Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 03:04:03 +0000 From: Ryan Stevenson Subject: The Wolfish Stalker Chapter 13 Well what can I say about the last six months? I apologize to everyone so much. I wanted to get the Wolfish Stalker out for the last four months but I very badly lost my muse and I felt it impossible to write for quite a long time. I wanted to finish the last chapter but I felt if I did it without the right inspiration there then I would ruin the last chapter and I really didn't want that to happen. So without anything else here it is now and I hope all of you can forgive me. Thanks for reading and as always questions, comments and concerns @ kasaihowler@gmail.com Mike rushed toward Mr. Granger, intending to either drive him into the wall or drive his teeth into him. He was about to murder someone though he was too far forward to care. Mike seen everything through his eyes, his vision darker than before and saw Mr. Granger as he merely smirked at Mike as if goading him to attack him. He wondered what would happen now, would he become a murderer. Before Mike could get within ten feet of Mr. Granger he felt something crash into him from the side. It sent him crashing into the wall at the side of the room. Mike crashed onto his side and felt a bit of pain though it didn't hurt very badly. As Mike got up again he looked around to see what had hit him. Perhaps some sort of large object, as Mike stared at Mr. Granger his larger heart skipped a beat. As Mike watched Mr. Granger he had someone else with him, he was now petting a large black wolf much bigger than Mike himself. Much larger and jet black, almost to the same shade as himself except with no white marks on him. His eyes were also jet black showing just how evil the wolf truly looked. Mike was now very confused, all along Mike had assumed this wolf had been Mr. Granger and now Granger stood here with the wolf that had attacked Mike all along. "Granger, what is this?" asked Derek as he looked ready to attack the beast if it dared to try and attack Mike again. It had already saved Granger from Mike's attack but where had it come from? Mr. Granger petted the wolf on the muzzle although it showed no inclination toward him. It simply eyed Mike over and was bordering on baring its teeth at him. "This big boy, he's my pet and also my creation" said Mr. Granger as he looked at each one of them one by one. Derek could scent Bobby and Dimetri trying to get a scent off of the black wolf but yet again nothing was showing from him. "How can you create him?" asked Derek as he watched Mike changed back to his human form. As he did Derek invited Mike back to his side. Mike did so and when he got there pulled out a pair of second shorts from the bag he had brought. He knew he was going to need more pairs. "Granger, I want the truth now, who and what is this thing?" asked Mike. Mr. Granger looked offended at Mike from what he had said and then petted the black wolf's giant head. The wolf showed no emotion toward Mr. Granger merely allowing itself to get petted. Whenever it looked toward Mike however it glared at him, almost as if it hated him. "Mike, you have no idea what goes on around you. You have no idea even about yourself" said Granger as he turned from the black wolf which simply on its haunches and sat awaiting instruction. It looked completely obedient to Mr. Granger. "What do you mean by that?" asked Mike to the older man. He could also tell that the others were curious by what he could feel from them. "Fine then Mike, I'll explain everything to you since you're clearly quite in the dark" he said as he took a deep breath. Mike felt himself flinch when he did this as he didn't trust Granger at all. "Mike, the reason you're a Moon-Born as you name yourself....is because of me" said Granger as he smiled at Mike, as if expecting him to thank him. Mike grimaced at this thought and looked horrified by this. "You see I am a lot older than I look. I am as you have probably guessed Moon-Born but I am much older than you all, I am nearly 200 years old" he said as he watched them out the corner of his eye while he moved away from the black wolf slightly while telling his story. "Would you get to it Granger because I'm not leaving here without my Mom and you're in my way" said Mike getting angry again. Granger stared at him for a few moments before moving again. "During my travels I did a lot of research into the wolf beings you call Moon-Born. I learned about how they work, how they hunt, eat and fight and also how we reproduce" said Granger. This seemed to strike a chord within Mike as Derek had said that only people with families who were Moon-Born could become one themselves, as well as being Born on the night of a full moon. "I figured out that only those scratched or bitten in a certain place in the world would be able to become a Moon-Born, or those born under special conditions" he continued. "I experimented with this for many years until I happened to meet a young man named Noah Ryanson" said Granger. Mike immediately recognized this name as that of his Grandfather, his Father's Dad and began to get very worried. "I met him and he seemed very interested in my research even joining my team. I was there when he met your Grandmother and the two of them got married. When I found out that they were trying for a child I got an idea. I would give his child with my own wolf genes and hope the child would become a Moon-Born" he said as he continued his narration. Derek looked horrified at what Granger had proposed. Granger had made a child suffer becoming a Moon-Born just so he could "experiment". "Then with Mike's grandparents...." said Derek but Granger cut across him. "As you might have guessed the man who would be known as Ethan didn't become a Moon-Born but he was infected with my wolf genes and with that any heirs he would have might have the chance to become a Moon-Born as well" said Granger much to the irritation of his audience. "When your Grandfather and Grandmother figured out what had happened from my research notes they tried to kill me....but I was forced to defend myself" said Granger as he let that hang for a minute. "Eventually I moved to White Valley with my own company and my family and met the son of Johanna and Noah Ryanson and I knew he would have the genes within him and also that they may also have a child" he said looking at Mike and then smiling. Mike felt hollow now, he didn't know what to say or think since he now knew exactly why he had become Moon-Born. His Grandfather had become the carrier and through him his Father and he obviously had been born on the night of a full moon. "You are a monster Granger, you manipulated everything about Mike's life just so he would become a Moon-Born and through us you made Mike turn" said Derek as he clenched his fists. "I didn't know if he would turn or not but I must thank you for helping him discover the power he had inside of him all this time, so thank you very much" said Mr. Granger as he bowed his head toward Derek and the pack. Derek nearly shifted and ran toward Granger intending to tear his head from his body but he held his temper a little more than Mike had. "Don't worry Granger we didn't do it for you. Mike is a member of this pack and he is a great person despite all you're fucking in his life" said Derek to Granger nearly spitting out the words. Granger opened his eyes quite wide and then said "Oh I'm sorry I know I heard you said "this pack" but what you fail to realise is that Mike is going to serve me as a member of my pack" he finished as Mike's eyes widened now. "You son of a bitch, I wouldn't join you even if you were the last Moon-Born of earth" said Mike to Granger. "Oh Mike, you were always destined to be a member of my pack. With me as your alpha" he smirked as he continued with "Why do you think I got my pet here to maul your father to death, because I needed you to get angry enough to turn your soul as angry as possible. This is what led you to turn as black as night" he said explaining why Mike had turned over the course of time to another color. "Your color can be changed after a certain time of becoming a Moon-Born before it becomes that color forever. You are very recently changed and you might not know this but since you came from me you will be one of the most powerful Moon-Born overall, even stronger than those mongrels" said Granger. Mike nearly shifted once again there and then as he learned everything now as to why he had turned, why he had changed color and even why his Father had been murdered. It had been the black wolf, not Mr. Granger who had done it. He looked at the wolf intending to rip it apart. "You have a lot of strength left within you and you have the potential to become stronger than my pet here" said Granger. "I've got no interest in becoming anything for you, I'm leaving here with my pack and my mom and if you ever interfere in my life again I'll kill you myself" said Mike as he made his position very clearly. The whole room seemed to go a lot colder as Mike said this to Mr. Granger. Mr. Granger seemed to lose a lot of his cheer had before, fake or otherwise. He looked at Mike with very dark eyes and then said "Don't presume to order me around young man. I have waited a life time for you and I don't intend to give you up" said Granger as he smiled once again. "However I do think you should at least be given a fair chance to yourself. Here's what I suggest" he said as he clicked his finger and the black wolf which had been motionless save his head following Mr. Granger. The wolf stood up on four legs and then barked at Mike. "You and my little dog here fight and if you win then I'll let you all go and won't interfere in your life again, however should my pet here win? You are to serve me in anything I say and accept me as your alpha" said Granger smiling in that sick way once again. Derek however was the first to say anything to the proposition. "What's to stop us from getting Mike's Mom and getting out of here" asked Derek. "Believe me not even your strength would get through my doors if I locked them and not only would you all see a nasty end but also Mike's mom so I would advise you to think carefully" said Granger. Mike looked worried now, he would have to accept Granger held too much over him and he wouldn't risk either his pack or his Mom, they meant the world to him. Mike looked at Derek, Bobby and Dimetri and then their eyes said everything. "Go for it mate, you got this" said Dimetri, despite the situation he gave him a thumbs up. "Mikey, kill this fucker so we can go home. I'll be here waiting for you" said Derek as he let out a small smile that could have melted Mike's heart if the situation was any different. Mike thanked them and then stepped forward and then got ready to change. However before he did he looked at the wolf, which proceeded to snarl at him then said "Before we begin tell me who your dog here is? I want to know who killed my Dad" he said as he got ready to go onto four legs. Granger actually laughed out loud at this and then subduing himself slightly he said "He is my pet and I didn't really give him a name, though he may have one" and said Granger. As Granger had said this he smiled slightly at Mike, as if from something that only he understood and found funny. This didn't clear up anything about who would be held accountable for his Father's death but saving his pack and his Mom would be good enough. Mike stepped into the middle of the room and then looked at where he had been smacked into before. Mike then felt the fire go through himself as he became his wolf self. He fell onto his four paws and felt his nails against the floor that felt unnatural to him in this form since he didn't usually become a Moon-Born indoors. He could scent the black wolf now and it did scent familiar to him, a lot of Mr. Granger but with something else thrown in. He didn't have time to think about it though. Mike did nothing but stare at the black wolf and match his movements while the black wolf snarled back at him. His eyes seemed much unfocused and very wild, it looked like he would crush Mike in his teeth if he was given the chance. The black wolf was the first to attack. He flew toward Mike intending to rip at his throat but Mike was far too fast for the attack as he swung out the way and behind the wolf. However Mike didn't quite get far enough as in the blink of an eye the black wolf twisted his head and then proceeded to grab Mike's tail and using the full force of his jaws he swung Mike toward the ground. Mike slid along the ground and then fell into one of Granger's machines and bumped his back on it. His back ached after that and his tail had a bit of blood on it. How could the wolf do that to his so badly, Mike had thought that his injuries were supposed to heal quickly. "Yes, magnificent" said Granger to himself mostly as he observed the fight. He seemed very pleased with what he was seeing from "his" two wolves. Derek felt like smacking him for all he had done to Mike, if he and the others hadn't found out about Mike first he would more than likely be serving Granger by now and be a member of his pack. This made Derek growl under his breath slightly. Mike got to his feet again and then watched as the black wolf was about to head toward him. The black wolf watched for a split second and then headed toward Mike again. Remembering what happened last time Mike decided to instead decided to meet the challenge head on instead of running from it. He headed toward the black wolf and in a mighty clash both of them hit head on with each other. When Derek looked he seemed horrified because the black wolf and Mike were biting each other on the neck and they looked ready to do this until one was dropped. Mike had a look of concentration on his face while the black wolf had a look of savagery that showed his malice but both of them looked to be in pain. The stalemate seemed to end when Mike whined a little and blood appeared from the wound that had appeared on Mike but he never the less kept on going and continued biting. When it finally came turn for the black wolf to draw blood he let out a loud yelp and looked in pain. This seemed to be enough to get him to let Mike go as he finally thrust Mike back slightly. Both wolves panted and then looked at each other, Mike with pain and concentration and the black wolf with spite and pain. Both of them looked like they were ready to go again though. Derek had noticed something wrong in this match, as had Bobby. It seemed to be something wrong in the way that Mike was fighting. He seemed to be doing better than usual, almost like his instincts were kicking in much better than before. "Granger, what's going on here this isn't a normal fight because Mike shouldn't have been able to take that bite for so long" said Derek in an accusing tone. Mike dared to take his ears off the black wolf for a minute or so to hear this because this had occurred to Mike also, he should have backed off first but he didn't. "Whatever do you mean, Mike is a tough wolf he was made from my genius" he said to the group at large. Derek growled slightly at Granger and then said "Enough bullshit give us a straight answer you snake tongued asshole". Granger looked confused for a second before a broad smile erupted on his face. He then said "You mean to tell me not even Mike knows of his own powers deep within himself?" The pack as well as the black wolf now looked at him. "My my, this is interesting. You see Mike I created you and my brother here to be my wolf warriors and I couldn't very well leave you without something unique now could I?" he asked Mike but didn't expect an answer. "I have given you both a unique trait shared by nobody else, for my pet here I gave him the sharpest teeth of any wolf. This is why you would feel him draw blood much faster than most and why his teeth hurt more" he said as he addressed the wolf. The black wolf looked at his master with malice even at Granger as he knew he was being talked about. "For you Mike I could have given you something like that but I wanted to give you the shield to your brother's sword" said Granger. "I gave you the ability to stand up to pain, more than any other wolf. To be able to continue where others might fall, to be able to take any attack and give one right back" he said in reference to what Mike had just done. "Of course this is the first time your hidden ability has kicked in but you'll find it more useful in the future" he said as he looked at both wolves. "Now continue" said Granger. Mike immediately brought his attention back toward the black wolf who was already heading back toward him. Mike rolled out the way this time and made sure his body and tail were well out the way before he was grabbed. The black wolf was about to grab him and had his mouth on the ground. Mike too the chance to strike his throat and lunged for it. The black wolf growled at Mike as he retreated slightly and then looked back at Mike. Mike did observe a small cut on the wolf's throat but nothing major. He would have to try harder to disable this wolf. The black wolf waited and walked to the right slightly instead of running to Mike. Mike did the same except to the left. Both waited for the other to slow down or make a mistake, even the tiniest one might make or break this fight. Mike could almost feel his pack waiting in anticipation for what he would do. He couldn't make a mistake again, not with everything lying on his victory. Mike twitched a little which was all the indication the black wolf needed for the black wolf to attempt another strike. As the black wolf ran toward Mike, Mike let the black wolf crash into him. If he had tried to get out the way then he would have been hurt as he couldn't avoid the black wolf, instead he took the attack so his shoulder blade and let it sting him. In return Mike was now biting the front paws of the black wolf. Mike's shoulder felt very light now but he knew that this was because it was hurting him. He however had done damage to the black wolf as well as he looked to be in pain from the attack. He put his front paws on the ground and then looked to be in pain from the attack. He had trouble walking on his front paws. Mike wouldn't have to worry about him charging at him again. Mike felt a pain on his shoulder as he had trouble walking on the side that had been bitten. He knew that the strength of the black wolf's teeth would take hours to heal. It was obvious that his teeth could do a lot of damage. Mike watched as the black wolf moved slowly from side to side, as if waiting for Mike to make an attack. Mike chanced a glance to the side to see what Dimetri, Bobby and Derek were doing and he could see them staring intently at him and the black wolf. Mike was the one who initiated the attack this time as he leapt toward the black wolf. He leapt through the air and landed on the side of the black wolf and started biting into his neck where he had injured it before. As the black wolf attempted to counter attack Mike used his full power to stop the black wolf from attacking him by biting his muzzle and legs whenever he tried to move. The two wolves continued to fight on the ground with neither being able to gain an advantage over the other. As the black wolf landed a bite on Mike's leg Mike felt the pain from the impact but Mike swiftly dealt one back as he began to feel the pain in his leg. He thought it might be fractured at least. Mike got to his feet away from the black wolf. The black wolf got to his feet quite slowly as well looking very injured with scratches all over his body and bite marks on his neck, along with a very large gash. Mike on the other hand also had large scratches and marks on his body as well but they were far fewer. What concerned him were his leg and his shoulder, both on the same side. They were going to take a few days at least to heal even with his Moon-Born strength. Mike watched the black wolf and growled at him as he felt his rage boil over his common sense. This was the first time he had come close to killing the wolf and he knew he had to in order to make his life and that of his Mother's safe again. With this in mind ran toward the wolf ignoring the searing pain in his side as the black wolf did the same, despite his injuries. Derek watched with bated breath as the two wolves collided with each other. Mike and his counterpart biting into each other viciously. Mike had the other wolf in his jaws once again biting down on his neck. Mike felt his stomach in pain as he was also getting bitten there by the black wolf. Mike however was not going to let the wolf escape this time and when he felt his teeth bite down much harder than before, he felt something give away. Mike kicked the black wolf away from him and then got to his feet ready for the attack that would come from the black wolf now. Mike turned quickly as he could and then looked down toward the black wolf, expecting him to be right behind him ready to attack. However as he did Mike noticed that the black wolf was not getting up yet. Mike narrowed his eyes a little and snarled as if issuing a challenge to the black wolf. However as the lupine's black eyes opened he looked at Mike with almost a blank expression. He breathed heavily and then tried to get to his feet, however as he did fell over once again and then fell unconscious. Mike looked at the wolf again and then growled as he pawed the ground intending to rip the throat from the black wolf and kill him once and for all. Mr. Granger looked slightly displeased by this development but did not say anything as he looked between "his" two wolves. Mike then walked toward the black wolf and then watched him carefully to make sure he wouldn't do something sneaky like wake up and attack him but when Mike was on top of him the black wolf he was still out cold. Mike began to lower his teeth intending to do the deed. However as Mike did the black wolf began to change, his hair was beginning to recede, his bones were beginning to change and his whole body began to change back to human shape. Mike backed off at least twenty feet back from the black wolf. This was quite unexpected but Mike welcomed it as he would finally know the identity of the one who had killed his father. Finally the transformation was complete, and Mike as well as the rest of the pack watched on bated breath as Mike turned back to his human form but still retained his fierce expression. Mike walked with a slightly limp over to the body on the floor. Mike got to the human and then turning him over Mike looked horrified when he seen the face of the black wolf. Mike fell back onto his back and nearly hit his head on the floor as he beheld the face of the one who had his father's blood on his hands. As the wolf started to regain consciousness he got to his knees and Mike looked into the face of none other than Kyle. Kyle looked very exhausted, like he hadn't slept in about two weeks. He also looked like he had just come out from a trance. "Where am I?" he asked as he looked up to Mr. Granger and then to Mike and the rest of the pack. Mike couldn't believe what he was seeing, how could Kyle have done this to him? His best friend, his wingman, and the one he had known for longest in his life. How could Kyle do this? "Kyle, what did you do?" asked Mike as he walked over to Kyle again, this time his leg doing much better of carrying him than before. Mike looked angry and hurt over what had happened. Mike grabbed Kyle and then brought him up before looking him in the eyes. Kyle stared back at him barely even able to focus on him. "Kyle, all along I've been in pain and....and you were the one who did it. You murdered my Dad you fucker" he said as he threw Kyle down with more force than he thought he would be able to muster. The rest of the pack made their way over to Mike and the four of them stood side by side as Kyle got to his feet slowly and then looked at Mike with worried eyes. "Mikey, what you talking about, what am I doing here? What are you doing here?" he asked as he looked at Mr. Granger. "Granger?" he asked to the older man. Mike looked confused as he looked at Kyle. The way Kyle was acting wasn't anything at all like he had acted before. Mr. Granger watched the four of them and then said "My my, looks like you've discovered my little secret" said Mr. Granger. He looked very insidious with his face the way it was. It was almost like his very last secret had been revealed. "Granger what's going on here" asked Mike to the older man. "Mike, you will probably figure it out anyway so I might as well tell you. Yes, Kyle is the wolf you have seen for all this time. I needed someone close to you and Kyle gave me that chance very well. However I couldn't have him warn you about what he was, or what I was doing so I altered his mind over the course of months so that he would be able to become his wolf form without anyone realising. He was able to remain next to you without you even knowing" said Granger as he looked at Kyle, a slight look of disappointment in his eyes. Mike looked horrified at Kyle and then at Granger. At what he had said Mike watched Kyle look like he was reliving a bad memory. Kyle was now remembering all the things he had done as the black wolf. All the things he had done, all the times he had attacked the pack and all the deed he had done to Mike's father. "Mike.....I....I remember everything I've done but how can I be....a wolf" asked Kyle into the sky as a tear shed down his eye. Kyle let several tears go down his face as he felt like a large weight was on top of him, crushing his insides. "Mike, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or your family....." he said as he fell to the ground on his knees. Mike felt a stab of pity as he looked at Kyle on the ground. Kyle had been his friend for years, before anyone at school, before Bobby, Dimetri and Derek. Could he have been responsible for what had happened, could he have been a murderer? Mike looked up from Kyle to Granger and then said "Granger, I'm going to kill you for this. Kyle didn't murder my father, you did" he said as he felt a rush of air enter his lungs and almost ignite the change from human to wolf. However he resisted it for a bit longer. Mr. Granger lost his smirk from his face and then said "I don't think you quite grasp why I did anything. Not only did I turn Kyle into a wolf in order to get closer to you, I chose him because I needed to test out the area I found to see if it was really the place that normal humans could become wolves. It did work but it had some strange side effects, Kyle had to remain ignorant of his wolf side for some time so that he could adjust to the change. This happened while he stayed with Amanda and when he was apart I would bring him down here to continue his turn from man to wolf. It was a slow process but as you can see my genius has made him into a powerful creature" said Mr. Granger as his smirk returned. "You can't control people's lives like this Granger. It isn't right and I swear that I won't let you hurt anyone I care about ever again" said Mike to Granger. At this the rest of the pack got behind him as he could sense them without looking. "And who are you to threaten me? You owe your existence to me young man and I think it's about time I collect on this" said Granger. Granger then moved forward to Mike and the others causing them to move back. "Granger, I don't want to kill you but if you force me to I won't hold back" said Mike to the older man. At this Granger stopped before his eyes widened. He took off his dress jacket and then threw it to the ground. He took off his watch and his shoes also before saying "You think I'll let you leave, you and Kyle will remind here for as long as I decree. With Kyle remembering everything it put a small damper on my plan but not permanently, he is a Moon-Born, now and forever and nothing can change that. Given time he will get his full strength back" he said as he brought his head back toward them. "Last chance Granger, let us leave and we won't kill you" said Derek getting in front of Mike and the pack. At this Granger stepped forward fast as the blink of an eye and picked up Derek in his hand and threw him toward the wall. Derek landed on his back on the ground, obviously stunned by the display of strength. As he went to pick up Mike Dimetri quickly turned into his Moon-Born form and bit Granger on the arm. Granger winced in pain slightly before flipping his arm and then sent Dimetri toward Derek. "Don't test me boys, your puny forms are no match for me so last time. Leave Mike here with me, or I'll kill you all" he said as he took a step back and let them decide. "Never" said Mike as he too became his Moon-Born form and stood in front of Granger. "Have it your way then" said Granger as he began to change also. His form began to gain a massive amount of mass, and the hair began to grow all over his body, it looked jet black in color, except for the small white part that appeared on his head. Mr. Granger grew and grew until he stood on his hands and knees which became paws with large bladed claws. They looked like they could tear open anything. When he looked at them through his canine eyes he looked surprised to see almost the same human looking eyes Mr. Granger was known for. They didn't seem to change at all, which surprised him as most Moon-Born never had the same eye color. At the same time Kyle moved out the way and Derek became the silver wolf and Bobby the larger wolf of their group. All four of them stood before Mr. Granger ready for what was to come but Mike couldn't help but feel afraid of Mr. Ganger. He was massive, clearly over 8 feet on all fours. It was amazing how far his bones could stretch. Mr. Granger was easily the most physically imposing wolf Mike had ever seen. He felt a tinge of fear at beholding the wolf, however nothing would stop him from leaving here, through Mr. Granger or not. All four of the pack got ready to fight Mr. Granger, with point being taken by Derek, their alpha. Granger licked his lips and then looked at each of them in turn ready to cut down the other three and get Mike to where he "belonged". Derek leapt toward Granger first intending to rip out his throat. However this seemed almost doomed from the start as Derek was caught in mid jump and was now being dangled in Mr. Granger's fangs. Granger seemed to take delight in this, his eyes seemed to gleam from the damage he was suffering. Bobby and Mike were both the next to try and attack, Mike aimed at Granger's muzzle and Bobby aimed at his large chest. However as soon as both of them leapt toward Granger he threw Derek with unholy might toward Bobby and the two of them collided and were sent sprawling on the ground. Mike on the other hand was caught in Mr. Granger's large paws and sent onto the ground under Granger. Granger then used his large teeth on Mike and forced him under his larger body. Mike tried to get away but Mr. Granger's strength was simply too much, was this the might of a powerful Moon-Born? As he had his large eyes on Mike Granger didn't notice Bobby and Derek slamming full force into him. The two wolves had enough power to send Granger off of Mike and a bit further away from them. Neither Derek, not even Bobby had enough power to damage Granger's thick hide. Bobby, Dimetri and Derek all watched Granger as they covered Mike from being attacked further. Mike sensed the tension coming from the pack. They had never fought an enemy like this, not even Kyle was this strong because for all intents and purposes they were fighting his master. Granger's claws clacked as he pawed the ground. He stared at Mike intently as Mike knew exactly what he wanted, Mike himself. Granger attacked again and ran toward them in the blink of an eye. The pack spread out to get out the way but they were not fast enough however as he used his large bulk to throw Derek and Dimetri out the way and lift Bobby in his massive jaws. Granger was choking Bobby with his teeth and trying to tear his throat open. He had Bobby off the ground and was trying to kill him. Mike jumped onto Granger and attempted to bite into Granger's neck at the back but as Mike tried to bite him Granger didn't seem to feel it. Instead Granger dropped Bobby and did a roll in order to get Mike off his back. When Granger did this Mike felt the crushing weight on top of him. He recovered quickly from the crush but Granger was almost on top of him. For some reason he didn't pay that much attention to Mike but instead turned his attention to Bobby, Dimetri and Derek. Dimetri ran toward Granger and intended to get his teeth into his skin. However Granger ran much faster toward Dimetri also and rammed his full body into Dimetri sending him flying to the side. Mike witnessed this and began looking worried. They had tried to attack him many times now but were barely denting him. As he did he happened upon a chance glance at Kyle, he had never seen Kyle as afraid or as frightened as he was right now. He had only just found out what he was now and what he had done, not to mention that Mike had been keeping something from him. He knew that this would take him forever to recover from. Mike returned his mind to the fight. Granger had just sunk his large claws into Dimetri's side. Dimetri growled as he landed on the ground in pain. The scratch was large and it looked to be gushing blood. Mike knew it would heal soon but it looked very painful to the touch. Granger backed off from where he was and in the blink of an eye he turned back into his human form. He looked at them each in turn and smiled quite widely. "You are very powerful as a pack, it's been a very long time since I have had to flex my muscles as much as this" he said to them as he got on a pair of long pants he had lying around. "I wondering exactly how strong you are, and while I'm impressed I know Mike could do better with me than in your pack" he said as he gloated. "With Kyle in now fully aware of his identity he will slowly regain his strength and with Mike with his strength growing and me as their alpha I will control the most powerful pack in this world. I will make millions selling my services to those who can afford it" he said as if thinking about what he could do to exploit both Mike and Kyle. Mike looked once again at Kyle, he looked as if he might puke at the thought of becoming his animal self again. It was obvious that Kyle wasn't doing too well and that what Granger was saying was having an effect. Mike wasn't sure if they would be able to resist him but in both his own name, his Dad's and that of Kyle he wouldn't let Mr. Granger win this fight. "You're obviously crazy if you think we're just going to let you do this" said Mike snarling at Granger as he too regained his human form. Bobby, Dimetri and Derek who were all injured to varying degrees joined him. Derek put his face to Mike's human hands. "We won't let you use us. We're not your playthings Granger and it's about time you realised that" said Mike. "Don't presume to threaten me boy. You'll have no choice but to join me when I kill your pack mates and Kyle will join me again, this time of his own accord. If he doesn't I wonder if his unborn child will. Imagine how powerful she or he will be when the child is grown" he said to the group. At this Kyle looked shocked and extremely angry. "Leave my kid out of this Granger" he said getting to his feet. Granger turned to him and seemingly looking bored said "I'll get to you when this mess is done with, now wait there and be a good dog". "Enough of this, it ends now Granger" said Mike as he felt the heat rush through him and in a few short seconds he took back to his wolf form. He clawed the ground as he felt the floor under him. He felt his pack behind him, injured but still willing to fight. As he took a large breath through his nose he felt several instincts to attack, and a few to evade and run. It was obvious that other members of the pack were making a plan. However before they could decide Granger turned into his large beast form and charged toward them. All four of the pack split and got away from him, however before they were fully away Granger grabbed Derek by the tail and swung him into the wall. Derek crashed onto the wall and looked to have hurt his back slightly. Mike could almost feel the pain himself as his bond with Derek was so strong. Bobby and Dimetri tried to attack Granger together while Mike headed to attack him from behind. However Granger picked up Dimetri and hurled him toward Mike who was hit head on by him. The power of Granger was scary, he was able to pick up fully grown wolves and throw them like rag dolls. Granger and Bobby were biting into each other's necks. In a couple of seconds Granger got into Bobby's skin and made him fall to the ground in pain. The fight was going badly for the wolves until they got a plan. Mike knew what to do instantly. Mike ran toward one leg, while Derek headed to the leg opposite and Bobby and Dimetri grabbed the two at the front of Mr. Granger. As they did they attempted to pull his legs apart in order to break them and hopefully stop Granger. However although Granger couldn't stop them right away he attacked Bobby's neck where he had injured it and made Bobby drop the leg and using his mouth he attacked Dimetri. Derek and Mike were forced to drop the legs they had to get away from him. As Granger backed away from them breathing slightly he took the time to take on his human form again, a very naked human form. He was breathing slightly heavy from the effort and then said "Bravo kids, bravo indeed. It seems like you have a lot of fight in you" he said looking at each of them in turn. "There is room in my pack for mongrels even like you" he said looking at each of them. "So I'll tell you what, if you join me then I won't have any reason to kill you now and Mike's Mom can even leave. Doesn't that sound fair?" he asked them. "What do you all say?" he asked. Mike looked at the rest of the pack and then snarled at Granger and then took one step toward him. Granger shook his head and then said "Fine then kids, I didn't want to have to do this but I see no other choice" he said as he walked back to the console with Mike's mom displayed on it. "As you can see I have rigged that room to blow should I press in one button. If I do then you'll lose both parents Mike" he said. At this Mike stopped snarling and looked at Derek through his slightly darker eyes. Mike's heart fell flat against his chest. He couldn't endanger his Mom, not after everything. But how would he explain everything to her, about what had happened to his Dad, about him, about Granger and his friends. It wasn't fair that it was going to end like this. As Mike looked at Granger he also happened to see Kyle looking at Granger through angry eyes. He looked at his creator with such malice it was scary to look at. "If you do that then you'll be responsible for the deaths of two good people, and then you'll use my kid for your own gain. If you don't do it you'll enslave me and my best friend in the world" said Kyle to Granger. Granger turned to him as if out of annoyance and then said "Yes, we established that. Would you like to state the obvious anymore?" he asked in a rather bored voice. Kyle's face then went very pale and he began to curl his lip as if snarling at Granger. When he did this hair began to grow on his body, his face began to change, his ears eyes and mouth. He began to change his bone structure to become that of a large wolf. Within the space of three seconds the black wolf stood where Kyle once had. This time however he had Kyle's own blue eyes. The black wolf crouched on his all fours and then went toward Granger. Before Granger could press the button he had to change to avoid Kyle killing him. He clashed with Kyle's large animal form. To Mike it looked like Kyle was a little different than before, while he still was black his eyes were now bright and blue and he looked a little smaller. He was about the same size as Derek now, smaller than Bobby but bigger than himself and Dimetri. He fought with Granger for about thirty seconds before he was thrown off by Granger's large mouth. He landed beside the pack and Derek and Kyle looked at each other. Something seemed to have passed between them as they both looked at Granger intending to take him down. Mike felt something familiar to him as he felt them about to attempt the plan they had before and like before Mike attempted to grab Granger's back leg. Mike avoided nearly getting slammed by the large leg. He was only saved when Bobby grabbed the other hind leg of Mr. Granger and took him off his feet, his head slamming onto the ground with a thud. Despite how big and powerful he was he was no match for four wolves, well five now. As the pack grabbed Mr. Granger he was trapped but this time Kyle grabbed Granger by the neck and began to started to try and bite into him to try to stop him. Kyle bit into the neck further and further until he began feeling the blood in his mouth, he kept on biting until finally Granger was able to shake Mike and Bobby from his hind legs and then shake Derek and Dimetri from his front paws. When he finally got to his feet he grabbed Kyle and threw him toward Mike, the larger wolf colliding with the smaller one. The two black wolves landed in a heap on the ground. As they watched Granger Derek looked concerned at Mike. When Mike got to his feet he could see the relief in Derek's face. All five of them watched as Granger shook his head from side to side and then noticed the blood dripping from him. It shocked him slightly as this was obviously the first time he had ever bled from an attack by any being. Granger then ran toward the pack intending to take down Mike and Kyle, however all of the pack scattered and got out the way. Mike shot toward Granger and tried to bite into his paw again intending to try and draw blood to that Granger wouldn't be able to walk. As soon as Granger headed toward Mike's neck he sensed the movement and dashed away. Granger was able to go after Mike until he felt his other two hind legs being bitten and his neck again as well. Kyle was biting into his neck and Bobby and Dimetri were biting into his hind legs. Granger seemed to be getting frustrated until he felt himself being swept off his feet again. When he did Mike started biting into his neck with Kyle while Derek concentrated on his back. Granger looked to be in extreme pain now as he howled and then got the five wolves away from him in one shove. The pack landed safely except for Dimetri who landed on his side more but didn't seem to badly affected by it. Granger looked around, his eyes very unfocused and then swaying a little more landed on the ground, his body not moving. His eyes were still opened but he couldn't do anything as his body had sustained more damage. The pack didn't do anything except look at each other and then all of them except Kyle focused on Derek. As they slowly watched Mr. Granger turned back into his large, very naked human form. As he did he looked beaten up, he had gashes all over his body and arms and legs, he had a large opening on his back and the back of his neck and his hands and legs were bleeding quite heavily. He looked at the pack with such hatred, a change from his very calm and very cool demeanour from before. "You ingrates, I gave you power and long life and this is how you repay me. I am your creator and you owe me the lives you now live" said Granger as he painfully got to a standing position and pointed menacingly to them. "You should be bowing before me as your alpha, not this pack of strays" he said to the five wolves in the room. "I planned to use you Kyle as my catalyst for something truly powerful but now look at you. Smaller and weaker, as pathetic as the rest" he said. "Mike, I enhanced you with my power to be perfection but now you are nothing but a spec" he said to the two of them. As this Mike felt himself being lifted onto his back legs as he returned to his human form. Mike stared at Granger, anger surging through him like a tidal wave. "You used me, and my family and you turned my best friend against me and forced us to fight so we could become your little soldiers. You changed my life and murdered my father. You hurt both Kyle and Amanda. You don't deserve to be called a human or a Moon-Born, you're an insult to both" he said as he snarled at him even through his human form. At this, something seemed to snap in Granger as he looked at Mike. He also snarled but did so much more besides that. "If I can't have you two then I'll kill you both and restart my experiments in Moon-Born. I still have your unborn child to use and I'll make sure she doesn't go to waste as you have" he said as he turned into his wolf form again and using his remaining strength he ran toward Mike on four paws again. Mike looked horrified, he didn't expect Granger to have such speed transforming and in that Mike didn't have enough time to react, and now it would cost him. Mike's eyes grew larger and in that one instant he accepted his fate. It was to die here, as long as the pack killed Granger and got his Mom he would be OK with that, he just wished he would have been able to say goodbye. As he noted Derek's terrified looking face he silently bid him farewell. As Mike closed his eyes he expected to see himself fly back into the fall impaled on Granger's claws Mike felt nothing of the sort, only a small gust of wind. Mike opened his eyes to see that Granger was once again on the floor with Kyle hanging over him biting into the large opening on Granger's neck. As he did Granger whined in pain, and as he did he looked over at Mike with pleading eyes, as if asking him to help. Mike watched in horror as he watched the bite go further and further. With Kyle's sharp teeth he knew that Granger was in trouble. Granger let out a large whine and then they all heard a sickening crunch as Granger's neck snapped. As Kyle moved away his muzzle was covered in blood from the wound on Granger. He looked as if he had just eaten a large deer like any normal wolf would but this was anything but a deer. All of them looked, the four wolves and one human at the body now slumped in front of them. Granger moved for a few more seconds before closing his eyes and going limp. The body then started getting smaller as Granger reverted back to his human form. He was still lying in the same position he had been as a wolf with his eyes closed. Mike couldn't believe what he had just witnessed, Kyle had just killed Mr. Granger. All eyes fell on Kyle and he closed his own eyes and put his face to the ground, not really displaying any emotions. However after what seemed like almost a minute Kyle let out a howl, he was the most beautiful howl he had heard but it sounded so sad that it nearly made Mike fall to the ground clutching his chest. Mike watched as he stopped and still sitting on the ground Kyle too turned back to his human form, the boy that Mike had grown up with. Mike went over to him despite Derek's protest. Mike knew that Kyle would have to come through a lot now. Not only did he have a brand new family but he also had to keep this brand new big secret from everyone he knew but he was also going to have to come to terms with the fact that he had killed someone. "Mike....I....I'm so sorry" said Kyle with tears in his eyes, this was the most heartbreaking thing Mike had ever seen. Mike knelt down next to him, wary of the eyes watching from the rest of the pack. He was aware that Bobby, Dimetri and Derek were all changing back to their human forms. "Kyle, you didn't do anything to deserve this but...why did you kill him?" asked Mike. He had a feeling he knew but he wanted to hear it straight from Kyle. Mike felt all the wounds on his body, he knew they would hurt for a while. "He....he made me snap when he mentioned my daughter, and in doing that my inner beast felt like it had to defend its own flesh and blood and.....oh god Mike, what's inside me?" he asked to Mike. Mike looked back at the others as Derek stared back at him. Derek no longer looked angry, more encouraging now as he knew that Mike would want to support Kyle. "Your...you're not a bad person Kyle....Granger just chose the wrong path and in the end, well we had no choice but to kill him" said Mike. "You're not a monster and you don't have a monster inside of you, it's just another part of you and something you're going to have to get used to" said Mike to his friend. "We have to discuss this later Mike we need to get your Mum and get the fuck out of here" said Derek as he picked Mike up and then waited for Kyle to get up. He too looked pretty hurt but not as bad as Mike or Dimetri. Mike extended his hand to Kyle to help him up and Kyle took it. All of them looked toward the door they had come in. Mike hoped it would take them out of the building, the question was what they were going to do with Granger. "Alright listen up, Bobby can you take Granger up with Dimetri and bury him outside on the yard, there shouldn't anybody outside. Take a couple of minutes to recover though" said Derek. Bobby looked at Granger with distaste and then nodded. "Sure thing but it might take us about ten minutes he looks like a big guy and I got to take the stick" he said nudging Dimetri. Dimetri stared daggers at Bobby and then rubbed the side of his body which was beginning to heal slightly. "Ok take as long as you need, once you've done it then can you meet us outside at the rendezvous point?" asked Derek as he went to go out the way they had come in. "Sure boss man" said Bobby as he gestured to Dimetri. When they covered him with a large sheet that had been lying over something else they got to work trying to figure out the best way how to move him. Mike pitied them but he knew that Kyle couldn't do it and he didn't want to do it either. Derek motioned for Kyle and Mike to follow him toward where they had come in. Before they left the room both Mike and Kyle looked back at Granger's body, Mike looked at him with a sound hatred in his heart, and he knew his Dad wouldn't have wanted him to live like that but he would hate Granger until the day he died as well. Kyle on the other hand felt a little pity, Granger must have been so mad with power and it took him to the grave. Both of them looked at each other and followed Derek out of the room. Some ten minutes later they arrived back in the main house. It was as large as Mike had remembered but he didn't have time to worry about the detail, nor did he want to. There was only one thing on his mind. "OK where is my Mom being kept" said Mike as he took a sniff of the air, for some odd reason he couldn't detect her scent. It was strange because he should have been able to detect it instantly. "Mikey, don't worry she is here somewhere. I remember he took her to one of the rooms upstairs" said Kyle looking ashamed as to how he knew. "I'll lead the way" he said as he walked in front of Mike and Derek. Derek didn't seem to mind it too much as he stared at Mike with intensity. He must have known how much this would affect Mike having just now found out that his friend had been his attacker. Derek looked at Mike concerned, not only emotionally but physically as well especially after Mike put his hand on his shoulder as if in pain. They walked up the large stairs in silence for a couple of minutes. It was a strange time because Mike could tell that Derek wanted to know about Kyle and his abilities but he didn't want to ask himself. Finally Mike bucked up the courage to ask. "Hey...Umm Kyle how are you feeling?" asked Mike as he felt the cut on the back of his neck. Kyle didn't say anything at first but Mike could tell that there were about 1000 thoughts running through his mind. Kyle didn't know where to begin. Kyle felt a pang of guilt in his gut as he seen the state of Mike. Even in his human form it was obvious what he had done to him. "I feel like a monster Mikey, what I have done, what I just did. How can I be classed as human?" he asked to Mike. Mike was about to say something but Derek simply shook his head to let Kyle continue. "I don't even know what I'm going to do with my life. I mean I have a kid that's coming soon, I don't know how I'm going to be a Dad when I don't even know who I am anymore. Even worse how am I going to hide this from Amanda, she is going to want to know what's happened and.....how do I explain to her about her Father" asked Kyle as he put his face to the ground and closed his eyes, letting his senses take over for his eyes. Mike didn't answer at first but let the mood settle a little first. As he looked at Derek he nodded his head and then encouraged him to speak. "Kyle you're not a monster, you're too nice a guy but you've been used and not you have to come to terms with it. Just like my pack helped me I'll try and help you through this. You're going to be alright, as for Amanda...." he said as he trailed off trying to think about what to say. "You can't tell her you had anything to do with this, it would look way too bad and she might run to the hills but about your new kid. You're going to have to deal with it when it comes but I'll be there to help you guys anytime you need it" said Mike trying to be as encouraging as possible. Kyle nodded to him and then said "Thanks Mikey, even through all...everything you're still my wingman" and then nearly tripped as they got to the top of the stair. Mike felt angry still over the death of his Dad, knowing he had died in such a senseless way made him think about life. When they got to the top of the stair Kyle looked around and then said "I think it's this way, it's hard to know my memory is so fuzzy" he motioned with his head toward a hallway. Mike could understand, he himself was very confused and very unfocused when he had become a Moon-Born and now Kyle had to deal with all that in a matter of days. As they explored a little Mike happened to look down at each of them and then went red a little. "Umm can we find a couple of shirts first please?" he asked. Kyle and Derek were very careful not to look down but Derek went slightly red now. They continued looking but kept an extra eye open for a room with a set of clothes in it with each of them. They continued looking for an extra ten minutes until they found the room with Mike's Mom still sleeping, Mike was sure that it must have been quite late now but he couldn't even hazard a guess at the time so he merely forgot about it. "Hey guys I found us some clothes" shouted Kyle from another room and sure enough when they arrived Mike and Derek found some stuff in their size. Mike wore a simple pair of jeans with a white shirt, Derek wore the same but with a red shirt and Kyle wore a pair of sort jeans and a normal white t shirt. Each of them slipped on a pair of shoes as well. Mike wasn't very fond of his clothes but he couldn't seem to think of anything else to do at the moment. Kyle pointed down toward the end of a large hallway to another room and then said "I think she's in here Mikey, I'm sure of it" said Kyle as he gestured for Mike and Derek to follow him. As they moved Mike thought about how strange it was that he was now a wolf with untapped power, along with his boyfriend who was his silver protector and his pack brother, forged through the trials they had endured when being played against each other. It was a strange circle, mused Mike. Mike finally hit the door Kyle had suggested and opened it with more force than he had meant breaking it off the hinges. When he did he went into the brightly lit room from the monitor and beheld his Mom. Just seeing his Mom again brought a joy to his heart and he quickly walked over to her and shook her. She didn't awake at first which made Mike worry slightly but she awoke after a minute. As she looked around she said "Michael, why are you here? Where's Gio?" she asked as she got off the bed and noticed Derek and Kyle. "Oh hello boys, can someone explain why your all here?" she asked as she looked for her phone to check it. "Mom we don't have time right now but I'll explain everything soon as we have time OK?" he said. "As for Mr. Granger, we....we seen him in the way out and he said he didn't want to see you anymore. So we came up and got you to take you home" said Mike as he looked at Derek. He had no clue on what to say to her, it was an unusual turn even for them. "Come on Mom let's go home" said Mike as he looked at his Mom upset. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying. "Why wouldn't he call me, I'm going to phone that man and give him for what" she said, but burst out crying instead while Mike led her out through the mansion. Mike comforted his Mom while Derek and Kyle walked behind him. They kept a respectful distance while Mike remembered how to get out of the house. Mike was refreshed when they met outside and were able to feel the fresh air on them, it felt so good just being able to breathe after so long underground. The events of the night would not leave them for ages, and in Kyle's case he would probably be scarred for life. None of them said anything when they got to the gate of the mansion. It was still as deserted as before and for that Mike was grateful. "Hey guys, I'm gonna head home OK. So I'll meet you later" he said to Derek and winked at him softly to say what he really meant, later being later that night under the cover of darkness. Mike talked to his Mom on the way home and asked her about what she remembered. "I was talking to Gio and then I fell asleep but I don't remember what happened after that Mike" she said to him. Mike didn't know what to say about this but he knew she could never know the truth. He made up his mind not too long ago to tell her about the Moon-Born side of things but he could never tell her everything he knew about Mr. Granger. Kyle went to Mike's side and then said "Mikey, I....I uhhh I'm gonna head home to my Mum's OK?" he said as he looked over at Mike's Mum and then said "Sorry for how things turned out tonight Mrs. R". Mike nodded to him and then said "Sure man, I'll see you tomorrow" he said as he gave Kyle a bro fist. "Goodnight Kyle, thanks for walking Mike to Mr. Granger's house...." she said. She looked like she had more to say but her lips seemed to have failed her. Mike and Kyle exchanged a look with each other when Dominique's back was turned. Kyle made his way to the forest on the way to his own house. While Mike and his Mom continued on the way back home. Neither Mike nor his Mom had said anything on the walk home, Mike could tell that she was finding it hard to keep herself together but he knew it would be better to let his Mom think Mr. Granger had left her than to tell her the truth. However even though he knew he had to tell her this he suspected she knew something more than she was saying, there were too many unusual things for her to think otherwise. He would answer her questions when and if she asked them. Mike helped his Mom into her bed. "Thanks my son" she said as she put her hand on his cheek. "I'm so sorry to have been such a fool to think I could find love again so soon" she said. This made Mike's feel low inside, as if somehow it was his fault. "Mom, you're not a fool for wanting something like that. You'll find the right guy for you someday. I know you will" he said as he smiled at her. Mike then said "Good night" and left the room in order for her to get some sleep. Mike heard his Mom mutter "good night" while Mike headed back to his own room. Mike went into his room and lay down on his bed looking up at the roof. He thought about everything that had happened that day, he would never have thought it would happen when he left the bed this morning and he also knew he would have to be fierce now to protect his Mom for now on. Mike didn't even notice when he fell asleep. Mike awoke hours later to hear his phone buzzing in his ear. He freaked out and nearly jumped off his bed in a shock. He looked at it and seen it was Derek calling, in his favourite tune of "What I've Done" by Linkin Park. As Mike rubbed his eyes he said "Hello, what's wrong Derek?" in a very husky voice showing his tiredness. "Hey Mikey, I'm outside your window. Remember pack meeting?" he asked Mike as Mike rushed over to the window and sure enough, seen Derek standing outside the window with the phone to his ear. Mike then smiled and nodded before saying "I'll be right down" and then ended the call. Mike then put the phone in his pocket then went and put on a pair of shorts and a black jumped and trainers. As he was about to dash out the room he was caught off guard as he noticed the window to his bedroom. After a few flashbacks came he remembered how Derek had jumped out the window in the weeks past and Mike pondered if he could do it now. He made his way over to the window and then looked down. As he did he got a look from Derek, and then a smile. As Mike got onto the window frame he said to himself "Well now's as good a time as any to be fierce" and then descended from the window. As he did Mike got the fright of his life, but what an exhilaration. As Mike landed he felt his feet tingle for a second and then looked at Derek to see him gleefully smiling. "Congrats Mikey" he said as he gave him a large steamy kiss. Mike felt his lips and his face go red. "Thanks Derek, I...I thought it was time" he said as he looked back at the house. Mike still felt his heart soared from the sensation. "Sure man, let's go" he said as they looked around to check nobody was looking. At 4:30 in the morning, the likely hood of anybody being around was slim but you could never be too careful. Mike and Derek made their way to the forest near to Mike's house. They made their way to a meeting spot they usually used when in their human forms. As they reached the clearing Mike saw that Bobby and Dimetri were there already, both in their human forms. The forest smelled very refreshing to Mike after being in his room, he hated to admit it but his hygiene might be sufficient to humans but to any animal he would be considered a pig. "Hey guys" said Mike as he went over and hugged them both, normally he wouldn't be so forward but considering what had just happened it seemed alright. Bobby likewise usually didn't display emotions but in this occasion he relented. "Thanks for everything guys, I mean it" he said to the two of them. "You're welcome Mikey, you are the heart of this pack so we couldn't let you join someone else" said Dimetri. Dimetri looked like a kid with his grin but Mike understood why. Bobby looked like he wasn't going to say anything but eventually he said "Your welcome little dude, it was a problem and we took care of it" he said as he gave both Dimetri and Mike a bro fist. He did the same to Derek before Derek turned to speak. "Mikey, I invited someone else here and I think he should be arriving soon" said Derek as he took a sniff of the air out of habit. "Who and when?" asked Mike to the others, however he didn't have to wait long to find out. "It's me Mikey" said the voice of Kyle coming from behind Mike. Mike's hair stood on end for a second when he heard this. "Kyle, what are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you" said Mike truthfully. Despite everything they had been through Mike didn't blame Kyle for what happened. As far as he was concerned his Father's killer was dead now and he could rest in peace. All that remained now was a confused and sad person, his friend. Kyle looked slightly gaunt, it was obvious that he had not slept at all and he was wearing no shirt and only a pair of shorts. The Moon-Born transformation had done even more for Kyle's body than it had for Mike's, considering his ripped Kyle had been before. Mike was shocked that he hadn't noticed some of the physical change before. He cast his mind back and thought about it. He wouldn't normally have asked Kyle to see his chest or anything and since he wasn't on the football team he wouldn't really see him shirtless or anything. "I'm here because Derek asked me to come, to find out what all this is about" he said pointing to the forest in general. Mike nodded for a second before Derek said "OK, let's get down to business, OK Kyle you know all about what we, and you are but what are you going to do with it now?" asked Derek. Kyle got up to his feet and then said "Well I have thought long and hard about that, and the truth is that I have nowhere to go around here. You see I don't belong in this forest because it is already dominated by a pack, and my very being rejects that notion. I already feel the need to attack Derek strong within me" he said as he tried to make the others understand what he was going through. "I won't do it though, but the compulsion is there because I am a wolf. Furthermore, there were other people who knew about what I was, and about what Granger was doing. They won't know about you Mikey but they will come to seek revenge on me" he said as he closed his eyes letting a tear settle. "So....my only option is to leave White Valley". As he said this something in Mike's heart dropped. "No!" said Mike loudly as he suddenly leapt to his feet. The movement was so fast that nobody had seen it coming. "No Kyle, you don't have to leave. You....you can join our pack like I did. Derek will be the alpha but I bet you would be a noble addition and we can protect you" he said to his best friend. Kyle went over to him and gave him a look of understanding and compassion. "Mikey, one day I might be able to join but right now it is far too dangerous. I won't let anything happen to you on my account and I have to keep Amanda and her Mom safe too" he said. "I am planning on telling Amanda and her Mom, I won't say anything about you guys so you should be protected. I don't know how I'm gonna tell Amanda about her Father though" said Kyle. Mike let out a groan and then said "No way Kyle I won't let you. We'll get through this with you here, somehow" he looked at Derek. Derek gave him a look of understanding but then said "Mikey, it's going to be hard for both him and us to be here if he doesn't join, just like it was before" said Derek not wanting to elaborate further. "Noooo....." said Mike as he let out a pained groan and then said "This isn't fair, why do I have to lose you?" he asked all of them. He couldn't think straight with his emotions playing havoc on him. "It's not going to be forever Mike, I will return...I promise" said Kyle as he smiled at Mike widely but with sombre eyes. "Maybe one day I can join this pack and we can be together as brothers, maybe not but I'll see you again soon" said Kyle. Mike went over and then gave him a hug as the two of them embraced. "I'll be there when you leave man but I want you to keep your word to me, remember you promised" said Mike as he let Kyle go. Mike felt like a child who had lost his first real best friend, and in some cases it was true but it was worse for him because he felt Kyle as both a friend and as a pack brother since the two of them had been sired by the same wolf. He didn't consider Mr. Granger anything more than a monster and a murderer but he considered Kyle as his own brother. Derek and the others watched the exchange and Derek added "Your doing a brave thing man, and I know that shit has put us on opposite ends of this thing but I think you would make one hell of a pack mate and there is a spot open for you if you return" said Derek as he gave him the thumbs up. "Thanks man, you look after this pack. It's the best damn set of wolves around" said Kyle as he began to make his way away from the pack meeting. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon Mikey, at the bus stop" said Kyle as he made the final arrangements with Mike. As Kyle left Mike felt a strange upset in his stomach, it hurt him to think about it. "Anyway guys, is that all?" asked Mike as he felt the need to go home and get some sleep. "I think so Mikey, go home and get some rest. We'll meet you tomorrow at the usual time and place" said Derek as he watched Mike begin the walk home. Mike took his time going home through the forest, he would liked to have ran around for a while that night but it was almost 7 in the morning and he had to be home before his Mother was up or else she would get worried, aside from that he was running out of shoes for how many he had destroyed when morphing from human to wolf. Mike took almost a half hour to get home from which he went straight to bed. Mike got up just a couple of hours later about 10 in the morning. He shot out of bed very blurry eyed and tired, however he wasn't going to let anything like that stop him because this would be his last time for ages when he would see Kyle and he didn't intent to waste it. Mike quickly got up, got some breakfast and then went to the kitchen where a note had been left from his Mom. "Dear Michael, I've gone to see Amanda's Mom, she called up this morning very upset about something. I should be back before dinner time tonight. See you later". Mike put the note back on the fridge and then thought for a minute. It seemed obvious that Kyle, Amanda and her Mom did intend to leave after all. He wondered how Kyle's parents would react to it but he knew it was none of his business since he had already promised he wouldn't tell anyone anything about him or the pack. Mike left the house and then called Derek. Derek answered and sounded pleased to hear him. "Mikey, how you doing? You still sound a little groggy" he said to Mike over the phone. Mike answered him and then said "Yeah I'm OK, you want to meet up later for a while. I....I'm going to see Kyle off and then we can meet up. Cool?" asked Mike. He waited for Derek to answer. "Its fine Mikey, Dimetri, Bobby and me are going to be there to see him off. We might have fought him a lot but we know he's not evil" said Derek in a kind voice. Mike was shocked by the gesture but he really welcomed it, he let out a small smile. Derek knew how hard this was for Mike and was attempting to make it easier in any small way he could. The two of them arranged to meet at the bus stop and then meet up afterwards. The morning moved rather slowly for Mike as he simply looked around the shops to see if there was anything he liked or wanted to get, however Mike didn't really pay attention because his mind was too blank for anything except later on. Mike finally met Derek close to the bus stop. It always made Mike feel warm inside seeing him. The two of them made their way to the place where he knew that he would be waited on by Kyle and his family. As Mike expected he approached the bus station and seen Kyle waiting with Amanda and her Mom. Mike's Mom was waiting there for him also which Mike had not expected. Kyle turned as if on instinct to look at Mike and Derek approaching and smiled at them half heartedly. "Mikey and Derek, it's good to see you guys before we go. I'm sorry this is such short notice" he said to them all. Mike's Mom and Amanda's Mom were talking, with Mike's Mom offering encouragement and goodbyes to the other woman. Amanda looked pretty upset as well but she looked over at Mike and then smiled at him. "Mike, I'm glad to see you before you go. I take it you know that my Dad.....well he left" said Amanda. Mike didn't know if Kyle had told her yet but he suspected she knew. "I know Amanda, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you guys have to leave" said Mike as he gave her a hug. Amanda hugged him back and then went to wait on the bus. He wanted to give Mike and Kyle a short time to say goodbye. Mike looked at Kyle and then said "Kyle.....are you sure there isn't another way?" He felt a drain in his mind that he knew would probably be there for quite a while, it was as if a part of himself was leaving, which in a way was true. Kyle smiled at him and then said "Mikey, we went over this. If we could stay we would, but thanks to....the four legged problem as well as people finding out what we know it's too big of a risk for everyone else here" he said as he pulled Mike under his arm and grabbed his head. Kyle noticed an uneasy motion from Derek but Derek didn't do anything about it. "No, come on...let me go Kyle" said Mike as he felt his head get really warm. Kyle let him go and had a broad smile on his face. "Kyle, the bus is coming" said his Kyle's Mom as all three of the boys turned around to see the bus heading up the road. Mike's heart dropped as he realised that this was it, Kyle was going away. Mike grabbed Kyle's arm and then pulled him into a hug. He held it for a few minutes before saying "Don't stay away too long....brother...." said Mike as he let Kyle go. It seemed to hearten Kyle as Mike said this when he let him go. He let out a small smile, partially a smirk before saying "You know I'm always going to be around Mikey. Don't let people push you around and remember I'll be back" he said as he gave Mike a bro fist and then shook Derek's hand. As they boarded the bus Mike waved a little toward Amanda, Kyle and his Mom. He knew they had arranged a place to go but he didn't know where as he knew the secret was too important to share. "I'm gonna miss them" said Mike although he had said it out loud without realising it. "Don't worry too much Michael, the time will fly by and it'll be graduation soon" said Mike's Mom as they made their way home from the bus stop as the bus went out of sight. As they made their way home Mike felt slightly empty inside his heart. Kyle being made to leave wasn't fair but he knew that circumstances had forced it to him. Mike's Mom made her way back home after Mike and Derek had walked her most of the way. Mike talked for hours with Derek and they even met up with Dimetri and Bobby a short time later. They had watched the farewell but had chosen not to be seen. "Derek am I ever going to see Kyle again?" asked Mike. Mike didn't want to seem like some lovesick puppy but he couldn't stand Kyle not being around. "Of course Mikey, didn't he say to you he would be back?" asked Derek. At this Mike nodded to him, still looking slightly depressed. "Well he'll be back man. I might not know him as much as you do but I can tell he meant it" said Derek. "Thanks Derek" said Mike as his way over to Derek and gave him a kiss. Mike felt a great sense of pride in Derek as he kissed him. He knew he was going to feel slightly lonely while Kyle was gone but he wouldn't even be alone now that he had a great pack at his back. Even while he was human he could feel their influence and power coursing through him. "Hey Mikey, why don't we go camping this weekend and take your mind off it" said Dimetri as he pulled Derek and Mike apart with a movement that made him look like he had a crowbar. Mike looked at him with narrowed eyes and then smiled at Dimetri with a mock smile. "Sure why not Dimetri, just promise me you won't make that gesture again?" asked Mike to Dimetri. Dimetri put his hands behind his back and then said "I don't know I'll have to have a serious think about it". Bobby then let out a bark of laughter behind him. "Well if you do it again I think you might just kill me" said the larger jock as he looked at the time. The whole day seemed to have flown past since Kyle had left. Mike knew he was going to miss him a lot and he couldn't wait for the day when he would be back, no matter when that would be. Mike made his way home after being with the pack for nearly the whole day. His heart was still heavy from earlier but a little more cheerful too after his talk with Derek. He was really looking forward to camping this weekend. As Mike got to the kitchen he made his way to the fridge to make himself something to eat. Mike noticed that his Mom was away to bed now. She must have been tired especially after losing both Mr. Granger and Kyle's Mom. She wouldn't be herself for ages yet. Mike kept all of this in mind as he thought over the weeks and months since he had first gotten introduced to Derek, his life had changed in more ways than he could count. Some were for good and some were for ill. He knew he would have to tell his Mom eventually about Derek and himself but he would wait at least until after graduation. As he made his way up the stairs to bed his bedroom he thought about the camping trip at the weekend. It had been so long since he had done it. He then turned on the computer and looked up any news happening in the world and in his area and then slowly made his way to bed. As Mike sat in the bed he heard the phone ring. As it was 11 at night he knew that it must have been one of the pack, nobody else would call at this hour. "Hello?" said Mike as he answered the phone. He sounded relieved as Derek answered him on the other side of the line. "Mikey, what you doing just now?" asked Derek to Mike. As the two of them began to talk Mike tried to put off the question Derek was bound to ask for as long as he could. "So Mikey, any chance you feel like coming out for a run tonight. Bobby is out with his Dad for some late night dinner and I can't get Dimetri on the phone. Surely you're not going to let me run by myself?" said Derek trying to guilt trip Mike. Mike seethed very slightly to himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to go out but he was in his underwear ready for bed. "OK Derek I'll be right down" said Mike as he took a couple of minutes to get changed. Of course Derek was already at the house, he had been since he called him. Mike could smell him now that he knew he was there. As Mike looked out the window he tried the same thing he had done before. He leapt out the window to the ground below and this time did a front flip and still landed on his feet. He got a small clap from Derek who said "Nice showing off Mikey. Your graceful on your legs" said Derek as he smiled at Mike. The worry and the doubts about the future seemed to come pouring out of Mike as he ran on his four paws hitting the ground. Mike felt the wind go through his black fur and his ears felt the subtle changes in direction he and Derek took. They didn't run anywhere special, they just ran for the sake of running. Mike let out a breath which turned into steam from the cold air that was all around them. Mike stayed behind Derek, his alpha and his boyfriend. The two of them as good a couple as any. When they finally stopped they changed back to their human forms. Derek stood up and then pulled on some shorts they had left at this part of the forest. Mike knew they could never get lost so they could leave clothes anywhere. "Mikey come here" said Derek as both an order and a request. Mike did so and then went over and under Derek's arms. He looked up at Derek and then smiled broadly at him. "Mikey I really love you. You know that don't you?" asked Derek to Mike. Mike answered with certainty with "Yeah I know Derek, I'm glad you chose me and I'm glad we get to be together this way" he said. "I'm glad I got a good pack, I'm glad I got a good boyfriend and I'm glad my friend isn't suffering anymore....my....stalker....my....wolfish stalker" said Mike as he thought of Kyle. Derek hugged him closer and then said "I like that. Your wolfish stalker, well he'll be back someday. I know that much" said Derek as he and Mike stayed there for a while thinking about all that had been and all that might one day be. Thanks for sticking with me those who did. I am glad to finally have this chapter out and I apologise again for it taking so long. Hopefully coming soon(ish): The Wolfish Stalker Chapter 2: The Wolfish Captors