"Not too shabby, if I do say so myself," Dad gloats.
"All you did is put up a tent. It's not that hard."
"Hey, they are harder than they look."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Okay, mister negative, what have you gotten done?"
"I gathered fire wood, built a fire." I point to the fire I built. "I caught dinner." I point to the fish cooking over the fire. "Oh, and I put up my tent."
"Thought you've never been camping?"
"Haven't, I've just spent my fair share of time in the woods."
"Uh huh. Well, how'd you catch the fish?"
"With my mouth?" I immediately regret saying it.
"Your mouth? How did you do that?"
"Uh, I just—" I rub the back of my neck. "I just did my werewolf thing."
He just blankly stares at me like he's uncertain how to respond to that. "Never mind." He shakes his head and tries to make himself busy.
"Uh, Dad, if it makes you uncomfortable, I won't do anything else werewolfy this trip."
"Why should you do that? Why should I be weirded out by my son turning into a large hairy wolf to catch dinner? It's not my place to tell you you can't be yourself. The whole point of you telling us was to avoid that." He rummages through a bag aimlessly.
I feel an uncomfortable tug in my chest. "I'm gonna go for a walk."
I walk to the nearby creek and sit down. I stare at my reflection in the rippling water. How my dad feels about all the craziness that is my life hurts. I can't help but hurt. I know he's trying, and he will be okay eventually, but right now I can't help but hurt. Maybe this trip was a bad idea. Should have just played a board game or done a puzzle. Tears begin to slip out against my will.
"Ryder?" Dad ask, worried.
I sniffle. "Yeah?"
He sits down next to me. "I'm trying, Ryder, I really am."
"I know." I take in a shaky deep breath, trying to calm myself.
"I'll understand if you want to go home. This is not how I thought this would be. I guess I'm just not great company or a good father."
"You're a great dad, Dad."
"Sure doesn't feel like it with the way I've been talking to you. I just don't understand why I can't get over it."
"It's just harder for some people than others, Dad. It has nothing to do with your parenting, because you are a great dad. Mist talks about you very fondly."
He looks at me. "She does?"
"Yeah, she does. She's always telling me how great you are."
"I guess I've lost my touch."
"No, you haven't. Dad, it's not you, it's me. It's not your fault you feel distraught. It's my fault, you weren't ready. I should have never told you so soon." I rest my head in my hands.
"Don't blame yourself, Ryder."
"You wouldn't feel this way if I didn't let Mist talk me into letting her tell you guys."
"Maybe we should just go home. It might be less miserable for the both of us." He gets up to head back to camp.
"I don't want to give up on this yet."
He stops and looks back at me in surprise. "You don't?"
"No, I don't." I stand up. "We can't give up just because things seem hard. That's the easy way out, but if this is too uncomfortable for you, we can go home."
He just stares for a moment. "I'm willing to try if you are."
"I am."
"Guess we're staying then."
"Yeah, guess we are."
***
Dad and I watch the fire slowly burn out together. Things seem less tense than they did before. We had gotten back to camp just in time to take the fish off the fire to keep it from burning. It was actually pretty good, considering it was a little overcooked.
"I'm going to turn in, goodnight. Don't stay up too late."
"I won't, Dad, goodnight."
I gaze at the dancing flames of the fire. I feel the warmth of the heat they put off in my face. Tomorrow will be fun. It'll be good. I feel like we got all of it out of our systems. So hopefully things will go smoother now.
In the morning Dad and I cook up breakfast and head out for a hike. We pick a location surrounded by a ton of nice designated hiking trails. Some of us can get turned around more easily than others. He has proven that his sense of direction isn't that great in a strange area. In a familiar area he can tell you every road and where it goes even if he's never driven on it or has been quite a long time since he has. Like in his hometown. But not so much here, where he's never been.
He talks to me about when he was my age and about his parents and all the stupid teenage things he did. And trust me, he has his fair share. I enjoy learning more about him. Makes me feel like we're getting closer. It's a good feeling, nothing else like it.
Family and bonding time is very important to werewolves. We thrive on connection and loyalty, it's a big reason why werewolves live in packs. I see now that I'm no longer a rogue, or a lone wolf. I have my own pack now. My family.
YOU ARE READING
Foster Wolf
Lupi mannari(Complete) Ryder is a teenaged boy in foster care. his parents died when he was two and was put into the foster system. He has bounced from one home to another. Either he was sent back or ran away, but this time when his social worker, Mary, found h...
