Deal or No Deal

I'd slept the day in the cave with the rest, this time not falling from the perch on waking. I still had to sleep positioned next to David, at least I wake without a head ache and having had rested well. I let go and headed out of their den, our den now.

I run my hand over the mark on my neck, it was no longer a jagged open wound, now it was a jagged scar. I grimace, it really wasn't going to disappear, I sigh and sit on the couch, there was no way I could hide this from Sam and mom and they'll ask what happened.

:: Don't worry over it, it's just a mark to let any that come to our territory to try and take what is ours know you can't be touched. The mark itself doesn't do anything, you can mate without marking someone, it just makes you more inclined to acknowledged me.:: David took his place in the wheel chair, watching me for my response.

" I think I get it, doesn't mean I like it, but why would you want to mark me?" I couldn't see David as the type to like men, much less want to bond to them.

" Why not?" David chuckles. " You interest me, that's enough. I take what I want, I don't go against what I am, neither should you. What Marko said last night is true, we don't care about gender, that is something mortals worry about. We decide when we want something, we take it; be it sex, drugs, materiel items or even people. I wanted to keep you so I marked you as mine and our packs'. No one will touch you outside our pack seeing you've been marked. Our way doesn't have to be sexual like mortals, though unless we wish it. We have our own way of expressing pleasure, mortal sex is purely an option. As I said before, don't think to much on it, you can't rationalize what you are, you just are what you are, accept it."

I am what I am because of him, but there's nothing I can do about it, there's no going back. He makes it sound easy to accept this change, but I don't like not being able to know what's going on, especially about myself, it makes me feel stupid and I've gotten enough of that rep for being titled a jock. I guess I really shouldn't worry about not being able to understand this though, it seems David has no idea why what he says is the way it is and with my short time knowing him, I can say he's not stupid.

:: No I'm not, so take my advice.:: Davids words enter my mind along with this soothing feeling that I'm sure he's making me feel, it calms me, but at the same time makes me worry about the extent of the control he can have over my feelings.

**** What's That ****

" Stop staring Sam." I pull my coat collar up over my neck, Sam had not asked about the scar, but I could see he was dieing to know why it was there.

" YouhaveahugeholeinyourthroathowcanInotstare!" Sam suddenly blurts out to fast.

" What? Slow down, you know stop and breath?" I say as I sit at on the coach.

" There's a hole in your neck!" Sam blurts out again, but at least it can be understood.

" Oh that, uh, it's nothing. It's not a hole." I didn't want to explain this especially the meaning behind it.

" Nothing?! Bro you call that nothing? If decapitation is nothing, then I'd hate to see what you'd call a scratch." Sam was a little annoying with his exaggerations.

" Hey your back, woe, what happened to you?" Scott had walked in and got sight of my throat.

" It's nothing, I'm fine, there's nothing wrong, just stop staring geeze." I snap frustrated, I wanted to kick Davids' ass right now so badly.

" Blood suckers cranky. So where did it come from? And shouldn't we be killing the thing that did that?" Sam was not going to let it go, but I knew this would happen.

" David and he was being weird, no you're not killing him... Before you ask, yea I'm fully turned, no I didn't want to, no I'm not going to sleep in the house and no you won't be able to take me to show and tell." I think I covered all the bases.

" You killed? Eww, but not surprised." Sam sighs and looks a little sad.

" Look I'm still me." I watch as Sam sits next to me. I glance over at Scott who shrugs and sits also.

" I wasn't inviting you." I state when Scott sits, this gets me a what the hell look from him and Sam.

" Don't be an assheep flakes." Sam says out of nowhere.

" Sheep flakes?" Mom had just came out of the kitchen, she shakes her head and heads on up the stairs.

" Why don't you tell me how you really feel?" I smirk at him, knowing that the "sheep flakes" was him trying to cover the bad word so he doesn't get yelled at.

" Um well Micheal, my dad was wanting to talk to you." Scott sounded like he was irritated, probably from my as much as saying he's not welcomed.

" About what?" I really hadn't much interest in talking to the man, he was ok, but I just wasn't comfortable with the guy. I didn't much like him making moves on my mom, which the man was doing, sorta.

" I don't know, he just wanted to talk to you when you came back." Scott was sitting next to Sam, he ignored my comment earlier and didn't move at my letting him know he's not welcomed.

I had nothing against him personally, I just did not like him around as much as he has been, yea he's helping Sam with his change while his dad is getting settled, but I didn't like it. I didn't want him to think he's just going to move in on me and take my place.

" Mike you alright?" Sam had this worried look on his face now, Scott looked like he was ready for a fight.

" I'm fine." I say quietly, I wasn't, I didn't like the way things are going and all I could see right now was that I'm getting replaced, like I'm dead and buried.

" Mike, you have that look you have when you want to kick someones as." Sam still looks worried and grabs my arm. " Scott's not doing anything, he's cool." Sam didn't understand why I was angry.

" Micheal?" Howards' voice, he's standing in the door of the kitchen. " Can we talk." He looks between me and Scott, his expression was concerned, but he didn't look like he was going to react, at least yet. " I need to speak to you, nothing to worry of, but it's a matter that needs to be spoken on as soon as possible." There wasn't any demand to his tone, I was being given the option to turn him down. What ever he needed to speak to me about, he was allowing it to be when I'm ready. He sounded hopeful.

" Fine." I stand, the only thing that got me willing to see what he wanted was that there was no demanding and I was curious of what the old wolfman could want from me.

I enter the kitchen and Howard waits for me to be seated before he took his own seat.

" I know your not comfortable with us here and I want things to be peaceful with us. Were not here to take your family from you and Scott's not going to turn your brother against you, we need to help him, but you'll have to help us do that by some patience. " He reached out and patted my hand, I wanted to jerk away, but I didn't. Something about the man caught my attention, he hasn't once looked at my throat or asked.

" Yea, I know." I was a little confused by the man, but also relieved in a way, he was talking to me like I'm normal and not looking at me like I'm some animal in a zoo cage. I relaxed and when I did I caught Howard visibly relaxed, so he was cautious of me.

" Good, good." Howard sighed and removed his glasses, funny the man didn't always wear them... was mom attracted to me with glasses? I think though unlike Max, Howard actually needs them, not just for show. " I know it's going be hard, but Sam need guidance, control is very important, it's not good for us to change in anger." There was something more to that, but i wasn't going to ask.

" Anyways, that's not why I asked to speak with you, but I thought I'd go ahead and address that first. What I need to speak with you on is I need to see your leader, or alpha, to talk with him and you're the only one I know to speak with on the matter."

I was about to open my mouth and say I'm not Davids messenger boy when I felt a sudden feeling of interest, the source was David, I could feel it. David must want to hear this out. " You can find him on the Boardwalk." I decided to show the man the same courtesy he showed me.

:: No, I'll be there soon.:: David says, I didn't think him showing up would be a good idea.

**** Plan for a Plan ****

David arrived in a short time and came right to the back door and knocked. He was being polite, I expected him to just open it and walk in, but then the door's locked.

" Can I come in?" David gives me this amused look.

" Yea, sure." I snort and let the door swing wide for him to come threw.

On turning around I noticed Howard was a little pale, but the man recovered quickly. " So you are the one who now leads the vampires of Santa Carla?"

" Yes, I am. You're wanting to make a deal with me I hear." David takes a seat across from Howard, the seat I had been in.

I walk over and sit next to David, not having anything to say, but curious about what ever deal they are making.

" Yes, I want to bring back the Santa Carla wolf pack, we need large territory, but also to be sure that we will not see a repeat of what the last leader had done." Howard was calm and composed now.

" I'm not Max and don't share his hate of wolves. I have no issue with your kind being in Santa Carla, but I do ask they stay out of our business. Now I have a proposition for you." David was cool and calm about this. " So what you say?"

" Uh, I don't quite follow?" Howard wasn't the only one, I didn't know what David was wanting either.

David leans forward. " Rogues, we have them, I'm sure you'll love to dispatch some of Maxs' old damaged goods as much as we want them gone. You can remove them better since you can find them in the day, you'll know who belongs to me I'm sure, in return we can take your rogues off your hands, just hand them over to us."

" You're wanting our rogues?" Howard had become cautious.

" Yes, like the old ways, I'm sure you herd tale, the old man was very vocal about the horrors." David was calm and cool about the whole thing.

" There's a reason no one practices that..." Howard was really not liking the idea.

" Why rogues?" I had no idea what they are talking about, what they're wanting.

" They're abominations, if you loose control..." Howard, I swear there was fear in his eyes.

" I'm not Max, you can't expect the insane to control the insane. It'll be a benefit to us both, you wont have to put one down." David's still cool and calm.

" Seriously, what are you talking about?" I was getting annoyed at the conversation and me not knowing what's going on.

" He wants to make werewolf hell hounds, it's the only reason a vampire would want rogue werewolves." Howard was still uneasy, hell-hound werewolves must be something of nightmares.

" Indeed, I know what I'm doing and won't loose control on them. It will benefit us both, if I'm removed from control over Santa Carla, you know you're likely to not receive any courtesy from the next who takes our place. I'm not an elder like Max was so I can't defend my territory in-diffidently unless I have something others don't have. With Max gone I am now the head over Santa Carla and can have full control over hell-hounds." David was confident, I could feel it coming from him, not just the calm and cool exterior he had. " Without a great advantage, other packs will start testing em once they figure out Max is gone, I'll have to make a sure statement that my territory will not be given up easily by no means. If I reign, your budding pack will not need worry of another Max trying to wipe you out, if I get removed, you'll be at the mercy of whom ever takes control and you know some will not just take rogues."

Howard winced and took a breath. " Very well, if there's a rogue, then it will be yours, but only one, I'll not chance more than that."

" You're making a wise choice Mr. Howard." David holds out his hand to Howard, the man takes it and they shake.