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When he realized he was not alone, Grant grabbed hold of his cock and balls, even though the bottom half of his body was submerged under the pond's surface, by reflex. He began to shiver as the water's coolness turned icy. There was nowhere he could escape to. They would be on him before he could get of the water.

The man and the woman came to the edge of the pond, but they had to stop short as the group of dogs rushed to impede their progress. The man had dark skin, black leather boots, jeans, black t-shirt, and wore a black leather jacket. His hair was cut close to his scalp. Grant thought he looked like he could have been a villain in a spy movie. The man wore an extremely confident look on his face.

The woman stood just behind the man's shoulder. She wore brown boots, cargo pant, a khaki overcoat, and a grey blouse underneath. Her hare was streaked with grey and pulled back in a severe knot. She looked as if she might be in her late fifties, early sixties. He recognized both of their scents from his forest dream. She was the one he'd been chasing.

"Call off the dogs," the man said.

Grant jumped at his deep gravelly voice. "What if I don't?" he asked, testing his meager courage.

"Then I'll rip them apart." The man punctuated this claim with an inhuman growl as he stepped forward. This deep guttural sound grew into a roar that passed through Grant and disturbed the water's surface. Grant felt his testicles try to beat a hasty retreat into his abdomen. The pack of dogs recovered quickly, giving up little ground. Brutus was at the head of the pack, begging for a fight. Grant swelled with pride and regained some of his own confidence. The dogs were barking as fiercely as before.

The man laughed and spoke to the woman over his shoulder, "He's a natural leader."

The woman nodded and looked at Grant. "Call the dogs off, boy. This doesn't have to get unpleasant."

Grant called out to the dogs to stop, but they didn't listen. "I don't know how."

"Calm yourself first. Then tell them to stand down. The command must come from within."

Grant hesitated. "But what will you do if they stop?"

"You are trying my patience," the woman began, "Darius, kill the leader."

The man started to move forward, determination set in his eyes.

"No!" Grant yelled, throwing his hands up. "Stand down, stand down, stand down!" he said, his hands now slapping the surface of the water.

Immediately the dogs quieted and moved back. Brutus growled, but followed the command.

"That's better," the woman said. "Now, please put on some pants."

Grant grabbed himself again feebly as he backed out of the pond, keeping the two strangers in his sight. He found his jeans with his feet, still wet from the pond water. He shivered as the air ran down his back and over his exposed backside. He pulled on his jeans, not bothering to put on his underwear. The dogs rounded the pond to lay at his feet as the man and woman made their way to him. He stood shirtless, his wiry muscles were taught beneath his skin. He took a deep breath as they came near.

"What do you want with me?" he asked.

"Boy, speak when you're spoken to," Darius said.

The woman held up a hand and said, "It's alright, Darius. The boy must have many questions."

Grant stood motionless. His mind raced for a question amid the hundreds and settled on one. "What's happening to me?"

The woman laughed. "Bright boy. Straight to the point." She took a step forward. Brutus barked. It was a warning bark, not as threatening as before. She stopped with her hands in her jacket pockets.

"You are awakening to your true nature," she began. "Darius and I have brought back a key part of Alder Falls. Something your mother took from this place."

Grant felt his cheeks heat up at the mention of his mother. "What do you know about her?"

The woman smiled. "More than you know. But, this is not about her, this is about you and this community. You can set right her wrongs."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I think you have the wrong person." Grant put his hands up, palms forward. "My mom and dad split a long time ago. I don't know anything about what they did or didn't do."

"I can teach you everything you want to know about your mother, about what you really are. Come with me and I will tell you everything."

The woman held out her right hand, removing something from her jacket pocket. It was a small amber stone. The air between them filled with an almost electric energy, as if any movement would send a bold of lightning high into the sky. When he looked back at the woman, he saw her, and the gray wolf, occupying the same space. Darius too was both man, and the hulking monster he'd seen in his dream. His mind felt like it was tearing itself down the middle as Grant became aware of another presence inside of him. He felt as though there was a wolf stalking within the recesses of his mind. It was ravenous. It was frightening. He could hear its howl in his ears.

"Put it away," he said as he covered his ears and shut his eyes.

"The change cannot be stopped. If you don't come with me, it can come out when you least expect it. You could hurt anyone. Friends. Family."

Grant only shook his head. He looked her in the eyes. "No, you did this to me. Get it out of my head!"

The dogs started to bark and bay, saliva began to drip from their muzzles.

The woman said, "Darius, take the boy. Kill any of the mongrels that try to stop you."

Darius stepped towards Grant. He seemed to increase in size. Grant thought he saw course hair begin to grow out of his face.

Suddenly, there was a roar that filled the surrounding woods. It momentarily drowned out the sound of the barking dogs.

Grant turned to see a massive lion enter the clearing. It had yellow-white fur, with rippling muscles beneath. It bared its teeth and showed its dagger like claws within its massive paws. Grant blinked, instead of the lion he saw his friend, Ray, in dingy jeans and t-shirt, with rheumy eyes.

"Raymond," the woman said with a marked distaste. "Don't interfere in family business."

Ray stood his ground, unmoved. "The boy must choose for himself." Grant blinked again and saw the lion, as if he was watching a nature documentary.

"His blood is needed to restore what was lost."

"And you are a fool to bring it back here. The whole town will be in disarray."

"Darius and I can take the boy from you. You are not as young as you once were."

Ray laughed a peculiar laugh mixed with a growl. "Try me," he said. "Give the boy the time he needs to make his decision."

Grant was emboldened, the wolf inside of him lending his resolve. "What did you mean by 'family?'" he asked the woman.

She only frowned, visibly frustrated.

"You might as well tell him, Maureen. I'm not going to let you force him."

Grant watched as she made a decision. "Your mother was my daughter. You are my grandson."

Grant was speechless. He felt sick to his stomach. "It was you in the forest that night," he began, "I was chasing you. And you let him..." Grant trailed off as he looked at Darius.

"Nothing happened in the woods that night that you didn't want. You are not a child," she said.

"No. All of this is your fault. You brought something back to Alder Falls that doesn't belong. I'm not going with you."

"You're making a mistake, Grant," Maureen said. It was the first time that any degree of warmth had entered into her voice. "Raymond is right. Take some time to think this through. But, time is running out. I wasn't lying about your mother. It won't take long for someone to come to try to stop us."

"You really brought the heart of the alder back here?" Raymond asked.

Maureen nodded.

Raymond spoke again. "Give him the time he needs. I'll fill him in on the rest."

Maureen began to protest.

"Don't worry. I don't mean to turn him against you. He must make the decision for himself."

"Come, Darius," she said. They made their way back to the wood line. When they disappeared, Grant collected his clothes. He pressed them to his bare chest.

He led Raymond back to the house with the pack of dogs following behind.