Rogue Wolf

Ch 37 preparations

Lone Wolf and I used almost the whole case of Lysol, spraying away the odors of the men who had been here. It was a trick I would have to keep in mind, especially since he made sure to take the empty spray cans down to the dumpster so they wouldn't be seen.

I looked around the place, my little gamecube  set up off to the side with a smaller flatscreen tv. There was a cabinet with high-tech games locked up for later, because they had internet capabilities. Lone Wolf wanted to make sure all our guys were good with keeping our existence and location secret.

"The Alpha King is gonna talk to everyone," Lone Wolf told me after the last of the workers had left, "and he's gonna help them make contact with their families in a way that will make sense for everyone. We're working out the last details, so it should be soon. You're going to like him, just lose that chip on your shoulder and you'll be fine. In the meantime," he said, locking the cabinet, "we'll save all that for later. We got enough entertainment for now."

I had to agree with him. There was a drop-down screen and a projector for movies like they had sometimes at the different parks at night. There was a surround-sound system that rocked the place. How much rocking we would do with the stack of Disney movies and other kid movies Lone Wolf bought was questionable.

"They're a good intro to the world out there, and culturally they're a common thread," Lone Wolf had told me when I complained about his movie choices. "They'll get an idea of how people act, and they'll see women differently. That's important."

He had promised to think about setting me up with my own tv in my quarters to watch horror flicks, something he refused to let the others watch. I wondered if the slight resentment I felt was normal, like what you'd feel toward a parent who actually told you no. No one had told me what I could and couldn't do for a long time before coming here.

Some of what had once been stores now housed ping-pong tables and foosball. One had billiard tables, and the old bar in the back of that room had been cleaned, if not set up for liquor. Thinking about it, Lone Wolf and Alpha were probably the only two who were actually legal to drink alcohol. Maybe a few of the  guards were, barely. Most of the guys looked to be about the same age as my Max and I, which was upper teens.

We had a working ice machine now, and all the fixings for frozen treats. I couldn't help wondering if Michael wouldn't mind becoming something of a barista. The more I thought about it the more I decided maybe one of the younger omegas might be more suited to learning that trade.

Lone Wolf had gone all out, staying true to his word. It was easier now to picture this intricate hub as the center for commerce and recreation. It really was its own little shopping mall.

Lone Wolf had even set up some of the stores, not that any of us would be spending money. He had one of the crews that came in stocking the shelves with different shampoos and soaps, toothpastes and mouthwash. I was personally ecstatic over the mouthwash. Now we had all the little personal care items that Alpha hadn't thought we needed.

It was becoming a home instead of a prison, hopefully for everyone. One store was filled with bedding to choose from, real bed frames, pillows, new blankets, the works.

Lone Wolf had taken some boxes back toward my quarters and down the hall where the guards went. I hadn't had a chance to snoop to see what he had bought for us. I kept my thoughts away from the whole concept of Christmas. This was a pack celebration, I told myself. It's going to be different. It's going to be good.

My heart had pounded a bit when I saw the store that was stocked with stuff for the girls. I had only seen them a few times. Alpha kept them locked away. It was exciting to think that we would be able to have everyone together, acting like real frigging people for a change. We could be real people here, as long as Alpha wasn't around. Hopefully he stayed in his own territory.

I started to move to help Lone Wolf slide the bars to open the doors to the omega area. He motioned me back.

"Better if you're on your knees, little bro," he said. I couldn't help smiling fondly at the big guy, even as I went down like he suggested. I liked being called little bro better than I liked being called kid.

He slid the final bar with a grunt, reaching, pulling both of the double doors wide open at the same time.

I was glad he had suggested I get down. My head bowed further against my chest as I was unexpectedly assaulted with the smells of tension and controlled fury coming from the waiting group. Alpha and my Max were both in the front. I didn't even dare to glance up when I caught the whiffs of pain and embarrassment coming from the group behind them.

What the hell had happened while I was enjoying a day mostly to myself?