Wolf Moon

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"...he's human."

"He's beautiful."

Pha cast the second year a disbelieving glance with narrowed eyes. "You are the oddest wolf I've ever known."

Forth smirked.

"That wasn't a compliment, idiot," Pha lightly knocked Forth on the back of the head, walking off to start today's gathering.

While he called the freshmen to attention, Pha could only think of his human friend, Beam. Forth wanted to court him. Pha didn't really see any problem with that...except, Beam was human. Meaning, he didn't understand all the little rules and rituals and unspoken guidelines that went with the shifter communities. And they differed from community to community. Forth was going to be taking on teaching Beam how to conduct himself in a wolf pack - if the two mated and Forth claimed him, which Pha doubted Beam would allow to happen since he prided himself on being a ladies man, not unlike how Ming used to be until he spotted Kit - and what he could and couldn't say to each wolf in the hierarchy. It was a delicate business, and it had taken Pha from the moment he was old enough to read and write to learn everything.

There was no way in hell Beam would be able to learn it all in time for the pack gathering at the spring solstice.

Pha scowled when he noticed Forth's brother was missing. Again. That kid needed severe discipline. And he wasn't the only one missing. There were about ten others not at the gathering.

Great. Just great. Again, why had he chosen engineering?? Being a doctor was starting to look much more appealing than being an engineer right now...

"For the twelve people missing today," Pha barked later. "You will all be running twelve laps around the Engineering Faculty! Anyone who complains or doesn't give it their all will keep running until I tell them to stop! Understand?"

"We understand!" the freshmen dutifully responded, some looking annoyed about being punished for something they didn't do.

"Start now!" As the freshmen began running, Pha whirled on Forth. "Get your brother under control," he hissed, eyes flashing gold as his wolf rose to the surface. "Or I will have the Elders discipline him."

Forth swallowed hard. "Grey will be here for the gathering tomorrow. You have my word, alpha."

"Good. Go find him now and stress how displeased his future Alpha is at his behavior." Pha let Forth loose and stalked off to talk to the other hazers. His eyes found Ming running along with the others as the freshmen completed their first lap. "N'Ming!"

Ming halted and looked about for whoever had called him.

"Come here!"

"Yes, P!" Ming weaved through the still running freshmen, and stopped right in front of Pha, not breathing hard at all. "Is there something you need me to do?"

"Only five laps for you. You're the Engineering Moon. I need you to not exhaust yourself so you can be in prime condition for the competition," Pha said, tilting his head when he noticed a certain cat in the background, scowling at Pha.

"Only five??" Ming complained. "P, I can finish all twelve laps easily! Let me prove it to you!"

"You can prove your stamina and strength after the competition," Pha said firmly. "Right now, my word is law. Five laps. Go do the final four."

Ming waii-ed Pha and started running again, grumbling under his breath about being considered weak.

Kit walked up to Pha, their eyes following the freshmen as they passed by again. "How many skipped this time?"