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Lykos - Lone Wolf

Chapter 17

Ben had returned to work the following Monday, feeling fully recovered, but felt like something was slightly different. He realized the difference was in him. He had taken the life of a person, something he had never wanted to do, and while he had come to terms with his actions, it still felt like a mild weight upon his shoulders. *Will I always feel this way?* he wondered. *I hope so, but I'd rather not do something like that again, if given a choice on the matter.* He knew that James wasn't likely to be the only blood on his hands. He was a predator and a warrior, a savage beast in nature now that he was a werewolf, and with the power came the burden of wielding it.

Shortly before his shift ended, Ben got a call. He picked up the phone without looking at the number on the caller id. "Hello?"

~"Al-... Ben?"~ Ken said, sounding as though he had been crying.

"Ken? What's wrong?" Ben asked, leaning forward in his desk chair in concern.

~"It's Grandma Kioko... She's dead."~

"Oh, Ken... I'm sorry," the alpha said soothingly.

~"It's okay... We knew she'd go soon, but still..."~

"Do you need me to come home early?" Ben asked, glancing at the clock on his computer to see that he still had over two hours of the work day left.

~"No, I haven't left work yet. I just got done talking to Luke and he's coming come as soon as he can. I also talked to my boss about getting the time off to fly out for the funeral. Antie Ino is arranging airfare... I want Luke to come with me when I go."~

"Of course," Ben said gently. "You should have your m-... Partner with you. How soon will you guys leave?"

~"Antie said she'd make it a late flight for tomorrow morning."~

"Will you need anything for the trip?" Ben asked, wanting to do something to help his pack mate.

~"Thank you, but no. We've already got all that we'll need. Antie Ino will handle the rest. She'll send a car to pick us up early in the morning and drive us to Seattle to the airport."~

"Be careful," Ben said, feeling worried; he didn't like any of his pack to be out in public in a strange place, especially an airport after the mass attack from a few weeks ago when hundreds of wolves had died, as well as several keepers. "It's hard not to worry about your safety," he said to voice his concern.

~"Jessica will come with us. She knew Grandma too and wants to pay her respects, so we'll have her there to help keep us safe. There'll be others there at both ends of the flight to makes sure we're protected."~

Ben relaxed. Jessica may still be a trainee, but under Mitchell's tutelage, she was getting more and more skilled by the day, shaping up to be a rather competent keeper in her own right, and was far from weak or stupid. With the other keepers there as well, Ben felt less stressed about his betas traveling in such a dangerous manner... The alpha knew his betas would be in safe hands.

"Okay, I'll be home in a bit. Love you."

~"Love you to, Alpha... Uh... Ben. 'Bye."~

Ben hung up with a heavy heart and tried to resume his work, but it was difficult, knowing his loved one was in pain. The end of the day couldn't come soon enough as far as he was concerned...

*****

The car Mitchell had hired pulled up out front of the Den and honked it's horn. Ben, Steve and Kyle hugged Luke and Ken tightly, kissing them passionately. With the hunter attacks on multiple airports, all of the wolven and keeper community was incredibly jumpy. The loss of so many of their kind had the wolves rattled, but they had to fly as going by sea would be too slow. Fortunately, the government had taken the 'terrorist attack' as a major threat and airport secuirty had increased, especially at major international airports like Sea-Tac in Seattle.

"Stay safe," Kyle said as he let Ken go.

"We will," the Japanese wolf said.

"Don't worry," Jessica said softly. "Mitchell and Robert will meet us at the airport and make sure we get in safely. Once we reach Osaka, there will be several local keepers and wolves there to safeguard us.

"Stay safe all the same," Ben said, hugging her. Despite their differences, they were friends and the alpha didn't want her to get hurt any more than his pack mates. "Keep them safe," he whispered in her ear."

"I will, I promise," she whispered back, hugging him tightly to comfort him as best she could.

Ben hugged Luke next. "We love you guys. Take as long as you need, but know we'll miss you every second you'll be gone. Above all else, stay safe okay? If anything goes wrong, DO NOT be heroes. Promise me!"

Luke nodded. "I promise. No heroics... Maybe we can get in a sight or two while we're there. I've never been to another country."

"It's nothing special," Ken said tiredly. "Osaka's just like any other city." They headed outside to load up their luggage with the rest of the pack to help.

"You only say that because you grew up there," Luke teased gently. "For me, it'll be a new experience, despite the sad reason for being there," he added, sobering as he spoke the last part.

"Call us every day so we'll know you guys are okay," Steve said.

"We promise," Jessica said with a sad smile as she hugged him one last time.

The pack couldn't resist one last round of hugs and deep, passionate kisses before the trio got into the car and drove away, Kyle whimpering and fighting hard not to chase after them. Ben wrapped an arm around Kyle to his left to hold him there, and Steve to his right for emotional support. "I miss them already," he said, choked up with emotion.

"Me too," Steve said with a sniffle. "I hope they'll be safe."

"Me too," Ben said. "Why does it hurt so much to have them go?" he asked in confusion that warred with profound sadness. "It's more than worrying about their safety."

"That's the way close-knit packs like us are, Alpha," Kyle said softly. "It hurts to have them leave, but we need to be strong and remember that they'll be back before too awfully long."

"They better be back safely," the alpha said, scared to let them go and so tempted to say fuck it and go with them to the airport to see them safely onto the plane, but he had already missed too many days of work and couldn't afford to lose his job. He could only hope that the keepers would protect his loved ones.

With heavy hearts, the three pack mates trudged back inside with Jack, feeling as though a large portion of their hearts had left them along with Luke and Ken...

*****

It was days later, the month of January drawing to a close, and part of Ben was reflecting on the experience he'd had with the California wolves who had just visited while he was at work. They were certainly an interesting bunch, to say the least. He was glad they had come, and now considered them good friends. He hoped that he would get a chance to

meet them again sometime soon. *Maybe we can meet up at that werewolf convention they went to recently... I admit to being rather curious about it. Well... We have a whole year to prepare, so maybe we can attend the next one. It sounds like fun...*

Partway through the day, his teeth began to itch and his temper became shorter. It took him time to recognize the symptoms and what they meant. It had been too long since he had last had any meat, so the predator in him was getting edgy. Werewolves needed at least small amounts of meat a few times a day to take the edge off, unless they really gorged themselves at large meals, and Ben had been eating less of late due to a subdued appetite triggered by his efforts to come to terms with James' death.

He got up and went to the break room, headed to the vending machines, and put in the cash to make his purchase. As he collected his change and took his snack from the dispenser drawer of the machine, he had to fight hard not to drool openly. He pinched the top of the package in each hand to open it and pulled... Then pulled again... And again as the stubborn plastic package refused to open. He suppressed a growl of frustration, then searched the break room's kitchenette for the scissors, but of course, someone had taken off with them... AGAIN! Sighing with disgust, Ben pondered his options. He didn't have scissors at his desk and his hunger was climbing rapidly, fueled by his frustration.

He could use his supernatural strength to rip it open, but that would scatter the precious meat everywhere and he didn't want to have to pick it all up. Then, getting an idea and glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, he flicked out his right index finger, the nail snapping out rapidly into a claw in what he had taken to referring to as 'popping a claw', then sliced the package open with ease and felt the thrill of victory.

"Hi, Ben," Peggy said from behind him as she entered.

Panicking, Ben closed his hand rapidly, shuddered, and turned to the human to greet her with a tight, strained smile on a face that grew pale as he trembled slightly. "Hi, Peggy,"

he answered in a high, strained tone.

"You alright?" the woman asked, noting his odd behavior.

"Yeah, uh," Ben answered in that same tense tone of voice. "I just... You scared me, is all." he said with difficulty.

"Sorry," she said, eying him suspiciously. "Look," she said, leaning in close as the smell coming from Ben's hand started to work on him, making his hunger spike higher as the coppery scent began mixing with the smell of the jerky in the bag and making his predatory instincts well up. He felt his teeth starting to shift and fought the wolven power down with effort, keeping his mouth closed as the human came closer. "Are you taking steroids?" the human asked nervously. "You seem more aggressive and, well, larger than before. You really shouldn't, you know... They can really do a lot of harm to the body."

"I'm not on steroids, Peggy, and I resent the implication. Yes, I've been working out, but I'm NOT on drugs. Drugs are for weaklings and I'd never be stupid enough to try them." He stared at her with firm resolve, showing how much the accusation hurt... The 'special motivation' he was experiencing adding to his conviction.

"Alright then," she said. "Just promise me you won't get messed up in all of that kind if thing," the woman said kindly.

"I promise," Ben said with a strained smile.

Nodding, Peggy moved to the counter, poured herself a cup of black coffee and left the break room. Once she was gone, Ben turned around and with a whimper of pain, yanked his index claw out of the flesh of his palm, below the base of his thumb, and shuddered in reaction as he retracted the claw, licked the blood off the tip of his finger, then sucked the puncture on the palm, bathing the wound with his antiseptic saliva to clean the wound as it closed, as well as to clean the blood from his hand.

He made sure no blood was left and walked back to his desk, easing his plethora of ailments with the dehydrated meat as he went...

*****

Jack shivered in the snow, grumbling to himself about the cold. "How many more are there?" he asked. It had been a week since Ken and Luke had departed for Japan, and he was out with Kyle as the wolf-born took care of some important canine business.

"Two more after this one," Kyle told him, pissing on the tree at the appropriate height to show his ranking and showing that this part of the woods belonged to him and his pack.

Urinary markings were a habit among some wolves, and the pack was no exception. The werewolf finished, the scent of his urine restored to the marker tree which looked like any other tree and could only be told apart from the regular ones by the strong olfactory powers of lycanthropes and lesser animals. He zipped up his pants and shivered, his wolf-formed tail flaring slightly as he shivered. The curse of having a super-sensitive canine shaft was that the cold air was very harsh on his anatomy. "I told you that you didn't have to come with me," he said.

"I was too restless to stay in the house," the human said. "I just didn't realize how long this would take," he grumbled.

"Sorry, but we control several acres, so it takes time to mark it all. Can't let animals and other wolves go thinking they can move into our territory," Kyle explained softly. Then he sighed and his shoulder slumped as the two weakest scents on the tree reached his sensitive nose. Luke and Ken's markings were fading away. Without them there to refresh the markings, the scent was beginning to vanish. Reminded of the separation, Kyle whimpered with sadness.

"Try to hang in there," Jack said gently, seeing that the wolf was bothered and guessing the cause. "Ken and Luke will be home in a few more days."

"I know," Kyle said heavily, his furry ears and tail drooping, "but I miss them so much it hurts... I wish-"

His words cut out as his ears perked up at a distant sound. "What's wrong?" Jack asked.

"I hear something... An engine... Some off road vehicle... A snowmobile, maybe."

"Where?" Jack asked, his hearing too dull to catch the distant sound... But then before Kyle could answer, he began to hear it too. The sound was coming from the west, and they could hear it approaching rapidly. Kyle growled, expecting trouble, but they heard the engine change pitch, followed by a joyous shout from a male voice. "Woo Hoo!" a man cried out in enthusiasm, before the vehicle landed noisily in the near distance.

Jack sighed with disgust. "It sounds like a damned joyrider! This is private property and there are signs posted!" he snapped, then looked at the werewolf in shock. "Kyle! Change forms! We can't let you be seen like that!"

Kyle complied quickly, pulling in the power of the wolf, then they trudged quickly to the top of a nearby hill that blocked their view...

Just in time to see the snowmobiler barreling right at them.

"YEEAHHH-OH SHIT!!!" he yelled, seeing the pair pop up at the top of the hill. He swerved desperately to avoid hitting them, the blue eyes behind his goggles bulging in fright, and the vehicle skidded off to the side and landed hard on an old, snow-covered stump. The impact threw the man from the driver's seat, and he flew several feet to slam down hard on a fallen log chest first. As he struck, Kyle's sensitive hears heard something in the man snap sharply, then the stranger rolled off the log to land on his back in the snow.

Jack and Kyle had dove to the opposite side to avoid him, the human falling to the ground while the werewolf retained his footing. As they rose, Kyle began to smell faint traces of blood which began to grow stronger. Alarmed, he led to way to the man in the black coat and bluejeans and carefully removed his helmet. Kyle though the roughly college-aged human, from the smell, was fairly handsome with his short medium brown hair that was wavy with a clean-shaven face of Greek heritage. His eyes were scrunched closed, as though in pain, and blood was trickling from his mouth.

Alarmed, Jack began to examine the man as he began to gasp, as though he couldn't quite catch his breath. "Dammit! I think he punctured a lung!"

"What do we do?" Kyle asked frantically.

"I can't do anything without my healer's kit."

"I'll call for help," the werewolf said.

"It's no good. He'll be dead before help can arrive," Jack said weakly, his face going pale. "I'm sorry," he said to the stranger, shaking his head and looking helpless.

Kyle looked into the rider's dark blue eyes, ones that were nearly lavender, and felt his heart go out to the human. He couldn't let the man die. Something had to be done, and quickly. "Do you want to live?' he asked the man rapidly. "I can't promise this will work, but at least it'll give you a chance to live. If it works, you'll be different, but you'll survive."

"Kyle! No!" Jack exclaimed in shock as he realized what Kyle meant.

"Do you?" Kyle asked the stranger.

"KYLE, NO!" Jack shouted. "YOU CAN'T!"

Kyle snarled and shoved Jack away, the keeper sliding in the snow. "DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?!?" he yelled to the man. The stranger was going pale and coughed hard, more blood oozing out of his mouth. He nodded rapidly, then as he watched Kyle transform quickly, his eyes bulged in horror. He tried to scream as the monster the blonde man had become lunged low, sinking it's long fangs into his thigh. He gurgled in agony from the pain that added to that in his chest.

"KYLE!" Jack shouted in horror as he scrambled back to his feet. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?"

Kyle pulled away from the man as he released the leg from his jaws, blood covering his elongated mouth. "I gave him a chance," he said to the keeper, then focused on the man. "Please live... Please don't be allergic to the bite," he pleaded.

The man stared at him, still stunned at what had just happened despite the agony in his chest. He felt something stir within him, as though desperate to make itself known in a way that was as if it, whatever it was, knew that it was needed urgently. It was a strange sensation, like a movement in his chest; and with a gasp, he was finally able to catch his breath. He gasped like a fish out of water, sucking in oxygen with desperation. He groaned as he felt that strange something within him moving and shifting in place, as though his insides were squirming around. A sharp stab of pain made him close his eyes.

"What's happening to him?" Kyle asked. "Is he allergic?"

"I don't know," Jack said. "I've never witnessed an allergic reaction before..."

The man gasped, his eyes opened in shock... Eyes that gleamed like liquid gold... Before he shut them again and groaned in agony. The man's gasping and groaning eased slowly over the next few minutes, and his breathing, while remaining strained, seemed to stabilize.

"I think he's going to make it," Jack said softly, seeing that there was no allergic reaction after all. "I've never heard of the curse taking effect so quickly, but perhaps it's a reaction to the severity of his injury..." he said thoughtfully.

"What do we do now?" Kyle asked.

"You've done enough!" Jack snapped, glaring at Kyle with fury in his eyes and making the werewolf shy away in fear of the keeper's strong reaction. Jack sighed in disgust. "Run back to the house and bring Steve and my healers kit, as well as a blanket or something we can use as a makeshift stretcher."

Kyle took off as the human examined the stranger's bitten leg to see that the bleeding had already stopped, which was a good sign. The young man wheezed, gasping in pain as his new-found healing abilities began to slowly take stronger affect. They were still too new and weak to do more than stabilize his injuries, but it was enough to help him survive the damage the crash had caused. Jack opened the man's eyes to see that the coloring was fluctuating, unable to decide of they wanted to be the golden eyes of a wolf or the blue eyes of a human. Jack wasn't concerned; the power of the wolf was still growing within the injured man, and would become stronger as the lycanthropy took hold more firmly.

"Can you talk?" Jack asked the man, who nodded.

"I... Think so... My chest hurts," the young man said in a strained voice, his face a ridicus of pain.

"You took a nasty blow to the ribs. I think one of them broke and punctured your lung, which is still healing. That's why you're having a hard time breathing. What's your name?"

"Marcus... Markus Silvers," he said weakly.

"Silvers?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well... Let's hope you don't become allergic to your name," he added with dry humor.

"What?" Marcus wheezed, looking confused.

"Sorry," Jack said with a grimace, "bad joke. Do you have any family? Anyone we should contact?" the keeper asked nervously.

Marcus shook his head weakly. "My brother's the only family I've got... He's in Florida for a wedding, though... One of his fraternity buddies managed to snag a girl."

"Any other family? Parents?"

Marcus shook his head again. "Mom and Dad died in a plane crash while on their second honeymoon... Three years ago... It's just me and Brad now."

"We can call your brother, Brad, is it?" Marcus nodded. "But we need to talk a few things over before we call him."

Marcus' eyes snapped open, glowing gold for a moment. "Oh shit! The snowmobile!" he erupted in a fit of coughing before he settled down. "Fuck... The snowmobile... How is it?"

"I don't know," Jack said, looking over at the overturned vehicle. "It looks pretty banged up."

Marcus groaned. "Shit! Brad is going to kill me! I borrowed it without asking... I am so dead..."

"Actually," Jack said with a weak smile, "I think you're going to live."

"Not for long," Marcus moaned. Then, as though he was realizing something he had forgotten, started looking around him searchingly. "Where is he?" he asked, trying to look around frantically as an odd change came over him gradually.

"Who?" Jack asked.

"The blonde man... The one who saved me."

"You mean Kyle? He went to go get some aid and supplies to help us get you back to our house. You can recover there."

"Kyle? His name is Kyle?" Marcus said, a thoughtful look coming over his face, as though his pain no longer concerned him. "Will he be back soon?"

"He'll be back in a few minutes, why?" Jack asked, growing concerned.

"I want to see him..." Marcus said, staring off into space. "I want to thank him."

Jack chuckled, his nervousness fading. "He'll be back soon," the keeper said with a smile.

"How soon? I want to see him," Marcus said, sounding somewhat urgent, as though seeing Kyle again was the most important thing in the world.

Jack stared at Marcus with a growing sensation of shock and dread, his face going pale when he saw an expression of dreamy hope come over the young man as he stared off into the distance, looking full of eager anticipation despite the pain of his injuries...

*****

Kyle reached the house and stormed inside. "Steve!" he called out loudly, then heard frantic scrambling from upstairs. The head beta appeared quickly at the top of the stairs in his human form, looking as though he had been asleep.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Steve asked, trying to get his eyes to focus properly by rubbing them.

"There was an accident out in the woods and a man was hurt! We need to help him! Get dressed and grab some of the old blankets!" Kyle said as he bolted for Jack's workroom and pulled out a carrying case, then put together the healer's kit rapidly, double-checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He came out as Steve pounded down the stairs, dressed for the weather and carrying the older blankets that wouldn't be much of a loss if they became ruined.

They left quickly, Kyle leading the way. "What happened?" Steve asked.

"Jack was with me while I was out refreshing my markings and we heard an engine coming towards us, so we climbed a hill as a snowmobile came barreling at us from the other side. The driver tried to steer away, but crashed, got flung from it and smashed against a log. He punctured his lung and he was dying, so..." he stopped, turning to Steve with a guilty expression.

"Kyle," Steve said, seeing the guilt on his pack mate's face. "What did you do?"

"I... I bit him," the lesser beta admitted with shame.

"YOU WHAT?!?" Steve exploded, his wolven power flaring out rapidly in his agitated state, transforming him quickly until his ears stood erect and his tail flared as he bore his fangs in menace. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!? YOU CAN'T GO AROUND CURSING PEOPLE LIKE THAT! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!?"

"HE WAS DYING!" Kyle shouted. "WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO? -LET- HIM DIE?!?"

"Well," Steve hedged as he calmed down, his tail fur smoothing out as he ended his silent snarl, "I suppose not. Let's go," he said.

And the pair took off at speed, running through the snowy woods to return to the site of the crash...

*****

There was a rustling from a small animal nearby and Marcus reacted instantly. "Kyle!?" he called out shooting upwards before Jack could stop him. Marcus screamed as his insides protested violently to the motion, the agony overwhelming him... And he collapsed back into the snow as he passed out from the pain.

"Dammit!" Jack swore, checking Marcus' pulse. It seemed stable enough despite the trauma, so Jack relaxed for a minute before he heard rapid footsteps and saw Kyle and Steve return.

"What happened?" Kyle asked anxiously. "I heard a scream."

Jack sighed in disgust. "He tried to sit up too quickly and hurt himself. He's passed out, but is as stable as can be expected. Give me the kit," he said, took it from Kyle, and set to work on feeding Marcus a few potions to help stabilize him, aid his budding healing powers and most of all, keep him under. The last thing they needed now was a hysterical new werewolf start to display obsessive behavior once again. Then they dressed his wounds, moved him onto the bundled blankets, and took him back to the Den...

*****

It was a few hours later and Kyle paced the living room nervously in his human form, glancing into the kitchen where Jack was just making a phone call to Mitchell to explain the situation. Not wanting to hear, he went upstairs and passed the bathroom where he heard the shower running. There was a very faint scent of wet canine that was too subtle for a human nose to detect, but to Kyle, it stood out clearly along with the scent of body wash as Steve was busy freshening up. Unable to resist his curiosity about their unexpected guest, Kyle entered the guest bedroom, going against Jack's puzzling command not to go near him.

He crept into the room where the man laid there in the bed, resting with his eyes closed. *He looks really cute,* Kyle said with a smile as he saw the smooth face of the man. Just then, the man groaned and opened his eyes, eyes that for a moment, seemed to flash gold before they changed back to a deep, dark blue. "Kyle?" he asked softly. "Is that you?"

"It's me... How do you know my name?" Kyle asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"That man told me... The guy who's kind of black."

"His name's Jack," Kyle said softly. "What's your name?"

"Marcus... Marcus Silvers."

"Silvers?" Kyle asked, his eyebrows raised. "That's... Ironic," he said with a slight smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling much better... Now that you're here," Marcus said with a dreamy smile.

Kyle liked that smile, thinking that it was rather endearing. "Do you understand what's happened to you?"

"You saved me," Marcus said with that same smile.

"But..." Kyle asked nervously, "are you all right with what I did... Making you a werewolf like me? I know I asked you for permission first, but still... I just... I don't want you to hate me for what I did," he said, wilting. "I only did it because it was the only way to save your live at the time. Please don't hate me for what I did, please?" he begged, taking a nervous step forward.

Marcus lifted his hand imploringly, so Kyle walked forward and took the offered hand in his own. "I don't hate you, Kyle," Marcus said softly, "I could never hate you... Thank you for what you did for me; it means so much to me."

"Really?" Kyle asked, brightening and feeling relieved. "You really don't hate me?"

"Of course I don't hate you... I love you. All I want is for you to be happy. Your happiness is all that matters to me."

"Why?" Kyle asked as he tilted his head again, feeling confused.

"Because I love you and I belong to you... I'd do anything for you."

A sudden sense of shock and horror began to well up within Kyle, his eyes widening in shock and the hair on his human-formed head bristling slightly. "What are you saying?" he gasped, staring at Marcus as the feelings grew stronger and stronger within him.

"I belong to you now," Marcus said soothingly, rubbing the werewolf's hand with his free one as he held it with his first, "Body and soul. All I want is to be with you forever and make you happy. I'll do anything for you, ANYTHING!" he said passionately, a strange intensity in his eyes.

Horrified, Kyle yanked his hand free, his face going pale. "No..." he gasped, starting to feel sick to his stomach as he realized what had happened. "No... No... Don't say that," he gasped, starting to tremble as the full horror of the situation hit him.

"Kyle? What's wrong?" Marcus asked, looking puzzled. "Have I upset you? Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I did. I just want you to be happy, is all."

Kyle shook his head, his hand over his mouth. "Stop it... Please stop..." he begged, starting to whimper in a canine voice.

"Kyle please," Marcus begged, reaching for him desperately. "Please... I only live for you... Please don't be angry with me. I'm sorry if I said something wrong."

"Stop it..." Kyle gasped, backing away from the bed, looking like he was about to be sick.

"Kyle... I love you... I'll do anything you ask. What do you need? What must I do to make you happy?"

"Stop it!" Kyle sobbed hysterically, tears of shame beginning to stream from his eyes. "Please stop..."

"Kyle...?" Marcus asked, reaching for him more urgently.

"No!" Kyle sobbed. "No, No , No!!!" the wolf-born sobbed, bolting from the room in shame; practically throwing himself down the stairs and out the front door.

He ran down the steps, sobbing with hysteria as Ben, who had just arrived home, was getting out of his car. "Kyle!" the alpha asked, seeing the beta's behavior and reacting with shock. He ran over and took Kyle in his arms as the beta broke down completely, dropping to his knees in the snow.

"I didn't... I didn't mean it... Why? Why did it happen? How could I have done such a thing? I'm a monster!" he sobbed as his alpha hugged him close.

Ben held his pack mate, unable to understand. "Kyle, what happened? Talk to me!"

Kyle calmed down enough to speak, telling Ben about the crash of the trespassing joyrider. "And then as he was dying, I did the only think I could think of... I bit him, hoping that it would take and save him... And now he's... He's..." he broke down again in shame, hating himself, and Ben could only hold him tightly.

"Kyle, you meant well, I know you did. I know you only tried to help him, so it's not your fault. Where's the body?" he asked softly.

Kyle pulled away to look him in the face, shaking his head. "He's not dead," the beta sobbed. "But he might as well be..."

"I don't understand," Ben said. "What happened? What did you do?"

Kyle began to tremble all over again. "I didn't mean it! You have to believe me!"

Ben became alarmed and confused. "Kyle! What did you do!?" Ben asked sharply, making it a command.

"I... I... I made a thrall!" Kyle sobbed, then dropped down, burying his face in his hands as he cried in shame.

"You what?" Ben gasped. He sat there on his knees, ignoring the cold. He looked up at the front door of the Den to see Steve standing there, wearing only a bath towel wrapped around his wet body, looking sad. "Is it true?" he asked. Steve only nodded silently. "Kyle..." the alpha said sadly seeing just how ashamed the beta was of himself. "Come on," he said, rising and pulling Kyle to his feet. "Come on, don't cry... I know you Kyle. I know you didn't mean it. Come on, let's get inside."

He led the distraught beta inside and set him on the couch as Steve ran upstairs to throw on a shirt and shorts, then came back down as Ben was holding Kyle on the couch. The alpha looked up to his mate after glancing to the kitchen to see Jack arguing on the phone. "Yes I know..." the keeper was saying into the phone. "Well it was an emergency! ...I don't know... The only family he has is a brother who's down in Florida for a wedding... Yes, yes, I know..."

Ben looked at Steve. "Where is he?"

"The guest bedroom," Steve said.

Ben got up. "Stay with Kyle. I'm going to go say hello."

"Alpha, please! He's not in his right mind right now," Steve pleaded.

"I'll keep that in mind, but if this is a new wolf in our region, especially one who was made on our land, I need to meet him. As Head Alpha, it's my duty."

"Are you going to try to dominate him?" Steve asked nervously.

"Yes," Ben said honestly. "He's a new wolf, so the sooner he's brought under control, the better." He headed upstairs before Steve could stop him, wanting to do this while the keeper was distracted by the phone. He entered the guest bedroom and saw the man laying on the bed.

"Kyle?" the young man, who was handsome by Ben's somewhat rigid standards of attractiveness, asked. He saw Ben and laid back, looking disappointed.

"No, he's not coming in here for awhile," Ben stated firmly. "My name is Ben, and I'm Head Alpha of the werewolves of this region.If you're really a werewolf now and live around here, you answer to me from now on. Are you from around here?" he asked.

"Yes," the lad said, "I live in town. Where's Kyle? I want to see him."

Ben frowned. "I told you Kyle is keeping his distance until we clear a few things up. If you live in the area then that means you answer to me, understand?" Ben repeated, seeing that he'd have to be blunt with this man who was too focused on Kyle and didn't seem to care about anything else.

"The only person I care about is Kyle," Marcus said. "Where is he? I want to see him."

Ben bristled. "I told you that you can't see him! Now stop ignoring me and listen close," he said, growing angrier. "As a werewolf living here, you answer to me as Head Alpha. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" he asked with emphasis.

"All I care about is Kyle," the man repeated obsessively. "Please let me go to him... He looked so upset. I have to help him."

Ben realized that the man was far too single-minded, and knew that the new wolf had to be put in his place quickly. He snarled like the animal he was, showing the wolf within the man before him that he wasn't to be ignored. The man looked at him with fear. "What's your name?" Ben growled.

"M-Marcus," he said nervously, growing pale.

"Alright, Marcus. Do you know what's happened to you?"

"I know that Kyle saved me. He said he made me a werewolf."

"That's right," Ben said, letting the power of his wolven side out and changing quickly, shuddering in euphoria as the change took place. "And I'm a werewolf too."

Marcus stared at him with rounded eyes. "Does Kyle look like that too?"

"Forget about Kyle for a moment," Ben growled. The kid's single-mindedness was starting to piss him off.

"I could never do that!" Marcus said, looking horrified. "Kyle means-"

Ben lunged forward and snarled, flashing his fangs in Marcus' face to silence him. He growled in warning, then stared the kid in the eyes and poured the power of his will into his gaze. Marcus stared back in shock, and Ben noted in the back of his mind that while the lad DID possess some willpower, enough to make for a decent beta despite his acting like a lovestruck omega, he didn't even try to resist. It was as if his will was being clouded and suppressed somehow. He felt the alpha's power and started to tremble, then dropped his gaze in defeat. Ben growled, feeling a surge of triumph. Now the young wolf understood his place. He leaned in close and sniffed the kid over. The smell was definitely close to that of a full-fledged werewolf, but he wasn't quite there yet.

Marcus looked up to Ben's chest nervously, feeling submissive without truly understanding why. The terrible power of the werewolf's gaze was undeniable, and he knew deep down inside that he was weaker than Ben, so he submitted to the stronger man's superiority. His nose twitched as his olfactory powers began to grow, and he felt a strong compulsion to sniff back, wanting to see what Ben smelled like.

"Go ahead," Ben instructed, seeing the desire in Marcus' body language. "As a werewolf, it's important to know the scent of your own kind."

Marcus leaned in nervously, and took a whiff, then another, and another, finding himself driven to commit the way Ben smelled to memory. Actually, he smelled rather nice; woodsy, hairy and manly, like a virile beast of the woods.

"You're almost there..." Ben said huskily, liking the way Marcus was starting to smell. "You're almost one of us, but the power hasn't quite taken a full hold yet... Soon... But not just yet." He growled in approval, then again in a tone that showed he wasn't to be disobeyed. "I am stronger than you. You will do what I say without argument. Do you understand?"

Somewhere deep inside, like a new part of him was awakening and telling him what to do without speaking, Marcus found the right words to say. "Yes, Alpha."

Ben growled in approval, then chuckled. "Alright, Marcus. I'll be your alpha... At least until we figure out what to do with you. The keepers will make the ultimate decision, but I won't let them act without at least getting my input first, whether they like it or not. As Head Alpha, I have every right to have a say in what happens to you."

"All I want is to be with Kyle," Marcus said softly, keeping his gaze lowered.

"Why?" Ben asked, pulling back slightly.

"Kyle is my whole world, my whole reason for living. I need to be with him. Please let me go to him. I made him upset... I want to make it up to him."

"You can't see Kyle right now. He's very hurt."

"Then I should be with him!" Marcus said urgently. "I have to see him!"

Ben snarled savagely, ordering the beta to calm down. Marcus shivered in fear and involuntarily wet himself. Ben smelled the urine, but refused to accept the signal of non-threat. He growled. "You don't understand," he said. "Right now the way you're acting is exactly why he's upset. Kyle gave you a second chance to live your life, not as his slave, but for your own sake."

"But Kyle IS my reason for living!" Marcus said, trembling in fear of the power of his alpha.

"You don't know what you're saying," Ben told him firmly. "That's just the enthrallment talking. Kyle doesn't need a thrall, nor does he want one. The way you're acting right now... It's breaking his heart."

"Then I should be at his side to comfort him!" Marcus said with singular devotion.

Ben looked at the young werewolf in shock. "How can you possibly feel that way? You know nothing about him! What's his favorite food? His style of music? What was the last movie he saw?"

"I can ask him," Marcus said hopefully.

Ben pulled back farther still and stared at him in shock. "Man, you are REALLY determined, aren't you?"

"I need to be with Kyle," Marcus said, practically begging. "That's all that matters to me," he added.

Ben hung his head. "Well, I'll give you points for enthusiasm... But you can't see Kyle, not yet, anyways."

"Why?" Marcus pleaded. "Have I done something wrong?"

"You don't get it," Ben said, softening his tone as his anger faded. It was clear that Marcus was literally incapable of seeing that what he was doing was wrong. "Kyle is

devastated by what's happened to you. He doesn't want or need a thrall," the alpha said, repeating himself for emphasis. "The more you try to force yourself onto him, the more it hurts him. You don't want to hurt him, do you?"

"No," Marcus said, shaking his head. "I want to make him happy, not hurt him. Can I see him? I'll make it up to him, I promise!"

Ben stared at Marcus with disbelief. "Oh man, you really, REALLY don't get it, do you?" he said as the door opened behind him.

"Ben!" Jack said, entering with a scowl. "You certainly didn't waste any time did you? He hasn't even become a full-fledged werewolf yet and already you're trying to dominate him?"

Ben scowled. "Not now, Jack. I'm not in the mood."

"You have no right to treat him like this!" Jack said.

"As Head Alpha I have EVERY right to dominate him," Ben said firmly.

"No you don't!" Jack retorted firmly. "He doesn't understand what's happened to him!"

"And that's exactly why I need to get him under control!" Ben snapped. "Now get out and quit interfering!" The alpha snapped irritably; he was getting sick of being treated like he didn't have the slightest clue about what he was doing. Jack's face reddened. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a dog whistle; Ben paled. "Where the hell-?" His face darkened. "Don't you dare!"

"I will if you don't start behaving," Jack said coldly.

"I'm not a dog, Asshole!" Ben snapped hotly.

"Then stop acting like a bad one," Jack said in a tone of warning.

"I have every right to be here! You can't treat me like this!"

"Out!" Jack ordered sharply.

"That's not happening," Ben answered grimly. He saw Jack raise the whistle to his lips, and tried to make a grab for it, but Jack blew hard. Ben yelped in pain, covering his ears. Marcus yelled in pain as well, his changing senses now able to register higher frequencies of sound than before. The whistle was so loud! He covered his ears, not understanding what was happening to him or why.

"I said out!" Jack said firmly in a loud voice.

"No," Ben growled, his ears ringing from the sonic assault.

Jack clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry it was to be this way Ben," he said. "Last chance," he added, returning the whistle to his lips threateningly.

"I'm not leaving!" Ben snapped.

"Fine then," Jack said, and blew again. Ben and Marcus yelped again, covering their ears.

"Stop that!" Steve yelled from downstairs.

"I will as soon as Ben obeys!" Jack yelled, staring at the alpha with a grim expression. "I mean it, Ben."

"No!" the werewolf growled.

Jack scowled and blew again, then yet again when Ben refused to budge. "This ends when you leave," he stated firmly, hating himself for being so cruel, but not willing to relent. He blew again, long and hard, driving Ben to his knees, but still the alpha refused to leave. He yanked the whistle from his lips with a savage motion, his fists balled up in fury. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO STUBBORN? YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GET YOUR WAY!" the keeper shouted, knowing he'd have to in order to be heard over the painful ringing in the werewolves' ears.

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME!" Ben yelled, gritting his jaws from the pain he felt.

"THEN WHAT -IS- THIS ABOUT?" Jack snapped.

"IT'S ABOUT THEM!" Ben yelled back. His healing eased the pain to something manageable as the ringing faded away.

Jack paused, staring at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's about them," Ben repeated without shouting. "It's about Kyle and Marcus. Marcus is new and doesn't understand what's happening to him. He needs guidance and to be kept under control. Kyle is hurting because of how Marcus became enthralled to him." He stood up slowly. "Marcus needs our guidance to help him. THAT'S what this is about. He's part of my pack now, even if only temporarily, so get used to it! I'm not here to bully him for the sake of my own ego! This is about making sure he doesn't do anything that will harm him, Kyle or our kind..." He looked at Jack with a trace of fading annoyance. "Surely as a keeper you can understand that."

Jack put away the whistle, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry," he admitted heavily. "I overreacted. I apologize for that. I just... I was worried that you were letting your instincts control you again."

"Apology accepted," Ben said, then turned to Marcus. "Alright, listen to me. I know that you mean well, but the more you try to force yourself onto Kyle, the worse it makes him feel. If you really care about him, you need to be patient and let us work to help you regain your independence. Do it for Kyle..." the alpha added, gently. "It will make him happy. I can see that being away from him is difficult for you, but you need to be strong for his sake, if not your own. Okay?"

Marcus nodded and swallowed hard. "I'll try," he said.

"I know you mean well, " Ben said gently, "but you need to understand that it makes Kyle very sad for you to throw yourself at him the way you're doing," repeating himself yet again to drive the point home. "If you really want to make him feel better, then you need to learn to regain your independence again. You're to stay in this room. You can go to the bathroom if you need to, but you return to this room immediately afterwards and go nowhere else, understood?"

"Yes, Alpha," Marcus said, hanging his head.

"I'll take you at your word," Ben told him, "however, if you disobey me," he added, brandishing his claws and making Marcus go pale, "I'll give you even more wounds to recover from. I won't tolerate disobedience from my betas." Marcus shook his head to show he didn't want that. Sighing, Ben left the room with Jack following, closing the door behind himself as Steve appeared at the top of the stairs. "Steve, I'm putting you on guard duty. Don't let Marcus there leave that room except to use the bathroom and go right back to bed. Use force if you need to, but don't let him near Kyle until we get this sorted out."

"Yes, Alpha," Steve said, accepted his mate's kiss of love and gratitude, then went into the pack's bedroom and sat down to read, making sure to keep both an eye and an ear on the open door that was close to the top of the stairs.

"So what now?" Ben asked.

"All we can do is try to work with Marcus to break the enthrallment," Jack said as he followed.

They found Kyle sitting at the kitchen table, sniffling. Ben took his beta into his arms, showing that he still loved him. Kyle shook from time to time, still feeling shame and guilt over what he had done, inadvertent as it was...

*****

The next day came and Steve entered the guest bedroom with breakfast for Marcus to see him sit up eagerly. "Kyle?" he asked, filled with hope and excitement, but wilted when he saw that it was someone else.

"Sorry, just me," Steve said cheerfully.

"I'd rather see Kyle," Marcus grumbled.

Steve sighed. "That's a bad idea right now. He's really torn up over how you ended up enthralled to him. He never meant for that to happen to you, you know."

"I feel fine," Marcus protested. "Well... I WOULD feel fine if Kyle was here."

Steve sighed. "You hungry?"

"A little," Marcus answered.

"Here, this is for you," the head beta said, setting the tray down on the nightstand next to the bed. "Dig in and tell me about yourself. If you're going to be a pack mate to me, then I want to get to know you." He leaned in to sniff Marcus over, who felt the still odd, to him, compulsion to do likewise. Steve noted that the scent had finished settling. Marcus now smelled like a full-fledged werewolf. He wagged his wolf-formed tail in appreciation. "You smell good."

"You smell good too, I guess, but I'd rather talk about Kyle," Marcus said. "What's he like? I want to know everything about him."

Steve groaned, his tail going limp as he hung his head in disappointment. "You've really got it bad, huh? Okay, I'll make you a deal... Tell me about yourself and I'll tell you some about Kyle."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Steve said with a tired smile, disheartened by the new wolf's single-minded obsession over Kyle.

Then they sat there and chatted while Marcus ate, talking about sports such as basketball, Kyle's love of sports, snowmobiling, Kyle not being into that, action moves and which ones Kyle had seen recently, favorite foods and Kyle's near obsessive appetite, and rock music, including which bands Kyle liked best, and so on, and so on...

It was hard for Steve to see someone like this, but he bore through it as best he could, knowing that Marcus really couldn't help himself...

*****

Mitchell stood in the kitchen, trembling with fury. "I never thought I'd see the day when you of all people would do something so foolish!" he snapped, glaring at Kyle who sat in a chair at the table in his wolven form, ears folded and tail tucked under his chair as he stared at the floor, looking scared, guilty and submissive. "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea just how serious this is?"

Kyle looked up, ears raising slightly feeling the need to defend himself. "Of course I know! I'm not stupid! But what was I supposed to do? LET him die? I could never live with myself if I let that happen! I thought you'd at least TRY to understand," he added, his tail uncurling and bristling slightly as his ears lifted slightly higher. "I know what all of this means, but it's not like I planned it! I refuse to let someone die when I can help them. I knew there was a good chance he would still die, but I was willing to risk it give him a chance to live!"

"It's not that simple, Kyle," Mitchell said with a sigh of disgust, resisting the urge to pace the room. "It's not just about how the bite would affect him. You knew nothing about him! You only got lucky that he has a single living relative, and what are we supposed to do about that? His brother will eventually come looking for him, and we don't even know how soon the man will be back! You've put all of us at risk, no matter how well-intentioned your actions were."

"I know... But I had to do it! I don't believe this!" the wolf said, rising to his clawed feet. "I'm the only one who's acting humane and I was never even human in the first place!"

Mitchell sighed in disgust. "It's not that simple, Kyle, and you know it. There are always ramifications to actions like this. This is a small city and people will notice when a human goes missing. We have to be careful about this kind of thing. The risks are just to great for all your kind, not just the wolves around here."

"I know, but still... The only regret I have is that he... He... He became..." with that, Kyle started to cry.

Touched by Kyle's pain, Mitchell took the wolf into his arms and held him close. "It'll be alright, Kyle... We'll help him. I know you didn't mean to enthrall him... We'll fix this somehow... I promise."

"I didn't mean it, I swear," Kyle sobbed.

The keeper felt moved by Kyle's pain and saw that he was suffering enough, so he dropped the rest of his lecture. Instead, he just held his friend and foster-relative close, rocking him back and forth soothingly until Kyle calmed himself back down...

*****

Ben, meanwhile, was outside talking to Luke on the phone, his wolf-formed tail drooping with worry. "How's it going over there?" he asked.

~"As well as it could be, under the circumstances. Osaka's pretty interesting, despite the fact that I can barely ask where the bathroom is. If it wasn't for the younger folks being taught English in school, I'd be up shit creek right now,"~ he said.

In Japan, Luke, who was standing on the road outside the entrance to Ken's parents' house in the sunlight, saw two young girls who were passing by look at him and grimace at

his choice of words. "Well I would be," he said to them matter-of-factly.

The girls snorted with contempt and walked away, muttering to each other in Japanese about rude gaijin.

"Ken's holding up well enough. You know Japanese folks, they take emotional pain seriously, but don't like to show it outwardly. I guess it's a 'dignity' thing. How are things there?"

Back in America, Ben leaned back against the porch railing and told the beta about Marcus as the evening settle in around him, the last light of dusk fading away.

~" Are you serious?"~ Luke asked over the phone, sounding shocked. ~"Oh man! I really wish we were there to help you... Poor Kyle, I know he didn't mean it. We should be there, not here. Kyle needs all of us to help him through this."~

"I wish you guys were here too," Ben said, letting his tone of voice show how much he missed his betas. "It's hard having you both away for so long."

~"I know... We miss you guys so much it all but literally hurts inside. The funeral has already ended, so maybe I can see of Ino will be able to swing us an early trip home."~

"Do it," Ben told him. "We need you both. I really wish we knew what to do about Marcus, though"

~"Don't worry, Al-... Ben. For someone with a will as strong as yours, I know you'll be able to handle this."~

Ben wagged his tail at the praise. "Flatterer. Give Ken our love and call me once you talk to Ino. Tell her it's important."

~"I will on both counts. Love you."~

"Love you too. 'Bye," Ben said, then hung up and went inside. He found Kyle sitting on the couch and could hear Mitchell talking with Jack in the kitchen. Ben went to his beta and pulled him to his feet so he could hug him. Kyle hugged back, trembling in his arms. Ben felt that and knew that he had to figure out something, anything to help his love recover from this nightmare. He looked up as Steve appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down at them with worry. Ben met Steve's eyes, and a though suddenly occurred to him as he recalled Luke's words over the phone. The alpha gazed at his mate thoughtfully, who looked back to him with a silent question in his eyes.

Ben pushed Kyle away gently to arm's length. "Kyle," he said so softly that only the beta could hear. "I think I have a way to fix this... I'm not sure if it will work, but we have to try. I can't stand to see you this way."

"What do you mean?" Kyle asked, looking at Ben's chest, rather than any higher. He felt he had no right to look any higher than the alpha's feet, his shame was so great, but he felt a faint trace of hope, so he looked higher than he deserved to.

"I want to try something... I think it might help. Come with me," he said, and taking Kyle by the hand, led him to the stairs. He felt Kyle's hand tremble in his own, and squeezed it tightly. "Don't be afraid, be brave," he said comfortingly in that same low tone, then he led the way upstairs. He stopped outside the closed guest room door and positioned Kyle so he was hidden from view by the wall outside the door. "Only come in when I tell you to. Do not speak unless I talk to you, understood?" Kyle nodded, looking confused.

"Steve?" he said to his mate, who had followed them. "Go make sure the keepers don't come up here."

"Alpha," Steve asked nervously. "What are you planning?"

"Relax... Do what I say," he said in a firm, yet gentle tone, making the head beta sigh and nod.

As Steve made his way downstairs, Ben glanced at Kyle in what he hoped was a reassuring way, then opened the door and entered.

"Kyle?" Marcus said, rising up on the bed, the TV he had been watching showing commercials.

"It's just me," Ben said. "Turn off the TV; we need to talk."

The young man complied. "Can I see Kyle now? I miss him," Marcus said sadly.

"We need to talk first," Ben said, moving close. He sniffed the lad over. "Well, it smells like it's done; you're one of us now," he said thoughtfully, then sat on the edge of the bed.

"I know you feel very strongly about Kyle, but you need to understand that it hurts him very much for you to be the way you are. Your extreme level of attachment to him is NOT what he wanted for you and the more you try to force that attachment onto him, the more it hurts him. I know you don't mean to hurt Kyle and you can't understand why the way you feel is a bad thing, but it is."

"But all I want is the make Kyle happy," Marcus said softly. "What's so bad about that?"

"If Kyle asked you to jump off of a bridge," Ben asked slowly, "would you?"

"If it would make him happy, yes," Marcus said.

Ben sighed. "See? That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Kyle wants you to be an independent person who can make his own decisions. If you jumped off a bridge, you'd die! That's hardly the thought process of a free and independent person."

"I can do that," Marcus said eagerly. "I'll be and do what ever he wants of me. I'll be as independent as he tells me to be!"

Ben stopped, struck at the irony of the new wolf's words and how they conflicted so drastically with his mentality. Then he realized that he could use this, as it fit perfectly into what he wanted. "Look into my eyes," he commanded.

Marcus did so with a shiver, remembering the terrible power he had felt in them before. He looked into the alpha's golden orbs, feeling the power of the superior will latch onto his own and not let go, ordering him through that power alone to not break eye contact as Ben's alpha instincts connected to the awaking wolf soul of the man sitting before him.

"What do you want more than anything in the world?" Ben asked firmly.

"I want to make Kyle happy," Marcus answered passionately.

"Do you remember what we talked about?" Ben asked. "You said you would be as independent as he wants you to be."

"Yes, I remember... I'd do anything for Kyle... Anything."

Ben turned his head slightly. "Come in," he said over his shoulder, not breaking eye contact with the enthralled wolf. He turned all of his attention back to Marcus as the door opened and closed softly, hearing Kyle take a shuddering breath. It was a good thing that Marcus didn't know what Kyle smelled like, for he might have detected his presence sooner. "Do you mean that, Marcus? Would you really be an independent person again if that's what would make Kyle happy?"

"Yes," Marcus said, lost in the power of Ben's will, staring deep into his eyes.

"Kyle," Ben said, not breaking eye contact with Marcus, "Tell Marcus what you want. Tell him what he can do to make you happy."

Kyle glanced nervously at the back of the alpha's head, then began to understand. "I want Marcus to be himself again," he said softly. "I wan-... I want him to be free to make his

own choices. I want him to be free from his enthrallment..." He sniffed, starting to cry. "I never meant for him to become enthralled to me... It hurts to see him like this. It's not what I wanted for him. I just want him to be free and independent again..." The beta sniffed hard, wiping his human-formed nose on his shirt.

Marcus heard the pain and sadness in the voice of the person who meant everything to him. Hearing the pain in that voice was too much, and he was overcome by guilt. "Kyle..." he said, a tear escaping form his eye. "I'm sorry... I don't want you to be sad... Please don't cry." He tried to turn away, but the power of the alpha's will held him like a vice, not even letting him shift his gaze away.

"Can you hear it?" Ben asked gently, "Can you hear the pain he feels, the burden of guilt Kyle carries?"

"Yes," Marcus said softly, his guilt and shame growing stronger. "I don't want to hurt him. I love him."

"Then make him happy by fulfilling his wish for you. Be what he wants you to be. Be free of your dependance on him. Do it for him... It will make him happy again... Just be your old self again... Be free... Do for him."

Deep inside of Marcus, he felt something stir. It was almost as if it was a separate presence within him, yet it was also he himself at the same time. The shape was a four-legged animal, and after a moment, he realized that it was a wolf. The beast struggled to rise, as though something was weighing it down, like chains that confined it. The chains felt oddly comforting in a way he couldn't understand, yet he now came to see that they were wrong; unnatural. The chains were the oppressive power of the crippling connection he

felt to Kyle, the intense need to submit to the other werewolf's will. Being bound like this was hurting Kyle, and Marcus, both man and wolf, could not bear to break his love's heart. He struggled upwards, putting more and more effort into freeing himself from the chains. He was the creature, bound and yearning to be free, and was determined to be free for Kyle's sake, rather than his own. Some of the chains snapped and fell away, easing the burden upon his furry back. The wolf in him growled within his mind, determined to make Kyle's wish come true. He strained again, and more of the chains were sundered, freeing him bit by bit until finally, he was able to stand on his strong paws; most, but not all, of the chains having fallen away. Some still held him, but he felt more free and self-reliant than before. He could tell that the connection to Kyle, the desire to please him was still there, but it was muted, weaker, allowing him to think for himself. He wasn't completely free, but he had much more liberty than before.

Ben sensed the change within Marcus and knew that he had done as much as he could. The rest would take time and effort, but the worst was now behind Marcus. He poured on the power as he changed his focus, reminding the wolf in Marcus who was in charge. Marcus dropped his gaze submissively, and the terrible force of the alpha's will left his mind.

Just then, the door flew open and Mitchell came storming in, a bashful-looking Steve Behind him. "What the Hell is going on in here? Ben, what are you doing?"

"Alpha," Steve pleaded. "I tried to stop him. He started asking where you were and I tried to stall-"

"Quiet, Steve," Mitchell said sharply. "I want to know what you think you're doing in here?" he asked Ben firmly, his jaw clenched.

"I was helping my newest beta, if you must know," Ben answered curtly with a sigh, rubbing his sore eyes with his knuckles.

"How, exactly?" Mitchell snapped.

"It's complicated. I'll explain later." He looked at Marcus. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

Marcus rubbed his temples. "Confused," he said. "Was I really...? What was I thinking? Why was I acting like that?"

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I remember being obsessed over a complete stranger, if that's what you mean," Marcus said, keeping his head down both from embarrassment and confusion over the strange sensations in his head of his senses clearing, as though he'd just emerged form some kind of mental fog.

"How do you feel about Kyle?" Ben asked.

"Kyle?" Marcus asked, looking up and finding the blonde man standing there, looking nervously at him. "Um... Hi."

"Hi," Kyle replied sheepishly.

"How do you feel about him?" Ben repeated.

"Umm... Well..." Marcus hedged. "I don't know... Confused, I guess..." Marcus swallowed, looking at Kyle nervously. "I mean... I really like him... A lot," he said, blushing. "I can't seem to stop thinking about him."

"Are you attracted to guys?" Ben asked in the same gentle tone.

Marcus' face turned bright red. "Well... Kind of. I mean... I kind of consider myself bi, I suppose... Well, I mean I've always been curious about guys... But I've never really gotten the chance to... Well..." He stopped then, to embarrassed to continue.

"Don't be afraid," Ben told him gently. "Everyone in the pack likes guys. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Really?" Marcus asked nervously. "Well... Okay, I guess."

"Let me ask you something else," Ben said. "If Kyle asked you to throw yourself in front of a bus if it would make him happy, would you do it?"

"What?!?" Marcus asked Ben in shock. "No! That's crazy! I mean I want him to be happy, but that would kill me. I'd have to be nuts to do something like that!"

Ben smiled. "Don't worry. No one will ask you to do something like that. I just needed to make sure you had regained enough independance to resist notions like that. Forget I asked, alright?"

"Okay, I guess," the new wolf said, feeling thoroughly confused.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Mitchell asked.

"Well," Marcus said, thinking back, "I was out for a joyride on my brother's snowmobile... Then I almost hit Kyle and Jack," he said. "I crashed, I was in a lot of pain, I think they said I was dying. I remember that it was getting harder and harder to breathe... Then Kyle asked me if I wanted to live, I nodded, then he turned into a werewolf and bit me on the leg... Then I was in a lot of pain, but it was as if I couldn't die... And then Kyle was all I could think about." He shuddered. "You guys said something about me being enthralled. Is that why I can't stop thinking about you?" he asked Kyle.

"I'm sorry," Kyle said, his ears and tail drooping. "I didn't mean for that to happen, honest! All I wanted was to give you a chance to live. I'm sorry... Please believe me," he begged, whimpering as his tail tucked between his legs.

"You wanted me to be myself... You said you wanted me to be free." Marcus asked, and Kyle nodded. "Why? I mean I would've taken a bullet for you... Some folks would love to have someone like that."

"Not me," Kyle said, shaking his head with wide eyes. "I could never be happy with someone like that. I don't want a slave; I want someone who loves me because they do, not because they're enthralled to me. I could never be happy knowing I did that to someone. I didn't mean to do it, it just happened. Please forgive me," he begged, whimpering. Marcus saw how much it meant to Kyle that he had free will, and was touched. He saw the pain on the werewolf's face and knew he couldn't blame him, no matter what his conflicted feelings told him. "I forgive you," he said gently, speaking as himself, rather than as the thrall he had been, knowing Kyle wanted a real answer, rather than merely one designed to make him feel better despite the fact that both answers were one and the same.

"Alright," Mitchell said, motioning for Ben and Kyle to follow him to the door where Steve was waiting. "Let's give Marcus some time to come to terms with what's happened to him. Jack, why don't you keep him company? I'm sure Marcus has a lot of questions, now that his head is clearer," he added, looking at Ben with a thoughtful expression.

With that, he led the wolves out as Jack pulled up a chair. "Let's have a talk, shall we?" Jack asked as the door closed behind them.

"What did you do in there?" Mitchell said, staring thoughtfully at Ben.

"Well, I used my will and the enthrallment itself to loosen it's hold on him. All he wanted was to make Kyle happy, and Kyle wanted him to be free, so I kind of forced the enthrallment to work against itself. It's not completely gone, mind you. Marcus still has an attachment to Kyle, but now it's manageable."

"To be honest," Mitchell said slowly, "I've never even heard of such a tactic being employed... But this was a very specialized case. I doubt it can work in most situations." Then his face darkened. "But you should have come to me with this first, Ben. You could have easily done more harm than good."

"I figured you'd be too nervous to give it a try, so I acted on my own. It's the least I could do for my newest beta."

"So you're claiming him as a part of your pack?" the keeper asked with a tone of resignation.

"I might as well. We're the pack responsible for him becoming one of us, and he needs guidance. Besides, having him too far away from Kyle could cause emotional trauma. We'll wait until Luke and Ken return to make it official, but yes, he's mine now. Is that a problem?"

Mitchell sighed in disgust at Ben's typical heavy-handed approach, but realized he had a point. "Fine, I'll allow this," he said, seeing Ben frown in resentment. "But you're now responsible for him."

With that, the keeper walked downstairs, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Alpha?" Kyle asked.

"Yes?" Ben replied.

Kyle shot forward to hug him tightly. "Thank you."

Ben just held his beta, knowing he had done the right thing...