The Lost Tribe: Prologue

         They say if you take a walk with Mother Nature, she'll nurture your mind, body, and soul. It seems nature never hurries and yet it gets everything accomplished. Out in nature there is so much to learn, so much to see and so much to hear. Some never want to experience that. It makes me think how much better the world would be if people actually went out into nature and listened to what she has to say. Learn what she has to teach. Most of all see her true beauty. As for myself, whenever I get the chance, I go out and accept her gifts. I spend time with her, I listen to her songs, and I appreciate her beauty. Me? You can call me Jack. I'm a drifter of sorts, been on my own since I was eighteen. I go from place to place, work here and there, then move on to the next place. I'm not one to stay in one place for long periods of time, unless I really like it. Currently I'm living in Rawlins, Wyoming. It's a nice little town, everyone is very friendly. It's the type of place where everyone knows everyone. I was lucky enough to get a job at a local diner. It's a nice little place, and I like working there. Everyone who works there likes me, and I like them. I'm thankful that Aaron, the owner, gave me the job. He seemed hesitant at first but now it's like we've been friends forever even though I've only been here a few months. The day after tomorrow, I'm going to be heading out into the woods to go camping. Aaron was gracious enough to give me these next few days off and I cannot thank him enough, this was going to be fun and I couldn't wait.
It was late and the last of the customers in the diner were leaving. I was staying past my normal time because I wanted to help as much as I could, since I was going to be away for the next week.
"So, Jack are you ready to get your vacation underway?" Aaron asked as he was wiping down the front counter."Â
"I am, I think this is what I need. Thanks again for letting me do this." I replied.
"Don't worry about it. What's your plan? Are you going to go anywhere?"{font:times
"Just on a small little camping trip." I answered.
"Sounds like a lot of fun, I've always wanted to go myself but could never bring myself to take that much time off. Do you have a specific spot you are going to go to?" 
"The lake just outside of town, there's a small trail that leads deep into the woods" I added. Aaron paused and looked at me for a moment before looking at Jaci, his wife, and then looked back at me. "Tell you what, why don't you spend the night at our place and I can drop you off at the lake in the morning. I pass the lake on the way into work every day so it won't be an issue." Aaron suggested.  
"I don't know about that; I'm really not going out until Saturday. I just wanted Friday to make sure I have everything together." 
"That's alright Jack, besides we weren't planning to open tomorrow anyway. So, you can hang out with us at the house. It'll be a lot of fun." Aaron coaxed. 
"I guess I can. It'd certainly be a nice change. Just let me walk back home and get my stuff it won't take long." I spoke 
"Walk? Jack no, it very late. I don't want you doing that." He urged. 
"I've done it before, it's not that big of a deal. I'm always careful." 
"I understand that but you're going to be our guest and I want you to get there safe. I can have Alyx give you a ride to your place and then she can you bring you to ours." He said motioning to Alyx. Alyx is one of the cooks and she's a damn good one. She is a bit of a prankster though and tends to bust on me a lot but in all honesty she's a real sweetheart.  
"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" 
"No, I'm not." He replied. 
I gave off a long sigh. "Alright, Alyx can give me a ride." I couldn't say no, Aaron has done so much for me even though he doesn't realize it, I would be dreading the ride to where I live though.  
         I'm currently living in a hotel, alone. The manager was nice enough to let me pay for it monthly with the money I make at the diner. No one at all knew I was living there though and it's not like I wanted to make that known either. However, the truth would come out sooner or later. I suppose I could just make something up though like our house if being renovated or something like that. Perhaps that's what I'll do, I don't like people feeling bad for me. Hell, if they knew I was living there alone they might want me to just live with them but I couldn't do that. I'd feel like I would be a burden or something. I'm just so used to being alone I guess I just don't know what it truly feels like living with people, or even a family for that matter.  
Alyx came out from behind the counter and came up to me. 
"You ready Jack?" She asked. 
"Yeah, I am." I replied. I turned to Aaron. "I guess I'll see you back at your place."  
"See you soon Jack." Aaron smiled.  
Alyx and I headed outside and got into her car. 
"So, Jack where do you live?" She asked. 
"Well, I'm actually living at the hotel a few blocks over." I sighed. 
"Why are you living in a hotel?" She questioned.  
"Our house is undergoing some major renovations. So, the contractor is having us stay there for the time being." 
"Well, that was nice of them." Alyx said. 
"Yeah, it is."  
As we pulled into the parking lot for the hotel Alyx turned to me. "Do you need help getting your stuff?"  
"Yeah sure, an extra hand would be great, it's all packed ready to go. There's just a lot of stuff." I spoke. We got out of the car, headed into the hotel and then to my room.  
"Where are your parents, Jack?" Alyx asked 
"They both work third shift jobs; they usually don't get home until the morning." I lied again. It didn't feel good to lie, it never does. I hate doing it but I couldn't tell her I was living here by myself. Alyx and I grabbed my stuff and went back out to the car, putting my stuff inside it. We got back into the car and headed to Aaron's house.  
The drive took a bit longer than I was expecting, I started to nod off and day dream not realizing how far out of town we were. We turned down a dark narrow road that cut right through the forest. Needless to say, I was a bit confused and a bit concerned not really knowing where we were going. 
"Hey Alyx, where are you taking me?" I questioned. 
"Back to our place of course." She laughed. 
"How do I know you're not just going to kidnap me?"  
"Well, we can if you really want us to, perhaps hold you for ransom." She replied. I let out a soft chuckle. "It's not like anyone would care if you actually did that." I said under my breath. 
"Did you say something Jack?" Alyx asked. My mouth worked faster than my brain and I let everything slip out, and once I started there was no stopping.  
"Actually Alyx, I haven't been truthful. Our house isn't going under renovations, I live at the hotel, alone. I don't have any parents, rather I don't know who they are, I never did. I've been on my own since I turned eighteen. The money I make at the diner goes to the room and then whatever else I need. I never told any of you because I didn't want you to feel sorry for me. It's just that I've been on my own for so long I'm just used to it. I'm sorry I should have told-" Alyx cut me off. "Slow down Jack, it's okay. Take a deep breath and relax." I nodded and took a deep breath as Alyx continued to speak. "To be honest I kind of figured something like that was going on but I understand why you didn't want to tell us but if you would have told us then maybe we could have helped you out, maybe get an actual apartment or something."  
I nodded, "Please don't tell Aaron yet, I want to tell him myself." 
"Your secret is safe with me, as long as you promise to tell him." Alyx answered.  
"Don't worry I plan on telling him once I got back from my trip. So, Aaron lives all the way out here?" 
"Yes, we all live together actually. It's quite nice living all the way out here." Alyx replied. 
"I didn't realize you guys all lived together."  
"We never expected you to." She smirked.  
"Thanks for inviting me to stay with you guys. I appreciate it. It'll be nice sleep in a bed that isn't a hotel bed." 
"Don't mention it, we have the extra room so it's no big deal." Alyx said. 
         Soon enough we came to the end of the road. The house was a bit bigger than I was expecting. We pulled up to the front of it and got out. I looked up and shook my head. It was basically a big lob cabin, which I really loved.  
"I can see why you have the extra room." I remarked. 
"Yeah, it's a pretty big house." Alyx chuckled. We grabbed my stuff and headed inside. There in the front room, was Aaron, Jaci, and Tyler. They were all watching TV.  
"Hey there Jack, welcome to our home." Aaron said smiling. 
"Thanks, you have a nice place." I replied. 
"Thank you, Jack, glad you like it. Please come sit and make yourself at home. Can I get you anything to drink?" 
"No thanks I'm good for right now." I answered putting my things down, and then sitting down on the couch.  
"It's nice of you to take us up on our offer Jack." Tyler said. Tyler was the other cook. Yes, we only had two of them. Aaron helps out when he's needed but once Tyler and Alyx get going there's no stopping them. They know what they're doing.  
"Thanks for letting me spend the night. I really appreciate it." I replied. 
"Don't mention it, Jack. It's the least we can do." Aaron hummed.  
I couldn't help but notice that something felt weird. It was a good weird though, if that makes sense. There was just something that seemed a bit off. I just couldn't put my finger on it. "So, guys, where is Dan at?" I asked. 
"Eh, he's up in his room working on a few things. You know how he gets." Jaci chimed in. She was right, Dan was a quiet one. I could never get anything out of the guy when I tried talking to him. There's something about him that I can't put my finger on, like he's hiding something. I'm not sure what that something is though and to be honest, I'm not sure he likes me all that much.
"Did you let your folks know where you were going?" Aaron asked. 
"I mean they knew I was going camping so I didn't really think of telling them I was coming here." I replied. 
"So, are you going to tell them?"  
"No, and that might sound bad but I don't really have the best relationship with them. I just kind of do my own thing sometimes you know?" I explained. 
"Jack they aren't hurting you in any way, are they?" Jaci asked 
"No, not at all actually, it's just complicated." I mentioned. 
"Jack please if there's something going on at home tell us." Aaron said. 
"I promise there's nothing going on at home. I'll make a deal with you though; I'll talk to you guys about it when I get back. I just need some time to think about things." I added. 
"Fair enough, we won't push the issue." Aaron replied. 
"Thank you. I really appreciate you guys letting me spending the next two nights here." I smiled. 
"It's like a mini vacation before your real vacation." Aaron joked. 
"That's very true." 
"So, can I show you to your room?" Aaron asked. 
"Yeah, that would be a good idea." I replied. Aaron nodded; I grabbed my things turned to the others. "Goodnight, guys, I guess I'll see you in the morning."  
"Goodnight, Jack." Jaci replied. 
"Thanks." 
Aaron guided me upstairs to the spare room. "You can stay in this room." He said opening the door. The room itself was at least four times bigger than the hotel room I was staying in. I let out a soft chuckle and shook my head. "Something the matter Jack?" Aaron asked. 
"No not all."  
"Alright, well sleep well. If you need anything, we'll be downstairs for the time being." He noted. 
"Thanks, and again thank you for inviting me over."  
"Hey any time you want to come over and spend the night or two just ask." He affirmed.  
"That means a lot, I'll have to take you up on that offer." 
"Good, I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun. Either way, goodnight, I'll see you in the morning." He smiled. 
"See you in the morning." 
Aaron turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I looked around and smiled, taking a deep breath. Yeah, I could honestly get used to being here. Perhaps when I get back, I'll tell them everything that's going on. My emotions are mixed. Part of me does want to tell them but the other part thinks it would be best to keep it to myself. I took some pajamas out of my bag and put them on before slipping into the bed. The bed itself was very comfortable. A lot comfortable than the one at the hotel.  
         As I lay there on the bed the feeling from before came back. It felt as if everyone was hiding something from me but I just couldn't place what it was that they were hiding. These feeling continued until I eventually fell asleep.  
I woke up fairly early the next morning, around six. I yawned and stretched out. That was probably the best sleep I had gotten in a while. I slowly got up out of bed, got changed, and went downstairs. It seemed like no one else was up yet. That really didn't bother me too much, though I was in an unfamiliar location but at the same time it felt like home.  
"I'm in the kitchen Jack." Aaron called out. His voice startled me to say the least. I wasn't expecting it, shaking that off I went into the kitchen. 
"How did you know it was me?" I asked. 
"I heard you get up; your room is right above the kitchen." Aaron explained. 
"I'm not going to lie, your voice startled me."  
"Sorry about that, can I get you a coffee?" He asked. 
"Sure, why not." I replied. Aaron nodded got up and poured me a cup of coffee and brought it over to me. "Here you are."  
"Thanks Aaron."  
"No problem, did you sleep well?" He asked. 
"I did actually. I slept very well." I replied taking a sip of coffee. 
"That's good, I wasn't expecting you to be up this early." He confessed. 
"Neither was I but I feel well rested." 
"You look like it as well." He added. 
"Are the others still asleep?" 
"For the most part, Jaci is already gone for the day, she had a family thing to do. Dan I'm assuming will be in his room for most of the day or he'll just leave for the day, if he's not gone already. As for Tyler and Alyx, those two are still sleeping. Probably will be for another hour or so." He explained. 
"So, it's just us for the time being?"  
"You can say that." He chuckled. I didn't even get a chance to reply to that when I felt something brush against my leg, causing me to almost spill my coffee. My heart was beating so fast. Turning to look down at what it was, I saw the head of a dog, except it was much bigger than a normal dog. "Good god, that scared me." I reached down and started to pet the 'dog' on the head. It seemed content at what I was doing so I guess that's a good thing. 
"Jack that's Kris, she's our other family member." Aaron noted. 
"She's a wolf, isn't she?" I asked continuing to pet her. 
"No keeping secrets from you is there?" He asked. 
"I can tell the difference between a dog and a wolf."  
"Yes, she is a wolf. I was hesitant at introducing you to her, she's never been around others aside from us here. Though, she seems to like you a lot." He spoke. 
"She's beautiful Aaron, I've never been this close to a wolf before." Kris's fur was mostly brown but had some slight grey and black in her fur as well.  
"Thanks Jack, glad you two are getting a long." 
         I nodded and continued to pet Kris, she was looking directly at me, those piercing eyes of hers made me feel like I've seen here before but that seems to happen a lot so I paid no mind to it.  
As I continued to pet her that same feeling came over me again. I wanted to believe this feeling but I couldn't because I didn't have any proof.  
"There's something special about you Jack, isn't there?" Aaron asked. 
"What do you mean?" 
"Oh nothing, just a feeling I have." Aaron replied. "Alright Kris go lay down now." Kris snorted and whined a bit before going back into the living room. "Would you like something to eat Jack?" 
"That would be great." I replied. 
"Anything special you would like?" 
"Surprise me." I smiled. 
Aaron nodded and went to the fridge and grabbed a few things. I continued to drink my coffee while he went to work, so to speak.  
As he was in the process of cooking Tyler and Alyx came down and joined us in the kitchen. 
"Morning Jack." Alyx said. 
"Morning Alyx, morning Tyler." I replied. 
"You two want anything to eat?" Aaron asked. 
"I'll have whatever you're making." Tyler replied. 
"Same goes for me." Alyx chimed. Aaron nodded and went back to cooking.  
"So, is there any special plans for the day?" I asked. 
"Well, nothing outside unfortunately, it's pouring rain." Aaron said pointing out the window. He was right, the rain was coming down hard. 
"Guess we'll have to stay inside all day and watch movies." Tyler said. 
"Yeah, what a bummer." Alyx added. I cocked my head at the both of them. "You two sound so thrilled." I said sarcastically. 
"Hey, someone who understands our sarcasm." Alyx gasped. 
"I've been working with you guys long enough to understand it, though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing."  
"Afraid it's going to rub off on you." She chuckled. 
"I think it already is."
"So, what do you think of Kris, Jack?" Tyler asked. 
"Well, a part from her scaring me half to death she's alright."  
"She scared you huh?" Tyler grinned. 
"Yeah, just a little bit."  
"A little bit? Please, you must have jumped ten feet in the air when she brushed against you." Aaron added. 
"Listen, I didn't hear her come up next to me and I wasn't expecting that at all."  
The three of them continued to laugh. I just shook my head. 
Aaron soon brought over our plates. "Here you are guys, three farmers omelets."  
"Thanks Aaron, they look amazing." I spoke.  
"Thank you, Jack." Aaron said grabbing his plate and sat down at the table. The four of us started to eat. The omelet itself was amazing, though it's to be expected with everyone here knowing how to cook. All of the food they make is amazing.  
Once finished we all helped clean up and do the dishes before going to the living room to watch some TV. The rain was hitting hard against the side of the window, it was really coming down now. Kris came up to me and jumped up on the couch, laying her head in my lap. I smiled and rubbed her head softly. 
"She has really taken a liking to you Jack." Aaron said. 
"Yeah, I've noticed that." I replied. 
"You're going to have to come visit more often." Alyx mentioned.  
"I definitively will, I'm enjoying it here."  
"Good to hear Jack." Aaron replied. I smiled and nodded, and started to rub Kris's chin, she let out a low groan of satisfaction.  
This is pretty much how the rest of the day went. Just the four of us, chatting and watching movies. With a food break or two in between. It felt nice to spend time with everyone outside of work to really get to know them. I kind of wanted it to go on forever honestly, I really didn't want to leave. As time ticked by day turned to night and I was getting tired.  
"Well as much as I hate to say it, I should get up to bed. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow." I spoke. 
"Alright Jack, you know where the room is. Come on Kris, let Jack go to bed." Aaron motioned. Kris let out a small whine and jumped off the couch and stretched out. "Goodnight, Jack, I will see you in the morning."  
"Goodnight, Aaron." I turned to Tyler and Alyx. "Goodnight, guys."  
"Goodnight, Jack, stay safe, see you when you get back." Tyler said. 
"Goodnight, Jack, take care and have fun." Alyx noted. 
"I will, see you when I get back." I started to head upstairs. Kris was following behind, coming upstairs with me. I paused at the landing and turned around to face her.  
"Don't worry Jack, she can sleep with you if you're okay with it." Aaron called out. 
I shrugged a bit, "Doesn't bother me." I replied. I turned back around and head up to the room, Kris following right behind me. I went into the room, put on some pajamas before climbing into bed. Kris went around the bed and jumped up, laying down next to me, and placing her head across my chest. Now I really didn't want to leave, being this close to such a magnificent animal was incredible. I was definitely going to have to come back here or I could just tell the truth about what was going on.  
As I lay in bed, I started to pet Kris. "Oh, Kris if only everyone knew what was going on with me. If only they knew I was living on my own, without parents. I don't know who my real parents are. I hate lying to people especially them. They've done so much for me already. I don't want to be a burden by living here with them. Granted I love it here already and I've only been here a day. I hope you can keep this between us." I let out a chuckle. It was crazy to think that I was confiding in a wolf. "It's not like you can understand what I'm saying though."  
         I woke up at around five-thirty the next morning, raring to go, changing quickly and grabbing my things before heading downstairs. Kris jumped down off the bed and stretched out for a moment before following me downstairs. I set my stuff down by the front door and went into the kitchen and saw Aaron sitting there. 
"Hey there Jack, good morning, hope you got enough sleep." He spoke. 
"Don't worry I did." I replied. 
"Glad to hear it. You ready to get your vacation underway?" He questioned. 
"Yes, very much so." 
"Good, I packed you some food for your trip. Hope you don't mind." He spoke. 
"You didn't have to do that. I have some food."  
"Well, I'd rather see you have food then not have any at all. Things do happen." He mentioned. 
"Yes, I know, I appreciate it."  
"Alright come on let's go." I nodded finishing off my coffee. We went outside, packed the car with my things and drove off.  
While driving Aaron turned to me. "Jack I'm sure you know this but please just be careful out there. There's plenty of wild animals especially bears and there have been sightings of wolves in the area."  
"Don't worry, I'll be careful. I know what to look for and know what to do, trust me." I replied. 
"Yeah, I figured but it makes me feel better that I told you. I know we've had many talks about things like that. So, I do know you know how to handle yourself."  
"Don't worry about it that just shows that you care." I smiled. Aaron nodded. 
A few minutes later we arrived at the lake. Aaron pulled the car off to the side of the road to let me out. "Well Jack have fun. I'll see you in a few days." 
"See you in a few days, and thanks for again for the ride." I replied. 
"You're welcome, stay safe." 
towards the lake. I stopped for a brief moment at the edge of the forest and took a deep breath. I wouldn't be back for seven days. From here on out I would be by myself. 
  
         Nature is my second home. Where I go camping is completely different from most. On occasion I do meet people who venture out like I do. This would be the second time I'm going camping while living here. I'll be going to a different place this time. I'll be going deeper into the forest. Some people get tired of nature after a while but me, I'll never get tired of it. It's a new experience each time. Nature is always changing. That is what makes it so amazing. The birds were singing and the wind was whistling through the trees. This is what I came here for. This and to get away from people. Don't get me wrong, again I like the people I work with. They're awesome, I just need time to myself sometimes. As I traveled deeper in the forest the trees got thicker. The sunlight barely poking through the trees. I picked a good time to go. The temperature was just right. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold.  
         Midway into my walk into the woods I came to a small stream that cut the forest in half. I decided now would be a good time to take a break. To get to where I was going, I'd have to cross the stream. I sat down near the water's edge and relaxed. A familiar sound rose up from the chirping of the birds. It was the howl of a wolf. The howl was off in the distance so I had no worry of running across the wolf during my travels. Another howl joined in with the first. Smiling I got up, filled my bottle up with water, and crossed the stream.  
         The sun was starting to set when I arrived at a good place to set up camp. I set my things down and started to unpack my tent. As I was unpacking, I heard the howl of a wolf again, it was a lot closer this time. I had a feeling I was in its territory but there's nothing I could do about that. I'd be in its territory either way, a wolf's territory can extend for many miles. Sometimes even hundreds of miles. I didn't have a clue where its territory ended or even began for that matter. I could be deep within it by now. I tried not to let that bother me too much. It would be cool to see a wild wolf up close so long as it doesn't feel threatened and attack me.  
         By the time I finished setting up my tent the sun was setting behind the mountains, giving off an orange glow that flooded the sky. This is why I love nature, for picture perfect moments like this. I stared at the setting sun for a few moments before snapping back to reality. There are still some things I had to get done. I needed to get a fire going so I could eat. I gathered up some wood and made it into a small pit and lit it with some leaves to get the fire going. As the fire got bigger, I took out some hot dogs, it wasn't the best meal but it'll do for tonight. Tomorrow I'll go out finishing and see if I can catch anything.  
         After I ate, I rolled out my sleeping bag on the ground to get ready for later before going back to tend the fire. The sun was gone behind the mountains and the moon was beginning to rise. There wasn't much light aside from the light from my fire. The world around me was quiet. The only noise was the chirping of crickets and the crackling of my fire. I was at peace, and for once I was happy.  
It was getting late and I was getting tired. My fire was on its final leg. I climbed into my sleeping bag and fell asleep. During the night I woke up to what sounded like my name being called. I tossed around my sleeping bag trying to ignore it thinking I was hearing things or it was just a dream. Then I heard it again, I opened my eyes and looked around and saw no one. Again, I just played it off as my imagination but then a strange feeling came over me. It felt as if I was being watched, I could hear something moving around in the darkness. My body tensed up; I wasn't alone anymore. Moving slowly, I got out of my sleeping bag, pulled it into my tent, and closed the tent up behind me. The footsteps got closer, it sounded like they were right outside my tent.  
A few minutes went by and the footsteps faded off into the night. I sighed in relief, I wasn't able to go to sleep right then and there. It took a while because whatever was watching me could still be around. My eyes grew heavy and I couldn't keep them open any longer. 
         Birds were chirping loudly, it was morning. I let out a long yawn and rubbed my eyes. Getting out of my tent I stretched out. Yes, sleeping on the ground isn't the most comfortable thing in the world. The sleeping bag doesn't help much. The events of last night were still fresh in my mind. I didn't see any tracks around my tent. So I guess whatever was watching me was further away from me than I thought. Still it was unsettling to say they least. I tried not to let it get to me. I grabbed my fishing pole and headed out to a larger stream that was near by.  
Once there I set my things up put the bait on my hook and cast out. This is where the fun begins, now I just sit back and wait to see if I get anything. While I was waiting, I just couldn't help but wonder what was watching me last night. It could've been just a deer or elk. On the other hand it could've been a wolf. Had I stayed outside and not gone into my tent who knows what could've happened. Hell I might have been attacked or worse. I shook my head and kept my eyes on my pole. It jerked down quickly, finally a bite. I grabbed my pole and reeled in my line. There was something on there and it was big. Thankfully it was a fish and not something else. I had a decent dinner for tonight. I headed back to camp with the fish in tow.  
          I arrived back at camp I threw the fish into my small cooler to save for later. There wasn't much else for me to do so I decided to just go and explore the surrounding area. While walking a came upon a set of tracks. My heart skipped a beat, wolf tracks. It was a wolf that was watching me last night. I followed the tracks for a bit, the one set of tracks became two. Knowing there was two wolves watching me last night made me a bit uneasy. The tracks circled around my entire camp. Never once coming in but if they were daring enough to get this close they might try and get even closer next time. I pushed that thought aside as I ventured into the woods, going east. There wasn't much stopping me from exploring everywhere but I did have to control myself. I didn't want to get lost and no one would be able to find me way out here. I stopped myself from going any further when I came to a big boulder and sat down. It was past noon and I was hungry. Thankfully Aaron had gave me some trail mix. I ate enough to hold me over until dinner. As I was finishing eating I could hear something rustling. I sat up in full attention, not knowing exactly where the sound was coming from, I moved back a bit. As I did that the rustling stopped. From the corner of my eye something caught my eye. I turned and there it was. It was a wolf, whose fur was a mixture of tan and grey. I didn't panic I didn't run. I was breathing heavily. If I ran it'd chase after me. I sat there staying completely still, the wolf started moving towards me slowly. It seemed curious of me, as if it was asking what I was doing there. Now I've researched wolves for a good portion of my life so I knew what to do in this situation. As with any predatory animal you had to make yourself look bigger, yelling loudly in hopes to scare whatever was on you, away. Something told me that this wolf wasn't doing to hurt me so instead I tried submitting to the wolf. Lowering my head and getting myself as close to the ground as I could, I kind of submitted to the wolf in a way. I tried to avoid making eye contact with so it wouldn't take that as a challenge. I looked at it through the corner of my eye, it kept coming closer and closer until it was standing right next to me. It sniffed me for a bit and circled around me a few times before coming back to face me. We were both looking at each other in the eyes directly. Which struck me as odd because this is the exact thing I was trying to avoid, but this wolf made it happen and I couldn't look away. As this happened a calming sense came over me. It felt as if he wasn't going to attack or harm me in any way. I really wanted to reach out and touch him but I didn't dare do it in fear of what would happen but I did it anyway. My heart told me it was okay. I felt as if the wolf was okay with it as well. I extended my hand and touched his chest and began to pet it. His fur was very soft and yet a bit rough. The wolf snorted a bit before tilting his head back and howled. I've heard wolves howl before but being this close made it an amazing experience but very loud. Then the wolf did something I wasn't expecting, he leaned down and licked my face a bit before turning and running off. Looking up I saw the wolf in the distance just sitting there watching me. It seemed like he wanted me to follow him. I was in a state of shock at that point, I slowly got up and walked towards him. He just sat there as I got closer and closer. Before I knew it I was right next to him and sat down. The wolf again leaned forwards and licked my face. There was something about this wolf that I couldn't put my finger on. To me it seemed like he knew me and I felt as if I knew him. He was very friendly towards me to which it was odd for a wolf to be this friendly towards a human. The wolf again got up turned and ran into the woods. I didn't follow him this time but I really wanted to. I couldn't risk it, the sane part of me was telling me he could be leading me into a trap, while the rational part of me said to just go with him. It was a tough decision but I decided it would be best to head back to camp.  
         It took me a while to get back because I was walking a bit slower than normal. Mainly because I was still trying to process what had happened. It didn't know if that wolf was one of the ones that had been around my camp last night or not, I just didn't know. When I arrived back at my camp I took the fish out the cooler, prepared it, and got another fire going. As the fire got hot I put the fish onto a stick and set it down so that it was just above the fire. Once the fish was done I brought it close to me and began to eat. Yes it was good but I still couldn't get that experience out of my head. I was flustered. There's no other way to put it. After I had finished eating I kind of just sat there. My body tensed up again. There was something coming towards me from behind. I turned and saw a wolf. Though it wasn't the same one as before. This wolf was mostly brown with some grey. I got a really bad feeling from this one. Definitely not the same feeling I got from the other one. I became fearful as the wolf approached me, baring it's teeth. Again I didn't want to run. Instead I calmly stepped back and turned to go into my tent. That however was a mistake. There was another wolf behind me. It must have snuck around while I was focused on the other one. I really didn't have much time to react as the wolf jumped towards me I ducked out of the way and fell to the ground. I turned and saw both wolves slowly walking towards me growling and snarling, baring their teeth. I crawled backwards, still I didn't want to run because either way I wasn't going to get away. One of the wolves jump towards me, pinning me to the ground still snarling and baring its teeth. I kicked my legs out trying to kick the wolf off me but that didn't work out too well as the other wolf came over and sank his fang's into my leg. I screamed out in pain. I kicked more but that only made the wolf bite harder. The wolf who had me pinned looked down at me and I looked at it in fear. I could have sworn I saw him smile or that's what it seemed like anyway. I didn't have much time to react as the wolf moved his head down towards my neck. In a last ditch effort I put my arm up in defense. It really didn't even seem to phase the wolf however as he bit down into it. When he let go of it I put it down in defeat. The wolf lowered his head again and opened his mouth and clamped it around my neck. I could feel his sharp fang's pierce my neck. I couldn't scream the pain was just to much. I could feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness. Eventually I succumbed to the pain and fell unconscious. 
  
  
"Come on hurry up, we need to get to him quickly!" The figure exclaimed.  
"I'm going as fast as I can." The second figure said.  
Two figures ran through the woods towards where they heard the screams. When they came to where they had heard them they found a body lying on the ground. The two rushed over to the lifeless body. One of them picked it up. "He's still breathing but barely"  
"Come on let's get him back to the house quickly." The other figure said. The figure holding the body nodded and the both ran back into the woods.  
After running for a few minutes the two came a big house right in the middle of the woods. It really seemed out of place. A third figure was standing on the back porch and rushed down towards the other two. "Is he alright?" 
"He's breathing but I'm not sure if he'll make it." The one figure spoke. 
"Give him to me. I'll take care of him."  
The figure nodded and handed the body over to the larger figure. The larger figure took the body and ran into the house. A fourth figure ran behind the third figure as he ran up the stairs into a bed room, setting the body onto a bed before leaning over the young man. "You're in safe hands now I promise." 
"Is he going to be alright?" The fourth figure asked. 
"I'm not sure I might have to make sure that he makes it. Even if that means, well you know." 
The fourth figure nodded, "No matter what you do we'll stand behind you on your decision."  
         Hours passed and the young man still hadn't moved much. The larger figure was still with him. Watching and waiting for him to wake up. One of the figures from before came back into the room. "How's he doing?" She asked. 
"He's doing better, a lot better. I'm hoping he'll wake up soon." 
"Good, you should get some rest. I'll look after him for the time being." She replied. 
"I know but I just want to be here when he wakes up." 
"I understand but you need to get some rest. It could be a few more hours before he wakes. You've been up for almost a full day." She said. 
The male sighed, "You're right. Please come get me if he starts to wake up." 
"Don't worry I will." The female assured. 
"Thanks and do you think he'll forgive me?" 
"I'm sure he will. I think we know him well enough." She responded.  
"Yeah, that's true. Do you think he'll figure it out though?"  
"He's smart so I'm sure he will. Unless you just want to flat out tell him." She said. 
"No I'd rather not. Just in case."  
"Fair enough. Now go and get some sleep." She replied. The male nodded and left the room. She placed a hand on the young man's head.  
"You're in safe hands now." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "I just hope you wake up soon." 
  
         I groaned, my head was throbbing and my whole body ached horribly. I opened my eyes and looked around. I didn't know where I was. Well I mean I gathered that I was in a room but I didn't know where I was exactly. Was I in a hospital? Was I dead? Is this heaven? Looking down I saw that my arm was bandaged up. I brought my hand towards my neck. When I touched it, it burned slightly. I was still in a daze when I heard a voice speak. "Well now look who's finally awake."  
Turning I looked over and saw a guy, not that much older than me standing there. He looked and sounded so familiar. I took quick look around the room. Putting two and two together I finally realized where I was.  
"Wait, Aaron?" I said confused. 
"Well, that took you a bit longer than I was expecting." He replied. 
"How did I get here, or was this whole thing just a dream." 
"Unfortunately what happened wasn't a dream, I wish it was. We were afraid you weren't going to make it, but you surprised us all and pulled through. " He explained. 
"How did you guys find me?" 
Aaron let out a soft chuckle, "Funny story about that. Tyler and Alyx were going to surprise you by paying you a visit. However ironic this may be, they found you right after you were attacked. They heard your screams and bolted for you." 
"I guess I should count myself lucky then." I replied. 
"Yes, however you want to look at it, you're safe and that's all that matters." 
"That's true. If you see them before I do tell them I say thanks." I praised. 
"I will, I'm about to head back to the diner to check up on things."  
"That works then, I'd like to see them when they get home to properly thank them." I added. 
"I'm sure they'd like to see you as well." 
I nodded and turned back over onto my back still in a bit of pain. My hand hit something soft and warm. I turned to see Kris laying there in the bed next to me. She picked up her head and leaned forward and licked my face. 
"Augh."  
"Kris hasn't left your side since Tyler and Alyx brought you back here." Aaron chuckled. 
"She's something else, I'll give her that."  
"That's true, I can assure you though, she didn't attack you. I do not let her go far when she's outside." Aaron confirmed. 
"Don't worry, I know what she looks like. From what I remember the wolves that did attack me looked completely different." 
"So you don't remember what those wolves looked like?" 
"No, I'm sorry. That whole thing was such a blur." I sighed. 
"That's okay Jack, it'd probably be hard to actually find them anyway. Don't be too hard on yourself." 
I turned to look at Kris again, she looked back at me. I swear I saw her smile before she licked me on the face again.  
"You better start getting used to that. She's not going to stop doing it any time soon now that you're back and especially since I'm going to have you stay here for a few days until you get better, I'm sorry your vacation went array." He apologized. 
"It's not your fault. I tried to be careful, but in the end I was still attacked. I guess I was intruding more than I realized."  
"Well when in nature, you're always the one who is the underdog no matter how much experience you have." He acknowledged. 
"Yeah, that's the truth." 
"Anyway, I got to get going. Is there anything else that you need before I go?" He asked. 
"If you could get me a glass of water that would be wonderful."  
"Sure thing, would you like anything to eat or perhaps something else?" He questioned. 
"Well, I would really like to take a shower." 
"Of course, the shower is right over there." He said pointing to another door in the room. "I went ahead and put some clothes on the sink in there, just in case you wanted to take a shower." 
"Thank Aaron." I replied. 
"You're welcome, I'll be right back with your water." Aaron turned and left the room, Kris got up and jumped down off the bed, following Aaron. 
  
Aaron walked downstairs while Kris walked right next to him.  
"I think he knows." She said. 
"I think he knows as well but let's just give it time. I don't want to jump to conclusions because what if he doesn't know?" Aaron asked. 
"I know, I just think it's going to come out very soon." Aaron nodded and walked into the kitchen. "Listen I'm going back to the diner for a bit to help the others."  
"Alright, I'll see you when you get back." Jaci replied.
"It seems like he really likes you as a wolf."
"Yeah, I just wanted to make him comfortable. The more I think about it though, I'm not sure if it was a good idea to be a wolf right after he was attacked by some." Jaci noted.
"You know, I don't think he's even mad at the wolves who attacked him, he's just that type of person." Aaron went over to the sink and filled up the glass with water; "Come on let's get back to him."
  
         Aaron came back into the room a few minutes later with Kris right behind him. He walked over to me and handed me the glass of water. I sat up as best as I could and took the glass from him. Kris jumped back up into the bed, laying down next to me.  
"Thanks Aaron." I said taking a drink. It felt good to drink something. My throat was very dry and itchy. The water made it a lot better.  
"Don't mention it. I'll be heading out now back to the diner. I should be back in about two hours, hopefully sooner." 
"Oh alright." I said kind of hesitantly.  
Aaron noticed my hesitation. "Don't worry. I'll try and get back as soon as I can. Kris will be here with you." Aaron looked at Kris as he said that and she looked right back at him. I looked at Aaron and then looked at Kris. They were both kind of staring at each other. It seemed like they were communicating to each other without saying a thing. That struck me as odd and it made me start to wonder about a few things. 
"Okay, thank you." I don't know if it was my tone of voice that gave something away but I think he knew that I knew what was going on. Aaron smiled "Again, I'll be back as quickly as possible." I nodded.  
"If you need anything just call me, you have my number. Your phone is on the dresser. 
Aaron exited the room and closed the door behind him. 
         I took a deep breath and turned so that I was sitting on the bed, my entire body ached with pain. I looked at my arm and legs that were bandaged up. The bandages weren't going to fair well in the water. So I was going to have to take them off, even if I was afraid to see what my wounds looked like. I slowly got up, off the bed, my legs almost giving out they hurt so much, and headed towards the bathroom. Kris jumped off the bed and followed behind me, her claws clicking with each step as she walked on the hardwood floor. I opened the door to the bathroom, Kris was still behind me, never leaving my side. She stood right next to me as I started to take the bandages off my arm and legs. To me, Kris seemed to be a bit larger than the average wolf especially for a female. I bit my tongue from saying anything, for now at least. As I took the bandages off I noticed something. There were no stitches and the bite marks seemed to be healed already. Though there was still a lot of dry blood. Was I really out for that long? I looked at myself in the mirror. Let's just say I didn't look that good. My clothes were torn badly and had blood stains all over them. I looked at my neck it was the same as my arms and legs. The wound almost completely healed but still had some dry blood around it. I'll take a better look after I shower and cleaned up. As I undressed I noticed another bandage covering my mid section. It hurt like hell and I was afraid to take it off but I had to. Slowly I unwrapped it and to my amazement that too was pretty much healed. I shook my head. I didn't want to believe it but there really wasn't any other explanation. By this time Kris was lying down on the rug. I went over to the shower and turned it on letting the water heat up. I haven't had a shower in three days at least, not counting the time I was unconscious. When the water got to a reasonable temperature I stepped in, and it felt great. The shower itself was bigger than any one I've ever been in. I just stood there letting the water hit me. All the dried blood just washed right away making the water running off me turn into a reddish color. Surprisingly it didn't hurt like I thought it would. Yes there was some pain but not much. I was sore more than anything. The feeling of the warm water hit my skin felt so good. I was in a daze of sorts for a few moments. I quickly shook myself out of it and continued to clean myself up. Looking down at myself and seeing all the bite marks made me question things. I really shouldn't have survived that right? There's just no way. Then that same thought as before, ran through my mind again. I took the soap and scrubbed myself down as best as I could without it hurting too much. 
         After I was done with my shower I stepped out, grabbed a towel and dried myself off. I grabbed the clothes that Aaron had left me and I put them on slowly. Perfect fit. Then again he is about the same size as me. I took my old torn clothes headed back into the bedroom I set them aside on the dresser. As I was heading back to the bed I noticed what looked like a door to a balcony. I went over, opened the door and stepped out onto it. The view that I saw took my breath away. I could see the entire surrounding forest. It was one of the best things I've seen in a long time. Kris, came out and stood right next to me. Standing on her hind-paws she draped her fore-paws on the banister, looking out at the view with me. I looked over at her and let out a small laugh. Kris looked at me, tilting her head slightly. I smiled turned back into the room. Kris jumped down and followed right behind me. I climbed back into the bed and relaxed, stretching out. Kris jumped up into the bed and laid right next to me. I turned to face her and then noticed something, odd. Her eyes were the exact same as Jaci's. This only confirmed my suspicion. I let out a sigh, "Hey Kris?" Kris picked up her head and looked at me. "Listen, I think I know what's going on here." I watched as Kris hung her head down. "I'm talking to Jaci, aren't I. You're not Aaron's pet. You're his wife, you're werewolves."  
I heard her let off a sigh "So you figured it out didn't you? Aaron and I thought you would. We knew it wouldn't be easy keeping something like this from you. You know us too well and we know you can pick up on things like that but yes we are Werewolves. Not just Aaron and I but everyone else at the diner. Tyler, Alyx, and Dan. We knew where you were, we've been watching you. Aaron and I were the two wolves who came into your camp the first night you were there. The tan wolf you encountered. That was Aaron, he wanted you to follow him but he knew you wouldn't. Now he is blaming himself for you getting attacked. He knew that those two wolves who attacked you we're stalking you. We scared them off the first night. When Aaron got back to the house after he approached you he sent out Tyler and Alyx to find you and bring you back. By then however it was too late. They heard your screams and Tyler and Alyx ran off to find you. When they did find you they brought you back here. Aaron took you up to the room here and made a difficult choice. He gave you the first part of the gift. That part being immortality. Yes he saved your life there was no other way. Had he not done that you were more than likely going to die. We didn't want that. We couldn't have lived with ourselves if you did die. We're sorry but we hope you understand. I can understand if you're mad at us. We just hope that you can forgive us." 
"Don't worry. I'm not mad at any of you. You guys saved me. Aaron made a difficult choice to keep me alive. I'd rather be alive than dead. I guess I'll just have to get used to living forever but that should be easy. How come Aaron didn't say anything when he came to me while I was out exploring?" I asked 
"How would you have reacted if Aaron started to talk to you or if you saw him in his were form?" 
"I don't know, I probably wouldn't have done anything. It would depend on the situation I was in I guess. I knew that if I ran from him his instincts would've kicked in and he would have started to chase me." I explained. 
"Aaron wouldn't have chased you."  
"I kind of got that feeling but still I didn't know. How could I have known?" I asked. 
"I'm just saying. He wouldn't have chased you. He's too kind of heart to give chase to someone like you. You're like family to him. Hell you're like family to all of us. Dan though he can be a little hard with you but he's like that with everyone. We really don't know why." 
"Someone like me? So he does go after other humans?" I questioned. 
"He does, we all do it from time to time. I mean we try not to do it too often as to not cause any kind of scene. Again he knows you so he wouldn't have gone after you." 
"I know he knows me, but I didn't know he was that wolf that came up to me. I should have guessed it though. It was just odd how he was acting towards me. He was being very friendly. " I said. 
"I know you didn't know that wolf was him. When you submitted to him he did laugh a bit. He didn't expect you to do that. Though you made all the correct moves, which is a good thing to know. You almost did end up following him but then you stopped. Had he pushed harder you wouldn't have been attacked." 
"Well yea I submitted to him. Did he expect me to fight him?" I chuckled. 
"You could have but you would've lost." 
"That makes me feel a lot better about myself. Thanks for that vote of confidence." I said shaking my head. 
"Well it's kind of true. He's a lot stronger than you think." 
"I know that he's stronger than me that's why I submitted I'm not stupid. I just knew what to do." I explained. 
"I know and he's proud of you for doing that." 
"That's good to know." I said 
"Yes, anyway I should let you get some rest." 
"No please stay here, I like having the company. I like talking to you." I confessed. 
"Well thank you, I'm glad you like my company. However I need to re-bandage you." 
"Why though. I'm pretty much healed the way it is." I said. 
"I realize that but it still can get infected if you aren't careful." 
"Fine, but can you do it in your werewolf form?" I asked. 
"How else would you expect me to do it? I hate being in my human form at home and well I can't do much as a wolf unless you want me to lick your face again." 
"Why did you do that?" I asked. 
"Why not? I like you and well I had to play the part. Besides you're cute." 
I just rolled my eyes at that comment. 
  Jaci jumped down off the bed and started to change right before my eyes. I could her here bones began to crack and shift. Her muzzle shrunk a little bit. She grew taller and taller until she was standing on two legs. The transformation was over before I knew it. 
"Wow you made that look easy." I said. 
"You get used to it after a while" Jaci smiled. 
"So tell me. How old are you exactly? If you don't mind me asking that is."  
"I'm only twenty-five." Jaci said 
"Do you guys age at all?" 
"No, you stay how you looked when you were first bit." Jaci said. 
"So I'm going to look like this forever?"  
"Yes." Jaci said. 
"Is there anyway that we can die?" 
"Well no, not exactly. Some of think that's a curse but not us, we love it." Jaci answered. 
"Now that's something I can get used too." 
"I sure hope so." Jaci said. "I just need to go get the bandages, stay here and I'll be right back."  
         Jaci walked into the bathroom and came back a few seconds later with new bandages. She set the bandages down next to me and knelled down. I really didn't know how to say it any other way but she just looked amazing. I just smiled at her and she smiled back extending her paw towards me. I looked at it. The pads on it were on the tops of her fingers and on her palm. I reached out and clasped it in my hand. It was soft to the touch. Yes it did feel weird but it was a good weird. Almost as his you were shaking a dog's paw well a humanoid dog. I let go and smiled. Jaci smiled back and ran the back of her paw along my head. She then grabbed the bandages, took a hold my arm and started to wrap it. She did the same thing with my legs. The feeling of her grabbing onto my leg was still a bit weird. I jerked a bit though, the pain was still there. Though the wounds were pretty much healed. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts. It'll be sore for a long while. There's nothing we can do about that unfortunately. We can only heal our wounds fast." She said softly. After she was done with my legs she looked at me. "Alright sit up and lift up your shirt." I nodded, sat up and lifted up my shirt. She wrapped the big gash or what was left of it that was around my stomach. "There all fixed." Jaci said. 
"Thanks Jaci." I said smiling. 
"Don't mention it." Jaci leaned forwards and hugged me. She ran her paw up and down my back. My head was pressed up against her chest. It was very warm and soft. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged tightly.  
"Jaci do you remember what I said to you the other night?" I asked. 
"I do, why do you ask?" 
"You didn't tell anyone did you?" I questioned. 
"You're secret is safe with me. I promise you I didn't tell anyone." 
"I appreciate it, and I'm sorry if what I said offended you." I chuckled. 
"Don't worry it didn't, It's not like you knew I could actually understand you." 
"I know I still feel a bit bad for saying that though." I replied. 
"No need to feel bad dear, are you going to tell Aaron?" 
"I will, it's time for me to come clean." I confessed. 
Jaci nodded, "Well Aaron just got home so he'll be right up."  
"How do you know that." I asked. 
"Well since we are werewolves we have very good hearing."  
"Yeah, I knew that." I claimed. 
"Sure Jack, whatever you say." 
I could hear Aaron coming up the stairs and into the room. He opened the door and to my surprise he was in his werewolf form as well. "There's no keeping secrets from you now is there. I figured you would put the pieces together. You're smart and good at figuring things out." 
"I started to suspect Friday morning when I met 'Kris' for the first time. It was odd that Jaci wasn't around but all of a sudden Kris was." I said. 
"I should have just told you from the beginning." 
"Don't worry about it, I should've said something right off the bat but I just didn't have any hard proof." I said. 
"Are you sure?" 
"I'm sure, I'm still here aren't I? I should of just asked right from the start." I answered. 
"You are still here."  
"You look awesome. You both do." I said smiling. 
"Thanks." Aaron said. 
"So where are the others?" 
"They're all still at the diner. They should be home in another hour or so. I told them to close up early." Aaron explained 
"Cool, It must be nice having your own hours." 
"Yeah but it can be a hassle especially on Sunday's you know that." Aaron said. 
"I don't really care for Sunday's at all honestly." 
Aaron chuckled "Anyway I need to talk to Jaci about something. We'll be back in a bit to check on you." 
"Alright." Aaron and Jaci left the room and went down the hall into a different room and closed the door. 
  
"So what should we do?" Aaron asked. 
"I'm not sure really, I think it should be up to him." Jaci replied. 
"I know but he'd be better off staying here with us."  
"Aaron, I want him to stay here just as much as you do but we can't force him to stay." Jaci explained. 
"Well, did he mention anything about his parents?" 
"No, not at all." Jaci replied. 
"I figured as much, I don't think he's telling the truth." 
"About what?" Jaci asked. 
"About having parents, I don't think he's living with them, or if he is there is something going on that he's not telling us. This is why I want him to stay here. His attitude changed completely when he spent those two nights here." 
"I noticed that too but again we can't force him to stay." Jaci confessed. 
"Alright, we should get back to him and figure out what he wants to do." Jaci nodded and the two left the room and headed back to Jack. 
Aaron and Jaci came back into the room about thirty or so minutes later and came over sitting on the bed. I sat up and looked at them. Aaron smiled as he looked at me, "Jack do you want us to call your parents and tell them what happened?" 
"No, you don't have to do that." I replied. 
"Why is that? I'm sure they would want you to keep in touch while you're out camping." Aaron suggested. 
"It's because I don't have any parents. I'm living in a hotel alone, and pay for it monthly with the money I make at the diner." I confessed. 
Aaron let out a sigh, "I figured something like that was happening. I didn't realize what was going on exactly but I knew something was going on after Alyx mentioned you were living in a hotel."  
"Yeah and that's a permanent thing until I can find an apartment. I told Jaci or well I guess I should say 'Kris' the other night." I replied.  
Aaron turned to Jaci, "He told you about not having parents?" 
"That and a couple other things, but I couldn't tell you. He trusted me with that information, not knowing who I really was at that point." Jaci explained. 
"You're right I'm sorry." Aaron said before turning back to me. "What happened to your parents if you don't mind me asking Jack?" Aaron questioned. 
"Well I never knew my real mother and father. I don't even know if they're still alive for that matter. I was in an orphanage for the first few years of my life. I was then placed in foster care and was moved around from place to place and then back to the orphanage. I couldn't take that anymore so once I turned eighteen I left and never looked back. Now here I am." I explained. 
"It must have been hard living on your own for that long." Jaci noted. 
"You get used to being alone on your own eventually." 
"I'm sure that's true but you have to get lonely sometimes." Jaci noted. 
"I have my moments but it's something I deal with. I get over it, I know it may sound bad but it's what it is. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys this sooner." 
Jaci and Aaron looked at each before looking back at me for a few moments before Aaron spoke. "Well." Aaron cleared his throat. "Would you want to live here with us?" 
"I'd love to but I don't want to be a burden on you guys." Aaron was about to speak but Jaci cut him off. "Look Jack, we want you to stay here. You said it yourself the other night that you'd love to stay here. We promise you will not be a burden."  
Aaron looked at Jaci, I thought we agreed we couldn't force him to stay here." 
"I'm not forcing him. I was just saying that we'd love it if he stays here. It is ultimately his decision if he wants to stay or not. We're offering him our home to live in with us and the rest of the pack. A place where he'll be loved and cared for." Jaci mentioned. 
"You're right." Aaron confessed. They both turned to me. "Well Jack ultimately it's up to you. We won't be mad if you don't want to stay." I looked at them for a few moments before leaning forward and hugging the both of them or at least I tried to.  
"Yes, I'll stay. Thank you, thank you so much." I cried. Jaci and Aaron both hugged me. A warm feeling came over me again. I've found what I've been looking for my whole life and that's a family. The three of us just sat there hugging each other for a few moments. Aaron ran his paw down my back before pushing me away slightly. Taking his other paw he lifted my chin up. He looked down at me and smiled. "Welcome to the family Jack." 
I smiled back, "Thank you." That was really all I could say honestly. I was just so happy. I had a family. Finally after all these years.  
"Come on let's go downstairs the others should be home soon. I told them to close early." The three of us headed downstairs, went into the living room and sat on the couch while we waited for the others to return.  
After only a few minutes of waiting the others came home. I was quite surprised that the others were already in their werewolf form. They must have just changed before coming in. It was hard to tell who was who. Needless to say they came right over to me to greet me.  
"Now Jack I know you know everyone in human form, you don't know who they are as a werewolf. The, grey one is Tyler. The tan one is, Alyx, and the white one is Dan." Aaron explained. 
I nodded and turned to Tyler and Alyx, "Thanks for saving me you guys." 
"Don't mention it Jack." Alyx said. 
It was going to some time being around werewolves but I think I could get used to that very quickly. Tyler and Alyx came over and sat down next to me. Alyx sat down right beside me. She leaned over and brought me into a hug. "Welcome to the family Jack. We're all glad you chose to stay." She said.  
"Thanks, I'm glad you all let me stay here." I chuckled. 
"Yeah, welcome to the family Jack." Dan said before going upstairs to his room. Him saying that was a complete shock. That was the most he's ever said to me. I was too stunned to say anything back. I think everyone else was in shock as well.  
"Well then now that you've met everyone else I'd like to talk to you privately Jack." Aaron said. "As privately as I can anyway." 
"Yeah sure." I said. Aaron got up and I followed him. We walked into the kitchen. I really didn't notice this at first but he was so much taller than me. I was almost six feet myself where as Aaron had to be no less than eight to nine feet tall as a werewolf. Aaron walked over to the table and sat down. I sat down next to him.  
"Jack listen I'd like to apologize to you." Aaron spoke softly. 
"For what?" I asked. 
"Well I know Jaci told you that I was the wolf that you encountered in the woods. I mean if it isn't obvious."  
"She told me about that yes." I said 
"I should have done more to get you to follow me. I should have said something. I knew that those two rogue wolves were stalking you. In reality I should have stopped them but I was by myself and couldn't risk you seeing me in this form. I didn't know how you'd react if I spoke to you or if you saw me in this form without really knowing it was me. So I'm sorry, if I had done something you wouldn't have been attacked. When Tyler and Alyx brought you back I was afraid that you were going to die. I didn't have any choice so I had to keep you alive. I wanted to keep you alive. If you died I don't know if I could have lived with myself, so I gave you one of our gifts. After I did that Jaci took over. She cleaned out your wounds and patched you up. Since you were given the one gift, your wounds healed fairly quickly." Aaron's voice was quite down as he spoke. His paw was on the table I reached out and grabbed it. He placed his other paw on top of my hand.  
I looked up at him and smiled. "You don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault that I got attacked. You can't blame yourself for that. I'm glad that you kept me alive. It was a difficult choice and I'm glad you made that choice. I really didn't want to die myself. I made a stupid choice setting up my camp where I did. I heard the wolf howls but it was getting dark. I didn't want to continue any further. For risk of encountering them." 
"Thanks but I still can't help but blame myself." Aaron said. 
"Listen, don't worry about it. What is important is that I'm alive and well." 
"That's true." Aaron replied.  
I nodded, looked at Aaron and smiled. "So where is all my stuff anyway?" 
"We have it downstairs put away. I kind of figured you wouldn't want to go back there and get it yourself so I went with Tyler to get it." Aaron explained. 
"Yeah, that's true, I don't want to go back there at least not yet anyway. I need time." I let out a soft laugh and Aaron smiled for a bit before a different more serious look came over his face. He sighed and looked at me. "Well now I have to ask. Since you already have the one gift do you want the other? Do you want to become a werewolf? I know that's a lot to hear especially since you just woke up." Yes, I did want to become one but I didn't want to say that right away. I don't think I was ready for that just yet. It would be awesome to be a werewolf. I looked at Aaron. "Yes, I do want the gift but I don't think I'm ready for that just yet." I said. 
"That's good to hear Jack, and don't worry it's not like I was going to do it today. You need to get better, your body wouldn't be able to handle that yet. Yes, you'd survive the change but we wouldn't be able to keep you under control."  
"I see, when do you plan on changing me then?" I asked. 
"Ultimately it's up to you. I'd personally give it at least a month or two. It'd give your body the time it needs to properly heal. " 
"I'll think about it." I said. 
"Alright, for now just relax and make yourself comfortable. We're your family now and we want you to feel at home." 
"Thanks Aaron." I said. "So when do you want me to return to work?" 
"Don't worry about that. You return when you're feeling better. Either way someone will be here with you each day until you return to work." 
"That sounds good to me." I said. 
"So what do you want to do in the meantime?" 
"You know I just want to relax and just be with my family." I said. 
"As you wish."  
         Aaron and I got up from the table and headed back into the room. He had his hand or well paw on my shoulder as we walked back into the room. Everyone was still sitting on the couch now however watching TV. Whatever they were watching was in a commercial break. I sat down in between Jaci and Alyx. When the show came back on I was quite surprised at what they were actually watching. 
"A cooking show, really?" 
"What's wrong with that? We're always looking for new ideas for the diner." Tyler said.  
"Sorry it just wasn't what I was expecting."  
"We know how to cook. We can all cook pretty well too." Tyler said. 
"Well now I know why the food is always so good there."  
"Yeah, uh thanks." Tyler said looking away from me. 
"Nice one Jack you made Tyler blush. He rarely gets complimented on the food he makes." Alyx said. 
"Really? That's surprising. The food really is good there. I'm being serious."  
Tyler looked at me, "I know you are, thank you Jack. It feels good to hear that." 
"Don't mention it. So what are some of the new things you want to try out?"  
"I can show you if you want." Tyler said. 
"Sure, I'm pretty hungry anyway." 
"I think we all are." Aaron said. "Come on let's go make some dinner." 
We all got up and headed into the kitchen. Tyler quickly went to work making dinner. While the rest of us just sat around to table. 
"So what do you guys normally eat?" I asked. 
"Eh, we can eat anything. We don't have to eat raw meat all the time. We've become accustom to normal human food. Though we all have our moments from time to time but that's very rare now." Aaron explained.   
"That's cool. I guess all those old werewolf stories aren't really true."  
"Yes and no. It really depends on the werewolf. Most of us are civilized now. We've adapted to be around humans and also adapted to their food. Though there are some werewolves who still live far away from humans. Those werewolves do still feed on humans." Aaron said. 
"Do any of them live around here?" 
"No." Aaron said shaking his head. 
"Is there any other werewolves that live around here?" 
"No we're the only ones as of right now anyway." Aaron replied. "It's kind of sad in a way I guess. It'd be nice. Most werewolf packs live peacefully together but we respect each others privacy as well." 
"I wish the same could be said for humans." I said. 
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Aaron said. "Enough about us though. I'm curious to hear where you've been to."  
"The orphanage I was in was in Maine. After I turned eighteen I took what belongings I had on me and left. I traveled down into New Hampshire did a few odd jobs there. I was a janitor doing the night shift at a hospital for a while. After that I went down to Connecticut and got a job at a fast food place, I didn't stay there that long honestly. From there I went to New York and got a job as a delivery driver, I was there for quite awhile. A few months later I decided it was time to move on. So I went to Ohio after that and did a few more odd jobs there before moving on to Iowa. In Iowa I worked at a local grocery store as a cashier. From Iowa I went to Mississippi. Got a job at a car dealership washing cars and stuff. Then I went down to Florida and worked as a busboy in a local restaurant. After Florida I went to Louisiana working as a security guard at a office building. Then I went on to Arizona and worked as a cashier at a gas station and now I'm here."  
"Well you had quite the journey didn't you?" Alyx asked. 
"You can say that. Though it wasn't as fun as one may think." I noted. 
"Where did you stay during all of that?" Tyler asked. 
"Hotels mostly. I paid for the Hotel room with the money I made at each job. Then the other money went towards food and eventually bus tickets."  
"What made you come here?" Alyx asked. 
"It was just where I wanted to go really. No rhyme or reason honestly."  
"Wow that's impressive and that was all over a four year span." Aaron said. 
"Yeah it feels nice to actually settle down somewhere for once and that reminds me. If you guys all work at the diner and are the only ones who worked there; why did you hire me? I wasn't a werewolf, I was just some guy who was looking for work." 
"We just needed the help and you applied at the right time . We were all hesitant at first, but you kind of grew on us. We began to trust you and eventually we liked you a lot. You were very friendly towards all the customers and us. I don't know, you just had something about you that we all liked and now you're here living with us. Funny how things work out. Had I'd known you were just living out of a hotel I would've let you stay with us. You mentioning how much you liked wolves only wanted me to make you to tell you what we actually were a few times. Then when you said you believed in werewolves I just kind of bit my tongue as well as everyone else. We all really wanted to tell you, most of us did anyway." Aaron explained.  
"Eh it's fine. I don't like mentioning that I live in hotels to the people I work with. If they offered me to live with them I'd be afraid I'd become a bother so I don't say anything and you guys really should have said you were werewolves but hey I can see why you wanted to keep quiet."  
"Yeah I mean to be fair we knew you'd keep it a secret." Aaron said.  
"I have another question." 
"Shoot." Aaron replied. 
"Were you hesitant when I told you I was going camping?"  
"To be honest yes but I didn't want to say no to you, you've been working so hard. I just couldn't say no to you. Now in reality I should have stopped you right then and there but I wasn't sure how you'd react. It doesn't matter now obviously and we all felt that you deserved the time off. So we let you go but we did keep an eye on you." Aaron explained.  
"Hey there are some things that you just can't control." 
"I know but again I should have just told you right then and there when you first asked." Aaron mentioned. 
"Again there's no reason to blame yourself for something you didn't do." 
"It's just who I am." Aaron replied. 
"So can I ask how you all became a werewolf?"  
"I knew that question would come up." Aaron said. 
"I'm sorry it's just my curiosity talking. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to I understand." 
"No it's fine, really. For me I was born with it. I chose to accept the gift at the age of twenty-four." Aaron explained. 
"As for me I met Aaron at a young age and he gave me the gift when I turned twenty-two." Jaci said.  
"I was given the gift by a different werewolf. After that I was on my own much like you were until I met Aaron." Alyx said. 
"I was born with it much like Aaron." Tyler said as he was putting dinner in the oven. He then came over and sat down at the table. 
"I didn't know you could really be born with it." I said. 
"Yeah you can. If both of your parents are werewolves that is." Aaron explained. 
"Ah okay. That makes sense." I replied. "So what are we having for dinner Tyler?"  
"We're having a rosemary roasted chicken breast with some seasoned roasted potatoes and a green bean medley."  
"That sounds amazing." I said. 
"Yeah it's something new. I think people will love it."  
"I'm sure they will. Everything you make is great." Aaron said.  
"Thanks guys it really means a lot."  
"Yeah, I wish I could cook like you." I said. 
"Well I can teach you a few things tomorrow if you want." 
"That would be great but who would do all the cooking at the diner?" I asked. 
"Aaron and Alyx know how to cook. I'm sure they could handle it for one day." 
"Yeah, you deserve a break. You haven't had one in a while. We'll be fine for one day." Aaron said.  
"Well alright then tomorrow it is." I said. 
"I hope you're ready you're going to learn a lot."  
"Just go easy on me. That's all I ask. It'll be my first time." I noted. 
"Don't worry, I will and honestly teaching you would be a great help over all. As of right now it's just myself and Alyx in the kitchen while Aaron, Jaci, and down are all out front and you are just all around really, bussing, washing dishes and stuff as well as cleaning up." 
"Yeah, that place gets really busy for how small the town is." I said. 
"Well we get a lot of people who come from out of town to eat there."  
"That's pretty cool." I said smiling. 
"It is, it feels good to know your food is liked by a lot of people. Though they don't compliment me directly I know they like it. That's why I was kind of taken back when you said my food was good." 
"Well it's true your food is good." I replied.  
"Thanks Jack, I'm glad you like it."  
The oven beeped. Tyler got up and headed towards it. Jaci got up and got some plates and silverware and set the table. Tyler brought over the food and gave everyone a serving.  
"There you go guys, enjoy." He said. Now it was a little weird to me to be served by a werewolf, and well it was odd to see a werewolf cooking but you know it really didn't bother me all that much because to the others it was normal. I mean all the customers at the diner are served by werewolves though they're in their human form they're still werewolves. I smiled looked around at everyone. They were all so happy. I was happy. A warm feeling came over me. This was an experience I never had before. Sitting around a table and eating with, well a family. At that moment Dan came into the kitchen to grab a plate of food before heading back upstairs without saying a word. Aaron looked at me and shrugged. I didn't let that get to me, hell it was nice he actually spoke to me before. I took a bite of my food. It was really delicious. All these flavors combined to form one super flavor. The chicken was so juicy and tender.  
"This is great Tyler. Where did you learn how to cook?" I asked. 
"Thanks. I've always been a cook even before I was a werewolf. When I met Aaron I told him about that and we decided to open up our own place."  
"I guess I'm really in for it tomorrow." I said. 
"Hey I did warn you but, I'll go easy on you." Tyler smirked. We all continued eating and talking. It's funny really, we were all talking so much that it felt like I was always a part of their family even though that's not true. I didn't know how to explain it. My mind was just one big jumbled mess but hey I guess it could be worse.  
After we were all finished eating Jaci got up and cleared away all the dishes and set them on the counter.  
"Thanks for cooking us dinner Tyler. We really should do this more often." Aaron said. 
"You're welcome and yeah I know we're usually so busy that we really don't have time for it. It felt really good to have some time off." Tyler said. 
"It did, but it was only fair to Jack. We had to make him feel at home and it was only right if everyone was here." Aaron mentioned. I smiled and looked at everyone as they looked at me.  
"Thanks for making me feel welcome everyone. I really appreciate it." I said. 
"You're welcome Jack. I guess we should clean up. It's going to a long day tomorrow." Aaron said. 
"I can clean up, you guys need to get some rest if you're all going back to work tomorrow." I said. 
"You don't have to help clean up, we don't really need that much sleep. Working long hours doesn't bother us. You get used to it after a while." Jaci replied. 
"No, I want to help, you guys have given me a home and a family. It's the least I can do especially since I can't go back to work yet." 
"Fair enough. You can clean up. We won't stop you." Jaci said. 
"At least let me help you clean up." Alyx said.  
"Alright." I went over to the sink and started to wash the dishes. Alyx came over and started to dry what I had washed while the others went into the living room. 
"I have to be honest with you Jack. Ever since you started working with us everyone has been so much happier. It's like you gave us all new life. There's just something about you that we all really like." Alyx said. 
"I'm just a normal human. I don't get why I'm so special." I said. 
"Jack your just so nice and loving towards everyone not just us but all our customers. You should hear all the compliments we get about you." 
"That's just me. I'm nice towards everyone even if I don't get it back. You guys being the only exception now." I explained. 
"I don't get how people can't be nice you back." 
"That's just how people are. They don't care about others showing happiness towards them even though doing it can make a big difference." I spoke. 
"Humans are dumb." 
"We are, aren't we?" I smirked. 
"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that." 
"It's fine, I've been saying that for a long time." I chuckled. 
After we finished the dishes, we went into the living room to join the others.  
"Hey you two we just put in a movie come on and join us." Aaron said. 
"Cool what are you watching?" I asked. 
"A classic, Shawshank Redemption."  
"Nice, I love that movie." I replied. Alyx and I walked over to the couch. I sat down in between Aaron and Tyler. I glanced over at the two of them as I sat down. They were both taller than me even when I was sitting but hey that's werewolves for you. As the movie went on, I felt myself begin to grow tired. My eyes grew heavy and soon I couldn't open them any further. I fell asleep.  
When I woke up the movie had just ended.  
"Well hey there sleepy." Tyler said rubbing my head. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep on him. I shot up and rubbed my eyes. "Sorry about that. I didn't realize how tired I really was." I said. 
"Don't worry about it. I don't mind."  
"I can honestly say that I've never done that before." I confessed. 
"We all do it." 
"What time is it?" I asked. 
"Almost eleven." 
"I think I'm going to go to bed." I replied. 
"We all are. It's going to be a busy day for us. For you, you just take it easy and relax. Tyler will be here with you remember."  
"Yes, I know. Where am I going to sleep?" I questioned. 
"In the same room where you were." I nodded and got up from the couch. "Goodnight everyone, and thank you." I said. 
"Good night Jack and again there's no need to thank us. You're a part of the family now." Aaron said. 
"Goodnight Jack." The others replied. I smiled and headed up stairs towards my room. Once in I headed into the bathroom first to wash up before bed. Looking at myself in the mirror, I smiled. It felt good to be here. Tomorrow is going to be a new day and I can't wait for it to come. I've always wanted to learn how to cook be never really got around to learning and tomorrow I was going to learn from a master. I had to laugh at that a bit. Exiting the bathroom I crawled into the bed. It was bigger than any bed I had ever been in before and it was very comfortable. . 
  
The others were still downstairs watching TV.  
"I think Jack is going to be a great fit for us no matter if he wants to become a werewolf or not." Aaron said. 
"I think we can all agree on that." Tyler said. The others smiled and nodded their heads. "Yeah he really is. He really loves it here too. I mean just being with us in the woods." Jaci replied. 
"It's certainly better than what he was doing." Tyler said. 
"Yeah and he's just so nice." Alyx chimed in." 
"He is he really is." Aaron said. 
"Aren't you glad you made that choice?" Jaci asked. 
"I am I really am." Aaron replied. 
"What are we going to if he wants to be a werewolf and has to you know?" Tyler asked 
"I'll talk to him about that when the time comes. I think he does want to become a werewolf. Granted he only has to do that once then we can help him from there." Aaron said. 
"Alright. I think that's a good idea." Tyler said 
"Good now I think it's time we all went to bed." Jaci said. Everyone said goodnight to each other before heading off to bed. They could all agree Jack was a great addition. They were happy and he was happy. 
         As I laid in bed I thought about what has happened to me over the past two days. One day I was in the middle of the forest camping alone by myself. The next I was in a home with werewolves. No not just werewolves. I was with my family. It's funny really I've always wanted to become a werewolf. This would certainly make for an interesting story to say the least. I could only hope that I can get a chance to talk with Dan and get to know him better.  
Maybe tomorrow I could write down my experience in my journal and go from there. Who knows if enough things happen I might be able to turn this into a story. For right now it'll just be journal entries. Deep down though I had this strange feeling that something more was going to come from this. Something bigger. Whether it was good or bad. I couldn't tell, only time could.