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The sun barely peeked over the tops of the trees, the wind blew a gentle yet teasing breeze. Below the wolves were gathering around the center of the cabins, just off the lake. An intake of breath rose the beast within. He could feel the wolves that called out to him. That stood by him in this time need. Need a strange word at the moment. Wolves needed to be praised, they needed a pack to feel whole. A rogue never truly knows the meaning of pack life. Not once had he ever felt that his beast would go mad and go rogue. They felt the honor in what it meant to be Beta. To rise with Zero and Josh, protect what was theirs. A Beta also takes on the role of leader and protector just like an Alpha.

His ears caught the movement of Jalin shifting his feet, a subtle way of letting him know that the challenge is soon. He had to clear his mind and get his head into the game. Scott King challenged him for his position of the leaders.

‘Because they think we’re weak,’ Aaron thought. His beast growled and snarled. ‘They think we’re weak because we take a soft approach in life.’ His beast growled again.

It was true that they were compassionate and affectionate with it came to life. Aaron chose to believe that everyone is worth everything. When you give out love, it’s worth loving someone with a whole heart. Give it your all, just not a part. If this makes him weak, than they truly don’t understand.

His beast flashed him a picture of Zero. ‘Zero understands us completely. He is proud to have us beside him. We are worth more to him than the whole pack together.’ His beast howled in pride.

At one point Aaron had thought that Langdon might have spoken to Zero about how he truly felt. Only, Zero already knew. He already knew about his heart and how he chose to live his life. Zero never once teased him, never once degraded him or belittled him. He praised him for him choosing a life that made him comfortable. For not allowing someone else to tell him how his life should be lived. With that Aaron truly felt the honor of being Beta. Having an Alpha that looks at him with the pride Zero does, made this worth very bit. It was his time to show his Alpha that he was worthy of being his Beta.

Jalin stood up and crossed his arms. Blowing out a deep breath, Aaron took one last look at the fading sun. A dark bird flew across the tree top to its nest. Gearing himself, his wolf pushed forward. It was time to show Scott King what Beta was about.

Following the War wolf down he kept his mind off of the wolves watching him walk the path to the circle. His father caught his eye, sitting proud as a Beta father could. The old man didn’t say a word when it came to the actual challenge. All he said was ‘Show who he’s dealing with.’ No good luck, or you better win.

Keeping his eyes locked on the very wolf that challenged him, Scott King stood with his shirt off and ripped muscles. He definitely had more muscle than Aaron. Which meant, Aaron could be faster. Jalin moved to his mate, allowing Aaron to be shown fully. Pausing, Aaron quickly stripped down to his shorts. Zero came into view in the middle of the circle.

“Tonight your Beta Aaron has answered to a challenge. Scott King feels that he can perform better than the certain Beta. I have allowed this match to proceed.

“Tonight is also a silent challenge, there will be no shouts, no cheers. For the spirit gathering takes place immediately after.”

Zero turned towards Scott, “Are you ready?”

“I am,” Scott snarled.

Turning towards Aaron, “Are you ready?”

“I am,” Aaron remained calm, yet his voice was deep.

“Shift,” Zero ordered.

Aaron hunched forward, his teeth grew into fangs. Fur replaced hair upon his body. Bones cracked, shifted, changed. His eyes illuminated a deep golden brown as the beast approached the surface. His deep dark brown wolf appeared before everyone. Zero had to take pride in the fact that his Beta just shifted while keeping his eyes on the opponent.

‘Well done Aaron,’ Zero thought. ‘He better kick this wolfs ass and call it a day.’ Zero’s beast growled in agreement.

Scott didn’t waste any time with shifting. Shifting quickly in hopes of avoiding the pain, he swayed a bit as the gray and brown wolf appeared. His father behind him frowned a bit before his face hardened again. When his son challenge Aaron the father in him was worried, the wolf in him was filled with pride. The mixture stayed out of it. It was his son’s decision to challenge the Beta, not his.

Zero cleared his throat, “I was a clean fight. This isn’t a fight to the death. This is only a challenge. Which ever wolf remains down, stays down. The winner takes his place beside me.” Waving his hands the wolves came closer. Zero placed a hand on each of their shoulders, “May the best wolf win.”

Turning his back, he left the circle. Aaron knew that Zero was trying to remain objective. The Alpha in him was pissed that someone would challenge his Beta. Then there was the glare in his eye that told Aaron to rip him to shreds. He wondered if Scott could read Zero the way he could. Probably not, this type of connection comes with years of knowing each other. Learning each other. Scott didn’t know how to handle Zero’s temper or the fact that Zero’s orders are becoming more demanding and powerful as the Alpha blood fuels his body.

“Let the challenge begin!” Zero said from the area beside his father.

Scott snarled and snapped his teeth at Aaron. A low deep growl vibrated Aaron’s chest in return. Circling began between the two wolves. Scott was looking for a variable opening, Aaron was hiding them well. All of a sudden the two wolves lunged at each other. Snarls backed up the swats between paws that were taken. Aaron was able to sink his teeth into Scott’s arm. A painful howl escaped the wolf.

Scott rolled Aaron over with a kick of his back legs. Shocking Aaron and those who watched around them. It was something a human would do to roll a man over. Pinning Aaron to the ground, his eyes widened as he saw Scott’s paw striking down on his chest. A whimper sounded as the flesh was ripped. As Scott’s muzzle came down, Aaron’s jaw quickly struck out and bit down on Scott’s lower jaw. Shaking hard enough to get Scott to back up. Following the moments of the wolf, Aaron struck out with his left paw, sending Scott back a couple of feet.

Charging ahead, Scott rammed Aaron head on. Causing Aaron’s neck to bend backwards. A crunch was heard. Courtney hide behind her brother whimpering. That didn’t sound good. With a massive snarl, Scott bit down on Aaron’s shoulder. Shaking, he was able to dislocate the bone between his teeth.

Peeking out like a little child watching a scary movie, Courtney watched as Aaron struggled to remain standing. Low whimpers sounded from within her. Josh tucked his arm around his little sister pulled her to his lap and held her. Seeing Aaron fight for his position wasn’t the greatest thing. It tugged on each of them. Seeing Aaron hurt cause their beast to howl and urging them to join and rip this wolf apart. Aaron was theirs. No wolf was better.

‘Come Aaron,’ Jalin thought. ‘Remember your training.’ Jace tightened his arm around the larger wolf. Jalin had spent hours training with the wolf. Holding himself back from injuring the smaller wolf. Aaron doesn’t realize that he had helped Jalin get rid of some extra tension he had been carrying around. Training Aaron had allowed Jalin to learn to control his beast better. Even if it was for a short time.

Blood dripped down from both wolves, either was going to give up. Equally matched. Scott was worthy of taking on the Beta position, even Aaron had to admit that. Thinking, his beast grew with tension. There was a good possibility that they could lose this fight. With that the position as Beta. Zero wouldn’t rely on them for another thing, call when danger is near, ask for them to help with pack matters. It would be Scott. Unable to stop the whine, Aaron head hung low. This wasn’t how this was suppose to end up. Aaron was suppose to teach this wolf a lesson about challenging the Beta. Challenging him.

Something caught his attention when the wolf walked. Focusing his eyes on Scott’s paws, he noticed that was pacing. Defense. Scott knew how to attack, but not truly defend himself. He was antsy, waiting for the opportunity to strike out again. Aaron kept his head down for a moment longer. He had to think fast and act faster. Hit Scott with everything he had.

Locking his body, Aaron bared his teeth. He set his paws, straightened his back. Show him that Beta’s demand respect. Puffing out his chest, Aaron gave a warning growl that Scott was messing with the wrong wolf. Courtney sat up as she felt the shift in the air. Slighting hearing Josh praise her mate for the power he was calling upon.

The beast of Aaron pushed forward, linking the mind with the body. Aaron spoke to his beast that they mustn’t kill, just teach this wolf a lesson. Scott’s body grew stiff, a smell of fear lingered from the wolf. Crunching forward, Aaron grew silent. His eyes blazing with the animalistic nature of the beast.

Lunging forward Scott charging the wolf before him, Aaron grounded his paws into the ground and waited. Closer the wolf grew, focusing his eyes more. Watching how each muscle contracted and released. Finding what he was looking for he watched Scott leap into the air. Side stepping the wolf, Aaron fling his body into the wolf. His head ramming him into the ribs, his paws grabbing a hold of him like he was human. Scott’s body was caught between the massive Beta’s arms. Twisting his body, he flung the wolf to the ground.

Striking forward, Aaron delivered several blows to the side and stomach of the wolf on the ground. Scott fought to regain balance however the wolf on top of him wasn’t allowing an inch of space. Teeth bared in fear and anger. Snaking his teeth around the wolf’s shoulder, Aaron picked him up and threw him up into the air. As he came back down, the dark brown wolf jumped into the air. Gripped a hold of the wolf’s throat and slammed him down to the ground. Shaking his head, Aaron pretended to deliver the killing blow. Just to make his point, he licked the wolf’s neck. Placing a paw over him, Aaron titled back his head in a snarl and let out a howl that caused Scott’s wolf to cringe in submission.

Backing off, Aaron sat down. A moment went by with Scott laying on the ground. Aaron nodded to himself, he still had a job to do. Scott was injured by his hand. Leaning forward, Aaron began to clean out the wounds that he had placed on the wolf. Scott whined, Aaron kept going. The wolf on the ground couldn’t help the emotion running through him, his Beta was taking mercy upon him. Showing him no matter what happened five minutes ago, he still had a job.

Zero walked over kneeled down to his Beta, gently placed a hand upon him. “Well done Scott. You fought with honor. Aaron is a true Beta, he knows how it is to fight one of your own. Our place as leaders is not to harm any pack member but to treasure them. He has the right just as much as I. Your Beta has shown kindness where others would not. This is the meaning of a leader. Aaron knows this, you however had not fully understood this.

“You are his to teach, to grow, to help. As you lay injured, your Beta is teaching you a lesson that all wolves should know. Once you have figured out that lesson, you are to approach Aaron with honor and tell him the meaning of why he is caring for you now.”

Aaron sat back allowing Scott to stand on his four legs. Zero petted the wolf, “Go to your father with your head high. You have done well tonight.” Bringing the wolf closer to him, Zero laid his head upon the wolf’s. “Scott King, you are not a failure. Do not think that you have lost tonight. You have won something more than a title or a place within the leaders. Once you learn this, you will understand what has happened.”

Scott nodded and walked back to this father, who greeted him with a smile and open arms. His son fought very well tonight. Upheld the honor that a wolf family carry’s.

Zero had shifted to clean his Beta’s wounds. No words were exchanged. The Alpha pride was all that was needed. His Beta, showed the pack that he wasn’t the wolf to challenge or to mess with.

Once the wolves had shifted and all clothing was stripped of the pack. Zero and Aaron collected their mates, joined by Josh and Cherry. They sat down in the middle of the area, followed by their parents joining around them. Wolves moved towards the pack leaders and took a seat. Every member joined the circle that was beginning to form around the center of the pack. The heart. Wolves were connected to the Alpha and Betas. They needed their protection for survival. Behind Zero and Langdon was Jalin and Dalson with their mates. Sitting beside them was the Alpha and his mate plus their Betas and family. Behind them was the War wolves. Once every wolf was linked together by touch, Zero felt this.

Letting out a soft melody howl, each wolf shivered. Their beast surfaced with his beast. Another howl came from deep within him, calling all the spirit of the wolf. Off in a distance the nature answered back with the wolves that roamed freely howling in return. Over head, the moon peeked out of the clouds that rolled by brighter than what was before. An enchanted wave washed down below over the pack. Bringing the beast to the human side more. Fangs grew, fur sprouted, yet they remind in human form.

Nathanial squeezed on his son’s shoulder telling him to proceed. Zero allowed his beast to enter more. This time the howl was that of the beast, his eyes glowed in the moonlight. Another wolf the pack pushed closer to their Alpha. Nathanial could feel how connected Zero was to the wolf spirit.

When Zero howled again, Nathanial answered his call. The pack shivered under the power of the Alpha. Their souls were connecting to all that was within the pack. Each howl that the Alpha and future Alpha gave rocked the spirit within their bodies. Electric waves tingled the air. Causing their flesh to rise and fall with each heartbeat of Zero and Nathanial.

A pack isn’t one, it’s many. The heart of the pack in the Alpha. He controls all life. He is their life. Each breath they took was a breath that they gave to them. Linking their souls with the spirit of the wolf was a ritual that went back to the beginning of the werewolf community. It was a way for a pack to connect with the Alpha and the pack to connect with all members. Reminding them that they are all important and needed. Each was linked to each other. A way a pack should be.

Langdon felt the intense sensation of the spirit gathering. It was connecting each wolf with the other. He couldn’t help to feel the different spirits of the wolf. Jace, Jalin and Dalson placed their hands upon his back. Causing a new feeling, older than what the pack was. Older than any pack member here.

Inside the house, Bailey and Tibitha watched from the open window. They had volunteered to stay in with the children who were too young to participate in tonight’s events. Bailey thought that they looked beautiful together. Like one body pulsing with one heartbeat. Tibitha tried to remember all that she could, Kagen would love to have been here to witness this. What was funny, is they had a wolf laying on the floor behind them. He chose to stay in with them instead of joining in the pack spirit gathering.

The pack settled down outside, this must be where they just feel the vibes of the moon and each other. Tibitha moved away from the window with Bailey. Each checked on the children before settling down with a cup of tea.

“How long will this last?” Bailey asked.

“Until the moon lowers. That’s all I know. So I guess when the moon passes it’s highest point.”

“Oh, so it’s okay for us to go to bed?”

“Oh course, if you are sleepy go. I will stay up.”

“Are you sure?” Bailey yawned.

“Yes. I can’t sleep anyways. I will probably call and check up on Kagen again.”

Bailey paused with her face holding a curious note. “May I ask, How do you keep yourself from pushing out Kagen when your son is mated to Dalson?”

“Easy, Kagen is a man that I also love and have loved for a time. Dalson is Tatom’s mate but Kagen is a man who deserves respect as well. When I go home, I will see him everyday. He is a friend I refuse to lose.”

“How is he?”

“Last time I called, he hadn’t improved.” Tibitha chocked back the tears. “I hope he makes a full recovery.”

“I hope he does too.” Bailey patted her shoulder, “I apologize but I’m tired.”

“Good night Bailey.”

“Good night Tibitha.” As she walked passed the wolf, “Good night Cornelius.”

Cornelius let out a low bark in return. Tibitha eyed him as she tapped her fingers. That was one strange wolf. Before the door on the bedroom shut, she had the phone in her hand and was dialing the guard at the hospital. He answered by the third ring.

“It’s me again,” Tibitha stated. “Any thing new?”

“Actually he moved about an hour after you called the millionth time.”

“He moved? Kagen moved? As he showing life?”

“Yes Tibitha.”

A voice was in the background, the guard said something about he will. “Tibitha I was just reminded that the council said it was time you came home. They are needing to speak with all witches.”

“Okay, while it will be a day or so before I can completely leave. I’m at the lake and my car isn’t here with me.”

“The council said immediately.”

“I can’t. Plus I don’t think the council wants me to leave my ‘you know’ stuff behind.” Tibitha rolled her eyes.

“Oh, I see. I will let them know that you are in a position that you will need time to gather your belongings and be on you way.”

“Thank you,” Tibitha sighed. “Hey Martin, thank you for putting up with me.”

“Don’t thank me. When you get here you’ll hate that came home.”

“I see. Good night then.”

“Don’t waste time, hurry.”

Tibitha blew out a deep sigh. What was going on with the council now? They knew she was busy and couldn’t get back. Then again she did want to see Kagen. He needed someone to watch over him. The wolf moved on the floor. She walked over when an idea popped into her mind.

“Cornelius, I shall pay a favor back ten fold. You heard what had taken place with the coven?” He nodded. “There is a good possibility that Kagen, a dear sweet friend of mine, could become a werewolf. They do not know if the bite is a changing mark or not. You are a master of travels.

“My favor would be if it is a changing bite, I would send him off before the council could kill him. Would you find him and show him the ways of the wolf? I will do everything in my power to help lift the curse upon your body. Kagen could help, he knows more about you than I. I could do the spells while he translate the material.”

Cornelius sat up, looked the human in the eye and nodded his head. Her arms went around his throat. “Thank you”

In the morning, Bailey pulled back her eyelids. Another day was upon them. Her mind was filled with the thoughts of this war. Every since Vera had been honest with her, she worried constantly. Langdon wasn’t made for war. He was a lover not a fighter.

Deciding that it was best for her to get up and get ready, she climbed out of bed with her bathroom bag. Popped open the door and went out into the hall. Everyone still seem to be sleeping. Leaning a ear to the boys door, she gently pushed it open. There was Zero and Langdon sleeping like two little innocent boys. They were inside, that’s all that mattered.

Turning towards the bathroom, the bathroom door opened to a War wolf coming out in a towel. Turning bright red she quickly turned around and hide her face. A chuckle sounded behind her.

“I’m sorry,”

“You shouldn’t be sorry.” Jimmy teased. “It’s nature.”

“For you wolves.”

Jimmy walked up behind her leaned in and whispered. “You can look all you want. Maybe next time you can join.”

Gasping she turned around, “You have a mate.”

“Sorry I do not. My mate died before I got to know her.” Jimmy stated with no hurt upon him. “I met her soon as she closed her eyes. There was no connection. I guess I am mateless.”

“I’m sorry,” Bailey had learned that the pack took pride in their mates.

“Don’t be. That was years ago, my wolf and I have learned to deal.” Jimmy leaned down, “I’ve had my eye on you since I knew about you.”

Bailey blushed. Her hand hid a red cheek. “But I sink.” Langdon had confessed that the vampires had left a smell upon her skin.

“I don’t care. It’s tolerable. You are a woman who had survived those creatures.” He growled. “My kind of woman.”

Bailey met the wolf in the eyes, the woman in her screamed for all her worth that this rock hard solid man found her attractive. Then the human in her was scared that he did find her attractive.

Jimmy smiled, “Better yet why don’t I help you shower.”

Before Bailey could protest he had picked her up and walked back into the bathroom.

Standing at the end of the hall May and June sounded in a giggle fit of what they just witness. Bailey had a wolf boyfriend now. Heading into Zero’s room, they snuck into his bathroom.

“Girls why are you sinking in here?”

“Nothing!” May quickly put her and June into the shower. Zero wouldn’t come in until they were done in respect.

Dreams filled the mind of the unconscious man. His blood pumped faster with each flash of memory. Howling of the wolves echoed throughout his mind. The sun shown over head, darkness laid beneath him. His body was floating in the air. Around him was massive flames came from all different directions. The planets shown in the multiple colored sky.

A wolf, one huge massive wolf entered his mind. He out did all other wolves by ten times or more. His paw struck down, crushing everything in his path. Screaming out for the wolves to run, they bowed their heads at the oncoming wolf.

Nothing about this seemed real.

Behind the closed eyelids, Kagen fought against he awakening nightmare. His heart rate increased. The nurses gathered around him, yelled for the doctor. As his eyes shot open, he let out a deadly scream. The last he saw of the giant wolf was he killing Langdon and Tatom.

  My shout out's, Nana you get a nickname now, my favorite werewolf, ladyafyon, reader, hugs and kisses to you all!!!!

Sorry this is rushed, I forgot to post it before I left. By the way, fireworks on the 5th is just as good as them on the 4th. Now it's my bedtime. Goodnight, love you all. Hugs to everyone.

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