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Lykos Chapter 5 (Status Quo)

Colleges across the world drew wide demographics of people to their campuses. Some were low income and there on grants and scholarships, some had family investments that got them there. Some were republicans, other democrats. There were those steeped into counter culture and those that sought out the norm. Of all the students on campus, Udo still felt more different than most. He moved down the hallway of Keller hall, looking at the white painted cinder block walls and the press board doors, feeling a bit anxious.

Udo was barely eighteen years old, a freshman in month four of his higher education. He'd barely managed to scrape into acceptance at the school, but his parents had jumped at the chance and he'd been whisked away. Udo had arrived with jet black hair, black and purple clothes, pale skin and a loner's attitude... but the truth was he'd just wanted to be loved. He wanted to reinvent himself. He'd just done it with the wrong person. Now he felt like he had a chance to try again.

Udo came to a stop outside of Marco's door, taking a deep breath as he reached up to brush the blond bangs out of his eyes, gritting his teeth a bit at the sight of them. Ever since he'd become a werewolf it had become useless to dye his hair. Every time he changed, the dye was rejected and his hair returned to its natural color. Udo pushed that out of his mind and summoned his courage before knocking on the door before him. He had to thank Marco for saving him at the full moon. In all honesty he hadn't felt like words alone were enough, but he knew Marco was a moral man, a man that wouldn't take advantage of him... and also apparently a man that took time to answer his door.

The young werewolf turned his head and listened, hearing a scuffling on the other side of the door before it opened abruptly. Marco stood there wearing hastily pulled on pajama pants, his black hair ruffled, his nipples a bit hard. Udo looked at Marco with a smile, but then the smell hit him. It was the smell of heat, of werewolf dander and sweat, of musk and even sex. Udo's eyes glazed over a bit as he readjusted his focus, looking into the room itself. The two twin beds had been pushed from opposite sides of the room to the dead center, creating a double wide bed. Udo's eyes drifted to the two figures laying across the bed; Marco's roommate Fletcher, and Marco's former rival Artyom. Fletcher was dozing peacefully, but Yom was looking right at the door where Udo was, sucking on a clawed finger.

"Oh, hey Udo." Marco said a bit bashfully, looking flustered that he'd been interrupted from doing whatever he was doing moments before. Udo stood there a moment, his jaw a but slack as he contemplated, his eyes slowly widening in wonder.

"You... Really.. did? Already?" Udo asked with gasping awe.

"Did what?" Marco asked, genuinely confused. Udo's awe turned into a grin. He pushed past Marco into the room slowly, his black fingernails drifting to his zipper. Udo steadily drew it down, unclicking several straps next before his jacket came off, revealing a simple purple t-shirt beneath. His main belt came out next before his skinny jeans were peeled downwards. Marco muttered under his breath before he quickly shut the door.

"Udo, what are you doing?" Marco asked with some urgency.

"I came here to talk to you about the last full moon, about what you did for me. I wanted to talk about joining campus safety like you, but I get here and see this? This is wonderful... You made your own pack. You're an alpha now." Udo cooed, approaching the bed in his underwear. He put his hands on the wooden frame, looking Yom right in the eyes. As he met eyes with Yom, his blue eyes turned green and then yellow before he showed his fangs, licking his lips. Yom rolled over onto his back and opened his arm wide. Udo needed no further invitation before jumping onto the bed, rolling onto his back, looking at Marco. Marco moved forward slowly in confusion.

"Udo, this... it isn't a pack, we're just - stuff is complicated, okay?" Marco muttered. Udo reached down, running his hand up and down across the swelling bulge in his purple underwear.

"I told you there's a difference when it is offered freely. Your pack, I want in." Udo said. Marco hesitated.

"I... I don't know if it works like that, I mean I'm just... I don't even know what goes into making a pack. This is all moving really fast." Marco muttered. Yom reached around Udo's bare chest and started teasing at his right nipple while looking at Marco.

"An alpha takes what he wants, rules with those he trusts, forges the family he needs... You have Fletcher, you have me, but you changed Udo's life too. Can't leave the kid out in the cold. Besides, he could be fun." Yom said. Marco's shoulders slumped.

"I just kept him from getting fucked, by you for the record... It's what anyone would have done." Marco muttered. Yom chuckled at that, shaking his head.

"It's so much more than that... You altered the status quo, shifted equilibrium. You lifted the kid up from being an omega to being a beta." Yom said.

"Even if that's true, it isn't like I know what I'm doing." Marco said.

"You don't have to know what you're doing. You just have to follow your instincts... And I'm hoping your instincts are telling you to get back into bed with your pack." Udo said gently, licking his lips again.

Marco stood there for a long moment in hesitation. It had taken days for him to get adjusted to the idea of having Fletcher and Yom as lovers. Being with two men felt like it was going to break his mind, but after seeing the monster that Yom had become with love rejected, he couldn't take any chances... and when he had let his guard down, it had hit him like a ton of bricks. Marco had two men that loved him, two men that would give everything to him and they could co-exist. That realization had led into days of kissing, cuddling, snuggling and various degrees of fucking... but now there was another man in his bed.

For a long moment Marco repeated events in his recent life before he slowly climbed up onto the bed, moving over. Fletcher stirred a bit from his sleep, opening one brown eye before he smiled, opening the other, hesitating when he saw someone else in the bed. It took a few clicks of his brain to lock in on the memory, but then Fletcher knew exactly who Udo was from what Marco had shared.

"When did we get guests?" Fletch asked. Yom reached over and pet Fletcher's buzzed hair. Fletcher smiled and leaned into the hand a bit, though he wrapped both of his hands around Marco's waist as he got back into bed. Udo watched with great anticipating, his yellow eyes taking n every detail of this new pack dynamic. Marco settled down with his spine against Fletcher's chest, his head near Yom's knee.

"Okay... Forgive me being new to all this, I mean... You all have so much more experience than I do." Marco said. Udo shook his head at that.

"Not really, not by much... Just three months." Udo replied. Marco looked surprised at that.

"Three months? You got bit right when you got here?" Marco asked. Udo blushed a bit before nodding.

"It was during the orientation weekend. I wasn't really big on the whole social experience, at least in huge groups. I snuck away and found a cute guy with purple hair... and he was as open to new experiences as I was. He also wasn't afraid to use his teeth, which up until that point I had liked. What I didn't know was that he was a werewolf, or worse, that he was the pack omega." Udo said.

"Normally when a werewolf bites you, you're subservient to him. It builds a hierarchy. Didn't work with you though." Yom grinned.

"So when you got bit by the omega, you became-" Fletcher stopped dead cold.

"The pack bitch... Jesse got out of it and finally got left alone, but they all started coming after me. I barely could make them wait long enough for me to transform." Udo replied before he smiled, "But you changed all that. You protected me, they respected that... and I want to repay you." Udo said.

"I... I mean... I'm glad to help, but you don't have to do anything for me." Marco whispered. Udo reached out slowly, sinking his black nails into Marco's dark beard, dragging his fingers down slowly, feeling how full it was. The hand drifted down, following the curve of Marco's pectoral.

"You have all this strength with just two in your pack. Do you have any idea how much stronger you could be with another?" Udo whispered, leaning in slowly, gazing up at Marco as his lips came ever closer to the alpha's chest before his eyes closed. Marco inhaled sharply as he felt those lips press over his nub. Udo began to lick and tease the nipple before he gently bit it and tugged. Marco groaned at that. After a moment Udo released and leaned back with a grin.

Marco sat there for a moment, feeling shocked and startled, but there was something strange in the pit of his stomach. It felt like butterflies, or moths, or tiny dragons. It was a heat, a power, a desire. The heat rose and tingled in his brain. Marco felt like he was on the edge of something great, of a vast sea of power, but that too startled him. He didn't know if he could control himself and he didn't want to abuse the power like Seamus seemed to.

"This pack isn't like any of the others. It isn't just me, Fletcher's got an equal say in all this." Marco said. Fletcher looked at Marco, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah, I can't play bad cop on this... There's a horny goth werewolf in our bed trying to pledge loyalty. I'm ready for another round." Fletch said. Marco looked let down at that before looking back at Udo.

"Can you respect two masters? Can you keep yourself in check?" Marco asked. Udo nodded quickly. Marco took a short breath, "And you're not just doing this because I saved you? You want to do this?" Marco asked.

"Goths aren't loners. They just respect the darkness, but in that dark you can appreciate the light more easily. You're something different Marco, you were the first person to respect me enough to put me first. That isn't just something honorable, that's something I want to support. I want that idea, that value to flourish. That's why I'll serve you as my alpha." Udo whispered.

"But what if it is too much for me? What if I turn dark?" Marco murmured. Udo brought his head down slowly along Marco's stomach.

"I don't think the light will go out, not if you have your friends to protect you and help you... But if you go dark, I will be your dark servant to pleasure you always." Udo said before he brought his face to nuzzle Marco's groin. Marco's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he leaned back. Yom grinned at that, maneuvering around to lick and kiss Marco's neck before gently biting and nibbling at it. Marco panted even harder, his pajama pants tenting sharply.

A clawed hand reached up and grabbed the back of Fletcher's head, pulling him down into a forceful kiss. Fletcher closed his eyes, pumping his tongue in and out of Marco's mouth, feeling his fangs come in. Fletcher's groin quivered as another orgasm ripped through his body from the mental stimulation of it all. He'd gone dry after so many loads in a row, but his brain still tingled with the treat of it all.

Marco felt the fangs graze his neck as his pajama pants were drawn down, replaced with the hot wet presence of Udo's tongue. It seemed once again he didn't have any choice in the matter, and that he'd gained another wolf in his pack - one that would be with him no matter what path he took. It was inspiring and terrifying, as well as extremely erotic. Marco gave up all hopes of getting out of the dorm room for several more hours, chalking it all up to more pack bonding.

****

Ethan's room typically had been one of ambiance, of comfort and ease. That was not the case today. The colored cloth had been lowered from the lights and the tables were covered with books... ancient books. Some had seen better days, separated from their binding and held together by dust and will power. Others had been taken care of so well they looked as though they were brand new. There were books in Latin, in German, in English.

Ethan sat at the desk, combing through a dark orangey brown book, page by page. Matias was sitting on the bed with a light blue leather book and there were others in the room as well; a red head with freckles and a goatee, a young man with blond dreads pulled back into a pony tail. All were deeply invested in the books. After several moments, Ethan ran a hand over his smooth scalp before he looked at Matias.

"You gave Fletcher a tonic to save his life... What herbs did you use in it?" Ethan asked. Matias reached into his pocket, pulling out the flask with the circle above the wavy watery line.

"Aglaophotis for the most part to fight infection, but also a little bit of Lotus blossom." Matias replied. The blond haired keeper looked up at that.

"You aren't just dealing with herbs and chemicals, you're dealing with ancient magic... You know how powerful visions can be from Lotus." He commented.

"Those so near death need those visions to give them something to hold on to, to keep their mind at peace as their body heals." Matias defended himself.

"Nyctimus wrote that the lotus blossom helped him connect with the days that were yet to come, and the days long lost. This so called Demeas claimed that Fletcher sought him out in order to heal." Ethan said.

"Self sacrifice was one of the traits that broke the curse in the first place. As vile as they are, even the direwolves used to be capable of it." The red head said.

After this many years? Centuries long dead? I don't buy it Joey." The blond said. The red head rolled his eyes.

"It isn't in Fletcher's nature to act that way, to choke someone... Or to have his eyes turn solid black." Ethan added.

"We're keepers. We're meant to keep the peace, to keep the safety, to keep the balance." The blond said, crossing his arms, "If this kid connected with the first alpha of the fang clan, we can't risk him getting out. They have no care about anonymity. We should give him umdhlebi sap."

"Samuel, are you out of your mind?!" Ethan asked harshly, "You want to flat out kill him? You didn't even believe this was possible a moment ago."

"I still don't, but if this is Demeas, than the threat justifies the ends." Sam replied. Ethan gritted his teeth.

"It's obvious that we don't know enough to reach a conclusion about this. We need to go talk to someone that's had more time to understand these issues." Matias said. Ethan nodded.

"It's agreed." Ethan added.

****

The school store was generally quiet during mid-day, most of the activity coming from the student workers moving about to re-stock supplies on the shelves and do inventory on the text books near the back. The early afternoon sun shone in through the high windows at the back of the store, sending pillars down across the muddled brown carpet. The store was well lit and smelled nice, but it was still rather boring without customers - especially at the check stand.

Liam stood at the register, tidying the key chains with the school emblem for the fourth time in twenty minutes. He hated having to work, especially without his brother, but their parents didn't have enough money to afford anything past tuition and books. Every night out, every food splurge, even clothes had to come from what little they earned on the side. Liam understood it, but it was still monotonous.

The shaggy brown haired youth sighed and leaned down to straighten the extra bags beneath the counter before he paused, feeling something change. Ever so slowly blood began rushing to the young man's shaft, his pants filling out as his cock snaked its way down, hardening and filling out before it tilted upwards, tenting against the slacks. Liam moaned softly, his eyes closing for a moment. While being a complete surprise, the erection did feel quite nice... but Liam didn't know what had caused it. Liam's nostrils flared as he sniffed in a few times, realizing what had triggered the reaction. He smelled sex, lots of it... werewolf sex. Liam licked his lips slowly.

"Casey, take over for me, I gotta go to the bathroom!" Liam called out before he hopped over the store counter. He moved past the metal detectors and out of the store into the main lobby of the University center. He took a few more sniffs and turned left, following the scent to the men's restroom. Liam eagerly pushed the door open and moved in, his eyes trailing across the yellow tiled floor over to the man standing at the urinal, relieving a steady stream of piss.

Liam's eyes drank in the shape of the man, from his shoes to his tight skinny jeans to the teal sweatshirt and beanie cap... a cap that he had played with numerous times now. Liam's jaw dropped sharply before a fang filled grin crossed his mouth. Liam sprung forward, coming up behind Fletch. Liam's claws popped out from his fingertips as his hand came around, wrapping around Fletcher's cock, stroking it at once. The other hand came around, grabbing at his chest, starting to rub circles against it.

"HOLY SHIT-FUCK!" Fletcher cursed out, his heart beating as fast as a hummingbird's. Liam leaned in, burying his face into the nape of Fletcher's neck before starting to lick at it.

"Oh Fletch, you hot sick fuck..." Liam whispered.

"Get off me pup, this is your only warning." Fletch replied, though his cock was getting harder in Liam's hand. Liam inhaled deeply.

"But you smell so good! Marco, Artyom... even Udo? All of them, all over you... Did you guys have a werewolf orgy? Did they bite you yet? Oh god, so good." Liam whispered, pressing his groin into Fletcher's ass, grinding against it. Fletch gritted his teeth, grabbed onto the pipe above the urinal and pulled himself up off the ground. The unexpected motion caused Liam's grip to slip. Fletch spun around and came back down, though his exposed cock flung a few drops of piss onto Liam as he came back down, facing his aggressor.

"We've got our own pack thing going on. Whatever I smell like, it isn't an invitation to everyone else. We've got our own private thing, our own rules... Now, if you'll excuse me, I just came to get my mail and-" Fletch was interrupted as Liam dropped to his knees and leaned in. Fletch's eyes widened sharply as a hot tongue licked along the underside of his shaft, curving up the tip. Liam grinned just a bit before his head pushed forward, lips sliding over the head of Fletcher's cock.

Fletch's eyes twitched and he tried to grab onto the wall for support, his nails grazing down the tiles helplessly. He murmured a bit despite himself as Liam took the cock in deeper, sucking and slurping. Fletch tried to resist the feelings, but he slowly closed his eyes, tipping his head back. He had been found out in a public place by a werewolf, a twin that was focused on him. He murmured louder at that, a hand moving out, gently resting on Liam's head.

Liam sucked and slurped, getting lost in the lust of it all. His teeth began expanding, pressing out into fang like points as his ears grew as well. The very pointed tips peeked out from his mane of brown hair, but the shag hid the thick bushy sideburns growing out down the sides of his face. Liam kept sucking and slurping on Fletch's cock, pulling the pre from it in pearly drops, savoring them before he took it down his throat.

Fletcher moaned and grunted louder and louder before he gasped in shock. In only a few moments he'd been taken from flat line to maximum. His balls quivered, his cock pulsed and he shot a load into Liam's throat. Liam pulled back, letting the sperm gather on his tongue before he grinned wide. Every drop was collected and then Liam took a big, happy swallow before bathing Fletch's cock in saliva.

"Fuck..." Fletch whispered, nearly slumping against the wall. Liam kept working until there was no trace of semen left and he pulled back, a string of drool connecting Fletch's cock to his lips.

"It is as tasty as I imagined it would be. Humans are sweeter than wolves..." Liam whispered.

"We... This... I can't..." Fletch murmured, though his argument was fragmentary. His blood had all rushed to his cock, leaving little for his brain. Liam slowly stood up in front of Fletcher, carefully tucking Fletch's cock back into his underwear, giving the bulge a pat before he zipped up for him.

"When you're ready, can you tell me the rules for this new pack thing? I think you can tell I'm interested." Liam said, leaning in to give Fletch a quick kiss on the lips, "But my break's over... I gotta get back to work." Liam smiled, turning to head out of the bathroom. Fletch stood there, nearly cross eyed, watching the door slide back short behind the werewolf.

****

Ethan and his companions moved along main street, careful of their footing. The snow of the previous days had half melted and then re-frozen into sheets of ice. There were icicles hanging from the metal railings of the buildings. People roamed the streets and city workers had carefully wrapped trees and light poles with Christmas lights in anticipation of the coming season. The gentle white glow added ambiance.

Ethan turned, coming up to a large black building with large windows. He pushed the door open and moved inside. Sitting dead center in front of the door was a transparent plastic cube holding donations to the museum. Ethan slid a few dollars in through the slot and turned, making room for Matias, Joey and Samuel to do the same. They ventured past historical artifacts and pictures dating back to the internment camps of World War two. They passed examples of their living spaces, past historically accurate uniforms and ventured even further in.

The further back into the museum the four men traveled, the later in time they seemed to go. They saw videos and pictures of those that had resettled after internment, of their businesses and farming and families. They saw the culture reasserting itself across the country. Passing a few of the museum's patrons, Ethan reached one of the back offices. He reached up and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door eased open.

Standing in the doorway was a woman in her late forties. Her black hair was tied back and held in place with two painted sticks emblazoned with golden dragons. Her clothes were also in black, gold and red. While her face was somewhat pale, there was a distinct hint of rose red on her lips.

"Ah, welcome back to the museum... But so many of you? I think you may have many questions today." She commented shrewdly.

"We do, there are some historical facts we want to be sure and get right." Ethan said. The woman nodded.

"Come, come. I will put on some tea and we can talk." She said, moving back into her office. She approached a wall and carefully moved a book case on rollers, revealing a door. The boys entered her office behind her and shut the door, closing out the world beyond.

****

The cold winter's night was spreading across campus, bringing darker and darker shadows to an already gray and over-cast day. Water pattered across the cement of the parking lot and the windows of the cars, rolling down in thick droplets. Despite the rain, Marco moved at a leisurely pace. He felt the cool drops soak his black hair, tied back into a ponytail for the first time in his life. The droplets on his cheeks rolled down into his beard, kept warm by his own body heat.

Marco felt the rain was almost cleansing, practically his own form of zen to steady his mind after everything that had happened. Beyond all that, being back on a campus safety patrol felt relieving. He'd been a bit hesitant at first, but he had to keep some aspect of normalcy in his life. He couldn't stay in his dorm room and fuck all day. Marco knew he had to recommit himself to his studies and to life in general.

He was turning the corner and heading up the slight incline when he heard something out of the ordinary... A cough, a grunt, and then a whimper. Marco spun around on his heels, facing toward the sound - only to see no one. It took Marco a moment to realize the sound was further away than it seemed at first, a lot further. When he heard another whimper, Marco took off like a shot.

Marco's shoes hit the cement as he sprinted down the incline, past the parking lot and over the bridge. He skidded through the path along the ornamental gardens, his foot falls sending up sprays of water on both side. He closed in on the sounds as he came up behind the gymnasium. Despite the rain, he could smell blood in the air. Then he heard it, fist against flesh. Marco bolted toward the retaining wall guarding steps down to the lower level of the gym. He came forward, put his hands onto the wall and lobbed himself over, dropping down half a story onto the stone steps.

A nineteen year old with a shaved head turned in surprise at the sudden arrival and swung at Marco. Marco dodged the punch and grabbed the wrist of the attacker, pushing him with his own momentum until he fell forward onto his chest. With the man down, Marco grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back, pinning them to his waist as he moved to kneel on the man. Turning, he saw the bewildered and bruised face of someone he had least suspected.

"Udo?!" Marco asked. The man beneath Marco snarled, flicking his fingers before using his claws to cut at Marco's hand. Marco winced and turned back, but it was too late. The sophomore rolled over and knocked Marco off before he pushed off the ground, bounding away on all fours. Marco took a few steps, but he could see the man had already disappeared around the corner, moving in the darkness between the library and the theater. Marco stood back up and dusted himself off before he turned back.

"You saved me again!" Udo said, moving forward to wrap his arms around Marco. Marco looked at the blond boy.

"What happened? What was going on?" Marco asked.

"Well, uh, that was Jesse..." Udo said.

"The... Wait, the guy that turned you into a wolf?" Marco whispered. Udo rubbed at his sore arm and nodded.

"The former omega." Udo said, shrugging a bit, "I guess when you defended me, they..." Udo trailed off. Marco's jaw dropped.

"They went back to using him as their bitch." Marco said with dismay.

"He wasn't happy, he wanted to take it out on me." Udo said.

"Well, I guess I'll have to make things more clear than I did on the full moon. They all need to know you are under my protection." Marco said. Udo reached out, grabbing Marco's arm.

"No! I mean, not yet." Udo begged. Marco looked stunned.

"Wait, why? He was trying to beat you up." Marco said.

"Things... Things are really unsteady right now. The status quo is changing. I don't know how the main pack is going to react to these changes." Udo said.

"I'm not going to live my life by the terms of people without such respect and sensibility. If we want to know how they're going to react, I'll have to go talk to them directly. I'll see where I stand with Seamus." Marco said. Udo looked even more stunned.

"B-b-but, Marco!" Udo whimpered. Marco shook his head.

"I need you all to be safe." Marco said, turning to walk toward the library. Udo's eyes widened even more.

"NOW?! You're going to do it now?" Udo exclaimed.

"Why wait?" Marco asked.

"At least take your protector." Udo pleaded. Marco stopped again, looking back.

"My protector?" Marco questioned. Udo nodded.

"Yom, he's sworn himself to you... To protect you." Udo said. Marco looked a bit bemused by that before smiling softly.

"I know that this whole werewolf pack thing is complicated, but they've managed to evade being detected by society at large for how many years? They have to be reasonable enough to handle this quietly. It's going to be okay." Marco said. Udo looked uncertain but nodded gently, giving in to the will of his alpha.

****

Five cups of piping hot oolong tea sat on coasters on the old cherry wood table, the image of a flower blossom embroidered into each. The tea was freshly brewed and carefully mixed by the museum's curator, Ren Sekimori. The woman had worked tirelessly to preserver the heritage of her people, but it was not the only culture she protected. Hanging from her necklace was a simple golden pendant, a ring with four points radiation from it. It was the keeper symbol for the moon at sunrise.

"I used my tonic on him, but it didn't seem to be working at first. He was slipping away." Matias explained. Ren lifted her cup and sipped from it.

"And then?" she asked simply.

"He woke up, his eyes turned solid black, his hand came to my throat... He said he was Demeas, that he had been generous, helped out Fletcher to heal." Matias said. Ren looked into the uncertain distance, lost in thought before she looked back.

"And then?" she asked.

"He said... He'd give the boy back... for now." Matias added.

"But... It couldn't be the real Demeas, could it?" Samuel asked with concern. The woman clicked with her lips.

"Do not be so quick to dismiss what is right in front of you." She chided, "When Nyctimus lost all of his family to this curse, it would have been easy to give up hope. Even the faith of gods wouldn't have been enough. He went to seek out a remedy to his pain, and what he found was the lotus tree." Ren said. The younger keepers were silent, taking in the story. Lou sipped her tea again before continuing, "They say that he saw a vision of his grand son... They talked for what seemed like an afternoon. Nyctimus knew his grand son's life would not be easy, but that he was surrounded by family. That shred, that hint at the future, was what gave him the courage for his life's work." Ren said.

"But... That could have just been what he wanted to hear." Samuel said softly. Ren tapped her long, sharp finger nails against her ceramic cup, her face tightening.

"You have not read the rest of the story?" She murmured. Samuel blushed.

"Please, tell us the rest." Ethan pleaded.

"Many years after Nyktimus' death, his grand son Geleon was wounded in a fight between the two clans. He drank a mixture of Moly and Lotus to give himself time to heal, and he wrote of a long conversation with his grand father, a conversation that he had not been aware of growing up. It was the same story, the same conversation. They were linked to one another." Ren said.

"So if Fletcher did reach across time, he may have truly connected with Demeas himself... The first direwolf." Ethan said, feeling even more dismayed.

****

H Hall was quieter than usual, too quiet. Marco walked along, wearing his red campus safety vest. He had to remind himself that the school had no missing people, no strange stories of bear attacks. They had to handle things in a civil way, but he couldn't help but feel that he had entered the wolf's den. He knew many of them spent time down on the basement floor. Marco moved past what had been Artyom's room, smelling his fading scent around the door. He pushed past, moving toward the other scents. He could smell so many it almost hurt his brain... but as he came to a small alcove of three rooms off to the side, the other smells died away and there was only one scent rising above the rest.

Marco reached up and knocked on the door. There was a pause before the door finally opened, revealing Seamus on the other side. A weak smile crossed the lips of his bearded face. His black hair and beard were unruly, spilling over his shoulders and down his back. He was wearing a simple t-shirt that did little to hide his massive girth. Seamus gave a gesture into the room.

"I've been expecting you Marco, come on in." Seamus said. Marco felt even more unnerved but he moved into the dorm room, looking around. It was surprisingly modest for a wolf alpha, though still four times as large as Marco's under-classman room. He thought in the back of his mind if he wasn't so freaked out by the other wolves that it would have made more sense for them all to move into Yom's room.

"So there are a couple things I want to talk to you about." Marco said. Seamus nodded at that, moving to pull a water heater off of its stand, pouring the liquid into two cups.

"I imagine there is, but before we get into that I hope you can pass on my thanks to Fletcher for his help during the last full moon. The shield was impeccable." Seamus said, moving to sit down in a very large office chair. Marco moved to unfold a camping chair that was apparently for guests. He situated it across from Seamus and sunk down into the orange canvas material.

"Okay, I'll tell him..." Marco replied, "But I need to be frank about the behavior of your wolves."

"Yes, I heard... The attack on Udo. Jesse is being reprimanded for it right now by Kieran." Seamus replied.

"You heard... That fast? I came straight here..." Marco muttered. Seamus lifted his cup of tea and sat at it.

"When I first met you, I told you what my purpose was. I keep the status quo, I make sure everything stays in equilibrium. We don't want to draw in the fang clan and we don't want the hunters to know we exist here. Everything we do is in the interest of anonymity." Seamus said.

"I don't think things are going too well, people are bound to notice near rapes, beatings and everything else." Marco said.

"I agree. The equilibrium has been disrupted." Seamus nodded before gesturing to the cup on the table. Marco grimaced and lifted it, taking a few sips of the tea. Seamus looked back at Marco, "The wolves are uncertain because there are two alphas now, offering different ways of life."

"You mean you and me?" Marco asked, setting his cup down.

"Yes. I knew you were destined to be an alpha, but it should not have culminated... so soon. It's very unfortunate really." Seamus said. Marco felt a bit unsettled at that.

"I'll make it clear that I'm not looking for a big pack, I don't want to disrupt anything." Marco said. Seamus shook his head.

"Not only will that damage your future, it wouldn't work anyway. Other wolves won't accept you when it is time, but the devoted will take that to mean that they have to compete to be in your pack, to make room." Seamus said. Marco looked horrified.

"By hurting them?" Marco asked, shocked and almost ill at the notion... though the ill feeling didn't seem to be going away. It sunk into the pit of his stomach and started to spread into his veins, making him feel like rubber.

"We have to reestablish the hierarchy. This system has been working for decades. When I graduate, you will become the alpha of the campus, and then when you graduate another wolf will rise. We'll take our place in the community or the world at large..." Seamus paused, watching Marco's limbs grow heavier, his eyes more distant, "It'll be glorious you know..." Seamus whispered.

"Glor... glorious?" Marco murmured, feeling incredibly dizzy. Seamus grinned.

"Your rise to true alpha, being the leader of hundreds of wolves... I want you to feel what I feel, so you know what you have to look forward to." Seamus whispered. Marco tried to look at Seamus but his head was so heavy, heavy and off balance. His inner ears were messed up too, throwing everything off. Marco tried to push himself from the chair but his legs gave out beneath him. He stumbled and fell, landing hard on the floor.

As his shoulder hit and his head bounced a little, Marco felt almost like he'd been thrown from his body. The sickness and weakness fell away and he almost felt like he was floating naked in a cloud. Marco opened his eyes slowly, seeing a creamy mist spreading out in every direction. Marco spun around and took a few steps, then moved back the way he came. He tried to push through the mist before something felt different, a warmth in his body.

Marco took a few final steps before he murmured softly, looking down. His perfectly fit abdomen was starting to swell. The gaps between his washboard abs ebbed away as his stomach distended, rounding and pushing out. Pound after pound packed on and his belly continued to round, but it wasn't just his stomach. Soon his pecs began to inflate and swell, rounding outward, hanging more. His nipples widened dramatically, his arms thickened and even Marco's face felt thicker and wider.

Marco felt his entire body changing. The bushy beard he had began growing out longer, the black hairs stretching down and outward. His hair grew longer too, coming out of the tie it was in, the hair spilling out in a dark, black cascade. Marco panted hard, tilting his head back as his fangs filled his mouth and his eyes turned yellow. He flexed his fingers, his claws emerging before he brought the hand up to caress over his round, huge stomach.

As disgusted as Marco had been of Seamus, it felt... amazing. He felt large and in charge, powerful, dominant. He felt the wolf inside him growing as well. He had no doubt it would be gigantic, almost the size of a rhinoceros. Huge, black, deadly and hungry. Marco began to drool slowly as he thought of the food that awaited him, of the meat he could stuff himself with... of the wolves serving him. Ever so slowly Marco's clawed hand started drifting toward his swelling cock.

"No!" Came a loud, deep bass filled shout. Marco froze where he was, opening his yellow eyes. He looked out into the mist, straining to see further. The mist billowed and shifted as someone moved through it. The creamy color turned more and more orange like a brilliant sunset. As the mist parted, a naked figure emerged. Marco was surprised to see Artyom there, but as he opened his mouth to question his friend's arrival, he hesitated. Yom didn't look quite the same.

The Russian's naked, muscled body was sprawled over with intricate blue tribal patterns made of some sort of paint. His brown hair had been carefully worked into thick corn rows and one streak of them was blue as well. Yom's beard was perfectly trimmed, his skin flawless... but Marco wasn't looking at any of that anymore. Marco's eyes were locked on Yom's. Their color had shifted. They weren't his natural brown or the yellow of the wolf - they were an almost neon shade of turquoise... and they were mesmerizing.

"Yom?" Marco whispered. Yom moved up, reaching out, running his hand down Marco's cheek.

"You need to remember who you are, you need to remember what you stand for." Yom whispered.

"What is this? What's going on?" Marco whispered.

"You're having a vision, using Keeper herbs and tonics. Seamus wants you to fall in line, to be his beta until he graduates. He doesn't know what's coming, what is ahead. We need an alpha that will stand in the brightest light and teach others to follow him. We need you to be you." Yom said. Marco stared at Yom, trying to take in the difference in his appearance... even in his voice. His accent was far weaker, practically gone.

"How do you know all this? Is this part of my vision? How do I know what to do?" Marco whispered. Yom gave a soft, warm smile, leaning in to kiss Marco's cheek.

"In time even the most playful can learn what they need to survive. Please, have the patience with me I remember you having... And one day we'll see each other like this again." Yom whispered. Marco closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the kiss on his cheek, of the mist on his skin, of a warm breeze. It blew across him, washing away the extra pounds, the extra hair, washing his naked body.

Marco's spirit self was stripped away, his hair going short again, his beard disappearing, leaving the styled bed head and tan brown skin he had started with. Marco thought of what mattered most; Fletcher, Yom, and Udo... His pack, his people. He wanted their safety and well being above everything else, and he didn't want to be anyone else's bitch. Whatever was ahead of him, Marco was going to face it with strength.

Laying on the floor of the dorm room, Marco's eyes snapped back open. For an instant they seemed faintly turquoise before returning to a bright yellow. Marco put out one clawed hand, then another, pushing himself up onto his knees before standing up. Seamus slowly stood up from his chair, backing up more in shock. The herbs should have knocked Marco out for hours, giving him enough time to see the right way of thinking. Seamus swallowed a bit, watching Marco's muscles expand, his ears push into points and his mouth push out over fangs.

"I... Marco, we-" Seamus muttered.

"Shut up, Seam." Marco growled. He closed his eyes just long enough to shake his head, trying to clear the last dregs of the chemical in his blood stream. After his vision it felt odd to be back in his bulky, muscled and hairy body. The transition really made it all sink in, but then Marco realized that had been the point. If he'd gone from being the fat, huge alpha to his own body he would have felt inferior, weak, supplicated to the alpha. He might have even waited to take his place.

"I don't understand, I... You shouldn't be awake." Seamus whispered.

"That's right, you don't understand." Marco said, "The status quo has changed. You can't close pandora's box again. There are two alphas on this campus and you have to deal with it. I want peace, I want safety for my pack, and I don't want any more tricks. No manipulation, no drugs... I promise you, if you pull any stunts, try to change the pack dynamics of those I care about in any way, you won't be making it to your graduation as an alpha. Is that understood?" Marco asked. Seamus stood there in shocked silence. Marco parted his lips and let out a resounding howl, sending out droplets of saliva before he made eye contact again. Seamus growled, his own fangs lengthening, his ears coming to points.

"It is understood..." He muttered. Marco gave a single nod of his head before he turned, moving for the door. Seamus watched the rival alpha leave, waited for the door to shut and turned, ramming his fist into the wall hard enough to crush the plaster and leave a hole. Seamus was furious, but for the moment there wasn't anything he could do.

****

The tea had been drained, the sun was starting to set but still the four keepers sat in the private study of the museum curator. There were only tall, narrow windows near the ceiling of the room, designed to let light in but maintain maximum security and safety. The reason why was rather clear. While the rest of the building showed mementos and memories of the Japanese internment, the office held relics from a history hidden from the rest of the world. There were pictures of military experiments, of attempts to determine the nature of werewolves, and a picture of five generals, though there were claw marks across all but one of them.

Ren sat at the head of the table, running her finger down a very old scroll. While the other keepers were rather good at reading, they were not versed in ancient Greek and ancient Japanese was even more difficult. Ren contemplated the passage before she set the scroll down and leaned back in her chair.

"Well? What did it say?" Matias asked impatiently.

"I knew going through my archives there would be little chance of finding any hint of a possession by a werewolf's spirit..." She murmured.

"But? And?" Joey asked.

"It is a tiny passage, no more than a few lines." Ren replied.

"But it has something to do with Fletcher..."Ethan replied. Ren brought up the scroll once more.

"On the darkest night, on the day the moon hides from the sun, the darkest shadows will reach out from beyond the grave to lay claim to the earth once more - but it is not even attributed." Ren said.

"A total eclipse?" Matias asked.

"We had one of those a few weeks before Halloween... The next one's supposed to be some time in spring, right?" Joey asked.

"April fourth." Ethan said quietly.

"Well, that gives us some time, right?" Matias asked hopefully.

"I came here looking for a way to stop it, not to find out when it'll probably happen." Ethan said.

"We have a while, we can still find out how to do it." Matias said.

"I will talk to the others, you will know everything I learn." Ren promised. Ethan bowed his head at that.

"Our most sincere thanks." Ethan said. The other keepers bowed their heads in thanks as well.

****

Marco practically sprinted down the hall of his dorm, heading back to his tiny room. He had put on a brave face, but the whole ordeal terrified him more and more as he thought about it. Had he come that close to falling into line and losing his morals? What did the vision with Yom mean? Udo had said he was a protector, but how could he get into a vision? Marco grabbed the door handle and threw it open, looking in with fear and trepidation.

Yom and Fletcher looked up from where they were sitting, talking. Udo was sitting on the counter behind them, his back to the blinds that shielded the room from the night beyond. Marco's brow was still furrowed in concern, but a weak smile crossed his lips. They were all there, his pack, his friends. Marco swung the door shut behind him and nearly flung himself at them.

"You okay dude?" Fletch asked quickly. Udo bit his lip.

"How did it go?" he asked quickly. Yom stood up and caught Marco, holding him in place. Marco looked into his deep honey brown eyes.

"You came for me, you kept me safe... I don't know how yet, but-" Marco paused, reaching up, running his fingers through Artyom's brown hair. It was still loose and untamed, unlike the tight braiding in the vision.

"Let's get you laid down." Yom said. Marco blinked a bit, hearing the Russian accent in Yom's voice as strong as ever.

"I'll be okay, I just..." Marco muttered.

"What in the hell is going on around here? The wolves are in heat or rage..." Fletch said, looking at Udo and thinking of Liam.

"I messed up the balance, threw everything out of whack. Seamus showed me a way to fix it by becoming his beta, but I couldn't... say yes." Marco said.

"Thank god you didn't! It would have torn us apart." Udo whispered.

"Maybe more than any of us know... Something's coming, something dark." Marco said.

"Marco, you need to lay down. It sounds like he might have used Lotus on you. You'll need to work it out of your system." Yom said, helping Marco lay back on the bed.

"This is crazy. I can't keep up with this." Marco whispered, closing his eyes.

"We need to get you away from campus for a while. Maybe Thanksgiving?" Udo asked hopefully.

"He... can't afford to fly back to Hawaii. It's just like I can't get back to new York. Usually we just have a movie marathon." Fletch said softly.

"Then you'll come with me." Yom said. Fletch turned.

"What?" Fletch asked. Yom grinned.

"You'll come with me, have a feast with my brothers. It'll be great." Yom said.

"Is that, I mean... Both of us?" Fletch asked. Yom turned and leaned down, bringing his lips to Fletcher's. Fletch's eyes widened sharply before they fluttered shut, feeling a tongue plunge into his mouth, sliding back and forth. Yom made out with him for a long moment before breaking the kiss, rising back to his full height.

"We're a pack, we'll stick together." Yom said. Fletch nodded a little drunkenly from the kiss, feeling his cock hardening again.

"So you know about this lotus stuff?" Udo asked. Yom nodded a bit at that.

"I studied the things that can affect us. Wolfsbane, Lotus, Silver." Yom said.

"We should talk to the keepers, get their help." Udo said.

"I'll talk to Ethan, see if he knows a way for Marco to metabolize faster." Yom said.

"I'll do it, you need to stay here with him." Udo said.

"Me?" Yom asked. Udo smiled at that.

"You're his protector after all." Udo replied, heading for the door. Yom watched Udo go before he looked back at his Alpha. Marco had already passed out on the bed, but his eyes were still. He was simply asleep and not having another vision. Yom slowly sat on the corner of he bed and reached to pet Marco's hair. After a moment he looked up and pat the bed next to him. Fletcher moved over and sat next to the bearded wolf, leaning against his shoulder. It felt like they were on an uneven ocean and they might never reach equilibrium, but as long as they had each other they could stay afloat.