Gypsy Moon

Chapter Fifty-seven: Kyle

. . . . . . (early November)

Lilian is probably the only person who can conduct a full-scale interrogation while at the same time directing the enthusiastic scrubbing of a pair of prisoners. She switched from asking about one of their histories, to telling the other to wash better behind his ears, and back without pausing for breath.

The younger one wasn't so bad; he'd only had his first shift a few months earlier and wound up with the rogues by bad luck. The other guy was a d**k. He picked a fight with a human, after sleeping with the guy's girlfriend, and hurt the guy badly enough to attract local law enforcement.

"Are you willing to be submitted temporarily by our Gamma?" She frowned at him. "I need to discuss you with my Alpha, but it's late and I want to go to bed." He nodded tiredly and her eyes clouded. A moment later, Gyam walked in and walked up to the man, who lowered his head submissively.

Gyam grabbed the back of his neck and sunk his claws in enough to send a few thin trickles of blood down the man's back. He growled darkly and a dark stain spread under his hand.

"Harm nothing. Eat and go to bed." The wolf nodded blankly, and the younger wolf cleared his throat nervously.

"Do you want me to submit as well, ma'am?" Lilian smiled at him as the submitted wolf dressed himself and left.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about from you, but you may if you feel more comfortable." Gyam looked at the teen who thought for a moment before nodding and stepping up to him. His grip was far gentler on the teen, his claws pressing just enough to draw single drops of blood. He growled softly and the stain spread across the teen's neck.

"Harm nothing. Eat and rest." The teen shivered as the command took hold and his anxiousness was pushed down. Lilian yawned and Gyam laughed.

"Go to bed, woman." I cleared my throat and Lilian glanced at me.

"Being submitted is like being brainwashed, right?" Lilian took my hand as Gyam pointed us towards the Alpha office, propelling us gently.

"Sort of." He shrugged. "They could fight it since it's just temporary, but I'm alpha stock, and they would have to be pretty strong to break it." Lilian nodded.

"It's helpful in situations like this, they will still be under guard, but they will be compelled to obey Gyam's command, so they are unlikely to cause any further trouble." I frowned slightly.

"What if they refused to be submitted?" Lilian sighed softly.

"We don't have anywhere to secure them until Aiden returns. They would have had to be bound and held under guard."

"That seems a bit extreme, even for the jerk." Lilian squeezed my hand.

"Wolves are unforgiving, if you break their trust, they aren't going to give you the chance to break it again." I frowned.

"Why would the kid be treated that way?"

"He was scared." Gyam looked at me like I was obtuse. "Being submitted gave him security. Sometimes it's better to be trapped and safe, than free and scared." I blinked at him, and he rolled his eyes. Lilian nodded.

"Think of it like swearing fealty way back in the day. They are basically trusting the stronger wolf to be better at running their lives than they have done so far. Any command given to them by their sworn wolf takes extreme priority and they will protect that wolf without hesitation, even to their death."

"What if they change their minds, want to go free?" Gyam snorted.

"They won't. The alternative is usually death." I stopped and stared at him.

"What?" Lilian bit her lip.

"Like I said, wolves don't really give second chances." She sighed. "Being rogue generally means you f****d up. Nature doesn't forgive f**k-ups. So, you find someone stronger willing to put up with you in return for your infallible obedience."

"Be a mindless drone or die?" Gyam shrugged and tapped on the master bedroom door.

"Shouldn't have f****d up in the first place." I frowned.

"Well, what about you?" He looked at me blankly for a moment before laughing.

"I wasn't submitted to Sir. He never felt threatened by me enough to force me to submit to him, and he thought it was much more fun to leave me a slave." He glanced at Sinah as she opened the door. "Sinah is the only wolf I would ever even consider submitting to, I would rather die than submit to a lesser wolf."

"What about Aiden?" Gyam looked at me silently, considering.

"Aiden is not a lesser wolf, but I will not submit to him. My loyalty is to Sinah." He shrugged again. "He's just my Alpha." Sinah giggled.

"JUST his Alpha?" She kissed the top of his head when he paused to listen to her stomach before moving past her into the room. "I thought Aiden was going to explain submitting to Kyle." Lilian laughed.

"Whoops." I shook my head slowly.

"No, I think I'm okay." I chuckled ruefully. "Knowing you, you explained better than he would have anyway. And he didn't make the decision on a whim, he asked the entire pack, so I'm going to accept it." Sinah smiled at me.

"Thank you, Kyle." She stepped back into her room and moved to close the door. "Good night, Deltas."

"Goodnight, Luna." I turned, leading Lilian to our room and facing her after the door closed behind us. "So where do they end up in a pack?" Lilian pulled her hair out of its ponytail and shook out her fluffy blonde hair.

"They end up all over, it's sort of like a rank." She began unbuttoning her blouse. "Submitted wolves have no voice in pack decisions, since they are compelled to obey the Alpha, so they are technically lower than omegas, but they can hold all sorts of jobs in the pack."

"Sounds easy to abuse." I slid my hands around her waist as she unfastened her skirt.

"Unfortunately, yes." Lilian twisted in my grasp and hooked her arms over my shoulders. "I've always been glad White Moon was one of the packs that treated all members well, regardless of rank. I don't know much about River Talon, but they seemed a good pack too."

"Mmm."

"What's the matter?"

"We are in between Reno and Sacramento; we are going to attract a lot of rogues." She nodded and pulled my shirt over my head.

"I know, so does Aiden, he and Gyam suggested the detention facilities should be built before the medical center, but Sinah and I voted the medical center more important, given her condition." I tilted my head as I considered.

"After tonight I'm inclined to vote for the brig, but I agree the med center is more important." I chewed on my lip as I thought. "We need more warriors." She nodded.

"The first dorm should finish next week." She picked up her tablet and flipped a few screens. "Yeah, appliances will be installed on Tuesday, furniture delivered Thursday and Friday. Forty-eight two-bedroom units, twenty-four three-bedrooms..." She trailed off, muttering numbers and flipping between apps.

I grinned at her standing next to the bed in her underwear, chewing on her stylus and mumbling. I took her tablet away gently when she yawned again.

"Go to bed, love. This whole circus will fall apart without you cracking the whip."

. . . . . .