Chapter 14: Who is Amarok?

Later that week, Sasha's grandparents were subject to a lot of strange behavior from Todd and Nathan. They had been eating large amounts of food and undercooked meats, but their moodiness became much more apparent. Toby came over after work upon her grandfather's request, which the temperature had already dipped below freezing. He wore nothing but black clothing and sneakers, which her grandfather was both stunned and annoyed at his lack of reasonable dress.

"I thought you hunt? What kind of getup do you have there?" he asked.

Toby looked at him and shrugged. "I do, but I..." he muttered as Nathan walked in and stared at Toby in annoyance. "...I don't know where my gear is" he said lowly.

Nathan wiped the look off his face as his father-in-law looked towards him. "I'll let him borrow my gear" he said before he left the room.

They left after Toby got himself changed, and they drove one hundred miles to the southeast to a place called Sweet Home, Oregon. They drove off road for several more miles, and Toby looked at them oddly. "Um, I don't think there are Turkeys out here" he said uncomfortably.

"It's won't hurt to look! One of the guys in Cabela's told this place has big ol' fat ones running around here!" Nathan said.

Toby looked out the window at the snow and frozen mud outside. "Well...something doesn't settle with me about this place" he said.

The Grandfather laughed. "This forest is fantastic! Look at all this old growth! It doesn't get this fat and plentiful over in Nova Scotia" he commented.

Toby bounced around in the back seat, and he pulled out his phone noting that they have gone out of cellphone range. "Nova Scotia, huh? Where about?" he asked hoping to put off his uneasiness.

"I live in Sydney. It's about halfway between Newfoundland and Halifax" He said before he sighed heavily. "It used to be such a nice town before the mills closed down" he muttered before they pulled into a clearing.

The forest was deceitfully quiet, which the only sound came from the meltwater trickling along a channel. As they all got out, the sun low in the horizon, which the grandfather looked up and shook his head. "We won't have enough time...The way you've made it out, it sounded as if this place were crawling with turkeys" he said as he got his gun from the truck bed.

Nathan grinned. "Don't you worry...Toby will find us a couple" he said. The grandfather and Toby looked at him shocked before he nudged Toby in the arm. "He's got top notch tracking skills...don't ya?" he said trying to lead him on.

Toby looked back at him catching on, which he quickly nodded afterwards. "Oh, yea, I can find you some" he said before wondered off quickly scanning the area. The others followed him through the forest as he gave his best fur trapper impression. They were nearly three miles off the beaten path from the truck, and the two managed to shoot themselves each a turkey.

The gun shots echoed throughout the forest and reverberated off the mountains. An ominous sensation swept over him as the others went to go claim their prize, and Nathan smirked at him before his pride quickly evaporated into concern after noticing how on edge Toby became.

A large female werewolf with white fur in her therian form emerged from the forest, which the others aimed their rifles up at the wolf, and she dodged their shots before grabbing each of their throats before brutally throwing them into the snow. Their guns were dislodged from their grip, and one misfired resulting in a stray buck shot bouncing off a rock and grazing Toby's arm.

He quickly grabbed his arm in growling ferociously. "Fuck!" he shouted as he stared down the female who was approaching him cautiously. The others sat up dazed and confused as they tried to assess themselves for injuries.

The shewolf stopped a foot away before she took a whiff of his scent. "So, you're his son...where is your father?" she muttered in a gruff tone. He scowled, and he gritted his teeth. She snorted and looked towards the others. "I thought as much" she muttered before she took a couple steps towards the humans. "What did him in?" she asked.

His eye twitched as she stood over them. "Leave them!" he shouted in a monstrous voice.

She flinched and looked back towards him nervously. "Are you seriously going to be paling around with these creatures!?" she asked before she side stepped them as he advanced towards him. "They killed your father! Why do you side with them!?" she shouted.

He glared at her. "These two didn't kill him!" he raised his voice. He flashed his fangs at her as he began to transform slowly. The grandfather's mouth dropped, while Nathan watched on intensely knowing that they were surrounded by others.

Her tail lowered as she backed away even farther. "They'll turn on you! Just you watch!" she muttered in a shaky voice.

He stood over them and his blood dripped onto the snow. "I'll take my chances. Just call off your pack" he said.

Her ears pinned back. "Why can't you see that there's no way we'll ever have peace! Don't you want to live in a world where you don't have to worry about being shot at? Don't you want to be able to hunt without secrecy?" she asked.

He stared her down annoyed, and the others shivered feeling his horrific presence. "How is killing these two going to do all that? All that would do is make their wives see that werewolves are evil, and they'll spread their opinion to their children...Are you wanting to initiate that cycle?" he asked.

She went quiet before a cloaked male wearing a wolf kabuki mask emerged from the forest. "Don't listen to him! Those creatures shot your daughter from a plane...They need to be punished!" he spoke firmly.

Toby looked at the male sternly. "What are you deaf!?" he shouted before the male suddenly charged at him with incredible speed, and he reached in to grab onto his throat, which to their surprise, Toby was able to react in time to dodge and elbow the male into the sternum. The male jumped back grabbing onto his chest, and he looked up in time for his mask to shatter upon a shift punch from Toby.

The shewolf crossed her arms over her chest. "Oinu...this one is Steele's son!" she warned him before she snarled at him. "Don't you ever do that again!" she raised her voice.

He picked himself back off the ground unveiling a bandaged up face resembling a mummy. "That would have been nice to know!" he grumbled as he kept rubbing his chest. "Tch, don't tell me you have a soft spot for Steele still?" he grumbled before he pointed at her. "That's it! You thought he was Steele and you were going to rescue him!" he shouted.

She gave him a cold look. "No, I'd have to rescue you! Steele is a thousand times more wolf than you'll ever be Oinu! So stop trying to impress me...I'm never going to sleep with you ever!" she said with great displeasure. She began to walk past him and intentionally whipped her tail into his sternum making him wince. She stopped and looked back at Toby worried. "If we cross paths again and that human's scent is still on you then I will reconsider my views on humans. I wish you well" she said before she vanished off into the woods.

More wolves rushed pasted Oinu, and a larger one shouted, "Dumbass" as he whipped his tail into the same spot the female hit. "See you handsome!" a younger female called out as she ran past him with her tail raised up flirtatiously.

As soon as they were alone, Toby looked back at the two and sighed heavily. "You alright?" he asked gruffly, which Nathan nodded while the grandfather stared at him speechless. Nathan got up as he walked over to the turkeys, and the grandfather looked at the scabbed up wound on Toby's arm.

"Let's go" Nathan said impatiently as he walked passed them. The grandfather got up quickly and grabbed the guns before he resumed staring at Toby for the rest of the hike back to the truck.

•••

No one said a word for the rest of the trip, and once they returned home, the grandmother noticed her husband's vacant look. "What's the matter, Morty? Did ya find Sasquatch or something?" she asked, which he looked at her gobsmacked as Sasha ran passed them to greet her mate.

He turned to watch his granddaughter instantly honed in on the wound on Toby's arm. "Oh my gosh! Did you get shot?" she asked before she quickly huddled up to him to examine the wound. "Is the bullet still inside?" she asked nervously.

Toby forced out a chuckle. "I'll be fine!" he shouted.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I don't want to even talk about it right now" Her father muttered as he walked passed them with the turkey. He stopped and looked at them sternly. "Next time, I'm going shopping! I'm not going to deal with anymore goddamn wolves!" he said.

Her eyes widened before she looked at her grandfather sympathetically and mouthed the words, "Sorry", which he walked over to them, and he touched her shoulder.

"So you know that he's a..." He muttered, which she nodded quickly. He rubbed his hip sorely before he pulled out a stainless steel flask of whiskey. "He saved our hides back there" he said as he opened the flask.

Her grandmother rushed up to him grabbing the flask after he had taken a sip. "Marty! I thought you stopped drinking!" she shouted.

He pulled against her in protest. "Believe me Aoife I need this!" he said before she glared at him snatching the flask from him. He shook his head at her as he pointed at Toby. "Her boyfriend is a wolfman!" he said.

Sasha blushed as her grandmother placed her hand on her hip and shook her head. "Really now? What a lat of shite! feckin eejit!" she scolded him before she looked over at Toby. "It's not even the full moon! It has to be in wee morning before you could fool me with that crock of excrement" she said before she headed back inside with the flask.

Toby sighed heavily. "I'll just head back home before I'll cause any more trouble" he muttered before his mate pulled him in for a kiss, and she touched the side of his face while rubbing her thumb up behind his ear.

"You did good, big bad" she said proudly before she looked at him intensely and bit her lip. He could tell she was craving him, and she blushed knowing that he could sense it. She looked away, but her body moved with his as he walked back to his home. "What is going on with me?" she muttered to herself as she suddenly found herself in his room.

He looked at her amused as he pulled her into bed with him. "It's mating season" he said simply before he let out a deep seductive growl as he began viciously gnawing into her neck. She arched her back and moaned trying to reach into her pocket for her phone.

"Easy there, big bad!" she said firmly as she pushed against his chest. He relented and watched her carefully as she began to play her music. She set her phone onto the night stand before she rolled back and pressed her body into his signaling to him that she wished to be intimate with him once more. She blushed at his hand running over her plump hips, and it did not bother him at her weight gain. "Toby" she said meekly.

She pushed him onto his back and grabbed onto his shirt to peel it up to his chest. She licked her lips as she unwrapped the confectionery delight, and the delicious masculine scent of strong werewolf musk. She reached up to feel the ripples in his abdomen and the mountains and valleys in his chest. "I think you're muscles getting even bigger. Whatever Zoe's making you do is clearly working out" she said with a light purr.

He growled deeply as he proudly puffed out his chest. "I'm glad you like it" he said before he flinched as she moved her hand over his bicep near where his wound was at. "Careful!" he shouted nervously.

She grabbed onto his face and playfully pinched the corner of his lips together. "Stop that now! I'm your mate aren't I?" she asked before she leaned in to kiss him on the lips and stroked his face affectionately.

She winked at him. "I'm giving you your reward" she said before she climbed on top of him to begin giving him a vigorous massage. "I'm going to spoil you rotten, big bad...just you wait" she said before she removed her shirt she borrowed from him to proudly show off her new much larger black bra.

He looked up at her chest and touched them curiously. "Wow, they look like they fit in this one...what size are they now?" he asked.

She blushed and smiled faintly. "Um...This is a 42 J cup" she said before his eyes bugged out. She giggled at him. "Grandma says I'll fill them out in a month or two. Hopefully my body will get used to the new pills I've been taking" she said.

He gulped. "They look like they fit now" he muttered before she snickered at him.

She draped her arms over his shoulder smiling. "I'm two cup sizes smaller than that right now...I'm sort of glad I'm gaining weight in my butt...not so much my arms and thighs. Jeez, I feel like I'm a balloon filled up with jello! Every step I make something is always jiggling" she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't feel any difference in weight" he said as he reached around to feel up her rear-end. "You know...I'm still crazy about you" he said passionately. She blushed at him as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and giggled.

She leaned in to nibble onto his neck and nipples. "I was wondering--would I lose weight if I become a werewolf?" she wondered. She lay on top of him looking into his eyes curiously, while he nodded back to her slowly. She smiled evilly. "That's it...you're biting me right now!" she joked.

He stared at her in shock before she leaned in to nibble onto his ear. "I'm playing with you" she said softly. He let out a relieved sigh before she pulled away with a sadistic grin. "Of course I'm not doing it to lose weight" she said.

He chuckled to himself. "Oh? So you've made up your mind then?" he asked.

She nodded as she removed her bra. "I did, but I can wait it out until later" she said before she lay back down upon his chest. "I kind of like the whole werewolf making love to a human thing. I kind of get off on it" she said before she kissed him once more.

He reached up to rub her back tenderly. "I hope your grandfather isn't too traumatized. He nearly had a heart attack when I transformed" he said with a big grin.

She raised an eyebrow and stroked his brow. "What exactly happened?" she asked.

He sighed heavily and reached over to scratch at his scab. "I'm not really sure, but I'm going to have to talk to Bernie about who confronted me. I think she may have mated my father once...I thought she was going to kill your dad and grandpa" he said while she traced along his shoulder.

"What's weird was that she listened to me..." he said lowly as he began to caress her sides. "I guess one of her Gammas tried to impress her by trying to challenge me to a fight; although, they treated him like the Omega...even though he was one of the stronger ones of the pack" he added.

She frowned looking at the scab. "So, she's not a part of your clan?" she asked.

He shook his head slowly. "No, I've never seen her before, but she was really big for a female...quite a bit bigger than Zoe, even" he said before he gulped. "She did sort of reminded your dad that I've been mating with you...he's been pissed off ever since" he said.

She smiled at him warmly. "Don't worry about it...Just keep doing what you've been doing to keep me happy, and he won't take you out to the shed. You just need to worry about my Grandma, she knows her way around a knife. Good thing for you, she thinks we'd make quite a match" she said happily.

He cocked his head cutely. "How can she tell? She's only seen me for a couple minutes" he asked.

She giggled to herself. "Grandma does a matchmaking service, and she's got a really good track record" she said before she smirked. "But if you must know, I've been telling her things about you since we started going steady" she said proudly.

"I think she's right about fate bringing us together" She said before she gave him a big smooch on the lips.

He gulped as she reached down to pet his groin tantalizingly before he felt himself succumb to his lupine behavior and transform into his anthro form. She bit her lip as she unbuttoned his pants liberating his bulge to grow. She tugged on the waistband of his boxers to take a peek at her favorite male organ, which she took the liberty in wrapping her fingers around it to begin massaging it.

He watched her attentively as she helped him achieve his maximum capacity before she climbed onto him spreading her legs to invite him for a devious deed. He groaned as she started licking the tip of his throbbing mast to tease him, which he growled at her dominantly. "Don't be tormenting me!" he raised his voice out aggressively.

She reached around grabbing onto his sac which appeared to be containing two jumbo chicken eggs. He tensed up before she started to massage them delicately before she pressed her rear into his face. "Toby...are you going to keep your female waiting?" she asked.

He started at her before she took his length into her mouth gripping the base tightly as she tight to swallow it when it hit the back of her throat. She gagged and pulled back, but she was undeterred and she tried again. He closed his eyes and licked his lips soaking in the sensation of her managing to swallow the whole thing. He was going to have to return the favor as he leaned in to lick her dripping folds with his strong firm slippery werewolf tongue.

She moaned to his cold wet nose pressing up against near her anus as his tongue invaded her cavern. She had to pull away as she had to gasp for breath before blushed at him gripping onto her hips and going wild. She smiled grateful to have such a satisfying partner willing to fulfill her repressed sexual fantasies.

They quickly made love to each other before he helped her sneak back into her house through her open window. She looked at him with a big satisfied smile and a bright blush reflecting on their devious forbidden acts. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, while he looked into her eyes deeply with the conviction that told her that they did something natural. She meekly touched his chest as she kissed his cheek. "Good night, big bad" she said quietly.

He smiled at her before he wrapped his arms around her. He pressed his throat against her ear gently before he murred softly. "You make me a very happy wolf" he told her genuinely. He pulled away before he crawled up to her window sill. He waved at her before he jumped out disappearing into the night. She walked over to the window and smiled losing herself in deep thought.

•••

The next day after school, Toby and Zoe were called to the office, which Mr. Ulrich waited impatiently tapping his stylus onto his tablet. Once the two got inside, the secretary closed the door smirking at them. He stood his tablet up and opened a couple of emails grinning evilly.

"Good job with the Playoffs..." he said before he snickered with glee. "I'm organized a National Championship Game with Mount Si. You're going to need to get a feel of your future team mates" he said.

Toby looked at him oddly. "What's going on?" he asked.

Zoe shook her head at him. "Did you call us in here just to tell us this?" she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest scowling at him.

Mr. Ulrich cleared his throat and turned his tablet towards them. "Well, for starters, you two have gotten some pretty prestigious awards. Not to mention you two have been demanded to participate in some fabulous All-star games. One for East against West, and another for Seniors...I hope you all don't have any plans during the first week of January" he said as he wove his fingers together on top of the desk.

Toby stared at him and sighed. "Fine...where are these games going to be played anyway?" he asked.

Mr. Ulrich searched through his tablet and cringed. "Well, the first will be in Seattle, but one will be near Tampa, and the other in San Antonio" he said before he cleared his throat. "It shouldn't be too hot down there in January. Although...I've spoken to the coach from Mount Si, and he's going to have our wolves hang around his wolves at SeaTac, and..." he said before he was interrupted by Zoe.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! Our wolves? There's only two of us" she shouted.

Mr. Ulrich shook his head with a big grin. "No, there are a couple other wolves that have been nominated as well. You'll play against them in the next couple of rounds in the playoffs. They are young, and I expect you two to be good role models for them on the trip, especially the one from Sheldon" he said sternly.

Toby cocked his head and raised his eyebrow. "Sheldon? That's over in Eugene isn't it?" he asked.

Mr. Ulrich nodded. "Yes...but just because he's not a part of our clan, doesn't mean he's to be separate from the group. Chances are...you might be teamed up together. This is the whole point of this...I want you to see your opponents as people not an obstacle. Just like in real life allies and enemies can change sides...just like teams. By the way, you two will be playing against each other in one of those games" he mentioned.

They both stared at him in shock before at each other, which Zoe soon grinned evilly, and Toby's eye twitch. "That could be interesting, isn't that right Toby!?" she shouted before she nudged him in the arm.

Toby scowled at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yea...Won't that be fun?" he muttered before he heard Mr. Ulrich chuckle at them.

"It would be a fair match up, but your last game will just be a massacre. Twenty wolves against two...Blowouts aren't very fun to watch to be honest" He said casually.

He got an incoming skype call, which he waved them off. "Do your best!" he shouted as the two left his office.

Sasha and Percy waited outside with other curious students. On the wall behind them were big separate posters of Zoe and Toby in uniform with their helmets held off the side. Everything had changed so drastically from the start of the school season that nowhere was void of the mention of the football team or wolves.

Zoe grinned evilly. "We're playing in the All Star Games!" she shouted.

The students all stared howling, and the secretary quietly walked out to shush them and coax them out of the lobby. Where the rowdy bunch started cheering and shouting outside, which some staff members shot them annoyed glares as they walked past the classrooms. "Go home!" A Math teacher shouted.

Toby's group quickly rushed out of the school were Sasha and Percy both rode on top of longboards with Toby and Zoe towing them behind respectively. There was a spontaneous race that ensued as they flew through the streets of the subdivisions before they nearly wrecked into a parked car just outside of Zoe's home.

Bernie was off duty playing catch with his youngest children when he looked up at the ruckus stirred up by the two teen wolves. He shook his head at them when Zoe stared gloating and rubbing her victory in Toby's face. Sasha was not very pleased at her, but she was grateful that Toby let up some. She got off and bumped her hip against him as she walked past him. "You deserve another milkbone a little later" she said lowly.

As they walked up, Toby looked at Bernie sternly. "Can we talk? Inside?" he said lowly.

Bernie sighed heavily and looked towards Percy. "Hey! Toss the pig skin with them would ya?" he asked gruffly before he threw the ball at him. Percy winced as the ball hit him square on the chest as he caught it. He nodded slowly as the rest went inside leaving him to play catch with two hyperactive pups.

Inside, Toby told Bernie about the hunting trip that turned sour, which he stared at Toby surprised with the description of the white wolf. "Oh, so you met Amarok then?" he said as he stroked the stubble on his chin. "I thought she went back to the tundra a while back" he muttered.

Zoe came back into the room with carrying soda for everyone before she plopped back down on the sofa. "So, this shewolf actually paired with Steele?" she asked.

Bernie nodded as he clicked open his can. "Yea...They met on a train on his way back from Churchill. They hit it off really well when the train got stranded in the Canadian Rockies. I was told that she was planning on committing suicide out on the ice sheet in the bay, but she chose to settle with him when she encountered him. Things were tough for a female werewolf up in the arctic. She was too free a spirit to be tied down to a man she did not like" he said before he took a sip.

"She was a very powerful wolf in her own right. She reminded me a lot of Zoe, except she was more plump and had a lot more distrust towards humans...although I wouldn't blame her after all the things that happened to her" he added, which he looked over at Sasha. "She was very family oriented, and she had a several pups with him...in fact she got pregnant on that same journey" he said.

Sasha gasped. "What happened to the pups!?" she asked.

Bernie frowned. "Well...Hunters got to them a couple of times, and..." he muttered before he looked at the ground crushing his can. "Do I need to say anymore?" he asked before she quickly shook her head.

She nodded slowly. "Please...we can't relate to her if we don't know the details" she said before she looked over towards her friends. "Right?" she asked.

They both nodded before Bernie shook his head and looked towards the toys on the floor. "...They kidnapped them and stuffed them into burlap sacks and tied them off to ship anchors...and threw them into the Puget Sound" he continued.

He bit his cheek and looked up at them sternly. "Steele was teaching his older pups how to hunt, and Amarok was beaten so badly that she miscarried...she nearly died herself" he finished.

Sasha's eyes welled up with tears before she withdrew her arms into her lap. "That's terrible..." she muttered before her mate intuitively slung his arm around her. She leaned into him and rubbed his arm slowly.

Zoe was equally disturbed. "So...Did Steele turn to Ian after that?" she asked.

Bernie frowned. "Well, Amarok did...Steele was too depressed and passive to say much else. I met him in a pub, and he couldn't tell the floor from the ceiling if you know what I mean. I only heard about what happened, but Ian was there. He told him that he would like Steele to be a part of his clean-up crew" he said.

"What is that?" Zoe asked.

Bernie shook his head. "The Clean-up crew wondered the streets in Portland and lured men into a pub or gentlemen's club. They abducted the men and took them into the Shanghai tunnels, where they were tortured and killed. Their bodies were grounded up and sold as dog food" he said.

Sasha gulped. "There must be a shit ton of Ghosts down there..." she said before she inched closer into Toby. "Did Steele ever do it?" she asked.

Bernie went silent, and he sighed heavily. "No...he couldn't afford to go across the river, but...he did manage to build a pretty sizable clan. That got both Jean and Ian's attention. Jean and My dad got to Steele first before any big decisions were made, and thank goodness Jean had a way with words. My dad said that it was Jean's French that gained Steele's trust" he said before he laughed to himself.

"My dad said that something important must have been said because back then Germany and France hated each other" He told them before he shook his head at them. "I'm getting old..." he muttered to himself. "Well, that was when Steele and Jean took out Ian. I believe Amarok split up with him in the late 90s when their daughter was killed. I think she might have had pups, but you'd have to ask her about that" he said.

Zoe grinned. "So just when did you meet Mama?" she chimed in.

He scratched his head before Yvonne's head poked her head into the room eyeing him intensely. He tried to avoid looking at her directly, but she soon walked in smiling passive-aggressively. "I met your Papa in the 70s. I was a waitress at a dinner in Parkdale, and he came in one evening and started a scene. I knew he was trouble when wolfman stink comes in. My boss was too terrified of him to set him straight, so walked over to him and told him off" she said.

He laughed. "I told her that her that I was going to eat as much as I wanted unless she wanted to cook for me...she punched me in the face and stomped off" he said.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "He was so rude! Although...I did feel bad for him when he got kicked out. He was just cranky when he's hungry. Wolfmen are big eaters, and he was a big wolfman" she said before she sighed heavily. "I wasn't going to let him starve...he'd nearly eat the whole town" she said.

He grinned. "Well, I could have killed myself a cow and ate it, but I didn't want to get shot...so I followed her home" he said.

She nodded. "I didn't want the town freaking out either, but I'm glad things worked out as it did" she said before she walked back outside.

Toby stared at Zoe. "Was that information needed? I'm just trying to figure out whether or not Amarok is a threat" he said sternly.

Bernie cleared his throat. "Well, I wouldn't know...but just keep in mind that you're not being patched up again" he said before he got back up. "I'm going to have to figure things out" he muttered to himself as he left the room.

Toby and Sasha both got up, and Zoe looked at them worried. "Does your whole family know about Toby's uniqueness?" she asked.

Sasha shrugged. "I'm not sure about my grandma, but grandpa has started drinking again. I think it's more about him almost dying than him discovering Toby being a wolf" she said before she looked back at Toby happily. "I though Todd would be the first to shatter Grandpa's world" she said.

•••

The next morning, Bernie's phone began to ring, which he shot up out of bed and rushed over to the dresser. When he answered, Tai was out of breath. "Hey! I need you to come over to Pete's den quick!" he shouted. Bernie quickly got dressed into his cloak and mask before he rushed out the door.

He checked his phone for text messages, which one was sent from Peter fifteen minutes ago, "Hunters!" and another was sent five minutes ago, "Shot me in back"

He rushed over to Pete's home, and by the time he arrived the home was in flames and collapsed to the ground. Cinders and ash billowed up with the thick black smoke, and Tai rushed over to him. "I already called the fire department..." he told him before he looked back to the fire. "What are we going to do?" he asked.

Bernie frowned. "I'll talk to the Elders. I can take over as Alpha until everything gets sorted out" he said.

Tai looked at the fire worried. "Do you think he's really dead?" he asked.

Bernie shook his head. "No, everything looks too clean...I saw what happened to Steele's place, and that looked like a home invasion. This is just arson to me for now...not a homicide" he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

They heard sirens approaching, and they both took off into the trees to observe. As soon as the fire was put out there was commotion on the radio. "Captain, I found two bodies! A woman and I can't tell what the other one is!" he shouted.

Bernie's eyes widened. "Shit! How in the hell could they be this clean?" he muttered.

Tai sighed heavily. "I don't know...do you think they were gassed?" he asked.

Bernie shook his head. "That's what I'm thinking, but...I can't smell any gasses...did you?" he asked.

Tai looked away. "No...I only smelled Butane and Gasoline" he said.

Bernie got on the phone and called Jean. He had to call a couple more times before Jean actually answered. There was a pause before Bernie gathered the courage to speak. "Sir, Pete's house has been burnt to the ground. There were bodies found inside" he said.

Jean let out a low growl. "Alright...You'll be alpha for now. I'll let you know later if we determine Toby competent enough to be alpha" he said groggily.

Bernie gulped. "Understood, Sir...I got it handled" he said before he hung up. He looked towards Tai dazed. "That went along easier than I thought" he muttered.

Tai snickered. "Well, Toby did tell them that he wanted you to be the Alpha anyway" he teased.

Bernie shot him a look before a group of black vans pulled up, and many men in black suits walked out securing the area. Tai became uneasy and growled as they flashed the badge to the captain of the fire department. "Shit! SAD is here?" he asked.

Don walked up to them with other men who had their guns drawn. Tai had his hand in his cloak, but both Don and Bernie held their arm out to stop either side from discharging any weapons. "So, you mind filling me in on what's going on, Bernie?" Don asked.

Tai looked over at Bernie extremely irritated. "What the hell are you working for this scatbag for!?" he snarled.

Bernie growled at him. "I don't like it either, but I'll do anything I can to prevent a Ragnarok from happening on my watch!" he shouted.

Tai snorted. "What are they going to do!? They betrayed us once!" he snapped.

Bernie shook his head. "They may have not acted, but they know their inaction has initiated this all!" he said.

Don feigned a cough and cleared his throat. "Yes, well...blame Trump for that" he said before he looked at the house. "Who lived here? For real, I've heard of joke names but, Peter File? That's the oldest one in the book" he asked.

Bernie sighed. "This was Peter Godard's home..." he said before Don looked towards the smoldering wreck. "...As of now, I've been granted authority of alpha" he said.

Don smirked. "Well, isn't that convenient?" he said before he looked back at Bernie. "It should be easier to get everyone to work with us. Don't you think?" he asked.

Bernie laughed at him. "I can't make them obey me. They have a choice, and most of the pack is close to defecting anyway" he said.

Don put his hands behind his back and pondered to himself. "What if...they have defected already? You did say that Peter was borderline fascist did you not?" he asked. He looked back towards the wreckage. "Let them defect...If Toby got picked from a write-in campaign, then your clan should still remain strong. You know when push comes to shove, who's ideals best aligns with them? They won't fight against those whose views are close to theirs" he said.

Bernie gritted his teeth. "These are good people...they are just doing what they think is going to give them a better quality of life. If I can reconvince them that Steele's way was the best course, then I can feel better about taking out those who truly are despicable" he said.

Tai looked over at him and then back at the ground. "Do you think they'd listen at this point?" he asked.

Bernie went silent and went into deep thought before Don looked back at them. "That girl has some promise...the one that took a liking towards Toby? She sounds like a good catalyst for Steele's argument. Didn't he prove it by dating Lilian? You have more than one example now. It's not some fluke that a human stayed with a werewolf" he asked before he snickered. "Your daughter seems to be interested in that boy as well" he added.

Bernie's eye twitched. "You've been watching my daughter!?" he raised his voice.

Don took a step back before Tai sighed. "I'm sure he's been watching more than just her if he knows about Sasha" he said before he looked back at him amused. "I am starting to smell cowgirl off one of them..." he said.

Bernie shook his head at Don. "So you did ask her out didn't you? I thought you said you weren't into big girls?" he teased him.

One of the larger men appeared to be uncomfortable as some of the men started looking towards Don. Don looked towards the man briefly before he frowned. "I'm not, but I'm not one to judge" he said before everyone soon looked towards the man. Don looked back towards Bernie and removed his shades. "And I was not trailing for your daughter...I was following the boy" he said.

Bernie and Tai both stared at him confused. "Why would you do that?" he asked.

Don went quiet before he put his glasses back on. "I'm sorry...I can't say. It's all speculation at this point anyway. I want to be certain of something" he said. He smirked. "I'll let you know when I've found what I'm looking for" he said.

Tai looked towards Bernie. "This guy is creepy...nothing like a Government Agent going Pedo on a teenage boy" he joked.

Don started walking towards the smoking ruins, and the other followed. "I'll take care of all the report in lieu of the fire marshal. You all can do what you need to" he said sternly.

•••

Later in the weight training room, Zoe was busy bench pressing four hundred pounds while Olivia spotted her. Same of the students gawked, but the coach was quick to castigate them for standing around. Zoe set the bar back onto the pedestals, and Olivia put on twenty-five pound weights on each side. "So, how's was your first date?" she asked as she put the clips on.

Zoe grunted as she began her next set of reps. "I don't know what you're talking about. We were just hanging out. Nothing to get excited over, nuff said" she said coldly.

Olivia stood over smirking at her. "Come on...you too shy to say that little man is your boyfriend?" she asked.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Please...Boyfriend? You ain't getting anything from me, pretty girl!" she teased her as the coach shook his head at them as he walked passed them.

Olivia snickered at her. "So you are" she said before she grabbed the bar at lifted it up. "Are you protecting him from something?" she asked keeping her from doing her reps.

Zoe shot her a murderous leer. "I don't want to talk about it! I'd suggest you drop it--unless you want to wear this bar for a bowtie!" she growled at her.

The coach looked back at them frustrated. "Hey! You two behave or I'm making you two wash the school laundry!" he shouted.

They looked over at him, and Olivia dropped the bar. "Hey, I was just asking a question!" she shouted raising her hands up.

Zoe caught the bar, and it bowed making the clips slide off. All of the weights slid off and crashed onto the floor, which Zoe's eye twitched about to erupt in pure rage. "Hey! Scatstain! Do your fucking job! You're lucky that I'm a!" she shouted as she jumped off the bench throwing the bar to the ground and rushed her.

The coach stopped her and pushed her back. "Hey! Chill out!" he shouted before he looked towards Olivia. "You're done! Go get water!" he spoke firmly to her. He looked at Zoe frustrated. "And you! Kurt's office, right now!" he raised his voice.

Zoe snarled and flashed her fangs at Olivia before she stormed out slamming the doors shut so hard that clock fell from the wall and a glass mirror shattered on the far wall. Olivia gulped looking towards the coach who was not too pleased with her. "Don't you ever do that again! That is not safe!" she shouted at her before he rushed back into his office to page the vice principal.

Zoe made her way to Kurt's office, who was awaiting her arrival. His hair was disheveled, and he watched her with weary eyes. "Take a couple of breaths...I'm not going to put up with anymore drama from anyone for the rest of the week" he said as he shut the blinds to all the windows in the room.

When he sat back down, she stared at the floor blankly. He leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh. "So you've heard about Pete too, huh?" he asked. She looked up at him confused before he smirked. "Oh, that's right! You didn't care too much about him" he said.

She immediately forgotten what she was angry about, and her curiosity was perked immensely. "Uh, No...Why? What's going on?" she asked.

He grabbed a stress ball and began to suffocate the life out of it. "Well...They found his house up in flames...turns out that there were a couple bodies found inside" he said before he bounced the ball off the top of the wall. "So guess who got the alpha position now?" he asked with a grin.

"Toby?" She replied.

He snickered as he bounced the ball off the top of her head. "Good try not no...It's your old man!" he told her.

She stared at him before she shook her head smirking. "Well, he is the strongest in the clan" she said as she basked with pride. He bemoaned and smacked his hand into the side of his skull, which she snickered. "What? It's true!" she bragged.

He bit his lip and forced a smile. "Yes, yes he certainly most is" he replied with a marginal hint of sarcasm. "Well...as long as you're feeling better. You are free to go" he said. She smiled and left the room before he went to the office phone. "Hey, can you do me a favor? Would you please fit Zoe for wolfie therapy in say about a week?" he asked.

"Uh, sure...Is she taking her father being alpha not so well" the councilor asked.

Kurt took a sip of his coffee and sighed heavily. "She's thrilled about it...although, I didn't get the chance to tell her the other thing" he said.

"Oh, well...I'll fit her into my schedule as soon as possible. Are you sure Toby's going to handle this well?" the councilor asked.

Kurt laughed. "I think that Sasha's can put him on a short leash without any problem. Zoe's more of the danger this time" he said as he looked out the curtains. "I think there's something going on with her crush, but I didn't bother in asking her" he said.

"Right--well--thanks for the heads up!" the councilor said before he hung up.

Kurt leaned back and started squeezing his ball more muttering to himself repeatedly, "Not, good"