Blood Fang
Chapter 5

Copyright© 2008 by David Caspian

Paul walked into his apartment two hours later to find Rachel waiting for him, sitting up on the couch.

"You're home late." Rachel commented indignantly.

"I was unaware that I had to ask you permission to stay out late." Paul said with a raised eyebrow.

"My apologizes Alpha." Rachel said recognizing her mistake.

Sitting down in the love seat across from her, Paul said, "Marcus explained to me why you are here. I had to admit I was wondering."

"Every new Were is expected to have someone to look afternoon, it's tradition. It helps with the transition." Rachel explained.

"In that case you won't have to be here much longer. Marcus has been an excellent teacher." Paul said, watching for her reaction. A look of disappointment showed on her face, confirming Paul's suspicions.

'Whether she realizes it or not, Rachel misses her old position in the pack. Living here with me possibly gave her an excuse to keep something of her old position, and I can't blame her." Paul thought, understanding the need to belong, still there would have to be ground rules that needed to be established.

"If you wish to stay then you have one of two options: either you can pay rent, or keep the apartment clean. This is my home, not yours, so you I say what goes. If you don't like that, then you are welcome to walk out that door any time. One more thing: here you call me Paul unless we among other members of the pack." Paul said getting up.

"Thank you Paul." Rachel said, a grateful look crossing her face.

"Make sure you turn off the lights when you go to sleep." Paul said heading down the hall to his room.

Paul was finishing his shift when his boss approached him. Washing his hands in the sink inside the examination room, he dried them with a paper towel, and turned to greet her.

"Hello Mrs. Stevenson. How may I help you?" Paul asked with a friendly smile. His boss was a kind woman who looked out for her employees. Every one of them had a good benefits package, and a good work environment where each felt valued.

"Hello Paul. I'm afraid I have some bad news. Would you like to step into my office?" Mrs. Stevenson said.

"Of course." Paul said, already bracing himself for what was to come. Following her to her office down the hall to the left of the exam room, he closed the door behind him and took the seat offered him.

"The owner has been bought out by a large corporation, and they want to close our clinic so they can re-staff. Very few people are supposed to make it through the merger, and I thought it best to provide you with a choice. I've managed to arrange for you to find a job at our local police station. Their K-9 unit could use a new head veterinarian." She said.

"I'll take it, and thank you." Paul said. When he performed his last examination that day, Paul hugged her and said his goodbyes. The next day he had an interview with the Chief of Police, but at this point it was only a formality, he had worked at the police station when he had been back in college, and he knew Dan Ratherson. The man's head was completely bald, and he had a stocky build. The smile on his face was a welcome rarity, consider it was normally so grim and serious. Paul had known the Chief his entire life, as he and Paul's father had been partners, before his old man had quit and moved away with Laura Lesner; Paul's mother. They had always been very private, and even Paul had been a stranger to them. At the time he had felt his father had disliked him somehow, but now he understood: Tom Lesner had kept an awful secret all of his life, and out of habit pushed people away. Paul's biological mother had left when he was just a baby, and Paul had little doubt that she had discovered that secret and had taken the opportunity bolt, the first chance she got.

Paul looked a lot like his father, but beyond that they were as different as night and day. Tom Lesner was a loner, while Paul had spent most of his life as the leader of a crowd, from his short stint as a biker right out of high school, to student body president in college. It had only been in his professional life that he had withdrawn even slightly from public, but he was certainly in a position of authority again, being the head of a werewolf pack. Paul wondered how different his life might have been if his father had just come out and told him. His last conversation with his old man before he disappeared had been spoken in anger. The last thing anyone had seen of the senior Lesner, was him walking into a nearby woods and just disappearing after Laura died of cancer.

'I understand you now dad, at least partially. When mom left it was like she was calling you a freak, so you separated yourself from anyone who might hurt you in the future, but Laura; my real mom fell in love with you, you couldn't help yourself and reciprocated her feelings. With her gone and you and I estranged, you had nothing left to keep you in the human world, so you chose to lose yourself in the wild.' Paul thought, regretting his choices back then. Had he known, then he and his father would have been drawn together by their shared secret, and might even have supported each other after Laura. Now Paul realized that they might never get the chance to reconcile, not unless he was willing to do something about it.

'He's a werewolf like me, and an Alpha besides. I bet he still lives near her grave, and now I have the means and the will to find him.' Paul said.

Calling home Paul said, "I'll be heading out of town for a few days. Take care of the place while I am gone."

"Where are you going?" Rachel asked, and Paul could feel her worry.

"Not far, why?" Paul asked, concerned that she was worried about something.

Renting a car Paul drove out to Westward Falls, where his father had last been seen. It was a quiet little town, up in the mountains. Renting a room at an affordable motel, Blood Fang headed into the woods on foot, leaving the rental car in town. Heading southwest, he waited until he was clear of any people before shifting. Changing with ease, he broke into a run when the change had finished, eager to find his quarry. Every sense was alive as he sped through the underbrush, beneath the thick canopy of trees that allowed little sunlight through. Blood Fang traveled for some time, going up and down the slopes of the mountain as he searched for any trace of his father. Eventually his determination paid off when he felt a vague presence up the slope he was currently standing at the bottom of, towards the north. Circling around the mountain range he was now on the western slopes; more rock near the bottom. A wolf or man would have a hard time finding their way up the mountain from this point; as the climb itself could prove far too treacherous.

'But then I'm far from normal.' Blood Fang thought before he shifted into a cross of wolf and man. Using this mixed form; his skin had some protection against sharp rocks, while his claws in their present form proved excellent for climbing. He couldn't help but smile as he thought about what he must look like, 'If any tourist or local saw me right now, I would probably make this place a great tourist attraction. They might even mistake me for Big Foot at a distance.'

Gathering himself Blood Fang leapt up, digging his claws into the rock face Blood Fang began his climb. Powerful muscles worked together, insuring his ascent went as smoothly as possible. Pulling himself over the top edge, Blood Fang found himself at the edge of a cliff. Before him was a long line of trees, and in them he felt his father's presence as he purposely kept a distance from the newcomer in his territory. Changing back to his human shape Paul stood naked as a cool breeze blew.

 
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