(My boi Pyre, from my other story, Snake, was my editor today.) 

Tilting his ears up, Kandza looked down at his sleeping alpha. The moment Silas had lost consciousness, he'd felt it. They had a bond, of sorts, since they were both leaders of their pack. Whenever one wasn't doing well, the other could easily tell. So, when he'd felt Silas beginning to get tired, it caught Kandza's attention, but he couldn't quite figure out where he was until he really started struggling. That's when he stopped what he was doing, which had been staring into Pretennon's empty, darkened bedroom, and hopped off the balcony to rush to his alpha's aid. 

The storm had hindered him quite a bit, but he'd refused to slow down, even when he'd crossed into the Ghost pack's territory. By the time he'd gotten to the pack house he had been completely soaked through and shivering, but thankfully, the two females that were stationed as guards outside hadn't shown any kind of aggression towards him. In fact, after a brief discussion amongst themselves, then a pause in which he'd figured they'd been speaking with their alpha, the one with darker hair had gestured him closer. 

He hadn't hesitated to hurry up onto the porch, shaking out his soaked coat once the two women had stepped inside and partially closed the door to block the spray of water. 

As soon as he was able to remove most of the water he'd been allowed inside and lead down a long hallway, then up a winding staircase near the back of the home until they'd stepped off onto the second floor. 

The soft dark green and black carpet had matched the droves of potted plants lining the hall perfectly. He would have honestly felt like he'd been walking back through the jungle again if it hadn't been for the flickering candlelight set on the walls every so often. The lack of rain had also been a pretty decent sign, too. 

 When he'd finally been guided to the room at the very end of the hall, he'd swallowed his nerves and calmly nudged open the right door with his nose. Neither of his two escorts had stepped inside with him, so he turned and bowed his fuzzy head, silently thanking them for their hospitality, then quietly pushed the door closed before turning his attention toward the bed. 

He'd considered jumping up there right away and checking on his alpha, but he'd been able to tell that the man was recovering just fine from where he stood. So, he'd quickly shifted back to his human form and found himself a towel to dry off with, then did a quick check around the room for anything out of the ordinary. When he'd found nothing, he'd set the towel on the back of the reading chair pushed back into the far corner, then returned to his wolf form and hopped up onto the bed to guard his alpha until he awoke. 

Unfortunately for his poor attention span, that meant sitting, then lying down, then cleaning his paws, then doing another check around the room. He truly wasn't made to sit and wait. 

Returning to his spot on the bed, he forced himself to lie down even as his tail hung over the edge, swishing back and forth with illogical anticipation. 

When he finally huffed and settled his head down to rest, a warm, gentle palm settled between his ears. His eyes jerked open immediately at the unexpected attention, but he reigned himself in, just barely, when he saw how exhausted his alpha looked. 

Thank you for coming here, Kandza. 

Kandza wiggled his way closer, wishing to share his body heat even though he was still a bit damp and Silas was under several layers of thick blankets. 

I will always come to your aid, alpha. 

His words seemed to be funny, because Silas gave a quiet, tired chuckle as he began to gently scratch at Kandza's left ear. 

I want to hold your human form.

The request caught him a little off guard, making Kandza pin his ears abruptly and glance away. If Silas had ordered him to shift so that he could do as he wished, then he would not have hesitated, but the man had never given him such an order... and he'd promised him, the day that he'd started honestly pursuing him as a love interest, that he never would. 

Unfortunately for Silas, Kandza had never seen him in such a light, but not because he wasn't a reasonable partner. While his alpha tended to be aggressive and sometimes downright rude with his tactics, he was the absolute opposite with him. 

Silas was caring and sweet, and had always made time for him whenever he'd requested his attention. He'd been denied nothing, though he'd rarely asked for anything, either. 

Kandza nudged his nose into the thick blankets, knowing that he'd let his alpha down again with his reaction to his request. 

He really and truly loved the man, and owed him so much more than he could ever give, but every time he thought about what it would mean to be Silas's lover, he got extremely nervous and found himself doing anything he could to escape the situation. 

Do not worry, my Kandza. I know it has taken me quite some time, and I am still a bit stubborn, but I do understand that your heart does not wish for mine. 

Kandza twitched an ear and lifted his head the slightest amount before tilting it curiously. 

Stop it now, you are far too cute for your own good. 

Kandza opened his mouth to argue, but he was a wolf. Closing it, he pawed at his muzzle worriedly before scooting a little closer and whining. 

Such a stubborn pup... I wonder where you got it from, Silas chastised, though the smile on his tired face was all that Kandza needed to see to know that he wasn't truly upset. 

Alpha Silas, what happened? 

The man's expression changed abruptly as he thought back to what had happened. 

I'm honestly not completely sure. I went for a walk on the border of our territory and after lying down to rest for a short time, I found a little wolf pup latched onto the tip of my tail. 

Kandza tilted his head the opposite way, surprised. 

I know, I wasn't expecting to see one out there, either. And definitely not as a storm was kicking up. I helped it get down from the boulders it had somehow climbed to bite at me, but after we got back to the ground it suddenly shifted. 

Flicking an ear, Kandza narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly thinking about what that could have meant. 

You're hunch is correct. It imprinted on me. 

Dear gods... a mistake has been made that couldn't be undone. 

Don't give me that look. It's not like I did it on purpose. 

Kandza gave out a quiet whine and dropped his head back down to the blankets for another head pat. 

I don't think Verander will allow you to remain anywhere near here once you are well. 

Of course, his alpha knew that. The two did not get along, even though Verander was usually the unprovoked aggressor. 

He would probably be attacking me for it right now if he could. He was in far worse condition, though, Silas replied. 

Worse? It was rare to see an alpha as exhausted as his, and yet Verander was worse for wear? 

I found him nearly drowned beside the rising Black river. His back leg was caught in a silver bear trap. 

Just the thought of having his paw stuck in one of those things again made Kandza flinch and whine again. That's actually how he'd ended up in Silas's pack. One of his sentries had been on patrol and found him a little ways from the edge of their territory, thrashing about in a silver leg trap. 

His leg still gave him trouble sometimes, but it was easily manageable. 

We might be able to leave before he even awakens, then? he questioned, not wanting to risk another possible bloody fight between the two alphas. 

I can get up, but...

Kadnza sighed and his ears fell to either side of his head. That pup was now a huge issue. Imprinting was something incredibly special to werewolves, and pups never shifted in front of anyone besides their parents for their first change. 

But wait, if that pup wasn't Verander's, whose was it? 

Granted, Silas hadn't said that it wasn't the other werewolf's, but he didn't think that Verander was mated... and if he was, he would feel terrible for his partner. 

It was not his, but I'm not sure if it was anyone else's, either. It had his scent on it, but it shifted in front of me. That's not supposed to happen if—

Kandza flicked his ears up, curious. 

If? 

Silas closed his eyes and slowly lifted a hand to press his hand to his forehead. 

If the pup's parents are still alive. 

Kandza felt his heart sink in his chest. The pup was an orphan. 

"Let's not worry about it right now. It's being well taken care of and is quite feisty," Silas said as he slowly sat up. 

Kandza helped him with a few nudges of his muzzle, earning a quiet chuckle from his alpha as he finished sitting up. As soon as Silas was comfortable he reached over and tugged him into a tight hug. 

"Thank you for coming here to help me," he said as he pressed a kiss to Kandza's fuzzy forehead, then released him. 

"Let's get out of here before our host recovers enough to try and bite my tail, too, hmm?" he said with a partial grin as he got out of bed. 

Kandza hurried to hop down, eager to follow the man wherever he wished to go. He stayed right at Silas's side as he slowly made his way to the doors and cautiously pulled one open. 

It was no surprise when they saw a guard across from their room, his back pressed against the wall. 

"Good morning, alpha Silas of the Rain pack," the man greeted cordially, earning a respectful nod from Kandza as his alpha replied. 

"Thank you for looking after me. How is Verander doing?" 

The man straightened up and gestured for them to follow him as he began walking. 

"I thank you for assisting our alpha," the man said with the utmost respect in his words as they began descending the staircase he'd been guided up previously. 

Silas was silent until they were back on the first floor, thinking about what he wanted to say since it was clear that the other wolf would not be giving them any information about the others' condition.  

"I appreciate your hospitality, and I do hope that Ghost alpha Verander will consider my good will in saving him when we next meet again," he said as they were guided toward the front entrance. 

Once at the double doors, Silas paused as they were pulled open by a guard from outside. 

"That small child that I brought with me when I came here last night... what was his name?" 

Kandza could tell that he hadn't meant to ask, but imprinting worked both ways, unfortunately. He could fight it decently well being an alpha, he didn't doubt, but the fact was that it had happened and the bond was there. Thankfully, he said that the boy was clearly well taken care of, so his wolf likely wasn't fighting with him to be around it. His beast was probably decently manageable... for now. 

The man looked a little hesitant to answer, but then seemed to shrug off his nervousness. It was only a name... to him. 

"That boy is Sitkea, an orphan pup from two pack members that had been killed before we moved here. Alpha Verander has been looking after him." 

So it was an orphan. Then the random imprinting makes sense. 

Silas gave a formal bow and stepped out onto the porch and into the dim light of the coming sunrise. 

"Thank you for answering. Please let Verander know that I would like to speak to him about that boy when he has recovered. Until then, please excuse us," Silas said as he turned and headed down the steps. 

Kandza hesitated for a brief moment as he felt a few extra eyes on him than just those who were present, but since his instincts were still pretty relaxed, he didn't bother making a fuss over it and quickly hurried to fall into step beside his alpha. 

They walked in silence until they were finally back on their own territory, but before Kandza could begin speaking, Silas stepped in front of him and knelt down, making Kandza stop in his tracks. 

Alpha Silas? 

The man before him reached up and settled his hand against the side of Kandza's face, his thumb rubbing gently at the fur right beneath his left eye. 

"Give me a bit more time to get over you, please. I won't ever tell you what you can and cannot do with your love interest, as long as he respects you absolutely. Pretennon seems like a very reasonable, kind man, but if there is ever an issue, I do want you to come to me if you need anything that he cannot provide." 

Of course, my alpha. We are not far into our relationship, and I am still learning how to show affection correctly...

That last bit was a little embarrassing to admit, but he never hid anything from Silas. 

"You'll get there, my beautiful wolf. Everything takes time, and some of us need more of it than others," Silas said, sounding as if he were talking about himself, as well as offering advice. 

"I will not try to interrupt your courting of the elder vampire, but please do not forget the reason why I gave you the task of getting to know him better recently. I need him to favor us, and in turn, his heir will likely prefer our pack to the others. I'm sure his wolf will simply follow, but there's something strange about it now that I can't quite put my finger on." 

Kandza glanced away momentarily, unintentionally signaling his unease with the situation. They were not much better than Verander, as far as their tactics of recruitment were concerned. Both packs wanted the male wolf, badly. It was far more noticeable when they were at the Ghost pack house, but even at their own, most of the wolves who had chosen to take refuge in the city when they moved had been females. Most of the males had declined to leave the wilds, even though they were constantly being hunted and murdered, and the few others that had considered it hadn't passed the temperament tests that Pretennon and Marquise had created to judge whether a wolf could acclimate safely to life around humans and vampires. 

They had likely messed up that exam with Verander, but that was a discussion for another day. 

I will not forget... and there is definitely something odd about that wolf, though I haven't been able to figure out exactly what it is yet. 

Silas tugged on his left ear for a moment before retracting his hand and giving him a playful smile. 

"We shall simply have to wait and see. Do take care around him until we know what is going on, though. You are my treasured beta, and my good friend," he said as he stood up and nodded his head to the side. In the direction leading back to town. 

He didn't need to be given any other dismissive signals. With a small yip of excitement, Kandza bolted down the slightly cleared corridor between the two forests that separated their territory from Verander's. 

It took him little time to make his way back to Pretennon's home, and while the sun hadn't been up for very long, evidently, the vampire had. He was sitting on the edge of his balcony's railing, staring down at him with a slightly intrigued, yet unimpressed, expression on his face. 

Kandza stopped right beneath him, unable to contain his excitement as he danced about on his paws, turning in circles a few times with enthusiasm. 

"You are so happy to see me, yet here I am still wondering about the question I posed to you yesterday evening..." Preto said, making Kandza immediately tuck his tail and shrink to the ground. 

He knew that he should have replied to the man's question about his and Silas's relationship right away, but when his alpha had said nothing, he had struggled to find his own words. 

Before he could figure out how to begin apologizing, bare feet suddenly landed right in front of the tip of his nose, startling him enough to make his back end jump up, but then immediately drop back down to the ground since he knew there was no threat. 

Embarrassing...

Pretennon squatted down in front him before reaching forward and grabbing his wolf's jaw with a little too much strength. 

"You know what is embarrassing, my fluffy friend?" Preto said as he raised Kandza's jaw until he was forced to look at him. "It is embarrassing to be standing in another person's room when they tell you that they have some sort of personal relationship with the wolf who has been sniffing up your leg for weeks." 

He paused for a moment before continuing with a fake smile. 

"That was enough of a surprise, but you know what? I consider myself a reasonable person. Surely there was a logical explanation to what was going on, because surely the werewolf who has all but bent me over the damned desk in my study wasn't already with someone else?" 

Kandza felt like he was about to pee a little in fear. His nose twitched and his whole body shook as the man's words sank into his bones. 

I-I apologize for my poor handling of that situation, elder Pretennon. I am not in a physical relationship with my alpha. Please let me explain, like I should have earlier. 

Preto growled out a frustrated huff before retracting the fangs he had let descend at some point during his admonishing speech. 

People began to appear from their homes around them as Pretennon straightened and turned around. Kandza watched him move, taking in his form-fitting black silk pajama pants and matching top. He noted that the left side of the long-sleeved shirt was quite a bit longer than the other side, but in all honesty, it looked quite cute. 

"Move, or be gone," Preto said in warning as he disappeared inside. 

Kandza blinked and flicked an ear, surprised that the man had moved so quickly. He'd only glanced at his appearance for a moment, and yet Preto had easily jumped back up onto his second story balcony and walked inside in the amount of time it took him to turn his brain back on from his hungry perusal. 

Paying attention surely was not his strong point, but he swore to himself right then and there that he would focus during their conversation. He needed to make sure that he was not misunderstood. 

After reassuring himself that things would somehow work out, he licked his nose and nervously hopped up onto the balcony, then slowly walked inside elder Pretennon's large bedroom. 

(Edited)