FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter Twenty Nine: Boys Night

With a harsh clack the faded green door of the Hunter porch found itself thrust open only for a beleaguered looking wolf to stumble into the frame. Vernon leaned himself against door frame, letting out a tired sigh as he lamely wiped his eyes with his free paw. Vernon hadn't realized just how much of a toll the day's events had taken on him. From shortly after waking up the wolf had been firing on all cylinders to make the day the best he possibly could for his mate. And with every miss-step and confrontation, the wolf had done his best to swiftly work around them in an effort to salvage the whole affair. But between his Father, Yuri, Ana and an assortment of other fights and arguments throughout the day, the wolf's resolve had simply been worn down. Like water flowing over a stone, each incident eroded more and more of Vernon's sheer force of will. And that didn't even account for having to contend with his mate suffering from the sudden onset of her 'heat' all day. Between the mental strain of dealing with aggressive and ignorant mammals all day, on top of having his senses overwhelmed by the constant barrage of pheromones from Dawn the wolf's mind had grown far beyond weary.

Vernon reached his free paw behind his head, bracing his neck as he leaned his head back. As his gaze titled toward the ceiling, the wolf heard a gritty, internal pop as the pressure of the muscles around his spine released. Vernon let out a tired groan as he let his head lazily flop back into place. It was clear his mind had not been the only casualty resulting from the days' events. His legs ached from the marathon of walking that the couple had done at the fairgrounds. His throat burned from all the shouting and snarling each confrontation had forced out of him. His soggy paws and forearms throbbed from the repetitive washing and rinsing of a seemingly endless pile of dishware, and his back continued to spasm from the various boxes he had just come from rifling through in the barn. The wolf was dead tired, in body and spirit, and if it weren't for the pep-talk Dawn had given him in the yard, he would already be packing their bags and dialing up a Zoober to get them back to the train platform as soon as possible.

Vernon still found himself a little surprised that his mate had managed to remain so optimistic despite everything that had happened so far. That she had been the one to pick up his spirits.

When it came to their relationship, Vernon was the optimist between the two of them. It was no secret, and the wolf had been quick to assert his way of thinking during their talk while on the picnic. But Dawn was generally a pessimistic mammal, something she was readily aware of. The kind of life Dawn had been forced to endure growing up, and the whole 'Night Howler' fiasco had shaped the ewe into approaching every situation with a _'glass-half-empty'_outlook. It made sense to the wolf, and it was something he had come to accept about the love of his life. Vernon simply saw it as an act of fate, the two mammals having been built to compliment each other.

Yet the ewe had been the one to help him hang on just a little longer. Keeping the smallest fragment of his resolve alive with her sweet reassurances, and the warmth of her touch. She had pulled the wolf back from the brink and made him see reason again. And for all her trouble, his attempt at helping her had only managed to make things worse for the two of them.

He was thankful at the very least that the rift he had more or less caused between Dawn and his Mother had managed to have been resolved so quickly. Even if he had to endure two hours or so of washing dishes and returning the picnic equipment to its 'proper places' his Mother had specified, for his mate's sake the evening had ended on a rather positive note. For all the trouble the wolf and his inability to resist howling under the sensual duress of his mate's warmth had caused the pair, at least his mate would no longer have to suffer the agony of her 'remnant estrus' or his Mother's cold shoulder. Audrey had even gone so far as to practically force the couple to attend tomorrow's fair and work the stand despite his Father's declaration. And while some might consider something like that yet another punishment, Vernon knew that it was his Mother's way of reaching out in an effort to get even closer to Dawn. And by the ewe's reaction, she had seemed delighted by the prospect.

Vernon smiled warmly as he recalled seeing the ewe manage to crack a genuine smile while his Mother doted over her. Just thinking of her smiling made the strain on his weary bones and tired mind seem to fade away in the basking glow of its warmth. There was nothing that made his heart swell quite like seeing his mate smile, and every one he managed to earn out of the ewe he reveled in. And after everything they had endured so far, to see her smile like that managed to reignite the wolf's determination to turn the whole weekend around. He would do anything to protect his Honey Lamb's smile, and with the prize he now held, he'd reckoned he'd have her grinning ear to ear for the rest of the weekend.

As the wolf slowly eased his way down the hall, he reached a clumsy, grasping paw toward his breast pocket. He stopped only for a moment, to steady his hand before carefully removing the precious artifact from the safety of its temporary resting place.

The wolf smiled, letting out a pleasant sigh as he ran his eyes across the cluster of worn beads now resting on his paw pad. It was these now scrambled beads that the wolf had spent an extra forty minutes stumbling through a darkened barn for. Searching and scrambling for his old box of assorted personal trinkets that his brother had told him had been placed there, the remnants of an old friendship bracelet that had once read 'Floofy's Best Friend'.

The lettering on the beads had faded slightly, and the twine had practically disintegrated into fibrous powder, but despite no longer being bound all the necessary letters still remained. It would be a simple fix, requiring little more than some replacement twine to look almost brand new. It would take less than a minute to restring the beads, and Vernon wagered he could easily do it before Dawn even woke up the next day. It would make for the perfect surprise to show off to his Honey Lamb at the fair in the afternoon. Finally, after over two decades, they would be wearing their friendship bracelets together again.

The laughter of his brothers drew Vernon down from his dreamlike state. He was just shy of the bedroom door now, having strolled through the hall mostly on mental auto-pilot. Vernon's stopped just short of the door, his smile dropping as he recalled the night's events again, specifically those that had taken place in the cornfield. At this point, his Mother had been the only one to confront him over it, and he had been so busy doing chores that he had yet to suffer the misfortune of having to face his brothers over the whole affair. Yuri alone was guaranteed to spend the rest of the night raking him over the coals for his little 'howlgasm'.

Dawn was lucky, in a sense that Vernon knew that his Sister-in-law's teasing of her would at most be playful. Friendly and reassuring banter that was sure to keep the ewe smiling despite the embarrassment of Vernon broadcasting their deed to the entire Hunter Ranch. At its worst, it would do little to damper the ewe's surprisingly positive approach to what remained of their holiday. But the sheer embarrassment of facing his brothers, and the nastiness that Yuri probably had waiting for him was enough to freeze the wolf outside of the bedroom entirely.

Slowly the wolf braced the frame of the door, drawing slow, deliberate breaths as he began to brace himself for what might lie ahead. Vernon leaned his head against the door softly, careful not to open it further as he tried to build the courage to enter. He knew the second he opened the door, Yuri would be the first to announce him. He could already hear the loud and boastful wolf prattling on just beyond the last protective barrier between him and his brother's barbed tongue.

"So I grabbed that little vermin by the scruff of his neck and dangled him over the edge!" He could hear Yuri say with a barking laugh. "He was squirming and twitching and trying to get away, that little thug was terrified!"

Vernon scoffed slightly. It sounded like the usual prideful police story Yuri was prone to tell, with all the embellishments of your standard action film. Not surprisingly, he could already hear his other brother's objections.

"And you wonder why you get suspended half the damn time?" That was Trent's voice. The delivery was dull and dry.

"He was withholding time-sensitive information regarding a big drug bust!" Yuri retorted. "What should I have done, taken him back to the station where they would spend hours trying to sweet talk the information out of him? I'd miss my window of opportunity waiting on those lazy pigs at the precinct."

"But hanging him off the edge of a building? Really?" That sounded like Zach. "It's not like lives were on the line."

"Pfft..." Yuri scoffed. "You guys are just jealous you don't get wild cases like that out in the Burrows."

"I work in Zootopia." Vernon could hear Wade argue. "The biggest city in all of Animalia! And even I don't have to resort to the kind of stuff you do."

"Seaotter's a shithole," Yuri added. "Zootopia is squeaky clean by comparison." The wolf could be heard chuckling. "Unless you count what the little evil mastermind upstairs got herself up to, the biggest thing you guys have to deal with is what?" The wolf paused. "One murder a month?"

Vernon grit his teeth at the 'evil little mastermind' remark he knew was directed at Dawn. Although it was a decidedly light jab, the wolf knew that was probably the nicest thing Yuri had to say about his mate.

"Vernon?"

The wolf practically jumped out of his pelt, knocking his head into the door slightly before rapidly turning toward the source of the voice. His Mother was now standing in the door frame of the Kitchen, her muzzle twisted up into a concerned grimace.

"Ya'll right Vernon?" Audrey uttered. "You were out in that barn fer a while. It can't have taken ya that long to put the grill away."

Vernon shook his head briskly in an attempt to chase away the look of exhaustion that was tugging at his features. The wolf ran a paw through the hair on his scalp as he tried to stand as straight as possible.

"W-well, ya'll said it was the last thing I had to do fer the night." Vernon replied. "And since I was out in the barn, I figured I'd take a little bit of time to dig somethin' of mine outta storage."

Audrey flashed the wolf a curious glance as she approached. Sidling up next to the large wolf before her eyes shifted downward. Audrey let out a quiet, surprised gasp as she placed her paws on her cheeks. For a moment Vernon was confused, that is until he followed the she-wolf's eye line downward to the beads still resting in his free paw.

"Ain't that...?" Audrey queried, slight awe in her voice.

Vernon gave a simple nod. "The bracelet Dawn made me as a Pup." Vernon said with a sigh. "Well, what's left of it anyway."

In a flash, the beads seemed to vanish from Vernon's paw. The wolf quickly turned his head to find his Mother now tightly clutching the plastic clumps with a gleeful look adorning her muzzle.

"Ma!" Vernon barked in a raised whisper. "What are you doin'?"

"Well I take it you need 'em fixed dontcha'?" Audrey chuckled, cocking an eyebrow as she placed her other paw on her hip. "They ain't exactly in any condition to show off at the moment."

Vernon furrowed his brow in irritation. "Well o' course Ma." The wolf replied. "But I was gonna do that on my-"

"Now hush." Audrey chided playfully, tapping a finger on the tip of Vernon's nose. The wolf recoiled slightly, shaking his snout. "Let yer Momma handle this one, ya'll have done enough fer now."

"But Ma!" Vernon protested.

"Vern, I've got a sewin' kit with actual comfertable materials in it." Audrey chuckled. "What were you plannin' to use, twine?"

Vernon winced, his ears sagging slightly as he shifted his eyes away from the she-wolf. "N-no." Vernon muttered weakly.

"I have some nice satin strips that would make fer a perfect bandin'." Audrey said, inspecting the beads now lying in her open palm. The she-wolf periodically poked at the various lettered cubes. "And some paint and enamel fer where the letters are wearin' down." Audrey nodded decisively as she tightly closed her paw around the beads. "It'll look brand new when I'm done with it."

While the prospect sounded somewhat enticing to the wolf, Vernon remained reluctant to hand his treasured possession over so easily. He wanted it ready as soon as possible, and the picture his mother was painting sounded like it was rapidly becoming an immense project.

"I need it fer tomorrow mornin'!" The wolf whined.

"And ya'll will have it." Audrey tutted. "But just leave it to me fer now."

Vernon let out another uncertain whine, earning a chuckle from the wolfess. Audrey gave the wolf a playful pat on the cheek as she began to walk away from him. "Now you best hurry and get yer butt in bed, or else you'll be too tired to help with the stand tomorrow!" The wolfess turned back to flash him a wide grin. "And I ain't willin' to hear any excuses in the morning!"

"Bu-"

"And stop yer frettin' about the bracelet." Audrey chided as she moved down the hall. "It'll be ready in the mornin', but ya'll won't be ready to show it off if you don't get some sleep!"

Vernon let off another weak whimper as he watched the she-wolf continue her way down the hall.

":J-Just don't change it too much!" Vernon let out a final cry as Audrey disappeared up the staircase at the end of the hall. Vernon let out a soft, defeated sigh. It seemed that no matter how big the wolf managed to grow, or how mature the rest of the world had come to perceive him, his Mother always managed to make him feel like he was little more than a pup. And any argument the wolf could come up with, regardless of how strong and pointed, she easily wore him down without fail. He knew he wasn't alone of course, it was the same power his Mother seemed to wield over all of them, the power of parenthood. And the rest of his brother's arguments, even Xavier's best efforts, could not withstand Audrey's unflappable maternal aura.

'His brothers.' Vernon thought, turning his attention back toward the bedroom. The door was slightly more ajar now that he had banged his head against it, but what was worse was that the room had grown silent. His Mother checking on him had more or less exposed his presence to the rest of the Hunter pack. Through the now widened slit in the door he could see Zack looking back at him, a somewhat nervous expression on his face.

For a brief moment, sleeping in the barn or basement suddenly felt like the more hospitable option rather than the comfort of his own bed.

The wolf let out a long, exhausted sigh as he placed his paw on the door frame. It was time to face the music. With a reluctant push, the door slowly swung open.

"Well looks like the Runt finally decided to grace us with his presence!" Yuri said as the door met the end of the frame with a soft clack.

Vernon did his best to ignore Yuri, simply choosing to press past the wolf as he made his way to the far end of the bedroom.

"Vermin Runter..." Yuri continued. "Or would you prefer Caprine Humper?"

"Shut it Yuri." Vernon growled as he rounded the corner of his bed. Despite how exhausted the wolf was feeling, he was moving about his bedside at a rapid pace. Vernon was eager to simply get into his pajamas, and get to sleep as quickly as he could. The sooner he got into to bed, the easier it would be to try to shut Yuri's stupid statements out under the heavy veil of slumber. The wolf quickly slid his suitcase out from beneath the bed, pulling the zipper along the track harshly before popping it open. Reaching into the mess of clothing the wolf had already worn, Vernon pulled a fresh pair deep green plaid PJ's from the bottom of the case. The wolf rubbed a thumb over the garment affectionately as he let out a sigh.

"Aw, what's a matter Runt?" Vernon turned to find Yuri was now standing over him, the large dark wolf leering down at him with a smug grin. "Already running back to Zootopia in shame like at Zach's tithe?"

Vernon scoffed as he rose to his feet, lightly pushing the wolf aside as he made his way over to the room divider.

"I'm sure you would love that." Vernon muttered. " But I'm sure Zach would have loved it if you had been the one to leave instead of me."

Yuri laughed as Vernon slid behind the room divider. For a brief moment the wolf could pretend he wasn't there, the paneled screen shielding him from Yuri's hateful gaze and menacing grin. But unfortunately, it was unable to shield him from Yuri's barbed tongue.

"Well good, good." Yuri continued as Vernon switched his shirt for the comfortable plush feeling of his button up nightshirt. "Because if you think you're leavin' without payin' me back for Ada's bail you've got another thing comin'."

Vernon let off an irritated sigh as he buttoned up his shirt. "Of course, of course." Vernon grumbled. "Now do I make the check out to 'Ass'?" Vernon chuckled.

"Check?" Yuri hissed. "No, I'm draggin' your runty ass down to the bank tomorrow, and you're payin' me cash. Or else-"

"Or else what?" Vernon grit his teeth as he removed his jeans. "You gonna sit on me again to remind me who is boss?" The wolf spat. "We ain't pups no more, try it and-"

"And what?" The wolf was quick to retort. "You'll design a real fancy porch fer me to pin you against?"

"Alright Yuri, knock it off." Vernon could hear Trenton grumble as Vernon slid on his matching pants. "'Sides Vernon don't owe you a dime. Ada acted of her own volition and paid her own bail."

"Which was a pittance according to Pa." Wade added. "What with Ana not having Loupon there to push for higher charges."

"Did I ask any of you!?" Yuri huffed.

With a final flick of his leg, the wolf had his pants on. Vernon took a moment to adjust the buttons on his fly and tail banding before cobbling up his day clothes into a messy clump in his arms.

"I will apologize to Sis in the morning, and we'll be square." Vernon said coolly as he strolled out from behind the room divider. Yuri hadn't moved far from where he stood before Vernon had gone to change, only now he stood with his arms tightly crossed, his muzzle twisted into a hateful sneer.

"I would have apologized already if-"

"You weren't busy skewering that little grazer of yours?" Yuri flashed the wolf a smug grin.

Vernon simply pushed passed the wolf again as he made his way back to his bedside. The wolf could already feel the anger beginning to broil up under his pelt as Yuri continued with his little show. With a thrust Vernon haphazardly tossed his old clothes into his open suitcase, slapping the case shut tersely before shoving the bundle back underneath his bed.

"Is that why you didn't have dinner with the rest of us Vermin?" Yuri continued in a gleeful tone. "You were hungry for some juicy la-?"

"Yuri, for Owldwin's sake must you be so vulgar?" Xavier interjected. "I swear you have the most repugnant vocabulary out of all of us."

"Oh!" Yuri said in mock-horror. "I'm sorry my words are so offensive." The jet black wolf let out a terse huff. "But seriously, what is worse? A couple of bad words or rutting like feral animals out in the field?"

"I gotta admit though..." Wade muttered. " Doin' that outside was askin' fer trouble."

"Yeah, I mean every wolf in the county must have heard that howl." Zach chuckled. "You'd have been better off tryin' fer the basement. At least then we probably would have been the only ones to hear ya."

"Did you end up just doing it on the ground?" Wade continued his line of questioning. "I can't imagine that made for a very pleasurable experience."

"Sounds like he had a good enough time to me." Yuri chuckled darkly. "I'm just surprised his little Gimmer survived the whole thing." Yuri sneered. "I figured you were just playin' with yer food before eatin'."

Vernon was seething now. He had been doing his best to keep his anger inside; remaining crouched on the floor for fear that if he stood he was liable to strike Yuri. The wolf exhaled sharply, breathing out as much of his irritation as he could before finally rising to his feet. Vernon stood, turning sharply to face his brother and stabbing a claw at him.

"I rutted my mate okay!" Vernon hissed. "She was sufferin' and she needed help!" The wolf jabbed his brother in the chest with his claw harshly, pushing the black furred wolf back.

"And you made it clear to everyone at breakfast exactly what she was sufferin' from!" The wolf turned to glance at the rest of the pack. "You all know what yer girls go through when that happens! And you can't tell me ya'll wouldn't have done the same!" The wolf flashed the remaining wolves an accusatory glare. "In fact I know most of you have.

"You can't peg me with that excuse Ru-"

"Like you haven't been trying!" Vernon cut Yuri off as he turned his attention back to the dark wolf. Yuri remained unfazed, his smarmy smirk remaining firmly plastered across his muzzle. Vernon let out a ragged and tired sigh.

"Look, I've had a long, tirin' and agonizin' day alright?" The wolf ran a paw through the fur on his scalp. "I've been doin' everything I can to show Dawn a good time!"

Yuri opened his mouth, only for Vernon to preemptively cut him off.

"Don't." Vernon sneered. "Just don't Yuri, or I swear..."

Much to Vernon's surprise, the black furred wolf closed his maw. But his malice filled grin remained.

"I'm just too tired fer this, I can't take it right now alright!?" Vernon huffed. "So if we've said all we needed to say, I'm going to go to bed!" The wolf asserted. "If ya'll really want to rib me over it, save it fer the Barbeque tomorrow alright!?"

With a final huff, Vernon turned away from Yuri before immediately dropping on to his bed with a heavy thud, the springs making several popping noises under the sudden heft of his impact. With a terse yank, Vernon pulled the faded green comforter loose from the fitted sheet underneath him before scrambling it around his frame and turning away from the other wolves. The wolf nestled his head harshly against one of his pillows, burying his head as deep into the padding as he could before forcing his eyes shut and praying that the rest of the bedroom simply faded away around him.

Much to Vernon's surprise, the room did fall silent. But not for very long, and soon enough one of his brothers broke the awkward pause.

"Still, I mean outside though? Really?" It was almost a whisper, but it was distinctly Wade's voice.

Vernon let out a whine, wrapping another of his pillows around his head as he buried his face deeper into the other.

"Arrgh!" The wolf yelped through the downy cushioning of his pillow. "Just go back to your boring police stories! Leave me alone!" Vernon groaned aloud.

Unlike Yuri's harsher remarks, Vernon's reaction had managed to earn a few chuckles from most of the wolves present.

"Alright, alright," Trenton said coolly. "You heard Puppy, back to the boring police stories." Vernon could hear the playful sarcasm lacing Trent's words, and it was easy to picture the wolf rolling his eyes to emphasize the word 'boring'.

"Well..."Vernon could hear Yuri continue, the soft sound of trailing steps indicating that Yuri had elected to walk away from Vernon's bedside. "I doubt any of you country boys have anything that can even come close to the cases I've worked on."

Vernon let out a quiet sigh of relief as it appeared that by the grace of the gods, Yuri had chosen to let him off. The wolf may be the only one of his brothers to take him up on the offer to mock him the following day, but Vernon was more than happy to cross that bridge when he came to it.

"I suppose that depends on how many of those tales you told us are real, and how many you just ripped off from lousy cop movies hopin' we'd never look 'em up." Zach said, earning a few more laughs from the other wolves. Vernon stifled a chuckle of his own by burying his muzzle deeper into his pillow as he continued to try to fall asleep.

"You wanna see the articles?" Yuri protested. "I can get out my Carrot Phone right now and bring up all the stories I'm in!"

"Yeah..." Xavier added in a bored tone. "And just how many of those articles start with the phrase 'rogue cop suspended after...'" Xavier chuckled.

"Rut you Lord Prissyfur!" Yuri retorted. "You shouldn't even be talkin', ain't like you ever seen a crime scene outside of photographs!"

Vernon rolled over in his bed, pressing the pillow he had wrapped around his head tighter against his ears. It had been a while since he had been forced to share a bedroom with his brothers, and he had unfortunately grown far too used to nothing but the comforting sound of the soft, quiet bleating of his Honey Lamb as she slept by his side. The back and forth between his bickering brothers was only driving the wolf further away from the warm embrace of slumber.

"So?" Xavier replied. "Just because a courtroom is restrained doesn't mean I haven't had my fair share of harrowing cases."

"But you've never put yourself on the line have you Xave?" Yuri snapped back. "Do you know what it's like to be starin' down the barrel of a gun? Huh?" The black wolf raised his voice. "Knowing that if you aren't fast enough on the draw, it might just be your hide the forensic team is cleaning up after?"

The room fell silent, giving Vernon a momentary reprieve in his quest for a peaceful sleep. With the lapse of the back and forth din between the brothers, Vernon tried to focus his mind on more pleasant thoughts. He tried to imagine the look on Dawn's face the following morning when he revealed to her his newly repaired bracelet. Trying to picture just how big that lovely smile of hers would be when she got to read the inscription on the beads she had once spent time putting together for him all those years ago. The wolf let out a pleasant sigh, certain that at the very least tomorrow was slated to start off on an amazing note.

"Well, I-I mean if we're talking danger then..." Ulric piped up, his voice sounding weak and uncertain. "I mean, Zach has you beat right?"

"Oh c'mon now, you're not goi-"

"Zach is the only one of us who actually took a bullet Yuri." Xavier cut him off. "Unless you have a new story we have yet to hear?"

The room grew quiet again, and Vernon continued to try to ignore the other wolves. Yet despite it his train of thought drifted from Dawn's happy face to the topic at paw, Zach's most notable battle scar. It was something Vernon had barely given that much thought over since shortly after it occurred, but the wolf recalled that it had been a pretty serious close shave.

"Hey Zach, you wanna tell it again?" Wade asked with growing interest. "I always kinda forget the finer details; it has been a while after all."

Vernon could hear Zach let out an uncomfortable whine. Odd behavior, considering the wolf practically reveled in retelling his most heroic exploits. Vernon continued to struggle to recall the entire ordeal.

'He saved a kid right?' Vernon thought to himself, the gears in his mind working to dredge up the faint memories. 'Jumped in front of some crazed mammal with a gun'.

"I don't really feel like talkin' about it right now." Zach uttered quietly.

"Don't feel like talking about it!?" Trenton said with a laugh. "That was like, your go-to proudest moment story a few months ago wasn't it?"

"Yes, we had to beg you to stop telling it." Xavier said with a laugh. "Especially Dad, seeing as how he was none too pleased at how the whole affair went down."

"Yeah, dumb ass just had to jump in front of the shot instead of, ya know, disarming the suspect." Yuri said with a snort. "How you got to deputy with instincts like that I'll never know."

Vernon had given up on the prospect of sleep as his ears now turned in attention toward the conversation. He had released some of the pressure of the pillow around his head to better hear Zach's uncharacteristically reluctant responses. It was then that it began to come back to Vernon just how serious the accident was.

"It just missed your heart." Vernon said, slowly rising up into a seated position and turning to face the others. The rest of the Hunter brood had turned its attention to Vernon aside from Zach. Vernon could see the clearly uncomfortable look on the russet wolf's muzzle as his eyes darted away from Vernon's gaze. "It grazed that little what-sis around yer heart, that sac or somethin' right?"

"T-that's right!" Ulric chimed in, sounding as though Vernon had jogged his memory in an equal manner. "I remember now. It grazed the pericardial sac, causing it to flood with blood and stop your heart from the pressure!" Ulric laughed an awkward laugh. "You were technically dead for two minutes right!?

Zach let out another whine as he looked down at his paws. The wolf nervously wrung his hands together. It was so odd seeing his usually boastful and jovial brother seeming to shrink in the face of his own heroic deeds. He was acting much like he had earlier in the day, when Vernon had thoroughly chewed him out for siding with Pa in regards to the fair. But Vernon had already let him off the hook, making his evasive behavior that much more confusing.

"Please, I..." Zach scratched the back of his head awkwardly. " I mean ya'll have heard it enough times as it is. We don't need to go over it again."

"Yer probably the only one besides Xavey who could even pronounce that Ully." Trenton said with a chuckle, the conversation going on without any regard to Zach's response.

The twitchy wolf's chest swelled with what appeared to be pride as he flashed the others a confident smirk. "Any forensic specialist worth his pelt knows medical terminology like the back of their paw. You think they just let anyone handle a body to determine the exact time and cause of death?"

"I would think they shouldn't let you handle a body either, all things considered." Wade chuckled.

"Especially a sheep, lest you try to prove they are aliens by digging around for foreign organs." Xavier added with a dry chuckle of his own.

Ulric's muzzle twisted into a sneer. "Hey! Sheep already have weird organs!" Ulric retorted. "Not that anyone outside the internet cares to hear me out on how that's just another piece of proof at how all those caprid types are from space!"

"One o' D.C.'s top forensic scientist ladies and gentlemammal's." Trenton said with a laugh, gesturing a broad outstretched arm toward their dusky, grey brother. "Why they keep you at that precinct I'll never know."

"At least I can see those grazers for what they are!" Ulric barked, clearly flustered as he stared daggers at Trenton. His angry stare shifting from brother to brother suspiciously.

"I'm not the one going around dating one!" Ulric said, his stare leveling at Vernon briefly before shifting to Zach. "Or would ever risk taking a bullet for one of those wooly skin-walkers like you!"

"Sweet sawgrass Ully, it was a little girl!" Zach suddenly chimed in, the reservation and reluctance seeming to fade as the wolf gave him an angry glare. "What was I gonna do!? Let that crazed, angry wolf just kill her!?"

The more snippets Vernon absorbed, the more he came to recall what happened. He remembered his Mother calling from the ranch. It had been hard to understand her through the frenzied sobs, but it quickly became clear that something terrible had happened. But by the time Vernon had made it out to the ranch the danger was long over. Zach was recovering just fine, even laughing about it despite lying on a hospital cot with his chest wrapped up like a mummy. It had made the whole affair so easy to forget though, almost as if it never happened. The family moved on, with Zach occasionally retelling the story from time to time, but otherwise, everything seemed normal. Then again Vernon had been busy with his own life during most of the years since. With working through school, and his shifts at the Bug-Burga he felt increasingly removed from the events of the Hunter Ranch, and the family members that still congregated so closely there.

'What was I doing that day?' Vernon struggled to recall. He could remember he had already been having a tough time himself before Zach's little incident, yet he struggled to remember just why that was.

"I did the right thing! And I don't need to have it flung in my face anymore alright!? Zach huffed. "I already heard enough about it this mornin'!"

In that moment Zach froze, his features twisting up in an expression of pure horror as he turned his attention to Vernon. Zach's ears stood tall and alert, as if he were suddenly fearful that he had spoken some forbidden utterance. Vernon stared at him in confusion briefly before it finally all slid into place.

The dam in Vernon's mind seemed to break as the missing memories came flooding back in an instant. Every minute detail that had been occurring in his life up until Zach's accident suddenly flashed into his mind, and soon the cause of the wolf's odd behavior became clear.

"Dawn..." Vernon muttered softly, raising his paw to his lip as he began to process the lost information.

"Your accident...it was five years ago wasn't it?" The wolf continued, asking questions he was certain he already knew the answer to.

Zach gave a soft, simple nod. The wolf frowned sharply, his ears hanging lamely against his head.

"Right after Dawn was caught." Vernon continued.

The room was quiet as the wolf waited for his brother's response. It seemed like an eternity before Zach gave another reluctant, affirming nod.

Vernon remembered everything now. He could remember just what the city, and he had been going through just before Zach's accident. The weeks of terror and fear in regards to the 'savage plague' that grew worse with each passing day. The ZootopiaUniversity campus was in an uproar, with protests expressing anti-predator sentiments and predator-rights counter-protests going on daily. Vernon hadn't cared to get involved in either way, simply choosing to keep his head down and his focus on his work. The wolf had been certain it would all blow over soon enough, and in time things would simply return to normal. But as the crisis worsened, the campus environment became un-livable for many of the pred students. Assaults by mobs of prey and attacks on predator dormitories were quickly becoming the norm. And when the professors had offered those students the ability to take classes at home until the crisis waned, Vernon was more than willing to take the out rather than face the increasingly large crowds of angry, anti-predator assemblies.

The wolf had been away from campus for two weeks when the 'Night Howler' plot had finally been revealed, as well as the shocking arrest of the Mayor that at the time the wolf had failed to recognize, the little bespectacled ewe that he now proudly called his mate. At the time, Vernon's only thought had been one of relief at the prospect that all the anger and calls for violence would come to an end. But as the coming days would prove, that would be far from the case. Overnight the burning pyre of anti-predator sentiment had evaporated, and in its place erupted a maelstrom of anti-sheep sentiment.

Vernon could clearly recall the sheep effigies they had burned in some of the highly predator populated areas following Dawn's arrest, the attacks on sheep owned businesses, and the handful of the assaults he would hear about on ZNN. The kind of ideas his brother Ulric held about sheep, those long-held conspiracy theories about trying to take over modern society, or running a secret powerful global cabal spilled from the festering pockets hidden in the fringes of society and briefly gained traction among even some arguably more level-headed mammals.

And that same hysteria had easily oozed over into the neighboring Meadowlands area, with its high sheep and wolf population. The rural Native wolf descendants added their bigoted beliefs about pred supremacy to the mix of madness surrounding the now vilified sheep-folk.

It was those wolves, Vernon now recalled, that were responsible for Zach's injury. While by the time Vernon had arrived at the Greater Meadowlands Hospital Zach had been all smiles and boasts when it came to his near-death experience, the wolf could remember his parents hadn't shared his enthusiasm. Dorian was livid, the white wolf was absolutely furious at Zach for failure to follow police protocol. Although Vernon suspected it was that much more amplified by just how close a call Zach's injury was, the anger a mask for his fear for the safety of his son. His Mother on the other paw, had been a weepy, incoherent mess that was still practically fused to Zach's bedside by the time Vernon had arrived. Audrey refused to leave the hospital until Zach was discharged.

Vernon didn't share his Father's view when it came to Zach's selfless act. While the wolf was in-experienced in day to day police work, the wolf felt that it would have been riskier for the lamb if Zach had tried to disarm the crazed wolf instead of protecting her. The struggle might have caused him to fire anyway, or perhaps fire at the crowd, Vernon saw too many dangerous variables when it came to subduing the mad wolf first. It was a rare instance where Vernon would side with his brother when it came to the russet wolf acting on instinct. But his Father would never agree, his stubbornness remaining firm and unyielding. Vernon had always suspected that the entire reason Vanna had been brought on was simply to police Zach, the close call having scared their old mam' to the point of finding someone to keep Zach in-line on the job. Although Vernon would never express that to his brother, he was certain Zach had his suspicions.

But Mother Hunter was able to move on, to get to a point where Zach's boasting about his 'badge of honor' didn't send her into a weeping fit. But it was clear that Dorian had never forgotten, and what's more, he must have seen Dawn as the catalyst for the incident. If the ewe hadn't caused the Night Howler Scare, Zach would have never have been put in such a position. That their Father had brought it up this morning in his private talk with Zach to force the wolf to see his side of things, and worse yet, bring him over to his way of thinking.

"I didn't agree with him Vern, I swear it!" Zach protested. It was as if the wolf had read Vernon's mind, answering the wolf's question before he could ask it.

"She didn't put the gun in that wolf's paw! She didn't make me jump between him and that lamb! I ain't never saw it that way!" Zach asserted, his eyes still filled with worry.

"Wait, what is going on?" Trenton asked in clear confusion.

Zach let out a whine as he scanned the other brother's faces, all seemingly as puzzled as Trenton was, before turning back to Vernon. The russet wolf seemed to be looking to his brother for permission to continue, as if whatever he had to say would draw Vernon's ire. Vernon gave an affirming nod, more than interested to hear his brother confirm what he now already was sure took place.

Zach let out a tired sigh, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he seemed to be trying to will himself forward.

"Pa took me aside this mornin'..." Zach muttered. "Before we all left fer the fairgrounds."

Trenton nodded, the wolf already having some idea of what was discussed based on Vernon and his conversation.

"Pa wanted me to tell Vernon not to bring Dawn to the fair, that it was better if they just stayed home." Zach whined. "He wagered they would cause a scene, maybe threaten the stand..."

"Well, well, well..." Yuri chimed in, his tone returning to his usual smarmy, teasing demeanor. "I guess the Old 'Mam called that one, wouldn't you say?"

"Yuri, shut up." Xavier sneered at the black furred wolf.

"Why should I?" Yuri protested. "It's just another classic case of the ol' Runt puttin' his own selfish needs before the rest of us." Yuri spat. "Lil' Puppy gets to just do whatever he wants, and the rest of us pay for it, and ya'll go ahead a pat his ass fer it!"

"What the rut is that supposed to mean!?" Vernon hissed.

"You heard me Runt!" Yuri continued, allowing himself to flop gracelessly onto his mattress. "Pa tells you how things are gonna be, lays out reasonable, sane reasons why ya'll shouldn't do it, and you go ahead and do it anyway just like always."

"Ha!" Vernon scoffed. "Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black consderin' the way you handle yerself on the job! Let alone yer life!"

"It doesn't matter if Pa turned out to be right!" Xavier interjected, furrowing his brow. "Vernon and Dawn did nothing to deserve what happened at the fair, that scene was on those bigoted, fearful townies!"

"Pa knows it wasn't lawful to let that mob drive us out like that." Trenton added.

"There you go rushin' in to save poor defenseless Puppy for his stupid mistakes!" Yuri spat. "Everyone in this family just coddles Vernon! Just bends over backwards to-"

"I'M TRYING TO TALK HERE!" Zach said loudly, his previously nervous expression replaced with anger and irritation. The russet wolf gave the other brothers a sweeping glare before coming to a stop at Yuri. The black wolf opened his mouth, only for Zach to sharpen his gaze.

"Don't make me pull seniority on yer ass Yuri!" Zach hissed. "Now shut that stupid muzzle before I shut it for you!"

Yuri closed his muzzle, twisting it into a hateful sneer before crossing his paws and letting out a terse scoff. The wolf was clearly livid, but thankfully for Vernon, had seemed to back down. With Yuri quiet again, Zach turned his attention back to Vernon, his ears drooping slightly as the worried look returned to his face.

"That is the only reason I even asked ya Vernon." Zach continued with a sigh. "I was worried for you and Dawn getting caught in a scene." The wolf ran a shaky paw through his tuft of head fur. "I know ya'll probably get flak in the city fer bein' together, but I didn't want you guys to have to deal with that out here."

"And I ain't gonna lie, I was worried fer Ma too." Zach added, placing a paw over his eyes. "The gods know why, but she loves runnin' that stand. And I didn't want her to hurt herself fightin' the whole town over ya'll."

Trenton chuckled, shaking his head softly. "Yeah, Ma would fight the whole town wouldn't she?"

"Anyone who 'wrongs' her 'pups' Mom will more than happily go claw to claw with, even if they are three times the size of her." Xavier chuckled. "Remember when she was on the PTA, and got into that knock down drag out fight with Mrs. Ziraph because she called Ulric a 'mongrel'?"

Vernon stifled a laugh as he recalled the whole ugly scene that Ulric had told him when they were little, shortly after the whole debacle. "I never thought a mammal could technically wring a giraffe's neck, but Ma found a way."

The boys erupted into a hearty laugh, Yuri excluded as they briefly reminisced about their Mother's fighting exploits. It was memories like that which made it easy to see why the boys all easily cowed under their Mom's disapproving glare.

As the laughter died away, Zach let out a soft sigh.

"Dad was the one who brought up my accident." Zach continued, his smile falling. "He was fixed on trying to get me to see how Dawn was responsible for it, as indirect as it may have been."

The russet wolf wrung his paws nervously, letting out another soft whine.

"But I never saw it that way Vern." Zach looked at his brother with pleading eyes. "I still don't."

Vernon flashed his brother a small smile. It was clear that despite letting him off the hook earlier what he had done was still eating at him. With a grunt Vernon eased off the bed, shuffling his way over to Zach before plopping down next to his brother. The wolf slung an arm around the rusted wolf's shoulder, pulling him into a side hug.

"I already told you we was square at the fair Zach." Vernon said with a chuckle, shaking his brother slightly. "Now stop frownin', it's weirdin' me out." Vernon said with a laugh. Zach managed to muster up a smirk, more or less returning Vernon's hug as he let out a laugh of his own.

"Alright, alright..." Zach said, his normal jovial countenance seeming to return. "But I'm retirin' the story if it's all the same to you."

Vernon nodded. "It's yer choice. You do what makes ya comfortable big brother."

With that, Vernon released the grip he had around his brother, using the newly freed paw to run through his mop of hair.

"Still though, it pretty much clears up the mystery as to what exactly crawled up Pa's butt when it comes to Dawn." Vernon said with a sigh. "Not that I didn't have my suspicions."

"The grazer nearly destroyed the biggest city in the world, what did you think was gonna happen?" Yuri snorted.

"So what now?" Trenton said, ignoring Yuri's off color comment.

Vernon let out a tired sigh. "Well, I suppose I'm going to have to confront the Old Mam' tomorrow." The wolf wiped at his eyes with a paw before pinching the bridge of his muzzle in annoyance. "Most likely after the barbeque, since there's no way I'm catchin' him before he leaves fer work tomorrow."

"What are you going to say?" Xavier queried, leaning intently toward the other wolves as he adjusted his spectacles.

Vernon shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I'm more concerned about cutting through that stubborn shell of his." Vernon groaned. "I feel like I'm just gonna end up shouting at a wall fer an hour or somethin'."

"Well thankfully most of us inherited that same stubbornness from him, so you should be able to hold your own." Xavier said with a laugh.

"And if ya'll need back up, you know you can count on the rest of us to stand with ya Vern." Trenton added, reaching a paw out to place on Vernon's shoulder. The icy wolf stared into Vernon's eyes. "You know I've got yer back."

Zach, Wade, and Xavier were all quick to utter varying words of agreement, but Ulric and Yuri chose to remain silent, Yuri going as far as to let out another irritated huff in response. Vernon simply rolled his eyes.

"Ully, you reall-"

A sudden loud sound came from the room above the wolves, drawing Vernon's attention upward. It sounded like very faint, muffled shouting that went on for several seconds. The wolf did his best to pick up any semblance of the words being said, tilting his ears and craning his head closer to the source, but in the end, the only word the wolf managed to discern was something that sounded like 'Aunties' before the shouting finally abruptly stopped. Vernon was quick to turn his attention back to the other wolves, to find they had all more or less reacted the same, most of them still listening for the shouting coming from the girl's room.

"H-heh, heh." Zach stammered, earning Vernon's attention. "I uh...I wonder what they are talking about?"

"Probably embarrassing things regarding the lot of us and our bedroom prowess." Xavier was quick to interject, the wolf giving the others a half-lidded stare. "Considering the evenings...previous events."

Trenton let out a tired groan. "Sweet sagrass..." The wolf sighed, placing a paw over his eyes. "If I know my Qails she's probably talkin' up a storm about that time we got caught messin' around in the closet." The wolf lamented.

The other brothers laughed, Vernon included as the white wolf let out another tired grumble.

"Well I ain't worried." Zach said, swelling his chest with pride. "My Kitten ain't one to talk about that sorta thing." Zach gave Vernon a playful nudge. "She's too much of a reserved type."

Trenton lowered his eyelids at the wolf, a smug smirk crawling across his muzzle. "Really, cause that shouting sounded a lot like Vanna." Trent's grin widened. "And I could swear I heard the word 'panties' in there somewhere."

Zach's ears were quick to flatten against his head, and for some strange reason, the wolf brought his paw over his mouth.

"Panties!" Vernon exclaimed. "I thought they said 'Aunties', but panties make much more sense." The wolf slapped his knee as he laughed.

Trenton grinned widely as he leaned closer to Zach. "Somethin' you wanna share Zach?"

The russet wolf seemed to be sweating now, his muzzle flushed red as his panicked stare darted from brother to brother. Vernon was quick to join in on the playful ribbing, nudging his brother back with a playful elbow.

"Yeah, you get into some trouble with yer girls panties 'Goofball'?" Vernon teased.

Zach sneered, giving Vernon a playful push away from him.

"Like you should talk 'Puppy Love'!" Zach tried to remain serious despite laughter periodically breaking through his glum expression. "Besides, now that you got a mate you get to worry like the rest of us!" Zach exclaimed, jabbing Vernon with a claw as a smug grin crawled across his muzzle.

"Ah, that's true." Xavier added with a smirk of his own. "Welcome to the club 'Puppy Love'." The wolf chuckled.

Vernon rolled his eyes. "Please, I made my peace with that when my little Honey Lamb told me she wanted to write a book about us." The wolf laughed. "I don't think a little bedroom talk is going to amount to worse than that kind of exposure."

"A book you say?" Xavier quirked an eyebrow, the wolf now leaning far off of his bed in apparently keen interest. "Fascinating."

"About you two?" Trenton asked. "Ya'll mean about yer relationship?"

Vernon shrugged softly, raising his paws. "Eh, sort of." Vernon replied. "It's about us bein' a pred and prey couple, but its also about our families and their history and so on." Vernon added. "Dawn did some deep diggin' to give the readers as much of an understandin' as to where we are comin' from as possible. She wants it to be accessible to whoever wants to read it even though she says its largely a solidarity thing fer other pred/prey couples out there."

"Wait, you're telling her about our family history!?" Ulric suddenly chimed in, the wolf practically falling off of his bed as he scrambled to make his way over to the other brothers that were now more or less huddled together. Ulric sat down harshly next to Vernon and Zach, causing the mattress springs to groan under the sudden impact. The dark grey wolf leaned in uncomfortably close to Vernon, his face one of grim seriousness.

"You can't do that! Who knows how a member of the Blackwool bloodline could use that information!" Ulric whined. The wolf quickly grasped Vernon's shoulders, forcing the wolf to face him. "Don't you know it is the duty of the Düclaw line to defend against the Illubaahnati!?" The dark grey wolf pleaded, shaking Vernon tersely.

Vernon rolled his eyes before pulling Ulrics's paws off of him and pushing the twitchy wolf aside.

"Ully, what secrets am I keeping' that ain't already somethin' anyone can look up online?" Vernon shook his head. "Fer cripes sake we learned most of this stuff in gradeschool."

"Maybe that's why she tricked you into bringing her here!" Ulric protested. "So she could get into Pa's library!"

Vernon let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"She's writin' about her family too Ully, so she's puttin' herself out there just as much if not more." Vernon said, placing a firm paw on Ulric's shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. "She's not keepin' any secrets, from Archibald Bellwether to Moira Blackwool she's bein' totally open."

The grey wolf quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"Moira Blackwool?" Ulric asked, his eyes flashing with keen interest.

Vernon gave a simple, albeit uncertain nod.

Ulric's panicked and fearful demeanor seemed abruptly shifted to one of shrewd curiosity and trepidation.

"She's going to cover the tryst thing then right?" Ulric asked, his eyes shifting around as if he were keeping a vigilant watch for eavesdroppers despite being surrounded by the entire Hunter brood. "The secret affair between Blackwool and Düclaw?"

Vernon rolled his eyes at the dark grey wolf. Vernon had never been one to put too much stock into that rumor, especially seeing as anything that Ulric latched onto was usually patently false. Dawn's more concrete research on her family had done little to prove to the contrary, and thus the ewe seemed to be largely in agreement with him.

"Please, we want this book to be as grounded as possible Ully." Vernon chided. " No one will take us seriously if we come out flinging around baseless accusations."

Ulric glared at Vernon, a dead seriousness in his eyes. "They ain't baseless accusations!" Ulric spat. "I have concrete evidence! The Schotts just don't wa-"

"Okay, okay..." Vernon sighed, shaking his head dismissively. "If you have the evidence, then you are more than welcome to show Dawn yerself." The wolf chuckled. "Just don't bother me with it."

Ulric stabbed a claw at Vernon, a wild and crazy smile crawling across his muzzle. "M-maybe I will!" The wolf asserted. Standing, Ulric made his way back over to his own bed, flashing Vernon another crazed and curious glare. "Maybe I will." And with that, the wolf crawled back into his bed, turning away from the other Hunters as he pulled his blanket up around his shoulders.

Vernon let out something between a laugh and a scoff, his brother's behavior making him torn on exactly how to respond. He always had a hard time understanding Ulric and his fixation with rumors, conspiracies, and hearsay. At the end of the day, the wolf had always found the easiest thing to do was to write it off as Ulric being Ulric. And while the prospect of Ulric embarrassing himself in front of Dawn was the last thing Vernon would wish on his mate. He was certain Ulric was far too afraid of her at this point to ever speak to her.

"You guys are really that serious huh?" Zach asked, bringing the conversation back to something closer to sane. "I mean puttin' out a tell-all book together...well..." The russet wolf laughed awkwardly. "I mean, that's big step to take all things considered."

Vernon laughed. "That lamb is the love of my life Zach, my soul mate." Vernon said with a wistful sigh. "I told Trent as much this morning."

The white wolf nodded in affirmation, flashing the russet wolf a smile. "He's over the moon fer her."

"And if you think that's serious well...I got bigger plans than that I assure ya'll." Vernon continued.

Xavier adjusted his glasses slightly, quirking a brow as his focus remained fixed on Vernon.

"Oh do tell, I must know!" The wolf's tone was practically gleeful and dripping with excitement.

"Well, I-"

"Vernon's fixin' to tithe Dawn." Wade cut him off, the wolf's tail wagging excitedly.

"WADE!" Vernon growled, staring daggers at the now shrinking grey wolf. Wade let out a soft whimper, a meek smile forming on his muzzle as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"S-sorry..." The wolf replied meekly. "I-I didn't mean to...uh..."

Xavier practically let out a squeal as the usually well-mannered wolf sat up on his mattress. The wolf was grinning broadly at his brother's announcement, even if it had been stolen away by Wade's enthusiasm. "Oh tell me this is true!"

Vernon let out a sigh, flashing Wade another glare before pressing forward with the details of his surprise.

"WAIT!? YOU'RE TITHING HER!?" Ulric yelped as he shot upward, staring back at the brothers in disbelief. Vernon rolled his eyes, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"I'm workin' on it..." Vernon muttered, crossing his arms as he gave the deep grey wolf a dull stare. "I take it you've got some objections."

"Yeah, is it mind control?" Zach interjected with a laugh. " Is she gonna steal Vern's soul and sacrifice it to Cervidwen?"

A mixture of emotions flashed across the wolf's face, ranging from horror, confusions, revulsion and disappointment before finally settling on something akin to shock. Ulric opened his muzzle for a moment before slowly bringing it to a close, the wolf seemingly at a loss for words. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence from the wolf, he spoke.

"Mam'..." The wolf shook his head dismissively. " They've totally pulled the wool over your eyes." Ulric sighed. "Especially you Vern."

Vernon found his eyes rolling again as he shook his head before turning his attention back to his more sane family members. Indulging Ulric with any further argument was a rabbit hole the wolf was simply far too tired to go down.

"Anyway, the main reason I pressed to come out here for the family reunion was that I wanted to get Pa's permission for a tithe while everyone was there to hear the announcement." Vernon said with a disappointed sigh. "That's why this visit was so important to me, and why I've been runnin' myself ragged tryin' to make everything go as perfectly as possible."

Vernon scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting away from the rest of the Hunter brood as his muzzle flushed red with embarrassment.

"I figured if everyone was here, then we could work out a good time fer everyone to come back fer the ceremony." Vernon muttered softly. "I wanted the whole family to be there."

The wolf glanced over his shoulder at the indifferent Yuri and the now seemingly despondent Ulric. "Even you fellas, against my better judgment."

Yuri let out a scoff, turning his head away from Vernon's while Ulric responded by muttering something incomprehensible.

"Pa's never going to agree to that." That had come from Zach, and Vernon turned to find the wolf's muzzle had returned to its previous somber state, his ears flat against his head.

"Y-you know how Pa is. Once he's fixed on somethin' he..." Zach paused, seemingly unable to finish his sentence.

"That I don't get." Trenton interjected. "Pa always believed in rehabilitation, and givin' mammals that were really tryin' a chance to turn their life around." The white wolf shrugged. "So Zach's vague connection to all this justifies never givin' the little miss her shot?"

"As much as I don't want to defend the mammal..." Xavier trailed off, the bespectacled wolf seemingly uncomfortable as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It does make sense that it would be hard for him. While Father tries his hardest to live by the law, we are his family." Xavier adjusted his frames. " No matter how strong ones personal beliefs are, it is hard to resist the bias of a personal connection. And what stronger connection does one have than the bonds of blood?"

"Well, hopefully after our talk I might be able to bring the old wolf around to the idea." Vernon said with a sigh. "I'm not proud of it, but if need be I'll get Ma's help."

Wade chuckled. "Yeah, Ma's purty good at getting Pa to...ahem..." The wolf coughed harshly into his paw before flashing the other wolves a grin. "Listen to reason."

"But what if he doesn't?" Zach added, his features still laced with concern. "What if he refuses to change his mind?"

"Then Vernon doesn't get his way, simple as that." Yuri said with a snort. "Fer once."

"Yuri how can you be so cruel!" Xavier hissed. "This is love we are talking about, do you think Vernon would treat you the same way if he were in your sole-pads?"

Yuri scoffed. "Pfft, I'm never getting tithed." The black wolf flashed a wide grin. "Me and Ada have an arrangement."

"Does Ada know that?" Trenton asked, flashing a smug grin.

Yuri scoffed again, turning his muzzle away from the other wolves.

"Well, Dawn and me are already making the arrangements to have a caprid ceremony. Somethin' small with a few close friends and her Ma to honor her side of the family." Vernon muttered. "Gus is a licensed caprid officiator, so we won't have a problem finding someone willin' to do a pred/prey ceremony."

"And I take it you plan to file partnership documents?" Xavier asked.

Vernon gave a nod. "As soon as were back in the city we'll have the papers drafted up. With our connections in city hall, we shouldn't have a problem getting' approval over it."

"But the tithe?" Zach asked, the worried looking wolf said with a whimper.

Vernon let out a tired sigh. He had been keeping his most drastic backup plan rather close to his chest, but the wolf supposed if he couldn't tell his brothers, who could he tell?

"In the unlikely event that Pa...well..." Vernon shook his head. "Sticks to his guns...then I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pull somethin' drastic."

Xavier pursed his lips, the bespectacled wolf furrowing his brow in concern. "Drastic?" The wolf pressed. "Vernon, what are you thinking?"

Vernon let out a shuddering sigh as he placed his paws on his knees.

"Look..." Vernon placed a paw to his temple, rubbing it gently. "It ain't no secret that most of us don't take too much stock in our whole...native wolf ancestry." The wolf muttered uneasily. "Aside from Yuri, we don't even throw around pack terminology."

"That's because it's all bunk." Trenton muttered.

"Yes, that isolationist attitude and superiority complex has done nothing but drive them to the point of self-extermination." Xavier added.

"Believe me, I'm far from a fan of their traditions either." Vernon huffed. "I'm with our great grandma when it comes to Native Wolves, which is where I got the idea..."

"Great Grandma?" Wade asked, the wolf seemingly clueless.

Xavier looked equally as confused for a moment before a sudden flash of realization flickered behind his eyes. In mere moments the wolf's expression turned to one of aghast horror."W-wait, you don't mean..?" The wolf trailed off, placing a paw to his muzzle in shock.

Vernon gave a soft nod, taking a deep breath in order to steel himself for what he was about to say. While Xavier had clearly caught on, the others seemed to remain in the dark about what the wolf was implying. It was an option the wolf really didn't want to think about, let alone have to use. But where his Honey Lamb was concerned, the wolf was willing to do anything.

"If Pa says no, then I'm givin' up the Hunter name." Vernon said with a sad sigh.

The room fell silent as the other brothers exchanged unsure and confused glances. Xavier however looked as if he had taken ill, the wolf's acute horror seemingly confirmed by Vernon's words.

"Wait, old Runty's gonna be out of the family!?" Yuri chirped in a gleeful tone. "Well it must be my birthday!"

"Vernon, YOU CAN'T!" Xavier whined, his voice fraught with concern. "It's absolutely preposterous! Just because our Father sai-"

"If he won't give me permission fer the ceremony...if he refuses to embrace Dawn as one of our our own then..." The wolf paused, finding thew words somehow difficult to say. His throat seemed to tighten as he managed to press onward. "Then I have to opt fer expulsion from our pack." Vernon said, crossing his arms defiantly. "That way I won't need his permission to make Dawn a part of our pack. We'll just make our own."

"Vernon's gonna be a real Omega!" Yuri laughed aloud. "Oh 'mam, looks like I was right about you all along Runt! Glad you've finally come to accept it!"

"SHUT UP YURI!" Xavier snapped, the wolf seemed to be beside himself with worry.

"So what, yer gonna have no last name?" Trenton asked.

"I'll be tithin' as a Bellwether." Vernon said confidently, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice.

Yuri had descended into cackling, the black wolf now rolling around in his bed.

"Oh this is perfect! PERFECT!" The jet black wolf laughed. " Instead of her wiping her slate clean by hiding behind the Hunter name, old Vermin will be stuck as a Bellwether! What a proud family lineage to be a part of!" The wolf continued.

Vernon had long since stopped paying attention to Yuri's antics. The gravity of the conversation keeping him focused on the reactions of the brothers who actually cared. Between Zach, Wade, Trenton, and Xavier, the brothers looked absolutely crestfallen.

"B-but that means..." Wade muttered sadly.

Vernon nodded. "Means I won't be allowed to come to the Ranch anymore. That this place won't be my home anymore." Vernon sighed. "And you fella's well..."

"We won't be considered your brothers anymore." Zach said somberly.

The wolf gave a sad, meek nod as the group fell silent. Looking at his brothers now made the concept of self-elected expulsion that much more stomach-churning to Vernon. Trenton, Wade, Xavier and the rest of them were the first friends he had ever had, and outside of Dawn, they were the mammals he was closest to. And while pack expulsion was simply a concept, more or less upheld by those involved with it privately, and not from a legal standpoint, Vernon would have to enforce it as if it were law. If his actions were to mean anything to his Father, to his family, the wolf would have to be the one to stand by his own decision without faltering.

Dawn deserved the ceremony, they both did. Its symbolic importance was something tantamount to those of Norwulff ancestry. Even if it was something that remained privately observed among the pack, with little more to prove it had been performed than the tattoos on their palms, it was the deepest expression of love one wolf could show to his mate. Denial was not an option for Vernon, and while they could go on without Dorian's approval, going so far to get their marks and lie to those outside the pack about the true nature of the ewe's status, Vernon would know. He had to make a statement, to stand against his Father as strongly as he could to force the wolf to budge. And if he refused to relent, than Vernon was prepared to accept the consequences. One way or another Dawn was getting that 'tithing' ceremony, even if Vernon had to toss away his name to give it the meaning it deserved.

"Well..." Wade muttered. "W-we can still see each other right?" The wolf whined.

"If, the gods forbid, it came to that?" Trenton added.

Vernon managed a soft smile.

"Well, our home is always open to ya'll if you'd be willin' to visit." Vernon said hopefully. "And it would mean the world to us if you would come to our tithin', even if it ain't Hunter ordained."

Xavier shook his head, the wolf seemed to be trying to hold back tears as he grit his teeth.

"Of course Vernon, Malcolm and I will be there." Xavier managed to smile. "Regardless of the circumstance."

"Me and Qali too." Trenton added, placing his paw on Vernon's shoulder again.

"You can count on it."

"And you know Vanna and I will be there." Zach added, placing his paw on Vernon's remaining shoulder. The russet wolf flashed his trademark grin. "And you know that you'll be welcome in Vanna and my home once it is finished. Even if I have to build the thing without that grizzled old greyfur's help!" Zach gave a weak laugh.

"And you know Giselle and I will stand with you" Wade added. " I mean heck, you two are the reason I even was able to muster the courage to ask that giraffe out."

The room fell deadly silent again as Wade's words passed loudly into the ether, Vernon and the others practically freezing in place as they each registered the dusky grey wolf's statement. Vernon simply blinked in shock, his mind desperately double checking with his muzzle that he hadn't been the one to reveal the secret Wade had begged him to keep. Trenton, who had been the only other wolf in the know, seemed to be doing his damnedest to force down a bemused smirk, but he was failing miserably. Meanwhile, Xavier and Zach were seemingly lost in a haze of confusion, as if their minds were failing to parse exactly what species Wade had said his mate was.

Vernon turned slowly to face Wade, the wolf still smiling stupidly at the others as if he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary. Vernon wanted to speak, to say anything to Wade, but words failed him as he continued to blink dumbly at the grey wolf. For a moment Wade stared back in confusion, before slowly succumbing to abject horror as he slapped his paws against his muzzle. The wolf's now panicked eyes darting around from brother to brother as the realization overtook him.

"So...Giselle is a giraffe?" Zach asked, quirking an eyebrow as a wide grin crept across his muzzle.

"B-B-" Wade stammered, the wolf was blushing madly now as he struggled to find his words. "I didn't, I me-" Wade dragged a paw down his face.

"Oh ho ho..." Zach laughed. "So we got another prey chaser in our midst!" The russet wolf laughed.

Xavier placed a paw to his muzzle as he tried to stifle the laughter rising in his throat. "My..." Xavier snicker. "How...exotic."

Wade seemed to be sweating profusely now. The wolf opened his maw for a moment, but all that managed to escape was a strange squeaking noise before he clamped his muzzle shut with his paws.

"Oh I have so many questions..." Trenton said, his grin widening to almost chesirin proportions.

"How does that even work?" Zach asked. "Like mechanically?"

"Exactly." Trenton nodded at the russet wolf in agreement. "I can't even begin to imagine."

Wade looked back to Vernon, his eyes pleading for help has his muzzle failed him. Vernon let out a soft chuckle. "Sorry bud, I can't help you outta this one."

"So, when you two are in bed..." Zach trailed off, his voice almost sing-song in its teasing tone. "Do you need like, an elevator to move around to the different areas? Or do you just run it like a marathon?"

"Oh my, that sounds exhausting." Xavier chuckled darkly.

"I-well...I..." Wade stuttered weakly.

"Are giraffe tongues as big as they say?" Trenton asked. "Because I've heard quite a few...lurid tales."

Wade let out another squeak, the flush on his muzzle growing more crimson by the second.

"And flexible." Yuri joined the conversation again, the dark wolf laughing as he glared back at the rest of the pack. "Must give a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Deep Throat'.

"SHUT UP!" Wade whined, grasping his pillow and wrapping it tightly around his head. With a heavy 'Whump', the wolf crumpled into his mattress, seemingly trying to bury himself as deep as Vernon had been earlier in the evening. Vernon had reached his limit at that point, joining the rest of his brothers as they broke into a fit of laughter.