Little Wolf

Ch 47 The Other King

I felt relaxed around the wolves that were here. Cherokee came to sit across from me at the long folding banquet table as I finished my breakfast.

"I think this is the first time my people have felt free to shift how they want, when they want," he said. "I never thought I'd have someone else to talk to about leading my pack." He shared looks with a few others who had joined us. "I'm never going to get used to saying pack." He shook his head, bemused at applying the wolf concept to his family.

Businessman agreed. "We use the term pack, but I know what you mean. It's... a... relief? to have people to talk to who understand what we have to deal with, being werewolves. I'm just grateful that if something happens, my daughter has someplace safe to go to, around people that won't..." he couldn't bring himself to finish.

Cherokee gave an agreeing growl. We sat in comfortable silence for awhile. Derrick came over, coffee in hand.

"How you doing?"
"You doing ok?"

We laughed at how we spoke at the same time.

"I'm good," I said.

"Minor concussion, good set on the arm, other shoulder bruised. Anna went at me after Doc was done. Bruise is fading fast."

"Yeah, I've often had my bruises treated." I couldn't bring myself to actually mention Auntie.

"Sister is going to be convinced I'm a fast-healing werewolf now," he laughed.

"She knows better, I hope. Unless you want to be a werewolf?"

He shook his head. "I'm good as I am."

I grinned at him. "You sure? We had a heck of a den there for awhile."

He gave me an up and down insinuating look, not trying to hide his humor. "No dude, you told me it's claimed." He hid his wide smile and choked back laughter in his coffee cup.

I laughed out loud. "Too true!"

We both grinned at each other. Dad spoke up from off to the side.

"Hard to believe you found someplace safe enough to consider a den down in those caves."

That led to us telling the whole story to the others who hadn't heard about our den. Mac came over towel drying his short buzz hair. He turned a chair around and sat down to join us. Pretty soon we had everyone gathered around to hear our tale. Derrick and I got some details from the other side as well.

"Sister hounded me until I answered her," Mac said. "That kid wouldn't give up. She said you hadn't called and wouldn't stand her up. I called John. Asshole said you'd probably just partied away down where your training was and we probably wouldn't hear from you for a few weeks. I knew then something was up with that traitorous son."

Mac shook his head and his eyes got hard as he contemplated his old friend.

"I called your dad, he called some wolves, I got them to where they needed to be." Mac made it sound like there was nothing to what he did. "We set up a search grid, humans with vehicles carrying supplies spread out among the wolves. Kid from my bro's pack suggested the wolves howl, then listen. He said it's what you were doing in their dream, so that's what they did. Damn wolves would howl, then listen, howl, then listen. Then we'd move on to the next sector. Then more wolves showed up."