The three exit onto a cluster of small farms, each having a small cabin, a home for the farmers and their families. There is a stone curtainwall ahead of them that is elevated above the surrounding farms. Watch towers are positioned across the top of the walls and guards can be seen actively patrolling the battlements.

  Jack is attempting to suppress a smirk as Wolf walks around him with narrowed eyes. Red is looking away and up towards the fortified position. Jack sees Wolf’s glare, then coughs. “So, Red,” Jack starts, “where are we now?”

  “I need to go check on something,” she says, turning back to the two of them. She looks at Wolf until he focuses on her. “I need you to act like a normal, non-talking wolf for a bit. Don’t do anything to draw attention, and definitely don’t walk upright. That will probably get you attacked here. Alright?”

  “That’s fine, but Red, I did not say anything about your braid.”

  “Wait, what? What’s wrong with my braid?”

  Jack snortles and looks away, pinching his nose. Red looks back and forth between them, confused.

  “Ow!” Jack cries, pulling his leg away as Wolf nips his calf. Jack glares back down at Wolf. “You mangy little—”

  “Boys! Can we be grownups long enough to talk about what’s going on?”

  “Of course, Sarah,” Jack nods as he bumps Wolf with his calf. “Go ahead.”

  “Ok. So, to recap, Wolf, play nice and don’t walk upright. Simple enough?” Wolf nods. “There are other wolf-people here. They’re not exactly a welcome sight, so we don’t want people to think you’re one of them. These wolves can infect other people and make them wolves too.”

  “So, they’re basically werewolves?” Wolf asks.

  “Oh, yes,” Red says, taken aback. “I wasn’t expecting you to know what those were, but yeah, werewolves.” Wolf nods, smirking. “We don’t want people thinking that’s what you are, which is why you need to act like a non-werewolf.”

  “I can manage that. I can probably sniff out any were-folk too, if we come across any.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m about to go ask a few of them to train you with weapons.”

  Wolf’s eyes go wide, and his ears fall. “What?”

  “It’ll be fine,” she assures. “They’re good werewolves.” Before he can say anything else, she opens a portal and steps through.

  Wolf just shakes his head and drops to his haunches before looking back up at Jack. “That wasn’t funny, you know.”

  Jack smiles. “It was a little funny.”

  The two of them are on a dirt walking path with low lattice fences lining the sides, marking the perimeter of adjoining gardens. A woman and child approach to walk past, moving to the far side of the path. The woman stops before crossing and guards her daughter as she looks at Wolf’s dark coat. She eyes Jack as if waiting for something. “Excuse me, sir, but is that wolf a danger?”

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  Jack beams and kneels next to Wolf. “Oh, no!” Jack says, patting Wolf on the head as Wolf’s ears drop and his eyes narrow. “This little guy’s all hugs and kisses. Isn’t that right, boy?” Jack looks at Wolf with a grin while vigorously scratching behind his ears.

  The lady nods and continues past.

  Wolf shakes off Jack’s hand, then glares. “Are you really wanting these people to see you get mauled? What’s gotten into you? You’re acting like a giddy little school brat.”

  Jack nods and beckons for Wolf to follow. They make their way to the outskirts of the farms, finding a low stone wall that encompasses the farmlands. Jack takes a seat and Wolf sits alongside him as they look back towards a nearby walking path with passersby. “Me and Red got off to a rough start with you and that wasn’t really your fault. We’ve both got a lot of stress that we’re dealing with in our own way, so I respect you, Wolf—for putting up with us.”

  “Forget about it,” Wolf says, shaking his head.

  “What happened back there in your training? I’m sure you’re faster, but your whole outlook seems brighter now.”

  Wolf nods. “That’s simple enough. I just took off my muzzle and ate them all. I guess I just feel satiated.”

  “Uh, what?”

  Wolf looks back up to him, blinking absently as if having only made a passing comment about the weather. Jack tilts his head with a look of disbelief. Wolf looks away, squeezes his eyes shut, and shows his teeth as he makes a repeated wheezing sound as his chest begins to bounce.

  Jack moves his eyes up and down Wolf. “You’re laughing? Are you really laughing about this?”

  Wolf opens his eyes again, tears showing as he looks at Jack while continuing to wheeze. Wolf finally exhales, sighing as if to reset his laugh. “Why so serious, Jack?”

  Jack’s arms are crossed, and he’s looking away. “You did not eat those people.”

  Wolf suppresses another chuckle. “Hey, you started this game. Don’t get bitter just because I decided to play.”

  Jack finally turns back to him and arches an eyebrow. “You really didn’t eat them, did you?”

  “No, I didn’t eat them, Jack. I just had to get you back for the braid thing.”

  Jack nods appreciatively. “Well played, well played.”

  Wolf forces a louder exhale before starting again. “I guess it felt good to see myself improving. I wasn’t focusing so much on my failing to catch Red. We played some small-town matches, and I got to work with the others as a team. It was like we were a pack, working together. They were a bunch of idiots, but they were my bunch of idiots, you know?” Wolf looks back over to Jack, seeing him nod along. “I guess, I realized that’s what I wanted. I’ve never had my own pack before, but I can feel it in my bones; it’s what I was missing before. So, I reasoned that you and Red might be what I didn’t know I was looking for—my own bunch of idiots.” He looks back up at Jack with a smirk as Jack continues to nod in understanding.

  Jack plucks a stand of hay-grass from behind the stone wall and begins fiddling with it. “I must look out for our Red. I swore I would, but it’s not always easy. She makes it hard sometimes. She lets her emotions get in the way, and then she becomes abrasive in an attempt to suppress that side of her. So far, you’ve only seen her when she’s determined. That’s not always going to be the case. Sometimes she doubts herself or gets upset about her grandfather. That’s when we’ll have to remind her what’s important. Help her focus.”

  Wolf looks back up to the elevated stone walls and watch towers. “What she’s doing sounds important, but she’s also got a personal stake in it. It would be hard for anyone to not get emotional sometimes.”

  “Yeah,” Jack says, becoming distant. “But back to your question from earlier, I guess I’m in a better mood too. Earlier, I heard Red giggling for the first time in…probably ever. I could tell that she was delighted seeing you chasing those chickens. You said you unknowingly wanted a pack, and I think there’s something similar going on with Red. I think she unknowingly wants to see us experiencing our own joy. No matter what we think about it, we’re a link to her grandfather, and by association, we’re family to her.”

  Wolf drops his head and nods towards the ground. “So basically, what you’re saying is that our Red’s a big softy?”

  Jack chuckles. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it.” He slides down to sit on the ground next to Wolf, leaning his back against the wall.

  Wolf turns back to him, narrowing his eyes. “Just don’t get any ideas about petting me.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jack replies, pulling back his hand.