Silver Kitsune Clan 01

Dan couldn't help but grin. "Just listening to you helps me somewhat. When I say submissive, in a wolf pack, a submissive is the bottom of the pack yet also the heart of the pack. They allow the dominant wolves to relax in their presence and it doesn't matter if they are male or female. Mari helped me deal with the loss of my mate and pups. She held me as I cried and keened for them. I don't want to lose her but want her to have some happiness as well."

Geoff's face tensed when Dan mentioned losing his family. "I am sorry that happened to you and it is always good to have one person in the world that you can trust and relax with. When I get home I will lite some joss for the loss of your family and ask the spirits to protect them till you are with them again."

He gave the young man a nod for his offer. "Thank you and I really appreciate it. One other thing you need to know is that she is carrying my child and I will not give up any rights." As long as they were raised in a good household with loving parents he could accept that.

He looked startled when Dan said that she was carrying his child. "If you don't mind my asking, how did that happen?" Almost as soon as that was out of his mouth he blushed deeply since he knew 'how' it happened but not with his mate? "I mean I thought you had to have a mate for them to..." He blushed again and sort of looked out the window.

Dan managed not to snicker as Geoff floundered. "Well, like I said she had been sleeping next to me at night and without my realizing it she had gone into heat and things just happened. It wasn't till after I realized why we did what we did. I don't regret it or that she is going to have my pups." He shook his head. "Getting back to the main subject, how can I help you? Oh, and what is a kitsune? Where I come from that is a fox spirit."

Ah, that explained it. The man's aura showed him to be good and he just couldn't feel him forcing Mari in any way. "She sent me with a letter for you to read, pardon but is a bit crumpled." Geoff pulled it out of a pocket in his jacket and handed it over. He even managed to keep his face straight when he said that. "We are sort of shifters similar to you, but we do it differently. Would you like me to show you?"

Dan couldn't help but grin at the comment since he was the one that crumpled it. He took the parchment from the young man and was almost ready to break the seal when he offered to show him. He gave him a nod and set the document down for a moment.

Geoff stood up and moved slightly off to one side and shifted to his mid-form with his ears and three tails showing. What was different was that he was still wearing clothing. "This is our mid form and the biggest differences are the fox ears, larger canines, and tails showing." He turned so Dan could see his three fluffy tails. Once Dan nodded again he changed into his full form. That form was a fox the size of a regular wolf and again he had three tails. He strutted around for a moment or two before changing back to his human form.

"That must save on your clothing bill." Dan waved him back to the chairs and picked the letter up. When he opened it he was surprised to find that it was only a single page though it had felt like more since the velum was so thick. "I would say nice tails but that might be taken wrong. Very fluffy looking."

Geoff had to blink and he couldn't help but snicker. Dan didn't have any interest in boys and he could tell that. He tried and really tried but it was too much and he started snickering a bit more and finally had to cover his mouth. He didn't see the smile Dan gave him before he read the note.

Greetings and Salutations New Alpha of the Alucian Pack,

The spirits informed me of your arrival several months ago and also that you are not of this world. I was not informed of why you were brought here or what sort of impact you will have. One thing I do know is that my son is going to find his mate there and if as I expect by now he has met her. I personally vouch for my son and that we have raised him to be a good leader and heir and he has consistently shown this.

I could feel that you wouldn't be very happy with his mating though why not I don't know. What I want to accomplish with this visit is for him to meet her and to open communications with you. When the spirits get involved like they did that means something is happening and as a Spirit Animal we tend to be very sensitive to changes in the spirit world. I am feeling eddies and shifts like I never have before.

If you wish Geoffrey can stay there for several weeks so he can get to know you and so that you can see how he treats your pack member. Please give me a call at the number below when you get a chance.

Sincerely,

Alysson Logan

Clan Leader of the Silver Kitsune Clan

"Interesting." He put the document down on the table and contemplated it. "Well Geoff I am going to send for Mari. Have her show you around the house and nearby area. I am going to ask you not to be alone with her in any of the rooms for the moment." He flashed him a grin. "I remember what it was like when I met my mate the first time."

"I understand Alpha. I will tell you that foxes take it a bit slower. Not sure how her wolf will deal with that, but it is our manner." He tried not to say it and tried to keep his face serious but failed and commented. "If you want I can have my assistant show you some nice female tails..."

*Mari, come to my office please.* He sent over the bonds and knew she would be there shortly. "I am going to give your mother a call and talk to her. If you have any questions or needs, Mari should be able to address them or get you to someone that can help you." Right about then, what Geoff said caught and he couldn't decide between amusement and a glare and settled for an inscrutable Alpha stare.

Moments later there was a knock on the door and Mari stepped in. She looked at Geoff and then down at the floor, her cheeks were painted a faint red. "Yes my Alpha? How may I help you?" Her hands were resting over her small baby bump and her fingers were sort of fluttering around.

"You can get this person out before I have to debate on laughing my ass off or throttling him. I would really hate to throttle him since you would probably try to poison me..." He was still giving Geoff his inscrutable look but there was just a hint of a twitch of his lips. "Seriously Geoff I don't mind a bit of teasing, but I will say, anything that challenges my authority I will shut down quickly. Good one though."

Mari looked slightly appalled at Dan and then the man that had caught her attention. "You can't hurt him... I mean it wouldn't look good my Alpha." She moved over next to Geoff and almost but not quite hovered over him.

"Show Geoff around, make sure his people have food if they are hungry, and make sure that everyone is settled. Once that is, done the rest of the day is yours." He smiled and flicked his fingers at them as if shooing them away.

Geoff stood up and held a hand out and waited for her to take it. "I am very pleased to have met you and please, just call me Geoff." Once her hand was in his he lifted his other to her chin and gently tilted her head back so she was looking at him. "Shall we go? I think Dan is planning on making a phone call."

"Go play, children, just be good. Maybe show him to the kids' room and see if some of them would like to go for a romp." That would allow the two of them to have time together but not alone.

"I believe the cubs are outside right now working on some hunting training. I think there is a piece of fresh bacon and some bad bacon out there that have been drug around. I will show Geoff where they are."

~~~

Once they were out of the office he heaved a sigh of relief. "I would really hate to annoy him." He sent reassurance over the clan bonds to his men. *I am talking to my future mate. I will tell you if you need to react.*

Mari sort of giggled. "He can come across that way occasionally and especially when it comes to both his pack and those he cares for. Subtle isn't his middle name which I am sure you have noticed. I do love him since he saved the pack from", her mouth puckered and the vitriol in her voice could be heard, "those men. He isn't perfect, but for a wolf he is one hell of an Alpha." She had to stand up for him.

She glanced slightly at him. "I assume Dan told you?" What Dan had told Geoff about her pregnancy she didn't mention and waited to see what he had to say. He might be her mate but she was going to get the measure of the man since she still didn't trust strange men. Her wolf might be screaming MINE but Mari the human was a different story.

He nodded. "I can't say it is what I expected but I can sense that he is a good man and has helped you in his own way as you have helped him. Neither one of you are really or totally healed but that connection and love and care you feel is what is important." He gave her a brief smile. "Now, you mentioned kits learning to hunt?"

Mari gave him a slight smile. Later they would really talk and since Dan said not to be in a room together she was going to take him to the cubs' room later and that would be all the watching they needed. "This way Geoff. I have a feeling you are going to be a hit with the kids."

When they walked out there were pups everywhere trying to find the bit of meat placed there for them hunt down. It was enough for a few pups if they wanted big chunks but if all of them worked together they would all get a bite or two. Mari called out. "Come here cubs. I have a guest for you to meet and then you can go back to your hunt."

That got their attention and they froze for a moment and all of them came running over and settled down in a small line in front of her and then shifted. Since they didn't know how long it was before they changed back the girls pulled on long shirts and the boys shorts. Paulo was out there and was looking slightly frustrated since they weren't listening and he didn't want to yell.

Nancy stood there and glanced at Geoff and since she was just old enough to start looking at boys gave him a shy smile. "And who are you sir? Where are you from?"

Geoff smiled at her. "I am Lord Geoffrey Logan from the Silver Kitsune clan. This is, as you know, Mari and she is my mate. Please call me Geoff. When anyone says lord I think of my father." He remembered being her age and as bad as it sounded, having Sheliae letting him down subtly.

All of their eyes widened and looked at her and she couldn't help but grin. "Well we are discussing it..." It was terrible but she had to. "Now Dan asked us to come out and romp or help with the hunting. Geoff? What do you think?"

He smiled at all the kits and sat down on a step. "I am going to assume that everyone wants the bacon right?" When they nodded he pretended to consider. "Would it be better for one or two to get all the bacon or a bit for everyone? One or two be full or everyone to get some?" He looked at the pups and waited to see.

When they finally realized what he was saying, Nancy settled down on the grass next to him and with a slight look at Mari leaned against his leg. "You take care of pack sir. It is better for all to get a bite of food than for most to go hungry." She heard a slight growl and looked up at her and shook her head before looking back down.

Geoff looked at Mari and smiled. *She is cute but she is a child. You are for me. I am not an alpha but I am a clan heir and she is responding to that.* He curled an arm around her. "Very good and what is your name?" Once he got it he smiled. "I am not pack since I am a different type of shape changer but we still take care of clan. My parents live in a large house but we make as sure as best possible that all clan members have food, a good place to sleep and what else they need."

He smiled at Paulo, though he didn't know his name. "Kit, I mean cub, how would you do this? How would you set this up to make sure that you found the bacon and everyone got a bit?"

Paulo gave him a close look and then Mari and frowned slightly. He had no idea who the man was but he was taking a very possessive attitude towards her. He did decide how to answer. "I would make three teams, each with an older cub and two younger cubs and start quartering the yard. It is going to be within 100 or so yards since the little ones can't go beyond that normally. We only have Nancy and me as the older pups and Nancy is just learning."

Geoff stood up. "Well I will take one of the small packs and you can lead us." He shifted to his fox form and damn near went down in a pile of cubs.

Nancy looked at him in shock. "Oh god he's cute!!!" It was a young girl squeal and nothing else and she almost pulled him in her lap and started petting him. She looked at Mari. "Can I have a mate just like him when I am older?"

Mari simply covered her face and tried not to laugh. "I will go with Nancy's group just to make sure she doesn't go after my mate." There was gentle amusement there and grinned at Nancy's pretend pout. She shifted and her slight baby bump was noticeable. She could do this for about two more months, then no more changing.

Paulo sighed and started giving out orders to the groups. In the group Mari was in, she stayed in the back and only occasionally offered bits of advice but it was still their group that found the bacon and it was a pretty decent sized piece. When one of the cups in the pack started to shake it Paulo growled at him. *Pack shares. We are all mostly the same dominance so we will share equally. You will go last since you couldn't wait and didn't listen to what Nancy said.* The pup whined and then backed away.

They were eventually called in for lunch and Geoff cheerfully settled with the kits, well that and his mate, and it had been an enjoyable meal. Once it was over they had gone back outside and while Mari watched he played with them and chased them around. The fact that Paulo was well over his size and Nancy was close he didn't mind. They were having fun and getting to know each other.

~~~

It was after lunch when Dan walked outside and couldn't help but grin. Geoff and Mari were again playing with the pups and Geoff looked to be having a great time as he tackled one and dodged another. His attacks were gentle and seemed to look like they were designed to teach and not hurt. He watched for a moment and then whistled. "Enough all of you, it is time for classes and such. Mari, Geoff we are going to the training center and work out. Geoff if you would like to invite your staff to join us that would be more than fine. I would like to see what type of training your security detail has."

Geoff stopped at the whistle and shifted to his human form and grinned. "I am sure they would like to get the measure of your training Alpha." Actually they were more than happy to and he mentally called them over the clan bonds. "They will be here momentarily, well other than those currently assigned to protect me." He nodded at two of them.

Dan tried not to snort since they were in the MIB outfit and he was sure they had more armament than really needed. "Understood, for today I am going to train my pack and you and yours can watch and do what you want. I have to admit I would like to know their training simply so I can evaluate it and offer suggestions. Where I come from I was in charge of a security company and rented bodyguards out to celebutants and such."

Geoff grinned. "We will see, and I have to admit that I can't want to see you do your thing Alpha." What the heck was a celebutant? He wanted to know but didn't want to sound ignorant.

Dan sighed. "Call me Dan or I am going to offer to spar with you young man." He wouldn't hurt him but would chase him around the ring for a while. He flashed a grin at him when he said that.

Geoff laughed. "Yes Dan, I will try to be good." They walked to the training hall and he nodded. There were some spots that needed a bit of work but much of it was in good shape. He moved over to where Dan asked them. Mari simply sat down and smiled at him. A short while later they were in the training building and Geoff was sort of surprised since most of the class were kits and not adults. He felt sort of odd being in there with most of his detail as well as his assistant.

Dan gave him a glance before addressing the pups. "I know I have said this before but the fighting style for me isn't necessarily the best one for you. I am ultimately a brawler. I am large, strong and can absorb lots of damage before I go down. For some of you that might work but others a different style might work best. Don't ever let what I can do overrule what you need to do." He looked around the room and smiled slightly.

"Nancy come up here please." The girl he mentioned was about 13 or so and was in that gangly early teen stage and even now the fact that she was going to be slender was obvious.

She moved forward and clutched her hands over her chest and bowed to him. "Greetings, Alpha." She said as she bowed and stood up with her hands by her side.

"Now look at her. She is slender and even when she reaches her full growth she is going to be slender and more of a runners build compared to my bruiser build. My fighting style simply won't work for her since I can absorb more damage than she can buy quite a bit. I am going to show you two styles of fighting, mine and what is best for her."

Dan knelt down so he was on his knees. "Hun, I want you to hit me as hard as you can in my abdomen. You will not be punished for this in any way. Once you do that throw three or four hits as hard as you can at me. I am going to block all but the first."

Before he had really finished she had slugged him as hard as she could in his solar plexus and he actually grunted. "Good hit..." The next blows were blocked and absorbed without a problem. See how I didn't react too much other than the first blow? It sort of hurts but I have the mass to absorb it. Now throw some blows at me and I am going to block differently."

Geoff had to agree with that. He was massive and could absorb a great deal of damage. What he was saying was also very true. What would work for one person wouldn't work for another person. He and his detail kept their mouths shut as the training went on and he had to wince when Nancy punched him. She might be scrawny but she had rolled him over harder than intended outside and he could feel her feeling horrible about it.

She did that and each and every blow he deflected with a totally different style. "Okay, my style is brawler, the style for her is the art of using an attackers power against him." The training continued on from there and eventually he set the pups free.

Geoff and his team traded some serious thoughts as Dan was working with the pups and he definitely knew what he was doing. He was gentle but didn't hesitate to deliver a blow that would at least somewhat hurt if they messed up. By the time the kids walked out Geoff had a new respect for the man. Well that and confused. He was very gentle with the pups but there was still a hardness to him. Geoff could feel the killer inside and it was cold, hard, and wouldn't hesitate to kill to protect. It would kill any way possible to protect those he called his.

The next set was his senior wolves and was much different. With the pups he was instructing as well as teaching. With the older wolves he was flat out teaching them the best way to fight. He wasn't brutal but he was hard and growled as they screwed up. "Damn it I have been working with you for several months. By now you should be doing better. Look at Geoff's protective detail, they were working as a team and taking down the singles as a team. I have been trying to teach you this. There is a difference between a warrior and a soldier. Warriors do things on their own and soldiers work as a team I want you to work as a team and not individuals. I might just match a few of you up against them."