Pack Dynamics

Casey’s Cat

Casey leaned back in his chair after all the food was gone, finishing his drink. The straw made a gurgling sound as he drained the soda. Once it was all gone, he tossed the paper cup across the room and smirked proudly when it fell into the garbage bin. “Three points and the crowd goes wild.”

Mason just stared at him, stone-faced.

Casey deflated with a sigh. “You still pissed about last night? Because if either of us gets to be angry, I vote it’s the one that was basically used as a cumrag.”

Mason’s jaw clenched. “You should probably go shower and then try to get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll figure out what to do about Lavoie.”

Casey opened his mouth to argue – it was still early! – and then he thought better of it. He stood from the chair. The cat hesitated before leaving the room; he pushed his blond-streaked hair off his forehead, eyes a mixture of concerned and wary. “You sure everything’s okay, Mase?”

“Do you even care?”Mason looked up at him, his voice low.

Casey took a step closer, as if drawn in by some unseen force, “That’s a stupid question.”

“Really? Because you still haven’t told me where you’ve been for two years and why you left.”

God, he wanted to. If it was anything else, he would. He’d tell Mason everything. And like some knight in decidedly tarnished armour, Mason would sweep in and save him. Because that’s what Mason did. Every since Casey was 12 and Mason put Band-Aids on his skinned knees and made him warm milk when he couldn’t sleep, Mason had always been there to fix his problems.

But he couldn’t tell Mason this time.

And it wasn’t about Shelby - not completely. It was about the betrayal. Leaving was one thing, a horrible thing, but joining the enemy? Mason would find that an unforgivable offense. Casey dreaded the look in Mason’s eyes if he figured out what Casey had done.

Casey shook his head stiffly. “I should go take that shower now.”

Mason’s empty stare became even more unreadable, something Casey wouldn’t have even thought possible seconds before. The Alpha then stood and started collecting the garbage from their meal, turning his back on Casey with a soft dismissal, “Yeah, yeah, I guess you should.”

~~~

Mason stuffed the fast food trash into the garbage. He heard the shower start to run and leaned back against the counter, rubbing his temples, head aching. Maybe he should have just given Casey the drug. His hand fished into his pocket and he pulled out the small jar. He may have even got some straight answers out of the younger man before the cat took over. He shook the liquid, watching it slouch about in the light.

It was so tempting, just a few swallows and the jaguar would be purring, nuzzling, and all his. However, he didn’t just want the jaguar. He wanted the human, too, and he knew the human would never forgive him for drugging and taking advantage like that.

With a frustrated growl, Mason shoved the jar into the back of the cupboard, hiding it behind some old cans of peas. Turning off all the lights in the apartment, Mason went into the bedroom. He changed into a snug black tee and red jogging pants and fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Casey came out of the bathroom ten minutes later. His hair was dripping wet and he smelled like Mason’s body wash. Casey tugged at the powder blue tee and grey boxers he wore. “I borrowed some clothes. I hope that’s okay...”

Mason merely grunted.

Casey slid down onto the floor beside the bed. He lay on the pet cushion trying to force his body to sleep. He was silent for a few minutes and then started shifting restlessly.

Finally, he groaned, “It’s no use. I can’t sleep.”

“Count sheep.”

“As a wolf, that seems more up your alley.”

“Count mice then.”

“Not funny.”

Casey was quiet for a few minutes – the silence didn’t last. “Can I at least watch TV?”

“I don’t feel like getting up to watch you, and Eugene isn’t out there standing guard in case you decide to bolt again.”

“I won’t.”

“No.”

Casey grunted, tossing and turning a few more times. “What if I brought the TV in here?”

“Will it shut you up?”

“Probably.”

“Fine.”

Casey hopped up and fetched the small set from the living room. The only open plug was behind the dresser, so he carefully perched the TV on the dresser top and reached behind to plug it in. With no cable hook up in the bedroom, they had to rely on the short little metal antenna to pick up a signal. There was only one channel still transmitted that way - the Toronto CBC. Casey adjusted the signal as clear as it would go and then settled back on his cushion to watch.

Mason glared at the screen in disgust. “You are not seriously going to watch that.”

“It’s the only channel.”

“Go get the DVD player then.”

“You go get it.”

Mason scowled. “You’re the one that wanted to watch TV.”

Casey fixed his attention on the screen stubbornly. “And I am.”

Mason rolled his eyes and leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes.

Casey kept fidgeting, rustling the pillow.

Mason growled softly without opening his eyes. “Stop it.”

“I can’t see very well from down here.”

“Then be quiet so you can at least listen.”

“...Mason.”

“No.”

There was quiet and then Mason felt a weight on the bed. His eyes snapped open to see Casey tentatively sitting on the edge of the bed. “I thought I said no.”

Casey swung his legs on and leaned back against the headboard beside Mason, with a clear view of the TV set. It was only a double bed and it was a snug fit for two fully grown men, both of whom were large and broad framed.

“I couldn’t see.”

Mason just grumbled.

Casey settled back.

Mason elbowed him. “Move over, my arm’ll fall asleep.”

“Tough.”

Mason woofed and reached over to tug at the collar in reprimand. And then his hand just sort of stayed there, still at first, then faintly brushing at the back of Casey’s neck and behind his ears.

The cat in him relaxed with a soft purr, his eyes suddenly heavy. “This is just like old times, hey?”

There was a pause, the petting stopped and then restarted, just as softly, “Yeah.”

A few minutes later, Casey was just drifting off when Mason’s low rumble filled the silence. “I still don’t know how you can watch this crap.”

Casey yawned and turned onto his side, rolling a little towards the other man. Mason’s hand followed him, fingers still stroking at Casey’s hair absent-mindedly. “You of all people should pay attention.” Casey directed. “It has a pretty applicable moral.”

Mason snorted, but didn’t say anything more on the subject.

Casey fell asleep to the feel of Mason’s fingers stroking the shell of his ear and the sound of a portly mantle clock yelling at a candlestick.

~~~

Casey woke up the next morning alone in bed. A blanket had been draped over his body some time during night and it was now tangled around his legs.

The pack was over, he could hear them talking, smell their scents. He struggled up, pushing the blankets down to the foot of the bed. Standing, he made his way to the bathroom, still a little groggy. He used the toilet and then stood in front of the mirror inspecting the almost all healed bite marks on his neck.

He wondered if Mason would give him fresh ones and then pushed the thought away, but not before his cock gave a throb of approval. He grit his teeth and smoothed his palm over it, adjusting his boxers, forcing all thoughts of Mason’s warm mouth and sharp teeth out of his mind.

Maybe a cold shower was in order.

~~~

Mason’s ears picked up the sound of the shower turning on despite the noise his pack members were making. He had called them over early this morning, leaving Casey sleeping in his bed. The pack was hanging around the apartment. They were drinking coffee and picking away at an improvised breakfast they had put together from what they could find in his under-stocked kitchen. There was half a dozen stale bagels, few eggs, a frozen steak, and lots of coffee.

Mason called the meeting to fill the pack in on what he had learned last night, minus anything about a certain female shifter.

“Lavoie gave me a sample of the drug.” Mason explained, chewing on a piece of the rapidly thawing meat. “We just need to tie the drug to the attacks in question.”

Ty downed half a plate of runny eggs, “I can break into the coroner’s office. Check the official autopsy reports and even some bodies if they’re still hanging around.”

Mason nodded briskly. “Good. Jessica you’ll go too. Nora, Eugene, I want you to track down the shifters who committed the attacks. Question them about any contact they may have had with members of Lavoie’s pack, any way they may have been exposed to the drug. Especially what they ate and drank before the incidents and where they got it.”

Jessica topped off her coffee mug. “Really? We’re really going to put a lot of effort into this? I mean the drug seems pretty...neat actually.”

“She’s right,” Eugene approved, “It produces like super-wolves.”

Mason gave them both a look. “Not super. Out of control wolves.”

Jessica hurried to agree, “Those innocent humans being killed in such public ways was...unfortunate. But the Betrayers that were eliminated? That’s kinda of poetic; killed by the very instincts they’re trying to repress.”

Eugene nodded, his jaw firm, “We should just turn a blind eye to it.”

“We are not wild animals!” Mason growled. “And we are not rogues. We belong to a pack and to the Alliance. Don’t lose sight of the big picture here. These attacks are drawing the attention of the humans, nothing good can come of that, risking the exposure of our world.

Therefore, we find the proof to take down Lavoie’s pack. And we make sure the existence of the drug doesn’t get out.”

A chorus of ‘Yes Alpha’ and ‘Yes, boss’ followed. Eugene stayed stubbornly silent, gaze mutinous.

Mason straightened his body and stared him down. “Eugene?”

The younger wolf broke graze, hunching over to position himself lower, and looked down at the floor with a mumbled, “Yes, Alpha.”

“Aw, darn, did I miss Eugene being put in his place? Do you mind doing it again so I can enjoy the show?” Casey smiled at them, exiting the bedroom and heading right for the coffee machine.

“Good-morning, little brother.” Nora pet him lightly as he passed her chair. “I saved you the last cup.”

Casey’s dimple appeared on his right cheek. “You were always my favourite.”

“Hey!” Jessica gave him a peck on the cheek and a pinch on the side.

Casey yelped, “You’re my favourite, too.”

Then he patted Eugene on the top of his head, “And you.”

Eugene just growled.

“What am I? Chopped liver?” Ty whined drolly.

“Mmmm, that sounds tasty.” Casey grinned and made a show of licking his lips.

“All right, that’s enough, all of you.” Mason started motioning them to the door. “You know what you have to do.”

Quick to obey their Alpha, one by one the pack members said their good-byes and left.

“I miss the meeting altogether?” Casey frowned, watching them go.

“I’ll catch you up.”

“Mmm, good. Coffee first, though.” Casey poured himself the last cup from the pot and then added copious amounts of cream from the carton open on the counter.

As he sipped, Mason explained, “If the Alliance is going to act against Lavoie’s pack, they need proof he’s behind the killings. Direct proof, not just the fact he has access to the drug.” Mason repeated the instructions he had given to the other pack members. “So, what you and I need to do is – Casey? Are you paying attention?”

“What? Huh?” A loose string was hanging from the sleeve of his tee. He batted at it absently, eyes fixed on it as it swung back and forth.

“What are you doing?”

“I was just...” Casey blinked. “I just got distracted.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Huh? Yeah...actually I do feel a little weird.” Casey stretched lightly, bones starting to ache.

“Your eyes...”

Casey rubbed at them. His eyes turned from feline to human and then back again in a spit second. “Mason...” His voice was slightly plaintive, asking for an explanation.

Mason approached him.

Casey blinked at him rapidly, held cocking to the side. “Mason, I don’t feel so good.”

“It’s okay.” Mason reached out to touch his shoulder. Casey leaned into the hand and then jerked back as if surprised by his action, “Fuck, Mason, what’s going on, I can’t concentrate on anything, it’s like...” Casey doubled over, the shift prickling through his body but not completing the change. “Ungh.”

Spots shadowed his skin, teeth extending.

“Fuck.” Mason’s heart started to beat faster; he pushed around Casey to the cupboards. Throwing things on the floor, Mason searched the cupboard – the jar of grao d’escuridao was gone. “Fuck!”

One of Lavoie’s pack must have snuck in here in the night and poisoned Casey. It was the only explanation. He didn’t even want to contemplate the alternative – that one of his own pack had a hand in this.

“It’s okay, Casey. You’ve been exposed to the drug, but we’ll handle it. I just need to call Nora, make sure the rest of the pack is okay. They drank from the same coffee pot.”

Casey was leaning into the table, taking deep, unsteady breathes, clearly trying to keep his jaguar under control.

With another loud curse, Mason grabbed his cell phone and rang Nora.

“Boss?” She answered after one ring.

“Casey’s been drugged.”

“What? How?”

“I don’t know yet. Is anyone else affected?”

“How would I tell?”

“They’d be fighting the shift. Probably even starting to partially transition into the wolf form. Acting more feral.”

“No, Boss, I’m looking at everyone right now, they seem okay. Still fully human. You want me to come back there?”

“No, I’ll handle Casey.” The call was muffled for a moment, “ Jesus Casey, that’s the couch, not a scratching post. Nora,” the call cleared again, “you get the evidence we need to nail Lavoie. Just take extra precautions.”

“Right, Boss. And Boss?”

“Yes?”

“Take care of Casey.”

Mason closed the phone without answering, it was a given. The shifter in question chose that moment to pounce on him without warning – 200 pounds of momentum knocking them both to the floor.

Mason looked up at Casey. The younger man pinned him down and wuffed loudly, expression menacing. Casey’s jaguar was clearly trying to gauge the social order.

“Casey?” Mason tentatively tried to push him back, sliding his hands up over Casey’s chest.

Casey hissed pushing back against Mason.

“Quit that.” Mason snapped, his own wolf bristling at the challenge.

“Make me.” Casey spat, his voice unusually deep and rusty.

“Don’t think that I won’t.”

Casey shuddered. Mason watched his eyes flicker again. Then sharp claws were digging into his shoulders. He growled a warning, and Casey hissed back, his feline gaze strangely hungry.

Mason grabbed the back of his neck with one hand and pushed up on his chest with the other. In one forceful move, he slammed Casey over onto his back. The boy hissed and started struggling, head twisting around to snap at Mason’s arms.

“I don’t want to hurt you when you’re like this. I know you can’t control it, Casey. But only one of us can be dominant, and I’m afraid that isn’t you.”

Casey bucked up, scratching and fighting to free himself. He was remarkably strong, the drug only made him more so, channelling his inner cat.

But Mason was stronger. He shoved Casey, hard, into the floor, and then pressed his body down over him to keep him there.

Mason started stroking Casey’s shoulders and sides, asserting his control.

Casey growled, the cat still challenging the Alpha’s dominance. Mason’s hand shifted with lightening reflexes and grabbed the scruff of Casey’s neck, jerking his head back. Mason leaned over him and growled right back, a warning; his human lips looking gruesome pulled back from his teeth in the animalistic snarl.

Casey stiffened automatically; there was a strange, wild light his eyes.

Mason growled again, letting his wolf out a little.

Casey’s cat responded and took over, pushing his human side back. It forced his body to relax into submission, knowing from instinct and experience that the Alpha would not release him otherwise. Once Casey was limp, head lolling back to expose his throat, Mason let him go.

“Alpha.” Casey bleated softly, eyes lowered.

“Damn right. Don’t you forget it again. Human or jaguar, I’m your Alpha.”

Casey arched a little more, offering up his throat; his lashes were lowered, casting shadows on his cheekbones, when he did look up with eyes were glittering with submission.

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous like this.” Mason murmured, his hand automatically coming up to brush a lock of hair behind Casey’s ear. The gesture triggered a rumble from Casey’s chest –purring. He tipped his head towards the fingers. Mason observed, “You’re such a fucking perfect submissive. I don’t know why you always have to fight it so hard.”

Casey nuzzled the hand in his hair, oblivious to the actual words spoken, responding merely to the cadence of Mason’s deep voice.

“Mmm, Alpha.” Casey inhaled deeply and then started a different kind of movement, slim hips canting off the floor, rubbing himself on Mason’s thigh.

Startled, Mason pulled away, lifting his body to avoid the contact, “Whoa.”

Casey looked at him confused and then tried again.

“No.” Mason told him firmly.

“Why?” Casey’s eyes were overly bright, unfocused. “I can smell your arousal.”

Mason grit his teeth. He could smell it, too. Casey’s and his own. He had been rock hard from the moment Casey pounced.

“That doesn’t matter. You’re not yourself.”

“Who am I, then?” Casey asked, body bending up, his nose searching out the crook of Mason’s neck, sniffing.

“The bane of my existence.” Mason grumbled, pushing him back again.

This time, Casey didn’t struggle, body loose and unresisting, his long, curved canine teeth were too big for his mouth, the delicate white points pressing down into his bottom lip. The teeth cut a little into the pump, pink flesh.

It was all Mason could do to not lean over and lick those lips and taste the dots of blood welling up.

Casey whimpered. “Hurts.”

Immediately, Mason was all business. “What hurts? Is it your head? Your stomach? Casey, help me out, what hurts?” Mason’s fingers glided over his torso as if checking for bumps and bruises.

“Hurts!” Casey repeated, clearly frustrated at his inability to find the human words he needed to communicate. He bucked his hips up, one rough movement. His erection felt like steel pressing into Mason’s belly.

Mason looked down, Casey’s pants looked painfully confining. The jaguar followed his gaze and repeated, “Hurts. Make hurt stop.”

“Casey...” Mason’s voice sounded oddly strangled.

“Please, Alpha...”

Mason dragged Casey up, steadying him when he swayed on his feet. “You don’t really want this.”

“Yesss, I need.” Casey rubbed up against him, using his whole body like a cat. Mason fumbled with Casey’s jeans, pushing them open, and then jerking the front of Casey’s boxers down, cock springing free, almost slapping his belly. Casey rutted himself against the larger, warm body of his Alpha.

Mason couldn’t stand the contact, it was too much. He pushed Casey back a little. The younger shifter whined pleadingly, but the whines cut off abruptly when Mason wrapped a hand around the gorgeous, 8 inch shaft and started stroking.

The whole time Mason stroked him, Casey alternated between thrusting up, fucking into his fist and trying slid down to the floor to be mounted. Mason was forced to hold Casey’s weight up as he stroked him off, pulling all sorts of sounds from Casey’s lips.

Casey’s cock throbbed in Mason’s hand, burning hot and slick. His breath was coming now shallow pants, “Nggghhhh!”

Mason speed up the strokes.

Casey made a sharp keening noise as he orgasmed. Mason held him steady and twisting his fist, milking the ejaculate out.

Casey looked up him with those huge feline eyes filled with arousal, trembling.

Mason couldn’t stand it any longer – his control snapped. The Alpha grabbed Casey’s arms, pushing him down onto his knees. So fast it was just a blur to Casey, Mason’s right hand grabbed his chin, tipping his face up, his other hand wrenched open his own pants and freed his thick prick. The tip was already leaking clear fluid. Mason pumped roughly at his meat, once, twice, three times and then the thick cum was spurting over Casey’s face.

Casey’s eyes closed automatically, the cum splashing his lashes, but his mouth was caught open with a shocked gasp, the taste of Mason’s essence sticky on his lips.

Mason’s hand moved up from Casey’s chin to his hair, grabbing a handful of the golden locks and holding him tightly in place while wiping the last drop of cum off the head of his cock onto Casey’s cheeks and lips.

“Mine.” He growled, looking down at Casey.

Casey mewed softly, licking Mason’s fluids off his lips. His eyes started drooping, and he lowered to the floor, curling up like a contented cat at his master’s feet. “Yours.”

Mason exhaled deeply, his eyes resigned, “Too bad you won’t still think that in a few hours.”

~~~

Two and a half hours later, Casey human mind started processing again. He blinked his eyes, trying to figure out where he was and what was going on. A wet cloth was pressing over his face and neck. Weakly, he batted it away.

“Casey? Coming back?”

He groaned, head aching. “Shoot me.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Casey grimaced. “Fuck my head hurts. What happened?”

“You were drugged. It was in the cream I think, because everyone had the coffee, but you were the only one affected.”

“Grao d’escuridao?”

“That would be my guess.”

“I...?”

“Turned into a human shaped kitty-cat? Yeah.”

“Did I...Do anything? Something I shouldn’t have that is?” Casey’s expression was wary. “Wait a second, why are you cleaning me off?”

Mason just looked at him knowingly, throwing the washcloth back into the sink.

“Oh, God, I smell like you again.” Casey’s eyes flashed, panicked. “We didn’t....Did we?”

“Yeah, we did. Twice. I was amazing. You were okay, too. Real tight.”

“Oh, God.” Casey felt his stomach drop, he didn’t remember it.

“Relax, we didn’t. Your honour, what there is left of it, is still intact.” Mason added matter-of-factly, “I just jerked you off.”

Casey flushed and looked away.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Casey nodded, shuffling out into the bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed. “Yeah, I’m okay. My head is just killing me.”

Mason growled and paced the floor, letting his anger take the reins now that Casey was back to normal. “I’ll have Lavoie’s head for this.”

“Mason?” Casey asked cautiously.

“What?”

“Are you sure, I didn’t... say anything weird while I was out of it?”

Mason stopped in his tracks, turning to stare as Casey. “That’s your concern?! Scared you said something you shouldn’t have? Let some of those many secrets out? Jesus, Casey, you could’ve been really hurt, but all you care about is whether you let something slip about your precious jaguar girlfriend.”

Casey did a double take, eyes widening, chest tightening in fear. “What? Who?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know.”

Casey stood, all traces of fuzziness disappearing. “How?”

“I met her, of course.”

“What? When?”

“Yesterday, she was at Lavoie’s.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?!” Casey yelled, furiously.

“Why didn’t you?” Mason countered.

Casey wrung his hands, “Is she okay?”

Mason shrugged.

“Fuck you, Mason, I need to know!”

“She’s being held captive by a man I suspect is a bona fide psychopath. But, she’s still alive.”

Casey growled and started for the front door. Mason caught his arm in the living room before he could reach the exit. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To rescue Shelby, now that I know where she is.”

“What is she to you?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me; I could smell you all over her.”

Oh God. Casey’s stomach sank. “She’s...her name is Shelby. She’s my...friend.”

“She’s a Betrayer.” Mason accused. “Did you know that?”

Casey nodded, head jerking up and down. He forced his eyes up to meet Mason’s.

“Fuck,” Mason breathed. “You’re one, too.”

Casey hesitated and nodded again.

Mason yelled. He kicked the coffee table and sent it flipping, everything on its surface flying across the floor. “FUCKING HELL!” He grabbed Casey by both shoulders, shaking him, “Do you know how stupid that is? Do you? The whole otherworld is after them. You? A Betrayer?”

Casey braced himself. This was it. Mason was going to kill him, or kick him out of the pack, or...

“How the hell am I supposed to keep you safe?”

Stunned, it took Casey a moment to process that. “Mason – ”

“No! No, you don’t get to do this! I forbid it!”

“Mason, you can’t – ”

The wolf grabbed his collar and dragged him back to the bedroom. One hand holding Casey, Mason searched his drawers with the other, pulling out a length of chain.

“What are you doing?”

Mason threaded the chain to the collar and then locked the other end around the radiator. “What does it look like? Keeping you save.”

“No. I need to rescue Shelby. Mason, let me go!” Casey jerked at the chain. “You can’t just keep me shackled up here.”

“I can and I will. Until you get over this nonsense, you’re not leaving this bedroom.” Mason turned on his heels and stalked out of the room.

“I’m not going to get over this; I can’t stop until Shelby’s safe!” Casey yelled at Mason’s retreating back.

~~~


~~~

AN: a snippet of this chapter was taken out of the original second chapter of this story, so if you feel a little déjà vu, that’s why. I moved the order because it fits better at this point in the story.
This chapter actually didn’t get as far as I wanted it to, but the good stuff’s in next chapter, Mason get’s a dose of grao, and he’s not quite the relatively well behaved kitten Casey was.