It was six in the morning when a group of four men arrived at a non-descript two level dwelling in Burbank California. Their goal to remove all trace of any evidence of were activity and any existence of weres at the house. This being the home of Alyssa Cooper who was recently murdered by a werewolf of the Seattle chapter of the Luna Brotherhood; the four men being reps of the Burbank chapter felt a sense of sadness that a were was savagely killed by their own brethren without cause.
As one of the men slink and sneak to the backyard to get in through the back door; he notices an assortment of children’s toys strewn about the back yard. Paying them no heed he heads to the back door; picking the lock and silently managing to get in. He was surprised there was no alarm present despite seeing and home alarm sign from the front of the house. Heading through an immaculately clean kitchen and then passing a living room that looks like it was used as a daycare; seeing more plastic toys present, the male reaches the front door to let his comrades in.
As they enter with trash bags cleaning agents and other material need to do their work efficiently; A light comes on and the four werewolves real around to see a woman with a metal baseball bat. And immediate sniff and they knew she was a were-tigress. As one of the Luna brotherhood members make the trademark ‘W’ with their hands identifying themselves as were’s; the growling were-tigress who was now in her fursona and still wielding the bat glares at them.
“What are you doing breaking into my friend’s home?”
“Luna brotherhood business,” one werewolf answers; “why are you here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” the were tigress snarling; “and what business does the Luna Brotherhood have with Alyssa Cooper?”
“The kind,” one werewolf speaking; “in which we remove all trace of any evidence of were activity. Alyssa was murdered yesterday outside of Seattle.”
The were-tigress drops her bat; looking distraught and nearly faints as she collapses on the stairs. As one of the werewolves rush to try and stop her from falling a small boy roughly five years of age approaches. Seeing the were-tigress collapse and looking sad he does what any child does. Ask questions.
“Joan? Why are you crying? Is mommy coming home soon?”
“Oh god, “Joan the were-tigress cries; “something bad happen to your mother Darrell.”
“Will she be better,” Darrell asks; ”and who are these men. Friends of mommy?”
Joan couldn’t answer; the four werewolves tasked with removing evidence of weres from the house looked shocked that they now have a were-tigress acting as a caregiver to a child. Alyssa Cooper’s son.
“Contact the Alpha,” one werewolf barks; “tell him there is a complication. A were-child of Alyssa Cooper; possibly a wer-mer living at the residence needing 'cleaning' . Ask him to relay the situation back to the Elder Council in Moon Lake. This is a rush request.”
******
Douglas Cooper slammed his alarm clock with a meaty furry paw; yawning as he got out of his bed; scratching his ass as he makes his way to the washroom to do his morning ablutions. The were-grizzly looks sad; not wanting to go into work today, he was just coming to grips that his cousin was no longer going to torment him with one thing or another. Recalling the last time they talked was when she was walking out of the courthouse after dodging the charges laid on her for breaking into his fishing cabin. While the conversation was as usual, tense; Douglas never thought his last words to his cousin were to ‘leave town’. Heading back to his bedroom to at least try and start his day; Douglas slowly de-furs to put on clothes. As he grabs his uniform shirt and pants, Douglas Cooper sees the photograph of him and Alyssa of when they took a trip down to Louisiana several years ago.
Attending Mardi-Gras and both getting sick off of crayfish and gumbo; the sheriff looks at the photo for what felt like an eternity. Remembering Alyssa balking at trying catfish noodling; him being dragged to the assorted jazz clubs in New Orleans, when all he wanted to do was relax with a café au-late at a coffee house in the French quarter. Sheriff Cooper puts the photo down and then breaks down and cries.
*****
Back in California the four werewolves were doing what they could to comfort Joan; all the while distracting what she confirmed was Alyssa’s son, Darrell. In the kitchen making breakfast for the rambunctious child; all the while waiting for orders from their Alpha. While they still had a task to do, but were not about to do anything drastic, especially with a young one present.
“Our Alpha just texted me,” the lead werewolf stated; “continue as planned with regards to eliminating all traces of were activity. Have Joan assist you with pack up belonging for the child and escort them both to the airport.”
“Were not leaving town,” Joan starting to growl.
“The child has a relative in Moon Lake,” the lead werewolf reciting the text; “Sheriff Douglas Cooper. It’s in the child’s best interest that he be looked after by family members.”
“Douglas,” Joan looking shocked; “Alyssa said he was dead!”
The lead werewolf putting his phone away and looking at Darrell as he made a mess eating French toast; “Apparently Alyssa never told her cousin that she had a son. I bet there are a lot of things Alyssa never told you about.”
“What’s Moon Lake,” Darrell asking.
“It’s a town,” the lead werewolf speaking; “a few hours away from Seattle. It is home to the largest were population in the world.”
“You mean there are more fuzzy people like you,” Darrell looking excited.
“As well as were-tigers like Joan here,” the Luna Brotherhood member chuckling; “plus Were-dogs, were-horses and many more. Your mother’s cousin, who is the sheriff, is a were-grizzly.”
“Does he look like Yogi Bear,” The child looking excited.
“That,” the werewolf laughing; “you’ll have to see for yourself.”
“The neighbors are going to be asking questions," Joan sighing; “Everyone knows Darrell and will know something is up when they don’t see him.”
“A cover story will be made of Alyssa wanting to move closer to be with family to help raise her child,” the lead werewolf stating; “we will act as professional movers to pack up her belongs and have them discreetly put in storage for the time being.”
“And what of me,” Joan looking exasperated; “I’ve never been outside of California before. Hell I never even heard of a town inhabited entirely by weres until just now!”
“Well,” the lead werewolf shaking his head; ”it looks like Alyssa kept some things from you as well.”
“How did Alyssa die,” Joan asking.
The lead werewolf makes a nod to one of his brethren to escort the kid out of kitchen. Knowing that what he is about to say should not be heard by ears so young; he waits until the child is clearly out of earshot before speaking.
“Alyssa was murdered by the Seattle Chapter of the Luna Brotherhood,” the werewolf sighing; “apparently that chapter had developed a taste for hunting weres. They killed her because a rogue were she unwittingly assisted refused to be prey.”
“What,” Joan looking incredulous; “why… what?”
“It’s put the entire Luna Brotherhood the world over into and uproar,” the werewolf sighing; “Moon Lake isn’t the only secret were community that now has serious reservation in our organizations ability to protect them.”