Chapter 25: The God of Destruction

It was so silent in the chamber that you could hear a pin drop. Lilian watched from the corner intently, and Haley came back from the infirmary where she stood beside her. Sasha grew very excited as Toby stood in the middle of the room awkwardly. She looked over at Tai confused as Toby began undressing himself behind a Bernie and the Elders. "What's going on? Does Toby have to transform for this part?"

"Yea, and since he has the ability to transform into Lycaon form, it's essential he does this in that form to make it as authentic as possible" He stated before her grandparents looked over at him curiously.

"Lycaon?"

Zoe looked around grinning evilly. "Just you wait! He's going to turn into a giant wolf, and bust out from those shackles like a beast!"

Sasha's grandparents looked back at Toby oddly. "A giant wolf? Just how much bigger can he possibly get?" her grandmother asked.

"Um, pretty big" Sasha stated before she blushed thinking back to the time she spent with him during their mountain getaway. She remembered just how big his Lycaon form was, but, most importantly, the time she spent riding on his back like he was a horse. More guilty pleasures arose from those images of being a winter paradise with a giant strong power wolf. The anticipation to see this form of his once more was unbearable, and it felt like forever for him to get undressed just as always.

Todd and Sandy was very overwhelmed with it all that they remained quiet not wanting to ask too many questions. The pups entered the chamber, and they sat on the floor up front waiting patiently for the ceremony to continue. Air in the chamber felt thin, and a draft came at their backs. Those who were not familiar with werewolves turned around in confusion as Toby grew rapidly and shifted into his towering wolf form. They gasped when they saw him, but Sasha was most impressed by how much bigger he grown. "Rawrf!" she muttered to herself seductively.

Zoe snickered to Sasha's inadvertent outburst, but Percy was having trouble grasping his head around what Toby just did. She leaned over and smirked at him. "You know...I can turn into a giant wolf too"

Percy looked over at her and tried to imagine her being a creature like that. "How? Are you as big as him?"

"Pft, no! Not as big as him, but I'm still pretty big"

While everyone gawked, Bernie and the elders began to hook up the fetters to Toby's wrists and ankles. Once they successfully bound up all four limbs, they retreated back to the edge to watch on. Zoe nudged Sasha and beckoned her to follow before she walked up to the platform and leaned forward while resting her arms on the raised floor. Sasha was not sure if it was acceptable to do this, but she got braver seeing Zoe got away with it, so she followed behind.

She overheard some spiteful comments made about her body from some of the younger females. "Pff, Look at the fucking boulders on her! Those water balloons look like they're gunna pop!" Sasha knew they envied her, but it did not bother her as much as it once used to; although, Zoe still glanced over at them to shoot them intimidating glares.

Sasha bumped her and laughed. "Just ignore them...It's not bothering me any" she said after she broke Zoe's eye contact with them.

Zoe rolled her eyes and huffed. "They are still annoying. They have no problem saying things about you in your presence, but they are afraid to say anything about me around me...tch, cowards" she muttered. She glanced at her playfully not seeming to care either way, and Sasha caught onto this.

"It's a pity, but at least they aren't totally stupid" She muttered.

Zoe snickered, but her father glared at them, which they both immediately became silent with fear and anxiety. Bernie then crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat. "Alright then! Break free from your bindings!"

"You can do it Big bad!" Sasha muttered to herself.

Everyone was watching with intent and excitement as Toby strained against the chains growling louder and louder by the second. The chains strained and stretched, which something did not sit right with Sasha. She nudged Zoe pointing at the chains. "You think we're far away from those chains in case they snap?" she asked.

Zoe cocked her head curiously then shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. I would have though my dad would have said something if that were the case" she muttered before she also got nervous as the chain made groans and pinging noises under the tension. She backed away after Sasha already had a head start.

There was a loud pop along with sparks that scattered from a link in the center point that bound his right hind leg. The broken link shot forth and bounced off the floor while the chain whipped towards them, but it was a foot short in length from touching either of them; however, they would have been struck where they were standing previously.

Toby continued to pull against the chains, which another pop occurred. Jean and the others grinned eagerly. The crowd flinched from the loud double explosions that came from the chains that bound his arms. Sasha and Zoe ducked instinctively, and a link ricocheted off the floor into the crowd.

Once they poked their head above the platform, and a sadistic grin crept upon Zoe's face before she looked towards her father. "And I helped!" she said.

Sasha leaned in and brought her hand to her face directing her comment towards Zoe. "You think that bringing the end of the world is something to brag about?"

"Tch, it's just stories Sasha. I don't believe in superstition! Besides, the world was already ending, and big bad over there is late to the party" Zoe said as she pointed back towards him with her thumb. "Pretty much all of the Alpha's broke their chains...except for Peter, but he was a whimp anyway!"

Bernie looked back over at them. "You do know this ceremony has only been done twice before"

"Twice?" Sasha muttered. She frowned before she tilted her head at Bernie. "Was it you and Peter did it?"

Bernie shook his head at her before he went to shield Toby. "It was Steele and Peter. Sure I could rip the chain apart, but my ego isn't that big to do all that for just a temporary position"

After Toby reverted to his human and got dressed, all of the adults and most of the older children bowed before him. He looked very uncomfortable until he caught the lust in Sasha eyes which brought a smile to his face.

Jean sighed and look towards the crowd clearing his throat. "I will invite our neighbors from other communities to stay and speak with our new Alpha" he said warmly.

Toby's head slowly turned towards him robotically with eyes wide open. "Huh? Me?"

Jean immediately shot him an angry leer causing him to flinch slightly. "Stop acting like a pup. Diplomacy is a part of your duty as alpha"

Toby immediately turned his head towards Bernie already figuring out why he did not want to be an alpha in the first place. Bernie growled back at him and snarled. "Hey! Don't be giving me that look kid!"

"You're not afraid to critique my speech, but you can't even talk to them?" Toby muttered.

A Japanese woman with fair skin stepped up onto the platform. "You know...we'd prefer to speak to the son of Steele anyway"

Sasha noticed the Scallop shell pendant that hung from the woman's neck and the scent of fish and detritus from the river. "So, is she a mermaid?" She asked Zoe.

Zoe nodded. "Her name is Kamiko. They say that she is the descendant of Susanoo"

"The god of the Sea and Storms?"

"That's the one"

Sasha gulped and looked back at the woman. "So is there always a deity behind a leader of the supernatural group?"

"Pretty much, but isn't it a human thing too?" Zoe muttered as she looked over at her raising her eyebrow.

Sasha hesitated as she thought about it farther. "Hmm...well...I guess, but that's with royalty usually"

Zoe closed her eyes and sighed heavily before she looked back up at them. "I'm just going to let you think about that a while longer" she muttered to herself.

Sasha's head shot back catching onto that implication. "Wait! She's royalty!?"

Zoe looked at her strangely before she sighed with slight frustration. "Yes...she is royalty"

Sasha saw more people wearing symbolic items and strange scents step up onto the platform. Most of the others wondered to the back to pillage the buffet tables, but few hung around to listen in on Toby how he handled dignitaries just like she and Zoe were.

The woman looked up at him realizing just how big he had gotten. A big sense of satisfaction and amusement overcame her as she looked over at another tall white gentleman. "Wow, he's just as big as his father and at such a young age too" she said.

The gentleman snorted before he chuckled. "As tall as...but he's not as big as him"

"How can we be of assistance?" A tall black gentleman asked. He was the same age as Bernie, but not quite as heavy set.

"Well, have you all looked into any of your folks defecting?"

"We have given that information to Bernie already" Kamiko said before she looked towards Sasha. "I think your mate's videos are kind of cute. You're quite photogenic yourself, and you're so laid back too" she added.

Sasha grinned reminded about the times she brought him into her vlogs. She was always careful to hide his identity, but she wondered just how popular her videos would be with the school; Although, Kamiko had to address the elephant in the room. "Um...aren't you concerned about your classmates figuring out that your boyfriend is a werewolf?"

Percy laughed out loud before Zoe looked back at him and smirked. Sasha nodded as a faint shade of red crept onto her face. "Well, I'm pretty sure that most of them had some sort of idea of him being not human...um, well a normal one that is" she said before she looked over at Toby affectionately. "They have to be so far out of the loop to not know how close Toby and I are"

"As a matter of fact, some students have been talking about werewolves since the school year started; it's what inspired a lot of the students like Olivia to foolishly seek out werewolf powers in order to enhance their competitiveness. After I saw a few of her vlogs, I suggested she discuss the downsides of being a werewolf" Bernie chimed in.

Kamiko glanced over at him keenly. "Did you think of that or was it Yvonne's idea?"

"It was actually Haley's idea" he muttered more to himself.

"Um, Excuse me, but you all wouldn't mind taking part in my website? I mean I'd be happy to interview you or someone of your choosing" Sasha asked timidly.

They all looked at each other, and the tallest of them all shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we can arrange something along those lines" he muttered before he looked over at Toby amused. "She's extremely well adjusted for having just been converted. She must have a hell of a strong resolve and endurance to undergo this much of a drastic change in body and lifestyle"

"Well, there's that, but I have great tutors. I wasn't expecting all the things to happen to my body, but with everything Toby and Zoe exposed me to...It's normal to me by now" Sasha said before she looked towards her family. "Believe it or not my family turned into werewolves before I ever did"

"Oh yea...Bernie did mention something about that" He muttered.

"So what are the rest of you?"

Kamiko smiled warmly. "Well, I'm a mermaid, William is a werehorse, Nicolas is a werelion, Vincent is a Minotaur, and Felix is a Harpy" she named everyone off. They all waved from tallest to shortest, but Sasha looked towards Toby who was just a hair shorter than William, which she tried to figure out why William was not taller.

"Um, does the gigantism gene affect your kind like it does with werewolves or is there something similar?"

Kamiko shrugged. "Eh? I guess?" she muttered.

"Of course it does...problem is they were too big to fit in order to breed down if you catch my drift" William said. Kamiko blushed, and Zoe snickered to herself.

"Nicolas here carries the gene...maybe it's a predator thing?" Vincent said.

Felix rolled his eyes. "Hardly...if that were the case then should we see more giant harpies?"

"Heh, Isn't it harder to fly when you get bigger? They're gone like the Dodo" Vincent suggested.

"Oh yea? It's not a problem with greater wingspan!"

Zoe nudged Sasha and snickered to herself. "You see what you've done?"

Toby tried sneaking away not wanting to be a part of the unending argument on gigantism, but Jean did not try to stop him. Bernie watched Toby wonder over to the buffet before Zoe and Sasha followed suit.

"Do they bicker like that usually?" Sasha whispered.

"Meh, it happens. You do like to pick our brains on things we don't have answers to" Zoe said casually while she plopped a huge steak on her plate. "Some people are just not comfortable in not knowing things, so they just make shit up to explain it. Truth is...the leaders aren't usually the smartest of the bunch"

Sasha laughed to herself. "Yea, that would explain how Toby became Alpha"

Toby looked over at them and raised an eyebrow before she waved at him. Zoe shook her head and laughed. "Oh yea, he's so damn stupid he doesn't know when his act isn't working"

"Really? I can hear you, ya know?" Toby spoke out in a huff.

"Love ya!" Sasha shouted while giving him a wave.

"Why are you so far ahead anyway!? Shouldn't you be here with Sasha talking with her?" Zoe teased.

"I'm really hungry!" He shouted back very irritated before he went back for the food.

Sasha giggled before Zoe tapped her over the shoulder. "I'm going to get Percy" she told her before she left to extricate the terrified boy from his seat.

"Okay, just don't hurt him!" She muttered before she was pushed to the ground by female. At first, she thought it was a mistake, but Toby heard her fall to the ground. He was about to check her wellbeing until he was cut off by a swarm of females. "Hey, Toby...don't you remember me?" one of the girls said in a flirtatious tone.

Toby looked around for Sasha, but he saw nothing but the lust filled females attempting in futility to try him on for size. He had a roll stuck in his mouth staring up at them blankly before he started mumbling, "Rarra!?"

The girls laughed evilly as they encroached upon him. "Oh, Toby you are so strong! And so big!" The girl was a couple years older than him, and she wore a form fitting dress hoping to compete with Sasha's curves. "I'm Sophia! Don't you remember me from middle school?" she asked.

Sasha wrestled her way in and grabbed onto Toby's hand. "Hey, I don't know if you know this, but...he's not on the meat market anymore" she said before scowled at her. She was not sure if she could take this woman, but she was getting infuriated with her not taking the hint that Toby was not interested took her.

"Oh? Well, you wouldn't mind sharing him would you? We just want to give him a try, and he's all yours!" Sophia said.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "You couldn't handle him anyways! There's just too much pain for a little gal like you to endure. If you want, you can try with a coke can and see how it feels then!"

Toby nearly choked on the dinner roll, but Sophia laughed at this. "Cute!" she muttered sarcastically. She had been sizing up Sasha the entire time, and she knew she had a better time taking her on than she did with Zoe. She transformed into her anthro form and raised her paw up before Sasha swiftly flicked her on the nose. Sophia let out a yelp before an immediate reach in to rub her nose in pain. "Ouch! Fucking bitch!"

Toby chuckled to himself as he grabbed onto either side of Sasha's shoulders. "Sorry, but she's keeps me happy. I don't need sex for that" he said before she looked up at him feeling reaffirmed with how he feels about her.

Sophia backed up into Zoe before she heard knuckles being popped. "She's right though...he's too much for you. Now move along. I don't wanna have to explain it with my fist! Nuff said"

"F-f-fist?" Sophia muttered before she looked at the other girls who cringed at that thought.

"Ow! Maybe we should just leave 'em be. I don't want my insides rearranged!" one of them said as they all wisely backed off.

"Coke can?" He whispered.

Sasha blushed and looked up at him. "Don't worry about it. She's just a size queen"

He looked towards Zoe confused only to see her sadistic grin and Percy's vacant expression halfway between disgusted and amazement. "But she never said what form, I was..."

"Just eat your fucking dinner and stop talking about it!" Sasha shouted as everyone now stared at them. She was glad that her grandparents did not have as great of hearing as a werewolf; however, her mother did her best not to hear.

A moment passed before everyone lost interest; although, their attention was drawn to the altercation and not the content of the trash talk and taunts. Toby devoured his meal, while sitting beside his mate at the table. Zoe and Percy sat beside each other across the table from them while they ate more slowly.

"So, how many more episodes are you doing with Toby?" Percy asked meekly.

"I dunno...I was hoping to show grooming tips when spring comes around, but...I really need to do some more research on the whole shedding thing"

"Speaking of research...you do know that we have to start thinking about what country we're going to do a report on in Social Studies" Percy mentioned.

"I already got mine" Toby said.

Zoe and Percy looked at him oddly, and Sasha looked up at him curiously. "What's you're report going to be on?"

"I'm going to do a report on Human/Werewolf relations between 1600 and 1850" He said proudly.

"Why would you do that? You think that he's going to believe you if hand a paper like that in?" Percy protested.

"You go to school to learn don't you? I'm just going to give them a little piece of history...maybe Zoe and Sasha could cover more spans of time?" Toby said before he gave them a stern look. "If he don't believe it, I will transform in front of him!"

Zoe laughed it off, but Sasha knew he was dead serious. "Hold on...maybe we can do this in a less threatening way? Maybe Mr. Ulrich can help break the news to him?" she hinted.

"Tch, Threatening? I was only going to transform my hand. It isn't like I was going to go all Lycaon and maul him" He retracted.

Sasha sighed heavily thinking back on the time he once swatted that poor kid and cracked his head like an egg. The thing in common with his cases of aggression was the lack of a sated appetite. She did know she already had a great deal of influence on him thanks to observing his mother, except she had her own take on it. The inflection in her voice let him know she was not going to hold back on him, and he saw how her mother and grandmother treated their husbands. He quietly went back to eating, and Percy looked between them not sure what had transpired.

"Okay? Well, if you are going to do that, I'm going to ask if we can form a team and make the report more comprehensive. I don't think that we could do it justice in one report when it's taken Sasha, what? Twelve 20 minute videos to explain the basics?" he asked.

"Yea, that sounds like a pretty good idea. I'd love to dive into the culture" Sasha said eagerly.

"And I'll...uh, go into social hierarchy and law?" Zoe muttered.

"Great, if it all works out, we'll get an A easy" Percy said with pride.

Once Toby finished his meal, and he got a moment to unwind, Sasha nested her head into his shoulder. "Thank you, Toby" She said warmly. She tried to stay as close as she possibly could in order to reap the rewards from winning her conflict with the females. She wanted them to see and understand that he was taken...by her.

Jean laughed noticing Sasha's defensiveness. "Turning on that ole wolf charm, eh, Toby?" he asked.

Toby's eye twitched. "Werewolves don't have charm! That's like saying Vampires sparkle!" he muttered.

"Werewolves do if done properly as for Vampires well they do sparkle when they are on fire" Zoe said rather amused.

"Burn" Toby said before he smirked.

Toby went back to eating his food, and Sasha looked at the others adults talking to each other, and the older pups playing in the corner. The Lanterns on the table flickered and added a traditional quality to the pit of what it once was. The walls were lined with brick and some of the pups were drawing on the wall with chalk. "So how big is this place really?" she asked.

Jean chuckled. "Well we like to dig so there are many levels of dungeon, so it's huge. There are several miles, which I dug a little of" he said proudly.

Sasha watched forty pups leave with three of the teenage females. They were rowdy and hyper. "Where are they going?" she asked.

Jean looked towards the pups and chuckled. "The werewolf park..."

"The werewolf park?" she muttered with confusion.

"Well, it's what the pups call it...it's a really nice park for the pups to play and the parents to relax. The pups love to play in the fountain or run around the trees. It's a really nice place" Jean said before he looked towards Toby and Zoe. "I know you loved it Toby"

"I want to see it now" Sasha pleaded.

Toby laughed. "Well, the streetcar goes right by it...I'll show you on our way back" he said proudly.

Sasha smiled. "Kay..." she said happily. Toby finished off his plate and was soon full. He looked a little drowsy before he shook it off, and Sasha laughed lightly. "You full?" She teased.

Toby nodded. "Boy...I think I'll need a place to lie down. I'm stuffed silly" He said happily.

A pup came up to Jean tugging at his overcoat. He looked down at the pup amused. "Yes, young one?" he asked.

"Can you tell us the story of Shampoo?" the pup asked.

John smirked and chuckled. "I suppose I can tell you about Champoeg" he said before he looked back at Toby and Sasha. "Well looks like it's story time again...Ever since Ian has shown up, the pups and the older ones want to hear more about Champoeg and the Battle of Hayden Island" he said.

"Come on!" the pup yelled tugging at John's overcoat.

Jean laughed allowing the little one to overpower him. "Okay, okay" he said. He walked slowly with the pup, and he looked back at them amused. "I'll see you two later" he said. The older pups grabbed an empty chair and brought it out in a semicircle. John sat down and started to tell his stories to the pups.

Toby yawned. "I'm beat...let's go home" He said wrapping an arm around her trying to be smooth as he grabbed her rear.

"You sneaky wolf..." she said pushing him away playfully.

An elder walked up to Toby with a fur cloak, a new mask, a bag full of stretchy clothing, and armor. "Here, this is your Alpha uniform. We thought you could use one that fitted better after your couple of growth spurts" He said offering them to him.

Toby tried on the tribal styled wolf mask and cloak transforming him into a very intimidating figure. The elder chuckled. "Oh yea, and I almost forgot to tell you. This mask comes with an updated voice encryptor, two-way communicator, self-contained breathing apparatus, and it's bullet resistant. Some of our gammas have the newer models already. I'll be sure to have Bernie help you get it working!" he said.

"Lookin bad ass there Toby" Zoe shouted in approval.

"Wow, you got the same uniform don't you?" Percy asked.

"Not exactly the same...This one's got all the bells and whistles on it"

"This looks like military style gear...did SAD provide you this?"

"Beats me"

"Actually, Jean has close ties with SAM, and they've been providing us a limited supply of gear for key figures. We had Zoe's held off until she had her procedure done. Hers should be coming in within the next coming days" The elder said.

"Wait, so do my Grandparents know Jean?" Sasha asked.

"I don't think so...only those high up in the ministry know about him. From what I gathered, your grandparents worked with him but anonymously. They use codenames mind you"

"Make sense..."

"So is SAD helping at all?" Percy asked.

"No, they're late to the party as usual. We've always had better relations with the British anyway" The Elder finished.

"I don't understand how SAD won't work with you guys"

"The men who get appointed as the Head of SAD are usually ex-hunters. They rarely try to change the rules. There is no input from the supernatural community. They want to make the spirit of the hunt alive. The only real protections we get are from the Agents who know what they are doing, but the Head can screw them over by giving them bogus unnecessary work. The district here is unreasonably large, and that wasn't on purpose either. You can understand why most of us left with Peter. A lot of us have been slain and had it covered up. We used to be less tightly clustered together, but in order to strengthen our response times, a werewolf pack cannot be greater than a mile from another. It used to be five. In the old days, you didn't have to worry about where to settle down"

"Man, I knew being a werewolf sucked, but...I thought SAD was supposed to be mediators"

"I wish they were, but sadly, a foreign agency is the only help we get these days"

"Well, if I become the Head of SAD, then I'm going to put a change to that"

"Heh, good luck! You already have a file with SAD, and you know the President appoints the Head? He'll read about your background, and they'll see that your girlfriend was a werewolf. If you don't have the cash, they won't even bother to pick it up anyway. That means only big game hunters get the job more easily"

Percy gave out a heavy frustrated sigh, and Zoe nudged him. "I know you mean well, but you should start appearing in Sasha's vlogs with me"

"I guess, but what can I do that Sasha hasn't?"

"Well, you can give your take on things. You are a human male...that's like completely different than a human female's perspective"

"Won't they find me weird?"

"Why? Cause you like strong women?"

"Well, won't they think I have a furry fetish?"

Zoe laughed and slapped his back. "Who cares? That's between us not with the comments section"

"Don't worry, I get comments about my weight, my boobs, and weirdos asking me to do a porno" Sasha added.

"I had comments about what werewolf genitalia look like and if I lick my balls" Toby added.

"I'm glad you didn't show them. The hand drawn pictures were priceless though. Too bad I had to blur it out though"

"Heh heh! Got me every time when you blurred it out in the middle of him drawing a panel, and he just kept talking like it was Sex Ed!" Zoe said before Percy squirmed.

"Got the most views" Sasha chimed.

"Why am I not surprised?" Toby muttered.

"Best title card ever! I like how you held up a huge chili pepper and acted all shocked while you blocked Toby's naughty bits" Zoe muttered.

"Yea, Clare and I tried to get Toby placed perfectly...he's gotten pretty big now. I didn't think I could get him scratching his head looking cute, but with him leaning forward with his head cocked like that was comedic gold!" Sasha explained.

"I've noticed the production quality improve. Do you have a staff?" The elder asked.

"Oh yea, Kari helps me with make-up and fixing Toby's fur. Clare's great with writing a script and camera work. Percy works behind the scene with all the editing stuff, and Zoe is our co-star"

"Well, I can say they have been getting more entertaining to watch. I can't believe you worked in Toby Milking a Thunderstorm in your bad ideas segment"

"Yea, I had no idea Toby got struck by lightning until Zoe showed me the video, then I had to show it"

"I told Toby he was being stupid, but you know how kids in middle school act" Lilian said as she and Haley walked up to him.

"So how is patches?" Toby asked.

"In short...you turned his insides into pulp. It's going to take him a while to heal from it" Haley stated.

"How long is a while to you? Weeks? Days? Hours?" Percy asked.

"Well, I would say several hours is a while to us" She clarified before she giggled to herself. "He's under a lot of painkillers and sleeping pills. Just so you know, he's probably the Sixth worst patient that I've ever had to deal with" she said with a big evil grin.

"Sixth? Who are the other five?" Sasha asked.

"Well, you're standing next to two of 'em. My father and Terry are the top three, and then there's Toby's father. They all have their own special way to piss me and Lilian off. Although, Toby is starting to take after his old man. I should have known we were going down a dark path when we tried Toby's burn wounds from his thermite experiment"

"What the hell? Are you sure this is the same Toby I know and love?"

"The one and only, and do you know who got him mixed up in this mess?"

"Zoe?"

Zoe looked at Sasha offended and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey, my brother and his friends were always responsible for the shit that happened to us. We were like thirteen...we had no idea that Terry watched something on YouTube before he wanted to try it. We thought this was stuff he learned from high school. We just wanted to be cool"

"At least we aren't as nasty as they were" Toby said.

"That's because your mom is awesome" Haley said as she wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks, but I really couldn't have done it without your mom" Lilian said modestly as she looked towards Yvonne watching over Nate and Todd.

After the conclusion of the party, everyone headed out. Toby stopped climbing the ladder for a moment, and he looked down at Lilian in the dimly lit shaft. He growled and climbed up even faster. "I better not get a spider to the face" he muttered.

Toby lifted the latch and flung the door open. The light shined through the shaft, and it unveiled that it was dark outside. Toby looked down the street after hearing a screeching noise. He knew there was another streetcar coming, so he helped everyone out in order to catch their ride. They took their seats after they got on, and Toby looked at Sasha concerned. "So I heard your dad has woken up" He said.

Sasha looked up at him worried. "...what do you mean by that Toby?" She asked sounding a little shaky.

Toby sighed. "I mean, he's starting to remember what he did...what happened to you...what he did to me. Doctor Lovejoy says he's an emotional wreck right now" he said.

"Oh...Can we go see him?" she asked.

"Yea, I think that would be best" He said before he looked towards her mother. She was split with herself whether to go or not. She knew her husband was different now, but she did not want to discover he had become someone she did not recognize.

"Toby, I'm scared about this whole war thing. What happens if you...die? How could I go on living without you?" She asked sounding heart-broken.

Toby looked at the floor and sighed heavily. "I don't intend on losing..." he said. He looked at her sternly. "I don't think I could go on living without you either. You're my companion, my best friend, and my lover. My emotional bond with you is so strong that not even a diamond edge blade could cut through it" He said firmly.

Her heart melted, and she touched the side of his face leaning in to press her lips against his. "I feel the same way. I know I can depend upon you, and you'll put my needs before your own" she said before she laughed to herself. "We're going to take care of each other because we're both altruistic people" she said while she looked deep into his eyes. "I want for us to be together...you changed me. You've always been there for me and my family" she muttered. She touched his chest happily. "My boyfriend is the Alpha...How crazy is that?"

He blushed and looked out the window pointing to a park with many children playing in the water. Tai was out playing with the Orphaned pups which brought a smile to Lilian's lips. "There's the park I told you about" he said pointing out the window.

Sasha looked out, and she smiled. "They look so happy" she said.

"Yep...this place is great for daycare. The pups love this place"

"Yea I bet" She said watching how quickly some of the kids running all over the park. The buildings passing by soon obstructed the view, and she looked back at him with wonder. "What did you do when you were a little kid?" she asked.

He paused a moment trying to recall all the good memories of his early year. "Well, my dad took us out on these trips with his friends, The Beach, the mountains, the lakes...mostly in forests, but sometimes in the desert. Dad and I have talked to the Coyotes and wolves on our trips. We went to parks and assemblies like the gathering we had today...though...that's what my life was like before my dad died" he said starting to sound depressed.

She gave him a big hug and rubbed his back. "Don't go there Toby...you don't have a reason to be sad anymore. You got me remember?" she said.

The three soon got off the streetcar, and walked down the street to transfer onto the light rail. A group of 5 guys walked up, and Toby growled to himself seeing the chip on their shoulder knowing their intentions straight away. One of them bumped into Toby. "Hey you just bumped into me..." he said.

"You bumped into me" Toby said without a care.

One of the gang members pulled out a butterfly knife. "You just disrespected me..." he said.

Toby laughed. "Really? You're just going to pull a knife out like that around all these people watching?" he asked.

"Hey! Hey! It's called the bystander effect homie! We can stab you and no one will do a thing!" his friend said.

"Oh yea? But I will!" Sasha said defiantly as she stepped in front of Toby.

The gang members looked at each other and laughed. "You serious dawg? You're going to let a girl protect you!?" The guy with the knife shouted.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "No, I'm protecting you from him!" she raised her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't want to rile him up if you know what's good for you! I've seen him do horrible things to people. So I suggest you turn back if you don't want your grey matter scrapped off the pavement"

Two of them took notice of the clear size difference between Toby and their leader. Sure their leader pushed past 6'3" but Toby was a foot taller and a hundred pounds sturdier. "Yo, he's not worth it. She don't look like she's foolin ya" one of them said.

"I can take him!" Their leader said.

"How fucking stupid are you!? He's a got cantaloupes for biceps, and you're going to fight him?" Sasha's mother shouted.

"Not a bright idea" Sasha's grandmother told them.

"Hey! Shut it! I'm the champion underground street fighter! Do you know what happens to a street fighter when they turn down a fight!? Well do ya!?"

"You have a knife you fucking wanker! Now fuck off!"

Todd looked up at his grandmother surprised with her language, but he was not afraid of the man, which the gang members took notice. To their horror, their leader thrusted his knife at Toby's chest. Sasha grabbed the guy's arm, and she gave him a very annoyed glare. She gave a swift palm strike to the side of his elbow completely destroying the ligaments and cartilage with loud pops that sounded like someone twisting off a bubble wrap.

The leader let out a horrendous scream dropping the knife and grabbing his maimed joint. "You won't be fighting anymore" she said coldly before she wrapped an arm around her man's lower back.

"You bitch!" He shouted reaching under his jacket. He pulled out a gun, and Ulf was there in plain clothes with his own gun drawn.

"Drop your weapon!" He shouted.

The Leader did as he was told after he looked back straight into the barrel of Ulf's service pistol. Ulf came in and kicked the gun away and rammed the leader's face into the ground digging his knee into his back. He forced the leader's arms behind his back causing the man to scream even more as he was being handcuffed.

Toby looked at him oddly. "Aren't you off duty?" he asked.

"Negative, I'm on duty right now" He said before he pulled out his radio. "10-52, SW 11thand Morrison. I have apprehended the shooter"

"10-4" Dispatch said before they came back on the radio. "How many injuries?"

"Just the shooter, No other injuries"

"10-4"

Ulf looked at them sternly. "I'm going to have to get statements from you, so please don't leave" he said before Toby groaned. Ulf shook his head at him. "Look, it might be inconvenient for you, but this is how the justice system works"

After, Ulf interviewed everyone, they got to the platform, and a white sleek train with blue and yellow in the midsection of each unit pulled up. Sasha inched up close to Toby before she rest her head onto his chest. "I'm glad you didn't go berserk on us" she said.

Toby wrapped his arm around her and chuckled to himself. "I didn't feel threatened...but I did like seeing you kick his ass" he whispered into her ear. She moaned and closed her eyes before she touched his jawline to turn his head into the perfect position to kiss him as they got on the train. They sat down in the back of the train car where it joined up with the other car it had a nook design to replace where the train operator and control panels would sit. It was the perfect spot for him to stretch out his leg while Sasha slept soundly against his chest.

During their bonding time, Toby looked back into the train car behind them, and he saw what appeared to be his father reflection in the window. His eyes widened in shock and looked toward where he would expect his father to be, but no one was there. Lilian cocked her head at him noticing his dazed expression. "What's wrong?" she asked. Toby looked towards the front of the train and there his father was. He stared at the entity for five minutes until they got out of the tunnel, which his father disappeared as soon as the light hit him.

He remained silent, and his mother looked scared believing he was having a petite mal seizure. "Toby!" she yelled nudging him, which it was enough to wake up Sasha.

He looked at her confused. "Ya, I'm fine" he said calmly.

She frowned not buying it. "Are you sure? You were looking like you were having seizure" she said.

He looked at her annoyed. "No, I thought I just saw someone" he said before he looked into Sasha's tired eyes. "I'm fine" he said before nestled her head back into his chest and went back to sleep.

The train soon stopped at the station, and he shook her arm. "Hey wake up..." he said warmly. She groaned in protest as he stood up, but she followed after him seeking out his incredible warmth and addicting musk. They all got off the train and headed towards the elevator where she got reunited with her favorite spot.

When they got into the car, he sat in the back with her, and she cuddled him after they got buckled in. They pulled out of the parking spot, and they left the garage in a bit of a hurry. Lilian looked at Sasha noticing Toby had his fur cloak covering her. "Lilian, when do you think we can see my dad?"

Lilian looked towards the clock on the center panel, and she sighed. "Well, it's a little too late for him to be seeing visitors...maybe in the morning you can see him" she said before they were caught off guard by a bright flash low in horizon the east. It was brighter than all the stars combined, but the light persisted.

Sasha's phone started to ring, which she noticed it was Percy calling. "Did you see that!? Flash? A star just went supernova!" he shouted over the phone.

"What?" Toby muttered before he pulled out his phone to check the headlines.

The first thing on his feed was the article, "VY Canis Majoris on its deathbed, Astronomers forecast Hypernova within a month"

"Hypernova? VY Canis Majoris? What does that mean?" Sasha asked.

"It means that one of the biggest stars in the known universe just blew up" Percy answered.

"So are you saying that my boyfriend killed a star by breaking those chains?"

"It's doesn't work that way!" Zoe shouted away from Percy's phone.

"Well technically the Star blew up a long time ago, the light from it just got here. Just think that behind all that light is a huge black hole drifting through the galaxy consuming everything in its way even light itself" Toby corrected them.

"You really have a knack for making something bright and magnificent into something dark and macabre don't you son?" Lilian teased.

"What? They're talking about a star dying, and I'm just saying a black hole was born. How can a birth be macabre?" He protested.

"Toby, you know what Black holes do"

"Yeah, but our sun is orbiting a Sagittarius A-star, and that's a Supermassive Black Hole and it's even closer to us than VY Canis Majoris" he said as he read the article.

"Thank you Toby for helping us feel better" Lilian said sarcastically.