Ferocious

Chapter 15

Recruitment

"This plan is insane" Aubrey said to Astro yet again.

That makes it the fourth time she would say those words.

"I know, I know... But it's our best shot at succeeding, Nikky please tell her" he faced her cousin when he saw that he wasn't convincing her.

Nike ran her hand through her hair, she herself does not believe the plan could work yet, but as Astro had said, it is their best option and in fact their only option.

"Cmon cuz, you know this is the only way we could go by it, do you wanna be pack meat? Or do you wanna be free from always having to live in fear of the crazy pack that is after you? If so you gotta take a stand, no matter how crazy the plan is" She said and gave Astro a go ahead look.

Aubrey signed as she looked towards their first target; Cory.

"Are you sure she's gonna accept and join? I mean I have heard of but never really seen a disjointed pack before, they are supposedly usually powerful but it is difficult to bring so many different aspects together under one rule, that is why a pack always consists of wolfs only and other aspects forms families or bands or teams since it takes a wolf to create or lead an actual pack" she answered still not fully into the plan.

Astro grabbed her and turned her to face him, then he placed both his hands on her shoulders and looked right into her light brown eyes.

"It is a confirmed fact that if the Stockholmien pack gets here all shapeshifters around are in danger just as you are

It is in their best interest to join us and form a pack to stand against them, the risks are reduced drastically if they come and find a pack rather than individuals for easy pickings

You said you've heard from your father that there can be packs formed with different shapeshiters in it as long as its a werewolf that is the alpha because no other type of shapeshifter can form a pack except a wolf right?" He asked,

"Well yes but...." She started to answer but he cut her off,

"But nothing, we have to make do with what we have here and that is to form a disjointed pack since there aren't wolf omegas hanging around that we could have otherwise formed the pack with

There are about eight shapeshiters in the school alone, I am sure at least half of them will see reason to join our cause and stand against Stockholmien, it is crazy yeah but it might just work." He reassured her.

"Hmm look at you taking on the leadership role already" Nike said to Astro when she saw Aubrey actually relaxed at the reassurance.

"Ok let's do this, and don't forget, we are targeting Cory first because you need to get the lumpy fear of her kind out of your system" Aubrey said to Astro

He nodded and all three entered the classroom which was empty except for Cory,

It was after school hours already but Aubrey had long discovered that for some reason Cory usually stays behind for a long time before she goes home.

On seeing the three enter the classroom and heading towards her Cory started feeling uncomfortable and she shifted in her seat then closed the textbook she was reading.

"Hi Cory" Aubrey greeted "can we talk? Its a kindof serious matter else we wouldn't disturb your reading".

"Uhm hi Aubrey... Well yeah I was almost done but I can talk, what's wrong?" she asked also wondering why the new guy was there as well with another lady she didn't know.

Aubrey looked to Astro expecting him to take his cue and explain but he stayed silent and it was Nike that nudged him before he caught on that he was meant to speak at that point.

"Oh yeah right, sorry... Uhm... Well, you see Cory the thing is we want you to join our pack" Astro launched straight in.

Nike rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her face, 'so much for leadership' she thought to herself.

"What!?" Cory asked,

"Well yeah, we are forming a pack and we would like for you to join us" Astro said again.

"You know ever since you joined our class I had a feeling there was something different about you, not just that you were a shapeshifter but something else, I guess it must have been the alpha trait in you or not

But why would you want me in your pack? I'm not even wolf, I'm panther" she replied.

Aubrey jumped in before Astro could answer "it doesn't matter what kind you are, all that matters is that you join us, we are actually aiming for a disjointed pack".

"But why?" Cory asked again.

Before Astro could answer Nike grabbed his arm and gave it a painful squeeze while giving him a look that implied for him not to mess it up but should rather explain better.

"Well a danger is coming to Mythic Dale that will affect all shapeshifters in it, it is a pack and a powerful one at that, they are arriving in a few days and the kind of devastation that follows them is one that all shapeshifters alike will suffer from no matter the kind of aspect such shapeshifter is,

the only kind of resistance that can work against them is having a pack here as well because it is only then that they wouldn't cause issues where another pack has its territory unless its a feud, else they risk being the target of other packs as well because they will be labeled as a rogue pack" Astro replied while rubbing his hurting arm.

Cory now seemed more interested "what pack is this that is coming?" She asked.

"The Stockholmien Pack" Nike was the one to answer when both Astro and Aubrey stayed silent.

Cory was a dark skinned girl but she went pale visibly on hearing that name and she rushed to pack up her things and started to leave in a rush.

"Wait where are you going?" Nike blocked her path.

"Do I know you?" Cory asked her,

"No, I'm Nike, Aubrey's cousin" Nike answered her.

"Yeah? Well nice to meet you, but please get out of my way because I'm not about to form any kind of resistance against the 7th ranking wolf pack in the world

Do you know how packs are being rated? Well let me refresh you memory in case you've forgotten, werewolf packs are ranked based on size and power and for a pack to be ranked 7th do you know what that means?" Cory lashed.

"We know, if there was any other way to go by this we wouldn't even consider it" Aubrey replied.

"There is another way; run and hide" Cory stated.

"You want to run and hide from a 7th ranked pack? now you're the one being naive, how could you even think that's possible" Nike said.

"Well I'm leaving, you all should too and keep running for as long as you can, my foster parents won't miss me so I'll be long gone before they get here" Cory replied and she tried to get past Nike.

Nike tried to block her way once more but quick as lightening Cory grabbed one of Nike's hand, turned and launched her away across her shoulder towards Astro and Aubrey.

Astro moved towards Nike to try to catch her while Aubrey ran towards Cory.

But while in the air Nike spun herself around and vaulted over Astro landing perfectly on a table,

when she looked up her eyes were glowing blue and her features were starting to take on the look of a wolf.

Aubrey got to Cory who had turned towards the door, she grabbed her shoulder and tried to turn her to face them,

"Cory please listen t..." Aubrey started to say but she didn't get to finish her sentence as Cory indeed turned around showing glowing brown eyes and with a panther's cry she shoved Aubrey away hard, hitting her chest and stomach.

With a cry of pain Aubrey stumbled backwards and it was a chair that halted her backwards stumbling.

A shadow suddenly flashed over Aubrey and she looked up to see Nike pouncing overhead towards Cory with a snarl.

Astro ran to Aubrey's side and held her trying to to see if she was fine.

"I'm fine, please stop them, Nikky might really hurt her badly" Aubrey told Astro.

He looked to their direction and found them locked in a battle that seemed to be getting hotter by the second.

"But I don't know what to do" Astro said to Aubrey.

"You are an alpha, so go be one, let your will dominate over theirs" she replied him.

He nodded then moved towards the battling duo, he reached within himself for the ability he needed.

As he moved forwards his eyes started to glow their bright blood red color and the whites of his eyes turned black.

A few paces away from them, he roared at them loudly putting his intent into the roar and a loud blast of thunder accompanied his roar.

Everyone froze except Astro, he moved towards Nike and Cory who were presently on the ground and helped them both up

To Nike he said "we are trying to get her to join our cause, if she doesn't want to and instead prefers to tuck her tail and run, there is no need to force her to see reason"

To Cory he said "you don't need to get aggressive with us because you're scared, if you wanna run and never get to overcome your fear, overcome challenges or never even get to take a stand for what you believe in or love then fine, go on run and pass up this opportunity to be part of something greater than yourself".

Both girls were bleeding from a couple of scratches and scrapes, they also both had bruises from hits, but Cory was limping, her ankle seemed to have been dislocated.

"What makes you believe seeing a pack will make the Stockholmien pack just back down from whatever their target really is?" Cory asked.

"Because we know what their target is or rather who it is" Nike answered.

"Its me they're after" Aubrey said, she was still holding her chest where she had been struck by Cory.

"They want me in their pack because I'm the biological daughter of one of their alphas but that can't happen because I am not well developed, I have a condition that stops me from achieving full transformation, if they find out, well with their reputation, I'll be killed or worse enslaved

But if they come and find me already in a pack, they won't be able to draw me in, but the pack has to be threatening enough hence our need for numbers and perks which we can only achieve by forming a disjointed pack" Aubrey explained.

Cory signed and pulled a chair then sat down

"Makes sense, but while that might work for getting them off your back, what is your plan to get them off the other shapeshifter's backs? You know well enough that anyone they find ripe for the picking will be enslaved in their pack or at least made to live a life of servitude for an amount of years" She said to the trio.

"That is why we will make everyone know of the impending danger and give them all a chance to join the pack as well, making them untouchable as well, and if it works and there's enough of us, the fact that we're a disjointed pack will get them wary and ultimately off everyone's backs away from our city" Aubrey answered.

"Seems like a far cry, it is a long desperate shot but I guess I have no choice now but to join seeing as I won't be running anywhere for a few days" Cory said and tentatively caressed her busted ankle.

Nike looked guilty and embarrassed but was glad it at least worked to get her to join.

Astro furrowed his brow as his subconscious mind kept nudging him that he could actually do something about it.

He went close to her and knelt beside her then he placed a hand on her ankle and allowed his subconscious self to take over.

His veins flared up in a pulsing fiery color and spread from his hand to her ankle working to relieve and heal her.

"Aubrey, Nikky touch my bare skin" he said to two out of the three shocked and surprised ladies.

They did as he said and after a few seconds all three were feeling refreshed and all healed up.

"Whoa" was all Nike could say.

"Now you have a choice Cory, stand with us or run" Astro said.

Cory looked at the trio and deep down she knew running wasn't an option, she had been bluffing when she said she won't be missed if she ran away,

if her foster parents didn't miss her (which they in fact would) her two foster siblings definitely would and she couldn't outrightly abandon them.

"Well, the alpha comes with great perks already, I can help convince some of the shapeshifters that are felids so the pack can also have swell numbers so yes I'm in" Cory answered.

Astro rose to his feet and offered her his hand, she took it and he pulled her up to a standing position as well.

"Welcome to the pack" Astro said.

Immediately he said that his eyes glowed its bright blood red edged with black then Cory's own eyes followed suit of its own accord glowing dull brown but was now edged with black where the whites of her eyes were as well now.

Astro looked at Aubrey and her eyes as well started glowing its eerie orange which was also now edged with black.

Both their eyes now took on the style of Astro's, their alpha.

"Whoa"

"Wow"

Both Aubrey and Cory said at the same time.

"Is this how you see when you transform?" Aubrey asked to which Astro felt a bit lost.

"These are some mean vision perks" Cory added "I mean you can zoom in and out on any fixed direction, top predator vision, these will come in handy, glad I gained them" she finished.

"Wait you mean that isn't how you usually see before?" Astro asked genuinely surprised.

"What? No!, some shapeshifters gain superior eyesight and this is one of them, alphas can share their traits and perks with their betas -which is what just happened and alphas as well can adopt the trait and perks of any particular beta in his pack" Aubrey answered.

"But why didn't it happen before when I accepted you into my pack?" Astro asked Aubrey.

"Because three is the official number of a pack by nature, the lowest number possible to be called a pack, so right now when you accepted Cory into the pack was when we just actually became a pack" She answered.

"Whoa, I see" he replied.

"Now all that is left is to get the others in right? How do you plan to do that?" Cory asked "and please don't tell me you intend to allow your warrior hound descend on them one by one like she did me" she finished referring to Nike.

"My what now?" Astro asked.

"So you figured that out uhn?" Nike asked Cory,

"It wasn't that obvious till my ankle broke" Cory replied with a smirk.

"Ok you guys lost me again" Astro said.

"Warrior hound, it is a trait makes its bearer somewhat of a battle spirit, able to last really long in battles and gain fighting prowess the longer the battle lasts" Aubrey replied.

"Which means the longer I fight the better I become, I just keep getting better and better as long as the battle continues and no matter what injury I sustain I'll still be able to fight unless they're injuries that render me immobile" Nike stated.

"Wow now that is a trait I would love to adopt, pity you're spoken for, but anyways we won't have Nikky descending on anyone... Yet...

And next on out list of recruitment are the twin direwolves Jace and Josh if we can convince them to join, they'll bring in the red foxes Mira, Micah and Carmen since they are close and usually hangout together

Then we or rather Cory will help us convince Morgan the sabertooth tiger and Landon the snow leopard" Astro explained.

"Wow, cool, seems like a solid plan, I'm all in" Cory said.

"So Astro what is your pack gonna be called?" Nike asked