The northern part of the west coast is known for its constant rain and gloomy weather, but the external conditions didn’t go unnoticed by the residents at the House of Stray, a mansion secluded on the outskirts of Oak Harbor, Washington.
Other than when the full moon fought through the heavy rain clouds, they spent most of their days enjoying the comfy settings inside the home, avoiding the weather. The only resident to leave home daily, besides the butler they have kept for centuries, was Lascivious, the Alpha and oldest of 5 brothers.
“Uhg, really?” the youngest brother, Amorous, whined when he peeked outside the window in the great room to see the massive droplets of water pinging at the window.
He was the youngest born to a family of werewolves who’d kept their identity secret for several centuries. If you’ve heard of old money, this family came from something much older.
“Yes, really. Now stop stalling and get going, or Libidi will arrive while you’re still standing here being a baby. He won't be too happy, and you’ll take the blame.” Prurien said warningly.
Prurien is the beta of their little brotherly pack. Being the second oldest to Lascivious, he kept the brothers in line.
“You’re not made of sugar, doll, so I doubt you'll melt. Better do as the big bad wolf says, or you will have twice the amount of shit to deal with,” advised Tener when he entered the overly furnished great room.
Tener was the second youngest and Libidi’s twin brother, but you wouldn’t know they were twins by looking at them. Where Libidi was clean cut, muscular, and now just finishing four years at a private training school for defensive tactics, Tener was always clad in tight leather while his long thick blond hair hugged his slender body. Tener didn’t have to work, but his online fan base was massive due to his amateur music talent for playing the guitar, all the while naked.
“Why don’t you make Johnathan pick him up? He drives in this crap every day!”
Tener snickered at Amorous’s protest but felt Prurien getting irritated.
Gritting his teeth, Prurien walked over and stuck his finger in Amorous’s face. “You whined you didn’t have a license, so we spent several weeks teaching you until you passed. And now, you want to be a pussy and cry about a small bit of rain?”
Tener just watched them as he leaned against the doorway inside the great room with an amused grin.
“Fine! I’m going. If I die on my way there, you can explain it to Lascivious AND Libidi, and they won’t blame ME because I’ll be DEAD!”
Stomping his feet as he brushed past Tener, Amorous left.
Prurien shook his head at the immaturity of his youngest brother and went back to reading his book sitting on the oversized sofa by the far window.
He didn’t get two words in before he heard Tener clapping, “Piss off, I am trying to read,” he growled at Tener.
“Come now, Pru, must you be so moody? Libidi will be home soon, and once Lasci gets home later tonight, we will have a welcome-home party! Aren’t you the least bit excited?”
Setting his book down, Prurien closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His sizeable muscular chest rose and relaxed under his sweater. He opened his icy blue eyes and looked at Tener.
“Excited for what, more cleaning? More beer cans? More arguments coming from drunken idiots? I swear Lasci needs to run you and Amorous till you drop this weekend. You both need a reality check.”
Tener laughed at his second-oldest brother.
“Laugh now, but once Libidi is home, you’ll have more than Lasci and me to worry about.”
“Point taken, but it’s going to be fun tonight. Johnathan has a feast planned, and the party hats were delivered yesterday! I guess I better get decorating. Want to help?” Tener asked, already knowing the answer.
“No, and you are the one that is cleaning the crap up. Libidi could care less for childish party favors.”
“Geesh, no need to give me the shit parade. Fine, no party hat for you!” Tener responded before turning around to head back to the kitchen, passing the butler Johnathan.
“Watch out. It’s Pru’s PMS time.”
Jonathan rolled his eyes at Tener’s joke and headed to the great room.
Prurien tried getting back to reading his book while listening to the wind and rain beat at the great room windows, but he couldn’t focus now and slammed the book in his lap. Looking through the sheer white curtains, he worried for his youngest brother. It was the pecking order of how things went according to their older brother, the Alpha, and Prurien wasn’t about to question it.
Lost in thought, he didn’t hear the butler’s voice.
“Want some coffee, tea, maybe some Xanax?” Jonathan asked but got no response.
“Can I have the rest of the day off?”
“No, you can’t.” Prurien finally answered gruffly, looking over at him peeking through the window.
“Bummer, it’s supposed to get worse out here shortly, according to the radar; I hope they are safely back by then.”
“No, you don’t,” Prurien said as he chuckled.
“You’re right, and I could care less. So, coffee or tea?” Johnathan asked again.
“Coffee.”
“Caffeine and the poops it is.” The butler turned and headed out of the great room back towards the kitchen.
The butler Jonathan was a demon locked in to serve the family for eternity, so he catered to them as needed but never went beyond that most days.
“Was he pissy with you too?”
“No, just the usual,” Jonathan answered Tener while he opened the fridge, " and I don’t understand why Lasci sent out your youngest brother to get Libidi. He’s about as useless as wet toilet paper.”
“Lasci wants him to take on more responsibility around the house. He gets pissy when we aren’t constructive citizens and contributing to society.” Tener responded to him while snapping a party hat on.
“Ha, citizens. You guys hardly ever leave the house, so what has he got to worry about? If he let you three youngest loose, the town would be mobbing the gate with pitchforks and fire.”
“True that! It doesn’t matter, though, because this is a secret. Lasci will take Libidi to work once he’s settled back in. He wants him to run the head of security at STRAYTIS. He also tried convincing Pru to start working at the office, but Pru’s afraid that if he doesn’t work from home, no one will babysit us.” Tener’s voice ended in a whisper as he leaned against the kitchen counter wearing a kid's striped party hat.
“I would say, I fear one of these days your eavesdropping will get you ran till you drop dead, but then, I don’t care.”
Tener laughed at Johnathan's comment and started opening the large welcome home sign he’d ordered along with the party supplies.
Thunder suddenly cracked, and Tener laughed nervously, “Have fun, little brother.”
“I second that.” the butler said after and handed Tener a piece of the apple he was cutting.
They chuckled nervously as the wind smacked the windows hard and the rain beat in a threatening rhythm.
“Man, it’s getting bad out there. Maybe I should call Amorous.” Tener said quietly, walking up to the kitchen’s wide window.
Jonathan shrugged as he put the coffee on the tray to take to Prurien.
The bare footsteps slapping at the marble floors echoed in the kitchen before Prurien came running in.
“He’s been in an accident. Tener, come with me, Jonathan, you take my car and meet us at the address I will send you. Amorous doesn’t know where he’s at, and the car is totaled, is all I heard before we lost connection.”
Prurien started undressing in the kitchen.
“We’re running!?”
“Yes, with the storm, it will be faster. Even with the storm, he has to be over 10 miles away. I sent a message to Libidi and Lasci already. Lasci will meet us once I text him the address. My phone won't have a good signal if he’s at Barrows curve, but we’ll take it and hope for the best. Let's go now!” Prurien said in a rush to Tener as he headed naked to the kitchen door.
“Have fun. I guess you won’t be having coffee after all.” Jonathan said rhetorically.
Tener chuckled as he took off his shoes and got undressed.
“Keep your phone on,” Prurien said, snapping at the demon butler.
Jonathan whispered in mockery, “Keep your phone on.” to the Alpha’s words and turned up the volume on his phone.
Strapping a waterproof waist pack hanging by the door to his tan, muscular body, Prurien put in his and Tener’s phone before zipping it.
Once Tener was naked also, they both called on their wolf. The ancient power surged in Prurien. He remembered the feeling of grass and leaves
brushing his face while the smell of dirt giving way to his paws reached his nose. He could smell the forest air as the wolf surged in him.
Tener used the same feeling, except he could remember the sound of birds crying out a warning that a wolf was near their tree. He heard branches snapping under his heavy paws while he stalked prey.
Each brother had a different way of bringing out their wolf, but the ancient power passed down through the wolf’s bloodline for hundreds of years was the same.
“We are ready.”
Jonathan walked over and opened the side door from the kitchen at the prompt of Pruriens deep voice.
