Brother Wolf

Ch 1 The Omega's Farm

We turned into a long dirt driveway, almost a road, with dust flying up behind the truck. I took in the horses in a field off to one side, cultivated fields on the other. It seemed my recently acquired omega had quite a spread. I looked over at him and thought about saying something, finally deciding the silence was eloquent enough.

I stretched out a little in the passenger seat, watching the man who had been abandoned by the werewolves in his bitten pack. I was glad they'd found the courage to leave their abusive leader. His jaw tightened at my slight movement. I tried to hide my grin, glancing back to check on my Indian motorcycle in the back of his pickup truck.

The driveway split and I could see the main house on a slight rise in the distance. My omega took the drive on the other side.

"Before we join up with the others," I said as the top of a barn came into view, "what's your name?"

I continually referred to him as my omega, a term used by some to denote those of the lowest rank in their packs, after I defeated his recent challenge for my kingship. I had deemed it necessary to drive his new low-status home, both to him, the pack members he had abused, as well as the host of werewolves who had participated in the gathering at Wolf's Pointe. "I can't keep calling you my omega. I mean, I could, but I'd rather not."

"If I give you my name, does that mean I get to call you something other than my king?" he asked with a voice full of venom. His eyes squinted slightly as his grip tightened on the steering wheel. He kept his eyes in front of him, refusing to look at me. I could imagine the daggers that would be shooting out of them if he did turn my way.

"King," I mused, sighing slightly. "To merely be your king is a human relationship. Your alpha king, on the other hand... I am your alpha," I stressed severely, "the leader of the wolfpack you belong to, simply by virtue of your being a werewolf. I could wish..."

I struggled to keep another sigh from escaping my lips. What was it my mother had often said? If wishes were fishes, we'd live in the sea. The thought of her brought a smile to my face, a smile I was sure my omega would misinterpret.

"My kingdom isn't like some ancient fiefdom," I explained to him. "It's way more virtual, not to mention more spiritual. I can't force you to accept me as your human king, so no, you don't have to call me your king. I wish you could see me as your brother, here to help you and those you bit. For now, you can call me your alpha," I grinned.

"Brother-to-All-Wolves, " he snarled sarcastically, "my Alpha."

I turned sideways in the seat, so I was facing him. He was so full of resentment. The combined smell of the pheromones he was emitting from his emotional state, as well as the high levels of testosterone wafting off of him from his anger, made me wrinkle my nose. I couldn't blame him for being angry, but he brought the circumstances upon himself.

His head lowered at my slight snarl as he exhaled his pent-up frustrations.

When he challenged me for my kingship, he expressed the belief that humans who knew about us should be captured, bitten, and turned into werewolves. I had defeated him, establishing my laws, Spirit Wolf's laws- no killing, no kidnapping, no biting without permission, and obviously, no forcing yourself on women or other forms of abuse.

My hand absently fingered the small leather pouch I wore around my neck as I contemplated the werewolf I had to judge. It held a few of my special herbs, and the small stone covered in Sister's blood from her tumble in the woods the day she and I met. The innocuous pebble represented my first duty- to protect the innocent. The small pouch was my special amulet and bore witness to the fact I had connected with my spirit guide. Guide didn't begin to define the connection between the Spirit of the Wolf and I. It was much deeper than that.