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Lykos: Alpha Rising Chapter 1 Written by Leo_Todrius and Trickster_D

The spring air was warm and a bit sweet as a gentle breeze blew through the trees, ruffling the overly lush leaves. Gazing up at them, it was almost like being underwater, watching the turbulent surface ripple and crash above. Even as slight as the breeze was, it sounded like waves crashing on a seashore to Bard... it was the sound of the wind that sustained him through the pain, his icy sky blue eyes gazing upwards.

There were other sensations Bard was trying not to think of; the pain of the lacerations to his abdomen or the almost gruesome bite to his shoulder, the metallic tang of the blood soaking his torn tank top or his waist length blond hair, nor the fact that his wrist and ankle seemed to be broken for the moment - but most of all, Bard was trying not to think about watching his pack mates die, powerless to defend themselves during the eclipse. He was trying, and failing.

It had been common knowledge that the eclipse was coming, that the wolves would be painfully and woefully human for several hours. The keepers had arranged to protect them, to ensure everything would be alright... but they hadn't predicted that the fang clan would retain their powers, even master them. The direwolves raged through the streets, overturning cars, attacking civilians... and hunting them.

Bard's pack had fled into the woods, trying to make it to an ancient sacred ground, but one by one they'd fallen to the beasts. Bard's life had only been spared because the direwolves suddenly lost their powers, as if the eclipse had been on some kind of a delay. The monsters crawled away to hide and cower without their advantage, but it wouldn't be much longer before Bard joined his brothers on the other side.

The werewolf was in his late twenties. His pale skin was speckled with faint coppery flecks across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks, the faintest hint of strawberry highlights in his otherwise norse blond hair. A tuft of straw colored hair curved down from the point of his chin. His muscles were fairly robust, though he retained a bit of the lankiness he had from when he'd been a mere human. There was even a necklace with a Mjölnir and a Fenrir wolf head pendants resting on his cut up chest.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Bard began to close his eyes. Perhaps this was for the best. The age of wolves had been fundamentally changed. All of humanity would know about them now. His pack was gone, his keepers were gone, the anonymity was gone. Perhaps he should just give in and go to the other side. With his eyes shut, his advanced healing started to slow - as did his heart rate.

The rustling of leaves nearby, however, disrupted the quiet silence of the place and announced the arrival of someone else; a slender boy no older than nineteen stumbled into the clearing, his liquid and expressive black eyes open wide in shock, confusion and pain. One of his hands was pressed against his side, right where his simple and colorful t-shirt had been ripped to shreds and something - something big and ferocious and beastly - had apparently took a vicious bite. Blood was still dripping down the gashes left by the fangs, trickling down his legs and staining his denim jeans. Short, pained breaths escaped his lips at irregular intervals as his stare travelled around without apparently seeing anything... But when, finally, he turned towards Bard's unmoving body, for the briefest moment the turmoil in his expression was replaced by a sense of urgency and concern.

"Oh, n-no... No, please, no..." a murmur escaped from his lips as he made his way towards the stranger before him. As he approached, the young man stumbled into an exposed tree root and fell on his knees right in front of him. "P-please, don't die..." he pleaded in a weak voice. "I don't want to see someone else d-die today..." Tears travelled down his cheeks and fell right on Bard's face, next to his closed eyes.

The tear followed the contour of his cheekbone, curving along and then down before dripping to the ground. Bard hadn't yet responded, but his chest seemed to be moving, at least a little. The young boy sobbed for some seconds, staring at the body in front of him with a powerless look on his face, as the blood pouring out of his wounds made his olive skin look sickly greyish.

"N-no... I won't let you die." Suddenly, a spark of energy appeared in his dark eyes. "Y-you can't die, okay? You can't." His slender, long fingers twitched nervously. "U-um, what should I do? W-why didn't I pay more attention during that stupid first-aid lesson?" A sudden comprehension dawned on his face. "O-oh, yeah, CPR! That's right!" He joined his hands and clumsily pressed his palms over Bard's chest in a seemingly random place. "O-okay, and now..." Without a moment of hesitation he lowered his head, pinching Bard's nose with two trembling fingers and placing his lips over the man's mouth.

At first there was no response as the young man began his life saving attempt, though Bard's eyes soon snapped open. The icy blue shifted to a gleaming amber for just a moment before an eyebrow arched in confusion. He reached up, taking the young man's hand, guiding it to the proper position on his chest to perform CPR. The boy didn't even realize that Bard had touched him, and repeated the sequence of gestures - even though this time, thanks to the werewolf, his hands were in the right place - and once again came down to exhale air inside Bard's mouth.

Bard had to admit, despite his pain and the fact he had given up on his life, he was intrigued. This young person had stumbled across him and tried to save his life. Would he if he knew the truth? The werewolf used the breath spilling into his mouth and lungs to get a sense of this stranger... There were hints of pasta and garlic from a previous meal, the scent was healthy for the most part but tinged with the fact that his body was trying to heal itself - and ever so faintly, there were the first traces of lycanthropy. Whoever Bard's savior was, he was a newly turned werewolf.

That revelation, that simple fact, clicked something in Bard's brain. He wasn't alone, and he couldn't leave this kid alone either. Bard's lips began working against those trying to save his life before his tongue plunged into the young man's mouth, swirling around across his teeth. The boy's eyes opened wide in surprise as he felt Bard's tongue invade his mouth; a shiver travelled around his spine, and for a few seconds he even tried to reciprocate in a clumsy way... But then the slight daze of horniness dissipated and he raised his head, staring at the man lying on the grass.

"Y-you are alive!" he exclaimed, his voice full of simple, genuine happiness. "...a-and I kissed you. Oh my god, I just kissed a guy for the first time..." A small, confused smile appeared on his face, as blood flowed towards his cheeks. "A-and it wasn't that bad." Despite his injuries, Bard smiled a bit, betraying just how sharp his canines were.

"Sorry about that, rude of me... Just wanted to let you know I was okay." Bard replied, looking into the boy's dark eyes. They seemed so deep that the older werewolf felt like he could practically swim in them. The boy caressed the side of Bard's cheek in a gesture that didn't have any sexual connotation whatsoever, his slender and warm hands tracing the contours of the nordic werewolf's features like a blind person trying to "see" someone else's face through his fingertips.

"N-no... D-don't worry," the younger man replied with a tiny grin. "T-this is all so weird... First I get attacked by giant rabid dogs, then I see all t-those..." he choked on his own words as another tear travelled down his face. "A-all those dead people, a-and then I find you, a-and... " He gulped down, his black eyes mesmerized by Bard's light irises, his face getting closer. "And you look so strong and... I feel like I should stay by y-your side..." This time, he was the one starting the kiss, his lips brushing gently and timidly against the older man's mouth.

Bard responded with confidence and strength, deepening the kiss. A hand came up to tangle in the young man's hair and hold him there for a long moment. It was strange, almost surreal. Bard had been the runt of his pack, the smallest... but now he was the only one left and this little pup had no idea what he was in for. Bard wanted to keep him safe, to help him through it all... and to continue enjoying such perfect kisses. Bard tilted his head back and forth to get a good angle, his goatee tickling the boy's chin before finally Bard broke the kiss.

"We're both injured. We need to get someplace we can lick our wounds and heal up." Bard murmured softly. The young man lowered his eyes and stared at his wounds as if that was the very first time he has seen them.

"I... I p-probably need a hospital..." he said, his face once again drained of color. "M-maybe those dogs really had rabies, I m-might need a shot or something..."

"Okay, listen up kid... Those weren't dogs. They were a bad kind of werewolf, direwolves. No hospital is going to have what you need right now." Bard said. It was a harsh truth, but he didn't want to sugar coat it. Despite the miserable state he was in, the young man still managed to smile back.

"W-werewolves, huh? Very... funny..." then his eyes closed and he fell forwards, his breathing a bit more regular. He had passed out for the effort, but even now that he was unconscious his body conformed against Bard's larger figure, curling up next to him like a puppy searching for comfort and protection. Bard pet the kid's head a few times before he took a breath and sighed. He'd been expecting a nice and relaxing death, but now he was going to have to carry the pup all the way back to his place.

With effort, Bard managed to get up and lift the kid into his arms, carrying his head right against his heart. Bard winced a bit, feeling the blood leak out of his bite wounds a bit more. With one more breath to steel himself, he began walking through the trees, making his way back towards civilization.

---

The back room of the shop was a fairly dark and masculine sort of place. The windows had been painted black years ago, though a few chips had flaked off and allowed tiny pinpricks of light to come in across the cement floor. There were work benches covered with tools, walls covered with posters of dragons and wolves, and a calendar showing sexy grease covered muscled guys laying across the hoods of pristine classic cars. The date of the eclipse was still circled with bright red ink.

One corner of the room was dominated by a stack of king sized mattresses on which the young man from the forest had been deposited, his wounds bandaged carefully. A lava lamp sat on the end table next to his head, casting red and orange light across his sleeping form. Aside from that it was a fairly straight forward living area. A pair of mini-fridges hummed along one wall and dirty clothing was strewn across the floor in a messy maelstrom. All in all, it was the pad of a bachelor complete with a musky scent.

Bard sat in an office chair a few feet from the bed, finishing up with the wraps over his own wounds. Some of them were better than others, but it was hard to reach certain places. Bard reached up to brush his long flowing blond hair back over his shoulder, glancing back at the bed, a faint smile on his lips. He couldn't help but think he'd seen the kid around town a few times, passing by in the street or something.

Even though the boy, until that moment, had slept quite serenely, he was starting to grow restless, turning left and right every few seconds with a slight grimace on his face, his brow furrowed. At one point, a small yelp even escaped his lips. Finally, though, he started inhaling rapidly, as if he was trying to catch the scents around him, and that seemed to help him relax once again: his expression distended and he stopped tossing and turning. It took him a while to open his eyes once again, and he tried to look around with a confused expression on his face. "Um..." he murmured, licking his lips.

"It's okay, you're back in town... That little mechanic shop on thirteenth street." Bard murmured from where he was sitting, looking up. The boy focused his eyes on the source of the voice and a surprised expression appeared on his face.

"O-oh... S-so it wasn't a dream..." he whispered, trying to divert his gaze from Bard. "I-it was real, right? W-what happened, I mean." Once again, his nose started sniffing the air as if on its own accord, and that helped the boy relax at least a bit.

"Yeah, all of it... The bad, and the good. It's all over the news too, but I think you better wait for that until you're stronger." Bard said softly, "You want a beer?" he asked as an afterthought. The boy's dark eyes grew wide and round as coins.

"N-no, I can't drink!" he exclaimed, a bit taken aback. "I'm eighteen, you know... And everyone tells me I look even younger than that," he added with clear dismay. He tried to sit on the bed, but his wounds weren't still completely healed, because he let out a small sound of distress and bit his lower lip. "Ouch, f-forgot about those..." He curled on the mattress, looking small and lost like an abandoned puppy left in a cardboard box.

"Well, I won't tell anyone, but I guess what I got is pretty bitter, you probably wouldn't like it." Bard said as he rolled over, sniffing his guest a little more, "You know, I never got a chance to ask your name before you passed out." he commented.

"I... um," the boy cleared his throat. "My name's Antonio Casagrande di Campofiore." His cheeks got noticeably redder. "My ancestors were apparently Italian nobles or something... B-but you can call me Tony. Everybody does that anyway, even Ma and Pa."

"Wow, that's... like the fanciest name I've ever heard, but it suits you kid." Bard smiled gently, "Do you need to call them, let them know you're okay?" Tony nodded briefly.

"But I can do it later, don't worry... I called them earlier, they were still waiting for their flight to Boston... Going to visit my aunt and uncle there." The boy looked a bit confused. "I-it's weird, I should probably be more worried... But I feel so calm and relaxed right now... It's like your smell is telling me everything's okay..." he murmured without even realizing how weird the last string of sentences was. Bard smiled a bit at that.

"Well, things are going to be wild for a while... Certainly out there, but after your bite, things are going to change for you too." Bard said softly. Tony tilted his head a bit.

"Um? What do you mean?" he asked.

"Do you remember what we were talking about before you passed out? About what the monsters were?" Bard asked carefully. Tony nodded.

"Yeah, you told me those were werewolves. Well, bad werewolves, at least. But that's silly, werewolves are fictional creatures," the boy replied in a simple voice.

"Before I show you this, I want you to know there are good werewolves too." Bard said before he closed his eyes. He started focusing on what he hadn't been focusing on before; his pain, his injuries, his wounds and his losses. The death of his pack... it weighed heavily on him and his heart rate increased, pumping the blood through him, tingling all the way to his extremities. His fingernails darkened from ivory to dirty brown as they started to warp and shift and curve and push out, sinking down into his fingers as wicked claws. Darker dishwater blond hair began emerging from his cheeks, growing out into thick fur like tufts. Even his lips seemed to push outward, unable to contain the sharpening fangs inside. Even his ears warped and shifted, pushing up into more animalistic points. Bard's eyes finally opened, but they glimmered an intense amber color for a moment before fading back to their natural blue. For the duration of the entire transformation, Tony had stared at Bard with transfixed eyes, and when the older man's irises had shined gold he had nearly fallen from the mattress pile.

"U-uh... " he let out, his whole body trembling and shivering. "Uh..."

"I'll explain everything, and you won't become one of those monsters if you can keep a hold of yourself, but things are going to change." Bard said, his voice deeper for a moment as the changes started to recede, returning him to his normal state. Tony shook his head, his short spiky dark hair waving in the air.

"W-what? No, no, that's impossible, I... I can't be a werewolf. I'm... I'm just a normal kid... I'm definitely not cool enough to be one," he murmured in a small voice, once again curling up into a ball. Bard grinned gently at that comment, finding it rather unexpected. He moved over and crouched down to where Tony was, wrapping an arm around his ribs.

"You're a cool kid now... though I think you probably were all along. You're like me now..." Bard whispered. Tony closed his eyes and tried to curl closer to the older man.

"I... I am so confused," he confessed in a tiny voice. "I don't know what... what are all those feelings I have right now. I'm confused, hurt, a bit scared... But just feeling you touch me or smelling you makes me feel better. It's so... weird, and I don't know how to process all this." A sigh escaped from the boy's lips.

"Well, the eclipse was on the full moon... So you have a while to sort through all this." Bard said softly, "That comfort, though, that's what you get by having a pack. We don't have an alpha anymore, but we have each other... so we make each other feel better. I promise, though, I'll protect you. You don't have to be scared of anything out there right now." Bard said. Tony opened his dark liquid eyes and stared at Bard in what looked like disbelief.

"I... make you feel better?" he repeated in a slow, slurred voice. "B-but how? I didn't do anything for you... Even my attempt at saving your life was a pathetic mess, and was totally useless..."

"You're kidding, right?" Bard grinned a bit, "I was giving up, I was going to die, but you showed me that someone still cared. Plus, I mean, you're a sweet kisser." Tony's cheeks blushed wildly at that; he still didn't even know how to control his transformation yet, but the color of his irises flickered from black to golden for a couple of seconds.

"I-I... Um..." on the bed, he looked smaller than ever. "I l-l-liked that too. T-t-the kiss, I mean. It made me feel... warm. And secure. A-and loved, just a bit. I-I'm sorry, I'm saying really silly stuff, I'm afraid..."

"It's not silly at all. I'm here for you." Bard said, reaching to pet Tony's dark hair. The boy murred at the touch, like a puppy dog being pet by his owner.

"H-how do you do this?" he asked. "J-just... the touch of your skin, it's... just like magic."

"I... " Bard murmured, trying to keep himself in check. It was odd so soon after nearly dying to felt like he did, but he already craved feeling Tony's body against his. His cheeks flushed, his muscles flexed but he tried to keep a hold of himself, "Just the magic of the pack, I guess." he murmured. Tony stared at Bard for some long seconds, his eyes progressively becoming more and more watery until tears started streaming down his face.

"I... I-I'm so s-sorry, Bard..." the boy murmured between sobs. He raised a trembling hand and pet the line of the older werewolf's face. "I'm sorry..."

"You don't have anything to be sorry about... Something happened to you and now you have to deal with it, but none of that is your fault and you aren't in it alone." Bard replied. He felt so protective of this pup, more than he ever had for anyone else before. Tony, however, shook his head.

"N-no... I am sorry for you... T-those p-people in the woods, those who got attacked... T-they were your pack, right?" he whispered in a barely audible voice. Bard felt his skin chill a bit, realizing that he might have been focusing on Tony to avoid the pain and the trauma of what came before. True enough, he felt the crippling tightness start to wrap around him again. With a heavy swallow, he nodded a bit.

"I... Yes, they were..." Bard replied softly. Tony tried his best to conjure up a little smile to comfort Bard, but he still couldn't stop crying.

"T-this isn't fair..." he murmured. "W-why did they have to die? Why did you have to suffer so much?" Tony attempted to wrap his arms around Bard's body. "I... w-want to help you, Bard. Want to make you feel better, a-at least a bit... Can I?"

"You already are, just by being here." Bard murmured, leaning down to kiss Tony's head, trying to reassure him enough to stop crying. This time, Tony managed to smile a little.

"I... I'm glad." His dark eyes peered into Bard's icy blue irises. "W-will you teach everything? About being a good werewolf? I don't... I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I'll teach you everything I know, don't worry." Bard said, petting Tony's head again. The boy nodded, looking finally happy.

"Thanks. Then I will be your pack, and you will be mine," he whispered. A huge yawn made his mouth open, and showed a set of teeth that looked a bit pointier than before. "I still... feel very sleepy, Bard..." the boy mumbled.

"Then sleep my pup, I'll watch over you." Bard whispered happily, glad to feel like he had a life purpose again.

---

"Yes, Ma," Tony was standing next to Bard's telephone, the black plastic receiver pressed against his ear. He was wearing some of the older werewolf's clothes, and the t-shirt he was donning looked like a tent on his lithe physique. "S-seriously, everything's fine! I... No, I'm at a friend's house right now. I didn't want to be home alone with... well, what happened around here." The boy nodded a couple of times, while his teeth nibbled on his lower lip. "No, you don't know him... What do you mean why don't you know him? I just didn't have the time to introduce him to..." Tony's face turned purple in a couple of seconds. "W-what the hell, Ma! Of course he's not a drug dealer! Do you really t-think I'd do drugs? Me?!" He tiptoed nervously from one foot to the other, the coldness of the cement floor travelling towards his body through his naked soles. "Yeah, I promise I'll introduce you to him when you come back. There... there's actually some stuff we need to talk about, I think. Yeah... Yeah, t-tell dad and the guys I love them, okay? Bye." Tony hung the receiver with trembling fingers and let out a huge sigh, his eyes closed. "Man, that was tough. Kinda."

"It's nice that your family loves you that much though..." Bard said with a soft smile from where he sat, looking at the young man. Tony sighed again before scampering to the sofa to sit next to the other werewolf, his slender frame leaning against Bard's side.

"I... I guess. I'm the oldest of six siblings, you know... There's always chaos and no privacy, in my house," he said.

"Oldest?" Bard asked, considering for a moment, "Must be why you jumped in to save me so quick." Tony cocked his head, his brow furrowing.

"Um... Yeah, maybe. I feel very protective towards my younger brothers and sisters... Though you are older than me, Bard," he added with a cheeky grin. "What about you? Do you have any siblings? How about your parents?"

"Uh, well... I was a foster kid... Bumped around from house to house before I just got out on my own." Bard shrugged a bit, "Having a wolf pack was the first real family I knew." Bard said. Tony looked at him with wide eyes, then he nodded and wrapped an arm around the other werewolf's back.

"Well, from now on I will be your family, then," he said in a simple voice. "I don't want you to be alone, Bard." His head nuzzled again Bard's shoulder, his spiky black hair brushing against the older werewolf's beard. Bard growled happily at that, reaching to rub the hair, feeling the texture of the young man's style as he closed his eyes and relished in the closeness. The two young man cuddled for some minutes, simply enjoying each other's presence and warmth in silence. Tony was the first one to speak again.

"U-um... That thing you did earlier, when you... well, changed..." he said in a hesitant voice. "Do you think I'll be able to do that too?"

"Of course... The problem will be hiding the traits even when you're excited or scared or angry. That's what usually takes people a little while." Bard explained.

"I see..." Tony snuggled a bit closer, curling against Bard's side, his knees against his chest. "So it's something that's triggered by emotions? The change, I mean."

"Yeah... Positive, negative, it all has an impact. It's like living life with the volume turned up." Bard replied. Tony nodded again, as a grin spread on his face. He turned around and stretched his body towards Bard's face.

"I see... Well, let's see if it works, then..." he murmured as his lips touched Bard's. A jolt of passion and lust travelled through his mouth like electric current, and the young boy could feel his body melting a bit as he wrapped his arms around Bard's neck. A deep rumbling growl of surprised delight emanated from Bard's chest, the vibration very tangible against Tony's heart and diaphragm. The viking wrapped his arms around the young man and kissed him back harder, his lips working the boy's with a feverish heat.

Tony's tongue slithered into Bard's mouth, brushing against the older man's teeth and trying to find its twin. The young boy was acting like on autopilot: he had never kissed another person like that in his entire life, but he didn't feel any shyness nor hesitation in doing so: he knew - deep down inside him - that making out with Bard was the right thing to do. His breathing turned into panting, as warmth spread all over his face and his stare became glossy and unfocused. "W-wow... " he whispered at some point; he could definitely feel something new building inside him, like a form of energy he had never experienced before... but it still wasn't enough. He wanted more, he needed more, he craved for more - and Bard seemed intent on giving it.

The older werewolf made out with Tony as if his life depended on it. The lip smacking was wet and lewd, the tongue was fierce, the grip almost predatory. Slowly Bard started to gyrate his hip just a little, adding friction between them. Bard could feel his beast emerging as his ears started to stretch up into points and thick, bushy blond fur emerged from his cheeks, traveling down to his jaw bone. Even Bard's nose wrinkled up, taking on a slightly more animal look to it as he made out.

Tony could feel the subtle yet drastic changes in the shape of Bard's face, especially when the Scandinavian wolf's tongue elongated and flattened a bit, turning the kiss into a completely different and exotic experience. The young boy felt as if his body was on fire, and he took advantage of a momentary interruption of the making out session to take off his t-shirt. "B-Bard... This is so good..." he whispered in the other werewolf's pointed ear before he resumed the kissing.

Bard said nothing, kissing Tony with desperation. It almost felt like kissing a dog with the sharp teeth, flat tongue and fuzz... but there was a very human drive behind it all. Bard's fingers traced up and down Tony's bare torso, teasing his nipples - which were more sensitive than ever - before finding six more oddly sensitive spots along his abs. Bard's fingernails slowly stretched out into claws, adding even more tactile sensations to the experience.

Tony let out a lustful moan and arched his back: the pleasure he was getting from having his nipples - all eight of them - caressed and squeezed was too much. "I-it's happening!" he exclaimed as his ears became pointed and got covered in wiry black hair. His mouth hanging open, Tony felt the enamel covering his teeth honing into sharp points, giving him a set of glistening white fangs. The sensation of his warm, damp breath passing through them was almost erotic, and another yelp escaped from his lips. "Nnngh..."

Bard broke the kiss and moved to nuzzle and gently bite Tony's neck, one hand reaching to massage his wolf ear, the other dropping lower and lower before palming his groin, rolling around from one side to the other. The friction, the pressure, it was everything Bard could do to keep from tearing open the young wolf's clothing. Bard's fangs traced the skin, dangerously close to piercing the flesh.

"You're my pup... My beta... Mine..." Bard growled with surprising dominance, feeling different than he ever had before. He wanted to claim Tony as his, to feel that ownership in a way that he'd never needed before, "Let your wolf out, let him fill you... You can't imagine how the kiss will feel until your fangs are so big your lips can barely hold them." Bard moaned, feeling an odd sense of pride in helping Tony shift for the first time.

"Y-yes..." the younger, smaller wolf moaned as the dark irises of his eyes suddenly sparkled in pure gold. "I am yours, Bard... A-and you are... m-my alpha..." he said, caressing the man's face with fingertips that were developing curved, dark claws. "H-help me change... I am yours." His other hand caressed his strained shirts for a moment, feeling the weird bulge inside of them and letting a long shiver of pleasure travel through his body.

Bard was speechless at that, caught off guard. Was that the new power he felt? Was that what had changed? He'd never considered himself an alpha. He'd always been the runt of the litter, but now... Now he had a sexy, almost inappropriately young beta to claim. Bard's fangs thickened and lengthened in his mouth, distending his lips as the fur escaping his cheeks bleached from blond to white and thickened considerably.

The viking grabbed Tony up from where he sat and all but tossed him onto the large mattress before pouncing on him, coming down on top to pin the boy. Once more they kissed, but Bard brought his groin down, grinding against Tony's, humping with power and urgency. The viking traced claws through the italian wolf's spiked hair, feeling it, searing it into his memory forever.

Tony squirmed and writhed in pleasure under Bard's grip. His sideburns started getting bushier and wilder, developing and expanding until they connected on his chin, giving him a short but wiry and dense beard that made him look like a very young Wolverine. His right hand caressed his brand-new facial hair, and a small, damp wet spot almost immediately appeared on the fabric of his pants. "O-oh m-my god..." he whispered as his fangs lengthened again, giving him a bestial look. Bard broke the kiss and moved, licking the trail of black hair slowly as a huge wet lump formed in his pants. He growled deeply, throwing his head back, his mouth distending slightly into a proto-muzzle. White fur was spilling out of the collar of Bard's shirt and the hair on his arms was thickening and bleaching out before he came down again for another kiss. Their canine tongues tangled, their fangs gnashed and Bard began to massage and rub Tony's ear with one of his hands. Tony panted and moaned, feeling the energy moving through his body, slowly but surely pointing towards his groin.

"I... I..." he tried to say, his eyes blindly staring at the ceiling. He bit his lower lip, even drawing some salty, metallic blood, but he didn't manage to stop the advancing wall of bliss; with a young-sounding, broken howl the young werewolf creamed his shorts, the pearly white substance almost immediately replaced by yellowish gunk. There was something far more satisfying in that orgasm, feeling how thick and tepid it was... and Bard could tell with a mere sniff of his nose.

Without wasting another moment, Bard reached down and opened Tony's wet fly, drawing the zipper down before he drew down his own. While Tony didn't see it, he felt the sudden presence of a gigantic, hot cock sliding into his own pants, pushing through the puddle of wolf spunk... and then there was a searingly hot, incredibly thick flood. Bard panted and huffed as he came, squirt after squirt, in a torrent of semen. It soaked Tony's bush, coated his cock, poured across his lap and spilled down his hips. It soon soaked the ass of his pants and saturated the mattress beneath, but still Bard came.

A drunken, satisfied look crossed Bard's fuzzy, wolfen face as he marked his mate. After almost a full minute of ejaculating, he collapsed onto the smaller man's form, clinging to him like a heavy viking blanket. Tony's form writhed in the afterglow as his wolf features dissipated with surprising quickness: the fangs, the claws, the ears, the beard and the extra nipples all disappeared, leaving a small, frail-looking, confused teenager lying on the bed.

"I... W-we..." Tony babbled, his eyes trying not to stare in Bard's general direction, his face burning. "U-um... T-this..."

"Not bad for our first cuddle..." Bard murmured sleepily, his own changes slowly receding... though for some reason he didn't seem to return all the way to normal, retaining some soft fuzz on his cheeks that hadn't been there before. He kissed Tony's bare chest and laid his head on the teen's shoulder happily as he closed his eyes. Tony petted Bard's head with mechanical gestures, but his eyes were still lost in the depths of the ceiling, and the expression on his face perplexed and perturbed; he still felt like he was in a dream, a strange, horny and somewhat dangerous dream... And he also had just had a session of very heavy cuddling with another guy, and older than him to boot. And also a werewolf, a werewolf who had claimed him as his own beta and had marked him with his beastly cum.

"I-is this... for real?" he asked to no one in particular. "H-how can all this... how can all this be real?" There was no response but silence and the ever present heartbeat against his chest.

---

Another day had passed and the weather outside was brighter than ever, though in the back room of the shop it was hard to tell. Only pinpricks of light pierced the dark paint on the glass, leaving the interior lit only by the white christmas lights strung up around the molding of the ceiling and the lava lamp by the bed. After a night of close sleep, though, Tony found himself alone for the first time since he'd found Bard in the woods - though there was evidence his alpha hadn't traveled far. Just on the other side of the door to the shop was a faint clinking of metal on metal and the occasional ratcheting sound.

Tony raised his head from the pillow, and immediately noticed a couple of things: first, he was still naked; second, his body - and especially his groin area - was still sticky and covered in partly dried werewolf spunk. A violent blush covered Tony's cheeks as he scrambled around, trying to find at least something to wear.

"I... I n-need a shower..." he murmured, before realizing he knew almost nothing about Bard's house. He also needed to pee, he realized as he once again put on Bard's t-shirt and shirts: they were already soaked in musk and body odor, and the fabric immediately stuck to his skin and began to absorb the dense cum. The sensation made Tony's skin tingle; he felt in equal parts aroused, confused and worried. "N-no... Later. Let's think about all this later, okay?" he told the empty room. Of course, nobody replied, so Tony timidly walked towards the door to the shop and opened it enough to take a peek inside.

As the door opened, Tony could see the shop where Bard must have worked. There was a wall and a work bench full of tools, shelves of oil and lubricants, an open up slot in the floor, and off to one side was the biggest, most robust black and chrome motorcycle Tony had ever seen... and working on it was his alpha. Bard's hair was down, cascading over his shoulders and down to his ass in golden waves. He wore a well used black leather vest that showed off the muscles in his arms, and a pair of tight blue jeans that gave his ass quite a few compliments as well. There were a few grease streaks on his hands, but he diligently worked on the behemoth of a bike, trying not to make too much noise. Tony coughed and cleared his throat, accidentally gulping down some saliva and nearly choking himself.

"H-hey, alpha Bard?" he murmured, a bit uncertain. The phrase caught Bard off guard and a tingle jolted down his spine. He licked his lips slowly before he turned, giving Tony a sharp toothed grin.

"Hey pup, you up finally?" He asked, stretching back to his full height. Bard rolled his shoulders a bit and flexed his arms to work out the kinks of working in a confined position for so long before he moved over to Tony to give him a proper good morning. The viking leaned down and gave Tony a soft, gentle kiss on the lips before smiling again. Tony once again blushed: despite everything that had happened - the ninetynine percent of it he still hadn't processed yet - being called "pup" and being cuddled and kissed by Bard was something that caused small explosions of pleasure inside him.

"Y-yeah... But I think I need a shower," he said. "And probably some new clothes. My... um, my groin area is all sticky." He took a long sniff, and the combined smell of Bard's and his own semen mixed together, sending a long shiver down his spine. For some moments, he felt a weird pressure right above his butt, as if something was trying to escape his body from there.

"Well, I could give you a tongue bath but that probably would only lead to more of a mess in the end." Bard smirked, though he was starting to blush with embarrassment, "I, uh, I sort of have a shower here but it's sort of rudimentary. Might... work better if I gave you a ride home?" Bard offered hesitantly, not wanting to disappoint his new beta. Tony bit his lower lip, unsure of what to do, but ended up nodding anyway.

"I g-guess it would be better, yeah," he said. "But will you be okay with it? I don't... want you to feel lonely."

"Well, I would miss you terribly,but I can't have you leaving your family or your old life completely. I don't want to lose who you are... Besides, I'll give you a ride there, so that's a little more time together." Bard said happily. Tony hesitated for a split second, but then took a step forward and hugged his alpha, his nose burying into the well-worn leather of his vest and its masculine odor.

"W-well, you know... I'm still home alone for two days at least," he confessed with a small, lopsided grin. "I-if you want to, you can come over after work? We can have dinner together and then watch a movie or something... B-but nothing more than that, okay? Not for today," he added, his dark eyes a bit watery staring at the floor of the shop.

"I work on my own hours, so... How about lunch? You up for that?" Bard asked, though he hesitated, "And, yeah, sure... Nothing extra." he added on, blushing again.

"S-sure! Lunch is okay!" Tony nodded. "A-and it's not like I don't wanna, Bard... I m-mean, yesterday it was awesome, b-but... Everything that's been happening to me, it's all so new, a-and..." The boy sighed. "I need some time to process all this, okay? My world has been turned upside-down, a-and even if what we had yesterday was... oh my god, it was so great, but... That's probably not what I need right now. Sorry," he added, sounding dangerously close to tears.

"No, I get it, don't worry kid. I need some time too... So a nice, romantic lunch will be perfect." Bard replied, trying to give Tony a reassuring smile. The boy smiled back, a genuine and heartwarming expression.

"Great! I'll make you some ravioli, then! And I'm not talking about canned ones, I mean homemade ravioli," he exclaimed, nodding. "And also, um... Maybe some meat? I really feel like eating meat, but I guess that's normal for werewolves, right?"

"Yeah... We love our meat. But, like... there are ravioli that don't come out of cans? Where do they come from?" Bard asked, sounding oddly serious. Tony let out a hearty laugh and then raised on his tiptoes to kiss him tenderly on the cheek.

"You're so silly, alpha... I really need to show you the wonders of real Italian cuisine," he declared in an equally serious tone. "Wait until Ma meets you! She'll make you eat so much you'll end up bursting at the seams!"

"I don't know if that's possible either, I've got a pretty manly metabolism." Bard grinned softly, "Do you... I mean, will your mom..." Bard hesitated, "I was your first guy kiss, so..." Tony shrugged.

"You are also my alpha, Bard. That's something that my family will have to accept," the boy said, his expression focused. "A-and it's not like I don't like girls anymore, I... I just like you more." He left a second kiss on Bard's face, but this time straight on the lips and a bit longer. "To be honest, I like you a lot."

"I like you too... but I bet you know that already." Bard smirked, "So, you need anything before we get you home?" he asked, moving over to the giant motorcycle. He slid a leg over and settled into the seat before sliding back enough to make room in front of him - presumably for Tony. The boy climbed on the bike with surprising agility, like an overgrown squirrel.

"I'd say a pair of shoes, but I'll get some when I'm home," he said, pressing his back against Bard's chest and briefly nuzzling his neck with an expression of innocent delight on his face. "Mmh... You're so warm, Bard..."

"What can I say, hot like a furnace." Bard replied before he kicked the motorcycle to life and an intense, focused, perfect vibration filled Tony's body, radiating out into his legs and up his groin. Bard made sure he held Tony securely before he pushed off and the motorcycle pulled out of the shop and onto the road, turning toward the more populated stretch of town. Tony turned his head around a bit, his dark eyes inquisitive.

"Shouldn't we put helmets on?" he asked.

"I'll have to pick up one for you next time i'm out... Maybe one with mohawk spikes?" Bard smirked, "But yeah, we'll keep that melon of yours fresh." Bard said.

"I'd love one with wolf ears," Tony grinned. "A character from an anime I watched had one, and it looked really cool... Maybe it would be too obvious, though?"

"Well, there are still dangers out there... but maybe we could get away with it. Painted wolf ears, for sure." Bard smiled, "Now, where are we headed?" As the bike darted through the town roads, Tony showed the route to his alpha... Although, he had to admit, he didn't really want the trip to end that quickly: the cool breeze on his skin, Bard's body pressed against his own, the exhilarating sensation of travelling via motorcycle... It was like a dream mixed with an adrenaline rush. After several minutes and a couple of detours, Tony finally told Bard to stop his bike in front of a big house with light green walls and a parade of plastic toys scattered all over the front yard.

"Well... That's where I live," the boy said with a nervous chuckle. "Feel free to come around at lunch, okay?"

"Sure... I'll be here." Bard replied, leaning back to make it easier for Tony to climb off the bike. Tony had said he was part of a big family, but the presence of the toys made it seem like he was the big brother of the family. It would make for an even more interesting dynamic than he had anticipated. The young boy apparently noticed what the eyes of his alpha had been staring at, and cleared his throat to attract his attention.

"U-um... Don't worry, the inside of my house is not this messy," he clarified in a hurried tone. "B-but, well... As I said I'm the oldest of six siblings, so..."

"Six? Wow... How old are you again?" Bard questioned with a smirk before he nodded, "I'll see you around lunch, alright?" He asked, kicking the motorcycle back into life. After their intimate ride, it seemed almost strange to Tony to hear the powerful engine but not feel the vibration ripping through his body.

"Okay!" the boy exclaimed, trying to sound chipper and happy... Even though he could feel something already missing inside his chest. He wasn't sure he wanted Bard to go away. "I'm sure you will love the lunch... Not to brag but I'm pretty good at that," he added. "Well... see you later?"

"It's a date. See you later, pup." Bard said with a smile, and then he was off. The big motorcycle rolled away, Bard's long blond hair whipping around in the wind behind him. With just a short hesitation at the stop sign, Tony's new Alpha was gone. The boy kept his eyes on him until he had disappeared down the street; then, barely managing to hold back a pained, melancholic sigh, he scampered inside the house to take a long and relaxing shower and leave the new, exciting and scary world that had just been presented in front of him outside the door, at least for a couple of hours more.

---

The sound of the press conference on the television in the living room was hard to ignore. There were the clicks and flashes of cameras, the steady faint buzzing of various recording devices, the occasional barely muffled cough of a reporter that had given up smoking just a little too late, and the limited pauses of the White House press secretary.

"But what is the President doing to track down those responsible for the tragedy?" one reporter asked, yet another in a long line of questions that seemed more rooted in emotion than the facts.

"Once again, as Congress receives depositions from countless numbers of individuals that have stepped forward, we don't yet have a clear picture of what happened yet. What is becoming clear is that this... culture, has existed within our own for some time, effectively in secret. The president, along with branches of Homeland Security and the FBI are working to come up with a real action strategy to prevent the attacks of the blood eclipse from happening again, but we have to be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past and recriminate an entire portion of our population for the activities of a few that may or may not be part of it." The press secretary responded, clearly annoyed with trying to remain calm in a room full of sensationalized reporters.

"There are stories about Russian President Vladimir Putin rounding up wolves to eliminate threats to the public populace. Why is President Obama hesitating?" Another reporter asked. Once more the press secretary's eyes narrowed.

"The rhetoric involved is a bit steep here, Phil... We cannot roundup citizens without just cause. We live in a democracy. Once again, until our justice department has enough facts to act on, this administration cannot take steps that jeopardizes our citizens right of remaining innocent until proven guilty. The exception, of course, are those our law officials have positively identified as being involved in the attacks. Most of these accounts have been provided via private and public recording devices." The secretary replied.

"Are any efforts being made to re-open the records of the Rising Sun attacks and re-evaluate the responses?" Another questioned, causing a deluge of camera flashes. Ever since the eclipse, television had been knocked over on its side. No one wanted to pull back from the reports, from the revelation that werewolves actually existed... It was so constant and in such a barrage that it was practically becoming background noise as Tony cooked, though even in the other room he could hear it all. He could hear everything in the house better than ever before. Almost running, he darted into the living room, picked up the remote and turned off the TV with a swift gesture, the tense mood of the press conference leaving place to a uniform black screen. The boy fell on the side, his body landing on the soft sofa.

"Are they gonna put us into jail?" he asked to the empty house. "M-man, Ma would kill me if that happens... B-but we werewolves are the good guys, right?" Of course, nobody replied, and the weight of the questions he had just uttered landed on Tony like boulders; for some seconds, even the simple act of breathing seemed out of his reach.

Punctuating the difficult span of time, Bard's motorcycle could be heard outside. It grew louder and louder until it was right out front and finally shut off. There would only be a few moments before he reached the front door. Tony, in hearing the familiar noise, jumped up and ran towards the doorway, almost knocking down his mother's favorite lamp in the process, and opened the front door before Bard could knock or ring the bell.

Bard stood on the other side, his hand raised to knock. Deciding on how to react to the door swinging open, he tried splitting his fingers into the peace sign before giving a goofy grin. Tony, his face worried and tense, pulled the alpha inside without a word before hugging him tight, his face buried into Bard's chest. Bard wrapped his arms around Tony, holding him tight for several moments before he even dared to speak.

"What is it, pup? What's wrong?" Bard asked gently. Instead of answering straight away, Tony raised his face and kissed him; it wasn't an expression of lust and desire, but something purer and deeper, in a way: it was a gesture of affection, gratitude and need to be loved and comforted.

"I turned on the TV while I was cooking..." he explained in a feeble tone. "They were talking about... us. Our, um... species."

"It's a big change. We've always been a secret, ever since the start. There was just enough slip ups for there to be stories, legends... But we usually have protectors to keep the secret too. But now, it's all going to change." Bard said softly, "I'm sure there are some keepers who prepared for this day. Maybe they're the ones going to Congress and the UN to explain how we work, try and protect our freedoms." Bard said softly. Tony nodded, even if he still wasn't ready to let his alpha go.

"O-okay... I believe in you, Bard," he replied, sniffing a bit. "I know you will protect me." It still felt weird to say something like that to someone he had known for barely a day and still didn't know next to anything about, but Tony - deep down - knew that was the truth, because Bard was his alpha and that was alphas did for their packmates. "A-and I will... do my best. Even though it's probably not that much..." Without even realizing it, Tony started shifting a bit into his wolfman form, his pointed ears drooping in sadness and his tail slithering out his pants to try and curl around one of his legs.

"You'll do great. You have heart, you want the best, you already know what it's like to be part of something bigger. I'm sure everything will work out fine." Bard said. He believed it, somehow, despite everything that had happened... but even more than that, he knew Tony needed to believe it too. It was an uncertain time where any wolf would take whatever he could get. Tony managed to grin a bit and kissed his alpha again; this time he went a bit deeper, sucking on his lips a bit and savoring the microscopic particles of manly sweat trapped in Bard's stubble, tasting his tongue and caressing the back of his head with clawed fingertips.

"S-sorry..." he said after the kiss was over and he had managed to shift back to a completely human appearance. "B-but it's just that... you know, kissing you makes me feel so good, alpha..."

"Makes me feel good too, but we'll have time for that. You wanted an ordinary, but romantic, lunch?" Bard asked, looking into Tony's eyes exploringly, trying to get a deeper feel for his new beta's soul. The young boy nodded again, trying to appear serious.

"You are right. There are so many things I want to ask you! Come on, I'll show you around," Tony grabbed Bard's rough, calloused hand in his slender fingers - the fingers of a young pianist, elegant and nervous - and gently pulled him towards the living room. It was very large and looked very comfortable, the perfect familial nest: the walls were painted in warm, pastel colors, the two big and imposing sofas looked a bit battered but incredibly comfy, and a huge flat screen TV rested in a corner next to a huge box full of colorful construction blocks.

"Wow, it's huge..." Bard murmured. He could never have imagined such a comfortable lifestyle... and it started to worry him. Would he be able to provide well enough for Tony, or had he made the poor puppy slum it? Bard wondered if he was the tramp in their relationship... but he had to try even harder, to make sure Tony didn't lose anything he had, that he would be taken care of even more.

"Well, we are a family of eight after all," Tony said. "Do you want to wait here until lunch is ready? The water is probably boiling by now."

"Shouldn't I watch you cook? See if I can learn something?" Bard grinned. Tony grinned too, his hand caressing his alpha's back.

"Well, if you want to learn how to cook, I can give you a private course," he said in an innocently teasing tone. "And maybe you can show me how to ride a bike in return."

"It's a deal." Bard grinned happily, putting his hand on Tony's hip. The boy murred under his breath, leaning his head against the alpha's body.

"I'm so glad I found you, Bard..." he murmured. "I wanted you to know it. If you hadn't been there... What would've been of me? I would've been lost and scared and I would've thought I had become a monster..."

"And if you hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here anymore. I think we make a pretty good pair." Bard smiled, "How long is your family going to be out of town, anyway?" Bard asked curiously.

"Until the day after tomorrow," the boy replied. "Since I'm in my last year of high school, they let me stay home alone instead of going with them. They trust me, you know... I've always been a good boy." Bard let out a soft 'hmmm' noise at that before smiling.

"I need to take you into the woods tonight or tomorrow and teach you some of the basics... Wolfing out, running, your enhanced senses. We need to get a little under your belt before they get back and wonder if their son has been pillaged by a viking." Bard smirked.

"True!" Tony replied with a spark of excitement in his dark eyes. "I want to be the best werewolf I can be, Bard. Most of all, I... I don't want to ever hurt anyone. That's the only thing that matters to me... I don't want to be like..." his hand immediately went to his flank, even though the vicious bite he had received had perfectly healed already. "...like them."

"I don't think you'll ever become a direwolf. You're too good natured. Just promise me to live by your code of ethics, to do what you feel is right, and you'll never have to worry about being like them." Bard said, trying to be reassuring. Tony gave him a sincere smile.

"Well, we should get lunch ready now," he said, walking towards the kitchen. "I'm afraid there's nothing much to see this time, I've already gotten everything ready before you arrived, I only need to put the ravioli into the boiling water..."

The kitchen was as cozy and welcoming as the living room: all the appliances were lined against one of the longer walls like dutiful soldiers, with a grey and huge fridge standing in the corner like an electrical whale. A large tray was full of row after row of perfectly shaped raviolis, their bulging shape hiding a dark stuffing barely visible through the thin pasta dough. Against the other wall there was a small table set for two, with pearly white porcelain plates over a checkered red and white tablecloth. In the middle of the table there was even a small vase with daisies and other spring flowers in it.

"Sorry, I know it's a romantic lunch and all, but it's still a bit early for roses, I hope it's still okay." Tony said with a sheepish expression. Bard said nothing for a moment, his jaw hanging just a bit open in shock. His stomach tightened a bit, but not in a bad way. There was a deep, unrivaled thrill about someone going to so much effort for him. Bard moved and pulled Tony to him, hugging him close, sighing with relief as he rubbed the younger man's back.

"Thank you so much." Bard whispered. Tony let out a small yelp of surprise, but then his body pressed against that of his alpha, a smile of his face, his nostrils full of the musky smell emanating from Bard's body.

"I-it wasn't that much..." he murmured back. He could feel blood pumping through his veins and arteries at a faster pace, and something shifting uncomfortably in his underwear. "U-um... It's better to stop hugging from now. My... I mean, I'm getting a b-bit too excited, I'm afraid." Bard nodded and released him, pulling back.

"Sorry." he apologized quickly. Tony shook his head, his eyes lowered to the floor.

"No, it's not your fault! It's just that, well... Just the idea of being close to you makes me feel all warm and tingly a-and..." The boy tried to clear his throat but almost managed to choke himself in the process. "I'm sorry, I must sound very silly... I'm not used to that kind of feeling, that's all."

"I remember what it was like. I'm sorry if I'm rushing you. I promise I'll keep whatever distance you want." Bard swore. Tony lifted his hand and caressed Bard's face in a very intimate and tender gesture.

"I just need some time, that's all," he assured his alpha. "But please, know that was we did together yesterday was one of the most exciting and beautiful things that have ever happened to me. A-and right now my body is trying to betray me..." Tony's hand inadvertently caressed what was clearly the tubular outline of a doggy dick bulging through his short pants. "But I don't want to give up, at least for now."

"Like you said before, we're here for lunch..." Bard said with a soft smile, reaching to give Tony's hair one quick reassuring pet.

"O-oh, yeah, true!" Tony exclaimed, hurrying towards his tray of ravioli. With quick movements he scooped them from the bed of flour they were resting on and tossed them inside the big steel pot full of boiling water. "It won't take them long... Just three or four minutes," he said while opening the fridge and grabbing a stick of butter from one of the shelves. The butter was quickly cut into small cubes and tossed in a small pan with a couple of light green, rugose-looking leaves. "Um... I should also grate some cheese..." the boy murmured, pulling a huge, deadly-looking fine shredder from one of the nearest drawers.

"Okay, so how did you learn how to do all this?" Bard chuckled gently, looking at all the steps and the implements and how he just seemed to know what he was doing.

"Ma taught me everything," Tony replied without even turning around; he was too focused on the task in hand, after all: he had just taken a massive, triangular piece of hard-looking, pale yellow cheese from the fridge and was grating it with the fine shredder. "I like cooking, especially if it's for other people... A good meal is the perfect way to show your true feelings to someone else, I think."

"Well, then I have one more reason to learn how to cook." Bard said, smiling at Tony. It was amazing to think that he'd been so close to death, that now he had a whole new reason for living. His hopes, his dreams and his future were vested in the Italian werewolf. As much pain as Bard had experienced, he knew that he could press on. After all... he was an alpha now.

---

Ozone... Petrichor... Dust and light. Malakai stood in the trees, his head tipped back, taking it all in. For years he and his wolf had been apart... two creatures destined to kill each other in a never ending cycle. He couldn't count the times he had to pry and pull himself out of the decaying husk of the direwolf, but now it was different. Everything was different. His wolf was in tune with him again, connected... though most certainly weaker. The two had to get to know each other again, but the sensations were the first to come. Malakai could smell everything.

The twenty two year old stood amid the trees, dressed in a torn up long sleeve orange shirt with a black vest on over it. His skin was the color of rich milk chocolate, and his hair was an unusual dusty, sandy blond color that contrasted with his dark skin. Blood red eyes snapped open, looking out at the forest around him. The memories were coming back to him, of the eclipse, of the power, of the hunt. He'd bitten so many people, but many of them had died... But here, nestled in these trees, Malakai could smell the blood of one wounded but not dead. He moved forward, sniffing, taking it all in. Yes, he could smell drop by drop how the blood changed, how his victim had started turning into a werewolf.

Malakai moved faster, feeling the warm light piercing through the canopy, feeling so warm on his skin. His hair was still short out of necessity, his human form only able to grow back a certain amount before emerging from the direwolf, but that could all change now. The young man licked his teeth, feeling how sharp his canines were, reveling in the power before he suddenly stopped.

There was another smell, another werewolf... Wounded, but also not dead. The two smells came together, and then trailed off together. Malakai slowly started to growl, his ears pressing into sharp points, his fingernails extruding out into sharp, dark claws. He had done the hard work of biting so many humans, he had been the one to create a Beta, but this other wolf had gotten away with his prize? Malakai had gone to jail correcting lesser insults. He bore his fangs, lifted his head and let out a commanding howl of rage to the sky. He would reclaim his beta, and nothing would stand in his way.