The Dance of Wolves

Warrior training was an intense, three-month, summer boot camp. In the past, the young, unmated males and females were trained separately because it involved fewer distractions. Daytime training taught martial arts and weapons defense and offense for our human aspect, while nighttime training helped our wolves sync with each other for hunting and defense of our territory.

There is no getting around the fact that I have a she-wolf during warrior training, no way to not draw attention and definitely no fading into the background unnoticed. My fists clench on my thighs as this realization sinks in. I feel a knot tightening in the pit of my stomach and my heart is pumping hard enough to fuel every runner in an Olympic race with oxygen, ready for fight or flight.

Luna Hestia reaches out a hand and lightly rubs my fist. “It’ll be fine dear, let him finish.”

Alpha Khalan continued, “It’s been sixty years since we had a single Omega male go through the wolf warrior training. We normally have a pair of Omegas spar it out. You are the only Omega male who hasn’t participated in the warrior training yet so it would be difficult to find you a sparring partner. We’re collaborating on doing the daytime drills with the Grey wolf pack on their land; they have another Omega your age and the wolf warrior training with the other she-wolves here.”

I exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. It’s not that I’m ashamed that I have a she-wolf, it’s not like either of us could help that. It’s basically all on the goddess. Like the time when I told my parents I identify as bisexual because I’m attracted to males and females, and that is true. Not only did they accept me, no questions; they were encouraged, thinking I was twice as likely to find a mate. (I didn’t have the heart to tell them that wasn’t how it works.)

Still, I don’t want to be bullied for something not under my control. Who does? But, and I do mean a big ol’ B-U-T, I have never acted on it and approached males. I don’t want to get beaten up. Omegas aren’t known for winning a game of ‘catch these hands’. We’re more the clever, wordsmith types.

Wait, wait, wait, the Alpha’s words just sunk in. He said ‘other’ she-wolves.’ Does he know? I notice the Luna watching me closely like she’s looking for a reaction. Fuck it. Breathe, me.

“Has there ever been a girl with a male wolf or a boy with a female wolf before?”

Luna Hestia holds my eyes with her own as she says, “No, not until you dear. We trust in the goddess, though. There must have been a reason you were matched with–”

“Her name is Alma. She’s a good companion.”

“Of course, dear.”

“Does... everyone know?”

“In a word, yes, Aksal...Like your parents here, we’re all just so happy you’re alive and part of our pack. We communicate through the pack link of our minds, as you know, but we also share strong emotions. It’s difficult to shield others from your feelings when you’re suffering. We only felt a taste of the despair, pain and loss your parents suffered for each of their first three pregnancies. We shared in the joy when the goddess gave you life through your Alma.”

The windows in my mind are stuck on the proverbial blue screen of death. I’m speechless and struggling to reboot.

Okay, so everyone knows and it’s no big deal. I can relax. Yeah, it makes sense if I think about it hard enough.

Our pack simply named itself The Covert. Unlike many packs, ours is pretty open to diversity. Omegas aren’t treated like crap burdens here, not all packs are like that, and we’re pretty well integrated with vanilla humans.

Mostly it’s because hundreds of years ago when our pack was dying out due to losses from from spreading itself thin supporting one side in a Fae civil war while fighting to protect itself from the expansion of colonizers; a wave of deserting French and English soldiers, and later Chinese and African-Americans looking for a better life agreed to be changed to stay here. Now the land is a government -recognized reservation. Our newly rejuvenated pack sought to hide its true numbers from the rest of the world, so potential enemies either think we’re too large to fuck with or small to bother.

My heartbeat is back to normal and I breathe easier. Everyone has known I had a she-wolf all my life and they’re fine with it because they’re just happy I’m alive. I have a plausible excuse to miss wolf training with the guys while I get more comfortable with shifting and all is right as rain. I’m feeling warm inside and grateful for some reason.

Alpha Khalan lets me digest this and then says, “All of the adults are aware of your unique pairing but many of the kids alive at that time, and those born since then don’t know. Now that your wolf matured and you’re just a few months shy of being an adult legally; it’s up to you who to tell your story to.”

My heart skips a beat and I’m sure my stomach is churning more acid than a xenomorph’s spit. Alpha Khalan, do you know what you’re doing to me? If I had a normal human heart it would have failed me. My emotions have been running all over the place in the span of a few minutes. Maybe I have an endless supply of adrenaline. All I know is I don’t really care what the boomers think of me; it’s my peers that could give me grief...and oh my goddess, I hope I didn’t thought-link that.

I didn’t. The Alpha and Luna have some coffee and chat a little with my parents and then go about their day.

Back in my room, it’s unlikely that I’ll take a nap even though I stayed up all night. I feel like I need to give my all for this training. I flip through a manga and a manhwa of my two favorite fictional heroes and think of how they got stronger. Maybe there is something to this--running 10 km a day and doing 100 each of squats, sit-ups, push-ups, and curl-ups? I mean I’m not trying to take anyone out with one punch or fight magical monsters with a shadow army, but I gotta start somewhere.

I set some S.M.A.R.T. goals to train for the training. Alma approves.

___

A/N There are so many shout outs and Easter eggs, puns and double entendres in this story. Which ones have you found? Are you a fan of Saitama, the One Punch Man or Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling? Let me know in the comments.