Part Six

Soft, awed sounds woke Aster the next morning and he opened his eyes as he sat up. He saw Jaden fingering his pointed ears while Syrus stared at his in the mirror. Hassleberry was still fast asleep. Jaden brought some hair over his ears before noticing Aster was awake and flashed a smile. "Morning."

"Morning. I guess you like your ears?"

"Love them and the sharp hearing is sweet. A little hard to take, but sweet."

"The sharper senses are a little hard to take at first, but you do get used to it."

"Good," Syrus said. Aster saw his nose flare. "I might be wrong, but I think I smell meat."

Aster breathed deeply. "Yeah, you're right." He stood and sniffed as he tracked it to the door. He opened it and looked down to see a cardboard box with four wrapped boxes, three pendants, and a note in Satorius' handwriting, claiming, he sensed Aster would turn his friends. And he was right, he thought as he brought the box inside. He closed the door and Hassleberry stirred. He sat up, sniffed the air, and said, "Hey, do I smell raw meat?"

Aster sought out a private spot for lunch, but ended up on the school roof with his new pack. He wasn't annoyed; wolves were social creatures and a pack was like a family; one he had made and needed to teach.

Syrus poked his fork at the meat in his box. "I don't know about this."

"It's fine," Aster assured him. "Wolves eat their kills raw and their stomachs are equipped to handle it. As werewolves, our stomachs can handle it too."

"Works for me," Jaden said before putting some in his mouth and chewing happily. Hassleberry and Syrus both took tentative bites, swallowed, and then dug in happily with Aster eating as well.

Syrus took another bite of meat, finding it tastier than before. He had been in awe when he saw his ears this morning and secretly thought they made him look cuter. He found that he could hear Aster's soft breathing while he was asleep and other subtle sounds he hadn't heard before. He had to lower the volume of his voice because of his ears, but that was fine with him.

His nose was just as sensitive as he had smelled meat that was just outside their room. The walk to school was a whole new experience as the world was sharper, brighter, and louder. It was a bit much for him, but he knew that Jaden and Hassleberry likely felt the same way. Naturally, Aster wasn't bothered by it.

Eventually, it won't bother me, either, he thought as he started on his rice. I'll get used to my senses as well as becoming a wolf every night, anytime I get angry, on the full moon, and whenever I went. And tonight, I'll really get to use my body as Jaden had suggested that we could play in the woods. I can't wait.

Hassleberry inwardly trembled with excitement as the group headed for the woods. He was looking forward to really moving as a wolf. He wanted to see how far he could jump and how fast he could run. He knew all of them would be bigger than normal wolves but he was the biggest one of the group. That doesn't mean I'll be the one in charge. Aster bit us so he should be the leader. Surely Jaden will take over when Aster's not here.

As if reading his thoughts, Jaden said, "Aster, you're the leader, right?"

"The term is alpha and I suppose I am as I bit you. There may be another alpha among you three and he would lead the pack while I'm having my duels. Of course, that will be at night."

"Of course," Jaden agreed. He wondered if he was an alpha and then decided that he didn't really care. Alpha or not, he was still a werewolf. And we're gonna have fun tonight.

Aster stopped in one of his favorite clearings and looked up at the fiery sky above. He loved sunsets with their brilliant colors and how they faded to the black night sky, but the night held its own beauty, one he truly appreciated when he became a werewolf. The sky faded to black and Aster felt grass under his paws. He kneaded the dirt and he felt joy well up within him. He released a long happy howl and heard three howls echoing it.

"Aster, comin' at ya!" Jaden called before he landed on Aster's back. Aster gave a strong buck, dislodging Jaden and causing the brown wolf to land on his back. Aster leaped at Jaden and the two of them tussled across the ground with yips, barks, and laughter.

Hassleberry watched them play and was amused at seeing serious-minded Aster Phoenix playing like, well, a wolf pup. He heard grass crunch slightly and ducked as Syrus came flying overhead and landed on his stomach. He rolled onto his back to see Hassleberry standing over him. His silver-gold eyes focused on Hassleberry's olive green-gold ones and then the larger wolf backed away and fell to his belly with a whine.

"Hassleberry?" Syrus asked as he got up and the other two paused in their good-natured wrestling. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not sure," he answered. "I locked eyes with you and I felt…I don't know."

Aster got up and approached Syrus first. He put his nose to the fur and sniffed it. He then did the same to Hassleberry and Jaden before he had the answer. "Syrus is an alpha."

"I am?" Syrus asked, a bit stunned. He was the smallest one and yet he held a high status. "Is there a special scent for that?"

"Turns out there is. Instinct told me what to do and your smell is different from Hassleberry and Jaden. Plus, there was the reaction. It is a posture of submission, acknowledging an alpha's authority.

Syrus grinned as his tail swished. He found the situation ironic. He was the smallest wolf and had been reluctant to be bitten at first. Now, he was an alpha and would be in charge on nights while Aster was away. He took a deep breath and scented an animal his instincts told him was prey. "I smell prey," he said at the same time Aster did.

"Wait. You're suggestin' we go huntin', aren't ya?" Hassleberry asked.

"I've done it before," Aster said. "I'm also hungry as we burned a lot of energy and calories changing and playing." Aster sniffed again and said, "Sy, take Jaden and hunt down your prey. I'll take Hassleberry to the one I smelled."

Syrus nodded and took the lead with Jaden behind him. Syrus put his nose to the ground his hunting instincts coming into play. He was reasonably sure he could chase, kill, and eat his prey. He took a good, deep sniff and his nose told him it was actually two rabbits. Oh, good, he thought licking his chops.

Aster tracked his prey with ease, his nose identifying a deer; a buck as opposed to the doe he had hunted before. "I'll need your help in taking the deer down."

"A deer? That's what we're trackin'?"

"Yeah. A buck and it'll take both of us to take it down."

"All right."

The two wolves were able to kill the deer and feasted after Aster coaxed Hassleberry to eat. When they were full, they met up with Jaden and Syrus and all four played together, learning about their bodies more. They eventually fell asleep in the woods, the first of many they would do as a pack.

The End