Samson and Samantha chat idly regarding the days gossip for their respective professions; With Frances being a therapist an unable to divulge patient secrets for risk of violating doctor patient confidentiality, Frances just listened while sipping a cup of tea. Enjoying the atmosphere that Frances’s brother and life partner are giving off; Frances was the first to hear Ben coming in the door.
“Welcome home Ben,” Frances commenting; “How was your day?”
“It was okay,” Ben entering the kitchen; “Alex and I hung out at the diner when the snow fall hit.”
“Do any shopping,” Samantha asking?
“We browsed,” Ben sighed as he rummages the fridge for something to eat; “but couldn’t find anything worth purchasing.”
“Did you walk home,” Frances grinning.
“Yeah,” Ben closing the fridge and not finding anything worth gnawing on; “Alex and I saw a lot of were-paw prints on the ground. We thought every were went mad; aren’t we suppose to keep our existence a secret?”
Samantha chuckles; “The first true snowfall of December in years. Of course a lot of weres are going to frolic outside.”
“Especially after dark;” Samson smiles.
“But the prints,” Ben asking?
“Relax Ben," Samantha smiling; "Roads get plowed, sidewalks and driveways get shoveled. Snow melts. Enjoy yourself.”
“Not quite what Alex said,” Ben musing; “what’s and extra set of were-prints in the snow going to do to what is already shown.”
“So you two went furry as you headed home,” Frances smiling
Ben looks at his adoptive mother and shakes his head; in his werewolf fursona he heads into the living room and approaches the potted plant he uses to stash his jerky. Finding none present; Ben growls as he heads to the kitchen.
“Who ate my jerky?”
Frances laughs; “I had a meat craving. And its not as if I didn’t know you hid it in the bottom of a plant pot.”
“Guess I’ll get myself a rabbit or two then,” Ben growling as he heads out the back door and dashes into the woods.
“Thanks for covering sis,” Samson chuckling; “Ben does report his kills when hunting right?”
“Of course he does,” Frances answers; “you saw his cellphone hung on his lanyard didn’t you? And you didn’t need to eat the entire package of Jerky.”
“Next time, get Samantha to cook a steak or two;” Samson sticking out his tongue.
“Only if you bring them over,” Samantha chortles; “you silly mutt.”
“I just might,” Samson laughs; “and it’s Alaskan Malamute for my fursona. Not some mangy mutt.”
******
Running in the woods; breathing the crisp cold air as he tries to sniff out his prey; Ben runs into a fresh kill currently being scavenged by some coyotes. The coyotes seeing the werewolf and running off scared; Ben looks at the remains of the four point buck carcass before him. Smelling the remains; he picks up the scent of two were-panthers and the odd scent of a hybrid.
“Looks like a group of weres made a meal of you little fella,” Ben staring at the lifeless face; “hope you didn’t suffer.” Ben touching the head of the deer as he gently shuts its eyelids. Standing up he sees the prints of four weres; yet Ben only smells the lingering scent of three weres. With his appetite currently killed; Ben decides to follow the tracks; within minutes he is lead back to the Anderson household. Grabbing his phone hung around his neck, Ben texts a message to Nate.
‘Was hunting rabbit and came across a dead buck. I followed the were-prints back to your house. Explain?’
Ben waits a few minutes as his phone buzzes with a reply.
‘Eric, Spencer and Frieda hunted after rutting. Watched them kill the animal and eat their fill. I gave Eric the number to Moon Lake Animal Control and watched Eric report their kill as the three got home.’
Ben reads the message and then his phone buzzes with a second.
‘It’s Eric’s first hunt as a were-panther. Don’t be too hard on him when you meet up, so give him some slack. Besides it was Spencer that made the kill. It was clean. We’ll talk more in the morning okay?’
“So much for a rabbit snack,” Ben putting his phone down; Heading to his house and re-entering through the back yard entrance, Ben sees his moms seeing Samson off as he entered the kitchen.
“That was a short hunt,” Samantha asking; “were you successful?”
“No,” Ben grabbing a few hot dog wieners he pass up earlier and eating them uncooked; “all the game got scared off from a hunt that happened earlier. Saw the remains of a young buck.”
“Well you’re not the only were that likes to hunt son,” Frances walking into the kitchen and seeing Ben eating raw hot dogs; “you want to microwave those?”
“Fine as they are,” Ben answers; “the buck was taken down by Eric and his girlfriends. I followed their tracks back to the Anderson house. Nate texted me he saw them kill and eat the buck. It was Eric’s first hunt as a were-panther.”
“Looks like Eric has taken to being a were quite well,” Samantha chuckling; we should pop over to the Anderson’s tomorrow just to catch up.”
“How about we invite them over here instead,” Frances smiling.
“If you do,” Ben getting up; “you need to do some serious grocery shopping. Cooking for seven weres isn’t as easy as it sounds. And from what I saw of the deer carcass; Eric and his friends have one hell of an appetite.” Ben leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs to bed says; “see you in the morning moms.”