"Kandza!"

Pretennon had heard them coming, even through the chorus of howls that were just-now coming to an end.

All heads turned toward the alpha of the Rain pack as he stepped out of the wooded area before them in a simple pair of torn brown trousers. It was quite odd for an alpha to suddenly appear on another's territory, but circumstances were quite strange right now, so not a single wolf bothered to bare their teeth or show aggression. Especially since the man had come in his human form. He was clearly not looking for a fight.

Pretennon nodded his greeting as the man approached, but his attention soon wandered past him to the other werewolf now emerging from the forest.

As expected.

What wasn't quite expected, however, was the man's bushy black wolf tail, and the pup currently attached to it, using it like a tug toy.

Preto fought a grin as he nodded again as the Ghost alpha walked the same path as Silas, and eventually came to a stop right beside the other werewolf. He didn't seem to mind the pup tugging at his poor tail as his eyes scanned the area calmly before his attention settled on the same wolf that Silas was currently staring at.

Pretennon could see the pain in the Rain alpha's expression, though he hid most of it decently well as he finally walked up to his former beta. Kandza met him halfway and bowed his head to press his forehead into the hand Silas reached out toward him.

They seemed to be talking through their pack bond, and since the situation was clearly tense, no other wolf dared to interrupt. Even Verander stood silently beside the other alpha, his head held high even though he was still recovering from visible injuries.

After all of the previous nudging from them to try and get Ruoka to join their packs because of the skewed ratio of male to female wolves... and here they are, together.

It was honestly quite funny, but he kept his humor to himself. There was no need to ignite either of the alpha males' tempers. So, he waited quietly, just like Marquise's former wolves.

When they finally seemed to finish their conversation, Silas knelt down and Kandza's wolf stepped into his waiting arms. Their embrace was brief, but heartfelt. Silas was finally giving up on his beta, and letting him go so that he could do what he felt was necessary.

"Take care of your new pack, Kandza. You are an incredible wolf and if you ever need help with anything, I will always be there for you," Silas said before releasing Kandza's wolf and returning to his feet.

He then turned his attention to the little pup tugging at Verander's poor tail and gently detached it, then picked it up as he turned to face Marquise's wolves. He spoke for several minutes about the dramatic change they were going through and that the Rain and Ghost packs would be there for them if they needed any help. As he spoke, Preto watched Verander step minutely closer until their hands could brush against each other's. The wolves present probably didn't notice, since they were all clearly focused on his words, and the pup now held against his chest gently with his right arm, but Preto easily caught the sweet, reassuring gesture.

Elder Pretennon?

Preto lifted his attention from the two alphas' slowly entwining fingers up to their faces. He'd expected to be contacted by Silas, but when Verander was the person staring at him from the corner of his eye, he realized that the voice in his head hadn't been Silas's.

Alpha Verander, he replied respectfully with the faintest nod of his head.

Please take good care of Kandza. Silas acknowledges that he is not the person in his heart, but his love towards him will last forever. Please help him succeed and live well.

Preto offered the man a warm smile as he nodded again.

I will do everything within my power to see that he has a reason to smile everyday.

Verander slowly turned his attention back to the man still speaking at his side as his hand finally slid completely into his, then squeezed gently.

I thank you. I am still working on my own faults, but I will do my best to heal my alpha's heart.

Preto turned at that moment and headed back toward his home. In any other situation he would have stayed with his wolf, but he was still under suspicion and Silas was now talking about future pack coordination and recovery, and while he was definitely going to help in any way he could, he didn't feel like it was okay for him to stay for that particular meeting.

I will inform my handsome leech of the meeting's materials when I return this evening.

Preto scowled over his shoulder once he stepped into the forest, sending a glare toward his snarky wolf.

You need a few lessons in respecting your elders, he retorted, earning a quiet chuckle from Kandza through their connection.

I will show my respect to my elder all night.

Pretennon scoffed as he walked along.

Only tonight? Don't think that you'll last for at least a few rounds in the morning? he said, taunting the man.

He knew that it was a little mean, but Kandza had teased him one too many times. Of course, now that he was looking back on their awkward relationship, he might have deserved quite a bit of it after pushing him away so abruptly before, but there was nothing they could do about their past.

His mind refocused when he felt Kandza's nervousness flare through their connection.

I... have never mated before, but I will try my best to please my beautiful vampire.

Preto stopped walking some distance into the forest and leaned against a nearby tree as he pressed his fingers into his brow. Kandza had never outright said that he was a virgin, just that he wasn't good with personal situations and such.

"Dammit all," he sighed as he shook his head slowly back and forth.

"The man-whore and the virgin werewolf..."

Leaning his head back against the bark, Preto closed his eyes and licked his lips as his fangs began to extend.

It took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts, then open his eyes and continue on his way. His fangs refused to retract, however, but that was fine with him. They knew what they were going to get later.

Be in my bed before ten... and be naked and ready to get dirty.

He could feel heat flare through their bond but pushed it to the back of his mind as he sped up to a blurring run. He was home within twenty minutes.

Unfortunately, as soon as he walked in the front door, he realized something that made him hesitate to move farther. His sensitive ears were impossible to fool when it came to such sounds.

I suppose I finally have an official second heir.

He heard the bed upstairs creaking in a frantic, mussed rhythm that made him roll his eyes... and smile knowingly. He'd heard that werewolves were a bit aggressive during sex, and considering that Ruoka was an alpha and inexperienced... He sent out a quick telepathic message to one of his staff members to prepare some ointment for his poor heir's backside. Hopefully they weren't getting ahead of themselves, either, because he knew that Sebastian hadn't been feeling the best earlier... but he also knew that Ruoka wouldn't dare do anything that his master disagreed with.

Shaking his head again at the absurdity of his life, Preto was just about to leave when one of his servants came up to him and held out an envelope. He took the item and was about to question it when he noticed the handwriting scrawled across the smooth paper.

Marquise?

"It was delivered earlier by a small wolf," his servant said as he bowed his head respectfully.

Preto nodded in return and dismissed the man before walking back out the front door and down the steps. He then began to head toward the hospital as he flipped open the envelope and pulled out the slip of paper folded within it.

He read over the short letter in a few moments, then reread it once more before looking at the even smaller piece of paper tucked behind it.

He left them everything he had.

While Marquise's pack was decently-well off as they were, he, himself, had accumulated quite a bit of wealth over his lifetime, too, since he had been one of the first wolves he'd known to delve into the dealings of normal society.

Changing his direction, he headed for the bank, instead.

It took a while to get everything sorted out, but by the time he was finished Marquise's fortune was distributed to several other accounts. Of course, he kept absolutely none of it. Instead, he used a large sum of it to pay off all of the hospital bills for the injured and sick wolves, then split the remainder between the three packs evenly, because he had a feeling that they were going to be growing quite close soon and Marquise, while alpha of his own pack, cared greatly for all three.

Once he was finally done, it was getting dark outside. Enough time had passed that he felt better about returning to his house. And, as anticipated, it was quiet when he stepped through the front door this time.

Except, when he began making his way to his office to put away the documents the bank had given him, he heard familiar footsteps hurry down the stairs.

Ruoka appeared as Preto turned around. The man's hair was an absolute mess and there were claw marks all up and down his chest. Not to mention four separate bite marks around his neck and collar-bones.

It seems like my heir held his own quite well...

He hadn't expected it, but he was quite proud.

...and I'm glad that he remembered to at least pull on a pair of pants before coming down.

Ruoka actually blushed as he walked over, stopping only a foot or so away before bowing his head respectfully. Preto knew that he wanted to have a serious talk about his heir, but honestly, there was no need. So, instead, he reached up and settled his head on top of Ruoka's messy hair.

"You're a good werewolf, Ruoka. You caught my eye from the very beginning, but I had to be sure that you were serious, because Sebastian is everything to me. I had to make sure that he would be happy," he said honestly as he ruffled the man's soft hair.

When he stopped, Ruoka looked up through his mess of bangs with his soft, bright eyes.

"As soon as he removed my collar and allowed me to shift for the first time, I knew that I had to take care of him, like he had taken care of me for so many years," he replied, making Preto tilt his head slightly as he withdrew his hand.

"He used you for many years, though," Pretennon said.

Ruoka straightened his posture and gave Preto a cheeky grin.

"He used me, yes, but he also saved me by taking me in. Throughout the years he made sure that I was well fed and well groomed. No one bothered me with him at my side, and now I am here, standing before you as an equal, thanking you for this chance you have given me and asking for your permission to take care of your heir, my master, for the remainder of my days."

Preto ran a hand through his own long hair for a moment as he looked down, failing to fight back his own grin. When he returned his gaze to Ruoka's, there was no way he could hide his excitement.

It's time for my heir to begin his new life.

"I give you my blessing, alpha Ruoka. Please take care of my sweet Sebastian. Love him and live for him. I will always support you two in whatever you decide to do, and if you choose to move away, just be sure to bring him to visit every so often... or else," he said with a hint of warning to his words.

He had gone far too long without seeing his heir when he'd left twenty years ago. There would be no more of that. He was getting older and he wanted to see his Sebastian at least a few times a year!

Ruoka gave a quiet chuckle and nodded.

"I will definitely make sure that if we decided to find a new home, that we visit often, elder Pretennon."

Oh no, this one is already getting cheeky.

Flicking his hand, Pretennon sighed.

"Alright, alright. Away with you, you stubborn dog. You have an adorable vampire upstairs who needs your attention," he said.

Before he could even finish speaking, Ruoka was gone.

Kids...

Shaking his head, Preto turned around and continued to his office. He'd intended to file away the paperwork he had after reading it over one more time, but his plans were halted abruptly when he opened his door to find a werewolf sitting on his desk... naked.

Feeling his right eyebrow twitch, Preto scowled and walked over to Kandza, setting the papers in his hand down on a bookcase on his way over.

"I think you're a little confused, Kandza. I said to meet me upstairs at ten. It's seven thirty and you're sitting on my work desk, naked," he growled out even as his fangs began to itch. They were still partially out from earlier, and had gotten him quite a few stares as he'd gone about his previous business.

Now that their target was right in front of his nose, however...

Kandza lifted one leg up onto the desk and leaned forward with a calm smirk, seemingly not minding Preto's frustrated words in the least.

"The meeting ended early and as I walked over, I thought of all the places I wanted to show my vampire how much I love him," he said, making Preto's scowl slowly evaporate from his face as a look of nervous confusion took over.

"You're sitting on my desk naked, Kandza. On top of my paperwork," he eventually reiterated, though his voice shook a little bit as his body hurried to react to the naked man in front of him.

It clearly didn't care if Kandza was sitting on his papers. Not one bit.

The werewolf lifted a hand and reached forward, firmly grasping Pretennon's chin before tugging it the slightest bit closer to his own smirking face.

"Does elder Pretennon still wish for me to go upstairs?" he asked as his hungry eyes bore into Preto's.

This man...

He was about to ask himself where Kandza's dominance had come from, but as he thought back on their previous situations, his question answered itself. The man had always been dominant. He submitted if absolutely necessary, but he was pushy, aggressive, and downright stubborn.

Preto's body hummed with need for that pushy, aggressive, and downright stubborn man as he swallowed and reached up to place a hand against Kandza's scalding cheek.

Hot.

"Lord Pretennon..." Kandza whispered as he leaned even closer, putting their mouths within inches of each other as his breath ghosted over Preto's lips. "...let this humble, horny werewolf make love to you all night."

Humble, hah. Horny, definitely.

Preto felt his fangs prick his lower lip as they extended fully, ready and waiting. Groaning, he finally gave in and leaned forward to press their mouths together.

I want six rounds before noon tomorrow, he thought to Kandza as their kisses quickly became heated and he climbed up into his werewolf's naked lap, then grabbed hold of his uninjured wolf ear tightly.

He expected Kandza to try and argue the number down, but the only response he got was a smirk against his lips and a brief return thought as the man's arms wrapped around him securely.

As you wish... try to keep up well, elder Pretennon.

-End

Marquis's book is Alpha to Omega for those interested.

(Edited)

There will be an epilogue to finish pulling little bits together, but I felt like this was the perfect spot to end it XD