The BlackWolf Effect (Book IV)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - Pudding Creek Beach

"So now that all the serious stuff is out of the way, let's have some fun," said Timber.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Grace.

"Pudding Creek!" cried Timber and the girls cheered.

"Sounds like a great idea," said Henry. "But what about Renegade? The laws?"

"Right," said Timber looking disappointed.

"I can fix that," said Grace. She opened the closet behind the door and pulled out a small box from the top shelf and gave it to Timber.

"My first collar," she said. "I remember how much I loved this thing," she added with sarcastic fondness. "It's a little big, but I can add a notch. Henry, give me a hand."

Henry held it firmly in his hand and Timber took her wolf form and Henry lowered it. Timber stuck one of her long claws in the fabric and pushed a hole through it. Then she resumed her human form.

"Renegade, come here please," said Timber. She held up the collar to show him. "You have to wear this while we are out today. It's uncomfortable for a while but you'll get used to it. You also have to be attached to this so you don't run off. I'm sorry, Honey, but that's the law here."

Timber put the collar around his neck and Renegade began sobbing. It broke Timber's heart. She looked up at Grace.

"Do you have my last one?" she asked.

"It's hanging behind my coat on the door," said Grace so Timber got up and grabbed her leash and collar.

"Why is he crying," asked Justin.

"We're wolves," said Timber. "We have a lot of pride in what we are. We don't like being confused with dogs. Unfortunately, people are not scared of dogs like they are of wolves. He hasn't worn a collar since he was a week old so he doesn't remember it. He feels scared and trapped. That's the same way I felt when I wore that for the first time. I tried attacking mine, though. I'm going out in my wolf form. It will make him feel better if he sees me on a leash too."

"Are you sure?" asked Xianna.

"I thought you hated it," said Ashley.

"I do, but it's for my son," said Timber.

She Turned and Grace hesitantly strapped the collar around her neck. Then she attached the leash. Timber felt the old familiar feeling of her pride being smashed but she didn't let it show. Renegade moved slowly toward her with his tail between his legs and allowed Grace to put him on a leash too. He was calmer now that his mother was in the same contraption.

Henry was clearly fighting the urge to hit something. He hated seeing his wife and son on a leash but he knew the human laws and he knew that they had to be obeyed. He refused to take the leashes so Grace and Xianna handled them.

They all walked out of the front door. The large crowd climbed into Gina's thirty year old eight seat minivan. Grace asked Henry to drive her car so she could keep Renegade on her lap. Henry got behind the wheel and started the car. He pulled out slowly and made sure that everyone else was a safe distance and he pulled away. He lead the convoy to Main Street and then north to Pudding Creek.

It was the perfect day for the beach and they were clearly not the only ones that had the idea to enjoy the sand and waves. Henry and Gina managed to miraculously find parking and got out of the vehicles. Timber handed Renegade to Henry and looked over at the van. She noticed that Xianna was having a little trouble getting out but Dresden came to help her.

"Renegade, this is a sand," said Henry, lowering the black puppy to the ground gently. "It's going to feel different under your feet."

Renegade clearly didn't know what to make of the sand. He sniffed it fine but as soon as his paws were on the ground, he lifted his front right paw and his back left. Almost immediately, he switched paws. He did this a couple more times until he finally relaxed but not before the adults had a good laugh.