Masonic Werewolves, James Livingood [top 100 books of all time checklist .txt] 📗

"That's for making my girlfriend think I am a thief! If I had known her stupid dog was going to show up the next day, I wouldn't have wasted my energy on you. Plus your dog pooped on my imported rug!”

Jacob held the leash and got back up, the pain in his stomach stretching as he moved. He saw Zan tip over a plastic chair outside the coffee house. Jacob looked at his friend, who was supposed to back him up in a fight. That certainly didn’t happen. He then looked at his dog.

Jacob remembered thinking that his dog was a traitor for going with the stranger. Now that the dog had pooped all over that jerk's rug, his opinion changed. It was a long week, but Sir Licks-a-lot was finally coming home. However, he needed to find some way to protect himself. He needed a group of friends that could not only play video games but could back him up in a fight. He needed some gang or brotherhood.

Perhaps it was destiny when a man ran outside of the coffee shop, looking ready for a fight. He had the posture of a boxing man, arms up. He cracked his first two knuckles and breathed hard, as if holding back was difficult. He turned toward where Jacob was huddled down and almost yelled, “You want me to teach him a lesson? I don’t like people picking on others.”

Jacob shook his head and was helped up by the man. The man looked like a weight lifter, his thick neck pulsing with a vein. As Jacob was being helped up he saw a Masonic ring on his finger.

Jacob pointed to the ring. “You know, I heard you have to be invited into that organization. Is that true?”

The man looked at his ring. He then looked up at Jacob and smiled, “Nope, you just have to ask to join.”

CHAPTER TWO

The Grand Lodge of Wonderous Repute stood between a gas station and a thrift store. The building housed men of all professions, many who were in the trades. Despite the vast talent of those inside, the building's shape was box-like and almost appeared vacant. Windows were shuttered up to prevent any secrecy spilling onto the streets. The peeling paint and gutter hanging down, spoke of a broke down system for repairs. Each man had sworn oaths to their brotherhood, their families, and their higher power. Unfortunately for the Grand Lodge of Wonderous Repute, no man had taken a simple pledge of weekly maintenance.

Some things were kept immaculate, such as the gates and the museum in the basement. That work was held as part of the mysteries discovered. Most members knew that the only secret was why newer members were not staying to do the grunt work.

Every fundraiser caught bystanders asking probing questions, and often led to the stray man or two wandering through the doors. The heavy wooden door might as well been replaced with a glass revolving door. As soon as a potential member walked in, they saw the requirements and walked right back out. Modern man has little need to discover the mystery of upkeeping the property. Nor does the modern man need the homework of remembering speeches. They did not need to own fancy suits and they did not need to dine with strangers.

For all these reasons, the Grand Lodge of Wonderous Repute made a perfect cover. Some men in the lodge belonged to a lesser-known category. They did not wear tiny hats, have parades, and support hospitals. Instead, their order was known for pet ownership. Most in the lodge could hear these men joke about dog parks, talk of a raw meat diet for their hound, and speak the praise of certain kinds of flea medication.

These men jabbed at each other about calling their order, the Moon Moaners, because of their other interest. Beyond pet ownership, they all liked to gaze at the stars. Some thought it was a touch coincidental that nearly half the lodge had pets and loved talking about telescopes. The humorous order gained some extra raised eyebrows when they introduced their emblem. It was designed to show a husky sleeping next to a telescope at night. While the Moon Moaners were unfailing in their politeness, they didn't let many other brothers in on their inside jokes or weekend events. They would have been more hated within the lodge for their exclusion of others, except that each man went out of their way to attend the lodge events. Indeed they made up the core of what kept things going.

That was why Jacob Almeter, a new member of the Grand Lodge of Wonderous Repute, was stunned when a Moon Moaner invited him to gaze at the stars. Many men glared at the invitation, jealousy plainly written on their face. Jacob did not know the history behind this group, instead, wanting to be part of something bigger than himself.

“Congratulations, Brother Almeter. I am sure those Moon Moaners will be great sponsors. “ An old man said, dressed in black and a white waist apron. The apron had symbols all over it, but Almeter noticed it did not have the pin of the husky and telescope.

Almeter twisted his hand slightly, trying to use a hidden handshake he had just learned, “Thank you, Brother Scott. My apologies, but I don’t know your last name. I also don’t know if I am doing this handshake right.”

Brother Scott Ywett sneered and let go of his hand. The man walked away towards the other half of the room. Several men there were staring at the exchange, shaking their heads. Brother Scott joined them and must have told a joke. The small group of men broke off into a chuckle. Jacob Almeter wondered for a moment if the joke was about him but quickly discarded the feeling. After all, what had he done to