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Lykos - Lone Wolf

Chapter10

After breakfast, and a hosing down of Luke and Ken as Kyle had suggested teasingly, which earned him dirty looks from the pair, the pack went outside. He gathered them in their preferred clearing near the Den, all in their wolven forms.

"For those of you who don't know," Ben began, feeling like a military commander more than anything at the moment, "I grew up transferring around to different military bases as a boy... Or pup, as the case might now be," he added with a chuckle before he became serious once more. "I was never in any form of formal service, in part due to being gay. I refused to hide in the closet and gay folks weren't able to live openly in the services back then. Also, I was sick of moving around constantly and the service would've only continued that way of life. Despite all of that, I was trained by some good, skilled soldiers on several things, such as strategy and tactics as well as hand-to-hand combat."

"That's how you beat Berke!" Luke said excitedly with realization.

"Exactly," Ben nodded. "All the strength and endurance in the world are useless if you don't know how to apply them properly. I have combat training and discipline that Berke never learned. That was the difference between us. I was taught to use my opponent's greater strength against them. Berke relies on his strong alpha will and the power of his body, but against a more skilled opponent like me, he wasn't as serious a threat as everyone believed him to be; that's why he lost.

"My goal as some of you now know, is to become the Head Alpha of the region. Because of that, I need my pack to be the strongest around. With that in mind, I'm going to start training you how to fight more effectively and become stronger wolves in the process. By the next full moon, you will all be able to stand tall and proud. You will never have to run for your freedom again or fear separation. We're a pack... A family," he added gently. "And no one will ever be allowed to separate us!" he finished fiercely.

The betas growled with enthusiasm, roused by their alpha's speech as their tails thrashed enthusiastically and they clenched their hand and foot claws eagerly in anticipation. They all wanted this... To be stronger... To be able to fight back so that no one would ever bully them again...

They couldn't wait to start.

Ben sighed. "I'll need to be tough on all of you... To push you harder and faster than you've ever been driven before. I wish we had more time, but in about three more weeks the full moon will be upon us and we all need to be ready. When the moon rises and we all transform, you all need to be able to stand up for yourselves against anyone who tries to bully you. You may come to resent me, maybe even hate me by the time we're done... For that, I'm sorry," he said, showing regret. "I love you all... I want you to be strong for your own sakes, more than for my own."

"We understand, Alpha," Luke growled passionately.

"Yeah," Kyle added, his tail thrashing back and forth. "We're sick of being pushed around by the other packs all the time! Do whatever you have to. We're ready!"

Ken smirked. "If you knew just how strict Japanese parents can be, you'd know that I can handle anything you throw at me."

Steve said nothing, only looking into his mate's eyes, silently giving him permission to do his worst if it meant making them all stronger, his footing and shoulders squared and tail rigid. Ben nodded to show he understood.

"First," Ben said, "I need to assess your fighting skills and ascertain your weaknesses. You'll pair off and spar, one pair at a time while I study your performance. Don't fight to maim or cripple... No inflicting serious injuries that will take more than a few hours to heal; but don't hold back too much. Treat these matches like they are real fights. Steve and Luke will go first."

The two lead betas took off their clothes so as to avoid ruining them, then squared off, shivering slightly in the cold, but knowing that fighting indoors was impractical. They snarled and charged each other, then began slashing away at each other. Ben circled them slowly, his tail swaying slowly from side to side in a thoughtful manner as he walked around them as Ken and Kyle cheered them on without taking sides. As the fight continued, Ben was pleased to see that Steve fought without hesitation. He was bold and fearless as he tore away with fists and claws. Ben noted his only real weakness now was a lack of formal training. He was fighting more on instinct than intellect, but that was something that wasn't too hard to fix.

Luke, however, was another matter entirely. Every time he started to become moderately wounded, he backed off apprehensively, as though he was afraid of getting seriously hurt, his tail tucking in between his legs protectively. The more they fought, the more he flinched away. The more aggressive and viciously Steve struck at Luke, the more the lesser beta shied off. Ben saw it now... Luke was afraid of being seriously hurt; that was his weakness. While Steve only needed formal combat training, Luke had a severe handicap that would need to be addressed. Still, Ben decided to see just how deeply it went.

"Stop flinching away, Luke!" the alpha snapped sharply, the words coming out in an almost literal bark. "You're a werewolf! Your body can heal from any injuries you sustain! Stop backing down and get in there!"

Luke continued to hesitate. "I said get in there!" Ben ordered, but Luke seemed too intimidated to try. They went at it for several minutes with Steve effectively chasing the lesser beta around the clearing. Ben sighed in disgust at Luke's cowardice. "ENOUGH!" he roared, and the betas stopped their match. Ben looked at Luke with disappointment clear on his face. Luke wilted, his tail curling up between his legs as his shoulders drooped and he hung his head in shame. "Clean up and get dressed," Ben ordered, his voice thick with disappointment. The betas walked over to the stack of towels they had brought along to clean up with, Luke continuing to feel deep shame at how he had failed his alpha.

Ben turned to the lesser betas. "Kyle, Ken. Your turn."

The lesser wolves stripped and began, and Ben paid close attention. Neither of them flinched away like Luke had, but they fought in a sloppy and undisciplined manner, relying more on instinct than skill as they sparred. Still, it wasn't too bad... Then Kyle got in a lucky backhand that knocked Ken onto his back... And the Asian wolf went perfectly rigid with his tail between his legs, holding completely still with his throat exposed. Ben paused, noting the posture of surrender. "Get up, Ken," the alpha ordered. "Fight back!"

"Yes, Alpha," Ken said apprehensively as he slowly got to his feet.

They spared again, and Ken got in a good shoulder slam that knocked Kyle on his back, but the wolf-born scrambled back to his feet instantly and continued the fight, making Ben growl in approval. They fought for a few more minutes before Kyle punched Ken hard in the face, sending him off of his feet to land flat on his back for the second time...

And Ken instantly surrendered.

"GET UP!" Ben literally barked in annoyance.

The Asian man rose slowly once more, then the two resumed their match. Ben had already seen enough, comparing this to Steve's retaliation against Ken the other day for calling him a whore. Ken's weakness was that he surrendered the instant he was on his back.

Sure enough, when Kyle tackled Ken and drove him to the ground a third time, the lowest beta instantly gave up. "ENOUGH!" Ben barked. "Clean yourselves up and dress, then we'll head back to the Den."

The walk back had Ben lost in thought. Luke and Ken had a serious weakness to each of them. Once those were addressed and overcome, they would be on equal footing with the other betas, who only needed formal combat training. Once the weaknesses were eliminated and the pack taught to fight properly, they would be formidable wolves. It was clear that they had a strong potential to be the most powerful pack around.

Ben stopped them at the back door. "You all have good potential, but there are serious issues we need to work through before I can focus on the training you all require. For now, get some rest," he said as his demeanor softened. "You've all earned it."

Once inside, Ben and Steve made their way to their room and laid down for a nap. "Did I make you proud, Alpha?" Steve asked as Ben snuggled in close behind him.

"You are the strongest, greatest beta any alpha could ask for," Ben said huskily. "It's impossible to NOT be proud of you. Once we have you combat trained, even alphas will submit to you!" Ben snarled passionately.

"But not you, Alpha Ben. You are my only alpha and will always be so."

Ben growled lustfully and bit his mate hard on the shoulder, breaking the skin without causing further damage. Steve went wild at that, snarling in lust. It seemed that he loved to be bitten this way, so Ben was glad that his mate enjoyed it as much as he did. He released the flesh from his proto-muzzle, feeling his fangs slide free from the flesh of his beta, with the metallic, almost melted buttery taste of Steve's coppery blood in his mouth. "Damned right I am," he growled huskily before he slid his dick up Steve's ass, licking the blood from his muzzle and Steve's shoulder as he began fucking his mate until his knot inflated, tying them together. He humped the beta's warm ass rapidly until he came.

Ben reached around to find that Steve's penis was exposed, but he hadn't orgasmed. "Don't you want to cum?" Ben asked.

Steve groaned groggily, his energy dropping rapidly. "Too tired... Too wore out from sparing... Wanna sleep," he mumbled.

"O-kay," Ben said softly, shuddering as another orgasmic spasm made him shudder. "Go ahead and sleep, Beloved."

Then he laid there, thrusting lazily into Steve's ass as the beta fell asleep, drifting into a well deserved nap. Ben sighed, laid down and was soon asleep as well, his penis still lodged firmly in his mate's warm interior...

*****

It was Sunday, and with the weekend drawing to a close, Ben decided to start slowly with the pack's training so that they could have enough energy and health to see them through the work week. Luke was the only beta who, like Ben, had a consistent work schedule, so coordinating training times was a bit tricky, especially Steve and Ken, who admitted to being made to work weekends for their jobs due to the rotating work schedules of their respective places of employment. Still, they all had evenings, which made it possible for them to at least get some training every night.

Ben knew he would have to use tough love to help them get strong enough to stand up for themselves before the next full moon, so he adopted the tactics of the drill instructors he had observed as a child, only cutting out the verbal abuse they had used and instead using a firm, no nonsense tone. It made him a little sad and guilty to drive them so hard, but he knew that his firmness and relentless pushing would be required to drive them enough to reach the level they would need to be at before the next full moon. He only hoped that they wouldn't come to resent him for it.

If only there had been more time to take things more slowly, the way he would've preferred...

Ben told Ken to ask for the following weekend off to have the time to focus on his training. That Saturday, Ben sparred with the Japanese wolf himself, trying to clear his mind over the guilt he felt about what they had done to Luke. They fought for a while, clawing and biting, before Ben made his move by bull rushing the beta to bowl him over. True to form, the instant Ken was on his back, he surrendered.

"There!" Ben growled. "THAT is your weakness!"

"Alpha?" Ken asked in confusion.

"You gave in too easily! The instant you get knocked onto your back, you give up! Get back up and fight!" Ben growled. Ken hesitated, so Ben swatted him in the side, near the kidney, with measured force. "GET UP!" he ordered sharply.

Ken rolled over, driven by the force of the blow, and ended back upright. Once he was on his feet, Ben resumed the match, fighting until he knocked Ken down again, who's hesitation earned him another claw-filled swat for his timidness.

The training lasted most of the weekend, with Steve switching out with Ben to keep Ken going. The beta was instructed not to accept Ken's immediate surrenders, and by the end of the weekend, Ken had made significant progress as both the man and the wolf within him began to believe in himself more and more, boosting his confidence as he began to drive himself back up after being knocked down without prompting, rather than instantly surrender as he had before.

For Luke, however, it had been far worse...

It was also, at Ben's command, a three day weekend for Luke. He stood before the beta with a grim expression, the pack surrounding them. "There's no easy way around this, Luke, so I'm going to be blunt. You have the most severe weakness of everyone in the pack: fear. You're afraid of getting badly hurt, so you hold back. Because of that, others can easily defeat you by using that fear against you. If we had a longer time-frame to work in, I would do this another way by easing you into it slowly, but we're running out of time. The full moon is coming soon and you need to be ready. We need to address this problem now and quickly so I can focus on training you more effectively as soon as possible."

"I know," Luke said softly, his gaze no higher than the alpha's chin as always.

Ben stepped close and put his hands on the beta's shoulders. "I wish it didn't have to be like this, Luke," Ben said gently, "but we really are running out time, so I have to do this the hard way. You have to be forced to face your fear in order to see that it's baseless..." He took a deep breath, full of regret. "We're going to have to beat you up."

Luke looked up into the alpha's eyes with horror, his fear overriding his sense of station. "What?" he asked.

Ben sighed heavily. "I wish we could do this more gently and I know that it seems cruel, but this is meant to help you to become stronger. Aren't you tired of running every full moon?" ben asked passionately. "Aren't you tired of being weak and bullied by the other wolves?"

"Yes," Luke admitted, his jaw trembling.

"Then let us do this for you. Your fear of being severely injured holds you back. You are stronger than you know, and we will help you to see that strength. We will help you to find it within yourself. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, Alpha," Luke said, fighting hard not to show his fear, even though he knew the alpha could smell it on him and see how he tucked his tail between his legs as he trembled slightly.

"Then let us help you to become strong. I hate that this is necessary... If there was an easier way to do this quickly, I would gladly do it instead...Luke... I'm sorry," Ben said, released the beta, and stepped away.

Luke swallowed hard, trying to be brave. He had always been afraid of pain. He knew that even though he was a werewolf now and his body could take more punishment than any human and recover more quickly than they could, the fear of pain itself had always held him back. He had been too afraid to ever push himself... To see just how much damage he could take and heal from, The fear within him was crippling and even he knew that it was so.

*Just look at me,* he thought to himself with disgust. *The only people I can beat in a fight are my pack mates and that's only because I know they always hold back. But the other packs aren't so generous... I can't run away forever. Even Steve can chase me around like a rabbit because I'm too scared to REALLY fight back.* He clenched his fists, feeling ashamed of himself. *I refuse to be weak anymore! I won't let my fear rule me any longer! If my own pack has to literally beat the fear out of me so I can be strong... Then so be it! Better them than someone else!*

He took a deep, trembling breath, and nodded to show that he was ready. Ben was glad for that, because he knew that he couldn't force Luke to do this; he loved the beta too much to force him into such a cruel act as this. That Luke had consented of his own free will was the only way that this could happen, as far as Ben was concerned.

The keepers, of course, knew none of this; they would never condone such a practice... But this was pack business, and not up to the approval of outsiders. Luke was willing to endure this, so the pack would be the hardest they could in order to help him... They did it because they loved him.

Ken took a deep breath, preparing himself to fight. Ben saw this and put a hand on his shoulder. "No, Ken... Not you. I won't be so cruel as to make you beat your own mate. You... You don't have to stay. I won't force you to take any part in this," the alpha said sadly.

It meant the world to Ken to have Ben say that. He saw the sadness on the alpha's face and knew that despite his harsh decision, Luke would indeed become stronger from this. He also saw how hard the alpha was talking this. "I'll stay... I want to be here for him."

Ben nodded gravely then turned to the other two wolves. "Steve, take your cues from Kyle. Kyle, you've been a werewolf all your life and understand more than us human-borns just how much punishment a werewolf can safely endure. You will set the pace and decide when he's had enough. Do you think you're up for that?"

Kyle looked nervously to Luke, who nodded. "I trust you," Luke said. Kyle sighed heavily, turned back to the alpha, and nodded, his jaw tight.

"Whenever you're ready," Ben said.

"It's okay guys," Luke told them bravely. "I want this. Do your worst."

"We love you, Luke," Steve said thickly.

"We do," Kyle added.

"That's why I trust you to do it right. I love you guys too." Luke closed his eyes to brace himself, then snapped them open. "DO IT!"

Kyle struck first, slashing Luke across the chest with his claws, then Steve punched him hard in the side... And they proceeded to give Luke the beating of his life...

The pummeling went on for some time, Kyle pacing the assault so as to allow Luke's body time to recover some so that they could sustain the assault longer. Ken finally turned and walked away, but Ben didn't blame him. It was hard for him to watch as well, but he forced himself to do so...

It was his punishment to himself for doing this to someone he loved. He wanted to remember it for the rest of his life and never forgive himself for having done it...

*If only we'd had more time...* He thought to himself for the thousandth time.

Ben looked back at the sound of footsteps a few minutes later, dreading that it was the keepers home early from their workplace. Despite his dominant nature, he did love the two humans and didn't want them to hate him. He felt relief to see that it was Ken, bearing a plastic bag holding a few flasks. "I snitched these from Jack's supplies. I knew Luke would need them."

"I thought... That you'd reached your limit and couldn't take it anymore," Ben told him.

"It's hard to watch," Ken said grimly. "But Luke wants this, so I'll endure it... I trust Kyle's judgment."

"Do you hate me for this?" Ben asked sadly, showing a trace of his old apprehension.

Ken saw that and softened. "No, Alpha. I know you're doing this for the right reason. It's harsh, but necessary. I don't hate you because I know you're only doing this because you love him as much as I do."

Ben hung his head and nodded. Ken saw again just how hard this was on the alpha and reached over to squeeze his shoulder supportively. "You're pretty tough to be taking this as well as you are," the alpha finally said as they watched.

"I'm Japanese. We've always been a strong people," Ken said with a firm jaw, showing a bravery few could in light of watching the person they loved most being beaten in front of them. His gaze was steady, his jaw firm and posture upright. He watched Luke with a firm resolve that Ben found himself envying.

"What's in the bag?" Ben asked, finally noticing it.

"It's a few of Jack's healing potions. They'll help Luke recover faster."

"Good thinking," Ben said softly...

It was over two hours later that they finally stopped, Kyle calling a halt to the assault. "Stop! Stop! That's enough! Any more and he won't recover any time soon.

"Then it's a good thing I planned ahead," Ken said, hurrying over.

Steve opened a flask and took a whiff. "Jack's going to be pissed you took these without permission," he said grimly.

"Fuck him," Ken said dismissively, not really meaning it, but more concerned about his mate's health than the wrath of their head keeper. He took the flask and fed it's contents to his mate, who despite his supernatural healing abilities, was bloody and bruised from the punishment he had endured. Luke was barely aware of anything, and drank feebly, not complaining about the taste of the potion.

"Come on," Kyle said. "We need to get him into bed so he can rest and let the potions do their work."

"I'll take him," Steve said, picking the battered wolf into his arms, heedless of the blood that covered him, and carried Luke inside so they could clean him up and put him to bed.

As they passed by Ben, Luke did something that nearly broke his alpha's heart. "Alpha?" he said weakly.

"Yes, Luke?"

"Thank you."

Ben's jaw trembled and it was hard not to let out a whimper. "Get some rest; you earned it. I'm proud of you," he managed to say calmly.

Luke's tail wagged feebly as he was carried inside, Ben's jaw trembled again. If it hadn't been for the fact that Luke had given him permission in the first place and now showed gratitude for what had been done to him, the guilt would've most likely shattered Ben's unity and turned him into a direwolf after all...

*****

Needless to say, once the keepers had learned of what the wolves had done, they were furious. "I thought you didn't want to treat them as punching bags! I see how much you stick to your word!" Jack said furiously.

"If you think I'm proud of myself," Ben nearly shouted, "then think again! If there was more time to work through this slowly, I would've gladly done so, but we're running out of time!" He growled, angry at the human for his attitude, justified as it was. "The full moon is coming up soon and we have to be ready!"

"Moon or no moon, you didn't have to beat the shit out of him!"

"Yes we did!" Ben snarled with goldeneyes that were moist with repressed pain and a rigid posture; his tail flared out in agitation. Jack saw that and paused as he realized that Ben DID care; in fact he looked rather ashamed by his actions. "We don't... Have... Time!" the alpha wolf said slowly, pounding his fist on the countertop in the kitchen for emphasis. "The full moon is a count down timer for us and it's not one that can be delayed or skipped. You said it yourself to me when you told me about how the full moon night works for us that the sanctuary is the ONLY place we can go to transform safely and that nothing can prevent it from happening! I wish I had more time! Months to train them slowly and thoroughly... But the moon won't let us. It HAS to be this way, Jack. I hate it, but that's the way it has to be. Luke's fear of being severely injured is a weakness he can't afford to have, not as a member of my pack.

"This isn't about me!" he added, cutting of Jack as the human went to protest. "I was planning on taking things more slowly, but Berke forced me to speed things up when he challenged me. If I had refused or not shown up, I would've looked weak in the eyes of him and every other wolf around here. For the sake of the pack, I HAD to accept his challenge and win. By now word has most likely begun to spread of my victory over him, which means that when the moon is full, every other alpha will be coming after us! I know how it works, Jack. I can feel it inside on an instinctual level. I have a bull's eye on my back now and the pack needs to be ready because it's going to spill over to them as well. I didn't start this; Berke did. He's forced me to do it this way... Luke cannot afford to have such a crippling weakness. He had the right to refuse, but he agreed to go through with it. He wanted it, even knowing what it would cost him!"

"Well I hope you got all the satisfaction you could out of beating him senseless," Jack said acidly.

"Ben never laid a finger on Luke," Steve said sharply, entering the kitchen. "It was Kyle and I who beat up Luke."

"Too scared to do your own dirty work?" Jack snapped at Ben in disgust.

"SHUT UP!" Steve snapped, furious with his keeper, his human-form jaw trembling and his eyes flashing gold. "Kyle was the one who had the final say in how long and hard we beat Luke, not Ben! He gave Kyle full control on how long and hard we hurt Luke!"

Jack stopped at that, confused. "I... I don't understand," he finally said with difficulty.

Ben sighed. "Kyle's been a wolf his entire life and has the most experience with how much punishment a werewolf can take and recover from. I let him determine the pace, severity and length of the beating."

Kyle, hearing his name, came into the kitchen. "It's true, Jack. Alpha Ben turned control over to me. Steve followed my lead and we only did it with Luke's consent. He didn't have to accept. Alpha Ben didn't put a silver blade to his throat to force him into it. Luke CHOSE to let us beat him. It was Alpha Ben's idea, yes, but we were the ones who chose of our own free will to carry it out."

"How?" Jack asked, unable to comprehend. "How could you do that to him! Your own pack mate; your friend! Luke is like a brother to you!"

"And that's exactly why we did it," Kyle told him. "We love Luke and wanted to help him become stronger. He told us to help him, so we did."

"You didn't have to do that," Jack said weakly.

Kyle growled in annoyance and held up his left forearm, then plunged his right index claw and sliced a long, deep gash in the flesh of his arm towards his elbow, snarling as he did so and making Jack go pale from the demonstration. "We are werewolves," he said, brandishing the wound. "We are predators who kill to eat and to protect ourselves and those we love. We bite, we claw, we shed the blood of our prey and our enemies as is our nature. We cannot afford to fear pain. Pain is a part of our lives, especially during the night of the full moon when our primal wolf comes forth and we are even more savage than at any other time of the lunar cycle. During the full moon, the strong attack the weak, beating them mercilessly with claw and fang to show their superiority. Those who are strong and fearless are harmed the least; those who are weak and cowardly are hurt the most. I saw how much it hurt Luke to be weak, how ashamed he was of himself; how he always feels like he's the one holding us back and making our pack weak. He wants to be stronger... To never fear pain again so he can fight with courage for himself and for us. He asked us to help him overcome his weakness and we gladly did so. I'm not ashamed of what I did. I'm proud of it because I know it will make him braver and stronger. I am proud of him for accepting and enduring this trial, knowing that he understands the ways of the wolf."

The wound had begun closing as Kyle had spoken. By the time he had finished, the wound had already closed itself. "Pain is a part of the life of every werewolf... It should never be feared because for us, it doesn't have the same consequences that it has for humans. That's the lesson Luke needed to learn. He will heal and be stronger and bolder for this." He panted from the pain and efforts involved in healing, as well from his speech, then walked over to Ben. "Alpha?" he said, seeing the pain on Ben's face, then swatted him hard across the face with a growl, opening deep gashes in the alpha's cheek and muzzle. Ben snarled as much in shock as outrage. "Don't you dare beat yourself up over this! It was Luke's choice! He could've refused if he had wanted to, but he didn't! He began to understand what I have always known: that everything you are doing, no matter how painful, is for the betterment of us all! If you want to be punished, then I'll gladly beat you up, but stop doing so to yourself!"

Ben's anger faded and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before letting it out, his tail drooping as he hung his head slightly. "You're right. I wouldn't have forced Luke to go through with it if he hadn't wanted to... Thanks for clawing some sense into me," he said with grim humor, lifting his head to look at his beta.

"Any time, Alpha," Kyle said with a smile and a slight wag of the tail.

Jack sighed. "Fine! I'll let it go! Now stop slashing yourselves open like that; you're getting blood everywhere." he grumbled.

"Plus the smell's making me hungry," Steve added, his teeth lengthening automatically with the need to be used as a predatory hunger awoke within him.

"I'll clean it up," Kyle said. "I'm the one who made the mess, after all."

Ben sighed and sat at the table as his face stung and itched while his wounds began to close. He watched Kyle clean the spilled blood off of his arm and the floor, handing Ben a few wet paper towels to clean himself up with, while Steve got out some summer sausage and tore into it with his fangs as he changed forms, easing his hunger. Once Ben was fully healed, he went upstairs to check on Luke to find Jessica coming out of the mates' bedroom.

"I heard everything," she said curtly. "I'm furious with you, but Luke said he'd never forgive me if I gave you grief over it." the woman's jaw clenched as she grit her teeth. "Is this going to be a normal practice for you?" she asked sharply.

"No," Ben answered honestly. "This was a single extreme circumstance and it won't happen again."

"It damned well better not!" she replied savagely before she walked downstairs with a stiff back.

Ben sighed heavily and knocked gently. "Come in, Alpha," Luke said softly from inside. Ben let himself in and saw that Luke was already looking far better. His wounds were all closed and the bruising had mostly faded, leaving only a series of greenish yellow welts over his skin.

Ben sat carefully on the edge of the bed. "How are you doing?" he asked gently.

"Well..." Luke said slowly and thoughtfully, "I'd say 'ouch', but that doesn't quite cover it," he joked weakly. "Alpha? ...Ben? Don't blame yourself for this. I knew that deep down, no matter how aggressive you can be, you never would've forced me to go through with it... That's why I forced myself. I want to be strong. I'm sick of being afraid all the time, worrying about when the next time I get beaten up will be. I want to fight back... I always wanted to, but I was scared. I never was a big fan of pain. Fuck... Even now needles still scare me... I never pushed myself to see how far I could go in terms of healing from injury; I was too frightened. I was scared that my healing would never be enough, so I always held back. I never even fought Ken very much, though he really makes me want to slap the stupid out of him sometimes...

"I want to be strong! I want to be a werewolf who can kick the crap out of anyone who messes with me! The only reason I ever even punched Rich was because I was kind of drunk at the time. I've always been a coward at heart, but that's not who I want to be anymore. I want to be strong and brave... I want everyone to look up to me. I want my pack to be proud of me, instead of me dragging them down because I'm too much of a pussy to stand up for myself. What you did today really did help me... And I want to thank you for that, Alpha. Please don't torture yourself over this. I can see how upset it made you. I can see it in your eyes. Don't give into self-doubt. Stay the strong alpha I know you are and lead us to strength and glory. I want to see you become Head Alpha and help you fix the problems that have plagued us. You can make EVERYONE better... Don't give up on your dreams because they cause some suffering...

"I'm not afraid anymore... I'm ready to fight, and I will never hesitate or run from pain again. You helped me find my courage, so don't ever regret what you did. I know I never will. I love you, Alpha, and I believe in you. Believe in yourself again too."

Ben's instincts overrode his self-doubts and somewhat eased his pain. "Thanks," he said quietly. "It helps to hear you say that." He sat there for a moment, noting oddly that he was already starting to feel better. The issue was dealt with, his instincts had proven correct, and now they drove away his doubts to purge him of his guilt. "Strange... I can feel the guilt starting to ease in me already... Thanks for that."

"Don't worry; you'll be your old arrogant alpha self again in no time," Luke teased mildly.

"Gee thanks," Ben grumbled, uncertain if the complement was a backhanded one. "But how can you be sure?" he asked in curiosity.

"It's like the needle of a compass... Even if you spin it around, it'll still go back to pointing North. A strong, self-confident alpha is what you're meant to be."

Ben's instincts told him Luke was telling the truth. Ben would recover from this because he needed to. He could not afford or was willing to tolerate weakness in himself, and self-doubt was one of the things he no longer wanted or needed. If Luke had forgiven him, then Ben needed to forgive himself. "I just don't want you to end up hating or fearing me. I want respect and obedience, not fear, and I don't want you doing the things I tell you to just to avoid being beaten... That's not the kind of alpha I want to be. I love you too much for that."

"I know... But you had to do it that way. I know we don't have much time left... But Alpha? It worked, see?" Luke said, then grew an index claw and used it to stab the palm of his other hand. He winced from the pain, but didn't flinch. As the blood pooled in the wound, he looked at Ben. "Before this, I never would've done something like that. You made me stronger... Just like you promised."

Ben felt a surge of pride at that, not for the praise, but because it had worked. Luke WAS stronger; the alpha could see it in his eyes. He nodded in approval as the last of his doubts faded away and his confidence was restored. "Good to hear."

"Man, I can't wait for the full moon-!" he tried to say fiercely until a yawn overtook him.

Ben took the beta's injured hand and licked the palm clean of blood for him so that he wouldn't stain the sheets. He could almost taste Luke's strength in it. "You did very good, Luke. You're becoming the kind of wolf I knew you could be. Get some rest," he said softly. "You've earned it."

Luke laid back in bed, Licked his finger clean of blood, then closed his eyes and was asleep within seconds. Ben rose slowly and carefully to avoid waking him, then made his way to the door where Ken was waiting. Ben looked at Ken to see that there was no judgment on the Japanese man's face or in his eyes, even though he wouldn't look any higher than Ben's collarbone. "Alpha? Thanks," he said quietly so as not to awaken his mate. "You helped him a lot with this. I know it was hard on you to have done it, but it was the right thing to do. I can see it in his eyes... Luke will never back down again..." Ken got a look of doom upon his face. "And that means he'll clobber me even harder the next time I piss him off! Damn!" His head dropped to his chest in mild despair.

Ben chuckled at that. He put a supportive hand on Ken's shoulder. "Only when you earn it, Smartmouth; only when you earn it."

Ken scowled at that. "You're mean," he pouted.

Ben saw the listless droop of Ken's tail and knew he was tired. "Get some rest. You've earned it too."

"Goodnight, Alpha," Ken yawned as he went to join his mate.

"Goodnight, Ken," Ben said before the door closed partway.

Still feeling restless, Ben walked to the bedroom he and Steve shared and paused at the door. *Oh fuck! I never did any shopping!* With having focused so intensely on the training, Ben had completely forgotten to run by either the store or his old apartment. He grabbed his things, put on a jacket, then headed downstairs, feeling much better than he had when he'd walked up them a short while ago.

He found Steve still in the kitchen, along with Jack and Kyle, the human still looking put out. "How's Luke?" Kyle asked, shooting a warning look at the keeper before he spoke.

"Better," Ben said to the room as a whole. "He's still sore and bruised, but it looks like all of the swelling has gone down. He should be back on his feet by tomorrow night at the latest, judging from how fast he's healing. The point is that it worked. He actually stabbed himself on the palm just now."

"I thought I smelled blood on you," Kyle said thoughtfully.

"I licked his wound clean for him; no need to stain the sheets just to prove his newfound courage to me. With his and Ken's weaknesses addressed, I can devote all of my concentration to combat training. I can't do as much for you all as I'd like to, but I can at least give you the basics; hopefully it'll be enough. Steve; you said the pack sticks together for safety during the full moon?"

The head beta nodded. "Yeah, we've had to. Normally wolves will scatter and just enjoy wandering as freely as we can, but our pack has had to stick together and keep on the move to avoid being bullied even more than we already are."

"We'll stick together next moon as well, just to protect each other. Afterwards, I can continue your training. By the next moon, you should all be skilled enough that we can wander apart and not worry about needing the rest of the pack to protect each of us."

"Besides," Kyle added. "I want to see your primal wolf," he told Ben. "I bet you look incredibly sexy."

Ben's chest swelled in pride, lust and anticipation at that. He, too, was eager for the full moon... To finally transform fully... To feel the full extent of his power. He smiled lewdly as he saw Kyle's hand drift under the table to touch himself through his shorts, and growled huskily before he shook his head. "Grrr... Not yet, Kyle. I need to go shopping."

The beta wilted rapidly. "But we still haven't mated yet," he whimpered, literally.

"We will soon," Ben promised lustily, "but do you want more meat, or not?"

Kyle's eyebrows twitched back and forth as he mulled that over, his eyes glancing around the room with uncertainty before he returned his gaze to the alpha. "Can I have both?" he asked hopefully, looking for all the world like a dog who was begging for treats from the table, but was uncertain if he'd get any.

Even Jack laughed at that one. Unlike Jessica, who's mother was a religious conservative who had instilled her prudish ways into her daughter, Jack was more sexually open-minded and had spent his entire life around werewolves, so their openly sexual nature didn't bother him as much. He sighed. "Just don't mount each other in front of me, is all I ask."

"Okay," Kyle.

"I'll be back in awhile," Ben told them.

"Want some company?" Steve asked.

Ben shook his head. "No, I want a little alone time."

"Still playing the lone wolf?" Steve teased gently as he hugged his mate.

"Just a little. Besides, everyone needs some alone time every now and then."

Steve nodded as he pulled away. "I understand." He turned to Kyle and Jack. "So can we finally start bringing down the solstice decorations?" he asked eagerly, wagging his tail.

"Good idea," Jack said with a nod.

"Solstice?" Ben asked in confusion.

"We celebrate the winter solstice here, rather than the traditional holiday. The guys don't complain, seeing as how they get their gifts a few days sooner than most people." He saw that Ben was still staring at him in confusion. "I'm Wiccan," he explained.

"You're wicked?" Ben asked with a furrowed brow, sure he had heard incorrectly.

"Wiccan," the human replied with a chuckle as his residual anger faded. "It's a nature religion; a recreation of the practices of ancient witchcraft," He saw Ben's eyes widen in shock. "We only use white magic. It's not like the movies where it's all about curses and demon pacts. I would never do such things," Jack said, shaking his head with a firm expression.

Ben relaxed at that. "Well... Okay, I guess," he said nervously.

"Don't worry," Steve told him. "Just think of people like Native American shamans. That's basically what Jack practices. We follow the solar calendar of holidays, along with the non-religious traditional ones."

The alpha shrugged, not knowing what to say to that. "Will you be alright with that?" Jack asked, seeing that Ben looked confused, but if he was uncomfortable, the keeper couldn't tell.

The alpha wolf shrugged. "Well... It's unusual, but I'll give it a go... It's not like I really celebrated the traditional holiday anyways."

The other three realized that social holidays probably hadn't meant as much to someone like Ben, who had been a social outcast, but they became hopeful that they could change his mind about it. That he seemed open to the idea was a good sign. "I'll be back soon," he said to them, pausing to give a kiss to Steve, then when Kyle looked left out, one to him as well.

"Oh," the lesser beta said, "you... Might want to turn human-form if you're going out."

Ben looked down at the end of his proto-muzzle. "Good idea," he said, then pulled the power of the wolf in, changing forms. He ended the transformation with a spasm of erotic pleasure. He sighed in satisfaction before he left...

*****

The grocery store was fairly crowded, which irked Ben a fair deal. His wolfish instincts insisted that he always have a clear route to escape to if he began to get boxed in by the other shoppers, but with so many humans to compete with for space, Ben had to force himself to relax. *The last thing I need to do is lose control in public,* he told himself again and again.

Ben had already stopped by his apartment to collect a few more things, such as his favorite books, important paperwork, and his videogame collection. The pack had an X-Box One, a Wii U and several older systems, but not the PS4 or 3, so Ben wanted them at the Den so he could still enjoy his favorite games. *What am I going to get everyone for the holiday?* he wondered to himself. *I hope they'll be okay with a twenty dollar bill each. It sounds cheap, but that's all I can do for people I barely know,* he thought.

He made his way to the meat department and began selecting raw hamburger, burger patties, pork chops and chicken, then decided to treat the pack with a bulk pack of steaks. He looked down into the cart, doing a mental tally of how much all of it would cost, then winced. *Fuck... Being a carnivore is expensive. At least I can still eat other stuff... Except for chocolate, of course. But needing meat at every meal is going to cost an arm and a leg. Good thing I only have two more months on my lease, then I won't have rent anymore.*

He pushed his cart along the back of the store as a group of giggling teenagers came stumbling by. Ben's instincts overrode reason, and he turned quickly into an isle to escape the loud noise of the humans. He stopped when he realized which isle he was on, then grumbled in annoyance. *Is this the universe's idea of a sick joke?* he wondered to himself. Sighing in disgust, he made his way down the isle quickly... Then paused as a particular smell caught his attention. He rolled the cart back a bit until he found the source of the scent, then looked at the red box thoughtfully. His instincts still sharp and his mouth watering, Ben reached out to pluck one of the brightly colored boxes from the shelf.

Looking around with a guilty expression to make sure no one would see, he opened the box, pulled out one of the items from within, then bit it in half with his strong jaws. The taste exploded in Ben's mouth, making his eyes go wide in shock...

And he rapidly scarfed down the rest of the milk bone.

*You've got to be kidding me,* he thought to himself as he swallowed the last of the canine treat. *Well... I guess it's due to the fact that I'm half canine now...* He sighed heavily, feeling torn, then thought *Fuck it,* and tossed the re-closed box into the cart...

Followed by a second, then a third...

...And a fourth.

Shaking his head at his own changing tastes, Ben made his way out of the pet food isle...

*****

Ben arrived home to find that Steve, Kyle, Jack and Jessica had begun decorating. The artificial tree was already in its stand and Kyle was testing the lights that would go on it.

Jack was rooting around inside a box that seemed to contain ornaments and Jessica was removing the day-to-day décor to make room for the holiday decorations. Steve had just set down a box of decorations when the alpha came in. "Back already?" he asked cheerfully, wagging his tail enthusiastically in greeting with a smile on his proto-muzzled face.

"Yeah, the uh... Something blimp crashed."

"Meat blimp," Jessica offered in a tired tone, carefully storing a fragile vase inside a large towel placed into a box.

"That one," Ben replied with a chuckle, purposely ignoring the tone of her voice while Steve shot the woman a dirty look for holding a grudge.

"Want some help getting stuff in?" Steve asked his mate.

"Sure," Ben said, leading the way back out to his car.

As they made their way down the steps, Steve paused, looking up. "Snow's going to start soon."

"How can you tell?" Ben asked, looking up into the cloudy sky.

"You can smell it. Take a whiff," he said, coming up close behind his mate, who closed his eyes and started smelling the air.

"So that scent means snow is coming, huh?"

"Yeah... It's about time," he said, wrapping his arms around Ben from behind.

"You like snow?"

"I like watching it fall," Steve said softly.

They remained silent for a few moments, enjoying themselves in the peacefulness of the evening. "How are you doing?" Ben asked.

"In what way?"

"Being unified. Are you okay with having your human and wolf sides merged?"

"I like it... I don't care what Jack says, I feel better this way."

"What does Jack say?" Ben asked with concern.

Steve sighed. "He thinks it's unnatural. He believes that the man and the wolf should have some distance from each other. He believes that the two halves of a person aren't meant to join together like that. He thinks that direwolves act that way, but I don't know... I mean there IS the danger of giving in to your instincts too deeply, but if you're careful about it and don't do anything that hurts others, I don't see the problem... At least that's how I think of it. Personally, I think he's making mountains out of mole hills. What about you? How are you handling being unified?"

"I like it," Ben said softly. "The wolf side of me fills me with confidence. Before that happened, I was always doubting myself. Now I believe in myself."

"I believe in you too," Steve said, turning Ben around to kiss him. Ben sighed into the kiss, feeling loved and content, as well as loving Steve more than he thought he would ever love anyone. It was the only thing that eclipsed his love for each other the other members of their pack. The kiss called to Ben's passion as well as to his inner wolf, and he changed forms while lip-to-muzzle with his mate. He shuddered in bliss as the change settled, then stared into Steve's golden eyes with his own wolfish yellow ones.

"I love you," Ben said, then sighed as he looked up. "We should get the stuff in before it starts snowing."

"Good idea... And I love you too, Ben," Steve said, following it with another quick kiss. They let go of each other and made their way to the car. As they were getting out the bags, Steve let out a confused exclamation, then looked into one of the bags. "Oh no!" he said in dread. "You didn't! Jessica will be furious!"

"Why?"

"She banned milk bones from the house because she was sick of cleaning up the crumbs."

"Tough for her, I'll use a plate, but I like them." Ben paused. "You don't... Think that's weird that I like them, do you?" he asked nervously.

"Not really," Steve said with a smile. "I can take them or leave them, but Kyle loves them and he's not very careful about eating them, hence the crumb problem. But don't worry about it; some werewolves develop a liking for them."

Shaking his head at that, Ben grabbed more of the bags and they took them inside as the first fat snowflakes began to drift lazily down from the sky...

*****

That night, Ben and Steve were settling in for the evening when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Ben said, sitting up slightly. The door opened a bit and Kyle poked his wolf-formed head inside.

"Can I sleep in here tonight?' he asked timidly.

"Feeling lonely?" Steve asked with a trace of amusement. Kyle nodded, but Steve turned to Ben first. Ben shrugged and waved Kyle inside, who scrambled forward and dove into bed with them, driving himself between them like a penguin sliding across the ice between two snow banks, "Careful," Steve said with mild annoyance.

"Sorry," Kyle said sheepishly, looking apologetic, then settled himself in with them on his belly, uttering a sigh of contentment. "Thank you... This is nice..." he said softly, then murred in pleasure as Steve scratched him behind the left ear.

"Don't mind Kyle," Steve said softly. "He tends to get lonely sleeping by himself, so he'll often share beds with some of us."

"That's only because we can't all sleep together the way we're supposed to," Kyle said thickly, his voice slurred by the deep level of contentment he felt.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, feeling oddly pleased to have Kyle there with them. It felt right, though it would've been made better by having Luke and Ken here with them as well.

"Packs are supposed to sleep together," the lesser beta said heavily with longing. "One big wolfpile, the way close-knit packs like ours are supposed to sleep" he added dreamily. "But we can't," he pouted. "There's no room in the house big enough for all our beds."

Ben liked the idea of communal sleeping arrangements. To have his pack... His many loves, beside him as he slept just felt right somehow. He looked over at the wall that separated their room from Kyle's next door. "What if we knocked down that wall? If we combined the two smaller bedrooms into a single large one, we could have enough room to fit as many as three queen-sized beds side-by-side... Fasten them together... That would make one big bed for all of us," he said thoughtfully.

"Really?" Kyle asked, lifting his head to look at the alpha's chin and waving his tail eagerly, loving the idea. "Well, Mom and Dad couldn't object too much... Oh, they're coming for solstice, by the way... They want to meet you."

"Alright," Ben said, feeling slightly nervous about that. "How do they feel about you having an alpha?"

"That's why they're coming," Kyle answered. "They want to meet you and see what kind of alpha you are."

"Alright," Ben said heavily. He didn't like the idea of being interrogated, but seeing as how he was living in their house, the alpha only hoped Kyle's parents didn't give him too much grief...

*****

Ben had to admit the following morning that once the decorations were up, it looked just like the traditional holiday was being observed. There was a tree filled with various, non-religious ornaments and lights with a glowing star on top, garlands on the mantel and trimming over the doorways on much of the first floor, and a snow-covered miniature village above the fireplace, which now contained a roaring fire. There was nothing religious in sight, which suited Ben just fine as he had never cared much for that kind of thing. The decorations were tasteful without been tacky or over-blown... He liked it.

By mid-morning, half a foot of snow had fallen, turning the woods around the Den into a winter wonderland. He entered the kitchen just as Kyle was finishing typing something, his tail wagging eagerly, before he glanced up at Ben, typed something quickly and closed his laptop as the alpha drew near, looking very pleased with himself. "Morning, Alpha," he said cheerfully.

Ben grumbled something along the lines of 'morning' in response, then grabbed a cherry coke out of the fridge and a straw from a drawer, then sat down for his morning caffeine. Having never liked coffee, the smell had gotten worse for him since his sense of smell had intensified, so he stuck to sweeter, more pleasant smelling drinks to get him going in the morning. Drinking with a proto-muzzle was an art that Ben had yet to master, so the straw prevented him from dribbling all over the place while he drank. Ken entered the kitchen along with Luke, who now looked as good as ever, thanks to his werewolf healing powers and the restorative efforts of the keepers. Looking at him, you'd never know that two days ago he had taken the worst beating of his life.

"How are you feeling?" the alpha asked him in a voice slurred with grogginess.

"Much better now, Alpha," Luke admitted. "I'm still a little stiff, but I should be fine by tonight."

"Good to hear. I'd hate to have to do that to you more than once... The first time was bad enough." Ben sighed and mentally shook his head. "Alright," he said with more alertness as Steve came in along with Jessica. "Tonight we start focusing on formal combat training. It'll be difficult seeing as how we have so little time to work with, but I'll give you all the training I can. Hopefully that'll be enough to get us through Moon Night," he said, using the reference he'd heard the others use in reference to the night of the full moon. "I wish we had more time, but we'll just have to work with what we've got and hope for the best. After Moon Night, we'll resume training when I'll have the time to start giving you all more a more thorough education on combat tactics."

The wolves nodded eagerly. With that, the members of the house began to ready themselves for the day...

*****

That afternoon, Jack opened the front door to the Den to admit his guest. "Mitchell, I'm glad you were able to come," he said approvingly.

"I'm only sorry I couldn't get back sooner," Mitchell replied heavily. He was a middle-aged man with short, graying brown hair, clean shaven with dark blue eyes, Russian ancestry and a trim build.

"What did they say?" Jack asked, referring to the keepers in Montana who had some of the most thorough knowledge on direwolves of any keepers the local group had ever heard of. Mitchell had just returned from a trip to Billings to comb through their records.

"Only that our guess is as good as theirs. They can't figure out why we are unable to locate the direwolf, nor do they have any clue as to what to make of Ben. They, like we, have never heard of a direwolf turning someone and no idea what will happen to him. All they can say is to make sure that all of the packs are ready come Moon Night, just in case Ben doesn't change the way we hope he will."

Jack paled at that. "What can we do?" he asked nervously. He'd begun to like Ben as a person despite his dominating personality. The thought of having to kill him should he still become a direwolf made the human feel sick inside.

"For now, just monitor his behavior. Let's conduct the meeting as planned."

Jack nodded and led the way to his workroom. The small room was packed full of books, an area for brewing potions, a small indoor greenhouse for various herbs and plants, and a number of cabinets containing various tools of the keeper trade. In one corner on a small table with a pair of chairs was a computer, which was already on and waiting.

Jack opened Skype and placed a video call to Ino, who picked up a few seconds later. Behind her was a white walled office with a large gold enameled plaque bearing a group of wolves running. The theme seemed odd for a piece of Japanese artwork, but not so unusual for a family of Japanese keepers.

"Ah, Mitchell. Good," Ino said, seeing that the second highest-ranking keeper in the region was there. "I'm glad you made it back so quickly."

"Ino," Mitchell said with a nod. "How's Kioko doing?"

The woman shook her head sadly. "We're going to lose her."

"Ino," Jack said, feeling both shocked and saddened. "I'm so sorry."

The woman nodded slightly, but kept her composure. "It is the curse of being the youngest child, to see the eldest go first; we knew this day was coming. I will pass along your well wishes." She took a deep breath and continued. "Tell me about Ben. How is he progressing?"

Jack told them everything he had learned, from the night he had challenged the werewolf's right to be alpha of the pack and test his self-control, which Ino chided as foolish, but said no more; then Jack told them of the radical personality change in Ben, the unification of the human and wolf selves within him and then Steve, the challenge against Berke, Ben's behavior and words in regard to the pack, the training and Ben's plans for the future.

Ino's reaction surprised him. "Finally," she said with a sense of relief that barely showed outwardly. "It is about time we had some help in controlling the wolves. I was about ready to call in assistance from other keepers; this situation has been out of control for far too long. I was ready to move some of the packs to ease tension, despite their protests. I would prefer to remove James from the area, but he will not likely go without a fight and we cannot risk him carrying out his threats. If Ben can get the packs under control, it will make our job easier."

"You can't be serious!" Jack said. "We know very little about him! For all we know, he may STILL turn into a direwolf, especially with having his human and animal sides bound into a single consciousness!"

"It is a possibility," Ino said slowly, "but having seen into his soul, I am willing to take that chance. If he DOES turn into a direwolf, it will give the other packs a common goal to work with in eliminating the threat, but I believe that Ben's strength of character will prevent such a thing from happening. Despite the ego he appears to have developed, his heart is in the right place and the idea of becoming a monster would appear to be repugnant to him. He has the support of a loyal pack who genuinely seem to love him and are determined to help him maintain balance."

"But you haven't seen what he's like!" Jack protested. "Nor do you understand just how powerful he is! I have born the full brunt of his will, and it is the single strongest I have ever heard of! In truth, it terrifies me! Then there's the way he acts; it's like he needs to be treated like a king!"

"The strongest of alphas are often arrogant, to a degree, but you are forgetting his background. He was raised by soldiers, so that would naturally determine his behavior in regards to others. It sounds like he believes in strict discipline tempered by love. I saw as much potential within him when I met him, and now it sounds as if he has embraced those qualities within himself and is nurturing them... I am not concerned about his ego. What he said to you shows that he is capable of putting others needs alongside his own. I am willing to give him the chance to prove himself. The full moon shall reveal the extent of his character and show who and what he will ultimately become."

Mitchell sighed. "I still need to meet him. I want to see this man for myself. If he means what he says, it would be nice to have a werewolf who can keep the others in line, seeing as how they barely listen to us at all. The fact that Ben sounds willing to work with the keepers is a good sign. It shows that he understands our importance to the wolves."

Ino nodded. "I will let Mitchell make the determination on how to proceed." She looked off camera for a moment. "I need to go. Call me if an emergency develops."

They signed off then, and left the workroom as a car pulled up outside. They walked to the front door to see Ben coming up the steps. "Ben," Jack said as the werewolf came up the porch steps in his human form, "I'd like you to meet Mitchell. He's what you would think of as the second in command of the keepers of our region."

"Nice to meet you," Ben said, shaking hands with the human. "I want you to know that I'm not like other alphas. I intend to work with the keepers to maintain order and safety for both our kinds."

Mitchell nodded at that, feeling relieved. "Good to hear. To be honest, the situation around here is pretty bad; the packs are too busy fighting amongst themselves to care about anything else, even a direwolf... If something isn't done soon, everything could fall apart here. If that happens, it will mean the end of all werewolves. The keepers don't want that to happen."

"So the situation around here isn't normal for werewolf and keeper society?" Ben asked.

"No," Mitchell said heavily. "In most areas, there's peace among the wolves. Even in places where there is more than a single alpha, they are able to get along. The problem first began when Monica and Lester had a falling out. Lester never got along with Monica's family and they grew so sick of his blatant hostility against them that they moved away, fearing for their safety. Lester feels that werewolves don't need humans, including keepers, to complicate their lives. After her family moved away, Monica stopped holding back and it's been war between them for the last several months. The only reason we haven't stepped in is because neither one of them is willing to go without a struggle, keep their hostility in check except during the full moon, and we can't afford the trouble their packs will cause if we try to move either of them."

Mitchell took a deep breath and continued. "Then things went from bad to worse when James showed up out of nowhere shortly after the trouble between Monica and Lester began. We've tried to learn where he came from, but so far no luck. All we know is that he and his pack entered the area without any word to anyone, no keepers we have contact with have heard of him, and he started throwing his weight around the second he arrived with his pack, acting as though he was already in charge. We've tried to deal with him, but he's threatened to expose everyone if we tried."

Ben was shocked. "That's insane! He'll get dissected along with the rest of us if people learn about us!"

Mitchell shook his head. "He doesn't care. All that matters to James is being in charge. He barely tolerates the keepers as it is... We've tried to get him alone to deal with him, but he's instructed his pack to expose us all if something happens to him."

"Why?" Ben asked. "They'd have to be brain-dead to do something like that! They'd all be captured or killed! You'd have to be insane to follow an order like that!"

"Or enthralled," Mitchell said grimly. He saw the look of horror on the werewolf's face and nodded. "That's James' key to success... Every member of his pack is deeply enthralled to him. There's nine of them in all, including the omega Crissy. They don't care what happens to them; pleasing James and following his orders are all they care about. We can't round up all of them effectively to deal with them. There aren't enough keepers to do it and not enough of the packs are willing to help us."

"What if we help?" Ben asked.

"That you're willing to offer means a lot, but I don't think it would be enough. James' pack is large and he never keeps all of them together. Rounding all of them up before they did something irrevocable is nearly impossible; there just aren't enough of us who care to do it successfully and no other keepers near enough who can come to help us."

"Then it sounds like the other packs need to be brought into line," Ben said firmly, looking off into the distance. "Once the other alphas are submissive to me," he said, speaking from instinctual knowledge, "I can talk them into helping us and we can round up James and his pack and deal with them. I need to assert my dominance over the others, but that will most likely take time. We need to play this carefully."

"If, and I mean IF, you can gain control of the other packs, it would be a major help in stabilizing things around here. It's the lack of a single strong leader that's created so much chaos for us. For what it's worth, I hope you succeed."

"They shouldn't need me," Ben said with disgust. "Don't they understand that you keepers are the only thing keeping us all safe?"

"Some of them do, but most of the alphas feel that they should be in charge and the keepers are little more than pawns they can control. James, on the other hand, feels that keepers are only concerned with controlling werewolves. He's right in a way... Wolves can be dangerous if left unchecked. We try to help them to live lives as normal as possible while controlling their basic instincts so that they don't do anything to harm themselves, each other or the world at large. We're basically wolf-wranglers, when it comes down to it, but we know that werewolves are still people and deserve what freedoms they can have. We don't want them to be our slaves or our pets; we want them to be people with the same rights and freedoms that everyone else enjoys. Most of the alphas around here just can't seem to accept that. Berke seems to be the only one of them who seems to want to work with us to a degree, but he's unwilling to push for the position of Head Alpha. If there was a true Head Alpha that everyone listened to, then things would become better here; the chaos would begin to come under control."

"I'll do what I can to bring the packs in line," Ben promised. "For now, it's important that James and his pack not know what we're planning. He needs to assume that all I'm doing is making a grab for power."

"Which you are," Mitchell said wryly.

"Yes, but power that will help make things better for everyone... I'll tell you right now; the alpha within me demands that I be in charge. I insist on being king of the hill and being recognized as such. It's nothing personal; it's just the way I am. I won't promise that I won't try to dominate the keepers, but I understand your value and importance and will be as supportive to you as I want you to be towards me and I'll listen to your guidance... But on strictly werewolf matters, my say will ultimately be the last one, tempered by your input. I want us to work together for the sake of everyone; I believe in using power responsibly and I want to make things better for everybody."

Mitchell relaxed at that. "I think I understand. Thank you for understanding what we keepers are trying to accomplish. We don't have to do this, you know... We do it because we care about the wolves as people and want to keep them safe. Yes, it's also to protect the world from them, but the safety of the wolves is our primary concern. We love them, even the ones who don't love us back."

Ben nodded slowly. "You sound like a real glutton for punishment, but I respect you for what you do and why. I'm looking forward to working with you."

"If we're going to work together, I need to understand what you are and what you're capable of," Mitchell said slowly. "I want to see it... I want to feel it so that I understand what you are... Show me your power."

"Are you sure?" Ben asked carefully. "I can't promise that I won't use it to my own advantage... My instincts might cause me to try to take advantage of this opportunity."

"Don't think so little of me," Mitchell said with an amused smile. "I'm tougher than I look."

"Alright," Ben said with resignation, "but don't say I didn't warn you." The wolf braced himself, transformed rapidly, repressing the orgasmic euphoria of the change, then looking the human in the eyes, poured the power of his unstoppable will into his stare. Mitchell took a wide legged stance to stabilize his footing and stared back; not in challenge, but as a means of bracing himself to fortify his magical protections. Unlike Jack, Mitchell had more experience in dealing with strong-willed wolves and had prepared accordingly. His protections held, betraying no sign of fear or weakness, but it also helped to hide his shock. *That power! I didn't know a werewolf could have so strong a will! If this is his power, then he might just be able to do what he says he will!*

"Enough!" he said after over half a minute had passed.

Ben eased up on his power and Jack, knowing what to do, walked deliberately between them to break their line of sight to one another, allowing human and werewolf to blink and look away without any loss of status in the eyes of the other. The werewolf was perturbed that Mitchell hadn't shown any weakness, the alpha in him displeased that the human had resisted so thoroughly. "You stood up to it... Impressive," he said to mask his irritation. "Annoying, but impressive. I think I can treat you to as close an equal as possible."

"I'm made of pretty stern stuff," Mitchell said casually. "It was good to meet you and I look forward to working with you in the future." They shook hands and the keeper walked back into his car. As he pulled out his keys, he noticed his hands were trembling ever so slightly. He clenched his fists to steady his nerves, the only sign of just how shaken he was deep down inside. He got in and started the engine, then took a moment to calm his subconscious mind. *I wonder if he realizes just how strong he truly is...*

He took a deep breath to steady himself before he drove away...