Rift. (Rewritten in 2010)

Spring, Year Four (4th Moon)

Weeks had passed. Kriston's heat had faded, Zechariah had worn out his welcome in Alexei's household, Malik was as precocious as ever, and the Spring Festival was only a few days away.

Jara was thoroughly enjoying his job in the archives. However, he wasn't enjoying the job today as thoroughly as he usually did, due mostly to the fact that his vare and his alpha had informed him that he would be expected to attend a dinner with them that evening. Some representatives from the GreatLake pack would be visiting for the Spring Festival, and Garron and Alexei were having a small banquet to introduce them to a few of ColdRiver's more prominent leaders.

Jara didn't really want to go, not when he knew that the primary reason he'd been invited was to put himself on display for a mate - or "be sociable", as First Alpha Mate Alexei had put it.

It wasn't that Jara didn't want a mate - he did, most desperately, actually. Many of his housemates, the other humans he'd grown up with in the pack's Beta Academy, were by now promised to wolfes - one or two had even bonded already. Jara felt a bit left out, a little alone. Him being the Alpha's varon didn't help - with such credentials, he should have had wolfes lining up down to the kitchens. But he didn't. Jara put a book in place with excessive force. It wasn't that he didn't try - he combed his hair, sometimes painted his eyes, and kept his skin rubbed with oils to make it soft, just as Second Alpha Mate Damon had shown him. It didn't seem that looks were the major problem. Jara exhaled. It was personality. He was shy - pathetically shy, he knew, but it was something he'd struggled with since childhood, and his vare hadn't exactly worked hard to make it go away. First Alpha Mate Alexei was supposed to change him - to teach him manners, educate him, make him into a good beta, then take him out and show him off and at the end of the day, find him a mate. Alexei had not done much of that, yet Jara still found it difficult to be angry at him. It wasn't anything intentional - First Alpha Mate Alexei just didn't know better, and there was so much going on in the pack, and then there was the litter and everything... Jara supposed he'd just sort of gotten lost in the fray. So perhaps he should be happy to go to this banquet - it was exactly the sort of thing the varon of the Alpha Mate was supposed to be allowed to do, and maybe it would be a good time. Maybe First Alpha Wolfe Garron would be right, and there would be some suitable GreatLake wolfes. But maybe he didn't want a GreatLake wolfe; maybe he wanted one of their own.

Jara's face colored immediately upon thinking this thought, and his mind began replaying the moment that his Alpha had caught him in the dish room with Semmelin - perhaps the most mortifying moment of his life. Nothing had been going on, but Jara wondered what might have happened had his alpha not walked in just when he had...Jara decided to abandon this train of thought, and just then, as if hearing his name called, the wolfe in question appeared, walking towards him in the hall.
Jara gave a wary smile and didn't meet his eyes. Semmel came over to him, stopped short, and gave a happy wag of his tail.
"Hey."
Jara glanced up from underneath the hair which fell in his face.
"Hi."
Semmelin had obviously just come from training - he was wearing the characteristic white practice skeins of his age class, and his skin still glowed from the workout. His tail beat a jovial pattern against his leg, and he grinned down at Jara. An expectant silence passed between them. Jara cleared his throat.
"Um. So, how was practice?"
Semmelin beamed.
"Excellent! I receive the honor of my position soon. Our leader was very impressed with my improvement over the month."
Jara cleared the hair out of his face and smiled up at Semmel.
"See? So being out of the kitchen does you some good - you have more time to practice; you've gotten better."
Semmel nodded and plunked down on the floor next to where Jara was sitting with a stack of books. His hand brushed against Jara's leg, but the human ignored it as an accident. Semmel moved into a cross-legged position and pulled the cord of his yava into his lap to play with the fringe. He grinned mischievously over at Jara.
"I could get even better if we practiced more."
Jara glanced up to be sure no one was around, then bent his head back down towards the books.
"I'm not much of a challenge. I doubt I'd help you."
Semmel laughed.
"You've gotten better. Might be able to take down a 2-class by now."

Semmel had, for the last two weeks, been doing something highly illegal. During the afternoon hours they worked together, the wolfe had been teaching Jara some Wolfish sparring techniques. Jara thoroughly enjoyed these lessons, even though Semmel warned him severely that they must be kept absolutely secret, and that Sem would never teach him to advance beyond a basic level. Jara had agreed, eager for the experience of learning something new and forbidden to humans. Jara learned quickly, and between Semmelin's practice sessions and studying the Wolfish books on sparring which he'd found in the archives, Jara had become passably good at certain Wolfish sparring games.

"Want to spar a quick one right now?" Semmelin asked, sensing Jara's interest.
"How quick?"
"First down."
Jara pretended to be contemplating this, then nodded and began to get to his feet excitedly.
Semmelin beat him there, and moved fluidly into a familiar fighting position.
"OK, now remember what I told you about unarmed combat - stay relaxed, stay focused, and use your opponent's weight against him. Try me."
Semmelin lunged for him, and Jara tried to remember the steps, but forgot them as Semmel made contact. Panic shot through him, and he reacted just so that he wouldn't lose, turning and putting weight into a body strike against Semmelin. In doing so, Jara managed to accidentally unbalance the wolfe as well as himself, and when Semmel stumbled, Jara began to go down towards the marble ground headfirst. Semmelin dived in underneath him, in a quick display of wolfish speed and reactivity, and kept his head from hitting the unforgiving ground.

Frightened and panting, Semmel rolled them both upright, then pulled Jara into a sitting position, just cradling him against his chest for a minute and heaving. Then, out of nowhere, apropos of nothing, the young wolfe leaned down and kissed Jara ferociously. Jara didn't resist at first - was just shocked and a little confused - but then suddenly remembered who he was and what he was doing, and that he had an Alpha who was always watching, and he shoved Semmelin away.

The wolfe released him and fell back, shook his head, looked apologetic, and then got up and took off running. Jara didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

+++++

"Hello, darling."
Damon looked up at his wolfe's entrance, then quickly back down to the page open on the table, on which he was practicing his Russian script with a long quill.
"Hello."
Kriston paused in the doorway, then swept into the room and nuzzled Damon's neck. Damon shifted away.
"Alpha, please. I'm working."
Kriston stared at him for a moment.
"Use my name."
Damon didn't respond and the wolfe just sighed, then moved away from him and took a seat across from Damon, folding his hands into in a neat pattern on the table.
"I've been thinking."
The only response was a slight raising of Damon's left eyebrow.
"The lit is getting older. Their time to be surrendered comes soon."
Damon paused in his writing, then set his jaw and scribbled on, his quill pressing firmly down. Alex had spoken to him about this - the peculiarity in Wolfish culture that necessitated a common upbringing for almost every litter. Alex had refused to give up his natural born litter, and Damon would too. Thus far, Garron hadn't pressed the issue, but Damon knew his mate was different; Kriston was dedicated to the pack tradition and would be unlikely to cave so easily. But Damon had fought too hard and given up too much to get his litter back - there was no way he would be parted from them now.

Kriston, sitting across the table, kept silent and tracked these emotions dance across his human mate's face - a face that was so different now than it had been when they'd first met. There were lines in it now - little memories of sorrow that couldn't be blamed on a life underground. Little sorrows that were a result of knowing him. Kriston said a small prayer to the Moon to bring back the spirit of his mate and spoke again.
"I've been thinking it may be our time to adopt."
Damon bent the tip of his quill on the page, then put it down. He looked up at his mate. Kriston swallowed nervously.
"Perhaps some new blood might bring...it's the springtime, after all, a time for new beginnings, and maybe if we are more, we will not suffer so much from..." Kriston stopped, feeling daunted, but then thought of the Damon he once knew and felt revitalized. "Damon, love, I believe this is what you and I should do to begin to put our relationship and our family back together."

+++++

The First Day of the Spring Festival

Zechariah and Daniken wandered in from the bathing rooms in time for the noonmeal, chatting loudly and waking Kriston and Damon, who had taken to the bedroom for a brief nap. Damon had gone, under duress, but had fallen asleep almost immediately encased in the comfort of a safe home and his mate's arms.
They gathered themselves and left the bedroom to meet the others for the noon meal.

Garron, but not Alexei, met them in the Great Hall, and Damon observed, with great interest, that Zechariah's behavior was distinctly modified in the presence of the pack's Alpha. His attitude was more reserved, his mannerisms more deferential, and his chattiness was limited to quiet conversation with Daniken. Damon made a mental note to ask Alexei about this later. Kriston and Garron were having a spirited discussion about the banquet that evening, which would mark the arrival of the GreatLake wolfes, as well as further preparations for the upcoming Spring Festival itself - Damon was only half-listening, being more interested in picking at his soup and wondering how his litter was. He tuned back in at the mention of mates; Garron was speaking.
"Jara will be there tonight, at the banquet. He needs a mate. Immediately. It may be an opportunity for good relations with GreatLake."
Kriston arched an eyebrow.
"You don't believe that would be met with poor support? After all, the controversy has not settled over the size of the group we sent to LongTrees."
Garron pondered this.
"Perhaps. However, Jara is only one." Garron shrugged. "We will see. Either way, he attends. It will do him well to socialize in the traditional fashion."

Kriston tilted his head as if considering this.
"Perhaps Daniken should go as well. He is young, charming enough, and unclaimed."
Daniken looked up with interest. Damon lifted his eyes to meet Kriston's, but didn't voice a protest.
Still, the wolfe seemed to read his mate's expression, because he reached out to cover Damon's hand with his own. Little lines formed around his mouth. Quietly, so that only his mate could hear, he whispered, "It is inevitable, Damon."
Damon blinked at his wolfe, took his hand back, and turned back to his soup.
Daniken, still sustaining interest in the possibility of an outing, twisted his fork between his fingers and bounced excitedly in his seat.
"Alpha? So if I go, do I get new clothes? Will there be hunna? Can Zechariah come as well?"
Kriston turned from his mate's rebuff and smiled thinly at Daniken.
"Yes, yes, and no, because Zechariah has a mate already. He'll probably want the opportunity to spend an evening alone with him."

Garron lifted an eyebrow and finished his drink, then picked up a piece of half-raw meat to chew.
"An interesting point, and it reminds me of another. When will the bonding take place for Me'tanalith and Zechariah? The bonding of such a prestigious Arem'mir wolfe to one of our betas should be a large event, and planned accordingly."
Zechariah picked quietly at his meal and tried to look inconspicuous. Kriston shrugged.
"I am certain he and the wolfe Me'tanalith have discussed this between them. Ask him."
"Zechariah?" Garron pressed, speaking directly to the human now, "When will your bonding occur?"
Zechariah focused on his plate, gathering small bits of grain into little piles around his fork.
"I - I don't - Tabaliff and I have not chosen a date yet, First Alpha."
Garron shrugged.
"Unlike him not to plan things through. Would you like a time, perhaps, in the early summertime? The sixth moon?" the wolfe pressed.
Zechariah flushed a little.
"I think my mate wanted us to bond in the springtime, Alpha."
"Wolfe Me'tanalith will not mind. The early summer will leave opportunity for things to settle in the pack, and for new food to come. You can be the first in the temple after the summer cleansing." Kriston answered. Zechariah nodded as if considering this.
"I really think Liff wanted to be bonded as soon as possible, Alpha."
Garron furrowed his brow, then glanced at Kriston.
"The fifth moon, then." Garron said. "Last passing of the fifth moon. Still the springtime, but it will give Damon and My Second time to prepare."
Zechariah wouldn't meet anybody's eyes.
"I think - um, perhaps earlier, Alpha, might be better."
Garron's ears went back, his eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered dangerously.
"Why so soon, Zechariah?"
Zechariah glanced up at Damon, then Kriston, before lowering his eyes again and saying faux-casually while picking at his plate again,
"Oh, um, that is mostly because I am pregnant."

+++++

The Great Hall looked beautiful, and Jara chose to focus on this because it meant he had a reprieve from focusing on all the people - especially the ones who were staring directly at him. He poked at his plate with his fork, but couldn't convince himself to be hungry enough to eat. He turned his attention to First Alpha Garron, who was conferring quietly with First Alpha Mate Alexei beside him at the table. They glanced at him and smiled. He poked his food one more time. Then Garron got up and anxiety bit farther into Jara's appetite. It was time.

The banquet was run in five two-hour long sections; the first two hours were a meal, followed by two hours of socializing and visiting one another's tables. The third section was another meal, followed by two hours of music and dramatic performances, and all closed up with a final early morning meal. Garron and Alexei, as well as their immediate guests, would be expected to stay the entire course. Currently, they were coming to the close of the first meal. Jara glanced anxiously at his Alpha, who was clearly preparing to make the announcement that the socialization hours were soon to begin. Jara glanced over his shoulder and caught the hungry gazes of four or five wolfes. So far, he'd been able to remain unmolested; no one was allowed to approach the Alpha's table uninvited during the first meal. But the rules changed during the Visiting Hours, which began in less than three minutes, and Jara feared that, between suitors after him and suitors after Daniken, his table was going to turn into a free-for-all.

First Alpha Mate Alexei did not appear to share the same worries. In fact, he had seemed less than inclined, when Jara had voiced his fears earlier, to oblige him by just canceling the entire banquet. And First Alpha Garron had been even less accommodating, also turning down Jara's request to simply take Daniken and pass him off as Jara. Now, they both seemed downright gleeful at what was going on. Jara glanced to his right. Daniken was sitting primly in his seat, wearing a tight maroon shirt and brown-and-gold robes that were casually hanging half-off his shoulder. He had spent most of the meal casting coquettish looks over his shoulder, and was now "innocently" twisting a curl of his hair around his finger and pretending not to notice the GreatLake wolfes who were looking.

Jara hadn't even thought to wear nearly such a revealing outfit. He'd chosen modestly cut, dark blue robes and the silver which Garron preferred for his cords to tie them. Afterwards, feeling generous, he'd allowed Daniken to braid back his hair, and First Alpha Mate Alexei had assured him that he looked gorgeous. If only Semmelin could see him now...

Jara jerked back to the present. First Alpha Garron was sitting down, looking quite pleased with himself. That could only mean one thing. It was -
"Hello. May I introduce myself and my brother, Himmer? I am Sero, ascended wolfe of the GreatLake pack, and it is truly a pleasure to meet you."
Sero reached out for a handshake, and Jara glanced helplessly at his Alpha before reciprocating. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Himmer gently talking to Daniken.
Sero smiled at him, revealing a mouth of even, white teeth.
"Perhaps we could take a walk outside; the air is - "
"Jara stays." Garron, who Jara hadn't even known was listening, interrupted them. The Alpha's expression was light, but firm. He turned to Himmer. "Daniken, too."
Sero immediately bowed his head politely.
"Yes, Alpha."
Sero and Himmer chatted for some time before moving on, at which point they were immediately replaced with another pair. Jara sighed and started to pout, but First Alpha Mate Alexei, who had returned for a break from visiting other tables, pinched him under the table, and he quickly pulled himself together. After forty-five minutes of this, however, Jara was worn out. He excused himself from the table, where Garron was still holding court and Daniken was willingly entertaining the ridiculous amounts of attention from GreatLake wolfes. His Alpha looked up sharply at him when he rose.
"Where are you going?"
Jara indicated one of the outdoor patios with his head.
"Just for a breath of fresh air."
Garron raised an eyebrow. Jara rolled his eyes.
"Alone, Alpha."
Garron inclined his head.
"Be quick."

+++++

Outside, the air was sweet and spiced with a coming summer's breeze. It had taken several minutes, but Jara had managed to navigate his way through the crowd to the door to the small summer patio, remaining mostly unmolested on the journey. Once outside, he trusted in the dim light of the nighttime to cloak him, and made his way to the small gazebo that stood a few hundred feet out from the main hall. Hoping he wouldn't stumble upon some couple in the midst of a tryst - it was the springtime, after all - he went inside. Luckily, it was empty, and so Jara was able to stretch his legs out on one of the benches provided, lean back, breathe in the cool/sweet springtime air, and try to catch glimpses of the stars through the spaces in the roof of the gazebo.

This peacefulness lasted all of seven minutes. Jara had just closed his eyes when all of a sudden, something cold and wet was pushed into his ear. He squealed, leapt up, and was met with the grinning face of Semmelin. Jara's eyes widened and he glanced back to the Great Hall, anxious of seeing his Alpha there.
"Semmel!"
Semmel laughed and sat beside him on the bench.
"Sorry. Couldn't resist. Nose in the ear always does it for humans."
Jara wondered how Semmelin had shifted so fast, then shifted back and had time to redress. A glance at his friend explained how - he simply hadn't. Jara flushed red and looked conspicuously in the opposite direction.
"Please put some clothes on before the Alpha catches you out here."
Semmel's face darkened a little, and he picked up the pile that he'd left pooled on the gazebo floor and clothed himself quickly.
"How is it in there? You having fun? Gathered millions of suitors yet?"
Jara shrugged and rubbed his scar. Semmel studied him more seriously.
"You OK?"
Jara nodded.
"Just a lot going on in there. I needed a break."
Semmel watched him for a minute more, but no further information came.
"OK. Well..." the young wolfe looked around them, over his shoulder, pricking his ears to check for the presence of any other people. "If you wanted to take a break..." he reached for Jara's hand, "We could go for a walk, if you want."
Jara looked towards the door that led back into the enthusiastic merriment of the Great Hall. Sound poured out towards them. A walk sounded pretty nice right about now. Would his alpha be mad? It wasn't as if he'd be wandering alone...just...alone with Semmelin. Which didn't seem like such a good idea. But...there were so many people, he probably wouldn't even be missed. And with Daniken's antics, it seemed unlikely that anyone would trouble to look for him. They'd probably just think he was off, skulking in a quiet corner somewhere. Garron had seen how upset he'd been by all the attention. Jara looked up at Semmelin once more. The wolfe's face was a mixture of worry, excitement, and the general glee that was his default setting. Semmel glanced up at the moon, then at Jara, a gentle smile revealing itself in the dim light of the gazebo. How could he say no to a face like that? Jara made up his mind. A walk it was.

+++++

Meanwhile, Zechariah and Me'tanalith were spending a quiet evening alone. Given the fact that he was already pregnant (and Damon had enunciated these words with such clear irritation that Zechariah felt stung), his cousin and Alpha had decided that it didn't much matter where he slept anymore.

Zech recalled the conversation with Damon; his cousin had been, and still was, so angry. "I thought I was doing you a favor." he'd snarled, "I thought I would be able to save you. But you fucked it up, Zechariah, and now you're here. Now you're stuck, forever. I hope you like it." then he'd turned on his heel and stormed out. Daniken had hugged his shoulders then, rubbed his back and sat down on the bench with him.
"It's OK," he comforted. "Daydee's just having a bad time right now. He's scared you'll end up like him. But we're different, aren't we, Zech? We'll be fine."

Me'tanalith grunted and pushed one black piece into place, effectively trapping Zechariah's players. Zech made a sound of surprise, then laughed.
"Liff! You cheat! I didn't even see that."
Me'tan frowned seriously.
"A warrior does not cheat, Zechariah."
Zechariah ignored this and instead studied the board, which was balanced on the bed between them. He furrowed his brow.
"This isn't fair. I never win."
Amusement flickered across the wolfe's face at this.
"You will win after you have gained more experience, little one."
Zechariah pouted resolutely.
"I want to win now."
Me'tanalith laughed and leaned across the board to kiss him, spilling black and white pieces everywhere. When they broke, Zechariah pulled back, breathless, and looked down at the scattered players between them. He grinned.
"You've made a mess of the game."
Me'tanalith nodded.
"Yes. And I intend to do the same to you. Come here."
Zechariah hesitated shyly for a moment, then boldly pushed the board to the side, making room to go to his mate.
Together again, they touched bare skin - clothing had been discarded earlier on in the evening and never retrieved - and kissed again. Then Me'tanalith laid Zechariah down on his left side, curling up against his back and wrapping strong arms around him, and the human relaxed immediately into his mate's touch. Met'analith stroked him for a while, innocent touches that began on shoulders and arms, but quickly wandered to tease pert brown nipples and fondle Zechariah's half-hard cock. Me'tan slipped one leg between Zech's thighs, forcing them apart, and was able to reach his cock properly, squeezing gently before taking up a smooth, stroking rhythm that soon had his mate grinding himself into his wolfe's hand.

Then Me'tan's fingers were dipping backwards, into the crevice of slick wetness and heat that had welcomed him so eagerly their first time, and would every time thereafter. The wolfe grunted his pleasure and Zechariah lifted his right leg more, seeking better contact. Their movements were becoming more frantic now; Me'tanalith's slick wet cock rubbed with zeal against his mate's backside, and Zechariah thrust himself more eagerly onto the wolfe's strong hand.

With a growl, Me'tanalith decided he'd had enough, and in one fluid motion, removed his fingers and flipped Zechariah onto his back, jerking his thighs apart to settle in between them. Then Me'tanalith was in him, and it still stung a little each time, but Zechariah was brave and he was excited and he knew the promise of pleasure which lingered just over the crest of this pain, and so he kissed his mate and rode out whatever discomfort persisted. Me'tanalith tried to wait for him to be ready, but they had been teasing each other too long already, and so the wolfe's cock was throbbing with the need to thrust into his mate - to lay him down and claim him and finish inside of him. The lights were still up in the room, illuminating for Me'tanalith every wrinkle and angle of his mate's body. For the thousandth time since he'd met his little one, Me'tan thanked the moon for a mate so beautiful. He thrust into him - again and again, reminding himself to be gentle, but secretly not wanting to. Zechariah, for his part, responded to every thrust, throwing his own hips forward to meet his mate's, begging for more of his cock.

Then Me'tan felt the swelling closing in, the distinct knot speeding in from the horizon, his blood pounding inside of him, and so he tried to hold still for Zechariah, who had gone tense again, but in calming himself, he put his nose into the meeting of neck and shoulder on his little mate, and it was his undoing. Because there, in that crevice, that little place, Zechariah smelled so heady, so perfect and well-marked and owned that he felt his knot swell tighter, just before, with a cry, he and his knot released.

He tucked his head into the spot for a moment, just a moment, to recover and let his mate's discomfort from his knot ease. Then that part was done, and he was back on the secondary plane of orgasm, feeling again the slippery heat, the crawling rise of an impending finish. Zechariah was prepared again, too - his legs had lifted to squeeze around his mate's back, one heel tucked between the wolfe's buttocks urging him faster, harder, please, please, Liff, please. And Me'tan wanted him, wanted so badly to see his little mate come hard for him, that he complied with every order, angled himself and responded to every moan, every intake of breath, every squeeze of legs, until he felt Zechariah's spasm growing faster, more frantic. Once more, he tucked his nose into his little mate's neck, hoping to push himself over, knowing that his own orgasm often took Zechariah up with it, and then there was a new smell - sweet and vague, but there nonetheless, and Me'tanalith realized that it was his mate, already beginning to smell of the lit he carried. He came harder the second time than he had the first, slipping happily over the plateau, his mate's muscles clenching around him in their final ecstasy, his pleasure peaking to the sound of Zechariah crying out his name.

He didn't want to pull out afterwards, but after a few minutes, Zechariah pushed against his shoulder and shifted and Me'tan realized he was too sensitive to stay in. His cock slid out of his mate with a wet sound, and his fluid followed soon after it.
"Oh, gross."
Zechariah made a face and tried to get out of the bed. Me'tanalith caught him around the waist and pulled him back in, cooing contented noises against his mate's skin. Zechariah resisted a few more times, but eventually gave in, a little worn out himself, and content to lay satisfied in his wolfe's arms until morning light.

+++++

The Second Day of the Spring Festival

It was the morning after the first banquet of the Spring Festival, and although it was still early, the compound was abuzz with action. Visiting wolfes went on tours, led by young wolfes soon to receive their honors, who eagerly imparted details of life in ColdRiver. Most of the humans were relegated to preparatory activities in the banquet rooms, temples, kitchen, and theatres. Most wolfes would be busy negotiating trade, comparing training practices and taking part in lessons and tournaments, and celebrating the springtime through mid-day trysts with their betas.

Alex had been up since sunrise, but somehow looked none the worse for the wear. He was putting weight back on, Jara noticed, since he'd begun to wean the lit, and was looking his fit self again. Damon looked ill by comparison. Feeding the lit took most of his energy, and struggling with Kriston took the rest. He looked gaunt, and tired.
Alex fanned the thin plastic pictures out on the bed for comparison. Damon, a restless infant in his arms, walked back and forth beside him.
"Who are they?"
"Potentials." Alex replied, seeming satisfied with himself. "The best ones. I picked them all last night. These thirty are the first draw."
Daniken came over to peer over Alex's shoulder with great interest, one of Damon's cubs in his arms.
"Potentials? For me and Jara?"
Alex nodded.
"I figure you two can pick out ten or so that you like, and then we'll vet the finalists."
"I picked that one." Daniken said quickly, pointing to a dark-haired, pale-skinned wolfe that Jara vaguely recognized as being from GreatLake.
"OK." Alex said, setting the sheet aside. "Who else?"
Damon walked over and looked at the photo, then wrinkled his nose, clearly indicating what he thought of Daniken's taste.
"No one else. I picked that one."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"You're that sure?"
Daniken nodded. Alex looked to Damon for help.
"Listen, why don't you pick a few others, Dani - just in case." Day offered. The infant in his arms had quieted, and was nestling against his shoulder.
Daniken looked worried and bit his lip.
"But...you said I could have anyone, right?"
"Well, yes, but - "
"And I already picked that one."
Alex blinked, then spoke as if to a cub.
"Yes, but maybe you should get to know him first, before committing to anything. You want to keep your options open for now, not get into anything too deeply. Pick another one."
Daniken sat down on the bed and put the picture in his lap, fiddling with the cub's blanket.
"Oh. I didn't know that we...ummmm."
Damon stopped his pacing and he and Alexei looked up at Daniken at exactly the same time. Damon spoke first.
"Ummm?? Ummm what?"
Daniken flushed and didn't look up at them, choosing instead to focus on plaiting the end of one of his braids.
"Um, I already picked him." there was a pause. "For my bondmate. Yesterday."
Alex stared at him.
"OK. So?"
Daniken glanced up at Jara, then back to the picture.
"So I already mated him."
Damon closed his eyes.
"No. No, no no. You didn't. Not after Zechariah."
Daniken fiddled with the cord and looked thoroughly abashed.
"I didn't mean to do it - it just happened."
Damon's eyes widened, and he turned his head up to stare at the ceiling for a full minute, taking time to wonder, very honestly, if this was the legacy his family was going to leave on this planet. Daniken looked between Damon and Alex.
"So that was - I mean, you look very mad. But Sero said it would be OK! He said you wouldn't mind, if we were going to bond. I guess I should have waited, huh?"
It was in that moment that Damon felt a kind of numb clarity wash over himself, and he decided two things: one, that as soon as he was done nursing the lit, he was going to seek himself out some much-deserved hunna, and two, that he was done trying to save everyone from themselves. Maybe, some things were just meant to be.
Alex just quietly collected the pictures, waiting for Damon to have some kind of violent reaction. Day opened his eyes, took a deep breath and said:
"Fine."
Everyone looked up at Day in surprise. They had been expecting a lot of things - cursing, yelling, broken fingers. They hadn't been expecting "fine." Damon looked around at the people staring at him.
"What? Fine. It's fine. I guess it's done now. Congratulations, Daniken. I wish you both much happiness."
Alexei and Jara exchanged bewildered looks, but Daniken just gave a little shrug, as if to say 'Daydee can be so funny sometimes' and beamed at his cousin.
"Thank you, Day!"
Daniken handed the cub off to Alexei and rushed forward to hug his older relative. Day welcomed into the arm that was not occupied by an infant. He patted Daniken's head affectionately.
"But you're going to have to be the one to tell Kriston."
Daniken's face paled, and Alex grinned as he packed up the rest of the photographs.
"Well, if that's all the scolding you're going to do, then maybe we can grab a snack before we head to the bathing rooms. We can get cleaned up and help downstairs. Perhaps we'll even run into this zealous new mate of yours, Dani."
Damon agreed that this should be the plan, and Daniken, elated at his cousin's acceptance of his mate, gladly accorded. Silently, Jara let out a breath of relief that once again, he had been forgotten. Jara had picked his mate last night, too, but now did not seem like the moment to bring that up. He'd save it for later. Maybe after dinner.

+++++

"Is that him?"
Garron was speaking over his shoulder to Kriston, whose gaze followed his alpha's across the room. It was the second day of the Spring Festival, and Garron's best warriors were in the training yard, running through practices and exchanging techniques with the wolfes of GreatLake. Off in the distance, a group was sparring for a crowd. Guanaren was among them.
Kriston nodded.
"That's him, alright."
The group dispersed suddenly, and Garron noted that only two wolfes were left. Guanaren and a black-haired wolfe were grappling. The crowd cheered them on, and after a minutes, Garron and Kriston saw the black-haired wolfe hit the ground, hard. Winded, it took him too long to recover, and Guanaren was declared the winner.
"Shall we go and offer him our congratulations?" Kriston suggested wryly.
"Mm. Let's." Garron replied.
They made their way across the field, coming to stand in front of Guanaren, who was laughing with a group his age. At Garron and Kriston's approach, all fell silent. Guanaren stopped smiling, but his eyes still held some amusement.
Garron addressed him.
"Your movements were impeccable, wolfe. It was a fight well won."
Upon being directly addressed, Guanaren dropped his head in submission. His hair fell into his face, the curls striped with sweat and grime from the ground in places.
"You honor me, First Alpha Wolfe Kriston."
Although his words were perfect, there was a teasing undercurrent in Guanaren's tone that Garron did not particularly like. He exchanged glances with Kriston, then flicked his eyes over Guanaren's companions, memorizing each one of their faces. He returned his attention to the wolfe in front of him, who still had not lifted his head.
"Address me freely, wolfe...?"
"Guanaren." one of the compatriots supplied, unbidden. "His name is Guana - " he didn't even finish his sentence before Kriston had him on the ground, his teeth snapping just above the wolfe's neck. Kriston snarled in his face, one hand around his throat. The wolfe's eyes were wide with fear, and he lay still.
Garron looked down at the scene impassively.
"Perhaps in the future, you will not speak out of turn." he said calmly. "My Second, release him."
Kriston did so, but with clear reluctance. Guanaren was watching the scene with serious interest, and his brow folded in on itself as if he were thinking thoroughly about what was taking place.
Garron's voice brought his attention back forward.
"Wolfe Guanaren. As I said, congratulations. You represented ColdRiver well, and I wish you the best in your future competitions. May they all go as well as this one did."
Garron gave a bow of the head to Guanaren, who beamed at the open praise, but then quickly recovered his stoicism and hid his delight behind a placid face.
"Thank you, First Alpha Wolfe Garron. And I apologize - " he glanced behind him at the wolfe who was only now getting up from the floor, and his eyes sparkled with amusement, "- for my companion."
Garron shifted his eyes to the wolfe, then back to Guanaren.
"All is well, wolfe. After all, who among us can be responsible for the actions of a few loyal friends?"
Garron's words were innocent, but he held Guanaren's gaze just long enough for the threat to come through. He was gratified to see the younger wolfe swallow. Then he regained himself and the amusement returned to his eyes.
"How true that is, First Alpha."
Garron blinked at the young wolfe for a moment, then looked around the field disinterestedly.
"Well. I wish you all the best in the rest of your day. I hope to see you all at the banquet tonight."
As he and Kriston walked away, Garron indicated to a set of guards with his right hand, and they rushed past him to apprehend the out of turn wolfe from earlier.
"Making an example?" Kriston asked, watching them turn the group into upset.
"Keeping up the law." Garron replied, and calmly kept on walking.

+++++

Kriston snuck off towards his rooms, going in search of his mate. It was high noon, after all, and the hour of the finest Spring Festival tradition - midday sex.
Damon, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found, but the servant nurses assured him that his mate was probably in the baths. Kriston thanked them and set off to find him.

In the end, Damon turned out to be in their single, private bath - Kriston guessed he had been wanting some privacy. Wanting to honor that, he knocked on the glass of the bathroom door.
"Mate?"
Damon jumped and turned around, then calmed as he saw Kriston standing there.
"Oh. Hey."
It was a warmer welcome than he'd had in weeks, and Kriston was grateful for it.
"I've been looking for you."
He took in his beta's appearance - Damon stood in the shower room, under the spray of the water, droplets of it sluicing down his body, dripping off his hair and making his skin glisten. When he dragged his eyes back up to Damon's face, his mate was watching him.
"I bet you have."
Kriston leaned against the doorway, toying with the idea of just going in fully clothed and claiming his mate. He decided against it; he was no longer a young wolfe, and he could restrain himself.
"I missed you."
Damon turned to look at him, and Kriston noticed that his mate's face looked different somehow - fuller, lighter. His eyes were still the soulful, aching brown that had drawn him in two years ago, but the recent pain he'd grown accustomed to seeing on his mate's face seemed to be...not gone, but faded a little. Damon squeezed the sponge in his hands and water ran out across the floor.
"Come inside, then."
Kriston did not need to be told twice. He undressed himself and entered the steamy room to be with his mate. Damon didn't resist the invasion in any way, just stepped back to allow the taller wolfe to join him under the spray. To Kriston's great surprise, under the water, Damon began to bathe him. His beta reached out with the sponge he'd been using and rubbed it against a bar of soap, sudsing up the material before drawing it across his wolfe's nude torso. He seemed focused on his work, and Kriston didn't dare breathe too deeply for fear of disturbing him. Damon washed his front first, taking care with his cock and the scar on his leg. When his mate moved to go around to his back, Kriston could no longer restrain himself; he seized Damon's wrist. Day looked up at his wolfe. The brown eyes were pleading.
"Is this forgiveness?" he asked, his voice rough with the longing for it. Damon blinked at him, pulled his wrist away, and Kriston buffeted himself for the stinging words his mate usually had prepared. Damon looked down at the sponge in his hand, at himself, and up at Kriston.
"We should talk, maybe."
Kriston waited.
"Daniken is mated."
Kriston raised both eyebrows, but still waited. Damon seemed to be finding answers in the sponge he kept squeezing.
"Daniken is mated. Zechariah is mated. My family are apart from me, even if they are alright. This is the part doesn't hurt anymore."
Damon made a motion when he said this, as if casting those worries to the floor. Kriston just kept waiting, listening to his little mate.
"Alyssa is dead. My lit will be taken from me. I am a traitor. You lied to me." Damon looked up at the wolfe and put one hand over his own chest, tapping the place where his heart would be. "This is the part still hurts."
Damon looked searchingly up at Kriston, wanting the wolfe to see his pain, to understand.
"Regarding those things, it is hard for me to let go."
Kriston felt mute with emotion. He nodded.
"I am sorry, mate. I am."
Damon nodded and dropped his gaze to the sponge again. In the rush of the shower, Kriston couldn't tell if he'd been crying.
"I know. I see that." Kriston hesitated. "I love you."
Damon nodded again.
"I love you, too."
Damon turned the sponge over.
"I cannot forget what you've done to me, Kriston. Or what I did to myself. But I know that those things are done. The past is dead. We live in the now."
Kriston felt elation at hearing his mate say these things - was there hope for them after all?
Damon took a deep breath.
"You asked me if this is forgiveness, Alpha." Damon drew his fingers over the surface of the sponge, feeling its soft irregularity. "I suppose," he said softly, "It is."

+++++

The Third Day of the Spring Festival

"Semm, I don't think we're supposed to be in here." Jara whispered worriedly to the young wolfe who was dragging him along by the hand. Semmelin scoffed.
"If they didn't want us in here, they wouldn't have left it unlocked. Besides, it's interesting, and it's history. You like history, don't you?"
Jara pursed his lips and glanced over his shoulder again. He wanted - no, needed - private time with Semmelin, but he wasn't sure he wanted this to be it. He'd envisioned bringing this up somewhere romantic - maybe in the gazebo where they'd ended up last night, or by the creek. Not in a musty old temple that probably was full of spiders and who-knew-what else. Semmelin was jerking at the door to the temple, trying to pry it loose enough to be opened. The muscles in his back flexed repeatedly, apparent through his shirt, and Jara felt a little fire go through him. Yes, he was sure about this - he wanted Semmelin for a mate. In the proper way, of course, which perhaps meant he shouldn't be sneaking into darkened corners with him at all hours of the day, but there it was. He wanted Semmel for a mate. Now if only Semmelin felt the same way. Images of Semmelin with his hands around Hudson suddenly appeared in his head, unbidden, and he felt a dark cloud roll over his thoughts. Hudson may be pretty, but he was dumb as mud, and Semmelin wouldn't want somebody dumb, would he? Jara imagined himself saying that to the wolfe, trying to justify why he'd be a better mate after Semmelin had rejected him. The thought of rejection made his head swim. Semmelin was breathing heavily now, working hard on the rusted door. His shirt lifted just slightly, to reveal an expanse of skin, and Jara suddenly felt an overwhelming nervousness come over him.
"This is a bad idea. We should do this later. It's the Spring Festival - there's too many people around. Someone is bound to see us."
A clanging was the only response as Semmelin finally managed to swing the heavy door open. He turned happily to Jara, his tail swinging excitedly behind him.
"Come on. Go in, already!"
Jara looked worriedly at Semmelin.
"It's dark."
Semmel looked into the stairwell.
"Only a little."
Jara frowned.
"Then you go first."
"Then who's going to close the door?"
Jara bit his lip.
"Can't we just go later? Let's go when it's at least not a Festival time. Anyway, I want to talk to you first."
Semmelin tilted his head in interest and stepped closer, his height and Jara's nerves making it feel as if the wolfe was looming over him. Jara could sense his heat, he was so close, and smell him, and -
"What do you want to talk about?"
Jara coughed.
"Um. I, um..."
the wolfe's eyes were gentle and expectant.
"Is there something," he asked, leaning closer, "that you want to talk to me about?" Jara froze.
"I - um, no."
he looked away, and a sadness flickered over the young wolfe's eyes for just a minute, before he grinned and then sighed in exasperation.
"Well, come on, then. It's not dark, it's not scary, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. It's going to be fun, you'll see. Now hurry up and go in - my arms are getting tired."
"Go in where?" someone asked, and both Semmelin and Jara jerked around at the voice. Semmelin dropped the door he'd been holding - it clanged shut and the sound momentarily deafened them all. Zechariah put his hands over his ears.
"Ow." he shook the ringing out of his head. "So. Where were you going?"
"Nowhere." Jara answered quickly. Semmelin came to stand beside him, and Jara felt some brief comfort from having the wolfe close to him. Semmelin puffed his chest out a little, clearly hoping to intimidate Zechariah. It didn't seem to have the desired effect, as he continued to look suspiciously at both of them.
"OK. Right. Well, anyway, everybody's looking for you, Jara! You have to sit the table with First Alpha Mate Alex for the next meal, because Daniken is in the infirmary and I don't want to sit alone, and especially not if I can't drink any hunna, which Liff says I can't until the lit is born. And Alpha Wolfe Kriston has some wolfes he wants you to meet, and he said to tell you that before we come down to the Hall, we should probably dress you and do something with your hair, because he really thinks it's past time you got mated and so maybe this could be it! Your chance! So let's go. I'm hungry."
Jara reddened a little during Zechariah's soliloquy, and so, strangely, did Semmelin.
"Oh. OK." Jara managed through his blush. Daniken watched them both for a minute, then made an impatient gesture with his hand.
"Well. Come on! It's nearly noonmeal and I'm already half-dead with starvation. I might as well have stayed in the underground if I knew I was going to get treated this way." he sniffed. Jara rolled his eyes, which made Semmelin smile.
"OK. I'm coming now."
Jara reached out to grasp one of Semmelin's hands. He squeezed it tight, then looked up at the wolfe.
Semmelin raised one eyebrow, then inclined his head.
"I'll find you later, Jara. It's OK. Go."
Zechariah tilted his head curiously, then shrugged and turned to leave.

+++++

Garron finished inside of his mate, then groaned and rolled off of him.
"Ahhh, Alexei. You'll be the death of me, kitten."
Alex flipped over onto his stomach and grinned smugly to himself.
"Happy death, though." he answered his mate. The wolfe smiled and raised himself up enough to rake his eyes down his beta's naked body.
"Very happy." he dropped back down to lie and stare at the ceiling and enjoy his sex high for a few more minutes. Eventually, he roused enough to lean over and stroke some of Alexei's hair back from where it had slipped out of his braid into his face. "Will you come to the noonmeal, sweetheart?"
Alex grunted. Garron kissed the side of his head.
"Come. I have a surprise there for you."
Alex made a slightly-more-interested grunt and Garron laughed.
"I won't tell you what it is. But if you come with me to bathe and dress and feed the lit, then we can go down with the cubs and you can see what it is."
Alex considered this proposition for a minute, then lifted himself up onto his elbows and opened his eyes sleepily. He looked over at his wolfe, and for a moment, the green in those eyes was so piercing, so strikingly beautiful, that Garron thought about throwing the whole plan out and spending the rest of the day buried inside his mate as deep as he could go.
Then Alex blinked and looked away, breaking the spell, and Garron shook his head to clear it. The movement didn't escape Alex's notice, and Garron was soon stunned and delighted to find his mate's hand sliding between his legs to wrap firmly around his already-interested cock. The human grinned up at Garron, and the wolfe once again thanked the Moon for whatever magic she had that made the springtime so wonderful.

+++++

By the time they actually made it to the Great Hall, noonmeal had already begun, and so Garron saw his mate and the kids - Max, Mo, and Malik - as well as their cub counterparts - Michael, Kaeden, and Victor - to their table. Zechariah and Me'tanalith were already there, waiting impatiently with a distinctly satiated-looking Kriston and Damon, and a nervous-looking Jara who was being spoken to in low tones by an unfamiliar wolfe.
"Wondered when you might appear, My First." Kriston drawled. Garron grinned at him, and glanced at Damon.
"My apologies. It's the springtime." he answered, and Kriston dipped his head in acknowledgment.
Farther down the table, servers arrived and began distributing meals to the Alpha and his family. The cubs began eating noisily, and Garron frowned over at them, then turned his attention back to the adults.
"My love. I'll be back in moments - I've got to go and find someone with whom I have some business." Garron looked around distractedly, and Jara's head jerked up, but then went quickly back down to listen to the wolfe who was speaking to him. Kriston glanced over to check on the pair, and Garron scurried off in search of whoever he was in search of.
Alex dug into his meal and Damon and Kriston watched him amusedly.
"Been wearing ourselves out, have we?" the wolfe commented, and Alex threw him a glare that had no malice in it.
"It's the springtime." he replied around a mouthful of food, and Kriston laughed. Alex swallowed and indicated the wolfe speaking to Jara.
"Who's this?"
Kriston picked a piece of fruit off of his plate and chewed on it.
"Tjomin. Best in his weight class for sparring. And he's brought down entire harts on his own in a hunt. Very good choice."
Alex wasn't sure that either of those things were really determining characteristics when searching for a mate, but Kriston seemed confident about it. Jara looked OK, at least - not overly nervous, just at his usual level of discomfort. Down the table, Victor bit Malik, who promptly began to cry.
"Victor!"
"I didn't hurt him! He stole my bread!"
Max quietly stepped in and separated the two, and Michael replaced Victor's missing bread with his own.
Alex sighed and went back to his own food. Damon looked pointedly at his wolfe, who smiled encouragingly.
"See? They practically take care of themselves."

The wolfe who had been speaking to Jara suddenly stood, kissed the human's hand, and stalked off. Kriston watched him go, then turned to Jara.
"Didn't like him?"
Jara shrugged.
"I don't know. He talked about sparring the whole time. Nothing interesting."
Kriston frowned a little.
"Sparring is very interesting."
Jara glanced at Damon, who stepped in and directed his wolfe's attention back to himself.
"Kriston." Damon started quietly. "I've been thinking."
Kriston nodded.
"Alright."
"About cubs."
Kriston looked cautiously at his mate, his voice lowered to match the human's tone.
"Alright."
"Maybe you're right."
Kriston's expression changed to surprise.
"About?"
"Adopting. Maybe." A small grin began to spread across the wolfe's face. Damon fidgeted with his robes. "It - maybe it would be OK to do now."
Kriston smiled broadly.
"Wonderful, dear. Shall we talk about it at home this evening?"
Damon tilted his head.
"No, actually..." he met Kriston's eyes, "Let's talk about it now.
The wolfe's expression became wary.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather - "
"I don't want to give up my lit."
The table fell quiet. Kriston's expression became one of consternation. Alex, Zechariah, Jara, and the cubs watched the exchange with unmasked fascination. Only Me'tanalith gave any pretense of not paying attention.
"Damon - "
The human shook his head.
"It's the only way, Kriston. It's the only way I'll do it."
Kriston hesitated.
"Damon, this is not our way. We do not - "
"I do." Damon insisted. "Please, Alpha. Just let me keep them. I fought so hard for them, and I won't give them up now."
Kriston ground his jaw, clearly deliberating over what to do. The table was tense.
"Damon, it would not be wise - "
"I promise I will never ask you again. But please, this one litter. This one time."
More silence, and now even Me'tanalith was openly engaged in the conversation.
Damon ground his jaw.
"Fine. This one litter, this one time."
Damon inhaled a breath that was both shock and relief. Kriston shook his head.
"But they will not hold rank, and they will attend Academy. They do not take my name, and they receive no preferential treatment that the others do not have."
Damon nodded, caring about nothing beyond the fact that Kriston had said yes. Then Kriston looked squarely at his mate.
"Now let this be the end of it."
Damon agreed, eagerly. Then, quietly, so that only his mate could hear:
"Thank you, Kriston."
The wolfe merely flicked one ear in response.

"And is this what meals at the Alpha's table are like? Silent as the tombs?" an accented voice asked, amusedly, from behind Alexei's left shoulder. The table all started as if coming awake, and Alex spun around, his heart pounding. He knew that voice.
"NIKOLAI!"
His brother smiled and held his arms wide for Alex. Behind him, Garron stood looking rather pleased with himself. Alex threw himself into his brother's embrace, and the two squeezed each other tight for several minutes, each talking over the other in Russian. After a minute, Nik tried to pull away, but Alex wouldn't let him go.
"Alright, alright." Nikolai patted his brother's shoulder, trying to wrench free of his grasp. "Not too tightly - I'd like to be with again soon; don't ruin me."
Alex laughed and turned to the table, introducing Nikolai to everyone. The cubs seemed particularly delighted, and Kaeden even asked if he'd brought presents. A scathing glare from Garron made him apologize. Alex turned back to his brother.
"Nik! It's - " Alex felt tears, unfamiliar, welling up in his eyes. "It's been forever."
NIkolai tsked and smiled.
"Only a few years. I missed you terribly. How goes the Spring Festival?"
Alex rolled his eyes.
"Busy. Insane. I'll tell you about it. Have you eaten?"
"Barely. Your wolfe disturbed my meal. Come, sit at my table. You haven't met my wolfe before. I'm sure he'll be excited - he's heard much about you."
Alex cast an inquiring glance at Garron, who inclined his head.
"I'd love to. Let's go."
As they left, Garron caught his mate by the arm.
"Do you like your surprise, kitten?"
Alex came forward and kissed his wolfe.
"I love it."
Garron nodded.
"I thought you would." Garron released him, but it was apparent the wolfe wanted to say something more, so Alexei waited. Garron looked up at him. "I wanted to give this to you, darling. Because I wanted to show you that, even in the midst of the activities of my role as Alpha here, I am still your mate. I always think of you."
Alex kissed his wolfe heartily, suddenly feeling as if the world were all a bit too nice for him, and that he really ought to disappear off somewhere before it all went to bits. He followed Nikolai away.

Garron returned to an enraptured table - Me'tanalith, Zechariah, Jara, Kriston, Damon and kidsandcubs were all watching him intently. Between the drama of Damon's declaration and Alexei's reuniting with his brother, everyone was eager to see what new surprises the Spring would bring. When nothing was forthcoming, conversation resumed, everyone falling into quiet chatter amongst themselves.
Wine was served, and about halfway through the first glass, Jara, as if suddenly emboldened, stood up.
"First Alpha Wolfe Garron," he said, clearing his throat. "I have something I'd like to tell you."

+++

Garron growled at the little human across the table, while the rest of the table sat silently in their seats, watching the back-and-forth with wide eyes.
"I don't give a damn what you think you feel, Jara - you are a child and a human, and you will obey your Alpha!"
Garron slammed one large fist down on the table beside his plate, rattling the silverware.
Jara jerked back and felt fear, real fear of his Alpha for this first time in his life. Garron, the wolfe who had rescued him twice and brought him into his family, had always seemed a distant, benevolent figure to him. Even the infamous Kitchen Incident had seemed more like overprotective fathering than real menace. But this was different.
This was frightening. This was anger.

Jara bit his lip and stared at the ground. Just as powerful as the fear, rebellion welled up in him. My mother didn't die for nothing, the rebelliousness said, and she would have wanted me to live free.
"Alpha, I want to court Semmelin!"
Garron growled and cast a dark look at Damon.
"I hope you and Alexei both understand your role in this."
Damon wisely kept quiet.
Garron turned an icy stare on his varon. Jara swallowed, preparing to relent, but then a memory - a hope, really - popped up in his mind. There had been that pause today - that tension, wasn't there? A possibility, even if a slim one, that Semmelin loved him back...
"But, First Alpha Wolfe Garron, we are good friends, Semm and I. And I think that if we courted, we might be more, and I just think - "
Garron's teeth bared briefly before the wolfe got himself under control.
"Semmelin is a child, Jara. He has not even the honor of his position. How could he court a beta?"
Jara hesitated.
"We can spend time together. Just get to know each other. Prepare to maybe be mates."
Garron's expression said clearly that this was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard any part of.
"Spend time together doing what?"
Jara paused.
"Maybe talking? And reading?"
Garron tilted his head sharply.
"Where? In the library?" he asked, accusingly, and Jara felt his face heat.
"No, Alpha, I wasn't - "
"Have you been spending time with this cub, Jara?"
Jara's face reddened even more.
"He's not a cub, Alpha, he's - "
"He's a cub who turned tail and ran the last time I stopped him from attempting to compromise you."
This stopped Jara short, and Garron pressed the weakness. "He wouldn't even stand to defend you. Do you really think he's ready to take on a mate? Or even to court one?"

Jara's cheeks burned with embarrassment for himself and for Semmelin. But that had been some time ago; Semm had grown since then, was so close to finishing his training, beginning apprenticeship. He had matured greatly since then; surely, Alpha Wolfe Garron had to see that. And then there had been the night of the banquet, when they had gone out to the fields together.
Semmelin had brought a bottle of hunna, and they had sat under the stars - separately, until Jara got cold, and then huddled together afterwards. Semmelin had kissed him then, had said again that Jara was beautiful, perfect. Had said that Jara was the only one he would want for a mate. Jara's heart warmed at the memory.
"He wants me for a mate, Alpha. And I want him."
Garron's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head, utterly dismissing the idea.
"You will not mate him. Further, you will not see him again. And if I find him in the library with you, I'll have him exiled."
"Alpha - "
"Jara!" the wolfe roared, teeth appearing at the edge of his mouth. "Obey."
"But Alpha - "
Garron was up, out of his seat faster than a human blink. Both fists on the table, he snarled at the insolent little varon. The table was silent, and tense.
"Do you refuse to obey your Alpha, human?"
Jara shivered a little at the threat in Garron's voice.

Before he could open his mouth, however, an unfamiliar voice cut in.
"Perhaps I could be of some service, First Alpha Wolfe Garron."
All eyes at the table shifted up to where the new interloper stood, bowing his head respectfully as he addressed the Alpha's table. Kriston stood, preparing to support his Alpha's response. He took in the identity of the new wolfe and cast a quick glance at Garron - too swift for Jara to read, but clearly heavy with meaning.
Garron did not turn, but continued to stare down Jara.
"Who speaks at my table uninvited, My Second?"
Kriston glanced at his Alpha, then met the wolfe's eyes.
"A visitor, My First." then, to Guanaren: "What service do you propose, wolfe?"

The wolfe stepped closer. His hair, well brushed and braided, shone in the light of the banquet hall.
"Perhaps a challenge would be in order, for your varon's...wolfe friend. A public defense, to show your young varon how unfit his friend would be. I would be more than happy to supply my services."
Garron half-turned and snarled over his shoulder.
"You suggest I need another wolfe to defend my varon?"
Guanaren backpedaled hastily.
"Of course not, Alpha. My apologies, Alpha. I simply offered - I fight well, Alpha. It is a small matter, not a dispute requiring your intervention. I can correct a cub who thinks he is prepared for a mate. It is a matter beneath your interposition, Alpha."
Kriston was burning holes in Garron's head now with the intensity of his looks, but the Alpha kept his attention resolutely focused on Jara. He hadn't even fully acknowledged the presence of the visitor yet.

Abruptly, he turned to face the wolfe, and a strange mix of reactions flew across his face before settling on cautious annoyance.
"Wolfe Guanaren. How delightful to see you again."
Guanaren bowed shortly in polite acknowledgment.
"Thank you, Alpha."
Garron exchanged a look with Kriston.
"Your extension of service is appreciated."
Guanaren inclined his head again.
"But I find myself curious - to what particular impetus might I attribute this sudden expression of fealty?"
There was a tense silence, and Garron went on. "An attraction to my varon, perhaps?"
Guanaren shook his head and dipped his chin.
"It is only fealty, Alpha. I have no agenda."
Garron looked him over, clearly skeptical. Guanaren exhaled nervously and addressed Garron in a low voice.
"If I might speak honestly, Alpha...I understand that there has been word of bad blood between us." Guanaren paused, clearly struggling with his words. "I do not wish to bring dissent to the Pack, Alpha. I do not wish to harm my home. I do not wish to tear apart ColdRiver, and I do not wish to disrespect my Alpha."
Garron cocked his head.
"I assure you, wolfe, that no harm will come to this pack so long as I am Alpha of it. I will allow no destruction, either, from threats outside our walls..." here, he stood, rising to his full height so that he might look down on the brown-haired wolfe before him. "...or within."
Guanaren bowed his head, even more deferential, if that was possible.
"I understand, Alpha. Allow me to do this for you, Alpha. Allow me to fight for your varon."
After long, silent minutes, Garron lifted his eyes from the wolfe and met Kriston's gaze. It appeared to Jara that the two were communicating without words. Sudden panic welled up in Jara's mind - what if this wolfe fought Semmelin? Semm was so young, so inexperienced...and Alpha Garron was right, he still had no position, he was untried, he -
"Agreed."
Jara's heart just about broke into a million pieces. What had he done? First Alpha Wolfe Garron was still communing with his Second, still not looking at Guanaren. "Settle the challenger, declare your fealty, and due respect to your Alpha will be paid. Perhaps then, the dissent you have caused will be healed."
With that, Garron turned as if to leave the table. Kriston followed him with his eyes, but made no move to leave. Instead, he stretched one arm around his mate and lifted his head to address the wolfe now standing, abandoned, by the table.
"Wolfe. You are dismissed."
With one curious glance at Jara, Guanaren turned and left.

+++++

The late afternoon was occupied with the usual spring activity - Me'tanalith and Zechariah vanished into their quarters, Kriston and Damon holed themselves up in their private bathing rooms, Daniken went to go hunt down his new mate, Kaz and Jeirio and all the other young mates were nowhere to be found, and even Nikolai was dragged off by his husband to their guest quarters - just for a few hours, he promised. All across the compound, doors were shut, curtains were drawn, and broom closets were inexplicably locked. The only one, it seemed, not celebrating the springtime was Semmelin. He kicked at a rock that had fallen too close to his path.
"This is torture, Zoom."
Leaning back, balanced on his elbows on the table behind him, his friend smiled.
"Your own fault."
Semmelin cast him a cutting glare.
"Is not."
"I can help you, you know. If you want."
Semmelin glared.
"Do not want." he answered. Zo'amir shrugged carelessly, staring up into the sky.
"Perhaps I'll mate him myself..." the black-haired wolfe mused. Semmelin growled, eliciting a laugh from his companion. "Oh, don't take me so seriously."
"You were serious before."
Zoom shrugged.
"I'm young. My tastes change daily. Yours too, I bet. Besides, you know I'm in love with that delectable beta they call Iram. Would mount him today, if he'd let me."
Semmelin raised an eyebrow.
"Iram? Isn't he a bit..."
Zoom laughed.
"He's ideal for me. I like a beta that doesn't make me work too hard for a big reward." Semmelin laughed, and Zoom grinned at him. "Besides, I'm not the one who got busted by the Alpha. I don't have to be on my best behavior around the betas."
Semmelin exhaled.
"See, that's the problem. I'll never get back in his graces enough to have Jara. If you haven't forgotten it, I'm sure First Alpha Wolfe Garron hasn't."
Zoom frowned at the sudden downturn in his friend's attitude. He sat up and leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands and his elbows on his knees. His pretty black tail fanned out behind him.
"I'm sure it will be fine."
Semm threw a skeptical look over his shoulder.
"Fine for you to say."
Zoom looked up to the sky for inspiration.
"I'm sure things will work out."
Semmelin sighed.
"Maybe. I'm not even sure." the young wolfe kicked at a clump of leaves. "I just wish there was something I could do."

+++++

The group of wolfes gathered around him looked tense. They had every right to be - they could sense the change in their leader. And ever since the Alpha's dominance display earlier, things had been a little on edge.
Guanaren sat down in the middle of the group. All eyes looked up, then back down. All except one.
"What business did you have with our poor excuse for an Alpha?"
It was Silak, one of the northern wolfes speaking. His voice was low and threatening. Without even acknowledging he'd heard the question, Guanaren lunged, taking the offender down, over the table, knocking cups and food to the side. He stopped with his jaws slavering, open, around the dissenter's neck. The wolfe beneath him keened, and Guanaren held the position for another moment, then released him, snarling.
"You will not disrespect your Alpha! And you will not disrespect me."
The submissive wolfe held his gaze for one second more, before he turned his eyes down and away. Slowly, Guanaren relaxed and rose, brushing himself off, and looked around the group.
"Are there any further questions?"
Head shakes all around. Guanaren nodded.
"Excellent. Then let's eat, shall we? There's work to be done after the meal. The seeds of spring festival won't sow themselves, will they, wolfes?"
There was quiet assent, and Guanaren's wolfes silently sat down to eat. Quietly, unnoticed by anyone, the offending wolfe slunk away.

+++++

Alex used a cluster of strands of the wolfe's hair to tickle his ear.
"Garron. Get up. We have guests in the Hall."
Garron grunted disagreeably and nuzzled against his mate's warm belly. Idly, he reached out to stroke it with one hand, surprised at how quickly the distention of carrying the litter had disappeared. He looked his mate over - Alex looked thinner than he had before, but the doctors had warned them that a litter of 5 would be difficult to nurse. Alex's energy and spare fat had been consumed, certainly, but his mate looked no worse for the wear. Still, Garron decided that he would pay closer attention. He kissed his mate's hip, causing a slight intake of breath and a stilling of Alex's hand in his hair.
"They can wait." Garron answered, sliding one hand up to urge Alex's legs apart. Alex acquiesced, and Garron was just about to set onto his prize when a frantic scratching and a series of thumps, followed by a desperate wail for Badi alerted them to the arrival of cubs at their door.
Garron glanced sidelong at the door, then up at Alex, who grinned.
"We have to answer them."
Garron shook his head and dragged his tongue along the crease of Alex's hip.
"No, we don't. I hardly ever got answered as a cub and I was fine."
The wail turned into a full-bodied cry, accompanied by voices who, it seemed, were trying frantically to hush up the crier.
"I think one of them might be hurt."
Garron shook his head again and splayed his hands over Alex's thighs, pushing his nose against his mate's pubis, inhaling deeply.
"Injury builds character. They'll be fine. Just give me ten minutes."
Alex laughed and pushed his wolfe's shoulders back to give himself space to wriggle free. Reaching over a disappointed Garron, he picked up the wolfe's robes and hastily wrapped himself.
Garron remained in bed, propping himself up on one elbow to watch his mate cross the room to open the door.
"So after you see to the cubs, we should discuss what we plan to do about Jara." the wolfe called out.
Alex turned around to reply, but before he could speak, he was overwhelmed by four screaming cubs, the smallest of whom seemed to have his face fixed in a permanent wail.
"Noooooo! He's my mate, and I'm taking him to Ba!"
"But he's all of ours - he's our littermate, Mali!"
"It doesn't make any sense for you to take him, Mali, I'm the oldest! You can't even talk right!"
"Can too! BAAAADII!!!!"
Alex corrected himself - the wailing one was not a cub. It was Malik, who was sobbing and clinging desperately to a harried-looking Victor, who Alex belatedly realized was naked. Across the room, Garron had sat up alert on the bed, half-covered by the sheet. Malik continued to cry. Alex bent down to the youngest of the group.
"Mali, what happened?!"
Malik tried, valiantly, to explain, but the jumble of words did nothing to illuminate the situation to Alex. In his arms, Victor spontaneously shifted from human to animal, and Malik squealed desperately, jumping up and down and clinging even tighter to his fur. This, in turn, made Victor yelp and try to dislodge himself. Alex stuck his hand down to try to separate the two, looking at Kaeden, the older wolfe in the group, to beg an explanation. Kaeden just lashed his tail.
"Mali didn't want me to speak." he stated, rather icily. Alex ignored this and turned to Palermo. Before the middle cub could answer, Victor, the injured party, piped up. He was focused past Alexei to where Garron had risen from the bed at his son's yelp and was crossing the room, a worried cast to his face.
"Da, I think I - " before he could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back and he shifted again. Before Malik could get hysterical, Alex snatched him up quickly, holding him tightly in his arms. The small grey pup that Victor had become lost its balance when it shifted and fell on its right leg, sparking a blood-curdling yowl. Victor suddenly shifted back, panting heavily, his eyes looking miserable and disoriented. "Da, I think I broke my arm."

+++

At the end of it all, Victor's arm wasn't broken - just fractured badly. The five of them sat in the infirmary, waiting patiently for the doctors to finish checking the young patient out. Victor had been quite the brave pup throughout it all - not a single tear had fallen, although Malik had probably done enough crying for the both of them. After another twenty minutes of waiting, Victor emerged, with a bright orange cast in a sling and suppressants to keep him from shifting for the next four weeks. Malik fought to get down from his badi's arms when the cub entered, but rather than running over and clinging to him as he had before, he simply went quietly over to him and touched Victor's good arm.
"Are you OK?" he asked, his adorable nose wrinkling up with his frown.
Victor nodded, placid as ever.
"Yes. I'm OK."
"Does it still hurt?"
Victor shrugged with one shoulder. Malik sighed and stroked the cast, then frowned even more.
"I hope I never break my arm."
Victor shook his head.
"Don't worry. I'm your mate. I won't let you."
Malik looked up at his littermate with heart-meltingly big brown eyes in the most admiring expression, and Alex found himself a bit affected by the scene. He snuck a glance at his wolfe; Garron was watching the pair with an peculiar expression.
Finished assuring Malik, Victor exhaled and looked up at his appa.
"Appa? Can we go now?"
Garron tilted his head to look down at his son.
"As soon as we hear from the doctors, cub."
They were interrupted by a young nurse - Garron distantly recognized him - who entered, nervously, eyes downcast.
"Um, First Alpha Wolfe Garron?" he asked, then glanced at Alex, then at the little wolfe with a cast on his arm, then focused intently on Garron's shoes. Garron nodded.
"Yes?"
"First Alpha Wolfe Kriston sent for you. You're needed in the south pasture? Something about a challenge?"

+++++

It was springtime, but the dirt was still cold. Jara stood outside in his bare feet, shivering despite the warmth of the air.
He could barely see for all the grass and soil kicking up around the two tangled masses of fur, and he could barely hear for the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears. He wanted to stop this, wanted it so badly he could taste it. He couldn't. That was not the way.
He felt a bit silly, really, standing out here being fought over. If the situation hadn't been so dangerous, the whole thing would have been funny. As it stood, it terrified him.
Things would be fine, Zechariah had assured him. It was just a matter of pride, nothing more. That thought gave Jara no comfort. Even men had killed over pride, and these were not even men. These were wolfes.
Guanaren was clearly the larger, but Semmelin was spry. He was running the older wolfe out, tiring him so that his lunges were off just slightly. When the wolfe snapped, Semmelin dodged, keeping him at bay, bouncing in circles around the ring. They had been going for some time now, and Guanaren was tiring; despite his vigor, he was no match for a lovestruck youth just beginning to train. But Guanaren still had strength, accuracy, and strategy on his side. Semmelin was going to lose.
Jara wondered where his Alpha was, and hoped this all could stop when he arrived.
How had it even begun? With a look, one stupid look and his stupid crush and his insistence that he wanted to work in the kitchens, when even First Mate Alexei had said -
a heavy slam to the ground silenced his thoughts. The wolfe Semmelin shook his head and rose again, bleeding from his left shoulder. Jara's heart pounded. Why wasn't this stopped?
Then, out of nowhere, a blur of black, all snarls and white teeth, leapt into the fray. Startled, both Semmelin and Guanaren briefly shifted human again - Jara caught a glimpse of confused face before the black wolfe lunged and everything went all animal again.
Now the crowd watching was tense, whispering, and anxious. Who was the new wolfe? Where had he come from? Jara was quite curious himself. There was a gasp from the crowd and Semmelin went spiraling up and out, twisting like a leaf in the breeze before he plummeted straight onto the hard ground. He yelped once and didn't move. The other wolfes were still fighting.
Jara saw the fall and for an instant, his feet went icy and his hands froze. His lips were blue and all he could see ahead of him was white, white white fog.
He was back in the snowstorm, moving forward. Don't stop. Stopping is death. Don't retreat. Retreat is death.
He had no memory of breaking the circle or crossing the grass, only became aware again when he was on his knees and Semmelin's head was cradled in his lap.
Eyes opened to see him, but they were unfocused.
In the circle of soil behind him, the fight went on.
Semmelin tried to look at Jara, frowned when he failed, and squeezed his eyes shut instead. He swallowed and tried to speak, but his voice was scratchy from the shift.
"I'm sorry." he managed. "I tried very hard."
Jara nodded and rubbed some of the blood away from around Semmelin's eye with the corner of one sleeve.
"I know."
A warm hand fell on his shoulder.
"Jara? Semmelin's alright, but we're going to take it from here, OK?"
Jara nodded at the medics.
"OK. Are you taking him to the infirmary?"
The medic, a young wolfe in the simple clothing of a healer-in-training, nodded.
"Yep. We'll check him out and he'll get a bed. He mostly just needs to rest."
Jara squeezed Semmelin's hand, but the wolfe was either unconscious or pretending to be. The other medic, a human in nursing clothes, was already cleaning some of the blood on his arms away. The wolfe medic nudged him.
"He'll be fine. Why don't you go and watch the fight?"
Because it was crazy? Because it was barbaric? Because the only person he wanted to win was right here? Jara wasn't quite sure how to answer that, so he just shrugged. The wolfe medic looked surprised.
"Aren't you the least bit curious who wins the fight for you?"
The wolfe made an excellent point. Jara looked back over his shoulder to see how the match was progressing, and noticed a group of familiar shapes approaching from a distance. First Alpha Wolfe Garron. With one more squeeze of Semmelin's hand, he got to his feet and went to go greet his alpha.

+++++

"My First! I wondered when you'd arrive. Things have become complicated."
Garron signaled to Alex to go towards where Damon was standing with Zechariah in the crowd; the cubs and children followed him. Garron turned back to Kriston.
"Complicated how?"
"Semmelin's lost the fight."
Garron frowned.
"But the fight is still going on."
"Exactly! Another wolfe dove in. I believe he was unaware of your arrangement with Guanaren. I believe he thinks he's sparring for Jara."
Garron did everything in his power to keep the worry off of his face. This situation had become very complicated. After a fight over a claim to a mate, with lust and power and rage running thick in their blood, his kind were not at their best. They became more animal than wolfe. It was an experience he'd rather not expose Jara to.
"Where is Jara now?"
Kriston pointed across the field.
"I've already assigned two wolfes to guard him."
Garron spotted immediately which ones - two of his largest from the surveillance divisions.
"Get him out of here."
Kriston looked sadly at his alpha.
"My First, you know - "
"Get. Jara. Out."
Inside the ring, the wolves had broken apart and were circling each other. The gray-brown wolfe Guanaren was panting, pawing at the dirt to buy himself time. Garron began untying the belt at his waist, then shrugged out of his outer robe just in time for Kriston to realize exactly what was going on.
"My First, I can't let you do this."
Garron ignored him and continued stripping.
"Guanaren is tired. He won't continue this. Who is the other wolfe?"
Kriston shook his head.
"Garron. You'll make it worse than it is."
"I asked you, My Second," Garron began, putting all of his alpha power into the question, "Who is the other wolfe?"
Kriston was silent.
"WHO is the other wolfe, Second?!"
Kriston shrugged helplessly.
"We don't know, Alpha."
If Garron had been a weaker alpha, he would have felt sick with concern. Instead, he felt angry. He turned to face the ring and prepared to shift, but just as the first tingling began to overtake him, another surge of energy came into the crowd as yet a fourth challenger charged headlong into the ring. He was man just long enough for Kriston to recognize him as Tjomin, best at sparring in his weight class. He reflected briefly on the significance of this fact before Garron's voice drew him out of it.
"What in the hell IS this?!"
Kriston stared as yet a fourth wolfe joined into the fight. Now there was a knot of fur, grey-brown and black and slate colored, all mixing together in an inextricable ball of fur and teeth.
"Well." he said, slowly, answering his First, "Jara's very popular."

+++++

"What's going on?!"
Alex was standing between Damon and a pale-faced Jara, watching the match with rapt attention.
Damon had a grim look on his face.
"That young wolfe was fighting Semm off to please Garron. The whole thing was planned, but now two other have joined in unexpectedly. We don't know who they are, but it looks like, one way or another, Jara's going home with a mate tonight."

+++++

Across the field, Jara was watching the fight in helpless bewilderment. He'd had no idea... Jara bit at what was left of his fingernails and drew his robes more tightly around himself. There was no way this was happening to him. It had to be a mistake. There must be some other Jara they were all fighting about. And to know that he would gain a mate this way...all while Semmelin lay injured in the infirm....it was too much.

All at once, the noise of the crowd changed as one wolfe was cast out of the ring and landed, injured, on his side in the grass. Jara's heart caught in his throat - who was it? The fur was grey, tail black...an unfamiliar. It must be the second interloper. Guanaren and Tjomin were still in the ring. The remaining two wolfes had separated, and the browner one was breathing heavily, moving slowly around the ring, pawing at the dirt. That must be Guanaren, Jara guessed.

+++++

"What do you want to do, my Alpha?"
Kriston was waiting, tense, beside Garron. The wolfe was standing the cool air at the side of the ring, his muscles taut and prepared to spring into action. He was staring out into the distance, his mind only halfway on the fight. Speaking earnestly, from his very Wolfish soul, he answered.
"I want to fight my challenger." he turned to look at his Second. "And it appears the Moon has favored us on this day. I no longer need to create a situation to settle the conflict. The opportunity has presented itself."
Kriston tilted his head.
"A fair fight, my First? Guanaren is tired. You will appear weak." Kriston frowned. "The Alpha must never be the last wolfe to join a fight."
Garron frowned also, matching his companion's expression. They both looked towards the ring again. The brown wolfe's back was dipping, his paws scrabbling fur purchase on the ground. He was panting, his energy waned. Yet he stood.
Garron was duly impressed. It was amazing the wolfe had lasted this long. To fight three wolfes and remain standing was no small feat, not in a contest for a mate. Guanaren might be more of a challenge than Garron had first anticipated. This troubled the Alpha greatly, and he said so to Kriston.
"And the longer the fight goes on, the more legendary he becomes. The last thing I want is for his followers to turn this into some sort of...an incident."
Kriston ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it down where it had been raised by the wind.
"There is little time to decide, my First. The fight is nearly over."
Garron looked out across the field and made his decision.

+++++

"Ba? " Malik tugged urgently on Alex's sleeve. "Ba?"
Alex, engrossed in the fight, patted his youngest son's shoulder.
"In a minute, Mali."
Malik's voice became more urgent.
"Ba!"
"WAIT, Mali."
Malik made a whining sound that he'd clearly learned from his cub littermates and reached up to pull on his badi's clothes again.
"But, Ba, Appa's fighting."
Kriston and Alex turned around just in time to see a flash of silvery white wolfe go flying out of the crowd and into the ring.
"Oh." Alex said. "Shit."

+++++

Garron had not felt exhilaration like this in so long. His feet pounded, hackles stood on end. Wind rushed through his fur. He thrust his body forward, pounding across the ground, breaking apart great swathes of people and wolfes. Inside the circle, he aimed for the wolfe Tjomin and launched himself with great power through the air, landing crossways atop him. The wolfe went down quickly, righted himself, wrangled to regain his position, failed, and fell under Garron's swift assault. The Alpha howled out his satisfaction and circled to face off the last contender.

Guanaren was facing him, head down, hackles raised, looking renewed. Garron growled, and together they launched themselves, met midair, snapped at necks and shoulders, and went down wrestling. They fell, separated, righted themselves and launched again - a second offensive, this one both more desperate and more damaging than the last. A claw took Garron's shoulder, shredded the skin. An answering thrust wrenched Guanaren's paw underneath of him, tumbling him from his feet.

The last contender was down. Garron breathed in once, twice, and then Guanaren was up again, all teeth and fury and raw, fearsome power. Garron felt a spark of worry - an unfamiliar feeling. Guanaren, fatigued and injured, still fought like a man possessed, and Garron, Alpha though he was, was forced to confront the uncomfortable possibility that in Guanaren, he had found his successor.

The surge of fear, the vulnerability that Garron suddenly felt spurred some new energy in the older wolfe - when he and Guanaren wrestled again and fell, the Alpha came out on top and saw his moment. Teeth bared, he reached down and snapped his jaws just centimeters from Guanaren's throat. The wolfe froze. Garron used the moment to catch his neck in a bite - not a killing bite, but one sharp enough to mean that he should be still.
The crowd was still cheering on both sides, excited by the finality of the struggle.
Garron released his opponent's neck. Then quietly, as the wolfe, he whispered:
"If you stop now, Jara goes home with you."
The brown wolfe on his back on the ground didn't seem to understand - he wriggled as if to right himself and keep the conflict going. Garron backed off, let Guanaren get up and charge again and when they went down for the second time, the Alpha repeated himself.
"Guanaren! Enough! Stop this right now, and Jara will be your mate."
The wolfe bared his teeth.
"If I continue, Jara will be my mate anyway."
Garron narrowed his eyes and curled one lip back.
"If you continue, I will kill you."
The younger wolfe blinked up at him, panting. Garron fixed a stare on him and held it. Neither looked away. The Alpha growled.
"Lay still. Call an end to this. It's gone too far. If we continue to fight, we both will lose. If you best me, the Pack will fall into an uproar. If I best you, I will have to kill you for your dissent." Garron paused, let a bit of the worry creep onto his face. "I don't want to kill you, Guanaren."

Beneath him, the wolfe heaved breath. Garron settled two heavy paws on Guanaren's chest and leaned forward.
"Stop this now, and Jara will be your reward. Lay still, and let me declare an end to this. You've already fought for my varon - everyone knows your intentions. If I end the fight and give him to you, they will believe you have my support. You won't need the cheap chatter of dissenters to back your bid for Alpha - it will be expected." Garron leaned even closer, his muzzle inches from Guanaren's. "If you love your Pack, avoid discord in it. A wolfe seeks ever the peaceful path."
Guanaren lay there for a moment, breathing hard, and Garron watched the lucidity slowly return to the wolfe's eyes. After a few seconds, he nodded.
"OK, Alpha. Give me your varon."

+++++

"Alpha, this isn't fair!"
Garron shook his head.
"It is fair, Jara. Guanaren fought hard for you."
Jara cast around in a panic - he looked to Kriston, then Alex, then back to his Alpha.
"But I don't want to bond with Guanaren!"
Kriston cleared his throat.
"Jara, I know this is confusing for you - "
"It's not confusing! It's just not fair!"
Kriston drew himself up and Jara dropped his head in submission and bit his lip. Angry or not, he shouldn't have interrupted an Alpha. He waited for Kriston to speak again. The wolfe cleared his throat and continued.
"I know this is confusing for you. What comes naturally to wolfes does not always come to humans. But this is the way of things, the oldest law of the fight: to the victor go the spoils." Kriston frowned and studied Jara's face. "I know you wanted something different."
Jara shook his head angrily, dark curls tickling his shoulder, but still didn't lift his eyes to the Alpha.
"I want to decide who I bond to!"
Across the room, a low growl rose in Garron's throat.
"You question my ability to choose a mate for you?"
Jara glanced up, hesitated, glanced to Alex for guidance, received none, and went back to looking at the floor.
"No, Alpha."
Garron grunted.
"Well. Alexei had no choice. Damon had no choice. Zechariah had no choice. And they are all well and happy. You will be, too, as soon as you learn your place in the pack."
Jara rankled at the implication, but knew better than to show it; instead, he bit his lip to keep silent, and to keep the approaching tears at bay. Alex was watching him from his position across the room, at Garron's side, and when the first hint of tears appeared, he came forward and hugged the young varon. In the closeness of their embrace, Alex spoke quietly.
"You'll be alright, Jara. Guanaren is a good wolfe. Garron will always look out for you, and Guanaren is good. I will make sure of that."
Was goodness enough? Alex wondered privately. Was goodness enough to determine a mate?
Garron had told them all that Alex hadn't had a choice about mating him. Was that strictly true? Alex had, after all, chosen to come here, chosen to be found...not like Jara. Jara-named-Ryce, who had never had any choice in the things that had happened to him; who had simply floated, like a leaf, along the surface of the rushing water. Who now fought the current.
"I don't care. I don't want to be with him."
Alex passed a comforting hand through Jara's hair.
"Guanaren will give you a good life."
Jara shook his head. Then, suddenly, he looked up, as if a thought had just occurred to him.
"Wait, he won, but that just means I have to mate him, right? Not bond. Just mate, right? Can't we just...?"
Garron cut him off with a snarl.
"No. Under no conditions will I allow that indignity."
Jara held his gaze firm.
"I would rather that, Alpha." he said quietly. Garron's eyes took on a glint of anger, and Kriston stepped between them.
"Jara, it will be best to wait and have a bonding." the second wolfe said, gently. "To be mated after a fight like this....it could be very violent. And you've only just come of age." Kriston's brow furrowed, and he stepped forward to rest two large hands on either of Jara's shoulders. "Nobody wants to see you get hurt."
Jara shook his head.
"But he won't hurt me, will he? If I'm his mate?"
There was a moment of quiet in the room. Then Jara blurted,
"I want to court Semmelin."
Garron slammed his fist into the table and snarled.
"You are NOT courting Semmelin, and if you ask me that again, then you can damn well be responsible for your own future."
Jara stepped back, dropping his gaze.
"Sorry, Alpha."
Kriston, stepping between the varon and the Alpha, just shook his head.
"Don't be sorry, Jara. Just do as you're told."

+++++