Rogue Wolf

Ch 40 scouts

"It's time for our pack's new beginning to formally begin," Max began. "Our pack might still be small, but we will begin properly. We have worked hard to restore my ancestral home, our home," he added with a look and a smile over his shoulder at me, "to its original splendor."

I couldn't help smiling back at him. It was as if the pride I felt in him, in being part of his pack, was just pouring out from me. I saw him straighten up more, as if he was affected by my feelings for him. He might be, I mused, knowing how easy it was as a wolf to smell emotions wafting off of people. The thought made me focus more on my emotions, emotions that were new and alien to me, emotions I enjoyed letting loose.

My Max had changed me so much. Where once I had held all emotion in check except when I ran doing parkour, now, because of him, I wanted to fill the place up with my pride, my... did I dare say happiness? Yeah, what the hell! I was happy! I felt a small tremble go through me and it caught me off guard. Did I actually dare be happy?

Max turned again, pausing in his speech, reaching out a hand and placing it on my arm. "Are you ok?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," I whispered back, "I just realized I was getting happy is all. I ain't never been. It's kinda overwhelming but I like it. You make me happy."

He gave me another smile, but still had a little puzzled look on his face as he turned back to his captive audience.

"Originally, under my father's rule, there were many subsets within the pack. Today we begin by celebrating the formal beginning of the scouts. I have chosen to accept Michael into our pack, even though he is still, as the Alpha King commands, human. He has rank as a scout. Only Scout may command him."

There was disconcertment over Max's proclamation; small movements and sounds covering everything from disbelief to anger. Max growled at the implied disagreement with his choice, even though no one dared speak words out loud. Even Alpha stood there, eyes narrowed, nostrils flared, but not daring to speak a word of complaint.

"You think such a thing should not be?" Max glared at the group below us. I could feel him emanating his displeasure at their answering murmurs, at the way they held themselves, at how they looked at him.

"When my father was alpha," Max said in anger, "there were many humans in his pack. Some were being given the chance to prove themselves worthy of the opportunity to be bitten. Others were the families of those accepted into our pack. Hundreds lived here, some wolves like us, some human. Tell them Alpha," Max demanded of our previous ruler.

"It is true," Alpha said reluctantly after a pause. "Many who were merely human were permitted to live in the worker area. All knelt before the alpha. I do not recall any humans being given rank in the pack, however."

"Our Scout chose him, our Scout was able to train him when no one else could. Michael will serve Scout, in whatever capacity Scout chooses. He may yet be bitten. The Alpha King should be coming soon, until then, Michael will remain unbitten."

I was proud of my Max, staring down Alpha. I kept my own unblinking stare on Alpha as well. I watched as Alpha's nose wrinkled slightly, his eyes tightening. He was unwilling to accept Max's dictates, but also, it seemed, unwilling to challenge Max for the right to be alpha over the whole pack again.

I almost broke my stare when Lone Wolf shifted his weight slightly. I was so caught up in the unfolding drama, I had forgotten the big man standing further back behind us. I realized he might very well be the real reason Alpha hesitated challenging us directly.

"I do not believe that this human," Alpha growled a little, "Michael," he spat the name out with pure unadulterated disgust, "is capable of willing obeying anyone. He requires more discipline than your Scout is willing to perform. You remember the bad one we once had?"

"I remember," Max said softly.

Some of the guards moved slightly, displaying their discomfort at whatever had befallen the poor unfortunate kid being ignominiously referred to as the bad one. I remembered my Max being sad about someone not surviving being chained. I decided to put a halt to any idea Alpha might have concerning Michael.

"Michael, down," I commanded, not daring to turn around and give him the pleading look I really wanted to give him. I figured Michael was smart enough to obey. I kept my challenging glare on Alpha as I heard Michael do as I said.

My Max did turn around to look at Michael. The silence drew out and began to get uncomfortable. I kept my eyes on Alpha, watching the rage begin to grow in him. He would have no outlet for it here. I felt my own anger grow, and without thought, I took a menacing step forward, feeling my fangs in my mouth and claws in my hands. My step had brought me almost next to my Max instead of behind him.

"It would seem you are wrong, again, Alpha," Max said musingly as he turned back to the man I had once been terrified of. "He holds the proper form as well," Max added with a touch of amusement.

I took a step back, bringing my head down a bit in deference to my alpha, and to spite the man who still used that title as his name. I tried to focus on being human, for Michael's sake. I could practically hear Michael's heartbeat pounding in his chest, smelling both fear and defiance from him. I knew his posture now was him being full of sarcasm, and that at least some of the defiance was aimed at me.

"Tonight we celebrate a new member to our pack," Max continued, "in the way Scout has chosen, not the way you taught us Alpha. It would seem there were many things you did not teach us correctly. We will learn better ways of doing things...

"From that boy next to you?" raged Alpha. "He has barely been a wolf for a year, and you would heed his words over mine? You submit like an omega to that so-called alpha king..."

"Enough!"

The sound of Max's roar startled me into taking a step back. Lone Wolf was moving up to flank Max on his other side.

"Stay down," I whispered to Michael before I stepped forward again to match Lone Wolf's position.

"You, of all people, dare compare me to an omega?" Max gripped the rail in front of him. Anger, almost a rage to match Alpha's, poured from him.

Lone Wolf stepped back again, and I heard a click. Suddenly I felt a slight breeze. Damn! That big man, or maybe Max's father, was full of tricks. That wind from hidden fans made Alpha and the group below suddenly down-wind from my Max, letting them smell the fury he was emanating.

The omegas tucked their heads in more, resuming the proper position they had squirmed out of during the stir caused by Max's announcement of Michael's position in the pack. The guards, our guards, the ones it became obvious now were loyal to my Max, also resumed a properly respectful position, heads bowed. A few of our guards hesitated before joining the others in bowing their heads properly, and I was careful to make note of which ones.

Alpha himself was suddenly nervous, his face falling in on itself, scrunching up for a moment. I tried to gage the emotions coming from him, but being upwind from him made it harder. He squared his shoulders finally, looking at my Max with contempt, but somehow I knew it was a show. Max's challenging words had hit the older man hard for some reason.

"I do not have to stand here and take such insults from you, boy, I..."

"Then you are dismissed," Max snapped out forcefully. "You may return to your territory. Your guards, who are, ultimately, my guards, are to remain to join our celebration," Max commanded.

My stomach tightened as I wondered if Alpha would obey.