Chapter 01 - Molly

1st of January 2012

'Molly'

Luna was slowly falling behind the edge of Gaia as Molly looked around. She prowled to the edge of her enclosure watching the two-legs stare at her and her pack. The den mother watched the two-legs with disinterest, having long since realized that the two-legs won't hurt her pack. Molly shifted her feet on the white water that had coated the earth. When she looked back up she caught a strange look from one of the two-legs. He looked different than the rest, cocking his head to the side as he held himself straight with his walking stick. He performed a strange gesture that she immediately recognized as wolf-speak. You see much, little one.

Molly stepped back and forth to ensure her pads wouldn't freeze to the ground before answering. You understand me?

He bared his teeth at her for a moment before closing his lips. Yes. I shall visit again tomorrow night to explain more. Molly nodded and watched as the two-legs adjusted the cloth object on his head before walking away. She watched him walk away from the enclosure and she cocked her head to the side before walking back into the cave and lay with the rest of her pack.

Time passed slowly until the pack was led back behind the enclosure to the enclosed, heated container where they were fed and kept. Once the moon was high in the sky, Molly looked up to see the very stars falling to the edge of the horizon. She growled low her vision growing darker as she slammed into the side of her enclosure. The stars will fall to the earth and light the area ablaze. She had to save her pack.

Albert Kaihn

Albert sat in front of his electric fire place, his steel grey bowler hat sitting beside his glass and the decanter of whiskey. His black cane leaned against the right arm rest of his brown leather chair, the polished grey stylized wolf's head at the top shining in the faux firelight. The grandfather clock ticked down in front of him toward midnight. Albert lifted his whiskey toward the clock, the faux fire shining over his light green eyes. "To another year." He finished his drink just as the clock responded with twelve clear tolls. Just as he placed his glass down his phone vibrated. "Someone has unusually excellent timing." He lifted his phone and found a message in zeros and ones, a message from one of his web spiders. He quickly opened the message and pulled a pad of paper from a side drawer to start translating, but he noticed a very specific string of numbers and stopped. The string of numbers could be translated in his head to 'zoo'. "Well...bollocks." He stood up and grabbed his suit jacket, throwing it on as he moved to the mirror by his front door. He felt the pull on his body as he phased into the blue-tinged world of the penumbra. Albert placed his phone on the table before cracking his neck and shifting his body into his Crinos form, the fastest form a werewolf could change into and remain able to use hands and speak. As he shifted he ran through the mental catalogue of Sept members closest to the zoo. He let a wolfish grin play over his features as he picked up his phone and watched as a web-spider crawled down his arm and tapping at his phone, which then read 'Calling 'The Heart Breaker'.

Galataea Burnstien

Galataea cheered heartily when the ball dropped on the bar television, her full tankard was empty in a second. The cheers of the rest of the bar accompanied her own. She gave a wicked grin as she grabbed a young man by the shirt and kissed him. She laughed heartily at the man, who turned a lovely shade of red while trying to speak. She felt her phone ring in the pocket of her tight jeans. "Hold that thought, cutie." She shimmies a little more than necessary to pull the phone out. She answered it, turning to face the poor young man with a sideways glance and a wink. "This is Taea."

She recognized the voice immediately, tensing at the noticeable growl of his war-form "Happy New Year, Heart-Breaker."

She smiled sadly at the boy and blew him a kiss as she moved out the door. "What is happening, One-Claw?"

His voice was slightly breathy, which meant he was running in war form. "I am travelling through the umbra toward the zoo. You are nearby, correct?"

She started moving in the direction immediately. "I can be, what is happening?"

"One of the wolves is changing. We need to catch the newborn and corral the others."

She growled and started running. "So much for me getting laid tonight. I'm going to go Lupus and meet you there." She just heard his growling chuckle before she slips her phone into her bra and ducked into an alley. She ran through the empty alley and slid out the other side as a large, timber wolf bolting down the side of the road.

When she arrived at the closed gate of the zoo she shifted into the larger Hispo form and leapt over the 10' fence before shifting back to Lupus. She smelt the various animals nearby, but managed to track the wolves. When she arrived the wolf-Kin were all huddled back in their enclosure with a werewolf in Crinos pinned to the ground by One-Claw in his steel grey Crinos form. The new pup was snapping uselessly with her muzzle while her claws scraped against his thick coat. Galataea leapt down and shifted into Crinos herself. One-Claw turned to look at her and gave her a wolfish grin, until the pup managed to sink a claw into his knee joint, forcing him to growl, fall over, and drop her. The pup realized it was cornered and leapt out of the enclosure before shifting into Hispo and pelting off into the zoo. One-Claw shifted into Lupus and started herding the wolf-Kin while Galatea growled and chased after the new pup.

The pup had a decent head start and from Galatea's perspective she seemed to be chasing the meteor shower. Galatea had actual hunting experience, so she quickly caught the new pup in a corner and slammed her body into the wall, knocking the puppy out. As the pup reverted to her breed form Galatea returned to her own. Taea bend down and lifted the pup up before carrying her back to the enclosure. She found One-Claw back to his Homid form leaning against the outside of the enclosure tapping on his phone. Galataea sighed heavily, shifting the weight on her shoulder. "Good to see you hard at work as always."

Albert smirked at her. "Don't be rude, my dear Heart-Breaker. I just performed a bit of selective editing on the security footage. We shouldn't have any blowback beyond the mysterious unlocking door and a single wolf missing."

Galataea sighed and placed the wolf down between them before standing up and regarding him. "Don't 'dear Heart-Breaker' me Albert. As amusing as seeing you taken off guard and chasing a puppy around the zoo is, why did you call me for this?"

He straightened his bowler hat. "Well, to be blunt, my entire pack is off in various other places in and around Oregon and I knew you lived in the vicinity. I do apologize for ruining your night, but these are one of few avenues for wolf-Kin for the sept. I am happy I did though, because she is one of yours, it seems."

Galataea sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging. "That she is. Damnit Albert, I have never brought up a pup! How the hell am I supposed to deal with a Lupus one!"

Albert twisted his hand on the top of his cane. "From what I hear from my tribemate, it took him a year to acclimate himself with the language and basic human interactions. I would say she would take that long to teach."

Galataea blanched. "A year! How are we going to deal with this?"

Albert cocked his head to the side. "I am sure Glorianna will understand the need to teach a Lupus about English and standard human society. As the one who found her, I am sure she will let you handle it if you explain the situation to her."

"What do you mean if I explain it to her? You are just as much a part of this as I am!"

He nodded thoughtfully. "That is true, but she won't let two of us go AWOL to train this pup. You however have the land close by with room for her to run and roam freely without fear of discovery. Whereas I have a flat in downtown. I think she would be more comfortable with you. Don't you agree, Heart-Breaker."

Galataea growled at him. "I hate you so much right now. You are not leaving this puppy with me for the next year without helping me."

He raised the hand not holding the cane, palm up. "I am perfectly willing to help you when necessary, Galataea. While I think you are the best choice for this pup, I know that I have ruined your evening, and possibly the next few weeks while she discovers her situation. I will help you with anything you need."

Galataea grumbled. "That isn't going to help with my rampaging libido."

Albert shrugs. "I would be perfectly willing to assist with that."

She turned to him answering dryly. "Yes, because your entire family are fucking Philodoxes. I'm sure they will love you breaking the Litany cleanly in half. Are you actually as much of a masochist as I think you are?"

He nodded solemnly answering her blandly. "Oh, much more so I assure you. Actually, I was talking about working with Katya to build you a fetish relationship aid."

Galataea's eyes bulged before she started laughing uproariously, holding her sides. "Yes, I am sure that Speaks-with-Flames, the top man-hating bitch in the sept will surely do you any favor at all." She wiped a tear from her eye.

Albert smiled, opened his mouth and then closed it again almost immediately. "I was going to say an amusing line about her deed name and quenching of fires, but I do have a great deal of respect for my alpha. Also, on a mildly related note, I prefer my genitals to remain attached to my body."

Galataea smiled at him. "Some of the girls at Hawk's Talon said you would never learn anything about women. I guess they were wrong." She pulled her keys out of her back pocket and tossed them to him. "Be a dear and go get my car, Albert. If we can get her out of here before she wakes, we will have plenty of time to explain." He tipped his hat to her and tossed her keys in the air, catching them in his mouth in Lupus before running off. Galataea watched him run before sighing and turning toward the wolf girl. "Now how much trouble are you going to cause me?"