Pup and Pack

Chapter Eight

"GAK!" Bryan yelled. "Xylo, what the-"

"Pup, it's you! It's actually you! I can't believe it!"

"Xylo, let him go," Mario said, laughing. "He just got back, let him breathe."

Xylo pulled away sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's fine, it's fine, I missed you too, Xylo."

"Also, what the heck happened to you?" asked Xylo.

"Well, after the Wild Hunt kidnapped me, I-"

"No, no, no, I mean your body! You're taller than I am! And did you hit puberty? You've got some major pecs going on and you-"

Bryan responded by sucker punching Xylo in the throat. The omega immediately collapsed from pain.

Mario bust out laughing. "You deserved that, Xylo!"

"Did I?" Xylo said weakly.

"Oh yeah, you did." Bryan stated smugly.

"Geez, again, you've gotten ridiculously strong."

"Xylo, I'm not a pup anymore. It's been two years and I've been living in the woods without a pack. What do you expect?"

"I don't know, I just didn't expect you to be this hunk-"

Bryan proceeded to punch him in the jaw again. Everyone laughed at Xylo getting more and more flustered.

"Xylo, just shut up and I'll stop punching you, ok?"

Xylo groaned. "Deal."

Bryan chuckled. Mario could barely breathe, he was laughing so hard. 

"Oh my...this is...this is great."

"I know," Bryan said smugly.

"If you're done," Hannah laughed. "You can have a drink if you want one."

"Please and thank you."

Bryan sat down in one of the only open chairs and grabbed a mug. Relena filled it up with mead and hugged him. He hugged her back and took a sip.

"Xylo, is this a new brew?"

"Nope, same one as always."

"It tastes even worse than before, are you sure it's not new?"

Xylo sighed. "Wow. WOW!"

Bryan chuckled. "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night!"

Geez, Bryan knew how to throw some shade! Mario stared at him laughing and chatting with some of the other werewolves. He was a lot more confident and less naive. And, if he was being honest with himself, Xylo had been right, his body was a lot more mature and even chiseled.

Mario shook these impure thoughts out of his head and tried to go along with whatever joke they were telling now. He had to set an example, after all.

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Austin sighed. "What do you mean, Ritchie?"

"I mean what I said, Austin. He's back."

"So the Wild Hunt didn't do their job, eh?"

"Nope."

Austin groaned. "Great. DEVIN!"

"What?"

"Get Bri, now! We have a situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"Has to do with our rival werewolves, so not a good one."

"Are we finally putting the plan in action?"

Austin grinned at Ritchie. The alpha wolf was scheming. "Oh yes."