Morningstar: The Malaise - 9. Chapter 9 For Better or Worse

Morningstar: The Malaise

Chapter 9

Kellar was getting nervous. Their late lunch had hit the spot and the rest of the drive had been uneventful, with small snippets of contented and easy conversation. He hadn’t expected to doze off, but having someone else drive was something he was no longer used to, and he found being the passenger lulling.

“Time to wake up, mountain man.”

Kellar felt the touch on his shoulder at the same time he heard the soft-spoken words. Rubbing his face with his hand, he mumbled, “Mountain man?” Blinking, he looked over at an amused Tobyn.

“You missed some.”

“Huh? Missed some what?”

“Drool. On the left.”

He swiped at the corner of his mouth.

“Your other left, man.” Tobyn’s grin got a little bigger.

“Shit. How long did I nap for? And what’s with calling me mountain man?”

“Close to two hours. Don’t worry, I made sure I didn’t drive too fast.”

“Yeah, right.” He looked skyward, knowing when he was being mocked.

“We’re almost home. And you’re about as big as a mountain, especially when you’re all sprawled out on my front seat.” He chuckled as he looked over at an indignant Kellar, who couldn’t help the smile he ended up giving the guy. “That garage we just passed on the left, which you probably didn’t notice, is one of our businesses. Just a few more minutes.”

Tobyn was smirking, and Kellar supposed it was because he didn’t look quite alert yet. Sleeping that deeply was something he wasn’t used to, other than the previous night. He felt heat rise up his neck at the thought of how he’d been wrapped around the handsome man when he awakened that morning.

Thus, the reason for his nerves. He was going to meet an actual pack for the first time. It was such a foreign concept to him after years of solitude. Fully awake now, he ran combing fingers through his short, brown hair. He didn't know whether Tobyn had been kidding, so he made sure there were no drool marks on his face. His companion pointed out another business they owned on the same side of the highway. It was an animal feed and grain store that sold hardware and farm equipment. Tobyn explained they could order just about anything a customer wanted, and were very successful in an area that had scattered businesses and no proper town.

He slowed down as they neared a road on the left, putting his blinker on for the upcoming turn. A big wooden sign, skillfully painted, but needing a few touch-ups, proclaimed they were entering MORNINGSTAR MARINA.

“Marina?”

“Yup. In the summer it’s a going concern. It’s about a third full right now, and in a couple of weeks we’ll be close to capacity. It'll stay that way till the fall. We’re at the northern-most part of our property and it ends at a system of five deep lakes. We own most of the land around the first one, on this side, and we rent boats and canoes, sell fuel, bait, equipment, and take out fishing groups. We also have a campground with electricity for forty-four of the sixty-eight sites. People pay good money for that convenience.” He rubbed his fingers together to denote money and pulled over just before another road going to the right. It had an arrow and a sign with a painted rendition of a boat and paddles on it. “A mile and a half that way and you’re at the lake. Straight ahead three-quarters of a mile is the actual compound, and all the housing spreads out from there. Lumberjack is nervous, isn’t he?”

Kellar focused on the hazel gaze. “Now who’s reading who? But yeah, you’re right… I’m a little freaked out. I’ve never met a pack of shifters before.”

“Hey, don’t worry. They’re all good people, and you won’t meet them all at once, all right? And I’ll be with you.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll be fine.” He had to force himself to look away. The guy was really getting to him and as difficult as this might be, Tobyn needed him. “So, how come Morningstar? Does it have any significance?”

“You’re thinking Lucifer, right?”

“No, not thinking anything.”

“Well, a lot of people ask the question and most of them make that connection even though Jesus refers to himself as the morning star in Revelations.”

“Dude, chill. I was just asking.”

Tobyn grinned. “Sorry. I guess I get a little defensive. It’s actually our pack name and has been for more than a thousand years.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “A thousand years?”

“More than. And it’s nothing biblical. It refers to the planet Venus, which plays a big part in the stories passed down. Did you know that besides the sun and the moon, it’s the brightest light in the sky at different times of the year?”

“I had no clue.”

“Might come in handy if you ever play Trivial Pursuit,” Tobyn said with a wry grin.

God, could the man get any cuter? “I’ll have to remember that.”

“So are you ready to meet my mom?”

“I suppose. Never met someone’s mom before. Does this mean we’re engaged? ” He glanced over and started laughing at the look he got.

“Shut up, fool.”

“Great. All I need is a bossy wife.” He continued laughing as the truck began to move forward. Tobyn joined him, and despite it being genuine, there was also a nervous edge that matched his own.

It was referred to as ‘the lodge.’ The moniker was on-the-money appropriate. Perched on a long, flat rise and surrounded by tall pines, the sprawling log structure was imposing. According to Tobyn it was over seventy years old, but it showed no signs of age. There was pride of ownership here, and the five massive granite steps leading up to it showed the craftsmanship of superb masons.

“This is where we gather for meetings, and parties… anything worth celebrating or talking about, we do here. The main room also serves as our cafeteria because we do communal cooking. It’s a lot more efficient, and we’ve got big walk-in fridges and freezers to accommodate all the foods we harvest. The offices are housed in this building as well, and there’s a good chance Mom is working away in hers. Come on, I’ll protect you,” he said with an impish grin.

Kellar enjoyed the wave of warm excitement he felt from Tobyn. It was as if his body was fine-tuning itself to the blond man’s. “My hero,” he said as he exited the truck.

Sure enough, as soon as they entered the building, a sandy-haired woman came charging from a hallway to their left. What the hell? Kellar was completely taken aback as he watched her speed toward them.

“My goodness, Tobyn, is something wrong? Are you okay? What are you doing back so soon? You just left yesterday.” She gripped her son’s arms as if to reassure herself he was in one piece. Kellar watched her with his mouth slightly open.

“Mom, slow down. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Just relax. How is Adelin?”

“Adelin? Oh, she’s the same I'm afraid.” Her suddenly troubled eyes had settled on Kellar, who was feeling both awkward and uncertain. He did note the green eyes were flecked with coppery gold, similar to her son’s. “Who is this handsome young man?”

Great. He was uncomfortable enough, and now he was blushing and needed to find his voice. Karen had never exuded pure, unabashed ‘mom’ like this woman did. Despite the shock of her dramatic appearance, he felt drawn to her.

“This is Kellar Haylan. He’s a healer I met yesterday. Kellar, meet my mother, Elinor Berenger, one of our pack leaders.”

“A healer?”

“That’s right, and he’s here to see if he can help Adelin.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.” There, he did it, and didn’t stumble over the words.

“Oh dear, sorry for my manners. It’s nice to meet you too.” She ignored the outstretched hand and moved in for an extended hug.

Kellar melted as his nose was treated to the scent of vanilla combined with strawberry and a hint of cedar.

“You’re the first shifter to visit us in many, many years. Welcome to Morningstar Pack. My, you’re a big man. May I ask what pack you belong to?”

Kellar didn’t want to let her go, but he did. “I don’t belong to any pack, ma’am. I never did.”

“How is….” Her voice petered out as she stared at him with a confounded expression.

“Mom, can we explain all that to you later? It’s been a long drive, and we should freshen up a bit before we go see Adelin. I just wanted to let you know I’m back and introduce you to my new friend before we did anything else.”

“Okay, Toby. Ah, sure.” Her attention went back to Kellar. “I don’t mean to question your abilities, but what makes you think you can help our Adelin? I don’t want her or Tilly having any false hope, nor would I want her to suffer any more than she has to. She is a very sick girl.”

“That’s okay, ma’am, I understand.” He was unsure what to say to the woman who’d gone into understandable protective mode. “I, ah….”

“Mom, trust me. He’s the real deal. He healed my skull yesterday, and it’s good as new. We really should get going.”

“Sit!” Elinor pointed to the table and chairs nearest them, and both big men were quick to comply. “Now explain to me why he had to fix your skull.”

“Oh. Yeah right. I should have led with that.” He gave her a suitably apologetic look and then directed a quick grin at Kellar. “Okay. Well, I couldn’t hold my shift and I fell backwards and fractured my skull on a sharp edge of rock sticking out of the ground. It was really bad, but now it’s perfectly fine. He really does know what he’s doing. He healed my ulcers too.”

Elinor looked ill when Tobyn first mentioned fracture, but regrouped quickly, impressing Kellar. He could sense the no-nonsense leader in her, despite her initial ‘mom’ reaction. “You had ulcers too?”

Tobyn sighed, this time sending a resigned look to his friend. “Yes, as it turned out. I didn’t know why, but I was feeling ill every time I ate, and a lot of times when I didn’t.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me this?”

“I’m sorry, but you have enough on your plate, and we all seem to have health issues now. What would have been the point?”

“The point would have been I’m your mother, and I want to know these things.”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry, but there’s nothing to know anymore. I’ve eaten three times since Kellar worked his magic, and all the symptoms are gone. I’m telling you he has a gift, and was kind enough to come see whether he could help.”

“And you’re sure your skull is fine?” She glanced from one to the other, still appearing unsure.

“Ma’am, I don’t know exactly how it works, and to be honest I’ve mostly healed animals and some humans… Tobyn was my first shifter patient… but, ever since I met my wolf I’ve been able to see an individual’s color patterns... and... and that aids me in this gift I’ve been given. I know it sounds strange, but please believe me that your son’s head fracture has completely knitted together and all the swelling is gone. I’ve never done any harm.”

“Goodness me, that's remarkable. There is talk of shifter healers in our histories and even though I’ve never encountered one before this, I can’t discount what I’m hearing. If Toby says you’re a healer then that’s good enough for me.” She gave him one of those motherly smiles and he melted a little more. “You two go and get yourselves settled and check on our sweet girl. Will you join me here for dinner? I believe it’s a chicken casserole tonight.”

Tobyn looked at Kellar, who shrugged. “I guess we’ll see what Kellar wants to do about Adelin first. Maybe someone could put some food in my fridge in case we can’t make it?”

“I’ll have Heather take a couple of plates over for you, something that will keep.”

“Thanks. We’ll see you later if we can.” They all stood.

“Okay, dear. Nice to meet you, Kellar.”

“Nice to meet you too, ma’am.” He was surprised with another hug.

“I hope you plan on sticking around. My son obviously thinks highly of you.”

“To tell you the truth, this is all very surreal. The idea of a lot of shifters like me in one place is not something I’m used to. Thank you for making me feel welcome, ma’am.” He felt as much as saw Tobyn watching him. “I think highly of your son too.”

“I’ll be frank with you. Our pack needs new members, and we could certainly use a healer, so think about it, okay? And it’s Elinor, not ma’am.”

“Okay, Elinor, I will think about it.” He couldn’t miss the flash of something akin to joy on Tobyn’s face.

“Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost when my over-protective mom came barreling down on us.”

Kellar cleared his throat, thankful it was just the two of them again, even though he really took to Elinor. “I… sorry. I’m not used to moms that act like moms. I’ve only seen them on television and in movies. Your mom is cool.” He turned his attention to the truck.

“Are you sure you’re all right? You seem uneasy.”

He gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’m feeling out of my element here, that’s all. There’s new stuff I have to figure out.”

“New stuff? I’m not following.”

“You know what? I think I’ll feel a lot better when we get my herbs somewhere cooler than the back seat. Some of them are probably getting too warm in there.”

“Oh, right. Let’s go home and you can do what you need to with them.”

“Home? Where’s home?”

“My place. It’s back in those trees to the left.” He gave Kellar a searching look. “Unless you want your own place to stay in? There’s lots of empty houses, and we keep them all well maintained. They’re cleaned regularly too.”

“Oh no, forget that idea. I’d rather stay with you at your place. Being alone doesn’t sound appealing to me.” He mustered up a grin as his mind tried to process the new environment, as well as his curiosity.

“Good. I’ve gotten used to having you around already.”

“Are you saying I’m charming company?”

“Hell, I wouldn’t go that far.” They got into the truck, both chuckling at the comfortable teasing.

Kellar then got serious. “Your mom wants me to join the pack. Did that surprise you?”

“God, no. Have you not been listening? Of course she wants you to become part of Morningstar, and so do I, but it’s a decision you have to make. I’ve been thinking, though. I might not have thought all this through. I think I’ve done something very selfish.”

“What are you talking about?”

The blond-haired man deflated before his eyes, slumping over the steering wheel. “We don’t know anything about the malaise.” He looked over with a pained expression. “What if it’s contagious? What if I passed it on to you yesterday, or today, or what if being around the pack does it?” With the spoken guilt came a couple of tears swept away almost angrily.

Christ, the man was going to break if he didn’t stop feeling responsible for everyone else. Kellar slid over. Tugging on his new friend, he pulled him into a hug, feeling his shoulders jerk up and down as he unsuccessfully tried to suppress a few sobs. “Hey. I get the pressure you’re putting yourself under. Don’t add this to it, because I’m not worried in the least. I’m not sure what’s causing the problems affecting your people, but whatever it is, it’s not a disease. If it was, it would show in your colors. It wasn’t there when I first saw you, and it’s not there now. Let me tell you something else. Your aura is much stronger than it was yesterday. When I compare it to mine, your brightness isn’t nearly as far off. I saw no sign of any disease in your mom either. So quit with the guilt, okay? It’s just more crap you’re piling on yourself. I’m in no danger.” Tobyn was still holding onto him tightly, and Kellar could imagine their connection strengthen. Maybe it was wishful thinking on his part.

“You’re sure?”

“Completely. I couldn’t be any surer than I am and I’m the healer here, remember, so have faith. I knew what I was doing.”

“Yes, you’re a healer who saved my life, and I do believe you.” He pulled back a little and smiled his relief.

“Good.” Neither one had let go of the other. Tobyn’s lips drew his eyes, and he had to fight the urge to kiss the beautiful man. Knowing he wouldn’t be receptive was hard to accept. Still, there was something in his expression Kellar found confusing enough to be indecipherable. Looking away, he was startled by a face frowning at them through the windshield.

“Um… who’s that?”

Tobyn’s gaze followed his. “Ah… oh, that’s Tilly.”