Chapter 8: Wolves and cats

Following dinner preparation for both his father and himself, Brandon administered his regular medication and retired to the comforting embrace of the mattress, blankets, and pillows. The night creatures awoke while he was sleeping.

In the busy inner district of the Hollow's peak city, where nobody slept due to work, the fun to be had and the low crime rate. Everyone felt safe here, a group of teens were cradling near a metal tank brimming with fire to warm them up on top of a roof.

The structure they stood atop was dilapidated, aged, feeble, and shadowy. It was abandoned but for this teens it was a safe haven for them, more of a lair to do what those who have passed adolescent would do during which the guardians and parents were ignorant to notice.

This was a young pack of wolves, and they all cried out in exaltation. a family of delinquents.

"Damn it, why can't the break be extended?" said a short young with grey hair and muscular body revealing all, he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Yeah what he said" said a tall youth with black hair, with large amounts of body hair.

"Hey Mormont, don't your parents work at the ministry of education?" asked the grey haired youth.

 "Used to, Cain they used to. Now they work in the financial department" said a youth with red hair, delicate face with fierce eyes as he drank out of a red bottle. 

 "So that means they make more money now?" asked the youth with black hair. 

 "You could say that Nero" said Mormont who bit down a piece of jerky that had roasted on the fire, "But I don't get the same benefits they had, when they worked at the ministry of education"

"True that brother, no more cheat notes" said Nero as he gazed to the building edge and shouted:

"Hey Matthews, aren't you cold?"

Matthews was a tall young man with sideburns, a little canine nose, and keen teeth, to many who see him would think he was middle age man rather than an eighteen year old. He closed his eyes, his ears pointed up toward his head, giving him a wolf-like appearance right now.

Matthew grinned and continued, saying:

"The cold will be the least of our problems"

"What do you mean?" said Cain, taking a sip from the bottle as Mormont and Nero awaited the response.

"The cats are coming this way," Matthews replied, sniffing the air and listening intently, "And they are three"

The three wolves gave up on warmth, food, and drink. They approached the building's edge and peered out at the place that rattled with shattered automobiles and buildings; they were camped in an abandoned settlement that had once been a hideout for delinquents. They saw glimpses of a small number of people running, jumping over barriers, and being driven by the building ahead of them, which was occupied by another group that was not like them.

The wolf group believed they had partially transformed upon seeing this. Matthew had already assumed his form; his friends needed to do the same. Their growing dog-like features include large ears, sharp teeth, a canine nose, and patches of fur that are red, black, and gray for each of them due to their genetics.

They instantly howled at the night sky and jumped off the two-story structure, landing on their own two feet. Ground level now, the pack was prepared.

Soon the cats appeared, three Weres with feline characteristics such as little patches of fur on their bodies, vertical slit eyes, short ferocious teeth, and long tails, and a large feline stepped up from the three with his hands outstretched.

The cat, whose height and physique gave him a fearsome aspect, remarked, "We come in peace, Matthews."

"When have you ever came in peace, Nevel" replied Cain.

"Sorry, short stuff, you need to be this tall to get into the conversation, and I'm also talking to your leader," Nevel said with a sneer, indicating whatever height Cain needed be in order to speak with him.

"Did you just make fun of me brother?"

"You mean Pack brother, right? That can't be related to you," Nevel said to Nero after completing his piece. Nero smirked and snickered as he prepared for battle, rising to the same height as the towering Nevel.

Before things escalated, one of Nevel's boys, Rail, interpreted:

"Nevel, we are here to talk not fight"

Nevel grinned and coughed embarrassingly at this:

"You're correct; we are more mature than these brutes. Put your dog on a leash, Matthews.

Dog exclaimed Cain in surprise; before he could act on instinct, he felt a severe ache in his psyche that would make anyone scream. However, Cain and the rest were accustomed to it; this was a capability shared by all wolves. Known as "Alpha's call," it enables the pack's Alpha to inflict a terrible imprint on a member of the pack, forcing that member to comply with commands, basically it was shock collar.

"I apologize for my brothers' actions, and you have no right to disparage our customs or fraternity. You may tell me what you want right now, or you can walk away."

Nevel chuckled:

"Very well, We are here to ask you something," Rail replied, pulling out a picture from his fur and handing it to Matthews. Matthews fixed his intense gaze on the photograph, which featured a young man posing with amused eyes.

A while later, he inquired:

"What is this got to do with me?"

After hearing Nevel snap another photo and inquire:

"Do you know this Husk?"

The photo was delivered to Cain, who inspected carefully, then added:

"Matthews, you may want to see this"

Matthews gazed at the photo, which showed the young man posing in another photo with a familiar face; the secondary Youth had white hair with snatches of black on the ends, elf-like ears, and blue eyes.

It was Brandon Wilson, a man well-known to the wolves. The wolves looked at the photo without showing any facial expressions at all. Matthews grinned and continued,

"We go to the same school is all"

Nevel laughed a little as he walked, staring at Matthews:

"You see that Feline was my younger brother Axel, so why are you lying to me, Matthews? He was a young lad with a promising future and a tiger at heart"

"Good to know, he got good grades did he?" Nero cuts off Nevel during the conversation.

"He used to receive good grades. "You know what happened to him, he was found dead tonight, Near Root Grove downtown" Nevel scoffed, sending small waves through the earth.

The group showed no motion or disturbance at all from this display of strength.

"My condolences, but what does this have to do with us?" Matthews replied, showing no remorse.

Nevel shook his head once more, reclaimed the images, and pointed fiercely at Brandon's picture:

"He was hanging out with this Husk, this Half-breed, the last time I saw him." I came to you for some information," Nevel stated, intently glancing down at Matthews as he questioned:

"Since you know Husk here, could you please tell me where he lives so I can ask him questions? I'll pay for some details.

Matthews answered, biting the corner of his mouth:

"What can you offer?"

Nevel grinned and held up a hand to say,

"Half of Lester's district"

"That's impossible; Lester is a veteran Alpha; how can you take his District?" said Mormont.

"So you are the one who took out Lester? I saw that on the afternoon news," Cain remarked, surprised.

Yes, my purpose for going there was to let off some steam. Turns out he was too elderly, as was his crew; me and my boys took care of it." Nevel walked around with an air of confidence and arrogance.

Alpha wolf Lester Crest led a pack of motorcycle-riding wolves that even the police had trouble controlling. Nevel just assured them he took care of the situation and a territory was ripe for the taking.

The wolves all knew that Nevel was very strong but not this strong. Hearing this, Nero quickly jumped to the conversation: 

 "Well well, I underestimated you Feline. Well you got yourself a de---" 

 "Who told you to talk for me?" asked angry Matthews as he looked Nero who was about to shake the hand of Nevel, he stopped in his tracks. He was sweating like person who had just ate spicy food. 

 "Sorry sir, my mistake" said Nero as he retreated with anger building up. 

 "The dog that doesn't listen to its master will always be on a leash, so do you accept my offer?" exclaimed Nevel.

 Matthews smiled at the overconfident, added:

"To be honest, you offer does sound tempting and even Nero will accept it,"

Nevel grinned more. "I knew you will see my—" 

Matthews responded, "But I will refuse, I don't deal with people that have personal vendettas, outlaws, and felines"

Nevel was shocked but also knew that this would happen.

Nevel gave a mind-numbing smile and hid the picture inside his fur. After that, he told his boys to leave.

"How can you be so stupid, that deal was our shot at getting a good territory," Nero said, a little irritated.

Mormont gazed at Matthews and Nero without saying anything, as Cain stood by him. Matthews blinked, enquiring,

"Did you just call me stupid, Nero?"

"Wait, I don't think that's what he meant, Nero?" Cain asked as he moved between them.

"Cain, is your name Nero?" inquired Matthews, his dark, shadowy eyes dim, which caused Cain to retreat slowly.

"No sir"

"Don't answer for Nero, let the big boy answer"

Nero said, "Yeah, I called you stupid."

Like his eyes, Matthew's smile faded.

Nevel and his crew strolled around downtown for an hour, passing by Lester's pub, the beginning of a territory, until they came to a lone house away from the lights of the city.

They arrived at the pub known as the 'Lucky Cougar', and he entered the tavern, which was now a broken wreck. All that was left of the smashed tables, chairs, and other furnishings was a bar stand with a woman wiping some glasses and cups.

"Nevel, what do you need? Questioned the white-haired woman with the mole on her nose

"Milk whiskey and some rando in my room, I will need someone with lots of stamina to keep up Ms. Michelle"

"I know the Rando; I'll call her," she added, nodding to Rail and winking. Rail shuddered and continued,

"I will have the same"

The man with the blue Mohawk answered, "Me too."

Nevel waited for his drink while he glanced at his brother's picture, angry and heartbroken. Michelle gave the drinks to the three gentlemen.

Rail inhaled deeply:

"We will find him boss, you know we will"

Nevel drained the drink and motioned for another, and the Blue Mohawk cat continued, saying:

"Matthews is an idiot, that dog for brains"

"Yeah, he sometimes is," Nevel remarked, drinking another Milk Whiskey. There was a shudder up his spine as his ears twitched.

"What do you want Wolf"

The Mohawk and Rail turned their heads, readying their claws, as he spoke, and a young guy without a Wolf feature appeared at the door, wiping his glasses with a piece of cloth.

"I am here to negotiate on behalf of my leader," said the wolf—Mormont.