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Lykos - Lone wolf

Chapter 5

Ben yawned, his long canine tongue curling upwards as he stretched it out of his proto-muzzle, then opened his golden eyes to see Steve laying there on his side with a smile on his muzzle, his head propped on the palm of his hand and his elbow digging into the turf as he watched the larger wolf awaken, his tail wagging lazily.

"Enjoy your nap?" he asked.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep. Naps always seem like a waste to time to me," Ben grumbled, annoyed that he had dozed off.

Steve chuckled. "You'll need to develop a better attitude about them. Wolves are notorious nappers. We tend to only sleep for a bit at a time, then get up for awhile, then nap again. I like it," he added with a shrug made slightly awkward by the position he was it. "Helps me feel energized most of the time."

"Then I'll never get anything done," Ben grumbled again in annoyance.

"Yes you will," Steve countered gently with a smile. "Only the rhythm of your life will change, not the amount of time sleeping... Well... Actually you'll probably start sleeping less than before. Werewolves don't need as much sleep as humans do. Just because you nap doesn't mean you'll be sleeping longer each day and night, You'll just be spreading it out."

"Maybe," Ben hedged with doubt, then moved to scratch an itch in his cheek, but yelped in pain as he stabbed himself in the face with his claw, making a painful pinprick in his cheek.

"Careful," Steve told him. "Your claws are really sharp, so you always have to be aware of where they are."

"Yeah," Ben growled, annoyed with himself. "I kind of noticed. Shit," he said, pulling the claw away to see a spot of blood painting the tip in liquid crimson.

"Don't be a puppy," Steve teased him with mild annoyance. "You're already healing anyways." It was true, within a few seconds, the only trace of the injury was a small spot of blood on his skin, just above the beard line.

Ben frowned, then rolled onto his back, then yelped in pain again as he crushed his tail beneath him. "Dammit!" he swore.

"And watch where you put your tail, too," Steve said, looking sympathetic.

Ben sighed explosively and twisted himself around until he was sitting upright, feeling that trying to lay on his back with a tail would be a bad idea... Certainly a painful one for him. "This is going to take a lot of getting used to," he grumbled. "Especially this," he added, waving a hand at his groin.

"Don't you like it?" Steve asked, sitting up to match Ben's position. "You seemed to like it well enough when I was giving you a blowjob!" he teased, but stopped at the frown on the other werewolf's face. "You okay?" he asked gently.

Ben stared down at his genitals. "Is this really what a werewolf's dick is supposed to look like?" he asked. "I mean it -did- feel amazing... But it looks so weird."

"Didn't you ever have a dog as a boy?"

Ben shook his head. "We were always moving around a lot when I was little. My father was a contractor for the military. We never stayed anywhere for more than a few months at a time. He said having a dog wouldn't be practical."

Steve saw a dark expression cloud Ben's face, and decided to avoid asking about his father. "Well," he said instead, "all canines have a penis like that. For them, and us too, that's the way it's supposed to look."

"Just before I came, something happened. I think my transformation went wrong. My dick started changing into something bizarre."

Steve chuckled. "That's just your knot. When you're fully erect, the knot forms. If you push your penis inside of someone deep enough just before it fully swells up, you'll tie with whoever you're mounting."

"Tie?"

"It's also called 'knotting'," Steve said with a shrug. "Once that happens, you get stuck inside of them for awhile. A few minutes after you finish cumming, the knot goes down and you can pull out."

"That... Sounds weird," Ben answered, shaking his head.

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it," Steve replied with a lecherous smile. "If you think my squeezing it felt good, then wait until you bury it inside if someone. Someone like me, for example."

Despite the objections of his human self, the wolf in Ben stirred at that, feeling eager to give it a try. He pushed away the feeling, shaking his head. He still had more questions he wanted to ask, rather than become distracted, and the animal side of him snorted in disgust, but let him have his way. "When you were, you know, sucking me off," Ben said, blushing slightly with embarrassment, "We looked each other in the eye. I felt something strange then. I... Don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill, but-"

"You felt it too," Steve said, sighing in relief. "I thought I had imaged it. I think it was the beginning of a bond. A mating bond. I could feel our souls link together, both sides of each of us. The man and wolf in each of us wanting to be with that of the other person."

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, liking what he was hearing, but still somewhat confused.

"My wolf-self and my human-self looked at your wolf-self and your human-self and chose them as my mate. My wolf side likes both the wolf and human sides of you and so does my human side. You felt the same way, both wolf and man. Both parts of each of us chose the other person to be our mate."

"Like boyfriends?"

"Mates, not boyfriends," Steve corrected him gently. He paused at the look of doubt that clouded Ben's face. "Don't you want us to be mates?" he asked, slightly worried by Ben's doubt.

"Steve, I barely know you," Ben told him gently. "And I'm not the best when it comes to making stable relationships work. I... Have problems." Ben dropped his gaze to the ground in shame.

"What kind of problems?" Steve asked softly. Ben sighed and told him about the APD and how it worked. "You're mentally ill?" Steve asked, then began sniffing him carefully. "I don't smell anything wrong with you," he said after a few minutes of olfactory examination.

"Wait," Ben said. "You mean mental illness can be smelled?"

"For us it can," Steve answered matter-of-factly. "We can smell imbalances in a person's body chemistry, even those caused by things like depression, dementia, paranoia, and such. Conditions that affect the mind change the body chemistry enough that our strong sense of smell can detect it. I hate to break it to you, but you're not mentally ill."

"I guess Ino was right," Ben said thoughtfully. "It's all just habit and attitude in my case. I know the condition is real, and I've met people who have it pretty strongly, but if I really don't have it, then maybe I should try to take her advice."

Steve chuckled. "Ino has a lousy bedside manner, but she really knows her stuff. If your condition was medical, rather than just a case of a skewed perspective, she would've gotten you to someone who has experience with treating that kind of thing. If I were you, I'd do what she said to do. She has a knack for steering people in the right direction."

"I'll try," Ben answered softly, lost in thought. He shook his head. "This is all so bizarre. I feel so different. Even before I... Well... 'Wolfed out', I guess... I started feeling different."

"How so?" Steve inquired, tilting his head to the side to show his curiosity.

"I feel... I don't know... More aggressive, I guess. Like I want everyone to acknowledge me. Like what I did with Luke last night. It felt like the right thing to do, but now that I look back on it, I can't help but wonder what I thought I was doing."

"You weren't thinking, you were feeling," Steve explained. "Werewolves are creatures of instinct. If you feel like something is the right thing to do, then do it."

"I don't know. I don't want to turn into a bully."

Steve sighed. "I'm glad you feel that way," he said. "I'd hate to see you turn into a tyrant. There's already enough people like that around here as it is. I want you to be strong, but not cruel."

"I don't want to be cruel either," Ben said with a heavy heart.

"You are as much man as wolf now. Your wolf and your human, as long as they are in harmony, will follow the call of your heart. You're strong, yet have the capacity for kindness. It's a rare combination."

"What makes you think I'm so strong?" Ben asked with a wry smile laced with doubt.

"Even when you were human, you faced and defeated a direwolf," he said with a shudder as his mind dwelled on the thought of the creature. "That shows how strong you are. If you can do that as a human, then as a werewolf, you're destined for great things. You're an alpha, I'm sure of it," Steve said, looking him in the eye a moment before dropping his gaze slightly.

"What's that?" Ben asked, feeling confused as the wolf in him felt a surge of pride at that, while also feeling a surge of approval that Steve hadn't tried to assert himself over Ben just now by dropping his gaze.

"Alphas are the leaders of the packs. An alpha is the strongest, most fearless wolf in every pack, and they lead with strength. The force of their will makes all other wolves around them submit to them. All the betas and omega are under his sway and follow his lead. The stronger the alpha, the stronger the pack becomes."

Ben shuddered, feeling conflicted. Part of him was scared of having that kind of power over anyone. It was his human doubt clouding his will. But deep inside, the wolf in him stirred, liking the idea. He knew how strong they as a werewolf were. But he didn't want to push his human side into the position. Doing so would cause strife and break the harmony between them. For now, the wolf could wait. The human would understand in time. Eventually, he would believe in himself. "I don't know," he finally said. "That sounds kind of scary. Besides, won't the alpha of your pack take issue with me being around?"

"We don't have an alpha," Steve said. "We're all lower betas. None of us has a very dominant personality, so we are all basically equals. We handle disputes democratically. It works for us, no matter what the others say," he added with disgust.

"What others?"

"The other packs in the area. They think we don't count as a real pack because we don't have an alpha of our own. Every full moon they chase us around, trying to bully us into joining their packs. What's worse is that none of them wants all of us. The alphas each only want a few of us. Angela wants me for my strength, but she gets by on pure stubbornness. She lets her pack do all kinds of disgusting things, from what I've heard. I know they smoke wolfs bane. I've smelled it on them several times."

"Wolfs bane?" Ben asked.

"It's an herb that triggers an allergy type reaction in our wolf side that makes the wolf manifest in strange ways as it tries to purge the system of the herb. At least I think that's how it works. It's nothing more than using drugs to manipulate your wolf side, though, and I don't like the idea of things like that. None of the pack do. We try to stay clean and sober. Anyways, I also heard them bragging about catching prey and taking turns raping the poor thing until it dies before they eat it, rather than give the creature a quick, merciful death. That pack isn't just sick, they're gross! Angela just lets them do all of that. It's like she doesn't even care so long as they let her boss them around. She doesn't deserve to be a pack leader, as far as I'm concerned.

"Then there's Berke. He's a filthy homophobe who only wants Luke so he can take him away from Ken and force him to mate with bitches... Female wolves," he elaborated at Ben's raised eyebrow. "He hates gay people and refuses to see us as real werewolves, let alone people of any kind.

"Lester and Monica are two other alphas who have an intense rivalry going between their packs. They might as well be the Hatfields and the McCoys, what with the way they're always fighting each other. Every full moon their packs battle it out, but they're too evenly matched for a winner to be declared anytime soon.

"Last and worst is James. He's a monster. If anyone was to ever go dire, it'd be him," Steve said with a shudder. "He hates everyone and wants to be the only alpha around, but Angela and Berke are too strong willed to yield to him. He abuses his pack mercilessly, especially the omega. I've seen her so beaten and raped so badly after a full moon that she can barely walk afterwards, even with the power of the moon to strengthen her healing. She just walks around all the time, staring at the ground with eyes that look soulless. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that she's tried to commit suicide. But she's so devoted to James that I'm sure she won't try something like that unless it was James' idea first."

"That's disgusting!" Ben said with anger and revulsion. "Why doesn't anyone try to do anything to stop it?"

"Werewolf politics," Steve answered, shaking his head sadly. "The affairs of each pack are outside the providence of other packs. I hear that it works differently in other regions, but that's how it is here."

"What about the keepers?" Ben asked. "Don't they have a say in this?"

"They've tried talking to her repeatedly, but she won't say anything bad against James. She's enthralled so deeply to him that he could stand on her neck and she'd be grateful for it. I hate enthralled wolves," he said with a shudder. "They act like brain-dead zombies."

"None of your pack are enthralled to anyone?" Ben asked.

Steve shook his head. "I guess we all got lucky. Ken was enthralled to his sire, but it was a mild case and his sire died a few years ago and his pack never really liked him very much, making him the omega. He was so miserable that Ino managed to convince him to sever ties with them. It was hard for him to do, but ultimately it was the best thing for him. His aunt brought him here so he could get away from all the painful memories. He's regained his independence and having Luke helps him a lot. He's much more liberated than he was when I first met him."

"Anyway, Crissy, that's the omega's name, by the way, is so devoted to James that they can't get her to tell them what he does, and lets be done by the pack, to her. With no confession or even any interest on her part to break away from him, the Keepers can't do anything. We can't go to the police because we don't dare involve them in this. What if they learn about us? It would be the end for all our kind."

"So she willingly submits to that and no one can help her because she doesn't want to be helped?" Ben clarified. "I could never be a part of something like that."

"Some packs are like that, sad to say. But our pack is different. We treat each other well. We don't have an alpha, but no one is the omega either. We all treat each other as equals."

"Your pack sounds like the better deal," Ben told him with wry amusement.

"You keep saying that," Steve said, tilting his head. "You don't understand, do you?"

"Understand what?" Ben asked.

"Hold on," Steve said, standing up. "The others should be here for this." He lifted his head and howled, his call ringing out through the woods. Ben recognized it on an instinctual level. It was a call of summons. Part of him wanted to howl in response, but he stopped himself when he realized that it was pointless as he was already here. Several howls in the near distance called out, acknowledging the call and confirming that they were coming. The human side of Ben marveled at how a single tone could carry so much meaning, but the wolf in him just shrugged at his foolishness.

The others arrived within moments, skidding up to them and panting with exertion. "What's up?" Kyle asked. "You guys finished fucking already?"

"I only sucked him off," Steve corrected with a shrug, making Ben blush. *They really have no qualms about sex, do they?* he asked himself. The wolf side of him sighed in disgust at his close-mindedness. He paused at that, wondering if it would always be like this, him arguing with himself.

::No, it'll end when you stop acting like a cringing puppy and start trusting your instincts. Our harmony hasn't become complete yet. If you'd just trust me more we wouldn't be having to go through this every few minutes.::

The knowledge made him feel like a fool and he tried to push aside his hesitations with effort.

Ben had been lost in thought and hadn't heard the suggestive 'ooooh!'s from the guys. He came out of his thoughts as they all stared at him with knowing smiles. "What?" he asked.

Kyle's gaze moved down and he waggled his eyebrows. Ben frowned in confusion and followed his gaze down to his own hand, which was being held by Steve in an affectionate way.

"Dude," Ken said to Steve with a broad grin. "You found your mate, huh? Congratulations." He stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "I'm thinking... A Spring wedding."

Steve sighed "Let's slow down a bit," he said, sharing a glance with Ben that told him that it was an interesting possibility, but not something that was mandatory for them.

"Werewolves don't have to be married to their mates, you know. Unless of course they want to file their taxes jointly or have legal rights in regards to their mate. Besides, we're gay."

"Ahh," Ken said wisely, holding up a finger. "But you forget, kind Sir, that gay marriage is legal here."

Ben and Steve looked at each other for a moment. "We'll take it under advisement," Ben said dryly. Getting married for tax reasons sounded tacky to him. If he ever married, it would be for love, not more money every April fifteenth.

"So what's going on?" Kyle asked.

"Well, Ben here keeps saying things like 'your pack' to me, so I thought he might need some clarification on what all we've been doing out here all day."

The others smiled knowingly. "Ben," Kyle told him with a smile. "Why do you think we're letting you hang out with us and get to know us so well?"

Ben faltered. There was a sigh of disgust from his wolven side.

:::They're our pack now, Dummy!::

"You guys want me to be a part of your pack?"

"Duh," Ken said. "That's what we've been trying to do here... At least until some wolf whore jumped your bone and we all got so bored that we wandered off to find something productive to do," he teased.

Steve bristled, his face turning red. "I am NOT a whore!" he snarled.

"Whatever you say, Whore," Ken answered flippantly.

Steve lunged at him with a snarl, plowing into the Japanese wolf, and began to tear away at him with teeth and claws. Ben was shocked, sitting there numbly as he watched his tender, gentle Steve turn into a growling, snarling blur of rage as he attacked his friend violently. After a moment, Ken got over his shock and began to fight back, lashing out with fangs and claws against his attacker and drawing blood as well as his assault tore open Ken's skin in several places.

Ben looked to Kyle, who stood there, watching the battle with a sigh of resignation. Luke, meanwhile, winced and pressed the palm of his left hand to his forehead. "Ken," he groaned in annoyance. What shocked Ben the most was that neither of the two were trying to stop Steve and Ken from fighting. The scent of spilled blood trickled into the air to join with an odd mix of pheromones that set Ben's teeth on edge, making him feel tense. After a moment, his wolf side told him that what he was smelling was rage.

The wolf in him gazed on in interest, wondering if their mate would win, and hoping he did. He didn't want his mate to be weak. To the wolf side of Ben, this was both natural and proper. a challenge had been issued and was being answered.

Steve knocked the bloodied Ken onto his back, and the Asian man went still, his arms splayed out from his sides, his legs flat to the ground, and his head twisted to the side, exposing his throat with his tail curled upwards between his legs. "Okay! okay! I give!" he said quickly.

Steve stalked up to him, growling and moving on all fours like an animal. He snarled in Ken's face. "Don't ever call me a whore again! It's degrading!"

"Alright," Ken said submissively, acknowledging that he had been beaten and avoiding looking Steve in the eye.

Kyle sighed. "You guys finished?" he asked in a slightly bored tone.

"Yeah, we're done," Steven said dismissively with a snort, as though the fight had been nothing at all as his anger broke.

"We should head back," Luke suggested. "It's about to get dark and the keepers are probably starting to worry about us."

"Why?" Ben asked.

"We've had some troubles with other packs trying to steal parts of our territory. Jack and Jessica will want to know we're safe."

Kyle cleared his throat. "I'll let them know we're coming," he said, and let out a howl that ended in three sharp yaps.

Ben couldn't understand what the howl meant. He send a silent inquiry to his wolven side, who replied with a silent shrug-of-confusion type of feeling. "What kind of howl was that?" he asked.

"Our own special code howl," Steve told him. "We created it for the keepers. They know that it means we're okay and we're on our way home." Ben's wolf side memorized the howl that that he could use it himself in the future. He stood up to join the others... His pack mates.

As Steve walked over to join his mate, Ben saw the cuts on his body closing as he began to heal from his injuries. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Steve shrugged with indifference. "It just stings a little. No worries. The important thing is that I made Ken back down. He won't ever call me that again, so it's all good."

"Is something like that normal?"

"Yeah," Steve said flippantly. "We get into fights all the time. We get angry, we fight, someone usually wins, and then it's all forgotten. That's the way werewolves settle their arguments. Don't worry. I still like Ken. I just wanted to let him know how much it hurt when he said that. He knows that now, so we're cool."

Ben just shook his head in confusion as he put his stiff, cum-stained shorts back on, and they began to run through the trees, heading back to the house.

:::Get used to that. It's only a matter of time before we get into a fight with someone. When it happens, trust in us. Trust our instincts to guide us true.::

Ben tried his best to agree with that as they dashed among the trees of the forest, heading back to the house...

*****

A few steaks complimented the remains of the deer, and the pack, along with its newest member, munched away with their keepers, still in their wolfed-out forms. They had decided to stay that way to get Ben used to his new life as a werewolf and help his human side adjust to the changes. To be honest, Ben liked the feeling of strength that surged through his muscles every time he made any form of movement. He could easily get used to being like this all the time, but it could make work difficult. He sighed as he set down the bone he had been gnawing on in satisfaction, making both human and wolf within him feel fuzzy with content, as he thought about work.

"I have to go to work tomorrow. There's no way I can be absent for three days in a row without a note from a doctor or anything."

"You work for a mortgage company, right?" Jack asked him, making him nod.

"You might want to change back to your human shape for that," Jessica said with a smile while refusing to meet his eyes. "You don't want to show up to work with a muzzle."

Ben's eyes crossed as he looked down at the tip of his proto-muzzle. "Good idea." He was about to ask the guys how to change back when he wondered if it would have any erotic side effects, and though better of having a screaming orgasm in front of the humans.

::Who cares?::

*-I- do!* he thought firmly.

The wolf in him just sighed in disgust, but gave up arguing.

He nodded to himself. He saw Jack raise an eyebrow of inquiry. "I'm just talking to my wolf side. He seems kind of frustrated that I'm having a hard time getting used to all of this."

"Wait," Kyle said slowly. "You talk to your instinctual side as if it's a completely separate person?" He asked, frowning with concern.

Ben shrugged. "Yeah. Don't you?" Kyle shook his head slowly, looking worried.

"Don't worry about it," Luke said, keeping his gaze lowered to Ben's chest. Seeing him do that gave the wolf in Ben a feeling of satisfaction. Luke understood his place now, and Ben hadn't even had to draw blood. That showed that Luke was smart and adaptable as well as understanding that Ben was stronger than him. "I was like that at first too. It's not unheard of. Once you get used to being a werewolf, the two sides of you will settle down and you'll start to think of both parts of you as a single person."

Ben sighed at that. He had started to wonder if he'd always be this way.

::Told you.::

Kyle relaxed at that. "It still sounds strange, though. Like something a crazy person would do."

"WHAT?!?" Ben snarled furiously, leaping to his feet and jarring the table, his anger spiking sharply. He stared at Kyle in rage, snarling and growling. Everyone was shocked at the sudden change in the new wolf.

Steve was the only one who understood why the remark had upset Ben and he turned to Kyle. "You better apologize. Now!"

Kyle glanced at him, then turned back to Ben, who was still snarling and growling in fury. He looked up into the other wolf's eyes and felt the power that poured from them. It was too much for him, and he dropped his gaze as he became submissive. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean to make you angry," he said timidly.

Ben still growled, his tail lashing back and forth viciously. The wolf in him felt the thrill of triumph because Kyle now understood how it was between them. Ben was the stronger wolf. His anger, however, didn't fade away. "Don't ever call me that again!" he growled.

"Ben," Jack said with measured calmness. "Please don't start a fight at the table."

Ben growled again. He wanted to leap across the table and tear into the other werewolf, to make him hurt for the insult, but he realized that if he did so, the keepers could become injured in the scuffle... And they couldn't heal themselves the way the wolves could. That was the only thing that made him back down. He trembled in reaction as he stifled his fury, and tossed himself down roughly into his chair, which creaked threateningly. Ben picked up a bone and bit it in half savagely to vent his anger, taking it out in the remains of his meal instead of on Kyle... Even though the other wolf had earned it.

The strange part was that the anger wasn't coming from the wolf side of him; It was coming from his human half. He had doubted his sanity enough as it was, but for someone else to call him crazy bothered him deeply. He glared across the table at Kyle as he started to suck the marrow from the bone. *He's just lucky I'm too worried that the humans will get hurt if I attack him here and now.* He paused at that in surprise. He realized that he'd just thought of the keepers as 'the humans' three times in as many minutes.

::It means you're finally starting to think like a proper werewolf. Get used to it.::

*I'm sorry this is so difficult for me to get used to.*

There was a sigh. ::You need to let go of your fears and embrace your instincts. Once you do that, we will finally become one.::

Accompanying that realization was a trace of sadness. Ben realized that the wolf felt like an incomplete person. The knowledge that he was the one holding them back bothered him deeply, and he promised himself that he would try to let go of his inhibitions and hesitations. He felt a surge of gratitude at that, which made him feel slightly better. He sighed and pulled the bone out of his muzzle. "This isn't easy for me. I like it, but parts of it still bother me. Part of me is scared of what I'll do if I lose control. I feel like I can't trust myself. What if I go too far and kill someone without meaning to? I mean look at what just happened. Someone insults me and I have to fight not to beat the shit out of them. I like being strong, but this power frightens me," he said, looking down at his claws with concern.

The other wolves felt sympathy, seeing just how hard it was for Ben to adjust to being a werewolf. Steve reached over from beside him to rub his upper leg soothingly. "Just give it time. Your wolf is a rather aggressive one. It's only natural to worry about keeping yourself under control."

Jack chewed his food slowly. The truth was, he had been having the same worries. Ben's wolven instincts were manifesting much more strongly than in most werewolves. He was strong, aggressive, and easy to upset. Could he really keep himself under control under stress? Would he be a danger to everyone around him?

...Would he end up as a direwolf after all?

Jack remained lost in thought throughout the rest of the meal...

*****

Jack sat in his office, waiting. As he did so, he used the techniques his mentor had taught him that would strengthen his resolve and help him to control his emotions. *I truly, sincerely hope I'm not making the single worst mistake of my life,* he thought to himself with worry that he had to force down into the recesses of his mind. Unlike some other keepers, Jack had never developed any unique gift as a keeper. All he had to go on was his training and the abilities all keepers learned during their training. All he had to bolster that was his will and his motivation. *I sure hope it's enough.*

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," he said calmly as he stood up, his hands at his sides as he stood behind his desk.

Ben entered the room wearing only a loose t-shirt and pair of shorts that Steve had loaned him, sniffing around through his muzzle as was his newfound habit. "You wanted to see me?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Please come in and shut the door behind you. I'd like to have a private word with you."

Curious, Ben did as requested. "What's up?"

Jack sighed. "That's what I'd like to know. Just what do you think you're doing?"

Ben frowned. "In relation to...?" he asked, waiving a clawed hand around vaguely in inquiry.

"The pack," Jack elaborated, putting force behind his words. "I want to know whet you think you're doing. You think you can come in here and start pushing them around? Well I won't stand for it!" he said sharply, beginning to show his anger. "I hold no patience for bullies."

Ben bristled, reacting to the hostile tone and the challenge it held. "I'm no bully!" he snarled.

"Bullshit you're not!" Jack snapped growing angrier by the moment. "First Luke and now Kyle! Which one will it be next? Ken or Steve?"

Ben growled, the anger of his wolven side coming to the fore to share his human indignation. He didn't answer. He was too angry to think.

Jack saw he wouldn't get a response to that, so he pressed onwards, driving his point home. "You are not going to steal my pack away from me, do you hear me? Those poor lads have been put through enough already and I won't allow some petty tyrant to come in here and grind them under his foot just to ease his own childish insecurities!"

Ben snarled as something inside of him snapped. His wolven instincts came forward with newfound strength as a feeling of possessiveness overtook him, altering his thinking. How dare this man, this human(!), challenge his authority! The pack was his! He was the alpha! It was his right to be the one they followed, not some weak, pathetic creature who didn't even have claws or fangs to fight with! How dare this weakling tell him who he could and could not dominate! He snapped at the air in fury, spittle flying from his jaws, his hands clenching and unclenching, his toe claws digging into the cream-colored carpet that covered the floor. He trembled with rage, but held his place despite his anger.

"Well?" Jack asked sharply, staring the wolf right in the eyes.

Ben saw that he was being challenged. The human actually had the gaul to think that he could stare Ben down! He glared back, pouring all of his power into his gaze, showing the human just how strong he truly was. The human would learn his place. Jack didn't flinch, didn't blink... He just stared back. "That won't work on me, Ben," he said levelly. "I'm not a werewolf and you have no right to dominate me. You can glare at any wolf as much as you please because they're used to it, but I'm not like that. I won't submit to you no matter how hard you try to stare me down! You don't have the right!"

The werewolf was shocked, his anger faltering slightly. He could expect resistance from a strong wolf, yes, but from a human? He stopped snarling, leveling down to a series of warning growls.

"I won't let you hurt them just so you can feel like the big man, Ben! I promised them I'd help them and keep them safe. I'll protect them from anyone who would abuse them, and that includes you! Do you even care about their feelings? Do you even see them as people, or are they merely pawns and playthings for you to exercise control over simply because they're too weak to fight back? Do you care about them at all?!?"

Ben snarled, but more to himself than at the human. "I do care about them," he growled, still feeling agitated. "How dare you even suggest that I'd treat them the way you're implying I would!"

"Ever since you met your inner wolf, you've been swinging your ego around like a sledgehammer! You forced Luke and Kyle into submission and now you're trying it on me, and I'm not even a werewolf! What else am I supposed to think?"

Ben sighed as his anger cooled from a raging inferno to a smoldering blaze. "Alright," he admitted, still not breaking eye contact. "I suppose trying to make a human submit is going a bit too far, but you challenged me and I won't back down from something like that. I finally start acting like the creature I am and you get pissed at me for doing so? If you don't like it then don't try to challenge me!"

"I have to!" Jack snapped in fury.

"Why?" Ben snarled.

"For them! The boys aren't strong on their own. Their wills are too weak. It would be all too easy for them to be dominated and abused by someone who doesn't give a flying fuck about their feelings and I won't let that happen to them! It's bad enough that I can't help them when the moon is full and I can't be there to protect them from the other wolves who only care about breaking their wills and dragging them through the mud! I won't let them be torn apart and I won't let them be bullied by anyone. Not out here in the world where I can be here for them! If you want slaves to boost your fragile ego, then look elsewhere because I won't let you have them if that's all you care about!"

Ben snarled in fury, stormed forward to the desk, and with a single clawed hand, shoved it aside before he moved up to the human to snarl right in his face. "They're MINE! MY pack! MINE to protect! How dare you suggest I don't care about them! I love them!" He snarled right in the human's face, his fangs mere centimeters from the keeper's nose. "They are mine!" he growled. He glared as hard as he could and poured all of this strength into his eyes, showing Jack just how powerful he was. His rage was the fury of a hurricane! His howl would make the land shake and the trees shiver! His will could stretch to the moon and back and his power could smash down anything that stood before him! All that power was focused on a single purpose...

To protect.

What happened wasn't a supernatural power or ability, it was sheer, unadulterated will. Through the power of his will alone, Ben poured all of his strength into his gaze, showing the full depth of his power to the human. He would never run; he would never retreat; he would never surrender to anyone. Even if it cost him his life, Ben would never submit to anyone. All of that power would serve and protect his pack, as it was meant to. A true alpha would fight to the death for the sake of those he led. That was the strength within him. He was no longer weak. He no longer doubted himself. There was no hesitation. He was a werewolf, a predator, and he wasn't afraid of it anymore. He embraced it... And in that moment, he changed forever as the minds of the human and the wolf within him fused together into a single whole, empowered by his incredible will, emmense strength, relentless pride, boundless confidence, drive to be acknowledged, and desire to protect his pack. Ben achieved not just harmony, but unity between the separate halves of his being; becoming something entirely new in personality and goals.

Jack stared into the golden eyes that bore into him, his hands tightening. "If you're going to challenge me for them, then do it!" he said fiercely, refusing to back down. "I'd rather die than live to see them broken. It would tear my heart to pieces!"

He still didn't understand.

Ben growled, trembling with fury, but after a moment, his rage cooled down as he regained control of himself. "I won't kill you, Jack. Nor will I fight you for them. I don't need to. Besides, I want to protect them just as badly as you do. All my power, all my will, everything I have I will use to protect my pack. I'm not interested in belittling them or breaking down their wills. I don't want them as my slaves; I want them to be strong. And when they cannot protect themselves, I will fight their battles for them. I love them and I will die for them if need be," he added, his anger fading away as he eased back on his power, no longer trying to dominate the human or display his might. He knew the human had seen enough. He could see it in the shocked look in the back of the human's eyes, the look he thought didn't show. "I love them and I will protect them. They have shown me the kindness and acceptance I thought no one would ever give me. They took me as their own and nurtured me. They even gave me my mate. They are now the family I had always wanted and feared would never be. I can never repay them for all of that, but I'll die trying," he added with a last, savage snarl.

"You will?" Jack asked softly, still staring into the werewolf's eyes that were inches from his own.

"Yes. You said you couldn't protect them during the full moon, right?"

"It's my greatest fear," Jack said, his voice trembling. "Every full moon, when the barrier goes up and they are separated from me, I fear that it will be the last time I see them together. That that night their wills will be broken and the bond of their pack sundered by the alphas who seem hell-bent on tearing them apart and turning them into omegas. To see them with that broken look in their eyes as they are taken away from me and each other by werewolves who won't care even the slightest for their feelings or happiness... To see them like that," he paused and swallowed as a tear leaked from his eye. "It would mean that I had failed them. To see them broken like that, to never know happiness again... To be separated from each other forever. It would break my heart. They deserve better then that."

"Then I will protect them when the moon is full and their enemies circle them. I will fight and die so that they can remain free. And as for the rest of the time, we will work together to keep them safe."

"We?" Jack asked, stunned.

"You love them as much as I do. I won't steal them away from their keeper. You love them and have worked to keep them safe, happy and together. They are as much your pack as mine. But I am the alpha! On matters of our kind, my say is the last! I may not be able to dominate you, Jack, but I won't yield to you, either! I won't yield to anyone! But don't worry... I'm not a bully and I don't need others to lay broken and bleeding before me to know that I'm strong... They need strong leadership. A leader of their own kind. They need an alpha. An alpha who will make them stronger, who will love them, and who will respect them and make them happy. I am that alpha!" Ben snarled.

He paused then, and finally chuckled in seemingly misplaced amusement. "You have a lot of guts, human, to stand up to me. I can respect that. You're strong. Not as strong as you pretend to be, but strong enough in my eyes to be worthy of them. I accept you as their keeper. And I claim you as my own keeper as well. Anyone who would risk his life the way you just did to protect them is someone I can respect. Someone I can trust. You have a lot of courage despite the fear you have somehow managed to suppress... And a lot of brains as well. You'll be the best keeper I could ask for. Do you accept?"

Jack nodded, taking a deep breath. "I accept. I will keep your secrets and serve as your keeper for as long as I am able."

"Good," Ben said, stepping back while keeping his eyes locked onto those of the human. Then he chuckled again in grim humor. "So tell me Jack. Where you really going to use my own Taser against me?"

"I thought I'd kept it hidden," Jack answered, pulling his arm away from his side to show that he'd had it in his hand the entire time.

"From my eyes, yes. But I smelled it the second I entered the room. Even if I couldn't sniff out the plastic housing, which I did, the circuit board inside has a very strong scent... A lot of brains, just like I said. Well that explains where it disappeared to when you brought me here. I looked everywhere for it, but assumed that it had been left behind in the park." He sighed. "So are Tasers going to become standard Keeper issue now?"

"Well," Jack said. "You successfully fought off a direwolf during a full moon with one, so it seems like a powerful defense."

"And you told this to other keepers, I suppose."

Jack nodded. "Ino has begun to spread the word throughout the Keepers' network. There are werewolves who are less restrained than you who could cause trouble. I'm sure they won't like it, but we have the right to defend ourselves if the need should arise."

Ben surprised Jack by nodding in approval. "You have a good point and do indeed have the right to protect yourselves from us when needed. Of course you know that I'd be really pissed at you for using that on me and would end up shoving it up your ass, right?"

Jack chuckled ruefully. "You'd probably do it too, wouldn't you?"

"Damned right I would." Ben growled, but this time with wry humor. They sighed as the tension eased between them. They had faced each other and saw that they were equals. Ben didn't like that, but he could respect it. After all, their goals were one and the same; to protect the pack.

Ben stopped, suddenly realizing something. He growled in annoyance. "You were testing me, weren't you?"

Jack nodded. "I had to. I needed to know what kind of alpha you are. I also needed to see how far you could be pushed. I honestly thought you would try to kill me, but you didn't. Why did you spare me?"

"Because deep down, I respect you for all the help and kindness you've given me. And it would be pointless to kill you. You wouldn't learn anything from it and the pack would never forgive me for taking your life. Also... I could never forgive myself if I let my rage get the best of me." He closed his eyes for a moment in thought. "I've felt the power of the direwolf. When I went on that dream journey to meet my wolven side, it showed me what it would be like to be a direwolf. He tried to intoxicate me with that dark power... But I rejected that power."

"Why?"

"Because if I became that monster, I would be alone forever. No one would love me. No one would care about me. I would only have my pain and anger to keep me company and I would be a lone wolf forever. That's not the kind of person I want to be. I want to be a part of the world, not at war with it. I don't want to spend my life alone. That's why I chose to become a werewolf instead of a direwolf. I want strength without emptiness."

"And that's why I think I can trust you to be alpha to the pack I love and protect," Jack answered, feeling relief as his worst fears were proven false. "Because I can see now that you are capable of respecting and desiring strength without abusing it. You don't want to be a monster. You want to be loved. You have pride, yes, and the ego of a strong alpha. You want to be in charge, but you know how to avoid abusing that power. I understand that now. I will be your Keeper... And I will also be your friend." He held forth his hand.

Ben took it carefully and shook it. "I want to thank you for doing what you did tonight," he said afterwards.

"Thank me?" Jack asked, feeling surprised.

"You helped me. I was afraid of my power; afraid of what I might do if I lost control. I could've killed you easily, Taser or no Taser. But I didn't. I was able to control my anger and keep myself from killing you. That Taser doesn't scare me; it wouldn't have stopped me if I really wanted to kill you. It would've hurt, but I think I would've just kept on trying until it ran out of power or someone came in and stopped me." He turned to the door then, thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, why didn't anyone come bursting in here to see what we were making such a racket about?"

"I had Jessica take the boys out of the house for awhile, so we could do this without being interrupted."

"You took me on alone with only a Taser to protect you?" Ben asked. "I'm impressed... That is positively the single stupidest idea I've ever heard of in my life," Ben said, nodding his head in mock approval.

"It sounded better in my head," Jack hedged, feeling stupid.

"But thank you. You did more than you realize tonight. You helped me find harmony."

"You mean the halves of you are united?"

Ben nodded. "I wanted to see the wolven side of myself as a separate person. I was afraid to become him because I doubted that I could keep myself under control. My power frightened me. But you helped me prove to myself that I can keep from going off the deep end and do something I would regret. You showed me that I can control my baser instincts and not succumb to my savage nature. I may be a wild beast, but I'm not a blood hungry monster. With that fear gone, I'm able to trust my instincts now without doubt or hesitation. Now I can embrace the power of the wolf without fear."

"I'm glad I could help," Jack said, grateful that he had been able to help the alpha... And hopefully, his friend.

"But I need to be honest with you, Jack," Ben said in a serious tone. "I'm the alpha and I don't like not being in charge. I'm not a bully, but I won't submit to anyone, not even you. To be honest, it pisses me off that you refuse to submit, even if you're just a human. This won't be the last time I challenge you, so you'd better be ready to meet my stare as an equal again and again. I like you and you're my friend, but my wolven ego hates not being in charge and won't accept anything less. I don't mean anything personal by it, and I still want you as my keeper, but I'll keep challenging you every now and then. If I ever sense any weakness in you, I'll move on it. I won't hurt you physically or anything, but I won't back down no matter how much you push me. I won't allow it... I CAN'T allow it!"

Jack felt a shiver go down his spine. He had never met an alpha like this. Ben was compassionate, but determined to be in control. Jack knew that their friendship and relationship as keeper and wolf would be one full of tension. Strangely, he felt more inspired than offended at the notion. They understood one another now. They each would have to remain strong, and both for the same reason because their goal was the same; to protect the pack. Jack also understood the nature of Ben's alpha ego. He wasn't cruel. He just needed to be the strongest there was, and competition to that status offended him, whether he wanted it to or not. It was as much a part of him as his flesh and blood.

Jack nodded. "I understand," he said.

"Good. Are we done for now?" Ben asked with a raised eyebrow.

"For now," Jack replied.

Ben moved to leave, but stopped himself. "Sorry about your desk. I hope I didn't break it," he said, frowning at himself in annoyance. "Is it alright?"

Jack looked it over. "It looks okay."

"Want help putting it back? It's the least I can do for trashing your study."

Jack chuckled, grateful that Ben was treating him like a friend despite what he had said a moment ago. "I can manage on my own. I may not have your physical strength, but I'm no slouch."

Ben nodded and left the study, closing the door behind himself. Once he was gone, Jack dropped heavily into the desk chair as his legs gave out. He released the spell upon him, the one that he had placed upon himself to suppress his fear and bolster his courage. It was a special skill that keepers knew, one that served them well whenever they had to deal with intimidating alphas. As the spell released its hold upon his mind, all of the buried fear hit him like a sledgehammer to the face and he trembled in shock. Those eyes! The power behind them! Jack had never met a wolf that was as powerful or dominating as Ben. If it hadn't been for the power of the spell, Jack would've been on his knees, blubbering. He hadn't known that a werewolf could have a force of will so strong. Now that Ben was in harmony with himself, his power had reached full strength.

Jack sighed heavily, a tremble in his breath. *I've got to learn stronger methods of suppressing my fear,* he thought. *That was barely enough, and I think Ben saw through it, if I read the look in his eyes correctly. He meant what he said and I believe him. He may be my friend, but the alpha in him will pounce all over my will if he sees me weaken. I can't afford to show the slightest crack in my defenses around him. As their keeper, I have to be strong and not let them control me. The only comfort I have is knowing that he isn't cruel. Dominating, yes, but not a tyrant. He'll treat the lads right so long as they submit to him, and when they don't, he'll be able to avoid going overboard with them. I can trust him to remain in control. With a will as strong as his, I think the notion of losing control is unacceptable to him. They seem to like and respect him enough that I don't think that it will be a problem, anyways...

*At least I hope that's how it will be,* he added with apprehension.

He thought about what it meant to have such a strong alpha in a region where there was already a struggle for power. Berke. James. They'd fight him tooth and claw every inch of the way. As for Angela, Jack couldn't guess how she would react. Her mood was too unpredictable. He glanced over at the calendar. The next full moon was only a little over three more weeks away now. And when the time came... When all of those powerful personalities were sealed away inside the barrier, trapped together, running solely on animal instinct and at the height of their lunar power cycle...

He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.

*It's going to be an all out war...*