“S-Sam, where are we going?”
“Somewhere you’re gonna have a whole lot of fun!” After getting back from talking with Milo, Todd noticed that Sam was a bit…excited. He was a lot more excited than usual, actually. When Todd asked his boyfriend what he was so excited about, Sam just grinned and said “Wait until 7!” At 6:45, Sam quickly ushered Todd out of their dorm and began leading him somewhere on the campus.
It wasn’t long until Todd began hearing some voices not too far from where he and Sam were. He started to worry that Sam was taking him to another party, and even though he didn’t totally hate the last one he went to, he didn’t like that being at the party risked him getting in trouble if campus security found out.
“Sam…th-this isn’t another p-party…is it?” Todd asked shakily.
“Well…yes and no…” Sam responded. “Yes, it’s technically a party, but it’s not one you’ll get in trouble for going to, since certain members of the faculty are required to go.”
“What do you m-mean ‘certain members?’”
“Take a look for yourself.” Sam pointed to Todd’s right, making the young man turn his head. They had stopped in front of the path that led to the beach. Peering down the path, Todd could see a fairly large gathering of anthros. Curiosity getting the better of him, Todd began to walk down the path a bit, only to stop dead in his tracks as he got a better view of the anthros.
Wolves. They were all wolves.
Wolves of all shapes, sizes, and fur colors were gathered on the beach doing various activities. Todd could see a small group playing frisbee, while another group not far from them were watching a movie on a projector screen. Some were even playing in the water, while a lifeguard sat in their chair keeping a close eye on them. Those who weren’t doing any of those activities were hanging around and socializing with each other. They all looked like they were having such a fun time.
“God damn…I’ve never seen this many of one type of anthro in one place,” Sam said. “I knew it would be a good idea to take you!”
Todd turned his attention back to Sam. “H-How did you know about a w-wolf gathering?”
Sam grinned. “Well, after I talked with Milo, I started heading back to the dorm,” the jock explained. “I happened to overhear an upperclassman talking about a wolf gathering on the beach tonight at 7 PM. So I went over and asked them about it, explaining that you were a wolf and how I’m trying to get you to socialize a bit more. And since you’re finishing your transformation tonight, why not spend it with a bunch of fellow wolves?”
Todd didn’t respond, as he was too busy looking over the gathering, a bit of a nervous look on his face. “Wh-Why do none of them have b-black fur…?”
“Because only 2% of wolves have black fur,” a voice from behind him said, making Todd jump a little. He turned around and saw a brown-furred wolf standing behind him and Sam. The wolf wasn’t wearing anything save for a pair of gym shorts, showing off his rather nice six pack. Their amber eyes looked Todd up and down, and for a brief moment, Todd felt like he was being evaluated. “Well aren’t you unique…”
“U-Uh…th-thanks?” Todd stuttered, not entirely sure how to react. He wanted to hide behind Sam and let the tiger take him somewhere safe.
The wolf seemed to sense Todd’s anxiety and put a hand on his face in embarrassment. “Oh God, I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m a zoology major. Seeing anthros with uncommon or rare fur colors gets me really excited. Name’s Dan, by the way.” The wolf held out a hand to Todd, which the young man timidly shook.
“I-I’m Todd,” Todd replied softly. “Why are there s-so many wolves here? Is there something going on that I’m not a-aware of?”
“It’s a full moon tonight!” Dan replied enthusiastically, pointing up to the sky. “The wolves on campus always get together on a full moon and howl!”
“But wolves howling at the m-moon is a myth…isn’t it?”
“Oh yeah, that’s a myth. We howl at the moon as a way to relieve stress. While wolves on the Other Side howl to indicate their territory or where prey is, us anthro wolves howl to just…let out our pent up emotions. And judging by your appearance, you’re going to be fully transformed in an hour or so, so why not welcome the new you while surrounded by other wolves?”
“Hey, that’s what I said!” Sam spoke up. “Up top bro!” Dan high-fived the energetic jock.
“I…I mean, I guess if it’s s-something all wolves do…” Todd said quietly. Dan gave the young man a pat on the back before turning to face Sam. “Don’t worry, I’ll personally make sure your boyfriend gets back to the dorms safely when we’re all done here.”
Sam gave Dan a look as if to ask “How do you know we’re dating?” Dan just laughed for a second and put a hand on Sam’s shoulder.
“Your scent is all over Todd, and his scent is all over you,” Dan explained. “Don’t need to be a genius to put two and two together.” Sam simply chuckled and raised his hands in defeat, while Todd blushed in embarrassment. Dan then turned back to Todd and began to lead him down the beach. Todd turned his head and looked back at Sam, a worried expression on his face. However, once he saw Sam proudly smiling behind him, a feeling told him that it would all be fine.
He was finally about to do something social on his own.