The night air somehow felt colder than before, or maybe that was just Connor’s nerves. His breaths were shallow and quick, the weight of what he’d been told pressing down on him.
Werewolves.
It sounded completely absurd, like something out of a horror movie. But here they were一Zack, still in his lupine form, standing just a few feet away from him with a toothy grin, and Eric, his massive frame dwarfing even Zack’s. Even Micah’s posture radiated an energy that felt too sharp, too primal.
And Logan… Logan stood calm and steady, a hand still resting on the younger man’s shoulder. His gaze was fixed on Connor, almost as if he was waiting for something to happen. “Connor, I know it’s a lot to take in-“
“A lot to take in?!” Connor finally spoke, his voice sounding on the edge of hysteria. “You’re all werewolves, and you’re telling me that I’m becoming one too?!”
Zack, still transformed, sat down in front of Connor. His expression was unusually serious for once. “Yeah, pretty much.”
Micah let out a snort. “Smooth, Zack.”
Logan shot Micah a warning look, making the blond-haired man sink back a little, before turning his attention back to Connor. “Look, Connor…I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I knew it was a bad idea to reveal this so soon. I should’ve put my foot down so you could have more time to ease into it.”
“Ease into it?!” Connor snapped. “How do you ease someone into telling them they’re turning into a fucking werewolf?! Was there some brochure I missed at the job fair?!”
Logan rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable, but it was Eric who stepped in. “Connor, we’ve all been through what you’re going through. None of us were born like this…”
Connor glanced between the four of them, his heart still pounding. “Then how?” he asked quietly. “How did this happen to all of you?”
Logan sat down next to Connor, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “We were all turned…” he said quietly. “None of us exactly had a choice.”
Eric nodded solemnly, and Micah looked away into the forest, his expression far more solemn than usual. “Your first change isn’t going to be easy,” Eric said. “But once you get through it…it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced.”
Zack chimed in, his usual grin returning. “Yeah C, the whole thing feels incredible. It’s exhilarating, and honestly? It’s pretty damn arousing too.”
Logan sighed and shook his head, taking a second to recompose himself before speaking. “I know you didn’t ask for any of this to happen, Connor,” he said in an uncharacteristically soft tone. “But like it or not, this is your reality now, and you’ll need help getting through it.”
Connor didn’t say anything, looking between the four men around him as he tried to process everything. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke up. “What happened to you? How did you guys…end up like this?”
Logan exchanged a glance with Eric, then sighed. “I was bitten,” he began, his voice steady but distant. “It was five years ago at this point. Used to work as a mechanic in another town. One day I was minding my own business when…this guy came into the shop.”
Micah huffed, crossing his arms. “Let me guess, a real piece of work?”
“You could say that,” Logan replied. “He was my boss’s friend, or so I was told. Said he was looking for ‘recruits’, whatever that meant. He and the boss spent the day surveying every employee, myself included. That night, he changed and cornered me in the back lot. Said that I was ‘the fresh meat he needed’ and offered me an ultimatum: join his pack willingly or he’d force me in.”
Connor felt his stomach twist. “And you…weren’t given a choice, were you?”
Logan shook his head, his jaw tightening. “He bit me right there, forced me to transform in front of him. Told me that I should be ‘grateful’ to be turned by an alpha. I stayed with that pack for a while, but when I got the chance, I ran and never looked back.”
Eric spoke up, his tone quiet but firm. “Logan fought like hell to break away,” he said. “Most werewolves don’t survive leaving their pack like that.”
The wind blew in the pause that followed, only being broken by a dry laugh from Micah. “Well, mine’s less dramatic, but it certainly wasn’t a walk in the park either.” He ran a hand through his hair, his usual bravado giving way to something more somber. “I was walking home one night, probably about two years ago. Took a shortcut through an alleyway because, you know, I thought I was tough shit.”
Connor frowned. “What happened?” he asked.
Micah shrugged. “Got jumped,” he replied, his expression hardening. “I didn’t even see what it was at first. Thought it was a dog until it was on me. Managed to scare it off, but not before it got a good chunk of me.” The man rolled back his right sleeve, revealing a large bite mark just below his shoulder.
“Woke up the next day feeling like I’d been hit by a truck,” he continued. “Next thing I knew, I was sprouting fur and tearing up my apartment.”
Connor swallowed hard before looking at Zack. “And you?”
Micah winced, glancing at Zack apologetically. “Yeah, uh…that’s on me…”
Zack smirked, shaking his head. “Micah, I’ve told you a hundred times, I’m over it.”
Micah didn’t look convinced, but Zack started speaking. “It was a year ago. Micah and I were messing around一wrestling or whatever. He didn’t mean to scratch me, but…” Zack proceeded to hold out his left arm, revealing a thin scar on his forearm where no fur had grown. “Turns out even a little scratch can be enough.”
Connor blinked. “You didn’t know?”
“Nope,” Zack admitted with a shrug. “Found out the hard way. Micah freaked out more than I did. He thought I’d hate him or something.”
Micah rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…yeah, of course I did,” he said sheepishly. “I mean, who wants to turn their best friend into a werewolf?”
“Could’ve been worse,” Zack replied with a grin. “At least now I’ve got an excuse to stay up all night, eat like a human garbage disposal, and be horny 24/7.”
Connor couldn’t help but smile a bit. Cool, charismatic, always thinking with his dick…yep, that was the Zack he knew alright. He then looked over to Eric, the only one whose story he’d had yet to hear.
Eric’s deep brown eyes locked with Connor’s, and the wolf shook his head. “I don’t exactly like to talk about mine,” he said. “It wasn’t pretty. Let’s just say that it wasn’t an accident, and it wasn’t by choice either.”
Connor nodded, knowing there was more to Eric’s story but also knowing better than to push. “So then…how did you all come together like this?”
“That’s simple,” Zack said, his grin more subdued now as he gave the older man a nod of respect. “Logan’s the reason we’re here. He found us, took us under his wing, and gave us a place where we belong.”
“We were already werewolves when Logan found us,” Micah added. “Most of us didn’t have anyone to help us through this一he changed that.”
Connor’s gaze shifted back to Logan. “So, you just go around collecting stray werewolves?”
Logan let out a quiet solemn laugh. “Something like that,” he said. “I know what it’s like to face this alone. The pain, confusion, the…urges…” His voice dropped at that last word, and Logan hesitated for a second before continuing. “When I first came across Micah, then Eric, and later Zack, I knew I couldn’t just leave them to fend for themselves. A pack is stronger together.”
Eric nodded in agreement. “It’s not just about survival,” he said. “It’s about control, understanding who and what we are.”
“And honestly, we owe him,” Zack chimed in. “He’s kept us sane. He’s got a knack for finding the people who need him. And right now? That includes you.”
“You’re one of us now, Connor,” Logan said. “We aren’t going to let you go through this alone.”
Connor looked around the group一this unlikely pack that had found each other through shared experiences and struggles一and found himself beginning to understand.
“So then…when do I turn?” the young man asked hesitantly. His hand lifted to his ear, fingers grazing the pointed tip, and he grimaced. If his body had already changed this much in the past few days, then the full transformation likely wasn’t far off.
“We can’t say for certain, but it’s likely to be some night this week,” Logan said. “It might be for the best if you spent the next few nights hanging with us after work. That way, when you do change, we can walk you through it.”
Connor swallowed hard. “And there’s no way to stop it?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Logan shook his head. “No, there’s no way to stop it. The best thing to do is accept that it’s happening, and let the changes do the rest. Fight it, and it’ll hurt a lot more.”
The confirmation did little to calm Connor’s nerves, but something about this group一Logan’s steady conviction, Eric’s sage-like wisdom, Micah’s bravado, Zack’s charisma一made him feel a little less alone.