By the time Damian made his way back downstairs, it was late afternoon. His father was nowhere to be found, and his mother was cleaning the dishes.

“What’s for dinner?” Damian asked, causing his mother to jump.

“We had duck. Would you like some?” Calista asked.

“No. I hate duck. You guys eat weird. We should be eating more venison,” Damian said. “We are Wolves, you know.” He opened the refrigerator door and peered inside.

“You’re more than welcome to hunt for your food, or go to the butcher and buy your own.”

He slammed the door shut. “Oh, so you’re in on it too now? Fine, fuck it. I get it. I’ll just go hunt.”

“Damian,” Calista called to him, but he stormed back up the stairs to his room, slamming the door behind him. Within minutes he rushed back down the stairs.

“Damian!” she called.

“What, Mother?” He ground out. He continued to face the door without turning to face her.

“Don’t take that tone with me. And don’t walk away from me,” she huffed. “Where are you going?”

“Out. For. Food. I’m hungry, remember?”

“Good, go. I can’t deal with you when you act like this. And you wonder why your father still treats you like a child. Maybe once your belly is full, you’ll be a nicer person.”

“Whatever.” Damian spun on his heels toward his mother. He stepped within inches of her. “Maybe when I’m Pack Alpha, I’ll be nicer.”

Without hesitation, Calista slapped Damian across the face.

“Don’t you dare talk like that in this house! You know what it takes to become Alpha, and for you to say that? What’s wrong with you?”

Damian growled, then left without another word. He’d never made his mother so mad that she threatened him, or slapped him. He was mad as hell, his feeling were hurt, but mostly he was confused why he had been so brazen when talking to her. He’d been irritable since he woke up, and his hunger pangs rumbled deeper into his gut than ever before.

Damian sent a message to Maverick and Jordan, requesting them to join him on a hunt. By the time they both arrived, Damian’s Wolf was finishing a small rabbit. The two looked at each other, then back to their soon-to-be Alpha friend.

Looks like we’re late, Maverick said through his link.

Damian looked up at his Betas. You’re not late. This is my appetizer. I’m starving and have my sights set on much larger prey.

Have you heard all of the talk about you today? My pop was telling me the Mountain Lions are pissed about you hooking up with the Pumas last night, Jordan said.

I don’t give a rat’s ass. What are they going to do to me? Nothing! My dad’s Alpha and they’ll surely take it up with him, like they did the last time, Damian said before he sucked the last of the bunny meat into his mouth.

It’s not good to keep pissing off the Mountain Lions. You know, there’s rumor that they’re crazy as fuck, Maverick said.

Rumor? They are crazy, but they’re all meow and no bite. There a bunch of pussies. Damian laughed and his friends joined in. Enough about those lunatic cats -- let’s hunt.

The trio darted off deeper into the woods. Following Damian’s lead in the direction of the Mountain Lion land.

This is pretty dangerous, don’t you think? Maverick questioned them being right outside the fence that separated the common grounds with the Mountain Lion property. They were so close they could easily read the signs warning against trespassing. Maverick wasn’t one to cower, but knowing his friend had just enraged the cats the night before had him wary of this hunting location.

I’m telling you, they won’t do anything to us, Damian said.

I’m with Mav on this, D. This is like rubbing salt in an open wound. This is not a smart move, Jordan added.

Then go back. Both of you. I can hunt any fucking place I want and I want to hunt here. As long as I don’t cross the property line they can’t fucking do anything. Damian’s Wolf bared his teeth and growled.

Maverick and Jordan’s Wolves looked at each other. They knew they should leave, but couldn’t leave their friend there alone in case the Cats decided to do anything. There was no way they’d be able to live with themselves if their friend was attacked.

As the trio stalked the woods along the fence, a whooshing sound flew over Jordan’s head.

What the hell was that? he asked.

What? No sooner had Maverick asked the question than he, too, heard a whizzing sound fly too close for comfort overhead.

The Wolves stood still with their ears perked up, listening, while they scanned the area around them to try to identify what the buzzing was and where it might be coming from.

Damian! Jordan’s Wolf howled.

When Maverick and Damian turned their heads in the direction of their friend, they saw his hind quarters on the ground, his leg bleeding. They rushed over to him when another whoosh flew overhead.

Someone’s shooting at us; we have to get out of here. Jordan, you have to run! Damian said.

Jordan staggered to his feet and, after limping for a couple steps, he took off in a hobbling run behind his friends.

They ran several hundred yards before stopping near a group of large Douglas firs not far from a lake. Damian and Maverick looked at Jordan’s leg.

It’s a flesh wound. The bullet grazed you good, though, Damian said.

I’m going into the lake to wash it off, Jordan said.

I don’t know if it’s our Wolves someone is hunting or not, but to be safe, we should change back to our human form again, Damian said.

Good idea, Maverick replied.

The trio quickly shifted. As they made their way to the water, they noticed a very large buck with twenty-point antlers. His large black eyes stayed focused on the men as they helped Jordan hobble to the water.

“Do you think the Mountain Lions were shooting at us?” Maverick asked.

“Whoever it was, luckily for me, and all of us, they had bad aim,” Jordan scoffed.

“I wouldn’t have thought the Cats would do something like that, and I didn’t see anyone at all,” Damian replied. “There’s two ways to find out if it was the Cats, but I really don’t want to ask either of the options.”

“I’m guessing one is your dad,” Jordan said.

“Yeah, and he will be pissed off beyond words that we were so close to their fence.” Damian inhaled deeply and shrugged his shoulders. “The other option is ask the Head Cat himself, Xavier.”

“I don’t envy you. Let us know how it turns out,” Maverick said.

“There’s no way I’m talking to either without you both by my side. My father is going to completely flip the fuck out. But, the sooner I talk to him and face the music, the better.”