FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The following week was extremely busy as I finished moving into the house that the Berekovs and formerly occupied. With the new paint and the refinishing on the furniture the private quarters where my family now lived was as cozy and comfortable as our old quarters had been. Furthermore, with my new sleeping habits in regards to my family I found that I felt a little better every morning and I also noticed that both Katy and Sergey were also doing better.

After spending more then five days inside of Pride Territory my parents, and my grandfather left to spend some time in the city, I wasn't sure what they had in mind, but it really wasn't any of my business.

That evening all three of them came to my office and I could tell that they wanted to talk.

"Evening, what can I do for you?" I asked leaning back in my comfortable chair.

My mom looked a bit tense and I could tell that whatever it was that she wanted to say wasn't going to be easy for her or my father. After a few more moments, she looked into my eyes. "Mark, I've seen what you have here, and what my father has shown me I have to say that part of me desires these things. I have tried my best to age with dignity but, it is beginning to bother me that I am no longer capable of doing some of the things that I used to be able to do."

Beside her my father nodded slightly, "I agree with your mother, neither of us is really ready or willing to stop enjoying life. Furthermore, both of us have seen areas where we can assist your Pride. I know that I am not the tech head that you are Mark, but I have knowledge and experience on how to get the most out of the land that you live on, without harming it permanently."

I nodded, "Mom I'm guessing that you are interested in the medical angle, since that's what you spent thirty years doing in the city?"

"Yes, your Pride medic is experienced, but his training is a bit lacking. I can start learning about Weres and with my knowledge of modern practices and techniques I am sure that the level of health care here will improve."

I nodded and looked at my Grandfather, "I take it you will move on shortly? You don't seem like you are the kind to set down roots easily."

"You are right in that I don't really like setting down roots, but this place reminds me of my own birthplace that it isn't even funny. The only thing that is massively different is the culture, and the snow, which my cat is no fan of, he thinks it's far too cold here. The feeling of your Pride is a good one, and I can already see that my daughter and her mate will do well here, even though snow isn't really something that Bengals like they can adapt to it in time."

Mom gave her father a glance and sniffed. "Mark, he will remain here for as long as I need him, but right now I need you to ask your Matriarch to come and let us join."

"Mom, I'm assuming that you've already read through that reader that I gave you on the Laws of the Pride?" I asked her, since this was a serious matter.

"All three of us have read, and discussed them at length, there are a few that look like they've been there for a very long time, but we can live with those until they are adjusted for our contemporary time."

"I take it that your father explained why some of our penalties are so harsh?" I inquired as I was reaching out in the bonds for Shanna and Olaf. *Matriarch, my parents are desiring to join the Pride, I've already made sure that they understand what they are getting into.*

*I can come there and administer the oath, since you have rooms for them to recover in.* Shanna replied to me as I sat back in my chair.

"Mom, dad, joining the Pride is a difficult step to take for both of you, though I am confident that both of you will fit in wonderfully. One thing I must stress is that you must not, under any circumstance, take any form of painkiller after you join the Pride. The initial Bonds are painful and feel like a rather bad headache. The best way to get through the initial bond is to sleep it off while your brain begins to adjust to the new bonds with your Pridemates. One thing that you will soon find out is that at times I will be giving you orders and when I do I would prefer if they were obeyed. I'm a senior cat in the Pride and there will be times, though you are my parents, when I will be giving orders that are meant for your protection. If you do have questions about my orders you are more than welcome to ask me about them, we aren't wolves and we don't expect unquestioned obedience, but sometimes we need it."

Both of them nodded their heads and I could sense that they agreed with what I was saying. "Mark, that is one thing we had to have an honest discussion about with Reginald as he explained what you are and what your future looks like." Dad said before the door to my office opened once more and the Matriarch came in, followed by Anna and Olaf.

Shanna looked at my parents and sat down in an empty chair, facing them before she looked into their blue eyes. "Katherine, Kenneth McEwan, do you wish to Join Blackwater Pride?" she asked formally.

My parents turned their heads to look at each other before turning back to her and nodding

"Yes, we do Matriarch," They both said, almost at the same time.

"Will you uphold and defend the Laws of the Pride?" She continued the ancient set of questions

"Yes" Both intoned and I could see in their eyes that they were in agreement, together as they'd been since before my birth.

"Will you protect all of those who are weaker than you, even if it means giving your life so that they may live?"

"Yes," This time my mother was quicker to answer since she'd had to live by the Hippocratic Oath for more than thirty years.

"Will you guard the secrets of the Pride that are entrusted to you with your life?"

"Yes," Neither hesitated a moment with this one and I could see that mom had dad's hand in her's.

"Will you obey those in the Pride who are senior to you to the best of your abilities if it is in the best interests of the Pride?"

"Yes" As before there wasn't even a moment's hesitation as they both knew that when somebody gave an order there was generally a good reason behind it.

"Will you help your Pridemates to the best of your abilities, when they request it?"

They nodded again, being familiar with when to help those around them, "Yes"

Then Shanna stood up and indicated for both of my parents that they should also stand as well. "Then welcome to Blackwater Pride Katherine and Kenneth, my you have a long and fruitful life here among us Tigers of the North." She finished before touching her forehead to both of their's and I couldn't help but yowl a welcome into the Pride Bonds. *Welcome Mom, Dad, welcome to my world.*

Both of them staggered slightly and I could see my father placing his hands on his head at the sudden skull splitting headache that both him.

I stood and stepped around the table taking my mother's arm in mine. "Come Anna let's get these two to bed, they need to sleep off the headache."

Anna nodded without saying anything, the less we said the better under current circumstances as we guided them to one of the free rooms in our own apartment. I made sure that they both laid down to get the sleep that they needed while their minds began adjusting to the new bonds.

"Were you expecting that Mark?" Anna asked me as I closed the door on their room and headed downstairs for the dining hall, we'd managed to time it so that we wouldn't miss the last meal of the day so that we could mingle with members of our House, and our Pride.

"Yes, I know that as soon as she is capable mom will probably ask her father to help her turn, and let her cat come out of hiding. As for my father, I am not sure what he will do about that. I know that I can't turn him, but for some reason I don't see him as a Bengal, he's more like us than he is a Bengal."

Anna nodded, "Now that I've felt him in my mind I can agree with you there one hundred percent Mark, but he will probably ask you even though he doesn't know that you can't do it because you don't have your Were form yet."

I nodded sadly, "I know dear heart, not being able to help my 'Old Man' isn't going to be easy since he did so much to help me when I was growing up."

She hugged me warmly, "Love we will deal with it when the time comes, for now we should go up and get some rest." I nodded as we walked over to where Sergey was keeping Katy occupied before we headed upstairs for the evening.

A week later me during dinner dad approached me and I could tell that he was more than a little nervous. "Mark, I would like to ask you to help me with something." He said before sitting down beside me.

"Dad, I already know what you are going to ask, and I am afraid that I really can't help you. The reason why is rather painful, and it makes my cat more than a little upset."

He looked up into my eyes and asked, "Why is that Mark? What happened to make it so that you couldn't help?"

"Dad how much have you read on how a turning it performed?" I replied with a question of my own.

"Not much, for the most part your mother and I paid the most attention to what is expected of us and the Pride Laws." He answered honestly.

"Dad for a turning bite to be performed the one doing the turning needs to be able to Were-Shift, and that is something I can't do as of yet."

"Why not Mark?" Dad asked with an expression of interest on his face.

"Dad the reason I can't Were-Shift yet is because of how I was turned. I am what is known as Rogue Turned, what that means is that the one who is responsible for my turning is a rogue cat, and as long as he is alive I can't shift to Were." I told him, growling more then a little as I said that. "Some day soon I hope to be able to rectify that matter, but until that time I am confined to either human or feline form, and not Were, which is a mixture of both." I looked down at the table in front of me and had to unhook my fingers from the wood as I'd found that I'd had claws for a moment and they'd been digging deep grooves into the wood.

Dad looked at the grooves in the wood and closed his eyes. "Sorry if this bothered you Mark, I didn't mean to..."

"Dad it is one of those things that can make me unreasonably angry. The person who turned me has also shown little to no regards for others and their welfare, he's a genuine menace and needs to be stopped sooner or later. Though I'd rather it was sooner since he will kill again and I'd rather not have more innocent people die at his claws."

"I think I understand," He said laying his hand on my shoulder and rubbing it.

I growled harshly, "No father, you don't fucking get it at all! There's a reason I have adopted that little pup, and that reason has a name. His name is Mikel Berekov! And he is the one who did this to me!" I shouted tearing my shirt open revealing the horrible red tinged scar that covered the left side of my chest and almost all of my left arm. "He killed her parents to get to me! And he will continue to kill innocents until he is put down like the rabid animal that he is!" As I finished I felt a growling roar coming up my throat and I didn't try to repress it as I suddenly found myself in my tiger form shaking my body to get the shreds of my clothes off my body. My roar of rage and hate shook the walls and shocked every person in the room with its power and volume. I glared up at my father and then turned to leave when a small pair of arms wound themselves around my neck.

"No kitty, no leave." Her frightened voice penetrated my rage and I backed away from the precipice of doing something as awful as what Mikel had done.

*Katy pup.* I thought as another voice made its presence known,

"Ken, most rogue turned Weres have issues with trust, and fitting into Were society. In most cases, they didn't want what happened to them. Mark is one of those few exceptions who is dominant enough to fit in well and actually likes what he is. All the same he still harbours a deep resentment for the one who did this to him." Anna said as she laid a hand on my neck and gently worked her fingers around the base of my ears.

At that point, my mom came into the room and I guess she was perceptive enough to read the bonds, as well as the expressions of those who were standing around the tables in the room. "What's the matter? What was that horrid noise?" She asked, and her voice took on the harsh snap of authority.

Anna looked over at her and beckoned her towards where I was now sitting with two frightened youngsters hugging my neck, Sergey having joined his sister as soon as he'd seen that I'd calmed down a little bit.

"Katherine, your mate just learned something ugly about your son. It isn't that he's evil or nasty in any way, otherwise I wouldn't love him the way I do, but the reality is that until the creature that turned him is dealt with thinking too much about the issue will cause him great pain and anger."

Mom looked down at me and then knelt down and softly rubbed my lower jaw gently. "Mark, your father and I do love you very much." As she said that I could see, for once, that her clear blue eyes had tears in them, "After all without you I wouldn't know anything about my heritage or my family." She continued. "I know that the last six months haven't been easy on you, but we are here, and we will always be here."

I listened to them as I gently inhaled the scents of my family, the healthy scent of my son and daughter, though Katy was a bit damp, that of my mate and finally those familiar scents of my mother and father. *I am sorry, but as I have said before the mere thought of that thing that made me can make me forget myself.*

Dad finally managed to get a hold of himself enough that he could respond as he knelt down to also give me a hug. "Mark, I should also apologize, I wasn't aware of how sensitive a topic the one who did this to you was."

*Thank you, father. I am sorry that I got angry but having to mention the thing that did this to me enrages my cat for some reason. I love my cat with all my heart, but there are times when I have to learn to temper his reactions with my own.* I replied as my mate gently boosted Katy up onto my back. *I am kind of cross about shredding my clothes though, my cat didn't like that but, under the stress of the moment...*

"We all understand Mark, now let's go up to our room for a good night's rest from these events, tomorrow we can discuss how to deal with the current needs of our two newest Pride members." Anna said.

The next morning, I awoke, still in my tiger form, surrounded by my family, all of them including my parents, my children, and my mate. I laid back and relaxed letting my family sleep, marvelling at the fact that my parents were here, since they hadn't shared their bed with me since I could ever remember. Hell, from what I can recall their room was strictly off limits to me when I was a kid, though I guess that was what I was used to since I didn't resent it at all. I was still relaxing when Sergey lifted himself from my left side and stretched, *Morning Dad,* He said across the bonds. *Please don't scare me like that again, I know that you are hurt, but loosing the first person I felt really deserves the title of Dad would tear a hole in my heart that I don't think could be filled.*

I shifted slightly so he could gently scratch the base of my ears, *I'm sorry about that Sergey, really I am. As I explained last night, being reminded of that thing Mikel makes my cat unreasonably angry.*

He hugged tightly, and I could feel his tears in my neck ruff. "Please, dad." He sobbed as he hugged as if to never let go. His crying woke Katy and soon she too was hugging my neck for all her worth crying into my fur as well.

*Mark, don't you ever do something like that again.* Anna said as she slowly got up and stretched her gorgeous form before nuzzling me softly. *The children would never understand, and it would do terrible things to them. Think of your baby girl Mark, you are the only reason that she is here among us, still alive. You are better than that, you're better than Mikel.*

I nuzzled my mate back softly and then gave her a lick. *I am trying my love, that thing needs to meet his maker before too long. He sits in the back of my mind like a poisoned spider reminding me of what he thinks is a weakness.*

*I know love, but you can beat him, you will beat him. And in that moment, he will see his errors, all the pain, the suffering, the misery that his hate has caused.* She told me confidently, looking at the wall over the bed where the sheathed blade that I'd received at Forest Edge was supported on pegs. *He will die by you hand with that blade at his neck and then you will be truly free of a demon.*

*I certainly hope so my love.* I replied as my parents also woke up and I could feel them pouring their affection and caring for me into our Pride Bonds.

An hour later I looked into one of the spare rooms that we had in our apartment and checked everything there. In one corner on a desk there was a laptop that I had recently purchased, by the bed was something that stood out by the fact that normally we didn't have them in our rooms, an IV stand with a bag already prepared, though it hadn't been attached to a line yet. *Anna, I hope you can handle the kids for a couple of weeks, I know I can't give my father the bite he needs to be turned but I don't think that he'd want anybody else with him while he's this vulnerable. I mean he probably would prefer if mom was caring for him, but with her starting her turn in three days...* I sent to my mate as her father, and mine came into the room, Olaf was wearing only a belt and a slightly oversized loincloth.

*I should have things well in hand love, though I can't say that I am looking forwards to our daughter's messy diapers.* She sent, and I could sense that her cat was growling a bit, *But, it is perhaps, a good thing that I learn now instead of waiting till I have a cub of my own.*

*I know love, messy diapers aren't really my favourite thing either, but it is so rewarding when she looks at you and thanks you for helping her, even if it isn't always vocally.*

Anna sent me and acknowledgement even as my father stripped down to his shorts and looked up at Olaf. "Guess this is where you give me a bit of a bite." He said, though I could see that he was more than a bit afraid of the Guardian."

"Ken, you are a brave man, most would wait till their mate was done the change before asking them to turn them." Olaf said with a soft rumble.

"I am not most men, sir. I prefer to think that I make my own decisions, though I do love my wife very much, but I don't think that being a Bengal like she will be is the best thing for me." Dad said as he sat on the bed, "And from what Mark has told me, the turning isn't a lot of fun either, so I'd rather get it over and done with now, if you please."

"Very well Mr. McEwan," Olaf said before shifting to his Were, I was impressed as the great cat that was the Guardian was almost twelve feet tall stepped forwards and very gently bent over my father, opening his jaws and leaning down before biting my father's left shoulder.

I winced as my father let out an ear shattering scream of agony before falling unconscious to the bed.

"Mark, take care of him well." Olaf whistled before turning to leave the room as I arranged my father on the bed and quickly, remembering my mother's instructions got the IV started and covered him with the blankets before going to the desk where I'd placed my laptop. There was little more I could do now other than watch and wait as my father suffered through the first part of the Turn.