Abel returned from his work late in the afternoon to find his father and Gerry sat at the kitchen table with a computer and a few papers in front of them. An Alpha's job in a modern world included a lot of financial stuff. And Gerry had to learn.
Most Alphas took their power at an early age. 18 was quite common. But Archer had insisted that Gervais should have an education and the life experience he never had before taking his rightful place. So framed on the wall was Gervais Leon Connor's diploma for his business degree.
Zion had finished a degree in veterinary nursing online, doing his required internship at Dr. Maddox Abrahams' surgery where his unusual appearance could go largely unnoticed.
Abel didn't seem to be able to make his mind up. He had no interest in books or computers. He preferred the forest. So to appease his dad, he had done his qualifications as a builder. He could build houses.
Let his brothers deal with the brainy genetics.

Archer looked up at his youngest son.

"Abel!" he commanded when he saw the youngster trying to wiggle out of the room.

"Father," Abel smiled with exaggerated formality that had Archer frowning.

The two leaders waved him over.

"We have decided to take you out of circulation..." Gervais said seriously.

Abel looked at them in confusion.

"You're leaving the pack for a while," Archer said.

"What? But... who's going to build the houses? The Henry-cabins need new doors and the plumbing in the Giles' old lodge needs a revamp!" Abel asked pointing to his carpenters tools in his belt.

"Fry can deal with it," Archer replied.

Abel saw the serious look on both faces.

"We've spoken to uncle Zeke. You'll be staying there for a few months," Gervais said.

"Okay?" Abel replied, not seeing the punishment.

"C'mon," Archer said and stood, indicating for Archer to shift.

"But... I need to pack my stuff?" Abel objected.

"Nope," Archer shook his head.

Abel shifted into his wolf, Krystoph and followed his father down the mountain side.

Not long after, the two of them entered Ezekiel's territory, Archer shifted and walked to the bin of clothes set by the house.

"Not you!" he told his son and Krystoph sat back in surprise to see Ezekiel stride out of the house, followed by young Hunter.

"Right... So this is the delinquent dog?" Ezekiel asked with a grin.

"Yep. He needs to lean some basic humility," Archer frowned.

Ezekiel crouched down in front of the young wolf.

"Right. Krystoph. Do you know why you're here?" he asked. 

The wolf shook his head.

Ezekiel pointed to the dog pen at the edge of the garden where three dogs were curiously waiting for their boss to show them some attention.

"Meet Jada, Koda and Yzma. Blossom named the puppies... she's got a thing about Disney movies." Ezekiel smiled.

"Yzma?" Archer asked, an eyebrow up in doubt.

"I have no idea why she named a puppy after a skinny old bat... but you know. 6 year old girl. And Finn named Lucky and Rocky so it was her turn," Ezekiel smiled.

"Says the man who named a half lycan child Blossom!" Archer grinned.

Ezekiel nodded with a proud smile and turned his focus back on Krystoph.

"Anyway... dogs! For the next... unknown amount of time... You will be living as one of them, helping me train them," Ezekiel told his nephew.

Krystoph sat back looking shocked.

"You'll be a firedog!" Archer told him with a smirk.

Enraged, Abel shifted and stared at his father.

"You can not be serious! I am a Beta! The son and brother of Alphas... and you expect me to live with dogs? As a dog?" he raged.

"Gerry set the punishment, your uncle needs help training the youngsters, and I think its a good idea," Archer told him, leaving no room for discussion.

Abel looked at his uncle with pleading eyes.

"Hey... don't look at me... Life as a dog is among my best memories!" he chuckled.

Hunter looked between them before he nudged his dad.

"Can I do it too?" he said.

"What? You want to be a dog?" Ezekiel smirked.

"Yeah. A firedog... Just to see what they do..." Hunter grinned.

"Weird child... Yeah okay. You can come along tomorrow when I show Krystoph around at the firestation," Ezekiel chuckled.

"Awesome!" Hunter cheered and stripped before shifting into his blonde wolf, similar to his dad's.

"See... it will be fun..." Archer grinned at Abel who stood there with frustrated tears filling his eyes.

"Look. It won't be so bad! And I've told Sam to keep Aimee away while you're here. Yzma is too young to even start looking at males and Jada seems to be faithful to Teddy," Ezekiel said and reached down to pet the greying labrador at his side.

Abel looked over at the pen, studying the dogs.

"Koda and Yzma are Jada and Teddy's latest pups. Maddox might take Koda in a month or two, but if he's to be any kind of useful I need help, and you get to be Alpha for these cute puppies," Ezekiel grinned.

"You are all assholes!" Abel grumbled and shifted into Krystoph again before his dad's stern look could burn a hole in his scull.

"Now, go say hello..." Ezekiel smiled, opening the gate, letting the young Lab retrievers out to play. Jada stepped out and wandered over to the aging Teddy were she licked his jaw affectionately.

"Yeah... Who had ever thought you'd be a family man you old rascal," Ezekiel chuckled at the old lab.

Teddy looked up at him with what looked like a dog-smirk and his tail whipping.

"Yes. I know... You found your Allie..." Ezekiel smiled.

"Ten sets of pups I've had out of these two. All but one are service dogs," he grinned proudly at Archer who was shaking his head at the weird interaction between his brother and the dog.

"I still find it weird that you talk to him," Archer huffed.

"He's the only one who actually talks back. The rest of them just go yes sir, no sir, food please, walkies..." Ezekiel smirked and turned to look at the dogs again.

"Hunter... for heaven's sake... That's a puppy, not a ragdoll..." he called as his son had somehow gotten Koda in a weird headlock.

"But he's laughing!" Hunter thought back, giving the puppy another push with his paw.

At the edge of the lawn, Krystoph was laying down in an epic sulk.

"So... what are the rules here? Do I take him in for meals and a bed?" Ezekiel asked.

"Nope. Leave him as a dog. Take him in when you take the dogs in. He is not to shift until Gerry... or River... have forgiven him for banging his way through the pack..." Archer grinned.

"Right. One well behaved firedog, coming up," Ezekiel chuckled.

"And try to teach him some understanding of moral values?" Archer said.

"Oh... I thought that was your job as parents," Ezekiel replied with a badly hidden smirk.

"Oh ha-di-ha..." Archer deadpanned back.

"Wanna stay for dinner? Dixon is coming," Ezekiel asked.

"No. I promised Zion some Beta 101," Archer sighed.

"Zion will be all right as a Beta. Gerry is all force and Zion is all heart. Between them they will be fine," Ezekiel smiled.

"Yeah. With the hormones out of the way, we might actually get a useful pack!" Archer grumbled towards his youngest son.

Ezekiel chuckled and watched his brother shift and set off through the forest. The moment his father was gone, Krystoph started shifting again.

"Oh no you don't... You're a dog!" Ezekiel grinned at him.
The disgruntled young lycan skulked off into the hedgerow where he curled up in a huff.

A few moments later a black lab came around the corner followed by a smiling man with a face full of freckles.

The dog ran straight for Teddy and Jada, greeting his parents.

"Hey! How is Lucky behaving?" Ezekiel asked.

"That is an awesome dog. Almost as much fun at that seeing eye dog Allie had a few years ago," Dixon chuckled and was gripped into a laughing hug by Ezekiel.

"That dog turned out okay..." Ezekiel smiled.

Hunter shifted and got his clothes on before bouncing over to them.

"Doctor Dixon!" He cheered.

"Just Dixon today... didn't bring my stethoscope," Dixon grinned.

Hunter was rounding up the dogs, including Krystoph and Teddy, herding them into the spacious run, when Dixon looked at Ezekiel with a little smile.

"Hey.. Zeke. Can I ask you a favour?" He said.

"Sure!" Ezekiel smiled.

"Um... I was going to ask Julia to marry me.." Dixon muttered.

"Wow. That's huge!" Ezekiel grinned.

"Yeah. Bit her mum doesn't like me.. because of dad..." Dixon mumbled.

"Your dad has been dead for years, though," Ezekiel replied and gestured for Hunter to go indoors.

"Yeah. She's one of those who thinks alcoholism is hereditary... I just wanted to know if I could introduce you as my dad. You know, you brought me up and paid for my education," Dixon mumbled sheepishly.

"Nah. The pack needed a doctor," Ezekiel smiled, his voice thick with emotions.

"But would you? I mean ... Allie too. And Julia's family have already met mum and Emily," Dixon said.

"Which means you are left with telling her that the rest of the family are Lycan," Ezekiel grinned.

"Probably not..." Dixon muttered.

A few moments passed. Ezekiel was trying to breathe evenly until he grabbed Dixon in a hug again.

"I can't believe you're getting married! My little Dixon!" He chuckled.

"Aw. Stop it," Dixon mumbled and pushed the older man away.

"So you have a ring and a plan?" Ezekiel asked.

"Ring yeah. Plan, no... how did you ask Allie?" Dixon shrugged.

"You don't want to know..." Ezekiel laughed.

Dixon shot him a look before cringing.

"Yeah!" Ezekiel laughed.

Dixon shook his head muttering something about wishing he hadn't asked.

"But... Yeah. I'd love to be your dad..." Ezekiel smiled and led the younger man indoors to the dining room.

"Dixon!" Allie greeted and looked around the table where her hungry children were impatiently waiting for the adults to sit.

"Right. Seems Blossom has held a seat for you between her and Finn," Allie smiled with a look at her daughter. The little girl nodded and smiled showing the missing front teeth.

"Can we eat?" Finn whinged.

"Is Abel not coming?" Allie asked.

"Nope. I was told he has to live a dogs life..." Ezekiel chuckled.

"Poor boy!" Allie sighed.

"Nah. He won't take any damage..." Ezekiel smiled and kissed Allie's cheek.

"I guess... you turned out just fine," she replied.

"Yup. Even got my gorgeous wife out of my stint as a dog..." he grinned.

"Suck up!" Allie laughed and gestured for the food to be demolished.

The next day, Ezekiel drove his caged up van to the firestation and opened to release two Czech wolfdogs. Or at least that's what they were supposed to be.
He went straight for the training ground when he ran into Dan Shaw.

"New dogs?" Dan asked suspiciously.

"Yep. Czech wolfdogs. I'm testing the breed," Ezekiel nodded but stopped any additional information when he saw Dan frown.

"That one looks like that beast Allie had... And the other looks just like... -Zeke? What the hell?" Dan grumbled.

"Basic training chief," Ezekiel reassured.

"Who are they?" Dan muttered.

"Oh. Meet Krystoph. And... Hey, did you find your wolf name yet?" Ezekiel asked his son, currently on a leash.

"Krystoph? As in Abel?" Dan asked.

"Yep. Some temporary punishment for being a manwhore," Ezekiel nodded.

"And the other one?" Dan asked with narrowed eyes.

The blonde wolf looked between them, revealing his golden eyes and Dan drew a sharp breath.

"My office. Now!" Dan ordered and marched off. Ezekiel trailed behind with his two dogs exchanging an "oh shit!"-look with Hunter

"Tell me that's not my grandson?" Dan aked once they were in the chief's office.

"It's not your grandson...?" Ezekiel replied tentatively.

"Hunter?" Dan asked the dog.

The youngest wolf shifted into his 17 year old human self.

Dan looked between the two golden eyed men. Both hiding a laugh.

"You want to explain why my grandson is parading as a rescue dog?" Dan asked.

"It's just for today gramps. Abel is doing the full training. I just wanted to see what it is like," Hunter grinned .

"Ezekiel! He's 17!" Dan grumbled.

"And he trained Rocky!" Ezekiel insisted with a hand gesture to the young lab resting on his dog bed in the corner of the room.

"Rocky is a dog!" Dan fumed and walked over to a cupboard dragging out a spare set of fireman clothes that he pushed into Hunter's arms.

"What if the alarm goes?!" Dan argued.

"I wouldn't bring them until they are trained. Krystoph was given a crash course last night. He knows what to do. Besides...Rocky knows the drill. We don't need Hunter in a call-out," Ezekiel chuckled.

Dan looked at the three of them.

"Fine! Give Abel the canine training, but Hunter stays human!" He ordered.