Derek was a cheerful young lad of ten years of age while in school that was all until one fateful afternoon on his way home from school. He saw the distant glow of a raging fire growing from deep in the woods where his family's mansion stood.
Running as fast as he could home but when he got there it was nothing but ashes and burning wood frames. Eventually he was found by hikers who smelled the fire. Being taken and then sent to an orphanage but a few weeks later running away just days before his birthday
Five years later….
One lonely winter night, a teenage Derek was living on the streets for a long while now ever since leaving the orphanage five years ago. But his luck was about to change because a middle aged man of fifty-five years of age had stumbled upon him in his semi drunken stupor.
"Hey kid, where are your parents?"
"Sniffles and shivers. "They have been dead for a while now."
"Oh you poor thing. Why don't you come with me? I had not long ago lost my son and wife. It would be nice to have company other than my staff again."
"Staff?"
"Why yes I am of minor royalty and have great wealth and an estate to my name. Also I have been looking for suitable heir for sometime now since losing my wife and son. If you decide to come you would be treated like royalty and your every desire fulfilled."
"I don't know sir, your offer seems rather tempting not to refuse."
"But you feel like not intruding."
Derek nodded.
"I will accept your decision but if you ever change your mind I will be visiting the bar across the street regularly."
"What is your name?"
"Derek. And yours?"
"Alexander."
Derek nodded and Alexander left.
Three months later….
For the next three months the man visited the bar and walked past Derek's living area. By the time the day of new years came around. Derek's strength was greatly dwindling to next to nothing. On the night of new years day the man had noticed that Derek had collapsed. Without second thought he shifted into his bipedal werewolf form and picked him up and ran home. By the time he returned home he noticed that Derek was barely breathing.
Reaching out a paw and opening the mansion door. Running inside up the stairs to the healing room. Once he arrived at the healing room he placed Derek the medicinal waters in the tub. The second Derek's body was submerged the medicinal waters started to take effect.
His breathing became much better and his complexion regained its coloring. Alex left the healing room to change back and redress. Five minutes later, Alex returned and saw Derek asleep peacefully.
Lifting him out of the water and placing him on the floor and removing his old ragged clothes. Quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping him in it then picking him up once again and leaving the room. Walking down the hall to his son's old room.
Three minutes later, he arrived at the doors cradling Derek in one arm and then reaching out with the other opening the door then walked in. Going over to the bed pushing the covers out of the way then placing him down.
Unwrapping him from the towel and then recovering him with the covers and then leaving. Thirty-six hours later, Derek awoke to an unfamiliar comfort and warmth. Something he hasn't felt in a little over five years.
Surveying his surroundings to take in where he was. Concluding that he is in a mansion laying on a bed. There was a sudden knock at the door which spooked him. Climbing out of the bed but a second later realizing that he was naked.
Searching for something to cover up with, I noticed some folded clothes on a chair by the bed. Quickly putting them on and walked over to the door opening it to reveal Alexander.
"Good heaven Derek I was beginning to worry that you would never wake but it seems that fortune smiles upon you it would seem."
"Yeah thanks for the save. I probably looked pretty bad when you rescued me?"
"Yeah you had collapsed and were barely breathing. Before I knew it I shifted and carried you home."
"Shifted."
"Ah yes I am a werewolf like yourself but a rare type of werewolf that can shift into a bipedal form."
"Well I thank you for your assistance. I guess I will get out of your hair now. Just give me some clothes and money and I will pay you back someday."
"Nonsense! You can stay here as long as you like and my offer still stands for you to stay indefinitely. That is if you have changed your mind that is? Don't worry about giving me an answer now, think over it during breakfast. Come, everyone is waiting to meet you."
Derek nodded and followed Alexander to the dining room. Five minutes later, they arrived and both sat down. Moments later the staff started to bring out the food. Derek was amazed by how much food was brought out.
Because it has been a good five years since he saw such an amount of food it made his mouth water like tomorrow. Alexander noticed this and chuckled, Derek's drooling reminded him of his late son and his never ending appetite.
The staff started to place the trays of food on the table bowing and left. Derek looked at all the different selections from various meats, fruits, and veggies. To a large assortment of pastries and desserts.
Looking at Alexander and was about to say something but he held up a hand then gestured to the display. Nodding Derek began to dig in the meat first. Moaning at the juicy flavor and precision of herbs and spices.
Making him recall the old cook that his family had hired since his parents were hardly around to feed him and his siblings. When they were, it was brief to grab a quick snack before heading back to work and to go to sleep for a few hours before their next shift.
Seconds later he started to stuff his face full. Until it was practically overflowing. Drinking a bit of water to make it easier to swallow. Swallowing the mouthful and nearly orgasming from the mix flavors and sensations the food gave him. Going back to stuffing his mouth once again.
"I take it that you like the food then?"
"Mmhmm."
"Good I am always happy to see that people enjoy the food. I am going to ask you some questions. Is it alright?"
Derek nodded.
"Ok how old are you and are you in school?"
"Gulp. I am fifteen and no I haven't been in school for nearly six years. I dropped out and was eventually brought to an orphanage. Which I ran from not long after being there for three weeks.
"Why did you drop out and escape the orphanage?"
"Well I found out that my parents were murdered by hunters before escaping the orphanage."
"Why didn't you stay there and in school?"
"I felt it wasn't safe for the kids there and if I had still been enrolled that would make me an easier target to find by the hunters. Because they could just hack the school's database and easily find my location."
"How noble of you. That is something that is hard to find in young minds such as yours."
"Have you presented yet or even shifted?"
"No I haven't presented yet and I am not sure if I have shifted yet. I do recall waking up naked in the woods a few weeks back. But there was no evidence left of me shifting because I found my clothes intact."
"Gotcha, it must have been a pre-shift and not a full shift."
"What is the difference?"
"Well a pre shift details you getting hot all over your body and feel like a thousand blades stabbing you. A full shift is when you wake up with little to no memories of the prior night. There will usually be evidence of a shift like a nearby dead carcass or if unlucky a dead human that accidentally crossed paths with you during your first full shift."
"Why would I kill a human?"
"Well for the first two full shifts your mind is completely feral running only on instinct and instinct alone. The wolf won't care if its first kill is human or animal. It is all about the thrill of the hunt for it."
"Oh."
"For rare werewolves like me that have a bipedal form the attack aftermaths are much more vicious versus full shift werewolves that transform into actual wolves. There is viciousness but as bad as bipedal because a normal wolf doesn't have the might or strength to deal damage like that."
"I see."
"Since you haven't had a full shift or even a half shift yet. There is now telling when it will first hit in the next few years. But since you have a pre-shift experience that does tell us you might shift sometime now and between your seventeenth birthday. That means why we need to take precautions since the full moon is next friday night."
"That is why you had the court date scheduled at noon?"
"Precisely! Because I doubt you would want to shift your first time in a room full of innocent bystanders?"
"No."
"Good!"
"Last question. If you are willing to stay I can guarantee your safety and you will be fed, sheltered, groomed, and taught here. Lastly, I am considering adopting you as my successor. You see, I am too old to wait another eighteen to twenty-five years for an heir to come of age and to inherit my fortune. So why not adopt you and groom you in the high royal life."
"You really would take a low born orphan royal such as myself and groom me as your successor?"
"Yes it would be no trouble at all. You see that I have already started the process to adopt you. All I need is your signature and verbal statement. A simple yes will suffice. I am not going to lie to you but there will be challenges if you say yes."
"Since you are not my blood you will be considered as a bastard child to the modern folk. But in this mansion you will be considered as my flesh and blood, nothing else so do you accept my offer to become my one and only heir?"
Derek thought about it for a while and went back to eating. An hour later, the staff came to clear the table and left. After the staff left Alexander got up to leave but before he got a chance to even leave the dining room Derek had gotten up and ran over to him embracing him in a tight hug. Then looking up at him with a big smile on his face.
"Yes I would be delighted to be your adoptive son. I feel so lonely and cold on the street everyday and night." Derek said while crying into Alexander's chest.
"There Derek, there is no need to cry. Matter of fact you won't have a need to cry ever again while I am alive."
"Do you mean that Alexander?"
"Yes my boy with all of my heart and soul."
Breaking the embrace Alexander handed Derek the form then they went to sit down on the living room couch. Once seated Derek reads over the form with a little help from Alexander because of his minimal knowledge in reading.
By the time Derek had read through the entire form with some trouble he printed and signed his name on the dotted line. Alexander then rang a bell two minutes later, a bishop appeared.
"Have my lawyer and my adoptive son Derek's make copies of this and set up a court date for Friday at noon to make the adoption legal in the eyes of a judge."
"Right away sir." Said the bishop before leaving.
"Lawyer?"
"Yes, your lawyer will be my late son's lawyer. Don't worry he is good at his job so don't fret okay."
Derek nodded then yawned.
"Why don't you go take a nap when you are still recovering. It will still be another few more days until you are at full percent. Since you are still a young wolf and don't have the healing capabilities like wolves slightly older than you do."
Derek hugged Alexander and then got up heading upstairs to his new bedroom. Three minutes later, he arrived at his room, went inside and closed the door. Stripping down then hopping in bed getting under the covers and quickly fell asleep.
