Behind the Lines of the Were War Ch. 08

Did you see the frightened ones?

Did you hear the falling bombs?

Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the

Promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?

Oooooh

Did you see the frightened ones?

Did you hear the falling bombs?

The flames are all long gone, but the pain lingers on.

-Pink Floyd, Goodbye Blue Sky

********

Santa Fe Pack, New Mexico

********

Renee awoke to the sunrise. She didn't keep her eyes open, she was still in wolf form and her nose told her what was going on. Most of her pack still lay piled around or on her, but the fire had been stoked and breakfast was being made. She gently untangled herself from the wolves around her and stood up.

She was healing quickly. The pain from the gashes plus fatigue left her stiff and sore all over. Yesterday had been tough on her physically, the fight exhausted her and she had multiple injuries. His claws had done serious damage before blood loss stopped his movement.

Then there was the mental fatigue. It had been a rough couple of days, including the loss of a friend and her imprisonment. The Alpha challenge had been the desperate answer to the threat of a forced mating and the loss of her pups, and now she faced a new challenge, one she was not ready for. She was now an Alpha. She looked around to all the people who now depended on her. She had been in leadership positions before over groups this size, but it was the first time where she had no one above her to help her and mentor her. Maybe now with the ability to use cellphones again she could call her brother and Amanda for help.

How would she do this all by herself? Derek had always had Amanda by his side to help him. This pack didn't even have true Betas left. It was all so overwhelming. Almost as overwhelming as what was coming.

Her babies. She shifted into human form and rubbed her hands over her belly which had not yet began to show, carefully avoiding the healing wounds. She focused her love onto them as she walked. Gary's children, their future. If she hadn't become pregnant she doubted she would have kept going after he was killed, when he stopped breathing her soul had shattered. She missed him terribly, but for her cubs she would go on, somehow.

At least this last night she had not had the nightmare, had not woken screaming, had not cried herself back to sleep. It was a start.

She was standing still with her eyes closed when she felt someone hug her leg. She opened her eyes and looked down at Michelle's eyes, then rested her hand on her dirty blonde hair. Julie had given her the story last night after Michelle was asleep. Michelle was the only cub in the pack, she was seven years old now and was orphaned at five. She had been fostered by Crystal and Ed, two pack elders in their fifties who were former schoolteachers. Michelle rarely spoke and didn't interact much. Her eyes were haunted by the memory of watching her parents being killed in front of her while searching for food in a nearby town. She watched them bleed out while she hid silently for hours, staring at her mother's dead eyes, and that pain never left her eyes.

She clung to her Alpha, hoping she could help fill the void in her heart. Renee thought the same.

She picked her up and lifted her onto her hip, and Michelle buried her face into her shoulder. Her maternal instinct took over, as Alpha she felt the responsibility to look over the cubs. She would help her the best she could. Michelle snuggled in as they walked to the cave entrances.

Anna poked her head out of the cooking cave, smiling at her new Alpha. "Good morning Alpha, breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes." Anna was a young and vibrant brunette with a mischievous streak. At seventeen she had not fought in the war, she grew up working in the caves. She kept to the kitchens where she worked with Becky, the twenty year old daughter of Crystal and Ed, and Julie who ran the household. The smell of food awakened her brother Caleb, at 18 he had grown up quickly. He was the pack's tracker and one of their better hunters. He had the skills to be a Beta but intentionally had hid them during the previous regime. He had seen what Betas were doing to others in his Pack and wanted none of it. He was a kind boy at heart. Life as an Omega was preferable to working directly for the Alpha, so he never challenged his Pack position. He nodded to Renee in greeting then kissed his sister and told her he was going to clean up in the nearby stream. Anna handed him a water container to refill and sent him along.

To Renee, a bath sounded pretty good right now. She let Michelle down and asked her where she could find soap and a washcloth. Michelle slid down to the ground and pulled her into the cave towards her foster parent's sleeping section.

As they passed the Alpha quarters, Devin was just coming out carrying a blanket filled with other items. "Good morning, Alpha, how was your night?"

"Good, Devin, I enjoyed being under the stars with everyone, it reminded me of when I was a child. What are you up to?"

"I'm clearing out the quarters for you. As you asked, nothing of his will be left. Give Julie and I a day or two and we'll have it ready. Until then, you are welcome to stay with us, or anyone in the Pack. We all want you to be comfortable here."

"Thank you, please let Julie know I will stay with you tonight." Renee smiled and followed Michelle as she got the bathing supplies. She had just returned when Crystal walked in, nodding to her Alpha she brought back a blue sundress and handed it to Renee. "You don't have any clothes yet, but this should fit you. Go on, Michelle, show her to the bathing pool." As they walked out Crystal smiled. She couldn't be more pleased with how things had changed, not just a new Alpha who was kind and strong but a woman who would not be afraid to change things. Things were looking up. Michelle was coming a little out of her shell now. The former Alpha had little patience for cubs, so they had kept her out of the way. She hadn't been allowed to run around the caves or make noise, and with the war she couldn't play outside. It would be so nice to see her behave as a young girl should.

Renee followed her down the trail to the stream and they left their clothes on a nearby rock with the towel. Michelle led her to a deeper section on the outside of the pool, where the water came up just below her shoulders. They both dropped down into the water and then moved into the shallows to soap up. Renee cleaned her young charge then sent her off to rinse. She was scrubbing her face when she saw Michelle staring at the angry red scars left over from the fight.

"Alpha... are we going to be all right?"

Renee smiled as she massaged shampoo into her hair. "Yes, little one. The war is over, we have a chance at a better life now."

"Good." She hugged her leg. "I don't like it here."

"Well, maybe we need to go somewhere for a while." She dunked herself down into the deep water again to rinse her hair. A few minutes later Michelle was holding her hand, dried and dressed, as they returned for breakfast. Tables had been moved outside as they took advantage of the war's end to get out of the caves. They were enjoying being in the sunshine again.

*****

Johnson Pack Camp, Montana

*****

The small tan and white she-wolf was mesmerized. Colors, smells, sounds- all were far sharper and had more depth than before. The sensory inputs overwhelmed her, so she just closed her eyes for a second to calm her mind before opening them again. She looked down at her paws, then back along her body to see the white tail. It waved back and forth quickly. She tried to grab it with her teeth, turning in a tight circle, but couldn't quite get there. A few rotations later and she finally grabbed it before tipping over on the ground and losing the grip again. Linda laid her head down as she heard the laughing from her crew as they continued to broadcast her change live to the world. She couldn't believe her first filmed act as a wolf was to chase her tail!

The gray wolf with the white ear walked over and sniffed at her muzzle. Her scent was much stronger now, he breathed in deeply and reveled in the scent of his mate. Linda got her first good sniff of his neck and immediately her eyes widened and her ears perked up. Eric stood quietly and let her explore him. A few more deep sniffs and it was like an electric wire was going from her nose to her sex, her juices started to flow as her body recognized its mate. She got up and started rubbing her muzzle against his and licked at his face.

He bathed her with his tongue before he rubbed against her chest on the way to her tail. Once she got to his tail, she got a good sniff and her tongue came out and licked his swinging balls as his cold nose probed her slit. Andy's arousal and the pending activities could only lead to one thing, and as the TV hosts saw her about to be mounted, it was time to go to commercial. Quickly.

Amanda looked over at her Betas with a smile. "I guess this is better than her coming out all claws and teeth!" Andy was pounding away, his forelegs pulling her back against him as she wiggled with her front paws flat on the ground to stay in place. She kept her tail high and out of the way and panted with the exertion of being taken hard and fast. She felt him slow momentarily, then his knot pushed into place. She gave a soft yelp as it forced its way into her, but soon had her head was lolling on its side as she rode the feelings his knot produced. Andy grabbed the scruff of her neck with his teeth and pinned her down with the weight of his chest as he short stroked her to completion. As she crashed over into orgasm, Andy bit hard into her neck, and the taste of her blood exploded on his tongue. The bite took them both over the edge and he shook as he began to empty his balls into her. She twisted around and grabbed his neck with her teeth, biting deep and shaking to ensure his mark would scar well.

At that moment, it was like a new part of her brain was unlocked. She could feel his thoughts, his emotions, she could even feel the pull of the knot on the base of his penis as she collapsed to the ground. His love, his pride in her, even thoughts of them running through a field with their pups alongside, everything he had was now hers.

In her mind's eye her wolf was next to her human form, lying on her back with her tongue lolling out, completely satisfied with the claiming of her mate. Andy was thrilled, and she could sense his relief and excitement as they lay together.

"My love, we are together always now. I am so happy to have found you and that you are MINE."

"And you are MINE." They relaxed together and waited for the knot to go down. Looking up at the people and werewolves surrounding them, she felt a sense of warmth and belonging. A new voice entered her mind, it almost felt like a push into her head but it was accompanied with love and power.

"Welcome to our pack, Linda, we are so glad you had a good change and are happy."

"Amanda?" She looked up at the wolf above as the voice echoed in her mind.

"Yes, what you are feeling is the Alpha bond. Since you were 'born' into our pack, it forms with us. Derek will be back soon and when he is close enough you will feel his bond form as well. You will always be able to reach us with your bond, and we will always be here for you and all other members of the Pack."

"My Alpha...." She had to think about that for a while, it was all so new Amanda already felt like family, and she respected the responsibility she had. "What happens now? Andy is in trouble, isn't he?" She could feel his nervousness and apprehension through their bond.

"Yes, he is. After the war ended there were rules put in place for turnings, rules that he was well aware of and did not follow. He turned you without first getting our permission and permission from a human judge. This is serious, it is the first case I am aware of since the new rules were put into place. We have to be able to show people that we can follow the rules and live among them without giving them cause for fear. His lack of control challenges that."

"I'm sorry, he explained all that to me but it was all so intense, it felt so right, and I don't regret a second of it." She wiggled back against his cock, causing him to growl as the knot moved inside her. She knew the more she moved the longer it would take to come untied, but she wasn't sure she wanted to let him leave her yet.

"We will deal with this all when Derek returns. Andy, you are being called before a Pack tribunal this afternoon to face charges of unauthorized turning of a human and disobedience of an Alpha command. These charges carry a potential consequence of death. Do you understand the charges?"

"Yes, my Alpha, I understand them and will be ready for the hearing."

"Very well. Enjoy your mate, you are free to move about the camp but do not leave it. If you do, you will be killed." With that, Amanda turned and walked away.

Linda shivered as the shock of the words hit her, realizing that her happiness might be truly short-lived. Could she have done all this just to lose him in the same day? Her wolf howled her grief and anger to the clouds.

*****

Crested Butte Pack Caves, Colorado

*******

Alpha Diggs looked out at the dozen vehicles that made up his raiding force. The storage facility they had placed their vehicles and other supplies in had not been confiscated after the start of the war as he made sure the ownership had been well hidden. He was bringing a force of thirty warriors plus some Omegas to run camp and a pair of medics.

They were all itching for a real fight, Wolves love a fight and are always looking to expand their territory. When he had addressed the Pack that morning, he talked about how he was going to make their Pack the strongest and most feared of all. Stephen Diggs didn't expect a fight, though. Fights were the worst way to win, as they risked death and injury to his pack mates. It also risked losing valuable members of the pack being taken over. No, his plan was much simpler.

He would just show up.

Intimidation was the wolf way. Use your size and numbers. Glare at them, hackles up and growling, daring them to even think about challenging you. He knew that his age and experience meant only a few of the surviving Alphas had a chance against them, so those he would avoid for now. He could put fear into the other and they will submit without a fight. That was why packs had a lot of posturing but few actual fights- it was all about working out who ranked above who. Once your rank was accepted, things went smoothly.

If the Alpha he challenges submits or dies, the entire Pack would lose their bond with him. The members then have a choice- either submit to him as the new Alpha, or be torn apart by his warriors as rogues. The latter almost never happened, wolves were Pack animals and being without an Alpha was unnatural to them.

He and his Betas had planned a sweep of the areas to their south. They had identified four vulnerable packs, with territories that when added to his would give him the entire Southwest from the Texas border to California.

He turned to his second, Blake Johnson, who stood just to his left as they watched the vehicles load up. "Keep things going smoothly while I am gone. I will need more information when I get back, this time for the Packs to our east. If we do this right, we can knock off a half dozen Packs before the others even figure out what is happening."

Without another look, he got in the lead Escalade and drove out. They had a long drive ahead.

********

Santa Fe Pack, New Mexico

********

Renee finished her breakfast and stood to walk the plate back to the kitchen. Anna intercepted her, taking the plate from her with a smile. "Alpha, don't you have more important things to do than the dishes?"

"All Pack work is important, Anna. Thank you for a wonderful breakfast." Anna beamed at the praise as Renee went back to sit next to Michelle, who had become her little shadow. She used her Pack bond for the next communication, trying to get used to her new powers. In her mind it was like having a bunch of dots, each representing a person in her pack, and she could concentrate on one or more at a time and communicate mentally with those. When someone needed to reach her, it was like a mental nudge and that dot was brighter as she recognized it. After all her life dealing with just broadcasts and Alpha bonds, this was just more complicated. "Attention Pack, we will have a Pack meeting at the tables in thirty minutes. I need updates on Pack status in terms of land, resources and finances. I also need you to bring your concerns and ideas. All Pack members are required."

She could tell as she looked around that people were excited and relieved. It was clear that happiness had been repressed here for a long time. That bastard Alpha Luis had repeatedly raped and used the women of HER Pack. He was dead, but he left his damage behind. Her people needed a change, and it was more than just new leadership. They needed to have fun again. She circulated among the tables, spending time with each person and being a reassuring presence.

When she was with the Johnson pack, the leadership was good and the Pack stayed together. Humans tried to exterminate their race, but when that threat went away they were small but strong. This pack couldn't be fixed with a peace treaty. Trust and people had been abused, and that resulted in a pack that wasn't cohesive.

She had met other Alphas during the peace negotiations and was frustrated at how narrow-minded they were. They fought against being involved with anything outside their own borders, and anything that challenged their own authority. It made things difficult as there was no cohesive leadership for the government to work with. It was out of this frustration that Renee had been pushed forward in the negotiations, her celebrity (and lack of Alpha status) enough to work out a deal that the Alphas could then ratify.

Werewolves needed to move forward with rights and stable leadership and a way to resolve conflict short of violence, she thought, or things would never improve.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a shout of "VEHICLES APPROACHING!!" By habit, most of her pack shifted and ran for the caves. Renee moved forward instead, seeing a Humvee and an Army transport truck leading a line of a dozen pickups, sport utility vehicles and cars. She recognized Colonel Montgomery in the lead vehicle. "Friends, everyone shift and dress, we have humans approaching."

By the time the caravan made it over the dirt tracks to the vicinity of their cave system, Renee had gathered her pack behind her and they had made their way down to them. "Welcome, Colonel, it is good to see you again."

"Alpha Renee, a pleasure to see you again. I come bringing gifts." He pointed at the line of vehicles and the soldiers exiting them. "After the war began, the Government confiscated any known assets of identified werewolf packs. The President has directed Pack assets be returned, but until our last meeting we did not know how or who to return them to. They are yours again."

"Thank you, Stanley, but you didn't have to ride all the way out here to deliver trucks!"

"No, I wanted to see you again and make sure you were doing all right. You didn't look so good the last time I was here."

"I thank you for your concern. Please, would you and your men join us?"

"I would be happy to have a few of us stay, but most of these men are needed back on base. If you don't mind..." He barked a few orders and most of the troops piled into the transport, leaving the Colonel, his aide Major Jack Johnson, and one new officer. "Alpha, this is Captain William Post, he is a Judge Advocate out of Washington and has been assigned the case of your pack."