Orphan Ch. 08

Once they were all back Carl picked up the conversation.

"I think our history can wait, there is a lot of it; and you will need to know it Alexander. But I think there are a few other things you need to know first."

"We've gone over the pack hierarchy. Now, for our rules. Understand, each pack has their own set of rules that they live by and there are a few that every Were must abide by."

"As a race, we all protect the secret of our heritage, even if it means our own death for the reasons I told you earlier. If it becomes known that a Were is in a position to break those rules, through their own designs or by fate, we will act as a people to ensure that doesn't happen."

"Murder, theft, all the other common human laws are also followed by most packs. There is a large distinction on the point of murder. Our way is more...savage for lack of a better term. We are equal parts human and predator, we kill when in our wolf forms, but never humans unless it is to protect our lives and the secret of our kind. There have been wars between packs in the past. Currently in Europe there are six packs embroiled in a very active war for territory. It is in our nature to secure the boarders of our lands. Should another pack try and infringe on those boarders it can quickly lead to violence."

Alexander stopped Carl there.

"So the Bouchard's actions today could be considered an act of war?"

Alexander was at once surprised and not at the thought of the attack this morning could be the cause of a major conflict. He understood how important territory was for some but still had misgivings about himself being the cause of trouble for the pack.

"In the past most definitely, a hundred, hell fifty years ago we would have already been in the middle of it. Today and under these circumstances we try to keep Were conflicts to a minimum. They create too much of an opportunity for our nature to be revealed to the human population."

Alexander was listening intently, trying not only to retain the information but also pick up the subtle nuances that could be contained within them. Jenabel, sitting on his lap gently rotated her hips causing his erection to jump at the contact. She turned to him, giving him a big grin before allowing her attention to go back to her father. For that instant Alexander saw a flash of Jenabel in the woods this morning as she had shifted from her wolf to human form. Her gloriously naked curves covered in a light sheen of sweat..."

"Alexander?"

Carl's clipped tone brought him back from his reverie.

"Sorry, so...what about within the pack? I can guess that at least for you, murder, theft, hurting a child and such would be strictly against the rules."

Carl nodded.

"Yes, we don't have the same need as humans to dictate every little action as good or bad. It is mostly unheard of that a Were would hurt their mate or any pack member. For a child to be hurt is unthinkable. We expect everyone to respect the others of the pack and they expect that respect in return."

"Sounds straight forward, it's too bad human society can't seem to grasp that simple concept." Another question had been bothering Alexander and this seemed a good place to ask.

"This morning, when I killed the Were who attacked me, he didn't change back to his human form."

Carl shook his head.

"No, that's Hollywood BS. If we are killed we retain whatever form we were in when we died. You've seen Willow and Jenabel shift. It is a fundamental change in our nature. One is not more or less dominant. If you die a wolf you'll be burned a wolf."

"Burned?" Alexander questioned.

"Yes our funeral rites date back to our earliest histories. Upon our deaths our bodies, no matter the form are burned during the ritual of passage where we celebrate the person's life and send them on to whatever is after this."

Alexander understood and approved. No mourning, no sense of loss, only the good things remembered.

"I think that's enough for this evening." Sophie said as she stood and stretched her hands to ceiling.

"I agree, lets all get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow Brad and some of the Betas will run through our training session with you. Afterward he will show you the defenses around the compound. With the Bouchard's riled up any suggestions you may have about enhancing them would be most appreciated. Tomorrow afternoon one of the teachers has volunteered to give you a down and dirty on our overall history. By then I hope to have talked with Dmitri and we can go from there." Carl was wrapping his wife in his arms, placing gentle kisses on her bare shoulder.

"Who is Dmitri? You've mentioned him twice this evening." Alexander fought the gentle pull on his hand from Jenabel's as he asked.

Carl looked at Alexander. It was easy to forget with his quiet way that he was incredibly sharp and rarely missed anything.

"Dmitri is an Elder Alpha. A Were's lifespan is about double that of a normal human, roughly 160 to 200 years."

Alexander interrupted.

"That explains why you're around ninety years old", remembering Carl's chronology from earlier.

"Yes that's about right. Sophie is..." He was interrupted by his wife's elbow in his belly.

"...aging very well thank you very much." Sophie finished his statement with a sly smile.

Alexander turned to Jenabel the question obvious in his eye.

"Don't worry, I'm just what I look like, twenty-two, Brad is twenty-seven and Cross twenty-five. Our aging doesn't start to slow down until our late twenties or early thirties." Jenabel saw Alexander relax at her explanation.

Carl was patient with the interruptions.

"Getting back to your question, there are a few of us who live beyond 200. Those that reach that milestone become Elder Alphas. Whether they were Alphas or not in their first 200 years makes no difference. An Elder Alpha will be given a number of packs to look over, to be a mentor for their leaders. In this way we don't lose the wisdom that more times than not, comes with such a long life."

"Dmitri is our Elder Alpha, he is about 290 years old, currently the oldest Were alive. There are two others and between the three of them they oversee the formal packs across the globe."

Carl could see more questions forming in Alexander's mind but cut him off.

"Tomorrow Alexander, it's late and tomorrow will be another long day. We'll pick it up in the morning."

"Thank you, all of you for your help and patience, I don't know what I would do if..."

Sophie hugged him close.

"Don't thank us Alexander, there is no need. You're pack. You're family." She smiled at him as she released him and followed Carl to bed.

Brad clapped him on the back.

"I'll see you in the morning just after breakfast, 6:30, Jenabel can show you where."

He gave his sister a quick hug before heading out himself.

Jenabel's fingers intertwined with his.

"Come on Alexander, let's go home."

Her soft whispered words and the look of hunger in her eyes left Alexander's only option to follow her. He could think of nothing he wanted to do more. At least for now.

-vVv-

Flames reached for the heavens as the pyre burned bright and hot in the middle of the forest.

The pack stood stoically, watching the flames consume their Alpha's son. All of them felt the loss. Many of them wondered what now would become of the pack. Their Alpha wasn't old but he wasn't young either. At 152 and childless he would have to appoint his successor. None of the Betas stood out as a likely candidate.

While the group itself was subdued, there was an undercurrent of discordant energy they all felt.

Their Alpha stood motionless before the pyre. It had been over an hour since he laid his son upon it and sparked the conflagration which quickly consumed the body.

Finally the Rogue Alpha turned, scanning the crowd with dark hooded eyes.

"Today we have lost a valuable member of the pack, the future leader of the pack. We also lost Mitch, one of our Betas, who will soon join my son in the afterlife." He paused turning back to the fire before continuing.

"These horrible losses can be laid at the feet of the Benton Pack. For years they have treated us badly. Looked down on us, thrown us scraps from their table."

"That ends now." The Rogue's voice had turned icy. Those close enough to see his eyes in the firelight caught their breath at the black pools that stared back at them.

"We will avenge our fallen. We will make the Benton's suffer as we have."

Turning to the pack surrounding him the Rogue took them all in, saw the weak, the unsure, and picked out the ones who had some steel in their backbones and fire in their eyes.

They would be his fodder, the ones who would clear a path for him so that his bloody vengeance could be wrought.

His voice rose in the night, battling and overcoming the shrieks of the fire that seared the ashes of his son. One chilling word howled out into the night, echoed from the mountains multiplying its power.

"Vengeance."

-vVv-

Alexander watched the closed bathroom door as he sat on Jenabel's bed. Images of her beneath him in the forest battled for his attention. He imagined her in the shower and then shook it away, feeling bad at the thought and not understanding why.

'She's mine, there's no reason I shouldn't think about her. The way her body feels under my hands. The taste of her on my lips. How her scent lingers on my skin.'

His thoughts were brought back to the moment as Jenabel stepped out of the bathroom. Her long black hair was still damp; a light purple silk robe did little to hide her curves.

They stared at each other. Alexander's eyes traveled over her body. He could see the way her calf muscles flexed as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Pictured his fingers wrapped around them, sliding over them toward..."

"Ready for bed?" Jenabel's question was a whisper, filled with want but also with a healthy dose of hesitancy.

Alexander felt himself calm. Could feel his wolf's protective nature come to the fore and merge with his own.

Alexander stood, stepped close to Jenabel and wrapped her in his arms. He could feel Jenabel trembling next to him.

"Come to bed Jenabel, rest with me. Let me hold you. Let me enjoy the feeling of your arms around me."

Alexander felt her hesitancy fall away. They slid between the cool sheets, wrapped themselves in one another's embrace and let the world, for at least this night slip away.

Edited By:
Mikothebaby