Hungry like The Wolf Ch. 05

Their passion abated Maggie and Finn slept the rest of the night in each other's arms. The next day Maggie went to work and Finn stayed at home. He was becoming restless staying at home all day. He could no longer identify with the characters on TV. They were confusing and perplexing to him.

Finn thought to himself that he was a man and a werewolf at that. How could he keep depending on a woman, no matter how awesome and caring she may be. He had a destiny to seek and his destiny did not lay in this woman's apartment. So Finn decided to seek out his old pack. Perhaps, after fifty years they would have forgiven him and he could find absolution.

Fifty years ago the pack had lived in a rough town seven miles north of Cheyenne. Now Cheyenne had grown and the settlement had been incorporated into the city. Where werewolves had once roamed was now suburbs and Walmarts.

Finn slipped out of the house and walked the seven miles to the former settlement. There he morphed into his wolf form so he could smell better. He caught an old scent on the wind. It was definitely a member of his former pack. Sadly, it was Theo. He had never really gotten along with Theo.

He thought Theo was jealous of his cool car and his ability to pick up chicks easily. Theo was always tagging along next to him and trying to hang out. Ultimately, he didn't mind Theo; he just found him annoying in the way that people find their little brothers annoying.

Finn's former pack had taken up residence in the state park. The pack had moved there after Cheyenne had expanded to suburbs. They maintained a trailer park and bar nearby for when they wished to appear in their human forms. Some of the "wolves" had jobs in Cheyenne or on nearby farms.

Regardless if it was Theo's scent or not, Finn knew he had to reconnect with his old pack. So he followed Theo's scent to the state park. Fifty years ago, it had been filled with deer and birds populated it's lakes. He wondered if it was still so. It was still the same as fifty years ago, back then he had been to cool of a punk and not appreciated it's beauty. But, now after fifty years in a dark and damp basement he loved the sights and smells of the park. He loved the grasses, flowers and big waterfall. He longed to walk and run through it as both man and wolf.

Finn decided to "man up" and so he walked head on into the bar. "The Wolves' Den" was nothing fancy but it was a good bar to go to if you wanted to have a beer and a burger. You could also look out at the park. So it was popular with nature lovers and truckers.

As soon as he entered the bar, he recognized the man behind it. It was Cian, the leader of the pack. It was Cian who had kicked him out all those years ago. Cian had absolute power since he was the Alpha. Cian recognized Finn's scent and frowned at him as soon as he walked in.

"We kicked you out Finn. I didn't expect you to come back. A lifetime ban is a lifetime ban. You betrayed us and everything we stand for." said Cian.

"It's been fifty years, Cian. I thought I'd come back and see my Mom and everyone. I thought you believed in forgiveness and love and all that stuff." said Finn sorta sarcastically. He didn't see why he should show Cian any respect after all it was Cian who had kicked him out.

"Still a punk, aren't you kid? You still don't show me any respect and I still lead this pack. Your Mom's dead. She passed about ten years after we kicked you out. Thanks to you she lived her last years in shame. She was disgraced to have a son like you, I'd say you as good as killed her." said Cian.

Finn was shocked but not surprised at the news about his mother. She had been old and he had been the only person to look after her. Still he thought that Cian could have told him the news with more grace. His mother had been a member of the pack for a long time ever since they had come over from Ireland. Cian should have given her dignity in death. She was family after all.

"I gotta ask you kid? Why are you testing your luck by coming here? Do you feel lucky punk?" asked Cian.

Finn just looked at Cian in anger and loathing. The pack leader was as much of a bastard as he remembered.

"I just wanted to come say Hi. I thought after fifty years people might want to see me. I'm not asking to be let back in the pack. I just want to see people. I thought they might want to know about my life and what's been going on." said Finn.

"Well, clearly you've met a woman. Her scent is all over you. Is she another whore like that Rita you used to hang out with? Does she have a crummy job like a meter maid...that's the kind of low lifes you used to hang out with. Why couldn't you find a classy girl?" said Cian. He was trying to provoke Finn into a fight. To show his pack that he was still the alpha and that Finn had deserved to be kicked out all those years ago.

Finn's temper flared but he wasn't about to take the bait. He could handle Cian's insults to his women. He knew in his heart that neither Rita or Maggie were whores. They were kind, pretty and caring in their unique ways. Finn knew that Cian was a sadistic bastard and didn't deserve to be alpha.

Still part of Cian felt mercy for Finn, it had been fifty years after all. What harm could Finn do? Most of the pack had probably forgotten him. Finn had also probably grown more mellow with age. The 50s were over. There were no more beatniks and the world had changed. Maybe not for the better but it was no longer a world to which Finn belonged. The pack had moved on. So Cian relented.

"One day and one day only. I expect you to be gone by midnight." said Cian.

Finn sighed in frustration and anger. But, the lousy offer was better than nothing. The rest of the pack would never talk to him without Cian's permission. So Finn took Cian up on his offer.