Arrow Inferno

***

"Ryan?" Ryan heard Deloris calling his name from behind him and turned around to see the warlock, holding in her hands a change of clothes for him. "You need to shift and dress up. Gloria gave me these for you. Come."

The wolfman stared at the clothes, then at the woman who he had a feeling had figure out his secret to an extent. After all, he had no outward deformities. With a grateful nod, Ryan took the clothes and followed the woman to a shed where no one could see him. She left him and went back to join the pack.

Ryan heard the shouts before he finished dressing up. He wondered what was happening. He took his time though because he had a feeling it wasn't anything serious. Gloria was waiting for him when he emerged from the shed. "Reynard killed himself." She said without preamble. "Used that knife you left lying on the ground."

Ryan nodded and draped an arm around Gloria's neck. "Can we go home now?"

"Sure. Are you okay?"

"No," Ryan responded quietly. "I need Jeremy."

"I know, baby. I know."

***

For the next few days, the freed prisoners of the Wyatt Clan were sent to their various families. Those who had nowhere to go remained with the pack. Phillip assured them that they were part of the pack and would be looked after and provided for. The few children whose families they couldn't trace were enrolled in school.

Vincent and his team were buried in a solemn ceremony that was attended by almost every alpha in the world. It was the least they could do to show their gratitude and respect for the pack that had saved the hind of werewolves worldwide. Ryan couldn't hold back his tears at the funeral. He cried his heart out not just for Vincent who he saw as a friend, but for the other four as well, some of whom had left behind mates and children. Gloria did her best to soothe him but he couldn't be consoled. He still felt guilty for not having the good sense to do what he'd done in the end earlier when he was inside the sanctuary with Reynard. If he had, those werewolves would be alive. He felt an arm go around him from behind. Deloris. He knew her scent.

"Take a walk with me, Alpha." The warlock said softly. "We'll be right back Gloria."

"Sure," Gloria said with a grateful smile at Deloris. They both knew that Ryan was on a guilt trip.

"Stop blaming yourself, Ryan." The warlock said when they started walking away.

"They would have been alive if I'd acted earlier, Deloris." Ryan groaned.

"Let me ask you this. When Reynard's protective shield went up in that room, did you know how to defeat him? Did you have any idea, how to proceed?" She asked softly. "No." Ryan sighed.

"Exactly."

"But I could have thought harder." He said gruffly.

"Has it occurred to you that seeing those bodies and those innocents in danger, had rather forced you to figure out how to defeat Reynard?"

"But did we have to lose them to trigger that drive?" Ryan asked quietly. "Do I always have to get angry before I can access my powers?"

"No Ryan," Deloris said softly, remembering how Ryan had complained to her after the battle with the Wyatt Clan that his powers were always triggered by anger. "For now, that's what it seems like because anger has been your trigger so far. You just have to work on it. It's an art. In order to control and perfect it, you have to practice. For someone who's new at this, I must applaud you, Ryan. You've been spectacular. All you need is a little prac..." "Will you help me?"

"It will be my privilege." The elder grinned.

"Thanks, Deloris."

"No. Thank you." She'd patted him on the back. "We can start next week. For now, you need to relax." At Ryan's nod, Deloris turned him towards Gloria. "Now smile for you mama. I swear she's gotten an extra wrinkle or two, thanks to you." "No, she hasn't." Ryan chuckled. "I think she grows more beautiful each day."

"You need to tell her that and stop making everybody unnecessarily sad." Deloris retorted but her sweet smile took the sting out of her comment.

"Sorry. And thanks." Ryan murmured and leaned down to kiss Deloris on both cheeks. And even before the warlock turned to leave, Ryan drew Gloria into his arm for a fierce hug? "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" "Del told you to tell me that." It wasn't a question. Gloria looked so amused Ryan laugh.

"I told her that you are beautiful. She said to remind you." Ryan kissed her cheek.

"I love you, Ryan," Gloria murmured shakily. "And I'm always here for you. Never forget that."

"I know mum. And I love you right back."

"You guys done?" Paige asked, coiling her arm through Ryan's. "Come on, let's go get smashed. It's not every day we lay to rest badass warriors. We can do that whilst we work on our lecture notes for tomorrow."

"Really?" Gloria gave a mock scowl. "Work and booze? Luna have mercy on your souls."

Paige laughed. "Have a good meeting with those alphas Mama G." She said. "Know what to say when Jer's name comes up?"

"We sure do," Gloria murmured, smiling at Joel who had just gotten to where they stood.

"Going to lie your arses off huh?" Paige smirked.

"Not a lie." Joel countered, drawing Gloria out of her chair. "Just a small untruth."

Sometimes, it was necessary to be stingy with the truth. At the end of the day, they were animals. Rebelling, though frowned upon, was an attractive trait amongst wolves. It was just like the bad-boy syndrome amongst humans. If the alphas got to know what Jeremy, their friend, and colleague had done, they would be amused initially, probably admonish him lightly, and then hail him for having the balls to rebel and then accepting that punishment. In their eyes, that whole issue would make Jeremy seem even more badass. They might on the other hand resent Ryan for being the cause of Jeremy's woes and even worse, look down on him for not being able to fight back. Of course, they would conveniently forget that the man had been up against an alpha who was also an Ojah. Alphas had always been chauvinistic pricks. That was reality. Werewolves were no angels.

The elders, therefore, had to protect Ryan by telling the alphas a little untruth about the whereabouts of Jeremy because revealing the truth meant divulging the proximate cause. For now, they all acknowledged what Ryan had done for them and respected him for it. The elders wanted to keep it that way. Ryan had been excused from attending the meeting although as the mate of the alpha and the one who had saved the day, he was supposed to be there. The elders wanted to spare him the agony of having to sit through the recounting of the battle. They also didn't want to tell an untruth about the whereabouts of his mate, in his presence.

"Ready?" Joel asked. It was going to be a long meeting because they were to give a detailed account of the battle to the alphas.

"I am." Gloria smiled.

"Let's do this."