Disclaimer: See the prologue.
Aiden Ford, an older pup of about seventeen years, danced around the clearing in his fur, enjoying the last day of summer vacation. The younger pups raced around him, yipping and laughing. He had pupsitting duty again, but he didn't mind it. He loved the little guys.
Ford scented Bates, his half-brother, who was just outside the clearing, standing sentry. Normally, sentries weren't nessessary, but there had been a lone wolf in the area recently. The New Moon pack knew it wasn't Elizabeth, who acted as Lead-Alpha for the Pennsylvanian packs, or her mate Zelenka. If it had been either of them, they would have howled greeting-song and run with them last night. Instead, the lone wolf had turned and run. It was odd.
Unsure of the lone wolf's intentions, Sheppard, the New Moon pack Alpha, had decided to keep the pups under watch, just in case, and to seek out this new wolf. Which was what the rest of the pack was doing now. Most of the pack, anyway. Some, like Carson Beckett, the pack Healer, had human jobs. Beckett worked as the town vet. And yet others, like Ronon, one of the pack's three 'lieutenants', prefered to spend most of their time in their fur, and live like real wolves.
Which was why he was pupsitting. Everyone else was either working, or tracking the lone wolf.
*************
A tall, lithe black wolf trotted through the forest, his head low to the ground, tracking the lone wolf's scent. The rest of his pack were spread out to the far north, seeking the lone wolf there, after they had lost the trail that had run through the stream. As he trotted, he noticed that the trees were thinning. he was nearing the edge of the forest. As he turned to head back further into the forest, movement caught his eye. As he drew closer, he realized what, or, more specifically, who, it was. The new high school physics teacher. The black wolf's new colleague. The wolf gave a...well, wolfy grin and started toward the back porch where the blue-eyed man sat.
*************
Rodney looked up as a large, dark shape moved out of the forest. When it became apparent that it was a member of the town's pack, he paniced slightly.
Shit, they know I'm the lone wolf. I'm gonna have to move again, and I just fucking got here!
But as the wolf just stood there, it became clear that he didn't really know anything. He was just trying to creep Rodney out. Rodney smiled slightly as he remembered all the pranks and tricks he ahd pulled as a wolf.
Returning his attention to his laptop, he ignored the wolf, who came to the foot of the porch steps and sat down, never taking his eyes off Rodney.
Ten minutes later, Rodney looked up again. The wolf was still there, still staring. It was begining to irritate him. Glancing around, he found the perfect solution to his problem.
*************
At 9:57 a.m., an a clear Sunday morning, Major John Sheppard, ex-USAF, New Moon Alpha, and current high school advanced placement math teacker, was given his first bath by garden hose.
As he stalked off, dripping water, burning with righteous anger and indignation, he heard Rodeny yell after his\,.
"And stay off my property!" then, as an afterthought, "Damn mutt!"
Snarling, John imagined sweet revenge against the man who had turned his attention back to his laptop.
Midnight howling.
Digging holes in the lawn.
Oh, yes.
But first he had to find the lone wolf. Then he'd exact revenge on the uppity human with the loud mouth.