16 Ch 16 What the Wolf Wants

He followed me back to town. I debated but finally drove to my place. I told him to go clean up in the kitchen while I took a super quick shower. I slid on some jeans and a tee-shirt before I came out.

He was still in the kitchen.

I grabbed two of Derrick's beers and led the way outside. I sat down on the curbing on the far side of the empty lots. As long as we kept our voices down, we should be good.

"Here bro. It might be wee early in the morning but I think you and I both need this."

He didn't say anything as he took it, still not looking directly at me.

"I want you to know I'm not mad at you or anything. You don't have any reason to fear me."

I had a feeling I could say that a hundred times and he would still piddle on himself.

"Why don't you start by telling me what a royal is and why you think I am one."

He took the cap off his beer and took a long draught. He looked like he was about to cry. It was so stupid. This guy was a body builder, well over two hundred fifty pounds, and acted like some sniveling, downtrodden, bullied... just thinking about it ticked me off. No one should be made to feel how this guy was feeling. I couldn't imagine a life like his.

"A Royal is born a werewolf. Royals shift faster than bitten wolves. They have more control over their shifts. They can control themselves mid-shift, reversing the shift even."

His voice was slow and deliberate. He was reciting what he had been taught. He looked straight at the road in front of him. He looked like he was waiting for me to punish him for something.

I reached over and bumped the bottom of his bottle up, encouraging him to take another drink. I took one of my own.

"It's true I was born wolf, but you're assumptions are wrong. My dad bit my mom. She had no problem shifting and she could control her shifts as good as my dad. Have you ever tried?"

Terror again. Somebody had done a work on him. I was glad he couldn't smell my outrage over what had been done to him. I had a feeling that if he could, he wouldn't be able to do anything but cower and piddle. It was pathetic.

"It's all right dude. You don't have to. You should shift more often though. I'm guessing you don't shift much. The more you shift the easier it gets."

"My alpha forbids it."

Shame again. Damn. He might as well say master. Whoever bit him had him strung up tight.

I could hear my dad... what the wolf wants. The wolf sure as hell didn't want to be chained. I tried to stay calm.

"Forbids?"

Silence on his part. Too many emotions had him choked up tight.

"Listen to me. It's cool. You don't have to go back to him."

He was shaking his head, actually crying now. I had opened up a floodgate.

How long had he been terrified, unable to share his experience with anyone? When was the last time he felt free?

I really wanted to rip my teeth into this so-called alpha of his. I put an arm on his shoulder, letting him get it out. He tried to get himself under control. I finished my beer while he tried.

"You mentioned a pack. How many people in this pack of his?"

"Nine warriors, five omegas including me, three she-wolves last time I was there."

His voice was little more than a whisper.

"Tell me what an omega is."

That got him to look at me in disbelief, if only for a second, before his head hung down again.

"Bro, I know what an omega is, at least among real wolves. I have a feeling it means something else to you."

"Servants. Domestics. Failures." A shame-filled whisper again.

"And does he collar all of them with tats?"

Silence and tears. I was about to do something stupid like pull rank on him if he didn't answer me. I knew ordering him to do anything would only hurt whatever rapport I was building with him. I felt bad enough I had commanded him to shift.

"Just me." The barest of whispers. "The others are not allowed to leave."

I couldn't stop the growl that came out of me. I partially shifted; my clawed feet making little grooves in the faded blacktop in front of me as my toes curled.

One look at my companion brought me back to human. He was face down on the ground, his whole body shaking. I put a hand on his shoulder and he let out a terrified whimper.

I spoke softly, gently. "Dude, I'm sorry. I told you there is nothing to fear from me. I'm not mad at you. This alpha you speak of is another story. I'm wolf. I'm man and I'm wolf. And I know. The wolf wants to be free. The wolf needs to be free. No one deserves to be caged. The thought of any wolf being caged angers me."

He took a deep breath, quivering before me.

"It isn't you," I reassured him. "I won't hurt you. I couldn't. That isn't how the wolf lives. Come on now. Get your ass up out of the ground. Don't do that shit with me. You're a man. You deserve better."

It took forever but he finally managed some semblance of normalcy. I didn't push for more conversation.

"I'm gonna go fix some breakfast. Come on in and eat with me."

He hesitated, then nodded. I stopped him before we went in the house.

"You gotta promise me, no more of that crap. No more on the ground, no more on the knees, no more hanging your head down around me. You are a frigging man. My dad would have my hide if he saw you acting like that around me."

He nodded and I took what I could get.

I didn't skimp on breakfast. I was hungry.  I heard Derrick moving around so I cooked for three. Potatoes went in the fry pan first.

"I can..." he stopped at my look.

I smiled and pointed to a chair.

"You're my guest and I'm not helpless. You want my mom to turn over in her grave? Sit. It's cool dude. Hmmm. Bro? What do I call you anyway? I know names aren't always used at the, ah, gym."

He was silent, conflicted. One hand fingered his tatted collar.

My hand was clawed around the wooden spoon as I moved the potatoes around. I had a feeling whatever name he was thinking of giving me, whatever name this alpha had given him, was only going to tick me off more.

"How about I call you Lone Wolf?" I asked, before he could get up the courage to give me a name that would set me off. "It'd be a reminder to you that I can't see you as part of that... group." Derrick was too close for me to say pack.

"Hungry?" I asked as Derrick came in the kitchen.

"Yeah. You'd think you would learn to make coffee first."

Derrick started a pot while eyeing our guest. Another frypan and the bacon was next. Somehow Derrick and I being domestic was freaking Lone Wolf out.  I mentioned the restroom to him before he piddled again.

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Derrick wasted no time chewing me out once the guy was out of normal hearing range.

"What the hell, Rick? You don't bring people from the gym to the house."

I managed a small sad smile.

"I just hope he doesn't come to the conclusion we're a couple." I made no attempt to keep my voice down.

Derrick snorted.

"Look. I'll tell you same thing I told Mac. He and I have something in common. For me, it's the greatest thing ever. For him, it's been torture. Literally. Do not ask anything more. If I can help him..." I sighed. "I can't not help him.

"What he's been through ticks me off. Seriously ticks me off. I didn't know I could get angry like this about anything. Guess there's a lot of things I never really thought about enough to get ticked about them. So he might show up now and then. I might never see him again. Choice is his."

The topic under discussion was in the doorway.

"I won't invade your home again. I can show up at the club when I'm in town." His voice was quiet. Submissive. His head was down so much his chin was against his chest.

"You're not invading. I invited," I said, exasperated at his behavior.

There was progress though. He stayed standing. He struggled to look up. His head only bowed once more before he managed to look up almost like a normal person would. He still couldn't look either of us in the eyes.

Derrick took in his beaten personality. It really was that obvious and so totally wrong.

"It's cool. I trust Rick's judgement. You drink coffee? This wuss drinks tea."

I laughed and gave Derrick a shove.

"You still owe me a gift card for the coffee shop."

"Lets see. One coffee, err, tea a week, that's what, a $12 dollar card? I'll just give you a ten."

"Uhhuhhh dude. Twice a week, that's twenty four, and you're buying for two so you owe me a fifty dollar gift card."

"I didn't say I was buying for two. Wait, did you meet her again?"

I laughed again, smiling for real, nodding.

"While drinking pussy t... owww! What the hell?"

My bob on his shoulder was harder than I meant. Keep it together I told myself. I didn't apologize though.

"You are officially not allowed to make fun of my tea anymore, not when I hit a home run while drinking it. Got a date next Saturday."

"Congrats man, what did you do, step on her foot or something?"

Derrick was laughing now and I groaned at him.

"You just don't appreciate finesse. We're meeting up, but at some point I might want to borrow your car so you better watch your manners or you'll never get that unsupervised date."

Lone Wolf stood there watching us joke around. I caught a look of such longing on his face. What the wolf wants. He needed that connection, a real connection to other people. I smiled at him.

"Plates are in there. How many eggs you want? Got enough left for three each. Derrick do we even have any bread left for toast?"

I let him help now, moving around the kitchen with Derrick and I. This time he wasn't thinking like some damn servant. He moved around as one of the guys. For him, it was nirvana. His hormones still ranged around, fear spiking on occasion, but happy was sneaking its way in there a few times as well.

I let him go after breakfast. I didn't dare risk another meltdown. I didn't know when I would see him again or even if I would. I had a feeling I would though. I think Mac had the right of it. When he couldn't stand it anymore he would come back around, trying for a taste of what he once knew.

At least now he knew he had options. He knew there was a better way of living. He knew he didn't need to be terrified of the wolf within him.

I still had a list of questions. Why did this alpha let him roam free but not the other omegas? How were the three she-wolves treated? Horribly, I could guess. Why would that alpha need warriors? How often did this guy bite people and how did he go about it? Did Lone Wolf have a choice in the matter? I thought not.

Biggest question of course was where could I find this alpha asshole.

I headed to my room to get a few hours sleep. I'd have to wait to find out, which totally sucked.

I tried to figured how I was going to share my news with dad. He'd be up next weekend for my birthday. And I'd have to desert him for my date.

I pulled a pillow over my head and groaned.