A naïve park ranger on Isle Royale makes a half-hearted wish to find a way to help the wolf population of the island. Ironically, his wish comes true: He finds himself turning into a wolf. Now he must navigate a new existence full of challenges.

Follow Mike around as he gets to know his new job! I promise the transformation stuff is on the way...

Best read from the PDF above, but the full text is below.

⇐ Prologue │ Story Directory │ Next Chapter ⇒

---

Published in collaboration with  anon54701 and  ShadowAnthrax of The Lunar Foundry. Cover art by me :), proofread by  taonas-deridran. Inspired in part by "In the Shadow of Moonlight".

Click HERE to join The Lunar Foundry on Discord, where you'll find other great wolf stories and a cool group of TF fans!

---

Chapter 1
“Welcome… to Isle Royale”

The piercing shriek of the Ranger III’s horn caused Mike to bolt from his slumber. Ready to start complaining of the rude awakening, his grumbles were silenced as soon as he looked off the side of the boat.

Well, here it is. My home for the next half year.

Other than a few buildings and pathways along the bay, it was already apparent that the island was dominated by nature. Mike had done a significant amount of research as he was considering applying for the Park Service, but that didn’t prepare him for what he saw. Even though the port was situated on a peninsula, the sprawl of vegetation was the same. Conifers as far as the eye could see, their muted green color providing a nice contrast to the surrounding lake’s blue waters.

Past this small bastion of human activity lies an ecosystem ruled by its inhabitants; the visitors are just that. Wow… That was poetic. I can’t wait to experience living in it!

Taking a deep breath of the refreshing lake air, Mike stepped back into the main compartment of the vessel to gather his belongings. A slight thud and some rolling of the ship told him that they had made landfall at Rock Harbor. Joining the meager group of passengers waiting to disembark, he shifted anxiously in place.

Well, here I go. New beginnings.

The gangplank swayed as he walked along it, tightly clutching his bags. He had to consciously loosen his grip as he tried to shake the nervousness hanging over him. He’d started new jobs or years of school before, why did it feel so intense? Trying to take his mind off of it, he looked around the port with wide eyes.

Truth be told, there isn’t much to see.

The simple Visitor Center was prominent at the end of the dock, the proverbial gate to the park. A trail ringed the bay, leading to some docks for private boats and the island’s sole hotel. Just as he imagined, the thick stands of pine trees provided such a good barrier to anything else going on behind the scenes that Rock Harbor truly did feel like an oasis. He continued gawking, his head snapping towards the Visitor Center when he heard someone yell.

“Hey! Mike! Over here!”

A Ranger approximately his age was waving her hand above her head as she was stepping out of the front door. He beelined his way through the cargo sitting quayside as he tried to reach her as quickly as possible. They hadn’t told him of what to expect once he got on the island… Why not go with the flow? After all, his coworkers should know his name by now. He was the only new guy.

“Hope the trip wasn’t too bad for you. The water was pretty calm today, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t all that bad.” Mike stuck his hand out as he greeted the woman. “I don’t believe we’ve met yet. You already know my name, what’s yours?”

“Victoria. Or Vic. Or Vickie. They all work! We’ve been waiting for you all day, through no fault of your own of course. Come with me, I’ll show you where to dump your stuff before we head to the meeting.”

“Al-righty then! Straight to it, lead the way!”

Following Vic, he matched her brisk pace as he tried to take as much in as possible. There were a few buildings towards the back of the clearing, next to a small field of solar panels.

Well, this isn’t as quaint as I imagined. Sounds like a saw buzzing in the pole barn over there… I wonder if I’ll have to do any maintenance.

“Curious about the buildings? You’ll get to know them fairly quickly,” Vic said as she pointed towards a few of them. “Maintenance shed, utility shed, barracks, storage… The maintenance workers are split between here, Windigo down at the southern tip of the island, and Houghton.”

What is she, a telepath?

Vic jumped onto the stoop of a single-story wood-sided building longer than it was wide. Opening the door and performing a small bow, she beckoned Mike in with, “After you, Sir.” in a posh accent. Mike silently tipped an invisible hat and stepped in.

The accommodations were much better than anticipated; The ‘barracks’ was more like a small dormitory. The front door opened into the conventionally laid out common area: Kitchenette, dining table, well-loved couch, and a loaded bookshelf beneath the ancient CRT television.

“Come on, you’ll have plenty of time for pitying how we live later,” Vic cheekily commented as she made a beckoning motion.

She walked Mike down the long central hallway, stopping at a room before fumbling with the massive keychain clipped to one of her belt loops.

“Darn keys… They keep giving me more every year! Ah… And with this, I welcome you to your new home. Your roommate is gonna be up here within the next week or so, so I’d enjoy the calm before he’s here.”

“I’m used to it by now. Fresh out of college, you know. Dorm life.”

“Yeah, I getcha. I’ll give you a minute to freshen up and change, bathroom’s at the end of the hall. I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”

Mike palmed the key as he opened the door with his other hand. The room was quaint, smelling vaguely musty. Two twin beds, two nightstands, two dressers, two lockers, and a boot rack were the only furniture. As hinted by the lamp on his nightstand, the room did indeed have power.

Huh. Clicking the power button on his phone, he confirmed that there was no reception. I just wanted to make sure. At least I’ll still have my music.

Dumping the contents of one bag onto his claimed bed, he sifted through the pile until he found the uniform they had sent him a few weeks prior; a muted grey-green collared shirt and some green hiking pants.

Gotta get dressed, Vic sounded like she didn’t want to wait around on me. Putting my clothes away can wait.

The walk back to the Visitor Center was short but almost eerily quiet. The boat’s engines had been turned off a while ago, letting the sounds and smells of nature take over. Rustling trees and the occasional chirp of a bird were the only things that could be heard; Likewise, the air had no scent other than a hint of vegetation and water. Vic talked in a bit of a hushed tone, cognizant that the relative peace shouldn’t be spoiled.

“If you’re worrying about this meeting, don’t. It’s just a little something we do every time a new employee comes on island. You’ll get to know everyone before the visitors really start coming over.”

Here I am thinking that it’s gonna be like my Dad’s Army stories. Maybe I shouldn’t have talked to him so much about what it’s like being a federal employee.

“I’m sure I’ll fit in just fine. If the rest of the staff is as warm as you are, I might actually enjoy working with them.”

Vic smirked and turned her head bashfully as she let out a slight giggle.

Ooh, I better be careful. I shouldn’t be saying anything that can be construed as flirting… Did she even think I was trying? Or was she just being nice?

The Visitor Center served multiple purposes: Park Office, Ranger Headquarters, and the island’s sole trading post. Hiking and camping supplies, some foodstuffs, souvenirs, even tobacco. Vic unlocked the door, pointing towards the nondescript ‘Employees Only’ door at the back of the sales floor. Grasping the knob and turning, Mike slowly opened it to find a huddle of people around a small card table in the middle of the trading post’s storeroom.

A large man’s head popped up, a smile forming across his weathered face. “Hey, there he is! How’s it going, Mike? Didja bring Vickie with you?”

“Yeah, she’s… Right behind me! I’m doing fine. Nice to finally meet everyone!”

The large man stepped forward and offered his hand to shake. “Welcome to our little Island Paradise. I’m Jeff, Head Ranger. I’ll introduce the room real quick… We’ve got Adam, Carlos, Jen, Cheryl, Michael… And you’ve already met Vickie. I’ll introduce you to the other five when they’re back from Windigo.”

“It’s my pleasure, really. Thanks for the warm welcome.”

“So do you like Mike 2 or Other Mike?” joked one of the guys at the table, eliciting a few chuckles from the room.

“It’s no biggie either way. Hell, you could even call me Chris if you use my middle name.”

“Already taken!”

The meeting progressed on with a few more ice breakers before getting down to business. Jeff was a great manager; Though the meeting was jam-packed with important information, he made it feel almost like a pep talk.

Good thing I have something to write on, this is way too much to be learning in a day.

Everything from new regulations, to permit procedures for visitors, to mitigating how much time it takes to inspect a campsite was covered. Even though his crooning voice and gentle demeanor took whatever edge there was off of the meeting, Mike was swimming in the deluge of information that was dumped on him.

“To end today’s meeting, I have some stuff for everyone,” Jeff announced as he pulled a sizable cardboard box from beneath the table. “We were able to spend a bit of the budget before the end of last fiscal year to get some goodies. Everyone gets a new water bottle, a headlamp, and some insoles for your boots. Oh, yeah… Mike, what size is your head?”

Mike stammered as he tried to finish his notes. “Uh, large?”

Jeff opened a cabinet behind him, searching for what Mike correctly presumed was a hat.

“You’ll be a Real Ranger now! Try it on,” he said as he gently tossed the headwear towards Mike. Placing it on his head and striking a heroic pose, Mike chuckled as he jested, “Ranger Calhoun reporting for duty!” The rest of the room laughed, a few returning his mocking salute.

Jeff continued handing out the goods to the rest of the room as Mike whispered to Vic, “Do we always get free stuff?”

“Sometimes you’ll find camp stoves or other stuff when we go out to patrol the campsites. Think of them like loot drops!”

“Duly noted. I will cherish this bottle with all my heart,” he quipped as he pulled it tight to his chest.

The meeting ended a fair bit before the orange hues of twilight began to engulf the horizon. Mike had excused himself from the evening festivities in the barracks for a bit of alone time by the water to decompress.

Day one is a success. Only like a hundred and fifty more to go.

As he watched the wispy clouds roll by overhead, he opened his notebook to begin the first of, hopefully, many letters to Amanda. He splurged on one of those nice waterproof ones; using it for notes only seemed to be a waste.

I don’t even know where to start… I should leave out the ‘I miss you’ stuff until later in the season. She’s probably not even going to get this letter until a week after I send it. You know… This book is big enough for me to keep a journal, too. I should start doing that again.

Deep in thought about what to write first, his eyes scanned the horizon. The pristine beauty that he saw before him was just the beginning of his season’s experience. The gently quivering surface of the lake brought with it the cool, crisp air that only a body of water its size could. The relatively distant islands were awe-inspiring, their rocky shores the perfect transition from the scrub brush and spire-like trees to the clear waters below.

You know what? Maybe I’ll try sketching again. Amanda will love it!