It all began one evening when the moon was full. The full moon is an interesting phenomenon, especially when werewolves or were-animals are concerned. Peter had left Thomas with Micky and Davy for the night as he did every night. He walked back to the house, watching the sun set over the ocean and thinking about the full moon. He thought he heard a noise from the bushes in front of the house, but dismissed it as he entered the building.
He peered in the side window to watch as the couple inside slowly but surely transformed into their respective were-animals. He'd observed quite a few changes in were-wolves and such in the past few years to know what to expect. The girl with him was normal in her changing, but Peter was something else.
He watched Peter. Something about his changing was unique. He began with a light blue glow around his body and he slowly knelt on the ground. He appeared to be in no pain.
The blue glow was not as surprising to Peter's observer as the fact that he seemed to be in no pain. Watching, he saw Peter's features slowly change into those of a canine. But, instead of dark, gray and black hair, the fur was long and blond. The observer could not suppress the gasp of surprise when he saw the final products. He'd seen tons of werewolves-but never this!
'My God,' he thought. 'The man's a bloody puppy-dog!'
Peter sniffed the air with his extra-sensitive nose and was confused. Someone was watching him. Someone close. He glanced at Nicole, who had changed but not noticed the smell.
He rubbed her neck with his head, whining slightly. Then he glanced at the door, hoping she'd understand. She nuzzled his neck back and glanced towards the door, letting a low whine out as well. He understood her message. Go, but be careful.
'Don't worry, love, I will,' he thought as he left.
The light colored dog left the house and crossed the yard, aware of the observer. Half-human, it would not fall for a simple bait-and-cage trap. So he was prepared to try something a bit more sophisticated. That left only one option.
With a long pole, he reached for the dog, and before it could move or notice, in one swift motion, managed to loop the dog around the dog's neck. The anger in the animal's eyes was like nothing he'd seen before, but then, the attacker reminded himself, he was half-human. He was yanked halfway around the yard, and when he managed to stop himself from being yanked, his shoulders were nearly ripped from their sockets as he tried to keep hold on the end of the pole.
A low growl escaped the half-animal's throat, and he wasted no more time. With a few primal thoughts of his own, the attacker jumped on Peter, beginning the night's battle.
One of the wonders of the man vs. nature battle was that although man was physically weaker, he did have technology on his side. The victor held the needle of tranquilizer in his hand and gazed at the unconscious half-animal lying on the table and thought about that.
For a few moments, he had wondered about caging him. But decided against it. Once morning came, he'd be human again, and he had enough sedative in him to knock him out for a few days, man or animal. Now, on to his plan. With a smile and a half-laugh to himself, he turned and left the room.
It was late afternoon when Peter awoke. He was groggy but in no pain. It took him a moment to remember what happened. He sat up and glanced around the room he was in. He got up and rushed to the door, but it was, of course, locked.
The appearance of the room was sanitary. The walls and floor appeared a shiny metallic substance. Peter's first reaction was that it was some sort of a laboratory. The door was a thick slab of metal, possibly lead, though he couldn't be sure. It was a small room, with only the metallic table he'd been lying on when he'd awakened. There were no windows, chairs, or other furniture.
There was also no sign of the man who had captured him - no clues as to why he'd been taken in the first place. Peter heaved a sigh and sat down on the metallic table to think. The only thing to do was wait.
Peter was uncertain how much time he had been awake. He had no watch, and there was no clock in the room. He was dressed in a pair of non-descript jeans and a plain white T-shirt. He was assuming from this fact that his captor was at least a bit compassionate. He had no clothes of his own, after all.
He was ready to fall back asleep, bored as he was, when there was a loud clanking sound and the large metal door opened. Peter sat up immediately.
The man was dressed in all black - black pants, black shirt, black shoes, and even a black cowboy hat that covered most of his face.
He stepped forward but said nothing. Peter remained silent also, wondering what was going to happen. For a long moment, neither man said anything. Then both spoke at once.
"Who are you?" Peter asked, his face mirroring the confusion he felt.
"We can do this easy or hard," the other man said at the same time. Then, there was silence.
"Do what?" Peter asked after a short pause.
"Tell me about your life. The kid."
"Why?"
"I said so." He held up his left hand, which had until then been concealed behind him. It held a needle-a syringe-filled with a clear liquid. "We caan do it the easy way or the hard way," he repeated.
"What do you want to know?" Peter asked.
"Everything," the man replied.
It was good to taste food, Peter thought to himself as he quickly devoured the hamburger he'd been given. He still wasn't sure what his enemy wanted from him or his motives, but he could tell he wasn't a criminal. He tried, but Peter somehow got the sense that his true nature was as a good guy.
He thought that his captor must be as scientist of some sort, judging by the sanitary condition of the room he was in.
He remembered that the man had taken him when he was a dog. He hadn't seemed surprised when Peter had returned to human form. He suspected the man had some experience with were-animals. However, that didn't explain the detailed questions.
Peter finished off the food he'd been given and went to lay down. He'd been moved to another room, this one with a cot- less sterile, but just as strongly locked. He thought for a while, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't think of an explanation from the man. He heaved a huge sigh and shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
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