must be a mistake somewhere."

Kato sighed, "Yeah, I thought that the diseases might skew the numbers but it turns out that heart failure and cancer counts as natural death in their statistics."

"Maybe you misread, maybe you meant per year?" I asked in disbelief.

Kato gave me a sharp glance, "No, per day, I can show you the statistics myself."

"That's bad, but I still don't see the point?" I said.

"Life is really cheap in the human nations and I've seen death as I told you... I'm not some patriot looking for glory but I want to help defend the wall so that whatever insanity they suffer from never crosses the border."

I nodded, "That's noble."

Kato made a light smile. "Yeah. What I'm trying to say is that this isn't just education for me, this is what I want to work with. I'm dedicated and I think I'll make a good alpha for the team because I'll do my very best to make sure all of us are safe and happy by the end of the day. I can be kind, well spoken, and diplomatic. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression of something else."

Kato felt different from Peter, he wasn't desperate and his speech sounded genuine. He was far from perfect but most important though was the impression that he could be reasoned with. To tip matters further was the fact that taking on the role of team leader would only put more weight on my back and steal precious time from my own quest.

"Sounds good Kato, I'm willing to accept you as alpha of the team, if you take me on as your beta."

Kato made a surprised smile, "That easy huh?"

"You make good points, and I agree, you have the advantage of experience."

Kato nodded, "That's great, wonderful. So who gets the second beta position?"

"I don't know Kato, could we schedule that for another time?"

"Sure, we've made plenty of progress as it is," Kato answered.

"So what happens now?" I asked.

Kato made a feral grin as he walked up to me and gave me a light jab in my chest, "You're still up for an ass-kicking Vilkas."

It made me chuckle as I snatched hold of his hand and tried to push it off, "Oh? Any rules?"

"No fangs and nothing Waldo," Kato answered as he grabbed hold of my hand.

"All right," I answered as I dug in with my paws and started pushing with both hands.

I felt angry and my frustration poured out, to my dismay the difference in strength became painfully evident as my attempt to push him back had my paws raking the dirt.

Kato made a bemused grin and made a loud growl while making a sudden but powerful push that made me stumble back.

I had just caught my balance as Kato approached and made an arching swipe toward me, I hopped back in an instant and could hear the rush of air as his huge hand passed within centimeters of my chest.

"Good reflexes, cat," Kato teased.

I'm outmatched... So much for being a big and strong alpha...

I moved to the sides in hope of outmaneuvering him but Kato was sharp and quick despite his size, just like father.

"Come on then!" Kato teased once more.

"You won't have the advantage of size forever Kato."

"Relax, we're just playing Vilkas," Kato said with a grin as his tail lashed behind him.

I remembered my lessons from father and moved in for a strike. Kato swung his arm in an instant and I hopped back to avoid it.

Unlike last time though I lashed out once more and clipped his swinging arm with a strike of my own. It connected and I lunged in to take advantage of the surprise as Kato winced in pain.

I latched onto him like a leech and used his fur to hold on while using my body to block use of his arm.

Kato was quick to snatch hold of my neck with his free arm and pulled to tear me loose.

It was a precarious and stupid move but I relied on his assurance that we were just playing. I pulled, clambered, and pushed with my legs in an attempt to get him off balance as I felt the sharp pinch of torn fur along my neck.

"Grah!" Kato growled in anger as his hand caught nothing but a tuft of fur.

I wrapped my arm around his neck and shifted position so that I clambered onto his back while my foot brushed by the back of his leg and found the spot I was looking for.

Kato grabbed my arm that had wrapped around his neck and squeezed hard, it hurt like hell and his claws felt as if they were about to pierce flesh.

I raised my leg and then kicked at the back of Kato's leg with enough force to make him grunt in pain as he shuddered and fell onto his knees with a loud thud.

For a moment I felt as if I was winning but that changed as he grabbed my leg and pulled. It made me feel like little more than a rag-doll as he forced my arm off his neck while pulling me in front of him.

My back scraped along the ground as he stood once more and lifted me by the legs so that I ended up dangling in the air.

"Don't get too cocky Vilkas," Kato said with an irritated growl in his throat.

I squirmed but the position left me with little more than a heavy sensation in my head and a grand view of the ground.

"I had to try, right?" I asked as I looked up toward Kato.

"You're like a damn insect," Kato muttered as he let go.

I fell to the ground with a thud and then clambered onto all four while Kato brushed the fur by his lower leg.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked.

"Just scraped me up, how's your neck?" Kato asked.

I felt along my neck but couldn't feel anything apart from the slight burn of torn fur, "It's okay."

The fight was over, the frustration and anger had drained. But now it was replaced something else, a gut need to make up, to make good, to forget, forgive, and move on.

My tail grew slack as I felt sad for having inflicted pain on another.

I got on two legs and stepped up to him as I made a light if pleading smile, "Sorry... alpha."

Kato's ears perked at hearing the words, "Oh, right, I had almost forgotten."

It was pure instinct and I let myself be led along as I brushed up to him and raised my snout to his throat. Kato reciprocated and as we brushed our muzzles together and let something new take root.

We were a team, and now came the time to build trust and cooperation between our packs.

Kato glanced up all of a sudden and a bemused grin spread on his muzzle. My own ears perked in wonder as I glanced up and noticed that we were being observed.

The others were all huddled together and the intense stares made it feel as if they had been sitting on pins and needles as they had watched us.

511 A.R. October 19, Volkov Household, Morning

The phone buzzed in my pocket and I swallowed the last of my sandwich with a gulp before fetching my phone as i stood up. I glanced down and saw a surprising name, 'Jason'

I marched out of the kitchen and put the phone by my ear as I answered, "Jason?"

It took a moment before someone answered.

"... Hi Vilkas." Jason said with something akin to a whisper.

"Hi Jason, how are you doing?" I asked with a sensation as if something was wrong.

"I'm doing well, really well actually. Athena... gave me a clean bill of health, I don't have to stay at the clinic any longer."

"Well... that's good to hear," I answered as I looked down at the floor.

"I wanted to apologize for last time..."

"That's okay Jason, don't worry about it."

"There's something as well."

"What?"

"I know that you're busy Vilkas, you've got a pack, new responsibilities, university, everything. I just wanted to say that I'll be fine if you want to say goodbye."

A chill ran down my spine, "Wait, what?"

"I understand Vilkas... you've been a good friend and you've always been there, I'll be fine, I wont bother you any longer."

I squeezed the phone in anger as I bared my teeth, "Did you ever consider how I might feel about that?"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"Did it ever strike your mind that I might need 'your' help? That I'm not visiting you out of pity Jason? That you're my friend I want it to stay that way? I want to have fun with you because that's what friends do. Do you understand?"

"Oh..." Jason whispered.

"Do you want things to end?" I asked.

"No." Jason answered.

"We're going out tomorrow, just the two of us and Hedwig isn't coming along, all right?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"... All right, what did you have in mind?"

"Call it a surprise, okay?"

Jason made a slight chuckle, "You sound rather determined Vilkas."

"Promise me Jason, no more excuses."

"... Okay, sounds good. Like old times."

"Like old times, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at the clinic, all right?"

"Deal... I need to go, bye," Jason whispered.

"Bye Jason," I said as the line went dead.

I was left holding the phone in an iron grip as I kept staring at the floor.

Were the things I said true? Did I really expect or want him to help me? For that matter... were my actions to his benefit or was it merely my paranoia leading me along?

"Vilkas?" Mother asked.

I glanced up and relaxed with a slight smile, "Yeah mom?"

"Is everything all right? You look awfully tense."

"I'm all right," I answered.

"And how's Jason?"

"... I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Mother asked as she stepped closer and touched my shoulder.

"I'm scared for him, I'm getting the feeling that he's left the shark-pool just in order to jump into another one."

Mother cocked her head a little, "Oh, so what are you planning to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know to be honest... it's going to be difficult to take him anywhere public."

"Why's that?" Mother asked.

I met her eyes, "He's doing better, in his head I mean, but he looks really shabby and everyone will be able to see that he's an adult human. I don't think that's going to help his current state."

Mother brushed up to me and made something of a mischievous smile, "I could help with that."

"Oh?"

"Trust me," Mother said as she led me back into the kitchen.