Right. Where did I leave off?
Lets see... yeah, that's right. Just after the Right of Passage.
So, Kieran had gone off and left Alex in command of the pack, I'd received my wolf name, Kulim, found that it meant 'The Last' and then run off a small group of vampires.
Well, I say run off. I let the others with me go after them instead, while I went back to the grounds again. Something about this didn't quite seem right, but I couldn't put my finger on what exactly.
The grounds were quiet. I could smell the recent departure of all young and a fair number of adults, all headed back to town. There should have been more, but I'd taken a good number after the vampires, and they hadn't returned yet.
Alex's scent lead to one of the other dens. The remaining handful of members were not on patrol, not guarding the grounds, they were waiting for something.
"Kulim," one greeted me. "May we have a moment?"
"What's on your mind?"
"I am concerned for the safety of the pack. Alex has told us the pack-leader has found something to see to and left him to run things in his absence."
"I know. He told me the same."
"We do not believe that is true. There is nothing we know of that the pack-leader would have to attend to."
"Could it be something only he knows about?"
Another of them shook her head, stepping forward, "Even if there was, he would inform more than one pack member, even if he were in a hurry."
"Alex is acting unusually," the first continued. "He has been more assertive of late, and has often challenged some of the pack-leader's choices."
"He hasn't seemed any different to me."
"He has not spent much time around you of late, however."
"His scent doesn't seem-"
"Your senses have only recently grown to adult levels. They will be stronger than usual for a time longer, but you are still unused to them."
I considered this. It definitely seemed to fit my nagging feeling there was something very wrong.
"Why bring this to me?"
"When the pack believes the leader is too old or infirm to lead, or disagrees with his leadership, they give him an honourable end. If something has happened to our pack-leader, that leaves Alex in his position."
"I'm not seeing the connection."
"He is currently our pack-leader, Kulim. We do not agree with his leadership."
"You want me to challenge him, and find out what he knows."
"That is exactly what we want."
"I'm going to need to know his wolf-name."
"Kordoch," she told me. It's taken me a long time to find a suitable translation, but I don't half wish I'd figured it out before. Alex's wolf name meant 'The Betrayer'.
I gave it some thought. At the very least, I had to find out what was going on. This kind of accusation was not made lightly – and I knew that if something had happened to Kieran, I stood a fair chance of becoming the pack-leader. I was new enough as it was. I didn't want this to worry about as well.
"Guard the edge of this clearing," I told them. "Don't let him leave, and if he does, stop him. Don't kill him."
Once they'd taken up positions, I became a wolf again and followed the scent to Alex. He sat on his haunches in the den.
"Kulim. Is there something wrong?"
"Where is Kieran?" I asked him, approaching warily.
"He did not tell me."
"Then what is it that he is attending to?"
"He did not tell me that either."
"He must have told someone."
"It is my thought that he was in too much of a hurry."
I looked him in the eye and told him, "I do not believe you." This is considered a serious accusation as well. There aren't meant to be any secrets, remember.
What was more serious was his scent. I recognised it, but now I caught it stronger I could tell there was a second scent with it.
It was distinctly red, and tasted tinny – almost rusty. A very sharp scent, as if it's owner had come into contact with him recently.
Alex didn't know I could tell this, or if he did he kept it well hidden.
"What are your intentions now?" he asked me.
"I will know the truth."
"I do not intend to tell you."
I moved to block the way out. If he wanted to leave, he'd have to go through me, and no wolf turns on his own pack lightly.
"You will tell me, or you will answer to me." That was the challenge laid down.
"You would not turn on me."
"Then tell me what happened, and I will have no reason to."
He appeared to consider it, then answered.
"Kieran is held unharmed but safe a half-day's travel to the north of the grounds," he told me. "The pack is mine in his absence."
"Why?"
"I may be an adult, but the others do not accept me as such. They do not show it, but it is there. I am merely a child, and am treated as such. Now they will have to accept it."
"And what relation is that to the scent on you?"
"I do not know what you mean."
"They have left their scent on you."
"They hold Kieran for me."
"You made a deal with them? How could you?"
He hesitated, then, "I had no choice. Kieran would not intervene. He would leave me to suffer as a child until I grew of age as a human."
"Impatience is never an excuse."
"I make no excuses."
"You will remain here. You are no member of this pack, but that is for the pack-leader to decide."
"And where will you go?"
"I will get him."
"I will not allow you to do this."
I'd have responded, but there was no point. He'd already gotten to his feet and approached, baring his teeth and snarling at me.
"Kiqadah!" he snapped at me. No, that's not a misspelling, though it's hard to tell a lot of the time. I refuse to even try to find a translation for it. It's enough to know it's one of the stronger insults in our language.
Alex was bigger than I was only because he'd been a werewolf longer than I had. I couldn't match him on power because of that. I had to find another way to force him to submit.
If I'd been human, I'd have held my ground – but I was wolf, and my primary instincts were that of a wolf.
So in the best wolven custom, we circled the den opposite each other, each paw placed down silently and purposefully, eyes never leaving my opponent, waiting for the strike or the right time to strike.
He made the first strike, making a dash. I rolled aside almost as soon as he started, turning sharply and making my own strike for his flank. My aim struck true, and I nipped at him. I could have harmed him a lot more, but I wasn't trying to kill him. All I'd leave him with from this would be a small bite to one leg.
We circled again. Now he'd made the first attack, custom dictated that I struck first the next time round, then it would alternate again. Did I we're sticklers for customs? It makes us a bit predictable, but it's worked for as long as it has.
Again I aimed for his side, trying to get a hold on his leg. He moved aside before I caught it, but not quick enough; I got hold on his back leg instead. He threw me off by distracting me, biting at my neck. He only caught me lightly, but I'd tasted blood. It was more than I'd intended, but it had the right effect. He slowed down, putting less weight on that leg.
It also threw off his lunge at me on his next strike. I took advantage of that, and one of his front legs gave way. If he'd changed to human at this point, he'd be left with a collection of bites around his hips and legs, and a broken, if not at least severely cut arm.
"Submit!" I barked at him. "I do not wish to kill you!"
"I would rather die honourably than submit to the humiliation of punishment," he answered. There was no malice in his tone – there was no chance of it, either. Wolves don't let their emotions control them so easily. We might get angry, but it's kept under control and turned into more fuel to turn against our opponents.
"Do not force my hand, Kordoch." It was the first time I'd used his wolf name, in the hopes it would get his attention. It worked. "Remain here. I will speak to Kieran, and see what may be done for you."
"There is nothing that may be done. I betrayed the pack. I told them when to attack the town. I told them you were in danger, and arranged for you to become an adult."
"Why?"
"You are the last werewolf to be brought in the old way. All the rest of the pack have been born this way. You are an outsider still, and we do not need the likes of you to help us."
"Why did you arrange it that way?"
"I had hoped they would kill you, that we would be pure of outside influence again."
"Are you so proud that you would deny yourself the only way to ensure your survival?"
He didn't answer. Instead he lay on the ground to show his submission, and licked at his wounds. He'd stay here.
I left him, informed my pack-mates of what had happened, then headed north. I had to get Kieran back. I would have taken them with me, but there were still too few there. I'd have to hope I could handle whatever waited for me alone.

I love to run as a wolf. It's a tireless kind of running that I feel like I could do endlessly. With my friends still unaware of what I am, I don't get to do it often. When I do though, I make the most of it.
This trip was overshadowed by the more serious nature of the mission. Kieran was held by several vampires to the north, and I had to rescue him. I had no idea what to expect, no idea what I'd find, but I had to do it. He was my pack-leader, and if he was still alive then it was my duty to get him out.
His scent, and that of several vampires, grew stronger the further north I went. My initial sensory boost from having just become an adult was beginning to fade, but I still retained enough that I was beginning to identify and separate the scents of the vampires. They all shared the same scent, but there were subtle differences between them.
Along the way, I was joined by a great white wolf with glowing red eyes. He had no scent that I could find, but he wasn't hostile so I let him run with me.
"How is it with you?" I asked him politely.
"It is not well, but that is of no moment. What is it you are intending to do in this range?"
"My pack-leader is held by our hated enemy, and if he lives it is my duty to come to his aid."
"A worthy and noble cause. How are you called?"
"I am known among the wolves as Kulim."
"Then we are well met, Kulim. I am Kathann." Oddly, this word has no translation at all. I've tried many times, but I've never even found a starting point.
I knew already that this wolf was not a werewolf. His tone and dialect, while not unrecognisable, were different enough to identify him as a true wolf – though I later discovered he was much more than that.
"May I ask what it is that you do in this range?" I asked him.
"I regret that I must keep that to myself."
"Then may I perhaps distract you from that which you wish to do for a time?"
"What is it that you wish of me?"
Wolves are very formal and are easy to offend if you make a mistake. I had to word my answer very carefully.
"I would request that you consider aiding me in my cause. I am but a single wolf, and am uncertain of what I might face when I find my pack-leader, and am concerned that a single wolf may not be enough. Even if I must face it alone, I would of course do everything I have strength to do, but your aid in my cause would allow me to achieve my ends in less time, and thus be leaving your range in the same."
If you didn't get that, I just asked him to help because it meant I'd be out of his pack's territory sooner.
"I understand your concern, but believe you are more than capable of handling the task at hand. You may not be a true wolf, but I know of a thing you may do that will aid you in your cause however."
"May I ask what this thing is that you know?"
He did something curious, a few changes in his expression and body language, and then I found I did know. He'd taught me the technique other werewolves used in their Hybrid form.
"Good luck in your cause," he told me. "May the wolf-god be with you."
And then he veered off on his own way and was gone. It had been a strange encounter, but was very useful.
The trails led to an old stone tower deep in the forest. It was heavily mossed over, and the wooden top had long since rotted away. The door at the bottom was freshly installed though, which made it suspicious.
Unfortunately for whoever put it in, they'd forgotten to build a new frame. A few moments in my newly acquired Hybrid form tore it from the rotting frame. I was careful not to make too much noise.
I decided to stay in this form for now – if I was dealing with vampires, I'd need the technique Kathann had taught me.
Inside the tower was dark, but I didn't need light to tell what was here. A few mouldering bits of wood, a rotting corpse in one part that smelled strongly like it was a recent snack for a vampire, and a skeleton in another place.
There was a spiral staircase that lead upwards to the next floor and beyond. The tower was only tall enough for two other floors before the top. The first floor I came to had a few more recent snacks – one of them still warm. I swore a brief oath of vengeance for the poor souls. There would be a few less vampires to feed by the end of the day.
The second floor was totally deserted. I paused to find out what was above.
There were two of them. One of them was the one who'd fed very recently.
"Watching over this mutt is boring," one of them stated. "I'm hungry."
"Stop complaining. You're getting paid for this."
"Paid," he snorted. "The Master hasn't paid us anything for years."
"Watch your tongue... he might be listening."
"Who cares? It's hardly worth it." They were quiet for a few moments, allowing me to hear the shallow breathing of a wolf or werewolf. "That's it. I've had it, I'm going to find someone to feed on."
"You're not due to leave for another hour."
"So what?"
"I'll tell the Master."
"You wouldn't dare."
I was certain there was just the two of them there, and from listening to them I had a fair idea of where they were as well.
I crept up the steps to the top floor. Kieran was there, held in a tiny cage made of metal bars that was barely big enough for him even in his own wolf form. I gestured for him to keep silent, then crept up behind the two vampires.
The first had piped down with the other's threat to tell their Master, and they now stood looking out over the forest canopy. It covered the view to the forest floor, so even though they were looking the same way I'd come, they had no idea I was here at all.
I tapped the first – the hungry one - on the shoulder.
"What do you want now – oh, no." His last words were hardly suitable. He crumbled into dust as soon as I jerked my hand down again. I'd used Kathann's technique on them. A short, sharp jab into the chest, grab hold of the heart, and the jerk downwards kills them – permanently.
"What's scaring you now?" the other asked, turning around.
"Me," I snarled at him, then I dealt with him too.
"You are a welcome sight," Kieran told me as I pulled apart the cage. It was difficult, but I managed to free him. He changed to his human form, stretching out aching limbs as he did so.
"What happened to you?"
"Alex told me there was an injured wolf just outside our grounds. He told me he had something else to see to in the wrong direction, but had promised the wolf I'd come to his aid. If there was a wolf, it had gone by the time I'd got there, and a trap laid in it's place."
"Alex set the trap."
"What?"
I explained the situation to him as we left.
"He's seeing things that aren't there," he told me. "The pack treats him as an adult, I've checked that myself. It's all in his head."
"Go easy on him," I asked. "I told him I'd talk with you about it."
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm the pack-leader. I may have to make a harsh decision because of this. Now tell me how you found your way here."
Now I told him about my becoming an adult, the vampires that distracted us, then the pack bringing their concerns to me and my challenge to Alex.
"I refused to kill him. He's been like my guide to our kind since that first night here."
"A nice thought, but you put yourself at risk. If you hadn't forced him to submit before you left, I'd have to discipline you as well."
"I know the custom."
"Tell me something else, Sora. What name did Alex give you?"
"You don't know? He told me you'd given him permission for the whole thing."
"Believe me, I didn't. I'd planned to do it myself, but then the trap..."
"Yeah. He named me Kulim."
"'The Last'. Curious. I wonder if it's any relation to Kairi."
"I developed another theory on the way here, actually."
"Lets hear it."
"When I was talking with Alex, he mentioned that I was the only one not born a werewolf."
"You think it might mean you are the last human turned?"
"It seems possible."
He nodded assent, then turned back into a wolf.
"We should hurry back."
I joined him, and we followed the same route back again.
Along the way, Kathann joined us once more.
"I see you were victorious in your mission," he greeted me.
"You were correct in your assessment of my abilities. I thank you for your aid."
"It was no matter." He turned to Kieran. "We are well met once more, old friend."
"We are indeed. What is the aid that you gave to Kulim?"
"I taught him the same technique I taught Kamaz."
The implications of this statement sent me mentally reeling. Kieran had told me it was taught to the werewolves by the first Kamaz, by the wolf-god. And if that was true... this was the wolf-god.
"He performed it well for one who has only recently become an adult."
"You are aware that he knows who I am now?"
"I had noticed his becoming aware of this."
"I wish to see him at the ritual when Luna peaks next."
"One will explain what is required for it to him."
"You have my gratitude."
He veered off and left us again.
"Was he really..."
"Kathann, the wolf-god, and the other one we honour in the ritual."
"And the Kamaz he mentioned..."
"Was the first to bear the name. He must see something special in you, Kulim. It is rare that he appears to our kind in person."
I felt honoured. The wolf-god had not only chosen to appear to me, but helped me come to Kieran's aid and then asked me to take part in the ritual.