A different take on the traditional M/M werewolf romance topic: less romantic, less traditional, more disturbing and with conniving wolves, vampires and submissive marines.
Comments or requests for more of Meta (& the Marines) can be emailed to Meta.JohnAR@gmail.com.
Depending on reception, I will post more chapters.
And if any military boy wants to start a MetaPack, let me know ...
JAR
Meta & the Marines
"Not getting it!" And a muted thud.
Colt looked up from his laptop and tried to pick up the scents around him. Seemed CE's soil scent had gone bad: The chief enforcer was in a really bad mood.
Colt got up and walked to the hunk's door and knocked waiting for an answer.
"Come in please, Meta."
When Colt entered, CE got up and assumed a casual at-ease position, looking at the floor. "Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you," he apologized.
"You didn't. What's going on, wolf?" Colt asked in a warm voice.
CE looked up. "I cannot get those fucking paragraphs into my head. I need to remember them by heart, but they don't stick."
"Law?"
"Yes, exam next Wednesday. Not sure I can do it."
"I assume you learned stuff by heart before, in the marines, for your job. Lots of legal issues I would guess." Colt looked at the book with an odd system of hand-written notes.
"Sure, but my officers took care of most of the legalese. I mean I helped, but mostly it was my job to get the baddies and lock them away." CE's muscles in his neck tensed.
Colt smiled briefly at the thought of how much CE liked locking baddies away; never deny an enforcer his genetic destiny. "But you learned about weapons, recited again and again their description ... didn't you?"
"I did -- it was different."
Colt closed the door behind him asking: "Why was it different?"
"I had no choice, I didn't want to disappoint my drill instructor; well not more than we normally did even if we did everything right." For a short second CE was amused about his illogical reasoning.
"Understand." Colt could have made the point that surely CE didn't want to disappoint Colt, Prime and his pack either, but preferred to ask questions instead.
"Are you sure? It doesn't make sense to me," CE commented confused. He didn't react to the fact Colt didn't say anything for quite some time
They just looked at each other, until Colt started to approach the big guy. "Get down on all fours!" Colt ordered in the most authoritarian voice he could muster.
CE looked up briefly, confused, but then did as ordered.
"Wait until I come back," was the next order. Brief, crisp, authoritarian.
"Yes, Sir."
It took Colt only minutes to find what he was looking for and he returned to CE's room, in which the enforcer was still on all fours, briefly looking up to Colt when he entered.
Colt sat down on the bed. "Crawl to me."
CE did as instructed. The carpet burned a bit on his naked knees but he didn't care. When his head was basically between Colt's legs, he felt a hand on his neck, playing with his chain.
"Lick my boots, enforcer."
That was new; energy tingled through the big guy's spine.
The brawny guy whispered: "Sir, yes, Sir." And went down.
Colt looked at how the big guy twisted his head to lick the sides of Colt's boots. They were impeccably clean, his wolves made sure of that, as dirty boots on their Meta would have reflected badly on the pack, they had explained to him. He could feel the strong tongue through the leather as the brown-haired wolf continued to lick his left boot methodologically. Once in a while Colt reached down to pat the head of the man between his legs, enjoying the scratchy short hair on the high'n'tight.
When CE tried again to get to inner side of the boot, he had to turn his head, looking directly up into Colt's eyes. The look was priceless, calm and grateful, submissive and proud. Colt's boner became unbearable. But he didn't move. This was for CE.
The enforcer continued to lick, nudging his head between the boots and the bed to get to the back, not stopping until his tongue had touched every square millimeter of his Meta's boots.
"Done, CE?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"Are they inspection ready?"
"Sir, yes, Sir," the marine shouted recruit-style.
Colt's cock started a rebellion.
"On your knees. Hands in your neck. Open your mouth and don't fucking move," Colt ordered, standing up while unbuckling himself.
When CE knelt in front of him with a wide mouth and expectant eyes, Colt pushed in and started to fuck. He knew he wouldn't last long, but that wasn't the point. He grabbed CE's sticky-out ears, which he had fallen in love with from day one, and started to face fuck the man roughly. He didn't stop, when tears ran down CE's cute chubby face, he didn't stop, when he had pushed so deep that even CE gagged, he didn't stop when CE was desperate for air, and he didn't stop when the enforcer's face was wet from tears, snot, saliva and Colt's precome. He only stopped when he had successfully deposited his cum into the throat of the hunk.
"Clean yourself up and put on your MARPAT pants and blouse." Colt was proud of himself remembering the odd terminology.
"Sir, yes, Sir!" CE responded like a good boy and jumped up ignoring the pain in his face and in his knees. He ran out to wash his face thoroughly, briefly enjoying a few drops of come, which he licked up with his tongue. When he returned, Colt was again sitting on his bed, with closed pants, as if nothing had happened.
CE found the required clothes in his closet and got out of his T-shirt, shorts and sneakers to put on the uniform pieces. When he was done, he put on the boots Colt had given him last year for Christmas, tied them, straighten his pants and shirt. He reported: "Dressed as ordered, Sir."
"Good, kneel."
CE fell to his knees without hesitation ignoring the pain -- no, enjoying the pain.
"Open your blouse, lift your T-shirt."
CE did as ordered holding with his hands the T-shirt exposing his big smooth chest to the young man, whose gray eyes twinkled with lust.
Colt reached under the bed and took the nipple clamps he had gotten before. He attached one alligator clamp on the enforcer's left pink nipple.
CE dragged in air, trying to absorb the pain; trying to re-route it to a part of his brain, which turned it into pleasure. It was tough, Colt had rarely used such a toy on him; it was a new kind of pain, not like after a good fight or workout. But he could deal with the pain better when the young man attached the second clamp, letting the chain between drop on purpose to create a jerk on his nipples. "Pfffffh, Sir, thank you, Sir." CE voice was hoarse.
"Get dressed. Get up."
CE complied quickly. When he was properly dressed again he put himself in front of Colt, who had got up as well. Man, did this small man make him horny. He knew his dick was trying to break its plastic prison; and that didn't happen very often. `Who needs a college degree when he could experience that?'
"Now, listen to me, you scumbag." Colt wasn't sure whether his D.I. voice worked, but now that he had started it, he had to go through with it, and so far CE wasn't laughing and breaking out of the role of the obedient marine and enforcer. "You're going to study for the next three hours like this."
"Sir, yes, Sir." CE answered instinctively. He was slowly drifting into a mind space he felt comfortable in.
"Then you will report to me. I will quiz you; 20 questions. For every wrong answer you will wear the clamps for one additional hour, even if blood runs down your chest."
"Sir, understood, Sir."
"So you better get those answers into your head, otherwise you will have a fucking awful night in front of you." Colt snorted.
"Yes Sir!" CE shouted now. He needed to. He needed to let Colt know that he would be good marine, a good wolf, a good enforcer.
"Then get going, cocksucker!"
"Sir, yes, Sir!" CE snapped to attention and quickly sat down at his desk. He focused on the 4th chapter of his study book and barely noticed that Colt left his room.
The letters suddenly became clear and his brain started to enjoy the absence of distractions. The waves of pain through his nipples provided energy to read the next chapter. He closed his eyes, enjoying how the chain moved under his shirts, teasing him. He recited the paragraph.
And then he smiled.
It worked.
---
Brian was a bit confused when he came home, seeing CE in full uniform getting water from the kitchen; basically running back to his room. "Hi, Beta."
"Hi, CE. You ok?"
"Yep, studying."
"Okay, have fun," Brian said knocking on Colt's door.
"How were classes?"
Brian rolled his eyes. "Not sure I can do another three terms on college."
"But I am," Colt said with little sympathy, pushing his book aside.
"Okay, got the point, big badass Meta," Brian joked with his trademark smile.
"Not sure I have such a big ass, actually. Or are you saying I'm getting fat?" Colt asked in a voice worthy of a 29-year old woman concerned about her back side, worried about every half pound on it.
"You know you aren't despite all our attempts to feed you," Brian smiled. If he could talk with his Meta like this all the time, instead of having to deal with class mates and professor at college. What did he need an English major and minor in Public Relations for? To become his pack's spin-doctor?
"You're not going to drop out of college, is that clear, Mister?" Colt said in a voice worthy of a 45-year old father.
"Understood, Meta. I will suffer as ordered."
"Watch your mouth, boy," Colt continued.
"Yes, Sir."
Colt didn't mind role-playing. And as CE needed a D.I. putting him into a certain pain level, Brian needed his rebellious streak straightened out by a father figure. He still didn't fully understand how he could credibly play any of the two roles, basically being a civilian of the same age as the cute blond jock boy and younger than CE, but it worked.
"So what's up?"
"Prime messaged me to come here, he has some news."
"Does he?" Colt wondered grabbing his mobile phone. All the `working with' CE and his own studies had made him miss his messages. And barely after he'd read the message there was another knock on the door.
"Fucking shit," Prime swore like trying to keep up the tough guy image, typing on his pad.
"Oh, also having a tough college day, my dear?" Colt teased in BBC upper class TV show accent.
"I'm going to lose my balls in accounting. Does that qualify as a tough day, Meta?" Prime dropped his bag in an unusually careless manner.
"Average I assume. I mean you aren't really planning to get pups, are you?" Colt couldn't help but tease.
Growl.
"What's up Prime?" Colt decided he had to stop the banter and get down to business.
"Got a message from Salt Lake City."
"My cousin finally answered?" Brian's voice didn't betray any agitation.
"Yep. Have a read," Prime handed the pad to Colt, putting himself to his right while Brian instinctively moved to his left.
Colt smiled for a second taking in the feeling of this familiar routine.
From: Jared.Pratt.3@slc-ancestors.com
"Shit you still haven't told us what the `F' stands for," Colt commented into Prime's direction, not expecting an answer right now. Then he turned to the other side to ask: "And the 3 stands for `the third: III'?"
"Yep, my uncle is called Jared as well."
"How sweet."
"Dear Mr. Loope," the email started.
"Thank you very much for your inquiry. You will find the results of our databank regarding your genealogical history in the attached pdf file. We also attached a copy of the invoice, which shows that the complete outstanding amount has been settled.
You will notice we currently have no records of some of your ancestors before they reached North America in the mid to late 18th century. Based on our experience, we can assume they came from Ireland, Scotland and Denmark. However, we would have to do an in-depth search in the records in Europe to complete this picture. In case you are interested, I attached a proposal. Of course that inquiry is substantially more expensive due to the manual work we would have to conduct. A personal consultation might be highly advisable."
"Irish, Scottish, Danish, I can live with that," Prime said with a smile.
Colt chuckled. `The red hair might have given that ancestry away anyway,' he thought. "I'm sure you would look sexy in a kilt."
Prime stared at him with surprise.
"Scottish you know," Colt explained unnecessarily.
"I know what a kilt is ... it's just ... it looks so girlie."
"Don't say that in Glasgow, you might get beaten up."
Prime snorted. "You just want to have easy access to my ass."
Brian laughed.
"See," Prime said smelling how Colt's dick got stiff at the thought of fucking Prime in a kilt.
"Oh stop it. Back to this," Colt tried to change the topic, reserving the picture of Prime in a kilt for a later hour.
"Regarding your question to White Wolves. We have no consistent records of the fur colors of wolves. And within the few we have, there is no record of a fully white wolf.
So far, the concept of a White Wolf has been attributed more to a quasi-religious thought of eternal peace; and is considered blasphemous as it could be considered a heathen interpretation of Judgment Day. Our church, hence, dogmatically states that fully white wolves do not exist and are the devil's attempt to make wolves go astray from the righteous tasks on this world.
Nevertheless there has been a range of rumors on White Wolves; mostly around great men in the past bringing peace to the world. These people include in old times, without trying to be complete: Moses, Hammurabi, Jesus, Marc Aurel, Charles Magne. Recently, the rumors cover Eisenhower, J.F. Kennedy and Gorbatchov. Of course, this is just a post projection and lacks any substantiation.
Indeed there have been some recent exchanges in the shifter community of the appearance of a new White Wolf; but those conversations tend to come up every time the political and economic environment gets challenging and can be attributed to lack of faith in the one and only God.
In case you want to arrange a consultation meeting, have questions regarding our offer or any other follow up questions, do not hesitate to revert to us.
Sincerely,
Jared Pratt, III
SLC Ancestors -- Special Inquiries."
"Mmmh," Brian mumbled.
"Yep, disappointing," Prime agreed.
Colt was silent.
They turned to him like on clue. "What?"
"Somehow I feel he isn't telling us everything." Colt scratched his left shoulder.
"Of course not, this institute belongs to the Mormon church. Things are filtered. I'm even surprised he talks about things which are considered heretic by his superiors," Brian responded. "It is the upright and righteous Jared Pratt after all," he added with a hint of disgust in his voice. Slowly memories were getting to him.
"No it's not the White Wolf thing. He just made that a salvation topos like every culture has; pretending to be insulted by it because it went against his faith," Colt dismissed it casually.
"So what else then?" Prime asked taking the pad back.
"He wants to meet; for some reason he wants to meet you, Prime," Colt said quietly. "I have looked at their website repeatedly in the past, and nowhere do they talk about personal consultation meetings."
"Why would he want to meet Prime?" Brian asked more himself than anyone else.
Colt shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. Maybe we should find out."
"So I schedule one?" Prime suggested quickly.
"Yep, for after Christmas. Make him come down here. -- Brian, are you ready to meet the boy who outed you?" Colt asked with a bit of concern.
"Yes, Meta, no problem. At the end he did me a favor." Brian tried to appear in control of his emotions; but a barely noticeable tremble of his lips hinted at the pain in him.
Colt smiled gently, pulling the young man closer and kissing him nearly chastely on his lips.
Brian moaned, but caught himself quickly. "Teaser," he said.
"Get back to your books, young man, otherwise I have to get the paddle," Colt threatened.
"Paddle? Did I miss something?" Prime asked with curiosity.
"He's just a fucking teaser. I gave him a paddle like the one my father used on me, but he hasn't used it yet," Brian complained.
"You're just too good a boy, Beta," Colt said with a fake smooth voice. "And now get out of here, I need to study as well."
The two men opened the door, finding Sam standing in front of it.
"Eavesdropping, boy?" Prime growled threateningly.
"No, Alpha, just wanted to get you. Isaac is on Skype."
"Brian, get CE."
Isaac felt refreshed. He'd just returned from a patrol into one of the valleys trying to root out some insurgents. After some chow and a hot shower he felt like a human/wolf again and not like a stinking goat. He stood in front of this laptop, which he had positioned high enough on a box on a sideboard to capture his face at the right angle, as he hadn't felt comfortable Skyping with his pack sitting. He was freshly shaved and in a clean green T-shirt and camo pants. "Good evening, Colt, Prime."
"Morning, Isaac," Colt answered for them, with genuine joy in his voice. The enforcer was unharmed, even if so far away.
"I will never get over these time zones," Sam complained. "11.5 hours? Who came up with that?" CE pointed him to shut up, and Sam obeyed the big guy, who stood next to him in full uniform and stiff as if he was waiting for an inspection. He smelled Colt on him. Seemed the Meta had face fucked the chief enforcer roughly. Sam's cock twitched in his cage. CE growled threateningly and Sam tried to control himself.
"Did all your men come back safely?" Prime asked mentally in tune with what an NCO went through in a battle zone.
"Yes, Sir. All accounted for. Was pretty harmless -- for Afghanistan," Isaac dismissed the past days -- though Colt sensed Prime wasn't buying it.
"Good. Well, here we are all a bit tense because of finals next week," Prime changed the topic. He obviously didn't want to cover Isaac's duties, first to distract him and secondly not to make him involuntarily share any classified information.
"I can imagine. So Prime, how's accounting going?" Isaac answered, grateful for a less serious topic.
"That was not the plan to talk about," Prime answered with a chuckle.
"So well? And you Brian?"
"All fine, will be the perfect PR agent for companies which pollute earth, water and air. Will get filthy rich with it," Brian said with unhidden disgust.
"I see, you're still as wholesome as I remember," Isaac smiled with a bit of sadness in his eyes. He wanted to touch his pack. He wanted to smell Colt so badly. Colt had given him the T-shirt he'd worn during the night they slept puppy style in Palm Springs. They'd put it into an airtight plastic bag, which he took with him to Afghanistan. Sometimes when he was alone he would open the bag to take a sniff. He felt guilty like a drug addict, but it calmed him down immensely, making him remember the evening in the desert as if he was still there.
"And CE, permission to ask a question?"
"Not granted," CE said with a dry voice, obviously knowing what the question would be.
Colt smiled slightly mischievously. "It's a new study support program, CE is doing very well, aren't you?" The young nerd turned around, putting his hand on the big man's uniformed chest. It looked like a harmless, caring gesture, but nearly unnoticeably Colt pulled at the tit clamp chain under the blouse. CE dragged in air, answering. "Yeah, will get that fucking law class done, properly."
"Good to hear. Always good to have a policeman in the pack," Isaac stated, obviously from experience. "Sam, you've grown even further."
"Yes, marine," Sam said proudly, pushing out his chest, sucking in his non-existent belly, growing by two inches simply because of the compliment.
"You should have seen him last year. The wind would have blown him away," CE said equally proud. It was clear that he liked his fellow enforcer quite lot.
"Can't believe it, but given the steaks you guys feed him, it might be true." Isaac's eyes lit up remembering the big chunks of meat in Palm Springs.
"Missing them?" Colt asked.
"Are wolves carnivores?" Isaac had picked up the standard sentences by the pack very quickly. "Any more MRE steaks and I'll cut out my tongue."
Colt chuckled. "Don't, I might still need it."
Isaac whined on the other side of the connection like a puppy being thrown out of a window.
"Is there anything you need, jarhead?" Prime asked to regain control over his own excitement, suppressing the intoxicating smell of Colt's arousal. Man, did he need a fuck bad.
"No, Al..., ah, Prime, doing fine. I hope I can talk to you guys before Christmas. Otherwise I wish you nice holidays in Idaho."
Prime's face saddened. He wanted to talk with his newest pack member, every day if possible. Not being able to do that hurt him; not having him for the holidays hurt even more. But he knew many families hurt over the holidays; having their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters in a waste of a foreign country while they celebrated Christmas. But he didn't want to show it to his pack. He had to be strong, he was strong. In the end, he was the fucking Alpha. "We will talk, Isaac. And we make sure we go again to Idaho when you are back, so you can catch up on things."
"Would love to, guys."
There was some noise in the background.
"I think I need to go now. It was nice talking to you guys. Thanks for being there." Now Isaac's eyes were sad, even if he tried to mask it.
"Be safe, marine." Colt touched the camera as if he wanted to reach through the phone lines to feel the cheek of the blond soldier on the other side.
"You, too."
"Dismissed," Prime ordered and Isaac interrupted the connection, before anyone could get mushy.
They were quiet, all of them thinking of the good-looking blond marine far away.
Colt turned around saying softly. "I suggest we all spend another two hours behind our books and then we have a late dinner."
There were disagreeing mumbles.
Colt cleared his throat. "What do I hear when I give an order?"
"Sir, yes, Sir," Prime answered a little overdone. "Get going wolves, otherwise this little dictator will have your balls for dinner." Prime turned around winking at Colt with his gorgeous green eyes, sending him a friendly wave of pine scents and succulent strawberries, which mad Colt super hard -- again.
Colt shook his head as if saying: `No fucking now, Prime. Get studying.'
Prime shrugged his shoulders implying: `Was worth a try,' and left for his room.
---
Christmas this year started differently, intensely bittersweet familiar versus excitingly new.
They had rented a kind of chalet in the middle of nowhere in Idaho. The ride had been long and strenuous in their truck. But despite it being a bit smaller inside than a `breeder's car,' they were fine. CE sat in the front with Sam driving, so Brian and Prime, now the two smaller wolves in the pack, were in the back flanking Colt.
For a second Colt wondered whether Sam, growing as he was, already stronger than Prime and maybe soon at par with CE, would lose his obedience and subservience. He still didn't understand all the underlying dynamics of wolf hierarchy. But what would happen if Sam decided to challenge CE for his role? Or even Prime for the alpha role? Would Colt have to allow the challenge? What would it do to the pack?
He closely watched the dark enforcer who was fully focused on the street, making sure he drove safely on the snowy streets. He bit his lower lip and twitched with his elegant nose observing some reckless driving in front of him.
Colt felt Prime was watching him watching Sam. "No worries," he said. "He will not challenge me."
"How?"
"I can read it on your face."
"Shit, you can smell my dick and read my face?"
"Meaning it's pretty much the same?" Prime teased Colt.
"I see. I guess my goatee is kind of pubic hair then," Colt tried to play the game.
"Mmmmh." Brian made lusting sounds.
"He won't. And if he did, he would have no chance. There's more to winning a fight than big muscles," Prime explained confidently.
Colt nodded.
"Who will fight?" CE asked eagerly.
"Nobody," Colt said loud, moving his eyes from the handsome black-haired guy to the cutish light brown enforcer. "We're going to Idaho so you guys can run in the snow-covered forests; not so you can fight."
"Shame," Sam said, without looking away from the street in front of him. "But snow will be fun. Never really had that."
"Really?"
"I'm from Southern California. The bit of snow we got disappeared once you stepped on it. Here it's feet high. Must be tickling."
"The smell is already making my wolf itchy," Brian said. "This will be a blast. And maybe we do find some deer to hunt or some rogue wolf."
Colt sighed. "I guess there goes my chance turning you into vegetarians."
"Gross!" All four of them reacted violently making Colt laugh so hard that it hurt. "Great."
This vacation was his gift to his wolves. And when they finally stopped at the snow-covered building, and he got out of the car into the dick freezing cold, he knew why. He would stay inside during the whole time, next to the fireplace, drinking Coke and reading books. Nothing could drag him outside at these inhuman temperatures. Obviously, this was very different for his wolves; they seemed to be incapable of freezing.
He took his small bag and followed Prime, who opened the door to the cabin. Well, it was a little mansion, not a cabin even if advertised as such. Fortunately, the landlord had preheated the building so he got out of his jacket, which made him look like a snowman, finding his way into the kitchen. He reached for the water kettle to make himself some tea. He needed that bad.
"Sam, can you build a fire?"
"Sure," the man said getting to the fireplace and putting logs together.
Prime, Brian and CE got their entire luggage and placed it in the respective rooms. When they were done, the fire was burning, although not yet dispensing sufficient heat, and Colt came out of the kitchen with a milkshake, tea, water and beer.
Prime shot him a reprimanding look, but didn't say anything.
"Thanks, Meta." Sam seemed a bit embarrassed taking a mug with steaming tea from the nerd, but smelled at it: Early Gray with a hint of Orange. Sam smiled.
They sat on the rug next to the fireplace nipping on their drinks.
"The view is nice," Colt said genuinely touched. "One side the valley and everywhere else mountains and forests. I'm sure you will enjoy it. Wanna go for a run now?"
"Not yet dark," Prime said looking at his watch. "But soon."
The wolves' eyes glowed with the prospect of the run and reflecting the flames in the fireplace.
Brian put some more sugar into his tea. "You're sure you're okay here, Colt?"
Colt smiled. "I am, Beta. You won't be running 24/7, so I can have hot sex. And while you run I can read in front of the fireplace. Now, I'm not lying. I wouldn't have minded a trip to a Caribbean island but this is nice. It reminds me a bit of southern Poland, my grandparents. Well, what I thought were my grandparents."
Prime pulled Colt to him squeezing his shoulders. "If you loved them they were your grandparents, irrespective of some DNA."
"True."
"Didn't Dracula come from Poland?" CE asked.
Colt shook his head, putting his hands around the mug, now that is was pleasant to hold. "Nope, that was Romania. Not that it makes a difference to most people. But there are a lot of vampire and werewolves stories in Poland. For the civilized European world it had been at the fringes for a long time, like for the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation."
"Roman Empire of German Nation?" Sam asked confused.
"A long history lesson would follow if you really asked," Colt threatened.
"Then consider it unasked," Sam said quickly, earning him a chuckle by his pack brothers.
"So why did you think of Dracula?" Colt asked, slightly jittery.
"You know Eastern Europe. Never been east of Germany. Was stationed in Bavaria. Nearly looked like here. Loved it."
"Including the beer and the bread."
"Especially the beer and the bread," CE confirmed. "They just eat too much pork for my taste."
And when darkness had set, his wolves undressed, shifted and were off.
With a smile Colt heard the excited howls, smelled the fresh signature scents and accepted the warm feeling in his heart caused by love.
It was Christmas Eve and they stuck with their tradition to have a dinner that could have fed an army.
Colt didn't know where the food went, but they ate for three hours. He nearly felt guilty knowing people were starving in the world, but this was more than just taking too much nutrition to them. It was celebrating their bond on a primal level. It nearly killed him of love to see how Sam dealt with his steak, how Prime jugged down his beers, how Brian enjoyed mushrooms, as he had never known how to make them properly, and how CE indulged in his milk shakes with nearly child-like glee.
He looked around the table. He was placed at one end, with Brian flanking him to his right and Sam at his left; opposite sat Prime, with CE at his right, next to Sam. They had put an extra plate on the table; for Isaac. They didn't talk about him a lot, but it was clear every one of them had him on his mind. And when Brian lit the candles, earning him a soft `softie' by CE, there were six candles, five in white and one in green.
It was late in the evening, and they had stopped eating despite a wide range of tantalizing desserts in front of them. Even wolves seemed to have limited stomach capacity.
"Do wolves get fat?" Colt asked jokingly.
"Yes, if they eat like us and never shift," Prime said quickly. "So you better let us run on a regular basis."
"No problem with that. Can't have you get a beer belly, Alpha," Colt smiled touching the hard abs walking by the redhead.
"Implying something, Meta?"
"Nothing at all." Colt said with a naughty smile.
"Brian, am I getting fat?"
The Beta frowned. "That is not a smart question to ask, Alpha. You know I can only answer `no,' unless I want to get beaten up by an alpha wolf."
"Meaning I'm getting fat," Prime played angry.
"I think you gained some more muscles," Sam said.
"Brown nosing, boy?" CE elbowed him slightly.
The boy blushed.
"I think, though, he is right. Must be all the steaks," Colt said rubbing again over the delicious non-belly of the wolf.
"Okay." Prime was not fully convinced.
"Anyway, shall we keep up the tradition of gifts this night?"
"Yes!" Brian shouted like an excited little boy.
Colt snickered. "I mean I never cared when I got the gifts in the past as I wasn't into baseball bats, but today it's different."
"Please, Meta," Brian kept his little boy routine squeezing the nerd.
Colt wondered whether Brian was really so excited or whether he wanted to provoke discipline from `daddy.'
"Stay here," Colt ordered getting to his room, coming back with a bag. "I feel a little bit like Santa," Colt confessed opening his bag to take the first gifts for Prime.
"Shall we sit on your lap?" Brian asked cheekily.
"And where's Rudolf? Did you have to use the whip a lot?" CE couldn't help himself.
"And what would we get if we had been naughty wolf pups?" Sam continued to play the game.
Prime shook his head. "You aren't Santa, Colt. You know that. Santa doesn't exist."
"That's what I thought about vampires, wolf shifters and love ... but that's another story." Colt bit his lower lip. He found the right three parcels and gave them to Prime. "Prime, Alpha, thank you for everything, being the possessive you." Colt knew Prime wouldn't need any gifts; he earned his own money and was soon to get his inheritance, but it didn't matter to Colt.
"Thanks, Colt."
Colt saw majestic mountain ranges, ancient pine trees and spring sun kissed strawberries. His Alpha wolf was happy.
"Brian, Beta with the naughty mouth."
"Not here," Brian said with a smile, correcting himself. "Yes, Meta?"
"Brian, Beta, thank you for being the smart and cheerful you."
When the blond young man took his three presents, he felt them. Two were soft, clothes he assumed, one was a hard small box. He smiled at the thought of what it could be. "Thank you, Colt." His voice broke, and for once he couldn't make a joke.
"CE," the big man look sheepishly around as if he was surprised he would get gifts as well, taking the three offered with his big paws, which even shook a bit.
"CE, my chief enforcer, thank you for being so caring and protective."
CE nodded incapable of saying anything, just motioning Sam to come to the Meta.
This was new for Sam. His previous pack hadn't really been into Christmas either. Nor was this pack: no Christmas tree, songs or bible stuff. But they did share gifts in Sam's old pack. It was only that he never got real gifts. His previous pack had never really wanted him; only took him because of an old obligation not to let an orphaned pup die after battle. To get a gift from somebody who loved him, from somebody he loved, was new. He had to muster all of his self-control not to start to cry. He was an enforcer now. Tall, tough and deadly, not a little boy.
His eyes met Colt's smile, and then he looked on the floor while taking his three gifts. It seemed Colt didn't play favorites. Three gifts for everyone. Not that he would have minded, being the newest of the pack members; but that was signal so strong he whined. "Thank you, Meta." A tear ran down his cheek.
Colt used his thumb to dry it. "Thank you Sam, my enforcer, for being so supportive and humble; thank you for choosing us for your pack."
Sam had to turn away and had to grab a red napkin from the table to clean his nose. Nobody laughed.
"Not opening them?" Colt asked to the group.
"First yours," Prime said. "CE, can you get it? Sam seems to be indisposed."
"No," Sam said loud. "Sorry, no disrespect, Alpha."
"None taken."
"I can get it, with your permission," Sam said already on the way. He came back with a box. Unwrapped, just a mid-sized wooden box, maybe the same size as his metal secrets box. It looked old, with hinges intact though and an old-fashioned lock in front with the key in it.
"Wow," Colt said in admiration of the wild grain in the wood.
"Open it," Prime said quietly.
"You're first, wolves."
"If that's an order," Brian pretended to pout.
Paper flew; pieces fell on the floor and the first "cool" from Brian, who had immediately gone for the little hard gift. He had suspected it was a new smart phone, and so it was: the latest best most expensive. He knew he didn't need it but he loved it. He looked around. The whole pack got them.
"Need to keep you guys reachable," Colt said nonchalant.
"And make sure you install the `find a friend'-app so we always know where our elusive Meta is," Prime ordered, hiding his seriousness not too well.
"Brian, you'll have a lot of setting up work," CE said opening the box and taking the phone out of the plastic film.
"I know. Will do immediately when we're done here, so they can charge and get updated overnight. Will take some time. Connection is bad here and I'm sure half of the U.S. is activating electronic devices these days."
"Camo pants?" Prime asked looking at the new digital patterned MARPAT.
"And custom made T-shirts?" Sam added putting his red shirt over his chest. "Property of CP," he read the small writing at the place where his heart would be when wearing it.
"I guess all the other stuff is not enough marking," Prime shook his head, putting his phone away and looked at the new pants and his black T-shirt.
"Let's try them on, somehow I think our Meta is going to get excited ..."
"... he is turning us into dolls he can dress as he wants," Sam added with a snicker.
"Get used to it, Sam, like in the military," CE said without any hesitation, dropping his pants.
It took a bit until they all had changed; and gotten their boots, last year's presents, and stood in front of him fully dressed.
Colt indeed couldn't breathe anymore. His boner had sucked all his blood out of his head and his mouth was dry. While he drank a glass of water his eyes wandered over his wolves: in tight T-shirts, black, gray and red with the `Property of CP' writing; too small to be legible from a distance, but big enough to be seen when standing close; showing off their strong biceps and meaty pecs; in their new camos accentuating their assess, thighs and calves; and their boots. They had proudly put their chains on top of their shirts to tease him even more.
Now it was Colt's turn to start to lose his continence, but he took a deep breath and just motioned them all to come close. In the group hug he said: "Thanks, boys."
"Now you!" Prime ordered, not allowing any contradiction.
"Aye, aye, Alpha," Colt teased him using marine lingo, turning the key in the old lock. The mechanism worked.
Red velvet inside. He removed a layer. Black pants, black short-sleeved police style shirt. He looked up confused.
"We also like to dress up our Meta," Brian teased him.
Another layer of velvet.
Below a dagger ... and handcuffs. He looked up again even more confused.
He took the dagger. It was beautiful. A narrow blade, a simple handle with something engraved: `CP' it said. He took it in his right hand, weighing it, using it. He walked with it, approaching Brian. Quickly putting the blade to the throat of the young man.
Brian swallowed "Please, Sir, it's silver."
"I know, so you were saying something about dressing me up?"
"Yes, Sir. Won't happen anymore." Brian was indeed intimidated by him; his boner jumped. He smiled: "Relax, you know I can't hurt you."
"Had me fooled for a second, Meta," Brian said honestly.
"It's beautiful, boys."
"Custom-made," CE said proudly.
"And what's with the handcuffs?"
"Alpha handcuffs."
"You mean punishment handcuffs?"
"Yes, Meta." Prime seemed to have second thoughts about this gift.
"I thought we had some already ...," Colt mumbled touching them, his fingertips gliding over the engraving: `CP' it said again.
"You knew about the shirts, Prime, didn't you?" Colt suddenly said taking out the cuffs and approaching the redhead.
"Yes, Colt. There were some delivery papers in the trash."
"You went through the trash?" Colt asked his Alpha with a calm voice, approaching him.
"Well ..."
"Hands!" Colt ordered.
Obediently, the Alpha put his hands in front of him, ready to be handcuffed. "... it just felt out of place."
"I love your anal controlling attitude, marine," Colt smiled kissing the man on his cheek. Prime sighed and dropped his hands. His look though clearly said: `I think we created a monster here.'
"Saw that," Colt noted going back to his box.
Another layer.
A revolver. A colt. He never liked the term `colt,' though.
Colt grew up in Texas; everyone had weapons there, but he had never been comfortable around them especially when it was named like him. And now he got a gun; for an occasion which he historically knew as Christmas.
"A colt, boys?"
Prime cleaned his throat. "Colt, it is ..."
"Yes?"
"... it is for your protection. It shoots silver bullets. Seven."
"Silver bullets?" That was the irrational belief in business to solve complex problems with solutions the CEO came up with in the shower.
"You know when the alpha wolf attacked you?"
"Yes."
"You're brave, Colt; but you were also lucky. Next time the dagger won't save you against a wolf," CE explained.
"You need this revolver, with the silver bullets. It will kill a rogue wolf," Prime added.
"You expect that we'll be attacked by wolves again?" Colt asked, shaking a bit.
"We want you to be prepared. We want you to be safe," Brian said.
Colt nodded. "CE, will you show me how to use it?"
"No, I will do that," Prime said. "I know a bit about weapons."
Colt smiled about the slight jealousy in the Alpha's voice. Finally, he took the weapon into his hands. He expected to feel cold metal, but instead a heat wave attacked his body focusing in on his brain. The room around him got blurry, slowly creating new pictures in front of his hazy eyes: He saw himself in a forest, holding the colt, aiming it at a scared Prime and shooting him in cold blood.
Sweat broke out on his forehead, his breathing got heavy. He had just `seen' that the first alpha wolf he would kill with this `gift' would be the Alpha of his pack, Prime.
He didn't know how long he was `gone,' but when he `returned,' his boys were still looking at him with glee over the presents. Only Prime's eyes gave him a slightly quizzing look. `Everything ok?' they asked.
Colt swallowed and decided not to mention what he had just experienced as much as it pained him given all the other information he had about himself. He quickly put the weapon down and covered it diligently with the velvet in the box.
"And now we want to see you dress up!" Brian insisted -- and Colt was grateful about the distraction by the wolf's eagerness. He wondered whether Brian had sensed something as well and was, as usual, skillfully changing the mood in the room.
"Here?"
"Nothing we haven't seen yet," Brain teased.
Colt got out of his jumper and put on the black shirt. The cloth was thick and stiff. When he closed the buttons, it made him stand straighter, the police style pockets in front making him look official. He dropped his jeans and got into the black pants. Similar cloth and grain as the shirt, with BDU style pockets.
Suddenly Sam appeared with his boots, so he could put them on. CE gave him his belt.
When he was done, Sam went to his knees to straighten Colt's pants. Prime took the holster the revolver had come with, and attached it to the belt; CE did the same thing with the handcuffs, carefully avoiding touching them directly, using his T-shirt as protection for his fingers.
And there he stood in front of a mirror. He didn't recognize the man. He looked cold, tough, nearly brutal and sadistic. In black BDU pants, boots so polished he could see the ceiling lights' reflection in them; gun and handcuffs at his sides like a cop, a tailored shirt which gave him broad shoulders, and a serious face with strong nose and jaw; the goatee and the hair tightly trimmed.
The man was surrounded by four men, all in uniform, their chest pushed out, their heads held high, determined to kill and die if needed.
He barely recognized who this man was.
But he knew who it was: It was he, Colt. The new Colt.
And before he could get lost in this new sight, his laptop beeped. Skype.
He accepted Isaac's call.
The blond marine wore his red T-shirt, the same CE and Sam got.
"Wow, Meta, you look as if you are going to kill someone. Did I screw up?"
Colt smiled, trying to get out of his mind space. "No, you're fine, as far as I know. Unless you got fucked by your Captain."
"No way. He is married and devoutly Catholic."
"Good. Season's greetings, or whatever you prefer," Colt smiled.
"To you as well. I mean. You shouldn't have done ..."
Colt's hands invited the wolves to come closer to him to be captured by the camera.
"So you are telling the Meta what he can or cannot do?" Brian asked with a smile.
"No, Brian. I mean. This phone costs a fortune. I might lose it here in the middle of nowhere."
"Then you'll get a new one. Just make sure you don't have all the naked pictures on them," Prime said.
"No naked pictures for this wolf. Somebody forbade that," Isaac smiled full of thanks. "So I see, you all got this shirt. Seems it's not only the Corps, which owns my ass now."
Colt smiled at Isaac's humor. He was doing fine then despite being so far away. "I'm happy to take a secondary place in the claims to your assets for the moment."
"Thanks. So what's up with your outfit, Colt?"
"Gift from the boys. I think they want to turn me into a mass murderer."
"Well, I'm shocked to say it, but it suits you. My wolf is working hard to keep my dick down." Isaac blushed.
"So this outfit is not for my safety but for my wolves to get turned on?" he asked his men around him.
"Never," Prime said a bit too quickly.
Isaac smiled but did not want to contradict his future Alpha. Even if they were not of too much use, he preferred to keep his balls where they were.
"Well, my gift is on the way. I hope you like it, Colt and boys."
"We will," Colt said. "But you know you are our greatest gift coming from Afghanistan."
"Thanks, Sir. I just have some bad news, though.
The mood collapsed. Horrors scenarios were imagined. Everyone braced himself for the worst.
"Listening," Colt said coolly, keeping his head high.
"I have to go on some special operation. I'll be gone for months. Not sure whether I can stay in contact."
Colt bit his lips while looking to Brian who whispered: "Oh, fuck."
"Understand, Isaac. Please stay safe. We'll wait for you. Let us know whenever you can, without risking yourself or the mission," Prime said.
"Thanks, Alpha. Need to go now. They have Christmas lunch."
"Thanks for calling Isaac. We love you."
And there was a small tear on the blond man's face. "I love you, too, boys. Bye."
And the connection was interrupted.
They were quiet.
Colt regained his control. "Men, get the kitchen cleaned up. It looks like a marine dumpster."
"Aye, aye, Sir," Brian responded faux military and led his little group to the kitchen next door.
Prime looked at the Meta with a curious expression. "What is it?"
"Bad feeling, Prime, very bad feeling."
"It's not unusual to be sent for some special assignment; he's a wolf and a good marine."
"I know but I have the feeling that this is no coincidence."
"Okay. What can I do?" Prime asked doubtfully.
"Not sure. I don't know how your contacts are; or CE's. But maybe you can find out what it is about and who ordered him to participate."
"Will try my best. But why?"
"I think somebody doesn't want Isaac to return to us alive."