The Pet Wolf

Thanks for everyone's comments. I can see that not everyone likes the addition of the guitarist. I don't want anyone to think I don't pay attention to them but since I already added it I'm going to continue it. I hope the other characters grow on everyone and I hope it doesn't end up detracting from Calvin and Riley in the end. Please continue to comment. Your comments help keep me inspired. Also this and future posts will have characters thoughts italicized and it will be written completely from the third person

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After eating the homemade stew, which was amazing as always, Calvin and his father, Roy, walked to a clearing in the woods nearby. There they sat in the dark for a moment.

"I'm so glad you're back dad," Calvin said with a smile.

His dad smiled back at him and nodded, "It's good to see you and mom. I missed y'all. Speaking of your mom. She said you met someone?"

Calvin sighed in a disparaging fashion, "Yeah kinda. I uh don't think it's going to go anywhere though."

"So she met the wolf first. Who cares? Your mom said you already concocted a plan for her to meet the man. Go for it," his dad said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

The first slivers of moonlight were finally showing; Calvin looked up and spoke, "Let's talk about it later. It's been a long time since I had someone to run with."

His father nodded to him and began to undress. Calvin did as his father and the two men stood naked in reverent silence of the moon's calming lunar gaze. Calvin let the change start and closed his eyes. It was like he could feel the moon embracing them as he felt himself suddenly standing on four padded feet. His amber eyes opened and he saw his father's wolf for the first time in years. His dad's thick black coat now blended with white and gray fur. His own amber eyes staring at Calvin.

His father's mood turned playful as he chuffed excitedly and pranced around him.

Calvin gave in to his own boyish mood and they began play fighting and jumping around each other. They chuffed and barked at each other playfully. Finally his dad barked issuing a challenge and darted off, out of the clearing.

Calvin flew after him, the ground beneath him growing harder as they began their ascent up the side of the mountain. The tree line thinned as they continued their ascent, until finally they broke through and had only craggy rocks to dance about.

His dad slowed his pace momentarily and Calvin caught up to him. Running side by side they bolted around boulders and leapt over rocks. Their mouths open and tongues lolling as they both put more speed on.

They arrived at a ledge and sauntered over to sit down on their haunches. Calvin's favorite part of running with his father has come.

They tilt their heads back and began their wolf song. They howled long into the night. It was a song without words. A deep mournful song and yet one that lifted their spirits. Calvin's chest swelled with happiness at their shared moment. The deep pulsing feeling in his throat matched the happiness he felt in the shared moment. It took him back to his first days and nights of running with his father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riley was sitting watching TV. Her lunch with Brian had been enjoyable and, oddly enough, it was good to see Brian and Duke dating again. But she still had a nagging unhappy emotion.

I know that having a pet wolf in the city was unreasonable but...there was just something about him. Something that made our interactions feel more than just a pet and its owner...Something...amazing

, she thought feeling downtrodden.

She tried to shake the thoughts and attempted to chalk it up to just being single and a little lonely. But the thoughts nagged and persisted. She stared kind of blankly at the television, and realized that it wasn't helping.

I need to find a hobby or something

, she thought to herself.

Deciding on an early night, she flipped the TV off and headed to her bedroom. As Riley laid down and pulled the covers up to her waist and closed her eyes; she was still thinking of "Fido." She had never met an animal that interacted so well with humans, let alone herself.

Those amber eyes stared back at her while she tried to go to sleep. There was a softness mixed in with the wildness. A warm feeling went through her. It was like a comforting wave.

She started fading into sleep with these thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Calvin and his father made it down the mountain and back to the house. They paused for a moment and began redressing. Both men had smiles on their face from the night's run. Once dressed Calvin held a slow gait as he followed his father to the porch. He watched his dad take a seat in an old rocking chair on the porch and smiled realizing that he had a new memory of his dad. Calvin leaned on the railing of the steps midway up to the porch and looked up at the moon.

His dad lit a cigarette, "So tell me about her."

Calvin resigned himself to the fact his dad probably wouldn't stop asking.

"She's a vet and I'm pretty sure she's involved with someone," he said morosely.

"A vet? Was she in Iraq?" his dad asked with an intrigued tone.

"No a vet like as in veterinarian. Only you would make that assumption," Calvin finished with a snort.

"Oh! Ok well that sounds nice. So you think she has a boyfriend or something?" his father continued his queries.

"I'll be blunt. I saw her fucking some dude. So yeah," Calvin responded still looking up at the moon.

His father puffed slowly for a while. He stroked his beard as he pondered.

"Well that's...shitty. To say the least. But you know your mom wasn't single when I met her. And trust me she's no saint," he finished laughing.

"DAD! Jeez man I don't want to hear anything like that about mom. Besides it's not like you ever had to watch her with another man," Calvin said with a groan.

"Not in the act so to speak. But I still had to watch her with her various boyfriends as we grew up. I had seen her kiss and grope several guys before I ever even said hi to her the first time," he said flatly.

"Again...don't want to hear that crap about mom," he said annoyed.

His father laughed boisterously; his rich voice ringing out into the night.

"I know. But the point is son. What if I had never approached her? We grew up in the same area and she had never noticed me until I finally went up to her. So this girl you met has a healthy sex appetite. So what? There's no reason not to at least let her meet the man since she met the wolf. Who knows maybe if you can put that memory behind you, it could turn out great," he finished with a slight grin.

"Ok whatever. I'll go check out her office Monday. I do want to thank her for the way she took care of me. She really is awesome with animals. Wait a minute. Why the hell are you and mom both so pushy about it? Y'all act like I'll never meet another woman," a peppering of anger coating his words.

"Let's be honest boy. You haven't brought home a girl since you were in middle school. Besides. We would like some grandchildren someday," he finished laughing and slapped Calvin's back. He walked into the house leaving Calvin to his thoughts.

I can just go meet her and thank her for taking care of my dog. There's nothing wrong with that. Except it wasn't my dog. It was me,

he thought sighing aloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the city

Luc looked around while he was sitting at a table in a back room at a local church. He gazed up at the wall and saw a crucifix. The room had a small bed with a lamp beside it. The only other furnishing was the chair and table he sat at with a chair opposite of him.

The door opened and an elderly man walked in. He was dressed in a sweater and dress pants. There was one other obvious article of clothing. Around the old man's neck was the white band; a tell-tale sign of his profession. The old priest walked over and sat down in front of Luc.

"Good evening Mr. Montreau. How are you?" The old man asked.

Luc leaned back, "Well I'm a little tired. Other than that I am...perplexed. Last I checked, churches didn't kidnap people. Perhaps you could help me understand why I am here?"

The old man smiled warmly, "We have been looking for you for quite some time. I worked with your parents and some...red tape got in the way after their passing. Normally we wouldn't have had an issue keeping up with you, but well, that's in the past. I never would have imagined you would wander so far from your home, though I have some ideas why."

Luc cocked an eyebrow at the priest. He had never thought he was being watched.

"I was seventeen and basically homeless. Though the journey has been memorable. You still didn't answer my question," Luc finished pointedly, as well as hoping he gave no signs of shock away.

The old man nodded, "You're right I haven't. For good reason though. Before I can elaborate, did your parents ever tell you what they did?"

Luc thought for a moment then spoke, "They owned a bakery no?"

"I'm afraid that was only a hobby of theirs. Surely you wondered why they took long trips. Perhaps wondered how they could afford the style of living you all were accustomed to?" The old man asked, his gaze fixed.

"No. It was not in me to ponder such things. Now can I know why I am here?" Luc asked.

"You know you haven't even asked my name," said the old priest with a mischievous grin.

"Oh je m'excuse. Where are my manners? Luc Montreau, though you may call me Lu. And you are sir?" Luc said extending his hand, his tone mocking.

"Your sense of humor is not unappreciated. I am Shean MacAllen. I am the archbishop of the diocese here in this area. I also belong to an old order of the church," he finished standing up.

Luc simply looked up at the old man. He had gone from slightly puzzled to downright at a loss for words.

"The order has need of your family's help. As you are the last surviving Montreau, you are the last hope of that help. Please enjoy your rest. We will talk again in the morning," the old man said leaving and locking the door behind him.

Luc sighed and walked over to the bed.

What did he mean, my family's help? Some old order? Dieu m'aider. May as well sleep since there seems to be no escape

, he thought to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Across the city

Aracely walked into her hotel room and threw her jacket on a chair. She sat on the edge of the bed staring at the wall for a moment. She knew that willing herself to sleep should be the priority. Her nerves felt on edge, though. She decided waiting wouldn't let her sleep. She pulled out a cell phone and hit her dad's number.

After a couple of rings, "Mija I thought I told you to get some rest?" asked her father.

"Si papa. But I cannot. Por favor, tell me more about this man and his family," anticipation and frustration evident in her voice.

"Ay Aracely. Pues it is not smart to talk of this on the phone. Come to the house and we will talk. Ok mija?" He finished and hung up.

Aracely grabbed her jacket and used the stairs to get to the lobby of the hotel. She forced a smile and waved at the desk clerk on her way out. Pulling her helmet on, she straddled the Hayabusa and pulled out into the night again. A half hour later she pulled into the gravel drive of her parents' home. Her father was standing at the door and let her in.

"You know it would have been better to wait. You look sleepy mija." her father said, concern evident.

"I know papa. But this whole...it just bothers me. I'm used to knowing more. But this...I just followed him and watched them pick him up. I just need answers," she spoke tiredly.

Her father ushered her to the couch and sat opposite her in an aged recliner.

"Si I figured as much. There is a lot to tell though mijita," he said.

Aracely nodded and spoke, "I have time. If you aren't too tired..."

"Pues where to begin. The Montreaus have a long history with the order. All the way to the beginning. There was a family long ago. The father had a son and a daughter. They were twins. The son was a great warrior, sabes. And the daughter was muy hermosa. Something happened to the son. They say he was cursed. This of course hurt his sister in ways we cannot understand. She searched for a way to help her brother. Eventually, she met Jean Plantaird de Claire," he paused for a moment and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"So this family. They are that old? How did she meet the saint?" Aracely asked excitedly.

"It was a sort of fate that brought them together. The saint was looking for her brother. Being twins, they shared a bond. The saint knew this and asked for her help to find him. She agreed because De Claire said he wished to help her brother. When they found him...the saint did what he could to ease the suffering of the brother," her father finished.

Aracely sat thinking on what her father said then spoke, "Pero, the Montreaus where do they come in?"

Her father sat back and popped out the foot rest, "The sister eventually married. The man she married was named Jourdain de Montreau. He was a cousin of the saint. I know, not much of a story there."

"Ok so this woman. She was related to Saint Jean through marriage. You said Montreaus were special but I didn't ever think about our order's saint as having an extended family," Aracely said thoughtfully.

"Oh that isn't all mija. The Montreaus carry her bloodline. And just like her they share a bond with her brother's bloodline. That is what the order uses them for. They track down the lineage of the brother," said her father.

"What does the order want with this other lineage?" trepidation lacing her words.

"That I do not know mija. All I know is that these two bloodlines. They are the core of what this order was founded on," he said with a yawn.

Aracely thought for a moment. She tried to process all that she had learned. Her thoughts went back to when she first told her father about her task and she visibly perked up.

"You said you knew a Montreau. You were worried looking when I said his name. How did you know this other Montreau?" she queried.

Her father sat up and put his hands together. He leaned forward looking at the ground.

"It was almost 30 years ago when I met not one but two of them. A man and his wife. I had proven myself in the order. Getting to meet them was both an honor and a new level of trust," he said pausing.

He sat back and rubbed his face. Aracely sat patiently waiting for him to continue.

"I was assigned as a bodyguard to them. We...they tracked down targets. Once targets were found, they would make a phone call and another team would move in. I never met any of the targets. The early days were simple like that. But that all changed. They went rogue on us. I was given the command to..." Her father trailed off.

They both sat in silence. Aracely could see the pain in his face.

"After that. I asked to retire. That was eight years ago," he said with a forlorn tone.

Aracely looked down, "I didn't know you were still active then papa. How...I mean why did you let me join?"

"I ask myself that sometimes. Mijita I still believe that there is good in the order. Sabes que, it starts off so innocent. I guess I thought you would never get to the extreme part. You have to admit you have done good things though," he said dejectedly.

Aracely thought about it. She had been on teams evacuating nuns and missionaries from hostile areas. She had put down cults that were growing in power. She had done a lot for the order. She thought it interesting how faith had led her to do some bad things for a greater good.

Her father interrupted her thoughts, "Pues mija. Stay here the night and rest. I would say to leave this alone but you have always been curious. I'll see about setting up a meeting," he finished walking off to his room.

Aracely laid down on the couch and closed her eyes.

So much I never knew...I hope I can find out more

, she thought to herself as she fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the countryside

Calvin woke up around noon the next day. He wasn't used to sleeping in like that. He got up and stretched, groaning contentedly. He stumbled out of bed and opened his old closet to look for a fresh change of clothes. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and gazed dejectedly in. The only clothes he could find that fit was some baggy shorts and a t-shirt with a cartoon character on it.

He headed down the hall to the bathroom. As he walked he noted that the house seemed empty. He closed the bathroom door behind him and shed the tight jeans and pearl snap shirt from the day before. He started the shower and stepped in, shivering from the slight shock of the cold water.

Why do I never wait for it to warm up

, he thought to himself.

After showering he pulled on the shorts and shirt. He looked in the mirror.

I look like an idiot. No...I look like a brony

, he thought to himself.

The shirt was tight and while it outlined his muscles, the pink unicorn was what made him look goofy. He sighed and went back to his old room and slipped on some flip flops. He stood looking around his room. He saw all of his old band posters still tacked up. A small swell of happiness grew inside him.

His mom's voice from behind interrupted his thoughts, "Reminiscing?"

He turned around and his mom burst out laughing. His face turned into a scowl.

"What's so funny," Calvin asked.

His mom calmed down, "Is that shirt the only thing that fit?" She asked starting to cackle again.

He sighed, "Yeah. Where the hell did it come from anyways?"

"Probably your cousin Samantha. She stayed for a couple weeks before she went back to school. Come on your dad is waiting outside. He wants to take you somewhere," his mom said.

Calvin followed her out and saw his dad already in the driver's seat of an old Chevy pickup. Calvin walked around and slid into the passenger seat.

He turned to his dad, "Where we headed?"

They both waved at Calvin's mom as his dad pulled onto the caliche driveway.

His dad replied, "Headed to town. I caught sight of your get up and realized you needed some clothes. Plus I figured the drive could give us some more time to talk about...things."

Calvin buckled his seat belt and adjusted as the truck rumbled down their driveway and onto the county road.

"What sort of things?" an anxious tone prevalent.

His father lit a cigarette and cracked the window. "I was thinking maybe some more of what we talked about last night. You know... the old story, maybe some questions you have...maybe that woman?" he asked with a light chuckle.

Calvin took a slow deep breath and let it out. "Let's get it over with then dad. What about her?" he begrudgingly asked.

His dad smiled, and then began his inquiry, "For starters do you even know her name?"

"Yeah. It's Riley. Dunno her last name but I'm sure it's on her card," the words spoken fast and clipped.

His father nodded while taking a drag, "That's right. Your mom said she got her business card. So, what's she look like?"

"She's...uh a little shorter than me I think? Chestnut colored hair...eyes the color of a clear sky...," Calvin said getting caught up in his memories of her.

His dad chuckled, "Quite the romantic there son!"

"Moon give me strength not to hit my father," Calvin grumbled aloud.

"So when you going to see her? Monday right?" he asked, his cigarette almost finished.

Calvin raised one of his hands to his left temple and began rubbing. He knew he was overacting but there was a definite mental pain involved. He wanted to be done with thoughts of Riley.

Hell...it would be nice if my parents just had the courtesy to stop asking me about a woman who got fucked in front of me

, Calvin thought before responding.