To some degree, Richard understood Rose waiting at home while he went out. Neither of them had any real idea on where Rachel was other than that she'd left Moon Lake High School with a friend after school. He had no reason to really think that Melissa Jenkins would do anything to his daughter as they had been friends in Michigan and had caused no trouble there. However, Moon Lake was not Michigan and he had plenty of concerns over what could happen at night. He could trust that Rachel wouldn't necessarily make the same sort of mistakes that had led to his own transformation into a werelion, which in turn had led to Rose getting attacked by a mundane Mountain Lion, but that didn't remove the dangers and risks that were there.
He could even pick up some sounds coming from the woods as he walked briskly along the circular street toward its intersection with North Street that some weres were getting into some of their night time activities. He'd assumed they'd either eaten dinner already or intended to "catch" dinner later and that was fine for them. To a degree, he and Rose had matters that would be relatable to that in the sense of picking up the full rules and details on being a werelion in Moon Lake, which would include accepting being in coalition with Elijah Hunter while learning the rules and inviting Shelia to join his and Rose's pride. But that could really only happen after he and Rose could explain things fully to Rachel and Rob and that required Rachel coming home. Thus Richard had come out and was on his way to the last place he'd had any hint on where Rachel was, or at least had been.
He vaguely remembered the address that Rachel had listed for where Melissa had told her where the Jenkins were living and he made his way there as part of the first part of his search. He found himself outside a relative modest two story home, though he could also note that there were lights on inside which gave him some hint at least someone was home and he moved to knock on the door, with his face serious but also tried to keep it from being aggressive, as his frustration was more from concern over Rachel's safety and not aimed at one of his daughter's old friends. He heard a feminine voice say from inside the home, "I got it, dad," though it was just faint enough that he couldn't really identify the identity of the voice. He simply waited patiently for the door to open.
Inside, Melissa moved from couch where she'd been sitting and moved from the living room toward the front door. She expected it to be Trevor arriving after finishing his homework and chores after Moon Lake's academic team finished their practice for the afternoon. They'd loosely planned to enjoy a nice walk and enjoy having each other's company for the evening. Things could go beyond that, but they hadn't planned on anything quite of that nature, and at the same time she figured it would give her father time to plan things out with Virginia with the details on when the wedding would be on Saturday and when guests were to arrive and so on. He'd already shared a bit of that with her and she didn't need to hear it again. There was also the thought of giving her dad and Virginia time to have their own fun as well. However, the man on the other side of the door was NOT Trevor, but Rachel's father.
She watched with some surprise as Richard Van Direstag's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets, likely expecting a young woman of average height and rather plain appearance for one who was a sophomore in high school. He didn’t expect to find the much taller and muscular from that she’d gained in becoming a werecow, and while her fursona was based more on a diary breed, her musculature was going to be bigger when compared to most other female weres. He didn’t expect to have his head just above her now much larger chest that was on par with some adult weres, and Melissa knew she would have a lot of growing still to do in that department by the time puberty finished for her. Nor did he expect to find Melissa covered in russet colored fur with her forearms and lower legs being a slightly lighter shade of red than the rest of her. Melissa noted that Richard had gained a similar build to what her own father had gained after becoming a were and a brief flare of her nostrils was enough to confirm that Rachel hadn't been lying in saying that her father had become a werelion.
"Hello, Mr. Van Direstag," Melissa spoke politely, "is there something I can do for you?"
"Melissa... Jenkins?" Richard said slowly, half recognizing Melissa's voice now, though also noting it was a bit deeper than what he remembered, but then Melissa Jenkins in Michigan had been human, and not the werecow before him. He noted that her tail slowly swayed behind her with a casual movement about it, and that she was also crouched down a bit to make sure her horns weren't digging into the ceiling above her.
"Yes, it's me," Melissa answered, "a Canadienne Werecow now."
"Canadian?" Richard blinked.
"Canadienne, C-a-n-a-d-i-e-n-n-e," Melissa spelled out, "it's a diary breed from Quebec. And you became a werelion... things are going okay for you, I hope?"
"It's been hectic," Richard admitted as he tried to compose himself and decided not to get into his whole suspicion of things related to Moon Lake and the circumstances that lead to his transformation and later Rose getting attacked, "but I am adapting to it. Though for the moment I'm looking for Rachel."
"She hasn't gotten home yet?" Melissa asked with her tail dropping limp for a moment and moving her ears forward.
"No... the last thing my wife and I were told was that she might be here," Richard spoke, "and with the sun now down... I came out to make sure that my daughter can make it home safely and avoid... well... getting into trouble."
"Well... I'm afraid she isn't here," Melissa said slowly and heard her father's footsteps coming closer.
Richard stood by quietly as he also heard the footsteps and noted as Harold Jenkins came into view. He noted the other man gave a semi surprised blink at catching his now werelion scent, even if he was still in human form, but if Harold Jenkins had any surprise he really didn't show it. Or Harold Jenkins accepted it fairly easily, which he supposed might have made sense, as he'd accepted Moon Lake's ins outs before Richard and his family arrived.
"Not here..." Richard said slowly and worry creeping into his voice and his mind thinking over Rachel wandering into the woods and falling onto a were, just as he had, and not only losing humanity, but her virginity, and likely getting pregnant as well.
"Yes, your daughter left here just before I got home from some shopping errands I'd had in town about an hour ago," Harold spoke, "she and Melissa had been working on their homework and Rachel likely had some questions on some of the more unique specifics to Moon Lake that Melissa could answer."
"And she was still human when she left," Melissa added noting the wide eyes on Richard's face, "though... I think she might want to become a were... and a were of her choice."
"Become a were?!" Richard gasped.
"Yes, people do choose to become weres," Melissa answered, "some simply because of the Mandatory Were Law... some because weres are a thing they liked with regard to sci-fi and horror movies before coming here... some because they read about some of the perks of being a were... and some because they find someone that they fall in love with who IS a were. Thus they have to be a were to be with that person."
"I can understand the reasoning... I suppose," Richard said slowly, "but the sex stuff... Rachel and and Robert aren't eighteen."
"That doesn't mean that the interest isn't there," Melissa warned, "and it isn't as though you and Rachel couldn't work out an agreement. If you hear her out and take her concerns fairly. Don't flip out and get mad."
"I'm only trying to protect her," Richard argued.
"And she loves that you love her," Melissa assured him, "but that doesn't mean she wants to be babied or anything like that. Give her a chance to explain herself... and if she has made her choice on what were to be... try to be accepting and work out a reasonable deal. It might let her be happy, you and your wife can be assured that Rachel won't get into any trouble, and you can also be assured that there won't be any accidents that cause bigger problems. As the vast majority of weres... they're just like everyone else we knew in Michigan, just built a little different and with abilities normal humans don't have. Their humanity is still the same."
"She does have a point there," Harold commented.
"I see... well... she hasn't come home," Richard said slowly, "and there are things my wife and I need to discuss with her before we can move to anything else. So... if she isn't here, do you know on where she might have gone to?"
"Well... when she left, if she didn't go home first, she might have gone down to the hospital's pharmacy to see on their rules for buying the birth control pills for specific weres," Melissa answered, "and would head home after that."
"The birth control pills?" Richard asked, sounding a bit nervous.
"I think their rules are that with those under eighteen, normal humans would need parental consent to actually buy the pills," Harold spoke up, "assuming they were open when she would have gotten there."
Richard sighed slowly and then said, "I thank you both for your help... and your advice. But I must be on my way."
"Would you want any company?" Harold asked, "help you navigate town? The wagon wheel layout and the fact that the streets coming out from the center of town aren't named across the entire town could get people a bit lost... and admittedly, I got turned around a bit at times when Melissa and I first moved here."
That got Richard a bit worried in that Rachel might well have done everything responsibly and wasn't necessarily rebelling, but had also gotten lost, and could have wandered into the woods as a result. That could end up meaning that she might become a were by accident, the way he had, and as a female could end up in heat and likely pregnant as a new were, as Rose was after she'd gotten curious about his new form.
"No, I'll be fine," Richard spoke, "Rose and I did teach her to just stay in one place if lost. I'm sure I can find her. Thank you for the offer though."
With that, Richard made his way south from the Jenkins and on the fastest possible pace he could to get to the Moon Lake Hospital. He would check with the front desk to make sure a Rachel Van Direstag hadn't been admitted and to see if anyone had seen Rachel and could give some indication as to which way she went. He waved to the Jenkins and was on his way as a car came up the street and would soon park on the driveway of the house just to the north of the Jenkins' home.