Damian's Wolf - 13. The Pack House

The bike rumbled comfortingly as Jordan pulled up to the wolf complex. He was nervous about this meeting, nervous about what it could mean for him and Damian.

Scanning the area carefully, the werewolf spotted the same man who had shown up to the bookstore the day before. He shut off his bike with a sigh, Damian climbing off.

Together, the wolf and the cat approached the man. Jordan placed his arm around Damian possessively, and the other wolf smiled at the gesture.

“Hello Jordan,” he smiled. “And I don’t believe I caught your name yesterday.”

“Damian.”

“Ah. I wasn’t aware you two were mates.”

“I didn’t want to claim him, but circumstances forced my hand,” Jordan said quietly.

“Mm. Was it an issue with turning him?”

Jordan nodded silently.

“That is understandable. Forgive me if this is too forward, but were you changed without your consent?”

“I was,” Jordan replied icily.

“I see. Understand that if we find the wolf responsible, he will be punished for what he did to you. We do not condone rape.”

“If I might ask before we go any further, how exactly did you find me?”

Ryan smiled slightly.

“Your scent. We don’t know where you lived before, but recently you marked a house as your own. I came across that mark and tracked the scent to your work.”

Jordan sighed quietly. So much for good deeds.

“I was just trying to keep wolves from abusing her generosity…”

“Whose?” Damian asked.

“Miss Stella. I was her visitor the day before she talked to us.”

“I don’t think she minds us. We have put feelers out, searching for her daughter, but it is slow going, trying to cross not only city barriers but also pack barriers,” Ryan said. “I hope we can reunite them soon.”

“And about Damian, will he be required to change if he is going to stay with me?”

“Not unless he wants to. Living here will make life a little dangerous for him, not least because he will be the only neko present. Your people are not as numerous in Astara,” Ryan said to Damian. “Now, why don’t we head to the office? You two will need to have guest badges until you decide whether you want to join the pack or not.”

“We don’t have to join to stay here?” Jordan asked.

“Again, you will not be forced to do anything. I know you have your doubts, but get to know some of the wolves here. You’ll find we aren’t really that bad.”

Motioning for Jordan to wheel his bike with them, Ryan waved to the elf in the guard house. A wrought iron fence slid open, and the trio entered the complex.

Jordan removed his clothes in a large closet, feeling like he was being tested. Not matter how he tried to take Ryan at his word, the werewolf was still nervous about all of this.

Jordan took a deep breath. He had never done anything like this before, and he worried if this was the final step in losing his sanity. But the pack needed the picture for whatever reason.

He didn’t have to dig deep, his wolf was always on the surface, except for when he was on the potion. With a guttural growl, the werewolf fell to his knees, fur sprouting from every inch of his body. He prayed he wouldn’t lose Damian over this.

Panting heavily as the transformation finished, Jordan felt part of his brain shifting, the presence of his wolf making itself heard with a long howl.

The door opened, Ryan looking down at the werewolf.

“Hey, try to keep the howling down. We aren’t all awake in the middle of the day,” the man smiled at him.

Jordan huffed, fighting with his wolf. This was why he never shifted outside of the full moon.

Pushing past the man gently, Jordan saw Damian staring at him with wide eyes. He padded softly to the neko, setting his head in Damian’s lap.

Slowly, the neko reached out, running his hand over Jordan’s head in wonder. Jordan’s tongue flicked out, licking Damian’s arm, and the cat giggled, wiping his arm on his shirt.

“Is this your first time seeing him wolf out?” Ryan asked.

“Yes. He doesn’t like people to know and I wasn’t with him over the full moon.”

Damian scratched behind Jordan’s ear and the wolf let out a happy whine.

“You look amazing like this,” the cat smiled at him.

Jordan huffed again, shaking his head.

“Well, let’s get this last picture and then I’ll take you to meet your roommate,” Ryan said, pointing Jordan toward a large square taped on the floor.

The wolf stood at a slight diagonal, staring at a low camera. There was a flash and he flinched, blinking the spots out of his eyes.

“Perfect,” Ryan said, sending him back to the closet to dress.

Jordan stepped out of the closet again, his eyes seeking out Damian immediately. Crossing the room to where the neko sat, Jordan pulled him to his feet and embraced him.

“You looked scared,” he said quietly.

“I was a little. But then I saw your eyes. You didn’t turn into the wolf, you were the wolf. If that makes sense.”

“Not really,” Jordan frowned.

Damian shrugged helplessly, Jordan releasing him.

The wolf was handed a laminated badge with a picture of him in both forms on it. He and Damian followed Ryan out of the office, the older werewolf pointing out features of the complex as they passed them. Other people were milling around the complex, not all of them in human form, and Jordan was shocked at how open they were with their wolves.

“There’s a gym and pool in there, the water is heated at night. Cafe is to the right, in that building.”

“Why do you have your own gym?” Jordan questioned.

“There are a few tools in there specifically designed for wolves, such as larger treadmills, a ball catching station-”

Ryan paused at Jordan’s grimace.

“Don’t reject it off hand,” he said. “It’s a good way to work on agility in both your forms.”

“Catching balls is for dogs.”

“And what are our wolves if not larger dogs?”

Jordan frowned, but let the subject drop. They walked along a grassy path, heading toward several long buildings lined up.

“You’re going to be in B24,” Ryan said, pointing to the second row of apartments. “Knock on the door and Lysander should be there to let you in.”

“Thank you sir,” Damian said quietly.

“It is no problem. Lysander can give you the rest of the tour and get you situated. If you stay long enough, rent is a gold a month each, paid on the first.”

“Isn’t that rather cheap?” Jordan asked.

“It is, but we generally don’t have many visitors. For pack members, rent is two gold a month, but they get discounts at pack owned stores.”

“So you get the extra coin from feeding us,” Jordan clarified.

“Pretty much,” Ryan agreed. “I have to run. I’ll see you around.”

The werewolf turned, jogging away, and Damian and Jordan looked at each other.

“Well, let’s get this over with,” Jordan sighed.

Jordan knocked on the door of the apartment, hearing the squeak of a bed on the other side of the door. The door opened, an elf standing in the opening.

“Hi, you must be Jordan. I-”

He froze in mid sentence, staring at Jordan. Jordan could feel the heat of the elf’s gaze, or was that the heat of his wolf?

Long white hair framed dusky skin, the purest blue eyes Jordan had ever seen staring into his.

“Ours…”

Jordan could only stare in shock. This shouldn’t be possible, but it was.

He had two mates.