Ranch and LeLoup, Part 3

So, there are I was, surrounded by werewolves in a slaughter house. I was about to make my move when loud barking erupted from my left.  

"What the hell?" said one of the werewolves. All of them flinched with uncertainty.

The barking and snarling was coming from Bella and Flecka.  Both my girls have ferocious barks.  But, you know the old saying.  It's true with them.  They would be no help in a fight.  But the wolves didn't know that. Flecka in particular can shake shingles off of roofs with her bark, especially when food is involved.  And, apparently, werewolves.  I hadn't known.  I could smell new fear coming off the werewolves. Bella was also snarling and barking in a way that left no doubt she was ready to get to it.  One of the werewolves was staring at Bella with an incredulous look on his face. 

"If you have any thoughts of fear for me," I said, "then you really better not piss her off, because she rules our house."

"Wait. Isn't she just a dog?" said the female werewolf.

"Just?" I said.  "Yeah. You keep thinking that."  I moved slowly into an attack stance.

"Hold on. Just hold on," said the female werewolf.  "Everyone calm down.  We mean you no harm."

That took some seconds to sink in.  "Go on," I said.

"We mean you no harm, really" she said again, slowly this time.  "Matter, of fact, you are welcome here, anytime.  Matter of fact, come with me. Bring your friends."

I motioned for Bella and Flecka to follow.  "But, stay close," I said.  "Keep it tight." They fell in right behind me, left and right, a tight wedge. I do not remember ever teaching them that.

Two of the werewolves pealed off and were gone.  The other two, one was the female, led us to an old elevator and motioned us in.  I did not sense or smell deception or danger on them.  The female, especially, was very open and friendly.  And very good looking.  Not that that is relevant.  But you can never overlook that.

The elevator rumbled down about 100 feet before it lurched to a stop.  The male werewolf slid open the two doors.  The girls and I stumbled out, our mouths hanging open.

The room was the size of a high school gymnasium.  Gaming tables covered most of the floor.  Bars ran along all four walls.  Large paintings and photos of mountains and woods hung on the walls.  Dark, lush, red drapes hung from the ceiling.  Tree trunks stood like columns all around the room, amongst the tables and at the walls. The tantalizing smell of meat hung in the air like a mountain mist. My mind raced from something to say.

"What is this place?" I finally managed.

"Welcome to Casino Canine," said a female, smiling, barely able to contain herself.

"Diella," I stammered. 

"Surprised to see you too. Come on." She led across the floor. Most of the tables had players and eaters.  Instead of drinks at the card tables, like in human casinos, all the players had either ribs or various cuts. One guy was leaning back, chewing on a nearly-rare prime rib, while he contemplated his hand. 

Bella and Flecka were ushered a short distance away, to where I could clearly see them, and given plates of chopped sirloin.

Diella led up half a dozen steps to a table that gave a good view over the floor.

"Nice place," I said.

"This place is for wolves . . . and dogs," she said. "We hope that we all can come together here, have some fun, resolve differences."  She explained that the entire town was werewolves, everyone in it.  They only sought to live their lives in quiet.  She said werewolves tend not to live in cities. There are exceptions, she said. Several current CEOs are werewolves. But, on the whole, werewolves like space and clean air.  "There's a much bigger population of us in Montana and Wyoming," she said.  "There's two werewolves in the Montana state legislature right now. Next election we might get in a third."

"So, you established this town, or took it over, just to live quietly and peddle bar-b-q?" I said. "I don't buy it."

"There is another part of our mission here."

"What's that?"

"To prepare for our survival," she said.

She explained there is a new species of hominid on the scene that mankind is not even aware of.  Partly this is because the new species blends in with mankind. "We think there must also be a new species of canine," she said. "We want to draw them here, get a sniff of them, check them out, see what they are about, if they are friend or foe. And we need your help. We need dogs t throw in with us on this."

I asked her if she knew how long weredogs and werewolves have been at war. She said she does. She said if we are to survive we must. I asked if she really thought the threat was that serious. She said she does, that all werewolves do, and that many weredogs are beginning to also see it and understand this new threat.

"If what you say is true," I said, "then we are doomed. Man is doomed, just as he doomed the Cro's."

She reminded me that wolves are still around, even though the Cro's are long gone. "We never wanted this war," she said. "All we have ever wanted was to be left alone. It is you, dogs, who have always believed your survival required our extermination."

"That is the way of Nature," I said, "for a new dominant species to replace the older dominant species. But, replacement must be complete, total." 

"Mankind better hope you're wrong," she said.

We talked only minutes more about details of how weredogs ad werewolves might work together before there was a yipping nearby.  She then turned to me and said, "You need to go. The humans you came with are nearly done eating. You three better return to your vehicle."

That was easier said than done. I spent three precious minutes standing next to Flecka, saying, "Flecka, for Dog's sake, we really need to go. Come on."

We barely made it back to the vehicle before Jack and the boys. Flecka and Bella were still panting. Jack and the boys all piled into the vehicle, grunting and groaning about how full they were, how good the bar-b-q was.  

"Hey, dogs," said Sven.  "Have a good nap?"  

Flecka belched and farted at the same time.