Ash Stone's Story

Wilder inhaled deeply, letting the smell of pack and food wash over him. Gingerly, he reached over someone’s head to place the platter of smoked meat down in the middle of the table. They had already gone through one, so he nudged the redhead beside him. “Hey Anna, why don’t you make a plate to take out to Mark? Hes been smoking all day, want to make sure he actually gets to eat something.”

Anna made a small, agreeable noise in the back of her throat, disentangling herself from the others around her to grab a plate and start piling on the meat and vegetables laid out everywhere. Another carried the fruit salad and dessert and then she was off to the back yard, gait as smooth as a dancers.

Wilder liked having his pack at his house, liked the bimonthly barbeques they had. Not everyone could make it, of course, but there were currently nine of his own gathered around his kitchen table, Mark and Anna in the backyard, a handful of children around the coffee table, and himself. In fact, the only ones missing were Ben, who could never get away from the office, Ezra, who was always late, and Roman, who had insisted he had more important things to do. Wilder didn’t understand why Roman seemed to fight the pack so much – why he wouldn’t accept the help of a living space or job search. Half of his pack could hook him up with a job within a week and it wouldn’t be demeaning work. But the man had grown up independent, and the pack life didn’t fit flush with him.

But he was mean in a fight and that’s what Wilder needed.

The blonde’s eyes trailed over everyone at his table affectionately before they settled on the one human among them. She was young, just barely out of college, and plastered to the side of one of his less aggressive wolves. She was nervous and shy, but also pleased to be there. Wilder had mixed feelings about her when Bentley had brought her back from college. Bentley had insisted that she was different and asked to reveal what he and the pack was. Wilder had agreed, knowing that Bentley knew that if the human reacted poorly, they would get rid of her. It was always a hard decision to make. But the human, Harper, Wilder reminded himself, had had all of a one day panic attack before she calmed enough to accept his marriage proposal. Now there was a band on her finger with a matching one on Bentley’s and they were happy. Wilder didn’t like it and she wasn’t pack, but she wasn’t a threat either and she was welcome to pack events. As long as she kept her mouth shut.

The sound of growling drew his attention to the children and he frowned. They wouldn’t fully shift until puberty, but they still had the teeth and vocal of a wolf when they were upset. Jenny rolled her eyes in the way teenagers often did and pushed herself away from the table to settle the dispute. Though Jenny was too young to adopt one of the children herself, she still enjoyed taking care of them. The sixteen year old had a maternity streak a hundred miles wide. Unlike his second. Wilder’s eyes turned to Ash. She didn’t seem to really have a need for children, though that could change as she got older. Either way, as his beta, she wouldn’t be required to raise children if she didn’t wish it.

Many had been surprised when Wilder had chosen Ash to be his second. When Jackson, his old beta, had left to pursue law on the opposite coast, Wilder had been sad to see him go, They had been best friends growing up and it wasn’t easy to let him leave. Still, Wilder had worked with the pack there to get him integrated smoothly and they had said good bye. Then the internal fighting started.

Most assumed Oliver would step into the beta position. He was fifty, but still spry and as wise as the old men from fairy tales, but he had taken himself out of the running from the beginning, saying he was too old to compete with the young’uns. After the fighting – which wasn't deadly, as it was between potential alphas – Luke had come out on top. Wilder had been more than accepting – Luke was strong and people tended to listen to what he said.

Then Ash, who had watched from the sidelines, simply approached Luke and said she’d be Second. And Luke had backed down. Wilder grinned at the memory. Some wolves simply had a presence, and dominance that made others obey. Its how Wilder himself had kept his position. And even though Ash had been young, younger than any beta Wilder had ever heard of, she was technically an adult by pack standards and he had made her position official. She had been fifteen.

Now she was growing into a woman and Wilder was pleased. She stepped into the role he laid out for her when other packs or supernatural came. It threw them off, to have a female speaking to them, and Wilder liked that. She wasn’t soft and in need of constant protection, like some of the other females.

The alpha moved to stand behind the blond in question. “Any news on if Ezra will make it before midnight?”

Ash sat at the table eating her meat in peace. She made no attempt to speak to anybody or join a conversation. It was just me, myself, and I for the time being. Her leg was sore from her daily run. Today she pushed herself, going an extra 5 miles. Now she was at 100 miles without stopping. She was slightly improving but in this pack, that was nothing. Everyone expected her to be like her brother. One of the beta's. Yes she had beta blood in her, but she never acted on it until now.

Ash reached over and grabbed another piece of the smoked meat. She was super hungry and she needed to fuel up if she was going to work out constantly like most of the fighters did. The children's screams and growls slightly frustrated her. Only because it wasn't peaceful. They were adorable and cute but sometimes they can be annoying. Looking up Ash registered all the people ho weren't there at the moment. Roman, Ezra, and Mark. Including Anna who left the room with a plate of food. It was Ash's job to keep taps on her pack. Her head moved up to her Alpha who she heard coming towards her before he saw him.

“Any news on if Ezra will make it before midnight?” He questioned and Ash put her fork down. "She's usually here by 9. 10 if she's out with friends and 11 if she's drunk." Ash said without batting an eyelid. Ash knew Ezra's like the back of her hand. She was always out doing something and was never at the pack house on time. Ash was always up when Ezra came to the pack house, so reciting the girl's schedule wasn't hard. Maybe a little creepy.

“Mmmm.” Wilder made a sound in the back of his throat as acknowledgement, brushing his fingers over Ash’s shoulder as he made his way around the table, visiting each in turn. Werewolves were tactile in general and to Wilder touching others was second nature, something he did without thinking. Some were more receptive than others, but none would turn down being scent marked by the alpha, or even the beta. It brought the pack closer together.

It didn’t take Ana long to return from the backyard, and Wilder gave her a brief smile before he bent his head down further to talk to Oliver. Oliver was the oldest member of the pack, pushing sixty. Oliver was also the only werewolf Wilder had ever seen to have a stomach that jiggled. Werewolf metabolism was high, extremely so. On an slow day, Wilder can pack down over five thousand calories. On a day where hes running or shifting, or even fighting, those numbers can easily double. It was like something out of a Greek museum – perfect specimens of beauty and health around his table. Except for Oliver.
Jenny had already calmed the children down and had returned to her spot at the table. After his rounds, Wilder returned to Ash’s side, squeezing himself between her and her neighbor. Wilder didn’t insist on sitting at the head of the table or anything superfluous like that. He was a member of the pack and integrated himself accordingly.

“Anything new?” He asked Ash in a conversational voice, helping himself to the platters of food.

After Wilder nodded his head in appreciation, she picked up her fork and dug right back in. She was thinking about doing a perimeter check. Also because she was bored. The sound of the door opening had her storm grey eyes look up for only a brief moment and look down again after they recognized the person as Ana. Ash looked down at her plate only to realize that it was empty. Sighing she went to get another piece of meat until Alpha Wilder squished himself between her and the person next to her. Ash put her hand down and waited for Wilder to say something.

“Anything new?” Ash shrugged. "Just a perimeter breach from a lone rouge." It happened not too before the dinner. Oh, and that reminded her that she had to interrogate the rouge. So scratch the perimeter run. Going back to the plate of delicious meat, she picked up two and chowed down. She needed the energy.

Wilder nodded, letting them lapse back into silence. It was a routine thing for her to take care of a rogue. She’d take one or two others with her, just in case things weren’t as they seemed and follow it until it left. If needed, they might give it… incentive to leave. After a long moment of companionable silence he spoke again. “I am going to take the children out tonight and run around with them. Perhaps after you deal with the rogue, you’d like to come join me for a real run.”

Wilder tried to make a point of it, to immerse the children into the life as much as possible. His father, gentle soul that he was, was often willing to play babysitter and insisted that children who regularly dealt with the wolves of their back had an easier time shifting when it was their turn. He had become alpha to late for the new teachings to affect either of the twins or Ash, but both Jenny and Aiden had made the shift with a level of comfort Wilder had never seen or heard of. He chooses to think of them not as anomalies.

So once or twice a month he went into the woods with the children old enough to toddle around, with the help of a few adults in case any mishaps occurred, and shifted fully. The children, especially those young enough to be unable to grasp the situation, treated him more like one of his show dogs than the alpha that he is, and that’s fine with him. It’s a bonding experience that he thinks will draw the pack closer, make them stronger, and in the future secure his own position. After all Aiden, who started when he was far older than the others, has an almost unhealthy devotion to please his alpha.

But soon the children would tire and Wilder would itch for a real run, the chance to stretch his legs. Then the rest of the pack would join – after having spent the last few hours sleeping off a food coma. It was a perfect night, in Wilder’s mind.

That night, Roman had ran to some of the deepest depths of the forest, the parts that no human ever ventured unless accompanied by some sort of protective. At night, especially in the depths, the forest became a breathing living thing; the trees even seemed to have a mind of their own. Roman had raced through the under brush, let the jet black of his fur meld him with the darkness as he sprinted, leapt, and hunted.

He needed to be Wolf; especially after that conversation. Alex was...a puzzle. Rom an hated puzzles, not because he was bad at them, but because he did not see them necessary. Why not just say what you want, be up front about anything? Why make someone sit for hours putting the pieces together only to discover that they were shoving one into a place it wouldn't fit? Roman wanted the big picture- not the tiny bits and pieces that it can be broken up into.

He had not returned back to the pack that night even though he knew they had a pack get together. He was to far gone by the time he remembered his obligations; a five hour run back was of no interest to him after a full night of hunting. Besides; no one would truly notice one new pack member gone. Roman was not the center of attention when it came to pack meetings- he was nice to everyone and treated the pack members with respect and kindness, but he did not go out of his way to take an assertive role. That might be changing now....if he followed through with his plan with Alex.

Glowing orange pits glimmered through the hollow of the tree he had found, looking out into the early morning light. Their was a light dusting of fog settled around him, enough to mask the area in a hazy morning glow. He watched it twist through the undergrowth for a minute, enjoying the way it caught the light and illuminated a beam that had broken through the tree tops. There were times when Roman had no interested in leaving the forest- like now for instance. He could imagine himself leaving the pack life and the human life behind for something far simpler...but Roman's father had told him horror stories as a kid about werewolves that went insane after spending too long in their wolf forms. Still....this life would be easier.

A hefty sigh escaped the dark canine before it stood and twisted its massive frame through the opening of the tree. He stretched, pushing his large paws forward as he arched his back and curled his thick tail upwards. Then, with a sharp intake of air, Roman turned towards the direction of the packs den and moved forward in a light trot. He was in no rush to face the pack, or make his final decision on Alex, so his paws mimicked his mindset and set him at a leisurely pace.

---

Roman opened the door into the house quietly, shutting it behind him slowly so the click of the door wouldn't be heard. Not that he needed to be cautious- the racket that the werewolves made over breakfast was enough to cover up even the slamming of the door. He smoothed his dark hair back back, sliding his fingers through the locks to push them free of his angular face. He had pulled on some clothing that he kept stashed in the woods (like most of the pack- common decency and all); black jeans, a pair of black workers boots, and a denim button up over a white tank. Slowly- because lets face it, Roman did not want to go into the next room with his mind full of swirling thoughts/regrets/turmoil- Roman steeped into the dining room/kitchen and entered into the domain of Wilder and Ash.

It was fairly hectic, with the pups running around and the older wolves chasing after them, trying to get some breakfast down their throats before their day began. Roman smiled at a few of the ones that made eye contact with him, dipping his head in greeting before averting his eyes in a show of respect. He glanced up into the kitchen just in time to see Wilder gobble down a pancake. His eyes instantly went to the floor and a flash of Alex's smirking face filtered through his thoughts- Roman had committed treason against his alpha and then showed up the next day to eat his breakfast. HIs father had not been a pack wolf, but he had never directly disobeyed a werwolf law. Roman swallowed, hoping to settled the turmoil in his stomach before he walked forward to get a plate of his own breakfast and great his alpha.

He grabbed a plate from the pile that was set out, loaded it with a hefty helping of bacon (he rarely ate anything but meat), then snagged the top pancake that was still steaming warm. Roman looked up at Wilder as he finished his meal, made a moment of eye contact before dipping and tilting his head to the side to show his neck, a sign of submission and affection for the alpha. Roman did not partake in a lot of the rituals; he often did not even great the alpha in this way. But with his resent conversation...he felt it was due. Guilt washed through him, but he tried to hide it with his usual aloof kindness.

"How're you this mornin' Wild?" Roman asked as he picked at a piece of bacon, glancing up for a moment to smile at the other male, "You been outside yet? The fogs beautiful"

She didn't want to play a game, nor did she understand completely why it felt like today was a day to pick on her. Ash crossed her arms as she walked the rest of the way home. She wore a pair of ripped jeans, red t-shirt and the locks of her blonde hair. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as her feet trudged through the soft soil up to the house. She was not a happy camper. The tomboy threw her hands up in the air and pretended to pull her hair out as she entered through the front door. It slammed, and she hadn't meant for it to.

"I will kill them." She grumbled, taking off her shoes near the door. They were covered in mud, and that was not the problem. The problem was her partners in her run that morning had gone off to play hide and seek, or at least, hide from Ash. She shook her head and stretched her shoulder. It was bleeding, which was no surprise. Ash had a small incident an hour prior to her return. She had tried to jump over a cliff, and she would have landed if something hadn't distracted her. It was a small snap of twig, a deer nonetheless and it caught her attention right away. She had glanced and lost her footing, fell, and her shoulder caught the edges of a rock.

The eighteen year old was a trooper, but the bleeding was beginning to make her irritable. This was not a good morning. She pulled off the outer layer of her shirt and underneath, she wore a black tank top, one that revealed her rather deep wound on her shoulder.

Wilder greeted those who filed in after he had with a nod or a soft word. Most simply acknowledged his presence, since they had been with him last night the long greeting rituals weren’t needed. In fact, most didn’t bother with those either. Ben was possibly the only one who continuously did it – his work with the law enforcement sometimes kept him away for weeks and Ben was a stickler for rules, even though he was possibly the most laid back of the wolves.

When Roman offered his neck, Wilder reached out, letting his fingers dance over the skin with affection. It was a middle ground response, less intense than the proper soft bite, more than the casual nod it could have received. Roman’s skin felt cool, but almost clammy with a repressed sweat. Something was bothering the wolf, which made Wilder pause momentarily. He thought it was probably something more than another failed job search, but Roman was more lone wolf than pack and wouldn’t appreciate Wilder trying to pry it out of him.

With half a seconds though the alpha decided to leave it alone publicly and simply keep an eye on the other, older wolf. If he thought it would be a problem later, he could bring it up again.

“It is good to see you, Roman.” He spoke, letting his hand fall from the others neck and back to his own food. “It would have been nice to see you last night. I trust something came out of it?”

Wilder couldn’t understand why Roman didn’t accept the pack’s help. They could have him in a job for less than a week, but Roman steadfastly refused.

“I was out earlier with the pups. It was a good time to be out and I---“ he cut himself off as the front door slammed open. Within a breath he had left Roman’s side, letting the smell of blood lead him to his second. He wrinkled his nose at her arm – it would heal, but it was still deep and bleeding freely. He could tell by her face that she was in a foul mood.

“Ash, what happened?” He grabbed her arm, using it to turn her slightly so he could see the rest of her, The noise in the kitchen and dining room had died down to a small whisper.

The second Wilder turned her around to get a better look, Ash let out a frustraited sigh. Her eyes looked up at the male and she rotated her shoulder gently. "It's just a scratch." She said, rolling her eyes lightly. "I miscalculated a jump and fell. My shoulder got the worse of it. I just need to clean it up and wrap it, no big deal." She answered simply, her lips turning into a smile.

"Did you know that deer is in season?" She asked, pressing a finger beneath Wilder's chin. Just a simple touch really and she let herself smile more. "Did you sleep well? Did the others return from the run?" She then asked, almost forgetting. "They took off so I had to walk back alone."

Ash looked passed Wilder and her eyes settled on Roman. She gave a smile, one small but there. "Feel like hunting later with me, Roman?" She asked, her mood perking up a bit. She was still annoyed but it would soon pass. She didn't like having pain slow her down, or her mood to sour everyone's atmosphere. Her eyes looked up at Roman, that piercing gaze of hers that seemed to hold secrets and yet, she felt like an open book.

"We can chase some deer and who knows, maybe some other animal." She added, giving a glance to Wilder. "If you want, you can help me stitch it."

[[Will be longer next time, promise!]]

As Wilder reached out a hand to touch him, Roman remained still and obedient. He prayed that the alpha did not sense his uncomfortable nature at the moment....or at least that Wilder decided it was something other then treason.

“It is good to see you, Roman. It would have been nice to see you last night. I trust something came out of it?”

Roman shook his head, his shaggy locks swishing at the movement, "No such luck, haven't found a job yet. Caught a few deer on my hunt though!"

A soft laugh escaped him, but he quieted in time to hear Wilder explain his morning. When the door slammed, Roman turned just as Wilder stopped talking, both their attention taken away as Ash made a very loud entrance. Roman stayed back as Wilder rushed forward, obviously worried about the smell of blood that permeated from his seconds body. Roman leaned back against the counter top, paying the couple little attention as he worked down his plate of bacon.

It wasn't as if he hated either of them, though he had his opinions on their relationship and how it affected their strength as the leads of the pack. As he had stated in his conversation with Alex; Roman did not trust Ash as a leader. He thought that it made Wilder weaker and careless as an alpha- more often then not Ash seemed more the alpha then Wilder. Roman frowned down at his meal, swallowing the meat at the thought.

"Feel like hunting later with me, Roman?" Roman glanced up at Ash as she spoke his name, his brows raised in slight surprise. He instantly put his normal smile in place, one that read that he was open and happy. Roman was used to his facade, so much so that most people took it as his normal personality. He was a nice, happy wolf- maybe not the brightest but surely one of the strongest, "We can chase some deer and who knows, maybe some other animal."

Roman nodded as he set down his now empty plate of food and took a few steps closer the pair, "Sure, I spent the night in the forest and caught a few deer myself, but maybe something a little more challenging. I heard you say deer in in season, but maybe we could try our hands at a buck?"

“Of course I know the deer are in season.” Wilder scoffed at her, catching her hand in his to bring her fingers to his lips for a nibble. “I know everything, after all.”

With a laugh he dropped her hand, drawing away to lean back against the wall. The noise in the kitchen had resumed, everyone relaxing once they were sure there was no threat. “Slept great. Bed of pine needles with a lovely sixteen year old and a few pups in my arms? What more could a wolf ask for?” He grinned then, showing off his white teeth.

"Feel like hunting later with me, Roman? We can chase some deer and who knows, maybe some other animal." Wilder watched Roman, looking for some cue that what was bothering him was pack, but he seemed relaxed enough around Ash, if a bit stiff. Roman had always been odd to Wilder though. The blond had grown up in a pack, knew how one worked, and the lone wolf business just didn’t make sense to him. It was the opposite with Roman, and Wilder thought he had adapted fairly well.

“Oh, you’ll let me bandage you up?” Wilder placed a hand over his heart, looking up at the ceiling, letting his eyelids flutter. “Oh me oh my, next you’ll be showing me your ankle and then what will the gentlemen say? You’ll have to live your life as a spinster.” He ran his hand through his locks, grinning despite himself. When the alpha was happy and content, it was easy to remember he wasn’t yet thirty, and that he looked even younger. Most outsiders assumed he was a lower pack member, a mistake they often didn’t realize until it was too late.

He grinned again, the picture of the term wolfish. “I say we go bigger than a deer buck. Lets hunt a buck elk. I heard rumor of a twelve point, wouldn’t that be fun? Come on Roman, it'll be nice to have you hunt with us again. Its been to long.” The alpha leaned over, nudging the older wolf with an elbow, making it clear that it was an invitation, not an order.

Wilder greatly enjoyed hunting. The thrill of the chase, the adrenaline of closing in, the feel of bones napping under his jaws, the taste of hot liver and blood in his mouth. He was almost salivating at the thought of it.

"The gentleman would be filled with envy!" The young woman exclaimed, rolling her eyes at Wilder's remark. She glanced back at Roman and nodded softly. "Later, we'll hunt for something big and strong and...juicy." The female sucked in her lower lip as she thought about this tasty meal. She looked back at Wilder and shook her head. "Ah, I dont think you'll be joining us on our hunt. You'll only slow me down." Ash stuck out her tongue playfully and stepped close to Wilder. Her arms slid around his neck, dispite her shoulder and gently, she pressed her forehead against the base of his neck. She smelled of Forest and Pine, and lavender. She buried her face into his neck, gently before she stepped back and rotated her shoulder.

There were times, were Ash showed some femininity. They were rare but when they happened, people often enjoyed them incase they were never to reveal themselves again. The beta squeezed her fists together and cracked her knuckles, her eyes looking past Wilder at Roman.

"Tonight, we'll go out a hunt until early morning, that way, those who are sleeping will want to wander themselves. I'm in the mood for a fast hunt too. Long, but fast." She grinned. The beta was always up for running, chasing hard and fast until her legs gave out. Her fingers ran through her hair and she smiled once more, this time a little softer.

"Kay, well, my arm is still bleeding, if you'll excuse me boy and Wilder, I'm going to stitch up this shoulder."

Roman snorted at the girl- superior she should be, but he saw her in no such light. She was interesting though, interesting enough to warrant Romans attention.

"Buck elk, for sure. Your on Alpha" Roman answered to Wilder, giving the other male a wolfish grin. Ash continued on with her strange ways- touching Wilder and such. While Roman understood the pack significance of touch (especially with the alpha) he couldn't help but hold back a snort. He had no interest in displaying his feelings and devotions in such an obvious manner, and Ash's actions made her seem weak in Romans eyes.

"Kay, well, my arm is still bleeding, if you'll excuse me boy and Wilder, I'm going to stitch up this shoulder." Ash excused herself and Roman drifted away at the same time. He had no interest in being alone with Wilder at the moment- apart from his mandatory greeting earlier he'd rather stay away. Roman slipped by the grouped pack members and headed into the kitchen once more, grabbing a glass from the shelves as filling it with tap water. He gulped down two glasses before filling it a third time and glancing around the room, his eyes appraising the grouped wolves.

They were jovial, enjoying the presence of each other in the communal pack area. Breakfast was a social time for everyone to meet together- it was one of the few times they all ate at the same time. Roman hunched his shoulders as he leaned forward on the kitchen counter, looking over the bar as he rested his elbows on the granite surface. While he was always nice to everyone, Roman was far from social. It tired him more then a hunt did- the room seemed to sap his energy from him. His mouth opened in a wide yawn and he shook his head, clearing his mind of the foggy tiredness that surfaced all of a sudden.

A nap seemed like a fine idea, he mused as he sipped his water, or maybe a trip back into the forest... Though he promised Ash and Wilder a hunt later, so he had to stay. Roman sighed and shifted off the counter, downed the glass of water, and walked around the counter top. He grabbed a couple pieces of bacon as he passed the food and immersed himself into the pack- slapping a grinning smile on his face as he laughed and clapped a member on the shoulder. Small talk, his favorite pass time.

(OOC: Tagging everyone so this message reaches everyone. I've not been so active as of net due to moving house, net not working and my wireless usage running out since it became our main net so been relying on my 45-min lunch break at college (which sometimes included finishing off work since couldn't work from home as a result) but know that I am back, once I catch up with everything. By the looks of it, Viktor and Mikaela have disappeared, so thinking of maybe time skipping to the action to the four of us that remain with Mikaela watching over Viktor with me NPC'ing their parts as and when sorta thing)