This story is fictional, I'm sorry (actually I'm jelous) if it resembles your life in any way shape or form. Constructive criticism is welcome. If gay relationships offend you, then "How did I manage to start reading this story?" is a good question to be asking yourself. However you're still welcome to read it!
This story is owned solely by Gaco and may not be copied by any means by any unlicensed individuals, groups, or organizations.
Copyright 2020 Gaco. All Rights Reserved.
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Chapter 12
Bryce was driving towards the south side of Atlanta. Justin was in the front passenger seat, while Alexi and I were in the back seat.
"The Monticello pack is about an hour and a half away from ours. Keeps us from stepping on each other's toes. Whereas we're an oddball pack that lives close to a major metropolitan area, they're more run of the mill." Bryce was telling everyone, but no doubt the conversation was mostly for my benefit.
"Their den backs up against the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. That one alone has fifty-five square miles of forest. It's connected to the Oconee National Forest which boasts about one hundred and eighty square miles." He said.
"You sound like a tour guide." I laughed.
"I did a stint in the area as a forest ranger. That was before I started my own pack." He smirked back at me. "That was nearly twenty years ago now."
"Anyway, the Monticello pack's lands are ideal for running in our wolf form. There's so much open space you could run for hours without seeing another soul. Most of the area is protected so we don't even have to worry about the trigger happy hunter. Not that a hunter would be able to kill us." He said, smiling.
"It's the perfect place for your first run." He smiled brighter.
"And this other pack is just OK with us roaming their territory?" I asked. "I imagine they'd be pretty protective over it."
"While we're not what you'd call allies, we are friendly. They let us run on their lands, when we give them notice. In return, we handle the `city folk stuff' for them. That includes things like dealing with lawyers, getting fake IDs, anything having to do with technology or the internet." He said.
"They're a much more traditional pack. They avoid living near humans or even interacting with humans as much as possible. They don't really keep up to date with the latest trends and technologies so it's harder for them to get and understand... Anything new." He smirked.
"I'd advise avoiding the topic. It's one of the few ideological differences between our packs that causes issues. A few of their younger members over the years have wanted to... enjoy the luxuries of the modern world. It's caused some strife within their pack before resulting in fights. It has nearly resulted in the death of a couple wolves. It's best not to remind them of the experience." He said.
I looked over to Alexi for clarification, but he just shook his head slightly. I decided to drop the topic, for now.
"Remember to always be properly respectful of Alpha Johnson. We're guests on his land. That goes for his beta Fredrick as well. While they're not your alpha, and you're not expected to be deferential to them, it would be a very bad idea to disrespect them on their own land." He looked at me and Alexi in the rear view mirror to make sure we understood.
"Tom..." He paused, as if thinking. "I'm... not entirely sure how they're going to react to you. I want you to stay in the car when we arrive. I'll talk to Alpha Johnson before you're introduced to their pack. You're part of our pack, so they won't likely raise a hand to you... But... We never know how people will react to your scent." He said awkwardly.
"Great. More people who may be oversexed by my presence or may want to kill me." I thought as I squirmed in my seat.
"Do they know we're coming?" I asked.
"I had called and said that we were coming down last night. I told him we had a new member who just had his first change. I thought it would be better to have this particular conversation in person though." He said, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel nervously.
He turned on the radio, and I checked my new phone. We were still an hour away. I laid my head down on the door as the music and road noise began to lull me to sleep.
I awoke nearly an hour later when the sound of the road changed from pavement to gravel. I looked up to see that we were already deep into the forest. Everyone else seemed to be awake and alert.
"Almost there. Their main house is just a few miles down this road." Bryce told me.
"You excited?" Justin asked, turning to look at me.
"About what?" I replied.
"Your first run. Your first voluntary transformation. First time as a wolf." He said excitedly.
"Oh. Uh... Nervous." I said.
"What's to be nervous about? Running with your pack is freeing. Makes you feel complete in a way nothing else ever could." Alexi says.
I turn to look at him, attempting to discern his true age. Though he appeared to be nearly thirty, his eastern European accent made it harder to guess his true age versus Americans.
"It's... More the fact that I'm afraid... Afraid I'll not be in control. The beast did some fucked up shit, completely out of my control the other night.... What if that happens again. I can't be responsible for that." I said.
"What the hell do you two talk about when you're alone?" Justin asked Bryce, who just smirked at him.
"OH. Right. Forgot..." Justin said, looking away. "Uh.. Well.. What this big lug SHOULD have told you a couple days ago is that when you transform into the wolf or were outside of the full moon you're in complete control."
"Even now, you should be able to sense your wolf, hear him. He's not separate from you, its not a different being. Simply a more instinctual, baser part of your mind. In situations of great stress or passion he can guide you and protect you. It's sort of on a subconscious and spiritual level." He added.
"When you're around" Bryce began "my wolf gets so excited. I can feel him in my mind, my subconscious I suppose, begging me to touch you. Yearning for me to rub my scent on you, keep you safe, and claim you as mine. That night you were attacked in Chattanooga he was a snarling ball of fury in the back of my mind. It took nearly everything I had to keep him under control and not let him take over and rip that asshat to shreds."
"That doesn't scare you? That it could take control if you aren't careful. That your animal subconscious, instinct could turn you into a murderer." I asked, feeling like he had just proven my point.
"No. It doesn't scare me. It thrills me." He said. "We're one in the same. We want the same things. Even if I gave into instinct and just kind of rode on autopilot nothing would happen that I would regret, most likely. My wolf knows how to keep me safe, knows what I want, knows my limits, because he's me... Just a manifestation of the instinct of being part wolf."
"If things get tough here with the other wolves. If something goes wrong and we're separated, just let your wolf help. Don't fight it. Don't fight instinct. Even when your mind freezes up, instinct can keep you safe. Instinct doesn't require thought or reason. It doesn't know fear, it just reacts." He finished as we pulled up to a three story cabin in the middle of a large clearing.
"We're here." He said, pulling the car to a stop.
My breath hitched as I saw two huge wolves emerge from the tree line at a lope. An older looking bearded man emerged from the cabin. He gave Bryce a small nod when their eyes met.
"Justin and Alexi you're with me. Tom, remember to stay in the car until I come get you." He said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.
Seeing that I had stayed in the car, the bearded man and the wolves in the clearing eyed me curiously. I could see the wolves lift their noses trying to catch my scent on the air. They no doubt already knew the others, so were likely already aware I was the new wolf.
I watched as Bryce walked up to the bearded man and shook his hand in a friendly manner. The man's eyes flicked back to me. Bryce must have asked for a private conversation as the others around them seemed to give them a bit more space. I watched the man carefully for a reaction as they spoke, but other than a curl of his lip, I couldn't tell much from what I saw. After a few moments Bryce began walking back towards the car with a small smile. He approached the car and opened my door when he reached it.
"While he didn't seem entirely happy with the idea," Bryce spoke as he was pulling me out of the car and into his arms. "he said any wolf in my pack, including my mate, would be welcome to run on his lands."
As Bryce broke the hug my eyes flicked back to the other Alpha, who just gave us a subtle nod before calling his packmates to him. The large wolves who had entered the clearing earlier and had been watching me with curiosity trotted over to him. He spoke so low I couldn't hear him, however, one of his wolves let out a `woof' that I took as surprised sound. Both of the wolves turned back to us and regarded me with curious eyes once again. At least I didn't get the feeling of outright animosity from them.
Bryce took my hand and pulled me towards the center of the clearing. Justin and Alexi took up positions on either side of us as we walked. The Monticello wolves followed a few hundred feet back. Once we stopped, the other wolves watched me expectantly. Bryce gently turned my head back towards him to look me in the face.
"Tom." He smiled. "It's not often we accept a new member into our ranks. I'm proud of you for the way you've handled things over the past several weeks. I'm glad you're still with us, and glad you're still with me."
I smiled back at him, gently pushing at his chest playfully.
"So uh... What do I do?" I asked hesitantly.
"It might be easier if we sit down." Bryce told me. "Shifting requires a bit of focus. First, you should relax. Your wolf will know what to do when it's time. Instinct. But until you learn to quiet your mind and allow him to guide you, it's likely your conscious mind will block him out or at least keep him at bay from helping."
I looked down to the ground and found a spot that appeared to be mostly clear of forest debris. After looking over to the spot, I glanced back to Bryce who just nodded at me encouragingly. I walked over and tried to sit down and make myself as comfortable as possible. The other guys simply watched as Bryce sat down with me and took my hands in his.
"As an Alpha, I could probably force your wolf to take control and force the shift for you." He said. "It will be much easier if you do this for yourself, however. I know how much you don't like the feeling of not being in control of your wolf. Let's sit here for a bit and get comfortable."
Sitting on the ground with my legs crossed as we were, I was able to watch Bryce and take in my surroundings at the same time. In the distance I saw the wolves from the other pack laying leisurely in the sun, only paying half attention to us. I noticed how much more quiet it was in the middle of nowhere, versus the city. The only sound were the birds and insects in the trees. The silence felt like a real weight on my mind and ears.
Bryce gave my hands a squeeze.
"Your wolf probably gets as excited around me as mine does with you. I've seen how you are when I get particularly aggressive in bed. You seem to really enjoy it a lot when my control slips and my wolf urges me to take you and do what I want with you." His words made me blush brightly.
"Part of that enjoyment is yours no doubt, but I bet your wolf enjoys it just as much. When you really start to let yourself go, I can tell you're just going with the flow, doing what feels right. Submitting to me. It's in that moment your wolf comes out a bit. Your eyes glow sometimes. I even occasionally get a content little growl out of you." He smirked as he spoke.
"It just comes out." I whine. "I just get so worked out and want... Need more. It's like a part of me clicks into place when I'm with you and a feeling of such completeness washes over me."
"Your wolf feeds your desires, tells you what to do in those moments. I bet if you listen close you can feel what he wants now." He says.
"Not in front of an audience!" I squirm and blush as his eyes rake over me.
"Pity." He smirks back. "Try thinking of my wolf form. Think of running through the forest with him. Picture it in your mind. Shut everything else out except the thought and feelings."
I did as he said. I pictured his wolf, the giant that he is, running with me in the forest, chasing me. I felt a surge of desire well up inside myself. The feeling was nearly strong enough to be called a need. It felt like I wouldn't survive long without it, the feeling was so strong. I could feel my skin getting tight, the desire to run and hunt on all fours. The thought made me immediately recoil.
Bryce's grip tightened on mine when I nearly yanked my hands away.
"That was it. I could feel it. Your wolf wants out, pup." He said to me. "He wants to run and play, to be free."
"He wants to hunt." I grunted as my stomach did summersaults. "He's hungry and wants to chase things and chew on them. I don't want to be a monster." My mind pulled back from the presence I felt, and the feelings it created.
"The thrill of the chase is a strong one to reign in." Bryce said. "Wolves are predators, and instinct drives us to run, hunt, and survive. There are no people out here for him to hurt, pup. Your wolf won't attack other friendly wolves. That only leaves game animals. You do like steak, right? This is no different, really. Just more fresh."
"Fresh." I barked a laugh. "Right."
I focused on the intangible presence inside my mind again. The desire to make Bryce happy was at the forefront, mingled with lust. I could also feel the desire to leap up and go running through the forest, wanting Bryce at my side.
"No hurting people." I thought into my mind. "I don't want to be a monster."
I could almost feel the bundle of emotions that was inside me but not really mine scoff at that thought. I got the idea that my desire was understood though, so I relaxed into the feeling a bit once more.
Bryce seemed to feel the shift in my mind and he released my hands and began to undress.
"You'll want to be naked for the next part." He told me with a smirk.
I felt a surge of agreement with that from the bundle of feeling and emotion I was coming to know as `my' wolf. I gave into it and stood to shuck my clothes, barely a thought for those watching around us.
Once we were both naked Bryce came back up to me kissed my lips once as his eyes flashed with a golden glow.
"Come out and play, pup" He whispered as he backed away, fur growing out all over his body.
I watched as his body reshaped, joints popping out and back into place as his body shifted to his wolf form. My breathing had spiked as it began and a few seconds later I was left panting. I was now staring into the intelligent eyes of Bryce who now had the body of a wolf.
`YES!' The voice inside of me seemed to cry out without words. I felt a wave of dizziness as a crippling pain overtook me. My stomach cramped and it felt like it had fallen out on the ground. The popping and cracking sounds seemed to come from inside of my head and mind.
I shut my eyes hard as I began to yell out in pain, not sure of how much more I could stand as I collapsed down to the dirt.
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