Short Stories and poems

Big Meal Day Aftermath

After the Events of Big Meal Day.

August 9th, was what Rex Fenrir’s smartphone said the date was. The grey coat wearing werewolf stepped out of his truck, looking at the police vehicles that had responded to the call. As he stepped through the open gate, he noticed the black tarp covering a body. There was a bloody silver-based knife, as well as a walking stick, one with a knob on the end, which was covered in blood and brain matter. There was a werewolf sitting down, a blood-stained hole in his shirt.

“What’s Garlic and Silver doing here?” a vampire police sergeant asked.

“Some of the people involved here are of interest to my agency,” said Rex.

“In what way?” the sergeant asked.

“I’m not at liberty to say, just yet,” said Rex. “So, walk me through what you got, so far.”

The vampire officer nodded. “Wolfe Family Farm, currently run by Robert Wolfe, who is over there, and his wife, Julia, who is in the kitchen. The story is that the vampire known as Marcus Fang robbed the farm, making off with almost every human on the property, bar one. That one was John 3160, aka, John Wrangler – the Herd Leader. They tried to stop the theft, only to be mortally wounded. Seems that they pegged out after telling Robert what happened. Then Marcus showed up, bragged about it, how he’d destroyed the herd, and then tried to kill him – stabbed him in the heart and lungs, with a silvered blade.”

“That should have killed Robert in that case,” said Rex. “That is, unless, he had a hundred or so pounds of meat right then and there.”

The officer nodded. “That’s where, in a sense, John Wrangler saved Robert,” they said. “Their body was within reach of him. Thus Robert grabbed, and quickly swallowed the body. Filled with food, his stomach rapidly digested the meat, and his body healed up, giving him the strength to grab that walking stick and smash Marcus’s skull.”

“I see,” said Rex. “Anything else?”

“Both Robert and his wife show traces of heavy-duty sleeping drugs, which they claim to have not taken,” the officer said.

“Rapid digestion would cause one to defecate quicker than normal,” said Rex. “Have you checked the septic system? It would be a good idea to check it out.”

“No need for that,” the officer said. “He had a plastic tote container, one that was big enough to hold all that waste – from both supper, and, well, breakfast.” The officer turned, and yelled at a patrol werewolf. “Bring out that container of poop and bones! The GaS Agent wants to check that shit out!”

The police wolf, and another officer, went to a van, and got out the mentioned container. They brought it out, and set it down by Rex. The GaS Agent put on some fresh gloves, and opened the container, trying to not breathe in the scent. He pulled a set of pliers from his pocket, and grabbed a sphere-like object – a skull, one that had encountered more than a bit of stomach acid. He carefully yanked out a tooth. Setting the skull down, he looked at his truck.

“Wyona, get out here,” he shouted.

A human woman stepped out of the truck. “Yes, Master?”

“Get over here and get me my scanner.”

The human walked over, and got the device out of the werewolf’s pocket. “You should of gotten that out first,” she said.

“How are you doing, Wyona?” Robert asked, as he looked at her.

“I’m going well, Mr. Wolfe,” said Wyona. “Katie’s also doing well.”

“Good to hear, I guess,” said Robert. “At least two of my former livestock are okay.”

Rex placed the tooth in the device.

“Mary 3095, born on the Wolfe Family Farm, mother to half a dozen offspring,” Rex said, as he had Wyona scroll through the information. “Hmm, seems that she was dosed with some sort of heavy-duty sleeping drug, just before her death. Explains why you wouldn’t have noticed much noise, unless it was extra loud.” He looked at Robert. “Your meal was tampered with, by the looks of things.”

“To be fair, it wasn’t too much of a secret about whom we were planning to eat,” said Robert. “Mary 3095, and Sam 5691 – on our Anniversary, we like eating livestock that had produced offspring together – Shepherd’s Pie.”

“Where’s Jeffery at?” Wyona asked. “Shouldn’t he be out here with you? Or is he inside with Julia?”

Robert sighed. “He was taken too,” the werewolf said. “He was a good slave – I hope that he and the rest didn’t suffer too much.”

Rex removed the tooth from his scanner, and set it down with its skull. He then pulled out another skull. A chill went down the werewolf’s spine. He didn’t need to use the scanner to tell him who this was. John Wrangler, age 40, with easily sixty suspected kills to his name, and twenty-four of them done to protect one rookie Garlic and Silver Agent. Still, for the look of it, he placed a tooth in the scanner.

“John 3160, aka John Wrangler,” Wyona read off. “Feral that was captured. Saved Robert Wolfe from an attacking Greater Bear. Line is Protected as a result. Father to over fifty offspring – including my Katie. Prime Grade, according to records. Listed as Dangerous – not to be approached from behind, and needed to be restrained when needed to be operated upon. Recently diagnosed with an inoperable form of cancer, and given six months to live. A Human of Interest for the Agency.”

Rex took the tooth out of the scanner, and carefully set it, and the skull, down. A frown came to him. “Hard to imagine one such as him getting sick,” he muttered. “Still, it happens with many. At least he went out fighting, in a sense.”

He then walked over to the tarp-covered body, and lifted up a corner. The body was indeed that of Marcus Fang, owner of the region’s largest blood production company. His method involved using braindeading drugs on the human livestock, sealing them in a pouch, giving them more drugs that increased blood production, and fed them intravenously. Said human could be “alive” for easily twenty years, if not longer. However, it was a method that promoted Quantity over Quality – the taste of A-Grade blood obtained through Marcus’ methods tasted like a C-Grade batch obtained through Small Batch Operation methods. This was because of the drugs used. In the end, said human, if it had originally been an A Plus, which was served in fancy restaurants, would be lucky if it died as a D Minus, barely fit for pig feed. One that had been born free, like a Feral, would probably see death as a blessing.

As he looked the body over, Rex ran a mental check on what he’d dug up on the vampire. Suspected involvement in bribery, rustling, poaching, murder, pet theft, and many more. Problem was, finding evidence was very difficult, to say nothing about a witness. Then again, most surviving witnesses, the ones that could be located at any rate, had been humans, and Ferals at that. Not many judges, unless they were a Bone Carrier, would take the word of a human, let alone a Feral, over that of a vampire or werewolf, especially one as wealthy as Marcus, who had plenty of money to buy the best lawyers, to say nothing about the judge, and even the jury.

Rex looked back at John’s remains. “I guess you got your revenge after all,” he said.

“What?” the vampire sergeant asked.

“I encountered John over there more than a few times over the years,” said Rex. “Now, it’s no secret that Marcus wanted the Wolfes’ property, but always offered lowball prices. The thing is, Marcus was also involved in the illegal procurement of feral humans, sending them to undocumented blood production facilities, braindeading them, pouching them, and, of course, using them to illegally produce blood which was not properly documented. Problem is, Marcus’s people snatched John, and his mother – she ended up braindead, and he would have followed her, if not for the father, who had tracked them down. The father caused the destruction of the place, and setting fire to it, dying in the process, but John got out. A while later, while John was recovering in a hiding spot, he saw Marcus, heard him complain about the loss of product, including the fact that the human meat was now overcooked. John was fifteen – now forty. So, you tell me, how would you like seeing your family’s killer on a regular basis, yet be unable to do a damn thing?”

“I suppose that would be annoying,” the vampire sergeant said.

“Annoying?” Rex exclaimed. “That probably killed him, alongside of the cancer, and whatever actual injuries he sustained! Ferals live by a set of rules, least of which is you do whatever it takes to look out for your family, and if someone just kills them, you hunt down their killer, and kill them. At least we can say that John died protecting his herd, or trying to.” He walked over to Robert. “I hope that you got some brandy, or something strong.”

Robert looked at him. “I got some peach brandy,” he said.

“Make sure that you pour it over his remains while saying his name,” said Rex. “Should keep him from haunting you.”

“Seriously? Wasting good brandy by pouring it over a human’s bones?” the vampire sergeant asked.

“Keeps Vendalg away,” said Rex.

“Now, that’s just a myth,” said the sergeant.

“Not to one like us!”

The police officers spun around in shock, with Robert looking up. Rex carefully turned around. There, just inside the fence, was a heavily tattooed female Feral, with a clean-skinned male human, who was bound, and gagged, a leash-like rope held in the Feral’s one hand. The other hand held a long knife, like a machete. Around her neck was a necklace filled with teeth and claws from various creatures, including vampires, werewolves, and humans. Two of them seemed to be fairly recent additions. Standing a ways outside the fence, armed with spears and crossbows, was easily a dozen, or more, Ferals, and those were just the visible ones – there was likely more hiding nearby.

“Which of you is Robert Wolfe?” the female demanded.

Robert stood up. “That’s me.”

“Where’s the one called Julia Wolfe?”

Julia came out of the house. “That is me.”

“This one claims to be yours,” the Feral said. “Now, I’m willing to make a trade – him for my mate, John Wrangler, whom I know that you got.”

“You’re a little late,” said Robert. “He was killed by rustlers.”

“Then, I want his body,” said the Feral.

“All that’s left is his bones,” said Robert.

“How did that happen?” the Feral asked.

Robert pointed over at the tarp-covered body of Marcus Fang. “That one sent his goons to steal the herd of livestock,” he said. “John tried to fight them off, but there was too many for him. Then, that one – he tried to kill me personally, after taking my property. The only way for me to survive was to eat John’s body.”

“What is his name?” the Feral asked.

“Marcus Fang.”

The Feral sighed. “I don’t know about that last part, but the first part lines up with what we overheard from the other two, and this one said.” She looked at the body. “I heard enough about that bloodsucker over the years, he had a bounty on his head of sorts. John even offered one of his own.”

“What sort of bounty?” Rex asked.

The Feral looked at Robert. “That one of his line would either be the mate of the one who did kill the vampire, or one of his offspring would be mate to one of theirs, whichever was more likely.” She spat. “That being said, they’d better damn well impress me.”

“You mentioned two others?” Rex asked. “What do you mean by that?”

The Feral made a gesture with her weapon, one that almost caused the police to go for their guns, if not for Rex.

“Easy,” he said. “That’s not an attack gesture – trust me on that!”

A young adult male feral approached, dragging two bodies. One was a vampire. The other was a werewolf. Each had a fang that had been removed.

Robert and Julia looked at the male feral, as if they knew him.

“You’re John’s son,” said Robert.

The young male spat. “I’m Tobias,” he said, as he stared at the male werewolf. “You’ve spoken to my mother Bella. You took my father, you son of a bitch. You’re the reason he’s dead – you might as well have been the one to have killed him!”

“Tobias!” said Bella. “Get back to the rest.”

The young male walked away, joining up with a younger female, one easily in their early to mid-teens. They too resembled John Wrangler, to a certain degree.

Bella looked at Robert. “My son is right – you might as well have killed my mate yourself,” she said. “For that, I ought to kill you, and claim your head as a trophy, along with your hands, feet, tail, and hide!”

“How about an alternative option?” Robert asked. “I have access to John Wrangler’s genetic material, which I’ve stored. I’m talking about the possibility of you being able to carry his child.”

“So, you’re offering me a child, to make up for my mate being dead, in order to convince me to spare your miserable life?” Bella asked.

“Maybe I could offer more,” said Robert. “As you can see, all of my livestock have been stolen. No point in calling myself a farmer now, is there? Maybe I could offer your herd a place to stay at, especially during harder times.”

“Something to think on,” said Bella.

“So, what’s the deal with these two?” Rex asked.

“My herd was in the area, seeing if we could find John, based on some descriptions about a human that we’d heard about from a trusted source,” said Bella. “My daughter and I found these two with him, bragging about how they managed to get him. He was under the effects of something, as he wasn’t doing anything. Well, I approached, and asked what was going on. Well, whatever else I might feel about you mutts and bloodsuckers owning those that you’ve tamed, it was rather clear that this one wasn’t taken by them properly. Then they made the mistake of talking about how tasty I’d be. I asked them if they had Capture tags – they didn’t have any. Then, they decided to talk about my daughter, and how much fun she’d be before they drained and ate her.”

“So, what happened?” Rex asked.

“They tried to attack me and my daughter,” said Bella. “Unfortunately for these two, they’re just the latest in a number of would-be poachers who have found out that I’m not some helpless livestock, pet, or slave, or a so-called ‘Free Domestic’ as you like to call those creatures that don’t know what real freedom is.” She spat, hitting one of the corpses. “As for this Pet here, he very much wanted to go back to his owners, once he got up. He was very worried about the Wolfes, as last he knew, they were being robbed, and was hit upon the head while trying to help the Herd Leader try to protect the farm from rustlers.”

“So, why is he gagged?” Rex asked.

“To keep him from accidentally giving us away, as we hurried to check things out, especially after he described the Herd Leader,” said Bella. “It was none other than my John. After fifteen years of searching – I was so close to finding him.” She glared at Robert. “We did some backtracking – came to a spot where a lot of large vehicles had been parked, busses or some such thing, easily fifty, if not more, and there were a lot of footprints – easily five hundred people, and that’s a low estimate – the Pet claims that there was about five thousand humans on the farm, which is now empty I see.”

“Could you take the gag off of Jeffery?” Robert asked, cautiously. “I want him to tell me.”

Bella sheathed her machete, took out a short knife, and cut the rag that was used to gag the slave.

Jeffery tested his jaws, to make sure that they worked. He then looked at Robert, before lowering his head. “What the Feral mare says is true, Master, to the best of my knowledge. John woke me, saying that there was intruders. I saw some movement. John told me that we needed to protect the place – saying that he was unable to awake you. He said that we needed guns. I told him that I couldn’t use them. He said that he would, and that he’d take the punishment. He was going to fight, to protect the herd. Someone hit me in the head. Next thing I knew, I’d either been rescued or taken captive by these Ferals – I’m not sure which. I saw the tracks, and – they’re all gone.”

Bella looked at Rex. “Got some of those devices you like using to communicate with others off of those two,” she said, sheathing the small knife. “Smartphones, right?” She took the items out of a pouch, and passed them on to the werewolf. “No use to me and mine.”

“Mind returning Jeffery to me?” Robert asked, cautiously.

“I will, when my business here is over,” said Bella. “Given that you value this Pet, for whatever reason, that makes him a useful shield for me. The police might even have the intelligence to not destroy a private citizen’s property needlessly. As for the GaS Agent, well, I’m sure that you know my reputation – another human that your Agency has an Interest in.”

“You’re suspected to be involved in about fifty deaths,” said Rex.

“I claim that I was protecting myself, or my herd, or them in need of protection,” said Bella. “I remember saving a werewolf cub – they were abducted by someone that was planning to do rather unpleasant things to them.” She grinned. “Whatever else I feel, you just don’t harm a child.”

“If it’s the case I’m thinking of, I remember it well,” said Rex. “You apparently carved that particular vampire’s heart out, with a long wooden spoon, according to the child.”

“The back of the handle was broken at a point, and I merely stabbed her, in order to kill her,” said Bella. “Anything else was after the fact.”

“Are we talking about the case where a teacher kidnapped a student, only to end up dead?” the sergeant asked.

Rex nodded. “That’s the one.”

“Why would a Feral human care about a werewolf cub?” the sergeant asked.

Bella looked at him. “Truth be told, the bloodsucker had abducted my niece,” she said. “Couldn’t allow them to get away with that.” She then looked at Rex. “If you want to see the proof about the busses, mutt, I can show you, and your pet.” She then looked at Robert. “I’ll show you as well, given that you want your pet back, mutt. For now though, he stays on the leash.”

“Are you willing to get in my truck, and take me there?” Rex asked.

“Alright, but one wrong move, and I’ll be adding your teeth to my necklace,” said Bella. “Might still do that anyways.” She glared at Robert.

As they walked to the truck, Rex noticed Bella giving her herd a signal. At this, the group left, practically fading into the wilderness.

“So, where are we going?” Rex asked, after the five got into the truck.

“Take the road two miles south, then turn up a dirt road another mile to what looks like an empty camp,” said Bella. “It has a number of cabins and the like.”

Robert’s eyes widened. “That’s our family’s camp – we gather there for weddings and such.”

“Those guys were planning your funeral,” said Bella. “They were going to kill you, your wife, and take every human, including Jeffery, take them to some illegal blood production facility, and use it to make undeclared income. They obviously would have made your children orphans, and probably with almost nothing to inherit.”

“We have insurance,” said Robert. “But, we’d still be dead.” He looked at Bella. “How are they, by the way?”

“There was a number of busses that were available for us to use, and we had people who knew how to drive them,” said Bella. “They were all fueled up, and ready to go. Each member of the herd is easily two hundred miles away by now, all split up into different groups. Recovering them would be very tricky.”

“What are the odds of me meeting up with them?” Robert asked.

“Depends,” said Bella. “Got to make sure that no one is looking for them, if you get my meaning. Need to make sure that folks think that they are dead and destroyed. Still, set up that park of yours, and help out them needing help having offspring, you might see their children, within the next five years.”

“I see,” said Robert. “What do you know of John’s lineage?”

“We managed to track down his mother’s herd – and that took some doing, because my herd only located them After John was taken by you,” said Bella. “They told us about his father, and what they knew about his grandfather.” Bella chuckled. She looked Jeffery up and down. “Have you ever thought of killing the Wolfes, Jeffery?”

“Never,” the human slave said. “They treat me good.”

“They never threaten to kill you or anything?” Bella asked, looking into Robert’s eyes.

The werewolf chuckled nervously. “Nothing we’d actually carry out,” said Robert. “He’s too useful.”

“Good to know,” said Bella. “After all, he was willing to try to aid in defending the herd, and yourself, from intruders. It’s something that can’t be taught – and it would make a herd leader overlook most faults you otherwise had, like if you’re otherwise a terrible hunter or fighter.” She looked back at Jeffery. “So, any other skills?”

“I know how most household appliances work,” the slave said.

“Mmm, not much use to my herd, but my brother is in control of a number of more urban herds,” said Bella. “Anything else?”

“I have been taught various medical techniques, such as surgery, in case someone gets a deep cut that isn’t immediately fatal, but it will take a while for a vet to arrive, or go to them,” said Jeffery. “I once even help deliver a mare’s cub when they needed to be cut open in order to try to save the life of both of them.”

“Did you save their lives?” Bella asked.

Jeffery nodded. “The cub is alive, or was.”

“Good to know,” said Bella. “That might be useful.” She looked forward. “Have you had any children?”

“I’ve never done any breeding,” said Jeffery.

“Then, I guess you wouldn’t understand the sort of love that a parent has for a child, or the lengths we’d go to keep them safe,” Bella said, as she looked over at Robert. “My John’s grandfather was also called John. He was livestock to someone called Samuel Fang – a 10thgen, all of his prior ancestors having been livestock, pets, or slaves. He had a child with another 10thgen – a Lucky 11thgen named George. 11thgens are supposed to be Declared Free, and the child was supposed to be a household servant or some such thing. Samuel though, he didn’t practice this, and branded George on the eyelid, because he was Prime Grade. John wanted his son free though, so he waited, fifteen years, for his son to be strong enough to maybe survive the wilds. Then, he found out that he had something that would kill him, cancer. Seeing that he only had one chance, he stole a hammer and a long blade, possibly a machete. He got George to start climbing the fence, when Samuel left his house, along with a number of farmhands. He got George over the fence by practically throwing him. Then, he charged – George apparently saw him smash Samuel’s skull in, and decapitate the fore-werewolf, before he got mobbed. George ran then, knowing that his father was going to give his life, to see to it that he was free. Imagine what it must have taken for John, who knew nothing of fighting, to be willing to do that, to save his son.” Bella chuckled. “I guess it runs in the family – George did something similar, as did my John.”

“Listen, the Fangs can’t find out about John and his offspring being of one of their livestock,” said Robert. “If they were to find out –”

“My son and daughter would be collecting their fangs,” said Bella. “As would I.”

“You don’t need to worry about them going after Katie either,” said Rex. “I own her legally, and anyone trying to rob a Garlic and Silver Agent tends to have a death wish anyways. Also, Wyona’s become a very good shot. A very good partner to have.”



The truck soon came to the campsite. The group got out. There was a number of tire tracks, easily fifty, maybe a hundred busses worth. Then there were the footprints, with most being from the sort of sandals livestock might wear, with a scattering of those from boots.

“A pretty good trick to use boots,” said Rex. “Where did those come from?”

“The prior wearers no longer had any need for them,” said Bella.

“How many?” Rex asked.

“Two hundred feet each got a boot,” said Bella.

“A little hard to explain that many,” said Rex.

“Random dump sites, and such,” said Bella. “Some will look like accidents, others suicides and a few will look like murders. You know how such things go.”

Rex nodded. “Not my first cover-up.” He looked around.

“You’re talking about John’s killings, correct?” Robert asked.

“No, something much bigger,” said Rex. “The Liberty Rebellion.”

“I heard something about how Ferals helped the livestock’s offspring to escape,” said Robert.

Rex chuckled. “It was much bigger than that,” he said. “Adult livestock also got away – all of them.”

“What do you mean?” Robert asked.

“A little complicated, but it turned out that the farmer was making deals with Ferals, to make things look like a rustling operation,” said Rex. “Problem was, someone was planning a real one. At some point, I might tell you the story, but suffice to say, while he deals with the public shame of his livestock rebelling upon him, and thus is barred from human farming, that farmer’s privately proud of what happened.”

“I see,” said Robert. “Useful to know.” He looked at the tracks. “So, what’s the story here?”

“Fang’s cohorts snuck onto the farm, drugged the humans that you were going to eat, probably without them knowing, thus drugging you,” said Rex. “They then tried to steal the rest. John found out, attempted to raise the alarm, failed to wake you up, so he tried to get Jeffery to help. However, there was too many, who were too quick. Jeffery was knocked out, John was badly wounded, and the herd was stolen, and destroyed. You woke up, found John, who told you what happened. Marcus came, bragged, tried to kill you. John tried to protect you, taking a fatal injury, and you got one a moment later. To save your life, John told you to eat him, and make sure that Marcus didn’t get away with trying to kill you. Anything else, I can chalk up to self-defense.”

“So, what does all that mean?” Bella asked.

“It means that Robert has just gotten away with an interesting form of murder-for-hire, to say nothing about any of the other crimes,” said Rex. “I should be able to investigate the Fangs more freely, now that Marcus can’t interfere in them.”

“You just watch out for his wife,” said Robert. “She seems to be the brains.”

“Something to keep in mind,” said Rex. He looked at Bella. “Want me to take you some place to meet up with your herd.”

“I’m good,” said Bella, as she made a gesture. A number of humans showed up from hiding.

“You plan for a number of things,” said Rex.

“I plan for anything,” said Bella. She looked at Robert. “We will meet again.”

“I hope our next encounter is under better circumstances,” said Robert.

“You’re only alive because it’s what John wanted,” said Bella. “Our next visit will cost you and your wife a tooth, and your offspring will be losing teeth to mine.”

“I take it that you don’t plan on forgiving me too soon,” said Robert.

“I got a lot of hate in me for what you’ve done,” said Bella. “If not for John, I’d of killed both you and Julia as you took those two to be your meals. We’ll be seeing you.” She tossed the end of the leash to Robert, and walked away.



After a few minutes, as the humans finally faded from view, Rex looked at Robert. “You just survived an encounter with one of the top ten most dangerous Ferals I currently know of,” he said.

“Makes me wonder why Garlic and Silver doesn’t kill such Ferals,” said Robert.

“Same sort of reason you never killed John, even though he tended to cause you trouble,” said Rex.

“Too useful,” said Robert.

“Not to mention Plausible Deniability,” said Rex. “They’re very useful to have, in order to deal with murderous poachers, along with others that would otherwise escape the justice system, one way or another. Still, you got to give John credit – he got your Meals-to-be to take some heavy-duty sleeping pills, knowing that it would kill them, in order to knock you and Bella out, in order to facilitate his escape, and make you look like victims. Someone else would of killed you.”

“We had a certain amount of mutual respect,” said Robert. “Like brothers in a way.”

“I’m guessing that you’d thought about letting him a few times, along with the rest of the herd,” said Rex. “But, freeing five thousand livestock just doesn’t go over so well, where the law is concerned.”

“There was also history to think on,” said Robert. “Seven, if not more, generations worth.”

Rex chuckled. “Try cattle – there’s a particularly rare breed that gets up to five thousand pounds on average. No one around here raises it – very tender, even after 20 years of calving and milking.”

Robert raised an eyebrow. “Something to think on.” He then looked at the family campsite. “Great spot to have cabins for campers to sleep in, don’t you think?”

“Would be a nice spot,” said Rex. “Ferals would possibly enjoy the area too, if no one was hunting them, and given that this herd, technically, saved your life, that would make them all Protected by Law.”

“You’re the law expert, officer,” said Robert.

“Well, best get back to your place,” said Rex. “I got to write up the report, and you’d better start digging John’s grave. Make sure to pour some of that peach brandy over him, and the remains of the other two, along with any others.”

“Hard to believe that one like you believes in Vendalg,” said Robert.

“It doesn’t hurt to show respect for the dead, especially those who saved one’s life,” said Rex. “As it is, I got something for you to use in addition to that peach brand – Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.”

Robert chuckled at this. “Seriously?”

Rex grinned. “Used to trade that stuff to him for information, and wild game meat, like venison,” the officer said. “He liked that stuff, along with anything fruity. Didn’t really care for beer-type items – too bitter.”

“Makes some sense,” said Robert. “You don’t usually find hops growing wild out there. At least, not in this general area.”

Rex chuckled. “Right, unless you find it either in a field that’s prepared for them, or in a hidden garden,” he said. “Said garden of course would need to be a good-sized one for a Feral to justify growing them over something like grapes, which can be eaten fresh, dried, or turned into juice or wine.”

“Well, guess you’d best take I and Jeffery back to the farm,” said Robert. “I have things I need to plan out.”

“Remember to pour the brandy and whiskey over the graves,” said Rex.



A while later, Robert had finished filling in a hole at the base of the tree, that he and John had spent a lot of time sitting under. He got the Fireball, and pour some of it over the grave. He then took a swig, and made a face. “Surprised that you liked it. Never figured you for something that warm.” He then poured out some of the peach brandy, before taking a swig, to wash out the cinnamon taste.

That was when his ears caught a sound. It started low, and then it grew. Chills went down his spine when he realized what it was, and what it meant. Ferals were pounding drums, sending messages from one herd to another. Usually it meant something like someone had been attacked by a large group of enemies, and was asking for help. There were other messages, but this one was different.

“Tis the message that a Herd Leader has fallen in battle against a great enemy, but managed to kill them in the process, protecting the herd,” John had once said, upon hearing an identical set of drums a while back. “It’s a way of telling others that now is a bad time to fight them, for someone will be seeking to make themselves a Herd Leader. It also tells the Afterlife to be ready for the arrival of one that’s about to shake things up, and cause any foes already there some major trouble.”

Robert looked in the direction of the pounding. He saw, upon a hill in the distance, a group of Ferals, standing, as others pounded upon a set of drums. As he looked, he could feel the eyes of three of them, staring deep into his soul. Despite the miles between them, it was clear that they’d been watching him bury John’s remains.

He then looked at the grave, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pair of pliers. He gripped one of his teeth, and yanked it out. He carefully shoved it into the soft dirt, covering the hole.

“Anyone asks, you earned that one,” he said. “You knocked out enough of them over the years. It was time I pulled one for you.” He then took a swig of the whiskey, followed by one of brandy, and poured some of each onto the grave, yet again. “You cause some trouble up there – you’ve caused plenty down here.”

He then walked over to the two graves that had just been made in the Pet Cemetery, and poured some of the drinks over them. Mary and Sam had indeed each earned a couple of shots’ worth – they never gave away any hint about the escape, even giving their lives to ensure its success. He’d underestimated John, and what he’d been willing to do. John had convinced the pair to take heavy-duty sleeping pills, knowing that it would kill them before they’d die in the Wolfes’ stomachs, in order to keep the Wolfes from interfering in the escape. Their digesting bodies had caused the medicine to enter the Wolfes’ bodies, and thus caused them to become tired, and be more inclined to sleep through the escape.

He then pulled out his smartphone and checked the security system. Finally, it was working. Whatever jamming mechanism that had been messing things up had been dealt with.

“Those Ferals are watching us,” said Julia, as she came up to him. “Especially that Bella mare.”

Robert nodded. “I can feel their eyes on the back of my head,” he said. “I suspect that, if not for John, you and I would be a trophy set, and that’s if we were lucky to have not fallen victim to the rustlers that were going to kill us anyways.”

“Funny that,” Julia said. “How long do you think that he had this planned?”

“I’m guessing that he figured out something, back when he first arrived,” said Robert. “He wanted freedom for as many as possible.”

“That leaves us with one issue,” said Julia. “Jeffery, get over here.”

The human slave came over. “Yes, Mistress?”

“Did you know what John was going to do?” Julia asked.

“It’s no secret that he was planning an escape, but the way he was talking, it seemed rather clear that someone had invaded the farm, and I even saw intruders outside the window, so I opened the gun and ammunition safes for him, as he said that he’d take the blame, if things went wrong, as if he was trying to save me from being in trouble,” said Jeffery. “It wasn’t until I noticed that the bullets he was loading were those that were just silver based, and not the garlic-and-silver based ones, that I realized what was really going on. Then, I got hit over the head, I guess by Bella.”

“Still, you believed that we were in danger, and acted as a result of this belief, correct?” Robert asked.

Jeffery nodded. “I believed him when he said that he couldn’t wake you up, and that our lives were in danger,” the slave said. “John said that he knew how to use a gun, and thus was willing to accept the consequences of using them. Like I said, I believed him.”

“So, you believed that John was trying to protect us, and thus you did what you did in an attempt to save our lives?” Robert asked, looking him in the eyes.

“Yes, Master,” said Jeffery. “I’m sorry for the trouble tha –”

“Jeffery, you did Exactly what you were supposed to do in that sort of situation,” said Robert. “You were thinking of your Masters’ safety, and acted upon those intentions. You took a blow to the head, Protecting your Masters. There’s only one thing I can do.”

Jeffery gulped, a sense of dread overcoming him. He’d been the Wolfes’ property ever since he’d been found by them, and had been initially a Pet, and then a Slave. Now, despite his thirty years of loyalty, because of his failure, he was about to be-

“Jeffery, I Declare you Free.”

“Master I – What?”

“Jeffery, you’re Free,” said Robert. “Or, at least you will be once I file the paperwork. You Protected me and Julia from dangerous Rustlers, taking an injury, was made a prisoner, and upon your rescue, your first duty was to try to help us, no matter what. There’s no higher duty than what you did. You risked everything to try to look out for us. Thus, there’s no higher reward I can grant, beyond Declaring you Free, Declaring you Protected, Adopting you into the Family, Granting you a paid job, and place, here, or any other place you wish to live and/or work at, among other things that even the average Declared Free human might not get, as a result of you actions.”

“Master, I’d be honored to accept this reward,” said Jeffery.

Robert smiled. “You don’t have to call me Master anymore,” he said. “Just Robert, and Julia is no longer Mistress, but Julia.”

“What about Masters Fred, James, Billy, and Mistress Hanna?” Jeffery asked.

“You don’t need to call any of them Master or Mistress anymore,” said Robert. “Same goes with anyone else.”

“Wait until the paperwork is Official with everyone else,” said Julia. “But, in Private, and among family, you may drop the Master and Mistress parts.”

A smile came upon the soon-to-be-emancipated-slave. “Yes, Mis- Julia.”

Julia smiled. “That’s going to take some getting used to.”

The three looked up towards the hill. By now, not only had the drumming stopped, but the Ferals had departed.

“So, when do we get to work on this park idea?” Julia asked.

“Oh, once the lawsuits against the Fangs is settled, which should give us plenty of time for us to have child number four, and John and Bella to have child number three, as well as hammer out the details of the rules about the park,” said Robert. “I’m thinking about setting up a safe place where werewolves and vampires can have sex with Ferals, and give them Stomach Baths as well as non-fatal blood sucking. After all, there’s a number of Ferals who might be curious about such things, and might even enjoy it. I know that John did.” He patted his gut. He then looked back at the tree. “I’m going to miss him.”

“Well, he’s going to be stuck on your ass for a while,” Jeffery said.

Robert and Julia looked at him, and chuckled. Things were indeed going to need some getting used to.



Epilogue:

Within a few weeks, the younger Wolfes met up with the Feral offspring of John Wrangler, losing teeth to them. Robert and Julia would encounter Bella, who took teeth from them, stabbing Robert in the shoulder. The Wolfes didn’t really blame the Wrangers for what they did, given that it could have been so much worse, if not for what John had wanted. Within a year, Jeffery was officially a Declared Free human – he was also adopted into the Wolfe family, and remained on the farm as a high paid servant. He ended up becoming an extra healer for the feral herds, and would father some children among them. Robert and his family got into the cattle business, which, in addition to the park, has done well.

There was also an investigation into the Fangs by the Garlic and Silver Agency – among other things, there was plenty of evidence to convict many of the family of being part of the following – Operating illegal blood production facilities, murder, poaching, rustling, bribing local official, corrosion, extortion, intimidation, assault, not to mention not filing their tax forms properly and lying about their income, among other things, or at least being accessories after the fact. A number of the Fangs were sent to prison. Some are still serving time. The Wolfes ended up getting most of their property as a result, although most of the Fangs’ former livestock, due to being rendered braindead, were put down, although their genetic material was saved, regardless of meat grade.

Also, within a year, John Wolfe and Roberta Wrangler were born. They became friends, and eventually, much more. Within five years, the Wolfe Family Park was set up and doing well, with other parks either opening up for similar purposes, or existing ones adopting similar policies, where vampires, werewolves, and Feral humans could safely meet and great, among other things, such as enjoying sexual encounters, Stomach Baths, and Non-fatal Drainings, and the like. The park, and others like it, is a Truce Zone of sorts, where herds are to put aside any animosities they might have with one another, along with those against vampires and werewolves, and hunting by vampires and werewolves upon humans is not allowed.

James Wolfe tends to the cattle and other livestock on the farm, along with his wife and children, and is even a park ranger. Hanna would get involved in conservation, especially studying the feral human herds and packs. She would also convert to being a Bone Carrier. Billy would become an artist, painting scenes depicting feral humans. Fred would get married, and end up going on a diet, dropping from 1,200lb to 800lb, within 25 years.

Robert would use the genetic material from his stolen/destroyed livestock to help ferals that wanted a child but were unable to. Thus, he was able to make sure that the lines he owned still existed, in one form or another.

Rex Fenrir Is still one of the most highly feared Garlic and Silver agents, whose reputation keeps growing. He tends to be accompanied by one or two female humans – Wyona and Katie, who are able to easily communicate with any human witnesses to crimes.

Bella Wrangler’s unofficial kill count stayed at around sixty. Officially, she helped to encourage the peace in the park, up until her death due to cancer. Her funeral was rather lavish by Feral standards. Her remains were buried with her husband’s, with Strong Juice poured over them. Drums were pounded, letting those in the Afterlife know that she was coming to cause chaos.

The Fangs that either remained free, or were eventually released from prison, are not exactly welcomed at the park, even after two decades. It seems that Ferals don’t forget, and are slow to forgive.

While the Wolfe Family Park, and others like it, are known for being a way for feral humans to safely interact with vampires and werewolves in a safe manner, in many ways, thanks to the low cost of smartphones, it has become fairly easy to track herds off of the park, especially thanks to the use of social media and conservation websites. That being said, it’s a bad idea to use them as a means to Hunt the herds, as the herds can do the same to would-be hunters – most of which are lucky to just lose their teeth. Poachers though, they are lucky to escape with their lives.

Now, did the Wolfes ever get to have another Big Meal Day? The answer is thus: Yes – every month on the 8th. Usually though, the main meat is beef, mutton, pork, venison, or other non-human animals. That being said, there are funerals that are held for humans that die of accidents, illness, or old age, and sometimes executions are held for those who cause way too much trouble for the park. On those particular occasions, the Wolfes get to enjoy human meat.