BLUE MOON.

chapter three.

70th day of sunshine.

morning.

FOX, Kenai Peninsula Pack

I was beyond pissed at Damon. Not only had be gotten an eyeful, but he'd left a big-ass mess in my room. Shrugging on random clothes I pulled from my dresser, I went racing down the stairs. If all the hair that was still floating around in the air was any indication, he'd shifted forms, damn him. In the house! Being the highest-ranking one at the House right now, this was my mess, too. Alyssa, one of our Betas, would be pissed. She was a clean-freak, which shouldn't have made sense since we shifters are not the most dignified of creatures, but usually it was nice to have someone who obsessed over vacuuming and scrubbing... but she'd surely make me do that today. "Fuck."

Knowing he'd be able to hear me, unless he'd been real fast (which wasn't an impossibility), "YOU'D BETTER CLEAN THIS UP BY TONIGHT OR I WILL KICK YOUR SCRAWNY LITTLE ASS ALL THE WAY TO FUCKING NORTH KOREA!"

Whew. That felt nice, roaring like that. Still irritated by the lingering smell of blood, more irritated by how I hadn't smelt it earlier, I went into the kitchen to get myself some food.

"Hey, Fox!" Someone said in a far-too-cheery voice. I turned to look at Tristan, who was helping himself to last night's leftovers.

"...Tristan," I said by way of greeting, walking over and stealing one of the grilled ribs on his plate.

"Hey! That was –"

"Mine, now!" I said, giving him another of my megawatt smiles, making sure to tilt my head.

"Doesn't your neck get tired of not being straight? Like... is it a gay neck?"

I stuck my tongue out at him. Immature brat. He was strong, though, a good Kappa... he was useful.

"So..."

"...what?" In a flash, I'd lunged and taken another rib after tossing the finished one in the garbage can across the room. Yeah, we shifters are cool like that.

"What happened?" I could tell he was dying to know.

Fastening a look as though I were about to launch into a story, I leaned onto the counter toward him. Eagerly, he did the same, his brow shooting up a bit. "Closer." I said, as though I didn't want anyone to here.

I could see the moment's hesitation right on his face, no doubt he was wondering why I was aiming for secrecy when anyone within a mile would hear us loud and clear. Well, any one who was Pack, anyway. But we always noticed if a human had trespassed on our land, we always sent Jordan, who was incredibly intimidating to the average person... though we always thought him kinda wimpy in spite of those muscles.

He leaned in closer.

"Nothing, dude." I said this with a grin.

"C'mon, Fox! Please? Puh-leeze?"

"Hm? No. Noooope!" I went to grab another rib, but he was onto me now and thwapped my hand away. All humor vanished from the both of us at this action. He was a Kappa, I was a Delta. He'd no right to deny me food, being higher up than he was. Tristan realized his mistake and immediately backed off, leaping out of the stool he'd been perched on like it was on fire, holding his hands out in a placating gesture.

When it came to these kinds of things, everything was exaggerated. Dominance was no laughing matter here. If I let one thing slide, he'd doubtlessly try other things, and before I'd know it it'd probably result in a Challenge for my rank, which was a pain in the ass to go through. If Tristan was looking for promotion, he wasn't gonna get it through me.

I grabbed the plate, ignoring the look of disappointment on his face (not guiltily, though), and went into the "den."

Flopping down on the couch, I reached for the remote.

The door burst open, followed by a loud snarl and a screech: "WHO DID THIS?"

Alyssa knew damned well who did, even in human form our noses were amazing at discovering things, but I abandoned my seat all the same to go and greet her. Time for some ass-kissing.

"Alyssa!" I called, tilting my head, in doing so exposing my throat a bit, as I walked down the hall to her. Her eyes were wide with anger, with shock.

"SOMEONE SHIFTED HERE! RIGHT HERE! Who the fuck does that? In the House?"

"Ah, that'd be Damon," I said, masking my irritation with him well.

Not well enough, "Oh?"

Playing dumb, "Hm?"

"What happened?"

"Hell if I know. He was in my room –"

"–Your room?"

"My room." I said with a nod and an uneasy smile. "All bloody." Tension crackled in the air now as her eyes bore into mine, compelling me to go forward. No doubt she was ready for a fight, ready to defend us. I could see the thoughts, plain as a day, on her face, in her silver eyes. Was there an attack? A trespasser? A vampire? Did they forsake our tenuous peace? I should have been more suspicious as to the source of the blood. "I told him to get the fuck out and he did. He must've shifted..." I should have pursued him.

"You didn't ask what happened?"

"Well. Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"I asked –"

"Where is he now?"

"Uh..."

"Shift."

My poor clothes, I finished the thought in wolf form. I thought you didn't want hair in the House, Lyss. She hadn't followed me in wolf form... She was getting Tristan.

Figuring she probably wanted me to track Damon, I raced along the edge of the House, sprinting past the tree where Athena was lounging, nude and in human form, shameless woman that she is. If Alyssa wanted her present she could get her, I had a head-start and I was going to use it.

Damon. I tried, knowing he was there. You piece of shit, where are you?

Nowhere, he tried, but it was impossible for us to hide anything, really. He was headed South.

What, you wanna take a swim in Kachemak Bay? I asked, rolling my eyes. Cook inlet? Why don't we head on down to Kodiak, hm? See how the bears are doin'? We had picked Wolf, they had picked Bear. I didn't know why... wolves were so much prettier.

So superficial.

I resent that.

Of course.

What's up?

The strangest thing happened. I didn't know.

Damon? How are you doing that? I felt like I had gotten hit with a truck, the way a wall seemed to shoot up between us. He was there, but he wasn't there. I couldn't feel him. I sped up, following his trail, cursing the whole way.

Where is he? Alyssa's clear voice asked me, assuming he wasn't in wolf form.

He's blocking us.

What do you mean, blocking us?

I don't fucking know, 'Lyss!

Damon. Stop.

It's not me. This wasn't right at all. It'snotme It's not me It's not me It's not me! He was struggling against the weight of an Order, unable to obey it but instinctively desperate to follow it. Alyssa lessened the power of it, though she still wanted him to stop.

Is there an immediate threat? A danger?

Any asses I need to kick? I hadn't noticed Tristan's presence, oddly enough. I was focusing my attention to tracking Damon.

Then I saw him.

He was just up ahead, having doubled back to meet me. I came to a smooth halt, snarling and stalking toward him. I was walking a tight rope now, given that he was a Gamma, the son of a slain Beta. Technically, he was more dominant than I was... though the real weight of a Gamma's role dominance-wise tended to vary from Gamma to Gamma.

He was preparing for a fight, one I was not sure I would win. I was strong and swift, but I certainly wasn't the best of the Pack. I was good, but probably not that good.

Alyssa stayed quiet for the most part, irritated that she'd gotten worked up over "nothing," even though she was upset at not knowing what exactly was going on. At least there's not an immediate threat. She was ready to kick Damon's ass all the same. That shit's gonna be a bitch to clean up, and I'll have to do it myself so I know it gets done right.

I apologize. She was still irritated. I was still pissed.

As I moved toward him, he got ticked off that he found my wolf so attractive. I smirked inwardly.

I'm too gorgeous for you, scarface. Instantly, I regretted the name-calling, flinched as much as he did. That was low of me. I take it back.

You can't take things like that back.

So can I go back to eating ribs? Tristan was still hungry. I was, too, but I wasn't planning on returning to the House before I got some answers.

Yes, Tristan. Alyssa said, catching up to us in the forest, leaping over some Devil's Club. Why were you bloody?

I can't say. He couldn't. All of our guts clenched as we all tried to pry into his memory. He couldn't think about it. Being a hard-ass hadn't worked thus far, I tried for a softer approach.

Are you okay?

I am fine, and easing up to it won't work. He really, truly believed, no, knew it wouldn't.

This is bizarre. I wasn't sure how else to think of it. I felt some kind of pity for him, while Alyssa felt only suspicion.

Hiding things is not acceptable. Tell us what is going on.Part of me became angry at her, what with the way his head bowed and his legs trembled with the strain.

He can't! Why can't you see that?

Alyssa felt no sympathy. If you cannot tell us, you are not fulfilling your duty as a Pack member.

Alyssa! I spun around to face her, my back to Damon. I don't get the feeling that he's seeking to betray us!

He might just be 'blocking' that, too.

Why would he? We were loyal to each other, to the Pack. I couldn't imagine why someone would act otherwise. He's been good to us his whole life.

Until now.

You don't know –

Exactly! I don't know!

I apologize.

Shut up, I'm deciding your fate.

You're not going to ki- This wasn't worth dying over!

No, I'm not. Relief, from both Damon and I. I wasn't sure why I was siding with him.

I'm not sure, either. I growled, but promptly ducked my head with regret. She didn't pursue that matter, to my surprise, and was focusing on Damon again.

Until you can tell us what is going on, Damon, you are unwelcome in our territory.

WHAT? In name, we had over 10,000 square miles attributed as Pack territory, being the Kenai Peninsula pack and all. Usually we hugged civilization, ensuring various cities such as Kenai, Soldotna, or Seward were protected from vampires. He's being banished?

Until he can tell us what is going on, yes.

Damon was numbing himself, forcing himself not to get upset. I would have been a sobbing mess. This was home. Being forced to leave it would be devastating. We devoted our lives to this land, now she was telling him to leave after all he's done?

He's a liability.

How? I knew how, though, I knew, and I hated knowing, I hated understanding. Our shared mind was our greatest strength. Him hiding things could be negative, could be a threat. I got the feeling that he was not the one hiding things, though, but he was a weak link... one weak link in the chain could ruin everything, I got that. I hated it.

Leave. Do not return until your blocks are lifted and you can reveal everything. I howled my frustration, barely realizing that I was begging him not to leave.

He was Pack, he was one of us. This felt like we were abandoning him.

He abandoned us, Delta.

How do you know it was intentional?

Not my problem. One wolf is not worth the whole pack. This went against all my instincts. Damon was running away, I was torn between lunging for Alyssa's throat and following him. Do not follow him.

That was the last straw.

Do not attack me, this is childish. It was an Order, ripping at me from the inside out to obey. But I couldn't. I could not obey. Surprise widened Alyssa's eyes, uncertainty evident for the briefest of seconds.

It was all I needed.

I Challenge you for your rank as Beta. I launched myself at her, jaws outstretched.

author's shameless include:
-yawns-

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