Baby

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

"So the pack is a community as I said...and it's good because larger numbers means higher protection." Maxen continued smoothly, trying and failing at hiding the smallest of smirks.

"No need for the smirk Mr Wilk." I commented.

This only made his smirk grow more prominent along the left side of his face.

I couldn't help but notice a small stubble upon his cheeks that I didn't think I saw last night at the fight.

"No?" He asked. "Can't help but take note in your sudden interest of my kind...-"

I rolled my eyes and fought against my own smirk now, "I wouldn't go so far as to call it an interest...merely a girl doing her due diligence on getting all the answers."

He nodded, "call it what you want, but you can't deny your intrigue is growing Babydoll."

I remained silent...not even bothering to give him shot for the 'babydoll' remark as I instantly recalled he's also called me that last night as well.

But now wasn't the time or place.

Of course he was right though...I was intrigued, I mean...It isn't everyday that someone not only admits but also proves they are a werewolf, no matter how strange it is...but of course, he didn't need to know that.

"You were saying" I pressed on, anything to get him to move on from this topic. "You said large numbers mean greater protection?"

"Yes...now of course, with so many people that can lead to chaos quite quickly so there has to be a leadership set in place to prevent complete anarchy and to make sure everyone is protected and essentially treated equally and fairly."

"Essentially?" I asked, picking up on his words.

He gave a sad smile, "...I'll get to that."

I nodded and he continued.

"So our leaders use to be made up of 3 people, now it's 4."

I couldn't help but to listen on intently as he confided in me their pack's ins and outs so to speak.

And it wasn't like him rushing through it all like the worlds fast cram session...no, he was pretty laid back about the whole things...giving me information and answering my questions when I asked. He took care to explain things he knew I wouldn't immediately understand.

'He's thoughtful and patient.' I thought to myself. 'He also sort of seems wise beyond his years in a way...he looks a little tired, probably from the fights last night, and who knows what he did this morning?'

"The three main leaders are the Alpha, Luna, and Beta and for centuries that's all that ran the pack..." He said cutting off my string of thoughts.

"Alpha, Luna, Beta." I repeated to indicate that I was still listening to him.

"50 years ago, give or take....the pack added another 'leader' The Omega...now...The Alpha is the main man, he's more so the one who makes all the rules and calls all the shots in the pack...The Luna is his wife, and The Beta is the Alpha's right hand man."

"And the Omega?"

He looked at me a moment before speaking again, "...In order to understand that role there's more to the story..."

I wanted to tell him to just get on with it, but knew I needed to be patient.

"Without trying to make it sound like a fairy tale or anything like that," he smile and continued.

"A long time ago this pack was run a lot differently by a different family...the family's bloodline was strong and there was always another son of that bloodline either leading or ready to lead the next generation, until the bloodline dwindled down...the family's numbers decreased from like 6 or 7 children down to one child families...more so the last of that line was a girl..."

He was so wrapped up in his history lesson that he didn't notice (while I was still listening to him) I couldn't help but give my full attention to him, personally...I noticed the way he moved his hands when he talked, the way his brows pulled together with seriousness, the tone of his deeper almost gruff voice.

I shook my head a little, I wasn't here to check him out...I was here for answers.

"...and in order to keep a little power in the family she was married off to another old family with a strong blood line as well, and as they were married the leadership in the pack changed to a new familial name and they've been running this pack every since then... it wasn't until about 24 or 25 years ago when the same thing essentially happened to that family...all daughters."

"Okay..." I said trying to wrap my head around all the info he'd just given me. "So family A was in power and then married into Family B...Then Family B takes power and now they're married to Family C?"

He laughed but nodded. "Exactly...I suppose names would be easier though...The Wilks were the ones who established this pack..." he said with a cocky grin now.

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.

So his family were the pioneer Werewolves around these parts...I'd give him that.

"...Then the last direct descendant born was a female and unfortunately back in those days women could not run the pack...the way they saw it, if a woman ruled she ran the risk of having dormant offspring, and a fully shifted Were has to rule the pack."

"That's sexist." I pointed out.

"It is." He agreed. "But the way things are run...we know for sure Male-Weres can have a child that would shift, women can only offspring Were-children if her partner is a Male-Were...and there's no guarantee a She-Wolf would find her mate in a Male-Were."

I took a deep breath and he gave me a moment to gather my thoughts.

"But you said back then, right?" I asked, wondering if this was just another world full of Male bullshit.

He nodded, and then I nodded in response so he continued.

"So back to the families...the last Wilk child was a daughter and she would eventually be married off to the next most powerful family in the pack the Woodrow." He said with obvious distaste.

Of course the surname wasn't lost on me.

'Woodrow...Diana Woodrow.'

I looked at him and he watched me now.

Of course I hadn't told him why I was here nor did he ask...but I felt guilty as all hell right now as he looked at me...there was a small part of me that thought it'd be alright to go ahead and mention that I'm looking for a Woodrow who is more than likely my mother.

But I didn't.

The bigger, louder, more rational part of me said 'this guy clearly doesn't like the Woodrow's and who knows how he's react to finding out you may be related to one?' So I kept my mouth shut on any admissions for now.

"So, a shift of bloodlines then?"

He sighed and nodded, "yep...power my family had held for multiple generations was basically handed over in one instant the minute a Woodrow saw an open opportunity and took the power by marrying into it."

I remained quiet and he only went on.

"Of course the generations afterward were all Woodrow's then and they held power for years and of course it was lucky for the Woodrow's that after they should finally take the power that a law was passed stating that power to rule the pack no longer had to be held by males only...that the true power lies with first borns...natural born leaders...meaning females are in fact able to rule packs now." He smiled softly.

I know he's expected me to take this news better.

And to be fair had the whole Woodrow part been left out I might have felt a little happy to know that Weres aren't all part of the men's club where they expect women to just cook and clean and have babies...they can run shit as the leaders calling all the shots.

"And again it's lucky for them seeing as if that law wouldn't have passed then we wouldn't have our current leader."

A female Leader...This was news to me.