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A Full Moon - 3. Chapter 3
I woke wondering what to do with Dylan when I went to work when said answer came knocking at my door. I grumbled, which woke the other two with a start. “Someone is at the door.” Dylan nodded and rolled over to go back to sleep. Slipping into my room I pulled on some shorts and went down stairs to the front door. I opened it to a surprise. “Mr. Andrews?”
“Sorry about the early time, Jonathan, but I figured you may need someone to watch the young man until after you get home from work.” He stood there looking like every other well built middle aged man. With a halo! A shiny halo of happiness because I didn't have to find a sitter.
“I was just thinking about that. Come in please. I'll tell Patrick to put some pants on and see if Dylan's okay with a Lupus baby sitter.” He stepped inside and I hung up his light sweater. Patrick was already coming down stairs, Dylan yawning and rubbing his eyes behind him. “Guess you heard me, huh.”
“Smelled him. Morning Dad.” Patrick gave his dad a one armed hug and me a kiss on the cheek. “Dylan, this is my Dad. He's the big Lupus that made the other scared so bad they peed on themselves.” There was a merry twinkle in both of their eyes.
“How are you, young man?” Mr. Andrews knelt to look up at him, something a Dad would do but not a leader.
“Tired, sir. You look nicer as a human.” Dylan yawned.
“Actually I'm meaner. Growl,” the man said with a fake sneer and Dylan smiled. “Why don't you head back up to bed. If you want I can tell you a bit more about werewolves when you wake up.” That got a big nod and Dylan went upstairs to fall, literally, back into bed. “Poor kid. You two get ready for work. Angus will want to talk to you, Pat. Jonathan, I suggest you ignore anything that happened and if anyone asks say Dylan is staying here as a favor to your OA who has no idea how to deal with a kid.”
“Which I really don't. I was never a normal boy. I'll see you later, Dad.” Patrick went back up stairs, me admiring the easy grace ... and his butt.
“I see the pendant worked.” I turned back to the former leader and narrowed my eyes. “It's called blessed silver and it's something a few humans have been working on for situations like yours. With Patrick as the one who turned you, and the fact that his own adaptability is quite rare, we could try to see if we could give you at least partial immunity to silver. You can touch it, which is good.”
“Sneaky, Mr. Andrews. And you never told Patrick.” He shook his head. “Well, if Patrick turns anyone else you can try again to see if I was a fluke.” He nodded and I went upstairs to get dressed.
Work was one big fiasco since not only did the incident happen and everyone was walking on pins and needles, they were exhausted from their own changes from the moon...and I was handing out my evaluations this week. Any of the three would make the company a bit ragged for a day or two...all three would turn it on its head. Patrick and I walked in lock step to the elevator and more than one worker scurried out of my wake. They knew I meant business because I was dressed in a black suit when I normally did not, shined shoes, hair done perfectly. The silver pendant hung in plain sight as the elevator door slid shut. One of the Lunais from the seventh floor had gotten on just before us along with a few others. “Good morning, Mr. Davenport. Morning Patrick.”
“Good morning, Mr. Walters,” I said with a perfunctory nod, but my eyes held the actual greeting since he could not smell me too easily with the pendant on. I was happy to see my own kind...now that I had a kind. “Are you ready for your inspection today?” I said it simply, letting the gossip be spread about that today was inspections day.
“I believe so, Mr. Davenport.” I smelled him get nervous along with the rest of the car. Even Patrick got a bit nervous.
“Then you should not worry because of over confidence or self deprecation. Just do your job and do it well and I doubt you will ever have to worry about a bad report.” I included everyone with my eyes. That way they would not know I was playing favorites even if they suspected it. It also let them know I knew their names...and now their scents.
We got off the elevator and marched to my office where Patrick closed the door. “That will spread around that inspections will be handed out today.”
“I know. This way, with the lethargy of the filing day blues, they should be less inclined to react.” I sat at my desk and uploaded all of my emails to be sent out on the company server. I also added something in there that let me know when it was read as I was fifteen minutes early and if they read it later than I believed necessary, the time would be recorded for the next inspection. “Go check your emails, Patrick.” He nodded and left the office. I had to send out two gray emails today and they would be meeting later with the heads. Five yellow slips, three for Lunais and two for non-Lupus Lycanths, twelve red ones that all but two were for Lupus, and the rest were white. I could not just hand all the Lunais and non-Lupus promotion emails, so I planned to do it slowly.
Patrick came back in as I watched almost 95% of the emails had been read in a matter of minutes after the company officially opened. Some I knew were part-timers and would not read them until later so I did not count it against them. “At least it's not red or gray,” he said with a smile.
“Well, you 'exhibit the lack of managerial skills necessary for advancement' enough to keep you as my OA and keep Angus off my back. I did ask to give you a small raise though for your hard work and dedication to the company.” It was 50 cents an hour which was not much, but since he logged well over 80 hours a week, he would get close to an extra two hundred a month.
“Do you think Mr. McLeod would promote me anyway?” he asked and grinned.
“Nope, but this way he can see I'm not playing favorites but I do like the work you do for me.” I reached over to snag the phone when it rang. “Jonathan Davenport.”
“Mr. Davenport, this is Evan Hanson over in distribution. I would like to set up a time for my appointment.” I could hear the nervousness in his tone and knew this was one of my gray emails.
“Of course. I am free after 3pm today if you can arrange it with the others mentioned in your email. Did you have any questions about it?” Pat left with a nod and shut my door quietly.
“May I ask why I got a gray one? It says 'unsatisfactory performance', but I am doing the best I can.” I knew this man was a hard worker and he deserved something more.
“I know you are. If you recall the other part of a gray emails is reassignment. I don't think you're cut out for distribution, Evan. I will be recommending transferring you laterally to the supply office since there should be a position opening there.”
Could smell transfer through the phone cause I swear I smelled him get happier. “You mean I'm not getting fired?”
“Not if I can help it. I went over every employee's records and saw that they had thought your current job was a promotion. I can see the error in your numbers. You like the supply room and I hope Mr. McLeod will agree with me that you are better suited for the assistant director job there.”
“Really? Mr. Davenport I don't know what to say.”
“It's not set in stone, Evan, but I will do what I can. Any other questions?” There was an negative and I said my good bye because my other line was flashing. “Jonathan Davenport.”
“You measly ingrate! How dare you send me a gray email!” I listened to this asshat totally bitch me out and I was totally recording the message too because I had recommended him for termination due to too many complaints about his behavior and temperament. In short the guy was a mondo douche and needed to be canned before someone killed his dumb ass.
“Goodbye,” I said after two minutes of nonstop bitching and then attached the phone audio file to an email to his head and Angus. Let him get out of termination now. I did dial an extension myself.
“Kelly Hartland.” I had never met Miss Hartland, but her own records showed why she was the director of distribution. Exemplary record, no reports or even a bad word, she was the type of employee all companies wanted.
“Hi, Miss Hartland, this is Jonathan Davenport. I am calling to set up and appointment for 3pm with you and Mr. McLeod to go over Mr. Hanson's status with the company. Will that be okay?” I was smearing on the honey and knew if she was here she would be trying to jump my bones cause it also came with a look and smile.
“Of course. Evan called me a few moments ago to set it up. He seemed a bit happy to get that email.” I could tell she was confused.
“I want him to be transferred to a place more suited for his talents. Supply. I told him that was the reason for the email, a fully documented recommendation. I would like your input and help if I can.”
She went clicking away on her keyboard. “Ah I see why you're doing this. His work has been a bit lower than the others but he puts in so many more hours to get them this high. He is an excellent employee but yes, not in my department. You have my support for transfer.”
“Thanks, Kelly. This should help the company a lot. Do you have any other employees that may fill his slot or ones you recommend personally for promotion with him leaving?” She gave me a list of names, only two, and I had sent both of those yellow slips. “Think about either more and let me know as soon as you can which you want more. I'll back you with the Boss.”
I had one last phone call to make. “McLeod.”
“Howdy Angus, it's Jon.”
“Ah. I got your emails summing up everything.”
“Good. Can we have the meetings today at 3pm, if that's good for you? Soonest done is soonest ended.”
I could hear him cover the receiver and tell someone something in his office. “That would be fine. I noticed two grays.”
I told him of Evan and what I was recommending with the backing of his current head. Angus agreed right there he would do the switch but we would still meet for the formality. “And the other?”
“Well, with a lot of thought...namely about two seconds, I recommend Mr. Earl for termination.”
“Why? His record is good.”
“Listen to the email I sent and read my summation.” I waited and then heard Angus gasping and chuckling at some of the anatomically impossible things Mr. Earl was threatening to do to me for this outrage.
“I see. Hmm. Well, that meeting we're going to hold definitely and if he says one wrong word he's canned, but I would rather transfer him to some other satellite office than lose him.”
“Your choice ultimately, but he is not suited for this office in my opinion.” After I hung up I called my supervisor for sales and asked if he was available for another quick session of him looking over my shoulder.
“No helping just observing,” I said at last and he agreed for a one hour observation before lunch. “Thanks. I think I can do this fine, but I would like to be double checked to your standards.”
3pm rolled around and I sat in the conference room with Angus and the two heads I had asked to be here. Miss Hartland was tall, stunning ginger of a lady in her late forties but with a sexy body I could not help but admire from afar. Mr. Stevens was an older gentlemen in his sixties who was looking tired but relatively content with life. “So, good news first to put us in a nicer mood for Mr. Earl, or save Mr. Hanson for the second to get us out of what I think will be a sour one?”
“Earl first.” Angus pushed the intercom button and Miss Hartland took a seat in a chair at the end of the table since this was not her department.
Mr. Earl came in with a sneer on his face but it was gone when he saw Angus's dark look. He could not hide the stench of his rage that he was being fired and it filled the room with an odor akin to vomit. “Please have a seat, Mr. Earl,” I said evenly and professionally. Since I was the heavy I was in charge of these sessions nominally. “I believe you know Mr. Stevens, the head of supply, and Mr. McLeod.” Earl nodded tightly to both. His entire posture said he was pissed off but his face was a mask of composure. “This hearing is being held to determine your status in this company, whether it be termination or transference to a different location. At the current time my recommendation is for the former, but you may give this committee reasons why we should not let you go.”
Oh it rankled him that I was in charge. I was pleased as punch cause I knew I could get his goat if I wanted. I wanted this asshat fired cause he was one of the worst when it came to bad treatment of the non-Lupus employees. Earl began to tic of his good points, all of which were valid, but he did them on his fingers and in a voice that was just one nudge away from belligerent. After two points Angus was getting annoyed, even I could smell it and my nose was not all that good compared to the Lupus in the room. “Furthermore...” he went on but I raised a hand. He gagged on what he was going to say but he went silent.
“All valid points, but I do not believe they overshadow not only your record of sowing discord among the other employees in lower paid positions, which there are thirty-one documented incidences, also the manner in which you behaved yourself today.”
“You little...”
Angus cleared his throat. “The ultimate decision is mine, Ted, so please moderate your tone.”
Earl took a breath. “Those allegations were never proven and I do hope you can understand my emotive response to this after working for this company for twenty-two years.” He was back to being a calm man just waiting to explode.
“Yes, of course I understand a little unrest, Mr. Earl, but your language when you called to ask for my thoughts this morning was less than civil.”
He then did the stupidest thing I had ever seen. “You have no proof.” I pressed a button and his own voice blared in the room, his foul words being trumpeted right back at him.
“I recorded it. Handy little invention.” I was ready for it and sure enough Theodore Earl launched himself at me, but he did not get far as Angus's mitt of a hand grabbed him out of thin air and tossed him like a rag doll against the wall.
“Consider yourself fired, Ted. You have one hour to collect your things and get the hell out of my building.” Angus was livid and got more so when Ted looked him dead in the eye for more than a few seconds time...challenge. But his eyes dropped when Angus growled too low for a normal human to hear and god the stench of musk that Angus put out nearly made me vomit. Earl got up and slinked out of the room. “I am sorry it came to that, Jon.”
“Me too. I was hoping for something a little more peaceful. Thanks for taking over. I'm a decently built guy but he would have hurt me a lot.” Angus smiled and this time it did touch his eyes. He had enjoyed tossing that shit around.
“Think nothing of it. You were doing your job, even if you purposely antagonized him.”
I grinned and nodded. “But...I did it within the bounds of my job and professionalism.” Miss Hartland chuckled from her seat.
“Bullshit, Jon. You were so annoyingly nice to him that I wanted to thump you one.” I laughed and nodded again.
“Kill em with kindness. Now, shall we make a man happy?” Kelly joined us at the table and Angus called Evan in. His posture was hopeful but ready to be let go. “Please have a seat, Mr. Hanson.” I liked this one first off. He was no Alpha at all but he was a decent man and not one person had anything wrong to say about him except when it came to his overall numbers. “You know all of the members of the board.” He nodded. “Good. Mr. Stevens is joining us for his input. This hearing is being held to determine your status in this company, whether it be termination or transference to a different location. It is my recommendation, as well as the recommendation of your current head that you be reassigned to the supply department. In a prior conversation Mr. McLeod has agreed this is best.” Evan sat up straighter and his handsome features turned boyish with that smile.
“Really?” I nodded.
“Yet, it is now up to Mr. Stevens whether he will accept you.” Evan looked at the man, imploring him to accept.
“Lad, you know you are always welcome in supply. Never had a better worker than you. But I don't think you should be assistant.” Evan nodded, still too happy to care what his job was just so long as he was in a job in supply. “Angus, I think this would be a good time to retire. I'm too old to worry about this any more and it is my recommendation that Evan here take my old job.”
I sat there stunned.
Kelly was speechless.
Evan nearly fainted.
Angus nodded. “You're sure of this, Michael?”
“Positive. I was just waiting until someone showed promise and I could put my last two cents worth in. Evan is the best man for the job.” Mr. Stevens smiled a kindly, wrinkly smile and Evan was tearing up. This was a great way to end this meeting.
“Very well. With your two cents, Evan you are promoted to Director of Supply, effective tomorrow. Michael will stay on for one week to ensure you know your responsibilities and to fill out the necessary paperwork for his own retirement.” Angus's scent now was actually one I liked. He was happy to see someone was getting what they deserved, but unhappy to lose someone he obviously admired.
“Thank you. Thank you all.” Evan shook all of our hands and even gave Michael a big hug. “I'll miss working for you, sir.”
“Naw, I'll probably still put my two cents worth in if I feel you need it.” Evan laughed and left to go clear out his own things to move.
I stuck my hand out for Mr. Stevens. “I would have liked you, I think.”
“Naw, I'm a cranky old coot. You though will be good for this company. Shake things up a bit.” He left to gather his things. “Angus, keep this boy around. He is upper management material if he can do this in two weeks.” With those parting words he left.
“Awesome dude. I miss him and I never knew him. Oh, Angus.” I handed him the official papers. “These need your signature for all the copies. Kelly is promoting someone to take Evan's old spot.” He nodded and signed them without even reading them. “Great. Here you are Kelly.” She took them and went to give the good news to the other employee. “Also, if you could go over the list...”
Sir, Mr. Andrews is on the line.
Angus looked annoyed. “I'll take it in here. If you'll excuse me, Jon...” I nodded and left in a kind of a hurry. I had a feeling I knew what this call was about. It would be best if I was gone from the office, so I called the front desk and told them I would be gone for the rest of the day with family matters.
I drove home and entered to see the little dude was boxing with Mr. Andrews. “Keep your guard up, kid.” He threw a very slow punch and Dylan ducked and got him in the gut. “Oooo you got me.” He fell over with a fake grunt and Dylan was grinning ear to ear. “Ah, Jon, you're home early.”
“Got to handle the cops. So...Angus was not too pleased to hear from you.” I was grinning and so was the former leader.
“I told him about Dylan and that I would be paying closer attention to him. He is not officially leader for another four years.” He got off the floor with a pat to the little dudes head. “You be a good boy now, Dylan. If you're lucky they'll let you stay here for awhile. If you're not...they'll let you stay here forever.”
“How's that a bad thing?”
“All those shedding seasons all over your bed. Catching the boys kissing.” Dylan just shrugged. “Hey it's your therapy bill.” I laughed and gave Mr. Andrews a firm handshake.
“Thanks for keeping the little dude company.”
“My pleasure.” I escorted him to the door and his car. “Take good care of that boy. He seems to trust you two and I think he likes me, but no other Lupus should get near him. He can tell us all even if we're not in lunar form.” I raised a brow. “He's a Lycan fanatic. He knows about the ferals and even has more knowledge on an almost extinct Lycan breed no one has heard from in a hundred years.”
“I'll take care of him.”
“I know you will Jon. And, if he asks to be turned cause I feel he will, you do it. Your ability to touch silver should transfer to him.” I opened my mouth to say I would never do such a thing to the kid, but he just looked at me and I dropped my eyes because I could not help it. His gaze was that strong. “Sorry, Jon, but I feel it should be you if anyone.”
“I'll consider it.” He nodded and left.
I went back inside and Dylan was clomping down the stairs to go to the police station. “Can he stay with me whenever you feel I need a sitter?” I smiled. Yes, he did like him.
“If he wants. Not afraid of that big bad wolf?”
“Naw, he's a big ole puppy.” His grin was huge. I was glad to see he was bouncing back but faster than I thought. His life really must have been hell. “Lets go and get this over with.”
When we got there and the desk officer had us wait in a lime green room that was seriously in need of a wash with something other urine and Pine Sol. Dylan was content to just stare out the window but I was on my laptop doing some work. We had been waiting for a few hours when the door opened.
"Finally here?" asked the detective from the scene.
"Been here since about four actually. No wonder they call it a waiting room." I closed my laptop and Dylan stood.
The man checked his watch. "Three hours? Who signed you in?"
"Taller than me, blonde hair, brown eyes, maybe thirty years old, bored look on his face, smelled of burritos and cheap wine. Maybe a quicky during lunch cause he had a fresh hickey he was trying to hide with the collar of his uniform." I stopped when the detective grinned.
"I know who you mean." He motioned for us to follow him to the mountains of paperwork. "Did you ever think about being a detective yourself, Jonathan?"
"Nope, I just notice things. Like you favor your right hip and that female officer over there with the tight bun thinks you're hot." Dylan chuckled a bit. He knew I could smell the change in her pheromones as we walked by.
"You're a hoot, Jonathan. Old football injury, the hip, and that officer is married with a kid." We entered his office and got to work.
"Still doesn't stop her from liking you. Before we get started, do you have a gopher to run get Dylan something to eat? We haven't had dinner." I could hear his tummy rumbling and it was making me want food too, but I was not a growing boy...much.
"Sure." He pressed a button. "Millie, Dylan is here. Can you take him out to dinner?"
A moment later and older woman with a kind face and doe eyes popped her head in. "Hey Dylan."
"Hi Millie. I'm back." She wore an officer's uniform but with a different badge.
"C'mon, kiddo. Lets get you fed and let them handle the paperwork."
Once he was gone I looked at the detective. "He's been in and out of foster care since birth. Seven families in his short life, none of them willing to put up with his oddness. The silence, the obsession with werewolves. Just been shunted around. Here is his file." I was handed a two inch thick accordion folder stuff full. "Kid's got issues."
I stared at the folder and then set it aside. "Detective, am I able to adopt him. Legally?"
"Your background check is clean and clear if that's what you mean. But why? He's a handful."
"I went through the system myself and I know what he's going through with that. I don't want the little dude to have to get caught by the rip tide when I can save him. I know the silences and about him liking werewolves."
"Not liking. Obsession. Clinical obsession."
I waved his worries away. "Dude, my obsession is my body. I work out a lot but no one calls me on it. His is about the wolfman. Any comic geek out there is thought of as an oddball cause of their hobby that consumes their life. This little dude is no different."
Smiling, the detective handed me an application. "Here. I have gotten a court date to decide his fate. Set in two weeks. Fill that out and I'll submit it. Get it in now and they will see you're serious about keeping the little dude and it will make it easier for them to decide." I filled it out in triplicate and got the rest done in record time. "You push paper for a living?"
"Guilty. Sales when I'm not in charge of layoffs."
"Oooo the Heavy." I grinned.
"Actually had to fire someone today. But also got a recommendation for a promotion answered for another guy." We talked while I worked and about ten minutes shy of finishing up the little dude came back in. I had decided I would not get his hopes up cause I wanted it to be a surprise.
"Here you go Millie. The interim paperwork for Dylan." She looked at the top page and smiled. It was my application(s). She leafed through it and nodded. "All set then. Well, Dylan, until the court date you'll be staying with Jonathan here." That brought a huge grin to his face. Millie saw it and I could smell her get happy and relieved. Finally, her scent said, he had found himself a home.
The next new moon came and I was a bit tired the next day having slept poorly. Entirely my fault really since it may have been the last night with the little dude and I wanted to give him something to remember if they took him. We rented everything werewolf and ate popcorn. Betty and Mr. Andrews came over to join the party, Betty bringing over her daughter who was a year younger than Dylan. It did not trouble him at all that Dylan was the only human in the room. He thought it was awesome. We stayed up until two in the morning having a mondo awesome party and then got up at eight for court at nine.
The judge saw us trudge in and looked concerned. After getting the preliminary crap out of the way the judge looked us over. "Why are the three of you so tired?"
"My fault, Your Honor. I felt that, since last night might be the last I get to spend with the little dude, he needed something to bolster his spirits. We stayed up really late watching movies and eating junk food. Not the best choice maybe, but he deserved something." I could see it actually won some brownie points with her that I wanted him to have something good to look back on.
"Not the best but maybe correct. I have looked over your record, Mr. Davenport. Steady job for the past five years, financial stability, a desire to give Dylan a home." Dylan looked at me in shock. I could barely keep the smile off my face. "Having filled out the application in triplicate shows you want this situation to remain."
"I do Your Honor. I want to adopt Dylan." Pat's eyes misted over and I could feel him radiating love from every pore. I hadn't even told him I wanted to keep him permanently cause he would've totally blabbed just from body language.
"And would that be okay with you, Dylan?"
She must have expected a shrug or at most a nod, but she was shocked when he said, "Heck yeah. I'd love it."
"My, my. With that rather vocal yes it is the decision of the court that you are given custody of Dylan Parker." Before the last words were even out of her mouth he flung himself into my arms. There was another mountain of paperwork for me to fill out and all that, but right then I was feeling on top of the world. I had a man I loved and was getting the most awesome little dude ever, giving him a home.
We finally got out of the courthouse after lunch and Pat had to go to work but I had the whole day off to deal with family matters. "Hey Jon?"
"Yeah little dude?"
"I gotta ask what you and Pat were doing out there in the woods." He seemed to find this suddenly important.
"Full moon night, had to run around rather than be cooped up. The Lunais of the area gather every full moon away from the Lupus hunting ground. Like a huge family picnic only at night and a lot hairier." Dylan giggled. "It was my own first intro to the pack and Pat and I slipped away for some alone time." I was not comfortable talking about that to the kid so I glazed over some facts. "We were running and I smelled the camp fire and then saw the Lupus. The rest you know."
"Yeah. Umm...Jon?"
"Yes...umm...Dylan?" I was teasing him and his reticence so he'd know he could ask anything he wanted.
"Will you turn me?" Mr. Andrews had said he would ask but I figured it would be at least a few weeks down the line, not the day I adopted him.
"Is that a question of if or when?"
"Both," he replied.
"I would say if you really wanted it, and I know you totally do, I would say give it a little time. Get use to living with Lycans before you become one. Meet a few more." He nodded like he knew I would say something like that. "I'll do it, don't get me wrong, but...ya know?"
"Yeah." He seemed satisfied with that. I had said I would do it and I would.
"I'll see if I can't bring you to the next picnic. Wonder if they've ever had a human other than the Hunters around during then."
"Hunters?" he asked and I told him what I knew about them and why they were necessary. To protect us we had to protect the humans from us. That meant sometimes killing our own, usually the ferals or loners that may wander into pack territory that were endangering humans and thus our own way of life among them.
The two of us grabbed lunch and then I drove by the office to pick up some work. The receptionist looked at me oddly when I said I was doing that with Dylan in tow. "Who is this?" she asked and Dylan hid behind me and smelled so much of fear that I had to fight the urge to snort.
"My son. Adoption went through today. Just grabbing some work to take home since I know Mr. McLeod would not like a minor running around my floor bothering the ladies." I walked away and into a thankfully empty elevator. "You know she's Lupus."
"All but the janitor and the mailman were. I couldn't tell wha' the lady in the black skirt and pink top was though."
Good to know he only knew wolves by sight. "If my info is correct she was an Owl." His eyes got as huge as saucers and I stifled a laugh. "Yes there are other species. Not many that I know of, but maybe Mr. Andrews could tell you about them if you asked really nice."
"Wow. More than wolves?" I could see him thinking he was way behind on his research. "I like Mr. Andrews. He's one of them but he's so cool."
"Most I would say most are pretty cool if given a chance and most would avoid humans during the moon. Some though....aren't. Just like normal people." He nodded to that as the elevator opened and he got his first look at the office. It was rather drab today since it was the height of the work rotation and not many people paid any mind to me as I walked by, my silver pendant in plain view and Dylan trotting at my heels.
"Here are your messages, Mr. Davenport," said Pat as I walked past. I motioned for him to follow and he did, the little dude smelling very confused.
In my office I closed the door and Pat stepped up to give me a kiss. Then he handed me the messages that I looked over before sitting at the desk and dialing records to let them know I had a dependent now. "Yes, I'll fax over his records when I can find them in the mounds of dead trees." The records clerk was a Lunais. "Yes it is actually. Yeah, I couldn't let the little dude disappear into the system again. Is that allowed?" I asked and smiled, knowing my scent went from neutrally happy to OMG happy. "He may decline but I'll ask him." I dialed a few other numbers and saw to that business while Dylan wandered around my office and stared out over the city from my window. Pat was scribbling the info down that the persons on the other line would give me while I typed it into my computer. Once done I hung up and said, "All set. Little dude we need to get your stuff from your old place and then back to the new one." I tossed Pat my car keys. "I'm stealing your Hummer." He tossed me his keys and I grabbed my work from my desk.
There was a knock at my office door. I sniffed and paled. Pat did too. "I'll mind Dylan. Keep him out of mischief." Pat took the little dude to the door just as Angus was coming through. Dylan looked at him and then paled and I think he was one wrong word away from pissing his pants. "Mr. McLeod," Pat said in passing and led Dylan away under the scrutinizing gaze of the Pack Leader.
"May I ask who that is, Jon?" He shut the door behind him.
"My foster son. Just finalized the legal stuff today. Little dude's been through hell in the past month. We were just on our way to get his belongings from his old home. Picking up work."
"Nice to see that you're taking your duties seriously even when taking a day off. There is something that has come to my attention in the recent past that needs your expertise." I sighed inwardly. "Nothing major, just something to do with your current selling sector before you joined us. I would like for you to investigate it and then correct it."
"I will do that. Anything else before I take off?"
"This is not a place for kids."
"I understand and it won't happen again." He nodded like it had better not and I flipped him off to his back much to Gene's mirth as he passed by my open door. I grinned and left with the little dude in tow.
He said nothing as we walked to the Hummer but I could still smell his fear and knew I would never bring him here to the office again. "That was the current Pack Leader and will get it if he doesn't show his douche colors too badly to Mr. Andrews, but you did not hear me say that." I looked at him out of the corner of my to see him smother a grin. "I won't take you back there. Too much for you and my poor nerves."
"Yeah. That guy was one mean Lupus." I nodded. I knew he was no one to cross but that did not mean I would bow to him. Never that.
Getting his things was short and simple as he didn't have much except for a bunch of Tupperware tubs and one small suitcase full of clothes. It made me sad to see he did not even have something so simple as a single toy in all of that. The only thing of obvious value was an old computer that should have gone out in the trash a decade ago. My cell phone had better computing power. Yet he insisted on carry it himself when I knew it weighed a thousand pounds of outdated hardware and software. We got home and I just toted it all up to his room and saw him plug his comp. It took forever for it to go through its POST and then for him to log in. I left him to his own organization and went down to do some of my work. It didn't take long either since it was simple number crunching and I had most of the formulas in my head.
Then I got to that problem Angus told me about. I looked into the old files and found nothing suspicious until I got to a small anomaly that didn't quite add up but I could not tell why. I stared at the thing and couldn't see why it made me think it did not belong. Checking the account I found it was a payroll number and the amount was something that should not be there really. Then I recalled the guy I replaced was embezzling and I wondered if this was how he did it. The amount was small enough to go unnoticed unless you were anal about the books. Money was being siphoned off the payroll account to go into a dummy worker whose name was not listed, yet the overall amount we send to the satellite for pay had not increased in the last two years prior, not without a paper trail a mile long. I checked for a department name and found one I did not have in my roster. I double checked the number and then dialed the office. "Jonathan Davenport's office."
"Pat, it's Jon. I need you to check on a dep number for me." I gave him the number and he ran it through his computer.
"That's a classified number. I don't have access. Takes a VP or higher authority." He sounded confused as to why he would not have access. "There are only two types of numbers with that level. R&D and security. Each has their own sub codes and whatnot. Sorry I could not be more help."
"Thanks. I'll get a temp code from Angus since I'm doing something for my sector."
"I'll have him email it to you." I hung up and wondered what the last guy was up to. He didn't have VP access to hide a code cause I was sure there was something bogus going down. Maybe he had just been a scapegoat for someone higher up with access to that level of security. Well, until I got that clearance code I could do nothing else with this so I went up stairs to find Dylan's door shut.
I knocked softly. "Hey, Dylan, can I come in?" I hated when my folks just walked in. In a moment the door opened.
"Thanks for knocking." I ruffled his hair and I could see he was working on his ancient computer.
"Done unpacking already?" Nothing had really been changed so I knew all those tubs were still packed in hiding in the closet.
"Fer now. I wanted to get what I felt about the Owl Lycanthrope lady down. Since I can't find anything in all my notes about them I have to start somewhere."
"Tubular. So you really are obsessed with Lycans." He looked mildly hurt but nodded. "I think it's kinda bodacious you got a hobby you like so much that no one can take from you as long as you got eyes and a brain." He smiled. "Would you like to see something way awesome?" He nodded and I told him I would be right back. I changed into those modified sweat pants and came back. Dylan looked confused, his eyes locked on the silver pendant.
"Is that silver?"
"Yup. I can touch it. Not sure why or how but I can. Since you like Lycans so much...would you like to see a hybrid change?" He looked like someone had given him the keys to Toys R Us and said have at it.
"You mean you can change when it's not even a full moon?"
"A bit. Not all the way. Pat can too and he's the one who turned me into a drool machine." Looking within myself for that thought process I enacted that partial change. It was not painful at all compared to the full change that would happen again in two weeks. Hair sprouted from every pore but not the full length coat I would get. I grew and filled out, my muscle mass nearly tripling even in this state. When the process was done I looked at Dylan who was grinning from ear to ear. "That's the partial change. The other is a lot more painful and can take a lot longer. Gotta grow a tail ya know. So, start taking notes, little dude."
"You mean you'll let me examine you?"
"To some extent yeah. Figure you want to know more about us, so what kinda father figure would I be to not help ya out?"
"The kind I always got before," he murmured but then got out his notebooks and started to give me a basic physical. What did it feel like? What did I sense? What changed? What stayed the same? All the while he was not taking notes but drawing me. I saw it emerge with a talent I had never seen.
"Whoa, little dude, lemme see that?" He showed me the drawing, smelling scared or readying himself for something negative. I could not believe the details he had shown. I took it over to a mirror and compared the drawing to what I saw. Dead to rights it was me. "Ya know, with this talent, you could make one awesome artist for fantasy novels or even make one wicked cool video game."
"You...ya like it?" I nodded and handed it back. "Everyone else says I should do something realistic. Something real life."
"They obviously did not know werewolves exist. It's really amazing." His grin was huge and he gave me a big hug which I returned as gently as I could since my strength had increased with my change.
"Do you really think I could make a game?"
"Not with that old clunker no. You would need to get a much better computer." He sighed and nodded knowing that to be true.
"Do I get an allowance for doing chores and getting good grades?"
I thought about it and nodded. "Sure. Ten bucks a week if you do all your chores. Five bucks for every A you get, 3 for every B, a buck per C, but you owe me five for every D and ten for every F. Your chores will be keeping your room clean, doing the dishes, taking out the garbage and dusting." All light work things and I hated dusting since I would now sneeze my head off.
"That doesn't leave much for you," he said with a smile.
"Sure it does. Bathrooms, windows, vacuuming, shopping, going to work, washing the walls, polishing the silver since you'll get grubby kid germs on them and Pat can't touch them," that made him grin again. "So I have a lot to do. So, if you do all your chores that's forty a month with an additional bonus of $35.00 if you get A's in all of your classes. Which means...tomorrow you go back to school." He groaned dramatically and I enacted my change back to normal human, cinching the draw string.
"That is so cool to watch. Can I watch the full change in a few weeks?"
"No. That one is still too dangerous for you to be around. I've only had one full moon. Maybe Pat will let you but not me." I was glad he nodded like he understand why I said it. I was in full command of my mind but I was also a crab when I was in pain. "Speaking of other things creepy, when was the last time you went Trick-or-treating?"
"Umm...never actually." My mouth dropped and I shook my head.
"Then, if you want we can take you this year. Halloween is five days away."
"I don't even know what to be. No costume shop I know can make an authentic Lycan costume."
I got an idea but it would take some clever doing and a few favors called in. "Leave that to me. Tomorrow we'll go shopping. You should really think about being an artist more. Maybe sketch what Pat looked like as his sexy wolfman self from memory." Dylan went over to his few piles of stuff and came back with a small stack of art. All of them were of me and Pat, some together being snuggled by the other, some in poses I know neither of us ever stood in. My only response was to gape. "Little dude you are one mondo cool man." He waved it away like he knew it but I could smell he was embarrassed. "So now I scan these into my computer, you file away the originals and we start a portfolio of your art so when you turn eighteen in a few years you'll have a soft copy to send out to schools and companies to see if they will hire you. After college of course."
"Sweet." I ruffled his hair and did just that, giving him a thumb drive with all his drawings. "Um...I have a few more."
"Lemme guess, you have like a thousand more and want to scan them all." He flushed and nodded. "Fine. You can scan them when you have time between slave labor and school." The little dude gave me a huge hug. "You really should start getting use to me being a nice guy, although the hugs are cool. If you want something just ask. I may think about it and I may say no, but it's better to ask then to want."
"Can I go to the next Lunais picnic?"
"You're already invited by me and Pat but I still have to check with the others to see if it's okay." He nodded and went barreling back up into his room to put the new scans on his computer. I picked up the phone and dialed.
"Troy Jennings."
"Hey bitch miss me?"
"Hey fuck wad. I have. How's life in the big office?"
"Great. Banging a really awesome guy exclusively." That got an appreciative grumble. "Yeah. There isn't a thing we haven't done yet. That last is a husher bro." Thus saying it was a secret.
"Gotcha. So you gave up the booty finally. I'm jealous."
"Whatev, bitch, you know you only wanted the Man in you." I could see his eyes rolling. "So, listen. I'm sending you a drawing. I want you to send it out to your peeps and then to Ginger." He said he would get right on it. I also gave him a lot of info about the company and how it's run up here and he thought it sounded like I was working for the biggest asshat in the world and I did not disagree in the slightest.
An hour later I got a call. "Hello."
"Hey stud, it's Ginger." I could not help but grin.
"Hey beautiful. Got the drawing I had forwarded." I knew she had or else she would not have called me. She never called a guy, they called her, so this must be a business thing.
"Who did it?"
"Would you believe a thirteen year old boy?" She said she did not by the way she told me I was a fucking liar. "Totally true. He's my foster son."
"Hold the phone. You got a kid?"
"Yeah. His name is Dylan and the little dude is mondo awesome." I told her what I wanted and she said she had enough to go and would see what she could do in such a short time.
"You realize you owe me for this."
"Nope, calling in a favor. You may even squash that when you meet the little dude." What I had planned was going to blow Dylan's mind and he would be totally crying happy tears. Hell I would be too when I saw him smile. And there was no way he would not smile for this.
"Must be some sort of awesome for you to call in a favor from me. I'll see what I can do. If I can't do it in time we have some things in storage that should work."
"I knew I could count on you." I knew I could too because she was the one girl I had banged that I called back the next day. Damn good sex and even better conversation. She been in some tight spots in college during midterms, and in debt up to her tits, so I tutored her through three semesters and my own foster dad helped me pay for some of her bills by giving her a very nice job as his secretary while she was in college when no one would hire her because of her financial troubles. She owed me big time. We talked for another hour and I had to admit I missed talking with her. I got her cell phone number so I could stay in contact and promised I would have lunch with her sometime.
The Little dude would never see it coming.
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