Endangered Species Ch. 17-24

"Fewer every night," he told us. "The dumb ones think we are vulnerable and attack us. They get killed and we take their stuff. The smart ones hunker down and let us pass. "

"Does that work?"

He shook his head, no. "The wolf in the turret picks up their scents and remembers their hiding places. We'll deal with them on the way back."

I didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean, deal with them?"

"The ones that hide aren't predators; they are survivors. We must do something because they are after the same resources and might attract others. Eventually, they might be a threat, so we can't allow them to live in our dead zone. Until our deal, we would have captured the females and disposed of the rest. I have instructed the Pack to interrogate those we capture. Individuals and families with skills that can help the Pack will get a chance to join us."

One of the women snorted. "And those who refuse?"

Cole shrugged his shoulders. "They can leave before we torch their hiding place and confiscate their supplies," Cole replied. "We will not allow anyone close to our home. Warn those refugees coming our way to turn around, and they will live longer."

Cole stiffened a moment later, and the convoy screeched to a halt a few hundred yards from a four-way stop. The flames showed a gas station on the left side was stripped bare by looters, while the businesses on the right were still burning. A small church remained on the far side, along with a few dozen houses behind it. I could see a small fire illuminating a home in the distance. Maybe a burn barrel? "What's going on?"

"Ambush. There are humans along both sides of the road up ahead," Cole replied. "Stay down. We're sending warriors out to flank them." He must have used the link to tell the other vehicles to shut off their lights, plunging us into darkness.

The other women with me weren't armed or wearing body armor, but I was. I withdrew my pistol, checking the chamber. "What do you want me to do?"

"Take the wheel," Cole replied as the driver unbuckled. I holstered my sidearm. "When I tell you, drive towards the intersection. The armor will give protection against small arms, but you ladies stay down. Pretend you've been disabled before you reach them. We'll hit them with the fifty as they approach, then I'll lead the warriors in the counterattack."

"Couldn't you bypass the ambush? They might be in prepared positions, with interlocking fields of fire and something to disable our vehicles. That's how I'd do it." I moved into the driver's seat and buckled in.

"I could, but they likely don't have anything big enough to destroy this car, and they won't expect us to be armored and armed. We can't let them live." Cole opened the door, and he and the driver slipped out onto the road with their rifles. "It's going to be fun, my mate. My men are the trap, and you're the cheese."

It made some sense. The dark and cloudy night meant our headlights were the only illumination. His warriors could see, while the attackers couldn't. They would focus on my vehicle, and the lights would destroy their night vision. I made sure the girls were lying on the floor. "I'm ready."

"Once the firing starts, keep your head down and protect the girls." He closed the door without a sound. Twenty seconds later, he tapped on the glass twice.

I turned on the headlights and put the Humvee in gear.

The trucks stayed put as I approached the intersection at low speed. The dancing fires cast long shadows, and my headlights didn't show anyone. They didn't give away their positions until I was thirty yards away. Two rounds struck the windshield but didn't penetrate. I stopped, ducking low in the seat. "TURN THE CAR OFF AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP," someone yelled.

I turned off the ignition and the lights. I could see figures approaching with guns, so I drew my pistol and waited. There was no way I was opening the door! They got within ten yards before Hell opened up.

The big turret-mounted fifty cal machine gun opened up on the gas station, blasting through walls and glass. Rifles opened up from the sides, quickly eliminating the humans on open ground. The battle was short, bloody, and one-sided. The wolves could see their enemy, while the humans could only see muzzle flashes when they fired. Less than a minute later, the guns went silent. "Move forward slowly," the machine gunner yelled down.

I started the Humvee and put it in gear. Warriors were removing the steel beams meant to stop cars from driving through, and I could see half a dozen dead humans in front of the buildings. Cole motioned for me to stop by the gas station, and he and the driver got in. He pulled me into his lap, sniffing me and ensuring I was unharmed. "I'm fine," I said as I tried to free myself. "The bullets didn't go through. Any casualties?"

"One man took a round through his upper arm, but it missed the bone and will heal," Cole replied. "Ten of their men dead." I could see the lights of the trucks as they approached. "We'll load up their arms and ammo, then do a quick drive-through to verify there aren't others in these houses. We'll search for useful things on the way back."

I moved to the back seats, comforting the woman still shaking from being in a firefight. It's not easy to forget the sound of gunfire pinging against the outside of your vehicle. "They would have killed us," she whispered.

"Without the werewolves here? We'd have stumbled right into their trap. I'm sure they would have killed us. Eventually." That realization made her shivering worse. Whispered conversations took place as we drove, centered around how helpless they were.

We cleared that housing tract and a few others before Cole said we'd gone as far as we could tonight. "Decision time, ladies," he told them as they gathered in the bright headlights of a truck. "If you want to return and join the Pack, get back on the truck. If you want to leave, south is that way, and Bremerton is that glow over there."

I'd brought six women with me. All hated the werewolves and couldn't wait to get the fuck out of Dodge, which is why they went first. Two women changed their minds, tossing their bags back in the truck and climbing on board. The other four thanked me, then walked off.

We started working our way back. I stayed with Cole and the driver as we searched through a row of rural homes for anything useful. "If you can carry it, put it in the bag. If it's too big, let me know." We'd talked about our target list for tonight. Canned goods, toilet paper, batteries, drugs, and medical supplies from the houses. In the garages and sheds? We wanted older cars, trucks, or motorcycles with carburetors still in good operating condition. Gasoline was plentiful, but running vehicles were few.

The bad part of clearing houses? The smell. Bodies remained inside; they had another week of decay from the last homes I'd checked. I opened the windows in the kitchen just in time to hear gunfire in the distance. Four shots in rapid succession, then one. "What's that?"

Cole linked with someone. "Trash pandas. They probably survived with an underground burrow, but raccoons spread disease."

I nodded and went back to work. We found some good stuff, and the trucks bulged with loot as we drove back to the base. Cole was right; we had to find and secure this stuff before the fires or roaming mobs did.

He offered his hand on the ride home, and I took it. There were no recruits tonight. We talked about many things during our drive. He was more educated than I thought, and his love for his Pack showed through.

I let him stay in human form that night in bed, both of us in shorts and T-shirts. I threatened to castrate him if he tried anything, so he settled for cuddles. I tucked into his chest and slept well.

Unknown POV

I stayed far enough back they couldn't hear or see me. It was easy; the group stayed so focused on what appeared in their flashlight beams that they never checked behind them. I waited to approach until I couldn't hear the trucks anymore.

I stopped when I was only ten yards behind them. The four women were clueless, letting me do this quickly and efficiently. The tritium night-sights on my Glock lined up on the back of the woman on the left. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! It was like shooting plates in practice as I moved from one head to the next. The last woman turned and dove for the side of the road. I adjusted, but my shot hit her shoulder and spun her to the ground. I took two steps forward, aiming and putting my next round through her forehead as she tried to bring a pistol to bear.

I picked up the Glock pistol and stuck it in my cargo pocket. "Targets eliminated, Alpha," I sent to him.

"Well done. Return to the truck and help with the search."

"On my way." It was a waste, but we couldn't allow anyone with knowledge of our Pack and our defenses to walk away.

Ch. 24

Angela Summer's POV

I woke before Cole did, but not before his morning wood. I could feel his hot length pressing against the crack of my ass, straining to escape the basketball shorts he was wearing. My T-shirt had ridden up during the night, and his big right hand was cupping my right breast under the bunched fabric. I hadn't fought him off while asleep; no, my hand covered his. Hell, I probably put it there.

It felt wonderful, and I felt safe and loved. I smiled, feeling my mate's breath on my neck. I wiggled my hips a little, making him moan in his sleep. It would be easy to pull the shorts out of the way and do what my body wanted right now. Cole was far bigger than the other men I'd been with. He'd have to take things slow, but it would be amazing.

And I couldn't let that happen just yet. So far, Cole had kept up his side of the bargain, but I needed to see some run time on his new cooperation with me. I moved his hand from under my shirt and slid out of bed. Cole pulled my pillow closer, burying his nose in my scent, and stayed asleep.

I grabbed clothes out of the dresser and headed for the bathroom. I emerged four minutes later, fully dressed and ready for the day. The Academy trained me to go from asleep to inspection-ready in under five minutes, and the habits died hard. Cole's eyes looked at me. "You're up early," he said.

"I couldn't sleep. I need to check on the women who are turning and talk to the women leaving tonight. I'm hoping they listen to the ones who changed their minds." A total of nine out of thirty had come back after seeing what the outside world had devolved into.

"I'll summon your guard. I should talk to the warriors leading the teams today before breakfast." He closed his eyes for the link, then rolled out of bed. Damn, he had a great body. "What are your plans for today?"

"I need to be with the women when they get their fevers, and I need to work with the leaders on work assignments and schedules," I said. "I don't see what I'd accomplish outside the fence again. I feel like a liability out there."

"You wouldn't be a liability if you took the change," Cole said as he put his hand on my shoulder. It migrated to the back of my neck as he pulled me in for a good morning kiss.

"I'm not ready for that yet." I looked down at the tent in his shorts. "Put that thing away before it pokes an eye out."

"It can't help itself," he replied with a light smack on my ass. "Go. I'm going to take a cold shower. I'll meet you at breakfast."

I opened the door to find Lois Forman waiting. "You're up early," she said.

"Force of habit," I replied. I gave her my goals for the day, and she led me to the room where the women making the transition were sleeping. It hadn't been twelve hours since Cole bit them, meaning the fevers wouldn't start until late in the day. A few were awake, the others still sleeping. I was up thirty minutes before the Pack usually started their day. "How are they doing," I asked Nurse Theresa Manning.

"We're all good," she replied. "Doc cleared us to work through lunch, and I'll ensure everyone eats the right things before the fevers hit."

"Good." I pulled her aside. The euthanasia of Breeder 84 shook my faith in our medical personnel. "You're Pack now. I am in charge of all the human females. Nobody gets 'put down' without my express orders. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "Doctor Pine made that clear after your meeting yesterday. That wasn't my idea," she continued. "I understood the reasoning, but the order came from the Alpha."

"The Alpha is my concern now."

She smiled teasingly at me. "I'd be concerned if my lover was wielding that baseball bat. You'll need the accelerated healing after your mating night." I flushed as she started to laugh at my reaction, then she got serious again. "We will need you here for the changes in two days. Not all go well, and it may be merciful to give us that order."

"I know. I'll be here for the shifts." I spoke to some of the women, encouraging them and promising I'd be checking in regularly. I joined the thirty women heading out after breakfast as they packed their go bags, then we went to breakfast.

The eyewitness accounts of the nine women who changed their minds about leaving last night had a ripple effect on the others. Those nine plus twelve others joined the Pack over breakfast, and six more Pack humans chose to take the bite. I stood with them as Cole bit them to start the change. They would slide in with the others, just twelve hours behind them for their milestones. I was disappointed none of the groups found any families or males to join us, but maybe tonight's expedition would have better luck.

The mood at the head table was almost festive; the Pack was growing, and their Alpha couple was getting along. Cole was very affectionate in public. I put up with it because it seemed authentic and was part of our agreement. At one point, Cole pulled me onto his lap and started feeding me. The others said this was his wolf's influence. It showed me he could take care of me and my pups, and the Pack loved it.

I kept an eye on my people, especially the group of women determined to leave. The changes in their treatment, plus the start of the releases, had brought the tension level down a lot. The ones heading out today ate as much as possible, not knowing where their next big meal would come.

I joined them as the meal broke up, and Cole went off to brief the team leaders. He wasn't heading out with them today; Beta Mark would be in charge of those five groups. The chosen thirty grabbed their bags and followed Lois and me to the armory.

The stories from last night changed the selections; three groups selected M4 carbines, one a scoped bolt-action rifle, and one a Glock pistol. They asked for more, but the Alpha's limit was firm. I couldn't argue since he was doing me a favor just letting them leave armed. We headed out from underground, joining the groups of vehicles near the gate. "Take care of them," I told Beta Mark.

"I'll protect them until we reach the dropoff points, ma'am. After that, they aren't my problem anymore."

I nodded, knowing that was all I could ask. "Stay safe out there, Beta. Good hunting."

"Thank you, Luna." I waved at the girls in the backs of the trucks as they drove off. I didn't feel good about it; they were MY responsibility now, and they were going where I couldn't protect them anymore. I hoped they'd realize in a day or two that joining the Pack was better than starving out there. If they returned to the base, I'd promised they could return.

I spent the rest of the morning with Acting Luna Melanie, Beta Kelly, and her direct reports. Gamma Sally needed the most people to help with cooking, cleaning, and serving food. Delta Betty needed almost as many to sort and store things in the warehouses. Warrior Lois owned drivers and vehicles, so she needed people to run forklifts, operate trucks, and maintain vehicles. All of them wanted to free up werewolves for other tasks.

The wolves hadn't cared much about backgrounds and desires when assigning the human slaves to jobs. Now that they were Pack, we had to do better. We also had to adapt to the losses from those leaving and taking the change.

We didn't have a consensus on how to make the assignments. Melanie wanted the women to sign up for spots. Kelly preferred to assign them based on education and experience. Naturally, I had a different idea. "I think it is more important for them to learn how the Pack works than to settle into a job," I told them. "I'd like to see a rotation, maybe a week in each area. It gives them a chance to get to know new people and for your Pack to see and appreciate them."

"That seems inefficient," Kelly said.

"It works in the Navy. Junior sailors spend time in the mess halls and deck division. They get an idea of how things work before they 'strike' for the rating they want. After that, it's on-the-job training."

"How would it work," Melanie asked.

"What is the fewest number of people you would need in any one place?" It turned out that number was five. "We divide the girls into groups of five. That makes it easier to set up a weekly rotation. Say they spend their first week in the kitchen. Later weeks are in the warehouse, garage, dining room, then cleaning staff. They have a 'core' group to bond with, but they get to go everywhere and work with everyone before a final assignment."

"Not everyone has the skills to drive a forklift or change the oil in a truck," Lois objected.

"Do you know if any of them do?" She shrugged. "You never asked, did you? When we put the groups together, we'll look for things like that. If we don't have the critical skills, we can make that assignment right away. If we can find ten, one works with you while the other works elsewhere, then they alternate," I said.

"It's a lot more work to train them," Gamma Sally said.

"Most of the stuff is basic skills, and you can pair them with experienced wolves. It is easier to schedule resources as numbers change or jobs shift. Current people leave, others arrive, or are out of action during the change. You keep the base number at five and change the number of groups."

"Then what? Do they pick their jobs?"

"Nope. It's competitive. They sign up for their first, second, and third choices, and we leaders, with input from our teams, choose the ones we want. You learn about them as they learn about you and the job. We have hundreds of new Pack members to integrate, and this is the best way I've seen."

"I'm convinced," Melanie said. "You don't need my permission, Angela. The humans are yours to direct. Kelly and I will leave you guys to make up the schedules."

"I'll leave Sally and Betty to make up the rotation. Don't forget to put a group with Medical to assist with caring for the ones taking the change. I'll take Lois and Kelly with me if that's all right. "

"What are you going to do?"

"We need to interview everyone," I said, "including those whose fevers will soon hit. We get their names, backgrounds, education, experience, licenses, hobbies, and skills. We get to the ones taking the change before the fevers hit. Critical skills like truck drivers go on the same teams. We can group the others to get an even split of age and talent."

"That makes sense," Lois said.

"Oh, one more thing," I told them. "We need everyone to wear nametags." They looked at me quizzically, so I rolled my eyes. "You people only have to learn a few HUNDRED new Pack members. Some people like me didn't know ANYONE before I arrived! And we don't remember people by scent, and we can't link someone to ask. They aren't Breeders anymore, so I don't want to hear anyone referred to by number ever again."

"I agree," Melanie said.

Sally nodded. "I'll get my Admin people to come up with something, even if it's a Sharpie and those 'Hello My Name Is' stickers."