Free 4: Jack - In The Pack by Carys Weldon Page A

“What? Where did they go?”
     
     
    I was pinned down by the others. They whispered, “Shh.” Yes, all of them. But they were still, deadly still, wary, listening.
     
     
    Wait. We were in crinos then. You see what they did to me? Warped the whole night. Only bits and pieces...holy shit. I remember why they ran off.
     
     
    I heard them make a kill. A cat. It squealed more than once while they took it down. A mountain lion, I think. My memory’s fuzzy.
     
     
    And then they howled. And the ones on top of me, leaped off, urged me to follow. At that point, I wasn’t thinking. And if I was, I was only thinking...what the hell? Or...why the hell not?
     
     
    Leaping, bounding after them, sniffing ass all the way, I think, making sure my booty didn’t leave me in the dark, I chased them. The place was big, that’s all I can say. I forgot that I was inside, in a habitat, it seemed so real.
     
     
    And when we came upon the rest of them, there was nothing unnatural about taking that meal. Some of them were already eating. The scent of fresh blood was in the air. The deed was done. I was starving.
     
     
    I know that they chose that particular prey because it’s a natural, if you know what I mean. I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t find fault.
     
     
    I can’t look a house cat in the eye now. I want to make it up to all of them. But sometimes, I think about going to China.
     
     
    Of course, that’s just my sense of humor. I still prefer room service, cooked food. I’m just trying to give you a full understanding of where they took me, what I had to overcome. They led me into a world where there were no holds barred. But that’s where they made their mistake. They admitted me to their inner circle, thinking that they’d made me one of them--in the same breath that they’d warned me how unstable my position was. And, if anything, I’d gained one sure knowledge. The only place to be in a pack...is at the top.
     
     
    The meal was quick, and it was only taken, really, to give us stamina to keep going with the initial party we’d started. At least, that was the way I saw it--the way I insist on remembering back to it. And besides, I’d been told they wouldn’t feed me regular food until I participated.
     
     
    Call it the mark of the devil. Call it Revelations. I’m telling you... wake up . The beast is among us.
     
     
    And if you’re not careful, the beast will be us.
     
     
    So, I found myself in the longest kiss ass event of the year, I think. But what do I know? They could hold those all the time at Lobos. I should remember to ask Hood. Nah. I’m afraid I’d find myself back in there.
     
     
    I have a reason for telling you about this. Those women wore me out. They made me, yeah, afraid is the word I’m looking for. Afraid to participate in group sex ever again. I mean, that was hard on me. I was good for shit...for what? Days . Anytime sex puts you out of commission for that long, you need to rethink what you did.
     
     
    And believe me, I rethought those hours plenty of times. But I keep coming to the same conclusion; all I need is one good woman.
     
     
    This process I went through, call it purification by fire, baptism by immersion. I was so far under that I couldn’t breathe. I sure as hell couldn’t think. And, if nothing else, I’m a man who likes to think through consequences, weigh my choices.
     
     
    They took that away from me in there, and put everything on a base level.
     
     
    But I got out.
     
     
    Oh, not in my time. In theirs. But I bit my tongue, bode my time, played the game, pretended to agree--without capitulating too fast. There were too many watchers, cunning people looking for telltale signs of trickery.
     
     
    I was put through many tests, a ton of exercises to measure my responses, my skills, how much wolf nature had taken me over. But I think I said this before, I’m a fast learner. I can adapt. Now, that may be the nature of the wolf. Whatever.
     
     
    I