Border Wolves

Something Wicked This Way Comes

By: Nicholas Hall
(© 2016 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

nhall@tickiestories.us

Chapter 4

"Nature teaches beasts to know their friends."

(Shakespeare) 

Eric Trempealeau's bid for the Peter's property was submitted before the conflagration consumed the major portion of the house, leaving just the three walls and a mess to clean up. After a brief consultation with Jessie, it was decided there was no reason to withdraw the bid, although rumor had it several other bidders had! He cautioned Jessie not to get his hopes up too high for securing the property.

"Sealed bids are just that; sealed so your competitors have no idea what you are bidding and you have no idea what they're bidding. Once the bids are opened and the appropriate bonds are acknowledged, whoever bid the highest, purchases the property."

He went on to explain most purchases were made with the intention of reselling a piece of property or, as was rumored, turning it into a business venture in order to profit from it.

"In your case, Jessie, you only want to add to your present holdings and not necessarily resell for a profit or clear-cut the timber."

Uncle Eric, as Jessie referred to him, was correct, to a point! Jessie also wanted more room for him and his Pack-mates to run, hunt, play, and be themselves without the worry of prying eyes from close neighbors or idle gossip concerning "wolves!"

Jessie wanted to fence in the site where the shallow graves were excavated and the remains of so many innocents were exhumed. Jase, Tyler, and he, along with the rest of the Averill Creek Pack, felt it was only right to respect the memories of all the boy's lives, even if in such a small way!

"I do think you'll need to have a certified surveyor survey the property, if you are successful in the bidding, and register it with the county. This'll prevent any further claims against the property, especially if someone would purchase property near you, which is probably not going to happen since it pretty much surrounded by State Forest property."

What he didn't mention was his concern with the radical positions the national government, under the present Republican administration, was taking concerning the environment and areas set aside for parks, recreation, and preservation. In the back of his mind, he wouldn't be surprised if the feds, and hence the states, began selling off property or "privatizing" it!

The closing date for the bids, November first at ten o'clock in the morning, was a school day. As much as Jessie desired attending the bid opening meeting, he reasoned Eric and Evan Troutman would be better served to represent his interests. If he lost out, he really didn't want the other bidders to witness his disappointment!

At half-past ten, while sitting in English class, his cell phone jiggled in his pocket, indicating he had a text message. Quickly raising his hand and seeking permission to go to the restroom, trotting down the hall, and ducking inside the closest boys' restroom, he opened the message.

"U boght it. No othr bdrs! Unlc Eric"

Jessie didn't dare whoop out loud with the euphoria he felt, fearful others in the hall might think he was celebrating an intense and explosive cum shot as a result of pumping his pole or succumbing to the sweet lips and vacuuming warm, moist mouth of a fellow participant, so he just grinned a shit-eating grin and quickly texted the rest of the Pack. Replies were almost instantaneous; they were just as excited as he was!

His parents were just as happy as he concerning his acquisition of the property! A call from Uncle Eric informed him it'd be a couple of weeks, maybe longer, to get all of the paper work recorded, including recording the purchase and paying the remaining balance of the bid, but Uncle Evan would be helping and, since he was a realtor, things should move quickly and efficiently.

The Averill Creek Pack ran that night, marking their new territory with the obligatory pissing on trees, shrubs, clumps of grass, or anything other object they felt needed a hot stream applied to it, and howled their delight before calling it quits and heading for home!

Well, not all of them headed directly home; Jase, Tyler, and Jessie decided to stop at the cabin to "rest"! Rick and Mike were really reluctant to leave their Alpha and their Mate alone, but agreed when Jase and Tyler insisted they make certain the rest of the Pack got home safely. They were taking Alpha Art's advice seriously concerning not traveling alone, preferably in threes. Diondre and Annie agreed to stay with Jase, Tyler, and Jessie "to make certain they're not alone on the way home." They knew very well what the three of them were going to do and thought they may as well take advantage of the situation as well!

By the time Jase, Tyler, and Jessie shifted to their human forms, climbed on the bed, Jessie on his back, legs spread, the noise coming from the other bedroom gave every indication Diondre already had his long, thick schlong buried to his bulbous orbs in Annie's welcoming sheath!

Jessie lay back, arms outstretched, legs spread, knees up, exposing his now stiff staff and smooth sac of goodies, in addition to that most special spot, that flexing, twitching, circular opening Tyler and Jase loved to fill! Jase and Tyler joined him, naked bodies against his smooth soft nakedness, their thick, long, fully unsheathed, engorged man-meat sticks jutting out over their own very large and productive egg-sized balls hanging in a pendulous sack below them!

Warm, smooth hands lightly touched, massaged, and delicate fingers erotically danced from his neck to nipples, tapping feathery touches, to his bush, to his penis head and back again before those magic touches traveled in like manner back to their staring place.

How Jessie's life changed since he met and fell in love with these twins; tributes to the fullness and pleasures of male-to-male love and emotions so prized by the Greeks of old, of man and boy or boy and boy throughout the ages, unto present day! A love so deep, so comforting, so – lasting, he found it difficult to understand why someone or groups would see the evil in it!

Sighing, relaxing, allowing Jase and Tyler to love him as Tyler positioned himself between his legs, Jessie closed his eyes and they both began their amorous journey with their lips, with Jase concentrating on one side while Tyler, leaning forward on the other; kissing, sucking, nibbling, blowing light puffs of air in the most sensitive spots, engaging his lips, neck, and nipples where they both suckled and dabbed their tongues on the sensitive nubs, sending shivers of delight down his body to his cock where the shaft and head seemed to swell almost to the point of bursting, bringing oozing dollops of sticky clear pre-cum to the slit where they accumulated into a sticky stream slowly descending under the pull of gravity until a willing and eager tongue lapped it up as a kitten would to a bowl of warm milk!

Gently stroking, manipulating, caressing Jessie's hardness, tasting his flesh, breathing in his essence, Jase and Tyler couldn't be more pleased with life and fate which brought them such a wonderful, handsome, wise, and passionate lover! Tyler, on his knees, using spittle as a lubricant both on himself and on Jessie, positioned his stiffness at the sweetest of all entries into paradise, waiting until Jase slipped his lips and mouth over Jessie's tumescence.

A signal of a soft sigh of pleasure from Jessie signaled Tyler to lean forward, push with his hips and begin the journey taken so often but enjoyed with increasing intensity each time, Convulsing, opening, massaging, accepting and welcoming the familiar guest and using small contractions of his anal ring, Jessie pulled Tyler deeper and deeper until he was fully seated!

"Life could get no better than this!" Jessie thought as he felt the fullness of love and Tyler's balls resting up against his own.

Tyler began a gently thrusting forward and back in their dance of love as Jase suctioned Jessie's offering with the same intenseness, determined to bring Jessie to fruition when his brother shivered and shook with his strong climax!

Leaning forward over his brother's head, mouth now locked and pumping up and down on Jessie's throbbing pole, Tyler locked Jessie's lips with his own and intensified his actions, the tingling, tickling, quivering in his cock and balls escalating until the font overflowed and with a grunt, a shaking of the loins, his semen rocketed up the long tube, exiting in strong, full pulses into Jessie's waiting, eager sheath. With each shudder of ejaculate his cock head and shaft puffed up, spewed, puffed up and spewed time and time again, until he was expended as Jessie moaned his first offering into Jase's sweet oral cavity!

Tyler pulled out amidst a flowing stream of his semen and Jase took his place, sliding his own trembling, swollen length inside Jessie, lubricated by the semen deposited by his brother and the intimate deliciously erotic coupling began again!

The three of them lay, well and truly fucked, when Diondre stepped into the bedroom announcing, "We better get going, it's getting late!"

 ***

"Just how are going to tell him?" Evan Troutman said softly as they drove toward Jessie's cabin after leaving their office in International Falls.

"Don't know yet," Eric replied, just as concerned as his partner and lover was.

"I had no idea when buying the property would prompt such a thing, especially with me acting as his agent."

"Do you suppose, Eric," Evan chided sardonically, "buying it for the Jessie Sutton Land Trust just might've given someone a clue?"

"Shit, yes, but I really thought it was an old story once the investigation shifted to Florida. I never anticipated a reporter showing up at the bid opening for God's sake!"

Evan reopened the newspaper they'd read previously at the office, shocked and dismayed at the small story contained on one of the inner pages.

"Too bad the wire services picked it up," lamented Evan, "hard to say who all published it!"

"I think," Eric finally ventured, "I'll just outright tell him and let him read the article. He's a bright boy and it won't take him two seconds to understand the ramifications, especially if he starts getting telephone calls. He'll understand my advice to not speak to anyone without me present."

"We certainly don't want anyone getting too nosey, do we?"

"Nope!"

"Did Jessie say why he wanted to meet us at the cabin?"

Eric just shook his head, he imagined Jessie wanted to see if the paper work was all completed for the purchase, the recording of the deed, and the survey. He was also certain he was going to push for the survey to be done as soon as possible. Winter snows were late this year and could come any time since the weather was now getting colder. Ice was forming on many of the smaller interior lakes and ponds and hard winter could hit at any time. If the survey wasn't done by then, it'd have to wait until spring! Jessie also expressed a desire to get the area where bodies of the boys were exhumed fenced off as soon as possible.

"Not really; I have some idea, but I guess it's something important. He never mentioned it this morning at breakfast, just drank his hot chocolate, visited a little, and left. There's no school today because of conferences, so I assumed he was off with Jason and Tyler."

Jessie ordinarily wasn't so remote in his relationship with Eric and Evan, much freer to confide and express himself, except for the past few months, ever since the Peter's incident and Diondre moving in to the Sutton household. It was almost as if there was a loss of trust; a trust he always possessed when around the two men, especially Eric, his personal attorney.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough," commented Eric s they drove through the gate and down the lane to the cabin. After the dust-up with the ATV riders some time back, improvements were made to the property, including a new security light.

Jessie's ATV was parked in front of the cabin and he was waiting, all bundled up against the cold, stocking cap pulled down over his ears, standing on the porch. The warmth and moistness of his breath as he exhaled, formed little puffs of steam in the air.

Eric and Evan joined him, hoping to go inside where it was certainly warmer, but Jessie made no effort to invite them in, so Eric broached the subject of the newspaper article. Handing the paper to Jessie, speaking carefully in his "lawyer" voice,

"I never thought it was worth a story, but here it is! Read it carefully! I think it might have some serious ramifications and again, it may not!"

Jessie read the article concerning the property sale. In the story, the reporter gave a brief synopsis of the crime scene, Jessie's discovery of it, the freeing of Diondre Carlson, and of the crimes uncovered in Florida. The reporter noted how ironic it'd seemed the property was purchased through a trust named after the young hero who inadvertently discovered the gruesome crime and brought an end to Peter's career as a serial killer. End of story!

Jessie thought a moment and suggested one way to deflate any energy the story might have would be to offer more information to the reporter, explaining the type of trust, the fact he had no real control over the trust established by his grandfather to help with college costs, and Eric had unfettered authority to act as he wished in regards to sales and purchases adding to or subtracting value from the trust, as long as it met the conditions of the trust.

"Tell him I'm not of age and don't really benefit from the trust directly until I reach of majority, other than using funds for school. I think that might satisfy him!"

"I think, Jessie, if I explain it's similar to a `blind trust' he might understand it better. Okay?"

Jessie nodded his approval.

"Now, Jessie," Eric asked, "what can we do for you?"

Jessie spent some time explaining how he'd like to post the property before deer season to keep trespassers off of it and wondered it the sale was complete enough for him to do so.

Eric shrugged, "I don't see any reason why you can't, so go ahead."

Jessie nodded his understanding, looked at his "Uncle" Eric and asked,

"How long have you two known?"

Eric and Evan looked at each other, came to a silent understanding after living together for so many years, and Eric turned back to Jessie.

"You're not alone, are you?"

Jessie waggled his head from side to side and with a flick of his head, indicating to Eric and Evan he just sent a signal or message to his fellow teens. From the doorway stepped Jase, Tyler, Rick, Mike, Robbie, and Chad. Jase and Tyler took places on either side of Jessie while Rick and Mike stood just behind them, backed by Robbie and Chad. Brent, Patrick, Diondre, and Annie walked around from behind the cabin and joined the others on the porch. It was a group of young teens Eric and Evan would soon know as the Averill Creek Pack – in wolf form!

Eric and Evan, not to be intimidated by the number of teens confronting them, awaiting an answer since it involved all of them, stepped closer to Jessie, which caused Rick and Mike to tense until Jase said, "It's okay!" and they relaxed again, but still on guard.

 ***

Evan Troutman dealt with various types of clients while in the real estate business over the years, but Campbell and Associates, the principals and their families, peaked his curiosity during his first meeting with them. Art Campbell asked all of the right questions as Evan took him on the property tour, looked in all of the right places as he inspected, and was quick to make an offer.

"Too quick," Evan thought at the time, "almost as if he'd inspected the property prior to the tour!"

The sale, when complete with the additional ten acres, went smoothly and when Eric handled the legal matters, Campbell immediately engaged him as his attorney, using the excuse he preferred having a local attorney to "expedite" matters.

"He never hesitated," Eric confessed to Evan that evening as they lay enjoying their personal attachment, "hiring me. Usually a new client, making a purchase and presenting plans of the magnitude Campbell made, prefers his own attorney, one he's familiar with. For some reason he didn't; almost as if I'd been recommended or as if he knew me somehow!"

"Uncanny, right?" Evan responded. "I felt the same way!"

Warning flags should've been flying then, but they didn't; both men accepted it as coincidental. Eric thought little more of it, but still had those "niggling feelings" in the back of his neck when he did! The day Jessie visited with him and Evan concerning being able to "hear and speak" to the Twins without saying anything aloud and they tried to explain perhaps it was because they loved each other and they discussed how little they knew of the paranormal, he was growing more suspicious of something out of the ordinary going on.

He thought back, looking at Jessie standing in front of him, of his thoughts and concerns then; nothing outstanding, but some activities that caused him to do some research.

Every time he was out to "The Pines" various family members always knew he was around as if they could hear him driving in, or smell him, or even somehow sense his presence. One day when visiting with Art and Scott concerning some legal issues, sitting on the front porch, he noticed Scott tense, clear his throat, Art seemed to nod his head, and Scott was off of the porch heading toward the front gate! Frank Campbell and Ted Bowers seemed to be heading in the same direction. Ted Symthe drove up in his DNR truck.

Ted visited with Campbell, asked if he'd seen any unusual wolf activity around, which Art and the rest of the crew denied. Eric knew then they weren't telling the truth, since he'd seen plenty of tracks around the compound on various occasions. The more he thought about it the more he noticed certain similarities in the canine shape of all of the resident's eye teeth and recalling Jessie mentioning his friendship with two juvenile wolves. Over cocktails that evening, he and Evan discussed the existence of werewolves, concluding there was every possibility of such creatures existing, and they were witness to a remarkable phenomenon.

He and Evan found it almost impossible, the day of the dust-up at the cabin the boys had with the four ATV riders, three teens could best four adult men; not only best them, but almost beat the shit out of them! Either the three of them were expert at self-defense or fighting (one most definitely was not) or they possessed some extraordinary powers normal humans didn't have. They came to the conclusion Jessie and the rest of his friends from "The Pines" including Diondre possessed the ability to "shift" and become what legends and fiction termed "werewolf," a phenomenon ridiculed by most, believed by a few, and known by the very smallest of numbers of humans to actually occur. It was a phenomenon they knew they must hold sacrosanct from all others, even if doing so meant more than just a mental sacrifice, but a willingness to relinquish life itself, if necessary.

After the first of the year, they both noticed a change in Jessie; distancing himself somewhat. At first they chalked it up to "growing up" but they also noticed his teeth taking on similar characteristics as the Campbell Twins, he appeared to hear, see, and smell more acutely, and if cut, he healed within minutes. In addition, he never seemed to get sick, not catching a cold or even the flu when it ran rampant through the schools.

By the time the Peter's incident occurred and Eric noted the teens' stories were all pretty much the same and sometimes, if it differed too much from another one's tale, they'd slowly slip back into the same story, as if someone was correcting them. There was no doubt, at that time, Evan and Eric were convinced they were in the presence of "shifters." So, when Jessie asked,

"How long have you two known?" it came as no surprise!

Jessie's suspicion his secret was no longer a secret began growing a couple of months after his first shift. The way Uncle Eric and Uncle Evan looked at him, the seemingly off-hand, and seemingly innocent comments when in general conversation at breakfast or elsewhere, caused him increasing concern. He tried to rationalize the onus for the uneasiness he felt was his own imagination, worrying others might see something different in him, but when his parents or older siblings didn't see any change, other than maturation as he grew, he knew what he felt and their comments were not coincidental!

He was so uneasy, he visited at great lengths with Jase and Tyler. At the time, the three of them were just learning and appreciating the extra-ordinary sensory powers he seemed to possess, compared to theirs, and set about trying to put him at ease by reasoning, "humans really don't believe "shifters" like us even exist, but they sure love to fantasize and write about us."

Giggling, Tyler added with a wicked, sexy grin, "Until they meet an extremely good looking human like we did and want to spend a long lifetime fucking him," and reached down and cupped Jessie's crotch with his hand, clearly a signal what it was he and his brother desired.

 ***

With a deep breath and a sigh of resignation, Eric began, carefully and methodically outlining the process he and Evan went through.

"Evan was the first to notice certain, shall we say `oddities' when dealing with Art Campbell, especially during the tour of `The Pines' property and quick sale."

Eric relayed to Jessie and the gathered teens the entire story of the suspicions, how they deepened, and culminated in their conclusion Jessie, his boyfriends, and the entire conclave at Campbell and Associates were, in fact, "shifters" of the werewolf variety; living, working, and going to school in their forest community. Drawing his narrative to a close, Eric noticed not once had he been interrupted by a question or comment, leaving him wondering what conclusions, what thoughts, or concerns were formulating in Jessie's mind. Seeing no visible sign from him or the others, Eric and Evan began to be wary of the consequences of their admissions. They had no idea what this group of young "shifters" had in mind for them!

Finally, with a heart so heavy, he feared it'd crumble on the spot, Eric looked into the eyes of the once boy, now young man who he'd loved, mentored, served as his attorney, and as a friend, he thought, swallowed down his sadness, and realized now was the time to offer Jessie the opportunity to sever the relationship they'd had for so many of his young years!

"Jessie, you should know neither Evan nor I would ever do or say anything which would endanger or place in jeopardy, you or any of your friends. We'd sacrifice our very lives first! However, I understand completely if you'd feel more comfortable, more secure, and more trusting having one of Art Campbell's attorneys represent you as your attorney and act as Trustee to the trusts established for you!"

Eric watched carefully; Jessie said not a word, exhibited no expression, just a blank expression on his face, his eyes wide! Eric took this as meaning Jessie was no longer interested in his legal advice or friendship and acted accordingly.

"Goodbye, Jessie," he said softly and he and Evan walked to their car and drove down the lane to the County highway. They were just exiting the lane when the distant, anguished cry of realized loss, of a frightened, and broken heart, emitted a mournful cry, "N O O O O!" cascading and echoing throughout the forest!

Jessie was so dumbfounded, as was the rest of the teens, by his Uncle Eric's offer to release him from a client status, he just stared at him, unable to respond! His senses picked up Eric and Evan's sadness, the feeling they'd betrayed him, and that he really didn't trust them any longer and wanted them gone! This wasn't the way he intended this meeting to go; all he wanted to do was verify they knew and try to convince them he was still the boy they loved and who loved them! Eric and Evan totally misinterpreted his purpose and his silence, and in his mind, rejected him! This was so much his own fault!

The loss he felt and finality of it, was sudden as he watched the two of them climb in their car and drive away. The offer Eric made, to no longer serve as his attorney, financial advisor, and friend cut Jessie to the very core; the loss was almost more than he could handle! It was no less than the day he buried his beloved grandfather, watching the vault lid being placed over the casket, the dirt tumbling into the grave, signaling the finality of death!

He dropped to his knees, raised his arms and hands to the heavens, and wailed into the air his screams of anguish, begging them not to leave him, abandon him when he needed them most, not to reject the love he'd felt for them and the love they returned so unselfishly! When Jase and Tyler tried to console him, offering words of comfort, and embracing arms, Jessie sort of shrugged them off, sobbing, crying, shouting for Eric and Evan to "come back," and "don't leave me" as he walked off of the porch, and wandered toward the woods at the edge of the clearing!

The teens all watched their friend, their Alphas' mate, the brightest of the bright, and the best of the best, stunned, ambling almost mindlessly away, crying, and expressing his grief over his loss, so they sat and waited for him to return.

After an hour or so, the woods quieted and Jessie walked toward them. Jase and Tyler expected him to join them and the rest but instead, without a word to any of them, climbed on his ATV and left! They tried "speaking" to him, but he didn't respond! It was almost as if he was able to "turn them off" or disregard what they tried to say to him. It was highly unusual and they really didn't know how or why he was doing it!

Jessie closed himself off from Jase and Tyler and the rest of his friends, so deep was his despair and feelings of rejection! His whole world seemed to have collapsed around him!

Concerned, Jase and Tyler both tried calling Eric's office several times and only received an answer from the office secretary "he's out and didn't say when he'd return." They then called his cellphone, leaving a message to return their call each time, since "Jessie needs you!" but received no immediate return.

"I better go home and check on him," Diondre said, "could somebody give me a ride?"

He climbed on behind Jase and Tyler on their ATV while the rest either climbed on ATV's or loaded up in Brent's pickup truck and left as well.

Jessie parked his ATV, went directly to his bedroom, and locked the door. It was the off-season, when the summer rush of tourists and vacationers was over, so he didn't have to work until the weekend. The "Birchwood," "The Pelican," and "The Alehouse" were open year around, but during the week business was slower than in the summer, catering to locals and those guest in the motel section of Sutton's. Weekends were a different matter, large groups came from International Falls and other places to enjoy the fine food and hospitality, so Diondre and he worked all weekend.

He sat on his bed, staring blankly out the window as darkness fell, at the clearing behind the house and the woods beyond. It was in the clearing he first met, without knowing it since they were in wolf form, Jase and Tyler and later became their mate as a wolf himself; turned by them at his pleading. Now, this all seemed so far distant into the past and almost inconsequential now he'd lost his Uncles Eric and Evan!

He knew somehow he had to reconcile the situation and let them know how sorry he was and how much he missed them, but really couldn't think how, his grief was so deep. Jessie could only sit, inactive, pondering nothing in particular, except to wallow in his own despair. He heard Diondre come home earlier, tap lightly on his door, and softly say his name, but Jessie didn't respond. Late in the night he heard Jase and Tyler try to "speak" to him but he immediately blocked them! It'd only confuse him more, he thought!

He sat throughout the night staring out of the window. Several times he saw dark shadows of wolves, who he knew were Jase and Tyler, watching him, but made no effort to contact them or join them. He decided, toward dawn, he'd visit with his Uncle Eric and Uncle Evan at breakfast at "The Pelican." They always had breakfast there and it was a special time for him, sharing with them, laughing, and loving the presence of the two older gentlemen who, he thought, loved him in return.

Jessie dressed quickly as morning arrived, grabbed his school bag, and hustled over to "The Pelican." He wanted to get there before Diondre so he'd be able to visit with Eric and Evan privately. Bopping into the café, he looked toward their usual table and they weren't there! He waited until the bus came and they never arrived!

Disheartened and dejected, he boarded the bus, along with Diondre, and instead of joining Jase and Tyler in the back, sat right behind the driver, all alone, his eyes directed out the bus window, oblivious to the woods, waters, slipping by as the bus covered its route and to the sounds of the others on the bus.

Jase and Tyler were more than a little worried about Jessie, they were scared shitless! Jessie was their mate, someone they'd pledged their very lives to protect and care for as long as they lived and they now felt absolutely helpless! He refused to communicate with them, kept his distance, remote, held his feelings inside, and closed them off as well as the rest of the Pack. They were quickly becoming fearful for his welfare, fearing they might lose him emotionally or even physically!

When Jessie got off of the bus, Jase and Tyler quickly gathered the others around them, told them their concerns, and told them they were going to keep a 24/7 watch over Jessie.

"Since you live with him, Diondre," Tyler said, "keep an eye on him at home; we'll have someone outside to follow him if he decides to leave. For god's sake, guys, we don't want him to do something really stupid!"

The school day was long, arduous, frustrating, and depressing for Jessie. He tried calling Uncle Eric several times as well as texting him, but received no response. As much as he wanted his mates, Jase and Tyler, he just couldn't be with them until he resolved the problem he'd created, knowing he wouldn't rest until he did. Eric and Evan would either accept his apology and explanation or they wouldn't; if they didn't, then his grief would be manifold, but their relationship would be over and he'd be on his own!

The bus ride home was similar to the ride to school; Jessie sat up front and didn't visit with anyone. At home, he again went to this room, locked the door, and refused to open for Diondre, even when he pleaded for him to do so. As he sat, looking out the window, he made up his mind on what he was going to do!

Around ten o'clock that night, just as "The Birchwood" was closing and the remaining dinner guests were leaving the parking lot, Jessie looked out of his bedroom and spotted three wolves in the shadows and identified them as Mike, Rick, and Brent. He slipped down the stairs, out the front door, across the parking lot, and ducked behind the motel portion of the Resort. His scent would be hard to find, mixed with all of the people leaving and the strong smell of exhaust fumes and mixed aromas emanating from the kitchen as a result of preparing meals.

He stripped his clothes off, hid them behind the fence enclosing one of the garbage dumpsters, shifted, and ran! Jessie ran and ran until he finally eased into a comfortable, mile eating lope; his legs reaching out, muscles flexing, mind relaxing, and determined lope! His depression didn't really leave but was repressed by his exercise. Jessie was on a mission, a mission that'd not be thwarted until complete!

Eyes, ears, nose alert, sweeping the path in front of him, to the sides, and the rear, ever alert seeking some sign or warning him of pursuit or the presence of other creatures which might pose a threat to him or his goal, Jessie pressed on!

Arriving at Eric and Evan's home, a home he was extremely familiar with, approaching it warily, his nose detected their scent, fresh, so familiar, and so comforting! Striding carefully toward their bedroom window, he caught the soft sounds of sleeping men; gently, rhythmically breathing in and out, punctuated by an occasional snore!

He sat, listened, and howled; a very mournful, lonely howl expressing his distress and loss of his best friends and waited. Noises coming from the bedroom indicated they were awake and definitely heard him!

"What was that?" muttered a very sleepy Evan.

"Wolf!" was the response.

"It's damned close!"

"Right outside the bedroom window!"

"Do you suppose it's ...?

Jessie waited for a response, for a light to come on in the bedroom, or the window open to acknowledge his presence – nothing!

They didn't want him!

"Fuck it!" he thought. and howled renew several more times hoping they wouldn't ignore it this time.

Eric and Evan weren't the only ones who heard him! Mike, Rick, and Brent's ears perked up when they heard the very distant, faint sounds of a wolf; a wolf they thought they recognized as Jessie's.

"Diondre," Rick said, "Wake up and check to see if Jessie's in his room!"

Moments later, "He's gone! I'll check the house!"

They waited, standing, prepared to join in the search if Diondre should find anything. While they waited, Mike contacted Jase and Tyler, informing them of the disappearance of their mate. By the time they arrived, Jessie had stopped howling!

"I tracked his scent to the parking lot, but lost it there; too many others to sort his out."

They weren't the only creature in the woods alerted by the sound of Jessie's wolf howling, but couldn't determine the location of the lone wolf's nighttime calls either once it stopped!

Still no response from the house, and not to be swayed from making contact, Jessie shifted back into human form and with determination in his step, walked up to the front door, pounded harshly on it, and shouted,

"Uncle Eric and Uncle Evan, open this goddamned door or I'll break it down!"

His bravado faded, fell to the wayside, as he choked out with strong sobs, "I need you!"

To be continued...

Posted: 07/19/19