Ch 30 A True Pack

"Think of your motorcycle," I told Lone Wolf. "When you drive you remember what you see and keep looking ahead. More to remember as a wolf, but same concept. No, keep your head up, focus in front of you."

Lone Wolf was trying. The true wolves and the shy one had gone off to see if there was any prey nearby. The rest stayed back with me, ranging in a large field, waiting for the true wolves to herd anything they might find our way. Old Grey was lounging around somewhere.

While real wolves would chase prey to weaken it for days if needed, I had a human life that didn't allow for a prolonged hunt right now. I had Mahina waiting for me. If they didn't find anything nearby they would just come back.

Real wolves also grew up learning how to work together. The businessman, Lone Wolf, and the young wolf Sheep had never hunted before.

I was still laughing over Sheep. He stayed away from me. He kept to the outskirts, away from any conversation where anyone would address him.

Old Grey had risen to man-form and called him Sheep once, I think just to test him. The young wolf had attacked the old one. Old Grey had quickly flowed back into wolf form at his approach and faced him with fangs bared. The old man had spent most of his life with wolves and quickly had the younger wolf submitting. I wondered if Sheep realized he was the omega in this pack of true wolves.

"Good," I called out to the businessman, watching him lope by. I focused on Lone Wolf.

"Keep your shoulders level with your rump. The body kinda stays in a horizontal line. Pick up your speed a little. A lope is similar to jogging as far as speed. Focus in front of you."

Better. I called them in before they wore themselves out. We gathered over by Old Grey.

"Sheep, get over here. You need to learn about hunting too."

Sheep came, a mix of anger and shame. He instinctively kept his head down as he crouched in closer, tail between his legs. He only came so close.

"Now, elk and deer aren't defenseless. Watch for hooves and antlers. A kick can break your jaw. If you get tossed by antlers, you might end up with busted ribs... or worse," I added sternly.

"Wolves work as a team," I continued. "If you can't do that," I said with a glance at Sheep, "stay back. While some of us harass and distract the prey from one side, the other side is open to attack.

"Ever wonder why dogs and wolves naw on bones, chew on them? You need to be sure of your own strength. As wolf, your jaws can break bones. Don't go for a quick snap on the front leg unless you plan on snapping hard enough to break bones.

"If you can get the right hold on a back leg, you cause drag. The more drag the better, which is why wolves mob a bigger animal. I even grabbed a tail once. You have to watch for a kick if your hold isn't good so watch out. A few others rush it from the side, getting it down. Knowing where to hit to knock it off balance enough for it to fall is one reason why we play around rushing each other. The moment it's down and can't kick, someone goes for its throat.

"Teamwork is the key, taking advantage of whatever opening you see. Once one wolf has done that, it makes an opening for another wolf to take advantage of, creating a chain effect."

I looked them over before I moved on, pleased with their attention.

"Next drill is leaping. I learned how to leap while playing with rabbits as a pup. It's in, quick harassing snap, leap away. Move far enough away so you are sure what your prey is doing. Leaps are how you change direction. Let me show you. Lone Wolf, pounce at me."

I shifted quickly to wolf. Lone Wolf came at me, moving faster than I thought the big man could, and I leapt away. I partially shifted and motioned him to try again before going back to wolf. My third leap had me on his back, a quick nip, then leaping off his back.

Why was I not surprised when he went belly up? I nosed him, laughing. He rolled back over.

I pounced at him. He stood there. I shook my head.

Businessman gave a snort. I grinned and pounced at him. He jumped to the side. I pounced again. Another jump. I shifted.

"We aren't playing jump rope. You're focusing on moving your body sideways. Too much man-thinking. Use back legs to leap. Try this. Stay wolf, stand on your two back legs, jump as high as you can. When you are in man-form, you move in any direction. Same concept as a wolf. When you come down, leap again."

Both businessman and Lone Wolf worked at it for awhile. Sheep still stood back, which didn't please me. With a growl I pounced on him. He started fighting back. I half shifted, pinning him with a wrestling hold.

"Stop being an idiot. This is practicing simple basic skills. Attack me again and I'll... you know what? I think I will anyway."

I let go of him, shifted to full wolf, and tore into him. I didn't really hurt him, but did give him a few nips. I don't think even his alpha had ever gone at him with full wolf ferociousness. He submitted beneath me with a yelp and some whimpers.

I only shifted enough to talk.

"Leap!" I growled as I moved off him.

I pounced and he leaped. I think I had motivated him to stay out of my reach. I kept stalking and pouncing at him. He did an excellent job of leaping away. I stopped when his fear hit borderline panic.

"Good. You did good, real good" I praised him, backing off. I nodded as his eyes widened. I was barely shifting enough to speak at this point. My praise surprised him.

I turned to businessman, ignoring Old Grey's silent laughter. Businessman seemed to understand what I had done in the course of disciplining Sheep. My pouncing toward him didn't have the same intense stalking to it. He did better this time. I moved so he would have to leap quickly in different directions.

"Much better, real leaping that time."

I turned to Lone Wolf. He was breathing hard, mostly from fear. I knew he wasn't afraid of me like he was that alpha. What they were all learning was a wolf's respect for their pack's alpha, the way real wolves react to their leader.

"Lone Wolf my friend, leaping involves moving. You ready to leap away from me when I pounce this time?"

He nodded and I pounced. He made a good leap, especially with his bulk. A few more pounces and decent leaps from him impressed me. He was learning fast.

We were interrupted by distance howls. I grinned.

"They found something. Relax, let yourself be wolf, and enjoy yourself."

I took off so I could join in the hunt. My trail would give the true wolves a guiding path to herd in what they found. I came in, swerving off to the side. I made sure I was out of the elk's way. I took my usual place opposite dad behind it, helping to drive it forward.

It was a joy running with these wolves, even if it was only for a short distance. I could feel the connection, the oneness with which we moved. When we hit the open field Old Grey joined in.

Businessman came up on the left front suddenly, making the elk veer to the right, right toward Lone Wolf who rushed it and leapt up. His aim was off but he improvised and bit it firmly on its nose to avoid the antlers. Lone Wolf's bulk had the elk stumbling, which gave the shy one the opening to break a front leg.

It was good team work and I was proud of them. I saw an opening and went in to finish it off while Arctic and Cherokee were nipping at it from the other side. I felt exalted as I watched the light leave its eyes. I was wolf brain then, rejoicing in the skills of my pack.

I fought off all of them to claim the first bite. It wasn't really fighting, as much as claiming position. Most of them were standing back. Businessman and the shy one had come in to bite into it and I warned them off, the shy one was confused but Businessman nodded respectfully.

I tore into the underbelly of the elk, ripping it open. I went for some choice pieces. I only took a few token bites before looking up and  allowing the others in. Dad came in first, relaxed and looking proud. The other true wolves came in next, slowly, one by one. They were spaced out around the elk, none getting near me.

Where real wolves would fight over a kill for dominance positioning, we only had limited jockeying for position. We had too much human respect for each other to give into full wolf fights over who had a higher rank by such small degrees.

The wolves that were with me in the field earlier were too unsure of things to push forward after my assertion of alpha dominance. They came in slower, respectfully. I growled at any that came too close to me.

Finally it was just Lone Wolf and Sheep who weren't eating from the elk.

Lone Wolf made no move to approach. He stayed back and watched.

Sheep had tried to come in at different places. Everyone drove him off, tearing into him, pinning him down, making him submit. He was omega of this wolf pack and didn't know it, but he was learning. I could smell his confusion and his desperation to be one with the pack.

I shifted enough to call Lone Wolf to come in next to me. He came in crouching, hesitant. I didn't mind this time. It satisfied the wolf in me. He ripped a piece off, then moved a short distance away. He ate slowly, unsure of his place, keeping his eyes on me, making sure he had my approval. He came back in for a bigger chunk.

The only one not at the elk at this point was Sheep.

He finally crawled close to Lone Wolf, sure that the huge wolf wouldn't attack him. He was wrong. Lone Wolf started with just a growl that made Sheep pause. Sheep crawled forward a bit more. When Lone Wolf growled this time Sheep growled back.

Lone Wolf took an aggressive stance over his hunk of meat, showing more teeth when he growled. It was too much for the young wolf that was used to dominating the wolf that was twice his size. He attacked Lone Wolf.

Everyone stopped eating to watch. Lone Wolf didn't pin him down, content with merely driving him away. I was his alpha now and I had granted Lone Wolf the right to eat. No other wolf had the right to take that away from him. I was proud that he stood up for himself. I hadn't been sure he could.

I shifted to man, looking at the emotionally hurt and confused young wolf. His world had been turned upside down. Nothing he had been taught was helping him in an all wolffish environment.

"Do you not understand that you haven't earned the right to eat with the hunters? In this pack, you have the lowest rank." 

I refrained from calling him an omega. He still needed to face his city alpha. I got less stern with him, offering a level of acceptance, if not true oneness with the pack. Pack acceptance also had to come from him. Sheep had, for the most part, kept himself withdrawn from our group, even if he had tried to integrate himself into us around the elk carcass.

It was odd to watch Sheep go from aloof to craving acceptance. Having a real pack of this caliber around him was affecting him. The needs of the wolf were growing in him. The desire to be part of this pack was like an unquenchable thirst. He didn't understand the way of the wolf he was feeling. Right now he was the only one who didn't.

I sighed, evaluating him. He was scared, confused, worried, almost in a panic at being driven away by every wolf there. I was worried he would bolt.

"You are wolf, and I will not deny you a share of this kill, but you will show respect to those who are your betters. You did nothing on this hunt. You still haven't accepted the wolf within you.

"You will eat when everyone else has finished. And you will eat. I'm sure the more attitude you have will convince the others to take longer to eat their fill."

I shifted back to wolf then, eating more, pacing around,  attacking the others in mock fights that had all of them respectfully submitting to me, even Cherokee.

My omega Sheep kept his eyes on me, watching the interactions between the wolves around him as they growled, ate, mocked fought. There was no attitudes. Even after any fights, there was obvious respect between the pack members. No one held grudges. The pack was one.

A rustling off to the side had my attention. I loped over to investigate. The local pack of real wolves had arrived, all but the pregnant female. I was guessing that by now she was possibly nursing newborn pups. By the time spring came around, the pups would be out and exploring the world.

I stood tall with my ears turned forward. The other alpha and his pack were content to wait. I paced in front of them. Most of my pack was done eating.

As the real wolves moved in a bit closer, I growled to Sheep that it was time for him to eat. He was almost petrified to go to the elk. I came in behind him and drove him toward the elk.

He nervously and with whimpers ripped a small bite from the carcass. I stood over him, insisting he eat. He couldn't stop whimpering, the whites of his eyes showing. His glances kept going from me to the real wolves back to me.

I chuckled, amused. I shifted enough to speak, keeping mostly wolf.

"You've never seen real wolves before have you? Well take a look, you might learn something about respect and dignity."

I put my nose on him then, licking his muzzle and putting my head over his back.

"Relax. They won't hurt you, I won't let them. Go ahead and eat, try and relax, it's ok."

I kept whispering assurances to him, kept my head over him. He accepted my protection, went for another nibble. I think at some level he accepted more than that. I think possibly, finally, he was beginning to accept something of the wolf inside him.