Erich paced restlessly around the edge of the room, trying desperately to reconcile the suspicion that Ishida was one of his descendants and how woefully uninformed both boys were about the transformation.

It didn’t make sense, not after all the effort Alexis went through to document everything, from their history to the practicalities of their nature. Not after all the effort they went through together to take her notes and outlines and turn it all into a full book. All the effort to get a copy or two into the hands of every single branch, Echt and Gemischt alike, that fell under their banner.

It couldn’t have been more than a generation or two since he’d died. The knowledge couldn’t have been lost so quickly, could it?

(Except he knew all about the ways that knowledge could be lost. Could be cast aside and forgotten and erased.)

(All it would take was a single generation…)

“Erich…” Ren murmured, approaching him slowly. Their hand settled lightly on his arm when he paused in his restless pacing, then slid up to his shoulder. “Come, all will be well. There is nothing any of us can do about the past, but they seemed agreeable about learning from you.”

He grimaced and looked away. ‘Agreeable’ was an understatement, honestly, and it left a sour taste in his mouth. “They should have never been put in that position to begin with,” he told Ren bitterly. “Even I knew more in the beginning than they do now, and I was the first Change in four generations.”

“All will be well,” Ren repeated soothingly, moving closer. They settled against his back, one arm moving to wrap around his shoulders and hand resting against the side of his neck. Their other hand settled on his side, gripping tight enough he could feel it. “You have found them, and they are agreeable. Now teach, like I know you wish to. Mami and I will teach the others what we’ve learned, and you will teach the two boys how to be fully themselves. It will not change what has occurred, but it will help.”

Erich shivered and leaned back against Ren, trusting them to support him while he considered their words. Ren was right and he knew it; there was no sense being bitter or furious about a past he couldn’t change.

The rational action was to teach the small pack, to settle them more firmly in themselves and their abilities. The teens were already a stable family, even with all the unknowns in their lives, and with proper training they would become glorious.

(But man was ever an irrational beast, especially they who held a beast within their blood.)

“We cannot keep them,” Erich whispered. ‘I cannot keep them,’ he meant. “You heard as well as I did, they don’t belong here in Soul Society.” He tucked his chin towards his chest, eyes closing in resignation.

“Do you wish us to toss them asi—”

“No!” Erich snapped, tensing in Ren’s hold. “That’s not— that’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“Then we will cross that bridge when it arrives,” Ren said firmly. They pulled Erich more firmly against their body, breath warm across the back of his neck. “Perhaps they will stay, perhaps they will not, but you will feel worse for not helping. Remember, whatever happens, you will still have us.”

He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, already dreading the teens leaving. If he had a full pack around him it wouldn’t be an issue, but he didn’t. Ren and Mami helped, but having only two pack members felt… wrong.

(He’d once run alongside a dozen other wolves. Called dozens more people ‘kin’.)

(A pack of three was better than a ‘pack’ of one, but… it was still lonely.)

Ren took a step back, then another, not releasing their hold on him. They guided him back towards the table and then down to sit at their side. He went without complaint, crossing his legs and leaning into Ren’s side, resting his head on their shoulder and inhaling deeply.

(Ren smelled of wood and grass and soap and Mami. Smelled like home and safety and pack.)

(He could trust them. He did trust them.)

Ren hummed quietly, remaining still and giving him time to center himself. He loved that about them, how willingly they had opened their home and their heart to him. How they adapted to Erich’s needs and worked with him to create an environment he could almost thrive in.

(Ren was a good pack leader, even if they had been shocked when Erich told them how he viewed them in daily life. And Mami was just as good, truly Ren’s match and equal.)

Erich took another deep breath, pressing the sensation of home-safety-pack into his memory, then straightened up and fixed his shirt. He needed to be strong for the teens, the adult with the answers that they’d been missing for however many years. There was no room for them to see his worry and anger; Erich needed their trust and respect if he intended to train them as quickly as possible.

(It was doubtful the teens would allow a merging of their packs anyway, even if the group could stay.)

(He was simply guarding his heart from the inevitable disappointment.)

“You’ll survive, and we’ll be here for you the entire way,” Ren murmured, leaning in to press against his side in reassurance. “Let the future sort itself out and focus on the now.”

“A difficult proposition,” Erich admitted wryly. He tipped his head back and listened, pinpointing the teens. Still busy sorting themselves out with Mami’s help. “I was a strategist at one point. Worrying about the future is part of that.”

Ren reached up and tugged lightly on one of Erich’s long bangs, a warm smile on their face. “But you are no strategist now, simply a wolf with pups to train.”

He chuckled softly. “But even that requires looking to the future, Ren-san. Especially if I’m to have so little time with them. There is so much…” he paused and swallowed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “There is so much they should know. How much have they determined on their own, how much have they gotten wrong? There is anywhere between five months and two years that those two boys have been on their own with this. That’s… the amount of things I might need to try to untrain is unthinkable. The number of things remaining to be taught is even worse.”

Ren made an understanding noise and nudged him with their shoulder. “Decide what is most important, and branch out from there. Ignore things that are unimportant to retain.”

“I… right,” Erich sighed and shook his head. He knew that. Knew the ways to trim training requirements down to a bare minimum. He simply… wished it was unnecessary in this instance. “I’ll do what I can. I just wish…”

“Yes, I as well,” Ren agreed. At Erich’s surprised look, they smiled. “They seem like good people. I would not be opposed to befriending them.”

Erich hesitated, then asked softly, “Not simply because of me?”

“No, Erich-san,” Ren reassured him, resting a hand atop his and giving him a kind look. “Purely for themselves, I promise you. Trust that I will not stay silent if I disagree with something, so that we may speak on it.”

He examined Ren’s expression, slowly relaxing as he read their honesty. It was… refreshing, to give and receive such trust. To know he could rely on them to speak truly and rein him in if he was blinded to reality.

(It was such a relief to have a pack again.)