Runt and Giant

"Samuel, are you sure you can take Tanner in a fight?" Morgan had asked. "I hate to admit it, but he's powerful."

"I've been training in combat my entire life, and have ample experience taking out opponents bigger than me. I can do it."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Kayleigh demanded. "This isn't just your entire future at stake, it's mine, too. If you get banished, I'm leaving with you."

Samuel got close to her, so close their foreheads touched.

"Kayleigh, I'm your mate. I love you. Please, trust me on this. If I can't even fight to protect my mate, what good am I? I can do this. I know it."

"But what if you can't?"

"If I lose, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. But I won't lose. I'll fight for you and avenge your brother."

Kayleigh hated the plan. She hated how she needed Samuel to fight for her, and hated thinking about what would happen if he failed, but she needed to have faith. If she couldn't trust her mate, she couldn't trust anyone.

She looked into her mate's eyes. They were a deep green, so beautiful against his tan skin. She saw so much strength in his gaze.

Kayleigh had been self-reliant for most of her life. She let Tim act like a big brother and help her out, but in general she had always prided herself in not needing anybody to take care of her. But this was a situation that she couldn't fix on her own. This was a time when she needed to trust in somebody else and take a step back.

Even still, she didn't do much besides worry as she waited for the sun to set.

After a few endless hours, the time came for the showdown between Samuel and Tanner. Samuel's mother Alia had agreed to be the authority figure to consecrate the battle. She was concerned about her son doing something so foolhardy, but he had proven to have good instincts in the past. He was grown up and could make his own decisions.

Alia looked around to the dozens of wolves who had gathered to watch the battle between the two alpha males. She wondered who they would bet on given the opportunity.

"Today we consecrate a duel between Tanner Merin of the Romulus pack and Samuel Costanza of the Boulder pack. The terms have been laid out: the penalty of losing is permanent banishment from both the Romulus and Boulder packs. Do you both agree to these guidelines?"

Both men nodded.

"Very well. Seal your commitment here."

The two alpha wolves took turns cutting their arms with a knife and dripping their blood on a deerskin. This was tradition, an act to fully cement the terms of the duel. There was no turning back for either of them.

"Both combatants shall shake hands."

They complied, though Tanner tried his best to crush Samuel's hand in his grip.

"Turn around and take ten paces."

They moved to the appropriate distance and turned back to face each other.

"Ready, and..."

The alpha female's voice rang out and echoed far and wide.

"FIGHT!!!"

Tanner immediately changed into his hybrid form. Given his size, strength, and ruthlessness, he looked terrifying. Samuel remained in his human form, seemingly waiting for his opponent to make the first move. The wolf-man ran up and lunged with claws out at him, but Samuel changed into his wolf form, using its speed and smaller size to dodge the attack. He had been perfecting his fighting style for most of his life, training to change between his forms quickly and use each to his advantage.

He continued his evasive maneuvers until Tanner got visibly angry.

"Stop this bullshit!" He roared. "Be a man and FIGHT ME!!"

Tanner lunged at Samuel again, but anticipated the quick-change and managed to kick his opponent when he dodged in wolf form. The wolf yelped and flew back a bit, but he changed into his hybrid form in the air and landed on all fours. He ran at Tanner, who punched reflexively. Samuel ducked, using his smaller size to his advantage, and morphed into his human form quick enough to punch his opponent in the gut and get back to a safe distance.

Samuel had spent the time at the beginning of the duel watching Tanner and analyzing his fighting style. His opponent was all offense, no defense, and used his size and strength to compensate for his lack of technique. Tanner did have Samuel beat in both of those departments, but bulk and brawn could only take one so far.

The two alphas continued their brawl. For every big blow Tanner would land, Samuel would land several smaller blows that accumulated to greater effect as the fight continued. Tanner learned ways to block and counterattack some of Samuel's tactics, but there were so many of them that it was hard for him to keep up. Even so, his attacks were so powerful that even if he hit Samuel fewer times, he could wear his opponent down.

Eventually it got to the point where both lycans were getting tired. Something had to give. Whoever it was, the winner would soon be decided.

Tanner went in for his final attack, running at Samuel full speed. Both were in their hybrid forms, and Tanner's hybrid was noticeably bigger and bulkier than Samuel's. Tanner threw a punch at his opponent's gut, and he blocked it, but an instant later it was apparent that that punch had been a decoy. Using the momentum from his running, Tanner lunged at Samuel and sank his teeth deep into his shoulder.

Samuel howled, but had already began the move he had learned worked best after an opponent ran up for a biting attack: he morphed into his stronger human form and grabbed Tanner's torso. Using every last ounce of strength he had left, he picked up Tanner and threw him over his shoulder. Samuel's muscle and the momentum Tanner's body had from the lunge combined, and the larger body flew, enough to rip Tanner's teeth from Samuel's flesh. One instant later Tanner's body crashed to the ground, in an impact that felt like it shook the forest. To everybody's shock, he didn't get back up.

All of these events, from the fake-out punch to Tanner hitting the ground, took place in the course of a few seconds. In mere seconds, the battle had been decided. Samuel planted his foot on Tanner's chest and roared in triumph.

Samuel had won.

Alia counted to three in her head, just to ensure that Tanner really was down, and walked up to her son, proudly holding up his arm, making his victory official.

"Members of the Romulus pack!" Samuel made his voice reverberate through the woods. "Tanner has been usurped! I, Samuel Costanza, am your new leader!!"

Several of the lycans cheered.

Tanner opened his eyes. It took a moment for him to absorb the situation. Before he could do anything, Samuel spoke.

"You have ten minutes to gather your things and leave peacefully. I wish you luck in your future endeavors, but they will have no place here. Walk away or you will be driven away."

The contract they had signed in their own blood was permanent and irreversible. Tanner had no hope of resisting it. He left in only five minutes.

Kayleigh ran up to Samuel and the two kissed.

"Kayleigh Vance is my mate!" Samuel announced. "She is mine and I am hers!"

Many of the lycans cheered again.

The mates kissed once more, basking in their victory.

*****

Paine was eating lunch with Tim when he heard a sound that he had not heard in years: somebody knocking on his front door.

Curiously, he opened the door to a small group of people.

He only recognized one of them, Morgan the alpha wolf. There was another female, and with her dark hair and blue eyes, she could only have been Tim's sister Kayleigh. With his arm around her was a male Paine had never seen before, and a much bigger male, clearly an alpha, was also there, standing somewhat away from the group.

Kayleigh was the first to speak.

"Sir, are you Paine Holt?"

Paine nodded.

"I've come to see my older brother, Tim Vance."

Paine smiled. "Absolutely. Come in."

The small group entered the cabin, and Tim's face lit up.

"Kayleigh!"

The siblings hugged, tears coming from both of them. After she pulled back, Kayleigh slapped Tim in the face.

"That's for making me worry so damn much!"

Her brother rubbed his cheek and gave a small smile.

"I'm s-sorry. I'll t-try to n-not do that in the f-future."

She hugged him again.

Tim turned to address the alpha male he'd never seen before.

"Who a-are you?"

The lycan stepped forward.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, Tim. My name is Samuel Costanza. I'm your sister's mate."

Tim's jaw dropped.

"There's been some developments," Kayleigh said.

The omega male chuckled nervously. "That s-sounds like an un-understatement."

Kayleigh, Samuel, and Morgan all explained what had happened in the pack to Tim and Paine.

"Th-that's great n-news!" Tim said excitedly.

"I am a little sad that I wasn't the one who eventually took Tanner out," Paine said.

They all laughed a little, before Samuel got more serious.

"Tim, you've displayed impressive resolve and bravery. You've looked out for Kayleigh your whole life, and for that, I thank you."

He then surprised everyone in the room by getting down on one knee.

"I want to spend the rest of my days picking up where you left off, nurturing and protecting your sister. Tim Vance, do I have your blessing?"

Tim was shocked. This man, this alpha male who could break his spine like a twig, was humbly asking for Tim's blessing? It didn't seem real, but Tim could tell that he was serious.

"Yes, S-Samuel. I know I-I can trust you. P-Please protect and love Kayleigh."

The wolf-man nodded solemnly.

Paine turned to the fourth wolf, the large alpha who had yet to say anything.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Misha. I came along to fetch Tim."

Tim's blood turned to ice, but Paine kept his composure.

"I see. That's not happening."

Misha cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, and why not?"

Paine took a step forward. Misha was huge, 6 feet and 5 inches, but even he was noticeably shorter than Paine.

"You're not laying a finger on Tim because he's mine. I'm his mate and I won't let you take him just so you could make him your sex toy."

Misha folded his arms. "Is that so? You're a human. It's not possible that you and he could be mates. But even if lycans and humans could join like that, there's no way you'd mate with Tim. What utility could you possibly find in a sniveling little omega pup?"

"I don't think you understand the situation, Misha. I'm in love with Tim, and he doesn't have to do anything to make my life better. His existence is a blessing to me."

Paine stepped even closer and made his voice louder, firmer.

"I'm going to make this very clear. I'm claiming Tim. He's mine. If you want him, you're going to have to pry him from my cold, dead hands."

The cabin was silent as Misha and Paine stared each other down for a few seconds. The wolf was the one to break the silence.

"Very well. If you truly are his mate, I won't come between you two."

The man was surprised, but nodded. He wasn't expecting Misha to accept the situation. Paine was prepared to fight him, to the death if necessary.

Kayleigh lay her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Well, now that that's sorted out, what's going to happen now? Do you want Paine to join our pack? Stay here? What do you want to do?"

Tim looked at Paine before returning his gaze to Kayleigh.

"Well...you're t-turning twenty soon. I d-don't need to p-protect you from Tanner anymore, and y-y-you've got a mate to look after you n-now."

He turned to his love.

"P-Paine, what do y-you think?"

The giant man smiled. "I don't care where I am. As long as I'm with you, I'll be satisfied."

Tim looked back at his sister sheepishly.

"I k-kinda like how things are now. I l-like living in this c-cabin with Paine. The p-pack isn't far off, so w-w-we could visit each other."

Kayleigh smiled. "That's fine." She reached out and cupped Tim's face. "We both have partners now, but you're still my family. I'm keeping in touch with you, one way or another."

Tim nodded. "Of course."

Kayleigh stood up and faced Paine.

"Paine Holt, will you take good care of my older brother?"

The man gave a resolute nod. "Tim will want for nothing."

She grinned. "Then I think it's time we make our leave." The four lycans walked out, Kayleigh shouting "See you later!" to Tim before she left.

In a few minutes Tim and Paine were back to the quiet they had been in that morning.

Paine sat down on the bed. "Let me look at your leg."

Tim pulled back the sheet and his mate examined his injuries. Most of the cuts had closed, and the broken bone was mending wonderfully.

"You're doing great, baby. You should be on your feet tomorrow, the day after at the latest."

The boy grinned. "That's g-great! Soon I'll finally b-be useful!"

Paine shook his head and smiled. "Didn't you hear what I said to Misha? You don't have to prove your worth to me. If I had to do all the work and take care of you for the rest of my life, I wouldn't mind. I love you."

Tim nodded, some tears welling up. "I still want to h-help you."

Paine laughed and gave his mate a kiss on the forehead. The two sat in companionate silence for a little bit before Tim spoke again.

"The full m-moon is in three days, the d-day after K-Kayleigh's birthday."

The giant raised his eyebrows. "Can you just sense that or something?"

The wolf nodded.

"You said that you turn into a wolf during the full moon. What exactly happens to you? Do you get vicious?"

Tim laughed at the thought.

"No. Al-alphas become a little m-more vicious, and some b-betas get rowdy because they're n-not used to their hy-hybrid form, but omegas j-just turn into submissive little wolves. I w-won't give you any trouble."

Paine nodded. He reached out and stroked Tim's cheek.

"You and I are gonna build a life together, baby boy. We'll start by living in this cabin and see where it takes us. Like I said, it makes no difference where we go as long as we're together."

Tim grinned. "That s-sounds wonderful." He let out a cute little yawn.

"You tired, baby?"

The young man nodded. "A l-little."

Paine laid down and pulled his mate into his arms.

"Sleep, Tim. I've got you."

Tim smiled and told Paine that he loved him before falling into oblivion.

*****

Tim was healed enough to walk the following day. He was wobbly at first, but could stay on his feet. Paine was so proud of his brave little boy.

As it turned out, it was much harder for Tim to adjust to only having one eye. Two eyes allow for depth perception, and Tim felt like it was something he took for granted his entire life, something that he only noticed when it was taken away from him. It wasn't a severe handicap, but it did hinder him a bit. Even so, he resolved to get used to it as quickly as possible. Paine offered to order the boy an eyepatch, but Tim opted to just cover the damaged eye with his hair, despite his mate insisting that he didn't need to hide it at all.

Kayleigh and Samuel cemented their courtship on the day of Kayleigh's twentieth birthday. The first ritual was public, a traditional ceremony that the lycans used in the way that humans used weddings. They both used a ceremonial dagger to cut their tongues and kissed, each leaving a small piece of themselves in the other's body. The second ritual was private. Among mates, the first act of sexual intercourse had a power to it. Once two bonded lycans mated, their bodies changed slightly. Each wolf's scent became colored by the other's and they'd get better at sensing the other. Kayleigh and Samuel went off, deep into the woods, and when they returned the following morning none of either pack could question their bond as mates.

The evening of the full moon came and Paine waited to see his mate transform for the first time. He looked out the window at the setting sun, and the instant the sun fell below the horizon he heard noise behind him.

He turned around to see Tim whimpering as he shrank. His face elongated and his clothes seemingly melted into his skin. The transformation took about ten seconds, and when it was over Tim was a wolf. He wasn't tiny, but he was definitely smaller than average. Paine could see that the wolf's ears were down, almost pinned flat against his head. His tail was between his legs and he looked downward, avoiding Paine's gaze.

Paine slowly walked towards Tim and the wolf whimpered. The giant man got on his knees and held out his hand, palm up.

"Tim, it's me. It's your mate, Paine. I love you, baby."

Trembling, the wolf sniffed his hand and at last looked up at his mate. He laid on his back submissively, exposing his belly.

Careful not to make any sudden moves, Paine started scratching Tim. The wolf got a little bit more relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy the affection. Eventually he was comfortable enough that Paine could pick him up and hold him.

"You're such a good boy," he cooed. "You're my sweet little puppy."

Tim leaned forward and licked Paine's mouth. He was so cute that the man could feel himself choke up a bit.

"I love you so much, Tim."

Paine spent a majority of the evening in a rocking chair, cradling and crooning the little wolf. After some time, night fell and Paine decided to turn in early. He got into bed, his puppy snuggled in his arms.

*****

Tanner howled, releasing his anger and humiliation. He had lost. He wasn't supposed to lose!

The power of the full moon fueled his rage. He killed a fawn, ripping it to shreds in his hybrid form, but his anger still burned inside him. He ran through the woods, snarling.

Suddenly, his nose was struck with the faintest, vaguest trace of a familiar scent. The moon had heightened his senses, and it allowed him to pick up on a smell. He couldn't even recognize it, but his instincts made him follow that odor. He followed the river, the scent getting gradually stronger. Eventually he remembered what that smell was.

He was smelling the runt. He was smelling Tim.

Anger tinted his vision blood red. This was all the fucking runt's fault! All of his problems were because of that cowardly little wolf pup. He was confused. He had killed Tim, how was he smelling him now?

Wait...Tim wasn't dead. Somehow the whelp had survived. That's why everything had gone wrong!

Fury clouded his mind, and Tanner's pride took over, blocking logic and reason. He needed to finish the job and kill Tim. Once the runt was dead, all his problems would go away. He'd be the pack leader again. He'd have Kayleigh! He needed to kill the runt!

He followed the smell further, his anger consuming him. He saw a cabin, and ran up to it, opening the door so hard it flew off its hinges.

Tanner looked and saw the runt, turned into a wolf pup by the full moon, except he wasn't alone. There was a gigantic human holding him.

Paine had been jerked awake by the crashing of the door, and saw something absolutely horrifying: a hunched over, snarling man-wolf hybrid with razor sharp claws and daggers for teeth.

However scared he was, Tim was even more frightened. He yelped and whimpered, trying to scramble away while still being held. Paine could hear the little wolf cry, and felt a small amount of urine being released from the scared animal. Tim had to have dealt with hybrid forms before, so why was he acting like it was the most terrifying thing ever?

Then it clicked. It could only be one thing. Only one lycan could have his baby boy so frightened. He set down the wolf and got to his feet.

"Are you Tanner?"

Tanner had no idea who this human was, and couldn't have cared less. Some human wasn't going to stop him. Nothing was going to stop him.

"Give me the runt." His voice was menacing and growly.

He took a step forward. He knew that he scared the human, no matter how big and strong he appeared to be. The lycan could smell fear, and this human was giving off almost as much fear as the whelp.