Starting out

"You both are free to beat yourselves up. Regardless of who wins, you will both learn very valuable lessons. Just don't touch the gate or attempt to kill or maim the other, and we're good. Anything else goes." Daryl said, making sure they were aware that the gate remained a priority as always.

And with that said, he took a step backwards, taking him closer to the gate and then he shifted a little to the side to ensure he was standing in front of the middle of the gate.

Romeo turned back to Brutus, the red lines on his right eye slowly disappearing.

 "Brutus! Please! Just let me pass through."

 "Why should I? You heard Daryl. If you want to enter the Den, go through me. Or are you scared?"

Romeo suddenly snarled and punched Brutus in the face. Brutus' head swung backwards from the strike, forcing him to stagger backwards a little. As he regained his balance and looked to glare at Romeo, a bare foot stomped his face from six feet above the ground to the ground.

Brutus was out cold in two moves.

 "In my opinion, you are sill the fat kid from five years back." Romeo said, looking down at Brutus.

Daryl burst into laughter. He clapped his hands and nodded his head in approval.

 "That was good. That was really good." He said as he signaled with a wave of his hands. The gate groaned, clicked a few times and then, slowly opened.

Romeo prepared to take a step forward, but Daryl held him back and moved to a side, bringing him along.

He bowed down his head. Romeo did not care for any of that. He looked up and saw three of the elders walk out of the gate, followed by their usual entourage of disciples, guards and human servants.

They stood in front of Romeo and then parted ways to either side, creating a path in their middle. 

Alpha Jake, dressed in a heavy black and white fur jacket that left his white-haired chest exposed, walked through that path. He bent a little to look down at a six-feet-four Romeo and said,

 "Romeo, isn't it?"

Romeo did not respond. He was holding Jake's gaze and that was by far, enough mental and physical work for him. One just couldn't fake the aura of a powerful Alpha who had lived as long as Jake had.

 "You just severely harmed one of my defenders. Why?"

Romeo opened his mouth, but no words came out.

 "You have five minutes." The Alpha said and walked back into the Den. Daryl followed behind him, carrying Brutus along on his shoulder. Then two of the elders went as well, taking their time.

Romeo's eyes followed the Alpha and was confused for merely a few moments. As he returned his gaze to the last elder, he saw that Mona now stood in front him. Behind her, at a respectable distance, stood Jason with a small, characteristic smile on his face.

Romeo glared at his rival. Jason walked further away to give them more space.

 "Why are you here?" Mona asked. The hostility was obvious in her voice.

It hurt Romeo to see the love of his life treat him like this. With such hostility as if she were dealing with an irritable stranger. The only thing that gave him reassurance was her heart that beat the same way as always, whenever she was near him.

 "Two years." He responded. "Just two years. That is all the time I need. Wait for me for only two years. I will be back for you with my own pack. A pack more powerful than this one. I will be back. I will come back for you and prove to you how worthy I am. That I am capable of change. That I am capable of being a good leader. That I respect you. That I understand you. I will prove to you that I take you seriously. This, Mona, is a promise I will keep!"

He looked at Jason. "Just don't do anything with that fake-smile over there. Goodbye, Mona. For now!"

And without waiting for a response, he turned around and ran back into the forest, disappearing into the coverage of fog and leaves.

Mona's eyes followed. Tears trickled down her face, successfully disguised by the rain that had returned to being a light drizzle.

Even long after Romeo was gone, Mona still looked on, a part of her wishing for him to run back and take her in his arms. To kiss her gently, softly like he normally would, but another part of her advised her to just move on.

Jason walked towards her until he was standing beside her.

 "Don't get your hopes up! He most likely won't even survive his first year outside the protection of a pack. He's too much of a troublemaker and the outside world is more ruthless than you can possibly imagine. He is in for a severely painful awakening." He said.

Mona glared at him.

 "Even if he does survive, you can't possibly expect him to keep his promise. How do you expect him to gather a group of werewolves who will respect him enough to let him be leader, in just two years? It takes time to build trust. And all the experience he has trust-wise, is breaking whatever trust you already have in him.

 "So, don't get your hopes high. In fact, it will be in your best interest to have absolutely zero expectations. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. But, it is what it is. I will leave you to process your thoughts. Take your time." He said and walked inside, leaving Mona all alone outside the gate, lost in thought and tears.

Romeo ran through the night. Through the trees, leaping over fallen, algae-covered logs of wood. As the first ray of sunshine seeped through the greens of the woods, he jumped over a large rock just laying right in the middle of the open path. It felt completely out of place. Romeo slowed to a stop in just a few steps after he landed. He turned around and looked at the rock. History had it that the out-of-place rock had been there since the beginning of the pack's existence. According to the stories, the rock was their refuge, a symbol of protection by the moon goddess. That large rock, according to the elders, protected all werewolves that dwelled in the woods, from the hunters that dwelled among humans.

slowed to a stop in just a few steps after he landed. He turned around and looked at the rock. History had it that the out-of-place rock had been there since the beginning of the pack's existence. According to the stories, the rock was their refuge, a symbol of protection by the moon goddess. That large rock, according to the elders, protected all werewolves that dwelled in the woods, from the hunters that dwelled among humans. Perhaps, it was merely a legend, but it was a legend that had been passed on by word of mouth. All the werewolves, regardless of the tribe, age, and pack believed it. So did Romeo. Perhaps it was all falsehood, but no one has been ballsy enough to test out that mystical theory. After all, no hunter ever wants to be prey, and if all it takes is resisting the urge to move a large rock, then so be it.

Romeo sighed. He had jumped over the rock. Which means, he was no longer under any kind of protection. He was officially on his own. And what's more, he had actually exited the woods. He was now very far away from the territory of the pack he was always a part of. Sort of. He had run through at least two other packs' territories on his way out and half-expected to be jumped by a wolf or two during his four-legged, all-night sprint through the woods. He was sure he had taken a good whiff of fur several times. That they chose not to chase him was a wonder in itself. After all, he was probably reeking of despair and pain. Two distinctive scents that usually drove wolves into predator-mode on any night, especially since he was not their pack member.

He sighed again as Mona's smiling face flashed through his mind, and was quickly replaced by the last worried expression she had on her face when he told her goodbye.

The orange-ish color of the sun shone on his fur, lightening his mood a little and reminding him that he should keep moving. He looked at his front paws. They were covered in black, brackish mud. If he remembered correctly, humans were freaked out by everything and so it was important to be in human form among them. From the little he could recollect from one of the elder's teachings when he was much young and much less-rebellious, he was not to reveal his more innate form under any circumstances, to a human. His immense strength and strong senses can, for the most part and to the more stupid ones, be excused for genetics and intense training. He looked around him. Nothing, nobody. He took in a deep breath, slowly released it, closed his eyes and then sniffed the air. He sniffed the ground as well and even moved close to the rock to sniff it. Nothing seemed out of place. Only the natural air, leaves, trees, earth and the insects and animals that lived on it. That was all he could smell. Oh, and water too. At least there was no risk of humans yet. He was sure of it. He had encountered humans before and knew what they smelled like. They were teenagers, but they were not hunters. They were merely having some fun in the woods and even bothered themselves to clean up afterwards. Perhaps, that was why the rock did not attack them or keep them out. It saw their hearts and decided they were alright.

 "Should be safe to change." He muttered to himself and took in a deep breath. Slowly his fur began to recede back into his body. His erect ears reduced in size, his eyes lost a bit of that intensity that differentiated the gaze of an apex predator from the gaze of a wild, fearless and adventurous man. He latter had some humanity to it. The former had bestiality written all over it. The only difference between werewolves in their wolf forms and regular predators, was the level of intelligence and depth one could glimpse from staring into their eyes.

He stood up straight. Six feet and four inches tall, muscular, with curly hair. He was stark naked.

 "Shit! My clothes." I had forgotten all about them." He sighed again. "I have been sighing a lot since yesterday."

It was a good observation. It said a lot about his presence of mind and self-awareness.

 "Where am I going to get myself some clothes?" He wondered. "I cannot just move around naked like this. Where did my trousers go anyway?"

He could not recollect when he removed his own pants. He had no memory of removing them in the first place. After all, changing forms never required one to change clothes. Although he did realize that the clothes restricted his movements just that little bit. That was why he stopped wearing shirts and stuck with the very elastic high-waist leather pants.

But now, even those ones had been left behind. 

He looked up at the sun. By this time, all signs of nightlife had gone into hiding. Soon, he should able to hear the sounds of humans living in the village some kilometers away. He could not risk anyone coming in this direction and seeing his... you know. 

He needed a solution and he needed it quickly. 

 "Pants. Pants. Pants." Where do I get pants? Where do pants even come from again?"

He blinked. Actually. Where did they come from?

He blinked. Actually. Where did they come from?

The ones he had, were gifted to him by Mona. Mona got them from the Den. The Den got them from the traveler. The traveler must have gotten them from humans.

 "Leather that stretches. Leather comes from treated animal skin. I think that's what the elder said. What animal skin stretches? Probably a special kind. Can I find the animal? Maybe not. What do I need urgently? Covering for my masculine um..."