A/N: Werewolf the Forsaken and all related names are copyright White Wolf

CHAPTER VI: Putting things in order

So, today we got our disciplinary action. It was a token effort, it seems, more out of duty than an actual wish to punish us. I guess it's because no one got seriously hurt and there were no witnesses. It was pretty straightforward: we got stripped of clothes and gear and sent into the forests behind the farm, to chase some spirit ridden bunny.

The lodge owns the farm and everything in a two kilometer radius, so it's a lot of terrain to cover, and the bunny had a head start. We couldn't hurt him, just catch him, and couldn't use any mystical gifts, just our own senses. Oh, and changing forms was not allowed, because wolf form would have made the whole thing really easy. The punishing part was that we had no breakfast, and couldn't return to the farm unless it was dawn and we had caught the bunny. Oh, did I say we started the exercise at dawn?

So, even if we caught the bunny by mid day, which we didn't, we would still have to spend the night in the wilderness. Naked. Without gear. And if we cheated, we would be in for some real punishment. It really sucks to sleep in the grass when you don't have a furry hide to keep you warm. And sometimes even the furry hide is not enough.

We managed to track the bunny by mid day, but only caught it by dusk. The spirit was a friend of the lodge, so he just said he would give the word we caught him, and we let him go. He didn't lie, or else I wouldn't be writing this.

Catching food was easy too, even without being able to change into a wolf and run down some animals. We're still five very fit women with a lot of coordination and ingenuity. We caught some local fauna to eat and complimented the supper with fruit. Thunder started a fire with some sticks, so in the end of the day we had a decently cooked supper and even some warmth for the night. It get's freakishly cold in these parts.

The only thing I don't like about these girls is that they talk too much. We rolled some stones and tree branches do use as chairs and benches around the fire, and soon everyone was talking trash and telling jokes like it was summer vacation camp.

I didn't want to talk, but I did sit down next to Thunder and leaned on her a bit. It was cold and everyone knows sharing body heat helps. She reached around with one of her arms to my shoulders and embraced me, large and warm as always. Everything had gone so easy and right I think I let my guard down. I was almost asleep when I heard someone say:

"So, you girls are an item now?"

It startled me. I opened my eyes wide and stared at the source of the question: Four Fangs, the shaman, she was idly picking at a bone with her teeth while she motioned with her head to us:

"Oh, it's a secret? Sorry, Cele."

What the?

I lost it. I didn't know what to say, but it felt like a conspiracy. I ended up standing straight and staring, wide eyed, at everyone:

"All right, what the fuck are you girls hiding from me?"

Thunder reached out and hugged me again. Stupid blonde and her harm, soothing smiles. I must have looked like a children, making a scowl while her mom hugs her and pets her. Damn, I tried so hard not to give in to that embrace, but it felt so good:

"We aren't hiding anything, you paranoid thingy. Fangs is an old friend of mine, so I told her I was in love with you. That's why she and the girls kept leaving us alone so we could have some quality time. It paid off in the end, I think."

I should be angry. But the words 'I was in love with you' hit me so hard I was down for the count. I hugged my Thunder tightly, and said, looking at all the ones present:

"So everyone here knew it?"

"Yup" Was the general answer.

"And everyone is okay with it?"

"I'm not." Shibata said, her face locked in an undecipherable deadpan expression. "I think you two should get authorization from the elders to go ahead, that way when we form a pack no one is going to bug us."

For someone who doesn't talk much, that Japanese woman speaks a lot of wisdom. But I couldn't stop feeling I was being left out of the loop:

"Okay, stop it now, and one of you tell me what the fuck have you girls been planning on my back. And don't hide anything this time."

Night's Voice raised her hand, and the silence meant she could talk.

"Okay, Shibata's been here the longest, you see? Several others have tried to recruit her, but she wouldn't leave unless she found the right pack. Or built it herself. Thunder came next, and since she's a warrior at heart too, the two bruisers clicked together. That was when they realized they would have to build a pack from the misfits in this joint or they would never leave this place."

Makes sense.

"Fangs was the third. She got their attention when a spirit challenged our shamans to a contest of strength and wits and she won. That, and she plays a mean violin. I arrived fourth, and in my first day here I told elder Sundered Earth to go fuck herself with a firestick when she introduced me as an undisciplined born beta."

"For the record, she is both of the things, she just did that to piss the elder off. And prove she's undisciplined." Fangs chimed in with a smug smile.

"Yeah, and I got to hang from a tree in the sun for a whole day, then had to clean the bathrooms for a week after... I'm good friends with Sundered Earth now, woman has a sense of humor." They laughed, I didn't. "Last one, of course, was you. By then I had met the girls and we were looking for an irraka to round things up."

"This is where I come in" Fangs interrupted again. "When you arrived we thought you were just a little special snowflake left to dry a little bit before your pack rescued you. Then Thunder fell in love. She's annoying, you must have noticed. She lived you, breathed you, and if it wasn't for me holding her back she would have approached you the day she felt you were 'the one' as she says."

I must confess I felt kinda flattered by that comment. I nested myself into Thunder a little more, and growled with satisfaction. She caressed my head as Fangs moved on:

"Of course, compared to any of us, you're like a professional player coming down to the amateur leagues, so we had to weave some plans around you to call your attention. And since Thunder had the whole love shtick going on, we let her take lead. I must say you two do make a cute couple, though, especially when you're cuddling together like that. If you were dressed, it would make a nice picture."

I felt myself blushing, but I didn't want to let go of my Thunder. Yeah, my Thunder. I like to say that, she's mine, I'm hers. I still don't know if I love her, or if I can even love a person, but I know I like the idea of being part of something. Being part of a pack is good, but being part of a couple is both good and new. I like it.

"So you think we could form a pack? The five of us?"

"If our performances today and last Friday are any indication, I'd say we already are a pack, we just need to formally acknowledge it."

"Fangs has it right, but we need an alpha."

I laughed, like it was a trick question:

"Isn't it obvious? Thunder will be the alpha, since she's so forward with everything."

"I'm too forward. Too impulsive, too much passion in my body. If I lead, there's a large chance I'll lead us into biting off more than we could chew."

She sounded so resolute it was almost sad. I always thought she'd make a good leader, and now she was shooting herself down like it was common business. Well, I decided to turn to the second most obvious choice:

"Night's Voice, then? That way she could prove she's not a born beta."

She shrugged, then sighed heavily.

"But I am a born beta. I tried leading once. It didn't work out nicely. I'm good at finding flaws and exploiting weaknesses, but I'm too impartial. It's and elodoth thing, I guess, always seeing the other side of the history. Sometimes you need to tell the other side to go screw itself, and I'm not good at doing it."

"Even though you are really good at telling people to screw themselves."

That last comment made everyone chuckle. But we were back to ground zero now. Can't have a pack without an Alpha.

"Okay, I'm at a loss here, I don't know who else could lead us. Shibata?"

She stared at me with her dark, almost black and beady eyes, like she was piercing my soul. Yeah, she's a devil, I'm sure about it:

"No. You."

"What?" I screamed so loud I scared some birds behind me into flying into the night.

"Yeah, you. You served under Bonebreaker, you have more lodge medals and recommendations than the four of us put together, and you're even doing it already. You called the shots on that vampire fight, earlier today you were directing us on the hunt, and you're humble enough to accept the wisdom of others, such as when you're training with Thunder."

I wouldn't say I do that last part out of humility, but sometimes people see things that you yourself don't see. Or won't see.

"Whoa, you make me sound like I'm a lot more competent than I actually am."

Thunder squeezed me tighter in her embrace, messing my hair up with her free hand and kissing my forehead:

"Oh, you little depressive thingy, give yourself some credit! I wouldn't have fallen in love with you if I didn't thought I could follow you to battle!"

"So now you only date prospective alphas, Thunder?" Night's Voice mocked her. "because if that's the case, I'll vote for Shibata being our alpha just to see you two kiss."

The rahu's eyes narrowed as she glared at the elodoth. She just needed one word to get her point across:

"Excessive."

It's really funny to watch a person shrink, metaphorically speaking, of course. But there's no other way to describe what the dark skinned woman did. She shrunk into herself, muttering a "Sorry" that sounded more like a "Please don't hurt me, big scary lady."

"Okay, before we lose track of the conversation, I think I can accept this. I've noticed I need to be more responsible, but I'm also afraid of goofing up and ruining the lives of my new friends." I would have added "And Family" to the end of that phrase, but I wasn't confident enough to say it out loud.

Thunder laughed and squeezed me even tighter. I was beginning to lose my breath.

"Heh, you got the fighting part all figured already. The social part, I think me and Voice can give you some pointers, you're a smart thingy, so you'll learn it very fast."

"Just two things: One, if I'm going to be your alpha, you gotta stop calling me 'thingy'. Two: I can't breathe!"

We laughed as she squeezed me tighter and I had to fight my way out. It was surprisingly easy, and by the end of our little wrestling session both me and Thunder where tired and out of breath.

As I recovered my wind, I took a good look at the four women gathered around me and realized I could get used to being in a pack with them. Except for Sound of Thunder, they where all so different from my former pack mates, but that didn't make them any worse. In fact, I think that makes them better, because we can grow together. I'll become a good alpha, and I'll lead them and protect them, while they'll share their strength and wisdom with me. Thunder was right, we can build something using our broken spirits.

And that something will be stronger than the sum of its parts.

"Just one thing that has been nagging on the back of my mind..."

"What, brave leader?"

"I'm sorry if this sounds offensive, but I don't know how to deal with this kind of stuff, you see? I never, uhm, I never loved anyone, Thunder is my first girlfriend. So... How can I say..."

"You want to ask if we all like girls?"

"Humn, yeah, if you put it that way..."

Awkward.

"Yeah, I like girls" Night's Voice smiled. "They're usually better to talk with than boys, and are better at keeping secrets. On the other hand, I decided I'd rather date boys. Tried a girl once, didn't like it."

Four Fangs was obviously suppressing a smirk:

"You've gotta be the most socially awkward person I've ever met, Snake Eyes. If that makes such a difference, Thunder, and you, I guess, is the only homosexual in the group. Both me and Night go for the straight path, and Shibata either has no sex drive, or is waiting for the man who will best her in single, honorable, combat."

"I have no sex drive."

I don't know if it was necessary or I was just curious. But they managed to change the subject before it got unbearable. I decided to just nestle on my big lover again and sleep on her lap. I was savoring my last hours as Snake Eyes the pup. When dawn came, and we presented ourselves to elder Sundered Earth, I was Snake Eyes the Alpha, proud and strong, leading my pack, my new family.

I am surprised at how well the elders took the notice that me and Thunder were lovers. Fangs said same sex couples aren't frowned upon at the lodge, mentioned something about the Sacred Band of Thebes, got to look that up later. For now, I'm glad I'm two steps closer to leaving this place. The fact that I arrived a loner and am leaving a leader makes the whole thing even better.