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Lykos - Lone Wolf

Chapter 7

Jack sat at the table, looking at Kyle with concern. Kyle worked as a web designer out of the home, so his work hours were the most flexible of all the members of the pack. He looked at Jack and shook his head, seeing that the human just didn't understand.

"Jack, don't worry. Everything will be better now. You'll see."

"I still can't believe that you all just let him claim you so easily. I had hoped that you would all at least talk it over with Jessica and I before you submitted to Ben's domination."

"But you didn't see him, Jack," Kyle persisted. "You didn't hear the words he said and the way he said them. Ben gets it. He's not like other alphas. He's stronger than that. He cares about us. You're human; you don't know what it's like for us. I know you try to understand, but the mind set of werewolves is different from that of humans. There are things about us that you'll never be able to relate to, no matter how hard you try. He's strong, but compassionate. He cares about how we feel; he wants us to be happy."

Jack shook his head. "But he's so powerful! And from what little I've seen so far, his personality did a one-eighty. He's given into his animal side so deeply that there doesn't seem to be any distinction between the man and the wolf anymore. It's not the same like it is for other werewolves I've met, who can keep the two sides of their personality separate. He acts so feral all the time now that it worries me. It isn't natural! What's to say that his power won't consume him, or worse, all of you? This isn't what I wanted for you boys. I wanted you to be free."

Kyle looked the keeper in the eye. Not to challenge him, because that had never been Kyle's way, but to get the man to see the sincerity behind his words. "Jack, he's not the kind of person who can be cruel. When he made Ken submit to him, he comforted him afterwards. Ken was so scared of the alpha's power that it terrified him, but Ben soothed his fears. Ben wants us to know his power, but only fear it if we challenge him. As long as we know that he's stronger than us and submit to him, he'll do his best to make us happy. He understands how afraid we are of being torn away from each other by the other alphas. He knows how much it would hurt us to never be able to be together as a pack again. Ben wants us to remain a separate pack, free from the control of the other alphas who care nothing about our feelings. Ben loves us. He wants to make us strong.

"As for his feral-ness it can happen sometimes. For some werewolves, the man and the wolf are so in synch in them that they don't compartmentalize things the way that most human-born and many wolf-born wolves do. He's more like a wolf-born werewolf now who needs no distinction between the two halves of himself because to him, it isn't needed or wanted. I understand that because I'm the same way. You don't notice it as much in my case because I'm nowhere near as aggressive as Ben is. It's true that his personality is very strong, but I've been around wolves like him before and can relate to them, so I don't see the problem. He's the way he's meant to be, Jack. He's an alpha of great power... In fact, he's the kind of alpha I had always wished for... One who would love and respect us as well as be powerful enough to keep us safe."

"You wanted an alpha?" Jack asked, surprised. "I always thought you wanted to be free."

"Free from the domination of a cruel alpha, yes, but Jack, let's face it; our pack was weak. We're not strong yet, but we're already better than we were. We need an alpha to guide us; none of us are very dominant. We walk on eggshells around each other most of the time, except whenever we get mad at each other and start fighting, then you and Jessica have to step in and calm us down afterwards. You've tried your best to be a substitute alpha for us, and that means the world to us, but you're not a werewolf and you can't be with us all the time, especially during the full moon. I'm sick of spending every moon running all night in a desperate attempt to keep away from the alphas, Jack. It's horrible! The full moon should be a time of joy, not a repeating torture the way it is for us! I don't want to live like that anymore!"

Kyle sat there, trembling slightly, his body quivering with a mixture of feelings. The keeper looked into his eyes and saw a mixture of sadness, fear and shame. He had always known that it was difficult for the pack; how much it hurt them inside to be bullied and oppressed by the other packs. As Jack sat with his lifelong friend, his heart went out to the wolf, seeing just how much it hurt him to feel this way all of the time... To never feel safe or respected. The pain that Kyle shared in that moment, without saying a single word, spoke more clearly than anything else.

"I know," Jack said sadly. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Ben is different. I've never met a werewolf like him. The moment he achieved harmony with himself, he became an entirely different person. The way he acts... No werewolf should be that way... Their intellect so closely tied to their instincts... It's like the way the mind of a direwolf works, and that terrifies me. It would be all too easy for him to turn. What makes you think he won't?"

"Because I've seen his heart, Jack. I know that Ben is a good person. Tough and somewhat arrogant, yes, but most strong alphas are like that. I think to Ben, the idea of becoming a monster capable of hurting others out of personal pain or pleasure is repugnant to him. Look at how he acted when he was human and people hurt him. Instead of lashing out that them, he removed himself from their influence."

Jack sighed. "That bothers me as well. He was suffering from a personality disorder when we met him. How is he supposed to maintain balance and not go off the deep end?"

"Because he has us now. I think the reason that he changed is because the wolf in him knew that they needed to share their combined strengths..." Kyle searched for the words to express his feelings. "I think that the wolf needed Ben to feel confident all the time, so that he wouldn't feel self-doubt. I think that if he had continued to doubt himself for long enough, that THAT would have been what made him turn dire. He needs the strength of the wolf to guide him through life, every moment of every day. Besides, I think that Ben, both man and wolf, are happy to be of a single mind and heart. I know I'm happy that way. If my wolf and human sides where separate, I'd feel kind of sad. It would be like having to trade off parts of my life so that he could have a life as well, then I'd feel guilty whenever I took my life back from him. This way, we can both have a full life we don't have to treat like a time share, because the life we live is one and the same. I'm at peace with myself like this and I couldn't be happy compartmentalizing parts of myself the way most other wolves do."

Jack shook his head grimly. "You're taking a huge gamble, especially with Ben. You have no idea how strong he really is! I saw the extent of his power and there's no way you can withstand that!"

Kyle shrugged. "We're not supposed to," he said simply.

Jack stared at the werewolf, numb with shock. "What the hell has gotten into you? What has he done to you?"

"He became my alpha. At first, I submitted to him because he was stronger than me, true, but after he comforted Ken, I began to respect him for his mercy as well as his power. He gets it, Jack. He knows what true power is about. It's not about lording it up over others. It's about balancing power with compassion. For the first time, we have someone powerful to protect us. Someone who loves us enough to keep us safe. You know, I always dreaded the full moon, but now I can't wait for the next one. When the full moon rises and his primal wolf comes forth... He'd be like a god."

Jack trembled in fear at that, seeing the hero worship in the wolf's eyes. "But what if you're wrong? What if he isn't strong enough? What if his power consumes him? A direwolf that powerful would be nearly unstoppable! It's bad enough that the keepers still can't track down the direwolf who bit him, but we have no way of knowing what will happen during the full moon! He could still become a monster!"

Kyle shook his head. "That won't happen. We won't let it. If the strength of the alpha begins to weaken, we will add our strength to his to make him even stronger. We will not allow him to descend into darkness. We will die before we see that happen to him. We love him as much as he loves us. Our loyalty is to Ben, and we understand that for all his power, he loves us and needs us even more than we need him. That is why he will not become a direwolf. We will be here to prevent it."

Jack shook his head. "You can't know that. You don't understand-"

Kyle lunged to his feet, snarling as he shifted to his wolf-man form rapidly, glaring at the keeper with fury in his golden eyes. "No YOU don't understand!" he countered, growling and taking Jack aback with his sudden spike of anger. Kyle was normally timid, only lashing out at the other wolves of his own pack after being provoked repeatedly. Nor had he ever shown the slightest trace of aggression to a human before, especially his keepers. Jack was shocked speechless. "We will not fail Ben! We will not let him become a direwolf! IT! WILL! NOT! HAPPEN!" He growled, His body rigid with tension, trembling slightly as his tail stuck out from his body, the hairs nearly standing on end with the strength of his anger and he panted slightly in agitation. Jack was shocked speechless, seeing that to the werewolf, it wasn't a plea... It was a promise he was making... Both to himself and to Ben. Kyle took a deep breath to steady himself, then snorted angrily and took a step backwards to get himself back under control as he changed back to his human form. "Ben needs us. He needs our love and obedience. And in return, he offers us his strength and his love. He's our alpha and I won't let anyone talk bad about him, not even you, Jack!"

Jack stood there, too shocked to do anything as the werewolf left the room with a stiff back.

*He's actually gotten stronger!* Jack realized, staring at the doorway the wolf had disappeared through...

*****

Ben drove down the road that led to the Den, which was set back about two miles beyond the highway. Part of him recognized that back when he had been human, he would've hated being so far out of town. Now that he was a wild animal, in essence, he preferred a home like this to the stuffy apartment he had been in. He had stopped by his apartment on the way and grabbed a few essentials. He had wished he'd had the time to collect more of his stuff, but he didn't have the time. He needed the help of his pack, and had little time to accomplish what he intended to do before his battle with Berke. He had no illusions that it would be anything less. Berke was clearly used to having his way, based upon his attitude. He would learn that Ben wasn't a pushover who would take his insults lying down on his back with his belly and throat exposed.

He pulled up to the house and saw Steve waiting there for him. He parked his car and got out, leaving everything in the car. There wasn't time enough to deal with it all. Steve saw the grim look on his mate's face and felt concerned. "Ben? What's wrong?"

"Is everyone here?' he asked.

"Everyone except-" Steven began, before the sound of a motorcycle and the flash of its headlight came from the road. Ben turned and saw Ken pull up and park his ride, wearing a black and white waiter's uniform. He clipped the helmet to the bike and came up to them, smelling strongly of multiple types of food, china and stainless steel.

"Welcome home, Alpha," he said. "Sorry I got home so late, but I had to cover part of a coworker's shift because she had to go pick up her son from daycare early."

Ben shook his head. "That's not something you can control, so don't worry about it. We have bigger concerns right now. You up for some activity?"

"Yes, Alpha," Ken said, sounding puzzled as Ben led the way into the house. He entered the living room where Luke and Kyle where watching tv.

"Where are the keepers?" Ben asked.

"I'm here," Jack said, coming out of the kitchen.

"And Jessica?"

"Jessica!" Jack called, seeing that Ben had something urgent to say and deciding not to argue. "Get down here!" Rapid footsteps moved across the upper floor and she bounded down the stairs rapidly. "What's wrong?" she asked quickly.

"I'll be short and blunt about it," Ben told them all. "I've been challenged."

"Oh for crying out loud!" the woman exploded, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. "You haven't even been a werewolf for a week and already you're picking fights?!?"

"I didn't go looking for a fight!" he snapped, irritated by the accusation. "Berke did!"

"That son of a bitch!" Luke spat furiously. "He sure as fuck didn't waste any time."

"He heard my howl last night," Ben elaborated, "then he did things I can't forgive... He insulted you guys. He called you curs, me a mongrel, then he insulted my mate! It was clear he thought I was Steve at Wal-Mart because he came looking for him by scent until he found me. Odds were, judging by his reputation, he was going to try to bully you right there in public," Ben spoke, looking his mate in the eyes. "Then he challenged me. Two a.m. at Eagle Rock tonight. I've never actually fought as a werewolf before, so I need the pack to help me get ready. Come on."

Jack hurried over to interpose himself in front of the door with an outraged expression on his face. "Now you wait a damned minute! I'm not going to let you-"

"That's not what I'm planning," Ben told the human savagely. "If you're so worried about what I might do, then you can come and bare witness! It's time you understood just what kind of alpha I really am! Now let's go!" he pushed Jack to the side with measured force, enough to muscle the man aside without harming or knocking him over, then led the way outside, around the house, and a short distance into the woods. "Strip down and transform," he ordered, removing his clothes. The pack did as they were told.

"Stop this!" Jack countered fiercely. "Don't let him walk all over you like this!" he half shouted, half pleaded with the wolves, who did as their alpha commanded. They all changed forms quickly.

Ben shuddered in erotic euphoria as he changed, not caring if the humans were offended by his arousal and erect penis. He didn't cum, but he came close to it. He felt the power well up within him. This wasn't the way his body was supposed to be, it told him, but it was close enough for now. The power of his body felt intoxicating, but there was no time to savor it now. He took a moment to focus as his penis withdrew back into its protective sheath.

Jack stormed over to him furiously. "If you think I'm going to just stand here while you use them for punching bags-" he began, but Ben poured his power into his eyes, catching the unprotected keeper off guard. His goal wasn't to gain obedience, however, only to stifle the human's protests.

"The only punching bag that will be used here is me," he growled.

Jack faltered in confusion. "What?" he gasped.

"I've never fought as a werewolf before, so I need to know what it feels like to be attacked by one. Now step back so you don't get hurt," he added, releasing the man from the power in his gaze. He turned to the wolves. "I want you all to attack me. I won't fight back. I need to know what it feels like to be slashed and clawed, to be bitten, to be punched and kicked. I want you all to attack me as werewolves while I stand here and let you. I need to learn how to handle being hurt in battle and understand my limits of endurance and healing. Start off slow and make your attacks stronger as we go."

The wolves looked at each other in shock for a moment. The keepers shared their confusion. No one they had ever heard of had done something like this. Kyle recovered first, snarled, and rushed forward, then swiped his right hand sideways, raking Ben across the exposed chest, making him wince in reaction, hissing in pain as the beta's claws sliced through his flesh. Then the beta saw the alpha lift his right arm from his side in offering and lunged forward to sink his fangs into the vulnerable bicep. The alpha threw back his head and roared in pain, but did nothing to punish the beta for the attack. Emboldened, Luke came forward and added to the assault, moving around behind Ben, and brought his claws down in a diagonal slash across the alpha's back, making him cry out in agony in a roaring growl of pain.

As the assault continued, the keepers could only stand there, numb with shock and awe as they watched Ben take every blow without retaliation. For a werewolf to take this kind of punishment and not fight back was impressive. A wolf's normal instinctive reaction was to instantly fight back to protect himself. Than Ben could avoid doing so for so long showed just how in control of himself he was. Jessica flinched repeatedly, her finger to her mouth, wincing at several of the more vicious blows. Steve and Ken joined in, the four circling the alpha and attacking him with increasing viciousness. Ben just stood there and took it all, new wounds being opened on him to replace the ones that healed.

Finally, Jack stepped forward. "Ben! Stop! If you push yourself further, you won't be strong enough to stand up to Berke!"

The alpha heard him. "ENOUGH!" he roared, putting power into the command. The betas backed down, panting with effort. Ben stood there in the center, covered in blood and healing wounds. He growled in pain and savage fury as his body burned and stung, panting from strain; his skin itching as it healed itself.

Once his wounds had closed, he sighed. "Now I know what it's like," he said.

"No, Alpha," Steve said, stepping forward. "You only know what it's like to be hurt. Now you need to learn how to fight back. You need the experience," he growled. Then the head beta, snarled, issuing his challenge. Ben snarled back in acceptance, seeing this and knowing the wisdom of it, and they lunged for each other.

Jack moved forward, but Kyle, who was closest to the keepers, stopped him. "No, Jack," he said, holding back the human. "Steve's right. Ben needs this experience."

The human sighed in disgust, then turned to Jessica. "Bring the healer's kit," he told her. The woman nodded grimly, then ran back to the house.

Steve attacked Ben, showing a level of courage he hadn't felt in years. He did it because his mate, his alpha, needed this experience. A fight wasn't just about getting hurt; it was about hurting back. They fought for over ten minutes before Ben tackled him and drove him to the ground, jaws at his throat. Steve froze instinctively, his body yielding as he submissively urinated in fear, letting out only a trickle of piss. Ben smelled it and recognized it for what it was and what it meant. The act was a canine method of displaying social appeasement... To show that he wasn't a threat. Ben's instincts recognized the act and he released his hold on the beta's throat. He crouched there on all fours, panting with exertion. Steve hadn't held back; he'd fought like this was a real battle. Ben hadn't won because Steve had let him, he had won because he truly was stronger; it was an honest victory. The alpha's pride and confidence in himself swelled further.

Berke didn't stand a chance.

With the battle done, Ben rose up and leaned over his mate to give him a lick on the face in gratitude. "Thanks for not holding back," he growled.

"You deserved nothing less, Alpha," Steve replied submissively, his tail tucked between his legs. "Ben?"

"Yes?'

"Kick his ass."

Ben chuckled at that as Jack and Jessica walked over to help them, making sure their wounds were healing properly and giving them potions to fortify their healing rates further as well as to help Ben recover his strength.

He was going to need it...

*****

Once they got the pair of wolves back to the house, Ben slept for three hours to recover. When he awoke, He felt fully restored to full strength. *Huh,* He thought in amazement.

*Those keepers really know their remedies!*

He rose, dressed quickly, then they left, the keepers insisting on coming despite Ben's objections. Technically he had ordered them to stay behind, but they ignored him, making the alpha sigh in disgust. "You could get hurt," he'd said.

"And you're GOING to get hurt," Jack countered. "You'll need us to be there for afterwards. We're coming Ben, even if we have to follow you on our own."

Ben just growled at them in annoyance, but said nothing.

There wasn't a big enough car to hold them all, so they split up, with Jack driving Ben and Steve in his SUV, and Jessica following in her sedan with Kyle, Luke and Ken. As they drove to the meeting site, Ben turned to his mate. "What can you tell me about Berke? Is he a good fighter?"

Steve nodded. "Berke's the... Well, WAS the strongest wolf in the area-"

"Don't butter me up," Ben countered in a serious tone. "I have no illusions that this battle will be easy. I know he's strong; he'd have to be to be an alpha. I mean, have you seen him fight before?"

Steve nodded. "Berke is one of the strongest werewolves I've ever seen. He has a great deal of size and strength to work with. I've never seen anyone who could overpower him. Don't expect him to go easy on you either; Berke will beat you until you can barely move, if you let him. The one thing you'll have against him is speed."

Ben nodded. "What's his background?"

"He works at the wharf, loading and unloading shipping containers, from what I've heard. Before that, he worked construction."

"Do you know if he has had any formal combat training, like boxing, or anything?"

Steve shook his head. "I don't think so. If so, he's never advertised it." The beta bit his lip nervously. "Ben... Despite what I said, I'm really worried. Berke is very strong and not afraid to be hurt if that's what it takes to hit someone back. If he lets you attack him, don't think you're already winning. He'll use that against you and surprise you, then he'll break you. He's like a tank when he's in his wolf-form."

Ben sighed and relaxed. Now that he knew what kind of opponent he was up against, he knew what to do.

Steve saw the change and was worried. "Ben! Please don't underestimate Berke! He's one of the two strongest alphas around... Well, not counting you, of course."

"Don't worry," the alpha said calmly. "I won't get sloppy, but now I'm pretty confident I can beat him."

"Ben," Jack said from the driver's seat, looking at him in the rearview mirror. "Berke has years of experience as a werewolf! He was changed over twenty years ago and has been in more fights with other wolves than I can count. You haven't even been a fully realized werewolf for a week! You've only had a single fight as a wolf, for crying out loud! If you go in with an attitude like that-"

"I was holding back," Ben interrupted him calmly.

"I figured you were holding back some," Steve said thoughtfully, while at the same time Jack was saying "I know you were holding back so as to not hurt Steve, but-"

"I wasn't holding back a little," Ben said firmly. "I was holding back a lot. The point was to be in a fight with another werewolf for the experience. That I won wasn't the point."

The other two paused at that, seeing the deadly serious look on Ben's face. He wasn't bragging; he was stating a fact. He turned his gaze from the others and stared out the windshield as the car drove through the night. "I know what I'm doing," was the last thing he said during the drive...

*****

They arrived ten minutes early, and Ben got out, then began to examine the site. The moon was out, and there was still enough of it to cast a strong glow over the area. There was a grassy field full of short-trimmed grass with a few bushes and trees littering the area. Towering overhead in the mid-distance was a tall, narrow mountain of stone that tapered to a strange, rounded top with a horizontal protrusion jutting off of the side that looked vaguely like a beak, giving the landmass its name. Ben took it all in, memorizing where everything was. He tested the traction of the grass and the slight frost that had begun to form on it, meaning that he would need to use his toe claws for traction. He also noted the light breeze and any debris in the grass as he focused his mind on what was to come.

The pack stayed back, the keepers voicing their concerns, but Ben ignored them. Berke wasn't going to be allowed to talk about him or his pack the way he had. He was going to learn to show respect. In the end, that was what this was really all about, as far as the alpha was concerned.

Two blue SUVs appeared on the road and approached, then parked just as two a.m. arrived. Berke stepped out of the front passenger seat of the first SUV and regarded the group that waited for them. From the back seats, the two who had been with him in the store emerged. Ben realized they were most likely his two highest-ranking betas. The woman drew up close to Berke in a way that Ben could tell was intimate, most likely his mate. Six others emerged from the vehicles, including a scrawny redheaded man who looked too small and timid to be a werewolf, and Ben noted that his own pack was outnumbered nearly two-to-one.

"This matter is between the two of us, alpha-to-alpha. If your pack tries anything-" Ben began, but the burly man cut him off.

"-Relax. They're only here to bare witness. I fight my own battles."

"If I win, you agree to back off of Luke and never speak a single anti-gay slur against any of us again," Ben stated coldly.

"And if I win, I get Luke... And Steve," Berke answered.

Ben snarled. "He's my mate! You can't have him!"

Berke snorted, unimpressed. "Look at you; not even a week old werewolf and already you have delusions of grandeur. Fags can't have mates. That goes against nature. Look at you... You're practically rabid! You don't have an ounce of self-control. You think that exerting yourself over them makes you an alpha?" He asked in disgust, waiving his hands at Ben's pack. "Those worthless cowards aren't even fit to be wolves. If nature had any brains, they never would've survived the bite... Except for Kyle, of course, but it's not his fault he was born from such weak wolves."

Kyle snarled and transformed, flashing his fangs at Berke for the insult. "Fuck you!" he spat.

Ben was trembling, but he held himself back. He refused to be baited. Berke saw that and snorted. "So you actually can control yourself, huh? Or are you just afraid?" Ben growled, then cracked his neck and started to remove his clothes. He didn't stop until he was fully nude. Berke curled his lip in disgust.

"Don't get any ideas," Ben told him bluntly. "You're too fucking ugly to mount. Besides, the smell is even worse."

Berke swelled in outrage at that, then paused and got himself back under control. It wasn't just the insult that infuriated him, it was the implication that Berke could be mounted like some submissive beta or omega. He stripped down, leaving on his boxer shorts for a moment, then after he thought about it, removed them as well to show that he had no concern that Ben might try something sexual. He refused to allow the fairy to so much as breathe on him.

Ben transformed quickly, his instincts naturally suppressing the lustful euphoria of the change in response to the threat of battle. Berke changed as well, growing tall... Then taller by Ben by half a head as the muscles of his changing body ballooned out to the mass of a bodybuilder. He was larger and stronger than Ben, but the smaller wolf wasn't afraid of a difference in size or muscle.

Berke came down from the thrill of the transformation to see that Ben was not in the least intimidated. That only showed how stupid the perverted pup truly was. Berke would teach Ben to respect his betters. He took a deep breath, and stared Ben in the eyes, putting all of his willpower into his glare of authority.

Ben stared back, unflinching... And poured everything he had into his eyes.

Berke faltered in shock. *What the hell?* he wondered. *That's impossible! No one has a will that strong!* He didn't yield, however, pushing back. Ben didn't flinch, didn't squint, not budging so much as a muscle as they battled, will against will, using only their eyes. Berke gave it everything he had, projecting his indomitable will for a countless eternity, but Ben showed not the slightest trace of weakening. Berke strained his power, pushing even harder, but began to twitch. *How fucking strong is he?!?* he shouted inside his own head.

Ben began to tremble slightly as well, fighting to resist the power of the opposing alpha, refusing to back down. He refused to surrender to someone like this. He refused to surrender to anyone. He poured every ounce of strength he possessed into his stare, knowing that he had to show this disgusting bigot who he was dealing with. Ben refused to even so much as acknowledge Berke as an equal. He wasn't deserving of the honor.

Berke began to weaken and realized in shock that he was going to lose this. Somehow, this wolf was possessed of such an intensely powerful will that he would die before he submitted. Berke had no choice. If he was going to win, it wouldn't be by will alone. He roared savagely, and charged.

Ben was ready, and as Berke charged him, he used the skills he had learned.

Ben's father had never had time for him, so various men had entered and left his life, marines from the bases he had been forced to grow up on. They had taught him how to swim, how to ride a bike and build a fort...

But they had also taught him how to fight...

That was why Ben was confident that if he didn't win, he could at least put up a good show. He had kept to simple moves inspired by his wolven instincts during his match against Steve, learning how to use his claws and teeth. That had been all he needed; to learn the ranges and limits of his new, natural canine weaponry. Now that he understood how to use what he had while in his wolven form, Ben combined that with his training.

Berke's charge was clumsy. He was clearly relying on the size of his body and his raw physical power to overcome the smaller wolf. Ben dodged to the side and came in with a swipe across the larger wolf's lower back, making Berke snarl in pain before he turned to Ben. He swung out with his fist, the meaty paw blurring through the air like a sledgehammer with claws, but Ben had seen him start the move and used his superior speed to leap back out of the way. Berke bore down on him, raking his claws in a vicious downward slash amplified by the power of his muscles. Ben evaded the blow, feeling the wind of the passing limb gust across his skin and hair, then slashed the arm in retaliation to the shouts and growls of the packs who cheered on their respective alphas.

Berke snarled and backed off, then began an advancing series of deadly, alternating swipes, each arm crossing his torso with every slash of his claws. Ben stayed back, evading the elementary attacks. It was clear that Berke wasn't formally trained the way Ben was. The larger werewolf's tactics were basic bar room brawling with claws. Ben pecked away at him with carefully timed counters, wearing the brute down with slashes designed to slowly weaken the stronger wolf. Berke began to slow after a minute, his limbs moving with more effort than before. After a minute more, his moves had slowed to the point that they were so sluggish that Ben could've dodged the attacks in his sleep.

Berke dropped his arms, heaving. "You won't beat me, you cock sucking faggot! You and your worthless, piece of shit curs will learn your place! I won't let weak pussies like you go around shaming our kind! I'll beat you every day until you learn how to act like real men, let alone wolves!" he panted.

Ben snarled in rage, and charged in, then began tearing away at the bigoted wolf with a series of viscous slashes to his chest and face, snarling and growling like he had lost his mind.

"BEN NO!" Steve shouted, seeing his mate go berserk. "YOU CAN'T BEAT HIM! HE'S-"

Berke roared and shot his arm forward to grab Ben by the side of the head.

Ben's eyes flashed at the movement...

And he deflected the blow with an upraised elbow, knocking Berke's arm away, then used the claws of the same hand to rip open a set of deep gashes across Berke's meaty chest, digging nearly to the bone. He then brought the claws of his other hand in and upwards to impale Berke just under the rib cage. Berke howled in pain, then reacted in confusion when Ben curled his fingers upwards inside Berke's torso and grabbed the underside of the rib cage like a grizzly handle, then yanked him down and forward towards him. Then Ben did something few werewolves would think of...

He head-butted Berke square on the end of his muzzle, snapping the brute's head up and backwards from the blow. Ben followed up instantly by lunging in, quick as a strike of lightning and grabbed Berke's exposed throat in his jaws as he twisted them around, using the weight of the brute's muscle-bound form against him. They crashed to the ground, and Ben barely prevented the fall and impact from causing him to tear out Berke's throat.

The larger alpha laid there in shock and pain, unable to believe what had happened. Everyone went dead silent as the alphas went perfectly still, Ben growling in warning. Berke laid still, knowing he had been beaten. He dropped his arms and legs, freezing in place. Ben smelled a hint of fear from the larger wolf, who yielded. Ben gave a last squeeze of warning before he let go, pulling his hand out of Berke's torso so that it could begin to heal unobstructed, and lifted his head. Berke looked up to see Ben staring down at him with all of his indomitable will. Berke trembled at the power in those eyes and could take no more; he turned his head away in surrender. Ben growled as much in satisfaction as in residual battle lust.

"I am your better!" Ben snarled.

Berke's jaw trembled as he felt humiliated. "Yes," he admitted with difficulty.

"My pack is MINE!" Ben snarled fiercely. "You can NEVER have them! If you or your wolves come anywhere near them, I'll rip your fucking throat out! Promise to leave them alone!"

Berke nodded as he flinched away, showing he had heard.

"SWEAR IT!" Ben roared.

"I SWEAR!" Berke answered, a trickle of suppressed fear in his growling voice.

"AND YOU WILL NEVER SAY A SINGLE HOMOPHOBIC THING EVER AGAIN! SWEAR IT!"

"I SWEAR!"

Ben roared fiercely in Berke's face, displaying his superiority. Then he rose to his feet, turned, and walked away. Berke laid there, beaten and humbled. The thought of trying to attack Ben again never entered his mind. Ben was far more powerful than him. He now understood his place in the order of things. Ben wasn't his alpha, but he WAS his superior.

Ben walked over to his clothes and started to reach for them when he saw that he was covered in Berke's blood, and thought better of it. "I'll get that, Alpha," Steve said as he approached. The rest of the pack followed the head beta, and they all stared at Ben in awe. Jack and Jessica came up and stared at Ben, lost for words.

In the distance, Berke's pack hurried over to attend to him. Ben looked over to them and caught Berke's eye, who dropped his gaze, not in fear, but in respect. Ben then looked at each of the wolves of Berke's pack, none of whom would meet his gaze; not out of resentment, but out of respect for his power. Ben's chest puffed out in pride and satisfaction before he let the keepers bathe him in water from milk jugs to clean his body of blood so that he could dry himself off and get dressed. The pack noticed in awe that the only injury Ben had sustained was a set of slash marks across the back of his arm where he had deflected Berke's final attack. He changed back to his human form before he got dressed.

"Let's go home," Ben told them. "He can't hurt you anymore and knows enough to not even think of trying to."

He walked away without a backward glance, proud and victorious...

*****

Jessica drove home, shaking her head to herself in amazement at how easy Ben had made his victory look. The car was full of the excited chatter of the three werewolves with her, all of whom voiced their pride and amazement at their alpha's skill and power.

Meanwhile, in Jack's SUV, Ben laid back for some well deserved rest on the way back to the Den. Deep down inside, under the pride and satisfaction, there was a trickle of disappointment. He had thought that Berke would've been more of a challenge, what with the way everyone had built him up as one of the most powerful wolves in the region.

The reason was clear in Ben's mind: Berke relied far too much on the power of his will and body to maintain his status; he had little skill to back it up. It was clear now to Ben that if not for the force of Berke's notable will, and the raw physical power of his body, he would never have achieved the rank of alpha. For all the power he had, he didn't know how to make use of it against more adaptable opponents like Ben.

"I still can't believe you beat him so easily!" Steve said for the fifth time in awe, pleasing Ben's ego.

Ben 'hmph'ed. "Berke was easy to beat once I knew his pattern. He knows that he's strong, but slow, so he uses his endurance to outlast his opponents, then baits them into attacking him so he can set them up for a grab. Then he'll hold them and pummel them senseless. Realistically, that's the kind of fighting his body is made for. The trick was keeping my head when I began assaulting his unguarded body after he baited me in."

Jack looked into the rearview mirror in surprise. "You were faking your loss of control?"

"Yes," Ben answered. "I needed everyone to believe I'd gone into an actual rage when he taunted me, but I was in control the entire time. I used his set up to make one of my own. All I needed to do was to watch for him to make his move so I could surprise him. If I'd made my move sooner, he would've seen it and countered. Berke's not stupid, for all his lack of formal training."

Steve snorted in grim amusement. "You had me fooled too. Even when you blocked his strike, I thought it was just good reaction time. But how did you yank him down towards you? I couldn't see that from the angle we were at."

Ben described what he had done, making his mate cringe, while Jack went pale from the front seat. "I can't believe you did something like that!" the human said in a tone that made it sound like he was going to be sick if he kept dwelling on it. "If he hadn't been a werewolf-"

"-That's the ONLY reason I did it," Ben countered. "I knew he could survive such a maneuver; otherwise, I would've had to grab his arm to pull him down, which wouldn't have given me as much leverage or the shock value that left him wide open. If I hadn't done all of that, if I hadn't countered the grab when I did, I would've lost. I know that there would've been no way to break free from him if he grabbed me. I'd never be able to out-muscle him."

"You realize what you've done, don't you?" Steve asked. "You've beaten one of the strongest alphas in the region and in doing that, gone from obscurity to one of the highest ranks around these parts. People will know of your new rank very quickly."

Ben nodded. "And more challenges will be issued. This is only the first fight of many for me," he added levelly.

The funny part was that while part of Ben was annoyed at having to fight again soon, another part of him couldn't wait...