Phelan’s hand came out of nowhere and struck Argus hard on the cheek, knocking him to the ground. “You can never be like me!” he said, his voice rough and angry. “It’s too late for you.”

Argus rubbed his cheek with his hand, and felt several loose teeth with his tongue. It had felt wrong to plead with Phelan and the werewolf had made him pay for it. Argus was utterly confused and on the verge of tears.

Phelan continued, but his voice was soft now, almost apologetic. “Even if you could become like me, I would not want you to. I want you to stay where you are, with your pack.”

“But that’s not what I want.”

“No. living in the forest is what you think you want. Believe me, living wild is harder than anything you can imagine. Sure, it’s nice to run through the woods, kill something and gorge on its blood, but what would you do in the winter when the snow is piled waist deep and the only thing to eat is tree bark and dead bears.”

Argus wrinkled his nose at the thought of eating the rotten carcass of a bear.

“You see, our kind is slowly dying off because the world we live in is getting smaller each year. But you and your pack can help us preserve our way of life and grow strong again.”

“How can we do that?” Argus asked, feeling better the longer they talked.

“By living among humans and working to safeguard our kind from within their world.”

Argus thought about that a moment. They were trying to save the forest north of Redstone from the logging company in ways that Phelan could never have dreamed of. Their efforts were paying off, and people were saying that it was only a matter of time before the company pulled up their stakes and moved on. Maybe there was something to what Phelan was saying.

“If you continue to live with humans you will become the strongest and most powerful beings our kind has ever known.” He paused a moment to let it sink in, then said. “Do you understand?”

Argus nodded. He did understand a little. They were already working to rescue Phelan’s forest from harvest, but that was such a small thing. Imagine what the pack might be able to accomplish if Noble became a member of British Columbia’s parliament, or even provincial premier. And what if Harlan became a computer whiz, or a scientist who used his skills to teach humankind about conservation? And Tora, she had the looks and talent to be a television personality, a journalist who specialized in environmental issues. And what of Argus himself? He loved the forests and the wild, he could easily end up being a ranger just like Ranger Brock.

Not like his father…but like his adoptive father.