When Samson busted into her home; Frances was busy trying to act as peacemaker. Ben livid and upset over losing his job at Grrrrrrr before he even had a chance to finish filling out his forms; he was growling at Samantha, his adoptive mother. Ordering the restaurant closed until the were-alert was lifted, the artic were-fox owner let Ben know that he would not be able to hire the kid because he would be losing money until the threat passed.
Ben was naturally livid, when Frances saw the two coming home she was struggling to keep Ben calmed down, trying to get him to see things from Samantha’s point of view. Unable calm the werewolf down as he stormed out of the house, all Frances could do was to remind him that the town was still under a were-alert and not to shift under any circumstance.
That was roughly twenty minutes prior. Now Frances was at the Knight estate; being led through the back entrance for the front area was being treated as a crime scene. Samson gave his younger sister a quick rundown over what happened earlier. Four men trespassing onto the Knight Estate grounds, broke into the house while Spencer, Frieda and Eric wear babysitting three young were-tiger cubs. With the help of the Knight’s butler George; the four men were quickly subdued. Frances was shocked when Samson informed her that three were dead; but what shocked her more was that Eric had to kill one of them and was taking the act of having to use lethal force hard.
******
A deputy was staring at the three passed out weres in Lance Knight’s backyard. Seeing the three in their fursonas and reeking of beer; the were-dog growled in disgust. Under orders from Sheriff Cooper to rouse the men and bring to the Knight Estate; he grabs the garden hose and turns on the tap. Spraying the weres with cold water, soaking their fur. Benton was the first to wake up; growling as he thought it was a joke from his brother Lance, the large were-panther reals around to see an unamused deputy as the one who gave him the unwelcomed cold shower. Standing up in an attempt to intimidate; Benton suddenly feels weak as he braces himself with a patio chair.
“You have some nerve;” Benton snarling at the deputy; “I and my brother are minding our own business when you disturbed us.”
“De-fur and get dressed,” the deputy growls; “there was an incident at your estate.”
“WHAT,” Benton still struggling to stand; “what happened?”
“Not telling until you are presentable and sober,” the deputy splashing Lance and Rick awake as well; “now get dressed!”
*******
Frances was waiting for Eric to finish up in the nearby washroom. The white furred were-panther was throwing up, feeling extremely sick to his stomach; while his initial bout of gastrointestinal distress brought up the spaghetti and meatballs he consumed earlier; his further bouts of queasiness was primarily was dry heaves, yet that still didn’t help the uneasy feeling Eric was experiencing after killing a person.
Watching Eric re-enter the dining room that was being used as a make shift therapy office; Frances can’t help but admire at how handsome the young teenager is as a were-panther.
“Now Eric,” Frances speaking as the boy was sitting back down; “you needn’t be concerned with anything. You did what was right.”
“It’s one thing to hunt down a buck or a rabbit to consume,” Eric answers shakily; “but I killed that man in one punch. I knew as a were I would be a lot stronger than a regular person,” Eric hyperventilating; “I could barely lift fifty pounds before becoming a were, now how strong am I?”
“I can’t answer that,” Frances answering; “but perhaps you should find out yourself by going to a gym.”
“I’d have to be extremely strong,” Eric mumbling; “the sternum is the strongest bone in the human body, only requiring thirty pounds of force to crack. Yet I heard it shattered,” Eric looking at Frances; “I watched the man die as he gasped for air, looking on in fear. I even heard his heart stopped beating as bone pierced the organ. It’s different than killing a buck,” Eric shuddering; “at least when you snap its neck, the creature doesn’t suffer.”
“You watched the man suffer,” Frances understanding Eric’s discomfort; “that explains your sick feeling.”
“Will it go away,” Eric looking at Frances; “what if a normal person tries to fight me for having two mates?”
“Take some Gravol,” Frances laughing; “or anything else that helps ease an upset stomach. I wouldn’t worry about a normal kid trying to take one of your girlfriends. From what I hear, they have eyes only for you. Speaking of Spencer and Frieda,” Frances looking around, where are they?”
“Minding Cindy, Jasper and Yogi,” Eric speaking; “the three cubs saw me punch the man killing him outright.”
“I should talk to those kids next,” Frances sighing; “but take this bit of advice to heart Eric. Yes you killed a person. But you did it for the right reasons; to protect and defend those under your charge. That fact that you became sick to your stomach afterwards, shows you don’t have a taste for murder or violence for that nature.”
“Yet I’ve killed game in the past,” Eric still ill at ease; “how is that any different?”
“Killing to provide meat for your mates,” Frances smiling; “is a wholly different feeling than killing to defend yourself or others. When you catch a buck with the intent to consume its flesh, how do you feel?”
“Like I’m king of the world,” Eric grinning; “it’s a euphoric rush to watch your mates rip into the flesh of an animal you took down. Snuggling with them afterwards,” Eric smiling; “the smell of blood mingling with their aroused scent…”
“Makes you feel great doesn’t it,” Frances chuckling; “Ben described that feeling when he and Alex came back one night, their muzzles bloodied and bellies full of fresh meat from hunting.”
“Yet watching that man’s life fade as you watch,” Eric looking sad; “I don’t want to experience that sickening feeling again.”
“I can’t guarantee that,” Frances getting up; “you just need to accept that you did what you thought was right at the time and take it one day at the time.”
******
Benton was still feeling drunk; even after he heaved his guts up and had to settle for antacid to ease his troubled stomach. Now fully defured and looking somewhat presentable, despite looking like a stool sample; he along with Lance and Rick were crammed in the back of the police cruiser as it wound its way through town, heading towards Benton’s residence. Seeing the dozen or so cruisers and a county morgue van; Benton roared with rage as he broke his way out of the cruiser and rushed to the house shouting for Amanda and for Frieda.
Lance and Rick looked on in surprised as the deputy chased after him as they stumbled out of cruiser themselves. Both not liking how they were woken up; a cold shower from a garden hose while they were in their fursonas, they took only a few steps when a voice stops them cold. Turning around they see stepping out of the limo that followed them up was Tachibana, along with her grandson Daisuke and Evan Lawson.
******
William and Martha Anderson were rushing out of the hospital and racing towards their car. Finding out that their son was at the Knight Estate as it was broken into; William growled as he drove like a madman towards the Estate; the part where the deputy told him, that Eric had to kill in self-defense was lost on the were-fox. All he and Martha cared was making sure his son was safe.
“Slow down,” Martha barking at her husband; “you want us to get into an accident?”
“I’ll slow down when we get to the estate,” William swerving past a town car; “Learn to drive!” William shouts as he blows past them in his station wagon.
******
“Well that’s some nerve,” Amanda grumbling as she had to slam on the brakes; surprised that she was overtaken by a station wagon that raced past her. She broke just about every traffic law trying to get back to Moon Lake in less time it took to drive to Seattle. Fortunate that she wasn’t pulled over by a state trooper or raced past any photo radar setup.
“Try and get us back to your estate in one piece,” Lila trying to brace herself as Amanda drives like a mad woman.
“Hurry up,” Ester growling; “I need to make sure my cubs are all right.”
“Back seat drivers,” Amanda grumbles as she floors it, running the red light as she speeds on down the road. Turing on to a side street she soon nears her estate entrance. Seeing the same station wagon that cut her off moments before, Amanda finally recognizes it as the Anderson family car. Seeing the plethora of police cruisers and a morgue truck, both Amanda and Ester feel a cold dread as they jump out of the town car and rush inside the house.