*****

Oz is long in his mind, longer and stronger than he will really ever be, but underneath the eyes he feels himself shrinking. Small into concrete, cold into a small ball that maybe they won't see even though they're looking at him. Through the bars of his brand new cage bought at WalMart just right for a wolf for a dog for a pet for something that can't get away and he can't.

There are two of them and he KNOWS them knows them well knows them from before and from now when they're evil. Red hair long around pale shoulders and cold eyes and maybe there was love there once but never now. She has a puppy of her own, he's seen it. Big and broad and dark not his small lean paleness. But her consort, oh now, he's taking an interest. Smirking and licking at her ear, and Oz can hear with his five-times-damned ears that he's telling her he wants a pet of his own. His eyes are dark and wide and he looks sweet but Oz can sense a predator and his teeth are too long and too white. Dark hair and black leather and Xander-smell and demon-smell and WRONG and something in Oz's mind is screaming because he's a white hat and he's not supposed to BE here.

She leaves now in a swish of bright silk and a slam of the door and they're alone, wolf-boy in cage growling a little in fear in FUCKING terror and vampire smirking.

Puppy. And Oz growls louder, because he is no one's puppy.

Puppy, play nice now, or you'll find out what I've learned from Willow. And he's prowling closer, long legs in black slick butter smooth used-to-be-a-cow. Oz can smell the cow. Can feel himself shrinking back into a corner with no idea what's going on except that he can taste the fear coming out his pores.

Rattle on the cage, and sharp white teeth in still-brown face and strong hands around the bars and Oz knows it's useless, whines a little helpless sound and hates himself and crawls over, rolls over, bares his neck in that ages-old pack submission to alpha that he has NEVER EVER performed before but this is different.

Good dog. And the cage is swinging open and there's someone else in here now for the first time in days and he's almost glad because pack is pack and wolves are not meant to be alone. Hands under his arms hauling him upright and he's still shaking a little from being in the presence of the Alpha acknowledged and keeps his eyes lowered. Can stil feel the cool displacement of air against his skin as Xander circles him, staring at him, not touching yet but Oz knows this throat is not his own anymore and he bends it.

There's a hand on his head now, green hair no purple this week, pushing him back down to hard cold dry slick cement and his nose is twitching because he can smell what's coming and his human half is screaming NO NO NO but his wolf is happy. Pack. Just like Willow and her puppy and he might belong here after all and his human half starts dreaming of stakes. His shirt's over his head and hands almost as pale as his skin are skimming over him testing muscles testing bones testing strength and the wolf hopes he's worthy because the human has gone away somewhere else where this isn't happening never happened at all. Because his pants are shoved down around his ankles and his knees are cold and aching on the floor. Almost as cold as a C-minor to E-major progression someone giggles in his head as teeth test the skin on his shoulder. Strong-stronger-than-him hands on his waist fingernails cutting his skin with the grip and he's pulled back and he's not READY for this but there's something inside him besides just him and it's burning and tearing and pushing his brain out of his head.

Oh, that's a good boy, just like that, so tight. Good puppy, Oz.

He's howling and can feel the hair spring free on his arms and his back and his hands are growing claws small almost-change even though it's not that time of month yet, not, but the wolf is here now and has decided enough with this human bullshit. Cold still on his knees and the flat of his palms but he can't feel anything but the burning pushing claiming inside him, and he is XANDER'S and he knows it and his neck still bows in submission even as human tears from the pain fall down and make little marks on the grey grey floor that is all he can see. Almost feeling good now in an I-Belong-To-This way and his cock's twitching under his belly as the slams keep coming and he hears the grunt and gasp and feels the bite and suck and understands the MINE of release from behind him. Pain in his neck almost negligible against the freeze-burn of the bones in his hands in his knees the deep throbbing ache in his belly.

Pulling out and leaving him empty and bleeding he can smell it, lying on his side on the floor and whimpering just a little.

Feels a rough hand in his hair, and his eyes are blank now but he can still see the face of Alpha, long and lean and pale with dark eyes and dark hair and an incongruously sweet mouth.

Be a good puppy, now, and I'll bring you something to eat later.

The wolf grins and nods, and bares his throat and wags his tail, takes the smirk as praise and the cuff to his head as benediction, and curls up in the corner. And waits, for the Master to return.

~fin~