We ranged around our kill for a little while, even after allowing the other pack to come in and finish it off. I wanted those who had never encountered real wolves to see some in action.
"Don't pay attention to the alpha right now," I told Sheep. "Watch the ones off to the side."
I pointed out how they were jockeying for position, hoping to grab a bite from the carcass. The alpha was dominating it right now, gorging himself.
"He has a pregnant mate holed up in a den somewhere," I explained to Sheep. "He'll eat until he can't hold anymore, then go back to her and regurgitate so she can eat. Not my favorite way to eat a meal, but she'll eat without risking the future of the pack."
We watched them for a while. Businessman was intent on listening and watching. Lone Wolf laid down relaxing, but his ears stayed up, testifying to his attention.
Fake dawn had me leading everyone back toward the Pointe. I felt tired but good. I gave a wolffish grin to Lone Wolf running at my side. He grinned back, knowing he was moving so much smoother now. My laughter welled up in me, and I let loose a howl appreciating this pack of wolves around me.
Lone Wolf's eyes lit up. I think he heard himself included in my howl. He let loose something that vaguely, with a stretch of the imagination, resembled a howl.
There was laughter all around as everyone joined in howling playfully—everyone except Sheep, who followed behind everyone else.
Lone Wolf kept howling like a wolf possessed, all of his excitement from our adventure coming out in his attempt at wolf-song. It was like he was telling the sky about tonight's hunt. His story was coming out with yowls, howls, grunts, huffs, snarls, and even barks.
Lone Wolf rushed at the others, barking and growling, snapping and swatting. I watched to see if anyone complained. No one did. Everyone was content to play with him. It was good to see him accepted and connecting with everyone there. There was wolffish laughter as he continued to yowl and howl. I let him get it out of his system. He was being a wolf, and he had gone without a voice for too long.
The night had gotten cold, which didn't bother us too much as wolves, but to sit and talk as men was a different story.
As we approached the Pointe, I leapt up the tree that held the permanent cache that Dad and I kept up here. There wasn't a tree I couldn't climb with my claws out, as long as it could hold my weight. Lobo was surprised to see me climb so easily. He kept shifting between man and wolf to use all of his senses as he watched me.
"Watch out below!" I hollered out as I dropped the old burlap sack, watching as Dad snatched it out of the way, pulling Lobo away from the tree as well.
"Trust me, the last place you want to be is under that tree right now," Dad warned.
I grinned as I let loose a stream, marking the treetop to make squirrels and such think twice about infringing on the tiny treehouse-cubby I had built as a kid to protect our stuff from the worst of the elements.
Before long, a small fire was going. Old Grey was the first one to claim a spot at it, curling up in wolf form. Dad handed one blanket to Businessman. I gave Sheep the other blanket myself. He looked up at me in surprise.
"Go ahead," I said with a small smile, "I've got a coat."
I was pleased when he put the blanket around Lone Wolf's broad shoulders. My eyes narrowed as he sat in front of the big man, who had shifted back to human much faster this time. Sheep was getting body heat from behind and fire in front. Lone Wolf and I shared a look. Lone Wolf just smiled and put his arms loosely around his charge.
I shifted enough to be a man with a wolf coat covering my body as Dad had earlier. This was my most comfortable mid-shift to hold and the one Dad and I used most often when camping during the winter.
Arctic was content to stay wolf, as was almost everyone else. Lobo was trying to find the right shift.
"How do you hold it so long?" he asked. He kept sliding out of the mid-shift after about a ten count.
"Lots of practice, I guess. Dad taught me."
Dad was sitting there, furred man-form, same as I.
"I used to look around an old abandoned monastery as a teen," Dad said. "Hard to look through left-behind books with wolf paws. That broken stone building didn't have heating," he added, laughing. "I'd be there for hours, trying to learn what I could. Man form by itself would have had me dead with frostbite."
I didn't miss Cherokee's sudden and intense stare my way.
"Why didn't you just go to the library or start a fire?" asked Businessman.
"Because there wasn't a library in the Black Forest," Dad said with humor, "and what does a wolf need with fire?"
"There would have been one in whatever town you lived in, though," countered Businessman.
Dad sighed.
"I came out of the Black Forest," Dad said. At Businessman's blank look, Dad's nose wrinkled slightly in amusement.
"My grandmother was the alpha female of the local wolf pack," my dad explained. "I'm not sure what village my mother was from. My father, grandfather, and I lived in the forest as wolves most of the time.
Almost everyone was surprised at what Dad said. Businessman didn't get it at first, looking even more confused. Old Grey did one of his seamless shifts.
"Born of wolves. Noble born," the old man said before shifting back to wolf.
"My father, yes," Dad reiterated. "My mother was human. She died giving birth to me."
"As did my wife when my daughter was born," said Businessman. "To bear a werewolf child was too much for her."
Arctic shifted, moving closer to the fire for warmth to join in the conversation.
"Difficult, but not impossible for both to survive. My matron stayed to tend a she-wolf who will be delivering soon."
He didn't say, but I got the impression it was his child waiting to be born.
Sheep, Lone Wolf, and the shy one all looked on wide-eyed as the conversation lingered for a while on pregnancies and werewolf children. I needed a distraction when Dad, Businessman, and Cherokee started comparing notes, with Arctic asking questions. Apparently, the young boy from the forest fire was Cherokee's son.
I was sitting next to Lone Wolf. I reached over and gave a gentle tap on Sheep's arm. "Sit over here. Try wearing a coat," I suggested.
My manner was calm, not demanding or aggressive. His panicked look at me saw only acceptance and friendship in return. Lone Wolf helped him decide by literally lifting him a little and sliding him over between us. Good, I thought, I need him away from Lone Wolf.
Sheep managed to hold the mid-shift for a short while, but like Lobo, kept sliding back either to man or wolf. He would catch himself and bring it back to where he wanted it before his shift was complete. It was kinda funny to watch his shifting slide around.
Lone Wolf focused on the fire. I could smell his nervousness about the shifting happening next to him. I reached around Sheep and swatted Lone Wolf's arm.
"You know you can try too. You don't have to, but nothing is stopping you," I said gently.
Lone Wolf tensed up. At least he didn't react like last time I had suggested it.
"He can't; he was bitten, not born," said Sheep.
That was all the confirmation I needed as to why Lone Wolf had risked bringing his companion, a born wolf, royal of his pack. Born a wolf, not kidnapped and bitten, and I could guess never knowing chains. This kid was only a few years younger than me, raised in that warped alpha's cage.
Sheep had everyone's attention. His comment was the distraction I had hoped for. The reactions varied from Dad's eyes glinting with anger to the old man who had quickly shifted from wolf to man and was laughing to the point of tears.
"My bitten wife had no problem holding a mid-shift," Dad said with a bit of heat. "She had no problem shifting at all.
There were nods of agreement from some, curiosity from others.
"We practiced all the time," I added, "whereas that alpha of yours," I said, turning to Sheep, "tries to keep the others from shifting."
"Can't stop a wolf from being a wolf," Old Grey finally got out between chuckles. It was like the old man had told himself the punchline of a private joke.
I caught the sudden tightening and nervousness in the shy one as he moved off some. No one had pushed him for a name, and so far, he had offered none. I wondered at his odd reaction.
"All gone now," the old man said, sobering up. "some to man-towns, some to other wolf packs, some dead from bad hunts or man-guns," he reminisced. "Just me here now."
"Not just you, old one," I said. "Though someday perhaps you will tell us the stories of those who are gone."
There were agreeing murmurs around the fire. The old man shifted back to wolf, melancholy from his memories. No one was willing to let him remain so sorrowful. The old wolf soon found himself surrounded by the others: pack acceptance, family connection. I could feel it.
I shifted to full wolf, circled to herd the shy one in. When he stopped moving, he had my head over his back. My mouth was by his ear.
"To be alone is your own choice," I growled in a whispering tone, "or, not alone," I added as I gave him a shove toward the pack.
He was startled but headed in to lay next to Old Grey. The others made room for him. It seemed the two of them were beginning to form their own special bond.
I shifted all the way to man. I needed to be all man for what I said next. I walked back to the fire, keeping my gaze on Sheep from across the flames.
"There is one other thing I need to make sure you understand before we all go our separate ways," I said because true dawn had arrived.
"Sheep, tell me what an omega is," I commanded sternly, standing tall with my arms crossed against my chest.
"Omegas are domestics..."