It had been a little over a week since Mason has arrived at the sanctuary, yet still Hakan the Alpha of the pack didn't seem to trust him. Though he was able to walk the grounds of the sanctuary, he even got to meet a few of the other pack members. But only with Hakan to act as his guide, thankfully Devin tagged along as well to help keep Mason at ease.

There was a very nice and understanding woman named Nala. She wore a simple yet elegant green dress that matched her eyes perfectly; they glinted brilliantly when she smiled. Apparently she was the den mother of the pack and unfortunately Hakan's wife. She knelt before a wondrous garden, tending to a wild assortment of flowers Mason had never seen before.

"Lay one finger on my delicate rose, and I will personally rip your-" Hakan began, his face twisting into a snarl.

Nala pressed a single index finger to his lips, "Be quiet, my love. And if you call me delicate again, I'll be the one ripping something off of you. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm suddenly fragile." Her smile never leaving her face. "Welcome to our home, Mason. I hope you enjoy your stay." Seeing them stand side by side reminded Mason of Beauty and The Beast.

"Don't worry Papa! If this wannabe Wogan brat wants to start trouble," Said a voice from seemingly nowhere. Then a boy bounced out of the bushes, a set of binoculars around his neck. 

His nearly over excited eyes matched Hakan's set of piercing blue, but his hair was a soft auburn like Nala's; though it was now full of twigs and leaves. "He'll have to go through me." The boy took an intimidating pose. Or at least tried to look as intimidating as a kid possibly could.

"Through you? What are you, like 4 feet tall?" Mason chuckled. "Wouldn't have to go through you, I could just step over you."

The boy didn't think was as funny, he charged towards Mason with his fist raised. Mason easily swatted it to the side but didn't notice the boy's foot sliding fast to sweep him off his feet. With a surprised yelp Mason found himself on the ground looking up at the grinning boy, in a brief moment Mason saw his little brother. 

But the boy wasn't done yet, he flung himself at Mason again. They were soon a tangled mass of limbs as they wrestled. Hakan cheered for his son, while Nala shook her head disapprovingly. Devin came in between the boys, smacking them each upside the head.

"Brat!" The grinning boy said.

"Pipsqueak!" Mason retorted as he stood up.

"That's enough you two! Finn that is no way for a son of an alpha to act." Devin said to boy, then turned to Mason. "How old are you?"

"What? I'm-"

"Then act like it!" Devin shouted. 

Everyone hushed at Devin's raised voice, even Hakan.

"Come Finn, it's time for you studies" Nala said, breaking the silence. 

"But mom! I wanna-" Finn began to whine.

"Your studies come first; you can play with Mason later. Now come" Her voice sounded gentle, but Mason could hear the steel beneath each word.

As they turned to leave, Finn looked back at and stuck out his tongue. Mason mouthed "Pipsqueak" back at him. To Mason, Finn was almost the spitting image of his little brother. Though they didn't look very much alike really, but their personalities were identical.

"You alright pup?" Devin placed a hand on his shoulder.

Without noticing, tears had begun to swell in his eyes. "I'm fine, just... tired."

"Right, how goes the test?" Devin turned to Hakan.

The burly man shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head slightly. "They are... inconclusive."

Since Mason had first stepped out of the car and entered the sanctuary, he'd been thrown into a rigorous training regimen. At first it was simple, like what he'd do for gym class at high school. Two mile run, push-ups and sit-ups in two minutes, but then it got stranger like how fast could he go on all fours, how far could he see at night, how far he could smell or hear. He'd be a sloppy mess right now, if he could still sweat.

"What are all these test for anyway? Why are you treating me like this? Why am I-" The questions spilled out of Mason's lips like a dam bursting.

"Watch your tone." Devin warned him. "But the boy is right; surely he's proven he is trustworthy. I'll vouch for him." 

Hakan sighed heavily, "I do want to trust him, my friend. But that symbol worries me." He pointed at Mason's chest. 

"I've called in a specialist, she'll be able to help us with that." Devin said.

"The same specialist that helped with the magical barrier around our reservation?" Hakan questioned, to which Devin nodded. Hakan grunted in approval, " Alright," with a snap of his meaty fingers two others stepped out of the shadows "Pavel and Sven, could you please escort the boy to a room. Make sure he washes up and send him back down to my office"

Both men gave a slight bow, "Yes sir."

If Hakan was built like a bear, then the one called Pavel was built like a rhino. The man was pure muscle upon muscle upon muscle barely contained in a tight white t-shirt, with a face like a brick wall.

While the other one, Sven, looked frail standing beside him. He had a bit of finely molded muscle clinging to his wiry frame; his face was as sharp as the tuxedo like suit he wore. Mason thought he looked like a mafia member.

"Let's go kid." Pavel gestured to Mason, then walked in the direction of the main building.

Before he went Mason turned back to Devin, he didn't feel safe with these two at all. His gut could feel something wasn't right about this entire situation.

 *****

Mason stared at himself in the mirror after he'd showered. The acne scars from his battles with puberty were gone and healed, and his hazel eyes seemed brighter. They weren't just brighter, they were sharper too. He could see every fine detail of his own face. 

"Who are you?" His reflection asked him. Devin was right before, he really was changing. This boy in the mirror was a complete stranger, someone entirely new. How should this new Mason act? How will this new Mason live?

A heavy knock on the door caused him to jump, "Are you done? Don't keep Hakan waiting!" The voice came from the behemoth called Pavel, his voice was like an avalanche.

Mason exited the bathroom and entered the conjoined room, where both Pavel and Sven waited. A towel was wrapped around his waist and another hung on his shoulders.

"Are you guys gonna watch me dress?" He said as he fussed with his damp hair, pushing it away from his face. The black silk like hair draped over his shoulders.

Both man just looked on idly.

"At least turn around, for christ sake!" Mason blurted. At this, both men turned around grudgingly.

"Wicked bite mark you have there," Sven said as Mason tugged on the outfit set out for him. "A gift from Wogan eh?"

Mason just tsked in reply. A gift? Right, can't wait to give him a few gifts in return. 

He had finished dressing and began pulling his hair back into its signature ponytail.

"Let's go." Pavel croaked, pushing open the bedrooms door.

"Y'know," Sven stepped forward, getting in between Pavel and Mason. "He always said he'd do it, Wogan I mean, unite the packs, and tear down the veil. He had such a strong sense of pride, quite inspirational." 

Mason felt his gut plummet, something wasn't right. Pavel must have sensed it to because he turned to Sven, "What are you sayin-"

In a blur of movement Sven grabbed a heavy looking lamp, and then crashed it into the side of Pavel's head. The large man dropped like a sack of potatoes. 

Before Mason could make a move, a switchblade appeared at his throat.

"Looks like I get to deliver you to Wogan myself." A cruel grin spread onto Sven's thin lips.

They made their way silently down the hallway, the switchblade held tightly against Mason.

"Utter one word and..." the blade dug into Mason's neck. "I'll slice you open like a Thanksgiving ham."

Mason obediently nodded. A million and a half of ideas dashed around his head in how to escape or warn the others. 

They descended the stairway and were on the main floor. Just ahead of them was a room with heavy set wooden ornate door, it was cracked open slightly. As they moved Mason could just barely see Hakan sitting at a large desk with mountains of paper on each side of him, Devin was sitting to the side with a glass of brown liquid in his hand. Devin! It's now or never

"Don't do anything stupid now, I'll-" Sven started but was cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Sven? What are you...?" Nala's voice trailed off as she realized what was unfolding before her.

"Oh, if it isn't the brat. Ready for a rematch?" Finn shouted, getting in a wrestlers stance. "Wait, is that a switchblade? Sven, what are you doing?" Nala quickly snatched Fin behind her, carefully shielding him.

The room's door creaked open, Devin and Hakan came stepping out. Both were chuckling softly, apparently they were in a middle of a joke.

"So I told him, that's no dolphin. It's my cat!" Hakan guffawed while Devin chuckled beside him. "Wha-"

Then before Hakan could finish his sentence, and before Mason could stop himself. Mason was moving; he smashed the back of his head against Sven's jaw. While Sven was momentarily stunned by the assault, Mason ducked out of the way of the switchblade but could feel it slice into his cheek.

"He's working for Wogan, he's a traitor!" He yelled as he dashed away from Sven, he pushed into Nala and Finn.

Hakan and Devin instantly registered the situation, but Sven was already rushing them. Bones shifting along with the familiar sound of crunching as he morphed into his wolf form.

The next few moments were a rush of adrenaline and pure unadulterated rage. Both Devin and Hakan exploded into fur, claws, and rippling muscle. Hakan was almost twice the size of Devin and Sven, his fur like a sheet of rough snow. But before he could grab Sven with his massive paws, the skinnier wolf ducked and pivoted back towards Mason.

Nala tackled Mason out of the way, her gentle face elongated in mid transformation. Sven didn't hesitate as he instead reached out and grabbed her by the neck. She tried to wrestle out of his grasp. Before she could get any leverage, Sven slammed her face into the nearest wall, rendering her unconscious.

Hakan let out a pained howl when he saw his wounded mate. "Release her!" A powerful menacing aura radiated off the big wolf.

Sven held Nala as his shield against the two wolves, his back to the stairs. "Give me the boy or the bitch dies."

A standoff ensued. Neither party moving an inch. Finn cried for his mother, and both Devin and Hakan growled at Sven.

Clearing his throat, Mason stepped forward. "F-fine, just don't hurt her."

"Pup, no!" Devin barked.

Mason continued forward, till a movement on top of the stairs caught his eyes. 

Pavel. The hulking man had morphed into his wolf form, but he looked more like a werebear than a werewolf. He dove from the top stair and knocked the wind out of Sven who dropped Nala. Mason rushed in and caught her, blood pulsed from a wound on her forehead and her nose but she was breathing.

"How is she?" Hakan said, suddenly right next to Mason. His seething raging expression relaxing as he looked down at them. 

"She's bleeding badly, but she's alive... I don't know about the baby though" Mason replies.

Hakan's face snapped back into rage mode as he remembered that his mate was pregnant. He hurtled toward Sven, "You dare harm my wife? My family!" He roared.

Sven slipped out of Devin and Pavel's grasp, then plunged in between Hakan's legs. He grabbed Mason by the neck, lifting him off the ground. 

"You blubbering fools, all I want is the boy. Let me leave unharmed or I will crush his windpipe." He heaved.

Mason struggled in his vice like grasp but it was useless. In the back of his mind he felt the Deja vu of when Wogan held him similarly. Would he always be the weak hostage? No, not anymore. Mason thought to himself, I'm sick of being weak... I'm going to fight. Sven continued talking, "Wogan will have him one way or anoth- AYYYYEEE!!" Sven began shrieking as Mason dug his thumbs in his eye sockets.

Sven tightened grip around his neck. Mason felt like a balloon that was about to pop. But he kept gouging, giving the others a window to attack.

Devin was the first to rush in, with a swift slash down with his razor sharp claws. He sliced through Sven's arm, the arm holding Mason. Pavel moved forward, prying the grip off Mason's neck.

As Sven screamed at his severed arm, Hakan grasped him by the leg and smashed him into the wall. Sven crumbled to the ground, putting a hand pleadingly into the air. "Wait a sec-"

"NO ONE THREATENS MY FAMILY!" Hakan howled. Then he brought both of his meaty fists down onto Sven's head.

🐺🐺🐺🐺 A/N:Did you like the fight? Hope you guys and gals are all enjoying the story! Let me know if you have any questions or tips. Don't  forget to ☆ if you liked it!🐺🐺🐺🐺