Lykos: Wild Things - Echo Creek

Story by Leo_Todrius on SoFurry

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#11 of Lykos

Written by Leo_Todrius

Commissioned and edited by Trickster_D

Based on characters and world by and

This chapter is set during chapter 10 of Lykos and after chapter 6 of Wild Things as a celebratory cross over. It contains characters from both.


Lykos -Wild Things- (Echo Creek)

Written by Leo_Todrius Commission for Trickster_D Edited by Trickster_D

Forest green eyes peered out of the car window, watching the leafless trees and evergreens roll past, unable to count the numerous patches of unmelted snow that littered the path. Drake held it all in wonder, mesmerized by how alien the Colorado Rockies seemed after a life in the more temperate south. He had been a werewolf for several months now, but every day still brought new mysteries, wonders and challenges. Drake's focus shifted from the forested woods beyond to his own reflection. He regarded how much he had changed since he had been given the bite, from his longer hair to his improved stamina..

Slight, frantic movements in the window caught Drake's focus and he looked at Wyatt's reflection, a soft smile blooming across his lips. As much as his mind ran away from him, as distractible as he was, Wyatt was always a touchstone that centered him. The unlikely alpha wolf was occupied with his 2DS, his fingers frantically tapping away at the buttons as he tried to vanquish his virtual nemesis. Drake's eyes drank in the young man's blond hair, his chestnut brown eyes, loving everything about him.

"So Drake, did you go to college?" Richard asked from the front seat, trying to make conversation. Wyatt's father had been quiet much of the trip, but as they approached their destination he was getting more and more excited. Drake looked up at the rear view mirror, catching a cross section of Richard's dark, nearly black eyes and jet black hair pulled back into his customary pony tail. It was only then Drake remembered he had been asked a question and his mind backtracked quickly.

"Uh, not really. I found a pretty good paying job right out of high school. I guess the money seemed pretty tempting at the time, but... Well, when it dried up and I found myself without a job in this economy I didn't have much to fall back on." Drake admitted, thinking back on it all and how he wound up in the woods the night that Wyatt found him.

"You can't go wrong with having a good college education, that's for sure. I still wish Wyatt had come here to Echo Creek to attend Grand Mesa, but I'm still proud that he's going to the community college. Still, can't compare to GM's campus." Richard said, waxing lyrical about his alma matter. Wyatt, let out a groan, looking up briefly from his game.

"It's so far from home, and from my pack... And a private university is so expensive." Wyatt complained. Drake silently thought to himself it was also blessedly far away from Talia, Cordelia, and the pack's eccentric keeper. He rubbed at the welts on his arm that had been the result when Moira realized he was having such thoughts.

"Every wolf has to leave the den at some point, and you aren't going to find anywhere else that is more accommodating. They even have financial aide for people with... our condition. If you ever change your mind, Wyatt, your mother and I have been setting money aside for this for some time, for you and Grace." Richard said.

"Well, don't write any checks just yet. I haven't even seen the place." Wyatt said. Richard put on a slightly weary but begrudging smile and gave a half nod.

"Well, at the very least you'll get to see the school and the town while we're working, and the stories of my past glory will have more weight to them." Richard said with a light chuckle in his voice.

"Not to mention we'll get to do some first hand research for Kaylee's stories." Drake said. Wyatt groaned, nearly dropping his 2DS to the floor.

"Don't remind me, she's going to want pictures, preferably of boys making out." Wyatt groaned.

"Well, if you're going to take pictures you better get started. Welcome to Echo Creek." Richard said. Wyatt and Drake both leaned in, shoulders touching, to peer through the front of the rental car. In the distance the vast stretches of forest slowly pulled back to reveal a main street heading down many blocks of a small town while the side roads branched off in numerous directions, hinting at suburban development.

Drake turned, nearly plastering his face to the window as they drove past Echo Creek Coffee and a rather nice looking old timey restaurant. Wyatt, however, was more interested in the sporting good store filled with mannequins of snowboarders and skateboarders, though a hand written closed sign was propped up in the window. Richard beamed brightly, feeling nostalgic with returning to his old stomping grounds.

"It's been too long." He sighed wistfully. For Drake, though, the first impression was turning out to be quite impressive indeed.

****

Drake peered out of the car as they pulled into one of the smaller campus parking lots tucked away behind the foreign language building and the English building. The lot was far more active than Drake had expected. Almost every parking spot was filled with cars and trucks and college students were carrying out loads of stuff. Drake looked at them in wonder for a moment, realizing how few people he had been around since he broke his leg. Outside of Wyatt's family and pack and those in the surrounding area, he'd nearly been isolated... but there were swarms of students outside the car, all busy.

"Are they headed home for Christmas?" Wyatt asked. Richard nodded.

"The first semester of the year is over. While the students can keep their dorm rooms, they are shut off over break so everyone's got to take anything perishable and anything they don't want to be away from for over a month." Richard said, pulling into the last parking spot. He turned the car off and got out, stretching his legs and inhaling the cold air. Drake got out next, stepping away from the car and into the muscled back of a junior carrying a Rubbermaid full of speakers.

"Excuse me." Drake said apologetically. The huge junior glanced at Drake with green eyes, his dark red hair hidden beneath a knit cap.

"S'cool bro." he said before he loaded the box into the back of his truck and disappeared around the other side. Wyatt tucked away his DS and scooted over, standing up behind Drake, looking around in a bit of wonder. As much as he had been opposed to it all originally, it did have a bit of charm to it. The snow was amazing, the buildings were old but well maintained... and there wasn't a single female student. Drake reached into his pocket before he pulled out a camera and aimed it toward the English building, taking a few pictures. He turned to his left to capture the foreign language building and the computer science building. In the midst he caught a good cross section of students from a variety of backgrounds... but the picture taking slowed down as Drake started to smell something unusual.

Wyatt inhaled sharply, bringing the cold air into his lungs. It stung a little but it confirmed what he'd been suspecting. A musky tang, a woody scent, sweat and adrenaline and that ever so subtle murky aroma that meant only one thing - werewolves. Wyatt's eyes locked onto a tall, broad shouldered man with a neat, short beard and shaggy hair hanging down to the middle of his neck standing with a shorter burly, bearded Hawaiian, a lithe blond Goth and a scarf laden hipster boy standing in a tight circle. Wyatt's jaw dropped gently.

"Werewolves on campus..." he whispered. Richard looked at his son with a bit of disbelief. He'd been waxing poetic about GMU for his son's whole life but only now was it setting it? Drake, meanwhile, had sensed the same thing as Wyatt and slowly lifted his camera, stealing a picture of the four before pretending to adjust the settings on the camera to cover what he was really doing.

"Drake?" Richard asked hesitantly.

"Kaylee wanted research, remember?" Drake asked. He glanced back and gasped as he saw the Hawaiian moving to kiss the hipster. Gay kisses, right in the open, two boyfriends parting ways at the end of a term. It was deeply romantic. While Wyatt had no interest in supporting the writing of more bad fan fiction, he too had locked eyes on the display. He slowly wet his lips, wondering what his pack might be up to in a few years time. As Wyatt daydreamed, the group that Drake had trained his sights on glanced over. The tallest one met eyes with Drake, causing him to blush and lower his camera, acting as if it hadn't been functioning right.

As soon as the camera was down, the tall one leaned in to kiss the hipster as well. Their lips met, the younger man's back arched and it was obviously a deep, wet kiss. Drake numbly brought the camera back up and tried to take more pictures, though he wasn't sure if his aim was any good. He kept looking at the source rather than his device. As the rather public display of affection ended and the hipster panted for breath, he wasted no time moving to kiss the blond boy as well. Wyatt and Drake stood there, their jaws dropping, speechless at what they had seen.

It wasn't until the growl of three more greyhound busses came from the driveway to the parking lot that either young man tried to think again. Wyatt was fixated on the passion that had to be involved with a wolf pack hiding their true form in such a tight knit environment, hiding in plain sight. Drake, however, was shocked by how open they had been, about the unconventional ways werewolf packs seemed to operate. It was if the veil had been lifted from his eyes, showing the deeper love that Werewolves had... and it was amazing. Having indulged the young men a bit, though, Richard was reaching the end of his patience with the distraction. He gave a slight clearing of his throat.

"We're running out of time, we need to head to H. Hall." Richard said. Drake turned at that, looking at his mate's father, at the man that had given him a new job and purpose.

"What... are we doing? You never really said." Drake admitted. Richard looked a little grim at that before he gestured to the path in front of them. Wyatt and Drake fell into step, crunching through the virgin untouched snow, moving away from the crowded parking lot. As the sounds of activity fell away, it was clear the rest of campus was already dead. The buildings had been locked up, the quad was empty and the dorm buildings in the distance were dark.

"Many of the jobs I do as a freelancer are specialized, one time tasks... Find something, sort something, fix something - like those flower bulbs." Richard explained. Drake nodded at that, remembering his first task well. Richard took a breath, "In jobs like that I can use my special abilities to help me, but the task itself isn't very remarkable. Today is the rare exception." Richard said. Wyatt started to look a bit antsy at that.

"Dad, what are we here for?" Wyatt asked. He knew if his ears had been out that they would have been flat against his head.

"We're here to transport a werewolf to a new destination... against his will." Richard said. Drake's jaw dropped at that, all manner of things running through his head. Richard stopped walking and turned to look at Wyatt, giving a grimacing smile, "That is the real reason I asked you to come as well... aside from seeing the campus. I am fairly confident that Drake and I can handle it on our own, but-" Richard was interrupted.

"But I'm his alpha, I'm not going to let him put himself at risk while I sit back. We're going to do this together." Wyatt said demonstratively. Despite being interrupted, Richard smiled at that.

"Good, that strength will come in handy." Richard said, resuming his walk.

"But why are we moving him? Why is he resisting? Why us?" Drake asked.

"Safety and politics." Richard admitted, "He was being careless as campus alpha and his betas were getting out of line. When one werewolf threatens to reveal our secret, we're all threatened. The keepers issued a challenge to his leadership and he failed."

"The keepers can do that?" Drake asked with a bit of surprise. He could picture Moira questioning his own self worth, but the idea of her intervening with an alpha was beyond him.

"The keepers are the most sacred connection we have on this Earth... Without them we would be hunted and killed, or we could devolve into monsters. They protect us all, and any good alpha is in harmony and peace with their Keeper." Richard said, "Hopefully that's enough to shake this kid into his own head so he thinks about what happened and how to grow as a person." Richard said, turning on the path, heading past the math building, heading toward the alleyway that led to the back entrance of H hall.

"So what are we doing with him?" Wyatt asked, reiterating Drake's earlier question.

"Our instructions are to take him to a pack in Montana. They run a refuge there, for both natural wolves and werewolves. They should help him grow up a bit and think about the community outside of his own pack." Richard said, "We're almost there." He added, an indication to stop asking so many questions. The last thing they needed was to rile up the alpha by talking about him behind his back.

Drake followed after Richard and Wyatt, thinking about just how pivotal the keepers were. He understood their function and had been amazed by their abilities, but they seemed to be almost religious in function... but that thought brought him right back to his own keepers and how un-religious they seemed. Drake brought his eyes back up, resolving to learn as much as he could. He owed Wyatt that, to become the best beta he could.

The group headed down a ramp to the door of the dorm. Richard withdrew an envelope from his pocket and extended his claw long enough to slice it open. Inside was a small plastic card with a magnetic strip. Richard brought it over to the small white keypad mounted next to the door and slid it down the slot. The light illuminated green and the door unlocked. Richard opened the door and stepped in, leading the way. Drake and Wyatt followed, though only a few steps in they were hit by the smell - musky, spicy, murky. It was the scent of werewolves... a lot of them.

Wyatt sniffed the air more heavily, his nostrils straining as he felt his own instincts welling up. They were obviously in a den of sorts, though the smells were fading. The werewolves had departed and gone their separate ways for the most part, though there was still a presence. Richard moved forward toward the dorm room, the number written on the outside of the envelope. This was the part of his job he liked the least, though he knew it was necessary.

"I want you two to stand back, and don't challenge him, but I want you to look as tough as you can." Richard said, his voice barely audible.

"I don't have to look tough, I am tough." Wyatt said. Drake had to suppress a smile. He loved Wyatt's confidence, even when it was misplaced. Richard came up to the door and lifted his hand, waiting for a moment before he knocked. Wyatt's ears perked a bit as he heard someone inside move but then stop again. Richard waited a moment before his eyebrows lowered. He tightened his fist and knocked far louder. He wasn't going to engage in petty Alpha posturing. The second knock seemed to do the trick.

The door clicked and opened, revealing the imposing, gigantic form of Seamus Dyer. The twenty two year old was well over six feet tall and had to be at least three hundred pounds. His belly and chest were squeezed into a tight t-shirt emblazoned with a fire breathing dragon. His black hair was loose and down to his shoulders and his beard was just as long, fluffy and thick. Eyes regarded the three before the bearded man bore his fangs, his eyes gleaming a bright gold.

"So you three are my executioners, is that it?" Seamus growled. Wyatt snarled in return, his fangs growing in while his ears came to points. His blond hair even seemed to stand on end, giving his face a wilder frame. Drake's change, though, came with a bit more ease than usual. His cheeks got fuzzier, his lips pressing out around his fangs. Richard, however, remained human for the moment.

"We are just here to take you to your new home, not to do anything else." Richard said. Seamus scoffed at that.

"Even better... Animal control then." He muttered.

"Have you packed your things?" Richard asked.

"No, I didn't even know who was coming to get me until a fucking second ago." Seamus muttered.

"Pack your things." Richard said. Seamus growled.

"Do you have any idea how much my life has been turned upside down right now? I just lost my pack, my college, everything! And you come barging in here and... and..." Seamus faltered. Drake wasn't sure why at first, but Seamus looked as if the fear of god had been put into him. Drake followed Seamus gaze to Richard and then slowly inhaled. Richard was in perfect control of his body. There wasn't a hair out of place on the rest of his body, but his eyes had turned a deep, bright amber. They gleamed in the light and their intensity was unquestioned.

Seamus tried to hold the gaze, to match wits with Richard but soon his eyes dropped to the floor and his shoulders slumped. He had always managed to throw his weight and experience around, but it wouldn't work this time. He was with a true alpha, the leader of a family and a pack. Seamus knew to continue would be to seem like a whining pup. He heaved out a sigh of failure.

"It'll take me a half hour or so, if that's alright." Seamus said softly.

"Wyatt, Drake, why don't you go see if the campus café is still open. I'll stay here." Richard said.

"Are you sure?" Wyatt asked. He didn't like the idea of leaving his father alone with another alpha. Richard gave a soft smile.

"I think everything's alright here." Richard said.

"We should give him a bit of space." Drake added. Wyatt was still reluctant but nodded, moving back into the hallway with Drake following after. Richard remained leaning against the doorway, watching Seamus' every move. Wyatt knew it was far from the way anyone would want to end their college experience.

****

Wyatt and Drake stood outside the café nestled into the corner of the university center, watching as the lights switched off and the place was locked up. Thankfully they had made it just in time to get the last two cups of coffee and several discount scones, cookies and fudge that couldn't be left behind over break. Wyatt felt rather pleased with himself as he warmed his hands on the coffee cup, knowing the lining of his coat was filled to the brim with snacks.

"It's colder than I expected." Wyatt considered.

"We're in the Rockies... There are ski resorts around here." Drake said.

"Well yeah, but... I don't know. It isn't like we're further north." Wyatt said. Drake merely smiled faintly at that. He truly did love Wyatt and he knew he was a creature of instinct, but sometimes it was amazing to see just how deep that instinct went.

"Do you think that's been enough time for the alpha to pack?" Drake asked. Wyatt considered for a moment, but his eyes slowly dilated as he looked into the distance. Drake's eyebrows dropped down a bit in confusion, "What is it? Do you-" Drake stopped as the coppery tang hit his nose. It was the faint scent of blood, and a lot of it. Wyatt's cheek twitched before he broke into a sprint, dropping his coffee behind. Drake hastily set his on a two foot retaining wall outside the university center and broke into a run after Wyatt. The two ran down the sidewalk past the cafeteria, across the street beyond and across the long wide lawn toward the trees in the distance.

As Wyatt left the campus behind, he gave his wrist a flick and brought out the claws on his right hand, then his left. His ears began stretching into points and a deep amber yellow flooded his eyes. Drake's heart fluttered a bit as he followed behind his alpha, watching how seamlessly the wolf came out, how strong he was. Even Wyatt's shirt grew tighter around his swelling muscles... but there was no clue what they were about to move into.

Drake feared the worst, wondering if Seamus had run and Richard had gone after him. Had they fled? Had they fought? Wyatt glanced at a tree and saw the trace of blood, then more. Drake saw them too, feeling his heart thump in his chest. The wolf inside him moved, grew and began pushing into the rest of him. He felt his cheeks tingle as the hair thickened, his ears growing into points. His mouth tightened and his lips stretched out around the sharpening fangs before he parted them, hot breath blasting out of the wolf mouth. With each stride his fingernails pushed out longer, honing into sharp points, becoming the claws they truly were.

Wyatt and Drake continued on at full force, but Wyatt began to skid on wet leaves. He snagged a tree trunk with his claws and brought himself to a stop inches before he was hit on either side by something fast and sharp. Drake saw the two forms come together and slash wildly before sliding back apart again. As the blurs stopped and his vision cleared, Drake wasn't sure what he was looking at, at first... but it looked like a reflection. Standing twenty feet apart were two identical nineteen year old werewolves. They were five foot ten or so with shaggy brown hair that obscured their ears, their eyes and necks. Only their noses and mouths were visible. Even their chins were covered by short bushy goatees, all the color of wood.

Hot steaming breath escaped the fang filled mouths, controlled by the powerful muscled chests the two had. Their biceps wee thick, their abdomens perfectly defined and their arms looked like they had been carved out of stone by the famous Greek sculptors. The only clothing either young man wore were the battered and torn jeans, the blue denim soaked with blood. The blood had come from both of them it seemed, each showing random scratches and claw marks that were healing back up. It seemed they had several more gashes before Wyatt and Drake arrived from the spots of dried blood on their shoulders and arms that had already healed up. The two snarled at each other before they charged again, slashing and striking.

"We need to stop them, they're brothers!" Drake said, horrified, moving to step forward. Wyatt reached out, resting his hand on Drake's chest, meeting eyes with him.

"My beautiful Drake, you really are too kind sometimes..." Wyatt said, "They're sparring, vying for dominance." Wyatt said.

"What?" Drake asked, shocked at how such a vicious act could be considered normal. Wyatt pointed.

"Look at the placement of the strikes, no vital organs, nothing that would hurt too much... They know they can heal, they're sparring to see who the dominant one is." Wyatt said. Drake was stunned into silence at that, watching them both go at it. Sure enough, their strikes were light and mild, and while they did lose blood from it, the wounds were quick to close back up. One twin charged and the other blocked, but slowly the assaulting twin began pushing the other back, sliding him across the leaves before they fell to the ground. The brother on the bottom snarled and snapped, but the brother on top moved to bring his fanged mouth to his brother's neck, closing it around part. The brother on the bottom froze where he was and then went limp. The top brother slowly released and stood back up, dusting himself off. He offered his brother a hand, but the other brother didn't accept. He was too busy looking at the strangers. The brother that was standing turned and saw the two werewolves, a slow sly grin crossing his face.

"So you boys like to watch? Is that how it is?" He asked. Drake started to blush.

"We smelled blood, we thought there wouldn't be two wolves out here stupid enough to be fighting." Wyatt shot back. The brother started laughing at that.

"Well... Welcome to Echo Creek, stray alpha." The brother smirked, "My name is Liam, and the wolf on the ground is Kieran."

"I'm Wyatt, and this is my mate Drake." Wyatt introduced. Liam slowly licked his lips at that.

"How wonderful... But what brings you to the area?" Liam questioned. Kieran got himself up, dusting himself off as best he could.

"We were looking at the school, seeing if we wanted to go." Wyatt said. Drake shot him a quick look of surprise before he tried to hide it on his face.

"Well... You're looking at the alphas of the campus pack, if you're interested. I have to admit, it's awesome that you two are already an item. It gets exhausting dealing with bigoted freshmen. Seriously, why else would you sign up for an all boys college?" Liam smirked.

"Maybe because the education is excellent?" Kieran snapped back. Liam rolled his eyes at that before he swung an arm around Kieran's back.

"Come on brother, we'll clean up in the stream and I'll buy you a chai tea." Liam offered.

"The café on campus just closed." Drake said. Liam looked disheartened at that.

"That would mean Seamus is already gone..." Kieran murmured.

"Not yet actually, he's still packing." Wyatt said. Drake shot him another look, trying to figure out if his alpha was pretending not to know anything or confiding in these strangers. Wyatt, too, realized he'd just revealed his own purpose in his hurry. He grimaced, "My dad is taking him to a new pack, and we're helping." Wyatt admitted. Liam nodded at that, walking over to Wyatt curiously, looking him over from head to toe before he lifted a clawed hand to Wyatt's cheek. He ever so slowly dipped his own claws into the bushy blond hair there and leaned in, bringing his lips to the other alpha's.

Wyatt's eyes were wide in shock before he felt the tongue plunge into his mouth. The spice in Liam's saliva was extra strong and hot and thick. The kiss was almost like electricity. Wyatt was excited but at the same time a bit shocked. He slowly brought his fangs down around the tongue, causing Liam to freeze in place... and then to grin wickedly. Liam gave a swipe of his hand to his brother. Kieran growled slightly at Liam but then moved forward. He had been the dominant for months, it was Liam's right and Liam's command.

Drake was so busy staring at Wyatt and Liam in shock that he didn't realize Kieran was on him until it was too late. Drake fell back into the leaves as the other tackled him and began to grind against him with a very firm, very present erection... and then came the lips. Drake grunted and trued to push Kieran off, but the werewolf was like molasses, sticking everywhere as soon as he got one limb off. Wyatt released Liam's tongue and pushed him back.

"What are you doing?" Wyatt asked sharply. Liam crossed his muscled arms.

"I wanted to see what you tasted like, what another alpha felt like. Haven't you been curious? Two alphas going at it? You're not going to be here for very long anyhow... This would be your only chance." Liam said. He continued to drag his claws through Wyatt's sideburns, gazing into his amber eyes, their lips so close to one another. One clawed finger reached up and tapped the claw earring hanging from his left ear, sending it swinging back and forth.

Wyatt felt as though he should stand up against this alpha, assert his dominance, reaffirm his love of Drake... but he could feel the pure, animal magnetism the twin was dripping from every pore. He was sex, he was power, he was enthrallment. Wyatt turned and looked over at Drake, panting gently. Drake looked back into Wyatt's eyes and realized in an instant what his alpha was thinking. He was asking permission to indulge, to experiment, to try it out. Drake was surprised, but at the same time he was touched that Wyatt would hold back for him... unlike the twin grinding against him. Drake gave a gentle nod and a grin crossed Wyatt's lips before he pushed Liam back against a tree and began to kiss him in turn.

Liam growled in delight, knowing it was nothing but carnal pleasure. He'd show these wolves a good time and then prepare for a new semester with an entire pack to themselves. He continued to drag his fingers through Wyatt's sideburn before licking his chin before he moved and nuzzled the alpha's neck, dragging his fangs over the flesh. Wyatt was a bit alarmed, but at the same time turned on. Was this what hot college werewolf sex was like? Was this what he was missing?

"Nice earring, by the way... Does your beta have a piercing somewhere, too?" Liam whispered, sliding a hand up Wyatt's shirt, groping his abdomen and then his chest. Wyatt was panting at that point.

"I-I-I should... make him get some, maybe," He murmured. Liam grinned at that and placed soft bites up and down his neck. Drake had been so distracted by Wyatt's display that he'd nearly forgotten his own situation, at least until he felt his pants being unzipped. Drake spun his head back and looked at the hairy skater boy whipping out his own cock before he slid it in through Drake's fly. Drake's eyelids grew heavy as lust washed through him, feeling another throbbing hot werewolf cock against his.

The twins were so grungy and so dirty from their sparring, smelling of blood and sweat, dripping with adrenaline and masculinity. Kieran began to slide up and down, dragging his cock along Drake's, drooling out yellowed precum that got caught up in Drake's pubic hair like a hot web. Drake had always been cautious, always been reserved... but the wolf in him wanted to play. He'd given Wyatt permission, there was no reason not to give in himself.

Drake let out a grunt as he started humping back with abandon. Kieran hissed in delight at that and kissed Drake fiercely. Drake felt Kieran's goatee meshing with his own thickening beard, their bodies pressed. The friction on their cocks jumped up dramatically, causing the skin to start regenerating itself. The tingling was intense and caused their cocks to throb and thicken. Drake worked his hips up against the body weight of the twin on him, going full bore. His old self would've looked at something like that with extreme confusion or even disgust, but not him: he was near his mate, they both were having an amazing time with two hot guys, and what was more, it was perfectly natural for them to do so. They were wild, free and happy, and nothing else mattered.

While Drake and Kieran were in a perfect rhythm, Liam and Wyatt seemed to be having more trouble, practically sparring themselves. They kissed and bit each other, threw their weight around, shifted and charged before they fell to the ground. Wyatt clawed at the remains of Liam's pants and Liam did the same, slicing the button off his fly before yanking the pants down. Wyatt yelped at that, wriggling as his ass was exposed. The cold air hit the cheeks, and sensing an opening his tailbone wriggled and pushed out, the golden hair spreading over it and growing thick as his tail came in.

A slight, almost feral expression crossed Liam's lips before his clawed hand sunk into the thick fur and gave it a stroke, another stroke, then a third. Like a puppy in heat, Wyatt's leg started to twitch and jump. It was the opportunity Liam hoped for as he pulled the tail back, exposed the werewolf's tight ring and thrust. Wyatt inhaled sharply, going stiff as he felt the cock slide into his ass. He had expected it to hurt, and in a few slight ways it had, but the cock felt... oddly perfect in size.

Liam bit his own lower lip as he pulled back almost all of the way out and then thrust in again, sliding deep. He built up the pace and the depth, but as he pushed Wyatt down into the crispy winter leaves, he leaned down... and down... and down some more. There was little doubt that Liam, with his lycan flexibility, could pleasure himself. Pleasing Wyatt would be no challenge. Hot lips spread over the pointed tip of the alpha's cock, sliding between deadly fangs and a rough tongue. Liam slurped and licked, sucked and bobbed before his head fell into time with his hips.

Wyatt writhed in the wilderness, his lungs barely functioning as he was treated at both ends, feeling the movements of a truly experienced alpha. His head slowly lolled to the side, amber eyes gazing over at his mate and lover. While Wyatt felt as content as melted butter, he saw in Drake another side. Drake was snarling and thrashing, grinding his wolf meat against another, the two displaying their strength and aggressiveness. Wyatt let out a whimper of delight and then arched his back.

Liam felt the cock lodged in his throat starting to expand and pulled back, the forming knot making a most satisfyingly wet pop noise as it escaped his lips, but Liam remained there, sucking on Wyatt. Up and down, a drag of the tongue and Wyatt's lips parted into a deep howl. Liam clamped on and began to gulp down the gush of wolf semen that followed before he released his own. His balls tightened up, his cock throbbed and his hot load started to pump into Wyatt's tail hole.

The scent of two alphas reaching climax washed over Drake and Kieran... but both were trying too hard to make their own sex last. They humped like wild fire, both drooling until thick streams of pre-cum connected their bodies. The hair on their stomachs was slicked down and rivulets ran down Drake's hips, pooling around him. Kieran panted and grunted before he shuddered, spraying a load of cum with such intensity that it splattered up Drake's stomach, chest and landed in his beard. Drake was caught so off guard that his own orgasm hit him as well.

Even before Drake's load had fully deployed, Kieran collapsed on him, laying his head on the beta's chest. Drake groaned in release, feeling the weight of another man on him, trapping their sperm between their two bodies. It had been intense and amazing... a certain rush to be sure, but it had been missing that spark. Drake slowly turned his head and looked over to Wyatt, seeing the one man that had touched him deeper than anyone could, his mate. A soft smile crossed both of their faces as they basked in the after glow.

****

In comparison to their time in the woods, the drive from Echo Creek to Denver had been far more quiet. The trunk had been loaded down with Seamus' luggage and he had taken up a position in the rear passenger side seat, gazing out of the window as they left his college town behind. Wyatt sat to Seamus' left, but unlike the ride up he was vigilant and focused. Only his claws betrayed his true nature. Drake sat up in the front seat, replaying everything that had happened over and over in his head...

Drake thought about the bath he'd taken in the creek to get the scent off of himself, the blistering cold of the snow beneath his bare feet, wondering if Richard was able to smell it on him despite all that... or even if he would care. Werewolves were so much less up tight when it came to talking about sex, it was one of the biggest adjustments of all. Seamus looked over at Wyatt for a moment before he shook his head and sighed.

"How long have you been an alpha?" Seamus asked.

"A little while now..." Wyatt said.

"And you rose through attrition?" Seamus asked. Wyatt nodded. Seamus glanced back out of the window at the changing landscape.

"Don't lose that edge, that strength. I got complacent... I thought because I was the biggest, the strongest, that I wouldn't have to worry about it... I never realized it would be a keeper who challenged me." Seamus said. There was an uncomfortable silence in the car for a long moment as they drove up through the airport parking lot.

"W... Was it true that you were reckless?" Wyatt asked. Drake's eyes got huge and he looked in the rear view mirror, watching his boyfriend poke the proverbial bear. Seamus however seemed to sigh just a bit more.

"I guess... in a way. I should have kept them more in line... But what's funny is that the first indiscretion, the first reckless thing any of them did... The keepers acted like it was a blessing, that everything was better and everything was falling into place. It wasn't until the second time that they got their panties in a bunch and decided I wasn't fit anymore." Seamus said bitterly.

"We're here. The baggage is all going to be taken care of." Richard said. He didn't want to be indulging Seamus on the past or getting riled up over everything that had happened. It was time for curiosity to be put to bed. Drake opened the door and got out, moving to open Seamus' for him. Wyatt emerged form the other side and stretched a bit, but he looked out at the sprawling Denver Airport.

"I hate airplanes..." Wyatt sighed. Drake shot a look over the car at him.

"You're afraid of flying?" Drake asked. Wyatt looked at Drake as if he'd coughed up a bug.

"No... Werewolves usually fall asleep on planes, the cabin noise and everything. I'd much rather watch the terrible in flight movie and taste the awful food and stuff." Wyatt said.

"So... Let me get this straight. You... were born a wolf." Seamus said, pointing to Wyatt, then turned to face Drake, "And you're... what, four moons old?" Seamus asked.

"Keep in mind, we're in a public place, boys... You'll have to save your role-playing game for another time." Richard reminded them sternly. Drake and Wyatt clammed up at that, but thankfully Seamus did too. Richard turned and started leading the way to the airport. Seamus glanced at his other two escorts before he fell in line and followed.

****

The inside of the Denver airport was quite magnificent. The multiple levels, the art, but most of all the ceiling. Drake and Wyatt both gazed up at it as they entered, watching it go on and on. Wyatt was a bit relieved by having such an open ceiling to dilute the strong scents of the travelers. There had been so many it almost gave the wolves a migraine. They could smell every age, every gender, werewolves and humans in a thick soup of scents... but some were stronger than others.

"Oh, wow... Do you still have your camera ready?" Wyatt asked. Drake looked over at him at that.

"What? Yeah, I guess, why?" Drake asked. Wyatt merely pointed. Drake followed the tip of his finger and then his jaw slowly dropped. The pack they had seen kissing earlier was right there, across the terminal. Seamus stopped as well upon seeing them, slowly bearing his fangs.

"Great, just what I needed... The damn alpha." Seamus whispered.

"I thought Liam was the alpha." Wyatt whispered. Seamus shot him a glare at that as well.

"Not the new alpha, the one the Keepers picked as their favorite..." Seamus said. Richard heaved a long sigh at that before he turned and looked directly into Seamus' eyes. Seamus was a bit surprised at that, his back tightening.

"Seamus... I know your life has been one full of adventure, knowledge, experience... There have been ups and downs. I was a student at your college when I was young, I've experienced a lot of the same things growing up with our condition... But I have also been hired to make sure you get from here to Montana without incidents. I have a variety of ways of making that happen. Is their presence going to be a problem?" Richard asked. Seamus slowly shook his head.

"No... sir." He muttered softly. Richard gave a curt nod at that.

"Good... Now, why don't you and I go up to the food court? You can get anything you want to eat." Richard said. Seamus looked relieved at that and nodded. Richard started leading the way and Seamus followed, but their scents caught on the slight breeze and moved across the terminal. They carried and lingers, curled and twisted before two nostrils took them in, nostrils that were very familiar with the scent. Artyom Yashin, the tall bearded member of the pack turned and looked back the way the smell had come. He did not see who he expected, but instead the tourists from before. Sensing his beta's discomfort, Marco turned and saw them as well.

"What are they doing here?" Marco murmured. Back across the terminal, Drake felt like he'd been caught as the bait in some sort of trap.

"What should we do? They saw us..." Drake whispered. To his surprise, Wyatt started walking forward toward them. Drake scurried after, "What are you doing?!" he hissed out in a loud whisper.

"I'm going to tell them the truth. Besides, I want to know more about them. Seamus said he was an alpha too. That means the pack had more than one, and this one was the keeper's favorite." Wyatt said. Yom and Udo moved forward to stand in front of Marco and Fletcher, but Marco reached out, pushing Udo to the side gently as he looked at the strangers.

"Where's Seamus?" Yom asked directly.

"He's up in the food court. We're taking him to be with a new pack." Wyatt replied.

"Another blond wolf..." Udo said softly, "Does your fur turn white?" he asked. Wyatt looked surprised at that.

"Does yours?" he asked. Udo grimaced at that.

"You look a little young to escort an alpha around." Yom replied.

"Youth has nothing to do with it when you have the know how." Drake said back. Yom looked Drake over for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, you I like." Yom said.

"Seamus is getting taken to a new pack?" Marco asked with a bit of surprise.

"You don't know?" Wyatt asked a bit curiously, "The keepers outed him."

"Marco's a bit new at this." Udo admitted.

"So am I." Drake added. Marco gave him a soft smile and a nod of the head at that.

"So I guess we sort of got off on the wrong foot... I'm Drake, and this is my alpha Wyatt." Drake introduced, trying to be civil.

"I'm Marco, this is Fletcher, Udo and Artyom." Marco introduced.

"So, big guy, do you go by Artie?" Wyatt asked. Artyom's brows lowered.

"Yom..." he replied. Wyatt gave a bit of a nervous chuckle. Drake tilted his head a bit, hearing an indistinct murmuring coming from the public address system. Udo looked around before his blue eyes settled on a flight board. His shoulders slowly slumped.

"Fletcher, your... plane is boarding." Udo murmured sadly. Wyatt could feel the tenseness crossing the pack before his eyes. Fletcher gave a weak smile.

"Well, I guess I should get it over with... The next time I see you we'll be in a brand new year." Fletcher said. Marco reached out with a muscled, hairy arm and pulled Fletcher close. Drake had to suppress a smile as he saw Fletch's face disappear into the bushy thick beard of his lover. They exchanged a long kiss before Marco reluctantly let Fletcher go. Fletcher gave them a wave and headed off through the terminal before disappearing.

There was long silence as they felt their group diminish by one, a pain that was hitting Udo most keenly. He looked at the rest.

"I can't take this lingering... I'm going to miss you both so much." Udo said softly, "But I can't take the good byes. I have to go."

"It's alright Udo, we'll be there for you when you get back, we'll make it work." Marco said, reaching to caress his cheek. Wyatt watched that exchange in particularly. He'd felt Liam paw at his face like a piece of meat, but the way Marco did it was different. There was a true bond, love and respect there. Udo gave a brave smile to Marco before he turned and headed off toward his own gate.

"So, do you guys want to grab something to eat maybe?" Wyatt offered after a few moments had passed. Marco considered for a moment but it seemed from the sound of his growling stomach that his mind had been made up for him.

****

Smells, scents and flavors wafted around Wyatt in an ambrosia of fast food. Chili, nacho cheese and hot dog with crisp onion and a toasted bun, all slathered together in a cardboard rectangle. Wyatt was drooling as he took the scent in before dipping his plastic spork into the meat soup. He took a bite and let out a soft moan of delight. Drake had to stop himself from chuckling where he sat across the table, eating a sirloin cheeseburger. While Drake wasn't beyond spoiling himself a bit of trips, he tended to be more cautious and stuck to food that wasn't likely to get on his clothes. It seemed Marco was the same way, though he had a bit of ketchup stuck to the corners of his mustache hairs as he ate. What surprised Drake the most, though, was that the two wolves he expected to be the hungriest weren't eating.

"Yom, it isn't too late... We could set off on our own, the three of us... A new pack." Seamus murmured. Yom rolled his eyes.

"You got fired from your last job, who would let you into that position again" Yom asked. Seamus growled gently, his fangs visible through his thick beard.

"It could be different, we could make it work." Seamus said. Marco glanced up from his food.

"Like you tried to make it work with me? You drugged me with lotus, tried to manipulate my visions so I'd see myself becoming just like you." Marco said. Seamus gave a weak grin.

"Yeah, well you would have been one damn sexy gainer... Rubbing that big belly of yours." Seamus murmured. Marco winced at that.

"Keep it civil you guys." Richard chimed in from where he was standing, sipping from a tall Doctor Pepper slushy. He finished it off and deposited the cup in the proper receptacle before he moved to sit down.. He gave Seamus a glance before he shook his head, "Did they even tell you where you were headed?" he asked.

"Not... really." Seamus replied. Richard nodded a bit at that.

"It's a wild life preserve about an hour out from Helena, Montana. Beautiful place... Vast wilderness, real big sky country. It is a sanctuary for wolves there. Some were hunted illegally, others taken as exotic pets, some just traveled up from Mexico into unfriendly territory... and almost everyone that works there is like us." Richard said, "You'll work hard, but you'll be among your own kind. You'll learn what you need to survive as you help the animals." Richard said. Seamus looked almost surprised by the information. He rubbed a forefinger across the table top nervously.

"Do... Do you think they'll like me?" Seamus asked softly.

"The staff?" Richard asked. Seamus shook his head.

"No, the wolves." He added. Richard smiled a bit at that.

"I'm sure they will." Richard said.

"Well... Seamus, for what it's worth, I wish you luck. Once you get things sorted out, maybe you can finish your education." Marco said. Seamus didn't respond as huffily as usual, giving a slight nod.

"I hope so... And I hope the rest of your year is amazing." Seamus said.

"You're going to be late, love." Yom said, patting Marco's hip. Marco nodded and stood up, leaning to kiss Artyom's head.

"I know, I was trying to exit with a bit of grace." He smirked.

"I'll call you tonight." Yom added. Marco grinned, heading for the escalator.

"It's a promise!" he called after him. Yom watched until Marco disappeared from view and then he gave a slight whimper under his breath. Wyatt smiled softly at that.

"You really love him, don't you?" he asked. Yom nodded a bit at that.

"Yeah... So much that it nearly drove me mad. I was a different kind of man when I met him. I wasn't going to let anything stand in my way, but I almost became a direwolf because of it. He saved me, him and Fletch..." Yom said. Drake's eyes widened. Richard, however looked him over.

"You did go direwolf, didn't you?" Richard asked. Seamus watched with silent trepidation. That event had been one of the crimes being held against him. Yom nodded gently.

"I lost myself to the beast, turned self destructive... I felt it consume me, but the light pierced the darkness, I realized that the mistake I had made could be undone... and my alpha was there for me. I owe him more than my life, I owe him my soul." Yom said. Wyatt and Drake were silent for a long moment. It was Seamus who broke the silence.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry I wasn't a better alpha for you." He murmured. Yom nodded gently.

"Well, I don't know if I'm the one worthy of your apology. The only thing I was scared about was what would happen to my pack if yours got out of hand, but my pack wouldn't exist without me being a little crazy. So, I guess, I have to thank you for that." Yom said. Seamus looked surprised at that but said nothing. It seemed to be a conversation of awkward silences.

"When does your flight head out, Yom?" Richard asked, trying to get things rolling along. Yom pulled out his phone.

"It got delayed once, there's a big storm over Washington right now... But maybe it cleared." He replied, logging into the airport's website, moving through the listings. He had expected to see a little yellow box, but instead saw red. A frown crossed his lips.

"What is it?" Wyatt asked.

"My flight got canceled..." he murmured. Drake sympathized with him, but concern mounted in his own mind.

"What about Flight 766?" Drake asked. Yom went back through the list and paused.

"Running on time... and there are a few empty seats." He considered. Yom started tapping away on his screen, using the keyboard one moment and swiping his finger the next before he slowly grinned, glancing up at Seamus, "So... I guess I get to see you off to your new home, make sure you arrive in one piece." Yom grinned broadly. Seamus looked shocked at that, but Wyatt held a bit of a glimmer in his heart at the prospect of getting more time with one of these strange Colorado wolves. The trip was bound to be interesting.