Werewolf's Humanity

Turn, Turn, Turn, Part 2

After they got home and Night Sky had chewed Sammy's ear off during breakfast--not literally, but almost--Night Sky drove Odysseus and Sammy to catch up with the convoy of black vans marked with FBI decals, while Hatchet drove Reilly in the Beast. Those in the back vans weren't technically impersonating federal officers, since the United States chapter of the Order was officially a branch of the FBI.

"It happened back during World War II," Odysseus explained from the front seat. Sammy tore his attention away from the white landscape flying by to listen. "Franklin Roosevelt was seeking out any opportunity he could, any advantage for the Allies. And since he knew about our kind thanks to a werewolf in his family--Theodore, in fact--he reached out to some of Theodore's packmates to arrange a meeting with Solomon.

"It was a rather brassy move, but it just so happened Solomon was waiting for just such an opportunity. He had seen the way the first World War had ravaged Europe and didn't want to see our people endangered again. And there were already many werewolves serving in the Allied Forces, but hiding what they were."

"Question," Sammy chimed in. "Did any werewolves fight on the Axis' side?"

"Of course, there were a few at first. But Solomon had the Order let them know that wouldn't be tolerated. Judiciously."

Sammy nodded, and Odysseus continued the story. "So Solomon sent the President two representatives, one of them being Hatchet, with a proposition: In exchange for government resources to help the Order police their kind in the United States, more werewolves would enlist in the Armed Forces. And, well, you can ask Hatchet the rest later. We're here."

As the car pulled to a stop, Sammy grunted to himself under the whine of the brakes. He and Hatchet hadn't spoken ten words to each other since Jack had killed Sadie, almost three months ago. After their fight, Sammy had stopped meeting up with him for daily training. He had even bought his own weights so he wouldn't need to use Hatchet's workout equipment. But after the first month of avoiding each other, Sammy had come to accept this as the new normal. They still sat at the same table for dinner and Hatchet would grunt out a greeting if their paths crossed. But it still wrought havoc on his nerves, having a strained relationship with his mentor of ten years. And apparently the alphas liked it even less. Odysseus and Night Sky would both occasionally try to connive to get the two to start talking to each other again whenever they could. If Sammy had fought with any other packmate, they would have forced the two of them together and not allowed them to leave until things had been worked out. But you couldn't do that with Hatchet. Not even if you were an alpha.

The convoy had halted on the side of the road, past a roadblock that had been erected. Order agents were getting out and gearing up. Marley's pack house was still a half-mile away, and this was as close as they dared get before they were ready to make their move. Several agents, among them Reilly and Hatchet, were emerging from the vans wolfside, clad in their cargo shorts and tactical vests.

"Should I go wolfside?" Sammy asked Odysseus.

Odysseus tilted his head and placed his hands on his hips. "No. We have enough agents here, I don't expect you to fight."

Sammy felt a strange mixture of relief and confusion. "So, uh... why'd you bring me along, then? Sir?" he asked.

Odysseus paused in unbuttoning his shirt to gesture at the assembled forces. "Because I want you to see this. You've seen how the Order handles vampires. But they're already dead men walking. Rogue werewolves are another matter entirely, and you need to see what kind of power is brought down upon them, and the measures we take to protect our kind from the rogue elements. There may come a day when you will have to turn to the Order for aid, and you must understand the sacrifices these people make for our safety. This is part of your education, my boy."