When he got home, John grabbed as much of the food as he could carry and headed for his apartment door. He fumbled for his keys and just as he put his key in the lock, he heard, and felt, a *thump* and a grunt come from inside. Immediately worried, he dropped the bags, and tore the door open. What he saw took a moment to work out. Hugo was pressing Alex's chest into the ground with one hand, and with the other was holding on to the taller beastman's ankle. Alex was on the ground, his head between Hugo's legs, both arms wrapped around Hugo's meaty calves. The leg that wasn't being held was wrapped behind Hugo's neck. Both pairs of eyes were locked on John, a look of happy surprise coming from beneath their heavy brows.
"What's going on here? What are you two doing?" John demanded.
Both pairs of eyes suddenly went from happy to scared. "Sorry, John-Alpha, sorry," Hugo said as he released Alex. "Alex wake, and Hugo want show him he family. We play."
John, relieved that the fight was just for fun, sighed. He looked at his betas, Alex had gotten up to a crouch and looked just as guilty as Hugo did. "Okay, I was just worried. I though you were fighting for real."
Hugo looked hurt. "No, John-Alpha, Hugo no hurt cub Alex, Hugo love cub Alex. He family. He brother."
"I know," John said, trying to be conciliatory. "But I was worried when I came in. It was a mistake, it's okay. Alex, are you alright?"
Alex's eyes widened in elation as John addressed him. "Alex great John-Alpha, Alex wake up with Hugo and Hugo make Alex feel home. Alex never feel home before."
John smiled, he hadn't thought much about Alex's life before he turned him into a beast man, but this put him at ease. Suddenly remembering the groceries, he asked if his betas were hungry. They didn't so much answer as grunt to the positive, so he grabbed the food from outside the door. It took a while for John to teach the betas how to open the jerky, but soon enough they were eating happily, and voraciously. At this rate he'd be out of food in an hour. He'd need to find the rest of the pack before too long, or they'd eat him out of house and home.