I kept wading through the party, smiling at all of the boys that I thought looked particularly cute to me. It was something that I had never done before. Allowing my eyes to roam unrestricted, seeking out what I truly desired without worrying about being discovered. And each one of the boys had a particular smell to them. It's hard to explain, but it was almost as unique as a fingerprint to me. As if I could easily find that particular scent again anytime I felt like it, without error. Not only that, but whenever they interacted closely with anyone else in the room...some of their genuine scent was left on them as well. They might as well have been covered in bright yellow paint...leaving a visible trail behind them everywhere they went. Interesting. I was truly beginning to enjoy this new awareness of mine.

But despite the many dishes laid out in the virtual buffet of flesh before me...it was the slim boy with the glowing eyes that intrigued me most. And my eyes kept looking to catch a glimpse of him again. More than anything, I wanted to be in the company of someone else like me. I wanted to share this supernatural experience with someone who would be able to relate. Who knew what it felt like to give yourself over to this feeling, and let it take you without struggling for your so-called 'acceptance' in a world of people who weren't meant to understand. Who weren't built to understand. The thing that excited me most was the idea that...if he was here somewhere...chances are, he's not alone. I'm sure he's keeping a tightly knit pack of company, just like I was. And that thought alone set my senses on fire.

Suddenly, from the side of me, I felt a liquor bottle being shoved into my chest, and saw Kriegar standing there with a big grin on his face. His arm was over the shoulder that looked WAY too innocent to be in close proximity to a 'free spirit' like Kriegar. "Here, fucking take this! You look like a narc walking around with no drink!" She blushed from his use of language alone, and I had to grin a bit at the thought of him even getting this fragile a girl to even TALK to him, much less escort him around the party. Then again, Kriegar wasn't one to take 'no' for an answer "Quit looking around already and DO something, will ya?"

"I'm getting to that." I smiled, and looked over at his 'date' with an evil smirk. "You know what you're getting yourself into, sweetheart?"

She turned a bright red, and Kriegar gave me a shove. "My cock's too big for you to block, Johnny-come-lately! Why don't you try that bullshit on one of these other lame ducks in here?" He said, and he actually licked the girl on her cheek, causing her to gasp! She was certainly not used to such unrestricted behavior, but her pheromone release implied a sexual thrill from it nonetheless. Timid as she appeared....she actually seemed to like it. So strange. "Now go party. I'm gonna take this fine philly someplace dark...and teach her how to pronounce my name right. Over and over again! Hehehe!" He grabbed me by the back of my neck and gave me a hard kiss on the cheek before ruffling my hair and walking off to entertain his 'girl of the moment'. I swear, sometimes being with these maniacs can be SO much damn fun!

I giggled to myself a bit, and my eyes just happened to glance over to one side of the room, where my eyes connected with a boy who looked to be just a few years older than me. He was sort of half standing behind one of the support beams holding up the roof, with a red plastic cup of beer in his hand. He was insanely cut, if I do say so myself. With mixed brown and blond hair, and soft brown eyes. He had to be about 16 or 17, but it was hard to tell from his face alone. He seemed almost 'pretty'. His eye jerked away from me when we made eye contact, and he seemed to hide a bit further behind the beam when I caught him staring. What I felt was more than mere flattery. My predatorial instincts seemed to switch on all by themselves, and I don't know what compelled me more....the fact that I wanted him...or the fact that I could have him. Effortlessly. And there wouldn't be much for him to do about it. He made a big mistake, allowing me to see his infatuation with me. It opened a door to me having total control over him and his emotions. It put me on a pedestal that no one else could reach. A pedestal he wanted to be on himself, but didn't feel worthy of it. Now all I had to do...was offer him my hand.

"YOU CRAZY SON OF A BITCH!!!" I heard somebody shout, and turned my head to see Kriegar with no shirt on at the back door of the hay loft, practically shaking his fist! And just then, Dexter ran past me at top speed!

Then he skidded to a stop, turned around, and said, "Hold this!" And he gave me a bra and a pair of panties before scurrying off again. What the FUCK was that about??? I saw the girl that Kriegar was with peek around the corner, covering herself up, and I kinda got the gist of what went own. Why the hell would Dex run up and steal her underwear while her and Kriegar were....hehehe, I don't EVEN wanna know! I swear, those two were MADE to piss each other off!

"You're enjoying yourself, then?" I turned quickly, and saw the boy I had noticed before. The wolf. My God, up close, he was even more sensual than he appeared from a distance. He had a very gentle Australian accent that floated on a highly intelligent tone of voice. The hoop earrings on the edge of his lips didn't hinder his speech at all. In fact, to see them was almost distracting. All I could think about was what it would be like to kiss him and feel them against the corners of my mouth. He was standing so close. So very close.

"Yeah. But that is the point of a party, isn't it?" I said. He smiled warmly at me, but his eyes wandered up to the loft, and then did a check around the room, before gazing back at me.

"You're new." He said. "One of Cyrus' boys? His influence is strong on you." He inhaled deeply. "You 'belong' to him?"

"Yes."

"Completely?" He asked, almost as a seductive invitation to go elsewhere. But as I was told earlier...I remembered who I belonged to.

"Completely." I told him, feeling my emotional defenses rise against this beautiful stranger, despite the attraction. It was almost offensive for him to suggest that I would turn my back on my family, even for a moment.

"Is he here? My father would like to chat him up for a bit. After all...it has been an ice age since they've spoken. I think a reunion is in order"

"So there are more of you here?" I asked.

"There are always more, mate. Always." He smiled. "Father will be pleased." Our eye contact was so intense. Neither one of us blinked in each other's presence. And, strange as it was to feel it, it was almost as though we had to somehow put 'effort' into not ripping each other apart. I can't explain it, but there was an instant aggression within us both that seemed to come out of nowhere. It buzzed just underneath the surface of my skin, and we didn't trust each other at all. I had no real reason to think of him that way. He seemed cute and nice enough. And yet, both of us stood at the 'ready'...just in case one of us made any sudden moves that the other didn't like. Then we'd tear into one another with a savagery the likes these other people had ever seen. Funny...being drawn to the very edge of such hostility was alluring. Almost sexy. And when he turned to lead me to another part of the room, I was quick to follow. But not before looking back at the boy behind the support beam once more. He was watching again, and was twice as timid this time around when he was caught again. I picked up on his sent, and 'marked' him for later. I wanted to find him again tonight. We have much more to...'discuss' before this party is over.

"The name's Julien." The boy said, and I noticed that he had it tattooed in cursive on the side of his neck. Black ink, in fancy letters, with a tribal tattoo on the back of his neck that was more intricate than any I had ever seen before.

"Wesley." I said, glancing down at his slim bottom in those tight leather pants. Mmmmm...his pack leader must have really enjoyed such a TIGHT fit in an ass like that.

"Have you been with Cyrus long?" He asked.

"Not long at all."

"A new breed. How 'enchanting'. I imagine him and his crew have been teaching you all the wrong things." He said with a sarcasm that was subtle, but clearly implied. Again, he was searching for small buttons to push in my state of mind. Intruding on my territorial allegiance to my pack. And it seriously rubbed me the wrong way. It was so strange, the way he could almost insult me and yet magnetize me to his sensuality at the same time. To be near him was to feel an instant conflict within, and if nothing else, it kept me curious.

"They seem right enough to me." I answered.

"Only because you haven't been given a better option."

"Maybe I don't need one."

"I'm sure you said the same thing when you were still human. And look at you now. You sure you wanna make the same mistake twice?" He turned to me and squinted his eyes a bit with a grin. A pair of thin lips never looked so inviting.

I gazed back at him, and raised my hand to gently caress his cheek for a moment. Then told him, "If you're 'pretending' to know anything about me in an attempt to get me to betray my brothers, you're wasting your breath You're not that pretty." He took the insult and felt a slight sting from it, pushing my hand away from his face with an angry look.

"You know, somebody in your dodgy little goof troop should have taught you some manners." Julien snarled.

"We're working on that." Came a voice from behind him, and when he turned, John Boy was standing there, with a twin on either side of him.

"John Boy...so glad to see that you've come. Still perceptive as ever, ay?" Julien said, backing down a bit from his aggressive position.

"Maybe even more so." John Boy never lost his calm. Never. And I always found that so eerily attractive. "I believe you said something about wanting to see Cyrus?"

Julien took a step backwards, a cautious look in his eye, but covered with a demonically charming smile. "Of course." He smirked. "Is the ol' boy somewhere nearby?"

"I know where he is. He'll join us when he feels like making an appearance." John Boy responded, guarding our father's immediate location.

"Don't suppose you'd tell me how many you brought with you tonight, then?"

"Enough." The twins said in unison, and all of our eyes remained locked on each other. And Julien knew instantly that he wasn't going to get any more answers than that. He was 'fishing'....I could feel it. Perhaps we were an intrusion on their territory...and they were guarding it well.

Yes....'they'.

I noticed them in the room around us. Almost surrounding us. I'm sure that John Boy had a lock on them way before I did, but once I found myself tuned into their presence...I counted 4 more standing close enough to us to slash our throats at a moment's notice if they had to. I don't know why I hadn't picked up on the scent of their tension and suspicion of me before...but now that I had, I realized that they had been following closely the whole time I was talking to Julien. Were they just keeping an eye out on me? Or was Julien leading me into a 'trap' before John Boy and the twin intervened.

The idea made me narrow my eyes, and as Julien led us forward through the crowd, I made sure to keep my focus on more than just Julien's pretty ass this time around.

Shank and Razor walked on our sides, protecting our peripheral with every step. But I had to look. I couldn't help it. The oddity of the situation intrigued me. Peeking to my left, I saw in the crowd two 'others'...that seemed to be walking in step with Julien. Even from the other side of the party. Girls. Their movements were graceful. Sexy. Every step was measured and executed without any effort or concentration at all. They simply watched us...staring with almost invisible smirks on their faces, as they took confidence in having us locked in a possible checkmate from our positions alone.

I peeked back to the right, to see two more females walking with the exact same stride. Beautiful, exotic, mysterious. But with enough muscle tone in their arms to show that they knew their way around as far as physical confrontations were concerned. Especially the dark skinned one in front, who, while still maintaining a voluptuous feminine build...looked as if she could rip a phone book in half if she had to. All four girls were between the ages of 16 and 18 from the looks of it...and they watched us with a hunter's glare as Julien led us further towards the back of the party Back and forth, I looked. They were so amazingly in tune with each other. Their awareness of their union was well practiced, to a degree that even surpassed our own. It wouldn't surprise me if they were all actually sharing the same thoughts as well as Shank and Razor usually do. They were totally in sync, never missing a step, never having to think...they were consumed by the calling completely. And nothing could break their focus. Nothing.

Whatever they were 'protecting'...they had guarding it down to a science.

I remember being SO fascinated by the fact that the whole pack was made up primarily of women so far, except for Julien. But more than that, I was excited to be in the presence of others just like us, even if our not-so-subtle reaction to one other was still somewhat hostile at the moment.

I think John Boy could feel my enchantment with them all...because when I looked at his face, even though he never turned to look back at me...that adorable 'knowing' smile spread out across his thin lips, and his hand went to my lower back. Partially to tell me not to worry, and partially to let me know that he was proud of me for assessing the possible threat so quickly. His interest in me was always such a blessing for me. It was one of the few things that let me know that I was doing anything right.

As we approached a doorway, leading to a sectioned off part of the party, I saw Sebastian and Kristin standing there waiting for us. Obviously already alerted to the situation from their reading of the energy alone. And I could 'feel' our father's presence getting stronger. Cyrus was certainly on his way. And Scout, Dex, and Kriegar were with him. Walking on all sides of him to safeguard him like the walls of a German tank. Sometimes..being in such a strong family makes me proud.

The four girls on the sides closed in on us, escorts for what was to follow. And just like Julien, they all had their names printed on the side of their necks. The dark skinned girl with the strong arms was Tundra, the girl with the long blond pony tail was Evangeline. Another, who looked almost like those paintings of lovely Egyptian women, with bronzed skin and high cheekbones was Nia. And the fourth, a rather tomboyish redhead with short hair, and three thin claw mars on her face covering her right eye..was Mara.

They herded us into a back room away from the rest of the party, and I was comforted to see Cyrus' arrival as he walked up behind us. It took no effort at all for us to reposition ourselves back into our strategic positions. One thing I noticed right away, however...was the negative effect that this extra tension seemed to have on Dex. From the look on his face alone, I could see a growing darkness in him that wasn't there before. He seemed even more psychotic than usual. But like a good boy...he remained still at our father's side.

Julien stopped us in the center of the room, and walked towards a figure that was shrouded in darkness. Sitting on a stack of hay bails as though it were a 'throne'. And at his right hand, a small boy, about Scout's age, with long dark brown hair to his shoulders. He had the name 'Luke' tattooed on his neck, and a spattering of light freckles over the bridge of his nose. The boy instantly caught on to our presence, and if looks could kill we wouldn't have stood a chance. And I thought SCOUT was protective.

The figure slowly slid out of his seat and let his feet touch the floor. The boy next to him got up at exactly the same time, and Julien walked with them back to the light.

Cyrus gave us a signal to stand at ease, but it was hard not to be on alert. Any moment of weakness in any one of us means danger for our leader. I was not so easy to relax. Then, a voice spoke from the shadows. "You know...when I felt your presence tonight...I thought perhaps I was mistaken"

Cyrus stepped forward, outside of our protective circle, as though it was never needed. "No mistake. I wanted to come." He said.

Then the dark one turned to me specifically. "Hello, alpha." He said. It confused me at first, but something about the way his eyes glowed in the darkness when he said kept me off balance. So my focus never wavered from the possibility of having to rip someone's throat out if given the signal. "You bring a new breed with you, Cyrus? And one so young. So beautiful Your tastes always have been impeccable." Then he looked over at Kristin and sneered. "I see you still have a habit of walking around with MY property in your circle."

I half expected Kristin to snarl back at him, but she didn't speak. None of us did. Whoever this figure was...he was just a strong as Cyrus. Just as fearless. Just as intimidating. And the rest of us in the room were just 'background' while two alphas were talking.

Cyrus smiled wickedly. "You say that as if I 'stole' her. All I did was provide her with a choice. And she took the greater of two evils."

"Heh...same old Cyrus. Still playing the big bad wolf."

"I could say the same for you. Or am I mistaken in the idea that you sent Julien to approach my new breed?" Cyrus asked.

"Nonsense." The figure said with a smile. "I was merely trying to be a good host."

"You don't have to be a good host. It's NOT your party."

"ANY party I attend...is MY party." The hostility between the two increased, and for a moment, I thought Cyrus was going to reach out and snatch this guy's HEAD off. Then, at long last, he stepped forward into the light completely with the rest of us. I was surprised to see that he was no older than Cyrus was. Sixteen...maybe seventeen at the most. He had the most alluring blue eyes that I had ever seen. They were like bright aqua colored neon when they reflected the light. His hair, a medium length mass of dark brown locks that were feathered back towards his ears. And full kissable lips that were blushed a deep red in color, almost as if they had been 'painted'. Much like Cyrus, his beauty was way above average, but behind his deceptive allure was a creature possessing a savagery from beyond the world. A fury that no man was ever meant to know.

I watched closely as he stepped even closer to our leader, and I felt myself tense up. His build was a bit more solid than Cyrus', with broader shoulders and a slightly built up chest. His pecks were well defined in his jet black t-shirt, and his arms looked as though his biceps were 'highlighted' with a marker or something. Still, Cyrus never backed down an inch Nor did he feel the need to. The boy walked to see Cyrus eye to eye, almost as if in insult. And I found myself being offended by this boy's disrespect. Even though the others in my pack were holding themselves still, I took a step closer to Cyrus myself, and looked this bigger boy in the eyes.

Suddenly, the other boy turned his head to me with a snap of his neck...and released a LOUD roar that I felt in the bottom of my stomach, nearly scaring the shit out of me! I jumped back, and the boy broke out into a wide smile. Cyrus reached up to lightly smack his cheek with a grin of his own...and then the two of them embraced tightly.

"It has been too long, my brother. You make a mockery of our connection by staying away so long." The boy said.

Cyrus let him go and gave him a friendly pat on the back. "My absence was needed. I had to build on my own. Same as you." He turned to me and said, "This is my newest arrival, Wesley. Wesley..this is Evren. A bond of mine, long broken."

"We are never broken." Evren said. "Who are we without the company of our brothers?"

Cyrus responded, "We are one. Without the company of my brothers, I am nothing."

It was almost like seeing two old high school buddies together, Cyrus and Evren. And yet...the tension between them didn't fade. In fact, it seemed to bubble and boil even hotter for the both of them. Right there under the surface. I couldn't figure it out...were they friends, or were they enemies?

Evren approached me, and looked me over. "So...you actually found yourself one that was worthy?"

"More than worthy. He's amazing." Cyrus beamed, and I straightened my back a little, proud of father's compliment.

"Still trying to live by Cain's design. I thought you knew a failed experiment when you saw one." He said.

"Cain made mistakes. I won't."

"Is that what you said before Jonah and Simone disappeared?" Evren smirked. "Yes, Cyrus...I hear things." Evren's eyes then returned to stare into my own, the blue tint almost made you feel like you were falling when you saw them up close. I was forced to turn away. He said, "I don't know, Cy...this one looks as if he's still standing on shaky legs." He snapped his fingers and Tundra came to stand at his side in front of me. She towered over me by a good five inches, and her shoulders were almost twice as wide. "Now THIS...this is a powerful breed. Strong, sturdy, unafraid. Female energy...strongst there is for our kind. Your pal Cyrus over there never did learn that." He told me. "Women bring the most aura to the table. The most intuition, the most emotion, the most insight. But if it came down to brass tacks, I'm betting my girl here could whip this pretty boy's ass in 30 seconds or less."

I have to admit, she was intimidating. In fact, all of his girls were. But if I had to...I'd break this bitch down and hang her head over the door The calling left me no sense of retreat. Not when it came to my pack. So having this 'she-hulk' stare me down was a waste of his time.

"Oh, I dunno, mate. I'd kinda like a crack at him myself." Julien said, peeking over Tundra's shoulder. "He's just my type."

Cyrus spoke up with a tilted grin. "Come now, Evren...we didn't come here to dogfight. I'm showing the boy a good time. Hopefully without any interference from you or your 'fem-squad' here."

"If you didn't want any interference, then why did you bring him into my territories?" Evren asked, his voice taking a slightly serious tone.

"You don't have a territory where I'm concerned. Or have you forgotten that?" Cyrus answered, his smile fading slightly as well. They could go from hot to cold and back again so quickly. Barking at one another briefly, and then swiftly regaining the illusion of companionship. "I'm not asking permission. I'm simply attempting to keep the peace."

"You could have kept the peace by staying home." Evren and Cyrus looked each other square in the eye without blinking, and it felt as though time itself began to slow down to a complete stop. But after a few moments of testing each other's confidence, Evren told him, "I will ALLOW you to stay, as long as your boys here behave yourselves. Specifically the 'crazy' one." He said, turning his attention to Dex. "The last time he lost it the farmhands were scraping bloody cow chunks off of the walls for a week."

"We'll be sure to keep ourselves trouble free. Besides...far be it from me to disrespect your boundaries, Evren." Cyrus grinned. "After all...I'm sure your pretty little 'witches' will be watching us."

"Then I suppose we have ourselves a deal. With one exception..." Evren suggested. "...I don't want Kristin to cross my path again tonight. Her betrayal only reminds me of how long it's been since I was forced to slaughter one of my own."

Kristin's eyes narrowed, and I saw her anger building rapidly. But she held her place. Evren stared hard at her, and even though she was usually so defiant, so unapologetic in everything she's done, she lowered her head slightly so as not to challenge him. Cyrus contemplated the idea, and then told him, "Consider it done. She'll confine her activities to the upper loft. If you find that appropriate."

Evren crossed his arms, and I saw little Luke and Scout practically snarling at one another as they kept a tight perimeter around their masters. He said, "In that case, enjoy the festivities. Help yourself to whatever you like."

"We plan to." Cyrus replied, and we were all given the nod to leave. Evangeline stood at the door with a demonic grin, and looked at Kriegar as though she were daring him to make a move. She opened her mouth, and we saw a razor blade sitting on the surface of her tongue.

Kriegar just rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. You can't handle my lovin' OR my hatin', so back the fuck up."

"Yeah!" Dex said right behind him, and then he 'barked' at her with his teen voice cracking a bit. Evangeline raised her fist, causing Dex to flinch and hurry out behind Kriegar before he got himself into trouble. But as we were walking out, Shank and Razor bringing up the rear...I felt Evren watching me.

I turned to look back, and he was staring right back at me as Julien whispered something in his ear. Once he saw that he had my attention, he simply gave me an evil smile that rivaled Cyrus' most devious thoughts. And he said, "Enjoy yourself, alpha. I'm sure we'll be seeing you again...soon."

We found ourselves reconnected to the rest of the party, and Nia and Mara closed the doors to give Evren his peace. Their dynamic was so similar to ours, and yet so different. So unique. I watched Kristin's angry face as she questioned Cyrus. "You would have me 'banished' to the loft like some kind of stray dog?"

Cyrus stopped walking, and turned to take her hand. He kissed the top of her knuckles and attempted to charm her out of her bad mood. "Your beauty follows you wherever you go, Kristin. For tonight...let it follow you to the loft."

"Cyrus...this is bullshit! He meant it as a humiliation!"

Cyrus gave her a stern look. "And for this evening...you will bear it. Do I make myself clear?" She wasn't happy, not in the least. But she obeyed his order. She had no choice. Cyrus then pulled her close, and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Now is not the time, Kristin. But soon. For now, Evren's holding the winning hand. It won't last." It was the only thing to get her to nod, and Cyrus took her by the hand. "Come. I'll join you personally. We have much to discuss. Sebastian?"

"Yes, father?" Sebastian answered.

"See to it that Dex is kept...'busy' tonight." Cyrus said. "We want Wesley to enjoy a full experience without any...incidents."

"Babysitting. Wonderful." Sebastian sighed. "Come on...let's go."

Dex pouted. "I don't need no babysitter."

"Good, because I don't plan to be one for long." Sebastian replied. "I'm going to take you to a table and force liquor down your throat until you pass out. Then I'm gonna ditch you in a haystack and have my own fun."

"SWEET!!!" Dex said excitedly, practically jumping at Sebastian's side as they walked away. "Huh...wait a minute. How am I gonna have fun if I'm passed out?"

"You can tell me when you wake up."

"Oh! Psh! Of course. I should've thought of that." Hehehe, that kid is his own party, all day long.

The others began to separate and return to the chaos around us, but before John Boy had a chance to leave my side, I asked him, "How does Father know this...Evren guy?"

John boy smiled. "They were members of the same pack. Many many years ago Two alphas, a lethal combination. Both 'chosen' by a titan of a werewolf by the name of Cain." He told me.

"They were brethren at one time."

"Yes."

"So...what happened?"

"Cyrus and Evren could not coexist within the same order. At least, that is the theory. Cain tried to have two under his control at once. It didn't work."

I looked over at John Boy, who was already anticipating the next question "So what happened to Cain?"

"They murdered him. Plain and simple." John Boy said it without even batting an eye. As though something like that was an everyday occurrence for our kind. "Once Evren and Cyrus were through ripping him to shreds, they split up. And have been rebuilding new packs ever since. Some would say..their tale is quite legendary among our kind. Their ultimate showdown is inevitable. It's only a matter of time."

I listened to John Boy with a certain amount of fascination...but caught sight of the young boy that I had seen earlier. Still bashfully moving around the party, sneaking glances at all of the cute guys in the room. Hiding himself away...much like I used to do. "Go." John Boy said, and I had to turn my attention back to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm listening."

"You're not here to listen to me, Wesley. Trust your instincts, follow your passions, and take what's yours." He said. "I will be here."

"I won't go too far." I told him.

"It wouldn't matter if you did." He grinned. And I got the message.

I wanted to hear more of this amazing epic of Cyrus and Evren taking down their alpha together...but for right now...there was a gay teen boy with a pretty face that needed my undivided attention.