Forced to Become

Ch 30 home

After Shawn calmed down, the boys clamored for another story from me. I thought about the odd phrases I'd heard now and again, and decided how to tell my next story, the one Beta really wanted told.

"Once upon a time, there was a wise old werewolf that wanted to take care of his pack. He wanted to make a good, safe home for them."

Shawn made a snort, but didn't say anything. The others gathered in closer.

"So this wise old werewolf worked hard and bought an apartment building. He thought to himself that he could make money from renting out the bottom. He would live in the top, where no one else would go. He decided it would be a good home for the pack he would make. He wanted them to be safe from anyone who would hurt them. He put skylights in the top so his wolves would get sunlight. He brought in dirt and created vast gardens inside were his wolves could play and grow food. Sounds like a nice place, huh?"

I kept smiling at the younger boys around me. They all had rapt expressions on their little faces, and nodded at me. Shawn, on the other hand, had his nose scrunched up and looked like he wanted to growl. Talking about Andre has upset him. I tried to ignore him for now.

"Well," I told my entranced audience, "it was. Everyone had their own apartment where they could raise their family. See, this wise werewolf, he didn't bite people until after they were grown, and already had their human families. The people chose to serve the werewolf in exchange for having good homes. The men he bit became his guards, and if other werewolves were born outside of his royal family, they became his special guards."

Shawn looked at me with a confused look when I didn't call the two special guards Alpha Guards like Beta had. I had thought about it, and decided the risk was too great. The three other boys were eight to ten years old. Shawn was the only other one almost my size. I didn't trust them not to blurt out Alpha Guards at some point. It was too easy to picture Alpha's wrath if Beta was in any way referred to as an Alpha. 

"One day, they met another pack. That pack got jealous when they were invited to visit and saw this nice home."

Bobby, who had climbed back into my lap, tapped my arm for attention. I looked down, nodding encouragement at him.

"Did they fight?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes, and because they were evenly matched, hardly anyone survived."

They looked at each other, then the door, then back at me. I nodded.

"Yes, Alpha and Beta, a grown-up man omega, the two special guards, and a girl were all that survived from the wise old werewolf's pack. Six people. The other pack ended up worse. Only two little boys and one man survived, and they were made to be omegas. We're in one of those family apartments."

"Wait... so we're up high?" David asked in surprise. "I was unconscious until I was plopped down in the middle of the house."

"It isn't a house, it's an apartment," I corrected him. "I think these top floors are all abandoned now, except us, so there isn't anyone close enough to hear us. They'd have heard our screams when we changed to a wolf for the first time, otherwise. There isn't any getting out except for the special elevator that brought us up. There weren't any floor buttons on it like a regular elevator, just one button that needed a key to make the elevator go up. I don't see us being able to wrestle that key from Alpha, and Beta doesn't want to let us go, so we're stuck here." 

Everyone looked glum, and a few started to softly cry. I couldn't stand it. I had to try and give them hope, even if I had none myself.

"Not like we have anywhere to go anyway," Shawn said viciously. "Tell me if any of you would go back to your families, now that you're a werewolf. How do you think that will work out?"