The bathroom was spotless and dustless. The sink had enough counter space on both sides that Fox could set his bag down on one. The mirror spanned most of the wall above the sink, but Fox merely spared himself a glance. He knew how much dirt and grime covered his sunburned-then-suntanned skin, and he didn’t care to refresh his memory on how disheveled his dark brown hair had grown, or how devoid of emotion his hazel eyes had become, or how easy it was to spot the pale lines of various scars on his body, or how lean he had grown after a life with scarce food. Looking at himself for too long only made him ache deep inside.

The shower had a decently sized bathtub in it, without a hint of mold. The curtain sported a generic mountain design, and there was a lone painting hung on the wall above the towel rack, which had both a body towel and a hand towel already draped over it. Fox smiled a little at the sight.

He unzipped his bag and took out a pair of clothes. The closest thing he had to pajamas were some sweatpants and a thermal long sleeve. He set them aside. 

He figured out the faucet in the shower, and waited for the spray to turn warm. When it did, he eagerly stepped in and groaned softly as the water rushed over him. Fox hadn’t had a warm shower since his last stay at a motel, about two months ago, and that shower hadn’t been nearly as nice as this one.

Fox took his time washing his hair and his body, making sure to scrub every inch, until he didn’t feel so grimy anymore. Then he took some time to simply bask in the warmth, letting the steam fill his lungs and the gentle drumming water massage his shoulders. 

When the water turned tepid, he shut it off and stepped out to dry. He used the towel to scrub himself dry enough to put on his sleepwear, and then he brushed his teeth. When he felt thoroughly freshened up and cleaned, he gathered his things back in his bag and left to go to his room.

Fox felt strange calling it his room. He knew it was a temporary residence, but he was allowed to have that space all to himself, and it was a funny feeling. He felt both nostalgic and out of place. He pushed away the memories that tried to rise as a result of those feelings. Reminiscing never did him any good. Those memories only ever served to hurt him.

Fox shut the door behind him. A calmness settled in him then, the notion of privacy soothing his nerves. He set his bag down on the floor by the bed, and wasted no time climbing under the covers.

The mattress accepted his weight with ease. The pillows were soft and cradled his head just right. The duvet was cozy, just the right amount of heavy to keep him comfortable. Fox couldn’t help the groan that escaped him. His body relaxed in a way it hadn’t been able to for a long time, his muscles going slack, and his subconscious alertness shutting down for the night. 

Despite Alpha Leyra’s hardness, and the threat of what this pack could do to him if he stepped too far out of line, Fox felt safe like this. Alone in this room, with a bed and bathroom all to himself. Put in perspective, it was so simple, but it was everything to Fox. 

He fell asleep to the sound of pattering rain and rumbling thunder, the flashes of lightning outside hardly enough to rouse him. 

Fox had one of the best sleeps he’d had in years. He woke to a sunny but damp morning, his body feeling thoroughly rested. Fox almost felt like he was being pampered, but then he remembered where he was, whose house he was in, and he reminded himself not to let all this luxury get to his head. It could be taken away in a heartbeat.

Fox remembered that today he was being given a tour. Dread and anxiety filled his chest, and he stubbornly stayed in bed for as long as he was allowed.

Which lasted until ten in the morning. Someone knocked on his door, a nod to his privacy that Fox hadn’t been expecting. He reluctantly rose from the warm covers and trudged over to the door. He opened it to find Sunshine standing there.

She beamed at him, and Fox was once again flustered by such a friendly smile. He turned his gaze to her feet, where he noticed her toenails were painted blue. “There’s breakfast downstairs. Leyra would like you to join us.”

Fox nodded. He trailed after Sunshine as she headed downstairs, her long black skirt billowing around her ankles. The smell of eggs and bacon filled his nose, growing stronger the closer he got. His mouth was watering by the time he reached the kitchen, where breakfast was set up on their small circle dining table. 

Fox pulled out a chair and sat down. “Good morning,” Leyra greeted, who was already sat and had a huge serving of waffles, eggs, and bacon on her plate. Sunshine began to pile a smaller, more reasonable portion on her plate.

“Good morning,” Fox greeted in return. He felt unsure if it was alright for him to help himself. Leyra noticed his hesitation.

“You can have some. But don’t expect this all the time,” she said. Fox nodded with a whispered thanks, and cautiously divied up some bacon and eggs for himself. He noticed a full glass of water was already filled at his spot.

As he ate, he tried to figure out what to make of this. Just yesterday he was being given a choice of warm food or half-eaten scraps, and today he was being offered warm food and clean water without any bargaining at all. Fox had a feeling that the other lone wolves weren’t having a breakfast like this. He didn’t know what that meant for him, if this was a good sign or a bad one. 

He chewed his food slowly and with his head ducked. He made sure to eat every bite and drink every drop, and he said his thanks again when he was done. He wanted to have more, but he didn’t want to come across to them the wrong way. He felt if he helped himself to more, they would think he was a little too comfortable, and might do something to take him down a peg.

Leyra was still eating her giant portion. Sunshine was finishing hers off. Fox wanted to ask the Alpha a question, but felt it might be rude to interrupt her eating. He tucked his hands under his thighs and waited. 

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait for long. “Today you’ll properly meet the other three Alphas and get to know what each of our duties entail. Then we’ll give you a general tour of our territory so you have an idea of where to go in case you need to run errands. After that, we’ll see who needs your assistance first,” Leyra told him.

Fox nodded, glad that his question was answered without him having to ask it. It occurred to him that, with a territory this big, running errands all on foot was probably going to take him a while. There was no way an Alpha here would let him borrow their car. Maybe he’d be allowed a bike with a basket. 

“You can go get changed. Meet me down here when you’re done,” Leyra said. Fox slid out of his chair and went back upstairs. He changed into a pair of black jeans and a navy long sleeve. He took a peek out the window to see the sky was still partially cloudy. He didn’t want to get caught in any rain with no protection, so he took his jacket with him. 

He stopped in the bathroom to brush his teeth again. Then he tucked all his belongings in his bag and hid it in his closet. Then he returned downstairs and took his shoes out from their hiding spot, slipping them on. He sat on the little bench by the front door and waited. Alpha Leyra jogged down the stairs about five minutes later.

She had on an activewear outfit, like she was about to go work out. She gestured to Fox without a word, and the two of them left the house.

“The four of us cover four main clusters,” Leyra began as they walked down the dirt road. “I oversee hunts and food distribution, as well as making sure everyone has a job that contributes to the pack. Alpha Ahren oversees pack morale, committees and recreational facilities. He makes sure everyone is happy, and settles disputes and keeps records of areas that need improvement. Alpha Evander oversees discipline, fight training, and border patrol. He’s the one who makes sure everyone knows their place, and there’s no insurrection, rebellion, or anything even close to resembling a gang. The lone wolves are mainly under his jurisdiction. And Alpha Rishima oversees everything else. Schooling, the medical sector, town businesses, things like that.”

Fox listened carefully, not wanting to miss any important information. They neared one of the other large houses. The one they approached was painted a calm sea blue and had a very big porch with an awning and outdoor heaters. There were four chairs circled around a big fire pit in the backyard, as well as a volleyball net and a swimming pool.

“Each Alpha has at least three Betas to help them with their duties, but there’s still a lot on everyone's plate. This is why you’re going to be our shared assistant-slash-servant,” Leyra said as they walked up to the front door. Leyra knocked a couple times, but then opened the door anyway and let herself in. Fox stepped in behind her, wary.

Fox immediately smelled three other Alphas in the house. He wasn’t expecting all of them to be here, and his shoulders grew tense. They walked into a small front living room, which only had a few armchairs and a coffee table. Leyra kept walking, heading through a doorway and around the corner into a wider room, where one side was a bigger living room with an entertainment center, and the other side was a big kitchen with both an island counter, a bar, and a big dining table. A set of sliding glass doors opened out into the backyard.

The other Alphas were spaced out in this room. Fox stared at the floor, not daring to look at anyone directly. 

“Leyra. About time,” one of the males greeted, tone disgruntled and annoyed.

“Shut it, Evander. Like you haven’t taken your sweet time before,” Leyra responded. She was easily absorbed into the group, the others turning their attention to her and adjusting their body language to include her. Fox, however, stayed by the doorway, hiding part of himself behind the frame.

“I see you brought the mute. Has he caused you any trouble?” Evander asked. Fox vaguely started to recognize his voice as the Alpha who had repeatedly asked him who he was, and then stated he could rot in the hole.

“No. He’s been completely obedient so far. I told you he was docile,” Leyra answered. Fox grew rigid as he saw a pair of feet walk over to him.

“Until he’s not,” Evander said. He reached out and took Fox’s jaw in his hand, angling his face up so Fox was forced to meet his gaze. Fox met skeptical and hard blue eyes, light eyebrows furrowed in a scowl. His skin was white but suntanned, and he had slightly hollow cheeks and dirty blond hair that was shaved on the sides and back, and left to grow a few inches long on top. He towered a half foot taller over Fox, and he matched Leyra in terms of musculature and scarring. Fox knew that one punch from this werewolf would send him flying.

“Are you going to start answering the questions I ask you?” Evander asked in a slight growl. Fox swallowed, willing the small tremors in his legs to stop. He tried to answer, but he had lost his voice again. Fear kept his mouth shut.

He heard Leyra sigh. “Answer him,” she said. Fox swallowed again.

“Yes, sir,” he whispered. One of Evander’s eyebrows rose, his expression turning from a scowl into vague intrigue.

“Obedient and polite,” he mused, leaning away from Fox and releasing his jaw.

“I told you,” Leyra said.

“We’ll see how long that holds up,” Evander replied, not completely convinced. Fox slowly exhaled the breath he’d been holding.

“Who’s he shadowing first?” the other male Alpha, Ahren, asked. 

Just as Fox was silently pleading for it not to be Evander, Evander said, “I could use him today. We’re evaluating new recruits.”

“Alright. He still needs a tour, though,” Leyra said.

“I’ll show him around my sectors. You guys can tour him around yours,” Evander replied. Leyra shrugged, unperturbed. Fox felt like he was being handed over to the police.

“Fine by me,” Rishima said. Evander turned to leave, picking up a binder with a ton of papers inside from the kitchen counter.

“Come on then, Fox,” he said, and Fox forced his feet to trail after him.