As the day went on, the snow kept falling; with Nate making it safely to Seattle, driving his car along with his passengers Jean, Ben and Alex. All four knew they had to get their shopping done quick if they were to make it back to Moon Lake in time; Worried they might be stuck due to a snowed out highway or worse; all had text messages on their phone from family members worried for their safety. Samantha and Frances the most worried; Ben had to endure several phone calls from both of his mothers. Reassuring them that he is safe and sound and inside a mall with his boyfriend Alex; Ben puts his phone away as he goes back to eating his cheeseburger and fries.
“I take it your mothers are being worry warts,” Alex eating a pizza slice.
“It’s typical for them,” Ben comments; “Samantha more so. She tends to be the emotional one of the two. But lately,” Ben sipping his soda; “she has had to be a rock with Frances’s issues stemming from her family.”
“Like what,” Alex staring at Ben.
“I don’t know much,” Ben sighing; “I’ve heard snippets from Frances’s brother regarding their mother in the hospital for something. Their father being some religious bigot over traditional relationships.”
Ben was describing as best he can, regarding Frances’s mother hysterectomy stemming from ovarian cancer. Not knowing that Frances’s and their father have slowly started meaning the divide that formed between them; a divide that sundered the family when Frances’s became a werecat and outing herself as a lesbian. Joseph Carter furious, he threw Frances out, while Angelica was forced to look on in silence. Samson, Frances’s older brother was the only family member to remain on good terms with her.
“We better hurry up if we are going to get back in time,” Nate and Joan joining Ben and Alex table in the food court; it’s really snowing hard now.”
“Well I got my shopping done,” Ben smiling; “and no I’m not showing. You’ll just have to wait Christmas day.”
Ben purchased a steel pendant on a necklace; two wolves howling up at a moon. On the back engraved ‘Ben and Alex our love is eternal’. The jeweler tried to get Ben to by the silver pendant; but Ben was adamant it had to be stainless steel. Giving the shop proprietor an excuse that Alex had a sensitivity to certain non-ferrous metals; Silver being one of them. Alex however was still trying to decide on this crystal figurine of a wolf pup pawing at a snowflake or a copper medallion of a wolf to add to his lanyard that he uses to secure his phone in and out of his werewolf fursona.
Joan and Nate each ended up purchasing a few presents for family members. Joan got a few practical items for her parents; the typical socks and ties standby. Getting a decent button collar shirt for her brother and a stuffed lion toy for Nate. Nate picked up a simple matching pair of aprons for his parents; each say his and hers respectively. Getting a note book for his brother Eric, while he picked up some clip on earrings for Joan. While most people would consider clip-ons to be tacky; for a were who would have to repeatedly get their ears pierced after each transformation, clip on earrings are cost effective alternative to having a fashion accessory.
Are you going to finish your fries Nate,” Joan quickly eating her poutine.
“Lay off my fries,” Nate responding; “they are the best part of my lunch.”
“Then why haven’t you eaten them yet,” Alex speaking up.
“I’m saving them for last,” Nate drowning them in ketchup.
“Are you sure that’s ketchup,” Jean smiling; “I could of sworn you just used hot sauce.”
“It’s ketchup,” Nate looking at Jean; “and besides, that joke I told you about with the ketchup swapped with hot sauce happened before I became a werewolf. The nose,” Nate smiling; “knows.”
“Easy on the were word,” Ben lowering his voice; “just about everyone in this food court is a normal by the smell of things.”
“The last thing we need is someone finding out our kind exists outside of fantasy and bad Hollywood movies,” Alex finishing.
“I happen to like those moves,” Nate eating his fries; “the ones with Lon Chaney Jr. are pretty awesome.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Ben answering while lowering his voice; “I and most other werewolves have never watched them for obvious reasons.”
“In fact,” Alex speaking up; “most of our kind, has refuse to see those movies. We never,” Alex shaking his head; “appreciated the way Hollywood depicted were’s as savage bloodthirsty beasts.”
“Yeah,” Jean speaking up; “dad saw one of those movies once. He was sick to his stomach with disgust at how ignorant humanity can be in what they do not understand.”
“Well we better be off then,” Nate finishing his late lunch; “the sooner we are back in Moon Lake the better our parents will feel.”
“I just need to finish with one thing,” Alex speaking up; “it won’t take long.”
As they left the mall; Alex stopped at a store and picked up the copper medallion with a wolf embossed on it. Knowing it would be the perfect gift for Ben he takes his purchase and rejoins his friends. Stepping outside to the biting cold and trekking through the soupy slush of snow and road salt as they quickly walked to Nate’s car sitting in the parking lot with a layer on snow on it. Brushing of as Nate turns the engine over, allowing it to warm up as they pile in the car. Pulling out of the parking lot, Nate begins the slow drive on streets being plowed; Making his way to the main highway.
“I guess when we get back to town,” Jean speaking up; “we should all stay at your house Nate.”
“Alex and I will be at my house,” Ben speaking up; “I live next door.”
“I guess that means we get to be alone together,” Jean looking at Nate.
“That’s assuming my brother or my parents aren’t home as well,” Nate pulling onto the highway; “we’ll know in few hours.”