I spent a lot of the night thinking about what Owen had said, about what it meant to be a true alpha. Lesander’s father had always had a set of guidelines he seemed to follow when he was in charge. He never really let anyone get too close to him, he never really had a mate, he was angry and powerful which worked for some people but didn’t work for others. I had never been that way. A lot of the pack thinks I was too trusting. A lot of the pack, I would wager, didn’t trust me.

It was several years ago now, but the last group of pups that we had went missing. I’d not been the alpha of the pack for very long and it happened overnight. No one seemed to know what had happened, but a few of the tents had been torn apart too. Lesander blamed the humans and I was inclined to agree with him. Everything that Owen said brought that memory flooding back, and the memory of not reacting, of not fighting back against it when we had the chance.

I woke the following morning after a fitful sleep and dressed, trying not to dwell on our argument from the night before or the memories my brain seemed intent on clinging onto. I'd hoped he would have joined me when he heard me moving around this morning, but there I was, sitting on the edge of my bed, listening for the sound of any movement in the guest room.

I bit the bullet and stood up, heading out of my bedroom and next door. I knocked.

Nothing.

I knocked again.

When nothing came this time, I opened the door and stepped inside.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. Owen was laid out on the bed, his strong looking legs wrapped around the duvet, his head on the pillows, his mouth wide open. He was snoring ever so lightly and I could have died right then and there at how adorable he looked. I needed to pull myself together, I was falling all too fast. I hardly knew him.

I pulled the door closed and knocked a little harder, a lot louder. This time I heard movement inside, a shuffling of the duvet and, a few seconds later, Owen appeared at the door, the duvet wrapped around him like an oversized toga.

"Great outfit," I said. "Did I wake you?"

"Uh-huh," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Nearly ten," I said. "I need to make my rounds soon." Owen stared at me blankly. I sighed. "I'm telling you because I'd really like it if you came along."

"Would you now?" He waggled his eyebrows and I couldn’t help but smile, the tension between us dissipating ever so slightly.

"Yeah," I said. I couldn’t work out if he was still pissed off about last night. "I want to show you around."

"Show me off?"

"No, not at all," I lied, a blush no doubt betraying me. Of course I wanted to show him off a little bit, why wouldn't I? "Don't you think it would be nice for you to know the area, know where you're going to be living now." I lowered my voice conspiratorially. "Maybe meet someone who isn't a massive dickhead like Lesander?"

He snort giggled, and the slight lift in his face made me chest feel a little less tight.

"You might want to get dressed," I said. "They'll be all over you if you go out dressed like that."

“Can I borrow some clothes?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said, “I’ll leave them on your bed while you take a shower.” He hadn’t mentioned the note from the night before, or thanked me for leaving him clothes in the first place, but I didn’t want to press it.

He smiled. "Thank you.” It was a start. “Ten minutes?" he asked, brightly.

"That works," I said. "I'll make you some breakfast."

"Have you already eaten?"

"No," I said. "I...I thought I would wait for you."

He cleared his throat. "Oh," he said. "Sorry, I think I was just really wiped. It's been a weird couple of days. Whole lot of change."

"Don't worry about it," I smiled at him and actually got a smile back, which felt like a positive step. "I'll whip us up something."

I got him some clothes from my closet, a pair of jeans I thought would fit, some socks and a t-shirt. It was only as I was about to put them on his bed that I suddenly thought about underwear. Until his stuff got delivered, he wouldn't have any underwear. Thinking of the discomfort of going commando in a pair of jeans, I took a couple of pairs of underwear out of my drawer (some briefs, boxer briefs and boxers) and put them on his bed. He could decide what he wanted to wear. It was just another thing I didn't know about him yet. I started to wonder what he’d look like in the various pairs I’d put on the bed. He’d been wearing briefs the other night. Holy shit he’d looked good in those, tree-trunk thighs leading up to that gorgeous bulge. I wanted to run my hands all over him.

Easy does it, Dante, I told myself. Take it slow.

I found myself listening out for him in the shower while I pottered around the kitchen, putting together some scrambled eggs. He liked what I made last night so, hopefully, he would like this too. It was sort of hard to gauge what he would like because, the more I spoke to him, the less I felt like I could ask him about it. He was such a closed book, and I don't think I was what he was expecting, not by a long way.

He was singing while he was in there, which hopefully meant he was feeling a little happier now he was better rested. Maybe today would be a turning point for our relationship. You never know. Stranger things had happened.

He was still singing when he came out. I couldn't quite make out the words, but it was a happy tune. He dressed quickly and came out in time for me to put down the eggs in front of him and pour a glass of orange juice.

"Gosh, you really like taking care of me, huh?" he said with a smile, a little red brightening the apples of his cheeks..

"I wouldn't get used to it, if I were you, I'm a pretty terrible cook most of the time."

"Oh I see, you’re just trying to impress me,” he laughed. It lifted his whole face when he laughed, the smile breaking across his face and brightening the whole room.. “Lull me into thinking you’re this amazing cook until I’m hooked on you, huh?”

“You’ve got me!”

When we’d finished eating, he cleared away the dishes as he had done last night and I dried them and put them back into the cupboards. He followed me outside, getting into the passenger seat of the Jeep and we started my rounds.

We drove up down into the main area of the campsite. There were a few people roaming around, going about their daily business, whether that be going into the local town to work or looking after the forest or just hanging out.

Eastwind had been here for longer than I could remember. I grew up here, I’m pretty sure my father grew up here and, at a guess, I’d say my father’s father grew up here too. It wasn’t just a beautiful place to live, it also had a lot of other packs around (so gathering for Howls was always a snap) and it was easy to pretty much hide in plain sight.

Some of the pack posed as campers most of the time, which was fine because nobody really spent enough time here to think they were anything but that. Others worked for the park as rangers, myself and Lesander included. When they first got jobs on the reserve, they started putting up cabins so we weren’t cut off entirely from society, and we’ve lived here ever since. So part of my job wasn’t just making sure the pack is safe, it’s keeping the reserve safe too. There are certainly worse places to live. It was beautiful here all year round, even when it got cold.

It’s just the tensions right now between the humans and the werewolves that were starting to play on my mind. It seemed every other week there was another attack or another raid. There weren’t many of us. And the lack of fertile mates to go round (for reasons no one could really work out) was leaving us short of pups too. We were fast becoming a dying breed and it was stressing a lot of people out.

We arrived back in the main campsite, near Lesander’s trailer and a crowd had formed. There was shouting, I could hear it before I could see it and my heart jumped.

“What’s happening?” Owen said, leaning forward in his seat.

“I don’t know,” I muttered, driving a little closer. Between the people I could see a scuffle. One of them was Eric, one of my council, an incredibly skilled fighter but one of the most docile people you were likely to meet. Why on earth would he be in a fight with anyone?

Then I saw Lesander, teeth bared, eyes burning.

“Fuck.”

Owen looked to me, stunned.

I stopped the car and pulled off my seatbelt, throwing myself out the door and hurrying over to where Lesander was on the ground, his hand at Eric’s throat.

“Lesander, what are you doing?” I wrestled him off Eric, dragging him to one side and putting him on the ground. He was strong, but I could be stronger if I needed to be. The beast stirred in my chest, I could feel it prowling through my veins. Now was not the time, not in broad daylight, not when any human could walk by at any second.

Lesander dragged himself to his feet. “He started it.”

“You were running your mouth!” Eric shouted.

Lesander burst forward like a raging bull, charging towards Eric. I grabbed him and slammed him to the ground once again. He looked like he was going to get up all over again.

“If you keep getting up, I will keep putting you back down,” I shouted. “Take a walk, Lesander. Let it go.” I turned my back on him. “Eric, what happened?”

“He was running his mouth about you and the omega.” I flinched at Owen being called that. I turned to see him sitting on the hood of the Jeep, waiting for me. He definitely heard it, his face twisted a little in hurt. “Thinks you’re out of your mind.”

“I said nothing!”

“Back down Lesander,” I barked. “Both of you need to walk it off, if I hear anything more from the pair of you there will be consequences, do I make myself clear?”

They both acknowledged and Lesander walked away before I had a chance to speak to him. I moved to follow when I heard my name being called from a little way away.

“Dante!” It came out more as a croak, the voice withered with age. A hacking cough followed. “Dante, may I speak with you for a moment?”

I turned and looked into the trees, a man stood at their perimeter with a salt and pepper beard and a weather beaten face. There was a smile shining out at me and I returned it. Horus had been in my life for as long as I could remember, had been friends with my father too.

“I’ll be with you in just a moment Horus, head back inside,” I called out. The man turned around and hobbled back to his cabin in the woods. By the time he got there, Owen and I would have probably caught up with him.

I walked back to the Jeep, to where Owen still sat on the hood, watching the world go by. Knowing he’d heard what Lesander had said made approaching him all the more difficult.

“Are you alright?” I said.

He shrugged. “F-fine,” he stammered. He was brave-facing it, I could tell. “Are you? It got pretty intense for a second there.”

He was so keen to change the subject, it unnerved me, closing me off at the first opportunity. I stepped across to him, closing the distance between us and put my hand on his thigh. He tensed a little under my touch, but quickly relaxed, suddenly letting out a breath.

“You’re sure everything’s alright,” I said softly, suddenly aware of the people nearby, watching us. I wondered if that was what was putting him off.

He nodded. “I’ll be alright,” he replied.

“Come with me into Horus’ cabin,” I said. “I don’t really want to leave you out here alone.”

“Got a target on my back, do I?” He tried a roguish smile but I could see the fear behind the façade. He was uncomfortable. I hated that he felt uncomfortable.

“Not at all,” I said, placing a hand on his knee. “You’re with me, you’ll be fine.”

He flashed a sort of half smile off me and jumped off the hood of the Jeep. We were so close to each other now, multiple parts of our bodies were touching. I flushed.

“It’s this way,” I said, leading him away.

We both walked towards Horus’ cabin in the middle of the woods. Dad had said Horus had liked living a little further from the rest of the pack, said that, even when he was younger, Horus couldn’t stand the noise. I sort of knew where he was coming from. I liked that my cabin was a little bit further away from everything.

Owen followed me close, following the steps that I was making, probably treading in my actual footprints if there were any. When we got to the door, he stopped behind me, at my shoulder, a little shadow. I knocked.

“You don’t need to knock,” Horus shouted from within. “I’ve invited to here, come inside for goodness sake.”

We walked in to find Horus sitting in an armchair, a teapot on the coffee table, three cups sat waiting. He leaned forward and poured the tea, he didn’t ask, he just did it.

“Are you going to introduce me to your friend, or are you just going to let me call him boy from now until eternity?”

“You’ll call him boy whether you know his name or not,” I quipped, which got a smile out of him. “This is Owen Smith,” I added. “He’s from Lakeshore and joined us at the last Howl.”

“Ah,” Horus said. “Interesting pack Lakeshore, not particularly open. I’m surprised you were allowed to trade, Owen.” He said Owen’s name like he was making a point and Owen actually laughed a little. Even in his later years, Horus could still charm practically anyone, not that he’d really bothered to since his partner passed away. “Welcome to Eastwind. I hope Dante is treating you well.”

“Of course he is,” Owen said, flatly. “I’m wearing his clothes, staying in his cabin, he’s cooking for me and everything.”

“Well,” Horus said through a chuckle, “The pair of you seem to have it made already. How very sweet.” Owen blushed. I felt the heat rising to my cheeks too.

“What was it you wanted to speak to me about, Horus?” I asked.

“Take a seat,” he said, “The pair of you. And drink your tea before it gets cold, it’s good for you.”

We sat with him and we drank the tea, Horus taking a moment to gather his thoughts before he started to speak.

“I wanted to check in with you first of all,” Horus said, putting his teacup down on the table. “Everything alright since…” he trailed off and his eyes flicked to Owen and then back to me. “Since the accident.”

It was hard to know which accident he was referring to exactly. There had been two and both of them still felt pretty fresh despite happening nearly two years ago.

“Lesander has given me cause to worry,” he said. “Since his father’s death, he’s been incredibly angry, rash even. Today also seems to highlight his recklessness, would you not agree? Running his mouth, attacking Eric... I…I would hate for him to do something stupid in his anger.”

“I’m keeping a close watch on him–”

“You promoted him in your council, which surprised me,” Horus said. “I know you two are close but the promotion seemed out of place for one so reckless.”

“It was so I could keep an eye on him,” I said. “I have faith in Lesander,” I added. “He’s a good man, trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Horus said. “And I trust that what you’re doing for this pack is right. But I worry about Lesander and today only gives me further cause to worry. Know that I am keeping my eye on him.”

“Don’t worry, Horus,” I said, trying to not let my own worries seep into my brain. “I thank you for your support. I’m keeping him close.”

We stayed with Horus for a little while longer but I still had my rounds to complete, so we had to leave. Owen had remained rather quiet through the whole visit, but he drank his tea gladly and spoke whenever Horus spoke to him. I wanted to make sure he was okay, he seemed rattled by what had happened with Lesander.

When my rounds were finished and Horus’ worries were eased, I started to drive away from the camp, looking around the rest of the reserve, to the places that were Eastwind Pack territory. There were miles upon miles of forest that stretched out as far as the eye could see, there were trails that humans often walked when they were looking to experience the great outdoors, there were hidden streams and waterfalls, all sorts of places that, should need to run and hide from an attack we could. There were a lot of other packs that were more exposed than we were, ones that had to reside in towns or on town outskirts. They were vulnerable and easy targets, which is most likely why they were attacked.

I knew that Lakeshore, while not too far from where we were, were mostly on the outskirts of a small but bustling town that was (funnily enough) near some lakes. It hurt to think that Owen was under the impression that other packs didn’t care because no one came to their aid. I was glad that I could at least help in some way.

I took us to a lookout that I knew had a pretty spectacular view, wanting to talk to Owen but wanting to be far enough away from the rest of the pack so that if it erupted into something, they wouldn’t see or hear it. What happened in the car with Lesander was certainly a misstep, one that he would likely have told a lot of the pack about already.

I slid out of the car and stood out on the ridge, looking out at the trees far below, at the sun slowly setting on the horizon. Owen followed closely behind. I could feel him coming ever closer to me, standing a little bit away from my shoulder just like he had been all day, like a cold and uncertain shadow.

“It’s really beautiful out here,” he said, somehow managing to make it sound like the view was both awe inspiring and sad at the same time.

“Are you okay?” I said quietly, not wanting it to sound aggressive or like I was attacking him in any way.

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“You’ve been quiet all day,” I said. “I mean, I’m okay with you being quiet, of course I am, but I want to get to know you.” I heard him shuffling around where he stood. “You could at least stand next to me. That would be a start.”

He moved so he stood with me now, both of us now overlooking the forest. I heard him sigh. I turned to face him.

“There’s just been a lot going on these past couple of days, I’m sure you can appreciate that,” he said, now turning to face me too. We were so close to each other, once again at a distance like we’d had on that first night. “I’m finding my feet,” he said softly, getting closer still.

He leaned his head on my chest and I wrapped my arms around him like it was instinct. He fit right there in my arms and he seemed to relax where he stood.

“This is so different from Lakeshore,” he said into my chest. “I’m used to dying to get the slightest bit of affection or closeness from my mom or my friends there. Here it’s different.”

“I don’t want to put pressure on you,” I said.

“Everything you’re giving me is what I think I want,” he said. “It’s what I’ve been lacking. But I’m working out what to say and how to be and how to not push people, you specifically, away. And obviously it’s not great when there are people here who don’t like me.”

“Not people, fuck what people say,” I said, running circles across his back with the tips of my fingers. “Lesander. Eric doesn’t feel that way, I’m sure. That’s why he was going to rip Lesander’s throat out.” He did an adorable little snort giggle. I kissed the top of his head, breathing him in. “Don’t feel like you have to rush to figure out who you are here,” I said. “I want to get to know you but not at the expense of you feeling uncomfortable.”

He lifted his head up so he was facing me. We were so close together I could feel his breath on my face. “You’re so sweet, Dante,” he said. “I...I never knew that you could do that whole alpha thing one minute and then switch to being this sweet guy the next, with Raymond it was always one way.”

“You say sweet, others say naive,” I parried.

“Fuck what others say,” he said.

He leaned forward and I couldn’t help myself, finding that I was leaning towards him too. He placed his lips softly on mine and it felt like the whole world erupted around me. Colors burst behind my eyes, sounds were suddenly louder in my ears and I kissed him back. I could feel myself kissing him back, allowing my mouth to open slightly so my tongue could dance with his.

My hands migrated to his waist, and our bodies instinctively moved closer to each other. His hands found his way to my lower back and I suddenly realized how quickly this was moving.

As quickly as it had started, I stopped it by softly pulling away. I didn’t want to scare him; I didn’t want him to think that this wasn’t what I wanted for us.

“What is it?” he breathed, his forehead leaned against mine.

“Nothing,” I said, looking right into his eyes and seeing their hunger, seeing their longing. At least I hoped I did. “Do you want to have dinner with me?”

He blinked, moving a little bit away from me. “What are you talking about? We had dinner together last night,” he smiled. “And we had breakfast this morning.”

“Not like that, not like roommates,” I said quickly. “I mean a date.”

“You’re… you’re asking me on a date?”

I nodded. He reached out and took hold of my hand. “Okay Dante,” he said. “Let’s go on a date.”