The Pack: Two Tales

Disclaimer: This is the sequel, which means that you must have read the twenty-some disclaimers on all of the chapters in the first story…

Chapter 1

Cloud's POV

It's been almost nine years since we got Zell back, and outside of going to work at the Bakery on the weekends… I have integrated myself fully into the lifestyle of the Loup Garou.

You can imagine the shock of my mother and father when I graduated from high school and told them I wasn't going to college.

You can also imagine the shock of my mother and father when Squall and I confessed to be Loup Garou.

It went a little something like this:

"Oh! I'm so happy! My baby boy is a high school graduate! Squall, you must have dinner with us to celebrate my son's getting into college!" My mother squealed and I smiled at my mate's slight discomfort from the pitch.

"We'd be happy to have you over Squall. It's not everyday we get to see our son's boyfriend. I believe the last we saw you was two years ago!" My father chuckled and wrapped a proud arm around me.

Squall nodded and spoke. "I don't want to impose." He said in a gentle voice.

"You're not imposing honey! You've been with my son for two years now, going by the trends nowadays, you two might as well be married!" Mom smiled sweetly and placed a hand on Squall's shoulder. I felt him tense for a second before relaxing.

Squall looked at me. 'I'm going to go with you… I don't want you confessing alone. I can feel how nervous you are.' His voice sounded in my ears.

I smiled at him and took his hand. 'Thank you.' I said.

I wasn't just nervous; I was nothing short of terrified. I was going to tell them all of my secrets… and there was a HUGE chance that they would kick me out again. The only thing that was keeping me sane was the fact that if they did, I would have a home to go to.

I had asked Xemnas if I could tell my parents about my situation and I also asked if I could possibly tell my friend Roxas. I felt bad that he had been out of the loop for so long.

Xemnas was very wary but reluctantly agreed after I had sworn my trust in them. I knew they wouldn't tell anyone… but that didn't mean that my parents would still want me around after finding out.

Squall gave my hand a squeeze and I leaned my head on his shoulder for a second before we made our way back to the house.

When we got to the house my heart was pounding and I couldn't take it any longer. "Mom, Dad? I need to talk to you… it's really important." I said my voice shaking a little.

I sighed when I felt Squall lend me his strength. I kissed his cheek and pulled him over to the couch. "You guys should sit down…" I said.

"What's the matter, Cloud? This should be a great day for you! You should be smiling." My mother said with a look of concern on her face. She sat next to me and my father sat beside my mother.

"Is there something wrong?" Dad asked and I sighed.

"No… well… that's for you to decide." I said, I could feel my eyes starting to water in panic and Squall nudged my slightly.

"Cloud?" Mom asked and placed a hand on my face.

I couldn't help the tear that fell down to trickle on her hand. I was so afraid I was going to loose them again.

"Cloud, you need to tell us what is bothering you." Dad said in a stern but gentle voice. I looked into his blue eyes and realized that I had inherited those sparkling blues.

"Dad, Mom… I-I'm not going to college…" I said softly and looked away for a second.

"What? Of course you are going to college! Though you haven't chosen for sure which one, you got into every school you applied to!" My mother said her face very puzzled.

I shook my head. "I don't need to go to college. And I don't want to." I said looking at my mother.

"You have to go! You won't be able to have any sort of stable livelihood if you don't go to college! You're going to college!" My father said in a conclusive voice.

But I wasn't finished.

"I can live just fine without going to college. I'm going to live with Squall." I said.

"WHAT?" My mother and father said together.

"So it's you that's leading my son astray!" My father accused looking at Squall angrily.

"No! Dad, this isn't his fault. I made this decision on my own. I don't need school, or money for food, or housing!" I said over my father's angry yelling.

"How can you say that Cloud! Of course you do! You'll starve otherwise." My mother said mostly out of confusion from the commotion around her.

"Mom! Dad! I'm a Loup Garou! A werewolf! My pack and I live in the park just fine! That's where I've been going everyday since I met Squall!" I yelled over everyone.

My mother and father paused and looked at me. "Are you crazy? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!" My father bellowed at Squall and he sighed.

My eyes widened when he morphed into his wolf form and bared his teeth at my father. My mother screamed in terror before standing up on the couch. "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" my mother screeched.

I winced at the noise but looked at my parents calmly. My father was frozen, looking right into my mate's eyes.

"Mom, this is what I have become. I can change into a wolf too. And I have a family, kids at home waiting for me. That's why I can't go to college; I have more important responsibilities."

My mother sat back down slowly, keeping her eyes warily on the wolf in the room. "I can't believe this! How could something like this happen?" my mother asked, her wariness turning into awe.

"I don't really know Mom… but being Loup Garou is something I'm very proud of… please don't take that away from me." I said.

"I want to see it." My father said still staring at Squall, who had put away his teeth for the moment.

"See what?" I asked.

"I want to see you change. I want you to prove that we aren't all going insane." My father said and turned slowly to look at me.

I smiled softly at him before taking off my shirt and changing. I walked over to my mother slowly and she slowly reached out a trembling hand to pet my face.

She ran her hands through my hair and I let out a small rumble to show my gratitude. I looked her in the eyes and she smiled.

"You still have your father's eyes." She said and I whimpered slightly before licking her hand. I moved over to my father who just stared at me in shock.

"Well… I-I…. I guess you don't have to go to college if you don't want to… this is just so crazy it's hard to wrap my head around it." He said. I moved closer to him and pressed my face against his leg before nuzzling his hand.

'You don't have to wrap your head around it. I'm still your son, I'm still the same old Cloud… I just happen to have the ability to change into a wolf from time to time.' I thought to him and he jumped at the sound of my voice in his head.

"Kid… you sure know how to throw some major curve balls at me. Alright… I'll trust you on this one, but you have to swear that if anything goes wrong, you come home. And this guy over here has to swear that he'll take good care of you." My dad said.

Squall looked up at my father and I watched them converse silently. I could feel Squall blocking me out for a second but I didn't mind.

"I can't believe my kid is a werewolf… I didn't even think they existed!" My mom said in a shocked voice before she started at a thought. "YOU HAVE KIDS?" My mother suddenly remembered what I had said.

I smiled. 'Yeah, I have three… four if I count myself as Hayner's godparent. Sora, Kairi, and Zell.' I thought to her.

"I thought Zell was a dog?" Mom asked.

'No, he's Loup Garou too. He's my youngest baby and by far the most energetic! I can't really call any of them babies anymore. Sora and Kairi are five in human years and Zell is three. And Hayner is around nine, he looks like he's in his mid-teens. It's really amazing how Loup Garou grow up so quickly!' I thought and my mother laughed lightly.

I cocked my head to the side in question.

"You sounded just like a parent at this moment. So does that make me a grandma?" Mom asked and I yipped before jumping up to lick her face.

'YES! YES! You're a grandma!' I whimpered happily as she pushed me off with a laugh.

"You should bring them over here sometime. Or maybe take me where you live… is that allowed?" My mother asked.

I was so happy. I was so afraid that my parents were going to abandon me again. But they're accepting me… they're accepting my family. I moved over to Squall and bumped him with a yip before hopping around the room with joy.

I heard Squall yip at me and I turned to feel him nuzzle me gently. I let out a small whine and he made a low noise in response.

I love you.

I love you too.

"So can you guys change back into people or do you have to wait to change back?" My father asked.

Squall and I gathered our clothes and moved to my bedroom before morphing back and putting on our clothes. We moved back to the living room and I looked at Squall.

He was putting on his hat.

"So those are real?" Mom asked referring to my mate's ears.

"Yep." I said and pet them a little.

I snickered when I received a heated grunt.

"Thank you Mom and Dad… it means so much to me that you would accept me…" I said emptying my heart to them.

"I had already made the mistake of rejecting you once, Cloud… I wasn't going to do it again." My dad said and I ran over to him and hugged him.

"Thank you…" I whispered.

My dad returned the embrace and chuckled. "So I guess you're going back to the pack now? Should we have dinner another time?" Dad asked.

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah… we should."

Telling Roxas was actually much easier to do. He just accepted it immediately without any questioning whatsoever and he also swore that he wouldn't tell a soul about it without me having to ask.

Roxas was always intuitive like that. He seemed really interested though. I was tempted to bring him to the clearing when I told him… but I figured I would have plenty time to do that later.

Roxas actually does come around from time to time to the clearing to see everyone. Roxas sort of hit it off with everyone.

Roxas was good with the kids. He liked to joke with Zack and Xig. He could argue with Larxene so well that they actually became friends from it. He and Riku get along well because they both have this uncanny ability to make wise cracks at Xemnas and get away with it.

I don't know how it happened, but I think it was partly because he and Riku became such fast friends.

Another happening in the Loup Garou pack is the fact that Sora and Kairi are ready to become mates and take over the command of the pack.

Which it so crazy to me! It seemed like just yesterday they were little babies! But actually they look as if they are in their late teens when in human form now.

They've grown into some beautiful beings. I've never been more proud of them. Sora has decided to keep Squall as Beta when he finally takes the lead. We're all very excited for that.

When it happens, Xemnas will become the advisor until Sora deems himself ready to rule on his own.

Zell has also become a big boy. He's almost ten years old. It's insane! He can hunt, run, climb, and basically everything to make him adult.

But Squall believes he needs a bit more time before he becomes a man. And I think that's true. He has yet to fully harness his wolf pride.

When Sora and Kairi did it… it hit all of us like a wave. We suddenly felt two more presences inside of us. It was as if they had finally integrated themselves into the life cycle that found its core in each of our hearts.

I can almost feel Zell's… but something it missing.

And that was something Zell was going to have to find for himself.

A/N: This is sort of an intermediate between the first story and the sequel. It basically just gives you everything you need to know before the new story can begin. Hope you guys enjoyed it and PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED IT!