There were so many things he wanted to do to the man lying snuggled up against him. The moment they'd returned home Sebastian had insisted on taking a bath... together. It had been quite a tight fit, but they had definitely made sure to clean each other quite thoroughly before getting out and drying off... in between several bouts of hungry kissing.

Once they'd settled in bed, it was no surprise that after a bit more physical attention, his master had fallen asleep. Ruoka's wolf had paced in his mind, the need to mate surging through its system like fire and he was still rather uncomfortable below the waist, but there was nothing to do for it. He wasn't going to touch himself while holding his love, no matter how strong he felt the urge to do so.

He watched over his vampire until the early morning when he began to stir and nibble at his neck.

Alpha Ruoka?

Ruoka sent an immediate warning growl to the werewolf trying to garner his attention. He was in bed with his love, who was just beginning to awaken. He had no interest in dealing with others.

I apologize for my rude intrusion into your morning, but alpha Marquise req— Ruoka cut the voice off immediately with a second warning growl mixed into his words.

He is no alpha.

While he had never been in a werewolf pack, Ruoka wasn't lost to their rules. He had paid close attention to each interaction he'd seen between his own species over the years, and most-specifically, during their current stay in London. Marquise might have been an alpha, and an extremely strong one at that, but he no longer was. Even if he had retained some of his abilities, which was not known to him at the current moment, or not, Ruoka would never consider him of higher status than himself anymore.

He did not deserve the attention of other wolves, and especially did not deserve to call upon them whenever he wished.

I apologize for disturbing your rest, alpha Ruoka, but it is quite important, the other werewolf replied, making Ruoka growl out loud the slightest amount.

Of course, Sebastian flinched in response, seemingly taking that growl as a negative towards him, making Ruoka even more upset.

He tamped down his frustration and gently pressed a hand to the back of his love's hair, guiding him back down the few centimeters he'd retreated until his nose brushed against the skin of his neck once more.

"Drink. I am talking to someone and let my emotions slip. I apologize for startling you," he said honestly.

Sebastian seemed like he wanted to know what the conversation was about, but he held back his curiosity and replied with a simple sleepy hum before nicking a little spot on Ruoka's neck so that he could lap at the blood as it began to flow there.

Al— Marquise is looking for someone to take over his pack.

Not interested, Ruoka replied immediately as he began to gently sift his fingers through Sebastian's soft hair.

The other wolf seemed stunned, because it didn't speak, yet it still didn't leave the area, either.

I do not wish to take over any pack. I have what I want, he reiterated sternly, dismissing the other wolf with a final hint of warning to his words.

He was not interested in sharing his time. An alpha within a pack was required to lead others, from daily life to territorial disputes and patrols... As long as he was free to live within the city limits without hostility from the other packs, he was perfectly happy as he was.

I believe I may have a solution for this situation.

Ruoka felt his brow furrow slightly at the sound of Pretennon's voice within his mind. His love fidgeted again in his arms, no doubt having heard his own master's words, making Ruoka bare his teeth at the wall behind him. His love had exhausted himself for the safety of the city's wolf packs. He needed to be allowed to rest!

Pretennon slowly sat up in bed after stretching contently against his naked werewolf. Kandza was an absolute furnace when it came to body heat, and while he'd slept next to plenty of humans in his lifetime, this was his first time sharing his bed with a werewolf.

Let me wake Kandza, then we will be right down, he said to the owner of the unfamiliar voice.

He was just about to get out of bed before he listened to his instincts to lie back down... since a certain person owed him one hell of a time, but a strong arm wrapping around his midsection stopped him right before he could. Firm heat pressed against his back as a second arm found its way around his upper chest and a grumbling Kandza nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"Preten'n," he mumbled in a raspy tone that sent just about all of Preto's blood straight south.

Tease. This man is an absolute tease!

"I need to go downstairs and talk to a wolf that's just arrived," he said as he tried to squirm his way out of Kandza's vice-like grip.

His arms had been comfortable around him until he'd mentioned that he needed to talk with another wolf. Then they turned into shackles.

"Let me go you oaf. Marquise is looking for an alpha to take over his pack, but Ruoka refused. I need to go speak with the person downstairs... and you should come, too."

It was clear that Kandza still wasn't a fan of his suggestion, but he relented after a few more moments and finally released him.

Preto wasted no time in jumping up from the bed and hurrying to get dressed before they both decided to just ignore the other wolf. Well, Kandza was already at that point, but thankfully he'd still listened to what he'd been told to do, anyways.

While Preto tugged on a pair of loose black pants, a dark red long-sleeved shirt and a lighter-than-normal trench coat, Kandza simply stood and stomped over to the closet and yanked on another pair of Preto's too-small pants.

I really need to have him go get his clothing from his pack house...

Shaking his head, Preto led Kandza out of their room and down the main staircase. The other wolf was waiting for them outside, its tail swishing back and forth with nervous anticipation.

It bowed its head as soon as they stepped out into the crisp morning air, and, wisely, didn't dare to look at Kandza for more than the briefest moment.

They followed it all the way back to Marquise's northern pack house, but took their time because of his injured foot... and because Kandza refused to let him run and he refused to be carried.

Thus, by the time they got there the house was bustling with werewolves doing just about everything. Cleaning, tending to pups, gardening, and so on.

Everyone is trying to stay busy.

It was no surprise. There was no way to hide the fact that their alpha had lost his abilities, as well as his wolf, and thus, his status. For all intents and purposes, the largest pack in London was now without a leader.

Even if their human sides still wanted to follow Marquise, at least until the truth fully came out, their wolves would eventually pull them away. They needed a leader. Someone who was strong, capable, and who had a wolf to match.

Marquise was no longer strong. He had proved his incapability. And he no longer had a wolf.

The little brown wolf that had guided them there hurried up the massive grand staircase, then padded down the hall until it stopped in front of a set of double doors. Instead of shifting and announcing their presence, it simply nodded to them, then bolted away.

His wolf is already uninterested in serving Marquise.

It must have taken a lot of willpower for that pup to lead them there at its old alpha's request.

After knocking lightly, Preto heard Marquise's faint voice call out to him. He gently pushed the doors inward, stepped inside with Kandza, and pressed them closed again. He could smell the faint scent of rot still lingering in the air, and when he turned around to see the other man sitting at a small table, his hand bandaged, it was no surprise.

It's turning black.

Dark purple and black skin were edging out from beneath the wrapped flesh, killing the tissue there.

His wolf really had let itself be sealed within him.

It had also given him its injuries.

When Preto looked him over a bit more as he walked over to sit, he also noticed the man's missing right eye, logically hidden behind a dark patch strapped around his head. Dark purple was also visible just beneath the eyepatch, as well as on the side.

"Lord Pretennon," Marquise greeted with a respectful nod.

He had normal dark circles under his left eye and it was obvious that he hadn't slept yet. Judging from the look in that eye, he could guess that the man was in far too much pain to even consider resting. His body was degrading and only time would tell how far it was going to go compared to his wolf's. Either way, it was not his business, nor did he wish to delve into it, no matter how curious he was.

"I was told that you were looking for a replacement," Pretennon said, getting to the point since he doubted Marquise wanted to entertain guests.

The man nodded, but it was clear that he wasn't exactly expecting them.

"I know that you had asked for my heir's wolf, and while I agree with your decision, Ruoka has declined your offer. He has no interest in having a pack."

Marquise didn't look too surprised at his words. In fact, he even seemed to smile the slightest fraction as he turned his attention to where Kandza stood directly behind where Preto sat.

"You want me to choose him," Marquise eventually stated, a hint of thoughtfulness to his words that made Preto relieved.

The man was honestly considering it.

Of course, they both knew that Kandza was a beta, and Marquise did have his own beta, but that didn't mean that Kandza couldn't work out. Yes, most wolves were born alphas and it was clear right away that they would be formidable rulers, but some rare cases, like Ruoka, developed into one over time.

"I think he can be what your pack needs," Preto said honestly.

He could sense a hint of unease from Kandza behind him, but to his credit, he put a hand on Preto's shoulder and squeezed tightly but carefully.

"I am willing to take over the Moon pack. You know of my experience in my current pack, and I am willing to switch, both for personal reasons and for practical ones," Kandza stated calmly but with an air of authority that made Preto proud.

He had seen the man's interactions and assessed how he handled situations throughout the time that they'd known each other. It was true that he wasn't very good with personal space when it came to other species, especially when he was intent on garnering attention, but he interacted very well with his own and everyone within his current pack respected him. It would be a very good decision to hand the title over to him.

And besides, Preto didn't mind his constant invasion of space now. As long as Kandza stayed loyal to him and didn't try a single thing with any other person, he was perfectly happy with his overly-affectionate mutt.

And I love you, too, my handsome leech.

Preto whipped his head around to scowl up at a calmly smiling Kandza.

"Not the best nickname?" he asked with a cheeky tone.

Biting back a retort, because they were currently a tad busy, Preto shoved his growing annoyance aside for later and returned his attention to Marquise. The man, for once, looked completely oblivious to their inner squabbling.

While most wolves wouldn't be able to pick up on it unless they really tried, alphas should easily be able to read the thoughts of the wolves nearby. And he and Preto also had a pretty reasonable connection.

He really is completely cut off.

"I accept your offer to take over the Moon pack, Kandza," Marquise said as he stood up and bowed at the waist, his long dark bangs partially falling in front of his lost eye.

"Please take good care of it... and I beg you, do not stray as I had," he said honestly, making Preto internally flinch as he stood and bowed in return with Kandza, mirroring his actions at his side.

When they all straightened back up, Marquise offered them an exhausted smile and gestured for them to follow him out the door.

They did as directed, and continued to do so until they were all standing out front on the lawn of the pack house. As they'd moved through the house, more and more eyes had fallen upon them, too, so by the time they got outside, at least half of the pack had their attention focused solely on their small group.

Marquise stopped walking after a few moments, seemingly making sure that any wolf who was in the area and wanted to see what was going to happen could easily do so, then he turned and knelt down on one knee before bowing his head to Kandza.

"I formally denounce my role as alpha of the Moon pack, and if my former wolves will have him, Kandza, of the Rain pack, with take over my position and do what I have failed to," he said, not bothering to sugarcoat his words.

Once he had finished speaking, Preto turned his attention to Kandza, and was a bit surprised to see that he had shifted and was just finishing kicking off his borrowed pants.

His wolf stood tall with its ears pin-point straight, all of the authority of a future alpha held in its posture and stern gaze.

Not a single wolf moved after Marquise had finished speaking, and even after Kandza had shifted, they hesitated.

Seeing that they were still at a stalemate, Preto took a step forward and bowed his head toward the majority of the wolves.

"I know that there are a lot of questions about what has happened, and the exact truth will be told to every single wolf in London. Once that has been done, and I am cleared from any negative involvement in the situation that has occured, I will dedicate my time to assisting Kandza and the Moon pack."

Having been Marquise's closest confidant within the resettlement program, Pretennon had, of course, come under scrutiny as well. He knew that he wouldn't simply be trusted so easily, so he would take a step back from the pack until his name was cleared, and after, he would devote himself to helping them recover.

It took another five minutes of tense silence before one wolf, Marquise's quiet beta, stepped forward. It was normally in its wolf form, like Kandza, and tended to lead patrols more often than be at home, so it wasn't as involved in the politics of the pack as most would be.

It slowly walked up to Kandza's similar-sized wolf and nudged his muzzle gently. After a moment, it licked his nose, then took a step back.

When the darker wolf lifted its nose to the sunny morning sky and let out a hauntingly-beautiful howl, Preto knew that things would be alright.

Kandza definitely wasn't the biggest wolf amongst the group, and he also wasn't the most dominant in terms of personality, but he was a stubborn bastard and he carried himself well.

In a show of mutual respect, Kandza tilted his own head backwards and howled calmly in unison with the other male.

Their song drifted over their heads and throughout the woods that surrounded the pack house on most sides. As it slowly began to wind down, a third voice stepped in, turning it into a new song as a white wolf nervously stepped out from within a large group.

Two others soon joined her, followed by a pup that could barely carry the tune as it tried to focus through its minimal attention span.

Soon, the entire area was alive with the music of a hundred wolves.

Preto enjoyed the chorus as he felt Marquise calmly slipping away. The man had left once the first few wolves had begun to howl, tentatively accepting Kandza as their new leader. There were likely to be quite a few reasonable tests before Kandza could truly proclaim himself alpha, though. It would take time, and that was perfectly fine.

Of course, the other wolves had seen Marquise leave, and while the former alpha had quite a bit of blood on his hands across the local packs and surrounding wild wolves, they had all seemed to understand that his punishment was already severe enough. And, it would seem, that his wolf would see to his demise, anyways. His hand and the right side of his face were already rotting even in his human form. So, as Pretennon felt his presence slowly disappear from the area, he knew that the man wasn't long for this world.

I know that you can no longer hear me, but I do wish you well, and I thank you for what you have done for everyone, even though you went astray in the end. You have cost them lives, but you have saved so many more.

Farewell, alpha Marquise.




(Edited)

(So, I think Marquise needs a story after this one is done... maybe.)