Date: Sat, 8 Jun 2013 15:04:52 +0100 From: Ryan Stevenson Subject: The Wolfish Stalker Chapter 12 Well guys at long last here is a new chapter, it is the second to last one with chapter 13 following suit very soon. I hope you all enjoy it and I apologize for the delay. Anyway not for anyone under 21 and if you enjoy please feel free to rate, comment, question or concern. All mail is nice even if it's just to say "move it". Mike paced up and down the same spot once again as he watched Derek talk with both Dimetri and Bobby. They had decided to meet up here, more deeply in the forest than they had ever met before. Derek had decided to make them meet here for now on because they had never scented the black wolf there and he assumed it would be safe for them. "I just don't know what we can do about it" said Derek to the three of them although he was talking more to Bobby and Dimetri since Mike had shown himself incapable of controlling himself when it came to the black wolf now. "I know mate, I know. I just wanna know how he managed to hide it from us all this time?" said Dimetri completely agreeing with what Derek had said so far. "We should have scented that lunatic from a mile off" said Dimetri as he thrust his hand into his other palm. "I bet he found out how to hide from us, he must know more about us as a race than we do" said Bobby. Dimetri nodded to him while Derek just thought for a minute or so. "I think you all know what we have to do. We have to get rid of him" said Mike finally speaking up for himself instead of just pacing up and down. He had already made quite a mark on the ground from how long he had been walking in the same pattern. Derek got up from the spot and looked at Mike directly in the eye, in Mike's eyes he seen a man that could go through with what he was suggesting. In Mike's eyes he no longer seen the meek human he had once been. In Mike's eyes he saw exactly what Mr. Granger had turned him into, a ruthless hunter. "Mike we can't go and simply strike down Mr. Granger like an animal, and yeah I know he's little more than a cold blooded killer but have you thought it though on what would happen if you did?" he asked Mike trying to make him see sense. Mike looked to the side with his eyes as if annoyed by Derek, of course Mike had went through everything and he knew what might happen but rationality wasn't at the forefront of his thoughts anymore. "Yeah I know Derek but he has to pay for what he's done" said Mike as he stamped on the ground and then sat down on a tree trunk. As he did Derek approached him and then said "Mikey, I need your word as my boyfriend, a Moon-Born and as a member of the pack that you won't go against me and try to do anything until we're decided on what to do. All four of us?" said Derek trying to get his point across to Mike on his serious his actions could be. Mike snorted and then looked at Derek but without as much anger as before. "OK Derek I promise I won't" said Mike as he put his hand on his heart and the other one in the air, like a child would do. Derek smiled at him and then said "Keep yourself ready, we won't take forever deciding this and when we do we'll make sure that he pays". Mike trusted Derek and the rest of the pack but he still wished that he could do it on his own. Mike hadn't forgotten their last encounters, the black wolf was a very powerful opponent and it was only through numbers they were able to drive him off. It also made Mike remember the times Derek and Dimetri had driven him off on their own. When he asked them about it both of them looked a little lost for words. "I don't know Mikey, maybe he didn't know how we fought or wasn't expecting us" said Dimetri to the question. It lingered for Mike a little longer before he moved onto something else. Mike also remembered having dinner with Kyle and Mr. Granger, if he had been a Moon-Born back then he would have been able to smell the wolf within the house and he would have acted there and then. Mike wasn't sure exactly what Derek and the pack had in mind or how long it would take them to act on it but they were right he had to keep it under control. He couldn't risk going anywhere near town for fear of bumping into him there. School was a big risk as well but he had already had enough time off from when he had found out about Derek. As Mike's mind drifted off from the others Derek shook him slightly and then said "Do you have any ideas on how to deal with this?" as he asked Mike the question. Derek's serious eyes lingered on him for a second. Mike despite everything would have liked to kiss Derek then and there but not with his current state of mind. "I don't know Derek, I just want to make him pay for what he's done" he said as he closed his eyes and felt a stinging sensation. "I don't think there's much we can do here tonight mates" said Dimetri to the others. Bobby and Derek turned to look at him as he looked at their gazes also. Mike avoided the look as the others silently wondered what to do. A couple of hours later Mike lay in his bed thinking about the whole situation. It was messed up to be sure and no clear cut way out of it. They had to do something about Mr. Granger and fast because if what Kyle said was true then he would be after Mike's Mom to try and go out with her. At this Mike almost lost control again as he seethed, he had murdered Mike's Dad in order to get closer to his Mom. No that didn't make sense; he wouldn't risk it all for that. There had to be something more to this puzzle. As Mike fell asleep his head kept on buzzing with the same questions again and again, how and why? He didn't know the answer to either of those things and this is what he needed to know before time ran too short. Over the next week Mike spent a lot of time indoors either on his computer or reading. He hadn't spent anymore time at school than necessary or any time outside at all if he could help it. Mike had avoided talking to his Mom about his Dad also because he knew she would never understand. His biggest fear though is if Mr. Granger happened to call and ask to meet his Mom. Thankfully the week had gone by pretty much uneventful except for the occasional visit from Mike's friends. Mike had begun to feel a little strange after the first few days which he tried to ignore but after six days he was beginning to feel something much worse. When he had called Derek he had only then explained about his Moon-Born self needing to be outdoors more than once a week. "...And you didn't tell me this because....?" was what Mike finished with on that conversation. Derek had sounded slightly sheepish when he had said he had forgotten. Mike had arranged to go out and run about with Derek in the forest tonight, just the both of them. Mike was looking over his notes on physics for school the next day when he seen his door open out the corner of his eye and when he did he seen Kyle come in. Mike looked shocked because he had not expected Kyle to visit today considering that it was Thursday and they had school the next day. "Hey man, what's up I didn't expect you" said Mike although as he looked at Kyle his face looked slightly red as if he had been crying. Kyle looked a little upset at something and when he didn't say anything this drew even more concern from Mike. "I'm...I'm OK Mikey; it's just that Mr. Granger is making it impossible for me to see Amanda. It's always "something's come up" or "she's doing her home work" he said sounding very depressed Mike looked slightly pissed at this, it seemed like Mr. Granger existed simply to suck all the joy and goodness out of the world. His family, his friends and his pack, what would be next? He dreaded to think what would be next on Mr. Granger's hit list. "Sorry to hear that Kyle isn't there anything you can do?" he asked. Kyle quickly picked up on Mike's mood before commenting on it. "Not yet Mikey, her mom and me are trying to get some money together so that we can try and get ourselves a place. I'm going to be getting a job after school that should keep me busy" said Kyle as he looked at Mike concerned. "Don't worry about it too much Mikey, the guy's insane I know but it's my problem" he said to Mike. "I'm OK Kyle, just a little pissed at this guy, and he seems to be out for control. By the way what were you guys arguing about....the other day?" he asked Kyle. Kyle snorted as he remembered the conversation. "He wanted to help me pick out a college for after graduation. I went over to his house later that day but truth be told I don't even remember most of what we talked about" he said. Mike thought about this for a second as Mike and Kyle continued all the small talk. Mike was thinking quickly about what Kyle had said to him. It seemed like the situation for everyone would not get better until Mr. Granger was in jail. For the rest of the day Mike stayed in again and didn't really go outside, he had promised that he would run with Derek and the pack again tonight like he did with Derek the previous night. He actually really enjoyed it and it did let his Moon-Born half off the chain for a while as well, just enough for it to stop trying to control him from the inside out. His mother hadn't really noticed anything wrong with him as much because she herself was still recovering from the shock of what had happened, even though it happened about a month ago now. "Hey mom, how you feeling?" asked Mike to Dominique as he walked into the kitchen for dinner. Dominique had made some hamburgers for them to eat. They weren't anywhere near as big as the things Derek and the pack ate but they were good though. "I'm OK Mike, just keeping busy" she said in a very short answer. "Gio has been quite a dear though; I have seen him a few times since the funeral and had lunch with him a few times. It had helped take my mind off it though" she said as Mike looked at her strangely. "Oh come on, don't look at me like that. It's not what your thinking. Mr. Granger is just being nice, and goodness knows I need all the help I can get" she said. Mike felt like a heel for ruining his Mum's happiness in regards to the small amount she was getting but there was no way that this was going to go on for much longer. "Sure Mom, just be careful and don't let yourself get too upset. Dad wouldn't want us to forget him but he wouldn't want us to dwell on him forever" said Mike to his Mom. Dominique came and hugged Mike a little as she said "Thanks my little boy, you've really grown into a young man I can be proud of, and so could your Father" said Dominique. Mike flashed red slightly, even more so than his face was nowadays and smiled. "Thanks mom, that mean's a lot I'll always do my best to look after you" he said to her. They continued for the last little while watching a DVD until Dominique went to her bed. It was at that time that Mike decided to sneak out the house and go meet with Derek and the pack. As he did he quietly shut the front door and locked it. He crept through the houses and quietly entered the forest, instead of bursting into his wolf form like he usually did he simply ran through in his trainers. As he did he smelled all the different scents. He smelled all of the wolves from the area, including the black one but there wasn't any recent scents which meant he hadn't been out recently. Finally Mike approached the area where he seen Derek, Dimetri and Bobby sitting in a tree. As he slowed down all three of then looked at him with mixed expressions. "You didn't come on four legs, strange things do happen mate" said Dimetri as he sniggered to himself. Derek looked at him and then smacked him on the head slightly; Dimetri fell off the tree in a fit of laughter at the hit and then said "Come on my nanny hits harder than you mate". None of them laughed with him which would normally have made any other person feel self conscious but not Dimetri. "Ok then, down to business, Mikey I think we finally might have discovered what to do about our big problem" said Derek as the others gathered around to listen, even Dimetri who had stopped acting like a child, or a wolf pup. "So come on Derek, spill what are we going to do about our Mr. Granger wolf problem" asked Mike anxiously awaiting the answer. "We're going to break into his house and scope out something incriminating about him" said Bobby as he looked specifically at Mike for any reaction to this news. At first Mike wasn't even sure he had heard Bobby right for what he had said; he didn't think that this could ever make sense in any planet or language. "Are you kidding me on Bobby, because if you are this isn't funny. What do you mean go into his house? Where he's going to be waiting and probably half a dozen innocent people" said Mike ridiculing Bobby. Bobby looked severely pissed at Mike for shooting him down like this but it was Derek that spoke to him "Mike, that's enough" he finally snapped at his pack mate. At this Mike seemed to have realised that he had stepped over the mark. "Bobby, Dimetri, wait here I think I need to have a little chat with Mike" said Derek to the others. At this Bobby simply looked at Mike with an annoyed expression and Dimetri looked concerned for them. As Derek bobbed his head in a specific direction Mike followed it and Derek followed behind him. They walked for a good twenty minutes away from the others until Derek spoke, as he did he spoke in a very calm and a very controlled way like you would speak to a four year old who had done something wrong. Mike picked up on this and was on guard to answer Derek. "Care to explain what that was about Mikey?" asked Derek in a very short and blunt question. As he said this he could see the gears in Mike's head working to try and answer in a way that would satisfy the Alpha of their pack. Mike knew he had done wrong but he wasn't about to be tossed around. "Derek that plan is crazy, you know it and I know it. How do you think I would feel?" asked Mike. Derek shook his head and then said in a rather chiding voice "Mikey, you shot down Bobby and made him feel like a complete idiot. If you weren't in the pack you would be dead by now" said Derek in a reference to the size difference between them. If Bobby had wanted Mike dead then Derek wasn't even sure if he would be able to protect Mike. "I don't think so Derek I....." said Mike but he was cut across by Derek who continued. "Bobby isn't a vengeful person but you didn't even get our reasons for this before you butted it" said Derek as he sat down on a lot and gestured for Mike to join him. "Obviously killing Mr. Granger is out of the question, and we're just now beginning to understand why your Dad is dead. If we can find some kind of evidence that he is connected then we could sneak into his house and get it and then hand it into the police and get him arrested" said Derek. As Derek said this pictures began forming in Mike's head, it sounded like a very radical idea to begin with but as Derek explained it began to make sense. They would have to go a night where Mr. Granger was out for the night but that would be possible to arrange, next they would need time to get through the security cameras and sensors. This would be harder but not impossible thanks to their Moon-Born abilities; the security was designed for humans. As they talked for another ten minutes Derek said to Mike "You see Mikey, your attitude over the last couple of weeks has been well stinking to put it lightly. You need to realise that we're here for you. Bobby, Dimetri and me, we're all here for you no matter what. We promised to protect you and that's just what we intend to do" said Derek. Mike's heart melted a bit as Derek said this; it almost made him feel completely normal again over the past month. He kissed Derek on the mouth a little, then more fiercely. "Come on Mikey, is this really the time?" asked Derek through the kiss but as he did he felt Mike's tongue enter his mouth. OK so it was time apparently. They kissed for a couple of minutes before they got up off the log. As Mike looked at the moon, it had moved a fair bit since he had first come out. "Let's go I think we should all get home soon before it gets any later" said Mike as they moved back through the forest to the others. Bobby and Dimetri had taken to playing Tic Tac Toe while they had been gone and looked relieved when they came back. Mike made his way over to Bobby looking remorseful. "Listen Bobby, I want to apologize for the way I....I acted earlier. It's not usually like me to get emotional like this" said Mike to Bobby as he looked down at the ground and then up to the larger jock. Bobby didn't respond right away but merely stared at him for a moment. As he composed himself he said "Don't sweat it too much Mike, just remember I'm here for you like your bf and the clown are. Don't try to do everything yourself" he said as he made a bro fist and this time Mike did it without hesitation on his part. This made Derek and Dimetri relax a little more relaxed as they all sat down again, or in Derek's case climbed the tree to talk again. As they talked they made plans to break into the house, Mike was slightly familiar with it but he didn't know the complete layout as the house was too large to memorise after just one meal. Eventually they decided to call it a night as it was well into the morning now and they would end up sleeping in the next day. "OK, let's take one more run and then we'll head home" said Derek as he pulled off his shorts and shirt and then with a slight jump he landed on the ground in his large silver four legged form. He looked though his blue eyes to the others. All three of them followed suit. Bobby turned into his large gray form, Dimetri into his dark brown form and then Mike turned into his wolf form. As Mike breathed in the smell of life from the forest, his insides burned with energy from the world around him. He loved being in his wolf form, it made him feel more alive than ever. It just wished it hadn't cost him so dearly. If he could have his Dad back then he would gladly go back to being human. However he came to the realisation that he didn't work that way and he resigned himself to the fact that he was a wolf now and forever. As he looked around to the others he noticed Bobby eyeing him curiously and Dimetri sitting on his haunches also slightly confused. Derek had taken to sniffing him as if looking for something. As he finished he eyed Mike with a very serious expression that was notable like it was in his human form. Derek gestured for them to follow him and they, almost like clockwork did so. They ran through the forest for a good five minutes, as far as Mike could tell they were heading back to town but taking a slight detour while doing so. The forest seemed to blend into one big blur for Mike, he could easily distinguish details if he needed to but his mind was so confused as of late. Finally the four arrived at a lake and slowed almost to a stop. As they looked around Derek gestured for Mike to follow him, as he did Bobby and Dimetri lay down for a minute on the ground simply watching what they were doing with confused expressions. Mike and Derek approached the water and Derek dipped his head to look in the crystal clear water. As he did so Mike looked at him and then into the water himself, as he did he seen Derek's reflection but upon further investigation of looking at himself he noticed something off about himself. Mike turned his head to the side slightly and then looked at himself. He looked to the side of his face and lifted his head and then to the side and then up and again his reflection looked off. As Mike looked at himself he didn't see the usual brightly colored brown wolf he had turned into, instead he seen a brown wolf of a much darker shade. Mike looked at Derek again and whined, while he did that Derek changed back to his human form, a very naked human form. "Mikey, what has happened to you?" asked Derek as he approached Mike and touched his fur. At this both Dimetri and Bobby came over as well and looked Mike all over, even under his underside. "Mikey, you were a light brown wolf when you became Moon-Born and....well now your not. Your darker than before, how can that be?" asked Derek to the others. Mike turned back to his human form now as well and then said "I don't know Derek, how did it happen?" he asked Derek hoping he would have an answer. "I don't know Mikey, nothing like this has happened to us. We were always the colors you see us as now" he said gesturing to them in order. Mike couldn't figure it out, no wolf in real life could change it's color so suddenly. They changed through life but not within one night. He had even been light brown when earlier today but not now. Was it something to do with the fact that his wolf hadn't gotten enough exercise? He wouldn't have thought so but he didn't know all about being a Moon-Born. "Maybe it's natural" said Mike trying to work out the possibilities. "True Mikey, maybe it is but we'll keep an eye on you. Just call us if anything else happens" said Derek to Mike. As they finished up at the river they each headed their own ways home. Derek his own way, Mike his own and Bobby and Dimetri to their own houses. As Mike got home he went straight to bed with no noise as he walked in the door. He was very lucky tomorrow was Saturday so he wouldn't have to go to school. He sat thinking about the next few weeks and all they had to accomplish. It had fallen to him and his pack to get someone arrested for murder and it was something they couldn't fail at because if they did Mr. Granger would be free to get to Mike though those he loved and cared for, and that was something he wouldn't allow. When Mike awoke in the morning he felt refreshed and full of energy, he got out of bed and then looked at his alarm clock. As he did it read "10:30", he had slept far later than he meant to. He quickly got changed and then checked his E-mails as he hadn't checked them in a couple of days. He finally checked his phone and seen that he had one missed call and a message. As he clicked to read the message it read "Wake up lazy shit cum down town with us today meet me at 1 in usual place Derek x". It had been sent at 9 o clock that morning but still he had a couple of hours before they had to meet. Mike went down the stairs to see if his Mom was up, for some strange reason she wasn't in the kitchen when he got down, however she had left a note. Mike couldn't help but wonder why everyone was leaving his messages. Did he have the plague or something? "Mike, I've gone to meet Gio for some coffee this morning before I head to work, I was called in this morning so I'll be back later tonight. Love you x" she wrote. While the last part of the note was a little cheesy it made Mike's inside crumble. Once again his Mom was meeting Mr. Granger, if only she knew why he didn't want her going near him. They had to act fast now before too much damage was done. Mike wondered how much his Mom would find out about why Mr. Granger was going to jail when it reached that time. He didn't know how much he would have to tell her or how she would take it. Mike then decided to make himself stop thinking about it, the time would come soon but he wanted to enjoy a little bit of breakfast before spending some time today with the pack just doing some relaxing stuff. Mike eventually left the house and when he arrived in town he seen Derek and the others right on time. Moon-Born seemed to have a very good sense of time about them, or else it was a Derek thing. "Hey sleepy, how you feeling?" asked Derek as Dimetri tried to pass a snigger off as a cough. Mike gave him the evil eye and then said "Fine actually feeling a lot better today". The four of them went around the town and did the stuff they usually did on a Saturday. Firstly they went to the bowling alley for a while, Mike found it a lot easier to move the bowling balls than he did before, almost too easily. He knew now how Bobby had beaten them on their first play when Mike had terrible aiming. Next they went to the arcade for a little while to check out the games they had. Mike liked the arcade in White Valley because it always had a new selection almost every two weeks; the unpopular games were taken out and replaced with newer more popular ones. Mike played time crisis again alone this time as Bobby, Derek and Dimetri played whatever took their fancy. At about 3 o clock the four of them got a late lunch at their usual burger place. As Bobby and Derek sat down Dimetri and Mike went up and ordered since Bobby and Derek had did it the previous time. "Hey Mikey, I dare you to try and go for two burgers today" said Dimetri to Mike. Mike was thinking about the challenge and then said to Dimetri "What do I get if I win?" Dimetri thought for a second before saying "Well I'll give you a loan of my Playstation 3 for the next few weeks". He winked at Mike which Mike knew without even looking would draw some dagger like looks from Derek. "OK then and what do you want if you win?" said Mike to Dimetri. Mike wasn't sure there was anything he would be able to offer Dimetri because his family was a lot more rich than Mike's. "What about you give me lessons on playing some first person shooter games?" asked Dimetri as he smirked at Mike trying to get him to accept. Mike thought about it for a second, he had a lot more to gain than to lose so he shook Dimetri's hand and accepted. "Your going to lose Mikey because I happen to know that today the chef who makes the really big burgers is on" he said grinning widely to Mike as he knew that Mike was off to disadvantage to start off with. "Asshole...." said Mike to Dimetri before they finally got served. As usual the three jocks filled up their plated while Mike looked at his chips and two burgers this time. He sat and began to regret the challenge now but as he did he began to eat. He sat wondering if the big eating part was either something jock or something Moon-Born since he didn't have that ability despite being a wolf as well. "Look at Mikey trying to stuff it all in. I should have put this on YouTube" said Dimetri as he pulled out his phone and started recording Mike. Mike was about ready for killing him. As he finally felt full he still had almost half a burger to go. "Come on Mikey!" shouted Derek to Mike, however Mike pushed the plate away from himself. "You win asshole" said Mike as he wiped himself down and looked at the plate. He had eaten a lot more than he usually did but it wasn't enough to win. He didn't think he would need to eat again after this. Dimetri looked pleased with himself but decided not to rub it in, though Mike could tell he was going to have plenty to say later. As the four of them sat to let their lunch digest Mike happened to see someone walk in the door to the burger place and when he looked he seen none other than Kyle. Mike had to blink again to see if what he seen was true. "Wait here guys, I'll be back" said Mike as Bobby and Derek looked around to see what was going on. Derek nodded and then said "Take your time". As he approached Mike waited until the dinner lady got Kyle's order and then sat down opposite Kyle. Kyle looked like a wreck, he had shadows under his eyes, his hair wasn't kept properly, and he looked like he hadn't showered in a couple of days. He looked like he had been awake for a week. "Kyle....dude, what's happened" asked Mike as Kyle took note of him. "Hey Mikey, I'm OK man. Just not been sleeping right lately" he said as Mike waited for an explanation. Kyle noticed Mike waiting and then said "Well if I tell you something then you have to promise never to tell anyone else unless I do first" he asked him. Mike knew that this sounded serious and he knew that Kyle wouldn't ask him unless it was something serious. Mike thought for a second before saying "OK Kyle, I promise". Kyle swallowed hard and then said "Mikey, I....I think I'm gonna be a Dad". Mike's eyes widened as he heard this news being revealed to him. His immediate reaction was "Congrats man, how long have you known? When is the baby due?" but when he asked these questions he got a look of pain from Kyle. "Kyle, what's wrong" asked Mike. Kyle closed his eyes and then said "Mikey, I think I'm going to be a Dad....but I don't remember having sex with Amanda". Mike's eyes looked at Kyle as if he had just grown a second head. Meanwhile the woman came over with Kyle's order and placed it on the table. "Ummm....Kyle that's a little....personal with the details don't you think?" said Mike to his best friend. The possibility of Kyle becoming a Dad was really good because he knew he would be the best Dad in the world. "Are you sure Kyle, I think that if someone is going to be a Dad they usually have to have sex" said Mike trying to keep it as basic as possible. "I know Mikey Amanda said that we made love one day we were at her old man's but I don't remember it. Truth be told it feels like I come out with half my brain missing when I'm in there" he said trying to be sarcastic. "I haven't had much sleep ever since she told me two days ago but I thought you could be my wing man on this" he said to Mike as he began eating some of the chips he had been brought over. Mike nodded and then said "Of course, you know I'm always here for you. If you need anything just give me a holler". Kyle nodded and then said "Well there is one thing you can do for me next week, if that's OK?" he asked Mike. Mike waited to hear the explanation as Kyle continued. "Could you come to the hospital so we can get a DNA test, and before you ask it was Amanda's idea? She wanted to prove I was the Dad and that she hadn't slept with anyone else" he said. "Despite that though I didn't accuse her of anything" he made sure to let Mike know. "Of course Kyle, I'll be there just let me know the time and place OK?" he asked Kyle while smiling at him to let him know he would be there for him no matter what. Mike and the pack left Kyle in the burger place eating while they decided to go get some practice on the football pitches. Bobby and Derek seemed the most excited about this of course. As they made their way there Dimetri talked with Mike about their current situation. "I am going to go and check out Granger's place tonight and then we'll see what happens" said Mike to Dimetri. He and Dimetri were simply behind Bobby and Derek who were talking about the big game coming up next week at school. "I know mate but all we have to do is find out how to get in there and then find some evidence. The old guy has to be keeping something in his home about what he's doing. It might be under lock and key but we have to keep looking to find out what's happened to you" said Dimetri. He looked at Mike and then said "...And maybe something about us as well" he said referring to the Moon-Born in general. Mike nodded as they continued talking about things. Eventually the conversation went to a much lighter note when they began talking about their bet. "....You just have to keep your eyes looking for any changes on the screen, you have to be very trigger happy unless your trying to protect someone" said Mike in regards to teaching Dimetri how to play First person shooter games. "Ohhhh, well that's interesting. I usually got shot before I could even look" said Dimetri. The two of them continued debating the finer points of the game. When they four of them reached the football pitch Mike decided to let the other guys play so that it would just be the three of them. He had too much to think about and he didn't need his inner animal having an excuse to burst out. Bobby, Dimetri and Derek practiced for at least an hour and admittedly Mike could have sat and watched them play for ages especially considering how hot Derek looked. You could see his defined chest through his shirt and his forehead through the helmet was sweating. It made Derek look all the hotter. Just as Mike's eyes came from the three members of the pack he noticed another couple of people coming in the door. His heart dropped when he seen it was Kevin and his cronies wearing their football gear of their schools team. They made their way to the pitch. Kevin looked at Mike sitting on the bench at the side and then looked away just as quick. He didn't know if it was simply out of a silent respect or his hand itching from where Mike had nearly crushed it. "Hey Bradshaw, Blake, Reinhart? You up for some three on three" asked Kevin as he passed Derek the ball they had. Derek didn't even need to turn around to see it or to catch it. As soon as he caught it he called Bobby and Dimetri to him and the six of them having a stare down. Bobby, Dimetri and Derek on one side and Kevin, Nigel and Pierce on the other. "Fine then but only because Coach Edwards would want us to get the practice" said Derek flatly. It was obvious that he still didn't like Kevin but he wasn't about to let their personal problems interfere with their team winning. So for the next hour and a half Mike watched as the six of them played, and he had to admit despite not liking Kevin or his gang he found they could play very good. They managed to hold their own against the pack and were even able to steal a couple of very sweet goals. Not to mention each of them looked very sexy in their uniforms. Not that he would admit it to the bullies or Derek. As soon as they were done Derek said "Good game, keep it up on the field" and Kevin and his cronies departed. Mike was amazed they hadn't started saying anything about him or Derek but he suspected it was either out of fear or respect to Mike. Mike didn't care either way. When the three of the jocks had gotten a shower they headed out to head home. "Nice work guys, you all did awesome" said Mike to the pack. Dimetri smiled quite broadly while Bobby simply said "Thanks mate, we'll get you playing yet". Mike smiled and then tried to imagine himself in a football kit but he cringed when he imagined himself getting flattened by a jock Bobby or Derek's size. Even his Moon-Born self would have trouble getting up from that. "I think I'll stick to cheerleading" said Mike as Dimetri let out a howl of laughter than drew a look of concern from the woman standing behind them as they walked. "Thanks Mikey, but try and keep it down to a riot huh Dimetri?" asked Derek as he took the lead of course. "OK I think we should go home for a little while and get ready for tonight, you know the usual?" said Derek as he looked at them. He knew all of them would know exactly what that would mean. "Yeah, I got it" said Mike as Bobby said something similar with Dimetri merely murmuring it. "Cool I'll see you guys later then" said Derek as he began to walk home. Mike mostly kept to himself as he walked home. He walked rather slowly not really focusing on where he was going. As he turned a corner thought he caught a scent on the breeze, one that he was all too familiar with. *Where are you Derek? *Mike thought to himself as he looked left to right attempting to find where Derek was hiding. As Mike went to walk past a turn in he felt his arm being yanked from the turn in and to his surprise he was face to face with Derek. As soon as he seen this he smiled quite proudly. "I knew you were here this time Derek" he said. Derek kissed him slightly watching to make sure nobody seen them. "Nice one Mikey, your becoming a good....you know" he said as his eyebrows went up and down. Mike laughed at this and then said "Yeah, I know....will I see you later?" he asked to him as if to confirm it. Derek kissed Mike again his tongue demanding entrance to Mike's mouth. As they kissed Derek said "Course Mikey, we're gonna have some fun" and with that he let him go. "See you later Mikey" he said as he went in the direction Derek had just come from. Mike waited for a few second stunned, he didn't know which way Derek was going home or what set of legs he was going on. Mike then left to make his own way home still struggling with his inner debate. As Mike walked he imagined what he would say to his Mom when she got in. He wondered where she had gone today and what she had gotten up to with Mr. Granger. Mike's fists clenched when he thought of the cold blooded murderer and now he was with his Mom. If he hadn't been for what Dimetri had said about Mr. Granger not wanting to hurt his Mom he would have went and gotten her by now. Mike considered that when he went to Mr. Granger's house tonight if he would be able to smell Mike and the pack then that would mean he would know they had been there. Although he wasn't sure, he didn't know how often Mr. Granger changed or how far he usually went as he hadn't detected any scents recently. As Mike went to cross the road he happened upon seeing a limo that was turning the corner heading out of town. As Mike looked trying to see out the window he saw two figures in it, as well as a driver. As Mike squinted his eyes he saw Mr. Granger, there was no mistaking him, and to make matters worse he stared out the window and smiled at Mike. When Mike looked for a second longer his heart dropped when he seen his Mom in the limo with Mr. Granger. Mike opened his mouth a little from shock; he didn't know what to do. What could he do? Order his Mom to come home? Mike couldn't follow either but as soon as he got back to the house he was going to call her and see where she was. Mike slowly made his way back to his home through the town and through a small bit of the forest. Mike was in full panic mode when he went in the door. He sat his bag down and then picked up the phone. As he did he wondered what he was going to say to his Mom. A dozen things went through his head but nothing solid. He didn't even know where they were going, perhaps to get something to eat? The more he thought about it the more he considered waiting until she got home to talk to her. He couldn't let his Mom know anything and through her Mr. Granger know anything. No he would have to play it cool and go to his house tonight under the cover of darkness to see what he could do. Mike sat down and thought about it for a minute longer and still could not think on what to do or what he could say to anyone. Never in his entire life had he felt so alone at this minute. The feeling was so strong that he wondered if the others of the pack would feel it. Mike eventually decided to get something to eat. He looked in kitchen and decided upon a large bit of steak. He hadn't noticed it until a couple of days ago but his eating had taken on a bit of a change with him going for more meat dishes than anything. He hadn't been a vegetarian before but this was new for him. After Mike had eaten he decided to try and calm himself a little before he went out of control. He turned on his computer and listened to Linkin Park for a little while and then checked his E-mails and some websites for updates. He then decided to have a game of GTAIV on the Xbox; randomly killing people seemed to help calm his nerves. By the time he had done all of that it was coming on 9 o clock. Mike looked at his phone and sighed, still no sign of his Mom. He hoped she would be in soon or at least call him. Mike suddenly jolted himself awake from his bed to the sound of a ringing noise. As he looked at the room he suddenly found that it was his phone in his hand which was ringing. He then looked at it to find an unfamiliar number but one which had the same code as White Valley. "Hello?" he said in a rough sounding voice. "Michael my boy, How are you?" asked the voice of someone he hadn't spoke to in a while now. Mike's hair on the back of his neck began to prickle as he knew the voice. "What do you want?" asked Mike to Mr. Granger who was on the other side of the phone call. Mike panicked slightly, how had Mr. Granger got his number? Nobody had it except those he trusted. "How rude of you Mikey" said Mr. Granger using his nickname to taunt him. "I think you know why I'm calling you. I know you're not stupid and you know you're not stupid" he said to Mike. Mr. Granger spoke in a sickly calm voice that made Mike want to attack him for all he had done to him. He also spoke quite slowly which was also very irritating. Mike listened though he felt his lips almost curling to show his teeth. "Yeah I do, and believe me you're going to pay for it when the time comes" said Mike in a rather bold threat. Mr. Granger acted slightly taken aback by this and then said "I'm sorry Mikey boy but what part do you mean. Was it what you are right now or maybe dear old Dad" he said in a rather sly voice. At this Mike's temper broke and he let loose all he had been keeping inside him for the better part of two months now. "I'm going to make you pay for that Granger, count on...." he said but was interrupted by Mr. Granger once again. "Stop trying to be big kid and listen up because acting tough doesn't suit you. Let's face it if you weren't a wolf right now then you wouldn't have half the courage you do but I would watch what I say unless you want something to happen to Mommy" he said to Mike. As he did he let the last words half in the air for a few seconds? The words echoed inside of Mike for a couple of seconds when he remembered exactly where his Mom had been for most of the night. It was now almost midnight and she still wasn't home, he would have heard her. She was with Mr. Granger and now he was threatening her life now too. "Let her go Granger, I swear to it let her go. She's got nothing to do with this" he said in a half threatening, half pleading voice. "Well then kid, listen up. You got to come down to my house by 1 o clock tonight and "discuss" a few things with me" he said as he suddenly sounded a lot more serious than before. Mike could tell that he was not bluffing here, and he would be capable of hurting his Mom. "While you're at it bring that group of mongrals you hang around with, you're....."Pack" he said as if the word tasted bad to him. "They have been quite a thorn to me already and I want to get that sorted before today is over" he said as he was about to hang up the phone. "And Mikey, don't keep me waiting because it would be ashame if something were to happen to Mommy dearest" said Mr. Granger as he the line went dead. As Mike heard the buzzing that signified that Mr. Granger had hung up Mike felt his heart bleed from the pain. Mr. Granger now had one of the biggest things he could have to hurt Mike, why was he doing it. Was it to keep Mike and his pack from going to his house again or something else? He couldn't tell but as he looked it was now midnight and he had to get going. Mr. Granger lived a good 20 minutes from his house, though he would be there faster if he ran as a wolf. As he held the phone he quickly got to Derek's number and rang it. Derek took a few seconds to answer and when he did he said "Hey Mikey, what you up to. I was just gonna....." but he was interrupted as Mike blurted out what had happened. "Derek, Granger has my Mom at his mansion. He had her and he wants me and you guys to go to there before 1 o clock to see him" said Mike all in one breath. Derek waited for a few seconds before saying "Oh fuck this shit" down the phone before regaining his composure, or what little he had of it and saying "Mikey, don't panic. I know it's bad but it won't help. I'll get Bobby and Dimetri and we'll meet you in the usual spot in the forest in 15 minutes. Mikey run for it. I don't care if you're seen" said Derek. Mike nodded and then said "Thanks Derek, and please don't keep me waiting" and then put down the phone. As Mike looked around his room he couldn't think straight for thoughts of panic and of revenge. He knew that he would have to do something with Mr. Granger right away but he didn't know it would be this soon or in this way. Mike then got dressed into a pair of short, trainers and a t shirt. Small and light things because he didn't think he would need them for much of tonight. He couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen tonight, one way or the other Mr. Granger had to be dealt with. Mike looked at his bedroom door and then went to open it but before he had he looked at the window. Time was of the essence so before he could waste anymore time he went to the window and opened it being careful not to be seen. Mike then looked toward the ground and then said "Well here I go" and leapt down toward the ground. Mike didn't even close his eyes until he reached the bottom. As he landed he felt his feet land on the ground with a thud. He started breathing again and then smiled slightly, how could he have been afraid of that before. He didn't have time to dwell on it as he noticed it was 5 past 12 now and he was still at home. Mike began to run down the path toward the forest where he would have to meet his pack. When Mike reached the fringe of the forest he stopped and then took off his shorts, shoes and shirt and attached them to his leg. He then felt the familiar pulse of energy as the fire coursed through him and he came to set as his Moon-Born self. He breathed in through his larger nose at the fresh breeze on the wind and looked through his eyes which were much clearer than before. As Mike looked around to scout out the best way to go through the forest he shook his head slightly trying to clear his vision. It seemed a little duller, or maybe a bit darker than before. Maybe it had something to do with the night time but he didn't have time to dwell on it as Mike headed into the forest at top speed. As bad as things got Mike liked being in his furry form, things always seemed clearer to him and he liked to feel the speed he could run at. Mike soon enough found the spot that he was supposed to meet Derek, Dimetri and Bobby and soon enough he seen them. True to his word Mike seen the silver, brown and gray wolves all lined up and standing waiting for him. Mike soon slowed down and came to a stop and waited for them. However as he did he could almost feel them checking him. It felt like Mike had grown a fifth leg or something the way they were looking at him. Derek turned back to his human form, which Mike found hard to not look at despite the poor timing. "Mike, look in that pond there because there is something wrong with you" said Derek as he pointed to a small pool of water near them. As he snorted then ran toward it Bobby simply watched but Dimetri whined. As Mike approached the pond he seen the moonlight reflected on the surface. It looked so calm and peaceful to behold but this isn't what drew his attention. As he looked into the water he seen his reflection with his green eyes but instead of his dark brown fur what Mike beheld terrified him. His fur had become a shade of black, as dark as the night. As Mike looked at himself he shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the image. Derek came over and then petted Mike's ear and then said "Mikey turn back, please we need to have a talk". Mike did so that very second and then fell to the ground looking like he had seen a ghost. Bobby and Dimetri, both human again joined him. "Mikey, you changed again. Not once but twice within a week. This can't be a coincidence" said Dimetri to Mike looking slightly concerned for his pack mate. Mike was completely at a loss for words about why he was changing but the thing that hurt him more than anything was that he looked a lot like Mr. Granger now than he had ever done before. They were almost the exact same color or black. Mike's size, his eyes and his white parts going down his belly in his wolf form. Perhaps this was the color he was always supposed to be but he didn't know. "It's not important right now Derek, I don't care what I look like. My Mom...." said Mike but Derek got interrupted him and spoke to both him and all the pack. "Granger has your Mom, I told Bobby and Dimetri and they are coming with us" said Derek. "We have to get her out of there, what does he want from me?" asked Mike almost in a whining voice. He sounded both very afraid and angry. It made Derek's heart sink to hear him like this especially after everything he had already lost. "I don't know Mikey, but we have to go now so we can get your Mom away from that freak" said Derek. At this Dimetri and Bobby both changed back into their Moon-Born selves and got ready to run. Mike looked in the direction they had to go and then feeling the fire going through his body as he landed on four legs again. Through his nose and ears he felt Derek do the same landing on his four legs. As Derek look at his three pack mates they got the feeling that it was time to go now. The four wolves ran through the forest fast as always and sure enough within ten minutes they arrived at the mansion where Mike knew it would be. Mike didn't think that had run so fast in weeks because they hadn't had a reason to. When they arrived at the mansion Mike looked around and got the scent of the area. He couldn't detect any wolves in the area except the three with him. This concerned him and surprised him at the same time. Mike looked around and seen nothing unusual except for the gate, which normally closed was now open. As soon as Mike seen this he knew that it was open for them. Mike eventually turned back to his human form and then got the shorts and rest of his clothes from his bag. The other members of the pack did likewise and got dressed. Bobby and Derek wore something similar to Mike but Dimetri brought jeans, a t shirt, socks and shoes. The others looked at him with strange faces. Mike paid him no mind but instead said "I think we're meant to be here. I hope that we don't see anyone inside because I would hate to explain why we're here". Derek agreed but then said "I don't think that will be a problem Mikey Granger won't want us to get delayed any longer. I think it's time that we see what he wants and if possible get him out of our lives forever". Mike and the pack slowly made their way to the gate which was open and strangely not even being guarded by anyone. In fact Mike couldn't smell or see anyone else around the whole garden and outdoors of the mansion. It seemed like Mr. Granger had indeed sent everyone away, this was business for Wolves only. The gang made their way to the house which took them about ten minutes without a car even running some of the way. Mike had his senses on high alert, even more so than usual. Finally they got to the house and then Mike tried to open the door, to his surprise it didn't budge. Mike seethed at this and then shouted to the heavens "Granger, we're here now let us in before I break this door down". Nothing seemed to happen for a few seconds until they heard a voice on small camera to their left. Mike hadn't noticed it before. "Well well, why don't you wake up everyone here?" said Mr. Granger as he appeared on screen sitting down in a dark room. Mike seethed a little more but let Granger continue. "Welcome to my house Mike, I'll just let you in, in a few minutes time. Don't bother trying to break down the door. It's beyond your strength. Not to mention the inside of the door is coated with traces of bamboo. I think you know what it can do to you if you touch it the wrong way" said Mr. Granger to the others. Mike immediately backed away from the door slightly as Mr. Granger had said this as if it had caught fire. As the screen with Mr. Granger on it vanished the door opened and with great hesitation the pack went inside. Mike remembered the rooms that they went through when he went when he visited last time with Kyle but he had a feeling that this time it wouldn't be anywhere near as friendly a visit. Derek and Dimetri couldn't stop looking around obviously not having ever been in a house so large before. Mike on the other hand was looking around to see if he could either see or scent his Mother. Mike could smell her but it wasn't recent, it must have been hours ago. Bobby simply followed Mike in looking around the room. "Come down the stairs boys, I don't like to be kept waiting" said Mr. Granger's voice as it seemed to come from all over the house. Mike wondered how many speakers he must have installed around the house and why? Mike didn't have time to dwell on it as a door to their right opened as if by itself which made both Mike and Derek very wary. Mike felt Derek put his hand on his shoulder and Mike turned to look at him. In Derek's face Mike seen his determination and this helped to replace some of his dread with hope. "Well we doing this or what?" asked Dimetri to Derek who was up front. Derek nodded and they went through the door. After what seemed like ten minutes the pack arrived at a larger door than those that preceded it. This door looked like it was made for large cargo as opposed to one to three people. "What do you think he keeps back here?" asked Dimetri as he imagined a skeleton in the closet. "Let's open it, and get down there this has already been too long" said Bobby as he opened it. When Bobby opened the door Mike expected to see something quite spectacular but was left a little disappointed as there was nothing in the room except a couple of very large crates. The room didn't have any lights on and if it hadn't been for their keener sight the pack wouldn't have been able to see anything. As the four made their way through the room a light suddenly beamed down on a normal brown looking door which looked about the same size as a normal door. As it did a voice came back or Mr. Granger and said "Right this way boys, this little walk of yours will come to an end soon enough" said Mr. Granger as his voice vanished once again. Mike began walking toward the door but was stopped by Derek once again with his hand on his shoulder. "Mikey, don't let that fucker get inside your head. We'll get your mom out of here even if we have to tear Granger apart and turn this house from top to bottom" said Derek as he drew a small smile from Mike for the first time tonight. Dimetri looked at them and then said "Don't get all mushy on me mates we still have to go and deal with shit with this guy. And Mikey you might have caused a lot of trouble for us but we wouldn't have it any other way" said Dimetri as he gave Mike a bro fist. Bobby did so also merely adding "You're our bro man, and we'll always protect you as best we can". "Thanks guys, I don't know where I would be without all of you. For one thing I would probably be a slave here" he said as he bro fisted both Bobby and Dimetri and then looked at Derek. He wanted to kiss him there and then but he refrained himself. Mike looked back at the door and glared at it and began walking forward with a brisk step. Even in this dark room Mike could still tell that it was well cared for and of the highest quality, everything Mr. Granger owned was. When Mike opened the door he got a surprise to see it was an elevator. Mike was hesitant for a second but then went forward and got in. The elevator wasn't massive in space but it did hold all four of them with good breathing room. Mike pressed the only other button on the panel and felt a jolt as the elevator went down. The elevator ride took about thirty seconds and when they reached the bottom Mike was amazed, they were in a large room, roughly the size of his entire house. The room was dotted with computers doing who knows what, it had chemicals lying on tables, different machines doing different functions and several things that Mike didn't know what do make of. The room was reasonably lit but dull all the same, not that it mattered to the wolves. "Come on in boys, I'm waiting for all of you" said Mr. Granger, not through a speaker this time but his voice was coming from a door across the laboratory they were in. "Granger, I'm coming for my Mom" said Mike as he began running not really noticing anything around him. As he did he was vaguely aware of the others behind him following him. Finally Mike crossed the door that Mr. Granger's voice had come from and they were in yet another large room, this one was about half the size of the room they had just been in but this time only had a few computers in it. On the walls there were several dozen book shelves with books that looked even older than Mr. Granger must have been. There were also several tables with chemicals on them again although Mike could not tell what they were for. This room was just as dull as the previous room which again didn't bother Mike or the pack. However what did bother him was sitting in a large chair on the other side of the room from the door the pack had just come in. Mr. Granger swung his chair around to reveal himself sitting in it. He had a very smug look on his face and then smiled in a face that said to Mike that he had just invited them to dinner again. He wore a black suit like he normally did. Mr. Granger finally got off the seat and then put his hands behind his back. Mike could feel the pack tense behind him. They now knew what Mr. Granger was capable of and they weren't going to take any chances with him. "Welcome young ones, and thank you for visiting my home. I trust your wondering why I invited you here...." he said as he looked at his watch. "....at this time, though your late by two minutes. No matter your here now and that's what counts" he said as he looked at his watch and then brought his eyes back to the four in front of him. Mike sniffed a few times around the room but he couldn't smell anything other than his three pack mates. Even now he couldn't scent Mr. Granger even though he knew what to look for; the only good thing was that his Mother wasn't here with them so they could talk openly. "Where's my mom?" asked Mike with a sneer at Mr. Granger. He asked the question although he didn't know what to expect back but he wasn't here to play games with the older man. "Now now, manners there is much we need to discuss young man. Don't you want to know about yourself and what you have become?" asked Mr. Granger to Mike. Mike hesitated for a second before Derek said "What?" in place of Mike. This however didn't seem to interest Mike as his face screwed up even more. "I don't care, I came for my Mom now where is she?" said Mike. Dimetri, Bobby and Derek could feel all the rage Mike had been holding back over the last couple of months, and even before so coming to the surface. If Mike didn't get the answers he wanted then he would get even worse. "Your mom is safe Michael, and may I say she is a very fine woman. I'm not surprised you love her so much" said Mr. Granger to Mike as is trying to press all his buttons. Derek could feel Mike tense up even more as Granger pressed a few buttons on the computer behind him and on the large monitor appeared a screen of Mike's Mom. She appeared to be sleeping quite peacefully. "She is in one of the rooms upstairs. I don't intend to hurt her she was merely used....as bait for you" said Mr. Granger. Mike then growled slightly at Mr. Granger but turned his back on him and then said "We're leaving" to the rest of the pack. At this however Mr. Granger wasn't having any of it. He pressed another button on the door behind them and a large steel looking door came down from the frame and blocked them in. Mike looked at and tried to find a way to open it. There didn't look to be one. "Let us out of here now Granger before you piss me off more" said Mike in a growl of a voice. He felt his inner Moon-Born willing to be let loose on Mr. Granger for all the suffering he had committed against him. "I don't think so Mikey boy, you see I still have much to show you and much to tell you and I think you should listen" said Mr. Granger. Derek answered this one for Mike by saying "I don't think so man, you don't scare us now let us leave because we don't have anything we want to hear from you" said Derek. Mr. Granger seemed to smirk at this and then seemed to turn to outright laughter. "Of course not, though there is that small matter of the tragedy of Mike's Father. Poor Ethan Ryanson such a ghastly business and left his wife and son without a husband and father. The worst part being that you don't even know why" said Granger. Derek felt Mike's temper flare now and there was no more holding back. Mike began to turn into his Moon-Born self he felt his muscles change contracting and stretching into his four legged self. He soon enough was looking through his black eyes. Mr. Granger looked intently at Mike as he morphed into his Moon-Born self and then said "Oh Mikey, it all comes out into the open now. I knew you were going to become a wolf. Your Father's demise oh my boy that is the tip of the iceberg for all I have to show you" said Mr. Granger. Mike then licked his lips and without a second though he dashed off in the blink of an eye toward Mr. Granger. It was far too late for Derek to call him off and he wasn't sure he would either. Mr. Granger merely smiled as Mike headed toward him intending to maul him.