Spirit Wolves - 11. Chapter 11

Zev woke to a loud cracking sound followed by an even louder “FUCK!” His eyes shot open and as his vision came into focus all he saw was Ben arching his back as his bones started to contort. Shit. It was finally time for Ben’s wolf to make an appearance.

The previous day had started with a call from one of Logan’s contacts. The man thought he had seen a pup that had gone missing from a pack in northern California. He wasn’t positive, but he was able to give a decent description of the man with the boy. Cooper had managed to get into a website that advertised young boys with unusual talents. He was still trying to break through the added security levels the site had set up. It was a slow going process.

The day was half over when he noticed the missed call and text. Cell service wasn’t the best where they were. It wasn’t abnormal for calls and messages to come through hours after they were sent.

Zev hadn’t expected a call from the shifter who he’d run into at the airport a few days ago. He and Caleb both had been surprised at the information they had found out. The four shifters were scheduled to arrive later this morning.

This was not exactly the best time for Ben to have his first shift, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it. His wolf whined at its mate’s distress, but Zev just pushed him back. He’d have his chance once the change was complete. Past experience with his own first shift, as well as other pack members, was a good indicator that the process would take a few minutes.

He had fibbed a little when he told Ben that it would hurt. In reality he knew his mate was feeling like he was being torn apart from the inside out. Female shifters said it was almost as bad as giving birth without anesthesia. If it was almost as bad, he was glad he would never have to experience what could be worse. Somehow expelling another living being from your body seemed like it trumped shifting. Shifting,at least, was over in a few moments. He couldn’t imagine that type of pain for hours on end.

Zev watched in fascination as his mate's body sprouted fur the same shade of sandy blond that was on Ben’s head. His bones shifted and his skin rippled as the change took over. To Ben’s credit, after the initial curse, his vocalizations settled into a cadence of loud grunts, moans and heavy panting. It took close to ten minutes for everything to settle into its new formation and in the end Zev was staring at a mirror image of his own wolf, just slightly smaller.

Ben’s ears twitched as he realized his senses were heightened. Zev watched with amusement as his mate inhaled deeply through his nose and tried to sort through the various smells that surrounded them, snorting and sneezing when it became too much. He was pleased when Ben’s eyes lit up as he recognized Zev’s scent, highly intensified by his wolf’s keen nose.

Zev saw Ben’s beautiful, green eyes landed on him. He laughed when Ben seemed startled when his tail started wagging furiously. Ben took a few clumsy steps in his direction, not used to needing four legs to move his body. Zev let him take a few laps around the room to get used to the new movement.

“You are absolutely beautiful,” he told his mate, still blown away that Ben’s markings were identical to his, right down to the threads of silver, white, black and mahogany along the sides of his neck. Zev’s wolf whined insistently, needing to be released so he could get to his mate. Zev’s bones popped and snapped quickly, his change lasting mere seconds compared to the agonizing minutes it took Ben. Soon enough, Ben would be shifting just as quickly.

Zev’s wolf immediately rubbed itself along Ben’s flank, marking the wolf as his. He pressed his nose under Ben’s tail, inhaling the unique musk his mate created. The wolf zeroed in on the scent of the pheromones that assaulted his sense of smell, alerting him that his mate was aroused. Zev’s nose pushed underneath his mate and his raspy tongue flicked out over the red tip of Ben’s penis as it unsheathed itself. Ben’s wolf whined. Zev’s need rose sharply as his wolf took control, its tongue bathing its mate’s cock.

Zev never had sex in his wolf form, as it was something that was generally reserved for mates. Instinct took over and as Ben’s wolf’s tail swished to the side, his own wolf took over completely, swiftly mounting Ben from behind and sinking his cock into the hole that was now pulsing with need. The wolf grasped Ben’s body with its front paws firmly and started pistoning his hips rapidly.

Wolves get right down to business and Zev’s wolf was no different from his wild cousins. Wanton need drove him deep into his mate’s body and Ben’s wolf reacted accordingly, whining and yelping with pleasure. Zev’s wolf drove in deeply and unloaded inside his mate as the base of his cock swelled in a knot, locking them together, riding out the spasms until his balls were drained. A puddle underneath Ben’s wolf on the floor was evidence of his completion.

Slowly the knot receded as Zev’s wolf licked his mate’s face, social grooming like his wild kin. As soon as Zev’s cock slipped from Ben’s tight ass he shifted back and gently encouraged Ben’s wolf to do the same. This time the shift was quicker, but was still drawn out for several agonizing moments. Finally Ben’s green eyes gazed into Zev’s acorn colored ones and he smiled in pure delight, laughter bubbling up from within. Zev joined in, loving the sound of Ben’s joy.

When the laughter subsided Ben looked at Zev with a sly smile. “You really are a horn dog aren’t you?”

Zev smirked at him and chuckled, “You really didn’t complain now, did you?”

“That was hot, wasn’t it?”

“You have no idea, Darling, no idea! I’ve never done that in my wolf form before,” he admitted.

“Well, I have no objection if your wolf wants to practice, just as long as my wolf gets a chance to tap some of your ass as well,”

“Anytime you want Mate, anytime,” Zev agreed. “Let’s take a quick shower. The shifters from that other pack will be here later this morning and I’m sure the rest of the day is going to be pretty busy.”

Ben nodded. “Do you think we have time for a short run in our wolf forms before they get here? Now that he’s here, my wolf wants to run. I’m not sure if I can control him if he decides to take over.”

Zev looked at his phone to see what time it was. It was still early and he figured if they took a quick shower and had cereal for breakfast they’d have time to run for an hour or so. “Let’s get moving then, no more fooling around. Your wolf can’t have it all. Don’t worry about controlling him, you’ll get the hang of it quickly. Your shifting will get faster too. You seemed to handle it pretty well.”

“I ain’t gonna lie. That hurt like a motherfucker. Both times, but believe me, it was worth it, soooooooo worth it!” Ben said as he grinned like a lunatic.

Zev laughed and prodded him toward the bathroom, where they managed to get clean without any detours.

When they entered the kitchen it was deserted. Zev reached into a cupboard for some bowls and told Ben to grab some cereal from the pantry. He laughed when Ben turned back toward him with a box of Peanut Butter Crunch in one hand and a box of Cocoa Pebbles in the other.

Ben grinned, his neck and ears reddened with a blush.

Zev watched with amusement as Ben poured both cereals into one of the large bowls he had taken down and then dumped some milk over the concoction. He walked over to the pantry and grabbed the giant box of Cinnamon Life and sat down next to his mate.

They were cleaning up their mess when Caleb came in and greeted them.

“Hey Caleb, Ben’s wolf showed up this morning and he’s itching for a quick run. I’m going to take him out for about an hour. We should be back by the time the shifters from Maryland get here,” Zev informed his Alpha.

Caleb nodded and reminded them not to lose track of time. “Mr. MacTire sent me a text right before they took off. They should be here in about two hours.” Then he smiled at Ben. “Congratulations, go enjoy your first run. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

“Thanks, I can’t wait!” Ben replied.

“Then let’s go!” prodded Zev as he gave his mate a playful swat on his ass. “I promise we’ll be back on time!” he said over his shoulder to Caleb as he ushered Ben out the back door.

The back of the house had a large expanse of lawn that was close to the size of a football field. The back deck was lined with two dozen wooden cubbies, similar to what one would find in a classroom. The pack used the cubbies to store their belongings when they shifted, especially if a large group was going for a run, which happened often in the summer.

Zev stripped off the sweatpants and t-shirt he had been wearing and quickly shifted. Ben followed suit and this time it took just under five minutes for his wolf to appear.

Zev dropped down onto his front paws, butt up in the air, tail waving briskly back and forth. Ben’s wolf jumped on him in a classic canine wrestling maneuver, grasping Zev’s wolf’s neck with his front paws and clamping his head in his jaws. Zev easily kicked him off using his hind legs and then took off running, eager to show his mate his territory.

They ran through the forest, zigzagging around trees and brush. They came out to a vast, flat valley, tall mountains way off in the distance. Zev put on a burst of speed, Ben’s wolf lagging behind, still not quite used to having four legs to control. He finally slowed down and halted when he came to a swift moving, shallow river. The air was crisp and cold and his breath was visible as he panted. As soon as Ben caught up they both quenched their thirst with the icy water and rested for a few moments. The pair made a beautiful sight, their sandy blond fur blending in with the dormant vegetation surrounding them.

Zev threw his head back and howled in sheer exuberance. Ben joined him, the sound traveling across the water, fading to a distant echo. Zev took off, trotting this time, occasionally jumping on his mate and just generally playing with him. It had been a long time since he had felt so free and wild. Having a new mate to introduce to the ways of the wild was thrilling for Zev’s wolf.

They meandered through the expanse of territory that Zev’s wolf called home, both of them leaving their marks along the way. Even in wolf form Zev could tell that Ben was amused every time his wolf lifted its leg to pee on a bush or tree. He was living proof that canines could smile. Zev loved seeing his new mate embracing the sense of freedom being in wolf form gave him.

Neither one of them was really paying attention to the time until all of a sudden their ears perked up at the sound of a distant howl. Zev recognized Caleb’s unique sound and immediately nipped at Ben’s flank to spur him along. They raced back toward the main house, eight paws going all out. Ben was able to keep up with Zev pretty well as he led the way back. Ten minutes of running at full speed finally brought them within sight of their goal.

They came barrelling across the large expanse of backyard and Zev seamlessly shifted back to human as they stopped at the stairs to the deck. Ben’s change once again took a few minutes to complete as Zev looked on to make sure his mate was OK.

Once Ben was done they climbed the stairs and grabbed their clothes from the cubby and dressed quickly. They could see the group of newcomers looking their way through the sliding glass doors. Not bothering to cover their feet they quickly went inside to greet the shifters from Maryland.

Zev went up to Caleb and tilted his neck and sent his gaze downward apologetically. “I’m sorry we’re late.”

Ben mirrored his mate’s actions.

“It’s alright boys, our guests were a little early. I believe you already know Hunter. Next to him is his mate, Kellan Lambert and this is Sebastian MacTire and his mate Reilly Kaplan. Let’s head into the living room. Apparently the sight of your wolves has caused a bit of a stir.”

Ben and Zev greeted their guests and neither one had a clue as to why their wolves would be upsetting to their guests.

Once everyone was settled Caleb addressed Sebastian, “Mr. MacTire, once again, welcome to my territory. It’s my understanding that you may have information on the missing pups?”

“Please, call me Sebastian and thank you for your permission to enter your territory. The past few days have been a complete whirlwind for us. One of our pups went missing three days ago. He was playing in his backyard. We reviewed the footage from security cameras that I had my company set up in several places in our community. The humans believe they are there for traffic safety. While going through the footage we spotted a U-Haul cargo van heading out of town during the timeframe when the pup disappeared. When we reviewed the footage from a few days prior we came upon this.”

Sebastian opened a folder he had with him and handed Caleb a couple of printouts of the image they had captured. “Reilly recognized the driver as one of his brothers.”

Caleb stared at the photo trying to figure out if he had ever seen him before. “How would Reilly’s brother be connected?”

Sebastian took a deep breath and spoke, “It’s a long story, but I think you need to know, so you can assess for yourself what we may be dealing with, but before I start, is there anyone else that you may want to be involved? Your Beta perhaps?”

Caleb nodded. “My Beta is next door, let me text him and ask him and his mate to come. It should only take a few minutes.” Caleb started tapping keys on his phone.

Five minutes later Wayne and Sandi entered and introductions were made. When everyone was settled back down Sebastian relayed Reilly’s history with the new group. He also explained the real story behind the legend of the Sentinels and how their wolves’ markings were negative images of one another and how it related to the legend.

Ben’s eyes widened at the description. “Is this what your wolves look like?” he interrupted, pulling up an image from his phone and showing it to Sebastian.

Sebastian looked perplexed as he looked at the photo Ben had taken of the painting in Silas’ house. He showed it to the others and asked them, “Do you think this is the painting that Rosalie said she saw as a child?”

Reilly stared at the image. “I don’t see how it could be anything else.”

Sebastian asked Ben to text him the image as he took his phone from his pocket and tapped it a few times.

Zev and the others couldn’t help overhear Sebastian as he spoke with whoever was on the other end

“Hey, I’m sending you a picture. Could you please show it to Rosalie and ask her if it’s what she saw as a child?” Sebastian asked.

Hunter leaned toward Zev and whispered. “He’s talking to our pack doctor. Rosalie is the pack matriarch and older than the hills. Over seven-hundred.”

Zev was impressed. That was ancient, even in the shifter world.

There must have been an affirmative response on Donovan’s end. Sebastian put the call on speaker as they waited for an answer.

When it came, it was from Rosalie herself. “Boys, where did you find this painting?” she asked.

“We’re here with the Montana pack. It belongs to one of their members. I’ll let him explain.” Sebastian looked at Ben expectantly.

Zev sensed his mate’s discomfort and moved closer to ease his nerves.

Um, hi. Well, uh, I was, um cleaning out Silas’ cellar one day and found it mixed in with a bunch of other pictures that had been there for who knows how long. Silas said it had been years since he thought about it,” Ben recounted.

“Silas? You don’t mean Silas Malone do you? Is that old cur still kicking?” Rosalie asked with a chuckle.

Caleb smiled, “Yes, Ma’am, the one and the same. I take it you two know each other?”

“Well of course! How many packs do you think were running around Europe 600 some odd years ago? The shifter world is pretty small. Silas’ original pack had the territory that bordered my original pack’s. We were on good terms and, if I remember correctly, it was one of my cousins that mated Silas. We ran into each other at many inter-pack events back in the day. I lost track of him when I found my mate. We eventually came to North America a few hundred years ago,” Rosalie told him. “How is the old coot anyway?”

Zev and Ben snickered at her remark and Caleb tried, but failed to hide his amusement as he answered, “He’s as cantankerous as ever ma’am.”

“Well make sure you tell him that I said hello,” she instructed.

“I will, I promise. Now could you please tell us if the picture we sent is the same painting you saw as a child?” asked Caleb.

“It certainly looks like it. It’s been a long time since I laid eyes on it. I believe that it was one of Silas’ ancestors that painted it, but my memory is not as sharp as it used to be. You’ll have to ask him.”

Caleb nodded. “He should be en route shortly. I believe that we’ve found the final piece of the puzzle. My nephew, Zev, recently found his mate, Ben. After Zev turned Ben, we discovered their wolves not only match, but they’re identical to the blond wolves in the painting.

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Rosalie answered, “There’s a reason all six of you are in the same place. You need to stop whoever this lunatic is that’s undermining our future. Our young need to be protected.”

Sebastian interjected at this point. “Rosalie, I asked you before if you thought that the Veil might be in jeopardy and you said that you didn’t think so. Do you still feel that way?”

“Honestly, at this point I’m not sure about anything. Tampering with genetic makeup of shifters can have devastating consequences. If it’s true that half shifted pups are being sold to humans then yes, I believe that the Veil may be at risk. The entire supernatural community has worked hard to shield the human race from knowing that we exist. If humans find out, it could be an all out catastrophe. We may have the advantage of our abilities, but they far outnumber us and if push comes to shove they could eradicate most of the supernatural world. They are a tenacious species. Humanity could be on the brink of discovering that the supernatural does indeed exist.”

Sebastian nodded and thanked Rosalie for her input before ending the call. Turning, he addressed the group, “I think Rosalie is right, we need to figure out exactly who is involved and put an end to it. There’s so much at risk. Humans absolutely cannot find out about us.”

“So what are we going to do?” Zev asked. He wasn’t great with shifter history, but he knew that if humans were to discover their existence, it would have devastating consequences.

“We need to look at the whole picture and what we have so far. Caleb, do you have a notebook I could use?” Sebastian asked.

Caleb nodded and left to go get it.

While he was gone, Sandi called over to the diner and asked them to send over a couple of trays of sandwiches for lunch. It would be easier to think once their appetites were taken care of.

While they waited for the sandwiches to arrive Sebastian busied himself writing down every scrap of information they all came up with. Zev and the others supplied whatever tidbit they could think of.

Looking over Sebastian’s shoulder, Zev couldn’t see any pattern, any rhyme or reason to what was written down. He was disappointed in himself.

He glanced over at his mate, his wolf needing some reassurance.

Ben looked puzzled.

“Excuse me, Sir," he addressed Sebastian. “Earlier you mentioned something called the ‘Veil’. What exactly is it?”

Everyone had forgotten that Ben was born human and only been a shifter for a couple of days. Caleb told Zev earlier that while they waited for them to return from their run, he explained to their guests how Ben had become part of their pack, and his human ability to ‘see’ supernaturals.

Sebastian expressed surprise that a human could actually see them.

“The Veil is a sort of shield that separates humans from other beings. You’re aware of animal shifters and vampires, yes?” he replied.

Ben nodded.

“What other species, for lack of a better word, have you encountered?” Sebastian asked.

Ben thought for a moment. “In addition to shifters and vampires, I can see hunters. I once saw someone who was able to control fire. I also ran into a normal guy who I’m pretty sure could see people’s auras and figure out what they meant. But, mostly just animal shifters. There were a few times when I saw someone who I really didn’t know what they were, just that they weren’t human. They shimmered.”

The other shifters nodded and Sebastian replied, “They were probably Fae, or in human terms, Faeries. Fickle creatures, most of them are like a Pomeranian on amphetamines.”

Ben snickered. That was the impression he had gotten too. “So how vast is this supernatural world?”

“Not as vast as it once was,” Sebastian replied. “Non-humans have been around a lot longer than humans. As you probably know, humans are the result of the evolutionary process. Science has you thinking that you evolved from the primate family and who knows, it may be partly true. Our belief is that humans evolved from supernatural beings who lost their abilities over time. They have an uncanny ability to procreate, much faster than supernatural beings, which is how they now far outnumber us. To answer your question specifically, the Veil is a shield of sorts. Think of it as magical energy that hides, or disguises any supernatural being. Take vampires for instance. The Veil allows them to live amongst humans and pass for one of them. As you’re aware, vampires are much paler than any human should ever be unless they’re dead and their features are much sharper and honestly, scarier. The Veil disguises that. We wolf shifters are usually taller and generally bigger than most humans. We’re built differently, but the Veil lets humans see us like they see themselves.”

“Ben, do you still ‘see’ our wolves like you did before?” Caleb asked.

“Yes, I still see an image of them, just like before, only now I can smell them too,” Ben replied.

“That makes sense. Any human that is turned never loses any talent or ability they have. If they are a gifted musician, they will still make beautiful music. If anything their talents become sharper, better, so to speak,” Sebastian remarked.

“So exactly how is this Veil in jeopardy?” Ben wanted to know.

“The Veil is a protection, and the strength of the protection is directly affected by the energy flowing around it. Human ignorance, at least when it comes to awareness of the supernatural, creates a stronger energy, which in turn, strengthens the Veil. We’d be foolish if we believed that no human anywhere was aware of our existence, but as we all know, a small percentage of humans are aware of our world,” Caleb explained.

“Like hunters.” Ben stated, rather than asked.

“Exactly. This whole situation makes me uneasy. First of all, our pups' lives are at stake. Secondly, if it’s true and the pups are somehow being frozen mid-shift and sold to predators, in all likelihood at least some of those predators are going to be human. If there’s one thing that law enforcement has taught me, it’s that child predators are the worst of the worst. If a human predator feels threatened, he will absolutely do anything to protect himself, including outing our existence. I’m honestly surprised we’ve been able to hide for so long with all the advancements in technology that’s been made the past hundred years,”

Caleb sighed and stretched his neck and shoulders. They had been sitting for the better part of the afternoon and everyone was tense and stiff from being immobile.

“So, you’re saying that if humans, as a whole, become aware of our existence, the Veil will collapse or disappear and all Hell may break loose?” Ben said.

All of the wolves answered together, “Exactly.”

“Damn.” Ben shook his head. If he was this overwhelmed, he couldn’t imagine what would happen if the Veil disappeared.

“So what’s next?” Zev asked.

“Nothing tonight,” Sebastian answered. “We eat, we get some sleep and we regroup tomorrow and come up with a plan.

The other shifters readily agreed, knowing that a new day would probably bring some fresh ideas.