Chapter VI: Seeing Red

It had been three days since the loss of most of the West Marrington police department. Tuesday in the district marked the second day when businesses should be returning to work but after three attacks from the Gene Stealer now identified as 'Minos', the city was on high alert. Alliance patrols had quadrupled especially around the one district. Fear gripped all of West California Island as males and females alike were up under threat by the enigmatic Gene Stealer. During the Gnoll Outbreak, males were only targeted but now, both men and women fell prey to what the media was already calling 'mad cow disease'.

It made Emerson Wills laugh but not in a good way.

Three days ago, he had been in the epicentre of that massive assault that the Elemental Alliance was blaming on the Outsiders. Despite what Feral Steel had said, the village where the transformed were kept in was a strictly government-run area, no support from the supers. Blame fell on the government for their failing security measures. The government was blaming the supers for not lending their aid. The blame game was being played and the public was caught in the crossfire.

People like Emerson Wills in particular.

The big quarterback for the West California Knights football team had been caught in the police station when the shit hit the fan. Somehow, he and the vandal, Lester Blue, had managed to gather a handful of police officers and make a rough barricade around their cell. One by one, the officers had been dragged off to fall prey to the bulls until the Outsiders had come.

He thought he had gotten off relatively unharmed that day especially after he was screened for any genetic mutations. But that all changed when he got home that night.

It was just after he had taken a shower in his lavished penthouse apartment when he regarded his enormous three hundred and fifty pound frame, just the perfect size for a fur in the football league. His cloudy markings glistened after being freshly washed and dried and his clear, white belly fur was spotless as ever... except for the spot on his collarbone where a tattoo had made its home.

Emerson was a good, clean guy. Any sort of body modification was out of character for him. Some would even say he was boring if it weren't for his starlet girlfriend, Shauna De'voure who constantly dragged him out to be seen off the field. Truthfully, they had hooked up because their agents thought it would good for both their careers. Shauna needed something to catapult her in the ever-fickle world of entertainment while Emerson needed someone to motivate him to go out. It was a supposedly symbiotic relationship based entirely on improving their careers until Emerson began falling for Shauna.

Now, there were rumours of marriage in the air.

The clean, level-headed, popular and charming Emerson Wills marrying the hot, trendy, scandalous, going-to-movies Shauna De'voure.

Of course, that was before Emerson found the tattoo that he had never gotten on his chest. Shauna had insisted that they go out to dinner that night to show the world that he shook it all off. They went to a fancy restaurant with a name he couldn't pronounce. The food tasted like ash and he barely listened to what Shauna. All he could think off was the tattoo on his chest that he kept scratching at. Halfway through the evening, he just panicked and bolted when someone handed him the porterhouse steak 'on the house'. Was that part of the transformation? Repulsion against beef?

Shauna had tried to console him and even got naked that night but he had kicked her out, fearing what would happen. All those bulls transformed while orgasming. What would happen if he orgasmed? Would he tear Shauna in two?

Sunday, his agent was trying to contact him about the rumours that he had kicked out Shauna in the middle of the night. He refused to answer it. Monday was much of the same except that evening, Shauna had come over to demand an explanation. He would have given it if the tattoo hadn't spread. Somehow, he now possessed a thick band of tribal tattoos on his left bicep. He was panicking and blew up at her.

Whether that ended their relationship or not, he wasn't sure but by the way that she never wanted to see him again, he was pretty sure it was over.

Now... it was Tuesday afternoon and he sat at the foot of his bed, staring at the image displayed by his TV. He was clutching his right arm. The big logo of the West California Knights was tattooed across his entire upper arm, consuming it completely. Even his cloudy markings were not spared. Looking at it made his stomach churn in disgust and he tried to focus entirely on the screen, ignoring it as much as possible.

"I honestly don't think it's an unreasonable request." George Limbaugh was on screen with a panel of other commenters all across America. "Mandatory DNA profiling for all citizens would allow us to have a baseline for their genetic code and therefore, we can screen them for all mutations. Both Gene Stealer related and_medically. All these 'screenings' that the authorities do is scanning for superpowers but we don't even know what_ causes these transformations. As far as I'm concerned, our current liberal government is labelling its skittishness to defend our country and its people with" - he began using air quotes - "basic Terran rights."

Another panellist, Karen Carter, shook her head and made a slicing motion through the air. "It is every American - no, ever Terran's right to keep their DNA to themselves. DNA is one of those things that is unique to every person and forcing profiling upon each and every citizen of this planet is just one step away from some sort of 'genetic culling' like the Nazi's did in World War 2."

"I think what we're missing here," said Anton Minsk, "is that currently, we're treating this solely as an issue of the state. Where was the rest of the Alliance? We have a venerable army of superheroes living within our borders but instead of treating them like citizens, we treat them like visiting diplomats who will come to our rescue whenever they damn well feel like it." The wolf turned to Limbaugh. "George, if you were to advocate mandatory DNA profiling, would this include our superpowered citizens? Would that not violate their secret identities and therefore the trust between government and super?"

Emerson growled loudly and shut off his TV.

More political bullshit with nothing actually being done. People were being mutated right before their eyes but for some reason, the government was frozen and the supers weren't doing anything to respond to the threat except what they always did - beat the bad guys, destroy buildings and then walk away.

It filled him with anger and fear.

Was there any way he could be saved? He remembered how the hyena strain had been cured but how far away was the cure? Would he have to be degraded into a slobbering, hyper-sexed alpha-bull first and hurt people, turning them too before he was cured?

His paws shook and for the tenth time that night, he gazed at the drawer next to the couch. He stumbled quietly towards the wooden frame and pulled it open. Inside was a gun. Strictly for protection. West California was pretty well developed but it was still a major city and that attracted criminal gangs, supervillains and the like. How far a gun would get him was always questionable but it had made Shauna feel safe.

Now... he feared that it served another purpose.

Tears began welling up in his eyes as he reached for it... It was already loaded from the many other times that he had come to this conclusion.

This time though, the barrel was pressed right next to his skull and -

Ding-dong!

He froze, eyes wide.

Emerson threw the gun across the couch like it was made of molten magma, clutching his paws; scared they would be tempted to take that final blow. He had come so close this time... It scared him... He was a good Christian boy and the thought of suicide brought up images of a burning afterlife being tortured for all eternity with no hope of salvation. But what would be better? To die at his own paws and save others from the monster he was becoming... or to turn into that beast and live knowing the pain and suffering he had caused?

Ding-dong.

Emerson shook his head and wiped the tears from his cheeks with the heel of his palm. Shauna was probably at the door. Or maybe his agent. Pushing all thoughts of suicide form his head, he strode towards his door and didn't even bother to check who it was before opening the door.

He was surprised to find the short human with curly brown hair staring up at him with soft, brown eyes.

"Lester..." the leopard said. "What're you doing here?"

"Hey," said the young man bashfully. "You said I could crash at your place if I was in trouble...?"

He had said that. It was a spur of the moment thing and one he had extended to the other officers that had survived the ordeal beside him. Hell, he had even given the address to Weapons Master and Blade Babe for that autograph. He was so relieved at the gesture that he and Lester had done a spit-shake on it.

"This... This isn't a good time," Emerson murmured softly.

Lester eyed him suspiciously, particularly regarding the tattoos. Emerson had forgotten he had gone around shirtless, searching for new tattoos. "I always thought you were clean furred? No tats." He pointed at the markings. "Please don't tell me that's some sort of publicity stunt to show the world that you're taking this whole Minos thing really well?"

It would have been so easy to lie and say that it was but Emerson was not like that. "No. No it isn't."

"This... Isn't a cry for help, is it?"

Emerson growled. "Look, Lester, I like you dude but I'm dealing with some shit right now and..." He made the mistake of lifting his arm and turning away slightly, giving Lester just a moment to glance into his large penthouse suite... and where the gun sat.

"Is that a gun!?" Lester exclaimed, eyes wide. "Were you going to -"

"No!" the leopard exclaimed. "Well... Not really... I was _thinking_about it but I wasn't ever going to..."

Lester shook his head and held his hand against the door, keeping it open. Emerson had no doubt he could slam the door at the little guy's face but the fierce stare he got from the young vandal was utterly paralysing - like being scolded by his mother for being a naughty kitty.

"Look, I've been there, okay?" said Lester. "Many calls to the suicide hotline have been made from my home and the number probably makes someone's pay check for a year if they charged for the call. Suicide is not the answer. Something will come along. You've always got to believe that."

"What will come along!?" roared Emerson, slamming the door wide open. Behind his enormous frame, his apartment in its entirety was revealed. Lester's eyes widened at the destruction. Couches were torn and ripped to shreds, there were huge dents in stainless steel furniture and shattered glass lay everywhere. Nothing worked anymore except for the TV since Emerson knew that if a cure was developed, that was the only way he would learn about it. His tablet and PC lay smashed somewhere in his bedroom.

Suddenly aware he was semi-nude and out in the open, he seized Lester's shoulders and pulled him inside, slamming the door. He was already panting. "What will come along?" he repeated. "Do I keep hoping for a cure while I slowly turn into one of those things? What happens if I turn and I smash through this entire building, making more of those... those... beasts along the way?" He banged his forehead against the door, a sob coming out involuntarily. "What if I hurt people? I... I couldn't live with that on my conscience..."

When Lester didn't reply, he knew his rant was useless. How could the little guy understand what he was going through? Did he change into a monster at one point and get cured? Maybe he was one of the hyenas? No... all of them had been construction workers, steel mill workers and high school football players. Lester didn't look like any of those.

The soft shuffling of glass made him turn.

Lester had a broom and was sweeping the glass into the generic rubbish hole at the centre of the kitchen. It sort of served as a drain but people could just sweep any sort of garbage into it. With the onset of furs, sweeping all the stray fur up after a party or even daily living was always a pain especially if carpet was involved. The drains made it easier. High end households had automated cleaning robots but Emerson had smashed those too.

"What are you doing?" Emerson half-growled, half-sobbed.

"Cleaning up," Lester said, his eyes oddly pensive. "When you think your life is a mess, you make it a mess. Start by picking up the small things, taking stock of the small victories you have made. Like a wise man once said, 'simple pleasures are life's greatest treasures'."

The leopard snarled and charged across the room, seizing the broom right off Lester. He never noticed that his bare paws had stepped on the glass and blood had started seeping into the carpet. "What are little victories when I'm going to lose the war!?"

"Win or lose, at least you should keep fighting." Lester took the broom back. "Suicide is surrender and it's not an honourable way to die."

"But I'll still die..." Emerson muttered bitterly.

"Everyone will. At one point or another, people will die. It's a natural part of life. But you know what the best part of death is?"

Was there any 'best part' about death when it came in untimely? Emerson couldn't see a bright side to death. "What?"

Lester held up two fingers. "Three things. One, coming back as a zombie. Two, dying for something or someone. And three, leaving a beautiful corpse. One of which you'll be if we don't get your foot patched up. Come on."

Only then was Emerson aware of the pain rippling up his foot. Lester brought a chair for him to sit down on and he winced as the young vandal pulled the glass shards from his pads.

"Where do you keep your medical supplies?"

"Bathroom," answered Emerson softly. He was handed a clean dish towel to clean the wound while Lester went into the bathroom. "Hey... Um... How do you deal with suicide so well? Did... did you go through it too?"

"No. Not me. My mom."

"Oh... What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" He heard Lester rifling through the bathroom. It was a pretty big place and he had trashed almost every room in his frustration.

"She fought in the Citadel War. Didn't come out of it too well."

"The Citadel War?" Emerson repeated. "You mean that bizarre battle fought off in deep space over the portal space network prime relay? That enormous space station that controls the entire portal network?"

"That's the one." Lester emerged from the bathroom. "This place is huge."

"Yeah... Um... Your mom...?"

The young man smiled softly. "Yeah. Fought in the Citadel War. The Goliath AIs and their bio-organic ships tore through defences around the prime relay and would've used it to access the rest of the known universe, harvesting every intelligent organic life form and converting them into more of themselves. But, then that one brave commander destroyed them all after he sacrificed himself by destroying the prime relay.

"My mom served on a ship but saw so much battle and death that eventually, death came for her. She was lucky and only got paralysed from the waist down."

"Couldn't she get one of those cybernetic implants or some other surgery that could fix that?" Emerson replied. "I know this guy on the team that got into a car accident and became a paraplegic. It took two months of rehab and painful physical therapy, but with today's tech, he got back on the team better than ever. No implants."

Lester nodded as he knelt in front of Emerson, gently spraying the disinfectant on the wounds. The leopard flinched as the light stinging marked the chemicals were doing their job. "I know. She was insured but she just fought against a mass hybridisation of machine and organics. Getting implants was sort of like going up against what she fought for. So she decided to just stay a cripple. But she was born for battle. Couldn't live without fighting. She beat up my father in the night because she thought he was an enemy and sometimes, she hit me too."

"Lester... I'm sorry..."

He smiled at him. "Don't be. She just couldn't deal with being out of battle and at the same time, couldn't deal with hurting the people she loved. Add to that her paralysis and she thought she was a burden to the world. She would've shot herself."

"What happened?"

Lester shrugged. "My dad and I caught her before she squeezed the trigger. We told her that no matter what happened, we love her. That we could work through this. She was in a battle, a battle against herself and she couldn't lose. She had to win and even if she lost, she couldn't give up that easily. She's a soldier." Lester smiled at Emerson. "And be prepared for cheesy line number one: and you, Emerson Wills, are a knight."

The leopard rolled his eyes and groaned which was exactly what Lester was waiting for. At that moment, the most painful part of the treatment came when Lester applied the Substitute Skin Aerosol. It was a light spray that would form a layer of flesh similar to the ones around it, effectively creating a scar. However, it stung like hell like someone had shoved a hot, branding iron into each of the wounds.

"Yeow! Motherfucker!" Emerson yowled, balling his fists.

"Well don't step on broken glass," Lester said with a chuckle. "There, all done."

The leopard turned his snarl into a wavering grin as the pain began to fade, instead replaced by a terrible itch that took all his willpower to resist scratching. "Th - thanks..."

"I would've thought that after being smashed around on the field by big brutes, you'd be used to this stuff." Lester waved the can of SSA as he went back to cleaning.

"You never get used to that shit." The leopard tested his foot on the ground as the pain ebbed. "So your mom is still alive?"

"Yup."

"And dad?"

"Both of them are taking a second honeymoon right now."

Emerson inclined his head to the side. "So why are you out on the streets tagging walls when your parents are fine?"

The young man paused and looked pensively out into the distance. "Because the world is my canvas. I just want to share my art and my message with the world." Then he flashed Emerson a grin. "And these days, you need a degree, references and a bloody Emmy to put your shit up."

"You're exaggerating."

"Little bit. Let's just say I don't have the background to do more than paint the walls of a neighbour's house."

Emerson rubbed his chin thoughtfully... and slowly smiled. "Well... I've got connections with the Top Art exhibit like I told you. What do you say I pull some strings and get you a slot?"

Lester's smirked. "I told you I wasn't going to sell out like that."

"You're never going to get your 'message' out there if you don't expose yourself beyond just tagging walls," Emerson said. "Come on. What's the worst that could happen."

The young vandal - no, artist's eyes widened slightly. "You'd really do that for me?"

"What can I say?" he shrugged absently. "You helped me get to my feet. The least I could do is return the favour."

Lester groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. "Dude, you should've given me a warning. At least say 'warning, cheesy line number two' or something."

Emerson stood up and carefully strode around the glass shattered on the ground. At that moment, the sun began to slip beneath the West California skyline, casting a golden glow into his apartment. His heart was pumping in his chest with something else that he could not quite understand. From the corner of his eye, he watched the young, handsome man idly sweeping the debris of his rampage into the drain, the golden rays of the sun gently caressing those brown curls and tickling the smooth curves of his cheeks.

"I'll keep that in mind..." he said softly. "But I mean it, Lester. You're right about not giving up. If I'm going to end up a villain... I might as well get as much good out of the time I have left while I can."

"Going to be this city's secret guardian angel then?" laughed Lester, his back turned to the leopard as he swept more of the debris down the drain. "On the verge of becoming a supervillain and a menace to society, our hero vows to do what he can while he still has time. Day by day, temptation constantly brings him closer to transformation and the tattoos spread across his body but through it all, he does the right thing. Would make one _hell_of an origin story."

Emerson pursed his lips. As quietly as only a feline could, he crossed the distance between himself and Lester, wrapping his arms around the thinner human. Lester spun around at the contact, eyes wide.

"Warning, cheesy line number three," whispered Emerson softly. "You know what'll make it a perfect origin story?"

Lester never got to reply.

Their lips met...

... and they just held each other, bathed in the golden light of sunset.

*****

David Hale got home late that night. He looked frustrated when he first passed through that door but the moment he saw his son, his expression brightened.

"Hey there, champ!" he exclaimed, vaulting over the couch and flopping right beside Caleb.

Caleb was playing his new videogame and was just watching a cut scene. It was the scene where the protagonist, a white wolf with the occupation of a starship engineer, was standing beside the others of his party, lifting sky lanterns into the air. All over the pitch-black plane of Incendius, citizens no matter their race, position or disposition, lifted those lanterns; a symbol of unity and light in the darkness.

"Hey dad," he said, pausing the videogame. "How was your day?"

"Terrible," David said. "But don't let that worry you. How was school?"

"Same old, same old. Football team is a little on edge. They're afraid they might get transformed again though a few guys are already starting to compare cocks."

"Boys," laughed the elder Hale. David was silent, Caleb watching his father from the corner of his eye. "You're going on a trip this weekend, right?"

"Yeah... why?"

"If I could pull some strings to end school early, will you go earlier?"

He froze and spun to face his father. "Dad...?"

"I just want to keep you safe. Do you know where you're going?"

"No... Ben said it was his family cabin somewhere..."

"Right... I remember." David Hale nodded shortly. "Sorry, I'm just being a little overprotective." He gripped Caleb's shoulder, squeezing it a little hard but not hard enough to break anything. "I love you, son."

"Thanks, Dad. I love you too." Caleb found himself forcing a smile. He meant every word but he wasn't sure if he could add 'I respect you' to what he had just said. The betrayal a few days ago had really shaken his perspective of his father.

But there must be some justification for it and he had to know.

"Dad... Why do you hate Outsiders?"

David puffed out his cheeks and let it out slowly. "Outsiders are untrained, undisciplined, non-regenerating hotheads who -"

"Not the stuff you tell the media, Dad," he interrupted. "What's the real story? Did an Outsider hurt you?"

He caught his father's gaze. Through those eyes, he saw pain and instantly regretted the question. Thankfully, he didn't have to look into those eyes for long. David glanced over his shoulder, searching for other members of the family. Mom was making dinner noisily - she was always noisy to make the venerable feast that was the norm for a Hale family meal. As a Wednesday, Lance was out on patrol while Leon was in his room, blaring music loudly. Abby was out with Arthur again. From all appearances, Arthur was always on the _verge_of proposing but kept chickening out at the last moment. Abby was getting frustrated.

With no one around, David shuffled directly next to Caleb. "I don't want you repeating this to anyone, understand?"

"Um... okay..."

David did one more check, his ears flicking around. "When I was younger... I was in love... with another guy. A dingo from Australia. It's sort of why I have thing for accents like your mother. It was this same fascination that attracted us to one another. We'd go around saying how hot this particular fur was because of their accent and -" David shook his head. "My point is, Ryan was... special to me."

His father looked extremely pained. "And... he was an Outsider."

"What was his power?"

"Rapid adaptability."

David Hale reached into his pocket and retrieved his wallet. Hidden behind several credit cards and a picture of the family... was a very old, holo-image of two young men, both of them shirtless. One was undeniably David Hale while the other was a tall, sandy dingo with bright, blue eyes and an equally bright grin. Caleb had never seen his father so happy before. David swiped a finger across the image, shifting it to the next still taken. It showed the two of them holding paws against a sunset.

"Come what may, Ryan's body would mutate and alter itself to suit any situation," David Hale continued. "If you stuck him underwater for more than a few minutes, he'd grow gills. Throw him into the air and he'd sprout wings. Try to crush him and he'd grow muscles there and then. Made sex _very_interesting."

"Dad..." Caleb winced.

"Sorry..." David actually wiped a tear away. "Ryan... He was amazing. When I discovered my powers, I ran away from home because I was afraid of what I was. I went to Australia and that's where I met Ryan. We revealed our powers to one another accidentally."

"How?"

"I sucked him off and his cock grew bigger."

"Dad!"

David shrugged with a grin on his muzzle but it was tainted with sadness. "Sorry, but that's how the story goes. He told me how he was an Outsider and I told him how I was a super. We really hit it off. I made arrangements to take up my studies in Australia and for five beautiful years, I went to high school there and had two years of college - sorry, university - with him by my side. We were madly in love... I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him." He grinned to himself as he showed Caleb the holo-image. "We took these on one of our many holidays. He had one, I had one. "

Caleb couldn't believe his ears but at the same time, wasn't sure what to believe. Was his father just serving him more bullshit or was this real. The expression on his dad's face was real enough, though. That and the holo-image. He decided to give his dad the benefit of the doubt. David Hale wouldn't lie to his own son... right?

Though... if that was the case, was Caleb right in lying back at him?

"What happened?" he asked.

"The Darwin Reactor Disaster."

He had heard about that. Australia had a network of tinium reactors sitting underwater off the coast of Darwin. It powered the entire country and even some of southeast Asia. It was a major source of income for the country as they rented power to other countries. However, these reactors came with an inherent risk. If one went, the rest would too and if they did so, the explosion was estimated to take out a large chunk of the country, severely irradiate Indonesia and clear the sea close to China of life or at least severely mutate them.

About twenty-five years ago, dozens of the reactors became dangerous unstable. People worked to keep them from exploding. Disaster was prevented and investigations revealed that it was the doing of a supervillain. Since then, the reactors were under the constant effect of an anti-super field and patrolled constantly. Work was underway to actually move the reactors into space and about ¼ of them were already in orbit around the southern continent.

"I heard about that," Caleb said. "Did you and he...?"

David Hale shut his eyes, trying to keep the tears from coming out but they still leaked out. His voice broke as he said, "Ryan's power was rapid adaptability... Several of the cores were going to explode unless someone removed the _tinium_cores... but these cores were the massive types, designed for high output unlike the ones we put into our vehicles. They charge the air around them and spew radioactive materials... Anyone who stepped into the reactors would die within minutes... A super could step in, remove the core and then step out again to regenerate but we didn't have the time. Other supers were working to evacuate cities and those that were present were too new. Their powers weren't developed enough to let them survive more than a minute inside the reactor before the damage was too severe for their regeneration to heal. I was in the same boat. But not Ryan..."

David choked and forced himself to continue. "Twelve reactors, Cale... Ryan stepped into all twelve reactors one by one to remove those tinium cores and save millions_of people. He spent _five minutes in each. Any normal person would've died in one. A super probably would've lasted three. But it takes Ryan a moment to adapt and once he steps out of the environment or the stimulus is gone, he reverts back... While Ryan could adapt, the damage to his body was already done.

"Twelve times he stepped into the reactors and stopped a nuclear disaster... twelve times he came out to die slowly in my arms. His body could adapt to failed organs but even he had his limits. If he had been a super, his regeneration would have prevented him from dying but that didn't matter to him. He just kept doing it... he kept charging in there until he lost all his fur, was practically blind and spewing out blood with every breath... I couldn't even kiss him goodbye..."

Caleb watched his father break down, clutching the holo-image tightly in his paws. David Hale was shaking, tears running down his cheeks profusely. He had never seen his father this way before and it reminded him that supers, despite all their powers, were still mortals. Like Arcturus had said, every person had the capacity to kill or save. Ryan chose to save. And in his own way, David Hale wanted to save people too.

David took a breath, finally opening his eyes but he wasn't looking at the coffee table. His eyes were in some distant memory. "I don't hate the Outsiders, Caleb. I just don't want them hurting anyone or themselves. They don't have the power or the strength. They want to do the right thing, I get that but they just can't or people will get hurt... especially those they love. It's... irresponsible for them to risk their lives when there could be other solutions... I mean, a super could've moved the reactors to space! If I were given time, I could've messed with the metal around the reactors and created a casing or something! Someone could've teleported in, grabbed the core and teleported out! But Ryan... he...he just -"

David Hale - Feral Steel - wiped his cheeks and let out a breath. Clearly, he had thought about this over the years a lot. "After, I moved back here and helped found the Elemental Alliance. I met your mother and we've lived happily ever since. It doesn't mean I don't miss Ryan though... nor will I ever forget what he did for so many people. His sacrifice is probably why Australia is so accepting of Outsiders."

"One did save their country," Caleb admitted with a smile. "Thanks for sharing this with me, Dad. I appreciate it."

"Ryan was always a fighter," David said with a nod. "You remind me so much of him. Unfortunately, so does Weapons Master. But I know which guy I prefer."

Caleb gave his father a crooked smile. "You're not going to fuck me wild and call me 'Ryan' all night, are you, Dad?"

"I don't know, you're no longer underage..."

"Dad!"

His father chuckled brightly though the tears were still coming. "Kidding, son. Kidding." He glanced at the holo-image in his paws. "Here... I want you to keep this, Caleb."

Caleb threw his paws up. "What? I couldn't -"

"Please, take it. I've been carrying it around me because it helps me remember what is dearest to me. But now, there are more things that I hold dear than the memory of Ryan."

Caleb's heart almost broke at that moment and every inch of him wanted to confess that he was Weapons Master and to make the promise that he'll never go out into the city as an Outsider again. However, he again remembered Arcturus' words.

Every person has the capacity to kill or save.

If he wasn't saving... then he was killing... even if it was through inaction. People would die if he didn't do anything just like if Arcturus had not intervened that day.

"Thanks Dad..."

David Hale caught his son in a tight embrace. "I love you Caleb."

As his dad got up to leave, Caleb swiped a thumb across the holo-image. There were bright scenes of his father smiling and grinning almost stupidly at the screen. Some were just solo pictures of David or Ryan. However, the last image was just a single sentence.

"Dad... What does this mean?" he asked.

David, standing at the door, turned. He had seemed to control his tears for the moment but the moment he saw the words 'Take care of them' on the holo-image he began to tear up again. "Ryan..." He choked. "Ryan and I fantasised about raising a family, adopting kids and all that. He... he wanted me to take care of my kids... It's his way of telling me to... to move on. Have my kids and take care of them. Keep the dream alive."

Caleb got up. "I need to go." He bolted up the stairs, ignoring his mother's cry for his claws against the floorboards. He shut himself in his room, collapsing against the door and clutching his chest. It felt like his heart was about to leap from him, grow a mouth and confess everything to his father.

Tears began to build in his eyes and he barely had the strength to curl up and rest his forehead against his knees. When his phone buzzed, he could barely see the words on Mary's text.

"He wasn't lying. He really loved Ryan... just as he loves your mother and his kids. You're not a bad son. You're his son but you're also Caleb Hale, your own wolf."

He smiled at those words and just sent a text back.

"Damnit, Mary..."

*****

Caleb decided to keep his father's love for Ryan and his reasons for hating the Outsiders to himself. It was very private and he didn't want to betray his father's trust. He kept the image of Ryan and David in his own wallet, though, to remind him that Outsiders could do good out there regardless of their limitations. In fact, Ryan's example inspired him.

"So, is everyone ready for the trip?" Alex asked Thursday afternoon after class.

"Yup," Ben responded. "Just be up and packed by 6 AM Saturday morning. I'll have someone pick you up."

They all stared at the werewolf who was sipping a soda. Lars, unfortunately, was absent. Apparently, he was preparing for the play. When asked why Mary wasn't there, she replied that she didn't need practice.

Lars had been avoiding Caleb since the episode last Saturday. Caleb knew that they had come very close to kissing and his emotions were flying around in a flurry at the thought. What that moment meant he wasn't sure and he wanted to talk to Lars about it. He was sure Mary already knew and her silence worried him. Every time he thought about that moment, it made his stomach do somersaults and his mind mentally slapped him, reminding him of the glorious time he had with Lance.

"Pick us up?" Caleb repeated, bringing himself out of his revere. "Aren't we all going to jump into someone's car and just drive off into the mountains or something?"

"Nope," Ben said enigmatically. He then turned to Mary. "Don't you _dare_tell them."

She waved her hand absently, grinning broadly. "Oh of course not. I feast on drama. Suffering is my crack. Humiliation for others my bread and butter. Just don't get mopey around me. I'll bitch slap you."

Suddenly suspicious and equally intrigued, Caleb decided not to press the issue as he headed over to football practice, separating from the rest of the group. Maybe he could corner Lars this time. If not, then at least by the weekend, he could find the Doberman and pin him down, talk to him with their bodies pressed up against one another and -

"Gah!" he snapped at himself, slapping his forehead. "Bad! Bad!"

"Hey mate."

Ashton stood in his way, the tiger smiling at him cheerily. Feeling quite comfortable about his ability to draw cock - as he had been practicing lately - he greeted Ashton with a jovial, "Yo." His stomach did a somersault as he remembered that the reason he was so confident was because of Lars... because of that moment where they almost...

The tiger's mood quickly darkened and he ducked his head, holding out a piece of paper for Caleb. "Here..."

Puzzled, he picked up the paper. "What is this?"

"I took the liberty of drafting up a contract for our agreement for this weekend and forging your signature."

The details of the document sounded very formal and was mixed with quite a lot of legal jargon that Caleb was fairly sure was just to make it sound official. Most of the sentences didn't really make that much sense. His signature at the bottom was also just a big, red 'CH'. "Um... Okay... Why?"

"So that you can tear it up."

He glanced at the sheet and then back at Ashton, giving the tiger his con-fuzzled look. "Um... what?"

Ashton took a deep breath and let it out softly. "My motives for pushing you into this agreement were based entirely on your development as an artist. I hate to see people waste their talent because they're too shy about it and keep it to themselves. They don't develop because they're afraid of what people might say or falling flat on their faces."

The tiger lost his usual cheer and it was a little strange to see the feline so... thoughtful. Caleb remained silent and let the tiger continue.

"I was pretty much in the same boat as you until someone pushed me to do my best. I'm a jock, mate. I like to think my old man at least pumped me full of good muscle mass and agility. That's what puts me in good standing in hockey and lacrosse. I was never into art or theatre. I shied away from it because my old man was into it and I naturally went in the opposite direction.

"But about two years ago, back when I was in middle school, I had a good friend who was performing in the play. I ran lines with him every day to the point where I knew the lines just as well as he did. He actually wanted me to audition for the part as well but I turned it down and just went in as a stage hand. Sound familiar?"

"Getting there," Caleb responded, folding his arms. "So what? He blackmailed you with your dad's secret identity or something?"

"Not quite. On the day of the performance, he faked an accident and couldn't perform."

"Really? What about his backup?"

"From what I heard, he wasn't very cooperative so my buddy took a bat to his knees."

Caleb flinched. "Wait... Really?"

Ashton scratched his cheek and glanced off to the distance. "Honestly, I don't rightly know. It's sometimes hard to tell with that bloke." The tiger shook his head. "My point is, he forced me onto that stage to do the lines. And when that spotlight was on me, when I couldn't see the audience in the darkness and I was on that stage... It was like I had opened my eyes and I never wanted them closed again."

"So it was a hit then?"

"Oh no. The show bombed. I was terrible. I knew the lines but couldn't act. Still, that encouraged me to keep going, to be better and to seek the review of my peers."

Caleb couldn't help but laugh and he was happy that Ashton joined in.

"I know it was harsh and it was out of line," Ashton responded. "Way out of line, in fact. Possibly treasonous. However, I just wanted to make sure that talent like yours doesn't go to waste. The world deserves to know Caleb Hale." He grinned and took Caleb's paws, prising them away from their folded position. "And come on, I saw how your eyes lit up when you saw all those comments and faves. That's exactly how I felt when I was on that stage."

He had to admit, that feeling was quite spectacular. "Yeah. I've already created my own profile and started posting up my stuff..."

"I know," answered Ashton, holding up his phone. "Hailst0rm." Caleb blushed as he knew what was coming up next and at Ashton's subsequent smile. "I'm glad you decided to get over your phobia and post some rather nice erections and sheathes online. You've got fans. Everyone especially seems to like your rather heroic images of Feral Fang."

Caleb blushed, trying to hide the snicker coming from the fact that those images came from a very reliable source. It was quite ridiculous how people absolutely loved those pictures. It was one of his most popular. "Thanks..."

"It's why I'm releasing you from your obligations," the tiger responded, taking the page back. He symbolically ripped it in half. "The entire purpose of the exercise was to get you to draw a man's member and to put yourself out there. You did that so you no longer have anything I want. To that end..." He held out his paw. "... you have my word that I will never reveal your secret to anyone. I will take it to my grave."

Caleb took the offered paw, smiling softly. "Thanks Ashton, I appreciate it."

"Hey, we've got to keep the most popular Outsider healthy, right?"

He inclined his head to the side. "I'm the most popular?"

"Well, on the west coast so far. There are a few on the east and Central America that rival you and the folks down in Australia have higher approval ratings but the Aussies just love their Outsiders so that doesn't rightly count. Plus you're the only Outsider that people can actually draw sex porn of."

He flinched again, ears folded back in horror like they were afraid to hear what came next. "Wh - what!?"

Grinning, Ashton flicked his phone and showed him an image. "See?"

His jaw dropped and he immediately covered his eyes, whimpering softly. "Oh my innocence..."

"And your ass, and your cock and your feet," Ashton said. "After exposing yourself in that hyena form, the image boards have gone crazy. Here's one where you have a world-shattering cock."

"Please no..." Despite his words, Caleb pulled his fingers open ever so slightly.

"Oh! Here's another where you're getting your ass torn open by an equally large croc."

Caleb dropped his arms, letting them hang like his dropped jaw. "Sweet Wolf Christ..."

"Here's a rather blasphemous one where you, Feral Steel and Feral Fang are in a tight little threesome. People seem to like drawing you being double penetrated by them."

"My ass is getting sore just thinking about it..."

"Oh! Check out this one. It's where you, along with some other hyenas that you apparently 'created' are transforming a rather willing fellow."

"People fantasise about this stuff!?"

"Rule34, baby," the tiger laughed. "You should see the fan fiction."

"I'd rather not, thanks."

"Oh don't worry. You're not the only one." Ashton tucked his phone away. "Blood Wolf, Blade Babe and Flare Blue have their own niches. Blade Babe is the most horrifying of all. She's cast as a dominatrix and for some reason, people find it sexy when she stands over them with her ball-crushing boots."

Caleb shook his head. "Is it terrible that I believe that?"

"Yes... Terrible and scary."

He laughed, joined shortly by Ashton. When he grinned, he felt the pressure of the deal he had struck with Ashton and the risk of the upcoming weekend ease. Simplicity was starting to return to his life. "Well, I've got to go to practice."

"Mind if I watch?"

He smiled and wrapped an arm around Ashton's shoulders. "I'd be insulted if you didn't. And just for the record, I know you've got the hots for me. Don't deny that the whole drawing you nude thing was influenced by that."

The tiger blushed. "Ah... figured that out did, you."

"Yup," he answered cheerily. "So feel free to watch my tight, muscled form running across the field covered in manly sweat but forever being damned to look and never touch."

Ashton pulled back with mock horror. "You're just bad as Mary!"

"She's a terrible corruptive influence. Cthulhu doesn't stand a chance against her."

"I thought he died?"

Caleb waved absently. "Nah. He got a job at Valve as their PR guy. Not as powerful but he gets to drive people crazy by spewing the number three everywhere."

*****

Despite the inherent risk of the Minos Strain in the air, the game went on as scheduled and the Raptors won again, putting them on an excellent path to the playoffs. Caleb didn't spend much time partying though and went home to sleep. The game had left him exhausted and he had to be up fairly early the following morning. He usually got up at 7 AM thanks to his EMP-spewing alarm clock and left the house an hour later filled with breakfast.

To leave at 6, he needed to be up at 5:30 to shower and get prepared in a rush.

Thank god he wasn't driving.

He was shovelling some spare change of clothes and toiletries into a duffel bag when he heard his door open. Lance's scent caused him to shiver. He never got to turn around as when he stood, thick, muscular arms wrapped around his waist, a strong lupine muzzle nuzzling him affectionately.

"I'm going to miss you," Lance murmured.

"It's only for three days."

Lance spun him wildly around, a wicked grin on his muzzle. "Then that just means we need to cram three days' worth of wild sex into one night."

Caleb found himself grinning. "You sure we can't do it when I get back? Not that I'm complaining."

"Why don't we do both?"

He pretended to give it some thought before pushing his lips tightly around Lance's muzzle. He pulled away just to say, "Yeah, we can do both."

The floor was suddenly swept up from underneath him. Lance took him in his big, muscular arms and carried him all the way to his bed, throwing him down with a mischievous grin on his muzzle. Caleb returned a smug grin and crossed his arms behind his head, enjoying the eagerness that was portrayed through his brother's wagging tail.

A swell of pride filled his chest, kicking in alpha instincts that he had never really acted upon before. Even out on the football field, he was Lars' right paw man, the beta to his alpha. Now, with his brother leaning down and taking a whiff of his hardening cock through his pants, he really felt like an alpha, a dominant male.

He let out a pleasured hum as his brother nosed his bulge. Lance's paws worked expertly to undo his bent. The buckle came off with a click. He felt his brother's fangs grip the brim of his pants, eagerly pulling them down. Lifting his rear slightly, he let Lance reach over his tight, bubble butt to undo the button over his tail. With that undone, his pants came flying off a second later, revealing the jockstrap beneath.

"Fuck... You didn't take it off?" Lance said, eyeing the athletic supporter and the pointed tip that was quickly making its presence known.

"I was planning on giving it to you to remember me by while I was gone," Caleb said with a grin. "I mean, I cuddled your sock for three weeks. You can do with my jock for three days."

Lance let out a feral growl and lunged for Caleb's cock, wrapping his lips around the growing member through the fabric that had been dipped in his sweat and musk from the whole game. The bigger wolf rumbled and whimpered slightly, frustrated at the fabric separating his lips from the touch of his brother's hot cock. To remedy this, he lunged for the edge of the jockstrap, seizing it between his fangs and tugging it off.

The touch of the night air was a little chilling against Caleb's cock and he shivered for the briefest of moments. Lance's muzzle wrapped around his full erect member. His brother's warm breath and slick tongue made him squirm in delight. Lance's paws rolled up his solid abs, slipping beneath his shirt and onto his pecs, every inch of contact with his brother leaving him yearning for more. The warmth from their bodies triggered the primal need deep inside of him and he instinctively growled, pumping his dick into Lance's eager muzzle.

He moaned loudly as Lance's tongue slipped out between his lips, brushing his ball sack. The mere contact made his cock squirm, already ready to fill his brother's muzzle full of his seed. Caleb let out a shuddering sigh and peeled his arms away from behind his head. Slowly, he pulled his shirt over his head. He knew the effect his body had on his brother and he purposefully took his time worming the rim of his shirt over his solid six pack, struggling a little as he rolled it over his plump pecs. He could feel Lance's drool pooling at the base of his cock as he pulled the shirt over his broad shoulders and tossed it aside.

Lance's muzzle met with his and he moaned contentedly into the loving union. His brother's big, firm body pressed against his own. Their erect nipples brushed against one another, a bolt of pleasure shooting between them and making both their cocks spasm in delight. Lance broke the kiss for the briefest of moments, staring deep into Caleb's eyes, searching. Caleb gave him exactly what he was looking for. The younger brother emitted a feral growl and seized the collar of Lance's shirt. With a snap of his fangs, Caleb tore Lance's shirt right down the middle, stunning Lance. Caleb pushed his muzzle deep into the crevasse of Lance's pecs, taking in his brother's heady musk and running his tongue along the lines of muscle barely tempered by short fur. All the while, he eagerly yanked Lance's pants off. His brother eagerly complied by kicking them off. When met with underwear, Caleb seized their rim and tore them to shreds with a deafening rip.

The splash of precum against Caleb's abs was a delightful, refreshing, cooling touch. Their bodies ground against one another, short fur barely containing their muscled forms slickened by their sweat and precum. Lance pressed down on Caleb, the two wolves collapsing back onto the bed, legs twisted against one another and bodies undulating into a rhythm of their love. With their cocks squeezed against one another, Caleb became lost in the moment and pulled away from the kiss, moaning loudly while clutching his brother's head against his neck. Lance complied with the gesture, licking his corded, thick neck lovingly.

Slowly, Lance began to lift his rear into the air. The moment when Caleb's cock was not pressed up against some meaty part of his brother seemed like an eternity but then Lance gripped his member and began guiding it. His brother crouched above him, thick, muscular legs cradling his flanks. He turned a gasp into a growl as his cock was guided slowly into Lance's waiting ass.

Reminded of the first time they had made love, Caleb pushed himself into his brother. The tight muscle squeezing down on cock almost made him want to cum there and then. Somehow, he managed to hold himself back. He gazed up at his hot, bodybuilder of a brother who rested on top of him, tongue lolling out, eyes glazed with pleasure. Lance grimaced as Caleb pushed further into his brother, his own cock squeezing out ropes of precum like he was already ejaculating. Caleb lapped at the spray eagerly utterly enjoying the taste of his brother.

Caleb drove himself further and further into his brother, inch by inch finding its place deep within Lance. He grunted loudly when his knot pressed up against the limits of Lance's ass. At the same time, Lance's own knot formed and his brother squeezed down on the fleshy bulb, squirting more precum all over Caleb's chest.

Caleb's paws roved Lance's muscular legs, travelling up and down the hard, ridges that felt like steel covered in soft, wet fur. Every time he moved closer to his brother's cock, he drove his own member deeper into Lance. Up and down, he drew closer and closer to that member, taunting and teasing Lance until his brother was whimpering for more. The alpha in Caleb kicked in and he purposefully avoided Lance's member, giving it just the tiniest of brushes with the back of his paw before moving to rove across Lance's juicy abdominals. Caleb traced their perfect shapes with his fingers before firmly gripping his brother's pecs. He squeezed down at Lance's nipples, bringing a loud moan from the bigger wolf, almost a howl.

Smiling, Caleb yanked seized his brother's neck and pulled him down, their lips meeting. Lance whimpered as Caleb was forced to pull out to accommodate for the gesture. All too eager to get Caleb inside of him, Lance pulled away and pushed himself down into Caleb's knot. His brother threw his head back, letting out a mounting moan as the last few inches of Caleb's cock pushed into him. Lance shuddered and his cock shook. The next blast of precum was much thicker than usual and Caleb could detect the strong musk of his brother's impending orgasm.

Grinning, Caleb squeezing down at Lance's knot with one paw and use his other to hold that cock night and steady. He gave Lance one last thrust before his brother let out a howl. Long, white ropes of cum exploded from Lance's member, splashing all over Caleb's muzzle. The young wolf eagerly lapped it up, snapping it out from mid-air and relishing the salty taste of his lover. The warmth that travelled down his throat and reached deep into his heart filled him with the assurance that Lance would always be there.

That thought alone was enough for him and with one final thrust, he let the floodgates open and joined his brother in a joyous howl. His own seed spilled into Lance, leaving his body shuddering constantly for an entire minute as he emptied himself into the bigger wolf.

Both wolves were left panting after the ordeal and Lance collapsed to the side, taking Caleb with him but with Lance's legs securely wrapped around his brother's waist.

Despite knowing that his brother would be up and ready for another round in a few minutes, Caleb let himself snuggled up into Lance's strong, muscular chest and drift off to sleep...

...or at least as much sleep as he could get.

An hour later, they were at it again. Their mother told them to get some sleep before they orgasmed so that kept them going for at least another five minutes.

At 5:55 AM Saturday, Caleb gave a slumbering Lance one last kiss before finishing his packing.

He was almost out the door when he heard Lance stir and he glanced back. His brother was staring at him.

"Goodbye, Caleb," Lance murmured.

"It isn't goodbye," Caleb answered with a grin. "Just see ya later." He winked at his brother. "See ya later Lance."

His brother yawned and pulled the sheets over himself. "Yeah... later, Cale."

Grinning, Caleb headed down the stairs with his belongings, still reeking a little of sex. He sprayed some anti-scent on himself before heading for the door. His mom insisted he grab some breakfast but he told her he'd just grab something with the guys. She protested all the way to the door until she saw the limo.

"Okay, yeah. You're fine," she said and went back inside.

Caleb strode cautiously towards the limo and when the chauffeur opened it for him, he tentatively got in. Another limo had already picked up Mary and was on its way to wherever they were going. Why they would need a separate vehicle for both of them when they were neighbours was beyond him. He also wondered at the practicality of taking limos to the mountains.

He almost screamed when he spied another person was in the limo with him, hands folded together and a grave look on her face.

"Holy crap!" he cried. "I mean... I'm sorry, Mrs. Connors. I didn't expect you to be here..."

"I'm just here for the ride to the airport, Caleb," she responded with a gentle, motherly smile. That smile did not last long as it instantly faded back to sadness.

"Airport?" Caleb repeated. "We're going to the airport? Where exactly is this cabin of yours?"

"In the wilderness of the great state of Canada. The Alpha Pack likes to use it occasionally to hunt and let ourselves run free. It is secluded, far from major population centres and ever since Canada joined the United States, we don't have to worry about conversion rates." Martha Connors leaned back, with a frown on her face. "Sadly, I came here not just to inform you of the weekend plans but also that I had a rather disturbing flash from the future about you recently."

"Uh-oh..."

"Indeed." Martha looked at her clasped palms. "Sometime soon, someone close to you will break your heart. They will leave you. Death will come. Someone will die. I do not know if those points are related, unfortunately. All I know is..." Her eyes lifted to meet his. "It is only the beginning."

He whimpered softly. "No offense, Mrs. Connors but that's pretty shitty news to give a guy about to go away for three days on a hiking trip..."

"I know and I apologise," she responded with a gentle smile. "But one other thing I discerned with certainty is that you will always have allies. Whether it is the Alpha Pack, the Outsiders or the Elemental Alliance, I cannot tell. You will have allies."

"Thanks, Mrs. Connors... I think..."

"Do not let it bother you. Enjoy the weekend." She gave him her best warm smile but it just came up looking forced. It worried him greatly even as they pulled up next to the private transport in the airport.

Caleb forgot all of his worries as he stared at the luxurious _Starfall-class_Atmospheric Entry/Exit Transport (AEET). The shuttle was designed for both orbital and atmospheric travel. Deep space was off limits but it was capable of soaring in orbit around the planet. The massive engines at its rear were fully capable of propelling it into space. At the same time, the broad triangular wings with their upturned edges could be used to soar through the West California skylines or across the entire world as the need arose.

"Holy crap!" he exclaimed, stepping out of the limo. Other limos were coming in and his friends that emerged from it were equally as surprised at the transport. Except for Mary, of course. She had known all along and she strode smugly to the stairs leading into the fuselage where Ben was waiting.

He seized his bags, thanked Martha Connors for her advice and hurried over to them.

"We're going to Canada!?" he demanded, upon reaching Ben. Lars, Ashton, Alex and his boyfriend, Mike Swayne, all arrived with puzzled looks. When they heard 'Canada', they all flinched.

"Oh come on," Mary said, rolling her eyes. "It's not that far away."

"It's in another state!"

"It'll only take an hour," Ben said with a wave of his hands. "It'll be fun! Plus, it's not so cold that you'll freeze your tail off without any snow gear and the rivers are nice and cool. We've got all sorts recreation gear up there. Skydiving gear if you're up to it."

Still somewhat startled that he was actually going to fly to another state for three days, Caleb just grunted and let a stewardess take his bags. He almost fainted when he stepped into the luxurious transport complete with heated floors for furs that wanted to go bare paw, cushiony seats and the scent of breakfast wafting through the air.

"Is that eggs benedict served with some peppery rocket? Oooh..." He sniffed the air again, shuffling closer to the kitchen. "Smoked salmon omelettes with capers and dill..."

He felt the stares of the others on him.

"He's a Hale and a wolf," Mary said, seating herself down. "A dangerous combination. You've got the bottomless pit of a stomach all Hales have and the keen smell of a wolf." She inclined her head, smiling smugly at Ben. "I do hope your kitchen is stocked."

Caleb tore all three types of breakfast served including the spicy chorizo pizza. Lars didn't mind and almost matched him though he couldn't finish his salmon and gave it to Caleb of finish off. Sadly, with their muzzles stuffed and in the confined space, Caleb couldn't ask Lars about that day...

The others had just one selection from the menu. Mike shared his pizza with Alex who insisted a pizza was not a breakfast dish but ended up eating half of it anyway. Mary delicately ate the eggs benedict while Ashton had the salmon. Both of them had tea which they sipped from porcelain cups with their pinkies extended.

Ben played the brilliant host, wandering amongst them, engaging in chatter and when he wanted to eat, he sat with Lars and Caleb. He had even printed an itinerary for them, planning out activities including free time.

They landed in a private airstrip which was exclusively used by the Alpha Pack. It was built right into the mountain, an enormous cavernous hanger that was mostly empty save for them and the bus they were to take to the cabin.

"So it's a secret supervillain lair," Alex said.

"No!" Ben replied indignantly as they jumped into a bus to take them to the cabin. "It just so happens to be an airstrip owned by my family built into a mountain to avoid aerial congestion and without ruining the natural beauty of the Canadian wilderness."

"Oh come on! The door is the east side of the mountain! It pops open! Plus, you've got a cloaking field! That's a supervillain lair! I saw defence turrets! And look! You've got explosive material lying around dangerously all over the place for no apparent reason despite the fact is a major fire hazard! The hero just has to shoot one of those things to set up a dramatic explosion while he escapes and you shout, 'Curse you Bond!' from your evil, skull-laden throne."

Ben eventually conceded that it was a lair from when supervillains were still plucking their plots and their identities from comic books. The Alpha Pack had bought it some time ago and was just using it as a hanger but haven't gotten around to cleaning it up yet.

"If it were a real supervillain lair, there'd be hundreds of generic nobodies wandering around in bland uniforms doing menial jobs."

That was true. The only staff present was the flight crew and they flew back to West California the moment the group's luggage was dropped off.

Ben drove them all the way to the cabin which was nestled on a hill overlooking the vast, lush, Canadian wilderness. The scene took Caleb's breath away. It was hard to believe that in the highly modernised world where earthlings had ventured into space and were building powerful nuclear reactors in order that could transfer their power to the surface that a vast example of nature's beauty could still exist.

He spent a long time just leaning against the banister of the porch in the Connors' large, three-storey cabin. The air was so crisp and clear, filled with the scents of nature. Far into the distance were large, snow-capped mountains and thick forests that covered the distance between them was a venerable, emerald carpet that swayed gently to the gentle caress of the winds. It made him wonder what other beauties were out there in the world beyond his little home of West California.

"Caleb!" Ben shouted from the second floor. "Hurry up and get packed! We're going kayaking!"

"Alright, alright!" he laughed.

The cabin was everything Ben had promised and more. The entire first floor was effectively the atrium to a hotel. An indoor bonfire stood at the centre with a ring of cushions and sofas around it, the chimney hovering over it ready take the smoke into the air. An open kitchen was available for cooking and there were tables lining the glass walls to give diners an excellent view of the wilderness. Heated wooden floorboards gave Caleb a chance to go bare paw.

The second floor housed all the living quarters, all twelve of them - one for each member of the Pack. Caleb wasn't sure whose room he was bunking in but it certainly smelled like one of the Pack; strong lupine scent with just the hint of sex, not strong enough to be noticeable until he truly focused on it. The wooden walls were barren of any personal amenities.

He set down his bag and sat on the feather light bed, sighing softly at its touch.

Ben knocked on his room's doorframe, dressed in a waterproof gear. "Ready to go? You can find your kayak gear in the closet. There should be some in your size."

"Thanks." He glanced around the room. "Whose room is this anyway?"

"This is Dom's." When Caleb gave him a con-fuzzled look, Ben said, "You know him as Raging Hound."

Raging Hound was one of the more destructive of the Alpha Pack. He had a tertiary form where he 'hulked-out' and became absolutely monstrous by normal standards, even towering over many buildings. Stopping him was nearly impossible.

"Cool. I couldn't tell."

"We don't keep personal effects in places like this," Ben said. "The staff that clean and prepare the place might be able to discern our identities like that. Come on, get dressed. We've got a whole weekend and I don't want to waste a second."

"Hang on, Ben." The werewolf stopped. "The Alpha Pack... you're all Alphas but... do any of you guys have... I dunno... mates?"

He got a curious look in return. "What brought this on?"

Caleb sniffed the air again. "I know your staff worked hard to hide it but this place has the faintest hint of sex and that just got me wondering about your mom and dad..."

Ben snickered. "Ah, okay then. To answer your question, yeah, the Pack has mates. My mom and dad's marriage isn't just for the public, you know. They're really in love. Then there's Liam and Mira. Sorry, that's Crystal Claw and Shock Jaws. Nat and Vern or Nightmare and Catastrophe have been dating for a while now but they're one of those 'perpetually dating' couples. Then Dom and Xavier, erm, Spook, are a couple. Got married in D.C. last year. Something about desecrating the capital of our country with their marital celebrations."

Caleb stuck out his tongue and shook his head. "That's gross..."

"You want to know what's gross? Lena and Sarah. Nova and Gladiator. They're married too but the things they do to each other..." He shook his head, a shudder running down his spine. "I know I'm bi and I like any girl-on-girl action any time but the things they do... Urgh... Some things are not meant to go into a hole."

Caleb winced and searched for a change of topic. "That's ten members. What about you and the last one? Uh... I think it's Winters?"

"We're under no obligation to find a mate, you know. That's just a bonus. Really, it's just that Alphas are naturally attracted to other Alphas. Having a mate beneath your standing is risky in werewolf society. It might say your taste is of the lower class and you don't deserve to be an Alpha or it might show weakness because you'd marry someone with less power than yourself."

He frowned. "Sounds complex... also sounds a little... I dunno... Blue blood-y. Kind of like the royalty of old."

Ben chuckled and moved into the room, seating himself down next to Caleb. "It sort of is, yeah. Except to become an Alpha is a virtue of strength not necessarily birth. But you're right. Sometimes, finding love and finding a mate are two different things. Fucking is something else entirely."

"I'll bet," Caleb snorted. "Out of curiosity, is everyone in the Alpha Pack an orphan like you?"

The werewolf shook his head. "Not in the traditional sense. When you become a member of the Alpha Pack, you cut all lies with whatever 'family' you had and take on the name 'Connors'. You become part of the Alpha Pack family and no one else." Ben held up a hand and made a swiping gesture through the air. "Who you were before is forgotten. You're reborn into the Pack. Some members of my family killed their parents to become Alpha. Others just ran away. Other still have living family who are either holding that hope to find their long lost sibling, parent or child. But all of that is moot because the Alpha Pack is all that matters."

"Oh... well... I guess that's why I'll never agree to be part of the Pack. I love my family too much to abandon them like that."

Ben let out a long sigh and nodded. "Yeah, I guessed as much. Truthfully, I had hoped to use this weekend to tempt you to join. Show you all the prestige, the power and the riches that comes from being part of the Pack." Ben gave him a gentle smile. "But the fact that despite the dick move your father pulled on you you're still willing to stay with them and the fact that you love your brother so dearly while going to extreme lengths to protect them says that they are your family. Nothing will ever change that."

That was surprisingly touching from the werewolf. Caleb valued Ben both as a friend and an ally out on the battlefield but sometimes, his constant requests for sex and conversion into the Alpha Pack wore on him. But this...

"Does that mean you'll stop pestering me for sex and membership?"

Ben nudged him lightly. "Only in private. I've still got to keep appearances, you know."

*****

Ben's itinerary was both spectacular and exhausting at the same time. Even a super like Lars found it tiring. After kayaking down a beautiful, serene river to the songs of birds and sounds of gently flowing water, they had a short hike to a clearing far enough from the main road that it was left undisturbed by campers where they had lunch. Caleb and Lars were warned not to eat too much as they were next planned to hike up a mountain.

Sadly, neither of them listened to their friends and heeded the advice of their stomachs. Both of them got cramps on their way up the mountain to which no one really gave any sympathy. Mary even offered to kick of their stomachs to get them to throw up and 'lighten the load'. Neither took her up on her offer.

Again, that left no time to talk to Lars privately.

Though they did not reach the summit, the view was still spectacular and Ben revealed that there was a private restaurant constructed on the large outcropping just for them.

"This was a failed venture for an entrepreneur a long time ago," Ben said, as they all sat down on the broad, outdoor table. The table was shaped like a semicircle so that they all had a view of the beautiful sunset as it rapidly approached. "The idea was that diners would be able to sit on a table like this and then cranes and a glass-bottom platform would move them out over the forest. They'd be able to have fine dining and the stunning experience of effectively eating over the Canadian forests."

"What happened to it?" Caleb asked as their first course came. Seared scallops with a spicy, fragrant mustard-like sauce littered with watercress and, of all things, flowers. He jabbed one scallop with a fork -

Whack!

"Ow!"

"This is fine dining," Mary said, lowering her hand. "You have to savour the taste not shovel it into your muzzle and barely chew."

Grumbling, Caleb delicately sliced a scallop in half and spread some of the sauce over it. Begrudgingly, it was fantastic. The sweetness of the scallop mixed with the sauce formed a perfect balance of flavour and the texture was just excellent.

"A whole lot of things," Ben answered to Caleb's original question. "First, there was the fact that being so high up meant constantly high winds and that sort of disrupted people's dining experience. They were constantly afraid of being blown off not to mention the fact that waiters would have to carry meals, barely supported, across a thin platform. Then there was the fact that when winter came around, this place wasn't even plausible because it'd be covered in snow and you couldn't risk the major novel attraction due to the weather. Oh and let's not forget about the mutant oyster invasion."

Everyone stopped eating their scallops and looked up at the werewolf.

"The what now?" Alex asked.

Ben shrugged and just kept eating his food as if it was of little concern. "The restaurant was growing desperate so they hired the villain-for-hire Doctor Splicer to do something to bring in the profits. Splicer created these massive_oysters about the size of your dinner plate right now. They could produce the most _delicious oyster meat around save the restaurant on costs as they could put up that oyster as a whole meal. It got pretty popular until the oysters gained sentience, rebelled and killed everyone in the restaurant."

Caleb wasn't sure if Ben was joking or not but he had heard of stranger things occurring. He was an Outsider of course.

"And your family bought this place after a massacre?" Ashton asked.

"Of course. After that, no one wanted to buy it so it came cheaply. These days, if we feel like having some fine dining out in Canada, we fly out to one of the ten private restaurants we own. Of course we have to book a week or so in advance to get the chefs ready but it's all good."

"The Connors family is rather well off," the tiger said, shaking his head in surprise. "Why would they send their child to a public school?"

Remembering Ashton's keen deductive skills, Caleb feared for Ben's secret identity. Ashton just knew Caleb was Weapons Master and Lance was Feral Fang. The identities of the other Outsiders remained a secret let alone the Alpha Pack.

"That was my choice," answered Ben, finishing off his meal. "The rich world just isn't the real world, you know."

"I suppose so..."

"Eat up. There's still eight more courses to go."

Though Caleb was left with his stomach growling for more, he could not deny that every course was delectable and would forever remain in his memory as perhaps the best meal he had ever had barring the quantity. As they ate, the talked. The backdrop of the sunset was perfect and as the temperature began to drop, the waiters and waitresses set out heat lamps that kept them warm. A band even came in to entertain them as well as a magician, much to Lars' amusement. Dessert was the most entertaining as everyone got a different type of dessert from the menu and then they just rotated their dishes around the table to taste each one. They did this after seeing Caleb and Lars share theirs.

Sadly, in such a group setting, Caleb couldn't ask Lars about what had happened and he was growing anxious that his time was rapidly running out.

He promised himself, "Tomorrow. It has to be tomorrow."

After the meal, Ben drove them back to the cabin where they all settled in for the evening. Caleb had one of the most restful sleeps he had ever had in weeks. No Gene Stealers to worry about, no semi-incestuous relationship with his brother, no mind-reading neighbour or superhero father.

The only thing nagging at him was his conversation with Lars but, again, he promised himself, "Tomorrow."

It was all quite relaxing and he would've slept in until noon if it weren't for Ben using an air horn to wake him before dawn.

Ben had organised a mountain biking session that needed some preparation time along a set trail to return back to the cabin for some free time. He apparently wanted to catch the sunrise, thus the early morning wakeup call. Still somewhat reeling from the hike on a full stomach, grumpy at being woken up so early and starved for a hearty meal, Caleb politely refused and decided to stay behind. Lars shared the same sentiments, much to his relief, as did Ashton. Mary eagerly went on the trip alongside Alex and Swayne.

Caleb stuffed himself full of red meats for breakfast and was just getting to confront when he spied Ashton sitting at the central lounge area, his tablet in his paws. He quickly made himself a steak salad sandwich using the remnants of steak from breakfast and wandered over to him.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"Hmmm?" the tiger responded, his eyes lingering on the device. "Oh, just looking over the old news reports about the Gene Stealers and their activities as released by the FBI. I was curious to see if there are any connections between the attacks of Gnoll and the ones done recently by Minos."

Caleb smiled and slumped beside the tiger. "Anything good."

"One thing. Ambiance Logistics Incorporated. Ring any bells?"

That name did. "During the Gnoll Outbreak, our resident techy discerned that the locations attacked by the Gnoll have all had to do with Ambiance. We also found that Ambiance was acquired by the Reacher Investing Corporation. Why?"

The tiger let out a thoughtful noise. "In the past few weeks, there have been a lot of people thought to be missing but police all chalked them up to have been transformed. Most of them were found but four others weren't. One of them is Manny Goldman, Dylan White and Neil Rossman. All three are employees of Ambiance. The fourth is Shawn Kuthrasalam, a senior bartender at the pub that was attacked."

Three Ambiance employee were still missing and a fourth... Four bulls were supers. Now that he thought about it, back at the Spit Roast and Bullhorn attacks, one of the supers had called the other 'Dylan' and the other 'Neil'. Could it be...?

"What are your theories?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," answered Ashton with a shrug. "Why are they targeting Ambiance? It's a logistics company meaning that its primary objective is moving stuff around. Reacher_is a budding investing company that's trying to make it big and reach beyond West California Island. Maybe the Gene Stealers are working for or possess _Reacher and they're trying to develop ways to move their operations off island?"

Caleb shook his head. "That's not it. We've got reports from other Outsider teams of Gene Stealer activity across the country and other states. Not as prominent as West Cali, though. We seem to have the brunt of it."

"So the Gene Stealers already have the capacity to move off the island. Besides, I suppose it wouldn't make sense to attack the assets of a company you already possess..." Ashton shrugged. "Eh, sorry. I 'm a nosy tiger who gets involved in things he shouldn't."

"Trust me, I know," Caleb said, finishing off his sandwich. He licked his paws clean. "So... the others won't be back until later on in the afternoon. What do you feel like doing?"

Ashton leaned back into his seat but still facing Caleb. "Tell me about the day you discovered your powers. What was it like? I already got the story from Mary with her generic 'I was born this way and I was almost sent to the insane asylum' tale but I have not heard it from you."

"You know about Mary?"

"Of course. I know all about the rest of the Outsiders. She was quite vocal about it."

"Damnit, Mary!" he growled. "So, you know about Alex, Lars and Ben?"

"The victim, the turncoat and the criminal."

"That's funny because everyone thinks you only know about me and are trying to tailor everything they say to keep you ignorant."

Ashton smirked. "I know. That's what makes it so fun." He bobbed his head from side to side. "I'll tell them eventually. But tell me about your powers. How did you come to learn of them?"

"I didn't so much as learn of them as accidentally stumble onto them."

Caleb recalled that day. He had awoken and for a moment, it felt like everything in the world was... alien to him, different. He had a vague recollection of what everything should be but when he looked at it, it just wasn't.

"It's like when I look at this table," he said, "I know it should be a table. Made of wood. Used for dining. But it just seems... off..."

"Off?"

"I don't know how to describe it. When I look at it, it just seems... wrong. I can see what's wrong with it and it's not something I can easily describe. There isn't some fancy letters or runes that only I can see or whatever and there's some part of it missing. It's like I know that if I touched it a certain way, if I held it at just the right angle, if I hit it with just the right amount of force or just think about it differently, it'll be right. And when I do that, it turns into a weapon and that's when it seems complete to me."

He felt Ashton's confusion before he saw it on the tiger's face. "I know, it sounds weird but that's just how it is to me. It still is. Over the past few months, I've sort of been able to selectively see what things are wrong to me with the world. It used to be that everything just felt wrong and I was afraid to touch anything because it would turn into a weapon. But now..." He shrugged and regarded the pillow beside him, running a paw across its length. "... I can avoid it. Just ignore it. Mary and Bren helped me control it."

Ashton was smiling.

"What?" Caleb asked, blushing lightly. "You're giving me that sympathetic 'you're crazy' look."

"Because you are crazy," the tiger laughed. "But in this world of ours, the 'crazy' and 'insane' are just terms we give to those things beyond our description and that don't fit in our definition of 'sane'. It doesn't necessarily mean you're mentally disabled. I suppose you only sound crazy to others but to you, it makes sense."

Ashton inclined his head to the side. "Huh."

"What?"

"Have you ever considered the Dimensional Displacement Theory?"

"Can't say I've ever heard of that," he answered with a shake of his head. "Isn't that some sort of banned insecticide?"

Ashton straightened and tapped a few keys on his tablet. He then handed it to Caleb. The screen showed a Wikipedia page on the DDT.

"In essence the DDT is the theory that our space exists in three describable physical dimensions because we are three dimensional creatures. However, if you consider the possibility that a creature could exist in a single dimension and we were to observe it, it would seem strange to us but because the creature cannot see the other two dimensions, it cannot see us let alone fathom us. However, if we were to displace ourselves and make ourselves enter a one dimensional world, we will have the characteristics of one of them but the knowledge on three dimensions. So much so that we have the understanding of three dimensions."

Caleb scanned the article with some interest. It was mainly geared towards what people called 'lesser dimensions' especially with interdimensional travel present and quite frequent amongst supers. It stated that if a person from the present dimension were to enter a plane of 'lower' existence such as a dimension where everything and everyone was based around a fire, introducing the characteristics of a dimension that possessed more than fire could affect that reality drastically. A person could throw in some ice into the dimension and steam and water could be introduced.

However, all such changes would always be temporary unless the change was colossal. As per another theory - conveniently linked on the page - the Theory of Dimensional Conservation stated that a reality was bound to certain laws. If those laws were broken, the reality would automatically go on to fixing it. Creatures not native to the dimension would gradually take the shape of the natives and any changes they made would eventually dissipate.

This 'displacement' of knowledge and matter is the basis of the DDT.

"So...?" he ventured slowly.

"What if you're actually from a different dimension?" Ashton exclaimed, spreading his arms wide with a grin. "What if you came from a higher dimension than our own and your inherent understanding of, I don't know, the fourth dimension is what allows you to mould the entire environment into weapons of mass destruction!"

He stared at Ashton with an amused smile that he thought got the 'are you crazy' look pretty down pat. "Right... So if that's the case, it's been eighteen years since I was found by my dad in the streets. Why did my powers manifest in my teen years instead of remain strong when I was young and fade with time as per the Theory of Dimensional Conservation instead of actually growing stronger the more I use it?"

The tiger frowned. "Oh... Huh... I had not considered that... Darn, and I thought we were close to a breakthrough... I guess this was an exercise in futile exposition then."

"I smell a red herring," Caleb snorted with a grin. "Let's just accept the fact that I am what I am and leave it at that. The way I figure it, I'm a Hale. I'm an Outsider. I'm not going to bother with the 'why' of it just as long as I do the right thing."

Ashton sighed and crossed his arms behind his head. "That's an admirable stance. Most people can't take not knowing."

"Yeah but those people end up being supervillains or making world-ending mistakes." Caleb absently plucked a piece of meat from between his fangs. "I'm happy with what I've got right now in my medium of blissful ignorance and the burden of knowledge."

He got a laugh out of that. "Okay then. As we have discussed the philosophy of your powers, what would you like to do then? Shall we discuss the political ramifications of the Gene Stealer threat being made public? Or perhaps you'd like to listen to some music by ancient, celebrated artists such as Beethoven, Mozart or Cher?"

The word 'artists' inspired a thought in Caleb's mind.

"How about I draw that nude of you?"

Ashton bolted upright. "What? I thought we agreed -"

"Yeah but it's good practice for me," Caleb answered with a smile. "Come on, strip."

Two big, meaty arms suddenly sprang out of nowhere and seized both Caleb and Ashton's shoulders. "What's this about drawing people nude?" demanded Lars.

"Dude!" Caleb cried, pushing the Doberman away with a blush on his cheek. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"I sensed a disturbance in the Force," Lars answered, leaping over the back of the sofa and seating himself right between Ashton and Caleb. "So, are we doing nude poses again?"

Ashton gave Caleb a confused look to which Caleb said, "To get over my phobia, I practiced on Lars first. I drew him nude."

"I see... What brought on this epiphany?"

Caleb went into describing that moment of inspiration without giving any thought. "We were in Lars' new pickup and he had just given me this new art tablet and pen. I wanted to test it out and then the light hit him just right that every angle on his square jaw was perfectly highlighted, strands of fur actually looked golden and when he smiled, it was like an once-in-a-lifetime moment that you just had to capture. Then, when we went into his apartment, after practicing his lines a little, I got him to lie on the couch and I started sketching his pose. He just looked heroic. Like the brooding, superhero without his costume, without his mild-manner alter ego lain bare upon the world, thinking about his place, just him."

...

"Oh... I see," Ashton said with a grin, his eyes darting between Lars and Caleb. "It's like that, isn't it?"

"Like what?" Caleb responded. "What're you talking about?"

"You really should spend more time in the theatre, Caleb," chuckled the tiger. His eyes glinted with mischief. "Tell you what I'm going to do." He stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. "I'm going to strip down until I'm wearing nothing at all but my fur. Lars is going to do the same. Then, we're both going to start posing in front of you until you find that same muse that inspired you to push yourself past that initial awkwardness of drawing a man's penis."

"What!?" Lars exclaimed. "Are you pimpin' me out!?"

"Apparently so. Are you complaining?"

Caleb smiled. "I think it's a great idea."

*****

Far in the mountains, Mary suddenly ground to a halt, bringing the column of bikers to a halt.

"Is something wrong?" Ben asked. He wasn't riding a bike. Without Ashton around, he had reverted to his lupine form and loped easily beside the bikers.

She smiled gently as she gazed back towards the west, towards the cabin. "My hot sex senses are tingling."

"What? Are you serious!? Those three!?"

Suddenly she lost her smile. It was faint but she sensed... something. Something she hadn't sensed for a weak. She tried to hone in on it but couldn't find anything except for... for...

Her eyes widened and she spun towards the others. "We need to go back to the cabin!" she cried suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"Bullhorn and Spit Roast are there! Mike, take Alex and find somewhere safe! Stay in contact. Ben! Let's go!"

*****

Lars wasn't sure what was happening but when Caleb said that it was a great idea in that charmingly innocent way of his, he couldn't say no. Suddenly, he was sitting a little awkwardly next to Ashton, his paws clasped over his sheath and balls while Ashton sat beside him, arms behind his head and exposing himself completely to Caleb.

"Uh... Lars," Caleb said. "You're sitting a little stiffly. Relax a little, bud. Like you did before."

"Alright..." he shuffled a little and in the noise of his bare rump shifting on the couch he muttered something to Ashton from the corner of his muzzle. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Hey Cale?" Ashton asked. "Mind grabbing us a glass of water? I'm a little parched." The wolf nodded and went to the kitchen. While his back was turned, Ashton spoke in the softest whisper. "I can see that you're after him as well. I can respect that. But he is currently unattached. He is fair game to both of us. I do hope you wouldn't mind the extra competition?"

"You don't know?" Lars hissed. "Caleb is fucking his adoptive-brother! Those two are in a relationship."

The tiger raised an eyebrow. "A tale fit for the British blue bloods and monarchy. A reason he's more suited for me, don't you think?"

"What? And he's a fucking American!"

Ashton smirked at him. "Come on. The day he puts on a ring is the day I will stop vying for his affection. Or if and when I find someone else that makes me feel like I've met a kindred spirit."

Lars snorted. A kindred spirit? Was that the only basis for the feline's attraction? He glanced over to where Caleb reached into the fridge and began pouring some water into two glasses. "That's all you've got? I've been his best bud for months. We've got football in common, Outsider stuff and the _Tower Thirteen_series!"

The tiger flashed him a challenging stare. "The what?"

Got him. Loudly, Lars said, "Hey Cale! You know Ashton has never heard of TT!?"

The reply from the wolf was a staunch, "Blasphemy!"

He grinned down at the tiger. "Your move, Stripes. Oh wait..."

The feline was not perturbed and crossed one leg over his genitals playfully. "Bring it on, Yank."

Caleb brought them both their glasses of cold water. Lars barely drank any of his and set it down on the table. Then, he lifted his arms and rested it against the back of the couch, spreading his legs nice and wide so Caleb got the perfect view of his package. He gave Caleb his sexiest grin. Beside him, Ashton rested his elbow on the couch's armrest and gave him an exasperated stare.

"Uh... Not feeling it guys," Caleb said. "It looks way too contrived... Try something else?"

Contrived... contrived... he had to try not to look so contrived. How would he do that while still trying to prove to Caleb that he was the sexier stud?

Unfortunately, Ashton came up with a solution.

Lars suddenly felt a bolt of cold pain explode from his left nipple as the tiger pressed the freezing glass of cold water up against the sensitive flesh.

"Yeow! Cold!"

"Ha!" Caleb laughed, giving Lars that brightening smile. "That's what I'm looking for! Relax, man! Both of you just act natural."

"You want natural?" Lars snarled, yanking the glass from a smirking Ashton. "How's this!?" He threw the glass straight at the tiger. Big cats may like water but the frigid liquid was more than even the tiger's thick fur could take.

"Buggery-fuck!" Ashton cried, leaping to his feet and hugging himself. "What the bloody hell was that for!?"

"You need to chill, bro," Lars answered, with a smirk. "Just helping ya out." He gave Ashton a cocky smirk as if to say, 'See, Brits aren't the only ones that can make witty remarks.'

"Cute. But you see to have forgotten one thing."

Lars used his super speed to immediately snatch his glass from the table before Ashton could get to it. The tiger's eyes went wide in horror as the Doberman stood up to his full seven foot plus height.

"Okay now, mate," Ashton began, backing away. "Let's not get too hasty."

"You seem tense, mate," he said. "Cool off." Ashton flinched as Lars lifted the glass... and dipped its contents into his muzzle. Ashton relaxed... which was his mistake. The Doberman immediately spat the water straight at his rival.

"Bloody hell!" cried the tiger, leaping away. "What are you, ten!? That's disgusting!"

"Why don't you lick yourself clean, you stripeless Brit?"

"Oh that's funny," Ashton snarled. "Rest assured I won't give you the satisfaction of watching me do what you canines are always so fond of doing."

"Fine. Let me do it for you."

"What!?"

He slammed straight into the tiger, hoisting the feline onto his shoulders and spinning him around multiple times until Ashton began proclaiming that he was getting sick. Grinning all the way, he threw Ashton back on the couch before planting himself right on top, pinning him down. Grinning, Lars made a show of running his tongue up Ashton's cheeks.

"Lick!" he cried loudly. "Lick! Lick! Lick!"

"Gross!" Ashton cried, trying to push him away. "Stop it, you're -"

They both stopped for a second. Despite the cold from Ashton's wet fur, both of them were instantly aware of the warmth coming from the tiger's groin. Lars slowly trailed his eyes down from the tiger's firm pecs, down the visible abdominal muscles and then to the half-erect feline cock just starting to poke out of the plump sheath. In response to the warmth, Lars' own cock was starting to swell.

"Umm..." Lars began softly.

"When was the last time since you got any tail...?" Ashton asked softly.

"Months..."

"Hrmmm... Me too..."

"Uhmmm..."

"Ahem."

Both them froze... and slowly turned their heads to where Caleb sat a few feet away, a visible tent in his pants.

"Lars, would you mind pulling your arm back a little. I can't see Ashton's face. Ash, can you curl your leg around Lars' waist? I think it'd be more dramatic that way. Hell Ash, if you could be on top..."

Lars immediately prised himself from the tiger, sitting up straight and a deep blush on his cheeks. "Uh... Sorry, got a little carried away there..."

"I can tell," Caleb answered, pointing his pen at Lars' groin. "Coming to full mast there, bro."

Lars shut his eyes and tried to will his erection to go down but it was just not working. He tried thinking of dead kittens... or saggy, old, breasts... even his own mother but none of that worked. His thoughts just kept returning to the wolf who sat just a few feet away from him. His cheeks were absolutely burning by the time the first drop of precum dripped down his nine inch cock and touched the base.

He gasped when he felt a warm paw wrap around it. "Fuck, Ashton..." he muttered.

"That's not me."

He opened his eyes and found Caleb parking himself right between the two of them. With his other paw, Caleb unzipped his own pants and exposed his own cock to the air. Lars licked his lips at the sight of that delectable ten-inch rocket. He remembered it had been an inch shorter but ever since Caleb had become infected by the hyena strain, it seemed to have grown a little. Part of him quivered in delight at the thought of what might happen if Caleb got infected with the Minos strain. Would his cock grow bigger? His balls larger? More muscle?

"This stays in this room, okay?" Caleb asked softly.

"O... Okay..." Lars murmured.

Caleb glanced over his shoulder. "Ash, you mind sticking your fingers into your ears and making the 'la-la' sound?"

"Not at all," Ashton responded, a strange evil glint in his eyes that reminded Lars of Mary's many plots and mind fucks. "La-la-la-la-la..."

Caleb turned back to Lars, his blue eyes staring fiercely into Lars' soul. "Okay... Last week, you know what nearly happened."

"We nearly died?"

"No that!" growled the wolf. "You and I..." Caleb grimaced. "Look, I'm with Lance, okay? But that day, when you and I nearly kissed... It left its mark on me. I want to be with Lance but I can't do that if you're in the back of my mind, constantly making me wonder what would have happened if we kissed and if there's something there between us."

"Is there?" Lars asked, trying to keep himself from whimpering.

"I don't know. That's why I want to find out. I... I want to kiss you, Lars. I want to jack you off just like I did with Lance when our relationship began. And after it all... I want you to tell me, truthfully, if there is anything these. Can you promise me that...?"

Lars couldn't believe it. Caleb was going to touch him in that way_and actually kiss him! Not as a prank either. A true, exploratory kiss! It was still so _far from where he wanted to be but it was a step in the right direction. Or... Or was it? What happens if Caleb didn't feel anything? Could Lars still claim to have feelings for him?

"Alright, I promise," he responded softly.

"I promise too," chimed in Ashton.

"Damnit, Ash! Stop listening!" Caleb swallowed nervously, eyes back at Lars "I'm going to kiss you now..." He began to lean in, searching Lars' eyes nervously.

Unable to break away from that gaze, it was all Lars could do not to seize the back of Caleb's head and pull their lips into a passionate collision. But that would reveal his feelings... that would tell Caleb that he wanted him and he was still undecided on what he should say! He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he missed the moment of connection and he was only aware of Caleb's lips against him when the wolf breathed.

Bolts of joy shot through his body, locking him up entirely. Every muscle in his body froze, every bone on fire. His heart beat an up-beat tango in his heart, beckoning Caleb's to join him in a romantic moonlit dance while they were serenaded by a brilliant orchestra. Their eyes, however, were still searching; looking for that spark...

Did Caleb actually want a spark...?

Then... Lars began to pull away. It was like tearing a limb from himself. It was painful, it made his heart bleed and his mind scream out in protest. He knew it was wrong. But...

"Anything?" he asked softly.

Caleb pursed his lips... and slowly shook his head. "Sorry," he whispered, trying to hide the relief in his voice but a smile was creeping onto his lips. "Guess it was just hormones."

"Yeah," Lars answered though his heart was breaking. "You're one horny fucker."

"Look who's talking," Caleb snickered, squeezing Lars' cock.

The Doberman winced for more than one reason. "Dude, you're sending mixed signals right now."

"Come on. We're buds right. I'm horny, you're horny. What do you say we just finish up?"

"Isn't this how things started with your brother?"

"You're right..." Without warning, Caleb reached over with his other paw and seized Ashton's cock. The tiger's fur fluffed out and he looked genuinely shocked. "Better?"

Lars grinned. "Not quite. Come 'ere kitty!" He seized Ashton's paws and pulled the tiger directly in front of them, forcing the feline onto his paws and knees. Those green eyes looked up at them both, eyes wide and not sure what to expect. "Stay down."

A moment of realisation touched the tiger's eyes quickly replaced by lust. Smirking, Lars reached over and gripped Caleb's cock, making the wolf let out a loud hum of appreciation. He shivered at finally being able to touch his crush's member even if it was a symbol of defeat. It was painful trying to keep on his lusty expression as he ran his paw up that throbbing length. The touch was electric and every inch that touched his bare paw pads tempted him more and more to dive straight for Caleb's tonsils.

He knew he could do it... he knew he could overpower Caleb, he was just an Outsider after all. Some part of him had this distant hope that if he could just get his cock in his best friend, tie with him, give him a mating bite, they'd magically fall in love. But as Caleb leaned back, huffing with rising arousal, he knew it wasn't possible. It just would never be.

Lars groaned both in defeat and arousal. Caleb's paw on his cock felt so right. He couldn't keep his eyes off the handsome wolf and it tore him up inside that he had effectively damned himself to never being able to confess his affection.

Mary had been right. Not knowing was killing him but now that he knew the truth, it was crushing. Still, she had been wrong about hope. It left the heart wanting for something unattainable but tempered with knowledge, hope still had the power to keep him going. He would still hold that flame... no matter what.

He grunted softly as Caleb's paw bumped against his knot. "Whoa... Whoa, slow down there, bud. You're gonna make me blow..."

"You need to work on your stamina," Caleb replied with a smirk, his eyes closed. He looked so stunning in the afternoon light. Lars wanted to make this moment last forever.

When a soft, wet tongue brushed up against his balls, he was pulled back into reality, tearing his gaze away from Caleb. His looked down at Ashton's smirk, the tiger lapping at his balls with that coarse tongue. The sensation sent shivers all the way up Lars' body and he almost lost it there. A large globule of precum dripped from the tip of his cock, every instinct in his body just _begging_for release. Only sheer force of will pushed him back.

"Awww fuck..." Caleb murmured. "Careful with the claws, Ash."

Beside him, Caleb was getting his balls fondled affectionately by the tiger. Lars growled softly, almost possessively but Ashton just winked at him. He was never more sure than that moment that he wanted Caleb all to himself. His foot jerked towards Ashton. He would've kicked the tiger halfway across the room if he hadn't reigned himself in and pressed his bare paws against the tiger's junk. The barbs on that cock felt odd against his toes but by the way the tiger murred softly, he knew he had hit the sweat spot.

If at the very least, he'd get the tiger to cum before him.

He pushed Ashton's member against those solid abdominal muscles lightly concealed by thick, white belly fur, making at effort to run his paw up and down its length as much as possible. He could feel Ashton's body quake and quiver beneath him, that long unstriped tail thrashing left and right.

Caleb's grip around his cock tightened and Lars was made to grit his teeth, trying to keep himself from orgasming at that moment. He felt Caleb's own knot pushing up against his paw, giving him a target. Unfortunately, Ashton beat him to the punch as the tiger began pushing down on the fleshy bulb. Caleb's hips bucked and the wolf shuddered.

"Fuuuuck..." he moaned.

Lars took solace that he could at least make his best friend feel good even if it was with the assistance of Ashton. He yearned for the touch of their bodies together, their large, muscled shaped compressed against one another, rock-hard abs grinding in tandem while their firm, broad pecs rubbed the sweat rolling off their volcanic bodies further into their fur and merging their scents into one, delightful aroma.

He had to at least touch Caleb some other way. His flesh yearned for it.

He switched his grip on Caleb's paw to his right paw. With his left, he wrapped it around Caleb's shoulders, shuffling towards his bed bud. Their shoulders pressed against one another; the touch of the wolf's smooth, soft fur and iron-hard muscles a touch of heaven on earth.

Caleb growled softly.

Had he crossed the line? Was this too familiar?

"Fuuck... I'm gonna blow," the wolf panted, opening his eyes. "Too soon..."

"Allow me to entertain you then," answered Ashton, turning his attention from Lars to Caleb. He pressed his muzzle against Caleb's cock, his rough tongue lashing out lightly and rubbing against the wolf's sensitive knot. Lars was hesitant to let go of Caleb's member but he told himself that as long as Caleb was happy, so was he.

Just as he was pulling his paw away though, Caleb's free paw seized his, holding it tightly. The contact startled Lars. They were holding paws! Images of idyllic, romantic moments passed through his mind, erasing the Canadian cabin that smelled of werewolf and replaced it with sunset walks down beachfronts, picnics on grassy knolls, dinners on skyscrapers to the shower of fireworks and Christmases spend in front of the fireplace.

The wolf's face was contorted in that look of pre-orgasming pleasure. He was panting loudly, fighting against his body's urges to release his seed all over Ashton's muzzle. When the tiger took that ten inch member into his muzzle, Caleb dipped his head back, lips forming an 'o'. His grip around Lars' cock grew even tighter, his motions growing so feverish that Lars could barely hold himself back.

"Aw shit..." Caleb moaned. "Ash... I'm gonna cum... Fuck! Ash! FUCK!"

Caleb's hips thrust forward and dove right into Ashton's throat. The tiger didn't even flinch as he took the entire length and drew one long, suck. Caleb's entire body quaked as he was drained of his seed, Ashton's eyes rolled back in pleasure. Lars became aware of a hot, wet splash against his foot which was still firmly placed against the tiger's cock.

Caleb jerked again as another splash of cum erupted from his cock, this time shocking Ashton and making the tiger choke. Lars drew some satisfaction from that as the tiger pulled away and coughed, a small splatter of Caleb's seed resting on his muzzle. Another eruption came too soon and got Ashton right between the eyes.

Sighing loudly, Caleb slumped back into the couch, the exhaustion of afterglow instantly wrapping around him.

"Your turn," Ashton said.

Lars barely got a word in before Ashton prised Caleb's exhausted paws off of his cock and replaced it with his muzzle. The large Doberman gasped as the warmth of a muzzle closed around his cock. This wasn't his first blowjob. High school was ripe with cheerleaders that wanted to go down on the quarterback and back before he had well and truly known that he was gay, he got blown often. This felt just like one of those times; arousing but empty. His eyes rested on Caleb... and he wondered what it would be like to be that close to his best bud.

He let out a hiss and instinctively gripped Caleb closer to himself. The wolf, sighing contently, rested his head on Lars' shoulder. That contact alone made Lars buck his hips and relinquish his grip on his self-control. His seed spilled into Ashton's throat, just draining away into that hole without any meaning...

When Lars sighed, it was out of disappointment, not contentment.

It felt good... but not right... as long as Caleb's heart belonged to another, he could never feel 'right'.

At least... At least he got to hold Caleb close to him.

He settled into the couch, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of afterglow and Caleb's heavenly scent take him. His nose twitched as if knowing that this moment would probably be the last when he would share such a tender moment with his best friend ever. He strove to memorise every detail; the cabin, the expression on Caleb's face, the steady breathing coming from the wolf's broad, muscled chest and the scent of fire and ash in the air...

... fire and ash...?

Lars suddenly straightened, inadvertently shoving his cock deeper into Ashton's throat and making the tiger choke.

"Hey! Warn me next time, will ya mate?" Ashton asked.

As a fire-flinging super, he knew the scent of fire anywhere. Arcturus had taught him how to sense flames and he had developed a sort of sixth sense for them. Ultimately, the Hound of Death wanted him to be able to control flames that were not in direct contact with him as currently, he could just control fire coming from his body. The first step was to sense the flames.

And he certainly sensed flames.

"Something wrong?" Caleb murmured, yawning.

"Fire," he answered. He tried to focus but the flames he felt were all around him. The cabin seemed fine... until he looked past their windows.

"Oh shit..."

Lars seized his pants and charged out of the cabin, barely stopping himself at the bannister.

All around him, the skies were blanketed by thick, black smoke. The crackle of fire overwhelmed his sensitive ears. Though the clearing was left relatively untouched, he could see the roaring flames flickering between the sturdy tree trunks. It was rapidly expanding!

Amongst the scent of flames, though... he also detected two other scents...

The scents of two bulls...

He followed the scent, turning his gaze down the driveway.

"Oh fuck me..."