Kierra

It takes a while, but I get back to the farmhouse. Didn't hear or see Ava at all, so I'm guessing she's still at the plantation. Did hear the other wolves following me though.

Dirk stayed at my side the whole way, his uneasiness putting me on edge till I felt like screaming, but I contained myself. I don't bother telling him to go away, there wouldn't be much point. When we got to the dirt road leading to the property where it was open and cleared, he relaxed.

"How many wolves are in Gabriel's pack?"

Takes him a moment to respond, either unsure of telling me or he has to count them in his head.

"Including me and the Alpha, there’s twenty wolves. There was twenty-one until recently. He had been friends with Gabriel, but something happened between them and he was executed."

What the hell? This isn't the dark ages. Then again, how many do I myself plan on doing just that to? Not like you can take a Werewolf to prison either.

"What happened?"

The young wolf instantly becomes uneasy again, so it must have been really bad. He doesn't answer at all as we come up on the house's front yard, so I ask him something different.

"Alright, why were you so nervous when your packmates were following us?"

He dances from foot to foot again. Kid is reminding me of a squirrel, so I snag hold of his muzzle and turn him towards me.

"Why, Dirk?"

His rump lowers and tail tucks as he tries to cower, but I don't let go. Since he's refusing to answer, I resort to doing something I really don't like doing. I slip into his head and find it for myself.

Dirk had known the man but didn't care for him, so didn't go around him if he could help it. There's an image of a man but not one I recognize. There's knowledge that the close friend of Gabriel's had done something very wrong, his death has caused some of the other wolves to become upset and it has them riled up. Not for what he'd done, but that he'd been killed in the first place. I'm just about to get to the reason when Bastion calls out for me. I pull out slowly, not wanting to hurt the youngster or myself.

He felt me reading him and had become terrified. I'm able to calm him, but he's now very scared of me. Ah, well, you win some you lose some. I let go of his muzzle and he instantly drops and rolls, presenting his belly.

Get the feeling he hasn't been a wolf long, but either by instinct or the others making him their omega, their scapegoat, he's learned fast to be submissive. Since he's already afraid from my being in his head, I don't even try to project a calm feeling. Bastion is coming closer a little warily but still closer to the house then he is to me. Kneeling down, I use my hand to mimic my nipping his muzzle, then rub at his ear, which totally surprises him. Guess the Gray Wolves aren't big on petting.

Standing back up just as Bastion gets to my side, the young wolf rolls back over, tail still tucked pretty hard.

"Really scared one, isn't he?"

I hide my smile and nod. My Imp has been studying wolves both by book and observing.

"This one is scared of me though, I'm afraid. Used my Silver mojo on him."

The boy’s short blond hair moves as he nods, playful glint sparking my only warning.

"Well, to be fair, you are pretty scary."

"Hey!"

He giggles while reaching his hand out as I showed him for a canine. Fingers relaxed, not sticking out. That's a good way to lose them if the animal isn't friendly.

From his giggling and upbeat demeanor, he isn't giving off negative vibes that would transfer to the animal either, making it nervous. Couldn't be more proud of him. Dirk rises just far enough to sniff at the boy's hand, then further at my smile.

"He's got a diamond on his head, that's not a usual marking for a wolf, is it?"

I shake my head. The wolf youngster overall isn't marked as a normal wolf would be, not one that was bred from true wolves anyway.

"Nope, but neither is the tiger stripes on Kani, the white mask on Maii, or my tail and ears being so much longer than everyone else's. Just a special unique trait that some have. Almost like those cats you see with one green eye and one brown or blue."

Not sure if he has seen that actually, but he nods. Bastion smiles when Dirk bumps the boy's hand with his nose, signaling his willingness to be touched. The face he makes when Bastion starts petting and rubbing at him makes me chuckle.

"He coming with us, too?"

I shake my head, explaining that this is his home. I avoid the young wolf’s face as I look up and see Xavier coming towards me. Laughter in his eyes as he watches Dirk’s expressions.

"You like 'em young, don't you?"

Not restraining at all, I punch his arm. Knowing it was coming, he pulls away before I can do too much damage. His eyes glittering with both amusement and readiness for a fight.

Sidestepping away from the boys even as Bastion warns the wolf to move away. His ears perk up as he watches us curiously. Can see Shade and Zypher coming up from different sides as well.

"Oh, I see how it is. Ambush tactics. Such wimps, Faline fights harder than you guys do, and she’s tiny."

Zypher laughs. He and his brother have yet to meet her, so he doesn't know how mean she can get. I look forward to her showing him. I have yet to get any of them to take a real shot at me, but hopefully, I'll get good enough where they feel like they can.

The Arctic brothers haven't come at me at all, just dodging my blows. Makes me look like an idiot most times, but gets me to work on my speed and learning to anticipate. The real annoying one is the one dancing around me right now.

You'd think someone as tall as he is would be easy to hit, but the damn giant is super quick on those legs of his. It's usually his legs I have to go for if I want to take him down. Maned wolf has caught on to that, so I have to change things up. I've made it clear to them that in playful fighting and practice battling, I will not go for the cheap shots one will usually go for on a male. Not on purpose anyway, can hardly help it if limbs are flailing.

"You know what would be hilarious? Xavier playing twister with my twisted sister. I'd pay to see that. Oh! Mat has to be wet too. Can't be too easy for either of you."

"I think you're confusing things there. You're the twisted one, she's small and innocent."

I fairly choke at that prospect. Innocent my ass. That girl can get meaner than I can, and with her being smaller, she can really make things hurt. Xavier just tries to stay on her good side since he learned her pouncing involves very sharp claws.

"I think you're blind there, sir. Tell you what, I'll print out a certain picture, jumbo size, and hang it in the living room. That might help your vision, if not make you blind."

He stumbles, and I take the opening. Having learned just a few scant hours ago that my jumping skills are a lot better than I thought they'd be, I don't need to make my way closer before performing the move. I've also learned that a head-on attack can lead to your downfall, so I try something different this time. Might work and look better if I could do all that flippy gymnastic stuff but since I don't know how to, my balance can be a bit iffy when maneuvering.

Leaping to land behind him and spinning into a kick aimed for his middle, he moves to turn and face me. When training or play fighting against someone who was trained for this, things can get frustrating. I swear he allows me to land hits just so I won't get discouraged. This time he grabs my leg and pulls up, so I go down, but per usual, he catches me before I land.

Keeping my head from hitting the ground, one hand goes under it while he grabs at my arm with the other. This time, however, I use it against him. Since he's rather close to me, the arm he grabs for shoots out and grips the back of his neck. The move looking much like I'm trying to keep from falling helps a lot to hide my intent. My legs wrap around his ribs fast and hard, ankles locking at his back. Dominant hand was used to grab his neck, so my left gets used to help swing my weight to the side, throwing him off balance.

Just as my legs went around him, he expanded his diaphragm to give him just that much more breathing room to give him a little more time to dislodge me. One thing I've always taken pride in though, is my leg strength, add Were strength into that as well and I have legit thunder thighs. Even as he tries to inhale, I squeeze down. His grunt at my success sends a thrill through me. Since he won't hit me, his options on how to get me off him drop dramatically. My attempt to throw our weight to one side unbalances but doesn't topple him.

Hand still at his neck, I'm looking right at him with a grin before pulling him forward. This is where being short counts against me. I attempt to get a lock around his neck with my arm, but as my arm moves into position, he grabs and pulls it away. Clenching my thighs harder together, I can feel a pop in my leg. I falter for a second but recover fast.

No, I didn't break or pull anything. Picture it as the popping of your knuckles. I've always been able to do that with my legs when I can get the angle just right or when squeezing them hard around something...like I'm doing right now. Since he's never heard it before, Xavier instantly freezes, letting go of my arm.

Ah-ha!

Believe it's called injured bird something or other. Where a parent bird will act like it has a lame wing to draw a predator away from its nest. He heard the pop of air releasing from my thigh bone and instantly assumes something in my leg has actually snapped.

It usually is a pretty loud pop, almost like a thick, hollow sound. When my leg had loosened for that one moment, it helped the illusion along, yet was just the slight dead feeling after it happens. Like dead-arm when your shoulder pops.

I can feel his heart jump as he starts to freak, my laughing not helping since he knows pain makes me react in weird ways. He lets my arm go to get a hold of my legs. It isn't until I actually get into the position I want that I realize that it doesn’t work.

At. All.