The Light

Chapter 84- The Alpha

Chapter 84- The Alpha

As much as Remus wanted to hate it, he found that there was a part of him that just- couldn't.

The den Dumbledore had assigned him to was underground, built into the hillside and stationed in the middle of a forest; it was almost like a rabbit warren of dirty tunnels, tall enough for a man to walk upright in and wide enough for a wolf to bound in. Within the warren, there were little pods, almost, that were used for sleeping in, and above it was a ground section where the cubs could play (but not wander too far) and the domestic jobs could be completed. There was a running river a few metres away, to wash themselves and their belongings, and overall, Remus had to admit that the setup was rather pleasant.

That was, until he met Greyback.

Greyback was a big, hulking mass of a man, with feral, yellow eyes that seemed to gleam devilishly. He towered above everyone else and when Remus first set eyes upon him, the wolf in him cowered. He could not quench the memories of the night he'd been bitten, of the agony as the infection coursed through his blood, of his mother's tears and his father's stricken face. He averted his eyes fairly quickly, not liking the way in which Greyback's tongue traced his canines, nor the way that his muscle memory remembered those same canines digging into his flesh and biting down hard. There was also the fact that the wolf recognised his Alpha. And knew to look away, lest he want trouble.

It never became any easier to see Greyback. Every time Remus stumbled upon him, the swirl of unease would start up again, and he'd immediately turn in the opposite direction. This feeling was not shared with the rest of the pack who, Remus realised, looked up to their Alpha. He supposed it wasn't as odd as what he initially thought it- after all, these people had been turned by him and indoctrinated since they were children. It was part of the reason Remus was here.

He hadn't learnt much since first stationing himself there, but he had come to the abrupt and almost sickening realisation that this pack were loyal to Greyback. If Dumbledore thought he could sway their allegiances, Remus knew he had another thing coming.

Despite knowing that this mission was now void, and there was no real impact he could have by staying there, Remus found himself reluctant to go back home.

"Remus!"

He spun round, ears pricking, eyebrows raised. One of the cubs, a small boy called Tommy with skinny limbs and ribs on show, barely a metre tall, was waving him over. His lips were curled in an impish grin and he bended his knees slightly. In wolf form, his tail would be wagging.

Remus smirked. He bowed low, refraining from laughing when Tommy bounced away, screaming. The other children had formed a small anticipating group just behind him and they too, burst into action when Remus started running after them. It was nice, he couldn't help but think, running through the camp, swinging around trees and dodging the other wolves. A few laughed at their antics, others shook their heads. Remus couldn't really bring himself to care.

It was an innocent game, chasing them until his arm curled around their waists and he could gently roll them onto their backs. They always writhed and wriggled, trying to break free, and Remus would sit on his haunches, one hand easily pinning them down until they tired or grinned up at him in defeat.

He managed to get most of them quickly as they'd just eaten and their speed was lacking, and Remus' eyes found Tommy, who had stopped just ahead to goad him. His lips curled into an amused smile at the boy's gall.

Remus started running, and it was like every worry that had ever lodged itself in his head dissipated; as if they were all picked up by the wind that laced through his hair and tore at his clothes and carried far away from him. Perhaps he should have felt guilty, enjoying this the way he did. But he didn't. Remus just felt free.