Chapter 87: A Stranger In The Midst

The Kitchen, The Peterson Residence, Fallon Creek, Michigan...

From the moment Casey Allen Peterson opened the front door to his home with his mother, to the moment he stepped into the kitchen after his rather long morning, he had been frozen in terror as he looked upon the rather burly man with hazel brown eyes and a low cut hairstyle just sitting beside his mother slowly sipping a hot cup of coffee. The man, whom Casey had known to have been rather large and bulky turned his attention to the newly arrived boy with ease as his mother endlessly chatted with him about things Casey's mind couldn't register beyond the absolute fear that coursed through him.

The burly man had been familiar alright right down to his hazel eyes narrowed and focused on the rushed beating of Casey's young heart. To be in someone else's house, the man seemed quite at home as he sipped his coffee, rather confident that he'd been the Alpha in the room, a fitting thing given that he'd been the bastard that made both Rick Channon and Casey Peterson, moonborn.

Up close he'd been a rather interesting-looking older man, given to facial hair and relative gruffness. His eyes were hazel in color and he seemed to be intensely focused on Casey sniffing the air around them on occasion as the glow from his wolfish nature shifted his eyes and smirked at the still trembling younger lad knowing all too well that he'd been born of his blood just as Rick had.

"It's good to see you again, Casey." said the older brute. "Your mother had told me so much about you, It's a pity what happened to your old man, happens to the best of us."

Casey narrowed his eyes at the brute.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled when his mother had not been in earshot.

The large brute smirked revealing his rather sharp fangs and turned up his cup of coffee.

"I was just in the neighborhood, looking for you two given all the howling in the woods," he replied taking a long slow sip while staring rather intently at the younger lad. "Just thought I'd pop by and say hello, figured it to be the courteous thing I am your sire after all."

Casey growled narrowing his eyes at him.

"Like hell you are," he said in reply.

With a wave of his hand, the larger brute brought the boy to his knees with ease causing Casey's eyes to widen.

"Careful boy, I might take offense to having a fag for an underling." said the brute narrowing his glowing eyes at Casey.

"F-Fuck you old man," growled Casey struggling against the oddly invisible hold this monster had on him.

He had no understanding of it as The aged brute turned his attention back to his coffee.

"You and your little boyfriend have no choice in the matter, I will call for the pack at the height of the full moon and you will be there, the blood hunt is upon us and there is no way I am allowing you two to run amuck and endanger this town because you can't control your bloodlust any more than you could your respective cocks."

"Huh?" asked Casey still confused.

"I am the Elder of this pack and as a result it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of Fallon Creek, you will adhere to my call whether you like it or not."

The older brute finished off his coffee and allowed Casey to get back on his feet. The ragged-breathing teen glared at the older man in disbelief.

"How are you two getting on?" asked Helen with a smile as she sat back at the table.

"Oh we are getting on quite famously, in fact, Casey here had just agreed to do a bit of woodworking at my shop along with his friend...Rick, I believe his name is." said The older brute in a casual tone.

"Oh that's wonderful, maybe a chance to keep the two of them out of trouble from time to time so long as it doesn't interfere with their school work and practice I think it's a great idea, them learning hands-on experience," said Helen beaming with pride when she looked over her son, who tried his best to appear at ease despite not being so.

Casey had been fearful of what the brute could and would do to his mother if he didn't play along.

"Yep." said Casey trying to appear grateful, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

The brute seemed satisfied as he finished off his coffee and smirked.

"Well look at the time, I'm afraid I must be going, see you and Rick soon, son," he said before taking his leave of the Petersons.

Casey narrowed his eyes at the brute who passed by him and walked out the door with his mother following behind bidding him farewell. The lad let out a sigh of relief when the brute had been gone, his stench included but the anxiousness remained as the lad turned his attention to his mother.

"It'll be so good for you to have a positive male role model," said Helen with a smile as she tousled her son's hair as per usual and went toward the stairs and up to her bedroom.

"Positive is hardly a word I'd use to describe that asshole," muttered Casey more so to himself.

He stood with his fists balled and his eyes blazing with fury as he thought back to how he became infected in the first place. He sighed as he recalled that the brute had been after Rick as well, more so due to him being the one he originally wanted and sired in the wake of the older boy's family being murdered by the hitmen.

Casey noted his appearance and decided he was due a shower after the party and his time in the woods with Rick before the journey home, he rushed upstairs and got out a new outfit, and into the shower. His mother appeared to have been resting since her late shift was coming up in a few hours and he opted not to disturb her.

It was still the weekend and he didn't have to worry about school for a while as he cleaned up and shuffled into his fresh clothes before heading back out the door, leaving his mother asleep.

He had a good idea of where to find Rick, given his Aunt always had him do inventory on the weekends and restock the shelves for her given how time-consuming and heavy the products had been. Casey himself had never ventured to Dee Clark's shop but his mother had on occasion as they'd been fast friends ever since she and Casey moved to Fallon Creek.

He didn't doubt that Rick would be surprised to see him. He also knew he had to warn him about the asshole that infected them with wolf blood making demands of them and visiting his mother beforehand.