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Lykos - Lone Wolf

Chapter 15

Ben and Kyle awoke sometime later from a well-earned nap and continued their day, Ben killing time and bad guys on Batman: Arkham Origins, which he hadn't played for over a year, feeling sad that there were no really good werewolf games except Altered Beast and the insanely hard Werewolf: the Last Warrior he had as a retro bootleg NES game on his computer. As he tried to beat a rather tough 'crime in progress' within the game, only to die repeatedly from the venom-users combined with shield-users, he realized he was having a hard time controlling his aggression; snarling in rage and baring his fangs at the screen as he died for the fifth time, and he got so sick of the frustration that he shut the game off, then stood up to stretch as he calmed himself down.

Suddenly, there was the sound of breaking glass as a large, brick-like object burst through the living room window and skidded across the hardwood floor, immediately followed by the sound of a motorcycle revving up and taking off. Ben glanced to see that it was indeed a brick, then dashed to the broken window as Kyle ran over to join him.

Two people were riding away on a dirt bike, the woman behind the man driving glanced back with a grin, and Ben recognized her as one of James' slave-wolves. He roared out the broken window defiantly as they sped away, but they didn't stop. Snarling in rage, he could only stand there and tremble, knowing he would never be able to catch up to them. "TELL THAT FUCKING COWARD YOU CALL AN ALPHA TO FIGHT HIS OWN BATTLES, ASSHOLES!!!" He yelled, making the remaining glass in the broken window shudder from the force of his voice.

"What were they doing?" Kyle asked, looking around until he saw the brick and moved over to it. "Alpha, there's a note taped to it."

Ben moved away from the window, but stopped and yelped in a canine manner as something stabbed into the bottom of the sole of his pad-covered foot. He hobbled over to the couch and set himself down to examine his foot, then yanked out a sliver of glass that had pierced the tough pawpad on his mostly human-shaped foot, then, headless of the dirt on his foot, began to lick the wound to sooth his pain and clean away the blood that appeared as the injury healed up.

"Here," Kyle said, handing over the brick. "I guess they meant this for you," he said with a sour tone and expression. "I'll get a broom to clean this up," he said, tiptoeing his way to the kitchen to avoid injury from the broken glass covering the floor.

Ben looked down at the words scrawled on the outside of the envelope that had been duct-taped to the brick. 'HEAD OMEGA' it read, making Ben snarl furiously. He tore the envelope off, ripped it open and pulled out the handwritten letter inside to read it, scowling in resentment.

'Dear Head Omega,

Lucky for you, I can't get any time free to deal with you now, but this is far from over. Get yourself ready because on Sunday, I'm coming there to kick your ass and put you in your place where you belong!

Sincerely, Head Alpha James'

Ben growled, his tail bristling as he stared at the signature and seeing red. *How DARE he take my title!!! I'll rip him a new asshole for this!!!* the real Head Alpha thought. *Well... I'm not OFFICIALLY Head Alpha yet, but the other alphas worth thinking of are already taking my orders,* he thought in the back of his mind. The alpha in him, however, already considered the title his, based upon the way the other alphas had treated him the morning after Moon Night. That James was trying to steal away what Ben had earned through displays of his power and earning their respect made him furious.

Kyle stopped at the doorway and saw how furious Ben was becoming. "Alpha! Please don't let your anger control you! It's what James wants! You need to control your rage... Remember the meditation techniques Mitchell taught you."

Ben paused, looking at his beta, then let his breath out slowly as he began to calm himself down. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, focusing on it as he relaxed and let his anger go. "Thank you Kyle... You're right; getting enraged is exactly the thing James wants. He wants me to be too unbalanced to think."

As Kyle cleaned up the glass, Ben sat there lost in thought. He would've helped clean up the mess, but there was only the one broom, so he let the beta deal with the scattered glass. "Kyle?" he asked. "Does anyone know how to get a hold of James?"

"The keepers have his keeper's number," the lesser wolf said. "Why?" he asked, looking nervous.

"I think I have an idea," Ben said slowly, then moving carefully to avoid further injury, made his way to the stairs and up them to grab his phone, then started dialing...

*****

The keepers were all gathered in Mitchell's living room, the barrier up around the inside of the house to ensure privacy. "...So," he continued, "with all of the evidence, or rather LACK OF evidence, as well as our inability to find the direwolf through any means of magical detection, we have only one possibility... The direwolf is getting help from a very powerful person..." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "A dark keeper is the most likely suspect."

The room went silent with a mixture of shock and dread. "A dark keeper?" Jack asked. "Here?" Mitchell nodded gravely in response.

"Umm," Jessica said, raising her hand uncertainly. "What's a dark keeper?"

Mitchell nodded. "You wouldn't have any reason to know of them yet, of course, so it's no surprise you haven't heard of them. A dark keeper is," he paused to chuckle grimly, "what you would call an evil version of a keeper... They are the keepers of direwolves."

Jessica's mouth fell open in shock. "What?!? How?!? Why?!? Those things are monsters!!! Why would anyone possibly want to protect them?!?" she exploded, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"The usual reasons anyone with power uses it to harm others," the acting Head Keeper said heavily. "Power, money, a sick form of amusement... Dark keepers are just as evil and corrupt as the monsters they protect. Based upon the skill and power with which the direwolf from the other night was concealed and the remains of the husk magically scrubbed to remove all connection to the direwolf himself, we have to assume that the dark keeper we're dealing with is not only powerful, but very skilled at what they do. You don't learn techniques like the ones they've implemented quickly or easily. The situation is worse than we originally thought. We may have to call in help on this one..."

Everyone began to debate on methods to tackle the problem, and Mitchell paused when his phone rang. He saw that it was Ben and frowned. "Excuse me for a moment," he said to the others and stepped into the kitchen to answer it. "Ben, this isn't a good time," he said curtly.

~"Sorry, but I needed to call you while you were meeting with the other keepers because I have something important for you to run by them. If I'm right and it can work, it'll take all of us working together to pull it off, werewolves and keepers alike."~

"What is this about?" the keeper asked frowning.

~"I think I might have a way to deal with James... He's challenged me; next Sunday."~

Mitchell was about to tell him it could wait, then he remembered how Ben was a strategist by nature and he wouldn't waste time unless he had a good idea. The fact that he wanted to run it by the keepers made Mitchell take interest. "Alright, what's your plan?"

~"First, I need to get a hold of the other alphas, we'll need their help for this..."~ He paused to sigh with disgust. ~"I suppose we should be fair at talk to Lester as well."~

"Lester isn't here anymore. His pack was relocated, by unanimous consent, to Pennsylvania. They're no longer members of the local community, so it's just the five packs here now."

~"Well... Okay then,"~ Ben replied with surprise.

"So what's this plan of yours?" Mitchell asked, slightly amused at Ben's reaction to the news. He had planed to tell him soon, anyways.

Then the keeper sat back against the counter and listened to the werewolf's idea with interest...

*****

Berke arrived, knocking gently on the front door of the Den. Luke answered the door nervously. "Alpha Berke," he said timidly in greeting, staring at the larger wolf's chest nervously with respect to the difference in their rankings as he let the alpha in.

"Luke," the alpha said, nodding. When he saw Luke tremble nervously, he sighed. "Relax, Luke. I'm done with trying to convert you to being straight. Live your life the way you want to."

Luke looked up at Berke's chin with uncertainty. "Why? Why the sudden change? You've always hated gay people before!"

"I'd like to know the same thing," Ben said thoughtfully, coming down the stairs to greet their guest.

Berke nodded in greeting. "Ben," he said, then cleared his throat and continued as Mitchell came in from the kitchen, earning a nod of greeting from the large wolf. "Well... I was taught that gay people were inferior... Weak in body, mind and will, but after Ben beat me so easily, I began to question my reasons for thinking that and realized I was doing nothing more than living in my father's shadow. He's the one who taught me to think that way, but you proved him wrong," Berke said, meeting Ben's eyes for a moment before dropping his gaze to the other alpha's chin in respect of his superior status. "My father was wrong, and if he'd been wrong about that, then what all else was he wrong about?

"I don't want to be ruled by my dad's bigoted legacy anymore. I've always tried to be a good-hearted person... In my messed up brain I thought that I'd be helping you and cutting out the temptation if I separated you from your mates. I was wrong..." His shoulders drooped in regret. "And I'm sorry for that. I was wrong and I'm sorry. I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me, but I know I haven't earned it. Maybe someday I will." With that, the tall man hung his head in shame.

Ben sighed. "We all have the legacy of our fathers to overcome," he said heavily. "My father treated me like a burden and ignored me, yours tried to make you into a clone of himself from the sound of it. We have to learn to live our own lives, not the ones others would want us to live."

Berke looked up at Ben, meeting his eyes for a moment once more, looking thoughtful. "I guess so," he said slowly, lowering his gaze.

Ben walked over and held out his hand. "Apology accepted," he said.

Berke looked stunned, his jaw trembling. He took the offered hand and shook it, feeling grateful. He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he only said what was appropriate."Thank you... That means a lot."

Mitchell stood there, feeling stunned. *He's acting like a completely different person... As though I'm finally meeting the real Berke Shorens...*

A car pulled up outside, and Monica got out, looking at the Den. She noticed the beat up Honda and realized that it must belong to Ben, as it was the only car she couldn't place to anyone who lived here. In a small city like Bellingham, everyone eventually ran into everyone else while out in public, so identifying each vehicle by it's owner wasn't a chore.

She recognized Berke's truck parked there as well. Then she noticed a sheet of plywood secured over the living room window and her eyes narrowed in speculation. She walked up the steps and met Luke as the beta opened the door. She entered, nodding curtly to the beta as if he was a butler, and entered the house proper to see the others gathered in the living room. She was about to speak when the sound of a high performance motorcycle came up the road and parked.

Angela got off of the bike and removed her helmet before smoothing down her hair. "Behave yourself," she told Lance, her head beta in a soft, yet firm tone, who had given her a ride to the meeting. "We're guests here, so no fighting or breaking things."

"Yes, Angela," the muscular former-jock said as he removed his own helmet and locked up the black and red motorcycle.

She drifted up to the door and was let in immediately by Luke, who she glanced to and nodded at in mild greeting as she entered, Lance close behind her. Ben saw the beta and frowned. "There's no need for a bodyguard, this is a peaceful meeting."

"I don't own a car, so Lance gave me a ride," Angela said in a slightly clearer voice than the usual dreamy, drug-fueled haze she normally was in. "He is to stay here and behave himself," she added, glaring at him in a no-nonsense manner. "Otherwise, he'll answer to me."

"Yes Ma'am," the beta said, his eyes no higher than her chin.

"Besides," the she-wolf added. "I hardly need protecting," she added with a wry expression.

"Alright, we're all here. What's this about?" Monica said, turning to their host.

"To be blunt," Ben said, "James has finally had the manners to issue what I'm sure he feels constitutes a formal challenge," he finished dryly, glaring at the boarded up window.

Monica followed his gaze and sighed. "I'll have to give him credit," she replied wryly. "This is more subtle than his normal methods." She turned back to him. "If you're asking for our help, you should realize we have no intention of doing so. This is a matter between the two of you."

Ben shook his head. "I fight my own battles. All I want is for all of you to be there and bare witness."

"Why?" Berke asked, as Angela gazed at Ben with an expression of curiosity.

"Because I want James to know that you'll all be there..." Ben said, then told them the same plan he had told Mitchell, which the keeper had showed an openness to try, so long as the other alphas were willing to play along. Once he was finished with his explanation, drinking beverages Luke had made up for them, the alphas remained lost in thought for some time, mulling over what Ben had told them.

"An interesting plan," Monica finally said slowly in a speculative tone, "but what makes you think James will go for it?"

"He will," Berke grumbled. "I've seen enough of James' personality to know it'll work," he said firmly.

"Before I agree to this," Monica said slowly and thoughtfully, "I want to know what your intentions are... Just what are you planning to do in regards to the rest of us?" she asked Ben with a piercing stare at his nose, the highest she found herself able to comfortably look in regards to him.

Berke and Angela looked contemplative, also curious about the plans of the newest member of their ranks.

"I want to be Head Alpha," Ben said firmly, deciding that honesty would be best.

"Why?" Monica asked, her eyes narrowed in speculation. "Why you and not one of us?"

"A few reasons," Ben said. "First and foremost, I've beaten two of you in battle and proved my superior fighting abilities, as well as demonstrated my superior will to all of you. We all know I'm the strongest alpha here and wolves respect strength," he said, the other alphas knowing it to be true and not taking offense at his words. "Secondly, despite all of that, I actually care about us as a community. I mean look at us!" he said, throwing out his hands. "There's been feuding, drug use, bigotry... We're divided as a community; devoid of focus. I've only been a werewolf for a month and already I can see that we're the laughing stock among werewolf communities the world over! We can't even manage to work with our keepers! We treat them like servants to do their jobs and stay out of our way the rest of the time. We wouldn't even exist as a species if it wasn't for them! We would've been discovered and hunted to extinction long ago if not for them, and most of the wolves around here seem to have forgotten that fact. I don't like having them control us anymore than you do, but I've learned to understand that it IS necessary!

"I will serve as liaison to the keepers on behalf of the packs and have a say in decisions they make that affect all of the wolves of the region. Yes, the keepers will still the the ultimate authority of the region, but seeing as how easy it is for us to lose control, that's the way it has to be." He saw them frown at that and continued. "Don't try to deny that we've all come close to making costly mistakes... Berke, you tried to come after Steve in Wall-Mart; a public place, for crying out loud! What if he had fought back and someone lost control of their form in front of all those witnesses? Monica; your feud with Lester, no matter how justified, would've eventually spilled out into the public eye, the cops would've become involved, and we would've stood a grave chance of being discovered. Angela; your pack is out of control. The drug use and cruelty to animals show that. What if one of you tokes up in public and starts changing in front of humans? And as for me, I sometimes have a hard time controlling my instincts. What if I screw up and get caught? Everyone would be jeopardized if any one of us makes a disastrous mistake."

Ben took a deep breath and continued. "Even if the rest of the world, other werewolves, don't matter to you, there's the safety of OUR community at stake with all of this reckless behavior. We need to start acting more responsibly, for our own sakes, if not for everyones'."

He saw the guilt on each of their faces as he had spoken. They DID care, but in the wake of their personal desires, the risks they had brought to the community had been overlooked. "We also need to start working with the keepers and show them the respect they deserve. The whole reason they do the things they do is because they actually CARE about us! They don't HAVE to do anything! They risk their lives and do things I'm sure make them sick inside, but they do all of it for OUR sakes, not their own. They could pack up and leave us to our fate if they wanted to, but they don't. We need to start appreciating them and work with them, instead of butting heads with them left and right."

Berke snorted. "And I thought you were just doing it all for the sake of your own ego."

"I'll be honest," Ben said bluntly, "my ego IS a large part of why I'm doing this, but it's not the only reason. You're all alphas; surely you all can understand that ego does indeed play a big part in the drive to be leader of the pack."

The other alphas nodded in understanding. Every alpha had the drive to be leader to a greater or lesser degree, so they couldn't fault him for feeling and acting the way he did. The stronger the alpha in question was, the bigger their ego and need to be in control, as well as having everyone around them submit to their dominance, and they all could see how powerful Ben was, so his strong drive to become Head Alpha was understandable... They could certainly do worse than him.

"What makes you a better choice than James, or anyone of US for that matter?" Monica asked crisply with her hands on her hips, still wanting to hear it from Ben's own mouth.

"Because I'm not putting a gun to your head and forcing you to make me Head Alpha. I asking for your permission to lead you. Also, unlike James, I'm not going to throw a temper tantrum and threaten our entire species just to get my way. Unlike him, I actually care about our community and what happens to us as a people. I've already proven my power to each of you, and you have all submitted to my dominance; but I'm not an asshole or a tyrant. I actually care about every one of us. Part of my manner is my background; I grew up on military bases, so that's colored by behavior. I may come off as a controlling asshole, but I DO have a heart... That's something that James doesn't have. He only cares about himself." He sighed, showing his concern. "I'm scared that something will happen to us... Especially my pack. I made a promise that I'd protect them. I don't know what I'd do if I lost any of them... They're the only family I've ever had."

"What about your father?" Berke asked.

Ben's jaw trembled before he could stop it from doing so. "I think I was an accident..." he said with honesty, not wanting to lie to them. "One he resented having to care for. He never wanted to spend time with me... I hardly ever got to be around him because he was always busy with work all the time. I begged and begged him to spend time with me, but he always had the lamest excuses as to why he couldn't."

Monica had been inclined to believe that Ben's speech had been an act, but when he talked about his father, she saw the pain he tried to hide, a pain that showed subtly in his tone and small giveaways in his body language. She realized he was sincere; he DID truly care about the werewolf community. *Being Head Alpha would be too much of a headache for me, Angela is too busy getting high and lacks the ambition for the role and Berke clearly refuses to take it. I suppose we could do a lot worse...* "What about our packs?" she asked aloud.

Ben shook his head. "You're all alphas; your packs belong with you and deserve to be under your authority. I have no intention of interfering in how you run them so long as your actions don't jeopardize the safety of our kind. I'll offer to help settle disputes and serve as a liaison between the packs and the keepers like I said, getting a say in anything they do that affects us after consulting with all of you. We'll be a democratic council in nature, but my say will be the final one in case of disputes or a hung jury among the alphas."

"And we're supposed to just accept you as leader?" Berke said, liking the idea, but feeling the need to say it all the same.

"I can force the issue and fight you all again if that's what it takes. My alpha ego wouldn't mind a bit," Ben said with a wry smile, "But if it makes you all feel better, we could agree to make it a on a trial basis. I know I'm still new to all of this and I'm more than willing to hear you all out, but this community needs a strong overall leader and I have the most power and best qualifications for the job."

Berke nodded. Ben had already proved his strength and the burly alpha could tell that Ben meant everything he had said. "Then I accept you as our Head Alpha."

"I've already done so," Angela said simply, brushing her hair away from her eyes.

Monica looked at the two of them, her jaw firm. It was clear that she would be outvoted if she said no, but she'd already made up her mind anyways. "I'll give you a chance," she said to Ben in a measured tone, staring at his nose with a firm expression. "But if you do ANYTHING to jeopardize us, I'll challenge you instantly!" she finished fiercely.Ben nodded, respecting her for her words.

"I'd expect nothing less," he said with approval.

And with that, Ben had secured his place as Head Alpha among the packs that mattered; his dream realized. It was the way werewolves were... They respected power and those who cared for their well-being. Ben had shown the sincerity of his resolve and compassion, and shown that he wanted to work with them, rather than have them work for him. It was a subtle difference, but one the werewolves appreciated. They would give him the chance, hoping that with him as their overall leader, the local wolven community could regain the respect and integrity it had lost over the last few years. They wanted to be able to hold their heads and tails high with pride, rather than hang them low in embarrassment.

Berke looked at Ben. "Is it true your pack doesn't have an omega?"

Angela looked up at that. "No omega? Why not? Every pack has an omega."

Ben sighed. "Is it fair to punish someone for being weak? To make their lives a continuous nightmare because they are the weakest? I think that it's a rather cruel fate to be treated like that... To be made a victim of the whims of those who are closest to you. I think of a pack as family, and I could never treat family so cruelly. Ken is the lowest of my betas. We don't need an omega to prove our strength... Not to others, and most especially not to ourselves."

The lower alphas became lost in thought at that, not knowing what to say.

"What's the difference between an omega and lowest beta?" Angela asked.

"Respect and dignity," Ben said. "Ken might be at the bottom of the pack, but we still treat him with compassion, rather than walk all over him because he's of the lowest rank. I could never stand to see him abused or treated as inferior simply because of his rank."

Angela mulled that over and saw the other alphas doing the same. Angela had never been an omega herself, but wondered just how bad it really was for them.

"So about the plan... Are you all in?" the Head Alpha asked, breaking the silence.

The other alphas nodded in agreement. "Oh," Berke rumbled. "Since we're all basically reporting to you now, we should probably have your number."

"Good idea," Angela said, opening her purse.

"Luke," Ben said to his beta. "Get my phone."

"Yes, Alpha," the wolf said, running upstairs. He returned quickly and tossed it to Ben, who used his werewolf reflexes to catch it in midair, a feat he'd never been able to do as a human.

As he pulled it out and woke it up, Angela looked at it with confusion. "That's a lot of buttons," she said, noting the built-in keyboard on the front of the phone with concern.

Berke frowned as he saw it, but Monica was the one to speak in a tone of disbelief. "Is that REALLY your phone?" she asked, looking at him with a combination of disbelief and distaste.

Ben looked at the sleek iPhones and Androids the other alphas sported and felt put-out. "Yes, it's a Tracphone," he replied levelly. Berk looked embarrassed and Angela focused on pulling up her contact list. Monica, however, just stared at him as if saying 'Really?' He sighed in disgust. "This only costs seven dollars a month. Can your phone bill beat that?"

"But you can't play Angry Birds on that," Angela said softly, lost in her phone.

"Yeah," Berke added. "You don't know what you're missing... It's kind of addictive."

"I'll live with the mystery," Ben replied dryly.

Monica just turn her concentration to her phone with wide eyes and a smack of the lips as if to say 'O... Kay then.'

"Leave him alone, Monica," Berke grumbled, seeing her reaction and wanting to come to Ben's aid. "It's his phone and if it works for him, then try being supportive."

"I AM being supportive," she replied consolingly. "I'm sure that someday he'll be able to get a big boy phone like a normal person."

Ben dropped his hands to his sides and glared at the she-wolf with annoyance. "Really, Monica? What is this? Are we really having a fucking phone commercial here, or something?" Ben exploded in exasperation.

The alphas avoided looking at him or saying anything, but their mouths quirked with stifled humor. Angela and Berke fought hard not to grin as Monica made one last dig. "Say... Is that beat up jalopy outside really yours?"

Ben growled in annoyance. "It car may look bad, but it runs just fine!" he answered defensively.

"Did you at least win?" she asked casually, sounding mildly interested and keeping her eyes on her phone.

"Win what?" Ben asked in annoyed confusion.

"The demolition derby you were apparently in," she replied offhandedly.

Ben growled and gritted his lengthening teeth as he fought to pull the power of the wolf back in. "Just give me your damned number," he grumbled as he entered the numbers for 'Berke Shorens', 'Monica Jenkins' and 'Angela Smith' into his contact list.

Luke exchanged a knowing smile with Mitchell. The way the alphas were acting was the way close friends did who loved to tease each other. They hadn't just accepted Ben as their Head Alpha... They had accepted him as family as well.

They exchanged numbers, then Berke and Monica got ready to leave, promising to call when they were ready as Mitchell agreed to contact them through their keepers, Monica nodding in agreement.

As the she-wolf left, she threw one last zinger over her shoulder... "Make sure to keep your phone wound up," she said as she walked out the door, swirling an upwards pointed finger in the air in lazy circles with a saucy sway of the hips, "so that you don't miss our calls," she drawled.

Once she got into her car and drove away as Berke stood on the porch, shaking his head, the Head Alpha growled. "That woman is made of pure, weapons-grade bitch-onium!"

Berke laughed at that, clapped him on the shoulder, and took his leave.

Angela, meanwhile, hung back while Lance used the bathroom before they left.

"Hey Angela?" Ben asked. "I heard about what happened to you... About your sister," he added gently, hoping he could find something to say that might help her.

"I don't like talking about that," she said uncomfortably, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I'm sorry," Ben said soothingly. "I don't mean to pry, but I've always felt that it was important to remember the people we've lost and focus on they way they lived, rather than how they died. If you only focus on the death, then it's like they never really lived at all."

Angela looked at him in a stunned, shocked manner, then she dropped her gaze as her hair fell over her eyes. "I... I never really thought about it that way," she said softly.

"You loved her and never wanted to hurt her... It was an accident. Let go of the pain and remember all the good things about her. Let her live in your heart and your memory, instead of die over and over again because of your guilt. Cherish the time you had and focus on the good. Let her live and be happy within you... Live for her sake."

He heard her sniffle as Lance came out. "Thank you," she said softly, then left, pausing at the doorway before she took her leave. "Don't be too hard on Monica," she said softly. "She only gives a hard time to people she really likes." With that said, she stepped outside as Lance started his bike.

Mitchell was thoughtful as he went to close the door behind her, then when he saw her pull out a hand-rolled wolf's bane cigarette, he sighed with resignation... Then paused as he saw her stop and stare at it for a long moment... Before she crumpled it up in her hand, let the fragments fall to the ground, and wiped off her palm on her jeans before she donned her helmet, climbed onto the motorcycle behind her beta, and they sped away.

Mitchell was shocked. He stared after them for several long minutes, then looked back to see Ben climb the stairs slowly. As the keeper stared after the werewolf, dwelling on the changes in both Angela and Berke, he remembered an old saying, one he remembered without recalling where he had first heard it...

'They say that the best leaders are those who inspire their men to become better themselves. A truly great leader inspires greatness in those under his command...'

*****

Angela let herself into the house with Lance behind her. Too used to smoking, but not wanting to have more wolf's bane, she had made the beta stop at a smoke shop to purchase a carton of nicotine-free cigarettes to help her to wean herself off her addiction. Her change of heart had begun after Ben had talked to her. He was right that she had been so focused on her guilt over Beverly's death that she had begun to forget the things about her sister that were worth remembering, such as the sound of her laughter, her allergy to strawberries, the long nights they had sat up together talking about the boys they had liked at the time, her smile... Angela had begun to forget Beverly the person, seeing only Beverly the victim. She wanted to remember her sister for all of the right reasons... Beverly deserved to be remembered for the person she had been.

As she had left the Head Alpha's den, part of her had wanted to stay, but Angela had always preferred to deal with her pain privately, rather than talk it out with others. Sighing and knowing she wasn't ready to talk it over with anyone, at least not yet, she had acted on reflex and brought a wolf's bane cigarette she had rolled herself to her lips when she heard within her mind the sound of Beverly's voice, speaking words that she had never said, but were totally in character. 'Are you really using drugs? What an idiot! Don't you know any better than that? What's wrong with you?'.

That had made Angela pause and pull the cigarette up to examine it, seeing it for the first time for what it was. Beverly had always believed drugs, no matter what form they took, were nothing more than a crutch. Beverly would've been furious to see her using them. Realizing that and feeling ashamed of herself, she crumbled it up instead, making a silent promise to both herself and the memory of her sister to try to quit.

Once they arrived home to the group house the pack shared she went to her personal stash, took all of the wolf's bane she owned, then flushed it all down the toilet. She remembered Ben's comment about her pack accidentally being discovered if they toked up in public, saw the wisdom of it, and went on a systematic search of the house to destroy all of the drugs within it.

As she went, her actions sparked an angry rash of protests from her subordinate wolves, who grew angrier by the moment as she confiscated their numerous supplies of various narcotics. Then they watched in horror as she went to flush them. Lance, who had grown more and more furious by the moment, finally grabbed her arm roughly as she went to flush the first of the confiscated drugs.

"What are you doing?" the head beta asked, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Acting like a responsible person," Angela said, her mind growing steadily clearer, bit by bit, as her healing powers began to purge the drugs from her system. She glanced down at the hand on her arm coldly. "Let go," she ordered in a slow, firm tone of voice.

"No way!" Lance answered savagely. "Do you know what all of that cost?"

"Every last shred of respect we've ever had, both from others AND from ourselves!" the alpha answered, speaking with contempt. "Let go of me, Lance. I won't tell you again," Angela said, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"You've lost your mind!" Lance said, looking at Angela with disgust. "After everything we've done for you! We took care of you! We paid your bills and supplied you with food, clothing and gifts, and THIS is how you repay our loyalty?!?"

"That's not the point!" she snapped, looked at his hand still holding her and growled. The hand of her free arm snapped open, the claws shooting out to their wolven form like stiletto blades, and she swatted the beta hard across the face, ripping deep gouges in his skin with a snarl of rage for his disobedience. Shocked, he let go and she reached for the toilet.

Lance recovered, saw her reach for the flush lever, and snarling in defiance, lunged for Angela. She saw him approaching and used his own momentum against him to smash his head against the wall above the toilet, busting a hole in the drywall, then shoved him down and used the side of his face to push the flusher before she threw him back and out of the bathroom to land sprawling on his back in the hallway, he bounded off the wall, falling sideways into the living room just beyond the bathroom door.

He recovered, lifting his head and snarling at Angela with blazing golden eyes as she stalked out after him. She snarled in response to his challenge, transforming in preparation as he rose to his feet, changing forms as he rose up. He was bigger by her than a considerable margin, but Angela felt more clear-headed than she had longer than she could recall, her power awakening from battle lust, rather than from a narcotic-fueled euphoria.

Lance roared and took a swipe at Angela's face...

And she fought back, reminding all of them why SHE was the alpha.

Angela had grown up poor, her father having abandoned the family when she was a baby and her mother descended into a downward spiral of heroine-use. It was a rough neighborhood they lived in, but there had been a karate school nearby; one with bushes across the street that were perfect to hide in and watch through the large glass windows that covered the front of the dojo, allowing a young girl to secretly watch, study and copy what she saw. She had learned by stealth the skills needed to survive the crime-riddled neighborhood she had been forced to grow up in.

Lance relied on the power of his body the way most male wolves did, thinking to overpower his opponents through strength and endurance combined with the healing abilities and natural weaponry of his kind.

Angela, however, lacked his strength, so she fought with skill, striking him in a manner similar to the way she had seen Ben fight in his primal wolf form, a talent she had developed over the years of being a werewolf. She struck critical blows that had the large male on his knees within moments, the rest of the pack watching in shock, and she snarled in Lance's face, causing him to lower his head in submission.

Still wanting to drive home her point, she walked over, snatched up and bong and stalked back over to him, raising it high. "NO! MORE! DRUGS!!!" she screamed in rage, smashing it off of his head, the glass exploding in a shower to fly everywhere, cutting up his scalp and her front as the fragments flew apart like a bomb going off.

The pack flinched away, then looked at her with confusion. "Angela?" Katie asked timidly. "Why? Why are you acting like this? What's happened to you?" her slightly pudgy Swedish face with short dark hair looking at her with pale skin in an expression of disbelief.

Angela sighed as she calmed down, the fur on her tail smoothing down as she came down from her rage and slowed her panting down as the adrenaline began to wear off. "I got a wake up call, I guess," she said calmly. "I owe you all an apology," she added heavily as the cuts on her body began to heal, Lance looking up and cradling his healing wounds.

"I lost my sister through an accident and I've punished myself for it ever since... If Beverly could see me now, she'd be ashamed of me... And that makes me feel ashamed of myself. Wallowing in drugs, not caring about anything... It won't change what happened; won't fix anything. Look at us," she said, gazing around at her pack sadly. "We're pathetic. What happened to our self-respect? I did... I'm what's happened. My lack of discipline affected all of you and turned us into a joke. We're the most useless pack in the entire area! We're better than this! It's time we grew up and took some damned responsibility for our behavior! No more drugs, no more violence against animals for pleasure! We're going to act more respectfully from now on! Any questions?" she asked sharply, gazing around at them all.

No one said a thing; they all hung their heads in shame, seeing the truth behind their alpha's words.

"We act in a responsible manner from now on and show the other packs that we are to be respected and worthy of it!" Angela said. "Monday I'm going out to look for a job. I'll need a ride."

Lance stood up still covered in blood, but the worst of his wounds closed. He saw the fire in her eyes, the strength she had buried in pain for so long he had forgotten it was there, seeing his alpha restored to the power and confidence she had shown when he had first joined her pack. It made him feel humbled and proud of her. "I'll take you, Alpha,"

he said gently as his anger and resentment faded away, his inner wolf reminded of it's place as being submissive to her. He had been acting as substitute alpha for the most part in regards to the other betas and the omega due to her lack of drive. With the alpha restored to her true self, he gladly resumed his proper role within the pack.

Angela nodded, then looking around at the mess their den had become due to neglect, she sighed. "Let's make this place look presentable."

With that, the pack set to work on cleaning up their home...

It was later that night, Angela rose up at the sounds of splashing liquid and choking. She had been sitting there, going through an old photo album, smoking the non-addictive cigarettes to ease her habit of smoking the wolf's bane ones and remembering the good times she had experienced when Beverly was alive, looking tenderly at the pictures of her ever-smiling sister, and she set it aside, then came into the kitchen to find Butch and Spike holding Richard over the sink, bent over backwards, Butch forcing what looked to be a third bottle of beer down his throat, judging by the two empties already on the counter top nearby, the omega choking and gasping for breath.

"Come on, don't be an embarrassment," Butch was saying, acting like his usual goonish self, Spike guffawing stupidly as he held the lowest member of the pack down. "Be a man and take it! Show us you aren't a total pussy."

Angela stood there, staring at the tableau for a minute before the words of Ben came back to her. *He's right... It IS cruel...* She stormed over, growing angry, snatched the bottle away and brandished it at Butch's head as he flinched away. "KNOCK IT OFF! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY PEOPLE THINK WE'RE SO PATHETIC!"

"Angela," Spike said, lost for words and stunned at her behavior. "He's the omega."

"I don't care!" the alpha said sharply. "Just because he's the omega doesn't make him a punching bag! If I ever see you torment him again, I'll bust your skulls open! If you have so much energy to waste, then go buy us some dinner. Now get out!"

The betas, stunned speechless and afraid of being beaten, hurried off to do her bidding. Richard was trembling, trying hard no to start crying. "Come on," she said to him gently, reaching forward to take the eighteen-year-old's hand. "Let's get you cleaned up."

She led the omega to the bathroom and started cleaning him herself, washing the beer out of his short brown hair. *Shouldn't the strong protect the weak?* she wondered. Richard was indeed the weakest member of their pack, so the answer was most definitely yes. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "This is my fault... I've been a selfish bitch and you've suffered because of that. I won't let it ever happen again, I promise." Richard's shoulders shook and he let out a stifled sob. "Let it out," she soothed. "Don't bottle your pain up inside; it's not healthy... Take it from someone who knows."

Richard broke down at that and began to cry openly. Angela was touched by his pain and took him into her arms, rocking him gently as he sat on the sink counter top. "Shh... Shh... It'll be alright now. I'll never let you be bullied like that again. I'll protect you... I promise..."

Angela held her omega close and comforted him as he cried out his pain...

*****

It was the next day and Berke was able to leave work early, so he headed directly for home, wanting to take a nap. Work had been rather stressful as the shipping manifest for one of the freighters that had arrived had a missing container and naturally, the recipient wanted to raise Hell over the absent cargo, wanting to know where it was, so Berke had spent the afternoon being yelled at by a furious human who had wanted to make it Berke's personal fault despite the fact that Berke's only job was to operate the crane that unloaded the shipping containers. It had been a ridiculous situation that had tested his patience sorely, making him glad he was able to control the temper of his wolf so well.

*Good thing I didn't let you out.,* the large man thought to his inner wolf. *You probably would've ripped his face off and ate it in front of him and all I would've done was shrug and tell him he deserved it.* The wolf just snorted in agreement, this being one of the occasional days when he felt like the wolf was more a friend who shared his body, mind and heart, rather than a solid part of him like his love of pork chops. He wasn't concerned, having been told that it happened from time to time within a werewolf and so long as the separation didn't become too great or go on for too long, he would remain fine.

He let himself inside the large house he shared with his pack, following the common practice of packs who consisted of full adults, who tended to end up living under the same roof to be together as much as possible. Berke was glad they shared a single home; he would've found himself missing his betas and omega terribly if they lived in separate homes. *With Mom and Dad gone and Wilbur living on the opposite side of the country, the pack's all the family I have nowadays.* He'd never been close to his brother, so they only spoke on holidays and special occasions. It was better that way... He didn't have to lie to him about his true nature.

As he entered, he caught the scent of pine incense in the air and sighed. Kari hated having the lingering trace smells of sex in the air afterwards, so she often lit the incense to kill the smell. He sighed. *Well I guess she won't be in the mood for a little togetherness,* he thought with disappointment. The great thing about being a werewolf in a pack was that the members tended to avoid feelings of jealousy should one member, even a personal mate, want to fool around with a different member of the pack. As long as it was the proper man with a woman-type of mating, it eased his sense of traditional values, making him able to feel a little less guilt about his unconventional lifestyle. That Misty let him sleep with Kali and Heather without any twinges of jealousy, so long as she could sleep with the guys without him getting angry, helped to ease his conscience even more.

The alpha, however, felt disappointed that Misty and Heather were at work and it was obvious from the incense that Kali was already spent, seeing as how she always waited until after the deed was done to light it. He felt a stirring in his pants as his inner wolf became aroused, wanting to satisfy his needs. *Well... Maybe she'll still let me fondle her a bit to take the edge off... Just so long as I don't try to take her...* He refused to be crass enough to force himself off onto her, being a respectful fellow who wanted his ladies to enjoy the encounter as much as he did. He was even polite enough to make sure they had at least one orgasm before he sated himself, being a gentleman, and all, rather than some callous jerk like most men tended to be with women.

He stood in the entryway after he closed the door, his wolf trying to nudge him into action as his pants started to feel tighter and tighter. "Well... Maybe she'll be willing to let me have a kiss or two... Maybe a little fondling... A quick lick to her still sensitive nethers... Wait... What if one of the guys already came inside her?* he wondered.

His wolf became disgusted with him. ::It's just a little cum. It won't kill you.::

Berke hesitated, but his groin began to stiffen more, the wolf wanting some action, no matter how minor, to tide him over until another of his lovely ladies came home.

*Fine! You win!* the alpha thought with disgust at his lupine self. He crept down the hallway to Wallace's room and smiled. They loved playing together, so it was no surprise to Berke she was in there. He opened the door softly to hear Wallace grunt in pleasure... And as the door opened, his jaw hit the floor. There on the bed, Wallace and Dennis laid side-by-side, wolf-formed and masturbating each other like they didn't have a care in the world, their muzzles locked together.

Berke was too stunned to do anything but stare at them in shock. Finally, too embarrassed to do anything else, he backed up and bumped into the door hard enough to make it rattle. Wallace broke off the kiss, looked up at his alpha, and became terrified. "Berke! What are you doing here!?" he blurted out. Horrified, Dennis yanked up the sheet to cover their naked bodies, ripping it slightly in his haste.

"I live here, in case you forgot," Berke grumbled. "What is this?" he asked, waving a hand at the two of them.

::It's called sex.::

*Shut up!* he snapped at his wolf. The wolf sighed in disgust and thought he was overreacting. Berke's jaw twitched at that, knowing it was the truth. How could he be claiming to turn over a new leaf and be supportive of homosexuality without being able to accept it in his own home?

"Please don't be angry," Dennis pleaded, starting to tremble in fear.

Berke growled, but half at himself and his inner wolf as at the betas. "How long has this been going on?" he asked in a tone of resentment.

"About three weeks," Wallace said.

"Three weeks?!?" Berke exclaimed in shock.

"Well you told us homophobia was off limits," Wallace said timidly, "and we started talking it over, then our wolves kind of nudged us into trying it out... You know, to see what it was like... But we only masturbated and kissed," he added quickly, "nothing kinky like butt stuff, I swear!"

The wolf in Berke growled within his mind in interest, images of the betas mounting each other flooding his mind and making his groin stir more thoroughly. *Stop that!* he chided the wolf.

::Love is love... Gender doesn't matter.::

*Stop confusing me!*

The wolf growled, angry that he was letting stupid human prejudices interfere with what was natural. ::You're a hypocrite!::

"I am not a hypocrite!" Berke snapped aloud.

"Are you okay?" Wallace asked, looking at his alpha with concern.

"It's nothing," Berke said with disgust.

"Are you mad at us?" Dennis asked nervously. "We'll stop if you don't want us doing this."

"No," Berke's wolf said, speaking through his mouth and overriding his discomfort. "Do what comes naturally." He stopped took a deep breath, and continued on of his own volition. "It would be wrong of me to deny you something based on a prejudice I'm trying to overcome.... It just came as a shock, is all." He backed out of the room and closed the door. "Don't mind me," he added awkwardly before he shut the door tightly. His eyes caught the burning incense stick just before he closed the door fully, it smoldering away on the tray on the dresser next to the door, and realized they had been using it to mask the smell of their matings. *No wonder I didn't smell the signs before. And I thought Kali was acting like she was in heat, what with how much incense has been lingering around here whenever I get home*

He closed the door firmly and stood there, trembling, feeling deeply conflicted. Part of him had always been curious, but every time he tried to think about it, his father's angry face appeared in his mind, yelling about the wages of sin. He began to breathe heavily, nearly panting as his mind and heart warred with one another. The wolf wanted so desperately to be in there, to join his mates and show them how much he loved them. It was natural. It was the way he was meant to be; free to love whoever he wished and not care about stupid human prejudices. His hands trembled, longing to reach forward, throw open the door and just say 'fuck it!'. The wolf in him tried to nudge him, picturing just how much fun he could have. Men understood how the male body worked. They could do the kinds of things guys liked, without having to guess at the alien sensations of different body parts the way women did. The masculine sounds and smells, just distinguishable under the strong scent of the pine incense, were so enticing...

All he had to do was let go and open the door... It was the easiest thing in the world...

And also the hardest thing of all.

He began to reach for the door, his hand trembling...

'Do you want to go to Hell and burn for all eternity?!?' his father screamed in his head.

He pulled his hand away like it was about to be burned by something. Trembling and fighting hard not to pant, He stepped back and slumped against the far wall, burying his face in his hands. He had never wanted something so badly before. But he couldn't bring himself to give in. He was still too afraid.

The wolf nudged him, filling his mind with the images of Wallace and Dennis, Brad and Samuel, all there with him, stroking his strong body, nibbling and licking every part of him they could reach, the male betas and omega loving their alpha and showing him that love as they mated together as proper pack mates should. He shivered with need, his penis growing stiff in his jeans...

*Stop it!* he pleaded, *I can't! ...I ...I'm not ready... I just can't...*

Seeing the turmoil within his human side, the inner wolf relented, not wanting to make his other half suffer in torment. The wolf felt sad, but didn't want to push, seeing just how difficult it was for the human-side to shed his inhibitions. Overcoming years of bigoted, religious teachings were not something one overcame overnight. The wolf could wait, understanding that his human-self needed to take this more slowly. It sighed in regret and laid down in the back of his mind, feeling both sad and disappointed, but sympathetic to his pain and inner conflict.

He dropped his hands away from his face and stared sadly at the closed door. *I sorry guys... I love you, but I just can't show it. I wish it was easy... I wish I could treat you the way you all deserve... But I just... I need more time...* Feeling guilty, he pushed away from the wall to stand up properly as he took a deep, shuddering breath.

Just then, the front door opened and Misty came in, smiling at him. "Hey," she said softly in case anyone was sleeping to avoid waking them, "I was able to get out early today."

She paused then, finally seeing the way he looked. Berke stood there, trembling slightly and looking like he was under a great deal of stress. He stared at her, his expression changing from a mix of what looked to be guilt, shame and uncertainty, to one of a desperate hunger and overwhelming need. "Berke? What's wrong?" she asked with concern, never having seen him act this way before.

"Misty... Please," Berke said in a shaky voice. "I... I need you. I need you now!" he said with raw, sexual hunger.

The she-wolf shivered in reaction, both concerned and exited. She saw how desperate that need was, her arousal growing quickly, and she took him by the hand and led him to their bedroom. As they walked down the hallway, she caught the pair of moans of bliss from Wallace's closed bedroom door, her eyes widening slightly in realization, but took him to their room and closed the door as Berke began to frantically tear off his clothes, yanking off his flannel over-shirt so roughly that several of the buttons popped off.Seeing how frantic he was, Misty stripped rapidly, fighting to unhook her bra and barely getting it off before he was on her, dragging her to the bed with an insistent desperation.

She dropped onto her back upon the mattress and gasped as he buried his face between her legs instantly, taking only enough time to ready her, before he climbed up and entered her roughly, making the woman gasp as her wolf manifested, his close behind.

The wolf inside him took advantage of the situation, filling his mind with fantasies of being with all the females of his pack, an image he could handle... Then beginning to subtly work in the males of the pack as well, having their participation minimal. Berke was too lost in lust to pay attention very well, so he never realized what his animal-side was doing to him, beginning to work away at his inhibitions...

It only took a few fast minutes for the knot to form, trapping them together before he let out a long, groaning growl of satisfaction as he filled her. Misty wasn't worried; she was on the pill, so there would be no unwanted surprises from their lovemaking, though it was hardly an act of love this particular time. She wanted children, or puppies in her case, but wanted to wait awhile longer and have them out of love, not accident.

After he had regained some use of his consciousness, Berke remembered his manners, and with long practice and the skilled use of his hands, he brought the she-wolf to orgasm, her moaning and tossing her head as her body clamped down eagerly around his own.

They laid there, panting for breath as they came down, still tied together. "Thank you," he said softly, his proto-muzzle next to her pointed ear. "Thank you." He hugged her close to show his appreciation.

"You're welcome," she chuckled as her own flames of passion smoldered down to embers. "What was that all about, anyways? I've never seen you so worked up except during the full moon." She felt him tremble in her arms, then he began to shake. "Berke?' she asked, hearing him starting to sniffle as the smell of salty water reached her nose. *He's crying!* she realized with shock. "What's wrong? Berke? Talk to me," she said soothingly.

"I'm sorry," he said thickly. "I... I don't know what to say..." He sniffed, leaning up on his elbows to wipe his damp eyes with the knuckles of his left hand to avoid injuring himself with his claws by trying to use the fingertips like he normally would.

"Why are you acting so strangely?" Misty asked, looking up at him. "Come on, Baby. Don't shut me out," she pleaded, using the underside of her left index and middle fingers to stroke the top of his short proto-muzzle in the gesture of affection she only used for her mate, moving the fingers perpendicular to the length of his muzzle. "What's wrong?"

Berke sighed. "I've been an idiot... A bigger one than usual," the alpha said thickly. "I..." he swallowed nervously. "I found out something about Wallace and Dennis," he said heavily. Misty said nothing, glancing away as though she was afraid to look at him. His mouth fell open in shock as realization came. "You knew? You knew about this!?" He said, rising up sharply.

"Ow! Ow! Stop!" Misty said as he pulled painfully, wrapping her legs around him to keep them together as she felt a burning, stinging pain when he put strain on her privates.

Berke relented immediately and lowered himself to ease the strain on her anatomy as well as his own. "Sorry," he mumbled in apology.

Misty sighed as the pain eased up. "Yeah," she said with difficulty. "I wanted to tell you, but we weren't sure how you'd take it... You know, us being together... THAT way..."

Her words sank in as he saw his mate twirl her hair in her fingers, refusing to look at him. "YOU TOO?" he asked, stunned with disbelief.

She shrugged helplessly, looking sheepish. "I got kind of curious..." the she-wolf said nervously, then looked embarrassed. "It was... Kind of fun, actually. I had missed doing things like that anyways. Who knew Heather was that good. It felt like the old days before you and I met." Berke just stared at her, looking stunned. "What?" she said defensively. "Like you've never had a lesbian fantasy. Every guy does eventually, right?"

"I don't know about that," Berke grumbled in annoyance, unwilling to admit that it was indeed true, for him at least. "How long has this been going on? How long have you all been sneaking around behind my back like this, and how in the world did you manage to hide it from me so well?"

"Incense... Lots of showers... Making sure you'll be out for awhile" she replied hesitantly. Misty saw him scowl. "Oh come on, Berke! When you made us swear off homophobia, what did you expect? We were already wanting to, but held off because you seemed to hate it so passionately. When you changed your mind, we couldn't help but to... Well... Creatively reinterpret it to mean that you gave us your consent."

Berke sighed with disgust. "My own pack... Sneaking around behind me and having orgies without even telling me... Gay orgies, no less..."

"Berke," Misty said with a wry smile. "All wolves are essentially bi to a greater or lesser degree. I mean you've mounted the guys during the full moon."

The big guy shifted uncomfortably. "That was different... It was about dominance. besides, I can't exactly control myself when I go primal; you know that. It's different then."

"So? You're still the alpha... Mating with the guys doesn't mean you have to let them be the one on top. It wouldn't be appropriate in most cases, anyways, seeing as how you're the head of the pack."

"Are all werewolves really pervs?" the burly man asked, wilting.

"Not pervs, just non-judgmental on the gender of whoever they sleep with. It's perfectly natural, especially with pack mates. It doesn't make you any less of a man in our eyes... Especially mine," she added softly, pulling his head down for a gentle, loving kiss. "To be honest, it's something all close-knit packs do... And it's not about having an orgy every night, either. It's... Something we miss being able to do," she added quietly, looking sad.

"Miss doing?" Berke asked in confusion.

Misty took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, something only she among all the pack was permitted, seeing as how she was his mate. She would've bit her lower lip, if not for her fang-filled proto-muzzle. "We haven't been honest with you. We've always wanted to share our love with each other, but since you hate the idea of gay sex so badly, the guys and gals of the pack never really bonded with each other the way we have with those of the opposite gender. We've never really felt like a real pack because of it, but endured it because that's how you wanted it for us."

"What?" Berke asked, feeling shocked and experiencing a stab of guilt as he realized that they had hid this secret pain from him for years. "You guys have been suffering all this time just to make me happy?"

Misty shrugged with a timid smile. "You're the alpha. What you say goes."

"Why didn't any of you tell me?" Berke asked sadly.

"You hated the idea so intensely we were scared to try to talk to you about it," she answered sadly.

"So everyone has kept themselves miserable just to make me happy," he mumbled to himself, feeling horrible.

"Berke? Why did you hate gay people so much? It always felt to me that you seemed so unreasonably angry at them."

"I was," Berke admitted heavily. "Ever since you bit me all those years ago and made me a werewolf like you, I've always had these urges in regards to guys, and well... I hated myself for feeling that way. It just seemed easier to hate them than hate myself, I guess."

"Did you ever hate me for it?" she asked apprehensively.

He looked deep into her eyes and told her the truth. "No. I thought it was just me because you always seemed to hide it so well I never even knew you liked gals."

"I never told you because I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want you to hate and dump me," she said, her eyes growing moist. "You always hated gay people at least a little, but once I turned you, it just seemed to get worse, rather than better." As Misty spoke, her pale golden eyes became moist and she swallowed hard. "I was scared you'd think I was disgusting and never want to see me again."

Berke was heartbroken to see the pain in her eyes, one she had clearly kept hidden for so long. He reached down and stroked her cheek tenderly as she started to cry. "Shhh... I'm sorry I hurt you and made you feel like this for so long... I could never leave you, Misty... I love you."

"And you don't hate me for liking girls... Or for biting you? I mean it was my stupid selfishness that made me turn you... I never even asked you first."

"I forgave you for the bite a long time ago and you know it... And I don't hate you. I want you to be happy... All of you. If this is what it takes to make you all happy, then so be it. That's the way an alpha is supposed to be... He makes his pack happy."

Misty began to cry in earnest, so he held her tightly and kissed her. "Come on, Sweetie... Don't cry. It'll be better now... I promise."

He continued to hold her as she cried, half in shame had having hid the truth from him for so long, and half in relief as the long-held pain and guilt began to be purged from her heart...

*****

That evening as Berke and his pack all gathered together to eat dinner in the tradition that the alpha had set down when he became top wolf among them, he cleared his throat. "I know what's been going on around my back around here and while part of me is angry, I also understand why and forgive you for doing so. Look... I know I've been a royal jerk to all of you. I let my father's religious nonsense cloud my reason and turned it into hate because I couldn't accept the fact that deep down inside... Well... I guess that when I became a werewolf, I basically turned bisexual. I couldn't bring myself to admit it and got angry, then I turned my anger towards gay people because it was easier to do than to admit the truth and learn how to accept myself as I really am. I'm still not comfortable with it, but none of you deserve to suffer for the sake of my personal hangups.

"From now on, each of you are free to do what you want with each other to your heart's content... Maybe with others too, I don't know. What I'm saying is that don't avoid fooling around with others of the same gender just to make me happy. If it makes you happy to do so, then so be it. I want you all to be content... That's all that matters to me, so follow your hearts. As for me... I don't..." He sighed, feeling frustrated. "I don't know if I can bring myself to do that kind of thing; at least not yet. Just... I need time."

"Thanks, Berke," Wallace said with a sad smile. "I know this isn't easy for you to get used to. It doesn't just happen overnight, accepting changes in the way you think and behave. Thanks for accepting us for who and what we truly are. It means a lot to us."

Everyone agreed, Misty rubbing his shoulder supportively. "Just uhh... No full-blown orgies for awhile, please," Berke said, phrasing it as a near-request as he blushed slightly. "Give me some time to get used to it."

A chuckle went around the table at that, and they began to dig into their supper...

*****

"So," Monica said kindly with a smile as she pulled a sucker out of the pocket of her nurse's uniform and handed to the young boy with blonde hair and freckles with a smile as he stood within the examination room of the hospital with his mother close by. "What do we do next time we see a kitty we don't already know?"

"Leave him be," the boy said sadly. "I only wanted to pet him," he said, reaching for the sucker with a bandaged hand.

"I know you didn't mean any harm," Monica said gently, "But you're a lot bigger than he is and that can be scary when you meet someone new and can't be sure of their

intentions. Just be careful and respect other people's personal space, you promise?"

"I promise," he said, earning her a smile from his mother before they left with final instructions to continue using the antibiotic ointment and keep the scratches clean to avoid infection.

Once they had left, she stretched, feeling her energy wane, and looked at her watch to see that her shift was up. She said her goodbyes to the staff and after filing her notes on the checkup, she punched out on the computer and headed to her car. Normally, a nurse wouldn't fill in for a doctor, but there had been an accident involving several major injuries, so some of the doctors had been pulled away to help tend to the victims, leaving her and the rest of the nursing staff to cover the non-serious cases. It wasn't standard procedure, but not everything always was in the unpredictable field of medicine.

She checked her phone and saw that her mother had called. She entered he car, started it up, then turned on a clever little device that allowed her to detect signals from eavesdropping devices before she called back as she pulled out of the parking space. "Hi, Mom. Sorry I missed your call, but work ran a little late... I wanted to call to tell you that Lester is gone from the area... He and his pack were relocated. He stepped on Mitchell's toes one time too many," she said, holding no secrets from the woman who had birthed her. It was nice to not have to tiptoe around the reality of her nature with her sole living parent, and Monica enjoyed sharing details from her life openly. *Not the hunts, of course. Mother wouldn't want to hear about how I tear the throats out of wildlife with my teeth.* She listened for a moment, then continued. "Well with the coast now clear, I was rather hoping you could come out for a visit; Mable too," she said, thinking of her younger sister.

She exited the parking ramp and headed down the road, one eye on traffic and the other on the detector. "Well, things are going to be rather... Interesting around here," she said with a pause. "For one thing, we actually have a Head Alpha now... I know... Mother, please. You know I don't have the patience for something like that. I'd be wringing everyone's necks every few seconds. Let someone who actually WANTS to deal with all of that craziness take the position. I'd rather not deal with that much stress... A new guy; a man named Ben... Bossy, militaristic, handsome, I suppose, if you go for white men... You remember Kyle?... Yes the one who acts like an overgrown puppy, much of the time," She said with a slight smile. "Well Ben is his new alpha, along with those friends of his, if you recall... Well they're not so timid anymore. That Ben fellow certainly has them whipped into shape, as far as I can tell... Perhaps in the Spring? There's a few things left to take care of here before I feel comfortable having you come for a visit... It's nothing we can't handle, Mother... I will... Love you too," she said with a smile. "Bye."

She drove towards home, reflecting on Ben and the changes he had wrought so far. Berke seemed far less hostile now, especially towards homosexuals, which was surprising.

*Who knew that getting the stuffing beaten out of him by a gay man was what it took to remind him of his sense of decency? Then there's the part he played in getting Lester expelled from the area, not to mention the way he had shown genuine concern for the safety of my pack when we split up to search for the direwolf. I actually owe him a great deal for getting Lester out of the region... Naturally I'll never actually tell him as much, but still...*

In the end, those were her reasons for taking a chance on Ben as Head Alpha. *If he's foolish enough to want the job, then he's welcome to it. I have enough to deal with with in my own pack. I don't need to be the boss of everyone, anyways. I have as much control as I desire. Of course,* she thought with a wicked gleam in her eye and a naughty grin, *That doesn't mean I'm willing to go easy on him. Someone has to keep you on your toes, Mr. Demolition Derby, TracPhone Using, Poorly Dressed Head Alpha.*

She blinked in shocked realization. "Damn! I forgot to make fun of his clothes!" she swore aloud, thumping the steering wheel with the heel of her hand in irritation.

Scowling at her oversight, she made the rest of the drive home feeling disappointed and making a mental note to remark on them next time she saw him...