Kyle shifted and simply laid unmoving.. He wanted to use the excuse of having multiple bloody tears in his back being the reason but he knew he was just lying to himself. 

He’d just had his furry ass handed to him on a plate and he didn’t know what hurt more: the beating or failing Becca’s memory. All his life, he had always dreamed of coming to defend his lady’s honor like in all those fantasy books he loved to read. He might not have been a knight in gleaming armor but he still thought he’d be a good fighter when push came to shove. Yet, when the opportunity finally arose, he had been found sorely lacking. As his muscles and skin knitted back together, Kyle tried to make sense of what had just happened.

How? How did he do that?! He didn’t even shift! No Wolf can move that fast, not even in full form!

You’re actually asking me, hotshot? How the hell should I know?! His wolf groaned. My head is still throbbing from that impact with the floor.  If I didn’t want to come off as a cartoon character, I’d be having stars flying around my head right now. 

Kyle groaned. Tell me about it. My arm felt like it was about to be torn from the socket, never mind what he did to my back.

Hey, it’s my arm and back too, hotshot.

Right. Kyle winced. I’m still trying to remember I’ve got a nosy neighbor in here. Still, there’s something even more important. How the hell could some rogue a couple of thousand miles from home know anything about Pops? There’s never been a rogue from our pack and I sure don’t remember any of the other packs we deal with reporting any in their areas.

Not as far as we know. His wolf grimaced. Maybe Pops hasn’t told us everything about the pack. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t.

No way. Kyle thumped his fist on the floor. Pops wouldn’t be one to keep secrets from me. His confident boast sounded hollow in his thoughts. I mean, he wouldn’t.  Kyle paused. Would he?

He felt his wolf growl. Trust me, I don’t like the direction this thought is going either but there is something going on. That freak of nature just broke everything we know about Wolfcraft. If he honestly tried, we’d need an ER or worse.

Agreed. 

You know things just got a lot tougher right? I can see what you’re thinking and we are going to have to be very careful going forward.

You’ve got a point for a fleabag. We aren’t leaving town. We just will have to up our stealth game.

For once, we finally agree on something, hotshot! Still, we do have two important things to consider first.

What?

First, it might have escaped your notice due to the minor concussion rattling your brain, but you’re lying stark naked in the middle of a highly trafficked living room. Now while you may enjoy developing an exhibitionist fetish, I do have my modesty to consider. Weird to say considering that I’m naked without this fur but at l least have some modesty. So get up and get some clothes on! We haven’t let anyone see us naked since that skinny-dipping incident.

How’d you remember that? You weren’t there yet! I didn’t start changing until I was fourteen and Becca and I were thirteen then.

The wolf shook his head. Still not getting it yet? What you know, I know. What you’ve experienced, the same goes for me! The big movie screen dropped and an old-fashioned black & white countdown started. Want me to show you exactly what happened when you turned seventeen, snuck out since you were grounded,  and saw Becca swimming in her underwear with her girlfriends that one night at Old McElliot’s pond? Be glad they only thought it was a dog in the bushes. The wolf chuckled. Boy did you have some explaining to do with Becca the next day! How long was it before she spoke to us again? 3 months? Man, I’m getting a kick out of rewatching all the groveling you did. How we were lucky enough to get her, we won’t ever know.

Okay. Okay. I got it. So what’s the second thing?

You’re going to clean this entire room top to bottom. Because as scary as Kurt is, Ayla scares me more. Anyone who can keep that rogue twirled around her finger is someone you don’t mess with!

Good point.

Now move it hotshot before she comes in and you start cutting checks our body sure isn’t ready to cash. 

 

***

 

Later that evening, Kyle heard the tavern begin to fill up as the sounds of laughter and music came up the stairwell. The smells drifting from the kitchen soon had his stomach grumbling. Throwing the book he was reading on the sofa, he just couldn’t ignore it any longer.  He came downstairs in a hurry. Making his way through the mostly packed restaurant, Kyle grabbed a free barstool. 

Mara just finished pouring some whiskey shots to a couple of college kids and headed over to Kyle. “No free meal tonight, bucko. Ya want something, ya gotta ‘ave the cash to back it up. Can’t have rumors spread about our generous nature, ya know? We’ve got a rep to maintain.”

Kyle grinned and pulled a twenty out of his wallet. He placed it on the counter and said, “Give me a beer and one of whatever is smelling so good back there.”

Mara slipped the bill into her apron and cracked open a bottle of a dark stout. “This is one of me favorites. It’s a might strong but I’m sure you’ve got the strength to handle it. Goes well with dinner too.” She turned to the open window. “Yo! Charlie! One special, extra-large!”

“Special on the way cherie!”

As Kyle nursed his beer, he gazed around the bustling tavern. The tables were about half-filled with a mix of singles, couples, and even a few families. Everyone was laughing and having a great time as an old jukebox in the corner played some of the best songs that ever came out of the seventies. Kyle watched Charlie singing along as he performed miracles with his grill and pots. Ayla was tending to the customers, her ears hidden beneath the Howling Moon ballcap she wore. What surprised Kyle the most was seeing Bob over by the door keeping an eye on the place. It wasn’t that he was there that surprised Kyle but that his dark green skin was now a golden tan, and combined with his hairstyle, made him look vaguely Samoan. Ayla did say that they had ways around stuff like that green skin of his. Maybe that glamour thing Mara talked about?

“Order up!” Charlie called from the kitchen and placed a large steaming bowl on the window sill.

Mara picked it up and placed it in front of him. A steaming bowl of rice, vegetables, sausage, and shrimp stared up at him invitingly.  No matter how hard he tried to hide it, the smells had him drooling. He quickly picked up a napkin to keep some table manners intact. Mara smiled as she popped another beer top for him. “There ya go. Charlie’s world-famous Jambalaya. Just be warned, not even Kurt can handle a second bowl of this stuff at once.” She leaned in and whispered. “We don’t know what Charlie puts in it and we’re too scared to ask. The current theory is gunpowder with a nitroglycerin chaser.”

After a couple of bites, Kyle took a deep chug of his stout to cool the flames. “I believe it. Pretty sure NASA could use this for their Mars rockets. Still, that’s some of the best food I’ve ever had. Period.” Mara nodded and went back to tending her bar as Kyle ate. 

About thirty minutes later, Kyle was finishing the last of his serving and found himself the only one at the bar. As Mara came to pick up the empty dish, he asked, “Hey Mara, can I ask you something?”

“Sure kid.”

“Where’s everyone else?”

“Mark’s in back helping Charlie with prep work and washing dishes. Lexi normally serves with Ayla but it’s her night off. Kurt’s in his office in the back. He comes out every once in a while to check on things but he knows we’ve got it all in hand.”

“Sounds like you’re a well-knit crew.”

“More a family considering how long we’ve all been together.”

“How long is that?”

“A long time kid. When you grow up a bit, I might even tell ya the exact number.”

Kyle chuckled. He then waved Mara in closer so their conversation couldn’t be overheard. “Don’t mean to be rude but what’s the story with Bob?”

She grinned. “Check out his left hand,” she whispered back. “That wedding band also contains a low-level glamour powered by his Source. He can shift back to that lovely broccoli hide of his anytime he wants. We all chipped in for it as a wedding present.”

“So glamours are a real thing? Are they rare due to the price then?”

“Not in themselves. There’s a lot of folks out there that need them so they are pretty common. It’s the registration and maintenance fees that cost the most. You’ve got to register any glamour with the Conclave so that way they know who is supposed to look like what and where you are. It’d be too easy for some smuck to grab...oh...say...the President’s look and have a little fun with the nuclear launch codes if there wasn’t some kind of regulation on them. Just about any high-level government has at least one of the Conclave’s best sorcerers around because of that. They are strictly non-political, are to not involve themselves in any human policy, good or bad,  and are only supposed to help keep the human leaders safe from any type of spell casting, which is why they tend to be in security details rather than official positions. Sadly, sometimes, they also go rogue - why do you think Hitler was so invested in the occult? But their benefits far outweigh the risks. ’Ave to keep the “normies” ‘appy, ya know? Still, any unauthorized glamour use carries a steep penalty. Depending on the offense, death can be quite a light punishment, all things considered.”

Kyle scoffed at her. “You’re kidding. There’s something worse than a death penalty?”
She smirked. “Magic exists, cutie. Try wearing a water-breathing ring that also keeps your body alive and whole, getting tied to an anchor, then dropped in the Marianas Trench for a century or two. Between the dark, the pressure, and the wildlife nibbling at you, you’d pray you were dead. The last guy I heard that got that one was the one who shot Kennedy.” Kyle’s eyes bugged as Mara chuckled. “It was never Oswald, poor bastard.”

Kyle began to rapidly reassess everything that he had ever learned in school. “Ouch. That’s nasty but the guy deserved it, no question. But what’s this “Conclave” thing you’re talking about?”

“Pretty much the governing body of all us fae.” She held up a hand. “The word don’t mean just fairies ya know. It encompasses all of the non-human species.” Kyle nodded. “So think of The Conclave as the UN for Tolkien-lovers. For the most part, each race is left to their own devices but we all need certain rules to follow to keep us safe and have some kind of order in the world.”

Kyle’s eyes widened as he started realizing the scope of what Mara just told him. “I’m rapidly finding my little world bubble bursting now. Everything just seems so much bigger.”

Mara laughed. “Welcome to the real world, Kyle. Ya ‘ave no idea how big it can truly get.” She winked. 

“Speaking of big things, how about a second bowl of that special and another beer?” Kyle put another twenty on the counter.

Mara took the bill and smiled wickedly. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya cutie. I’ll put the order through but I hope you’ve got a titanium stomach. Otherwise, all I’ll say is good luck. You’re going to need it in a couple of hours.”

 

***

Dear God in Heaven, help me! What the hell was I thinking?! I don’t think even dragonfire could burn this much! I’m a freaking Wolf. I can shrug off enough bullets to turn a car into swiss cheese yet I think Charlie’s cooking is going to kill me!

To be fair hotshot, she warned you. Twice.

I thought she was joking! OH MY GOD!

You should know better than to ignore the advice from the people preparing your food.

Now you tell me! ARRRGGHH! Why aren’t you screaming in pain anyway?

I’m not in the driver’s seat. All those lovely little nerve endings that are currently sending hell through your lower intestine don’t work on me.  I’m just enjoying watching you get your comeuppance. Maybe I should get some popcorn and a cola? He licked his chops. Besides, that special was pretty damn good. Just the memory of it is something I’ll treasure for a long time. Well, that and this. I feel sorry for that toilet right now. What you’re doing to it has to be a war crime.

He cocked his head slightly as his eyebrow arched. Now then hotshot, what did we learn?

One bowl. Not two. Just one.

The wolf reached out a paw and patted it in the air. Good boy. See you can learn from your mistakes. 

Kyle flushed the toilet and washed his hands. He grabbed the can of air freshener sitting on the shelf and sprayed it liberally around the room. Once the spray settled, he fired another shot just in case.  I’m supposed to leave after breakfast. Somehow I have to convince Kurt to let me stay.  I know that they’re going to try to finish what they started at the depot sooner or later and I have to be with them. It’s the only lead I’ve got on Becca. He stared at his image in the sink mirror. Still, as much I hate admitting Kurt’s right, I don’t have a prayer without some kind of help. So there’s just one thing I can do. 

You’re going to challenge him, hotshot? 

Do you have to ask? His lip curled. Besides, I owe him for that crack he made about her.

His wolf snarled as his lips curled back to reveal ivory fangs. Damn right we do. That bastard needs to be taken down a peg or two. No one talks about our mate like that.

Kyle thought he saw his eyes glow amber in the mirror above the sink but it was such a brief flash that he figured it must’ve been just a glare from the overhead light. He left the bathroom, silently praying that the air freshener was enough. As he entered the living room, he saw Bob on the loveseat watching the sports channel with Lexi curled up next to him with a book. Mara and Ayla were finishing their meals at the dining room table. 

Mara looked up from the remnants of her oatmeal and grinned at Kyle. “Feel better cutie?”

Kyle looked away sheepishly. “Yeah. I should have listened to you. That stuff packs a kick.”

Everyone laughed at that, except Bob. He just grunted softly. “You’re not the first to underestimate Charlie’s cooking,” Lexi said. 

“Indeed,” Ayla continued. “That’s why we have a limit to one bowl per customer, no exception.” Her smile turned wicked. “Usually.”

Lexi laughed and looked up at her husband. “Bob here holds the record of three bowls. Though once he was done in there,” she nodded her head to the bathroom, “we almost decided to just burn the thing down and rebuild. Seemed easier at the time.”

Bob’s cheeks turned such a dark green it was almost black and Kyle barely restrained his smile. He figured the orc only reacted that way around his wife so he didn’t want to interrupt the moment with snark. 

Kyle reached into his wallet and pulled out a couple of hundred dollar bills. It was most of what he had left but he wanted to pay them back for his trouble. “Here. I want to make us square.”

Ayla smiled and waved it off. “It was our pleasure. Put that away though. We did kidnap you, remember.” She snickered.  “That look on your face as you ran down the hall was payment enough.”

Bob finally laughed out loud at that. Lexi elbowed him for disturbing her reading time. He leaned over and kissed her forehead in apology. She looked up and he repeated the kiss to her lips. “Sorry love,” he mumbled.

Kyle crossed his arms as he leaned on the doorframe. “You guys remind me of Becca’s parents a lot.” He turned back to the two women. “I’m glad to have met all of you, despite the circumstances. But before I go, I have to talk to Kurt. Do you know where he is?”

“He’s down in his office doing some paperwork,” Ayla replied.

“Thanks.” As Kyle went down the stairs, everyone traded knowing glances with each other. Ayla sighed and leaned back in her chair.  Don’t be too rough on him, lover. He’s a nice kid and you know it.

 

***

 

Let’s try the soft approach first. Kyle knocked on the doorframe. Kurt didn’t even look up from the stack of papers he was reading. “What do you want, Cub? I’m busy.”

“Before I head out, I wanted to say thanks.”

“Thank Lexi and Ayla. If I had my way, you’d be a fur rug right now. The last thing  I wanted was to drag your mangy ass home.”

Ok. Let’s try a different tack. “So how do you know my grandfather? You from Derrick’s Falls?”

“Long story. Not one I’m interested in telling to some snot-nosed cub. When you see him, though, tell him to get his shit together. He’s slipped even worse than I could’ve imagined. Any further and I might just stop by for a chat, rogue or not.”

Ok. Hard way it is.

Mind if I take over? You’re not exactly hitting it out of the park right now.

Yeah, I do. We’re wearing our last pair of shoes. You know how much we hate shopping.

His wolf sighed. Fine. 

Kyle walked into the room and stood before the desk. “Look, Kurt, just what the hell is your problem with me? You’ve been on me since the moment we met and it’s really starting to piss me off.”

Kurt put down his pen and merely looked up at him. 

“I’m not a complete moron, Kurt,” Kyle let a little anger seep into his tone. “I know how stupid what I’m doing actually is. I know I’m way over my head here. But the plain truth is---” Kyle’s eyes began glowing amber in the reflected light. “---Becca was my mate in all but name. I know that. My wolf knows that. Hell, it’s one of the few things we do agree on. So if you think that I’d just sit back and go on with my life as if nothing changed and do absolutely nothing to avenge her death, I’ll eat your fucking heart right now you fucking packless rogue.”  He finished in a soft growl, each breath a growl of challenge.

Kurt continued to just stare at him, his expression completely stoic. After a minute or so, he slid his chair back and slowly stood up. “Fine, Cub. You really want to do this? Follow me.”

 

***

Kurt led them behind the bar into the woods surrounding the property. The two walked deeper into the words for about ten minutes in silence then entered into a large grassy clearing. As they crossed the perimeter, Kurt ordered, “Stay here.” He then walked about twenty yards to the opposite side and faced Kyle. He took off his vest, folded it, and placed it softly on the ground. He then began unbuttoning his shirt. “Strip, Cub. You want to do this, then we’re doing it right.”

Once they finished putting their clothes into little piles, they stood there facing each other. Holy crap. Look at that guy. He’s nothing but a mass of scars and muscles. Guy looks like that one poster of Batman we loved as a kid. They then both shifted into their hybrid forms. Kurt’s fur was a mix of inky black and various shades of gray. He stood a head taller than Kyle and his eyes glowed a soft tan. 

“You going to stand there all day Cub or did you come to fight? There’s no bell. You want this, you start. I’ve got much better things to do today than stand around staring at a young pup who’s barely cut his teeth.”

Kyle growled, dug his heels into the soft turf, and charged. He ran at full speed, tearing divots through the meadow. He tried to wrap Kurt into a bear hug but the other Wolf easily side-stepped and slashed a shallow series of cuts to Kyle’s left arm. Kyle turned and tried again. Kurt just repeated the maneuver and slashed Kyle’s other arm. As the two moved around the clearing, Kurt managed to stay just slightly out of reach but, with each dodge, more shallow cuts were inflicted on Kyle. As small rivulets of red started running down Kyle’s fur, he heard Kurt laugh. “I thought this was going to be a fight, Cub! I didn’t know you were asking me to a dance. Sorry to hurt your feelings but I don’t swing that way. But you might make a good lap dog one day.” Kyle roared and tried to grapple Kurt but, again, the older wolf dodged. “You must have been spending too much time going out with that corpse you call a  girlfriend and not enough time learning what it means to be a Wolf!”

Kyle bared his fangs, drool running down his chin and he howled in anger. He stopped trying to grab Kurt and started slashing at him viciously. Kurt stopped evading but he used his forearms to keep Kyle’s blows from causing any serious harm. Kyle howled in frustration. “Stop toying with me, rogue! I came here to fight!” 

Kurt laughed as he ducked another blow. “You call this a fight? Cub, you have no idea what a real fight is!’  Kurt slid under Kyle’s outstretched arm, pulled the younger wolf off balance, and dug his claws to the first knuckle into Kyle’s chest in a wicked slash. Kyle howled in agony and backed up a step as his fur darkened in separate ribbons of crimson. Kyle quickly recovered his balance and came in anew, moving faster and now using both his claws and jaws to try to get any piece of Kurt that he could. He actually managed to start inflicting minor wounds to the older wolf but it didn’t even seem to faze him. Instead, Kurt laughed even harder. “That’s more like it, Cub! Come on! Be a Wolf for once in your miserable life! Show me what you can do!” Kyle roared and moved even faster. His pace would have torn a normal human into bloody chunks of meat but Kurt just managed to keep Kyle from inflicting any serious damage. As the fight continued, Kyle began breathing heavily as sweat matted his fur, Kurt wasn’t showing any signs of exhaustion, he could have been going on a walk on the beach instead of keeping a 300-pound wolfman from eviscerating him. “All right, Cub. Time to show you what a real wolf can do. You had your chance.” He ducked under another slash and rolled around Kyle. He swung out his leg and tripped up the younger wolf. As Kyle stumbled, Kurt leaped up, grabbed Kyle’s flailing left arm, and brought his elbow down on the forearm while his knee raced up to meet it. There was a sharp crack as both bones in Kyle’s forearm snapped like twigs, small parts of the bones protruding through his skin. Kyle howled in agony but Kurt was only getting started. He wrenched the limp limb up and behind Kyle’s head, locking the joint. Meanwhile, Kurt’s feet were busy digging into Kyle’s thighs, tearing and pining him to the turf. Kurt then leaned in and bit into Kyle’s shoulder. Kyle actually felt Kurt’s teeth scrape along the shoulder blade. Kurt then pulled back, taking a good chunk of bloody flesh with him. Finally, he brought his free arm down in a massive blow that cracked Kyle’s collarbone. Kurt dropped the wailing Wolf onto the soft grass of the clearing. Pausing a moment, he looked down at the bloody shifter. “I told you, Cub. Go home. You aren’t the type of Wolf for this sort of thing.” He started walking back to his clothing.
All right hotshot! You’ve had your turn! It’s mine now!

No, wait! I can ---

Kyle’s wolf jumped into Kyle’s mental image of himself and the limp body twitched. Amber eyes blazing in rage, Kyle curled his broken arm under his bloody chest and slowly rose on unsteady legs. Snarling, drool dripped down his muzzle to plop heavily on the grass.. He looked every inch the apex predator he was. Kurt slowly turned around and just looked at him. He just shook his head in contempt. “You’re even worse off than I thought. You’re not even a cub. You’re just an animal.” Howling, Kyle dropped to all fours and charged.. Kurt sadly sighed and met the charge head-on. Right before they met, Kyle feinted and ducked to bring his jaws inline with Kurt’s throat. Kurt leaped high into the air and landed behind Kyle, wrapping him in a tight grip. The snarling Wolf kept trying to bring his jaws around as his feet clawed the soft turf to bits. Kurt just whispered contemptuously, “Time to put you down, Cub.” He slammed his foot into Kyle’s right leg and there was another crack. As Kyle stumbled from the loss of stability, Kurt slammed his foot again into the knee and broke it. As Kyle began to curl over, Kurt raked both arms up Kyle’s back, tearing it into ribbons. He moved with a speed Kyle didn’t even think possible as Kurt continued to tear into his back. He was a whirlwind of grey and black fury and Kyle couldn’t even react. All he could do was curl into a ball in a desperate attempt to protect his vitals. The last thing he saw before passing out from the pain was Kurt’s fist heading straight for him.

 

***

No. It can’t end this way. Not like this.

His wolf whimpered a little as he tried to keep his broken paw off the ground. Did you see what he just did to us? It’s going to be a week just for us to heal enough to walk! 

This wouldn’t have happened if you waited and listened to me before taking over like that! We could have come up with some sort of a plan!

Oh, really, hotshot? In what universe are you living in? This guy knows exactly what he’s doing and how to kick our furry ass from now till Doomsday. I really hate admitting it but there’s no way we can win against him.

It doesn’t matter. We lose here and we might as well just head home and move on! If we’re not even ready to take down an old Wolf, we might as well just give Lilith the silver bullet ourselves. Becca deserves more from us, damn it! You know that! We owe her that!

Ah. To hell with it. I never wanted to live forever anyway. You’re right. Becca deserves more.

So what do you say? Keep going until either he goes down or we do?

Preaching to the choir, hotshot. Let's teach this cocky bastard not to mess with Kyle Thomas Harper!

For Becca!

For Becca!

 

***

Kyle slowly got up and softly whimpered as the bones in his shattered knee ground against each other. He tried keeping all his weight on his good leg but he was still dangerously unbalanced. Blood matted his fur and dripped in a steady stream to the grass. He could barely see from the unending pain but he didn’t care. He forced everything to the back of his mind, only dimly aware of how he was even able to do that, to focus on the Wolf standing before him. He had lost any sense of self-preservation. His only thought was getting the last reminders of his dead mate home and how the Wolf before him was an obstacle on that path. 

His voice was barely more than a harsh whisper as it took every breath he had to even speak. “Just where the fuck do you think you’re going rogue,” he spat the last out as a curse. “This fight isn’t over yet. Not until one of us yields or dies. So get the hell back over here and let’s finish this.” He started to cough up a little blood as he swayed back. He managed to recover and kept from falling. “I’m a fair Wolf, if you want to surrender, I’m all ears." He bared his fangs and growled as deeply as he could. "Otherwise, get the fuck out of our way!” Kyle’s eyes blazed like amber floodlights.

Kurt silently stared at the young wolf. He might as well have been a statue as he stared into Kyle’s gaze. Kyle stared right back, the contest of wills over claws had begun and whoever made the first move was going to be the winner. Time lost all meaning to them, the sounds of the forest died away, they might as well have been the only two beings in existence at that moment in time. Kyle never even saw it coming. One moment he saw a black blur, the next he felt a massive blow to his destroyed shoulder and another to his head. He saw the edges of darkness coming to claim him as he saw the sky and ground zig-zag in place as he fell. He fought against it, both his wolf and him screaming out in fury and rage at the oncoming blackness. It was relentless and overwhelming. Just before it fully enveloped both of them, Kyle could have sworn he heard a soft voice somewhere say, “There might be some hope for you yet, Cub.”