Chapter 4

            Tia dreamed of being back by the lake with Alex in her wolf form. But this time she was laying beside him and he was stroking her fur with his left hand. Alex leaned down and rested his head on Tia’s neck and the werewolf turned to touch her nose to his forehead.

            Voices and faces began appearing in Tia’s head: the alphas announcing that they have to sell the omega house and hundreds of protests from each wolf, the various glares that the werewolves would send towards the humans, scaring Alex’s family, it all seemed a little weird the more she thought about it. Finally the voices faded away and Tia was once again awake in the beta bedroom.

            Faolan was snoring in the bed at the opposite side of the room and the half moon was shining right outside the window, telling Tia that night was only beginning. With a smile she let herself drift back into her dream. She still didn’t know if it should make her feel better or if she should consider it a nightmare, but she felt weird, and she couldn’t decide why.

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            Tia woke up once more when it was a few hours away from dawn and the moon would not let her sleep. She decided there was nothing wrong with getting up early and slowly crept down the stairs. She headed towards the baseball field in the hopes that someone else would be there.

            Someone was there alright, but it wasn’t a werewolf. “Alex?” Tia called to the form from about ten yards away. Alex turned around and waved to her before relaxing once more on the dugout bench. Without much reluctance she sat down next to him on the bench and waited for him to say something.

            “What are you doing awake so early?” He asked. Tia smiled and responded, “I might ask you the same question.”

            Alex thought for a moment before he said what Tia hoped was the truth, “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me too”

            Alex looked at Tia and said, “It’s kinda cold out. Do you want my sweatshirt?” It was all Tia could do not to laugh but she knew that if she wasn’t a werewolf her t-shirt wouldn’t offer much protection from the cold itself.

            “I’m fine,” she admitted. Alex seemed somewhat disappointed.

            They were both very silent for a few moments before Alex said, “Halloween is right around the corner.”

            Tia recalled what Moon and Makui had told her, that at certain parts of the year the humans would celebrate something, and if humans are around at that time, they had to join the customs. She also remembered a little bit about the specific ‘holiday’ which the humans called Halloween, where the humans would dress as creatures. But she was unfamiliar with anything else about that holiday.

            “I don’t know a whole lot about it, could you tell me?”

            Alex smiled and nodded before replying, “Every year, on October 31st, children dress up in costumes. They can be scary, funny, weird, any kind of disguise. These children walk throughout a town and knock on their neighbor’s doors and yell ‘trick-or-treat!’ And the neighbors give them candy.”

            Tia smiled and imagined Seven and Akamauro collecting candy from the various houses.

            Alex smiled and added, “My mom was planning on throwing a Halloween party this year.”

            “Halloween party?” Tia asked, now even more confused.

            “Yeah,” Alex began. When he realized she was confused, he continued, “Adults can dress up too, and come over to our house to have fun while the kids collect the candy.”

            Tia finally began to grasp the idea, and rather enjoyed it. She could pretend to be something, maybe create a costume with supplies she could easily acquire from the little crafting shop that Ulfang and Snake ran.

            “What are you going to pretend to be?” Tia asked.

            Alex thought for a moment and replied, “A vampire, how about you?”

            Tia said that she didn’t know then began thinking about something. She had read a few books written by humans about werewolves and vampires being terrible enemies…she thought it kind of ironic that Alex would have chosen it. He very clearly didn’t even think werewolves existed, let alone that she was one.

            Then Tia began thinking about what she would be. Obviously she would tell Buster and Makui about the party and see if they would allow it, and if they would, she only had five days to make a costume. Alex wasn’t kidding when he said it was ‘right around the corner’.

            “I should probably head back to my house before my mom notices me missing,” Alex said. He waved to Tia and ran to the Omega house.

            Tia got up, shook the dust off of herself, and ran over to the Alpha house. She very softly knocked on the door and Makui emerged quietly in a tank top and shorts, completely unbothered by the cold as well.

            “Buster sleeping?” Tia asked.

            Makui nodded and yawned before saying, “Even as a Beta, you should be too. It’s not even four. I just couldn’t sleep and felt I should make myself some tea.”

            “I was hoping to talk to you about something,” was all Tia said.

            Makui shrugged and said, “I made plenty of tea, may as well come in and talk.”

            Tia entered the house and could very faintly hear Buster snoring upstairs. The Beta sat on one end of the couch while Makui brought her some tea, and then sat at the opposite end of the couch.

            “What is it you wanted to discuss?” Makui asked, her weary silver eyes glimmering with curiosity.

            Tia thought for a moment before beginning, “I’m sure you know how the humans have traditions for various parts of the year?”

            The Alpha laughed a little and replied, “Of course, me and Moon were the ones that taught you about them.”

            “Yes. And do you know about the upcoming holiday of Halloween?” Tia asked.

            “Well,” Makui paused to sip from her tea before continuing, “I know of it. The children dress as various things and get candy from their neighbors the night October 31st. That is basically all I know.”

            Tia was pretty surprised that she knew that much, but continued, “Alex explained to me that, sometimes, the adult humans do too, only they meet together for a party, which is what Mora, the adult human, intends to do. Alex wants me and some of the other pack members to attend.”

            “Which members of the pack?”

            “He didn’t say. Just that some should come to the party while Seven, Tom, and Akamauro get candy from the others.”

            Makui huffed a little bit like a wolf. Her face remained completely blank, except it was obvious she was thinking very deeply about it. Tia knew she would try to solve this in a way Buster would, since it should be solved as soon as possible, and it was always a bad idea to wake him up.

            Finally, Makui said, “You probably know that the pack despises following these traditions with humans visiting the hotel. Many of them won’t like obeying this one. And I know some of the pack members don’t like Akamauro and Seven being around the human pups. But, Buster wouldn’t be happy if we refused the wishes of the humans. One member of each house should remain home to give candy to the pups; the remaining will attend the party. Moon excepted, of course, she will want to keep an eye on her pups.

            “I will run this by Buster, and you will go by every house except the Omega house, and call the wolves to the Alpha house for a meeting at noon. The Alpha’s ledge is too dangerous for meetings with humans around. There, we will choose who does what.”

            Tia nodded and left the house, leaving her cup of tea on the coffee table beside the couch. She stretched a little bit in the crimson morning light, and headed to the Beta house to begin spreading the message throughout the town about the meeting, skipping Mora, Tom, and Alex of course.

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            There was a loud commotion as the werewolves tried to find a comfortable spot to sit in the living room of the Alpha house. It may have been spacious, but not spacious enough for thirty wolves. Tia was lucky enough to get a spot on the couch since she was the first to arrive, but the normally three-person couch held her as well as Faolan, Jet, Cougar, and Bart. Dizzy and blue were laying on top of the couch, several werewolves were sprawled out around the table where Buster and Makui stood, three sat in each chair throughout the room, and some were sitting on the staircase out of sight.

            Buster growled for silence and the werewolves respectfully obeyed. Blaze, Sandanio, and Kurt, the elders, were lucky enough to get mats to sit on, on the floor, but there wasn’t a single comfortable spot in the room except maybe the ceiling, too bad no one could fly.

            Makui and Buster whispered something to each other, and then Buster cleared his throat and began to talk, “Tia has recently realized that because we have human neighbors, we now have to obey human customs.”

            Several moans erupted from the swarm but were quickly silenced by an icy glare from Makui, who hadn’t cared enough to change out of her lazy-day shorts and tank top.

            Buster growled in disappointment as he continued, “This means that on October 31st, Moon will lead her pups and the human pup, Tom, around the neighborhood collecting candy for the human tradition known as Halloween.”

            Akamauro and Seven squealed in excitement, obviously they had heard about Halloween from Tom already.

            “One member of each house,” Buster continued, “Will remain at their house giving them this candy. The other members of each house will create a costume and attend a party the humans are throwing.”

            Even more moans were heard that could not be silenced by the icy gaze of Makui.

            “You will return to your houses and Tia will come by and hand each house a list of who will be going to the party and who will stay to hand out candy. All questions will be directed to her,” Makui finished.

            “Dismissed,” Buster called out.

            Immediately, all of the angry wolves filed out of the room and left the house until only Tia, Buster, and Makui remained. Buster took twelve pieces of paper out of his pocket and handed eleven to Tia. Each had a certain house on it as well as the names of who would be going to the party and who would stay to give out candy, and some suggested costumes. Tia pulled the one for her and Faolan out and read:

Beta House

Attending the party: Tia

Staying Home: Faolan

The person attending the party is responsible for buying

The materials to make their own costume, while the one

Staying home is responsible for purchasing the candy.

Ideas for costumes (Attendees at the party are required to wear a costume):

Zombie

Angel

Devil

Skeleton

Food

You are strictly forbidden from wearing any costume having

Anything to do with werewolves or showing this card to any

Human or non pack member. All Questions will be taken

 To Tia, Makui, or Buster.

            Tia smiled when she realized that she would be going to the party. She was eager to see what a vampire looked like, for one.

            “Which one of you is going to the party?” Tia asked, and Makui smiled, revealing that it was her.

            “You will deliver each paper to the designated house then begin construction of your costume,” Buster said in a very serious tone, ruining the excitement.

            She said good-bye and left to the nearest house, the guardian house, and she could see Rex impatiently waiting in a little lawn chair. Tai laughed and knocked on the door.

            “I’m assuming I’m staying to give out candy?” Rex said.

            Tia merely handed him the note and saw him nod courteously before he shut the door. Next, Tia made her way to the first regular house, and when she knocked on the door, a very eager Ulfang greeted her and motioned for her to come in.

            Rand took their slip from her as she sat on the couch and laughed a little bit as he read over it.

            “Looks like you’ll be making the costume, which seems to work out well enough, since you own the crafts store,” he said to Ulfang.

            “Sucks for you and Niku though, if she has to stay home as well, the butcher shop is dead opposite of town to the market,” Ulfang replied.

            “So…do you have questions?” Tia asked.

            “Yes,” Rand paused to think, “Do we have to buy candy, and does Ulfang need to put a lot of effort into the costume? I don’t think he could handle it!”

            Ulfang lightly batted him on the head, “Are you going to hand out chunks of meat to the pups? And I’m going to put my very best effort into the making of my costume!”

            Tia laughed with them and left for the next houses. She had to suffer through the groaning of her pack mates as they received the jobs they didn’t want, or they had a million questions, by the time she got to the last house, the Beta house, her head was throbbing.

            Faolan was obviously pleased with getting the job of giving out the candy.

            “You okay?” He said with a big smile on his face.

            Tia sighed, “I’m fine, but I suppose I had better get over to the craft store to get some stuff for my costume.”

            Faolan opened the door for her to leave, and she did so before she even checked to see if she had enough money. She dug into her pockets and discovered a hundred dollar bill, she smiled and headed to the store. When she got there, she could see Cougar, Tomaw, Bart, Lucky, and Bingo browsing for costume supplies, while Ulfang and Snake were already hard at work on their own.

            Tia had decided to go as a half tiger half human warrior, Buster and Makui said nothing against werecats, did they? She got non-toxic orange, black, and white paint, a furry orange fabric, a furry black fabric, stuffing that was usually used by humans to make stuffed animals, a black t-shirt and an orange t-shirt and pants.

            She then left without a word with all the stuff in a giant plastic bag, and headed towards a shop that was very rarely visited by any members of the pack except Bart and Lucky, who owned it. She paused outside the door to look at the sign above that said, plainly: Weapons.

            She gulped and entered the shop, much to the surprise of Bart, who was at the counter. He had left the craft shop after a short time to return and run the shop.

            “Welcome to a furry creature’s worst nightmare,” Bart said, like he and Lucky always said when a pack member came in.

            Tia nodded, put her bag down next to a chair and began walking around the shop, looking at the various weapons with a horrible look of fear on her face. Every weapon there had been used to hunt animals, including wolves, and she could easily see how easily it could be done.

            Some weapons were merely knives and usual things that weren’t too bad, but then there were some things like traps that would chop off a wolf’s foot as easily as someone might cut a piece of paper. She noticed a sword at the corner of the room, and like all things in Otsana that involved injured wolves, it was incredibly cheap. It was also well-hidden from view by a sheath.

            She cautiously walked towards it and grabbed it by the sheath. She even more tentatively took it out of the protective leather casing and observed the intricate detail on the blade.

            She took it up to the counter and asked, “Do you think I could just borrow this for the party, I don’t want to keep it.”

            Bart sighed, “You know I’d love to let you just borrow it at a bit of a lower price, but you also know that selling weapons doesn’t always go too well in this town…me and Lucky need what little money we can make off of that.”

            Upon seeing her a little saddened, he added, “But wouldn’t it be better for you to just borrow it? If you ever get into a fight with a human, you can’t intend to save both your lives without a trustworthy weapon. You could transform into a wolf, but that would mean they would know about you and likely have you killed. Or, you could do the same and just kill them. Or you can protect both of your lives with this sword.”

            She admired his marketing skills as she handed over the remaining fifty dollars in her pocket to buy the sword. She was going to be a mighty tiger warrior, that’s for sure. She packed everything up, headed back home, and began working on her costume and preparing for the Halloween party.