Damian's Wolf - 21. Siala Kalael

Arisa grilled him during the ride to the complex, questions pouring from her like water from a hose. Jordan answered her as best he could, grateful when they finally reached the complex gate.

Someone was standing at the gate, body covered by a cloak. Jordan stared at the figure. Who wore a cloak any more? Those had been out of style for centuries.

The guard held up his hands as Arisa and Jordan pulled up.

“Look, miss, I can’t help you-”

“I know he shacked up with a wolf and this is the only place he’d end up! Now you tell Damian to get his tail out here before I cut it off!”

Jordan frowned, reaching to unbuckle his belt. Arisa grabbed his hand.

“Don’t. She’s probably talking about someone else,” she said quietly.

Pulling his hand away, Jordan opened the door.

“Excuse me, are you looking for a neko?” he asked.

The hooded woman whirled around. She held a blue bundle in her arms, a permanent scowl on her face.

“Yes I am!”

“Well I happen to be the wolf he ‘shacked up’ with-”

“Good. You can give this to him then. I will not have this abomination in my family.”

The woman shoved the bundle into Jordan’s arms, the wolf stumbling backward. He looked downward, seeing a tiny neko face in the blanket.

“What the fuck-? Hey!”

He stared at the retreating figure, spotting a brown tail falling out of the cloak.

“Hey wait!”

A weak cry escaped the blanket.

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck…”

The guard looked at him in sympathy.

“You can enter,” he said, opening the gate.

Jordan carefully sat in the car, still looking at the fleeing neko.

“Did they just-?”

Arisa looked at the baby in Jordan’s arms.

“Do you want me to go after-”

“No, just… I don’t know. Gods this is fucked up… Lysander will know what to do.”

Arisa shook her head, pulling into the complex.

Jordan stared at the infant as they got out of the car. He was so tiny, so fragile.

“Jordan?”

“Huh?”

He looked up at Arisa.

“Where are we going?” the elf questioned.

“Right…”

He began walking, overly conscious of every step. What the hell was wrong with today? Everything was just so fucked up. He didn’t know how much more he could take at this point.

Stopping in front of the apartment door, Jordan kicked at it, not wanting to move his hands.

“Here,” Arisa said, knocking on the door loudly.

The apartment next door opened, a pale face poking out.

“Who’s that?” Arisa asked.

“Fuck if I know,” Jordan muttered.

Arisa waved slightly, and the person vanished, the door shutting fast. Jordan flinched as Damian answered Arisa’s knock, startling him.

“Jordan? I thought you were still… What’s that?”

Jordan shouldered past the neko, scanning the room. Lysander trotted out of his room in his fur, pausing as he sniffed the air.

Arisa stepped inside, her eyes copying Jordan’s. She paused as she noticed the large white wolf in the hall.

“Lysander…” Jordan breathed.

The room was starting to spin around him, and the werewolf stumbled for the couch, clutching the baby in his arms protectively as he fell.

“Jordan?! Jordan, wake up!”

His eyes fluttered open. Damian’s face stared down at him, relief flooding the neko.

“Wha…”

A firm hand held him down as he tried to rise.

“No, stay down. Take a few moments,” Lysander said gently.

He could hear crying- the baby crying.

“Lysander, the baby-”

“Hush. Damian and I will figure everything out, okay? You don’t have to worry about a thing. Just stay here, and your friend will take care of you.”

“Where-”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be back soon.”

Jordan fought to sit up.

“No, I need to go…”

“You’re in no condition to go anywhere,” Lysander denied. “You had a hard day-”

“I’m not going to sit here worrying about what is happening.”

Arisa laughed behind him, holding the baby.

“This is rather entertaining,” she said. “I’m glad you met someone else who can boss you around.”

Jordan scowled at the elves.

“I’m going,” he said, standing up.

Lysander nodded, handing him a glass of water.

“Drink this first, then we’re going to the hospital,” he said, moving quickly through the apartment.

“I have a carseat,” Arisa said.

Jordan frowned at the elf, trying to figure out what she was doing with a carseat. Arisa had never shown interest in any children.

“Good, you can follow me. Damian, watch Jordan.”

“I don’t need to be watched-” Jordan started.

Lysander put a finger up to the man’s lips.

“Humour me, okay? Right now we need to get this child to the hospital. We can argue later.”

Jordan gulped down the water quickly, setting the glass aside. Damian took his hand, leading him outside as Lysander and Arisa followed.

Ten minutes later, they were rushing into the hospital, Lysander leading them confidently down a hall. The group stopped in a waiting room, Lysander taking the baby from Arisa. He frowned at the bundle in his arms, approaching a window with an elf inside.

“Hi, someone gave this infant to my friend about thirty minutes ago,” he said quickly. “I know that sounds weird, but we need to know what we should do. And my friend should be checked by a doctor. He’s been through a rather trying day.”

To his credit, the elf inside didn’t show his shock at the circumstances.

“Give me one moment,” he said, standing up.

A few minutes later, a neko approached them, a nametag announcing her as Nurse Jeric.

“Hi, is this the child?” she asked.

“Yes it is,” Lysander nodded.

“Let’s go take a look, shall we?”

She held out her arms, and Lysander carefully transferred the bundle to her.

“Hi there little guy. You had us worried,” the neko smiled at the baby.

Turning to the group, she added, “Can you come with me please? There are some questions I have to ask.”

“Of course. Lead the way.”

“The first question I have… Are you Damian?”

Jordan and Damian shared a look of surprise at the question.

“Um, yes,” the neko said nervously as Jordan placed a hand on his shoulder.

They were sitting in a small examination room, Lysander standing against the wall. Arisa had left, Lysander pointing out that it wasn’t really the best time for visiting.

“You can relax dear,” Jeric smiled. “You aren’t in any trouble. You are the subject of much gossip, however. It isn’t often a neko mates with a werewolf, much less two of them.”

There was a quiet knock at the door and an elf entered, a bottle of milk in hand. He handed it to the nurse, Jeric smiling in thanks.

“I think you should do the honours,” she said, carefully handing Damian the baby.

“Wait-” Damian protested weakly, his arms instinctively cradling the child.

“What’s going on?” Jordan demanded.

“Well, it started when a young neko and her mother came in last night. As it turns out, the young neko was pregnant and the father was rumoured to be living with a wolf in Astara.”

Jordan shared another look with Damian, an oh shit look. Gently, the neko placed the nipple of the bottle against the baby’s mouth, and the little neko began feeding.

“When she gave birth, her mother insisted that she give the child up. Naturally, she protested. Her mother was not happy about that and to make a long story short, she stole the child, running off to find the father. Apparently she did, somehow.”

“She… Is Jenna okay?” Damian whispered.

“Oh, she’s doing well, all things considered. But she did agree that she wasn’t the best person to care for her child. She recommended you.”

Silence took over the room, broken only by the quiet suckling noises from Damian’s arms.

“I… I don’t-”

Lysander knelt next to Damian, touching his knee.

“Before you say anything, Damian, I will help you with your child,” he said gently.

“Yeah, I don’t know anything about kids, but I can learn,” Jordan added.

Damian’s eyes closed, his lips mouthing words none could hear. Opening his eyes, he smiled uncertainly.

“This isn’t really how I thought I’d learn I was a father…” he said.

Jeric chuckled.

“Congratulations, you three. You have a healthy baby boy.”

So much research... Ah, who am I kidding, I love researching new things  I hope everyone enjoyed the ride so far.