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Chapter Eight: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner.

Dawn let out a tired yawn, stretching an arm as she braced it with the other. It seemed like the couple had been out in the family corn field for hours now. The afternoon sun hung low in the west, allowing the amber color of the mountains and fields to bleed up into the horizon. Even the cornfield itself had become bathed in a plethora of orange and pinkish light as the stalks swayed in the rising breeze.

"Ya getting tired Honey Lamb?" Vernon turned his head back slightly, peering at Dawn over his shoulder.

The ewe, still clad tightly around the wolf's neck, gave her Puppy a gentle pat on the head.

"A little bit I guess..." She murmured. "We've been out here for a while."

Tightening her grip around the wolf, the lamb did her best to hug him despite already riding on his shoulders.

"What about you Puppy Love?" Dawn cooed. "You've been doing most of the lifting here..."

Vernon gave a brisk shake of his head in dismissal. "Nah, I'm alright. I'm used to this sort of thing." The wolf plucked another cob from a nearby stalk, inspecting it closely.

Dawn shuddered softly as another gust caught her off guard. There was a growing chill to the air, carried by the building breeze preceding what Dawn assumed was to be a quite cold autumn evening. The ewe squeezed herself against the wolf's neck again, attempting to steal more warmth from his inviting pelt.

" 'Nother bad one." Vernon sighed, tossing the cob aside. "I swear, this is the worst shape I've seen this field in."

"Really?" Dawn asked.

"Well it certainly wasn't this bad two years ago." Vernon scratched his head. "I mean it wasn't great, but it was better than this. It seems like half the corn we picked today was all chewed up by vermin."

Another gust of fall air sent a shiver down Dawn's spine, and she tightened her grasp in tandem with the gust.

"Getting cold Floof?" Vernon asked.

Dawn nodded meekly as Vernon peeked over his shoulder.

"Well, I'd say we've done enough for today. Four buckets is a pretty good haul for two mammals." Vernon sighed.

Vernon crouched down, allowing for Dawn to clamber off his back easily. Once the ewe had disembarked from the wolf's shoulders, Vernon grasped the large faded blue bucket they had been tossing corn into for the past half hour. With a groan, the wolf heaved the bin up and eased it onto his shoulder. He spent a moment adjusting the bucket against his side before he finally seemed comfortable with the level of balance.

"I'm sure between us, Wade, Zach and Vanna we've got more than enough for the stall." Vernon stood on his toes, placing a paw just above his eyes as he seemed to search the field. The corn field was large, and it was easy to get lost among the jungle of tan stalks according to the wolf. So with each bucket the duo had filled together, Vernon would scan the field in order to re-orient the location of the house and barn relative to them before heading back.

"Alright, barns back that way." The wolf mumbled, vaguely stabbing toward what Dawn could only assume was the barn. Now at ground level, the ewe couldn't make out much of anything else but corn and sky.

Vernon began the slow trudge toward the barn, stopping briefly as he began to cut through the nearest stalks to turn back to Dawn.

"Stick close, it's getting dark after all." Vernon said.

Dawn gave a brisk nod, scurrying directly behind the large wolf.

It had only taken a few minutes before the couple cleared the large field, and Dawn once again found herself standing in front of the massive barn. The large red structure was bathed in an orange glow by the setting sun. It was clear it had been standing for a very long time. The red paint had faded to an almost pink color, with large swaths peeled and chipped away. The exposed raw wood looked soft and malleable in spots, as if a simple touch would cause the sections to crumble and fall away. Despite it, the bulk of the structure still seemed sturdy. And the inside, while carrying the scent of old hay and wood rot, seemed dry.

Dawn watched from the door frame as Vernon set the large bucket down near several others, sliding it in tightly against the rest. The wolf wiped his brow, letting out a sigh as he turned back to face her.

"I gotta tell ya Mutton Chop, you're gonna love Ma's roasted corn." The wolf's expression seemed almost dreamy as he licked his maw. "Just hauling 'em today has got me hankering for them something fierce."

Dawn giggled as the wolf exited the barn, coming up along side her.

"I don't think I've ever had 'roasted corn'." Dawn smiled up at the wolf.

Vernon looked shocked, his ears standing sharply as he grinned at the ewe.

"Oh you'll love it darlin'." Vernon cooed. "Hot steamin' corn, slathered in butter and seasoning."

The wolf chuckled, shaking his head. "Might take a few minutes off the end of your life with that much fat on it, but trust me it's worth it."

"Well, we can't live forever I suppose." Dawn giggled as Vernon gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"That's my girl!" Vernon beamed at the ewe, giving the poof of wool on her head a playful tussle.

Another gust of wind had Dawn bracing her upper arms with her hooves, rubbing them in an effort to keep warm. But with the wind came a familiar sound, one that Dawn had heard earlier in the day. Looking up at Vernon she could see his ears twitch, then pivot toward the source of the sound, his expression sharing a similar look of recognition to that of Dawn's own.

"Sounds like dinner's up." Vernon sighed.

Within minutes, Dawn heard more howls coming from the fields the pair had left behind. Dawn flashed Vernon a knowing glance before gingerly cupping her ears. Now properly prepared, the ewe gave Vernon an affirming nod. The wolf raised a paw to his muzzle, and let out his own reply to the rest of his pack. It only lasted a few seconds before Dawn could hear it begin to taper off, and she slowly lowered her hooves.

"Welp, we should hea-"

Another howl echoed across the field, and then another, each one sounding like it was from the same wolf. Vernon let out a groan.

"Zach, fer crying out loud." Vernon grumbled.

The next howl was cut off midway, overtaken by the loud roar of tiger.

Vernon grinned at Dawn. "Thankfully Vanna's pretty good at shutting his yap."

"As I was saying, we should head on back." Vernon said, extending a paw to the little ewe.

Dawn gave the wolf a slight bow, placing her hoof in Vernon's paw, intertwining her fingers with his.

Vernon arched an eyebrow, a look of mild concern coming over his face. "Y-you ready for this Honey Lamb?" The wolf asked.

Dawn wasn't entirely sure if she was. Then again, what was the other option? It wasn't like they could just leave now, turn tail and run back to the train station. Meeting Vernon's Father carried with it a seemingly more intense weight than meeting his Mother. Vernon had always said he was easygoing, but he also came off as quite stubborn considering the stories she had heard about Vernon's choice in schooling. Still despite her fears, so far meeting Vernon's family had been going well, and who was to say that stride would break anytime soon. Dawn took a deep breath, steeling herself as she gave Vernon's paw a confident squeeze.

"I'm ready." She said sharply, giving Vernon a serious stare.

Vernon chuckled, nodding his head.

"Alright, back through the field we go." The wolf gave a shrug as the two headed back toward the swaying stalks of the quiet corn field.

Keeping close to the cleared paths between the stalks the couple had little trouble finding their way back to the other side the field. And as Vernon parted the last of the canes the Hunter Ranch came back into view. Now that the sun had drawn close to the horizon most of the lights inside the home had been turned on to stave off the growing dark. The warm glow from each of the now lit windows making the house look even more cozy than before. Just the sight alone had nearly evaporated Dawn's remaining tension. But it was short lived as Vernon brought her attention to the driveway.

"Look's like Dad's already inside." Vernon's voice seemed cool, but Dawn could hear the slight unease in his tone.

Along with Vernon's Mother's truck, two squad cars were now parked next to one another. Initially Dawn would have thought it was just Vanna and Zach's cars. But on top of recalling Zach implying the pair shared a vehicle, the other car had the word _'sheriff'_emblazoned across it's doors.

Dawn involuntarily gulped hard. The ewe touched her neck in surprise of herself.

"You want to wait till the others head in first?" Dawn turned to see Vernon eyeing her warily.

Dawn wanted to say no, to just push forward and take the plunge. But her head betrayed her as it meekly nodded yes. Vernon nodded back, allowing the stalks in front of them to slip most of the way back into place as he continued to eye the house from between the slits.

The two stood there quietly as the minutes passed. In time, they heard the corn shifting and rustling around them and eventually could see the others emerge from different spots in the field. Vernon spread the stalks a bit more, giving Dawn a better view of the house, and the dimly lit members of the Hunter pack making their way up the porch steps. The easiest one to spot was Vanna as the tigress towered over the other wolves. Dawn watched as the tigress swatted the back of the head of the wolf she presumed to be Zach walking next to her. The wolf cowered for a split second, before playfully swatting back as the two entered the home. The third wolf followed closely behind, pausing at the door to look back at the field.

"You guys out there!?" Wade called out in a sort of hushed shout.

"Go on!" Vernon hissed back. "We'll be up in a minute."

Wade shrugged before finally entering the house. Now alone in the waning light of the sun, Dawn took another few deep breaths as she prepared herself.

"It's just dinner." She thought to herself. "It's only one new mammal, you've got numbers on your side here. Everyone else seems okay with you."

Dawn practically jumped out of her fleece when she suddenly felt a paw on her shoulder. Whirling around quickly she found Vernon eyeing her with concern. The ewe silently cursed her growing anxiousness and fidgety reflexes.

"You alright Daw-"

"I'm fine. Let's go." Dawn brushed the wolf's paw aside and began a confident stride toward the ranch.

"It's going to be fine. It's going to go great." Dawn mumbled to herself.

"That's it." She turned to see Vernon had caught up to her. "Think positive, like I am." The wolf gave a sheepish grin.

Dawn made it right up to the front door before the confidence that had pulled her forward drained away. Her hoof froze just shy of the knob, and waivered there. Dawn bit her lip in anticipation, for all she knew Dorian was standing right on the other side still greeting the rest of his kids. Dawn gave another hard gulp before finally mustering enough courage to clasp the knob and open the door. As the light of the entree way spilled out onto the porch Dawn let out a sigh of relief. The hall was empty, and that bought her a least a little bit more time to prepare.

"I'll lead the way from here Darlin'" Vernon said, making his way around the lamb and into the hall. Dawn, feeling less brave than when she started was more than happy to let the wolf lead from here on out. The ewe scurried up behind him so closely she practically had Vernon's tail in her face. Dawn periodically peeked around the wolf as he made his way into the dining room.

Around the table she could see Vanna and Zach had already seated themselves. Switching to peek from behind Vernon's other side, Dawn could see Wade standing at the other end of the table, clearly hugging someone. As he pulled away the wolf that Dawn knew to be Dorian came into full view.

The wolf was still clad in his sheriff's uniform, his hat resting on the dining room table beside him. His white fur was practically blinding. and the only other colors Dawn could pick out was the black of his nose and his steely grey eyes. Eyes that soon shifted in Dawn's direction. Dawn had to choke back a gasp as she quickly pulled herself back behind Vernon's waist.

"Son?" She heard what she could only assume to be Dorian's voice call. It was low and somewhat gravely, just a bit more home-spun that the rest of the Hunter males.

"Dad." Vernon replied plainly. Dawn clasped on to the hem of Vernon's shirt as he walked closer to the icy white wolf. Vernon stopped at what Dawn assumed to be right next to Dorian, and the room became silent. The ewe couldn't hear anyone, not Zach, nor Vanna, or even Wade. The tension in the room was thick.

Dawn looked up to see white furred paws wrapping around Vernon's torso, and as her mate leaned in for a hug Dawn took the opportunity to take another peek at the sheriff.

Dorian was just slightly smaller than Vernon. Despite the affectionate gesture, Dawn could see a stiffness in his grip. The hug between the two had an almost mechanical nature to it. Maybe it had become a formality between the two more than anything else. As the wolf pulled back his piercing grey eyes flicked back to Dawn. This time the little ewe froze on the spot, letting out a quiet _'eep'_in response. The intimidating aura around the wolf holding her stock still.

"This...Bellwether?" Dorian said, his voice a quiet rumble.

Vernon's ears sagged sharply.

"Yes, this is Dawn. My mate." Vernon said firmly. The wolf weaved his head into his Father's line of sight, drawing his eyes off the ewe.

"I see." Dorian sighed. Slowly the icy white wolf crouched down, extending a paw out to Dawn. Dawn did her best to keep from shaking as she warily extended her hoof.

"Welcome to our home Miss Bellwether." Dorian's handshake was oddly weak, and equally as short as the wolf quickly withdrew his paw from Dawn's grip. It made her feel as if he thought her hoof was tainted somehow, unclean.

Dorian slid into the nearby chair at the head of the table, taking a moment to settle in before flashing a quizzical look at the couple.

"Well, ya sitting down or not?" He ask flatly.

"Da-"

Dawn hadn't given Vernon the chance to finish before she had taken off to the seat farthest away from the head of the table. Vernon looked at her in surprise before flashing his Father an irritated look. However, he seemed to opt to stay silent and eventually made his way over to the seat next to her.

With a little help, Dawn managed to get into the dining chair next to Vernon. But as she settled in a big problem became immediately apparent. Dawn's head was just barely above the top of the table.

"Oh shoot." Vernon muttered, stifling a chuckle. "I didn't even think about that. Hold on Darlin'."

Vernon quickly rose from his seat, making his way over to a nearby armoire. The ewe watched him rifle through the lower cabinets before he produced a small stack of very old looking phone books. Walking back to the table the wolf sat back in his seat. With one arm he pulled the ewe onto his lap as he placed the stack down in her chair with the other.

"Sorry if it's a bit unrefined." Vernon murmured. " We don't get a lot of small mammals around here usually so we never saw fit to getting different sized chairs. This was Ma's elegant solution." The wolf gave a chuckle.

As Vernon slid her on top of the old faded phone books, the ewe straightened her skirt.

"It's f-fine." Dawn gave Vernon a meek smile. "I've had w-worse."

"Dawn it's okay." Vernon said softly, flashing his Father a quick glare. The white wolf was busy adjusting his silverware and failed to notice. "If he gives you guff I won't let it stand, you kn-"

"Alrighty!" Dawn's attention quickly turned to the familiar she-wolf Audrey as she entered the room. She was carrying several dishes, some of which were covered with shining steel lids. "Who's hungry!?"

Zach eagerly raised his paw.

"I am!" He barked.

"You always are!" Wade chuckled.

Audrey began to place the various plates of food on the table, making her way from one end to the other as she placed each dish. As she came around to Wade, the she-wolf quickly grasped his worn and tattered ball cap off his head. She held it above him for a moment.

"What'd I tell you about hats at the dinner table." Audrey tutted. "Your Father remembered to take his off."

Wade's ears drooped as the wolf meekly grabbed his hat from his Mother's paw. He quickly stuffed it below the table, presumably on his lap.

"Sorry Ma..." He mumbled.

Audrey grinned at the wolf before continuing to make her way around the table. By the time she had made it around to Vernon and Dawn, the wolf had two small platters remaining. Dawn could see the she-wolf's expression turn to one of worry as she lowered a plate in front of Dawn.

"Now I want to apologize right away Darlin'" Audrey muttered. As the plate finally came to rest in front of the ewe, Dawn could make out a fairly standard looking burger with a side of mashed potatoes and some other mixed vegetables. The patty was green and processed looking. Not entirely unappetizing, but fairly plainer than the sheep had expected.

"I don't really know how to cook for prey." Audrey winced. "So the patty is just some freezer section meadow burgers. Please forgive me."

Dawn was surprised Audrey seemed so worried about such a trifle. It made sense that a primarily predator household didn't know much about prey cuisine.

"I-it's fine. Really." Dawn nodded.

Audrey let out a relieved sigh. "Don't worry, When Xavier comes home tomorrow his mate will be taking over cooking for the weekend." Audrey grinned. "That wolf knows a thing or two about sheep cuisine!"

"Oh I can't wait till Malcolm gets here." Zach placed his utensils back and rubbed his stomach appreciatively. "That wolf has a gift when it comes to food."

Audrey lowered the final plate in front of Vernon.

"Maybe you should take some lessons from him then so I don't have to feed you all the time." Audrey's laugh trailed off as she returned her attention to the plate she placed.

"Now Vernon, I just heated you up a fish patty since we were having cicada loaf tonight and I know you aren't a fan of bugs."

Vernon scrunched his nose in disgust. "Blech, yeah I'll pass on the loaf thank ya."

Audrey took a seat next to her son, adjusting her own plate of food.

"Wait, you don't like bugs at all?" Dawn was surprised. She had lived with Vernon for close to six months but she had never seen him turn his snout up at anything other than her turf tarts.

Vernon sighed, but before he could speak Zach interrupted him.

"He doesn't eat 'em unless they don't look like bugs anymore." Zach said.

Vernon groaned. "I don't like chompin' down on little legs and thoraxes and stuff. It makes me feel gross."

"And Ma's Cicada loaf is chock full of whole ones. MhhMnh!" Wade grinned. "I love the way they kind of pop open when you bite into 'em."

Dawn could see Vernon visibly shudder.

"I-I'll eat the patties and stuff at Bug-Burga." Vernon shrugged. "But I stay far away solid bugs."

"What a puppy." Zach laughed.

Vernon stood up slightly, his ears cocking back as he sneered across the table. "Hey!" He grimaced. "Bugs are vermin remember? They carry diseases and eat our crops and all sorts of stuff!" The wolf grumbled, slumping back into his chair.

"That's why they have the North Mammalian Food and Drug Administration dummy!" Zach retorted. "They make sure the bugs that get to our plates are clean and disease free."

"Boys enough." Audrey tutted. "Just start eating before it gets cold."

The wolves fell silent, and reluctantly began to pick at their respective plates. Dawn, taking the hint, joined the others as they slowly began to dig in to their meals. Taking a bite of the burger, the lamb found it wasn't that bad. Sure it was mostly grass, as was the case with most cheap frozen sheep meals, but it was satisfying none the less.

But as she continued to eat, she kept catching Dorian's glare. At first she thought it was a fluke, that she had just happened to catch him looking her way. But after a few more times it became clear the wolf was periodically flashing her a disdainful look. Dawn slowly found her appetite waning as she it became more and more clear that the snowy white wolf was at the very least suspicious or distrustful of her, if not worse.

"So where's your girl?" Dorian's demeanor seemed to shift to a lighter tone as he questioned Wade.

Wade shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. "U-Uh she couldn't make it." He sputtered before anyone else could conceivably interrupt him. "Family emergency, her F-Father's in the hospital."

"Oh" Dorian's smile faltered. The older wolf let out a gruff sigh. "Would have been nice to have one of you bring home a wolf for once." He muttered.

Dawn looked up to catch Vanna's eyes go wide. The tigress quickly glanced over to Dorian with a look of hurt on her face before looking away. A small frown remaining on her muzzle.

"Dori!" Audrey hissed at the white wolf.

"What, I'm just saying!" Dorian sputtered. "I love all of my daughter in-laws!" The wolf forced a grin. Audrey let out a huff before turning back to her plate.

"Almost all of 'em." Dawn could hear him mutter, but it appeared Audrey chose to ignore that remark, quickly interrupting it with her own statement.

"So ya'll excited for tomorrow?" Audrey smiled widely.

"Yes ma'am, we're looking forward to the carnival." Vernon said, giving the ewe a slight nudge. Dawn gave a simple and shuddering nod. She could feel the uncomfortable tension in her body growing more and more as the awkward dinner continued to putter along. Dawn had always wanted to be someone's date to a fair or carnival, but it was hard to dwell on that happy thought with Dorian's eyes still periodically searing through her.

"Looking forward to what? Running the stall?" Wade chuckled.

"Oh Hush!" Audrey tutted. "I don't need all of you to help me with the stall. You'll all get to enjoy the festival on different days." She added.

"As long as I get a shot at that pie eating contest I'm happy to run the stall all day." Zach smirked, crossing his arms in triumph.

"Please." Vernon teased. "Last time I was out you only made it through six pies before you puked. You didn't even place!" The wolf laughed.

Zach turned his head to the side, a look of indignance twisting up his muzzle.

"Okay, so I did!" He sneered. "But this year I'll be ready!" Zach flashed a grin.

"Maybe you should spend some time with your mate huh?" Vernon smirked back at the russet wolf. "Bit less selfish than stuffing yer face."

Zach's smile deflated as he turned to face Vanna. The tigress simply arched an eyebrow at him.

"W-Well of course were gonna spend some time together. I didn't just forget about her." He placed a paw on top of hers. "But that doesn't me-"

"I like watching Mutt make a spectacle of himself." The tigress smirked, giving the wolf a kiss on the side of his head. Zach blushed as he recoiled slightly.

"I thought I made you his partner to keep him from doing that sort of thing." Dorian grinned.

"Hey, excellence like this can be contained by no mammal!" Zach swelled his chest, placing a paw against it proudly. Vanna simply placed her head in her paw, trying to hide her smirk.

"Well my romantic date ain't gonna involve as much gorging myself." Vernon chuckled.

Dawn could see Dorian's smile twist back into a sullen frown. The wolf simply mumbled as he went back to his meal.

"Although I won't lie, I'm itchin' to get my fangs into some roasted corn." Vernon's ears stuck straight up as a look of realization came over him. "That reminds me." He quickly turned to face his Mother. "Ma, the corn's in awful shape this year. Worst I've ever seen."

"Please, it wasn't looking so hot two years ago either." Zach added.

Audrey let out a sigh. "Well, we have been having trouble keeping vermin out of the fields for a while now."

The she-wolf gave a shrug. "Every year I've been trying a different way of keeping them out but so far I haven't found a good one. This year just happens I picked a method of pest control that turned out to be the worst one yet." The she-wolf let out another sigh. "Luckily I always grow too much, so we've got enough for the stall despite the hit to the crops."

Vernon scratched his chin. "I don't remember it being like that when I was a pup."

Audrey toyed with the food on her plate. "Well, I used different repellant back then. I haven't used that stuff in years though."

"Wha-"

"Wasn't like we were allowed to anymore anyway." Dorian mumbled.

Audrey's ears perked up slightly. The she-wolf turned to her mate.

"Dori." She hissed.

"I don't understand, why'd you stop using the stuff?" Vernon asked.

"B-Because it wasn't s-safe dear." Audrey stuttered. Turning back to Vernon she gave the wolf a reassuring pat on the paw. "But it's fine, we'll find something that works even-"

"Tell him what we used Audrey." Dorian said bluntly.

The table had fallen silent as the assembled family members turned their focus to Dorian. The wolf was still nonchalantly eating his meal. The lingering silence caused the wolf to eventually stop and look back up at everyone in confusion. Dorian eyed his mate again.

"Go on, tell the boy." He said, his mouth still partially filled with food.

"Dori!" Audrey slammed her paws on the table. "Drop it!"

Dawn had already stopped eating, the nauseas feeling growing too strong as the rising tension twisted the four chambers of her stomach into knots. She pushed her plate aside as Vernon flashed a concerned look her way.

"You all right Lamb Chop?" Vernon asked.

Dawn wearily shook her head. "I-I'm fine...I'm just f-full is all.

"Vernon, don't mind your Father." Audrey muttered. "He's obviously had a rough day at work and he's-"

"We used to use night howlers." Dorian said, going back to picking at the meal on his plate. "Right Auddy?"

"DORIAN EVERETT HUNTER!" Audrey stood, slamming her paws on the table as she hissed at the white wolf.

The words hit Dawn like a sack of bricks, and she quickly felt as if she was going to faint. Of course they used night howlers, most farmers had before....before the whole mess. The ewe began to sink into her seat uncomfortably as the argument around the table seemed to be brewing.

"WHAT!?" The white wolf snapped back. "I CAN'T STATE A FACT!?" The wolf put his utensils down. "IT'S WHAT WE USED TO PROTECT THE CROPS AIN'T IT!?"

Audrey glanced Dawn's way, wincing nervously before turning the glare back onto her husband.

"It really doesn't matter do-"

"We had to stop using it because it was classed as a narcotic five years ago." Dorian went back to picking at his plate. Seemingly ignoring his mates attempts to shut down the conversation. "Of course we all know why that was, don't we?"

Before that point Dawn had been catching Dorian glaring at her apropos of nothing, but now the wolf had chosen to punctuate the end of his sentence with another disapproving stare directed right at the ewe. If there was any question as to whether Dorian was harboring some sort of resentment toward her he had just made it loud and clear. Dawn continued to sink lower into her chair under the intense gaze. It felt like the room was starting to spin slightly as she braced her hooves on the phone books. The ewe looked over to her mate, trying to maintain a stoic outward demeanor. But Vernon wasn't looking at her, he was already up on his feet. The wolf's expression twisted into a snarl as he glared at his Father.

"Is there something you want to say to me old mam'?" Vernon hissed as he pounded his paws on the table.

"Not to you." The wolf muttered, taking another bite of his food.

"Dad..." That one had come from Zach, the surprise and disappointment in his voice seemed to catch Dorian off guard as he stared at the russet wolf in disbelief.

"WHAT!?" Dorian barked. "We can't talk about facts at the dinner table anymore? We have to bite our tongues and sit here like everything is fine?" The wolf harshly clattered his utensils against his plate.

"We can't use night howlers because they are a highly regulated toxin. Fact." Dorian sneered. " Night Howler is regulated because of it's use in a conspiracy to drug predators into attacking prey. Fact."

"DORI!" Audrey hissed. "STOP IT!"

Dorian stared at his mate, his face stricken with a look of betrayal.

"Oh I get it." The white wolf bared his teeth slightly. "I'm the bad guy right?" Dorian let out a shaky barking laugh. "I'm the bad guy at the table because I shouldn't be bringing up bad memories, right?"

Dorian shook his head, chuckling as he did. " I'm supposed to just take all this with a smile, just grin and bear it. Anything else is rude huh?" Dorian let out a weary sigh. "Yeah, I'm sitting at the table with an ex-con and I'm the bad guy."

Vernon slammed his paws against the table so forcefully his plate managed to split in two. He was growling now, staring daggers into his Father's eyes.

"If you have a problem you better say it to me, because I sure as hell won't let you say it t-!"

"It's not my problem, it's your problem." Dorian muttered.

Vernon lunged only for Audrey to hold the wolf back with a paw.

"PLEASE YOU TWO!" She snarled, glaring at the both of them. Dorian didn't even acknowledge his wife, continuing to pick at little bits of food left on his plate. Vernon however was practically gasping as he pushed his Mother's paw off of him. The other members of the Hunter brood had fallen deathly silent. Dawn could see they were practically frozen aside from their eyes, which had been darting from speaker to speaker.

"I wanted this to be a nice dinner!" The she-wolf groaned. "The last thing I wanted was another fight to break out between the two of you!"

Dorian let out another barking laugh. "You can't seriously believe we weren't going to fight! Not after he told us who he was bringing home wi-"

"ENOUGH!" The she wolf hissed, but it was clear the sheriff was done listening to dissenting opinions. The wolf abruptly stood, lifting his plate with him.

"Well, you got your peaceful dinner Auddy." Dorian grumbled. "I'll be finishing mine in my Office so nobody gets their 'feelings hurt'." With a snarl, the icy white wolf made his way around the table and out of the room.

Despite Dorian's absence, Vernon was still incised. The wolf was huffing and puffing, running his paw through his hair tuft repeatedly as he seemed to try to compose himself. As he looked back to the ewe, the anger in his eyes quickly faded to worry and anguish.

Admittedly Dawn probably wasn't doing much to alleviate that feeling in the wolf. The ewe had practically sunk below the table. She felt so sick to her stomach that she was practically ready to run to the bathroom. Noticing Vernon's concerned glance, the ewe did her best to power though the gross tension wracking her body. She didn't want to see his ears sag, to make him think she couldn't handle it. However she ultimately failed as tears began to well up behind her frames.

"I-I'm so sorry Vernon." Dawn muttered. The ewe struggled to clamber to a standing position on her seat as she wiped her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry everyone, I di-"

"You ain't apologizing for anything Honey Lamb!" Vernon cut her off, slamming another paw against the table. Vernon eyed the other mammals sharply, his stare almost accusatory before turning back to the trembling ewe. "It's his fault, not yours."

Vernon took a deep breath, shaking his head briskly as he let out a ragged sigh.

"If you don't mind." Vernon snapped his attention back to the family table. "We'll be excusing ourselves for the rest of the night thank you." His voice was calm and cold.

"Vernon, you two don't have to-"

"No, it's better this way." Vernon muttered. "Evenings already spoiled, the rest of you don't need our situation bringing the tone down." The wolf hissed. "Or worse, Dad coming back and making it worse."

Before Dawn knew it, Vernon had gingerly picked her up in his arms. She wanted to protest, her hatred of feeling weak and feeble screaming at her to stand up and say something. To save the dinner somehow, but the ewe couldn't do it. Vernon was right, it was spoiled. And the last thing she wanted to do was sit there in awkward silence for the rest of a meal she wouldn't eat.

"Vernon sweet-"

"We'll be alright Ma." Vernon grumbled as he turned his back to the table. "We'll be downstairs if you need us."

And with that the pair left the dinning room, Dawn hugging the wolf tightly as she watched the other wolves sullen faces disappear behind the dining room wall. So much for 'so far, so good'.