The sun rose over the City of Montreal, Quebec. It found Adam Des-Bois sound asleep. The young brother yawned and stretched in his king-sized bed. The guy was honestly and sincerely dead tired. All six feet four inches and two hundred and sixty three pounds of him. In the eyes of the world, he was many things. Quarterback of the Concordia University men's varsity football team. A hero to the Haitian Community of Montreal. A dedicated member of the choir at La Cathedrale Notre Dame, a local Catholic Church. Few knew that he was also the latest Leader of Pack L'Eclair, the Haitian-dominated Werewolf Clan which ruled the City of Montreal.

Lately, the various Werewolf Packs of Montreal had been on the verge of war. Scores of new Wolf-Men and Wolf-Women were casually strolling into the City. And they didn't seem to know their place, or respect the Powers That Be. These newcomers were a diverse bunch. Hailing from places like Central Africa, the Republic of China, and of course Latin America. The City of Montreal attracted them all. Beings who sought to gain a foothold on the Confederation of Canada's best City. Keeping these invaders in check was no small task. Even for a superhuman overlord like Adam Des-Bois. When his parents, Lyle Des-Bois and Anne-Marie Bertrand Des-Bois moved back to Northern Haiti for an extended rescue and reconstruction mission following the Earthquake of 2010, Adam found himself the sole ruler of the largest Clan of Werewolves in the continent of North America. Twenty thousand Wolf-Men and Wolf-Women had sworn their allegiance to his grandfather, Stephen Des-Bois, when he founded Pack L'Eclair, in the summer of 1950.

Fast forward six decades later, and the L'Eclair Clan basically ruled all of Metropolitan Montreal. The elders of the Clan thought leadership was too great a burden for young Adam's broad shoulders to bear. And the young Haitian-Canadian University athlete was quite determined to prove them wrong. He embraced adversity and welcomed struggle in all its forms. Those were the marks of a true leader. That's what his father taught him. He'd been making big moves, and many among the Pack were impressed. Of course, there were some who simply couldn't be convinced to accept his leadership. And he'd been forced to either silence them or bump them off. Like his father Lyle Des-Bois before him, Adam preferred to rule through the threat of force rather than the use of force alone. But there were times when he had no choice.

In a secretive Community filled with superhumans, naked ambition was the rule rather than the exception. Running a Werewolf Pack was similar to being a Mob Boss in many ways. It was the Leader's job to keep his or her subjects in check. The Wolves of Montreal had their paws in everything. From local politics to business and organized crime. The Leader of the Pack was the Crown Prince of the City. He ran the whole thing. Many people in his position would feel stressed or burdened. Not Adam. He loved the exercise of power. He'd been itching to lead the Pack and now that fate simply handed it over to him, he had no desire to ever let go.

It wasn't the sound of traffic which woke him up. His ears, which could hear a tiny heartbeat across a distance of thirty feet, had blocked off all sounds as he slept. Voluntarily of course. Rather, he was snapped out of a much-deserved sleep by something completely alien to him. An emotion called remorse. Yep, alien to him indeed. Remorse had a name and its name was Rachel Adler. A strange stirring filled his heart as he thought of her. Rachel. His Rachel. Five feet eleven inches of chocolate-skinned, voluptuous and absolutely stunning Haitian beauty. She'd been nothing short of perfect. Long, straight hair. Smooth, round and fantastic bottom. Ethereally beautiful face. Full lips. Wide hips. She was just the way he liked them. He met her while visiting his buddy Jose at McGill University, which Rachel attended. Rachel had recently transferred to McGill University from Northeastern University in her native Boston, Massachusetts. The gal was Haitian-American, for real.

Adam Des-Bois grew up supremely confident, possessed of the knowledge that as a tall, good-looking Black man with wealth and power, he could do whatever he wanted. His family name was feared and respected in both human and nonhuman circles in the City of Montreal. Yeah, he knew he could have any lady he wanted. His weakness was Black ladies from America. They had a unique charm and sass that Black Canadian women simply didn't have. Adam was drawn to them like moths to the proverbial flame. He'd spent every summer in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, every since he graduated from Saint Exupery Catholic High School. Chasing Black American "sistahs" was his passion.

Rachel Adler was a Wolf-Woman of the Old School. She demanded a certain amount of reverence from the Wolf-Men she interacted with. Yeah, she was a Daddy's Girl for real. Adam didn't have a problem with that. He put the moves on Rachel, determined to make her his. He couldn't resist a tall, voluptuous Black woman with a heart-shaped booty. That was his kryptonite. Rachel was clearly attracted to him, but she made him wait a long time before he got the goods. Once that happened, Adam claimed her as his own. They had a whirlwind romance. He thought everything was fine. Then the unthinkable happened. Rachel dumped him for an Outsider. The ultimate Outsider, apparently. Rachel cheated on him with a regular human male, who also happened to be Caucasian. To say this made Adam seethe with rage would have been an understatement. It took nearly half of the Pack's Enforcers to stop him from murdering Rachel and the guy she cheated on him with, an American bozo named Eric O'Malley. Even among Werewolves, there were rules. Revenge killings involving humans and Wolf-People weren't cool, even for Pack Royalty. They attracted unnecessary attention to the entire Werewolf community. So Adam was forced to bite his rage, and get over it. That was a year and a half ago.

Adam shuddered when he thought of how his world spun out of control. His own father had been ashamed of him for his actions. When he cooled down, Adam saw that his father and the Enforcers were right. His life mattered too much for him to throw it away over some female. Especially a faithless hussy like Rachel. Let her stay with the human if she wanted. He had better things to do, like occupying the Throne of Montreal in his parents absence. They were involved with the reconstruction movement in Haiti. Part of a growing cabal of wealthy Haitians from America, Canada and Europe who went home to keep the international non-government agencies in check in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti Quake. A lot of these agencies felt like they could run Haiti like their own sand box. And the weakened Haitian government was happy to do their bidding. Adam had only been to the Republic of Haiti once and barely remembered it. As far as he was concerned, home was Montreal, Quebec. The place of his birth was Montreal, after all. His ancestral homeland mattered very little to him, though he prudently kept such thoughts to himself. Let his parents stay down there as long as they wanted. He loved running things in the City of Montreal.

It is often the fate of a Crown Prince to weather terrible troubles during the first year of his reign. And Adam was no exception. He had a lot to handle. Playing football for Concordia University was a pleasure, and he easily aced all of his classes. The men of his family were renowned for their treachery and agile intelligence. His grandfather moved to Quebec from Haiti in 1950 and basically overthrew the French Canadian Werewolves which once ruled Montreal. He fought them on the very turf they'd held for centuries. With such ruthlessness floating in his family genes, how could Adam fail at anything?

Prior to leaving power, his father brokered a deal with the Italian Werewolves which covertly ran a good chunk of the organized crime in Metropolitan Montreal. The Haitian Werewolves would handle certain things for them, in return for certain favours. The Italian Werewolves didn't get along with certain remnants of the French Canadian Werewolf regime, and with good reason. The xenophobic French Canadian Werewolves viewed the numerous Wolf-Men and Wolf-Women from the immigrant communities of Montreal as intruders on their turf. Decades ago it cost them big, for the Haitian Werewolves managed to unite the Hispanics and the Arabs against the French Canadians and essentially took over all of Montreal. Now the French Canadian Werewolves were at it again. They had made an alliance with the Asians against the Haitians. Montreal was an attractive destination for scores of Chinese, Korean and Japanese immigrants. There were many Wolves among these communities and like the bigots they were, they were eager to kowtow to the Europeans and unite with them against the other communities of color. The French Canadians had banked on the Asian communities intense dislike and disdain for other people of color, especially Blacks and Arabs. And their bet seemed to have paid off. Adam needed to break the French Canadians alliance with the Asians, otherwise his Empire would be threatened.

How could he succeed against such a powerful array of adversaries? Help came to him from a most unexpected source. Anneke Burkhard. Six feet tall, blonde-haired and green-eyed. Blessed with a truly Amazonian physique that was both curvy and athletic, complete with large breasts and a big, round ass. Born and raised in the City of Erfurt, in the State of Thuringia. Deep in the Federal Parliamentary Republic of Germany. Anneke Burkhard had lived in Montreal for the past five years, long enough to become a Canadian citizen. She maintained dual Canadian/German citizenship, and held a Law degree from the University of Montreal. She'd gotten her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Sherbrooke University in the City of Longueil, Quebec. Amazingly enough, she wasn't practicing law. Instead, she was a police officer. Yep, Anneke Burkhard worked for La Surete Du Quebec, the Provincial Law Enforcement Agency.

Anneke Burkhard was one hundred percent Werewolf, hailing from Scandinavia, where many believe the Werewolf race originated from. She first came to the attention of the L'Eclair Pack during a clash with a maddened French Canadian Wolf-Man named Thaddeus Pierre. The madman actually walked into a restaurant owned by the Haitian Werewolf Pack, and committed an unthinkable crime. He attacked fellow Werewolves in human form, using a machine gun. He was shot and killed by police officer Anneke Burkhard. She was interviewed by Le Journal De Montreal and her picture was plastered on national television. Police shootings are still kind of rare in Canada, even in a big place like Montreal.

To say the Haitian community of Montreal was thankful to the policewoman who saved them from a supposedly Racist Killer would be an understatement. The awed policewoman got everything from sincere thanks to marriage proposals. Adam wanted her brought into the fold. Anyone who killed a French Canadian bastard was a friend of his, and also, he could use an ally on the police force. There were men and women from the Haitian Werewolf community on the Montreal Police Service but the Provincial police force continued to remain a stronghold of the French Canadian people. During their first meeting, Anneke impressed the hell out of Adam. By standing up to him. She considered herself a good cop and didn't want to be on the Mob's payroll. Adam admired that. Just like he found himself admiring Anneke's big round butt. And he wasn't even into White women!

Adam liked a woman with intelligence and true grit, and Anneke seemed to have both. His interest in her grew. The German-born naturalized Canadian policewoman didn't have a lot of friends on the Provincial police force. Cops, both human and Werewolf, were notoriously dirty. And as an honest cop, she found herself alone. Adam put a tail on her and they uncovered many interesting facts about her. Anneke Burkhard was once engaged to one Mustafa Ahmed, an Ethiopian businessman she met while in law school. Fascinating. So, she liked Black men. Adam licked his lips when he heard that, though he couldn't tell you why. Surprising everyone, including himself, he abstained from women since his fiasco with Rachel. Men in power were magnets for women, and Adam didn't want to end up like so many powerful men who lost it all because of some bitch. He focused instead on acing his classes at Concordia University, dominating on the gridiron and running his vast Empire. Still, he was starting to feel a bit lonely...

Adam Des-Bois banished such thoughts from his consciousness, and went to the gym. The University of Concordia football team had a big game against Guelph University. If they got past Guelph, they'd face top-ranked Laval University and Bishop University. Canadian University football wasn't as big as American College Football but it was no less brutal. Even for a young man blessed with superhuman strength and super speed due to his unique genetic heritage, Adam felt every hit. And there were times when he was simply worn out. His cell phone rang and he picked it up. It was Montreal Police Service officer Jacques Samuel, one of his Henchmen. His presence was required at the docks. Sighing, Adam said he'd be there. Then he hopped into the shower.

Twenty minutes later, he found himself at the docks. He was greeted by Samuel, and an unexpected person. Anneke Burkhard of the Provincial law enforcement agency. Adam suddenly noticed that every police officer on the scene was a Werewolf, as were the two guys driving the ambulance. Anneke Burkhard had a sad but determined look on her face as they showed him the bodies. Two young women, one Black and one White. Both of whom were more than human. And very dead. Adam nearly fell when he realized he recognized one of them. Rachel. His Rachel. She was dead. A foot-long silver pike had been driven through her chest. As well as the chest of the young White woman, whom he didn't know. Silver. The only thing which negates a Werewolf's natural ability to regenerate lost or damaged body parts. With red eyes, Adam glared at Anneke and Samuel. He saw on Anneke's face that she considered him a suspect, doubtless because she'd been briefed on his history with Rachel. Adam shook his head. That was a long time ago. He'd moved on. Losing Rachel to another man was the single most painful experience of his twenty three years on the planet Earth. And now he had lost her again. To the jaws of death. To a Killer who obviously knew how to kill Werewolves.

Adam looked at police officers Samuel and Anneke coldly, and handed them a sample of his DNA without a word. Samuel, the elder Haitian cop scratched his head. He hesitated. Provincial police officer Anneke collected the DNA sample, and handed it to the Wolf-Man from the crime scene unit. A rapid test was administered, and the result shocked almost everyone. Except Adam. DNA evidence collected from the corpses didn't match Adam's blood and hair. And there was a good reason why. The DNA collected from the corpses was human. A look of consternation filled the face of every Wolf-Man and Wolf-Woman present. The unthinkable had happened. A human had killed one of their own. This had frightening implications.

Adam stood there, looking at Rachel's dead countenance. The cops and crime scene investigators around him chatted incessantly. He didn't really listen. He kept thinking about his last words to Rachel, over a year ago. How he called her a slut, a whore and a race traitor for denying her Werewolf heritage and taking up with a human male. She had tears in her eyes when he told her he would make her pay for her betrayal. She'd come to him, telling him she hadn't meant to hurt him but had unexpectedly fallen in love with a human male. His blood-red rage hadn't allowed him to feel anything but hatred for her. Now she was dead, slain by a human. And he felt remorse for the second time that day. Women make strong men weak, even men who were more than human. He heard himself solemnly swear he'd find Rachel's Killer and avenge her death. A sentiment echoed by every Werewolf present, including Provincial law enforcement agent Anneke Burkhard.

As per ageless tradition, the bodies were cremated. Adam didn't go home that night. Nor did he show up at school the next day. He went to a bar, and got drunk. An adult male Werewolf could consume ten times the alcohol which would kill the most resilient human male. Adam downed enough bottles of Alexander Keith's beer to keep the economy of Nova Scotia going for ages. And when the barman asked him to take it easy, he nearly wolfed out and began tearing the place down. A Provincial police cruiser pulled up in front of the bar, and two police officers stepped out. One was a short, stocky Asian guy, and the other was a tall, blonde-haired White woman. She walked up to the drunken young man, and took him out with a single blow to the dead. Seeing stars, Adam went down. He'd been sucker punched.

When he came to, he was in his bed. Except he didn't remember how he got there. He remembered drinking and fighting inside the bar as he tried to drown his sorrows over Rachel's death. He didn't remember much more than that. The mansion in which his family had lived for six decades was deserted. The Des-Bois clan hadn't believed in keeping servants, though they were multi-millionaires. In spite of his senses being dulled by all the alcohol he had, Adam instinctively sensed he wasn't alone. And he was right. He turned around, and saw someone sitting in his living room. Provincial police officer Anneke Burkhard, still wearing her uniform. She had a weary look on her beautiful face. Upon inquiring what she was doing there, he learned that she'd brought him home. Apparently he'd been on the verge of wolfing out during a drunken brawl with human men at a bar in downtown Montreal. She knocked him out for his own good, and that of the human men he would have slaughtered once in wolfish form.

Adam stared at the tall, square woman who now stood before him. This Anneke chick was tough, no doubt about it. He shook his head, and mouthed a thanks. Now she looked angry. Anneke told him that she was tired of having the Crown Prince of the Haitian Werewolf community of Montreal acting like a damn fool. In a crisp, cold tone, she told him that his loyal subjects expected better from him. Then she left. Adam watched her go, fascinated in spite of himself. The gal was ballsy, no doubt about it. Nice ass, too. And something else...she was right.

The next day, Adam Des-Bois went back to business. He couldn't let his parents Empire crumble, not now. Especially with a predator on the loose. He would mobilize the Enforcers, the men entrusted with the protection of the Pack members. The police force of the Werewolf community, per se. He called for a meeting with the Heads of the other Wolf Clans. Mario Sanchez, Leader of the growing Mexican Werewolf community of Montreal showed up, flanked by his towering wife and second-in-command Estella. Albert Des-Pres, oldest son of Samson Des-Pres, leader of the now fallen French Canadian Werewolves of Montreal also showed up. Lucien Stagliano, leader of the Italian Werewolf mafia came with his daughter Roberta. Nina Atkinson, Leader of the Wolven Sisterhood, a separatist clan of all-female Werewolves also put on an appearance. As did Farah Diouf, wife of Akbar Diouf, leader of the Senegalese Werewolves of Montreal. All the major powers were present. For a long time, Adam didn't speak. His most trusted advisors questioned the wisdom of calling such a meeting. Adam reasoned that certain things were beyond politics. Any human who managed to hunt down and kill two healthy female Werewolves shouldn't be underestimated. Such a human deserved to have the entirety of the Werewolf community's attention. Especially if he or she hadn't acted alone.
Adam's old friend Samuel, acting as his advisor that day, called for the meeting to begin. In clear, precise words, Adam explained the situation to the other Wolf leaders. There were gasps of shock and surprise from these powerful men and women. Adam let his words sink in, and told them his plan. The last thing he wanted was to have a panic. He proposed beefing up the Enforcers, and instituting a curfew for the females as well as the youngest and most vulnerable members of the Packs. This was met with disbelief, and more than one female Werewolf present cried sexism. Adam tried not to roll his eyes. The Killer took out two healthy, strong and powerful female Werewolves. No easy feat considering female Werewolves had sharper senses and could shift from human to wolfish form faster than the males, making them deadlier. This Killer should definitely be taken seriously. More than one of the Wolf leaders asked that his or her own experts be allowed to participate in the investigation. Adam refused, and said an independent party should be brought in. Someone who wouldn't play Pack politics. An investigator who would stick to the truth, and follow the evidence wherever it took them.

A clamour arose from the assembled Werewolf leaders. This course of action didn't sit right with them at all. There was a history of rivalry and distrust among the various factions within the Werewolf community. Even with a human predator prowling about at night, killing members of the Werewolf community, these fools couldn't stop bickering. Adam sighed, then demanded silence. His voice rose several octaves deeper than possibly human, commanding their collective attention. He cleared his throat, and one of his Henchmen ushered someone into the room. A woman with an Amazonian physique and stern mien strode into the room. Clad in her Provincial police uniform, Anneke Burkhard looked like she meant business. Her powerful side arms were holstered, but everyone knew they were ready to deliver death in an instant. She looked at the assembled leaders, and nodded gravely at Adam. He returned her nod, and gave her the floor.

The tall blonde policewoman effectively laid down the law, so to speak. Never one to suffer nonsense, she didn't play politics with the outsized egos of the Werewolf leaders. Rather, she told them facts, and laid it all out for them. Anneke Burkhard told them that with a human predator on the loose, one who knew the weaknesses of the Werewolf community and was daring enough to strike them, no one was safe. She reminded them that they lived in a City filled with humans. Hostile humans. The human population of Montreal would turn on the Werewolves who shared their City in a heartbeat if they knew of their existence. The safety of the entire Werewolf community was at stake. Regardless of their politics and issues with each other, they all faced the same risk if exposed to humanity. Certain death, or worse.

When she was done, Provincial police officer Anneke Burkhard stood facing the assembled Wolf leaders, letting her words sink in. The Wolf leaders looked at her, and at each other. Adam looked around, and watched comprehension flood the faces of his fellow Wolf leaders, followed by fear and uncertainty. He knew exactly how they felt. The Werewolf community had grown complacent. His grandfather took over Montreal in the 1950s and transformed Montreal into a paradise for Werewolves everywhere. Werewolves from Africa, Europe and Asia came to Montreal knowing this was a place where their kind reigned supreme. A community of men and women endowed with the ability to transform themselves into wolf-like beings of superhuman strength and speed at will. They were immune to disease, and aged very slowly once they reached adulthood. They could live close to a thousand years. Small wonder they had been caught unawares by this Killer. They felt and acted like they were invincible. Adam could still hear his long-dead grandfather lecturing him that pride was inevitably by a fall. Especially for fools.

One by one, the leaders of the Werewolf community nodded their agreement to his plan. Provincial police officer Anneke Burkhard would be put in charge of the special investigation, and until the human Killer was found and killed, the Enforcers would patrol the Werewolf communities of Montreal and a curfew would be in place. Adam watched them go. They had many misgivings, but what choice did they have, really? They weren't used to being hunted. Hadn't been for many generations. Werewolves had lived without persecution for close to a thousand years. Once they were hunted down in Europe, until the truth about them was forgotten and they became the stuff of mythology. Now once more their entire race faced the threat of extinction. Adam had no doubt that if the human Killer or Killers managed to expose the truth about Werewolves to the modern world, they'd be hunted down and slaughtered. Humanity was infamous for its xenophobia. They killed their own over questions of race, religion, nationality and sexual orientation. They were naturally wicked. What would they do if they learned that another race of intelligent beings had been sharing their planet for an eternity? They'd react with disbelief at first. Then they would get angry. Once angry, they'd strike at the Werewolf community with a fury the world had never witnessed. Humanity hated those who are different. And Werewolves are the ultimate outsiders on a planet full of humans. The sooner every member of the species realized that, the better. Adam smiled wistfully. He felt that the ancestors of modern Werewolves would be disappointed if they saw what softies their descendants had become.

And thus the gauntlets were thrown. The young Haitian-Canadian Werewolf Crown Prince readied himself to face the dark times ahead. He felt confident, though. In the game of survival, hunters easily became the hunted. His grandfather once took him on a trip to the wilderness of Central Africa where they watched a King Cobra slay a rabbit, only to be slaughtered by a large pack of Banded Mongooses. The thirty so much members of the Mongoose Pack tore the King Cobra to pieces, then feasted upon its meat. Adam admired the hell out of Mongooses, the traditional enemies of all Serpents. Yes, even the deadliest of creatures easily fell prey to those who were daring enough to take them. Adam Des-Bois had no desire to allow his People to share the fate of the Cobra, an overconfident predator who routinely ended up lunch on a Mongoose's menu. He had his ace in the hole, and that ace was Anneke Burkhard. The German-born Provincial policewoman was full of wonders. She was quite useful and made for a powerful ally. Especially since she was able to get the drop on him, albeit in an inebriated state. His pride was a bit wounded that she managed to take him down, but he told himself she only did what was necessary. Had he wolfed out in the middle of the bar, everything he worked hard to accomplish would have been for naught. It simply wouldn't do for the Crown Prince of the Werewolf community of Montreal to be the one who endangered the community through a drunken brawl. The leaders of the other Packs of the City would view this as a sign of weakness and stupidity. Provincial policewoman Anneke Burkhard had done the right thing by bringing him home, after subduing him. Also, she was discreet. When he questioned her about her actions, she said she was acting for the well-being of all Werewolves by saving him, rather than having a personal interest in him one way or the other.

Anneke Burkhard explained her reasoning, and he agreed with her. Which is why he summoned her to act as his Right Hand at the meeting with the other Leaders of the Packs of Werewolves living in Metropolitan Montreal. He needed someone like her to eliminate the threat of the human or humans who had slain two female Werewolves with apparent impunity. With his new Henchwoman in her place, he could focus on other matters. Like maintaining his facade as a top-notch football player at Concordia University. Appearances must be maintained. It was also important that he appeared as a capable administrator in these tough times. Any mistake he made would be interpreted as a sign of weakness by the other Werewolves. Once they got wind of it, they would inevitably band together and challenge him for the Rulership of the City of Montreal. The Confederation of Canada had been a paradise for the Wolf-Men and Wolf-Women of the world tens of thousands of years before Europeans came and irrevocably changed the land. The Aboriginals had deep respect for the Wolf-Men who lived in the Canadian Wilderness. They saw them as special agents interacting between the World of Man and the World of the ancient Beasts. Only in Europe and parts of Asia were Wolf-People feared and loathed. There was a decline in the Werewolf population of Canada as Europeans clashed with Aboriginals for control of the land. It was a Werewolf from the island of Haiti in the Caribbean who reclaimed Canada for the Race of the Werewolves.

The Haitian Werewolf came, and handily defeated the French Canadian Werewolves who once ruled much of Quebec and parts of Ontario. His arrival marked a new beginning for both humans and Werewolves living in Canada. His conquest of Montreal showed Werewolves in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean that the humans and the Wolves of the Old Ways could be caught by surprise and taken over. Thus, they made their way to Montreal. Now, tens of thousands of Wolf-Men and Wolf-Women lived in the City of Montreal. Making it the home of the largest Werewolf community in North America. The only other places in North America that came close to having such large Werewolf populations were towns like Boston in the State of Massachusetts and Houston in the State of Texas. American Werewolves were slowly taking over certain major Metropolitan areas. The town of Berlin in the Republic of Germany had a sizable Werewolf population, as did the Camargue region in the Republic of France. The region of Johannesburg in the Republic of South Africa had a growing and ethnically diverse population of Werewolves. Yes, the Race of the Werewolves was making a comeback across the Globe. And it was largely due to Adam Des-Bois grandfather's glorious conquest of Montreal. The Canadian Metropolis which had become the Mecca of the Werewolf Race.

For Adam, it had become vital that he didn't become the only member of the Des-Bois lineage to falter under the Burden of Leadership. And lo and behold, he actually got some results. Anneke Burkhard kept him appraised every nuance of the investigation, and he appreciated her attention to detail. She determined that the Killer who had slain the two female Werewolves was a lone wolf, for lack of a better term. A ruthless, decidedly well-armed human who acted alone. They popped up from time to time. Luckily, the Killer hadn't planned on having the entire Werewolf community of Montreal mobilized against him or her. And soon slipped up. The solution to Adam Des-Bois problems came unexpectedly. Quebec Provincial policewoman Anneke Burkhard informed him that she and some of her hand-chosen Enforcers had the Killer cornered. Anneke wisely informed him of that, and Adam hastily went to the scene. He'd been in the middle of football practice. The Concordia University football team had a big game against the visiting University of Calgary. The entire City of Montreal was psyched to take on "the redneck upstarts" and Adam had a lot riding on his shoulders as the University football team's starting quarterback. However, he gladly walked away from football practice to attend to what his grandfather called "Matters of State".

Provincial law enforcement officer Anneke Burkard's text message informed him the Enforcers had the human Killer cornered in Montreal-Nord, of all places. Adam practically flew there. The men and women of the Enforcers Special Team wore their dark blue uniforms and carried big guns like Special Ops agents. Which is what they were, essentially. Most of them were current or former police officers and soldiers. Adam got to the warehouse where they had the Killer cornered. He quickly got the logistics from a tired but determined-looking Anneke. What she couldn't send him in a text message, no matter how secure. Rage swelled in Adam Des-Bois chest when he recognized the name. Eric O'Malley, the French Canadian bozo whom Rachel Adler dumped him for, so long ago.

Anneke Burkhard looked at him with what appeared to be genuine sympathy once he made the connection for her. She nodded, saying it made perfect sense. Eric O'Malley somehow found out Rachel Adler was a Werewolf, and he killed her along with her girlfriend Monique Boudreau. Then he began a vendetta against the entire Werewolf race. Anneke Burkhard gently touched Adam's hand, and assured him that Eric O'Malley wouldn't escape. One way or another, he would die tonight. From the warehouse's depths, Eric O'Malley shouted a defiant warning. He said he'd kill lots of mangy Wolves before he went down. Then he tossed a grenade out a window. Anneke told everyone to take cover. Her voice actually carried over the explosion. Adam didn't really listen. He was too busy shifting form. His eyes turned yellow. His teeth elongated and sharpened. Fur grew all over his tall, athletic body. He became massively muscular, and his body transformed into that of a wolf-like humanoid. A deep growl escaped his jaws. Anneke tried to stop him. He leapt away, and vaulted the twenty feet to the window. Then he was in the warehouse. Alone with the man who had killed the woman he once loved. A stentorian roar escaped Adam's jaws. He would tear the human limb from limb, and feast on his bones. One way or another, Eric O'Malley would pay for what he'd done.

The massive Werewolf which Adam had become stalked the vast, dark warehouse. He saw the booby traps the human had lain about. It was disgustingly easy to avoid them. He made his way through the darkness, and soon found his enemy. Clad in Army fatigues, Eric O'Malley stood in the darkness. Night vision goggles allowed him to see the huge Werewolf which came straight for him. He took out his Beretta and fired shot after shot into Adam. Silver bullets struck the huge ebony Werewolf. If he felt the bullets, Adam didn't even let it show. They didn't stop him. They didn't even slow him down. Powered by superhuman rage, he stalked toward his enemy. Eric swore, and tossed aside the empty Beretta. He took a hunting rifle and aimed for a headshot. Adam leapt into the air, easily crossing the thirty feet separating him from the well-armed, determined human. Man and beast fell on the floor, after colliding in mid-air.

Fiercely they struggled. Normally, even a well-trained and well-armed human male wouldn't be much of a match against a determined Alpha Male Werewolf. However, Eric O'Malley was amped up. Adam was wounded, and his wounds slowed him down. He roared, aiming for Eric's throat. The human lashed out with a silvery Swiss Army knife and slammed the blade into the Werewolf's shoulder. A howl of pain escaped Adam's jaws. He doubled over in extreme pain. Laughing, Eric kicked him then went for his gun. This time, Adam lashed out. With a single swipe of his massive claws, he cut off Eric's right foot. Howling in pain, the human fell. Grievously, perhaps fatally wounded, Adam summoned the last of his strength and tried to bite the human's head off. This he would do for Rachel, whom he still loved in spite of her betrayal. Unfortunately, he found out that he couldn't. Too much silver in his system. Adam watched in amazement as his body reverted to merely human form. Eric stated at him in astonishment. Recognition filled his features. He stared at the tall young Black man who was the most recognized face in the world of Canadian University Football. The guy who was often compared to the greatest players in the Canadian Football League and the American-based based National Football League. Most of all he recognized Rachel's ex-boyfriend. In spite of having lost his foot, Eric had a lot of fighting in him. He laughed, and stared at his enemy with mockery and contempt.

Dying from his wounds, Adam Des-Bois looked up at his enemy. He knew he was too weak to morph into his Werewolf form. He could feel the silver eating through him. Werewolves could re-grow lost arms, legs, eyes and even more complex organs like the heart, as long as there was no silver involved. Adam knew he was about to die, and he had one question to ask his killer. Why did Eric O'Malley kill Rachel Adler? Eric looked at him. He hefted his hunting rifle from right hand to left hand. Adam vaguely wondered where Anneke Burkhard and the Enforcers were, then decided it didn't matter. They were too late anyway. Seemingly generous in victory, Eric answered his dying enemy's questions. He explained how he met Rachel Adler back in the City of Boston, when he was serving with the United States National Guard. They had a brief romance. Like many hot-blooded Irishmen living in New England, Eric liked minority women. Especially Black women. Especially sensual beauties like Rachel Adler. Things were going really well between them. Then he got sent to the Middle East. He came back to America, determined not to return to the Arab world. He sought refuge in Canada, and moved to Montreal. That's where he ran into Rachel Adler again. She'd transferred from Boston's Northeastern University to Montreal's very own McGill University. Sensing he was in luck, he renewed his romance with her. Rachel told him she was in love with him, and revealed her secret to him. Upon hearing that, Adam winced. Hearing the killer smugly state that Rachel considered him her true love hurt him more than the silver bullets and silver blade which ruined his superhuman flesh. Eric laughed as he explain how Rachel Adler revealed to him that she was a Werewolf. She thought he loved her, and would understand and accept her.

Eric shook his head, and spat in disgust. Adam flinched, wishing more than ever that he could transform and rip the insolent human's head off. But that was not to be. Eric continued with his spiel. He hid his alarm and disgust from Rachel, and through her he learned everything he could about Werewolves. Their hidden history, their migratory patterns, their weaknesses. Once he learned all that, he formed a plan of action. Eric was a killer through and true. That's what he excelled at. He'd been killing people long before he joined the American Armed Forces. And once he knew there were mythological monsters walking about in human form, he decided to make it his mission in life to eradicate them. Starting with Rachel and her female friend Monique. He'd been lucky, stalking several Werewolves which he identified and marked for destruction before the damn beasts got wind of his existence and changed their habits. It was as if someone in charge sounded the alarm, and the whole community of Werewolves went on high alert. Eric was forced to go on the offensive, and he made several mistakes. Which is how they tracked him down to this warehouse in Montreal-Nord, which he made his stronghold, his Bat Cave. He knew the Werewolves had the place surrounded. He probably wouldn't make it out alive. But he'd take this big Black Werewolf down with him. Funny how he got to slay both the naive Werewolf slut who fell in love with him and the Wolf-Man who loved her so much. Must be fate.

Eric O'Malley smiled, and pressed his gun against Adam Des-Bois forehead. Adam stared at him defiantly, and plunged the Swiss Army knife he'd yanked out of his shoulder into Eric' s groin area. Time to sing soprano, Adam thought. Eric howled, and moments later, fired blindly. Luckily Adam had already moved, and the bullets slammed into his shoulder and chest rather than his head. Moments later, the two combatants were joined by a newcomer. A massive Werewolf with fur of the purest White leapt between them. The White Werewolf clamped its jaws over Eric's head, and neatly yanked it off his shoulders. Adam watched the newcomer, amazed. In a flash, the White Werewolf began to morph. It became someone very familiar. Provincial policewoman Anneke Burkhard. With deep concern in her beautiful face, Anneke gathered the dying Adam into her arms. She kept telling him to hang on, that help was on the way. Adam looked at her and smiled sadly. He used what he thought was his last breath to thank her. Then he closed his eyes. His Rachel was avenged at last.
When Adam Des-Bois opened his eyes, he was in his bed at the mansion which had been the Des-Bois family home for the past six decades. And he was not alone. Standing next to him was a tall, slender Hispanic man who introduced himself as Dr. Manuel Ferrero. Adam could tell he was Wolf with one look. The doctor smiled at Adam, and told him he was lucky to be alive. Apparently, Adam had been shot and stabbed with enough silver to kill ten Werewolves. Yet somehow, he lived. Once they extracted the corrosive silver from his system, he began healing almost immediately. The doctor felt confident Adam would be back at one hundred percent within a few weeks. Adam returned the doctor's smile, and thanked his lucky stars. Then he asked to see his saviour. The doctor muttered something about him not being well enough to see visitors. Adam was about to tell the doctor where to shove it when they were joined by a third party. A woman of Amazonian bearing strode into the room. Clad in a bright red T-shirt and blue jeans, Anneke Burkhard looked fantastic. She smiled at Adam, and told him how relieved she was that he pulled through. She stood near his bed, and squeezed his hand. Adam cocked an eyebrow. The policewoman misread his action, and tried to pull her hand away, looking hurt. Adam clasped her hand in his. He smiled faintly. Anneke returned his smile. Both of them looked pointedly at the medicine man. The doctor took that as his cue to leave.

It took Adam Des-Bois a long time to recover, during which the quarterback of the Concordia University football team found himself the center of a media frenzy. The top University football player in all of Canada received tens of thousands of letters from fans wishing him a speedy recovery. His grievous injuries were blamed as the work of random criminals. Even the Mayor of Montreal had something to say about his recovery, as did the President of Concordia University. The Haitian community of Montreal stood behind the young man they considered their Crown Prince. As for Adam, he was relaxing and enjoying life for the first time in ages. His mother, Anne-Marie Bertrand Des-Bois had come back. His father remained behind in Haiti. He couldn't return home, even to attend to his wounded son. The situation back on the island was dire indeed. The L'Eclair Pack, the most powerful group of Werewolves in all of Montreal had a female Pack Leader for the first time in the centuries of their existence. For the L'Eclair Pack's founding went back much further than their conquest of Montreal in the 1950s and 1960s. They had effectively ruled the City of Cap-Haitien, Northern Haiti, since the mid-1800s. Shortly after the island of Haiti became independent from European rule. Not everyone welcomed Anne-Marie Des-Bois in her new position as Supreme Ruler of the Werewolf community of Metropolitan Montreal. However, they knew better than to question her. She was as ruthless as she was intelligent and beautiful. Could any less be expected of the lady who ran the inhumanly ruthless organization known as the House of Des-Bois?

With his beloved mother installed as the Queen of the Werewolf community of Metropolitan Montreal, Adam Des-Bois could focus on other things. Like living his life, which he really hadn't been doing since he became the Crown Prince of the Haitian Werewolf community of Montreal. Now he could relax at last. There was a new lady in his life. A few eyebrows were raised in both human and superhuman circles when news broke out about who the Prince was dating. Ladies from the Haitian community of Montreal, both human and superhuman, whispered that the tall German-born policewoman was just a few months shy of her thirtieth birthday and didn't seem like a good match for the handsome Black Prince. He was in his early twenties, she was too old for him. Oh, and she was White. That was the main reason they objected. However, Adam Des-Bois would disagree. He'd been pleasantly surprised when Anneke Burkhard told him that while he lay dying in her arms, she realized that her interest in him wasn't strictly professional. When Adam Des-Bois thought about it, he realized he did have feelings for Anneke Burkhard. He found himself intensely attracted to the tall, busty and big-bottomed, pleasantly curvy German-born policewoman. And the attraction was most definitely mutual.

As he walked through Montreal-Nord with her, Adam Des-Bois took Anneke Burkhard's hand in his and kissed it. He felt up her big round ass. How he had come to love that big White ass of hers. She smiled, and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Earlier, she accompanied him to the cemetery where he put a dozen red roses on the spot where Rachel Adler's ashes had been scattered. She stood at a small distance while he gazed at the ashes, lost in thought. He did love Rachel Adler and part of him always would. He was sorry that she hadn't returned his love and had chosen another. He was even sorrier that the man she chose over him was the man who killed her. Yeah, he was sorry for a lot of things. However, he was alive and she was dead. Life goes on. If Adam was honest with himself, he had to admit he was starting to care deeply for Anneke, and she cared for him too. With his mother at the helm of the Werewolf community of Montreal, he could go back to being a regular citizen. Or as close to one as he could get. Live. Love. Enjoy life. He had a year and a half left at Concordia University. Many felt he should seriously consider joining the Canadian Football League, or maybe even the National Football League in the United States. Especially since it became obvious to everyone in the sports world that he'd become an even tougher football player after his miraculous recovery. He led the Concordia University football team to a total massacre over nearby McGill University. Yeah, playing football was fun. Adam felt like his path lay elsewhere. When his playing days were over, he'd go to Police College and become a Patrol Officer. Like the new lady in his life. He could think of nothing he'd enjoy more than working side by side with his new lady love as they protected the Werewolf community from any and all dangers. It would be a good life. Adam smiled to himself. Good enough.