Werewolf's Humanity

Business or Pleasure? Part 1

Sammy kept grabbing his butt. The pack credit card tucked into his wallet was making him paranoid. He had been entrusted with it before, but never for a cross-country trip, and somehow it had become a symbol of the huge burden of responsibility entrusted with him. Of course, he wasn't about to go on a spending spree with the pack's money, but what if the card got stolen or he misplaced it? It didn't help that he could barely smell, so he had no idea just how many humans were lurking around in this parking lot.

"Dude, will you relax?" Donnie muttered. "Between your swarthy complexion and the way you keep glancing around, we're lucky to have gotten out of there without Homeland Security sticking gloved fingers up our butts."

"Just... ugh, how did you ever get by like this?" Sammy said, rubbing his nose. Behind them, Madison lurched in a drowsy state, not so much towing her two hot-pink suitcases as dragging them behind her. And Liam couldn't stop sniffling. They had all taken olfactory blockers before boarding their flight. The drug had some nasty side effects, but how else could a werewolf stand being in a confined environment with 400 humans for a two-and-a-half hour flight?

"Quite well, thank you very much. You're lucky. Your nose is at the level everyone usually shampoos. My nose is a lot closer to... the lower hemisphere."

"It just feels wrong," Liam interjected. "How else are you supposed to get to know someone?"

"Liam, the only thing you want to know about a person is what they look like naked. I know you undress everyone with your eyes. Til now I didn't think it was possible to undress them with your nose, too."

"Gross," groaned Madison.

Liam just grinned. "What can I say? I'm a creature of habit."

"Is this our car?" Sammy interrupted further lewd banter by holding up the rental ticket. Madison had insisted on the black Impala, and Sammy could never say no to her.

"Shotgun!" she shouted, perking up enough to throw her luggage in the trunk before prancing over to the front seat.

Sammy just shook his head as he arranged her cases in a more efficient way so he and the others could fit their luggage in, too.

"Selfie!" she insisted once they were all in the car. She leaned in closer to Sammy, holding her phone up in the air. Donnie sighed good-naturedly before unbucking himself and crawling into view of the phone's camera, Liam leaning in over him and flashing his most charismatic smile. Sammy managed a shy smirk and Madison went full duck-face before snapping the picture. Sammy had no social media accounts. He didn't need one when everyone he knew lived together. But he still had an online presence through Maddy.

"Now, on to California," Liam said.

"D'you guys know how confusing that name is?" Donnie griped.

"I know, right?" Sammy said as he pulled out. "Someone was definitely stoned when they named that pack."

Donnie chuckled. "Well, it was the 60s. Still, I can't even imagine how strong a strain would have to be to work on a werewolf."

"Not as strong as you think," Liam said, and then noted the way everyone started staring at him. He shrunk down in his seat.

Sammy just sighed. "Not in front of Maddy, please."

***

After a quick detour so the four werewolves would calm their rumbling stomachs and Sammy and Donnie could try In-N-Out for the first time, they made their way northeast of Mendocino, and about an hour and a half later pulled up to the large whitewashed gate with a sign that proudly stated "Full Moon Vineyards."