Running with the Pack - 12. Chapter 12

Ethan awoke with his head on a bed of dense, curly, dark fur covering hard and chiseled pecs and abs. His hand gently grasped the hair as the last vestiges of sleep drifted away. An extreme sense of peace filled him and he would have happily stayed where he was forever if he could, listening to the heart beating below him and breathing in the spicy scent of his boyfriend. He didn’t move as he felt a strong hand gently stroke his hair.

Aiden smiled unable to believe how happy he felt gazing down at the blond head of hair resting on his torso, with a small hand embedded in his chest hair. He could tell by the breathing his pup was awake, yet neither wanted this moment to end. Finally, after inhaling deeply to fill himself with his boyfriend’s scent, it was Ethan who moved so he could peer up into Aiden’s eyes.

“Morning, Pup.”

“Morning.” Ethan yawned as he stretched to work out the kinks in his body. “Can we just stay like this forever?”

Grinning at the thought, he pulled Ethan up so he could give him a good morning kiss. “I would love that, but I think we’d need to get food at some point as well as take care of other needs.” At which point, Aiden rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

Once they showered and pulled on their underwear, Aiden went into the kitchen and began sorting out things for breakfast. Anytime Ethan tried to offer help, he was told to go sit at the counter. When Aiden finished, he set plates filled with omelets, home fried potatoes, pancakes, and of course bacon before them.

Ethan couldn’t stifle the giggle that erupted. “This looks and smells great, but you do realize this food weighs more than I do?”

They dug in and ate quietly, while occasionally stealing glances of the other. Ethan couldn’t finish all the food he was given and wasn’t surprised when Aiden did, and then ate his leftovers.

“That was great.” Ethan smiled as he stood up on his toes while pulling Aiden down to him for a kiss. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Pup.”

Ethan went about cleaning everything from breakfast. Like Aiden had done while cooking, Ethan told him to sit which he did. In a short time, all the dishes were done and put away.

“We have the pack meeting at noon. Anything you want to do for the next couple hours?”

Ethan silently though: “Make out and cuddle;” instead, he reached out for his boyfriend’s hand. “Want to go for a walk? I know you’ll be going for a run with the guys after the meeting.”

“Are you okay with me going on a run with them? I hate leaving your side and I don’t want to make you feel like you aren’t included.”

“I’ve got Casey’s family to talk to and I know you need your furry time. You also need to hang out with Trevor and Casey. Just because we’re dating doesn’t mean you have to give up your friends. I’m getting more comfortable around the pack too.”

Aiden once again searched Ethan’s eyes and knew his pup was honestly okay. He also knew he was falling hopelessly in love with Ethan Scott. The two walked around hand in hand with no particular destination in mind. All that mattered was being together.

******

The weekly meeting wasn’t held at the pack hall this time, but instead at the home of the alpha. Riding up the long driveway, the house finally came into view as the trees parted. Standing in the center of a massive meadow was an old style brick colonial mansion complete with four white columns across the front.

“Wow. The alpha lives here?”

“Yeah. His family’s been here for generations and has had time to build up several companies to make them very wealthy. They have about twenty-five acres. It goes well beyond the tree line over there into the forest. Pretty much everything around here was built to border the forest in some way. The pack owns a lot of the wooded areas between properties so it will always stay a green zone.”

“I guess since I’d only seen him around his office and the community hall I was just thinking of him like a mayor and a regular guy.”

Aiden had to laugh at the thought of his alpha being a regular guy. “I guess for the most part he is a regular guy, who just happens to be the leader of a wolf pack. He doesn’t flaunt his wealth or power and tries to use it to help the community, both lycan and human.”

As they walked towards a group that had already arrived, several people greeted them. Ethan’s natural instincts were to still shy away from strangers, but he did his best to be friendly and return the greetings. Mary Tucker was standing with her boys while Rafe was at the front of the gathering with the alpha and his beta. When she saw the two boys walking up, she gave them a motherly ‘Mhmm’ look before breaking into a knowing smile.

Aiden and Casey bumped fists, followed by him doing the same to Ethan. This had to be repeated with each of the younger Tucker boys. Trevor walked over about that time and the process started all over again.

Across the field stood Michael with a group of his friends. He locked eyes with the human teen in what would have been seen as a challenge to any lycan. Ethan held the stare and glared back, never blinking, never breaking eye contact, and never backing down. Casey and Trevor caught the unusual expression on their friend’s face and followed his glare to its source. Glancing between the two, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Aiden, finally noticing what was going on, was getting angry his mate was being so obviously challenged, but also proud he was not backing down. It was Michael who finally averted his eyes from Ethan’s glare and moved so one of his friends was between him and the line of sight of the latest person to best him. Because of the sunlight, no one noticed the faint blue glow nearly hidden in Ethan’s already brilliant blue eyes, nor did anyone notice the cooler filled with water a few feet behind him had frozen into a solid block of ice.

The meeting lasted about an hour. It broke up with different groups going out to either run or hunt and some of the younger pack members taking advantage of the alpha’s swimming pool. Aiden watched Ethan, still uncertain about going for a run with his pack mates.

Smiling and giggling, Ethan told him flat out: “Go!” Glancing at Casey and Trevor, he added, “You guys have a great run.”

Trevor gave a laugh while turning towards Aiden. “You heard your mate. Let’s go.”

Once they were gone, John Stockdale came over. “Ethan, it’s good to see you. I have some people I’d like you to meet if you’re up for it.”

Not wanting to offend the man, he nodded and followed the pack’s leader. Mary gave Jack, Ryan, and Zach a nod to go with him.

The alpha led them over to a group of older lycan; most looked like they were getting on in years though still seemed vibrant and strong. “Ethan, these are some of the pack elders. A few served on the council when my father was in charge. They help preserve our history and teach the younger generations what they know.” The man spoke with a reverence Ethan hadn’t seen before. “I wanted you to meet them so they could talk to you and help teach you about pack life and being lycan. Gentlemen, this is Ethan Scott, mate of Aiden Jacobs.”

The group of men shook his hand and motioned for him to take a seat. The Tucker kids sat down around Ethan so he could see them from either side. Other kids from the pack wandered over knowing it was essentially story time with the elders. Ryan and Zach bumped fists with their friends while Jack tried to act like the normal teenager who was above kid stuff.

“Ethan, it’s a pleasure to meet you finally. My name is James. These others are Patrick, Dylan, Richard, and the redheaded mutt over there is Seamus.” Each one nodded when their name was mentioned. “I’m not sure what Aiden has told you so far, so let’s just start with Lycanthropy 101 and go from there.”

“That sounds great, sir. I really want to learn about this stuff.”

“All throughout time there have been legends of shape shifters. Many of them go back to ancient Egyptian times and the various gods and goddesses that were said to have taken on forms other than human. One of the many Egyptian gods was Wepwawet, believed to be son of Set. He was a god of war and hunting and almost always depicted as a wolf. He is thought to have given the gift of shape shifting to the guards of his temples, which allowed them to turn into wolves.

This is where our lycan origins are believed to come from.” James was an animated storyteller, talking with his hands as much as his mouth and clearly enjoying the subject. “Sekhmet, the daughter of Ra, was a goddess of war in the same region of Egypt and usually depicted as a lioness. To protect her temples from Wepwawet’s guards and warriors, she turned her own guards to lions. Likewise, Horus created falcon and hawks with his, and Bastet turned hers into cats. Anubis, who is thought to be the brother of Wepwawet and another son to Set, turned some of his temple guards into jackals or as they are called here, coyotes. This gave rise to the many shape shifters or were creatures.“

The older lycan paid attention to all his listeners but concentrated on Ethan.

“Depending on each god’s ties to celestial bodies, their various shifters would be bound to the lunar or solar cycle, only turning with the power of the moon or sun. As such, those the gods turned were referred to as Solaris or Lunaris. The first guards that were given this gift were eventually given the ability to pass it on through a bite when in their animal form. Thus allowing them to create more soldiers when needed if conflicts arose. It’s also believed the gods included an allergy to silver and sometimes gold in the gift to keep the guards from developing sticky fingers around the temples treasures. That allergy still persists in us and burns like hell.

“As one group would attack another and drive them from its territory, the gift in their blood would expand to different parts of the world.” James was having a ball as he danced around in a mock battle with an unseen opponent. “Our stories tell us the gods in other parts of the world saw what was happening—the spread of what they thought of as the Egyptian curse—and began creating their own were creature forces, including tigers and even dragons. The dragon clans rarely left Asia or Europe though. Some would pass the gift to others with a bite, willingly or unwillingly infecting those people with the lycanthropy virus. Others took mates and began having offspring with the lycanthropy gene passed on between generations.”

Aiden had returned from his run and sat next to Ethan to listen. Wrapping his arm around his mate, he kissed the side of his head much to the happiness of some elders and the annoyance of others.

James nodded in approval at the couple’s display of affection. He continued his lesson into lycan Egyptology with gleeful delight. “So, with Sekhmet and Wepwawet, solaris lions are her followers, lunaris wolves are his. The war between the followers of the two gods eventually forced the lions to flee Egypt and go into hiding all over the world as Wepwawet’s forces were far greater than Sekhmet’s.

“There was one other faction of lycan that came out of Egypt in this great odyssey. The followers of Anubis, the Jackal God, knew of the plot against Sekhmet and her solaris lions, but could do nothing to stop it as he was neutral in the fight. He was however drawn into the conflict, being a god of the dead. Sekhmet appealed to her fellow god and Anubis relented; he tried to broker peace.

“Anubis attempted to convince Wepwawet to end his war with Sekhmet. When he refused, Anubis broke his neutrality and sided with her over his brother because he was unable to guide the large number of souls to the underworld. Too many were dying because of this war. Most of them humans caught up in the fighting between opposing armies.

“Those of his order were known to be guides. It was the jackals who guided followers of Sekhmet north to the Mediterranean and across the great sea to what is now Crete and beyond into Greece. To increase their odds of survival, they split with one group going into Greece seeking refuge in the Kingdom of Arcadia. Sanctuary was granted even knowing the Egyptian curse that was Sekhmet’s lions and the wolves of Wepwawet who hunted them.”

Ethan’s chin rested on his knees; he listened in awe to the tale spun by the elder. The younger lycan, who had heard these stories before, sprawled out on the grass with varying degrees of interest.

Richard took over at this point. “In Greece, the followers of the goddess Artemis, known as the Nymphs of Artemis, had all taken a vow to remain virgins. One of her most faithful followers was Callisto. Wanting to have sex with her, Zeus—being the horn dog and master of disguise he was—came to her disguised as Artemis and impregnated her. Artemis was outraged by this, and as she was unable to do anything against her father Zeus, she transformed Callisto into a bear as a form of punishment before Callisto gave birth to Zeus’ son named Arcas. Callisto was also given the power to turn others into bears creating many soldiers in the name of her goddess.

“When the wolf warriors of Wepwawet came, they attempted to storm the Temples of Artemis where the lions were hidden. Artemis was enraged by this affront. She commanded Callisto and her bear soldiers to defend the temples and protect the lions from the wolves. Callisto and her troops held off the wolves long enough for the lions to escape with a contingent of bear guards and their jackal guides.

“Their travels took them north, across the continent, replenishing their forces along the way, always trying to stay one step ahead of the relentless wolf hunters and spreading the lycan gift across the lands in the process. They traversed what is now Russia and then back south through Mongolia to the Chinese coast where they were cut off by the sea, allowing several wolf packs to finally catch up to them.”

Richard pretended to be one of the wolf hunters stalking towards the younger pups, readying for battle. The youngsters’ reactions varied from laughter to indifference with a dash of fear in some.

“The few remaining bears, lions, and jackals fought a fierce battle against the many wolf packs that had finally trapped the group. The local people seeing the fight called to their gods for help. As the wolves were the only shifters in the fight using the area’s population to increase their numbers. The gods of the region sent several clans of lycan dragons, snow and clouded leopards, and pandas into the battle to assist in eradicating the attacking wolves. In the end, only a handful of the lions were believed to have endured along with one of the bears, before the wolves were finally defeated. The dragon, leopards, and panda clans took in the survivors, allowing them to finally live in peace after so long on the run.”

Suspecting what the reaction would be, he raised a hand in a preemptive move. “Before any of you ask, no, I haven’t seen a werepanda. I don’t know if they’re real and I know a panda isn’t a predator. Best I can suggest is imagine Kung-Fu Panda.” His theatrics for a martial arts kick nearly landed him on the ground causing giggles from the pups.

“Remember when I said the jackal’s leading the lions split up with one group heading to Greece? The other contingent traveled into the territory of King Lyncus of the Scythians.”

“King Lyncus? Is this the story of Demeter and how she turned the king into a lynx for killing her emissary?” One of the young pups asked.

“Very good. That’s correct, but is not entirely accurate.” Richard was pleased at least one of the pups had paid attention to prior lessons. “The Greek mythological figure, Triptolemus had come to the Scythians from the great city of Athens, though no one knew by what method he traveled. When asked, he said, ’Neither by boat or air, horse or foot, a great rift opened before me which I stepped through to be here.’ He told the king he brought the gifts of Demeter, goddess of the harvest, for the king’s people. Adding: ‘If you scatter them through the wide fields, they will give you back fruitful harvests, and ripening crops.’ The king wanted the knowledge for himself and welcomed Triptolemus as a guest. The Scythian ruler attacked the visitor with a sword while he slept. As he was about to plunge the sword into Triptolemus’s chest, Demeter turned the king into a lynx. When the people found out about the king’s treachery and selfishness, he was forced to flee. He joined up with the lions and jackals, making his escape.”

Seamus spoke for the first time with a thick Irish accent. “At some point, the lunar and solar gods reached an accord to end their wars. They decided there had been enough fighting and death between the factions. For the first time, there was peace among the various breeds of shifters. Up until then, either side could transform only during their given cycle, when the moon or sun were up. As a reward to their followers, the ability to transform most anytime was granted to them. The gods also saw how many of their creations had flourished after the wars. Lycan were passing their ability to transform through mating, more so than by turning a human. This was a new phase of existence for our kind.”

Ethan and the others listening were riveted to the history lesson.

The Irish lycan stood and paced before the pups. “Since we were no longer turning humans in great numbers, the gods began to create a specific mate for each of their children. A pairing that would complete each other and make them whole. While a lycan could mate with anyone and imprint on that individual, their destined mate was the other part of their soul. In most cases, this mate is the same species, but not always as is obvious with Aiden and Ethan. They don’t make it easy for mates to find each other, but like with their wars, it is a game to be played out for their entertainment. When mates find each other it is a wondrous thing that should be protected and celebrated.” Whether to catch his breath or to allow his words to sink in, Seamus paused for a moment.

“A lycan finding a destined or true mate in a human is a rare thing and the wisdom of Mother Nature or whatever gods might still exist should not be questioned.” Seamus stood with his arms crossed before a pair of elders that weren’t part of the history teachers. “With many animals, a mating pair is for just what it sounds like, to mate and produce young. Nature knows what the earth can handle, so she knows when and who to pair someone with to produce or not produce offspring. When it is a mixed species mating, only one animal will be the dominant trait in each offspring. So mixed parents may end up with one of each or all of one type depending how many kids they have. Children of those matings never receive the ability to take both their parents’ animals.

“In your case, Ethan, if you do go ahead with the mating and accept the lycan gift from Aiden, you will turn the first full moon after you receive your bite. As well as each subsequent one for several cycles. You won’t be able to resist your lunar change for a while. But you will be able to transform anytime you want after that first shift. There will always be a pull from the moon, but eventually it will not force you to shift.”

Ethan shuddered as the reality of what he faced sank in. Aiden pulled him a bit tighter against his body which calmed the human boy immediately.

“You will develop an allergy to silver even before your change. Old scars on your body will disappear. If you’re wounded, the injury will heal much faster, especially if you shift. That is unless they are from silver and that leaves a scar that never goes away. There will be enhancements to sight and hearing as well as strength and stamina.”

Ethan gasped, it all sounded like superpowers a comic book hero would have. That he would be the one with those powers was incredible.

“Most important though, your first change will hurt like a son of a bitch. And there is always a chance that first change could kill you. That said, there is always a chance the sun could explode or the moon could come crashing into the earth. You would have your mate at your side to help guide you through the change and you would be getting turned by a very strong wolf. When your heart is ready, you will decide what is right for you.”

Dylan picked up where Seamus left off. “Going back to the history lesson, some species of lycan are believed to have died out over time. Depending who you speak with, they’ll tell you the solaris are a myth, few in numbers or extinct. Based on their experience with our kind, it is reasonable to assume they keep their distance out of fear some will try and complete the old wars. The ancient stories tell of large dragons flying over Europe, laying waste to the lands. They’re too prevalent not to have some basis in fact. If the dragons still survive, they’ve remained hidden to prevent their own extermination by humans. There are still rumors of dragons in Asia. The loss of any breed is a loss to us. As is the case with all creatures of nature, the strongest will survive while the weaker breeds pass into history.”

Finally, it was Patrick’s turn to speak. “With the lycan wolf, which is what most people seem to think of, there are two different types. All of us here are what is called Canis Lupus Lunaris. We are bound to the pull of the moon and take on the shape of a full wolf. Only larger in most cases and definitely stronger than a natural one which is also called Canis Lupus. When in our animal form, the wolf’s mind is at the forefront and the human portion of our mind takes a backseat. That’s not to say we lose our human thought or control. I’d describe it like watching or playing a video game when I shift. I can see and hear it all and I can exert my own will over the wolf to take some of the actions I want. But like a game, I’m bound by some rules I can’t alter. It can sometimes be a battle between the human and lycan sides of the mind. With the latter’s instincts wanting to have control.

The elder began stalking around, back slightly hunched, his arms up and hands opened like they should have claws. He was walking around on the balls of his feet and growling at the pups.

One of the Zack Tucker’s friends called out, “Lunis.”

“That’s right. The other wolf is Canis Lunis Lunaris that appears as a bipedal creature. It’s a hybrid between a wolf and human and where most of the werewolf legends come from. They are similar to an alpha’s hybrid shift and look almost identical. Though an alpha is considerably stronger and more powerful. A lunis will appear in a smaller form when they shift outside of a full moon, but unlike us, the lunis must always shift to their wolf form at those times. It’s what they call their lunar form and it tends to be much larger than their non-lunar one. They still have their full human mind with the instincts of a wolf when they shift. And they can still speak as a human in their animal form which is a trait us lupus don’t have. While their wolf is still present in their mind, it is a case of more instinct than the shifting of minds when they turn. Some packs consider the lunis a lower form of shifter, though they are no different than us. A lupus might give birth to a lunis sometimes and a lunis pair might give birth to a lupus. It is believed to be a variation in the lycan gene. Most species of shifters are believed to have a lunis variant.

Patrick swept his arm, pointing to the group sitting before him and off to where adults had gathered after they returned from their run.

“All wolves are social creatures. There are packs all over the world. Ours is one of the larger in the northeastern part of the country. We are also territorial creatures that will fight for what is ours. Wolves, as well as other shifters, don’t enter a pack territory without permission. Just driving down a freeway someplace doesn’t count as entering a territory normally since it wouldn’t be right to prevent travel on major highways.

“I know you’ve met our top three leaders. In addition to them, there are also warriors, trackers, and hunters.” Patrick’s tone took on a level of respect for the groups he mentioned. “The hunters usually patrol the territory and deal with small issues that come up. Some of the hunters are human or other types of lycan and some are wolf, but all of them have some tracking ability. The trackers are just that, their nose is highly trained to pick up the slightest trace of someone or something’s scent. They will track any threat and help guide the hunters when needed. In our pack, all trackers are wolves since we have the best nose to pick up a scent. Our warriors defend the territory and it’s people in the event of a large scale attack, much like an army. It’s very rare, but sometimes a pack or rogue wolves might attack another. And that concludes out history lesson for today.”

All five of the elders that spoke stood to take a theatrical bow before the pups and young men. The pups clapped as they stood and wandered off to find their parents.

James kept an eye on Ethan while the other elders spoke. It was as though he was trying to read the boy. He could see Ethan trying to absorb all he was told about lycan history, sitting in awe of the lesson. He wasn’t sure if it was real, but thought he noticed a faint blue glow in the human’s bright eyes. The only beings that possessed a blue glow like that were something out of legend, yet the teen before him was human. He thought it must be a trick of the light.

Ethan sat in information overload. All of the others had heard the stories many times so were not as overwhelmed. Everyone thanked the elders and Ethan finally stood and went up to each of them. “Thank you for helping me better understand this world I’m in now.” He turned his attention to Aiden. “Man. I never imagined there was so much mythology behind it. Even with the few species I’ve met, I’d love to see them all in their animal form. It would be so cool to see a dragon or even a panda if they do still exist.” He giggled a bit. “Werepanda sounds cute, but werebear sound better since it rhymes. I’m surprised they didn’t call it a weredragon or wereleopard in the story.” He lowered his voice to a whisper as he remembered what Aiden had told him before. “If werewolf is offensive why do they use the terms werebear and werepanda?”

Aiden shrugged, not knowing the answer. “Probably because it’s someone else and not us.”

The alpha walked up behind them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Well, I see these guys didn’t bore you to death.”

“It was really cool listening to the stories. I don’t know what to believe as myth versus fact, but since so many types of lycan exist, there has to be some truth to the legends.” Ethan felt excited over his newfound knowledge.

******

Across the field, a group of wolves returned from the forest and began shifting back to human. Watching the alpha and elders talking to Ethan rubbed Michael’s fur the wrong way. “First Aiden brings his pet here, then my father accepts it over his own son, his enforcer takes it in, and now the elders fawn over it. What the hell is with that human? It doesn’t belong here. This is a wolf pack, not a stray shelter.” His lips curled up at one corner. “Guess we could be like some shelters and put the stray down after ten days. We need to get rid of it to protect the pack and teach Aiden a lesson.”

One of his friends stood shaking his head. “Dude. There are humans living around here and a few working for the pack already. My girlfriend’s human. You saying I should dump her even if I’m in love with her? How many did you fuck in high school or since we graduated?”

“What’s so different about this one? Remember, he’s under the alpha’s protection.” Another of his friends queried. “What can you hope to do that won’t earn you more punishment from your dad? Are you sure you’re not just jealous of him for some reason? Or perhaps of Aiden?” There was a slight sneer to the last part that Michael didn’t notice.

“Fuck off, assholes. Hell will freeze over before I’ll be jealous of Aiden or some pathetic little human bitch. Protection or not, that human has to go. Just remember, I’m gonna be your next alpha.”

Several of Michael’s friends weren’t entirely sure if that was a good or bad thing.

******

Once everyone except the elders had left his home, John sat with the group of older lycan. “So, what do you think of Ethan?”

Seamus was first to speak up. “From his scent, he is most definitely Aiden’s mate. It’s so unusual for a lycan to find a mate that’s human. I know it happens, but truly rare as I suspect that boy is. Humans instinctually know to be fearful in our presence. Even if they don’t know why. Surprisingly, he shows no fear being surrounded by so many lycan. But he does have a strong mate.”

“He seemed genuinely interested in what we were telling him about our history and pack basics,” Richard said.

“You just like anyone who listens to you without falling asleep,” the alpha joked. “Seriously though, when you guys start covering Egyptian and Greek mythology the way you do, I have to admit I still want to sit down with the group and listen.”

“Some of us have to keep the younger generation’s attention. They must learn our history in order to pass it on. Hopefully, one of those pups will be up here someday telling our stories to a new generation. We try to make it enjoyable, like I felt I did for the students in my high school and university history classes. As I recall, a certain young scholar who’s since become an alpha always got high marks on my exams. If you pay attention to those boys, you can practically watch the two of them falling more in love with each other. That young human wants to learn about us because he knows this is going to be his life and it’s important to his mate.” James chimed in.

As the group of elders gave their thanks for the hospitality and said their goodbyes, James lagged behind. “John, I’m not sure if I saw what I think I saw today. I’m going to say this anyways because the old legends were a favorite of yours when you were my student. When the boy was letting his mind wander during history lesson, I swear I saw a faint blue glow in his eyes. Especially when Aiden sat with him and held his hand.”

The alpha’s expression remained neutral trying to not give away anything to his old friend.

“Were you already thinking there might be more to this human then meets the eye?” James studied his alpha’s face. “Yes, you do think there’s more to him.”

The alpha considered his words carefully. “I’ve only heard of one type of being having eyes which will glow blue. It was referenced in a couple of legends even older than the ones you were telling those kids. I’m sure it’s the same being you’re thinking of now. You were the one who taught me all those old legends after class. To the best of my knowledge, no one alive has ever met someone with that ability to confirm it’s more than a legend. As for him being Aiden’s mate, I’ll let you in on a secret that does not go beyond this moment.” Once James nodded, John continued. “Aiden appears to be the only lycan who can turn Ethan. Tests on his blood when he arrived say he is nothing more than a human, but absolutely no one other than Aiden can turn him.”

James stared at his friend and former student in total disbelief. “I’ve heard of very rare cases of immunity to the lycan gift but not like that. If, and that is a very big if, what I’m thinking is possible, those boys need to be protected at all costs. This could also place a huge target on this pack, even from the Lycan Council itself if this gets out. Are you planning to tell the boy or Aiden anything?”

“I don’t want to say anything to either of them ’til there’s something to tell them. Knowing a little of Ethan’s history, which I was able to verify, I’d protect him no matter what anyways. So nothing’s changed for me. He’s had a hard life for someone so young and I see him building a family which I don’t think he believed was possible for him. Thanks for keeping this quiet, James.”