Dangerous Obsession

The Pack

    According to his recently acquired textbook, "The Anatomy and Physiology of the Werewolf" , werewolves were indeed adversely effected by contact with silver. Within hours of initial contact an individual would experience severe burns. Prolonged contact would lead to blood poisoning and eventually death. Contrary to Dale's previous musing's, however, there were many other ways to kill the creatures. He also learned that Werewolves needed much less sleep than humans. This made sense to Dale on a basic level. Sleep was time for the body to reset and heal itself, if werewolves healed themselves twice as fast as humans, it was logical that they would require less sleep. That also explained why he had such a difficult time falling asleep the night before. Dale mentally added 'supernatural energy' to the positive side of becoming a werewolf. He was keeping a list of 'pros' and 'cons' in his head. At this point the negatives were definitely outweighing the positives unfortunately.

    Dale slowly closed the book and laid it on the desk in front of him. He had spent most of his lunch hour devouring it's contents and now he was ravenous. For once he thought that Michelle might not have packed enough for him. He tore into his first sandwich with a vigor. As he chewed he admired his most recent handiwork; he had modified the werewolf physiology book with a new dust jacket; "The American Wolf". The cover was stolen from one of the many books he had purchased to aid in his research on wolves. He had a feeling getting caught with an ancient tome on the anatomy of a werewolf might raise a few eyebrows, and the new cover was the perfect disguise. He mentally patted himself on the back for having such foresight. He was still gloating to himself when his phone went off, alerting him of an incoming text message. He dug the device out of his pocket, fully expecting to see a message from Michelle. Instead, it was an unknown number. Frowning slightly, Dale unlocked his phone and tapped to open the text.

 Meeting tomorrow night. Midnight. Be there  -X

 Xavier hadn't wasted any time contacting him. This pleased Dale for some reason, and he could feel the approval of his wolf as well. His wolf was also urging him to respond promptly, agreeing to be there. Dale was in the middle of typing out his reply when he remembered what he had told Michelle. He had promised her that he would confine his treks into the Park to Mondays and Wednesdays. He groaned inwardly. 

I can't  

He finally typed out, fighting his wolf with every letter. He could sense that talking back to Xavier was a big no-no.

It wasn't a request -X 

 Xavier's reply was immediate, making Dale even more nervous. His wolf was practically howling inside his head.

I know. I can only be at the Park Monday's and Wednesday's. To avoid suspicion with my family.

He took a deep breath and hit send. Xavier did not respond immediately this time, Dale's anxiety compounded by a million. He knew he was wrong to defy his Alpha, but at the same time he had to keep Michelle pacified. Not only for his marriage's sake but also to avoid her suspicion. He only hoped that Xavier would understand that. After a few tortuous minutes that stretched into an eternity,  Xavier's response came.

Monday then. Same time. -X

Dale breathed a sigh of relief, his wolf finally calming a little. It was impossible to tell from the text if Xavier was angry with him or not, but at least he hadn't pressed the issue. He sent his response, not keen on making Xavier wait. He had a feeling he had already pushed his luck far enough with his new Alpha. 

I'll be there 

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    Dale realized too late that he had not asked where exactly this meeting would be held. His wolf did not seem at all concerned about this lack of information, however. His wolf's calm made Dale feel infinitely more confident. He put his truck into park in front of the Park's Visitor Center. He glanced at his ring finger where a brand-new rubbery wedding band with the letters D&M stamped on it now resided. A smile touched his lips. Michelle had ordered him this new replacement wedding ring the day after the silver ring fiasco. She was so proud when she presented it to him. Dale could not open the box fast enough for her, and she squealed with excitement when he finally slipped it on his finger. He was touched by her thoughtfulness. She had picked up on how much it hurt him to remove his ring that night, not only physically, but emotionally. 

"Does this mean, you aren't mad at me about the ring?" he'd asked her. She looked up at him, shocked.

"Of course I'm not mad! You couldn't help that!" 

Dale had hugged her tightly. His wolf wasn't crazy about this, but he could tolerate it much better than skin-to-skin contact. It killed Dale to admit it, even to himself, but he hadn't had any desire for Michelle physically since his turning. So far, Michelle didn't seem too upset about their lack of intimacy. Dale hoped that he figured out a way around whatever he was feeling before it started to bother her. He decided to bring the issue up with Xavier at some point during their time together this evening.

He slipped his new ring off of his finger and put it, along with his cell phone safely away in the glove compartment of his pick-up. He didn't want to risk loosing either of them during whatever the night had in store for him. With that he was ready to once again enter the forest. This time he wasn't searching for the wolves, but joining them. Despite the myriad of problems he'd faced since his encounter, he was thrilled by this thought. 

As he stepped onto the leaf-carpeted ground under the stretching branches of the ancient trees, he felt like every sense was enhanced. He breathed in the cold, damp air. His mind quickly processing a variety of smells he had never picked up on before. There was the usual earthy smell of the fallen leaves, joined by the warm scent of the animals that were near him, he picked up the territory markings of a male Puma, and discerned several different types of dung. Dale was fascinated and thrilled by the new world of smells he was experiencing. His ears were also especially sensitive and with his current vision he wouldn't even need a light to navigate in the darkness. 

  Any uncertainty Dale felt quickly vanished as his wolf urged him to run. He obliged and broke into a swift run. Suddenly, unexplainably,  he knew exactly where he was going, and how to get there. Using all of his senses together, he expertly flew through the treacherous terrain of the park. Ducking low hanging limbs, jumping to clear any obstacles in his path, and maneuvering around foliage as he went. Dale had never felt so powerful, so in control, so free. He had been a talented basketball player in his youth, but this... This was on a whole different level. 

More quickly than Dale could believe was possible, he had reached the clearing around Elaina's cottage. Warm light poured out of the windows, making the place look even more like a fairytale than when he had been there before. There was a fire crackling cozily by the pebbled path that led to the front door, and a lone figure stood beside it. Dale instantly recognized it as Xavier. He approached his Alpha, joining him in the glowing ring of the fire. Xavier raised his head to acknowledge Dale's presence.

"You're early" 

"Yeah, it didn't take me as long as I thought to get here." replied Dale. He wasn't even slightly winded after his run. He had to admit, the positives to the whole werewolf thing were really starting to rack up. Xavier looked slightly amused but only nodded. They sat in silence for a few moments before the front door opened and a short, stocky man stepped out to join them. He had faded-looking red hair, and an unruly beard that couldn't make up it's mind what color it wanted to be. Tufts of brown, red, silver and blonde grew out of it with no discernable pattern. He would have been a very comical character indeed if the stern look on his face wasn't so formidable. 

"Dale, This is my Gamma, Tobias" Xavier said by way of introduction.

So this was the owner of the other voice he had heard after he was bitten. Dale nodded at the shorter man and gave him a slight bow. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to do that, but he was letting his wolf lead the way for now. Tobias seemed pleased with his greeting and his expression softened a little.

"Well, you look a hell of a lot better that the last time I saw you, boy." He said gruffly.

"It would be hard to look much worse, wouldn't it?" Dale chuckled. Tobias let out a short bark-like laugh.

"That it would, that it would." he agreed. Apparently having your throat nearly torn out by a giant wolf really tarnished one's looks. Go figure.

"The others will be here shortly." Xavier told Dale. Dale had a feeling that Xavier was telling him this to help him prepare himself for meeting the rest of the pack. He appreciated the gesture. He had assumed he would meet the pack tonight, but it had never been confirmed. Surprisingly, He wasn't nervous. His wolf was anxious, but in an excited type of way. This pack was definitely important to him, and Dale couldn't help but feel some of his anticipation.

As if on cue, men and women of varying ages started emerging from the shadows of the night. Each one gave a small bow to Xavier and Tobias, then took their place in a circle that was forming around the fire. Xavier nodded at each member as he silently presided over the whole affair, looking very much like a king. Dale supposed Xavier was a king of sorts to these werewolves, and now to him. Dale kept count in his head every time a new person joined their circle. 35 individuals, 38 including himself, Xavier, and Tobias. After the last person bowed and took their place, Xavier began to speak.

"Greetings Silver River Pack, " He began, "I am pleased to announce to you that we will soon have a new member to our family. I'd like you to all welcome, Dale Wilson." 

In unison, all the pack members said enthusiastically, "Welcome to the Silver River Pack, Dale".

Dale scanned all of the faces surrounding him, and saw genuine warmth on each one. His heart swelled with the sense of belonging he felt. He never dreamed that he would be so happy about belonging to the Silver River Pack, it truly was like he had a new family. No wonder they were so important to his wolf. If his human side belonged with Michelle and the boys, his wolf side belonged with this pack. Soon Xavier was speaking again.

"We will have the ceremony officially joining our new brother with us as soon as all of the pack members are available to attend." 

So this wasn't the whole pack? Dale wondered who was missing and why. 

"For now, I'd like you all to introduce yourselves. Melissa and Angie have kindly provided some refreshments. I think this would be a good opportunity for Dale to get to know all of us. Thank you all for coming." Xavier finished with warm smile. It was evident that he was very proud of his pack and cared deeply for them all. 

A resounding, "Yes, Alpha" came from all of Dale's new brothers and sisters. Two of the women excused themselves to begin setting up the refreshments, and others took turns introducing themselves to Dale. First in line was Tobias leading a plump, rosy cheeked lady by the hand. Her eyes were soft brown and her hair pure white. She looked exactly like Dale pictured Mrs. Santa Clause to look. 

"This here is my Missus, Dale" was Tobias' not so eloquent introduction. Tobias wife rolled her eyes at her husband and pulled Dale in for a warm hug.

"I'm Jewel, Dear" she corrected. "Please don't pay any mind to Tobias, He never cared much for formalities." 

Dale grinned at her. Tobias didn't come across as being the type of man that bothered himself with being socially acceptable. Dale admired that about him. 

"It's very nice to meet you Ma'am" he said politely. She rewarded him with a warm, motherly smile. 

"You too, dear. Now, excuse me while I go help out with the refreshments" she patted him on the hand a made her way toward the tables that were being set up and filled with a delicious smelling assortment of food. Tobias looked after her affectionately. Dale grinned even wider at the softness in the rough old man's eyes. Funny how the right woman could tame even the roughest of men.

   As the night wore on Dale met each and every member of the pack, and remembered most of their names. Although he did notice that Elaina, the owner of the cottage, was absent. He wondered if she was the missing member that Xavier had been referring to earlier.

 He learned a lot about his new family, soaking up as much information as he could. There were ten mated couples, and everyone else was single. Apparently werewolves weren't keen on intimacy with anyone that wasn't their 'fated mate'. Dale thought that mind-set, in a world that was so obsessed with casual s*x, was very refreshing. He also learned that, although not present, there were children. Children were not introduced to the pack until the first full moon after their 16th birthday. In fact, they weren't even aware that they were werewolves. Secrecy would be very difficult for young children, so Dale understood the need to hide the truth from them at first. He tried to imagine Jacob and Evan being werewolves. They wouldn't last a day. His boys would definitely want to show off their supernatural abilities. He chuckled at the thought. Yes, keeping their true identity secret from the kids was wise. 

    Dale truly enjoyed himself and was a little sad when what was left of the food was cleared away and the pack members began to slowly trickle away, going back to the lives they led in the human world. Xavier came to stand beside him and seemed to sense his feelings.

"There will be many other meetings, Dale" he assured softly.

"I look forward to it." 

They stood side-by-side staring into the fire. Dale wasn't sure if Xavier was expecting him to leave with everyone else. He had hoped he could speak with him before leaving. He sill had so many questions. When Xavier made no mention of leaving, Dale took a deep breath and said quickly.

"I was hoping I could ask you a few questions... if you have time"

Xavier did not look surprised at this. He actually looked as if he had been expecting it.

"Yes, there are some things, I'd like to discuss with you as well." he said thoughtfully.

That last part caused Dale to hesitate a little. Was he in trouble already? He had refused to come to this meeting on the day initially scheduled, and Xavier didn't seem too happy about that in their text exchange. Well, there was only one way to know what was on the Alpha's mind, and Dale refused to be a coward. If he was going to be a part of the Silver River Pack, part of that was submitting to his Alpha no matter what. Dale was prepared to do so. He would do anything for his human family, and he owed his werewolf family the same dedication. His mind, and heart, made up he met the strange yellow eyes that were studying him and nodded.

"Yes Alpha"