Life in an Alien Land 2: The Werewolf Chronicles

YOU MUST READ THIS before you read the chapter: This chapter's narrative departs from the points of view in the preceding chapters. It is told from both Snape and Ginny's POV as they see things with their werewolf consciousness. As a clarification: all references to 'Black Wolf' are Snape, all references to Red Alpha, or Brother are Fred, all references to Grey Alpha or Grey Wolf are Greyback, and all references to Red Beta or Black's mate are Ginny. White Human is Lucius Malfoy. Other wolves mentioned will be referred to by their colour. Most will be recognisable by the description of the feelings Black Wolf or Black's Mate subscribes to them.

I hope this helps make the reading easier. Enjoy.

All thanks go to Jilliane for her work on this chapter. Without her, it would be much less comprehensible. Oh, and she's the one who came up with the cool title to the chapter. All Hail J!


Chapter 21

The Dogs of War

Black Wolf knew his mate was near by the smell of her coming from outdoors. He pricked his ears, waiting to see if Red Alpha had noticed, but the red wolf merely paced, clawing at the door, waiting for the human creature on guard to open it. Perhaps her scent was strong only to him, or perhaps, the Red could only smell the carnage that was being wrought in the mating house as they waited. There had been a few guards loyal to the Grey Alpha that had needed to be taken care of in the place of mating. Both Red Alpha and Black Wolf had hoped that major bloodshed could be avoided. Grey Alpha was a sick leader, and one who had garnered only loose support since his time of many Turnings, especially amongst those Weres that had no special powers, the ones separated from this world before the Mad Times.

Black Wolf knew that his human form had taken a bitter water to make the Were less angry, less hungry for the fresh, sweet kill. He wanted the weak, hairless flesh of the humans less because of the bitter water. Black Wolf didn't mind, even as the human's machine mind watched and commented in the strange growling puppy noises that passed for communication in its world. Black Wolf shoved the thin whisperings to the back of his mind as the door swung open. Blood was the scent that assaulted him first, then fear that made his nose twitch and twitter. Red Alpha with his sense of frolic, bounded at the human, his forelegs bent so that his tail was up in the air, a flag to show that he played. Black Wolf sniffed. The fear scent had increased along with the high, puppy sounds of the human. It was a female of their species, and she was ready to mate. Her scent, though harsh and foreign to Black Wolf, was arousing. BlackW olf sidled to her, letting the weight of his body press her away from Red Alpha. Red Alpha's mate was gone, and he might choose to attempt to mate with the human if Black Wolf did not do something. Black Wolf remembered his human's fear of the Grey Alpha each time he had been dominated by him in wolf form. Black Wolf remembered everything and that was the reason he hated. BlackWolf yipped once, reminding Red Alpha of their duty to the Pack on this night. Red Alpha turned on him with a showing of his teeth and a harsh snapping of his jaws, but did not resume the play.

Black Wolf padded past the human, leaving the heady female heat scent behind as he paced out the door of the angular cave and into the night.

Mother, the Freeing Moon, shone down on them, her face cool and soothing to his senses. Black Wolf repressed the urge to call to her, to give her the honour she was due. Red Alpha paced behind him, nipping his heels until Black Wolf paused to let him pass. It was right and good that Red Alpha walked first. He was the leader.

Black Wolf caught the scent of his mate again and this time it was strong, stronger than even the blood spilt in the mating den. He would have to chastise her for disregarding their Alpha's command to stay safe, but he would secretly reward her when their duties were done for the night. His Red Mate was his heart, a thing he could admit freely in his Were form, but rarely in his human form. He knew he could never remain distant and shunning to his mate in the way of the Pack to its members who disobeyed. He listened for the sounds of battle, but heard none, so gave the matter no more attention.

More Pack approached, all friendly, all carrying the scent of the bitter water that his human had made for them. He sat alertly beside the Red Alpha as each Pack member greeted the Red Wolf, their heads lowered, eyes downcast, their tails straight. Black Wolf was pleased by the Pack's display of submission, and so was Red Alpha. It would not do for them to have to fight amongst themselves when they had yet to depose the Grey Alpha. Pack politics would be settled on the next Freeing Moon. Black Wolf just hoped it wouldn't be too bloody. To lose a Pack member in a fight for minor dominance was as if a wolf lost its tail; the organism could survive, but it would never be the same

His mate was the last to arrive, her sleek pelt shining and beautiful. She had eaten well in the last weeks. She greeted her brother first, cringing and fawning as he snappedand growled at her. He rebuffed her advances with a sweep of his body against hers and she rolled, showing her belly as he stood over her, teeth bared and a long growl emanating from him. Even though she was far from Omega in the pack, she had disobeyed, so she whined and pawed the air in a puppyish manner. The gesture seemed to placate Red Alpha and he retreated from her, ignoring her presence as she greeted Black Wolf.

Black Wolf sniffed his mate, first at the nose in greeting, then along her body, stopping at the scent area that defined her most. She had the smell of the White Human, her dam, Red Alpha's mate, and two other males. One of the male scents smelled like her in a way, just wrong, more male. The other was the poor human, White Human's son, the one who was driven rabid by sadness. Black Wolf remembered him with longing and gave a low-pitched whine. She held still, head down until he returned to her head. She began licking at his snout, placating him. He let her. When the night was over, he would give her more affection. In the now, they had duties to both Red Alpha and the White Human that had allied with them.

The Weres approached the hot rock place warily; the place of smelled of artificial heat and oozing despair. The air smelled wrong. There was old, poisoned death there that would be dealt with later, cleaned by the human hands, mourned by the human counterparts to the Weres. Each Pack member followed the visual cues of the leader, he sent some to patrol the streets, to dispatch those still faithful to the Grey Alphaand had been sent to patrol. Others were directed to protect the newly Turned in the food place. Some were sent to gather recruits that could not be notified of the coup beforehand. There were many Weres dissatisfied with their lot, and more than a few that realised the Grey Alpha was ill. He had a scent of decay and cooked flesh about him; hot, foetid and wrong.

Red Alpha hung back as their Pack met with the first of the Weres sent to guard the Grey Alpha's den. Several amongst their number turned to their brethren, engaging them in battle. They were loyal to Red Alpha, and had played their parts well, cosying up to the wrong Weres. In moments, Black Wolf, with cunning and long practice, met a mangy brown in battle. He had hoped to capture him before any other Were did. Black Wolf felt an alien memory, full of fury and spite, superimposed on his consciousness of the time when his mate had been forced to accept the matings of this wolf. It was the time of the hot rock place, right before they both were Turned. The two Weres circled, clashing and snapping as they estimated their opponent's ability. The brown rushed forward, grabbing at Black Wolf's foreleg. The older wolf rolled, catching the brown by surprise as he slammed his body intohim , pulling him over and then under. Black Wolf grabbed him by the throat, biting but not breaking the skin, asserting his dominance with a growl. It should have been enough to end the battle. The brown had no sense of Pack as he snapped his teeth, the loud clicking of the pointed instruments signifying his intent, barely missing the older wolf's ear. Black Wolf tightened his grip, a hot rush of blood filling his mouth. The brown wolf stilled and then thrashed, breaking Black Wolf's hold on him, knocking Black down as he escaped. Before Black Wolf could recover, his quarry escaped into the initial clash.

Black Wolf returned to Red Alpha's side as he caught a glimpse of his mate at the edge of the fray. She and several other females had a large yellow wolf cornered. It was a Were known in its human form to mate rather brutally, forcing his attentions on the females. The large yellow went down with a piercing scream as the females converged on him. It was good that they dealt with him. He was another one of the members that sickened the Pack. Black flicked his ears and turned his attention to the rest of the battle.

The larger core of the contingent flowed into the Grey Alpha's den, searching, sniffing for his burning death smell which was all around. They found him, surrounded by the bodies of dead human pups. He was half-transformed and in pain as he rutted with a girl pup whose eyes were clouding over, as a deer's would as it died. Another female had partially transformed at the side of the scene, her legs splayed out in front of her at an odd angle. The Grey Alpha had just bitten her, along with infecting her with his spunk, if Black Wolf could tell by the smell of the pup. Black Wolf itched to end the pup's misery. The Moon's madness should not be brought on one so young or one so broken . He eased around the periphery of the contingent, setting his sights on the pale pup.

Grey Alpha lurched forward, grotesque even for those who had seen what he did to Black Wolf's human form. Red Alpha stepped forward, a low growl emanating from his throat, his nails clicking on the wood of the den's floor. Grey Wolf answered, recognising the challenge in Red Alpha's stance. The older grey lurched again, his burning smell becoming stronger as he finished his transformation. He was missing tufts of fur all over his body, and he bled as if it were his first Turning, showing his sickness. He shook himself then, lunging at Red Alpha, his powerful jaws snapping, flinging foamy spittle as he did. Red Alpha remained resolute, his gaze never wavering, as the older Grey tried to circle. The young usurper followed his movements, his pale, wall-eyed gaze intent as Grey Alpha paced into the circle. Most of the Weres not engaged in battle watched, ready to strike if Red Alpha failed. All assembled had too much riding on his takeover of the Pack. They all knew in the way of their dual existence that if Red Alpha failed, even if the Grey Alpha did not punish them in Were form, he most definitely would in his two-legged one.

&*&*&

Black's Mate remembered coming to full consciousness in a small wooden cave, the smell of despair and fury overpowering to her heightened senses. She shook herself once to acclimate herself to the new body, hair and dander flying into the air as she did. This Turning was her first with the bitter water, and it felt odd, seeing the world as if with two sets of eyes, the Were's and the human's. She snuffled softly at the bottom of the cave's door before letting herself out by pulling the rope on the cave's cover. As soon as she was free of her containment, she gave a yipping howl at the Freeing Moon, hearing several answering howls in the distance. She shook herself again after a quick scratch to her belly to relieve the stress she felt, and loped off into the night to find Brother and her mate.

She came to the clearing outside the cave of despair and mating, and cringed at the smell emanating from the place. It was angular and wrong to her; the death and blood clung to it like a lost soul. It was a bad place for all the females who lived there. When this night was over, there would be no more mating house, no more forced copulation. Black's Mate would make sure of that, even if she had to harness the stinking man-lightning that had hurt her mate long ago, before they were both Turned.

She was greeted by several females of the Pack, all showing the correct amount of deference to her Beta position. When she came upon Brother, she let him punish her for her disregard of his direct order. Black Wolf looked on impassively until she turned to him, and then he showed his constrained affection. Black's Mate expected no more from him; he was reserved as both Were and human.

During the trek to the hot place of dark torture, Black's Mate almost balked. Here she had been forced to mate with many males and in many ways. A low whine escaped her throat as she caught the scent of two of the Weres she knew she would seek out tonight. She watched as Black Wolf clashed with the brown of the pair. She turned her attention to the yellow wolf. He had been the first to force her in the place of death, before her time of Turning, and he had been most brutal in his taking of her. Several of the females around her caught the scent of the yellow wolf. He had harmed them as well. With flicks of their ears and soft whines, they all converged on him.

The initial clash came between the yellow wolf and brown bitch. She dragged at one of his forelegs as another female nipped at his flanks. Soon the most harmed by him had a mouthful of fur and flesh. Their low growling was overlaid by his high-pitched yelping screams. Black's Mate dove into the fray, gripping his throat with her teeth and shaking. The yellow wolf snapped at them all, turning every which way, until a young white wolf attacked his stomach, ripping into his viscera. The sharp, metallic tang of blood filled the air as the whitewolf hit the Were's liver. The young white continued to maul him, as the other females backed off. She savagely ripped into him with her claws and her mouth, drawing wailing, agonised screams from the male Were. The young white's gore covered body seemed to rejoice at the sound. After long moments of increasingly weak struggle, the yellow wolf gave a piercing ululation and then moved no more.

The females, as a group, paced to the next male who had inflicted harm on them.

&*&*&

Black Wolf shivered in anticipation as the two Alpha's circled each other. The older wolf was still having problems keeping his form, and his body lurched in stuttering transformations every few steps. He was still a powerful enemy, even in the throes of his sickness. Red Alpha would do well to remember that as they came closer.

The Were pup that Black Wolf had considered killing had instead been relegated to the care of one of the females that had made it into the cave. She whined piteously and Black turned to snap at her. His attention could not waver from the fight before him. The older female Were pulled the pup away with her teeth. It was then that Black Wolf realised that the pup had been broken beyond repair; her back legs hung uselessly behind her as the female dragged her. His human could not dispatch the child, but Black Wolf could. He descended on the pup and bit into her neck, snapping her vertebra as he shook her. Once done, he gave a low, mournful howl for the loss of the young Pack member. Even though she had been ill, even though she had the same burning death smell of the Grey Alpha, even though his act had been one of mercy, it pained him to kill one so young.

He turned his attention once again to the fight, noting the limp that the Grey Alpha had acquired in the last few moments. Red Alpha was bleeding from a gash across his nose, but otherwise seemed unharmed. Both were circling each other. Black Wolf noticed that several other Pack members kept the Grey Alpha's tribe at bay, fighting with them only as their actions dictated. The Weres as a group would try to subdue the Grey Alpha's supporters. They would let their humans deal with the justice. The Red Alpha's Weres would deal with the here and now of the situation.

Red Alpha had somehow gotten behind the old Were, and he pounced, sending the older wolf flying. Grey Alpha's pale eyes glowed in the darkness of the cave, his anger smell coming off of him in waves. Red Alpha did not give the Grey time to recover before he was on top of him, biting with deadly intent. The Grey shook him off and was able to get his own maw around Red Alpha's hind leg. A sharp crack of bone sounded over the music of the battle. Red Alpha whined and let go of the Grey's foreleg, holding his hind leg off the ground. The retreat gave the older Grey just enough time to gain his feet and charge. Black Wolf noted the strange lop-sided lope of the older wolf just as the Grey sprang, connecting with the Red Alpha's body. Red Alpha backed the Grey into a corner, his whine of pain quickly replaced by a long, low growl. Blood splattered, black on the pale wall, and Black Wolf howled. His long low song was joined by others in the room.

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