Mike paced up and down the same spot once again as he watched Derek talk with both Dimetri and Bobby. They had decided to meet up here, more deeply in the forest than they had ever met before. Derek had decided to make them meet here for now on because they had never scented the black wolf there and he assumed it would be safe for them.

“I just don’t know what we can do about it” said Derek to the three of them although he was talking more to Bobby and Dimetri since Mike had shown himself incapable of controlling himself when it came to the black wolf now.

“I know mate, I know. I just wanna know how he managed to hide it from us all this time?” said Dimetri completely agreeing with what Derek had said so far. “We should have scented that lunatic from a mile off” said Dimetri as he thrust his hand into his other palm.

“I bet he found out how to hide from us, he must know more about us as a race than we do” said Bobby. Dimetri nodded to him while Derek just thought for a minute or so.

“I think you all know what we have to do. We have to get rid of him” said Mike finally speaking up for himself instead of just pacing up and down. He had already made quite a mark on the ground from how long he had been walking in the same pattern.

Derek got up from the spot and looked at Mike directly in the eye, in Mike’s eyes he seen a man that could go through with what he was suggesting. In Mike’s eyes he no longer seen the meek human he had once been. In Mike’s eyes he saw exactly what Mr. Granger had turned him into, a ruhtless hunter.

“Mike we can’t go and simply strike down Mr. Granger like an animal, and yeah I know he’s little more than a cold blooded killer but have you thought it though on what would happen if you did?” he asked Mike trying to make him see sense.

Mike looked to the side with his eyes as if annoyed by Derek, of course Mike had went through everything and he knew what might happen but rationality wasn’t at the forefront of his thoughts anymore. “Yeah I know Derek but he has to pay for what he’s done” said Mike as he stamped on the ground and then sat down on a tree trunk.

As he did Derek approached him and then said “Mikey, I need your word as my boyfriend, a Moon-Born and as a member of the pack that you won’t go against me and try to do anything until we’re decided on what to do. All four of us?” said Derek trying to get his point across to Mike on his serious his actions could be.

Mike snorted and then looked at Derek but without as much anger as before. “OK Derek I promise I won’t” said Mike as he put his hand on his heart and the other one in the air, like a child would do.

Derek smiled at him and then said “Keep yourself ready, we won’t take forever deciding this and when we do we’ll make sure that he pays”.

Mike trusted Derek and the rest of the pack but he still wished that he could do it on his own. Mike hadn’t forgotten their last encounters, the black wolf was a very powerful opponent and it was only through numbers they were able to drive him off. It also made Mike remember the times Derek and Dimetri had driven him off on their own.

When he asked them about it both of them looked a little lost for words. “I don’t know Mikey, maybe he didn’t know how we fought or wasn’t expecting us” said Dimetri to the question. It lingered for Mike a little longer before he moved onto something else.

Mike also remembered having dinner with Kyle and Mr. Granger, if he had been a Moon-Born back then he would have been able to smell the wolf within the house and he would have acted there and then. Mike wasn’t sure exactly what Derek and the pack had in mind or how long it would take them to act on it but they were right he had to keep it under control. He couldn’t risk going anywhere near town for fear of bumping into him there. School was a big risk as well but he had already had enough time off from when he had found out about Derek.

As Mike’s mind drifted off from the others Derek shook him slightly and then said “Do you have any ideas on how to deal with this?” as he asked Mike the question. Derek’s serious eyes lingered on him for a second.

Mike despite everything would have liked to kiss Derek then and there but not with his current state of mind. “I don’t know Derek, I just want to make him pay for what he’s done” he said as he closed his eyes and felt a stinging sensation.

“I don’t think there’s much we can do here tonight mates” said Dimetri to the others. Bobby and Derek turned to look at him as he looked at their gazes also. Mike avoided the look as the others silently wondered what to do.

A couple of hours later Mike lay in his bed thinking about the whole situation. It was messed up to be sure and no clear cut way out of it. They had to do something about Mr. Granger and fast because if what Kyle said was true then he would be after Mike’s Mom to try and go out with her. At this Mike almost lost control again as he seethed, he had murdered Mike’s Dad in order to get closer to his Mom. No that didn’t make sense, he wouldn’t risk it all for that. There had to be something more to this puzzle.

As Mike fell asleep his head kept on buzzing with the same questions again and again, how and why? He didn’t know the answer to either of those things and this is what he needed to know before time ran too short.

Over the next week Mike spent a lot of time indoors either on his computer or reading. He hadn’t spent anymore time at school than neccesery or any time outside at all if he could help it. Mike had avoided talking to his Mom about his Dad also because he knew she would never understand. His biggest fear though is if Mr. Granger happened to call and ask to meet his Mom. Thankfully the week had gone by pretty much uneventful except for the occasional visit from Mike’s friends.

Mike had begun to feel a little strange after the first few days which he tried to ignore but after six days he was beginning to feel something much worse. When he had called Derek he had only then explained about his Moon-Born self needing to be outdoors more than once a week. “...And you didn’t tell me this because....?” was what Mike finished with on that conversation. Derek had sounded slightly sheepish when he had said he had forgotten.

Mike had arranged to go out and run about with Derek in the forest tonight, just the both of them.

Mike was looking over his notes on physics for school the next day when he seen his door open out the corner of his eye and when he did he seen Kyle come in. Mike looked shocked because he had not expected Kyle to visit today considering that it was Thursday and they had school the next day.

“Hey man, what’s up I didn’t expect you” said Mike although as he looked at Derek his face looked slightly red as if he had been crying.

Kyle looked a little upset at something and when he didn’t say anything this drew even more concern from Mike. “I’m...I’m OK Mikey, it’s just that Mr. Granger has stopped me from seeing Amanda altogether now and stopped me from going into the house to see her” he said looking down at the ground.

At this Mike stood up and blinked a few times in disbelief, Mr. Granger was indeed pushing every little nerve that Mike had left. Mike’s face turned to a slight rage that even Kyle noticed it. “Come on Mikey, I know it’s bad but I’ll help her” said Kyle trying to help Mike calm down. This didn’t really help since Kyle didn’t understand all of Mike’s conclusions and thoughts.

“I’m OK Kyle, just a little pissed at this guy, he seems to be out for control. By the way what were you guys arguing about....the other day?” he asked Kyle.

Kyle snorted as he remembered the conversation. “He wanted to help me pick out a college for after graduation. I went over to his house later that day but truth be told I don’t even remember most of what we talked about” he said.

Mike thought about this for a second as Mike and Kyle continued all the small talk. Mike was very distracted as he usually was most times now.

For the rest of the day Mike stayed in again and didn’t really go outside, he had promised that he would run with Derek and the pack again tonight like he did with Derek the previous night. He actually really enjoyed it and it did let his Moon-Born half off the chain for a while as well, just enough for it to stop trying to control him from the inside out.

His mother hadn’t really noticed anything wrong with him as much because she herself was still recovering from the shock of what had happened, even though it happened about a month ago now.

“Hey mom, how you feeling?” asked Mike to Dominique as he walked into the kitchen for dinner. Dominique had made some hamburgers for them to eat. They weren’t anywhere near as big as the things Derek and the pack ate but they were good though.

“I’m OK Mike, just keeping busy” she said in a very short answer. “Gio has been quite a dear though, I have seen him a few times since the funeral and had lunch with him a few times. It had helped take my mind off it though” she said as Mike looked at her strangely.

“Oh come on, don’t look at me like that. It’s not what your thinking. Mr. Granger is just being nice, and goodness knows I need all the help I can get” she said.

Mike felt like a heel for ruining his Mum’s happiness in regards to the small amount she was getting but there was no way that this was going to go on for much longer. “Sure Mom, just be careful and

don’t let yourself get too upset. Dad wouldn’t want us to forget him but he wouldn’t want us to dwell on him forever” said Mike to his Mom.

Dominique came and hugged Mike a little as she said “Thanks my little boy, You’ve really grown into a young man I can be proud of, and so could your Father” said Dominique.

Mike flashed red slightly, even more so than his face was nowadays and smiled. “Thanks mom, that mean’s a lot I’ll always do my best to look after you” he said to her.

They continued for the last little while watching a DVD until Dominique went to her bed. It was at that time that Mike decided to sneak out the house and go meet with Derek and the pack. As he did he quietly shut the front door and locked it.

He crept through the houses and quietly entered the forest, instead of bursting into his wolf form like he usually did he simply ran through in his trainers. As he did he smelled all the different scents. He smelled all of the wolves from the area, including the black one but there wasn’t any recent scents which meant he hadn’t been out recently.

Finally Mike approached the area where he seen Derek, Dimetri and Bobby sitting in a tree. As he slowed down all three of then looked at him with mixed expressions.

“You didn’t come on four legs, strange things do happen mate” said Dimetri as he sniggered to himself.

Derek looked at him and then smacked him on the head slightly, Dimetri fell off the tree in a fit of laughter at the hit and then said “Come on my nanny hits harder than you mate”.

None of them laughed with him which would normally have made any other person feel self conscious but not Dimetri.

“Ok then, down to business, Mikey I think we finally might have discovered what to do about our big problem” said Derek as the others gathered around to listen, even Dimetri who had stopped acting like a child, or a wolf pup.

“So come on Derek, spill what are we going to do about our Mr. Granger wolf problem” asked Mike anxiously awaiting the answer.

“We’re going to break into his house and scope out something incriminating about him” said Bobby as he looked specifically at Mike for any reaction to this news.

At first Mike wasn’t even sure he had heard Bobby right for what he had said, he didn’t think that this could ever make sense in any planet or language. “Are you kidding me on Bobby, because if you are this isn’t funny. What do you mean go into his house? Where he’s going to be waiting and probably half a dozen innocent people” said Mike ridiculing Bobby.

Bobby looked severely pissed at Mike for shooting him down like this but it was Derek that spoke to him “Mike, that’s enough” he finally snapped at his pack mate. At this Mike seemed to have realised that he had stepped over the mark.

“Bobby, Dimetri, wait here I think I need to have a little chat with Mike” said Derek to the others. At this Bobby simply looked at Mike with an annoyed expression and Dimetri looked concerned for them.

As Derek bobbed his head in a specific direction Mike followed it and Derek followed behind him.

They walked for a good twenty minutes away from the others until Derek spoke, as he did he spoke in a very calm and a very controlled way like you would speak to a four year old who had done something wrong.

Mike picked up on this and was on guard to answer Derek.

“Care to explain what that was about Mikey?” asked Derek in a very short and blunt question. As he said this he could see the gears in Mike’s head working to try and answer in a way that would satisfy the Alpha of their pack.

Mike knew he had done wrong but he wasn’t about to be tossed around. “Derek, that plan is crazy, you know it and I know it. How do you think I would feel?” asked Mike.

Derek shook his head and then said in a rather chiding voice “Mikey, you shot down Bobby and made him feel like a complete idiot. If you weren’t in the pack you would be dead by now” said Derek in a reference to the size difference between them. If Bobby had wanted Mike dead then Derek wasn’t even sure if he would be able to protect Mike.

“I don’t think so Derek I.....” said Mike but he was cut across by Derek who continued.

“Bobby isn’t a vengeful person but you didn’t even get our reasons for this before you butted it” said Derek as he sat down on a lot and gestured for Mike to join him. “Obviously killing Mr. Granger is out of the question, and we’re just now beginning to understand why your Dad is dead. If we can find some kind of evidence that he is connected then we could sneak into his house and get it and then hand it into the police and get him arrested” said Derek.

As Derek said this pictures began forming in Mike’s head, it sounded like a very radical idea to begin with but as Derek explained it began to make sense. They would have to go a night where Mr. Granger was out for the night but that would be possible to arrange, next they would need time to get through the security cameras and sensors. This would be harder but not impossible thanks to their Moon-Born abilities, the security was designed for humans.

As they talked for another ten minutes Derek said to Mike “You see Mikey, your attitude over the last couple of weeks has been well stinking to put it lightly. You need to realise that we’re here for you. Bobby, Dimetri and me, we’re all here for you no matter what. We promised to protect you and that’s just what we intend to do” said Derek.

Mike’s heart melted a bit as Derek said this, it almost made him feel completely normal again over the past month. He kissed Derek on the mouth a little, then more fiercely.

“Come on Mikey, is this really the time?” asked Derek through the kiss but as he did he felt Mike’s tounge enter his mouth. OK so it was time apparently.

They kissed for a couple of minutes before they got up off the log. As Mike looked at the moon, it had moved a fair bit since he had first come out.

“Let’s go I think we should all get home soon before it gets any later” said Mike as they moved back through the forest to the others.

Bobby and Dimetri had taken to playing Tic Tac Toe while they had been gone and looked releaved when they came back. Mike made his way over to Bobby looking remorseful.

“Listen Bobby, I want to apologize for the way I....I acted earlier. It’s not usually like me to get emotional like this” said Mike to Bobby as he looked down at the ground and then up to the larger jock.

Bobby didn’t respond right away but merely stared at him for a moment. As he composed himself he said “Don’t sweat it too much Mike, just remember I’m here for you like your bf and the clown are. Don’t try to do everything yourself” he said as he made a bro fist and this time Mike did it without hesitation on his part.

This made Derek and Dimetri relax a little more relaxed as they all sat down again, or in Derek’s case climbed the tree to talk again. As they talked they made plans to break into the house, Mike was slightly familiar with it but he didn’t know the complete layout as the house was too large to memorise after just one meal.

Eventually they decided to call it a night as it was well into the morning now and they would end up sleeping in the next day. “OK, let’s take one more run and then we’ll head home” said Derek as he pulled off his shorts and shirt and then with a slight jump he landed on the ground in his large silver four legged form. He looked though his blue eyes to the others. All three of them followed suit. Bobby turned into his large gray form, Dimetri into his dark brown form and then Mike turned into his wolf form.

As Mike breathed in the smell of life from the forest, his insides burned with energy from the world around him. He loved being in his wolf form, it made him feel more alive than ever. It just wished it hadn’t cost him so dearly. If he could have his Dad back then he would gladly go back to being human. However he came to the realisation that he didn’t work that way and he resigned himself to the fact that he was a wolf now and forever.

As he looked around to the others he noticed Bobby eyeing him curiously and Dimetri sitting on his hounches also slightly confused. Derek had taken to sniffing him as if looking for something. As he finished he eyed Mike with a very serious expression that was notable like it was in his human form.

Derek gestured for them to follow him and they, almost like clockwork did so.

They ran through the forest for a good five minutes, as far as Mike could tell they were heading back to town but taking a slight detour while doing so. The forest seemed to blend into one big blur for Mike, he could easily distinguish details if he needed to but his mind was so confused as of late.

Finally the four arrived at a lake and slowed almost to a stop. As they looked around Derek gestured for Mike to follow him, as he did Bobby and Dimetri lay down for a minute on the ground simply watching what they were doing with confused expressions.

Mike and Derek approached the water and Derek dipped his head to look in the crystal clear water. As he did so Mike looked at him and then into the water himself, as he did he seen Derek’s reflection but upon further investigation of looking at himself he noticed something off about himself.

Mike turned his head to the side slightly and then looked at himself. He looked to the side of his face and lifted his head and then to the side and then up and again his reflection looked off. As Mike looked at himself he didn’t see the usual brightly colored brown wolf he had turned into, instead he seen a brown wolf of a much darker shade.

Mike looked at Derek again and whined, while he did that Derek changed back to his human form, a very naked human form.

“Mikey, what has happened to you?” asked Derek as he approached Mike and touched his fur. At this both Dimetri and Bobby came over as well and looked Mike all over, even under his underside.

“Mikey, you were a light brown wolf when you became Moon-Born and....well now your not. Your darker than before, how can that be?” asked Derek to the others.

Mike turned back to his human form now as well and then said “I don’t know Derek, how did it happen?” he asked Derek hoping he would have an answer.

“I don’t know Mikey, nothing like this has happened to us. We were always the colors you see us as now” he said gesturing to them in order.

Mike couldn’t figure it out, no wolf in real life could change it’s color so suddenly. They changed them through life but not within one night. He had even been light brown when earlier today but not now. Was it something to do with the fact that his wolf hadn’t gotten enough excercise. He wouldn’t have thought so but he didn’t know all about being a Moon-Born.

“Maybe it’s natural” said Mike trying to work out the possibilities.

“True Mikey, maybe it is but we’ll keep an eye on you. Just call us if anything else happens” said Derek to Mike.

As they finished up at the river they each headed their own ways home. Derek his own way, Mike his own and Bobby and Dimetri to their own houses.

Over the next week Mike’s life kept at the pace it had been for the last month and a half. He was constantly trying to keep his Mom away from her “dates” with Mr. Granger. It was helped somewhat because Kyle seemed to know a bit about when Mr. Granger was going to be out thanks to Amanda.

Amanda and Kyle were going through as rough a patch as ever as well, Kyle seemed to look very tired and gaunt than before which was becoming sort of normal for him. Amanda didn’t spend much time outside her Father’s home either, Kyle seemed to be spending a lot more time there as well he presumed with Amanda.

When Mike talked to Kyle about it he seemed to shut off or just make up some excuse. Mike didn’t understand it he thought his friend would have wanted to get some of the stuff off his chest, they were supposed to be best friends. He had even told him everything about Derek and himself, well except the sexual things and of course the wolf things.

Mike continued to go out every night but there was no sign of the black wolf at all, and his color hadn’t changed back which made Mike think that the change was going to be long term, which made him a little angry since he liked his light brown color. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his new color but it made him look more like Dimetri and took away some of his unique atttibutes.

Mike sat in class in another warm Wednesday afternoon. It was uncharacteristically warm for this time of year. He sat doodling once again during maths since it was on fractions and he pretty much knew everything. He wished he could change places with Dimetri for this since he needed it more so than he did.

When it came time to get out of there Mike didn’t take another second to get out of his seat and then head toward the door. He made his way through the people trying not to get stressed out to cause a scene. His nose however went on overdrive as it normally did, smelling such things as people’s body odors, the people who smoke or take drugs and even the people who have had sex in the last couple of days.

As Mike got outside he expected to see his pack waiting for him but instead he only seen Dimetri with his bag, he was still in his shorts and shirt from his practice sessions.

“Hey Mikey boy, where you off to?” asked Dimetri as he jumped down the path and came to Mike.

Mike looked around for the rest of the pack but seen only Dimetri, he wasn’t really disappointed per say but he did want to speak to Derek.

“Nowhere, just home” said Mike trying to see what Dimetri was up to.

“Put that on hold Mikey, let’s go for a bit of fun at the arcade” said Dimetri as he took Mike’s hand and led him away from the school. Mike resisted at first but soon enough went along with it as he figured it might be fun and his Mom wouldn’t worry about it too much if he wasn’t in the exact minute he usually was, as long as he wasn’t too long.

As they made their way to down town Mike asked Dimetri “Where is Derek and Bobby, I thought they would have been with you?” he asked his pack mate.

Dimetri looked at him like he thought Mike might cry if he told him the wrong thing. “Nothing bad mate, Bobby’s at the boxing and Derek had to stay and practice a bit later for the big game next week” said DImetri to Mike. At this Mike nodded slightly obviously his mind at ease again.

Mike didn’t even have to say anything for Dimetri to know what was going in inside of Mike’s head. Although he didn’t blame himself for his Dad’s death he did still believe that he would have been able to prevent it and he now tries to compensate by keeping his family, pack and friends closer than ever, especially his Mom, Bobby, Dimetri, Derek, Kyle and Amanda.

“Cool, so will they be around later then?” asked Mike to Dimetri as they entered the arcade. Immediatly Mike went to the game “Time Crisis”. It had always been one of his favourites. Dimetri joined then and they played in the arcade for a little over an hour.

When they had finished Mike’s mom contacted him over the phone. “Hi there Mike, where are you?” she asked him as he answered.

“I’m at the arcade for a little while, I’ll be home soon enough” he said to her.

At this Dominique said “That’s OK Mike take your time, I’m going out for a little while with Gio tonight. He thought I had been working hard recently and he needed some time off so that’s how it happened” she finished all in one breath.

“Gio?” he asked her as he tried to figure out who this person was. Maybe someone from her work had invited her out?

“Yes, Amanda’s Father. I was shocked when he asked me but he is a nice man and I think it’s a good idea” said Dominique.

Mike nearly dropped the phone when she had said this, of course he should have known. Gio was Giovanni Granger, the black wolf. He couldn’t let her go out with him.

“Mom, are you...Umm are you sure you want to go out tonight? I mean I could come home and make us both something to eat. It’s not really very nice out anyway” he said despite it being a pleasant evening. Mike had to do anything he could to avoid Mr. Granger going out with his Mom.

Dimetri looked quite alarmed at this as he listened into the conversation.

“Oh don’t be silly Mike, I know you hate cooking and this way I get out of doing it tonight as well” she said laughing slightly.

Mike began to panic slightly as he went through the potential things that could happen to his mom.

Dimetri however made a gesture for Mike to put down the phone. Mike made his a face which looked like he could tear Dimetri’s heart out.

“OK mom, you have fun now” said Mike as he waited for his Mom to reply.

Dominique then said “OK Mike you don’t stay out too late and do your homework before tomorrow OK?” she said as she said goodbye again.

Mike also said goodbye before he put down the phone and then walked quite fast outside. Dimetri followed him and then said “Mikey, what are you going to do?” asked Dimetri as they walked quite fast up the street.

Mike then turned to Dimetri and then said “I have to get to my mom and stop Mr. Granger from seeing her” he said as he panicked about what could happen.

Dimetri shook his head before saying “Come on Mikey, your not thinking straight. We should use this in order to do what we need to?” Dimetri answered to Mike.

Mike didn’t say anything but instead looked at Dimetri like he had just grew horns. “What do you mean Dimetri?” asked Mike eventually.

Dimetri then said “Mikey, Granger won’t hurt your mom” he said as Mike’s face changed slightly and then said “We can use this time to check out Granger’s pad and then we might be able to figure out our best move to get into his house. Then we can get him put in jail if we can find out what he’s up to” said Dimetri as he watched Mike’s face checking his reaction.