Chapter 160 Integrating the New Pack
Jolie POV
The first real argument happens on day three.I'm walking past the communal kitchen when I hear shouting. Inside, a former Nightshade wolf named Derek is facing off against Knox, both of them bristling with alpha energy.
"This is completely disorganized!" Derek gestures at the kitchen setup. "No meal schedule, no assigned cooking rotations, people just grab food whenever they want. It's chaos!"
"It's freedom." Knox crosses his arms. "Wolves eat when they're hungry. They cook when they feel like it. No one's forcing structure where it's not needed."
"Structure is always needed!" Derek snaps. "Without hierarchy and organization, everything falls apart. This is basic pack management!"
"This isn't a traditional pack." Knox's voice hardens. "This is Iron Fangs. We don't do hierarchy and management. We do loyalty and trust."
"That's not sustainable with eighty wolves"
"It's worked fine for years"
"Everyone stop." I step between them, feeling the tension crackling. "Derek, what's actually bothering you?"
He deflates slightly. "I woke up at seven for breakfast. There was no breakfast. Because apparently no one was assigned to cook. So I made food for myself and six other Nightshade wolves showed up expecting to be fed because that's how pack meals work. Now I'm angry and they're confused and everyone's hungry."
"Knox, your perspective?" I ask.
"We don't do assigned cooking." He shrugs. "Whoever's hungry cooks. Whoever's around eats. It's simple. Derek's trying to impose a traditional pack structure on wolves who chose to leave that structure behind."
"Okay." I take a breath. "Both valid points. Derek's used to an organization that ensures everyone eats. Knox is used to autonomy that respects individual choice. Neither is wrong. They're just different."
"So what do we do?" Derek asks.
"We compromise." I pull out my phone, opening a shared calendar. "We create a voluntary cooking rotation. People sign up for slots if they want structure. People who prefer spontaneity cook when they feel like it. Either way, food gets made and everyone eats."
They both consider this."I could sign up for morning slots." Derek says slowly. "Make enough for whoever shows up."
"And I'll handle evening meals when I'm around." Knox nods. "No forced assignments, but enough structure that people know food will be available."
"Perfect." I add their names to the calendar. "Anyone else who wants to help can sign up. Crisis averted." They leave, still wary of each other but no longer hostile.
"That was exhausting." Luna appears beside me. "And it's only day three. We've had seventeen similar conflicts already."
"Seventeen?" I sink into a chair. "What about?"
"Sleeping arrangements—Nightshade wolves want assigned cabins, Iron Fangs prefer choosing their own space. Noise levels—bikers stay up late with music, traditional wolves rise early and want quiet. Training protocols—traditional wolves expect structured sessions, rogues train whenever they feel like it. Everything is a culture clash."
"We need better integration." I rub my temples. "Some way to help them understand each other instead of just mediating conflicts as they arise."
"You could use your empathy gift." She suggests carefully. "Help wolves literally feel each other's perspectives."
"That would drain me completely." I point out. "Eighty wolves all needing empathic bridging? I'd be unconscious within hours."
"So we do it gradually." She's already planning. "Small groups, facilitated discussions where you help them understand each other. Maybe ten wolves at a time, twice a day. Within a week, everyone gets exposure to different perspectives."
"That's still exhausting." But she's right. "But it's better than constant conflict. Okay. Set up the first session for this afternoon."
The first integration session includes five Nightshade wolves and five Iron Fangs members. They sit in a circle looking deeply uncomfortable.
"Thank you for coming." I start. "We're here because we're one pack now, but we're struggling to understand each other. I'm going to help with that using my empathy gift. Who wants to go first?"
Silence. Then Marina raises her hand tentatively."I'm confused about something." She looks at the Iron Fangs wolves. "Yesterday, someone offered me a beer at noon. When I said it was too early, they laughed. In the Academy, drinking during daylight was prohibited. Is that normal here?"
"We don't have prohibition rules." One of the bikers, a woman named Tessa, explains. "If you want a beer, you have a beer. Time doesn't matter."
"But what about maintaining readiness?" A Nightshade wolf named Paul asks. "What if we're attacked while people are drinking?"
"Then we fight drunk." Tessa shrugs. "Or we don't drink if we're on duty. Personal responsibility instead of blanket rules."
"That seems irresponsible." Paul frowns.
"That seems controlling." Tessa counters.
"Okay." I intervene. "Let me help you understand each other. Paul, may I?"
He nods. I reach out with my empathy gift, gently touching his emotional landscape. Then I project what I find to Tessa.She gasps as she feels Paul's perspective. His deep need for structure, for rules that keep everyone safe. The fear that without organization, chaos will lead to vulnerability. The trauma of watching his previous pack fall apart because no one maintained discipline.
"I didn't know." Tessa says quietly. "I didn't know you were scared."
"I'm not scared." Paul protests. "I'm practical."
"You're both." I say gently. "And that's okay. Now Paul, your turn. Feel what Tessa feels."
I project Tessa's perspective. Her fierce need for autonomy after years of controlling alphas. The joy of making her own choices, even small ones like drinking when she wants. The trauma of being punished for independence, making rules feel like chains.
Paul's expression softens. "You're not being irresponsible. You're reclaiming freedom."