Cole Stanton

Emily Stanton (mother; deceased)

Meghan Devlin (surrogate daughter)

Natasha Rose (surrogate daughter)

**Cole Stanton** is the Alpha Male of the Stanton Pack and has held the position for roughly three hundred years. He is a paternal figure to many of the pack, a brotherly figure to others, and a guardian and guide to all. Before becoming Alpha he served as first a Fighter and then as Beta Male.

Like several other wolves in his pack Cole holds a job that provides real income for those under his care in the form of a translator. Because of the vast number of languages (living and dead) that he can understand (and speak) Cole has a wide client base and no shortage of work (and therefore income) to keep his wolves supported.

## Appearance.

Cole stands 6’1 and weighs in at roughly 178lbs., making him one of the leaner males in the pack but what he lacks in muscle and sheer mass he more than makes up for in presence, he stands tall and with the authority of an alpha, shoulders squared and head held high without a single ounce of submission or doubt in his posture. Behind closed doors he is of course much more relaxed and more inclined to slouch or hang his head but only choice individuals are permitted to see what most wolves would perceive as moments of weakness. Cole is relaxed around his pack and it shows, he doesn’t carry any tension with him a vast majority of the time and he looks perfectly at home in their company. Cole’s hair is dark brown, in varying shades, with hints of copper here and there, it’s good few inches all over, but shorter around the ears and back of his head. It is longest over the top, which is obvious given the style he usually sports. The style is what some would call dishevelled, usually a little swept back and up, mostly to keep it off his brow and out of his eyes, though he doesn’t really have to spend much time on it beyond a combing for it to adopt this appearance. If he really doesn’t see the point in styling it he simply allows it to do whatever it will and it usually ends up rather interestingly tousled anyway as a result. Cole sports stubble without fail, usually a few days’ worth and sometimes he lets it grow to the point that it can actually be called facial hair but he doesn’t work too hard at it and for the most part he has it so it adds a few years to his appearance because he knows how much more youthful he appears without it. His eyes are green with hazel flecks throughout and for the most part he can control whether or not they shift colour as wolves’ eyes are wont to do in times of emotional duress. In terms of tattoos Cole sports black tribal patterns down his biceps, mirrored, starting at his shoulders, and ending not far past his elbows. He wears a white gold Claddagh ring on his left ring-finger, with the heart pointed in towards him, and a white gold St. Christopher on a chain around his neck. He sometimes wears a few simple wooden beads around his left wrist as well, seemingly on a whim, but that is the extent of his jewellery. At his age, it is obvious that he would have his fair share of evidence of fights and old injuries, he has a number on his torso from blades (or even bullets) and claws from various incidents, but nothing too terrible. His most noticeable scar is the vicious one across his back, though he isn’t sure where it came from exactly. Cole knows roughly *when* he got it, but not how or why. He is, even at his age, rather self-conscious about the obvious scar, and as such, is selective about who sees it, the positioning luckily means he is free to wear sleeveless shirts for training and the like without it really showing. Having lived for centuries, Cole has learned how to change with the times, and as such, his style of attire has always helped him to blend into his surroundings. At present, he prefers natural tones, but will wear deep reds — preferable and rather favoured — and blues; he isn’t a fan of vivid colours, perhaps instinctively, since they don’t allow for stealth in any way. He prefers blacks, browns/tans, greys and whites. He wears loose but comfortable and simply stylish shirts and thin sweatshirts, with jackets or over-shirts, depending on what he feels is necessary or appropriate. His pants are usually made of a hardy, comfortable material like denim, and often dark blue or black in colour; his footwear is usually boots, with steel caps in the toes.

## Wolf Information.

**APPEARANCE:** Having inherited power and speed from the genes of his parents, and being a werewolf born into a pure bloodline for generations, Cole has an impressive wolf form to say the least, though he is actually very modest about it. A tall, large frame (9’7 on two legs and 5’4 on all fours) and strong structure make him a perfect fighter, and his long, muscular limbs give him a lot of speed and stamina for the hunt, no matter the pace. He has a thick-set torso with a broad chest and wide shoulders, protected by a lot of muscle mass, weighing in at a fearsome 640lbs. which unquestionably puts him on the heavier end of the scale as werewolves go. Possessing the extra second knee joint in his hind legs enables Cole to use bipedal and quadruped movement at will, depending on his needs. His large paws possess a fifth digit, the forearms’ more like the thumb of a human. His head is distinctly wolfen, with a long muzzle ending in a powerful jaw and defined snout, his eyes have amber-gold irises with black pupils and the whites around his eyes can usually be seen, making them perhaps a little more human than many wolves’. The jaws house sharp fangs, the canines long and overlapping on each side, pronounced and rather ominous. He has tall ears extending off the top of his wide, tough skull, and a thick neck protected by his mane. Cole’s wolf form lacks a tail, but is still highly agile and balanced even without it. His pelt is jet black, and very thick and insulating; protective and coarse, but carrying a softness to it all the same. Around the skull, he has a kind of subtle mane, reaching down near his jaw. It covers the entirety of his body, thinnest around his face and down the front of his torso over his chest and abdomen, and thick everywhere else, more noticeable around the shoulders and neck, where he would need the most protection in a fight.

**POSITION:** Alpha Male.

**TERRITORY:** Los Angeles — somewhere around half of the city, give or take, surprisingly; something that has taken a good number of years to accumulate, secure and defend.

## Personality.

Cole is a very down-to-earth werewolf, very old and educated in how the world works, but he can be a little sarcastic, and perhaps mischievous at times, only when around close members of his pack, however. He is thorough, thoughtful and decisive, and thinks everything through before taking any action. He won’t act unless he feels he has all the details… unless, of course, it is a split-second decision that needs to be made, and lives are on the line; when it comes to these types of situations, however, he is very adept at handling them, with his experience in combat and pack life. Given that he has been in charge of a large, dominant pack for a long time, he has learned when to take things seriously, and how to handle difficult situations, such as conflict in the pack, outside werewolves overstepping their bounds, and any threat from vampires in his territory. He is very defensive of what is his, and overly-protective of each and every member of his pack — for all intents and purposes, he is the father of the group, as misleading as physical appearances/ages may be at times. He is, of course, most protective of his mate and fellow Alpha, Dia Mantenega. He will put his life on the line for her, without hesitation; quite simply, his affection for her can blind him. But his pack is his family; he lost his parents a long time ago, and even before then, his pack mates were his brothers and sisters, and all manner of other surrogate family members — this has not changed. He doesn’t act obviously paternal with the younger members of the pack with the exception of Meghan Devlin and Natasha Rose, to whom he is unquestionably fatherly, but his willingness and desire to support and protect them gives him away; when it comes to wolves like Steven Manning he acts brotherly, and a little more obviously. The other leaders are his best friends. Nerys Llanfair seems to defy categorisation in that she seems to fall into more than one, she is both a sister and a daughter but also a close friend and undoubtedly a confidante and adviser. Naturally, his mate is his closest, most trusted friend, but he holds all his pack members and fellow leaders in high regard, and respects them all deeply.

New pack members, when it comes to Cole, are always given a chance if they ask him for sanctuary, or he takes them under his wing after seeing they have nowhere else to go. Depending entirely on the circumstances surrounding his meeting the new wolf, he will either be calmly welcoming and friendly, or subtly watchful and wary; each new addition to his pack is a potential risk, and he has the safety of the whole to consider. If he senses trouble from a pack member, even if it is only because they have inadvertently offended another, already-present pack member or because they have caused tension, he won’t hesitate to find a solution. He always has the greater good of the pack in mind; they come before him in all matters, without exception. It is not only his duty as their Alpha, but he feels it with every fibre of his being; he must protect them, keep them safe and happy and supported, and he wouldn’t have it any other way, plain and simple.

In regards to his past, he puts on an exterior façade of seeing it as something he needn’t talk about. The only person he will talk to openly about certain aspects of his past is Dia, who, of course, as previously mentioned, is closer to him than anyone else in the pack. Something happened in his past, but he doesn’t quite know what; he couldn’t talk about it properly even if he wanted to, but he does dream about it. There is a name, flashes of imagery, and he knows he lost months of his life, but beyond that, nothing. For this simple fact, he prefers not to bring it up, much preferring to appear confident and decisive; it is not that he fears the pack will think less of him if he shows uncertainty or apprehension about something like his past, but he hates to make them feel uneasy. The scar on his back from the incident is thankfully positioned conveniently where he can cover it with whatever shirt he wears, sleeveless or otherwise. Dia is the only one he will allow to see the scar casually; if necessary, it is viewed by others, but he prefers to keep it hidden away; out of sight and out of mind, as the saying goes.

When around his pack, Cole is very much a calm, collected, compassionate but prepared Alpha, with a level head and a curious, intellectual outlook on everything that happens around him. He is a very confident werewolf, self-assured and very aware of what he can and cannot do, but he doesn’t like others reminding him of his limitations. Given his leadership position, he doesn’t like showing weakness if he can help it, and this has made him very stubborn, perhaps even a touch arrogant, though more the former than the latter. These are quiet aspects to his personality, however; he knows what such negativity and self-assurance can do if it is allowed to take over, and as such, manages to keep them contained. Needless to say, were anything to threaten or endanger his pack or loved ones, any semblance of compassion and calm would quickly be overcome by ferocity, and the burning instinct to protect his pack, by any means necessary. He harbours no sympathy or understanding for those who dare to threaten his family, and those he considers his responsibility, and will not hesitate to act, on whatever level is required of him.

In general, Cole seems, at first glance, youthful, but if watched for a minute, the way in which he carries himself exudes a confidence and experience that no one can show without having been around a very long time. The time he has lived has given him a rounded, developed perspective, and has shaped him into a good leader and friend.

## Abilities.

**STRENGTHS:** Cole has all the regular werewolf abilities: heightened strength and endurance, senses off the chart, agility (able to scale walls and dodge bullets in extreme cases when awareness it as its peak, as well as being able to leap from great heights such as a roof, and land without injury or fault), balance and healing. He can change his body at will, and with breathtaking ease, given his age and experience. He has also now developed and perfected the ability to change certain parts of his body, leaving the rest human, such as his arm or just his head, in order to use the strength and fierce prowess this provides him without needing to transform fully.

Having been a pack fighter before he ascended the ranks to the position of leader, Cole is a more than capable combatant, both in wolf form and human. He is highly skilled in hand-to-hand as well as with weapons of most kinds, leading to his being ambidextrous. He is an expert swordsman, blades being his first true weapon skill, and a crack marksman, having seen the development of firearms and learning as they were moulded and perfected. His fighting style is unique at best, with no discernible name for it; he was trained by his parents, who were both of a reasonable age when he was being taught, and as such, he adopted their combined styles, merging them to make his own, combining brute strength, agility and reflexes.

Supernatural and combat abilities aside, Cole has a more than passable singing voice, and developed a love for guitar some time ago; he can play acoustic and electric, depending on his mood. Because of his responsibilities, he doesn’t actually find much time to indulge in either hobby. Yet another offshoot of his age is his linguistics skills; he sometimes uses this to earn a little extra cash for the pack, by translating documents. He is fluent in many languages, given the time he has had to learn and perfect his knowledge: French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Latin and even Greek. He keeps talking about picking up other new ones, but obviously hasn’t found the time yet.

**WEAKNESSES:** Like all werewolves, without exception, Cole is what some might call deathly allergic to silver. Proximity to the metal, even at his age, can cause nausea and dizziness, or clouding of the senses; contact burns his skin; if it is lodged in his body whether by a blade or a bullet, he would be at risk of poisoning — if silver enters his bloodstream and isn’t removed within a matter of hours, there is a very real danger of it doing irreversible damage to any number of internal organs; the heart and brain, for example, if poisoned by silver, would lead to his death. Because of his age, he *can* tolerate the undeniable agony for longer than a young wolf, certainly, but age in no way leads to immunity, and he is as susceptible to the poison and its affects as any other one of his kind.

Cole’s dedication to Dia can be viewed as a very real, powerful weakness. He would not hesitate to lay down his life for her, and he will fight to his last breath to ensure her safety. Even before they officially became mates, he was leaping in to defend her in combat, perhaps against her wish, but for centuries, he has considered her well being as far more important than his own. His devotion to his pack is another mental/emotional weakness that can exploited; he will fight viciously for them, and any attack on them never fails to become personal, and guaranteed to anger him.

The nightmares he suffers as a result of the mysterious incident from his past weigh heavily on his mind, and he has had many a sleepless night as a result of them. He has tried for centuries, since it happened, to uncover what really happened beyond what he was told earlier in life, but it plagues him; not knowing is like a knife in his side, no matter how well he conceals it most of the time.

## Other Information.

**WEAPONS:** Cole is more or less a fighter in any given sense, even without weaponry, and he has a fondness for blades, since they were so readily available in his youth, but his age and protective nature means he has trained himself in a wide variety of weapons, from firearms to a staff, and beyond; antiques, exotic variations etc. He keeps a number of weapons in his possession, including two katanas crossed over his back, two powerful Colt Combat Commander pistols at his hips, twin combat knives, and a single Colt pistol in a holster strapped above his boot on his right leg.

**PRIZED POSSESSIONS:** As cliché as it sounds, his pack and his mate, Dia; they come at the top of his list, without question, and he would readily admit to as much. He loves them like family — save for Dia, who is obviously, technically, his wife — and doesn’t hide that. He has a few old books he’s quite fond of, a few of which are in foreign languages such as French. His Claddagh ring, which is essentially a wedding band in the eyes of the world, is highly cherished, and since he and Dia wear matching rings, he never takes it off unless transforming. The same could be said of the pendant he wears around his neck; the chain holds no particular value, since accidents do happen and it has been replaced over the years, but the medal itself was from his parents, as a gift when he reached the age of his first transformation. Cole has in his possession the bokken he and his father used to train a great many years ago and they have a lot of sentimental value to him as a result. He is also rather fond of an acoustic guitar he has had for a number of years.

**HOME(S):** Cole lives at The Hyperion, an old renovated hotel, along with the rest of his pack.

## History.

Coulson was born in 1110, in England, to werewolf parents Theodore and Amelia (though it was a well known fact that she preferred to be called Emily). Because of the time, and their separation and privacy from the world of humans, the werewolves in the family pack initially had no surnames, but when they began to realise they would need to come closer and closer to mortal society, as it expanded and filled the country, they all took on surnames of their own choosing, having never had them to begin with; some in the pack already had them, having been born human, but the born wolves had no such distinction. Theodore adopted Stanton for his family, and their son became known as Cole; not only a more easily remembered abbreviation, but the name seemed to flow better.

As an only child, Cole was raised and protected in a large, supportive pack environment; werewolves had always been instinctively close to their young, and as such, he was never lacking for guardians. His parents were upstanding, respected members of the large pack, which occupied a reasonable territory to the east of the country, more or less left to their own devices, even though they had prepared to interact with them, for whatever reasons. The Alphas, Gareth and Alswytha Van Tyle were both very wise and powerful leaders, and the pack felt safe with them, trusting to their decisions about the humans. They simply preferred to keep their distance from the affairs of mortals. Cole learned from more or less every adult member of the pack, the years passing, bringing him steadily closer to his first change, which he had been told would come around the age of thirteen, give or take a few months, coinciding with his reaching puberty.

It was around the time when his parents rose to the Beta positions in the pack that Cole actually vanished, for quite a significant period of time. He was taken without warning, in the middle of the night. His parents, quite naturally, were panicked, and every member of the pack launched themselves into the search, scouring every inch of their territory for the Betas’ missing son. Time passed, and fear grew. It was *four months* later that they found him, having been unable to find his scent before then to track him to his location, and though he had not yet reached his first transformation when they found him, he had been changed in other ways. When they discovered him, he had a vicious wound in his back, deep and inflicted by silver; at his age, the fear of silver poisoning was great, and he was rushed back to the pack home to be cared for, so he could recover, hopefully before he reached the age when his wolf would first show itself. With the wound, the transformation would be made all the more difficult and agonising, and no one, least of all Cole’s parents, wanted that for him. The other troubling thing was, no matter how gently or often they prompted and queried, Cole could remember nothing; he couldn’t remember how he had been taken, or why, or by *who* exactly. He couldn’t remember four months passing him by, and not even the origin of the wound was known to him. The bizarre, ominously acute amnesia was inexplicable, and even with all their efforts, the only thing they could learn was a name: Sheppard. Cole wouldn’t talk about it much, slowly healing from the injury, but the silver blade left a wicked scar behind, as a constant reminder of the perplexing kidnapping.

When he had healed enough for it to be possible, the pack did what it thought was best: they relocated. They packed up everything, wary of this threat which had so easily endangered one of their young and affected him in such a manner, and moved, ending up in Europe; first in France. Settling down in this new home helped Cole to move on from whatever it was that he had endured during the four months of captivity. He accomplished his first change, guided by his parents and other elder members of the pack, and it opened his eyes to a whole new side of his world; the wolf he could now bring to the surface emboldened him, returning him to some semblance of his former self, for which his parents especially were glad, as well as the friends he had in the pack. It was a chance to truly move on, and he took it. Life continued, without event, for many years. Pack members came and went, the group relocated and changed territories as often as they saw fit… individuals died, and others were born. Cole Stanton saw all of this, and continued to learn, always eager for new knowledge or skills.

Cole developed close friends in the pack, one of whom had been born to their number, from rogue parents, by the name of Dia Mantenega. He found himself drawn to her, more and more so as time moved on, and though it was more than obvious that they could bicker like crazy when their combined stubbornness came into play, it was also clear that they had the potential to become mates, as affectionate as they *could* be around one another, when not competing or debating.

And where he formed friendships, rivalries were only natural, the most obvious of which was an undeniable locking-of-horns between Cole and another young wolf who had been born to their number: Dante. Both very headstrong and confident, they seemed to clash horribly almost every time they were in proximity to one another, always resulting in near-misses when it came to violence; they were separated each time, before it could get out of hand, but it was undeniable that they disliked one another, for whatever reason. Rivalries, however, in a large pack, were to be expected, and as such, they were left to their own devices, so long as they never harmed one another.

Yet more time passed, and Cole, along with many of the other younger wolves in the pack, developed skills such as marksmanship — as guns began to creep their way into society, for those who could afford them — and knife-fighting, as well as combat in hand-to-hand and wolf form, so that they might go on to defend their pack as others around them did; their trainers and role-models. Cole seemed eager to learn as many techniques as he could, whether they be in physical combat or with weaponry, and before long, he had secured himself a place as a promising young fighter, along with Dia and another firm friend who had been introduced to the pack and not born of it, by the name of Steven Manning. Cole seemed very comfortable and carefree around the other male, and they showed a strong bond of friendship and trust.

In a bitterly-ironic turn of events, just as Cole thought everything was coming to a comfortable conclusion with Dia, whom many suspected would become the young male’s mate sooner or later, many of the pack’s fighters were called on to defend the territory they had been occupying for well over a decade. It seemed at the time as if half the pack was called on to fight, but the young trainees — though they had all by this point reached the age and experience required for full status — were left behind, just waiting, dreading what might happen. Cole was one of the most obviously unsettled of the number; both his mother and father had been sent out to fight, at the will of their Alphas. Dante, Cole’s rival, was also anxious; his father, being a fighter, had been one of those sent out to fight and defend their territory. When the fighters returned, triumphant but bloodied and broken, it was with heavy hearts that they did so, and the two young males soon learned that they had both essentially been orphaned. Dante’s father and both of Cole’s parents had been killed in the fighting, and though they were respectfully buried on the land they had defended, their sons felt the losses, as did the pack members left behind. It wasn’t very long after this that Dante left the pack, no longer comfortable after the death of his father. They let him go, and didn’t hear from him again.

The pack, wounded from the badly-planned defence and the deaths it had caused, were in need of replacement fighters; Cole, Dia, Steven and the others they had trained with were the obvious solution, and they were finally granted the full, acknowledged positions, but that wasn’t the only thing they now lacked, after the territory battle. The deaths of Cole’s parents had resulted in the absence of Betas for the pack, and that hole needed to be filled.

Even though he was almost half the age of Gareth, the Alpha, just over four-hundred years old, and regardless of the fact that he was still mourning, Cole challenged the other male wolf gunning for the position. He saw it as his duty to step up and replace his father, as tough as it would be in the beginning, if he were to succeed. He felt he owed it to their memory. The two fought viciously for the position, both taking noticeable damage in the combat, but Cole’s earlier desire to learn varying techniques helped him to turn the tables and he won the fight; he left his opponent alive out of respect and compassion — beating him was enough. The other male backed down, knowing his place and acknowledging a justified defeat and Cole became the pack’s new Beta Male. Dia and another female fought for the position of fellow Beta, her superior knowledge and speed winning her the title, so she could stand alongside Cole, and it wasn’t long after this joint promotion for them that they finally became mates. Like with many mating pairs, Cole and Dia decided to show their status as mates by wearing matching rings; the Beta Male gave his mate one to match his own — a white gold Claddagh of Irish design, to symbolise love, loyalty and friendship. And just as she had supported him through the loss of *his* parents, when her own were taken from her tragically, he was there for her, unwavering and devoted.

Cole settled into the role he had always associated with his father, doing his best to be a good Beta to the pack, but concern started to fill his mind; suspicion and doubt surrounding their Alpha soon started to overwhelm the respect and trust he had always associated with the older male. At first, he had put it down to his grief after the loss of his parents, colouring his view of their leaders; the ones who had ordered the fighters and his mother and father out to battle despite being badly outnumbered, and as time passed, he began to wonder just how aware of that Gareth had been. So he began to study his superior; Alswytha, the female, had become more withdrawn than in her earlier years… subdued even, but far from submissive. She rarely spoke to anyone but Gareth, and this unsettled Cole. Gareth himself made more and more choices that the Beta chose to question. He had started to become erratic and even reckless, and Cole became increasingly uncomfortable, worried for the safety of the pack.

But Gareth would not accept Cole’s attempts to help; he was Alpha, and that was that. He was their *leader*, and would not be judged or criticised, and as time went on, tension formed obviously between the two senior males in the pack. By this time, Cole had garnered another highly-trusted friend in the pack, by the name of Heidi Fischer, a bitten wolf whom he had helped to initiate into the group, and she, along with Dia and Steven, were Cole’s most dependable allies as the pack became unsteady and anxious, unsettled by the clashes between the two leading males. Cole memorised every bad judgement call, and after one particularly vicious battle, decided enough was enough. Not only had a fighter been killed unnecessarily, but he and Dia had both been wounded, and the Alpha Male had cared very little, instead practically proclaiming that their territory’s safety was more important than that of the pack itself.

Not long before the turn of the seventeenth century, Cole ran out of patience.

The next time Gareth gave him a command, after risking the safety of a large number of the pack during their relocation close to a city, he simply stood his ground, and disobeyed; simply said no. He did not avert his gaze from the Alpha Male’s, and he did not show the usual signs of respect, even though they had been waning for some time. For the first time in years, Gareth saw clearly; Cole had challenged him. An inevitable, brutal battle ensued between the two males; the fight was savage, and seemed to last for hours, each wolf determined to emerge the victor, and after a significant amount of bloodshed, both males could barely stand. But his training and resolve to protect his family gave Cole an advantage that Gareth had seemingly chosen to abandon; he cared only for himself, and his mate, and this weakened him in its own way. The challenging male managed to land a particularly fierce blow, and finally, stood victorious… though it was clear from his condition at the end of the fight that he wouldn’t feel particularly triumphant for a few days at least, while he healed.

Gareth, badly injured and apparently more than a little unstable, mentally, did the only thing he could after such a defeat. He left, never to be seen again, and Alswytha, lost without her mate and the power he had allowed her, quickly followed. With no challengers, Dia took her rightful place at Cole’s side. Heidi stepped forward and offered to be Beta Female to the pack, and with no argument from either new Alpha and no opponent vying for the position, it became hers. Cole needed a Beta Male he could trust to watch his back, and defend the group, and make wise choices, and it was only logical that he turn to his close friend, Steven, who was more of a brother to him than anyone else had ever been. After he accepted, the pack once again had four leaders that would look out for *their* safety before their own. Even while he was healing, that was more reassuring to Cole than anything. It was a lot of responsibility suddenly on his shoulders, but he had his mate by his side, and he trusted to his experience and to his fellow leaders; they would keep the pack safe.

Honouring the tradition that had kept the unit protected when he was young, Cole kept the pack moving every now and again, when the fact that they would never age and there were certainly a lot of them under one roof aroused any suspicion. They would pack up their belongings, and travel to a new territory. Just as it had always been, the pack fluctuated; members came and went, naturally or through more untimely circumstances, and they continued to grow.

Cole worked the pack back through and out of Europe, returning them, if only for a short time, to England. It seemed everywhere they went, a rogue needed sanctuary, and Cole had always believed in second chances; it was uncommon for him to decline these rogues a home in the pack, and though, as Alpha, it was his decision to make, he also believed in keeping a unified front — if his fellow leaders had no arguments for the new additions, then they were granted membership.

Finally, he managed to move them to America, where he thought they could start anew, without being haunted by whatever had troubled their respective pasts; unhinged Alphas, kidnappings, beatings, slavery… anything and everything could hopefully be put behind them, and they could move on. When they finally found a home in Los Angeles, Cole acquired an old, abandoned hotel called The Hyperion; the size was perfect for what he expected they would need, and as a pack, they reworked the building to make it liveable again — plumbing, furnishing, decorating, redesigning… the pack had such a variety of skills that the task, while challenging, was far from impossible, and when they were done, the hotel had not only been restored to its former glory, but they had changed it to better suit their needs, installing a training room, and other such facilities, as well as something the pack had always had in one form or another; the basement became a full moon holding area, for those wolves too young to deny the animal during the cycle’s peak. Naturally, as time went on and technology became more advanced, they replaced the old with the new, keeping them up to date with the world; Cole had always believed in adapting with the times, something his parents had taught him the importance of.

It soon came to his attention that the pack controlling the other half of the city was co-led by none other than Dante, his old rival, but he has respected the territory boundaries, as does the other male, and as such, they have not come to blows, and Cole doesn’t expect that to happen anytime soon.

Now, having been settled in Los Angeles for many years, Cole is more comfortable in his role as Alpha than he has ever been, and couldn’t imagine his life any other way.

## Trivia.

* Hates pink.
* Keeps a full record of every pack member on his laptop in his study.
* Subconscious checks he’s tied his shoelaces each time he leaves his bedroom.
* Teases Steven about his love of computer games.
* Is wary about all new members to the pack but usually gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. He believes in second chances (to a point).
* Favourite thing to each is toast because it’s quick and versatile.
* Hates the movie *The Wolfman*.
* Sleeps on the left-hand side of the bed.
* Can reference the world of *Mario* with a suspicious amount of confidence.
* Think The Hyperion has a character and a charm to it and even refers to it as female.
* Likes to visit The Onyx or walk the streets for an hour now and again.
* Still has the old bokken he used to use in training with his father.
* Watches wolf documentaries whenever he gets the chance.
* Prefers to get his food after the rest of the pack have taken their fill rather than before.
* Absolutely loves the Kansas song *Carry on Wayward Son*, it has the highest playcount of any song on his laptop.
* Used to conveniently disappear when he was younger if one of the pack needed a babysitter.
* Hates to hesitate or doubt himself in public.
* Very rarely curses in English.
* Hates marzipan.
* Has no memory of his grandfather Zachariah who died the day after Cole was born.