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Wolves and Men
Book 6 Chapter 2f

Book 6 Chapter 2f

A sudden scream of pain and fear ripped out from somewhere nearby. The shriek startled William and he jumped a bit. Nicolas didn’t seem to notice or laugh at him as he was scanning the nearby roofs trying to locate where the scream had come from.

Aceso cocked her head to the side listening. Her wolf ears, as well as all the other wolf born there, could hear the frantic pained breathing and gasps of the woman who was going through the pain and fire of rebirth that they had all experienced.

That’s why Ansuya had asked for Ryan to accompany them. William had been very lucky and had survived his rebirth without the help of any Healers. Ares had mentioned it was rare that anyone survived that without the aid of a Healer. He remembered Ares story of the night he had been reborn. His wolf mind terrified and in such pain it made death a wanted release.

William looked over at his former teacher. The brown wolf nuzzled his mate. He couldn’t fully understand what his wolf mind must have been going through. He couldn’t have been made to understand what was happening to him. Amanda at least had been preparing for this eventuality for a while. She knew what was happening, not that that made the pain of this first transformation any easier to bare. After all William had seen, his own survival was something that he thanked the gods for constantly.

Another pain filled cry ripped through the night. This one was answered by some activity from the surrounding buildings. William and company was suddenly very nervous about being outside and in such a large group. But running for their apartments would be even more suspicious. They would just have to sit and wait.

After another few minutes and one more exhausted gasping scream, the night returned to silence.

The wolves around them seemed to calm down. Physis laid down on the ground and Ares followed suit laying his head over his mate’s neck. William breathed a little easier as the rest of the humans seemed to relax as well.

The activity that they had heard when Amanda had screamed seemed to cease as well. Well, if I ever get raped here it’s nice to know no one will give a damn about it.

Maybe that wasn’t fair. In this particular case, no one coming to investigate the screams of a young woman was advantageous for them. But is that really how people were? Someone screams and everyone around within hearing distance does their damndest to ignore that anything wrong is happening at all? He had always known that going off to his forest was the best thing that he could have done. The more time he spent around humanity and civilization the more he was proven right to have wanted to isolate himself from other people.

It wasn’t long before Ansuya and Ryan came back into the courtyard. Huan Li and Amanda was nowhere to be seen however. Ryan rejoined his pack and Ansuya addressed the group.

“Amanda is alright and we have another Shape shifter to add to our numbers.” She looked directly at Aceso, “Aceso bring your pack.” Looking up at the rest of the gathered people she said, “The rest of you, go back to your rooms. Later today you will know what your tasks will be and where you will be expected to go. If this is the last time, we see each other as a whole remember the bond we all share, and know that so long as even one of us remains alive, the Mountain will be avenged. You’re dismissed.” With that she silently motioned to Aceso to follow her as she disappeared the way she had come.

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William looked at Charles and Katherine and followed their alpha and the Elder. His mind was spinning with what he had just heard. The possibility of death for the rest of the remaining group was something that he didn’t even want to think about, let alone admit that it was a possibility. From how Huan Li and Ansuya were talking, not only was it a possibility, but it was likely that a lot of their remaining number would die before this was all settled.

He felt numb and a little hollow as he followed Ansuya and Aceso. He didn’t want to speak and no one else seemed to be in a talking mood either. Even Nicolas’ eyes were focused on the ground in front of him. The question of why they were picked out of the few remaining packs to follow Ansuya didn’t even enter his mind.

They were brought to a spacious apartment. The furniture was comfortable looking and it was a fair sight cleaner and smelled better than the apartment that his pack was sharing.

A werewolf was standing against the far wall, looking out into the night. She was pretty tall, almost seven feet in fact if he guessed right. Her whole body was covered in dark brown fur with streaks of silver running vertically along her body. Her ears were pointed straight up and swiveled back as the group entered the room. She turned towards them slowly as her golden eyes looked first at Aceso, then at William.

“Come in, please sit down all of you,” Huan Li said gesturing towards the various seats and couches in the apartment.

The group did as they were asked, even Amanda moved away from the wall and gingerly sat down in a very sturdy looking leather chair that was close to her.

“Amanda is to join our pack, isn’t she?” Charles asked quietly.

Amanda looked at him and shrugged her shoulders.

“Yes, that is exactly why you are here,” answered Huan Li. “Amanda will join you.” He turned toward Amanda, “Amanda, you will follow Aceso’s lead and take orders from her.” Amanda simply nodded.

“You could have told her all this by herself,” Nicolas said. “We were never brought together like this. We were just kind of thrown in together. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal,” Ansuya answered, “is that you will all have to train Amanda on your travels. All of you were given the opportunity to learn with your various instructors for a given time.” She paused before continuing, “We haven’t given a pack an untrained Shape shifter since before even I was reborn.” She took in the whole room looking at each and every one of them with her dark brown eyes.

William felt a familiar weight when she looked at him. He had felt that weight when he first came to the mountain. Every Shape shifter’s gaze brought a pressure when he looked into their eyes, a weight that could be felt in his very being. Now that weight was leveled at him again. He felt it, but it wasn’t crushing him the way it had. Another sign of just how much he had learned and changed since coming to the Mountain.

Ansuya continued, “You will all have to look out for each other, now more than ever. You are still very young but Amanda, being a Healer, will complete your pack.” She pointedly looked at Nicolas. “I suggest you stay here and train her to shift between forms. If the five of you can’t manage that, then you have a better chance of opening up a spice store down the street.” With that Ansuya turned and exited the apartment with Huan following after.