Wolf Wrongs

The meeting

"You're late" He remarks.

I ignore the comment and move toward him.

"Thank you for meeting me." I reply courteously.

"On that note" He counters, "Why am I meeting with you, and not Harris, is he so scared to meet with me that he hides behind closed doors?"

"Why it's me your meeting with is irrelevant." Is he going to ignore what he said and did earlier? He really shouldn't, but, it not being the first subject he brings up leaves doubt in my mind that he will ever acknowledge it.

"Oh, but it is!" he jeers, "Why is it that you are here and not him?"

"Because it was decided that it would be me."

"Decided" he inquires, "by whom?"

"By no one in particular..." I say mysteriously.

"Well I'm obviously getting nothing from you... So tell me, what do you want?"

"I want for you to call off the attack!"

His face goes dark, "Why on earth, would I, do that?" he jibs. "You have nothing to offer me!"

"Actually-"

"Actually! There's no 'actually' about it, you have nothing I want... And I'm in no hurry to see my parents after what they did to me! Your parents could have been different. I hoped. I wanted them to be different, then there may have actually hope for change, it would have shown that wolves can accept wolves like us. But just look at what they did to you! To your mate!"

Distracted by his speech and remembering what I'd said to Celia earlier I burst out, "But look at your brother! And mine! They support me, and could support you." I say in an effort to persuade him.

"How can I believe you? You of all people, your parents destroyed you! Plus, you're working with them, you'd say anything to make me believe they've accepted you, so 'may' accept me."

"Working with me!" I exclaim, "Doesn't that just affirm what I said?!"

Realising I have point and not wanting to admit it, Michael remains silent.

"And I do have something to offer you." I roll on, "A chance!"

Michael sits on a nearby log looking puzzled. I continue, I'm doing well, I can see him coming round to my point of view.

"A fair chance, to become Alpha."

He stands in shock, clearly he hadn't expected such an offer.

"You sign an agreement that swears by the Goddess that you will uphold its terms. Then you have a one on one fight to submission with Harris." I wait but he gives me nothing by way of reaction. "Will you enter into this deal? Harris has agreed." My firm words appear to reassure him, it gives him the perfect slot in which to give his answer. He complies.

"Yes." He says hesitantly.

I let out a sigh of relief, a breath I didn't know I'd been holding in for the past five minutes. "Sorry." I apologise, realising it was obvious enough for him to see.

He shrugs it off. "It's fine." His relaxed temperament off puts me, then it hits me, he plans to use the rogues as insurance, if he loses, he'll attack. I bluntly warn him not to try anything, he wouldn't want me to be anything but straight with him.

"The agreement... It is Goddess binding, ergo eternal. If you were to attack after submitting, the consequences would be dire, the entire wolven population would turn its attention on you and they would not hesitate to attack. The Goddess is to be honoured." I press.

He looks to the ground, I can see how ashamed he is of his own thoughts. He's exhausted, but he has much ahead of him before he rests.

"Am I even worthy" He despairingly asks, I can feel the emotion behind his plea.

"You are worthy" I say simply, then add, "But so is Harris."

He nods.

"You can prove to people, in the right way, that an Alpha who's Gay, is not a disadvantage."

He chuckles, then becomes solemn, "I need to apologise to you."

So he's going to talk about this, now!!!???

"If I'd been in my right mind I would have never... It was just after your parents did what they did, I was so angry, so upset, I know it was illogical, but I took it out on you. If I'd never met you I wouldn't have had any hope that wolves could be different. So my hopes wouldn't have been dashed by their reaction."

I nod, I will not say he's forgiven, but in truth, he is. Despite the illogical nature of his undeserving assault on me, I understand that he was hurting, and I now know why.

"We need to go to the pack house to sign the agreement now." I order. I walk down the hill towards it in the distance. He obliges, following me, then walking by my side.

I bring out my phone, to text Harris, warning him of our impending arrival, I get a text back saying thanks. We continue walking in silence, we are about 5 minutes from the house now and my mind is racing. There is so much that could go wrong. He might change his mind, who says the rogues will let this go? What if Michael's parents make a mess of things...? Better to get them out of the way. I text Harris again, warning him to make his parents scarce.

"You father has changed you know." I say warmly to Michael, as my brain was on the topic of his parents. "He basically said 'to hell with what the wolven society says'" Michael stiffens at my words, he has nothing to say to that, but I know he's glad I told him, though he probably doesn't believe me anyway.

There has been no reply from Harris and we are two minutes from the house. In desperation, I text Celia, asking her to tell Harris. She responds immediately, saying she's on it. I can always rely on her.

"You didn't really mean what you said about your mate did you?" I ask, this time he has a response for me.

"Like I said, I was upset. Of course I love Liam, we really are happy together. He doesn't really approve of all this though." He gestures to thin air, but he means the plan with the rogues.

"How is he dealing with being a wolf?"

"He is amazing!" Michael says passionately, "He adapted so quickly and he's almost as fast as me, so just as fast as any normal wolf."

His words make me grin, I'm just as proud of Celia as he is of Liam.

After a moment, "Will my parents be there?" He quizzes, just as I get a text from Celia.

"One second." I check my phone, all's well, they will not be present. "Sorry, will your parents be there?" I repeat his question, "No."

"Oh" he nods.

"Did you want them to be?" I ask tentatively.

"I don't know, it's probably best that they aren't" He admits, I'm grateful for his honesty and put a calm hand on his arm, removing it just as quickly as I placed it there.

"Thanks" He says in response to my gesture.

We approach the doors of the house, Michael takes a gulp, bad memory's resurfacing hostilely, and then he opens the door.