Dominant Species

The hatch opened, and Autumn came back down crying. Before Autumn reached the bottom of the stairs, Mary ordered the children to shift back to their wolves. The pups came alongside the young girl and led her back to the bed. As Autumn sat down, the pair curled up around her.

The Alpha’s voice boomed through the shelter. “Tom, get over here and catch her.” Richard Wolfe first lowered the unconscious mother’s feet down the ladder until Tom had her, then climbed down himself. He tossed off the blanket he had used to protect himself from the intense sunlight during his brief trip from the shelter at his house to his daughter’s. “Everyone all right?”

Mary nodded. “The only damage was to some cans of baked beans and the bedding.”

Tom placed the woman back in her bed, but this time, he used a pair of handcuffs to lock her left arm to a pipe protruding from the wall. “It was tense, but she didn’t want to hurt us. She was scared and wanted to get away from us.”

“How did she find out?”

Rachel looked at the children. “Raven needed to go to the bathroom; Abigail saw her changing back. We had the kids in wolf form for the night for their protection.” She looked at where Autumn was now back to sleep with the pups. “It’s my fault.”

Richard sat next to his daughter and put his arms around her. “It was a risk we took when we gave them sanctuary, and it didn’t work out. That’s just the way it is sometimes.” He looked over at Abigail. “We’ll talk to her when she wakes up. I clocked her good when she came out of there.”

“I feel horrible. I know the Law, and she’s terrified of us. If she refuses the Change, we will have to kill her to keep the knowledge from getting out. How do I deal with that when her daughter is here too? What, do we kill her too to keep the secret?”

Richard kissed her forehead. “We’ll deal with that tonight after we’ve had a chance to lay everything out for her. I won’t make a hasty decision. Hopefully, she’ll learn that we aren’t to be feared. All right?” Rachel nodded her head. “Get some sleep. Sundown will come soon enough, and we have a lot of stuff to deal with tonight.” He kissed his daughter as she got into bed, then kicked off his shoes and climbed next to her. The two quickly fell back into a slumber.

Bethany woke slowly to the smell of cooking food and the feel of the hand caressing her face and hair. It took a minute to pull her mind out of the fog. She opened her eyes to find bright light and closed them again. The movement was enough to cause her pillow to shift.

A man’s voice, deep and calming, was in her ear. “Welcome back, my love. Take it easy; moving might be painful until the burns are gone.”

She opened her eyes again, keeping them open long enough to adjust. She saw a bare chest, broad and muscled, with a patch of dark hair just in front of where her face was lying. She moved her head up until she could see his face. He was gorgeous, she thought- like a runway model- but she had no idea who he was. He smiled at her, and it settled her down. Somehow, being with this man felt right, even though her rational mind was wondering what had happened.

“Beth, you’re awake!”

Bethany looked over at the cot next to her. Her twin sister, Britney, was resting in the arms of another man. She looked at him, then at the man holding her in her arms, then back at her sister.

“What?”

Britney was smiling. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need you to relax while we explain everything to you.” She looked up with loving eyes at her man. “This is Eric; he is my man. His twin brother Derek is yours. They are our mates.”

Bethany shook her head to clear the fatigue; surely, she wasn’t hearing her sister correctly. “Mates? What the hell?” She rose to a sitting position, grimacing with the pain, and looked at the main in her bed again. “How? What?”

Derek kissed her forehead. “I know it is a lot to accept, but you are mine, and I am yours. Eric and I are werewolves. We found the two of you because your scent called to us and told us you were our other halves. You girls were severely injured, so we did the only thing we could to save you. We bit you.”

Her mouth could have caught flies. “This some freaky Vampire Diaries stuff?”

“No, my love, it’s real. The change helped heal you. In a few more days, your burns will be gone. They told me you were blinded, but you can see now. How is your vision?”

She looked around. “It’s weird. I can see everything, but it’s in black and white. There are some colors, but they aren’t bright like before.” She looked at her sister. “Are you all right?”

Britney nodded. “My vision wasn’t as bad, and my burns are healing well. Eric bit me too. My eyes are good, but I can see better in dim light.”

“That’s the wolf vision coming in,” Derek said. “Your eyes are changing, developing the vision of the wolf. A wolf’s eye is different; it is sensitive to dim light but doesn’t have much for color vision.”

“Will I get my normal vision back?”

“I don’t know, Bethany. We’ll have to see what happens after your first shift.” She settled back down on his chest while he rubbed her neck.

“So you’re my perfect guy or something? Why does this voice in my head sound so happy to be with you?”

Derek chuckled. “That’s your wolf talking to you. She’s inside of you now, a part of you. You can trust her; she will help you through the change.”

“Well, my wolf is starving.” Derek chuckled as he moved out of the way, putting a pillow under her head. “Get me some food, and then you have some explaining to do.” He got up with a smile. Bethany watched as he walked away, her eyes lingering on his broad shoulders and tight backside. She then looked over to her sister and mouthed, “He’s HOT!”

Britney laughed and said, “So’s mine. We are so lucky, Beth! They are so nice, and my wolf is over the moon when I’m around him. Everything’s going to be all right. Willow and Cheyenne are here somewhere. They don’t have hot werewolf mates and haven’t been bitten like us, but they are doing all right.”

“And Josi? Where is she?”

“She is going to Salmon with Doctor Marcus. She is going to try and find our parents.” They both looked up as Derek returned with a plate loaded with food. He fed her lunch as he filled her in on what was happening.

Bethany had a lot of questions.

Derek had a lot of answers.

And when he kissed her, she finally understood what he meant about him being the other part of her soul.

Abigail felt stuck in the dark cave. She tried to sit up, but her body didn’t respond to her. The single Mom couldn’t touch and couldn’t feel much. She was in a fog, not realizing the sedative was still holding her back.

Her eyes would not open yet, so she focused on the sounds she could make out around her. Most she recognized, one she didn’t. The last thing she remembered was walking out of the closet after escaping from the werewolves. There was an explosion of pain in her jaw, then darkness.

She hadn’t escaped them.

Listening carefully, she could hear the delighted squeals of the children as Autumn played with at least two others. She could hear what sounded like a swing set, the whoosh of air past as she pushed higher and higher. “Raven, watch this!” A few seconds later, there was the clank of chains, then a soft thud. “Hah! New record! Beat that!”

“Oh, don’t worry, I will.” The voice of a boy this time. Abigail heard him kicking higher and higher before he jumped. She focused for a moment on her body, trying to figure out what the sensations were telling her. Abigail felt a chaise lounge underneath her. The swingset and the breeze meant she was outside, so it was night again.

She didn’t want them to know she was awake, so Abigail resisted the impulse to move or open her eyes. The swing had started up again, this time with the excited laughs of a young girl. Raven? There was a high-pitched shriek as she jumped. When she landed, the boy groaned loudly. The girls squealed in excitement. “See? Girls rule boys drool.”

“You got schooled, Michael,” Autumn said. “Can you guys be wolves again so we can play?”

“Mom?” Raven’s voice was higher and softer as she pleaded.

“All right, but stay in the yard. I know it’s dusk, but when it gets darker, Autumn won’t be able to see until the moon is up.” She heard the group run past her. The door opened a few minutes later, and she listened to her daughter run past with two wolves chasing her. She was having fun, so she tried to relax. She knew deep down the two young werewolves wouldn’t hurt her daughter.

She heard Mary talking nearby. “Do you think Abigail will accept the change?”

Rachel answered. “She has to. It’s either that or be killed, though Richard would never tell her that part. He’d tell them they could leave and then kill them when they get out of town.” Rachel started to cry softly. “Dad’s had to do it before; all the Packs have. I’ve never liked it, but it’s the Law. We can’t let our secret out. We’d all be in danger if humans knew.”

“My mind understands that, but my heart does not. The choice to change and be one of us isn’t a real choice if no means your death. I wish we could erase their memories or something.” She paused. “I think Autumn would do it so they could play in wolf form together. It’s only been a few hours, but she fits in with our kids. She isn’t scared of any of this. Look at her.”

They all listened to the squeals of the playing children as the conversation lulled. Finally, Rachel broke the silence. “I wish I had my mate here. The not knowing if he is all right is killing me.” There was a soft sob. “I believe in him. He’s too far away to link to, but with everything going on? I’m worried.”

“Rachel, your husband is a former Green Beret. I’m sure he can take care of himself for a few days. Richard and Tom will be back after they’ve finished moving the supplies. And Reggie is doing a long patrol, and he will be back by the middle of the night. Marcus is in North Fork; if he’s leaving now, he should make it easily before dawn, even on that aluminum contraption he uses.”

Rachel snickered. “I know he is faster with it than on three legs, but the ‘pad-pad-pad-CLANK’ sound when he runs isn’t right. He’s got some ideas for…”

A scream cut off her answer, followed by a loud “MOMMY!”

Abigail reacted instantly to her daughter’s distress. Her eyes shot open, and she tried to get up. Her body wasn’t ready for that yet. Abigail’s arms couldn’t push her upright, and she rolled off the chair onto the grass below. She was still trying to get up when Mary ran past her, saying she was getting the first aid kit.

Abigail looked out in the yard. In the dim light, she could see Autumn sitting on the ground, holding her arm to her chest as the two small wolves licked at it. Her heart broke with her cries for her Mommy.

Rachel was there quickly, pushing the two wolf pups away. She saw Autumn’s left forearm had a compound fracture, and the wound was bleeding. Looking at the pups, Rachel ordered them inside to change before gently picking Autumn up.

Autumn screamed as her arm moved. “I know it hurts, Autumn, but I’m a nurse, and we’ll take care of you. I have to get you into the treatment room, all right?” She nodded.

They got to the patio as Mary was coming back out. Rachel motioned to the table. “Leave the kit, get a wheelchair, and fetch Abigail. Then you can help me in the treatment room.” Rachel moved her patient through the house until she was in the room they used for treating werewolves outside the human medical system. She gently Autumn down on the table and had her lay back. “Autumn, you have a broken arm, and one of the bones is poking out. I can fix it, but I need to clean it up first. I will give you some medicine, and you will sleep through the bad part, but I need you to be a brave little girl and let me help.”

She nodded, tears streaming down his face. “Mommy? Is Mommy coming?”

“Mary went to get her, and she can stay with you while I’m doing this. Is that all right?” She gently moved Autumn’s arm so it was near the edge of the bed on a pad, then put a sterile sheet over the rest of her body. She used one of the working LED headlamps to look closely at the wound. She had assisted Marcus with a compound fracture reduction and repair but had never done it herself.

She knew she couldn’t wait for her husband, so she got to work. Moving to the medicine cabinet, she drew a sedative that would put the girl under for a few hours and let her fix the arm without Autumn fighting her. She also pulled out a surgery tray, a soft cast, and the materials she needed to clean and prep her arm for the reduction. Placing all this on a rolling cart, she was turning around when Mary brought Abigail in on the wheelchair.

“Baby, I’m here!” Abigail still couldn’t move her arms well, but Mary pushed her to the opposite side of the bed. She helped raise Abigail’s hand to hold her daughter’s hand on the uninjured arm. “You’ll be fine, baby. Everything is going to be all right.”

Rachel moved the table next to the bed, then looked at the mother and daughter. “I have to put her under while I set the bone. She’ll be asleep for a few hours.” Abigail nodded while Autumn looked at the needle in fear. “It’s just a sharp poke that will make you sleepy. When you wake up, the bad part will be over. All right?” When she nodded, she cleaned a spot on her shoulder with an alcohol wipe and gave her the shot. “Can you tell me what happened out there?”

“I was chasing Raven around, and I tripped. I put my arms out. I heard a crack, then my arm hurt.” She started to yawn. “They tried to make it better. The wolfs licked up the blood, but it hurt so much.”

Rachel frowned at this before sending to Mary over the bond. “You need to talk to them. If they licked an open wound, it could be the same as a bite.” She watched as Autumn struggled to keep her eyes open while her mom comforted her. It only took a few minutes until she fell asleep. While waiting, Rachel informed her Alpha over the bond of what had happened and her concern. He told her he would be there shortly, so she closed the link and started to prepare for the surgery.

Rachel had Abigail put a mask on, then Rachel and Mary washed for surgery. Both put on disposable gowns, surgical masks, and gloves. Mary used antiseptic wipes to clean the wound on her forearm, starting where the bone was sticking out and working her way outward until the arm was ready. “I wish we had an X-ray for this,” Rachel muttered. “OK, we’re ready to set the bone. I need you to hold here, at the elbow. Hold it in place and let me pull it straight.” She waited until she was in place. “Abigail, you might want to look away.”

Rachel picked up her left wrist with her right hand and trapped it next to her body while her left hand hovered over the bone. She took a deep breath, then leaned back as the arm stretched. The jagged edge of the bone had to be guided into place by feel, and her fingers went into the wound to help move it around. It took about twenty seconds of pulling before she relaxed. “Dang, that was easier than I thought it would be.” She felt around, checking the alignment as best as she could.

With the bone set, she needed to stop the bleeding. Using the surgical kit, she tied off the broken blood vessels, sewed up the tissue, and carefully closed the skin. She then put gauze over the wound and wrapped it lightly. She then put her arm into the soft cast, tightening the Velcro so it would keep it from moving.

Abigail looked over. “Aren’t you going to put a cast on?”

“Not yet. I want Doctor Marcus to look at this when he arrives, and we need to monitor for infection.” She stripped off the gloves, then injected her in the thigh. “That was a strong antibiotic, just in case. Has she had her tetanus vaccination?”

“Yes. Before school started, Autumn got her shots.” She looked down at her. “Will she be all right?”

“She should be. The arm should be fine by the time the change finishes.”

Her eyes got wide at the inference. Just as she was about to ask, there was a knock on the door. Mary opened it to find their Alpha waiting, the children holding on to each leg. “Rachel, you are done now?”

“Yes, Alpha. She will be asleep for a few hours. Mary, could you watch her while we talk with Abigail?” She nodded. “All right then, let’s move back outside. I don’t want to miss more of the night than we have to.” Rachel pushed Abigail out of the room, following the group to the patio, where Richard had snacks and drinks waiting. She pushed the wheelchair up to the table, then sat on one of the chairs, pulling Raven up to sit on her lap. Richard sat on Abigail’s other side with Michael on his knee. They looked at each other while eating some of the food before the silence became too much.

“I don’t want to die, Richard. I don’t want to become one of you, but since I don’t have a choice, I will.”

Richard looked shocked. “You can refuse the change. We won’t force you.”

Abigail smacked her hand on the table, shocking them all. “I knew you would say that, but we all know you won’t let me leave. You’ll kill me on the way out.” She looked at Rachel, her eyes hard. “Oh, I was awake long before Autumn got hurt. I heard everything you said, and now I know I can’t trust your word.”

It was Richard’s turn to be angry. “I see we need to have another conversation about how to behave around humans.” Rachel slumped in her chair. “No, Abigail, I am not lying. Once again, the rules we put in place to protect us from humans, and humans from us, have failed.” The children had their heads down since they had already talked about this with their Alpha. “It wasn’t intentional, and nothing can change it now. The children reacted like they would if another werewolf got hurt; when she was bleeding, they licked the wound. Werewolf saliva has antiseptic and healing properties and is a good coagulant. The licking prevented what would have been significant blood loss for that injury and reduced the chance of disease and infection. However, it probably will result in a different infection.”

Abigail looked in a panic between the two adults. “You mean that when those kids?”

“Yes. The licking of an open wound is no different than a bite. The werewolf gene is in the saliva, and it will spread like an infection through your daughter’s body. No antibiotic can stop it because it works at the genetic level. If Autumn is infected and she survives, she will become one of us.”

“IF?? What the hell do you mean, IF?” She was on the verge of a full-on panic attack now.

Rachel put her arm around her shoulders. “Like any infection, there are risks. Your daughter is young and healthy, so those risks are low. You need to understand what this means and what will happen over the next few days.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped Abigail’s face. “The first day, you don’t see much. Healing rates start to accelerate, which is a good thing as it will help her arm heal quickly. On the second day, her temperature will spike, and she will have flu-like symptoms. That will be the toughest part to watch. On the third day, the fever breaks, and she will have a higher metabolism and enhanced senses. Later that day, she will make her first shift. The first shift is very painful and stresses her body. After that, the shifts will be painless and quick.”

Richard put his hand on hers. “Your daughter is becoming one of us. There is nothing you or I can do to stop that now. She is still your daughter, but she will gain a wolf and the same ability to change you’ve seen in Raven and Michael. Changing is a good thing with the world going to hell around us. Werewolves are stronger and faster, have better immune systems, heal faster, and have longer life expectancies. She will be able to function at night in a way you cannot.”

Abigail hung her head, thinking for a minute. “What about me?”

“You don’t have to be changed unless you ask for it. Since your daughter will be a werewolf, you will keep our secret to protect her. Humans fear what they do not know; they fear that which goes soundlessly through the night. We put these rules in to protect both of our species.”

Rachel sensed the conversation was over. She put together a plate of food for Abigail and tucked a water bottle in her pocket. “I know it is a lot to take at once. This whole day has been nuts for you. I also know that you don’t trust us yet, but we have never done anything intentionally to hurt you. Even when you threatened us, we knew it was because you were frightened. There isn’t anything you have to do right now except be there for your daughter when she wakes up.”

Richard nodded. “We will help you both through this, Abigail. Let any one of us know if you need anything.”

Rachel put the food in Abigail’s lap and wheeled her back into the house to be with her daughter.

Raven came over and sat on her grandfather’s other knee, burying her face in his chest as the tears fell. “I’m so sorry, Grandpa! I didn’t even think about what I was doing! I just saw blood and tried to help!”

He hugged her back. “I know. Pups make mistakes, but adults should have known better. Having you in wolf form around humans was a bad idea. It’s something I am going to address with the whole Pack.” The pups gave him another hug, then hopped off to play again. He watched them for a few minutes until Rachel rushed back out; the smile on her face could light up the night.

“Marcus just contacted me over the bond! He’s going to be here in a few hours!” She was bouncing in excitement. “He also said he is bringing a family along, a human family he found on the road, plus a human friend. He wouldn’t go into detail, but it felt like something bad happened to them.”

Richard stood up. “All right, I’ll inform the rest of the Pack. We won’t screw this one up. The next person who reveals our existence to humans will get an up-close and personal with my teeth.”

Silvia sat between her children in the back seat of her convertible, pretending to be asleep. She needed time to process what was going on. Her husband was dead, men raped her in front of her kids, and her savior was a werewolf. She was so far from normalcy that she didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or have a total breakdown. She hugged a sleeping Zach to her side; he had fallen asleep when he stopped shaking, and the tears ran out. Michelle was sleeping in her car seat. Silvia kept a shaking hand on her leg for comfort.

Her children, born and unborn, needed her. She had to be strong.

Marcus was driving, but he could sense that Silvia was still awake. He looked over at Josi; she was peering through the windshield for threats. Josi put on a tough girl act, but she was a kid who killed two people an hour earlier. He could sense her fear and see her hands shaking. “I know you’re having a tough time with what happened back there, Josi. I’d be worried if you didn’t. Nobody who kills and doesn’t question their actions is truly human.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “You were brave back there. You had a job to do, and you did it. Because of you, those three have a chance to live again.”

“I understand that up here,” she pointed to her head, “but here,” she touched her chest, “I’m still feeling guilty. I can’t get the image out of my head. His head exploded like a jug of water on the fencepost.”

“I know.” He looked over at her. “I’ve killed before, and I wasn’t much older than you the first time I did it. Talking about it helped, but what got me past the guilt? It was accepting that I did what I had to do when I had to. It was my job, one that I had volunteered and trained to accomplish. I knew deep down that I had done the right thing. Taking those lives meant innocent people lived.” He looked back at the road. “It doesn’t make the dreams go away. I still have those. They aren’t as bad now; my mate helped me move on from that. When I returned from the war after losing my close friends, I withdrew into myself. It wasn’t healthy, and if I not for Rachel, I would probably have committed suicide within a year. My dreams were that bad.”

“What did Rachel do?”

“She listened.” He chuckled a little. “I told you the first time I met her, right? She was in wolf form, too injured to shift back. There was just something about her; even though she looked like this huge, dangerous animal, I didn’t feel that way about her. She comforted me by being there. Her eyes were so expressive and accepting, not judging me. I was able to tell her about things I couldn’t tell anyone else. There wasn’t a day after that when I didn’t regret leaving her there with her Pack.”

“So, how did you find out Rachel was a werewolf?”

“She showed me. Rachel, who I called Raven as a wolf, appeared on my front porch one day. It was like she hadn’t left. She changed from wolf to skin while her front paws were on my shoulder. She was breathtaking. As a person, she has the same qualities I love in her wolf. She is brave, caring, loyal, and patient. Even though I didn’t feel the mate pull like a werewolf, there was something so right about her. It was like I found the missing piece in my life. We made love, and I asked her to change me so we could be together always.”

Silvia’s voice came from the backseat; she was no longer pretending to sleep. “You chose to become a werewolf?”

“Yes, and I haven’t regretted it for a second.” He looked at her briefly in the mirror, smiling because he wanted her to hear his story. “Werewolves have been around for millennia, but our laws have always kept the secret from humans. Wolves scare them, and humans wiped out entire Packs in the past. We hide in plain sight now. We have jobs, families, and homes. In our Pack, we are part of the human community. Our children go to school and play sports, our adults own businesses and have jobs, and we make human friends. Other Packs separate themselves, living deep in the wilderness with little human contact. Changing is only done for mates; our laws say it is a death sentence to change without permission and approval.”

Josi looked over quizzically. “Who would you need approval from?”

“Each pack has an Alpha pair that is in charge. They are the most dominant wolves in the group. Decisions for the Pack are made by them, with input from lower-ranking members. They can’t do anything they want, though. The Alpha Council, made up of all the Alphas on this continent, is responsible for the Werewolf Law all swear to obey.” He looked in the mirror and anticipated Silvia’s question. “There are 187 packs in North America, with a total of about four thousand members. My pack is pretty typical in size. We have forty-one members, and the pack I was visiting had about thirty. Too many wolves, and it becomes difficult to rule. Bigger packs may split as stronger wolves jockey for the top job. Too small, and you can’t function well.” He looked up at the moon, then back down. “They are my family, my friends, but more than that. They are my closest companions. I would give my life to save any of them, and I know they would do the same. It is the same love for each other that I experienced in the Green Berets. Total trust and unity of purpose. It is the greatest thing you can have in your life. Well, except finding your mate. That’s the best.”

“How did she turn you? Is it like the movies when you get bitten and turn into a wolf on the full moon?”

“Yes, you change by being bitten, but the rest is not always accurate. Think of an infection; it changes your DNA and your body. You get a high fever, like the bad flu, while changing. It takes about three days before you change to your wolf form. You gain a wolf inside you, like another consciousness that shares your brain. He starts wild, so your mate or Alpha is there to ground it until it can integrate with your human side. If they don’t integrate, you can go feral, attacking anyone and anything. The tales of werewolves as monsters are because of these turns.” He looked in the mirror; she was taking it well so far. “Rachel bit me as we were making love. When a mate bites you this way, you’re on a high and barely notice the pain. Three days later, I was like her.”

Marcus stopped talking as they rounded the bend in the road; they could see the town of Salmon ahead in the moonlight. Small fires and torches lit the streets, but the giant bonfire on the eastern edge drew their eyes. He slowed down as they got closer, then came to a stop where a Sheriff’s Deputy stood blocking the road at the edge of town.

“Doctor Mendez, thank God you are here.” The deputy ran up to the door. “They need you in the clinic. It’s bad, real bad.”

“I know, Robert. It’s bad on the road. Can we talk for a minute?” He got out and walked far enough from the car so Silvia and her son wouldn’t hear him. “On the way here, I came across a family. Three men killed the husband and were raping the wife in front of her kids.”

“Fucking BASTARDS! Let me get some guys together, and we’ll get them.”

Marcus shook his head. “Nothing left to do. Josi, the girl in the front, worked with me to take them out. We left them by the side of the road. I’ve got her husband’s body in the trunk because I couldn’t leave him there. What are you doing with the dead?”

“We are burning them. That’s the pyre over there. Head over, and we’ll give Silvia’s husband the best sendoff we can.” The Deputy was ready to cry. “We lost another three hundred today, and we have volunteers going door to door finding more. I’d say only a few hundred aren’t dead or severely injured.” He looked at the car. “Good thing some of the old cars still work. Any other problems on the drive?”

“No, but we came from North Fork, so it wasn’t that long a drive.” He looked back at the car. “I’ll help with her husband, then take her back to my place and let my wife help with her and the kids. She’s pregnant, too.”

“Fuck. I feel like driving up there and killing them again. Do they have power up in North Fork?”

“Not even. No power or electronics, most of the town is dead, and many others are blinded. Only a fraction of the town is still alive.” He hugged him, then turned for the car. “We’ll catch up later, Robert. Thanks for keeping things safe here.”

“It’s what we do.” They waved as they drove past and took a left towards the pyre.

Marcus looked in the back. “I’m sorry, Sylvia. Hundreds of people are dead in town, and we don’t have working equipment for mass burial. The best way to prevent disease is cremation, so that pyre up ahead is where we’ll take your husband.” She started to cry but nodded. “We will be with you. You should probably wake up your boy so he can say goodbye.”

They pulled into the street near the fire; it was a section of new housing still under construction, with open foundations that could contain the fires. Brush and trees had been cleared and piled to make the pyre.

Marcus parked the car and went to the trunk to get the body. He picked up the blanket body, and Josi closed the trunk lid so he could set the body down. Silvia held Zach to her side as they came around. “I left Michelle sleeping; she’s too young to understand. Zach, we need to say our goodbyes to Daddy.”

Marcus moved the blanket back carefully, revealing the side undamaged by the fatal shot, and wiped the blood off it. He didn’t want the last memory of his father to include that.

Zach moved forward, crying as his hand rested on his Dad’s shoulder. He leaned in and kissed his cheek. Silvia followed suit before pulling the blanket back over his face. “Goodbye, my love.”

Josi hugged her other side while Marcus picked him up and walked to the men tending the pyre. They were unloading the dead from a trailer pulled by an old farm tractor. One of the men came forward and took the foot end of the blanket; when they reached the edge, they tossed him into the blazing fire. Marcus bowed his head, praying to Luna for their family to find peace, and then turned back and walked to the car.

When Sylvia was ready, they returned to the car and drove quietly through the empty town. It was a depressing drive; many houses had dead residents stacked at the ends of driveways for pickup. They saw more activity downtown. “They must be using the basements in the larger buildings for shelter. Most houses here don’t have basements.” There were people in the streets cooking over propane grills, and the smell of meats filled the air. “At least they are using the food in the freezers before it spoils.” The car left town and soon turned into the driveway of his rural home. Before the car had stopped, Rachel was running out of the house.

“MARCUS!!!” She almost knocked him back into the driver’s seat as she barreled into him. She grabbed his hair, pulling him into a deep kiss that went on and on. She might not have come up for air unless Josi cleared her throat. Marcus pulled back from her, kissing her forehead, then turned to make the introductions.

“Rachel, these are my friends. We found Josi by the river outside North Fork. She has two friends, Britney and Bethany, who are mates to the Becker twins. Two other friends stayed with them. I brought her here because she’s heading to Idaho Falls to look for their parents.” Marcus moved around to get Michelle while Silvia and Zach got out of the convertible. Over the bond, he warned, “She lost her husband and was brutally raped. Josi and I killed the guys, but she’s holding on by a thread right now.” He pulled them forward, then said, “And this is Silvia and Zach Perkins. Silvia, this is my mate, Rachel.”

“Mate?” Rachel looked at him while talking over the bond. “They’re HUMAN!”

“Yes,” he responded, “but they know about us. I’ll explain later, but I’d rather do it when your father is here. They need to meet the Alpha anyway.”

Rachel smiled at them all. “Well, we have plenty of food left over from lunch, and I bet you guys would like to relax a bit. Come on in.” She started to walk towards the house, and they followed behind.

Josi saw movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over. A big black wolf sat at the edge of the yard. It had a white tip on the right ear and a white patch on his chest. She froze; there was something about him that caught her attention. When Silvia stopped, they all turned around, but Josi didn’t move. Her eyes were wide as she kept staring at the wolf.

The wolf stared back, his eyes focused on her as he sniffed the air. A low growl filled the air; they heard the bones crunch as he shifted back to his human form. Josi’s eyes took in every detail, from his tousled black hair to his chiseled face, broad shoulders, and ripped stomach. Her eyes went up and down his body as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

The young man was in awe of the young woman. He looked her over, taking in her black hair, expressive green eyes, and toned body. He didn’t move, or at least most of him didn’t. For the first time in his life, he got an erection.

By the time he could put two cogent thoughts together, it was pointed straight at her.

He shook his head and walked forward as everyone else moved aside. No one interfered, whether respecting the moment or avoiding the naked guy.

Josi didn’t move either; the man transfixed her as he moved closer. He stood in front of her and reached up to touch her cheek. Sparks exploded across his fingers to her face, causing both to moan in pleasure. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a decade. What is your name, beautiful one?”

Josi gulped, her hand moved to his chest, and the sparks continued as she moved it down his abs. “I’m Josi.”

“How old are you, Josi?”

“Today’s my eighteenth birthday.” She looked down at his rampant erection pressing into her belly. “Does this mean what I think it does?”

“Yes, Josi, you are my mate.” He leaned forward to kiss her. Moving his hands to her head, he deepened the kiss. The rest of the world could be on fire, and neither would care. They had found each other. “My name is Reggie. I’m Rachel’s older brother. Welcome to our family.”

Josi finally looked around, releasing Reggie from her grasp as her cheeks flushed. More people were coming out of the house to see the couple. A middle-aged man and his wife, another younger couple, and two young boys and a girl all rushed out to the front porch.

News of the mating traveled fast. Josi buried her face in his chest, hoping her clothes covered the raging hard-on that was pushing into her stomach. He was on his own with his bare ass.

Reggie caught a flying pair of shorts that Marcus pulled from a box on the porch. He let her go while he pulled them on. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Josi. We shift, and we’re naked when we do so. We don’t have the same prudish views on nudity that humans do.” He pulled her into his side as he faced the people on the porch. “Josi, let me introduce my family.”

He started to walk them towards the older couple but stopped when the woman rushed forward and engulfed Josi in a hug. “I’m so happy to meet you finally! Josi, welcome to our family! I’m Lisa. Reggie is my son.” Her husband came up and put his arms around both of them. “And this guy is my mate, Alpha Richard Wolfe.”

“Please, call me Dad.” He smiled at her as they finally untangled.

Reggie accepted their congratulations, beaming about his beautiful mate. “Mom and Dad are the Alpha pair of the Salmon pack. Do you know what that means?”

Josi nodded. “Marcus didn’t go into a lot of detail but explained some of your Pack’s basics. I’m just shocked! Two minutes ago, I didn’t know if I had any family left, and now I’ve gained one!” She walked over to Marcus and hugged him. “Thank you again for saving us out there.”

Reggie let out a low growl at the hug. Even though his brother-in-law was happily mated, Josi was unmarked, and his wolf was on edge. Marcus let her go. “I guess we should?”

Richard finished. “Go get to know this family you’ve brought us.” Reggie looked at him, then at Josi. “Not you. You’re not going to do anything but look at her and ignore us anyway. Take Josi somewhere you can get to know each other, but be back before sunrise. Marcus can fill us in on everything that is going on.”

The young lovers didn’t need an engraved invitation. Josi turned to her mate. “Show me your wolf?”

He nodded and pulled the shorts back off, smoothly shifting back into his fur. Josi put the shorts in her pocket, then came around to kneel in front of him. She ran her hands through the soft hair on his neck and chest while he rested his jaw on her shoulder, taking deep sniffs of her neck. “Give me a ride?”

Marcus looked at Reggie and nodded. “She’s good at it, but I’m sure you’re faster than I was.” Reggie chuffed and lowered himself to the ground, allowing Josi to climb on his back. She loved how her whole body started to tingle as her skin rubbed against him. He got back up and took off for the mountains behind the house. He followed his favorite trail to a spot they could be alone.

Lisa sighed and wrapped an arm around her mate as she watched them leave. “Rich, I never get tired of watching people find their mates.”

He pulled her close. “That was pretty tame. It wasn’t like knocking two Alphas into the river in my rush to get to you.” Kissing her, then turning back to the house, he motioned for the others to follow. “Come on out back, we’ve got the grill going, and there are some more Pack members out there who will be happy to see you.”

Marcus stopped. “Alpha, I need to go to the hospital, and I’d like to take you there.”

Richard turned around, surprised at his tone. Marcus only called him Alpha when it was Pack business in front of others. “This is important?” Marcus nodded. “All right then. Love, can you help settle our guests? We’ll fill everyone in when I get back.”

“Of course, dear. Come on, Silvia, I’ll introduce you to the others.” She moved into the house as Marcus and Richard got back into the convertible.

Marcus got into the driver’s seat as his father-in-law moved around to the passenger seat. His Alpha stared at him while he started up the classic car. “They know about us? All of them? How the FUCK could you break our laws and let them know who we are? You’re in a world of shit, son.”

Marcus started down the road, taking a moment to think about how to defuse the anger. “Things happened, Dad. Do you have any idea how bad it is out there?”

“We’ve stayed close to home, but we did have some humans show up. They gave us an idea.”

“It’s the end of the world out there. North Fork has two hundred residents; other than the Pack, only a couple dozen people are still alive. Most of those are badly hurt, with serious burns and blindness. When that solar flare hit, it sent lots of radiation and wiped out the ozone layer. The ultraviolet is intense during the day. That’s causing a lot of damage.”

Richard let out a long sigh. “I figured that when Tom got a sunburn just from running home. That doesn’t happen to wolves. How bad is the radiation?”

It was Marcus’ turn to sigh. “Pretty bad that first afternoon. I treated some people exposed to direct sunlight for half an hour. One had vision loss, and I don’t know if that will ever recover. Both had severe sunburns and radiation sicknesses. Now? The radiation levels should be down. You’re probably all right during the day as long as you cover your skin and use sunblock and sunglasses if you have to go out. You guys have been staying in the shelters, right?”

“Yep, we hunkered down, thinking it was an attack after our phones and power went out. Better safe than sorry. We’ve been coming out at night to get supplies and patrol. Now, back to the subject. Why does Josi know about us, and why was she riding on your wolf?”

Marcus pulled into the parking lot of the Salmon Medical Clinic. It sounded a lot more than the small office that it was. As a town of two thousand, it was only a satellite clinic. Marcus worked there two days a week, and a Nurse Practitioner had appointments the rest of the week. It was a good balance, allowing access to care. Serious illnesses went to the hospital in Idaho Falls.

The office was inadequate for the aftermath of an extinction-level event.

“Let me do my job here first. I need to make rounds. Deputy Robert told me they found three hundred dead tonight and are still going house to house. The clinic is full of injured; there is no power, no medical supplies, and no treatment that will save them.” He parked and turned off the car. “Come on.”

They opened the doors to see what looked like a war zone. Wounded filled the hallways and every horizontal surface. Many were unconscious, but the noise from those who weren’t so fortunate ripped at Marcus’ heart. Richard’s face dropped at the sight; there were no words to express his feelings. He knew these people; they had been his friends; they worked in the town; he had gone to school with them. Yes, they were human, but in a way, he knew they were his too.

“DOC! Thank God!” His nurse practitioner, Tammy Cordoba, moved slowly towards them. She was a bundle of energy on regular days, but these events had worn her down. He could see bruising on her neck and face, her eyes were bloodshot, and a trace of blood leaked from her nose. She almost collapsed in his arms.

“Jesus, Tammy, you look like shit.”

“That’s your clinical assessment?”

He sat her on the floor and leaned her against the wall. “Have you gotten any sleep?”

She shook her head, no. “Too many patients.” She gave him an overview of what had happened while he looked into her eyes and mouth. Her tale was interrupted by a coughing fit that left a fine blood mist on his shoulder.

He looked over at his Alpha. “Radiation poisoning. Even inside, the walls and ceiling weren’t enough to protect her.” Marcus returned his gaze to the nurse. “Let me guess; those who didn’t succumb to severe burns have blindness, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and bleeding sores in the mouth and nose.”

“Yep, you just described most of the people here. I’m losing ten to twenty an hour for the last twelve hours. The body wagon has been here three times tonight already.” She coughed again. “I don’t have any supplies and no ventilators. All I can do is palliative care for those still conscious, but I ran out of painkillers a few hours ago. It sucks, Doc. The lucky ones will go quick.”

Marcus stood up. “Take a nap; that’s an order. I’ll make my way through. I have a few supplies back at the house. Have you collected medicines from the town?”

“The pharmacy gave me what they had, but it wasn’t much.”

Marcus looked at his Alpha. “Dad, can you find the Sheriff. As they go door to door, have them check the medicine cabinets. Any painkiller from aspirin on up, have them bring it here. Same thing for burn and antibiotic creams, bandages, anything they think we can use.” He watched him leave; he could feel the anger and despair through their bond and knew it was killing him to see this.

It took Marcus an hour to make his way through the office. There were almost a hundred patients in the small clinic, and more showed up every hour. There was nothing Marcus could do medically to help them.

Not unless he could convince his Alpha to break Werewolf law.

His jaw was set hard by the time his Alpha returned. “Come on, Dad, I need to go home and get some supplies out of my storage. Everyone? Try to stay calm, and I’ll be back in an hour or so.” A few older ladies were helping with things like distributing water, cleaning wounds, and covering the dead. They looked at him and nodded; they would take care of things.

As they left, Marcus put his hand on his father’s shoulder. “Out of the hundred people in there, only a couple dozen will be alive in 48 hours. The town is dying before our eyes, Dad. Two thousand humans lived here a few days ago. By the end of the week, we’ll outnumber the survivors. Their bodies can’t cope with the radiation damage. They can’t heal as fast as us and they can’t function in the dark.” They pulled out of the parking lot. “They are good people who would be an asset to the Pack.”

“They aren’t Pack. You know the rules, Marcus. We can’t change people without their consent and the consent of the Alpha, and only for mates. I’m sorry, son. My hands are tied.”

Marcus sighed as they moved slowly through the dark town. “Richard? The two girls I told you about earlier that I treated up in North Fork? Britney and Bethany are mates to Eric and Derek. When we headed down here, they caught their scents on the river. I couldn’t stop them. Both girls would have been dead by morning. We had to use CPR on Britney as we brought them back to the Den!” He let out a sigh. “The boys bit them. Their wolves knew that the change would give them a chance. And you know what?” He looked into Richard’s eyes. “It worked. By the time we left the next day, the burns were almost gone, and one had regained consciousness. The change stimulates healing and regeneration. I even saw indications that the wolf vision changes could restore some sight.”

“I’m glad their mates survived, but we have RULES we swore to obey. There are penalties for not following them, and you know what they are.”

“Calvin did too. That’s why he told his Pack it was his decision. If there were any blowback, the Alpha would take the fall. He changed them. They only had a handful of people still alive; they were all his friends and were good people. The ones who could understand Calvin asked permission. The ones who were out of it, he just did it anyway. He bit them, Dad.”

They pulled up at the house again, and he stopped the car. “North Fork is now a werewolf town, and he saved those people. You need to do the same. All of those people,” he gestured back at the city, “all of them are dead anyway.”