"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls." - George Carlin
***
Damien Calloway's office didn't resemble the average CEO office, if there is an average office layout for a CEO, that is. The first thing you saw when you entered the room was the giant glass window that stretched from the floor to the ceiling overlooking the woods that surrounded the area. The second thing that tended to catch one's eye, was the large tree growing in the center of the room. Damien's father had planted the sycamore, he had said it was to symbolize the growth of the werewolf community, as long as the tree prospered, so would the North American Association of Werewolves.
Unfortunately, Damien never liked the tree. He was there the day that his father planted it and he was there the day that it was cut down and not one day in between was he ever glad that it was sitting in the middle of the office, shedding it's leaves and getting dirt on the wood floors. He should have realized that cutting it down and removing it would be a bad idea, but he tended to do what he wished so he hired people to remove the tree and repatch the wood in the floor. Later that day he went to a new club opening with his best friend, Brad, slept with a beautiful young girl, and didn't call her back. That was the day that the wolf community fell just like the tree.
***
For the first time ever Damien Calloway opened his eyes to a full on hangover, the light burned, the sounds hurt his ears and his body ached. He immediately closed his eyes again and let out a long groan as he pulled the covers over his head creating a cozy cocoon that he honestly wouldn't mind staying in forever. Unfortunately, he was rudely reawakened just a few seconds later when the blankets were forcfully ripped off of him revealing his tan skin. Damien could help but shiver when the cold air hit him. He had never gotten cold ever since his first shift, why would he be cold now? Was it the hangover, then again he shouldn't even been getting a hangover in the first place, he is a werewolf after all. Damien opened his eyes slowly in question only to shut them again quickly as the light stung. "Whose there?" He asked in a gruff voice, he obviously did not want to be disturbed. "Brad, is that you? Just fuck off will you, I think I finally realize why human scum hate hangovers."
Damien's muscles flexed as he pushed himself, he was obviously built even though he rarely went to work out at the gym, he didn't have much free time between work, the pack, and partying which was understandable. His strong jaw tightened as the headache washed through his head wreaking havoc.
"Alpha Calloway, we have important matters to discuss, get up now." A loud commanding voice flooded his head and gave him a terrible headache, he felt as if his brain was ripping in two while he was standing in a pit of hot lava. Once again he opens his eyes and is immediately shocked to see Elder Green standing in front of him. Elder Green is the oldest, wisest and bossiest of all the werewolf elders, he immediately filled with curiousity but then regretted excersizing his hurting mind and began to clear his head of thoughts.
"Yes, yes, what do you need?" He managed groggily as he got up and stumbled over to his closet where he found his aviator sunglasses. Green then led him into his kitchen where Elders Fernadez and Benson were standing expectantly. "Sit down Calloway."
"I prefer to be addressed by Alpha Calloway if you don't mind," Damien spoke with authority, even with his new aches and pains. Hopefully they wouldn't last long, although maybe it would allow him to call in sick for work today, maybe this would play out to be in his favor.
The Elders shifted angrily and Elder Fernandez stepped forward. "Calloway, did you or did you not have, how should I put this, relations with a girl named Cecilia Vaughn a week ago?"
Anger flooded Damien's every pore, no one could march into his house, disrespect him, and proceed to question him about his personal life. He would not stand for this. "Fernandez, if you chose to not call me by my correct title then I will not give the respect of calling you Elder and you have no right to be asking these questions. Now please leave this apartment before I call security."
"Mr. Calloway, Ms. Cecilia Vaughn is the daughter of a very powerful witch. Last night at approximately 11:50 she cast a spell turning every werewolf into a human including yourself and I because you never called her back after sleeping with her. You are single handedly responsible for the extinction of the werewolf species and are hereby stripped of your position as Alpha of the North American Association of Werewolves. We have frozen your bank account and I'd suggest that if you want to stay alive, that you'd leave state, maybe go somewhere away from any former wolves. Do I make myself clear?" Elder Benson said, her face remaining expressionless as she spoke, as if she felt disgusted to even speak to Damien. Now that I think about it, she probably did.
Damien scoffed, not believing a word that came from their mouths. Cecilia was a bit crazy yes, but a witch? Never. And how could he, Damien Calloway not be an alpha, not be the CEO of Calloway Enterprises anymore? How could Damien Calloway be wolfless? There was a very simple answer, all of this was impossible, it had to be a joke. Damien started laughing and slapped Elder Fernadez on the back, hard. "You guys are crazy good at pulling pranks, I didn't know you guys liked to have a good laugh once in a while but I guess I just should have assumed. I have to admit you guys really got me."
It must have been quite a sight, seeing the former Alpha, once great and all-powerful Damien Calloway break down, especially since he was wearing bright pink pajama pants that his mother had gotten for him and odd aviator sunglasses. He pressed back on the ground so hard that his chair toppled over and he slammed to the ground with a crash which didn't help his hangover. He then stayed there for a good fifteen minutes, not moving any muscles, just sitting there staring up to space with his glasses (that had cracked during the fall) still situated on his nose, covering his green eyes and his blond hair messily strewn about his head.
The Elders left after five minutes of watching him on the ground, leaving him in peace to collect his thoughts. It took him another ten minutes for him to pull himself together enough to get up off the floor. However, once he finally got off the floor, everything that had just happened actually sunk in and he was left trembling. Damien ran into his room, ignoring the aches and pains, he packed a duffel, his mind was moving so fast that he wasn't fully aware of what exactly he was putting in his bag.
Once it was full, he picked up his phone and tried calling the one person who he could think of talking to. His phone service was cancelled. Panicking even more, he grabbed all the cash that he could find in his apartment and got a cab.
Damien had known Kelly ever since she was born, only two years after he was, I mean they are siblinbs after all. Anyway, Kelly had had a hard time growing up in the pack, especially when it was realized that she was born a human.
Kelly wasn't born with a wolf, she didn't have killer muscles, she wasn't a great athlete and she was even more shunned when she got a full ride scholarship to Colorado State.
Damien hadn't seen Kelly since she left five years ago for college but Kelly had loyally sent him a holiday and birthday card every single year. He knew that she had graduated with honors from her college, she had gotten married to some guy named Mark, and had just recently had a baby.
When the cab pulled up to the address, Damien's tremors stopped and he calmed for the first time since his day had begun.
The one story house had a white picket fence and cute black window shutters with pink flowers overflowing in the window boxes. The house itself was a neat brick red color and was obviously old and dainty. It made Damien feel at home, even though he had never stepped foot inside it.
