The morning of "D-Day" came to the pack as all the others had been. Jensen awoke with Kaylee and the triplets around him. Each of them looking happy after a night of love making. But as he became fully awake, a strange sense of foreboding came over him. Like something was coming that wasn't going to be easy. That it would potentially be a threat to himself and his mates. As Kaylee and Julie wrapped their arms around his waist and Fran and Darla did the same for Kaylee and Julie, Jensen knew they couldn't come to harm. He would die to defend them. He loved them too much.
It was somewhat of a strange feeling as he realized it. His past form, Jennifer Smith, never loved anybody, and largely treated most of her boyfriends as toys rather then as people. And those who made it into bed, weren't much more then conquests for Jennifer's own personal ego and ability to manipulate others.
But it seemed the more and more he stayed Jensen, the Big Bad Wolf, the more he gained the things that his past self either faked or blatantly didn't consider. He sincerely loved his mates. They were the world to him.
And at the same time, he was embracing the responsibilities that went along with leadership. His pack was devoted to him, and he was certain that all of them would willingly give their lives for him. And while that gave him some feast of power and dominance... it no longer tasted as sweet anymore. He couldn't send his pack members off to risk their lives without good reason. He would do only what he could to protect his pack, to prevent them from taking risks that would needlessly risk their lives. He would insure that his race lived on, even if he did not.
This didn't mean that Jensen didn't feel confident in his pack's future. Serenity was their only known threat and if she could be silenced, or persuaded to call everything off, his family, his pack could continue with the daily business of living. They could maintain their present numbers, and only growing through the likely coming pregnancies of the females, and a normal life could begin. One where they faced now threats. Maybe in year, if Serenity accepted Julie's argument and left the manor unharmed, he could think of some way to insure his pack's long term survival... but that would take time.
"Good morning, dear," Kaylee said to him as she awoke.
"Good morning, Kaylee, my love," Jensen gave a weak smile to his Alpha Female.
++++++
"Trevor, wake up!" a voice called through the blackness.
Trevor slowly blinked as he woke up to find Serenity stroking his head.
"Morning sleepyhead," Serenity gave him a slight chuckle, "good dreams?"
"I dreamed I was with Queen again," Trevor found himself saying, "we had a whole litter... but it was only a dream... but it ended with her telling me to be brave."
"You're one of the bravest "people" I've known, Trevor," Serenity told the tabby, "you've done much with your life... despite everything. We may not be friends, but that doesn't mean I'm a bad judge of character."
"Thanks," Trevor sighed as he got up and slowly limped forward with his wounded legs, "I take it we're going to the Hardys again?"
"Yes," Serenity nodded, "Hopefully we can convince Brian and Felicity that their idea is only going to cause more trouble and get them to work with the police that will help. I mean, those twelve officers could use a tranquilizing dart gun on the wolves and restrain them, as they are officers of the law, and the whole thing could be disguised as a police bust on whatever legal terminology they wish to use."
"I don't think they will do it that way," Trevor warned, "and the Game is already affecting Mary. One of her solutions to her current problem was to transform her parents into lion people and her friends into lion cubs, like her."
"This getting out of hand," Serenity sighed as they walked out of Mitch Hurteng's home to find Paul waiting by her car with the driver's door open and him standing beside it.
++++++
"The island is large, Master," Opal explained, "Large enough to support plant life and some animal life that is capable of either swimming or flying great distances. I do not know if the plant life would be conducive to the deer herd, but I suppose we could also terraform it."
"Terraform?" Jensen asked as they ate breakfast in the main dinning hall.
"Rebuild the landscape," Opal explained, "tear out the native trees and replant trees that the deer will know. Lay down topsoil and plant grass."
Jensen nodded.
"The way you describe it is that this island is a paradise in many ways," Hope commented from a nearby area, "It's a wonder that no one has built a hotel or something on it."
"It's off of all the normal shipping lanes," Kaylee spoke, "I only found it because of a Internet program showing a satellite made map of the Earth. I'm sure there are people that know the island is there, but since it's no where near any shipping lanes and most air traffic doesn't currently come close enough for the island to appear as anything more then a speck, no one's bothered to develop it."
"The perfect eden, should we be forced to flee," Cobalt nodded from her position beside Opal.
She then licked the check of the other fore-wolf. He many not have been as well built as Nick, Roger, Lawrence, and Zack were, but he was diligent and very well skilled.
"And the plan for today?" Jensen asked.
"There's a piece of higher ground on the east end of the island, away from the surf and such," Opal spoke, "I think we'll start clearing that area today to build a shelter, if you can order the wood for the project."
"How much will you need?" Jensen asked.
"Don't know for sure yet," Opal sighed, "We'll give you a better estimate when the ground is cleared. We'll be taking some saws and shovels to do the work though."
"The estate's grounds crew kept those supplies in one of the sheds out back," Jensen told Opal, "feel free to use them... if there aren't enough for everyone, I'm sure there's something in there you can use to improvise with."
"Of course, Master," Opal nodded.
The rest of breakfast went quietly for the wolves. Kevin and Zelipe enjoyed the rabbits they had caught the previous evening, again ordered to be cooked and cleaned by Kaylee who wasn't about to see her pups get sick. Pearl and June quickly agreed.
+++++
Mary awoke in her hammock to the smell of bacon sizzling downstairs. It was six thirty on a Monday morning. A little later then she normally remembered waking up on a school day, but then, as a young lion girl, she had less to get ready. She quickly gathered an outfit for the day, a pair of jeans and a tee shirt which a picture of a lioness batting the nose of a male lion on it. It was something that reminded her of how things had changed for her, and she sighed at that... but then, her only other choice would be to go naked, and she wasn't confident enough to do that.
"Good morning, sunshine," came Brian's voice.
"Good morning, daddy," Mary said, inwardly cringing as she had used the word "dad" to address her father for a long time now, to be addressing him the way she did when she was little was both difficult and yet loving at the same time.
"Good to see you're up," Brian told her, "Ms. Serenity will be here shortly to talk some things over with your mother and I. And remember you have school today. Do you need us to walk you to the elementary school?"
"No, daddy," Mary sighed.
"Have a great day with Mrs. Smythe's class," Brian told her a he departed from the doorway.
Mary only sighed. At least I have the same teacher as when I truly was an eight year old. She followed her father downstairs to see her mother opening the door to let Madame Serenity in. Again, she had Paul and Trevor with her. She eagerly came down the stairs, hoping Serenity could convince her parents to let her be human again.
+++++++
"She's stopped," Jensen spoke as he opened his eyes, "a small home in one of the middle class neighborhoods. 874 Lee Ave."
The gathered wolves around Jensen all blinked in surprise. All he had done was close his eyes and seem to think for a moment. Yet he knew Serenity's exact location.
Breakfast had gone well, but had also gone quickly. Mostly because of the knowledge of the mission coming. Zack's knee had fully recovered, other then some bruising, which wasn't all that visible through his charcoal black fur. Pearl and June wished him luck and told him to come back to them safe and sound. Margot licked Lawrence's check. Megan gave Roger a very uneasy sounding "good luck", which made Roger feel concerned. Like he was losing his best friend.
The gem colored wolves were currently gathering the tools needed for the next stage of building up their island sanctuary. And now the combat team was getting ready to go.
"How can you do that, Master?" Roger asked in surprise.
"I don't really know," Jensen answered, "I just know where my victims are."
"Ah," came the near unanimous response.
"Remember, that Serenity is to be brought here alive," Jensen spoke, "Julie wants to talk with her, and even I wouldn't mind saying a few things to her myself. Trevor, if he was the one who escaped Mr. P is, also, not to receive any injuries... and actually, I wouldn't mind talking with him either."
"What of anyone else who is there?" Nicole asked as she stood by Nick.
"Knock them out," Jensen instructed, "the objective is Serenity."
"What about Zelipe or Amy?" Zack wondered, "Serenity may be immune to the game our the pack's transform powers, but I doubt the people she's visiting are. If they see us, they're bound to report us. We'll need them to join the Pack. Once they do... Glendale will largely forget about their existence."
"Too much of a risk," Jensen shook his head, "I will not risk the Pack's pups... and I'm surprised you'd risk your own."
"Not a risk, Master," Zack argued, "Zelipe or Amy could remain in the mirror with Alice until we've collected Serenity and restrained anyone else. Once that is done, they could transform nonthreatening and restrained prisoners."
"It would make covering our tracks in this mission easier," Ashley commented, thinking over the idea.
They were invading someone else's home. And since there wasn't time for Alice to write out a transform or dare for them, testing Zelipe's or Amy's powers would be the only easy way they could cover their trail.
"Very well," Jensen sighed, "Alice, run along and get Amy. Inform her that she will be going along. And that she will be in the mirrors with you until Nicole is certain all the threats have been neutralized."
"Yes, Father," Alice curtsied and moved quickly from the office and quickly ran until she reached the study, where the Pack's pups were once again either reading, drawing, or doing something else.
Martha was working with Samantha on her writing, which was advancing rapidly. Alice wondered bringing them into the mirrors taught Samantha and Alice these things, or if it was slowly making them like the triplets... that one day, there would be nothing that could make Alice, Abbey, and Samantha three separate individuals. Abbey was still in the office, waiting to take the gem colored wolves to the island.
Zelipe was laying against Mr. P's side asking about Mr. P's life as Patrick. The black and gold wolf looked somewhat uneasy as he didn't look comfortable sharing the experiences of fighting in two world wars and surviving with an eight year old, but he seemed curious nonetheless, and Mr. P did an excellent job of censoring out the the inappropriate parts.
Kevin and Marcy were once again reading Alice in Wonderland, and it looked like they were making good progress. Bart was drawing pictures of wolf people walking around a city street, which Alice guessed was either the Pack as it was, or Bart's idea of "Wolvesdale". Amy was silently watching Jenny map out new plans for her garden. Alice noticed that her eldest half sister looked rather uncomfortable with this.
"Excuse me, I do not mean to intrude, but my Father has requested Amy come along with us on the mission," Alice spoke as calmly as she could.
"Jensen-sama wants me to transform someone, Alice-chan?" Amy asked.
"Just some people that Serenity is visiting," Alice answered, "You are to wait with me within the mirrors until all the fighting is over."
"What if they lose, Alice-chan?" Amy asked nervously.
"I doubt that," Alice commented, "Nicole is leading the group, and every male, except for Father and the gem colored males are going. Father said there are only three there. And even if they do appear to lose, we will come back for the rest of the Pack and overwhelm them."
"You do not mind, Martha-san?" Amy asked the pack's nanny.
"If the Master has ordered it, you'd best go," Martha spoke, "Remain in the mirrors with Alice until Nicole says it is safe."
"Yes, Martha-san."
Amy then hopped down and followed Alice out.
"Finally," Jenny commented.
"I hope you were meaning that in reference to dealing with Madam Serenity and not against a member of your pack," Mr. P spoke firmly, interrupting his stories to Zelipe.
"Of course," Jenny lied.
"Don't lie to me Jennifer," Mr. P said firmly.
"Sorry, Grandpa," Jenny whimpered, knowing she'd been caught.
"Amy is a member of the Pack and your playmate," Mr. P scolded, "she may not be your blood sister, like Marcy, Alice, Abbey, and Samantha are, but you are still to treat her with respect and to learn to be her friend... or Martha and I will be forced to inform your mother of your behavior."
"Yes, Grandpa," Jenny whimpered again, dreading a spanking.
+++++
Alice and Amy returned to the office where the strike team was waiting while Jensen sat behind the office desk with Kaylee and the triplets standing around.
"I trust Alice has informed you of your mission?" Jensen inquired.
"Yes, Jensen-sama," Amy bowed, "I am to remain with Alice until it is safe to bring whoever Serenity is visiting into the Pack."
Jensen nodded, "and the die is cast..." and then gestured to the mirror.
"Please, everyone hold hands," Alice instructed, "this will make things much easier to insure we all get there.
Zack took Amy's hand and then Ulysses's other paw. Sarah was quick to take Ulysses paw and then Lawrence's, who then took Roger's, who took Ashley's, who took Nick's, who took Nicole's. Alice then took Nicole's other hand and lead them into the mirror.
"Be warned that you will likely be wearing clothes inside the mirrorverse," Alice spoke as they entered.
And sure enough they were. Nicole, Ashely, and Sarah were all dressed in a middle class woman's attire from the Victorian era. Nick, Roger, and Lawrence were dressed in business suits from the late 1800s. Zack was actually wearing the dress uniform of a British army officer from around the time of Boer War. Amy, meanwhile, was dressed up as a Japanese priestess.
"This is most amazing, Alice-chan, can we take these clothes outside the mirrors?" Amy asked.
Alice looked down at her standard blue and white dress and then shook her head.
"No," Alice answered, "Outside the mirror we will return to our natural nude forms."
"So what now?" Ulysses asked.
"Three steps," Alice smiled.
++++++
"You're really going to go through with this?" Serenity gasped as they ate and Mary was gathering her things for school.
"We'll be a real family," Brian spoke, "and once Jensen and his wolves are gone, the others can be returned to their old forms... but Felicity and I will remain as lions."
"I must advise against this," Serenity spoke, "Using the game... even if for a noble cause, it's like playing with fire while soaked in gasoline. You're liable to get burned with it."
Mary silently finished her eggs when her right ear twitched, interrupting the adult's conversation.
"What is it, Mary?" Felicity asked .
"Something is in the main bathroom," Mary spoke, "It sounded like a soft thump."
"The same sound you make when you've been into sugar," Brian spoke.
"No, something is there," Mary answered and began to head toward the stairs.
"Mary, you have school and you need to be out the door in five minutes! Or you'll be late!" Felicity called after her daughter.
Brian and Serenity slowly began to follow Felicity as the woman chased her daughter up the stairs. Paul brought up the rear while Trevor stayed near the saucer of milk poured for him, though a part of his mind was nervous as well. He had heard the soft thump as well. Only his injured legs wouldn't allow him to move as quickly as the others.
Mary rushed up the stairs and made a turn to run down the hall when something came out of the bathroom. It was a purple furred wolf boy, about 14 or 15. Mary didn't know how she know, but she did recognize him. Her memories clear, even if altered somewhat by the Game.
"Ulysses?!?!" Mary gasped in surprise.
"Mary?!" Ulysses gasped in similar shock, "Shouldn't you be older? And human?"