End

Everyone either froze or raised their rifles at the sound of the gunshot.

The only other motion was by Alpha Edward. He dropped the rifle, his hands going to his throat.

"

Was that us?"

"Almost, but no,"

Bruce replied.

Alpha Edward dropped to his knees, the blood from the gunshot pouring through his fingers. The movement exposed the gun in the Beta's hand.

I heard howls from inside the fence, answered by howls of my Pack from behind me. I had to stop this before it became a bloodbath. I shifted back to my human form. Standing tall in the face of hundreds of armed defenders, I raised my hands above my head and let my Alpha power loose. "HOLD!!!"

My people immediately froze, along with most of the Quinalt Pack wolves. "REFRAIN," the Beta yelled out. He was straining to remain still, with his pistol gripped tightly in his blood-spattered hand. "I don't know how long they'll resist the Alpha Command to kill you," he said.

I walked up to the self-titled Supreme Alpha, lying on his back with his lifeblood draining into the ground. I projected my voice all around me. "You murdered three Alphas and refused a lawful challenge," I said as I stood over him. "For your crimes, I sentence you to death." I held my hand out to his Beta, and he handed over the Glock. Raising the pistol, I put a single shot through his forehead.

I heard the screams and the shock as the thousand-plus werewolves inside the fence lost their Alpha. It had to happen.

I handed the pistol back to the Beta, who took it and placed it back in his holster.

I heard a howl from behind the warriors, her vocalization filled with rage and pain. "The Luna," someone whispered. I watched as wolves stepped aside to let a black wolf charge through. I shifted to my silver wolf, my hackles raised as I prepared to meet her challenge.

I'd had a total of maybe two hours of training fighting in my wolf form, while she might have decades. It didn't matter; her grief and rage fueled her leap straight for my neck. I ducked under the attack, my teeth grabbing her front leg and holding on. She slammed face-first to the ground as my jaws broke her leg. I reacted quickly, moving to close my jaws on her exposed neck before she could respond. I growled for her to submit as she tore at my stomach and chest with her paws. She didn't, and one hard shake tore her throat out.

I dropped the chunk of flesh and stepped back, watching the hate in her eyes disappear as they glazed over in death. I closed my eyes and became human again. My torso was bleeding as I faced the gathered wolves looking between me and their former Alpha pair.

The next few moments would decide if there was war or peace. I looked in the Beta's eyes, my wolf seeking to dominate him. If he resisted my Alpha power and challenged me, I'd have to fight for my position. Since the Beta looked to be the size of a defensive end for the Seahawks, I wouldn't stand much of a chance.

And if he didn't challenge me, three other former Pack Betas could. They were all standing behind him with other ranked wolves.

He looked into my eyes, then lowered them. Dropping to a knee, he placed his right hand over his heart. "I, Beta Theodore Alan Lazard, pledge my allegiance to Alpha Angela Summers of the Renfro Pack."

A dozen senior wolves behind the former Quinalt Beta dropped to a knee, submitting to me as their new Alpha. Like a wave, the Pack leadership, warriors, and lower ranks took a knee before me until all the wolves inside the base had submitted. As each joined the Pack, I felt the connections form in my head.

Just like that, it was over. Two shots, one fatality, and I was in control of the Kitsap Submarine Base. "I welcome you to the Renfro Pack. Open the gate to your new Pack members. Lead Warriors and other ranks, return all weapons to the armory, then wait in the dining area. All Beta-level wolves gather around me."

"YES, ALPHA!"

Werewolf medics came forward, cleaning the shallow wounds and super-gluing them together until my natural healing could take over. I used the Pack link to order the men and women I brought along to return their weapons to the trucks and enter the base unarmed. They were to follow the others to the dining hall. There were many smiles as they hurried to obey. Everyone knew the best fight was the one you didn't have.

I reached out over the link to the driver of the command vehicle; it was safe to bring the Colonel up here now.

Melanie came up, carrying the bag with my clothes. When the medics finished cleaning the blood, I quickly dressed. The Beta-level wolves formed a semi-circle around me, waiting for direction.

I had to establish the chain of command early on, especially since it went Colonel to Alpha to Beta to Pack. "These are not normal times, and this will not be the type of Pack you grew up in," I said to the gathered leadership. "I am an officer in the United States Navy, and this is a Navy base. The United States Military will not tolerate a Pack occupying a base that may contain nuclear weapons. I am pleased to retake control of this base without bloodshed. The alternative would have been your death." I let that sink in for a moment. "Colonel Tester is on his way up to take command of the base. Per my agreement with General Payne of US Northern Command, the Pack members remaining here will operate under the Colonel's authority and command."

There was some grumbling at this. "We're not in the military," one Beta grumbled.

"You are if you remain," I replied. "Your Alpha has sworn to obey him. You have a choice, but only until sunset tomorrow. If you cannot accept the conditions for being on this base, you can return to your homes and re-form your previous Pack. As long as you live in peace with me, I won't bother you."

"None of us are Alphas, ma'am," another Beta said. "How are we to function with our Alpha pair dead?" That was interesting. The Lunas must have been killed or committed suicide after losing their mates.

I couldn't answer that. "

Perhaps the Pack lands could be auxiliary sites, run by a Beta but still reporting to you,"

Melanie suggested. "

It's been done before when we lacked Alpha-blood wolves after a war."

It was a good idea. "Those wolves who wish to return to your old Pack lands have the option of remaining in my Pack. A Beta can run the settlement under my authority. If at a later time you wish to be independent, I will cede your group to your new Alpha. That is the choice you and those who would follow you will take."

"Can we return with the things the Alpha had us bring here?"

I nodded. "You can return your possessions, but not the weapons or supplies gathered here. Those are now the property of the United States Military." There was some grumbling at this; the submarine base's value derived in part from the stockpiles of weapons, food, and supplies. "This base will support the military and the submarines who return here. The Pack will provide support, security, and labor. Eventually, we will establish farms and fishing fleets needed to make this a self-sustaining base. We will do this within the military structure."

I let them consider this for a moment. I'm sure the wolves thought they'd be replacing a despotic Alpha with a young, malleable Alpha Female who would listen to their wise counsel. That thought survived just long enough for the last of our vehicles to drive through the gate.

I noticed the Humvee command vehicle approaching. I checked my uniform, making sure I was presentable. I had the senior leaders form up in the ranks behind me. I kept Melanie on my left, as she was the only other Alpha-blood wolf remaining. Major Perriman was just behind me on the right.

The Humvee pulled to a stop in front of us. Melanie started growling, breaking ranks. "

What is going ON? Stay still!"

She didn't. The passenger door opened, and Colonel Tester stepped out.

He barely had a chance to brace himself before Melanie jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. "MATE," she growled out possessively.

I looked over at Major Perriman, and we laughed.

Ch. 50

We gave Melanie enough time to come up for air. "We should take this inside," I said.

"MINE," she responded. "I'm Melanie Chapman, acting Luna of the Renfro Pack."

He looked confused, his eyes flicking between Melanie and me. "The Luna is the Alpha's mate, right? Are you two, you know, a pair?"

"Nope. I'm acting Luna, just like I was for my brother before he found his mate in Angela. With him gone, Angela is Alpha, and I help her out. You're my mate, so we'll have to figure out how all this works after seeing how powerful your wolf is."

The Colonel was shocked. "You're my mate? How?"

Melanie stayed wrapped around him like a lemur, with her nose pressed to his neck as she took in his scent. "The Moon Goddess determines mates," she replied. "Your scent tells me you are mine. What do you feel?"

"Tingles. It's weird. It's like you shocking me, but in a nice way." He looked into her eyes for ten seconds, his face a mask of confusion. Melanie was looking for something, a sign he felt the same. Colonel Tester pushed her back, lifting her from him under the shoulders and setting her back on her feet. Melanie looked crushed, wondering if his rejection was coming. He didn't let go of her hand as he tried to sort his feelings. "This... it's unexpected. I didn't expect it."

He looked down at his left hand, where a white silver wedding band remained. "You're married?" Melanie's face fell, her wolf flashing in her eyes. Her wolf wouldn't hesitate to remove the competition.

"She died on the first day," the Colonel replied sadly. "She went out to check on the other wives in base housing, stopping only when the blindness hit. I found her after dark when we were allowed to leave the basement. I couldn't protect her," he confessed.

"You will never be alone again," Melanie promised.

In the meantime, the other staff members in the command vehicle exited. I snorted as I realized these three men and one woman were the only humans within miles, and the senior one might take the bite tonight.

He wasn't the only one. When the Betas led me into the standing-room-only dining hall, new mates were everywhere. I suppose I shouldn't have been shocked; the Moon Goddess was with me, and she wanted this Pack to succeed. The numbers worked out, with hundreds of newly-turned males coming inside to meet hundreds of newly-turned and single female wolves. The General tried to stack the deck to keep mates from occurring, sending two gay men and one lesbian. Amazingly enough, they found their same-sex mates as well.

In all, almost nine dozen new mated pairs matched up that night. When the matings occurred between wolves, things progressed quickly. Some of them didn't even make it to a room, completing their matings in full view of the Pack. My wolf laughed at my thoughts about this; wolves knew public sex and nudity were part of Pack life. After all, we were naked coming in and out of our shifts, and no one would look wrong at a mated wolf. The new mates didn't care; they were lost in each other, their minds excluding everything around them.

The only ones who took longer were the four humans. I called them to the head table, where my existing and new Betas sat for lunch. They would have to take the change before mating, but two of them already showed bites. The Colonel and the female Captain still had clean necks, but their mates were at their sides. I smiled as I looked around the room; for now, we were all one Pack. If some left tonight or tomorrow, I'd still have hundreds of wolves under my command.

Melanie was tucked under the Colonel's arm, leaning in for the occasional kiss or sniff. "I bet you didn't expect to find a mate tonight," I teased him.

General Payne figured his loss was too fresh to move on. That was why he got picked to command the base, foolishly assuming Luna wouldn't use him. "I'm not complaining," he said with a smile, "But we've got big problems."

"Why is that?"

He looked around the room. "The General is using you and your people, Alpha. That agreement you made with him? It's worth nothing. He's already moving against your, I mean OUR, kind."

Everyone at the head table was listening to him now. I started sharing the conversation with the rest of the Pack over the link. "You better start at the beginning, Colonel."

"Mark, please. I'll be in your Pack, so calling me Colonel won't be right." I nodded at that. "I'll begin by saying there is no President," he told me.

"What about the line of succession?" I'd learned this in high school civics. After the Vice President came the Speaker of the House, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Secretary of State, and the other fourteen Cabinet secretaries.

"Hell, I don't know, Angela. We've had zero communications with anyone east of the Rockies. If there is a President, he's not talking to us. NORAD and Northern Command, both in Colorado, are the highest-level commands we've reached. There are a few others, some National Guard bases in Montana and Utah, but they don't mean shit."

"Why?"

"It's one thing to talk into a radio, but quite another to have operational forces," he explained. "It's a miracle we saved as many people at Lewis-McChord as we did. That's the good news. The bad news is that we only have two weeks of food left for them." I didn't know that. "We've got a shitload of planes and vehicles that don't work, and he's done nothing to prepare for that. Then he gets orders to take Kitsap back, despite perhaps a thousand dug-in werewolves."

"Did Nothern Command know about werewolves?"

"They do now. You aren't the only surviving Packs out there. The National Guard up in Montana has a working helicopter. The Packs up there have taken over completely, turning hundreds of civilians into werewolves. The Alphas and their Council run those towns, and they don't accept the authority of the United States Military."

Melanie snorted. "What did they do, walk in and say they were in charge?"

"Yep. The Guard Colonel flew in and informed the Alphas that they were now under Martial Law. He demanded they turn over their supplies and working vehicles." The Pack started laughing at that. "One of the Pack members told them to fuck off; the Packs had helped them, while the military just wanted to take their stuff. They barely made it out of there alive."

I thought about this. "There's an entire region of the United States under Pack control, and the Generals don't like it."

"They see it as insurrection. Add in a Pack wiping out an entire submarine base, and they aren't feeling the love for your kind."

I was starting to feel queasy. "I made a deal with the General! I saved his men!"

Mark reached out for my hand. "It was clear that his troops couldn't win against Kitsap. You offered to do it for him, using only dying or useless personnel. If it turned into a firefight, it was werewolves killing werewolves. In their mind, it didn't matter who won. They were always planning to nuke the base to wipe out our kind. You collecting them in one place was a bonus. Now they have one more thing to figure out, and we're all dead."

"What is that?"

"The Generals can't launch a nuclear attack just yet. Malmstrom ballistic missile base in Montana and the

Maine

remains operational. They were underground or underwater and designed to survive nuclear attacks. Northern Command has the missile launch codes. They don't have the targeting data needed to program the missiles. After all, we didn't have a contingency made up to nuke ourselves. They are working on it and expect to have it in the next day or two."

This shit was getting worse by the minute. "What were you sent here to do? Die?"

He nodded. "I was to keep all the werewolves here if you took the base. If not, I'd leave your surviving forces close enough to die in the explosion. Two of my aides were to return tonight to Fort Lewis with an update on the attack."

I didn't know what to say. "So, in conclusion, the military is planning to nuke this base to the stone age, and we're supposed to sit here and wait for the big bang?"

He nodded.

Fuck.

Ch. 51

I saw real fear in the eyes of my Pack, and I fought to keep that from my face. I was the Alpha, and they would follow my lead. "Is there any way to stop this?"

"It's coming from the Generals at Northern Command, not Fort Lewis," Mark replied. "Even if you could raise them on the radio, they wouldn't talk to you. If General Payne relays you've taken the base and kept to your agreement? That's setting up the conditions for the strike. They've already decided that werewolves are the enemy. I'm to set you up to die."

"What do you mean? Isn't it enough to keep us here?"

"They don't know if they will be able to use a nuclear strike. I don't know the backup plan, but I can take a guess. At twenty minutes after sundown each day, I'm to assemble everyone outside the main tunnel entrance, then close the door. The General probably intends to use mortars or artillery to kill as many as possible before finishing up the rest with troops. It's not the sure thing the nuke would be."

Either way, we were getting attacked. "So, what are my options?"

Major Perriman was first on that one. "Get the fuck out of Dodge," he said. "It's a little after two in the morning. We could load up all our vehicles with people and get them out of the blast zone."

Melanie looked at him with wide eyes. "And go where? We're talking about a nuclear strike!"

"Underground and upwind," he replied. "Prevailing winds are from the west. If they hit this place, Seattle will become uninhabitable."

"The Packs would make the most sense," Melanie replied. "None are east of us, and all have underground shelter. We were already allowing people to return. Make that mandatory."

It made sense. "What about here? Do we abandon the base completely? Is there any way we could survive in the tunnels?"

"How would I know? That's Air Force shit," the Major replied.

"Alpha?" It was one of my former human charges in the back, sitting on the lap of her soldier-mate. "Naomi Thompson. I used to work here at the weapons maintenance facility."

"Doing what?"

"Nuclear warhead maintenance," she replied. "These tunnels are designed to withstand an on-target airburst from a warhead up to fifty kilotons."

That didn't sound like enough. "What is the yield of a Trident missile warhead on the

MAINE

?"

"That depends on what missile gets sent our way. The W88 warheads are 475 kilotons. That's overkill for us, and it would irradiate the whole region. W76-1 warheads are ninety kilotons, but the W76-2 are five kilotons. The dash-two can be set for ground penetration before detonation, making them a bunker buster. If NORAD wants to minimize collateral damage while collapsing everything, they will send one into the command complex and another into the weapons storage area."

"And the Air Force missiles?"

"Those are much bigger, twelve hundred kiloton," she replied. "Overkill for this mission. If you used one of those, it would wipe out everything between here and Seattle. There's one more possibility you haven't thought of." I raised an eyebrow. "The

USS MICHIGAN.

That SSGN left on deployment a week before the storm.

"

"Isn't that the same type of submarine as the

MAINE?"

Major Perriman didn't get the distinction.

"The

USS MICHIGAN

is a guided missile submarine carrying hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles," I answered. "The Navy converted it from carrying Trident missiles after the START II treaty."

Naomi nodded. "Yes, and they are very accurate. The Tomahawks carry thousand-pound conventional warheads or cluster munitions. One warhead wouldn't penetrate the ground, but if you sent multiples in, you could excavate your way. The cluster bombs would be devastating on troops and equipment above ground."