The Wolf Pack

Walking up the quiet streets of Greenwall, Kenneth Clark readjusted the backpack slung over his shoulder and brought his deep brown eyes up, looking towards the Kaster Mountain that filled the skyline. A light breeze blew a few strands of his thick, dark brown hair into him, and he immediately brushed them away. It was an unusual day in the normally nippy mountain town; the sun was shining bright, the air was warm, and he had a beautiful girl to his right. The one in question being one of his closest friends, Nicole Moore. Nicole was anything but a typical girl; she loved punk rock but could spend all day watching mysteries. She loved to party all night, drinking and smoking, but she could just as easily buddy up with a guy like Kenny to binge some bad movies all night. There was almost no one she couldn't get along with, and that was something she prided herself on; she was everyone's friend. Not to mention, Nicole flaunted what she had proudly. She dyed her hair an explosive, eye-catching, blood red; any shirt she wore showed off her all-natural D-cup breasts, and to top it off, she had a mouth-watering thick, plump ass that bounced with each step.

Naturally, Kenny always had a certain thing for Nicole; almost every guy did; he knew that she casually hopped into bed with a lot of them as well, but alas, he was never so lucky. That being said, Kenny and Nicole did have a certain connection; whenever they were together, they clicked in a way that wasn't common for Nicole. Simply put, Nicole always enjoyed Kenny's presence. Still, it wasn't often that Kenny got moments alone with Nicole; the redhead was always so busy with her dozens of other friends he tried not to let on exactly how happy he was to have this one-on-one time with her. So even though Kenny knew it was nowhere close to a date, he couldn't help but suggest a quick run over to the Sweet Spot to pick up a few milkshakes after school.

"Good call on the shakes, Clark; I swear this spring is already as hot as summer was last year," Nicole wiped her brow and scoffed in disgust, "I'm so sweaty!" The punk-rocker tugged at her faded band t-shirt, pulling down the top and letting in some air while giving Kenny a perfect view of her ever sexy D-cup breasts. "Watch where they travel," Nicole hummed, not even looking at Kenny to know his gawking, "You don't want to start something you can't finish."

Kenny's cheeks blushed, and he swiftly turned his head away, picking his pace up by just a few steps, "I-I wasn't -- Let's just get back to my house..." Nicole let out a giggle,

"You're so cute, Clark, always so nervous." Kenny felt a small uncontrollable flicker on his lips, he always liked when Nicole called him by his last name, it was something special that no other friend of his did. Nicole moved back to his side and ruffled his hair, "The pain of virginity," Kenny's smile faded, the teasing he could do without.

With a scoffing half-laugh, Kenny gave Nicole a bump with his elbow, "Shut up," Nicole giggled again, taking a long sip of her milkshake.

Making it a few more blocks down, Kenny and Nicole finally began to turn up the pathway leading to Kenny's house, but the teen stopped short as he noticed the flag up at his mailbox. "Be right there," He handed the redhead his milkshake, grabbed the mail and brought the stack into the house with him, curiously flipping through the envelopes as he went.

"A check for a million hidden in there?" Nicole joked, and Kenny dryly chuckled back.

"No, nothing so grand; I was just checking to see if..." Kenny trailed off, a marking catching his complete attention.

Nicole set their drinks on an end table and looked back, looking at Kenny's eyes squint as if he saw a mirage. "You alright? You got some stalker type who finally found you again?" She attempted to joke once more, though this time Kenny didn't even reply, "What has got you so worked up?!" Nicole reached out and snatched the envelope out of Kenny's hand.

"Hey, Nikki, give that back!" Kenny exclaimed, dropping the rest of the mail while Nicole took off, running through his house, "Nicole!" The girl let out a playful scream, laughing as she led him on a chase.

They eventually ended up in the living room. "What do we have here?! To Mr.Kenneth Clark!" Nicole called out, jumping up on the couch, lifting her hand up high, keeping the letter out of Kenny's reach, "From...Shrouded Veil, holy shit..." Nicole's eyes switched to that of awe, "Y-You seriously got a letter from Shrouded Veil?!"

"I guess I did?" Kenny shrugged as he quickly pushed up and snatched the letter back, "It was just a shot in the dark. I knew the event was coming up again, and last time I was at the station talking with the detectives, I saw a flyer on the billboard inside and figured, what the hell." Kenny slowly shook his head, "I never thought I'd get anything back. It's...it's probably just a letter telling me I wasn't selected."

"Oh, bullshit, as if they'd send back a rejection letter!" Nicole hopped down off the sofa. Kenny rolled his lips, looking down at the letter for a long minute, "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to fucking open the damn thing?!"

Nicole's shout shook Kenny out of his near trance, "Oh, uh, right, yeah...I should open it. I guess..." The teen gave a nervous gulp, carefully opened the envelope, and pulled out a handwritten note. The letter was in all script and, appropriately, done in quill and ink. Nicole leaned in, and Kenny cleared his throat.

Congratulations, Kenneth Clark! The Shrouded Veil has selected you to participate in our next Young Sleuths Challenge! You have impressed our selection committee with your application, showcasing your mystery-solving abilities, or a past challenge winner has vouched for your talents. So get ready to test your deduction abilities in a series of mysteries designed by our founders, Rex and Tish Hardaway.

The Hardaways were once similar to yourself but as members of a mystery-solving quintet. They honed their investigatory skills by exposing and apprehending fiends such as Old Man Mosby, the Swamp Vixen, and the Peach Street Puppets. Ultimately, Rex, Tish, and their friends capped their teen gumshoe careers by doing what no adult could. Following clues that had been available for over two hundred years, they discovered the elusive treasure of the nefarious pirate, Redbeard.

With the ability to do what they wished, Rex and Tish created The Shrouded Veil, an organization dedicated to encouraging the next generation of teen detectives. To further that goal, the Young Sleuths Challenge was created twenty-one years ago to help test and train mystery-solving clubs from throughout America. Winners earn not only bragging rights but also a fabulous trip to Thundering Isle, scholarships, and most importantly, The Spectacled Sleuth Cap trophy.

The Youth Sleuths Challenge's location varies for each invitational and is chosen based on a real mystery from the region. Past challenge sites have included a magnificent mansion, an isolated offshore island, a southern plantation, a ski lodge, and an amusement park. As in the past, the Hardaways create a series of mystery quests for competitors based on the location's history. You will find information in this packet on the location of your detective adventure, limited details of what to expect, and recommended items or clothing to pack.

As your team's leader, you will need to select five additional young Sherlocks. We must receive your selections no later than one week after receipt of this invitation. We highly recommend that you choose your members wisely for each of their skill sets. A sleuth of any age should prepare for the unexpected.

Good luck and good investigating!

Kenny lowered the letter and, in a near daze, slowly looked over to Nicole, who had the largest of grins on her face, "Ho-ly fuck, Clark," Kenny broke into a bewildered laugh and gave the letter a little shake, "I know! I know!" Nicole cheered, throwing open her arms,

"Jesus Christ, I got fucking picked!" Kenny finally yelled out and joyously grabbed Nicole into a hug, lifting her off the ground and doing a spin. "This rocks! Holy shit! Holy shit! Mindy is going to flip!"

"Everyone will! But we have an important question: Who are we taking with us?" Nicole grabbed the letter from Kenny and looked it over again, "Only four others can go with us...hmm...I don't think Anna would go for it, too scared, but I can still give it a shot trying to convince her."

"Uh, what? Us?" Kenny repeated. Nicole looked at the teen with a raised brow, "Not trying to be a dick, Nikki, but..."

Nicole immediately gasped and slapped Kenny's chest with the back of her hand, "Oh, I am so going!" Kenny was pushed down onto the couch with a shove, and Nicole stood over him with hands on her hips, "You need me! I've followed these events since middle school; I applied too!"

Raised arched an eyebrow, "You did?" Nicole gave a nod, glaring hard at her friend, who nervously rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I mean, that's -- I'm sorry that they picked me and not you, but..." Kenny sank a little lower, "I have to invite Mindy and Avery; I just have to,"

"Fine, Mindy and Avery," Nicole accepted without a second thought, "Why's that affecting me?"

"Well, I'd also probably take Julie, a-and JJ. Brian too maybe..." Kenny mumbled back, and Nicole let out a laugh,

"JJ? Ken, I know he's your friend, but JJ is a jock through and through! He's not into mysteries; he's too wrapped up in hockey! And Brian?! That dude wouldn't even try; we both know that! This isn't about friends; this is about bringing the smartest and best hunters your know!" Nicole zealously argued, "I've probably read more mysteries than you, I've followed the old events, I know this shit!"

"Okay, okay, well, let me think about it, Nikki. It says I have a week, and I don't even know if Juliet would want to go, or Avery either." Kenny gave the girl an anxious smile as he got up, "I promise, if I have a spot left, you'll get it," Kenny stepped past the redhead.

"If you have a spot?" Nicole suddenly wrapped her arms around Kenny's chest, "Uh-uh, not good enough." Then, Kenny felt Nicole's hand reach down, grabbing hold of his belt and unlatching it with ease.

"Whoa, uh, I don't -- Um..." The redheads let out a mischievous, humming laugh and unbuttoned his shorts. Kenny quickly put his hands over Nicole's, stopping her short from pushing them to the floor, "Nikki, w-what are you doing?

"What does it look like?" Nicole sly replied, "I'm earning my spot." Nicole murmured and, with the slightest of wiggling, got her hands free from Kenny's grasp. In seconds Kenny's shorts and boxers hit the floor, and Nicole brought her lips to his ear, "We have an understanding?" Kenny let out a slow shudder, nodding, as he felt Nicole's hands wrap around his cock and start to pump his shaft. Nicole leaned forward a bit more, pressing her large breasts against Kenny's back while resting her chin on his shoulder, "I always knew there was a reason we got along; you're always so...agreeable," Nicole's eyes drifted down, and her eyebrows jumped up in surprise, "Damn, I didn't expect you to be packing so big, Ken,"

Kenny let out a soft moan, and his muscles tightened up while Nicole's hands squeezed him before she moved her fingers to his head, smearing his precum all over. "Wow, Nikki, that feels so good," Kenny whispered back as waves of pleasure flowed over his virgin cock. It felt nothing like when he'd handle things himself; Nicole's hands were twisting in alternating motions, working from tip to base at a damn near perfect speed. "I feel -- fucking hell," Kenny growled, his body slumping back against Nicole, "Y-You don't have to d-do this, Nikki. I don't w-want to use you like this,"

"Aw, aren't you sweet," Nicole giggled back, not slowing her pumps in the slightest, "Don't worry about it; this is beyond a fair trade...plus, I want to do this now. You liking how that feels? You ever thought about me doing this to you?" Nicole whispered into Kenny's ear, "Because I have once or twice...and I like the way your big cock feels in my hands, Clark," Nicole continued, planting a sucking kiss on Kenny's neck, "You really are a winner today aren't you?" Nicole added on while lightly nuzzling Kenny's neck,

"God, Nikki," Kenny moaned back as he lightly bucked his hips; he knew his orgasm was fast approaching, "I d-don't think I can last...I'm gonna cum...s-soon." He hissed out, causing Nicole to let out a broad smile. Her hands started to wildly slide along Kenny's length, her fist tapping against his balls, sending bolts of pleasure to fire through his entire body.

Nicole pushed her head forward, her attention completely aimed at Kenny's swelling shaft, "Good, let's see what you can do, and you know what? I think we should do this again. Wouldn't that be fun?" Kenny let out a near-crying groan and rapidly nodded, "Yeah, we can look up everything about Shrouded Veil together, learn how past events went...and then at the end...I can always remind you exactly why you need me," Nicole nearly moaned out, causing Kenny to start spurting thick streams of cum onto the floor immediately. Nicole let out a very content sigh, resting her head against Kenny's, and continued to milk his cock, "Mhm, we are going to become the best investigating duo, Ken."

Kenny worked through nearly five spurts before finally slowing to a small dribble; his chest was raising in deep heavy breaths while Nicole kept a tight hold on his worked cock, squeezing out the very last of his seed from his head. With a final low groan, Kenny sucked in a full breath, and Nicole let his sensitive member free from her grasp, "O-Okay, Nikki, you made your point...you're coming,"

"And as long as you keep saying that, you'll be cumming too," Nicole giggled, giving the teen a playful in the back as she stepped around him, "You might want to clean that up," She tacked on, giving Kenny's messy load on the floor a motion with her head as she headed towards the bathroom to wash her hands.

Three days later, Kenny and Nicole were back in his living room; this time, however, they were joined by three more members of their detective team to be. To Kenny's right was his absolute closest friend in his life, Mindy Long. An Asian beauty, Mindy was a comfortable tomboy, having never been interested in the expected traditional things like cheer leading, dancing, or any kind of sports. Thankfully, her two best friends were guys, and she made sure to keep it that way. She stood almost a foot shorter than Kenny, and despite her usual lack of make-up and baggy clothes, there was no denying that she was beautiful. Her long black hair cupped her cute face perfectly, her deep brown eyes almost had a glow, and though most people didn't notice, she had a bust equal to Juliet and an even better ass. She was the very first person Kenny thought of the second he realized he won this event. They spent more hours than he could count going over unsolved case files, she always had fun theories to throw around, and Kenny was certain she'd be beyond invaluable in this event.

Next to Mindy was Avery West, usually hidden in the back of the classroom or at a lunch table with Kenny and Mindy; Avery was far from being a popular kid. His short dirty blonde hair was left pretty messy, and his blue eyes were hidden behind thick-framed glasses, with no real muscle tone at all; the shorter lanky kid was, for lack of a better term, a genuine geek. However, everyone who knew Avery would agree that he was a borderline genius, he might not have the best social skills, but there wasn't a riddle or problem that he couldn't crack. Kenny knew that all Avery needed was the chance to warm up to the few new members in the group, and after that, he'd be the invaluable code-cracker they'd need.

The last of their trio was Juliet Clark, Kenny's cousin; she stuck out in the group even further than Nicole. More commonly called Julie, she was just a few months younger than Kenny. Juliet was the closest family Kenny had, and despite being an only child, Kenny considered Juliet to be more of a sister than a cousin. Just a few inches shorter than Kenny, Juliet had a near-perfect hourglass figure with perfect pale skin, bright blue eyes, long curly black hair, a tight bouncy ass, and perky C-Cup breasts. Despite Kenny and Juliet being almost inseparable, Juliet took a very different route in school, deciding to put herself out there and joining the cheer leading squad, eventually becoming the head of the team. Admittedly, Kenny knew Juliet wasn't necessarily the best choice for this kind of competition, but he just couldn't deny bringing her, and besides, whenever he found himself stumped, Juliet was always the one to breathe in some fresh ideas and help him get out of the echo chamber inside his head.

"So, one more time for me, how does this all work? We just disappear in the woods for a few days and solve puzzles?" Juliet asked while looking between the other four, "Like that thing Sydney did her senior year?"

"In broad terms, yeah, it's actually the same completion Sydney did." Kenny nodded back,

Nicole rolled her eyes and shook her head, "No, it's not that simple. Shrouded Veil events are very intricate, no two are alike. We'll end up in a valley near the Rockies," Nicole grabbed hold of a packet that also came in the mail with Kenny's letter. She pulled out a paper and passed it over to the trio, "This valley will be a completely controlled environment by Shrouded Veil; everyone and everything inside should be designed for whatever mysteries they planned for us to investigate and solve."

"So hiking, wilderness, sun, heat, bugs...wonderful," Avery rolled his eyes and sighed, "I should have known that I wouldn't get lucky, and this would be a contained event inside a warehouse or something," Kenny grimaced, but Avery quickly cleared his throat, "Not that I'm complaining! I can handle it! I am so able to do this for the team!" Kenny breathed out a relieved exhale, and the pair shared a tension-breaking laugh.

"And really? There are six other groups competing against us," Mindy noted with a hum, "Talk about some pressure; who knows who we'll go up against? They could be some mega investigators ten times better than us."

"Don't think about it like that, Mindy," The girl gave Kenny a grateful glance as he reached over and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, "The number one thing we have and need to focus on is how well we all work together. We all are friends; we all trust each other. I trust all of your instincts; I know that none of you will let me down,"

"Thanks again, Kenny; I'm still not so sure about this. I know Scott did this a few years ago, and he didn't win, but -- Sorry, I'm not trying to be a downer; I'm going to give it all I got; it's just nerve-racking..." Avery nervously replied with a sheepish look around at his other teammates,

"I know you will, Ave. This isn't going to be easy, but I already have a lot of faith in this group," Kenny confidently replied,

"Uh-huh, two things though, first off, it says you need six people and second off...not trying to offend, but this is a serious competition," Juliet glanced to Nicole, "Not a party,"

"Easy, Ice-queen, I've been following this event since I was twelve. I've kept up and read about every event. I know that Jessica Galloway one the event nine years ago, and I know about the last one where Kailyn and Scott ended up going. I've been preparing for this for years; I'm going to take this past seriously," Nicole sharply replied, taking the other by genuine surprise, having never heard Nicole sound so serious in their lives, "Besides, Kenny is the one who gets to pick, and we already agreed that I'd be definitely coming, right?" Nicole finished as she took a seat right next to the teen,

Kenny tried not to react as Nicole brought her arm around and rested her hand gently on his back. Mindy's eyebrow raised as she could just make out the way Nicole was almost tenderly stroking Kenny's back with her fingertips. "Yes, Nicole is going, end of discussion," He sternly agreed, giving each of the members a hard glare until they all gave an understanding nod, "Good,"

"Fine, but that still doesn't solve our sixth member problem," Juliet leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other,

"I know, I was thinking that maybe JJ or Anna could have joined, but...they aren't interested," Kenny sighed, and Nicole join in the disappointment,

"I really did try with Anna too, but she is too focused on her classes, and the idea of leaving the state makes her all weird," Nicole finished with a small toss of her hand, "A once-in-a-lifetime chance, and she'd rather stay home."

"And JJ is doing more hockey training over the break, said he couldn't miss it for anything, so he's out," Kenny added on, genuinely disappointed his other best friend wasn't going with him, "Mindy, any thoughts on a sixth?"

"Uh, honestly, everyone I would have suggested is already in this room or told you no," Mindy shrugged back, "Sorry,"

"I have a thought," Avery pipped up, "Quinn."

"Quinn?" Kenny repeated in some minor surprise as he thought of the redhead. Quinn Greene was Juliet's best friend, she was also among the cheerleaders, and Kenny didn't know too much beyond that. She always seemed nice enough, but her twin brother Will made sure that every guy kept their distance, not to mention Juliet also had her own sharp rules about any of her friends getting too close to Kenny. So most of their conversations only went as deep as saying, "Hey, what's up?"

"Oh, yes, Quinn!" Juliet quickly explained, all but jumping out of her seat, "Quinn is so smart, and she's always reading stuff! I'm sure she's read tons of mystery books; she could totally make the fourth slot!"

"She's right; Quinn and I have talked about the Lost and Unsolved book series a few times; it's one of her favorites. If we need another mindset to mysteries, she'd be a good one," Avery added on.

Kenny gave a slow nod, "Okay, that's not bad...as long as her parents would let her join us,"

"They will, I'm sure of it," Juliet quickly replied, "They trust her with me, and Will is friends with both you and Avery, so he'd vouch that no one would be trying to make moves on her. Come on, Ken, Quinn's the best choice we have; let me call her and let her know,"

Kenny glanced to Mindy and then Nicole, who both gave an agreeing nod, "Okay, text Quinn and let her know and if she can tell her to come over so we can finish talking this all over." Juliet let out a little yip and grabbed her phone, immediately sending the redhead a text.

An hour later, Quinn had arrived at Kenny's house; tall, fit and slender, she was a natural redhead. Her athletic body was toned, though she lacked much of any muscle definition. Her breasts were among the smallest in the school, barely making it to B-cups, but most anyone, Kenny included, always found their eyes on her tight rounded ass that was only rivaled by Gwen Pace's. All that aside, the most interesting aspect of Quinn was her eyes; born with both one blue and one green eye, it normally wasn't apparent unless she caught the sun just right. Even though Kenny knew he wasn't allowed to like her, he struggled to not admire how unique they were and how they highlighted her cute face.

The redhead followed Kenny through the house and to his living room to rejoin the others while giving her a quick rundown of the event to be. His every word seemed to be lighting her up, making her smile wider and her eyes more awed by the second. Kenny finished just as they reached the rest of the group, "So what you're saying is, you're actually inviting me to a nationwide, mystery-solving event, states away? I won't have Will or my parents there to linger over everything I do. I get to be there with my best friend, and on top of that, I'm only one of six you're picking?"

Kenny tilted his head and gave the back of his head a scratch. "Uh, yeah?" Kenny shrugged and immediately almost fell to the ground as Quinn screamed out with joy, throwing herself onto Kenny in a clinging embrace,

"Oh my God, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I won't let you down! I am going to help you kick some serious ass! We are going to kill it out there! I promise!" Quinn swung her body either way, hanging from Kenny's neck and nearly taking the teen to the floor,

"It's n-nothing, Q-Quinn! We all w-want you here!" Kenny exclaimed back, stumbling either way until Juliet walked over and pried her friend off her cousin. Quinn all but hopped along with Juliet taking a seat with her on the couch while Kenny cleared his throat and reached for a packet on the table, "Okay...uh, anyway, now that we're all here, we should go through this packet. It'll fill us in on...well, the details they are allowing us to know." Kenny pulled out a stack of papers and plopped them down on the coffee table.

Among the papers was a list of suggested items to bring, swimsuits, hiking boots, warm weathered clothes, hiking packs, and even light camping equipment. Furthermore, they got the full, although admittedly vague, description of the valley they would be staying in during their week-long trip. "Has anyone ever heard of this Wicket Valley before?" Quinn asked and received immediate headshakes,

"And that's exactly how Veil likes it," Nicole spoke up, "They pick places that are loaded with history and mystery but that aren't publicly known. There's no point in sending us somewhere we've all read or watched some tv show about."

"That would make sense; they wouldn't want anyone trying to prepare based on known legends," Avery tacked on with a scratch of his head, "Interesting on what they suggest we bring though, this doesn't seem like an exactly controlled, escape-room type environment,"

"I don't think it is. Kailyn told me her experience in the last event was just as physically taxing as it was mentally. I guess they think any detective should have to push both their mind and body to solve their mysteries," Mindy shrugged and glanced at Kenny, "You're literally the only person who could convince me to do this,"

Kenny let out a small chuckle, "Let's not focus too much on that aspect before Mindy changes her mind," Kenny flipped forward a few pages, "So it looks like this event is going to start just at the same time as our spring break, so we'll leave school and immediately get on a plane and fly our, I guess? Hell of a way to start a break, huh?"

"Totally," Juliet flipped through another few pages, "So you'll have to mail in a list with all our names before the week is up, right?" She asked, tapping her finger a few times on one paragraph, "No replacements allowed once they receive the list,"

"Yeah, so once I send it, we're all locked in," Kenny looked around at his friends, "Are you all certain that you want to give up your spring break for this?"

"Kenny, stop, we're all here for you, and besides, this is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, of course, we're sure!" Juliet exclaimed while the others all nodded in agreement,

"Alright then, awesome," Kenny grinned, "So one last thing then...they would like us to have a team name. Thoughts?"

The room was silent for a few minutes before Quinn cleared her throat, "I got one," Kenny looked over to the redhead, admiring her sweet smile and unique mismatched eyes for just a second, "The Wolf Pack."

Kenny looked between the others one last time and grinned, "We're the "The Wolf Pack"; I like it." Kenny scribbled down the name at the end of the note and folded the letter up, "Okay, it's done. I'm going to go mail this out today. So, everyone, get your bags packed; in a month, we'll be headed to Wicket Valley!"