Dominant Species Ch. 22-24

"I'd ask what the secrecy is protecting you from. Humans? They are dying out rapidly, without help they will be gone. Is that good for our Pack? I don't see how it can be when your mates are also found among the humans." She turned and sat in his lap, pulling him into a deep kiss. She looked at the sky and saw the moon was almost down. "We have to go soon?" He nodded. "All right, then just one more question." "I'm scared to even listen anymore, but all right."

"Do you lick your butt with that mouth?"

He groaned, grabbing her tight he laid back in the hot water and dunked both of them under the water. When he sat back up, he shook his head and kissed her deeply. "I think we better go."

---

The North Fork pack gathered around Alpha Calvin in the park by the river as dawn approached. Looking around, he could see everyone was exhausted. It had been a tough night for them all, starting with the decision to turn the remaining human survivors of his town. They had been moved to the basement of the combined clinic and town hall, which doubled as their pack Safe Room. The concrete floor above them, the stone construction and the depth had been key in their Pack surviving unscathed so far.

Tonight had been all about consolidation. With no power, no outside help and nobody coming, they methodically went through houses in the town and brought any useful items back to the building. Several rooms had already been turned into food storerooms, with non-perishable items organized onto heavy duty shelving and stacked in cases. They had gotten lucky with this town, he thought. The area had a high Mormon population, and their beliefs that each family should have a year's supply of food certainly helped them now. The clinic was stuffed with medicines and supplies as well, not only drugs but things like canes, walkers and first aid kits. In other rooms, he had directed them to stockpile things that were not perishable but would be difficult to replace. He smiled as he thought of the stacks of toilet paper and feminine hygiene products. In a year, these would be more valuable than gold.

He sat everyone down as they had just finished the dinner prepared on the propane grills they had brought down. "Listen up, North Fork." He waited for everyone to have a seat and for the quiet. "Thank you for your efforts tonight. We have a lot going on, including the potential new Pack members and two mate turns in progress. I'd like to thank those of you helping with that transition." He looked over to where Eric and Derek were tending to their mates; the fevers had hit them and so they had taken them outside into the cool air, and were using the cold river water and sheets to keep their body temperatures down. "It truly is a new world now, one that we are isolated from for now. We can only speculate as to how widespread this event was, and how- or if- we will ever get back to the kind of life we had just a few days ago."

He let the words sink in. "There are still some things left to gather up, but in the short term we have done what we can. Now is when we need your ideas and your help in figuring out how our Pack continues to survive and thrive over the next weeks, months and years. As we go, I want you to assume two things. One- Power will never come back unless we find a way to do it ourselves. And Two- we are on our own. To help with this, I'd like you to divide up into teams of four to six people. Make sure no two are the same age or family, I want you to have a diverse group of ideas. You have two minutes to form groups and sit down by them."

He watched as they moved around, it didn't take too long. He pulled out the index cards he had written their ideas down on and walked to the first group. "Your group is to focus on Food. Long term, sustainable food supplies. Not just what, but how- including farming methods and tooling."

Moving to the next group, he smiled. "You have a shitty job, but an important one. You have Sanitation. Flush toilets are wonderful if you have water pumps and a tower, but we don't. Disease can affect even wolves, and none of us want to live in a place that smells like sewer. Figure out how we can get toilets and showers to work long term, with enough for us to be comfortable." They nodded, not liking the job. "And bonus points if you can make the showers warm." The whole Pack laughed at that, they knew that going to the river would become uncomfortably cold in the coming winter.

"Your group is Water. We need a reliable supply of clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing." They nodded so he moved to the next group, headed by his Beta. "Your group will look at Security. How do we ensure that no one harms our Pack or takes what is ours. Included in this are patrols and working with our allied Packs."

"The next group is also important- Heat. Winter is coming, and even though we all may still be in the same building, it wasn't designed for continuous living without electricity. You figure out how we get heaters, fuel and ventilation without killing the whole Pack with carbon monoxide."

He moved to the last group. "The last one is Supplies. There is a lot of stuff out there, but we need to bring it in if it is important, or know where to find it if it isn't. You'll probably find it easiest to group like things, like tools or construction supplies, but how you do it is up to you. When the other groups need something, they will be coming to you."

He moved back to his original spot and looked out over them all. "From now on, your groups will work on your problem each day as your primary duty. The only ones exempted for now are those taking care of the new turns, but when they are no longer needed they will be assigned to groups as well. We will have a short meeting like this every night prior to turning in. Each group will update the Pack on what their plans are, what their progress is and what things are in the way of success. I know every one of you will work hard to make your area work, and to help this Pack thrive. Do you understand what we need to do?"

"YES ALPHA!" The Pack jumped up in excitement and pushed forward towards him.

"ARE YOU READY TO DO IT?"

"YES ALPHA!"

"I know you are. I love each and every one of you, and I couldn't be prouder of my Pack than I am now. Let's get everyone inside before the sun comes up." The group started to move apart, cleaning up the trash and heading back to their safe room. Calvin encouraged them as they passed, but when Willow and Cheyenne approached he could scent how nervous they were.

The two stopped in front of him, nervously looking at his shirt and the ground, before Willow spoke up. "Alpha Calvin, did you mean for us to be in the groups? I mean, we aren't Pack, and we don't have mates here."

"Come here, ladies." He opened his arms and they moved in and were hugged to his broad chest. They were finding they naturally looked to him for comfort and guidance, like a grandpa or trusted older relative. "While you are here, you are Pack and will be treated the same as everyone else. If you want to stay, we will happily accept you. If you decide to be turned, I will do that for you. But," he looked in their eyes, "I won't hold you here either. I know you have family back in Pocatello, and you want to be with them. We all know that you need to do that. I hope you know that we are here to help you, and as soon as you are ready we will do so."

"How?"

"By using the Packs and your friends in the Salmon pack." He drew in the dirt a rough map of Idaho. "We're here," he pointed at an area on the east side of the Panhandle. "Salmon is here to our south, but we also have packs in Rexburg and Idaho Falls. More out of the way are Stanley, Twin Falls and Sun Valley. All of them are allies to us, and travelers between Packs are given rest and shelter."

"Even if we are human?" Cheyenne still looked worried.

"Well, you are human but would be traveling with a Pack member. I wouldn't send you out there alone, we would have one or more of our Pack go with you. It would be easier if you had made the change, but it isn't required."

Cheyenne looked at Willow, then back to Calvin. "We've talked about it, but it's a big decision."

He smiled. "Yes, it is, but there are advantages you've already seen to the change. You would be much faster of foot and better able to see at night, so you could travel farther in a single night than walking or even riding one of my wolves. Your immune system would be strengthened, the fur form would keep you warmer, and you would be better able to defend yourself if it came to that. Still, it is a choice no one will take from you."

"Unless you're a mate." Willow snickered.

"Even that was an aberration. If they weren't in grave danger, the boys would never have done it." "It's all right by them," Willow replied. "They won't stop talking about their mates, how hot looking they are, how much they care for them, and how great it is. It's kind of disgusting, really."

They all laughed a little. Cheyenne hugged Calvin again. "We will keep thinking about it, but we can't leave until Brit and Beth have completed their changes and we know they are all right. They will probably want to come with us."

"True, they will, and it will drive their mates crazy to have them running around out there. They want them in bed, not in danger." Looping his arms around their shoulders, he started to walk them back. "It's good for the boys, though. Finding a mate centers a wolf, gives them an anchor point for their life. Everything they do will revolve around keeping their mate happy, and that's a good thing for both of them." He squeezed their shoulders, then looked at them again as they approached the door to the clinic. "Keep one thing in mind, though. If you choose to make the change, it takes about three days before your wolf form appears, then you will need a few days to get used to it and settle into the Pack. Since you don't have mates yet, you have to be with one when you make the turn or your wolf could become unstable. Best case, if you were turned tonight, it would be a week to ten days until you could be in Pocatello."

Cheyenne looked at the ground. "If back home is like North Fork was, that is a week too late for them." She started to cry softly, burying her face into his chest.

"We don't know, Cheyenne. You can't lose hope, though. You survived, and you have to believe they did too, and are just as worried about you as you are for them." They arrived at the doors, and as soon as they opened them they could hear the Pack downstairs settling in. "Now go on, check your friends and get ready for bed. We've got a lot to do after sundown."

"Yes, Alpha." They left him and went down to their bed. They quickly stripped and put on clean shorts and T-shirts. There wasn't any privacy, but they had quickly lost that human desire as they lived in close quarters with the wolves. No one cared and no one hid their body, how could you when you shifted between fur and skin when needed? They checked in with Eric and Derek, who were settling in the girls together on one bed. They were naked and sweating profusely from the fever, and Eric was using a bucket of cold water and a cloth to help.

"They have another twelve to eighteen hours of fever, then they will wake up and begin the physical changes leading to their first shift." Eric took the time to explain each thing that would happen so they could help their friends too. "They won't wake up until then."

"Do you need help?"

"No, we each got a nap overnight as others helped us, and we will split the day so we each get some rest. You two go to bed, you look exhausted."

Willow smiled in thanks. "We are. Even so, they are our friends, so if you need help you better not hesitate to wake me or Cheyenne up."

"No problem." Derek slipped into the other bed, quickly falling asleep as his twin brother took care of his mate for him.

Willow held the covers open as Cheyenne got in with her. They held on to each other and settled in for the night. "Cheyenne?" Willow's whisper barely registered on her.

"Yes?"

"I think I want to be turned." She moved closer. "How about you?"

"I'm still thinking." She laid her head on Willow's shoulder. "Let's talk in the morning."

---

Richard looked back at Marcus, his jaw was set. "Maybe you didn't understand me, son. We have rules about this. Rules that I and every other Alpha agreed to follow and enforce. There is no wiggle room in them, no escape clause. I let it go with Josi because it wasn't you that revealed yourself to them or bit them, it was HIS pack members and thus Alpha Calvin will have to deal with the consequences."

Marcus' gaze was just as serious. "And because we found those girls, three wolves now have their mates. What were we supposed to do? Were they to ignore the call, ignore the danger their mates were in? Should we have just killed the others to protect the secret? I'm sure Reggie would be thrilled if he knew we killed his mate because of a 'law.' And how would the two girls feel, knowing we killed their friends to protect the secret of what they now are?" He shook his head. "It's stupid."

"You may not agree with it, I might not either now but it's NOT MY CALL. We have a process for this, a method to change the law, and dammit I will FOLLOW and RESPECT that process because I swore an oath to do so!"

"So what about Raven?" He stared his Alpha down. "She exposed herself as a werewolf last night to a human who almost killed my sister and his mate. Are you going to kill her because of your law?"

"No, she was a child, her parents have the responsibility for what she does until she is of age. Rachel should have known better, and because she exposed the secret I now have a woman and child I either have to turn or kill. Then you show up with a woman and TWO kids. You weren't thinking either, Marcus. You two had weapons, you could have saved them without going wolf and sent them on their way. Instead, they now have the same choice, turn or die." He let out a deep sigh. "We don't have time now, but know that there will be consequences and repercussions of your behavior. Don't put me in a position of having to do even more. The humans in this town are on their own, they are not Pack and Werewolf law says we cannot help them that way."

Marcus laughed. "So we are to stand by at watch our town die because of a law. Our friends and neighbors will be comforted to know that we cared enough to LET THEM DIE WHEN WE HAD THE ABILITY TO SAVE THEM!" Furious, he exited the car and started to head inside, but Richard was out just as quick.

"Whatever you are thinking, son, you best stop it." Richard grabbed his shirt and pushed him up against the garage door. "You need to remember what you are, and who you are. You aren't human and this isn't a fucking democracy. You are a werewolf, and you are in a Pack that I am the ALPHA of. You are a Beta. You are entitled to your opinion, and as one of my advisors I will listen and consider it. But get one thing perfectly clear in that head of yours before you lose it." He got his face right up to him, and stared him down until he looked away and exposed his neck in submission. "I get the final call, and when I've made the decision you fucking respect it. You act like its fucking manna from heaven, and as far as anyone in the Pack ever knows it's YOUR decision too. You carry it out to the best of your ability, because a united pack is a strong pack."

He let him go and stood back a little. "I'd expect a former Green Beret would understand how the chain of command works."

Marcus refused to look up at Richard's eyes. "I understand, Alpha." Richard let him go. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to get some supplies and get back to the clinic. There are a whole bunch of people I know dying up there that I have to help."

Richard stepped away then went around the house to the back where the food and people were at. As soon as he was out of sight, Rachel rushed out to where Marcus was still leaning against the garage. He was fighting off a shift, squeezing his fists and relaxing them, but it wasn't working as the hairs were starting to grow out of his arms. Rachel rushed into her arms and forced his nose into her shoulder so her scent could calm him. "Breathe, baby. Just relax, I've got you."

It took a little time, but her mate regained control and sagged into her arms. He started to sob into her shoulder. "Did you hear?"

She nodded. "Yes, baby, I heard it all. I can't believe it, but it's his decision." She took his hand in hers and led him towards the front door. "Do you need me at the clinic?"

He shook his head no as they moved to his office, which was next to the treatment room for werewolves in their house. "I need you guys to stay here and keep safe. I am going to stay at the clinic through the day, Tammy is in bad shape and I can't risk you as well. Can you get me some food while I pack up what I need?"

She kissed him and left. He moved to the supply closet and took out a backpack, filling it with antibiotics, burn cream and painkillers. By the time he had placed his wolf prosthetic in and a change of clothes, Rachel was back in the room. He opened his backpack and took the big bag of food, then zipped it up again. Hoisting it onto his back, he pulled her close to him. "When I was getting ready to go to Afghanistan for my first combat tour, we had a Judge Advocate give us a presentation on the Laws of War. The Geneva Convention, the current Rules of Engagement... it was pretty intensive. Me and the other guys had a lot of questions for him, and like any rear echelon motherfucker he thought the answers were obvious."

She looked up at him, confused at where he was going, so he continued. "When he left, our Command Master Sargent stood up. He did multiple tours in Vietnam, a real badass. You know what he said?" She shook her head no. "He said that things seem easy in a classroom but war isn't black and white. There's a whole lot of gray, the sides are not clear, and everything is subject to change without notice. Your ally during the day can be the same guy mortaring your positions at night. So, when you're in the shit and you start to think about what is legal and what is not, don't. Make the choice that you can live with, and deal with the rest of the shit after you survive."

"What do you mean, Marcus, he's the Alpha!"

"That doesn't mean he's always right. I don't know what I'm going to do, Rachel, but in the end it has to be something I can live with." He kissed her deeply. "Keep working on him, I've pushed him too far already. Same thing with Reggie, I've filled him in on what happened and asked him to talk to his father as well."

She grabbed him tight and started to cry into his chest. "I will. You keep yourself safe, love, and get some sleep. I'll take care of everything here. Just make sure you say goodbye to Raven before you go."

"I'll have her meet me in the garage, I'm leaving the car here in case it is needed." He pulled her face to his, kissing her deeply. "I love you, Rachel. I'm so glad I found you that day."

"I was pretty happy to see you, even though you pulled that antler out without painkillers and it hurt like a bitch." She kissed him again, and he walked to the garage while she went out back. He said his goodbye to Raven, asking her to help keep Mom calm while he was gone. She promised she and Michael would cuddle up with her so she wouldn't sleep alone.

The bicycle ride to town didn't take him long, and as he arrived the tractor with the wagon of dead was arriving for another load. "Hey Doc, how's it going in there?" Max Jones was a retired farmer who lived just outside of town, and it was his hobby of antique tractors that had left them with some powered transport. All the newer tractors had motors, alternators or fuel injection and the solar flare had knocked them out.