As Alex considered his options, he couldn’t help but think about how strange it felt to not be with Roc and Raf. Although he’d only known the two werewolves for less than a day, he felt like there was a connection between the three of them. Besides, a werewolf gathering sounded pretty neat.
Turning around, Alex sprinted off in the same direction that Roc and Raf had just a minute earlier. They couldn’t have gotten very far in less than a minute. Perhaps he could catch up with them soon.
“Roc! Raf!” Alex shouted, looking around as he ran through the dense foliage. “Wait up! I want to come with you!” Alex’s shouts didn’t earn a response, though he expected as much. Roc and Raf were both werewolves, so they’d obviously be amazing at running.
Suddenly, a large, heavy object flew into Alex, pushing him down to the ground. The young man had no idea what was happening. Was he being ambushed? Was another type of creature trying to capture him? Was a large animal going to eat him? Alex closed his eyes, awaiting the worst…
“Ha! I told you he’d follow us!” a familiar voice said from above him. Alex opened his eyes and let out an audible sigh of relief as he saw Roc’s grinning face staring down at him.
“Roc? What the hell are you doing?” Alex asked. “Why did you tackle me like that?”
“Because he’s happy you decided to follow us,” another familiar voice responded. Alex turned his head to the left and saw Raf leaning against a nearby tree, a smirk plastered across his face. “Honestly, I can’t say that I’m not happy you did too.”
“We’ll I’m glad that you two are glad that I followed you,” Alex started. “But was tackling me really necessary?”
Roc blushed and proceeded to get off of Alex, extending his hand once he had fully stood up. The young man graciously accepted the help as the larger male hoisted him up off the ground and back to his feet effortlessly.
“So what made you decide to follow us?” Raf asked, getting Alex’s attention. “Why run into the woods after us instead of heading into town and trying to find someone to help you get back to your home?”
Alex let out a nervous laugh and broke eye contact with Raf, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head. “I guess I just…don’t want to go back,” he admitted. “This world is so much more incredible than mine was or ever will be. On Earth, creatures like werewolves only exist in stories. Ever since I was young, I’ve had a fascination with ‘fantasy creatures’, and now I’m suddenly in a world full of them! And besides, if I go back…” Alex paused for a second before continuing, “there’s a chance I’ll never get to see you two again.”
Alex was suddenly pulled into a bear hug by Roc. His back was pressed up against the man’s muscular body, his head resting against his pecs. “We gotta take him with us now Raf!” Roc said, a huge grin on his face. “Everyone in the pack will love him! And besides, it’s been so long since we’ve had anyone new join us.”
Raf quietly thought to himself for a second before sighing and shaking his head. “I guess it’s worth a shot,” he said with a chuckle. “Come to think of it, I recall Nar saying something about wanting to add to our pack last meeting.”
“Then let’s hurry and get there!” Roc said eagerly. “It’s not much farther! We might be able to get there before the rest of our brothers! Nar always liked it when people showed up early for meetings.” With that, the three men continued deeper into the forest.
Half an hour later, the three of them arrived at a large clearing surrounded by trees. No trees obstructed the view of the sky, allowing the light of the sun, or the moon, to freely shine down upon those within the clearing. However, that wasn’t what had Alex’s attention.
In the middle of the clearing was a large, muscular figure with his back turned to them. He appeared to be about Roc’s height, with snowy white hair and a tail with white fur. As the three of them approached the figure, he turned around and revealed the rest of his body. His chest was covered in thick white hair, and his ears came to a point. Between his legs was a furry white sheath that housed his canine member. Alex didn’t need to be a werewolf to know that this was more than likely Nar, the alpha werewolf.
Nar stared the trio down as they approached, his yellow eyes fixed on Alex in particular. His judging stare made the young man feel as if he was being sized up.
“Roc, Raf,” Nar said in a deep, masculine voice. “You both have some explaining to do.”
“Nar, forgive us for breaking one of the rules,” Raf said. “But we’ve brought this human with us for a good reason. He comes from another world, and he wishes to join our pack.”
Nar raised an eyebrow and looked at Alex. “Another world, huh?”
Alex nodded his head. “Yes, I’m from a world called ‘Earth’,” he explained. “I’m not sure how I ended up here, but Roc and Raf were the first two people I ran into. They were kind to me; giving me a meal, a place to sleep, as well as the touch. Initially, I wanted to find a way home, but after spending time with Roc and Raf, I don’t want to return to my old world. I want to become a werewolf and stay here with them.”
Nar seemed skeptical, so he gave the air a sniff. After a few seconds, he chuckled. “Well, you aren’t lying, and it has been far too long since I last transformed someone.” He then looked at Raf and asked “How long has it been? Two…three years?”
“Three years,” Raf responded. “And I’m grateful for your gift every single day.”
Nar let out another chuckle before giving Alex a grin, showing off his fangs. “Well kid, I suppose you’re in luck. When our meeting starts, you’ll be welcomed into our pack and transformed into one of us.”