*Media pic of Taffy, Mr. Niko Rask's golden retriever.

Meadow was put on paid leave later that same day and told by her boss' boss, Deputy Director Astrid Karlsson, to take two weeks to recoup and recover from her ordeal. Grateful for the unexpected break from work, she wasted no time making arrangements to fly home to Arrowfield the following afternoon. She was looking forward to getting lost in the scenery and fresh air of her native mountains.

Her tearful mother and sour-faced father picked her up at the airfield the next day.

"Baby," he mother called softly as she opened wide her arms to hug her daughter firmly.

Meadow smiled warmly and embraced her back. It was good to see her. Skype and face time just weren't the same as seeing her mother's beautiful dark brown eyes and slightly silvered hair in person. Plus, she couldn't hug a screen.

"Sorry about the short notice," she said straight away to both of them.

"Never mind that, Sweetie. You can come home any time you please. We are always happy to see you," her mother chimed in joyfully. "This seeing you only once a year is for the dogs," she lamented.

Meadow chuckled. "I know just what you mean Mom. I miss you too."

Her father had nothing to say on the subject. He just mumbled incoherently under his breath as he took her luggage and headed for the truck. The two woman took the hint and followed him out into the parking lot.

"Your father and I were saying just the other day that the sooner you quit that place the better. It's so unsafe. I mean, what is you boss doing letting you handle such dangerous situations," she huffed. "I'm afraid one of those weres will put you in an early grave. I read the paper and see the news broadcast. I know how much they despise all you pencil pushers at the Bureau," she complained passionately.

"Lycanthropes Mom, they prefer to be called lycanthropes," Meadow reminded her gently.

"Tsk," her mother said dismissively, "You know just who I mean."

Her father only added what he always added, "You should never have taken the job in the first place. You brought this trouble on yourself."

Meadow said nothing. He had never supported her decision to go to the Bureau, and had been trying to discourage her from working there ever since. 

Meadow remember how he lectured her just before she took the job. It was summer break, she was home in Arrowfield, packing for the big move to Rutherford, when he barged into her bedroom, whipped her open luggage case off the bed in a fury and started yelling at her, "Why can't you listen to me? For a smart kid you are really stupid. You know that, right?"

He didn't wait for a response, he just went on ranting. "How many times do I have to tell you, you gotta steer clear of those dam weres? I didn't raise you and help you through university so you could throw your education and your life away on a miserable group of shape-shifters who can't be trusted. They are a violent, deceptive lot, and they'll get you killed one of these days. Mark my words, Meadow."

His attitude had not softened in the least since then. And she wasn't surprised. He had hated lycanthropes for as long as she could remember, even the ones in their own town, and he didn't hide his hatred from anybody. As a teen, Meadow had been so sick and tired of his racist attitude that she'd gone out of her way all through her high school years to support the lycanthrope community in Arrowfield in whatever small way she could.

Looking back, she wasn't surprised she'd taken up the job at the Bureau. It wasn't to spite her father, though he certainly seemed to think so. She sought out the job and applied for it to right all the racists wrongs her father had committed every time he opened his mouth and spoke about lycanthropes, or gave a neighbour the cold shoulder, or rolled his eyes at some news story about the trouble lycanthropes faced trying to integrate into human society. She was just trying to make things right in her own small way.

And, when she first entered the Bureau five years ago, the work felt meaningful. She was a natural problem solver, and lived for those days when she could successfully walk a lycanthrope family, couple, or individual through the often murky and complicated bureaucratic paperwork that permeated every aspect of their lives now that they were openly a apart of human society.

But lately, it all felt meaningless. The paperwork was unending and got more complicated and convoluted with each passing year. And there were more and more unsatisfied and angry clients, then ever before. The lycanthrope communities were clearly unsatisfied with all the human rules and regulations they had to live under and abide by if they wanted to live peaceful, unrestrained and prosperous lives in society. And there were more and more code reds happening then ever before.

Meadow sighed audibly. She was glad for the paid leave from work. She was going to need it to re-evaluate what she wanted from her job - her career - and if the Bureau could do that for her anymore.

Her mother , hearing her sigh, squeezed her hand as they crossed the parking lot. Meadow smiled at her, but said nothing. She knew better than to open her mouth and start something with her dad on the first day of her unplanned and unexpected trip home. He was already put out that she came home unannounced, if his brisk attitude was anything to go by.

He was a man who hated surprises and liked his routine. Her unscheduled trip home would definitely set him off, which Meadow wasn't looking forward to dealing with. But, coming home to Arrowfield was better than sitting in her empty apartment for the next two weeks. At least, she hoped it would be.

They piled into her father's four-door pick-up truck and drove thirty minutes through beautiful countryside and foothills to get to Arrowfield. The drive was quiet and peaceful. Meadow loved the view. She missed the foothills. She only saw home once a year now, and that was only during the Christmas holiday.

It was refreshing to see it mid-spring when everything was bursting with new leaves and bright greens. Rolling down the window a hair, Meadow breathed in the country air. It was a vast improvement over the exhaust rich air in Rutherford.

Taffy, her father's retriever, met them as they came up the winding drive. She barked and wagged her tail while making loops around the car after her father had put it in park. The moment Meadow stepped out of the vehicle Taffy was all over her trying not to jump but wanting so badly to get right up in Meadow's face. Meadow laughed and squatted down to give the dog a big hug and a few good scratches behind the ear.

"Stop that," her father barked at the dog. "Settle down," he commanded her.

Taffy's tail fell a little, but she obediently went to his side where she sat as he pulled Meadow's luggage from the truck bed.

Meadow was once again reminded of how alike her father and lycanthrope males were. Always ruining everyone's fun. Well, the angry ones like Mr. McBride at any rate. She laughed to herself and felt a little sorry for poor Taffy, who just wanted to show how excited she was to see a long-lost member of the family. But, Taffy was definitely her father's dog and Meadow knew not to interfere. Her dad didn't like to share his dogs with anyone.

"Come on in, Darling," her mother beckoned her from the front of the wrap around porch.

The word 'darling' made her think of the bistro owner and the very strange encounter she'd had with the woman just a few weeks ago. The news she shared had come as quite a shock. Who was this unmated lycanthrope who felt she was his mate? Had she met him somewhere? Had he been into the Bureau? And what was it about her that made him so sure she was his? How could he tell?

Meadow was glad she didn't have to turn the man down to his face. It was so much easier just to tell the irate bistro owner to discourage his interest. But, she did feel it was too bad the conversation hadn't gone a little better. Meadow already missed eating at the Bistro on her way home from work the last couple of weeks.

Meadow gave her mother a half-smile as she followed her up the wooden steps to the front door with the cheerful hand-painted 'Welcome' sign hanging from its window pane. That was one conversation she would not be sharing with her mother during her indefinite stay. Both her parents would freak if they thought some lycanthrope wanted her as a mate. They barely tolerated their lycanthrope neighbours. They would disown Meadow if she brought home a lycanthrope and told them she wanted to have a family with him.

The house smelt of lasagne and Meadow's mouth watered. "Mom!" She declared with enthusiasm, "You've made my favourite!"

Her mother laughed and blushed a little. "Well, of course, Sweetie. Do you want it now or after a nap?"

"Now!" Meadow burst out as she went through to the kitchen and immediately took down three plates from the cupboard.

"Oh, make that four plates, Darling," her mother called from the pantry where she rummaged in the big deep freeze for her cheesy garlic bread, which she would pop in the toaster oven for a quick bake.

"Who is here?" Meadow asked while wondering which of her two brothers had decided to surprise her.

"It's not one of the boys," her mother let her know right away. "It's Eddie from up Red Mountain road. He's working with your father. The two of them are clearing some land up the hill behind the barn. He's out there now. The two of them are at it from dawn until dusk most days since the ground hardened up and your father could get the tractor in there ..."

Meadow listened to her mother ramble on about the difficulty clearing such big old timber and the problems her father had with the tractor. All the while, she peered out the kitchen and dining room windows, which had a good view of the back hill, to see just where they were cutting.

An enormous shadow in the kitchen window caught Meadow's eye suddenly and she let out a huge shriek before dropping the extra plate she held in her hand. The plate hit the floor and shattered into a million pieces, but Meadow almost didn't notice as she waited to see if it was a bear on the back deck.

"What happened?" Her mother cried as she came running from the pantry.

"Don't Mom," Meadow shouted as she flung up a hand to stop her mother from walking near the broken plate.

A man, the size of a grizzly bear, knocked on the sliding glass doors that lead from the dining room to the back porch. Meadow nearly fainted with relief.

As the man let himself in, Meadow turned to her mother and said, "I thought he was a bear on the deck."

Her mother looked shocked and then she laughed. "That's no bear. This here is Eddie. Eddie, this is Meadow who you've heard me talk so much about."

Meadow stopped dead in her tracks. He was a lycanthrope. She should know. She worked with the every day. There was no doubt in her mind. But what on earth was he doing here, in her parent's house and working with her dad?

"Well," her mother laughed amicably, "Don't just stare at the man. Say hello, Sweetie."

"Ahh," Meadow cleared her throat and looked around nervously for her father before saying a bit awkwardly, "Hello Eddie from up Red Mountain road."

She looked all around the room for a film crew. Surely she was being punked right now. This couldn't be real. This guy Eddie had to be an actor - a lycanthrope look-a-like. Someone had set her up, right?

He gave her a modest little nod and replied, "Hello Meadow."

She looked back at him with an uneasy smile. He was definitely a lycanthrope. There was no doubt. What on earth was going on here?