The Wolf and the Were

Chapter 13

Logan threw a punch as Jase's jaws snapped at his throat. "You're too reckless, Jase! You're putting the pack in danger!"

Jase's reply was in the pack's mind-link. You have no vision! You don't see what I'm doing at all!

Logan struggled to keep the snapping jaws off his neck. "You're putting our pack's existence in danger. You're brilliant, I admit, but eventually you'll miss something!"

Jase finally pinned Logan, his wolf jaws clamped down on Logan's human throat. "I yield, I yield," he said with regret. Privately, he thought, And once again I failed to protect us. He has more time to have his risky behavior backfire.

Jase growled low in his throat before his mind spoke to the entire pack. Logan has challenged me for the last time. He has shown an unwillingness to accept me as his alpha. As a result, he is no longer part of the Half-Moon Pack.

"What? Jase, bro, you can't do this!"

The broadcast to the pack continued. He has until sunset to gather his possessions and leave our territory. If he sets foot in our territory after that, he is to be treated as a violent rogue, and killed on sight.

Suddenly, the mind-link to the pack went silent as Jase released the hold on Logan's throat. Shifting, Jase whispered. "I warned you, 'Bro'."

Logan felt the worm of fear enter his heart as he realized this was for real. He couldn't feel anyone in his mind. I'm a rogue. I've been kicked out of the pack. A trickle of anger entered his mind. My brother's trying to get me killed! "You can't be serious," he whispered.

Jase narrowed his eyes at his younger brother before straightening his tie and smoothing down his suit jacket. "Deadly."

-

Logan jerked awake with a start, Hialeah stroking his forehead and murmuring soothingly to him. His naked skin was covered in sweat as his breathing slowed to a normal pace. He felt Hialeah's lips as she gently kissed him. "Better?"

He nodded slightly.

"What do you dream of?"

He was silent for a while, and she matched his silence in her patient way. He'd become accustomed to the silence of the lycans. He didn't assume anything other than her constant patience with him. Plus, she was calm, though concerned.

"My brother is alpha of the Half-Moon Pack. I dreamed of the day he kicked me out. He declared I was to be killed on sight if I returned. My own brother did this."

"Why make you a rogue, instead of a simple wolf?"

He looked at her in confusion, then recalled her mentioning this once before. "We're different. We're not wolves." The lycans could undo whatever made them what they are, and make a member a simple wolf again. For whatever reason, their nature made it mostly unnecessary, though.

She nodded. "Right."

He considered a bit. "That might have been better for me, though."

She smiled a bit. "I'm glad you're here as you are." With that she settled in with him, offering herself to his pleasure. Soon he forgot the dream.