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3.

There were three major weaknesses to keeping the wolf under control: fear, rage, and blood. Blood was just a signal to the wolf that a meal was around the corner. It could easily be contained by simply making sure the stomach was full before and after changing. Food was essential if you didn't eat the wolf was hungry and that was bad. You'd also rick making the change more painful not to mention potentially deadly due to the body not having enough fuel to burn. Rage was also a catalyst for becoming fuzzy. It was rage that gave werewolves the image of being ill tempted. I think that werewolves were just more simplistic in their thoughts. Food and not food, black and white, good and bad was how the wolf viewed things despite the human side. The wolf's perception did alter your view point so when you got frustrated or angry, the wolf would work to resolve it. The last major factor was fear. Fear would lead anyone to loose control of the wolf faster than anything else. A caged animal is the most dangerous animal in the world according to my father and I was looking at one right now before me.

The wolf was scared, right down to his marrow, his eyes were darting, fangs were barred threatening anyone who came near, even the larger form of Kevin. Werewolves in wolf form were larger than normal wolves, much larger. We looked like wolves but we are about the size of a bear, which we were often confused with. Kevin was big for a wolf about a foot longer and about several pounds heavier. The scared wolf before me was about average while I was just slightly smaller. Size didn't matter much if you were feral and the wolf before the pack had little left of his humanity. The Beta sniffed the air, the pungent smell of fear was all around him but also there was something else about this wolf, something familiar. My wolf side couldn't help with this concept but I knew very well what the smell was. It was the tell tale smell of alcohol. It was on its coat perhaps split on it.

"He's a bitten, barely a week old," judged Eric as he walked up along side me," Looks like he's been feeding off the local deer too."

"Bitten but none of the park has bitten anyone," I replied back.

_ _ "True, most likely he's a loner, a wandering wolf that someone bit, and he managed to get away. Maybe from New York and our hunter followed him up here. It would explain how he knew where the wolf was," speculated Eric as he began to unleash his own wolf.

Alphas have a certain way with their subordinates. I had seen Alpha's totally dominate those under them in a cult like obedience. When an Alpha needed to he could call on his wolf to dominate the other members. A human might call it magic or being telepathic but that trivialized something that was far deeper. With Eric it often felt like he was a father disciplining a child or soothing one depending on the circumstances of what he was using his power for. The Beta felt the dark brown fur on his back stand on end and heard several whines coming from the rest of the pack. The others started one by one to lay low to the ground, hanging their heads low, and tucking their tails between their legs.

_ The Beta felt the Alpha's wolf wash over him and instantly lowered his tail and even looked away from the Alpha's position. The Beta looked to the lone wolf who still had his teeth bared. The Alpha's wolf touched him and he quickly lowered his defenses just long enough so the Alpha jumped on him, slamming the other wolf's back into the ground. White flashing fangs bore down on the lone wolf's neck. Pathetic whimpers came from the wolf as he gave the Alpha a few licks on the muzzle. The Alpha gave him another nip on the neck, a final mark of his domination over the other wolf, before he relinquished his grip. The Alpha turned to the Beta and nodded, directing the brown wolf to follow him._

_ _ I was not surprised by this alone time. I was new to the position and I had no idea how Eric had operated under Kevin. I did know that it wasn't easy not from what I had gathered from the rest of the pack. Eric lead me back into the woods, to deal with this without prying ears, and to get away from the new wolf. He sat on his haunches watching the pack from afar as they did rank and file over the new wolf, which meant asserting their domination by pinning and snarling at him. I felt bad for him, at least my human side did. That was the trouble with werewolf politics and often there was little room for human concern and compassion. The hierarchy of the wolf pack needed to be maintained for social order and for the packs very survival. Other wise it would descend into an endlessly bickering and inner fighting. Harsh as I thought the treatment was to the new wolf I also knew it was necessary.

"Do you still have that annoying room mate of yours?" asked Eric.

"No he moved out last week finally. Nick and I couldn't stand him," I replied shaking my head at the thought of having to come home with Nick to face Jared in his boxers after we had hunted. There were times when the wolf and human agreed. The thought of hunting Jared would be satisfying to both, but both thought the stench and meat afterwards would be a poor exchange. "I can take him in if that is what you want."

"Not exactly. He's new like you were six years ago, untrained. I very much doubt that you could control his wolf. No, what I had in mind was you taking Kevin in," Eric stated bluntly without any expectation of my reaction, which he may have already known.

"What?!?" I protested.

Before I could even realize what I had said, the large black wolf had tackled me onto the ground. Eric pinned my brown and creme colored body to the ground, making any movement very difficult as his larger muscle mass pressed against my body. I was staring at a jaw of white fangs and his hot, humid breath smelling of blood and meat. The wolf let out a yip of surprise at the sudden pounce. The Alpha snarled angrily at the smaller wolf which reminded him of his place. The Beta curled his tail between his legs and rolled over exposing his belly and neck for the Alpha to do whatever he wanted to do. His life was his even if the stupid human was screaming that he had been right in defying his leader.

_ The truth was the human sided needed to learn that truth and it was the same persistent flaw that the Alpha had mentioned earlier in the evening._ It was the one flaw that could easily lead to my death in the pack. Werewolves were tolerant so long as you accepted your role in the pack but the moment you became too headstrong or challenged the Alpha continuously. They would call you to prove your worth. The looser usually either ended up dead or a lone wolf, exiled from the pack, which wasn't far from the first out come. A lone wolf could not take down prey as easily as the pack could and a lone wolf trespassing on a foreign pack's territory was deadly.

I knew Eric wouldn't do that, but some other Alphas would have done worse to me than just pin me to the ground. It was not that they were sadistic. If an Alpha were that way more than likely the pack would rise up against him in time. There were Alphas that were mean and uncaring to their fellow pack members, but most dominates were protective of their pack mates. It was instinctive for them to protect, just as it was for the submissive to obey.

"You're doing it again pup," snarled Eric as he continued to push the air out of my chest with his paws, putting an insulting emphasis on pup," If you keep challenging me like this I will make sure that Kevin and Nick will be the least of your problems."

That hurt, more than a knife made out of silver. No human could possibly understand what it was like for a werewolf to be insulted and threatened by their Alpha. The closest feeling it had was when your parents scolded you for doing something bad, something really bad. The Beta whined as he was devastated by the Alpha's comments. I was more depressed than I have ever been in my life. It was one of the powers the Alpha werewolves had over their subordinates. It might not have been magical but it was effective and I was feeling it right now all the way to the core of my being. I felt like explaining my position but I knew Eric would just see that as another challenge. Don't you dare, snarled the wolf at the stupid human side. I stayed on the ground even as Eric relinquished his grip on my body. I was slow to rise. When I did so my ears were low, tail tucked completely between my legs, and my head hung low in complete submissive stance. I didn't even move unless Eric moved first. I just wanted to walk away or join the rest of the pack to seek some solace, but that too was part of the punishment.

"I can't have Kevin at my place and a new wolf. You know that and Kevin needs a place to stay. His wilder nature is such that living on is own is still difficult. I know you don't like it but that's a human opinion and I am quite tired of it," growled Eric punctuating the reference to my human side.

I simply remained silent and kept my head hung as Eric continued to scold me. Part of me wished he would relent and make things right but this was the bitter pill I needed to take. For six years Eric had tried to teach me how to embrace my wolf side better so that both the human and wolf could work as one. More often than not the human side would win out. It was not that unusual for a bitten werewolf. After all you go with the nature you are familiar with, but Eric and I both knew that if a werewolf couldn't match his human nature with his wolf, the two would battle for domination. Such an inner war would eventually make control impossible. So far that hadn't happened in my case but it could and it was a danger Eric could not afford to ignore. I may not have been around the pack as long as Kevin, Bryan and Eric but six years was long enough for anyone to connect with me and me with them. Severing such a connection would be difficult and painful for all involved...especially Nick and Eric.

I laid down sphinx like behind Eric lowered my head to the ground. Eric turned and noticed me laying there. He turned around from heading towards the pack and walked towards me. His black muzzle nuzzled my head, trying to force me to get up but I honestly didn't feel like doing anything. I felt lower than even when I first entered the pack. At least then it had been just mocking and jeering that the other wolves made as I became accustomed to being a wolf. This was much worse. I was not living up to Eric's expectations by failing in my role as a support to him. I slowly got up realizing that moping was perhaps best reserved for my own private time.

"I am sorry Eric," I lowered my head even lower," but I don't think I should be beta, as I said before. It is clear I cannot handle my own wolf side. How can I maintain control over the others as such?"

"By acting just like that," grinned Eric as he turned walking slowly out to the other members of the pack," You acted more wolf just now than you ever had. Granted it took me scolding you to do it but you submitted instinctively. Now next time I hope you'll act more like a wolf without having me berate you. That is why I think having Kevin around will help you see what it is that you are missing maybe even help you connect your two natures."

I let out a pathetic sound, which sounded a cross between a bark and a whimper and tilted my head in confusion. Once again he had dumbfounded me and predicted my every move. He knew what he was doing and what I needed. I needed to listen more to my wolf side and who better than Kevin, the werewolf who was raised a wolf to do that. Kevin needed a place to stay and I was the only pack member besides Eric who had his own place. The new wolf needed someone to be able to control him and like it or not Eric was that wolf. It all fit together, maybe it was fate.

My stomach was growling as I passed the body of the human, my choice of not eating was getting the best of me and Nick noticed it first. He also noticed my distance from the Alpha and my lowered tail. Eric moved over to Kevin and informed him of the plan. I could see the sneer on Kevin's face even in wolf form. Nick came up along side me as did Bryan.

Bryan, to the best of my knowledge, had always been the third in line in the pack. He was one of the three original members of the pack. Eric, Kevin and Bryan formed the original pack. I am not exactly sure but it was some time ago. Of course Eric had been the Alpha, coming originally from Canada. Kevin came from somewhere to the north, and Bryan had come from the south. I didn't know much of his background only when I became beta, Kevin became delta, and Bryan became gamma. He didn't hold a grudge though because that was not the way of werewolves. It was not a political statement. It just meant that I was better for the job and some roles had changed. Nick and Chris were the only two whose roles seemed to not be settled. Nick had been the omega but lately Chris had become the outsider.

"You ok?"asked Bryan his cinnamon brown furred body looking quite camouflage against the brown tones of the ground.

"Yeah I'll live, just a reminder that's all," I replied gloomy.

Nick didn't say a word just keeping his eyes on the new wolf. I looked at the golden furred wolf and then to Kevin, wondering if my house would survive even a week with three werewolves under the roof. Nick by himself was an experiment and I regarded more or less as a friend but as omega he had to keep his distance from me, which was good because he lived on the ground floor and I stayed up on the second floor for the most part. The only time we really got to see one another was at dinner and since I became beta I noticed that Nick always waited for me to start and finish dinner before he even ate. I didn't mind it at home where we both knew what we were. In public I always had to remind him how to eat when I did and not wait otherwise he may attract attention.

The thought of food once again reminded my stomach of the lack of content it held. My head was becoming more and more aware of the fresh, bloodied corpse nearby, the heart beats of my pack mates, and my nose could tell there was a doe not too far away. The wind was in the right direction too. My tongue started getting wet with saliva as I thought about my jaws crushing around the doe's neck, tasting the rich meat under its brown fur. Kevin came along side me.

"You haven't eaten haven't you?" he asked, his deep lupine voice filled with concern. It was nice to hear that tone coming from him. It reminded me that despite everything he was still pack, still family.

All I did was nod, my concentration slowly going from what we had done this evening to the doe about a half a mile away. Eric was busy with Chris and Bryan who were talking to the new wolf. Whatever questions there were asking, my ears did not register any of it. Their focus was going towards one thing....blood....hunt....meat. I knew I was becoming dangerous and so did Nick who whined and joined the Alpha, keeping his distance. The whine caught the attention of Eric who knew I hadn't eaten. He gave a nod to me, a signal that it was ok for me to go off and hunt without him. It was a wolf protocol that even the hunger couldn't ignore completely.

I bolted off into the woods, not caring what the rest of the pack did. Eric understood my need and the sacrifice I had made. I am sure that Eric also understood that a hungry werewolf was a dangerous one and I for one did not want to let the beast take over and be the real monster. The wolf was thrilled to be free, to hunt, focused so much on the scent of the doe, he hadn't noticed that he was being followed. He stopped to gain the position of the doe once he was deep in the forest close to where he had picked up the scent before. He heard the soft paws hit a patch of dry leaves.

_ The wolf turned around to see the black shadow of the Delta, the one known as Kevin, staring back at him. His yellow eyes met the other wolf but only for a few seconds before he lowered his gaze away. It was smart of him to understand his place. Soon both wolves were sniffing the air, listening for the doe, and it was at that moment that the Beta realized the Delta was enjoying this. His black tail was swishing, he was panting heavily, and his heart beat was racing. The Delta seemed to be enjoying this as much as the brown wolf was._

_ "You are enjoying this aren't you?' the wolf questioned, barking at his fellow._

_ All the Delta did was put a muzzle over the brown wolf's, shutting it from making any further noise. He let go and nodded to the incline below. The wolf followed the gaze and saw the doe that had teased his nose and stomach. It was a beautiful prey. The doe continued her cautious walk though the woods as the two wolves stared down from above. The wind was carrying their scents away from the chosen prey. The Beta was drooling at the sight of the doe and the Delta was licking his chops._

_ Instinct guided both wolves as they moved down the slope quietly. The Delta moved further up the gully than where he had descended. It was a common way to cut off the prey's ability to escape by having one member cut off the route of escape. He crawled up behind the doe hoping she would not notice him from behind, at least not until the other wolf was in position. Oh but he wanted to chase, wanted to run her down, to test her, to get the blood flowing...fortunately the deer turned and saw him. The chase was on._

_ The doe bolted away from him almost instantly. He knew what to do, millennium of instinct told him exactly how to act and give chase to a fleeing prey. He smelt the fear and anxiety on her, the panic carried on the tail wind of the doe made the wolf's blood rush though his furry body. His four paws working in unison thumping away on the dirt ground underneath. The wolf's ears could hear them going like a freight train at full speed and the doe's hooves were like the galloping of a herd of horses. Exhilarating was the only way to describe the rush and the thrill of the chase, to the wolf there was no better way to spend an evening._

_ The wolf loved it but realized it needed to eat as well and thankfully that was about to happen. The black shadow of the other wolf darted out onto the back of the deer from the side of the incline. For a regular wolf it would have been a suicide mission but they were not ordinary wolves. With an equally unnatural display of strength, the black wolf stuck his fangs into the doe's thick muscled neck and flipped himself around so the neck snapped using his body weight in a single graceful move. There was a sicken sound of bone's cracking and popping as the doe jerked to the side and fell onto the ground, hooves flailing in the air. The does was still alive, though obviously losing life by now, when the wolf sank his own fangs into her wind pipe snuffing the life out of her. The warm coppery taste of blood in the wolf's muzzle made him mad with hunger as he tore into the meaty neck. The Delta started to make his way to the doe's soft under belly but the Beta quickly let out a warning growl full of rage at the lower ranking member. The Delta lowered his head and backed away, waiting for the brown wolf to take his fill. The brown wolf laid down in the pathway as he watched the other wolf finish off what was left of the doe. The wolf's hunger now satisfied with a full belly that made his eyes heavy with weariness._

_ After the black wolf took his fill of the meal, the brown wolf got up stretching his hind legs in a long stretch. He raised his muzzle to the tree tops and gave out a long mournful howl. He was not mourning the deer but thanking her for giving her life for his and his brethren. This was the werewolf custom, thanking the spirits whose life they had taken. He and others of his kind could see the spiritual world closer than others, the concept could be left for the human to pounder, but the wolf merely accepted it as truth. The doe's spirit grazed over his fur coat before dissipating into the night air, glad to move on. What happened after that no werewolf knew not. It was something that the wolf's ears, claws, and fangs could not breech._

_ The Delta nuzzled into his side as the two wolves had sat for longer than perhaps they should have. The Beta was growing tired with the nights activities and knew walking home was not an option. The Alpha had driven him in one of those loud, smelling mechanical devices which ran faster than a wolf could._ Cars. The wolf recalled they were too far for such a trek. Westbrook...Methodist Road....Eric lived in Gray which for most people was the middle of no where and we where presently somewhere in northern Windham.

"I know Kevin, but going home isn't going to be easy," I replied galloping up the slope, heading back to where the pack had been. My hope was that someone was still around that could give Kevin and me a ride home.

"I know Eric's Outback will be full with him and the new wolf, that is if Eric brought anyone with him. Chris and Bryan came in their own vehicles. I know Bryan still owes me a favor for getting rid of the skunk under his apartment porch a few weeks ago," explained Kevin following up the hill.

"A skunk hid under a werewolf's porch?" I asked sniffing my way back to the field.

"Hey, skunks are pretty stupid," shrugged Kevin," but it meant that Eric had to give me a radish bath."

"Tomato," I corrected Kevin.

"I thought the red one was the radish."

"Kinda, the red hard ones are the radishes and the round soft ones are the tomatoes," I explained to Kevin.

"Humans and your weird plant eating," grumbled Kevin probably more annoyed at his mistake then the idea of eating vegetables.

That was one of Kevin's big weaknesses and one of the reasons I became beta over him. He was too wolf. Even after several decades if being trained under Eric, there were many concepts that were alien to Kevin's wild perceptions. It made creating cover ups for the pack difficult with him. It also made it impossible for him to talk to authorities and establish contact with in human circles. Kevin would never say it to my face but I know he held a grudge against me for taking over. I was a new comer to the pack in his eyes and I wondered if his grudge was shared by the rest of the pack. Sure they couldn't go against Eric's decision but they could challenge me constantly and Kevin was the worst challenger of the pack.

"You didn't eat and take that into account when planning a way out?" asked Kevin after a long silence as we walked through the tree line.

"I didn't anticipate taking in the new wolf. Eric and I had planned that he would have gotten shot or run off, or what we thought was just a feral wolf..." I explained to Kevin was we came into the field.

"Hmmm, so you planned on Nick taking you home right?" asked Kevin beginning to take a tone of mockery and criticism.

"Yeah didn't expect you of all people to be coming home with me," I barked back," Which reminds me no peeing on the carpets, bringing in kills, or challenging me in my home. You are in MY home not Eric's so you'll have to cover your outings better than at Eric's place."

I emphasized my home to Kevin and I think my point was made because I did not hear a come back from the larger black wolf. When we came to the field my stomach was telling my brain to sleep. If I were to fall asleep I'd most likely wake up nude and human, not something you wanted to do in November in the woods of Maine. Chris was still in the field apparently waiting for us and bounded up to me rolling on his belly in a show of affection. Chris was the newest addition and still learning the ropes. Chris lead us back through a dirt road where he had parked his truck. He shifted back to his human form and got dressed away from any potential peaking human eyes. Kevin got into the back of the truck and I followed too tired to really care. As Chris drove down the road, Kevin had his head popped out the side of the truck tongue hanging out. It was rather cute for a wolf. I was falling asleep in the back of the truck.

"You know sometimes Kevin is such a pup!" shouted Chris as Kevin gave a threatening growl from the back.

Before I fell asleep completely, I chuckled to myself, wondering how Kevin would look with a dog collar on his neck. Of course Kevin as a pet would mean some kid would probably loose an arm when they refused to give him a bone.