Chapter 10

For anyone who cares Tahryn is pronounced 'taa-rin', with a long extended vowel at the beginning. All main and sexually active characters are over 18. I do not condone violence of any kind. Wolf rules are very different from human rules.

Coach Willis blew his whistle sharply and called the class of sixth form boys back over to where he stood. The three werewolves in the group, Henry and the Ulrich boys came walking over together, somehow still faster than the humans who jogged. They'd been doing well all lesson, and while Willis should have been reprimanding them for showing off, he could not bring himself to do so. The two boys who were about to become the core of a new pack looked happy. It was a shock to see it, but a shock like joy, like a surprise on your birthday which made your heart race with delight.

Tahryn wrapped an arm tightly around his mate and Kurt blushed but pressed himself up against the blond wolf and kissed him fiercely. The deep purple love bits on his neck were an obvious sign of possession. Someone in the team made a comment, something about 'faggots' and Henry Tanner simply reached out and whacked him around the skull for it. Willis shrugged at the human who'd been in the wrong, he wasn't going to admonish either Henry or Tahryn for their actions, and especially not Kurt, who glowed like he was full of molten gold and smelled like someone had gone and sprinkled cinnamon all of the woodland. Tahryn gazed at his mate like a man in love, and Kurt looked back at him the same way.

What a difference a day made.

Willis dismissed the class but waved Kurt back. Tahryn stayed automatically. After more than a month of arguing, they had finally reached the stages most werewolf couples found as soon as they'd mated when they could not stand to be apart. Kurt didn't ask what he wanted, just stood and waited, eyes locked with his. The challenge was indirect, but there, and though it shamed Willis to do so he looked away first. He was a good beta, steadfast and reliable, but he was no match in force of will or strength to these two boys who were, in their own ways, alpha's of their pack.

"We have training Kurt."

"I'm still an enforcer?" Kurt frowned as he spoke, obviously trying to balance this information in his mind.

"For now technically. You lost some weight and muscle while you were injured, we gotta get you back to being better again."

Kurt nodded and then Willis saw something exchange between the mated pair that he couldn't fathom. It was like they had spoken, Tahryn's expression softened, Kurt smiled just a little and the older boy left without saying a word. Willis had felt the contact, but had no idea what had happened. His frown must have asked all the question Kurt needed.

"We can talk in our heads, hear each other's thoughts. It's fun."

"I don't wanna know what he said to you do I?"

Kurt shrugged, and his eyes sparkled wickedly.

"No, probably not."

Thirty minutes later Kurt was sweating and shaking. Willis had told him not to overdo himself, that he wasn't going to be quite as good as he had been before the accident but Kurt had his challenge to prove, so he had done all the exercises at the exact same speed with the same force as before. The last push up was juddery, but he did it, then collapsed back on his heels. He winced as he sat down. Willis handed him a bottle of water, which vanished in about four seconds, and then another one which Kurt sipped at while he panted.

"You pull a muscle of something?"

Kurt looked confused, and then blushed pink despite his panting, sweating state.

"Or something."

"Forget I asked." Willis half turned away and rubbed the back of his head, "You feel up to helping the year seven girls? We'll do cricket."

"Sure." Kurt hopped up from the ground and Willis waved him off towards the showers.

The big man walked to the storage room to collect the blue bags containing the quick cricket sets and dumped them by the far door of the gym and reflected on the situation. Kurt was happy, Tahryn was happy and those two things had almost never happened before and not for this long or this strongly. The two boys seemed aware of their situation, their probable expulsion from the pack, at least in some sense anyway. A splinter pack was not wholly independent, they would still come under Degan's jurisdiction, at least at first. For the first time in his life, the young wild wolf, born in a form none had ever thought possible, was truly happy. He shone with it. That brought Willis's thoughts around to poor David James.

He had loved his wife dearly, of course he had, and they had been so excited for their new arrival to come and join them, add to the pack and raise a little one all their own. Pups were good for the pack, they brought everyone together and helped to reinforce the bonds between the extended family that made a successful group. The man was a wreck without his wife. The funeral was to be next week, the Friday with the pack meet afterwards, and it made Willis sad to think of his pack sister buried alone, her husband and daughter left to fend for themselves. And what a daughter. David had called her Yulva, apparently at Mary's insistence, and Clover had lain in bed with him and told him everything.

"All four feet and such soft ears. She's totally perfect darling."

"Another Kurt?" Willis had stared at his wife in shock.

"Oh much prettier than he was as a puppy. Blue merle colouring, she'll turn all the boy's head when she's older."

"Oh I'll bet. How is David doing?"

"Besotted and petrified, upset whenever he remembers that he should be. She's a powerful force of nature that one. Poor Mary."

"But why a puppy? Why now? Mary was overdue wasn't she?"

"And Barbara's term was very short with Kurt, yes, I remember. Who knows."

The reappearance of Kurt, trailing the twenty eleven and twelve year old girls out into the gym shook him from his reverie. He went to give instructions, but there was no need. The alpha in Kurt had taken him over, and the girls pick up the cricket sets and began to walk out to the field. He and Isla set up while the others jogged a lap and did stretches. It was an amazing thing to watch as Kurt taught and directed with barely a word, body language and gestures doing everything for him. He got the girls sorted out and bowled every single one of them a ball so they would know how it felt when they needed to play. Isla Spencer fetched every single one of them without being asked and Willis did not miss the contact that passed between her and Kurt as the round finished. A dog with its master, she rubbed ever so quickly against him and a thread of love passed between them as she did so. They were a pack sure enough. Kurt got the game started properly and came over to stand near Willis

"You're going to do alright at this." He said evenly, speaking to an equal.

"Thanks. I'm not sure I can be bothered with all the theory and paperwork rubbish though." Kurt barked at a girl who was doing her best not to join in and then returned to the conversation, "Surely there is another way of teaching?"

"Some. Sports coaching, activity centres, that sort of thing."

Kurt nodded, eyes fixed on the game, and Willis could see his brain working away in there on what he had said, forging a path into the forest of his future.

Carson swore and tossed the now broken pen across the workshop.

"Temper, temper." He looked up to see Aliza, who had caught the pen, and now took the clipboard away from him too. She stared down at his hand writing on the invoice pad. "Dear god man, can anyone read this rubbish?"

"No." Carson Davies huffed and shoved his hands into the pockets of the overalls, sleeves tied around his waist. "People don't complain though."

"I'm not surprised," Aliza ripped off the first page and took a pen out of her pocket and began to translate the work onto another invoice sheet, "Not when you look at them like that. What's eating you Carson?"

"Nothing." Carson knew he was acting like a recalcitrant teenager, but he couldn't help it.

"You're a shite liar. What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about Dave." Carson sighed into the silence that followed the statement, and then because Aliza wasn't being a woman and taking over the conversation, he continued, "He's still going to work as normal, he barely looks at the pup, he cries all the time. I know he's mourning his wife, but that little thing needs him. You can see that he loves her, he told me that the wolf in him wants to spend all his time with her, but it breaks his heart. I'm worried that he won't cope."

Aliza handed him back the clipboard and neatly written accounts slip.

"He'll be alright I'll bet. It's good that you worry about him. He needs a friend."

Carson turned to her and wondered if he dared say the thing that was really worrying him, the niggle that had turned into a gnawing torment in his gut at night. What if it happens to my wife and child too? He decided not to, and just in time too, for the sound of Tahryn Ulrich's modified flat four engine to pull onto the forecourt out front of the garage. Aliza followed him out front to see the little blue sportster parked beside her own rather beat up looking van. Carson was surprised to see not just Tahryn, but Kurt too, emerge from the vehicle, looking happy and in love.

"Afternoon boys." Carson nodded to the two young werewolves and was surprised when Tahryn merely nodded in recognition and made no move to defer to his authority at all.

"Carson. Aliza."

"I see you two finally got all your kinks worked out then," Aliza chuckled and hefted the exhaust which was about to deliver to a little garage just outside the territory. Kurt and Tahryn exchanged a glance that was a full of, a lack of words actually. Aliza gestured to Kurt to walk with her and Tahryn preceded Carson into the main garage, where the muscular young man leant up again the side of Carson's own truck.

"What's up?"

"Have Degan or Willis told you anything yet?" Tahryn picked at his nails when he spoke, and Carson had the definitely feeling that part of Tahryn was paying attention to a totally different conversation as well.

"No. What would they be telling me?" Carson frowned and folded his arms, he was not keen on where this was headed.

"I think that me and Kurt or going to need money, and soon. The only thing I'm actually any good at is working with cars and engines and stuff and I was wondering if you knew of any garages that might be hiring."

"Well hell," Carson smiled and slapped Tahryn's arm, "You don't need to look so worried Tahryn, there's been a place earmarked here for you for weeks."

"That might not be an option." Tahryn's voice was tight and low, "Imagine that I can't come onto pack territory."

Carson frowned.

"You're serious? Shit."

"Maybe, maybe not. A lot depends on Degan and how much negotiation we can do before Kurt gets too pissed about compromises." Tahryn scowled, but again Carson got that feeling that there was another conversation going on inside the blond young man's head.

"Well, alright, I'll put the word out for you. But I want you working here if at all possible. Get you trained up and licensed." Carson smiled and clapped Tahryn on the shoulder. He moved his hand quickly as Kurt approached. Kurt placed a hand on his mate's sternum and Tahryn wrapped a possessive arm around his waist.

"We done babe?" Carson was shocked at how normal Kurt sounded. The strange wolf he had known the whole of his life now sounded like any other teenage boy in love. Tahryn buried his face in Kurt's hair and sniffed. Carson looked away, feeling as though he was interrupting something intimately private between them.

"How are Mary and David doing?" Kurt sounded as if he'd only just remembered that he'd been present when his pack sister had gone into labour.

"I thought you knew..." Carson found that his voice shuddered when he spoke, "Mary died during the birth."

Kurt made a hard and sharp growling noise in his throat and gritted his teeth.

"Oh god." Tahryn hugged his mate hard against his chest, "How? When? Why didn't we know?"

"It was ... about just after Kurt fell. There's something else."

"David's alright yeah?"

"Yeah. The baby."

"A girl?" Kurt smiled very softly at Carson's nod, "I knew it."

"She's like you Kurt." Both wolves stiffened at the words before they were even spoken, "Born wolf, she's beautiful."

"She's like me?" Kurt sounded awed, "Really?"

"Yes. I think David might need you Kurt." Carson frowned, not knowing if he should share how worried he was about his friend, "You're going to really like her."

Kurt's wolf ears invisibly pricked up at the words.

"Somebody needs you Ulrich. She'll be running around the yard calling you 'Uncle Kurt' in no time."

"Uncle Kurt," Tahryn muttered and shook his head, "Sounds good."

Kurt said something without using his voice and Tahryn grinned.

"Oh you bet!" Tahryn pressed a big palm against Kurt's flat stomach, "Pup, if that were an option..."

"Oh get off you," Kurt swatted him away, "Uncle Kurt. Huh." But he was smiling, "Can I drive?"

"No! You've only had like twelve lessons."

"Here." Carson beckoned Kurt over to the office and took a set of keys off one of the hooks, "It's for that big hulking Mitsubishi our front, the black one with the rust." He turned to Tahryn, "If you're right, you guys are going to need more vehicles than that cute little Spitfire."

Degan received the missive and blanched. The South Bank gamma was going to be arriving in an hour to discuss the petition he'd sent, and he now had to arrange to get everyone in one place. It was Thursday, the day before the pack meet proper, and Degan had an idea of who he needed to call in. On the other hand...

"Darling?"

Deidre Canon poked her head around the door of her husband's office. She had flour in her hair.

"Yes dear?"

"Do you think we could get enough food in to hold a pack meeting and entertain a guest from the National Council?" Degan ran a hand through his hair and noticed for the first time that it was thinning.

"Today?" Deidre seemed to consider this and began counting on her fingers in the way that chefs and good hosts often did in the crisis, muttering to herself and counting off on an invisible list. "I will call the butcher and start the grill. I need the phone."

Degan smiled and handed over control to his wife. Behind every great alpha, was a really strong woman. He got up from his desk and decided to start calling everyone to the meet the old fashioned way, by knocking on doors.

"I have to be dressed?" Kurt emerged from his towel and stared at Tahryn's naked back as the big tan young man, "It's a meet, how long do you expect me to stay in skin?"

"It's an emergency meet," Tahryn pulled out a pair of jeans and his favourite timber wolf t-shirt, "You know Degan is going to want to talk to us."

"And for that I need to be dressed?" Kurt sighed and laid back against the wall, "Can't we just stay home, or go running in the woods?" Kurt raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Tahryn dragged his short over his head and turned to his mate.

"We already spent way too long in the bath pup." Tahryn grinned, "And I don't want some Londoner ogling you naked."

'Jealous much?'

Tahryn threw a pair of blue jeans and a red shirt at him. Kurt stared at the black wolf head logo.

"I am not wearing this."

"Black is boring." Tahryn smiled at him, 'Humour me?'

Kurt grumbled and got up. He put on the jeans but went to the wardrobe and picked out one of his own black t-shirts.

'Shall we?'

"You excited?" Tahryn slipped his hand into his mate's as they went downstairs. The girls and Whelan had already started over there.

"Worried." 'We're going to get kicked out aren't we?'

'We're a pack already babe. Don't worry.'

Hand in hand, looking like teenagers in love, the two boys crossed the cul-de-sac and made for the house at the far end, nearest the forest. The scent of wolves filled the air, members of the South Sea pack that weren't theirs. Kurt sniffed.

'How many?'

Tahryn breathed deeply.

"You, me. Chaska, Jene ... Isla. Henry."

"Tanner?" Kurt practically growled.

"Yeah."

'He hates me.'

'You blame him for that?' Tahryn squeezed his mate's hand, 'It'll pass. Let's go meet the new pup.'

Degan's house was full of people, passing through towards the garden and Kurt stuck closely to his mate. Never before had he felt so far away from all the other werewolves who had been his pack sister's and brother's. This was no longer his pack, no longer the house of his alpha. Even if nothing was official, Kurt could feel that it was done. Kurt's nose twitched.

"Crocuses?" Tahryn frowned, "You smell that?"

But Kurt wasn't paying attention anymore. All his attention was tuned to the scent. The pup didn't smell like him exactly, but the deepness of it, the richness of the lavender scent made his head spin. He recognised the scent, it smelt like family. David James was sitting in the big lounge with a bundle of blankets in his arms. Kurt pushed passed his former pack mates, let go of Tahryn's hand and stripped as he shifted. He whined, standing in front of David and the pup and wagged his tail.

'Kurt... ' Tahryn's thought in his head was warning.

"No, it's OK." David slipped from the chair and sat on the floor, opening the blankets for the big black wolf. The pup was beautiful, squirming for warmth, her little eyes finally open of reveal a bright spring green. Kurt inhaled, the scent like a drug straight through his instincts.

"She's lovely David," Tahryn was speaking, a hand in Kurt's fur, "What's her name?"

"Yulva."

Kurt nuzzled the little pup, who was smaller than his muzzle, and she began to mewl.

"She's hungry again," David took a bottle from the bag beside the chair and pushed the rubber teat to the puppy's mouth. He sucked and let go, whimpering more. "She doesn't like me, she won't eat." No one could miss the great strain, the despondency or the un-said words. If Mary had been there...

'Give her to me, ' Kurt took the little werewolf cub gently by the ruff and removed her from her father's arms, 'Bring the bottle.'

Tahryn took the warm formula from David slack hand as Kurt lay down on the carpet and curled himself around the baby. She whined and began to wriggle against him, looking for food.

'Kurt? What are you doing?' Tahryn frowned, and their lack of open communication was being noticed. Kurt lifted his near side front leg and thrummed low in his throat, cocking one ear.

'Roll it under there, past the elbow, ' Tahryn did as he was asked and Kurt drew his tail around the puppy, angling her little white and grey snout to the teat. The second she found it she started to suck, her whole body quivering, pressed up against the big black wolf. Kurt began to lick her fur and nuzzle her, checking over her tiny puppy body with all its loose skin and fine fur, tiny hot feet.

"That's amazing. How did he... ?" David stopped speaking to simply stare at his daughter, "Wow."

"Oh Kurt!" Kurt stopped his paternal ministrations and looked to the door where Barbara Smith stood, hands at her chest. She was beaming, "I never thought I'd see the day." Kurt wagged his tail but didn't move as his mother crossed the room to him and rubbed the space between his ears, "I'm so proud of you."

'Tell her thanks for me.'

"He says thank you." Tahryn repeated dutifully.

'Parents are weird.'

"I am not repeating that!"

"You guys can hear each other?" David sounded awed, "Cool. Is she doing good Kurt?"

The big black wolf nodded. He couldn't think of the little pup as his pack sister. Carson might be her father, but Kurt knew the instinct, the feeling that had stopped him from being gotten rid of when he became a nuisance. It took a pack to raise a child, and it took a special pack to raise a born wolf. She's like me, he thought, And I need to be here for her. Deo was right a lot quicker than he thought.

Eventually Yulva stopped suckling and Kurt rolled the bottle away to a more comfortable position. Now that she was full and happy, Yulva squirmed around on her belly, her legs not yet strong enough to support her weight, and tried to go exploring. Kurt picked her up by the scruff of her neck every time she got too far away and placed her back between his front paws. The little pup fascinated him, relaxed him, and when she nuzzled at his paws and ankles, using her nose and tongue to explore everything about him, Kurt felt her could forgive the girl anything as his heart swelled in his chest. Puppies exhausted quickly, and Yulva snuggled up in his fur and slept, the sound and total sleep of the very young. Kurt thrummed in happiness to feel his mate stroking his fur. He turned golden tawny eyes to Tahryn and twitched his ears.

'Can we keep her?' and then he registered the expression on Tahryn's face, 'What's wrong?'

'We have to go pup. The wolf from National Council is here, he's asking after us.'

Kurt nuzzled Yulva again and then shifted very slightly away from her before he changed. The puppy mewled and Kurt scooped her up and handed her back to her father.

"Kurt?" David's eyes were wide and wet, "She's going to need you way more than she needs me."

Kurt pulled on his jeans and touched David James's shoulder briefly.

"I'll be there for her. Promise." He turned to his mate and together they turned to walk into Degan Canon's office. The man who was no longer their alpha was not seated behind the desk but in one of the other chairs. Behind the desk was a bookish man of middling years who sat with a stack of documents in front of him, looking very earnest.

"Is this them?"

Kurt snarled to be acknowledged in such a way.

"Roger Morris, gamma of the South Bank pack. Nice to meet you. Tahryn and Kurt ... Ulrich, right? Please sit down."

'I do not like him.' Kurt thought, but he dragged out a chair and sat opposite the invader.

'Be nice Kurt. He's got our future there in those files.'

Degan smiled at Tahryn as he sat down.

"I wrote to Roger with a petition to create a new splinter pack, not wholly independent but separate from South Sea."

"And since there is now also a new mated pair and a child to register I thought I'd better come down to visit. It seemed easier." He flicked through one of the files, "Tell me, this was Koby Dean's original pack wasn't it?"

Tahryn stopped breathing and went white as a sheet. Kurt snarled, his blood boiling.

"I take it from that reaction that you knew him well?" Kurt snapped his teeth, but Tahryn steadied him with one hand.

"Y-yeah. Why?"

'What the hell Tay?'

'Koby was stupid and confused, but he wasn't evil.' Tahryn replied, 'I want to know.'

"I thought his old pack would like the news that he ended up settling with us in South Bank. He's mated to a wolf much more dominant than he is. Seems very happy" Roger shrugged, truth was the skinny little submissive got on his nerves, "We put him to work in the archives and he and his mate get along very well."

"God lord." Degan half smiled, "It's nice to know at least."

"You speak to him much?" Kurt kept his voice low so as not to bark, tension running high.

"Some."

"He ever comes near here again I'll kill him. Make sure he knows."

'Pup... ' Tahryn reached for his arm, working a hand up to his shoulder.

'I get irrational around you Tay. You're mine.'

The visiting wolf from London coughed politely.

"So tell me," Roger Morris steepled his fingers, elbows leaning on the desk, "Which one of you intendeds to be alpha out there at Chalk Horse Hill?"

Kurt and Tahryn exchanged a glance and spoke simultaneously.

"He is."

Roger turned to Degan, where the alpha sat watching his former pack members with interest.

"I see what you meant in your letter now. Neither of them is more dominant?" Roger raised an eyebrow as Tahryn and Kurt looked at each other, "It doesn't seem that way to me."

Kurt glared at him. So Tahryn had a hand on the back of his neck, fingering the purple bruises that he loved to give, it did not give this Londoner the right to decide his fate. He pushed straight through pissed off to angry and then into fur in two seconds flat.

'Little shit!' he snarled, paws on the desk, hackles raised, fangs showings, 'We are both more alpha than him.' Kurt felt Tahryn smirk.

"Mr Morris I would advise you to rephrase your statement if you want to live long enough to return to London." Roger stared at Kurt as Tahryn spoke, "Or you could challenge him if you like." Kurt growled low to back up his mate's words, and grinned as Roger Morris exposed his neck to him. Kurt shifted back with half a thought and sat down heavily.

"Two alpha's ... alright then." The gamma's voice was shaky as he began to sort his files. Kurt watched him carefully, "It's very unusual indeed, but I think I agree with you Degan. These two need their own pack."

"Chalk Horse Hill? Where I went with Willis?"

"Yes," Degan nodded to the skinny black haired boy, "I put in an offer on the property as the centre of the new territory. It also backs onto National Forest parkland and the protected woodland."

"But..." Tahryn was counting in his head, Kurt could hear the numbers going around, "We can't pay for it. Like, at all. Neither of us will graduate for another three months."

"For now, you're a splinter pack so it doesn't matter." Roger leant forwards on the desk, finally comfortable with the conversation now that Kurt wasn't looking at him like he was going to kill him, "It works like this. Chalk Horse Hill will remain under Degan Canon's jurisdiction. He will be the step between you and any issues which would affect National Council. He is your adjudicator and he will have to approve pack changes and be notified of new members. If after five years the pack is stable and you have a set of permanent members rather than passing strays then you can petition to become independent. At that stage National Council will pay South Sea pack for the land and you will repay us on a mortgage basis."

"Can we not give it to them?"

"It's your investment, your money. Why?"

Degan coughed gently and shifted in his chair.

"I put in the offer to buy the land under their names. They'll own it. Five years is five years, but they'll be a real pack the second they walk out that door."

"Alright," Roger nodded, "That works. They'll need to have their joined named legally then. I'll call head office and push the paperwork through for a ceremony tomorrow shall I?"

"What ceremony?" Kurt frowned.

"You boys are going to have to get married if you want to be called Ulrich on the paperwork."

Kurt blanched and Tahryn giggled.

'What?' Kurt's mental voice sounded like acid.

"You're going to have to wear a suit!" Tahryn smirked and Kurt knew he wasn't going to win that fight at all.

Henry found himself in the garden sitting with Chaska, Jene and Isla in a rough circle. The South Sea pack moved around them, many of them were direct blood relatives, but the four of them sat together like a stone in a river, different and immobile. Henry hadn't really known the exact moment his allegiance had shifted. It had started somewhere when he and Tahryn had been out running, best friends and pack-brothers, and ended when he'd realised that the enormity of what Kurt had done didn't outweigh the loyalty he felt to Tahryn. He wanted to hate Kurt for what he'd done.

He killed my brother... but the thought was kind of useless because Henry was happy for his friend. Kurt made Tahryn happy in the sort of way you saw in films or read about in story books. The pair of them glowed when they were together, and Henry knew that they were in and out of each other's heads all the time. And Kurt had smiled at him, softly with no teeth and apologised. That had been a shock, as small a moment as it was, to have the stronger werewolf dip his head, ever so slightly, and say he was sorry for what had happened.

And now he was sitting here with the members of his pack. The four of them felt so small, so insignificant, and yet strong. They were united in their loyalty to Tahryn and Kurt. They were going to be a pack. Others had started to realise, other wolves at school giving them a wide berth, but Henry knew that his new allegiance was going to shock his parents. He watched Jene and Chaska leaning against each other, Tahryn sister clearly the one in the relationship with the upper hand, and wondered if he might find a mate one day too. It was going to suck to be the only straight single guy in his new pack, regardless of how tolerant he was.

"Can you two hear each other?" he didn't like to interrupt the long emotional looks between the two girls to ask, but the words sort of slipped out, bypassing his brain.