Wolf in the Big City

Chapter 30 - Pack

Benjamin Anirudh Prasad was charged with three counts of first degree murder, several counts of voluntary harm to innocents and a bunch of other charges related to property damage, resisting arrest and harming NYPD officers.

But he had a good lawyer and there were rules to trials involving mythical beings that didn't apply to regular courts. More stuff I had to read up on, in case something like this happened again. Last I heard, he pled guilty and was being held in a prison for troubled mythical beings for quite a while. But he had every opportunity for a commuting of his sentence through good behaviour and he was eligible for parole.

For a first-time offender, especially in such circumstances, I think he got off pretty easy. It was to be expected, though. He wasn't in control of himself and his urges when he'd killed the Princes and Alexandria Olsen. Mythic court ruled that he could not be tried to the full extent of the law because of it. According to Dylan, it was like blaming a lion for being a lion. Just didn't work that way.

Of course, he still had to be tried as a criminal. After all, he'd killed three people. No avoiding that. Dylan told me to sit through his trial as part of my ongoing acclimatisation to the mythological world, which I did without a complaint. I had a lot to learn about how things worked and what better way than to follow up with a case I'd helped to put to bed?

As far as I know, those involved in the incident returned to their lives after things died down. The friendship I'd struck up with Connie Gelson continued after the case was closed and I've been frequenting her bookstore to catch up on some reading ever since. The Rusty Knot went back to business as usual after getting the property repaired. The Princes were mourned and buried, as was Alexandria. Slowly but surely things went back to normal.

​On my part, I've been trying my best to get myself acquainted with this new form. I practice changing from wolf to human and back again every night in my apartment, with the curtains drawn and my door locked so no one can walk in on me. I talk with Evelyn about the changes to my body and how to use my new senses. She's been real helpful about it too and we've been on more dates in that quiet, mystical section of Central Park where I've really been able to let loose and run around as a wolf.

The weirdest thing? Being a wolf feels normal now. I don't balk at it when I turn, nor do I treat it like it's weird and alien any more. It's become part and parcel of daily life to me, but a part that I can't show the waking world by and large. But hey, I know I'm not alone now. Because when I run on all fours through the park, feeling the wind through my fur? Sometimes Dylan's there next to me. Other times, it's Evelyn. Well, most times it's Evey. Spending time with her like this is new and fun and I can't get enough of it.

One thing's for sure: this was the case that propelled me to this new world. Now that I knew, I was certain that more cases like it would show up in the future. But I wouldn't be tackling them alone either. I think that's the biggest lesson I learned, through all this. I'm not alone.

​Dad? Wherever you are, I hope you've been watching. I know you didn't get to see me follow in your footsteps like you'd hoped, but I'm glad you had that contingency in place. I regretted it at first, but over the course of this case and the time I spent getting used to these new changes, I realise now that I would've had to go through it anyway. With or without you. It would've been easier if you and mom were still around, but I think you'd be proud of how I've handled it without you.

I've still got so much to learn and see. And I'm excited to see what else is in store for me in the future. I'm ready to meet it, head on and with my team.

My name is Daniel Joshua Anderson and I'm ready to live my life the way I was always meant to. Not as a boring detective going through the same routine over and over again. But as someone better. Part of a team. A family.

My new family. My pack.