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Chapter 100: The Alpha's Sleepover

Geoff followed Faelen as the grey Wolf led the way along the faint forest path to Nathanial's, shortly after Faelen and Dirk had cleaned up after supper. Behind Geoff walked, very slowly walked, the four adult Spirits: Luke and Conor McDougal, and Faeden and Dirk O'Conall. The two older O'Conalls carried overnight bags for them and their bosses, while Geoff and Faelen carried their own, along with their school supplies for the next day -- Wednesday, the day of his next football match. If he wasn't so annoyed by the slow pace he would've shivered in excitement.

Geoff was practically twitching with impatience by the time they reached the back wall of Nathanial's yard. While Faelen went and pushed open the gate, he dropped his bags, ran forward, and jumped onto the top of the wall before doing a couple of flips along it. All the adults except his grandda looked impressed; the alpha shook his head sadly and examined the gate. Grandda always referred to parkour as 'gymnastics,' the 'sport of little Chinese girls.'

"Passable work, this. I can see a number of places where the stone is unnecessarily stressed, but overall the gate is done tolerably." That was high praise coming from him. If it didn't provoke a half-hour rant about its flaws, then Nathanial must've done a great job. "Gwen said Nathanial did this?"

Faelen nodded. "He did. It was right after he fought the Investigators and he'd channelled a huge amount of Light energy to help Liam heal someone. He needed to burn it off, so he took a bunch of rock that was strewn around the property and made this. He did it while repairing the yard and a car that one of the Mages threw at him."

Geoff perched on top of the wall and grinned. "The car hit him, too. They both ended up in the woods, but Nathanial came right back into the fight and ripped a chunk of Gordon's energy out and healed himself." Geoff crossed his arms smugly. "He kicked their asses."

The alpha scowled up at him. "And where were you while your boy was fighting? You are the Spirit, the one descended from a long line of warriors, and you stood aside the whole time? The Dark Spirit needed a Mage to fight for him?"

Faelen looked pissed, but Conor put a paw on his father's shoulder and turned him around. "Da, I told Geoff to stay out of it. Geoff had no say in this matter at all, and he had no business interfering. I didn't want those bastards to know Geoff was here, and I didn't want to risk him getting hurt and starting a war. Nathanial chose that fight, even though there were two Agents in the same room who could've dealt with it, and he made sure none of us interfered; it was a fight of honour." He sounded exasperated. "I told you all of this when it happened. Stop trying to provoke Geoff, would you? You've already seen that he's willing to fight for Nathanial against anyone, including you."

The giant Wolf grinned toothily. "Yeah, even though he looked close to crapping his pants after he realized what he'd done. It's a start."

Conor scowled. "No, it isn't. I don't want Geoff turning into Rolph. My brother is of no use to anyone because he's ready to get into a fight at the slightest provocation, and I won't let you do that to Geoff."

Alpha Luke returned the scowl and added a menacing growl. "And how do you think you can stop me?"

Conor walked past his father, ignoring him. "Come on, Geoff, Faelen. It's a school night, and Halifax gets chilly at night this time of year. I think Avery and Gwen would like it here, though."

Geoff wondered if this was a recurring fight between them and the reference to Halifax was a not-so-subtle threat about leaving the clan -- judging from his grandfather's expression, it was. The silent exchange between Den and Dirk seemed to indicate it was a huge worry for them, and it was possibly getting worse.

They resumed walking toward the poolside entrance, with an angry-looking alpha following a short distance away with his bodyguard.

Nathanial met them at the patio doors and opened it for them before standing aside. He glanced at Conor and the alpha nervously, but his voice didn't betray his thoughts. "Welcome to my home, Alpha McDougal and everyone. Geoff, Faelen, you can bring your stuff downstairs while I show your fathers and grandfathers to their rooms. Dad and my brothers are at kung fu; they should be home in a bit over a half-hour, maybe closer to forty-five minutes."

Conor shook his head. "I know the way, Nathanial. You don't need to..." He trailed off under Nathanial's withering gaze.

"It's my duty, Conor, I'm your host." He smiled shyly after a moment. "Thanks, though." The alpha looked approving of the pup's resolve.

Faelen took Geoff's bags. "I'll bring these down, sir, if you want to see the upper floors."

Geoff felt a surge of gratitude and affection for his friend, enough to even keep quiet about that 'sir' slip; Faelen was incredibly perceptive and thoughtful. "Yeah, thanks. I'm rather curious about them; we can look them over with you later."

"Yes, sir." Faelen quickly trotted off.

"Th-This way, please." Nathanial led them to the kitchen and gestured to the dumbwaiter. "You can put your bags in there, if you wish, and I'll send them up to the third floor." He paused for a moment. "On the matter of sleeping arrangements: would the O'Conalls be sleeping in the guest rooms on the second floor, sharing a room on the third, or camping out in your suites? I-I think the couches would be big enough for, u-um, Den--" He ducked his head and flipped his ears back as he glanced at the older O'Conall, as if asking permission to use the nickname, but he got no reaction. Nathanial's tail curled up between his legs. "--um, Mr. O'Conall, but they might be a bit cramped for Dirk. Remember, the suites are large and very comfortable, but we only have four of them on the third floor, counting Dad's and Lily's. There are lots of guest rooms on the second floor, though."

Alpha Luke shrugged. "They can sort it out. I'll enjoy the opportunity to stretch out without bumping into corner-lurker here every two minutes, so I'd prefer it if he didn't camp out in my room, but I've learnt not to get in the way of an O'Conall when he's fulfilling his duty."

Den dropped his bags in the elevator. Dirk hesitated momentarily and then seemed to mentally shrug before following suit. Geoff knew Dirk hesitated because he saw no need to use it more than anything else, but he chose to follow his da's lead. Nathanial flicked his finger at it, and the elevator smoothly slid up. The Akita gestured and said, "Follow me."

Geoff followed behind his father and grandfather, but kept a close eye on his pup. He noticed him pause and visibly steel himself before leading them up the stairs. Nathanial began shivering as they neared the top but kept going, pausing only for a moment to point out the guest rooms on the second floor that Dirk and Den could use if they wanted, before leading them up to the top floor. He seemed to calm down a little, but certain vases and other decorations made the pup wince.

Nathanial stopped partway down one hall, next to a painting, and pulled it aside. "Here're your bags." The O'Conalls picked them up. "Alpha McDougal, your room is over here."

Faelen jogged up the stairs to join them as Nathanial opened the door. Geoff nodded to his friend, but both stayed silent before turning back to follow his pup in.

"Now, sir, as you can see, this is the sitting room." It was tastefully appointed with a couch, a nice bureau in front of it that probably contained an entertainment unit, a loveseat nearby facing a gas fireplace, and a writing desk on the far wall that likely held a computer and space for a laptop to be set up. Nathanial opened the bottom drawer of the entertainment unit to show a fridge and a few bottles of liquor. "The fridge doesn't have too much, but there are some snacks and some beer." He opened a cabinet. "Here are some glasses and other dishes. There's a kettle in the cupboard by the bathroom for tea." Nathanial led the way to a thick wooden door. "These rooms are close to soundproof, both to the rest of the house and between rooms in the suite, but they're connected to the intercom." He pointed to a small panel by the door. "Your room number is on top. You can dial for a specific room, if you know the number, or just hit the general broadcast. Dad's room is three-one and the basement is double-oh; don't hesitate to call for me when I'm here. Nine-one-one will connect to the outside line and dial it for you in the event of an emergency."

The next room was the bedroom. It was huge. There was a big king-sized bed with some moveable steps to help short people get onto it, another fireplace with a big, soft rug laid out in front, a large whirlpool hot tub next to the bathroom, and a very nice set of furniture. The bathroom was glassed in, though the toilet wasn't visible from the bedroom, thankfully. Geoff thought the whole layout was kind of romantic; he'd enjoy using these rooms for some intimate time with his pup...not that he wasn't willing to be 'intimate' with him anywhere. This room also had a dozen big rocks in it scattered around the room on rugs; Geoff bet Nathanial had run out and found some when he heard the alpha was going to spend the night.

Grandda started laughing when he saw them. "So, let me guess, you flooded Conor's room? Thanks, pup. A bit of rock always helps me relax." Den put the alpha's suitcase on the bed and began pulling out the clothes; his boss waved him off. "Do that later, Faeden." He paused. "Wait, get my workout clothes. I think, with my host's permission, I'll get some exercise."

"I-I need to talk to you and Conor first, sir." The two looked at him in askance, making Nathanial cringe. He obviously didn't expect them to like what he wanted to say. "I-I'll set everyone up in their rooms a-and then talk to you over a cup of tea, so you can change now if you want, sir, or in the changing room by the gym. Conor's room is across the hall, and Dad is down at the other end of the house. I-I can put one, or both, in Mo...um, Lily's old room. We h-haven't cleaned it out, yet, so it'll still have her stuff in it." The thought made everyone uncomfortable.

Conor looked at Dirk. "You can sleep in my room, or in one of the guest rooms downstairs, if you prefer. These beds are big enough, so you wouldn't be in the way."

Dirk looked relieved. "I'll sleep in your room, sir. It's safe here, I know. I just don't like having you so far away."

Den glanced at his boss while pulling out the requested items from the suitcase, but Alpha Luke ignored him. Den sighed silently. "I'll take the suite, Nathanial. I wouldn't be able to relax sleeping so far away from the alpha."

Nathanial nodded. "I-It's the end of the hall and on the opposite side from this one. The room is clean and all of her stuff is put away, but there isn't any free closet space or empty drawers. W-We just haven't gotten around to getting rid of her stuff. Maybe we can see if the Halifax Clan would want her clothes and things."

The alpha pulled off his coat and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Get going, Faeden. I want to hear what the pup has to say." He glanced at Nathanial. "Shorts and a t-shirt are fine for your gym?"

Geoff answered for Nathanial. "Yes, Grandda, or just shorts, or nothing at all. Garret prefers shorts at minimum, but the rest of the Markses are pretty relaxed about nudity." Okay, so he left out that Nathanial's brothers would much prefer it if the Spirits went around nude.

Grandda pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the bed before unbuttoning his pants. Den sighed and picked up the shirt, then brought it over to the closet and hung it up. Geoff momentarily admired the physique of his grandfather; the muscles bulged under the brownish-grey fur, but he wasn't as cut as Dirk was -- there was a little 'padding' over his stomach. It wasn't enough to be very noticeable, but it hid some of the muscle definition. This was certainly not the first time he'd seen his grandfather undressing; nudity wasn't much of an issue in the clan, and he'd worked out with the alpha many times in the communal gym and showered with him afterwards. Nathanial seemed to like what he saw, too, making Geoff feel a little jealous.

The alpha dropped his pants and boxers before he seemed to realize everyone was still there. He paused and then snapped, "Well? Get going. I want to hear what the pup has to say and then exercise." He grabbed his jockstrap and began pulling it on while everyone filed out. Den stayed long enough to hang up his boss's pants, too.

---

Faelen sat beside his father in Nathanial's sitting room on the main floor, while the Akita poured the tea. He was a lot happier now that everyone was downstairs; Nathanial reeked of fear and pain the entire time they were above the main floor. All the adults wore gym shorts but were bare-chested; his da still had his bone choker and bracers on. Nathanial didn't seem to mind everyone being there, so he probably hadn't wanted privacy -- his wording was a little vague in Faelen's mind.

Nathanial sat down by Geoff on the loveseat with his own cup of tea before putting it down and clutching his tail. "U-Um..." He glanced sidelong at the alpha and let his tail go. He sat up straighter and the smell of fear faded as the pup suppressed it. The alpha nodded approvingly. "Liam and I went to the magic store in town yesterday after you left, to pick up the books we needed to study the teleporter. The proprietor of the store, John Doull, knew you guys were here." He nodded to Alpha McDougal. "Not you, sir, but Conor and Geoff. He also knew that you had a teleporter in your home." Nathanial held a paw up when the adults expressed varying degrees of unease and anger. "He found out about you the same way Liam did; he didn't spy or anything. The part I need to talk to you about is his intentions; Mr. Doull is tied with the bureaucracy somehow and is getting the Mage who made your teleporter brought in for questioning. Apparently you guys did this whole deal under the table, and Mr. Doull thinks it was very stupid, mostly because of the problem we have now. The mere perception of Geoff getting cheated or being put in danger is a potential trigger for violence, so this Mage should never have accepted the deal, or if he did he should've made sure there was no possible way it could've come back to haunt the Society. Mr. Doull wants to get some Society guys to come out and inspect, then fix, the teleporter for free. He seems to have a lot of pull, so I'd bet he could get it done really fast."

Alpha McDougal was visibly steaming. "Like hells. You heard the way that O'Donovan pup, the little pig boy, was angry because you were there. Can you imagine how much trouble it'd cause if the clan found out we had a bunch of actual 'crats there and not just Mages? Fuck that. You try to fix -- or replace -- it first, then we'll see. The Society will have to act fast if they want a chance to talk to that Mage before I get my paws on him."

Conor smelt a little annoyed. "I don't know if it's wise to move against him if the Society already plans on interrogating him, Da. They know we're pissed and will check us first if he goes missing. Do you think the clan would like to have dozens of Agents poking about the entire clan's lands? If they didn't find him they'd probably move to other clans in the area. Even if he'd actually hurt Geoff, they couldn't let us get off with abducting and exacting revenge on one of their own. Let them deal with him. It might be wise to ensure he's kept safe and doesn't go rabbiting off if word of this gets back to him."

The Alpha's face became thunderous and he exploded, "What!? You want us to baby-sit this bastard who might've been planning on abducting Geoff!? Have you taken leave of your senses, Conor?"

Poppy Faeden grimaced. "I don't know if I'd go as far as Conor, sir, though I'd recommend we stay as far away as possible to ensure we don't leave any traces of Spirit energy around in case he does go missing. If we keep him under observation and he bolts, they might be able to find traces of our presence in the area and blame us for it. If he teleports somewhere, how could we stop him or track him? I agree that we shouldn't make any moves against him."

Alpha McDougal gulped down his tea and surged to his hindpaws. "Gods. You two are so afraid of acting you can't do anything. Ares must hate your guts." He put the cup down and turned to Nathanial. "That it, pup? Got anything else to scare these two girls with? You could have just said your bit in the suite without all the drama, you know."

Nathanial shook his head. "No, sir, nothing else to add." He tipped his head in embarrassment. "I probably could've said it upstairs, but, well, I guess I'm getting your Irish habit of having tea around for any important news."

Den laughed at that. "It helps keep the fighting down when you're worried about breaking the china."

Even Alpha McDougal chuckled. "China is too processed for me to work with, so, yes, it helps. I learnt that lesson after breaking my granny's good set. Now, I need to go lift some weights; there's been too much frilly, sappy, and sissy stuff for my tastes today."

Geoff took a gulp of his tea before leaning into Nathanial. "Are we exercising, too?" He didn't smell aroused, so he probably meant it literally.

Conor shot a dark look at his father and quickly spoke up. "You have homework Geoff, unless you both finished it, already. If you want to join us in the gym after that, it's fine." Poppy Faeden looked amused as he looked at Geoff and Nathanial.

Nathanial nodded. "He's right, Geoff. You two need to do your homework, if you haven't. There's a fair amount of Chemistry problems to do and a chapter to read in Integrated Sciences for tomorrow. I finished mine while making supper, so I can help either of you if you want."

Geoff sighed. Faelen knew his boss hadn't done any of it, but neither had he. However, Faelen also knew Geoff would have a lot of trouble sitting still until he burned off his excess energy. "Why don't we do some kung fu while the cardio machines are occupied and then run while we do the reading when they're free?" He quickly addressed Conor before either he or Geoff could react, "He needs to burn off some energy before he can sit still, sir. It's futile trying to studying with the state he's in." Conor nodded with a sigh.

Geoff jumped up with his tail wagging rapidly. "Great idea!" His eyes shone as he turned to his grandfather. "You'll love their gym. I helped them pick out the equipment and made sure they got the best stuff available." He began trotting off to the stairs, and called over his shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

---

Nathanial groaned and stretched as he joined everyone in the showers. He'd spent extra time in the kung fu area practicing circle kicks while Geoff and Faelen ran on the treadmills, and his legs were feeling rubbery. He had a very hard time turning his hips far enough and tipping his centre of gravity to bring his legs around to kick something when 'something' was just in his mind. Give him a heavy bag to kick at and he was fine, but not in a drill or in a form. Still, he was making progress.

He had spent some time after that going through forms near Geoff and Faelen while he explained the chapter to Faelen. The Wolf was smart, but the way he thought just didn't match up with the way these textbooks were written. Then Nathanial drilled them on the chapter they'd just read in Integrated Science; that was more for Geoff than Faelen, but both found it useful. Once Faelen had the concepts explained in a way he understood, he was fine, but Geoff needed to apply the lessons before it really stuck. For Nathanial, himself, he was patterns and logic; if something made sense it clicked without a problem; if it was just some random list to memorize he struggled mightily with it.

Again, just like in the guest suite upstairs, the adults all stripped naked without the slightest hesitation. Nathanial found that so bizarre knowing how homophobic Spirits were supposed to be, even if these four weren't. Wasn't being naked around a whole bunch of hot, sweaty guys the epitome of gayness? Yet not one of them, including Geoff and Faelen, batted so much as an eye.

Nathanial felt his old shyness return as he saw all of the really fit and muscular adults -- even Geoff and Faelen were included in that -- dump their sweaty clothes into the storage baskets and stride off into the showers. The Akita wrapped his arms around his belly and felt his tail curling up between his legs. Sure, his belly didn't protrude anymore, but there wasn't any sign of a six-pack...or adult fur. He may have more adult fur around his sheath, on his chest, and under his arms, but his belly was still covered in downy fluff. How could he shower with the alpha and Den there? Conor and Dirk had already seen him naked (or more, in Conor's case), but the alpha would see how little he deserved Geoff for sure -- he was still a pup!

Geoff poked his head back around the corner while the sound of the showers turning on echoed in the next room. "Hey, pup." A mix of arousal and surprise crossed his features. He stepped all the way around and walked over to Nathanial with his sheath noticeably thickening. "What's wrong?" Nathanial looked down at his paws, ashamed of his body and his own cowardice, and Geoff seemed to get it. "Oh." He stepped behind Nathanial and took the pup in his arms. His paws pushed under the Akita's arms to rub through the soft fur while he growled in his ears, "You are so hot, Nathanial; don't think otherwise. You aren't here to please Grandda, you're here for me, right?"

Nathanial whimpered as the deep rumble behind him vibrated through his chest, soothing and arousing him at the same time. He tilted his head aside when he felt those sharp teeth begin to nibble at the side of his neck and involuntarily moaned.

"Heh." The sudden snort from the alpha in the next room made the lovers jump. "Sounds like my grandson is about to get lucky again. Maybe he had the right idea going after a guy; he seems to get a shitload more sex than I did at that age, or this age. Hells, Neasa never let me fuck her till we were married."

Den groaned, sounding a little ill. "Sir, while I don't begrudge them for being who they are, that's still dis...turbing, especially coming from you."

Nathanial would've wagered a lot on betting that Den was going to say 'disgusting' instead, and the nauseated expression practically guaranteed it. He stepped away from Geoff; both of them no longer felt aroused at all. His ESP showed the pain on Dirk's and Faelen's faces clearly, but they -- all of the gay people here -- knew that coming out wouldn't be an instant fix, even if their loved ones accepted them right away, or even nearly right away. Prejudice took time to fight and change.

Conor shook his head, sending small droplets of water flying. "Boys, if you want to have sex, that's fine, just take it to the other washroom. Dirk, can you scrub my back?"

The intercom buzzed, signalling the front gate had opened. Nathanial's family was home from kung fu.

"Yes, sir."

Geoff and Nathanial walked into the shower room. Den and Alpha McDougal were at the far end, with Den scrubbing his boss's back. Conor and Dirk were on the left, and Faelen was to the right. Geoff and Nathanial moved to the empty shower beside their friend.

The alpha shook his head. "You sick, Geoff? Why the hells would you turn down a chance to bury your cock--"

He was cut off by Conor. "Da! Don't start...continue, whatever. I'd say having their grandfather interrupt them was the reason. That, or Faeden's slip."

Den's head drooped along with his ears and tail. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Nathanial smiled timorously. "I know. It'll take time to get used to it; I hear that phrase a lot. Even if I were a girl, you still wouldn't want Geoff and I flaunting it around..." He trailed off under the lecherous leers from Den and his boss. "Um... eww."

Den laughed. "What? You'd make a pretty girl."

Faelen joined in the laughter. "That's the eww part. He's much hotter this way."

Nathanial could sense that the car was parking in the garage, and his family was about to enter the house. He held up a paw to cut off the conversation, though he was more than happy to stop this one. "My family is home; the buzzer was the sound of the front gate opening."

The adults nodded and the alpha asked, "Do they shower at home or at this kung fu place? We can make room for them and say hi if they still need to shower."

Again, Nathanial was surprised and befuddled. There was no way in all the hells he'd want to meet someone for the first time in a locker room like this. Sure, the alpha had already met Dad, but...maybe meeting pups was different in his mind. "They shower at home. They take private lessons and Dad doesn't feel right making the instructor clean up after them like that. The owner of the kwoon -- the, um, kung fu place -- teaches them and cleans up after their class." He quickly sent his mind up to his father. *Dad, the Spirits are over. We just finished working out so we're all downstairs showering. They said they'd make room if you wanted to say hi and chat while cleaning up.*

Garret shrugged and nodded. He was preceding Nicholas and Micah into the house from the garage and called over his shoulder. "Geoff's grandfather is downstairs with everyone cleaning up after a workout. We'll pop down and say hi; make sure you behave yourselves." The pups' faces lit up in excitement, which Garret noticed. "I mean it. Any flirting, ogling, or anything else to make anyone uncomfortable and you're out."

Nathanial was beyond surprised, now. Didn't these straight guys find it at all weird being naked around each other and showering so close together? Even now, Alpha McDougal was scrubbing Den's back as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Faelen laughed in the shower beside him. "It's a jock thing, Nathanial. When you play sports or work out this often, the locker room is just another room. It's common courtesy to wash someone else's back if they wash yours; rank doesn't matter in here -- it's just a bunch of guys cleaning up after a match or workout. I guess your da and brothers are coming down?"

Nathanial nodded dumbly.

Conor was washing Dirk's back, now, too, so he just motioned to Faelen with his muzzle. "You can share the shower with Garret. Nicholas and Micah can use the one beside us."

Nathanial finished soaping up his front and rinsed it out while Geoff worked on cleaning the pads of his hindpaws. He stepped out of the spray and got a load of shampoo on his paws for Geoff's back, then waited for his boyfriend to rinse off. Faelen was kind of right; showering around people did feel a lot less awkward since he'd started exercising so often; it wasn't nearly as bad as he dreaded when he heard he'd have to take at least one credit of Phys. Ed. in high school.

He could hear his family -- Micah, mostly -- in the changing room undressing. Micah was excitedly discussing a new spell his grandfather promised to teach him: Elf Shot. Apparently it was a dangerous spell that sent an arrow-sized bolt of energy at a target and, if it hit, disrupted the nervous system of the person struck, causing seizures, paralysis, unconsciousness, or death. The energy was invisible to mundane Furs, which would make it a good defensive spell for Micah.

Soon, the three of them wandered into the shower room. Nathanial turned from Geoff, who was still rinsing, to them. "Hi, guys. Welcome home. Now, you've all met Mr. O'Conall before, but," He met his brothers' eyes. "You two haven't met Geoff's grandfather." He turned his head to the alpha, who was frowning slightly as he looked over the slight Akita pups. "Alpha Luke McDougal, may I present my brothers Nicholas and Micah Marks. Nick, Mike, this is Alpha Luke McDougal."

The alpha nodded at them. "Pups." He seemed both annoyed and flattered at the awe in which they stared at him. The large Wolf certainly enjoyed being the 'big dog' in town, and the way his muscles unnecessarily rippled and bulged when he turned back toward Den showed it.

Nick, in particular, was awestruck, though he managed to not stare at the alpha's large sheath and hefty balls. Alpha McDougal's sheath was about fifty percent larger than his son's in length and width, and his balls were almost twice as big. Nick shook himself and closed his mouth with a click. "Hello, sir. It's a pleasure to see you."

Den snorted in amusement. "That's quite obvious, Nick. Just remember, he's straight too, and he isn't into being anyone's daddy, tying anyone up, or using leather paddles that sting like the dickens."

The alpha chuckled. "Speak for yourself, Faeden. Neasa likes all of that." Conor winced, while Nick's penis quickly left his sheath. "She really likes hard--"

Conor's paws twitched toward his ears; his shout interrupted his father. "DA!" He shook his head. "Enough! I don't want to hear about Geoff's sex life, and I don't want to hear about yours. Besides, don't raise Nick's hopes up talking about that sort of thing if you aren't going to play with him."

Garret quickly cut in. "You aren't going to play with him. There's not a chance I'll let one of my boys have sex with an adult unless it's another matter of life and death."

Alpha McDougal grinned at Nick. "Sorry, pup, you heard your da." His grin slid into a scowl. "Besides, I ain't gay. I'm the alpha, and that means the biggest, toughest, strongest, and manliest. None of that bum-boy stuff for me."

Nick nodded emphatically. "Yes, sir, I know, sir. I can really see that's true; you're really big and strong. Your muscles show how much work you put into them -- they're like big boulders under your fur. And it makes sense that the big dog should be able to put anyone into their place and show them who's really boss whenever he wants."

Conor sneezed explosively, followed seconds later by Faelen. Nathanial quickly got the hint, especially since he felt himself getting really turned on. He cast Mind Ward and felt some of the edge taken off of Nick's pheromones; still, everyone was showing at least a little pink. The alpha had more than a little bit of his penis exposed -- a good seven centimetres at least -- and he looked like he'd rival Jim DeKou when fully hard. Nathanial was almost afraid to consider what a knot on a dick that thick would look like.

Nathanial spoke up before Nick could continue extolling the vain Earth Elemental's physical virtues; he'd begun preening even more than he had when he first noticed the pups' awe of him. "Nick, standing in the middle of the room isn't getting your fur washed. Please hop in a cold shower, if necessary, to put a damper on your pheromones."

Nick hung his head. "Yes, Nats. Sorry." He stepped into the water, and the sudden change in the atmosphere signalled that Nick had suppressed his pheromones. He still wasn't giving up, though. "So, sir, how often do you work out?"

Alpha McDougal snorted. "Not as often as I'd like. Maybe five times a week. Being alpha has its disadvantages and a busy schedule is one of them." He rubbed the layer of fat over his abs. "This is more from my body type than the lack of exercise, though. I pack on pounds -- muscle and fat -- very easily. Not many Wolves are endomorphs like I am."

Conor snorted. "The amount of whiskey and cake you eat doesn't help you lose that layer of fat, Da. You and Den should both cut back on the booze."

"Don't start on that again, Conor. I can drink a whole bottle without getting pissed, so a few glasses at a time aren't going to turn me into some drunkard."

Micah laughed. "Pissed! Eww! Watersports sounds icky, but what does whiskey have to do with it? Is it because drinking a lot of alcohol makes you go pee more?"

Everyone froze and looked at him in surprise. Den spoke first. "Why the hells would a little pup like you know about watersports?" He glared accusingly at Nick before realizing Nick looked just as dumbfounded.

Geoff began massaging Nathanial's back, rubbing some conditioner in at the same time. "I'd bet it was either from the net or some other students were talking about it. You can hear a lot of stuff about sex and kinks on the playgrounds -- some really raunchy kinks, too." He addressed Micah. "Micah, 'pissed' means really drunk. Grandda was saying it takes a lot of liquor to make him so drunk he has trouble walking."

"Oh. That actually sounds less fun than watersports. I like being able to walk. My granddad says I don't really have to worry about that; it's almost impossible for most Fey to get drunk on mortal alcohol. Even Changelings have to really try before they can feel anything. He says that it's a good thing because we don't do well with it; we get nasty and tend to cause a lot of problems. He promised to let me try his favourite drink when I turn eighteen if I promise not to drink any mortal stuff other than mead or wine -- nothing distilled under any circumstances."

Nathanial was relieved to hear that; now he only had to worry about Nick falling into the wrong crowd and running into trouble at a party. He knew several of the Furs Nick hung out with went to keggers; it was only a matter of time before they tried to make Nick go to one, too. The last thing he needed was Nick getting wasted and turning an underage drinking party into an orgy. If Nick got a girl pregnant while he was only fifteen...

Faelen interrupted his thoughts. "Nathanial, I'm sure Nicholas knows how much trouble he could cause if he got drunk at a party and lost control of his powers. He won't have forgotten what happens to someone when they get hit by a fireball."

The nauseated and terrified look on Nicholas's face said he didn't forget. Garret pulled his son into a hug. "Hey, relax, Nicholas. That was self-defence. But Faelen is right; all of you have very dangerous magic. You need to be careful with it and exercise control; that's part of the price for your gifts. Physical power requires dedication to fitness and healthy diets, mental power requires study, and magic power requires constant control and practice."

Nicholas quickly calmed down and pulled away from his father, embarrassed. He tried to look aloof at the same time, but didn't succeed all that well. "Jeeze, Dad, I'm fine." He glanced at Dirk and then the alpha, worried they'd make fun of him, but Dirk just looked a little concerned and the alpha was scowling like normal. "Yeah, I know the price of magic. You can relax; I've already turned down a few invitations to some parties where there'd be drinking. Knowing how much trouble I have with certain aspects of my magic, I figured I'd make the party a bit too wild and get the Society sniffing around."

Dirk said, "That's a smart choice, Nick, one I wish more Spirits took. Fortunately, while getting drunk may cause us to use our abilities unwisely, it also makes it very difficult for us to manifest. That makes it hard to trace an odd occurrence to a Spirit." Dirk's praise made Nicholas's chest puff up in pride.

Nathanial looked back over his shoulder at Geoff, wondering if he was the person Dirk was talking about, or if it was a young Conor. Geoff shook his head at him; he didn't know what Dirk was talking about, either. They both looked at Conor.

The Water Elemental just said, "Rolph." He must've known what they were thinking. He did elaborate a bit more. "Dirk had to watch Rolph several times decades ago before Da banned Rolph from leaving the clan lands and I had Dirk formally swear to serve only me. The last time Dirk watched my brother was when Rolph ended up burning down a pub. That's probably part of the reason they hate each other, the main one being me."

Dirk stiffened up indignantly. "Sir, Rolph is still a McDougal; I don't hate him."

Alpha McDougal snorted. "Hah! Do you think Rolph hasn't complained several times to me because no O'Conall is willing to serve him? Lorena was very vocal about her views on the matter when I spoke to your family elders -- she called for a formal denouncement of him by the O'Conall family. She hates him, and I wager you do too, Dirk." He stepped out of the shower and ran his paws over his body to push some of the excess water out.

Nathanial was about to cast Drying, but Nick beat him to it. He said the trigger word and pointed at the giant Wolf, drying him instantly. "There you go, sir." Nathanial wagered Nick didn't need to say anything but wanted to make sure the alpha knew who did it.

The alpha nodded. "Thanks, pup." Den hastily finished rinsing and followed him out; Nick dried him off, too, and hungrily watched them go to the changing room.