Love in the Shadows - 32. Chapter 32: Confounding Confrontation

His eyelids fluttered, but Kaplan kept them closed. He smiled and nuzzled the pillow under his head. I haven't slept like that in a while. Feels good. Running his hand across the cool, crisp sheets, he debated whether or not he should get up.

The beta opened his eyes in a panic. Pillow. Sheets. He remembered last being on the couch with Cyrus. He rose in a state of confusion. Bed. When did I get in bed? I'm—

"Good morning, Mr. Alvey." The suave, deep voice whispered, and Kaplan rolled over hastily.

Blinking wildly, he saw the panda covered in the blanket. The wolf followed the comforter's hem and saw they were both under it. Cyrus wore his suit vest, showing off the tattoos on his large arms. Wild scenarios ran through Kaplan's mind as he tried to remember what happened between the living room and now.

"Relax, Kaplan," Cyrus cooed. "We didn't do anything if that's what you're worried about."

Kaplan sighed in relief. Oh, thank the Seven! "A-alpha Vonder." When Cyrus' brow rose, the beta backtracked. "Cyrus. Wh-what happened? Why am I in your bed?"

The bear giggled and rolled onto his side, holding up his head with a hand. "You fell asleep and my bear wasn't done holding you. So, I brought you to bed. I hope that was okay."

Wetting his lips, Kaplan nodded. "I… That's okay. I didn't want to upset your bear."

"He's fine lying with you."

Being so close, Kaplan studied the man, which led to focusing on the tattoos. The white ink design on one arm was intricately woven, almost in a tribal pattern. The other arm mirrored it with black lines.

"Kaplan?" Cyrus met his gaze. There was a faint emerald glow to the irises.

"I-I didn't mean to stare."

The ursus smiled. "If you wish to see my ink, then come closer."

Kaolan's throat felt parched. The urge to comply was strong, but he remained reserved. "You… Is that okay, sir?"

"My bear's fine with you touching my arms. And none of the formalities. After all, we are officially dating." Kaplan's jaw slackened, causing Cyrus to giggle. "Yes, dating. Remember? We agreed to that yesterday. I know I told you our relationship would take time, but things have been going much faster than anticipated. My bear and I like you, but we're not quite ready for anything intimate. I only hope you are comfortable with this."

A question popped into Kaplan's mind. "Does… Does that make us boyfriends?"

Cyrus smirked. "Do you want to be my boyfriend?" When Kaplan barely nodded, Cyrus inched closer, and his throat rumbled. "Then we're boyfriends. May I touch you?"

With Kaplan's permission, Cyrus trailed his fingers down the wolf’s biceps, along the thinly-haired forearm, and around his wrist. "Your skin's so soft." Reciprocating, Kaplan traced the bear's white tat. "You're interested in my art?"

"Yeah," Kaplan breathed. "It's so detailed. Why the difference in color?"

"For every action, there is both a positive and negative effect. It's a lesson I learned long ago, and I'm reminded of it constantly."

Kaplan grimaced. The message was powerful, and he should've expected such. It's like he's experienced a lot of conflict with decision-making. "So, what are the effects for dating me?"

The man chuckled. "Well, I believe the positives are fairly obvious. You're an honest soul, whom I'm glad to have at my side."

Kaplan swallowed. "And the negatives?"

Cyrus's smile faded as if he possessed a grim answer. "I'm afraid you’ll discover a side of me none have met. A side"—the bear's eyes turned hunter-green—"that I keep very well hidden."

Despite feeling intimidated by the alpha's sour tone, Kaplan kept smiling. "All due respect, Cyrus. I wouldn't mind getting to know the real you."

"Be cautious, little wolf," he murmured. "You never know what darkness lies within a person."

Kaplan shook his head. "That may be true, but I can't help seeing something of what you saw in me when we first met. You knew where I came from, and you took my darkness away. All of that happened before you came to New York, but…" He choked up and rubbed his eyes. "But you helped me let go of my fears. I'd like the opportunity to help you with yours."

Cyrus was quiet. He stared for several moments before whispering, "You mean that."

Moving his hand over the bear's, Kaplan used his thumb to knead Cyrus's palm. "Yes. You've been nothing but kind to me. You took Alpha Ren out of my life, and I'll always be grateful for that. I owe it to both you and myself to serve you, not just as my alpha."

Again, Cyrus was silent. His pupils darted in a few directions.

He's talking to his bear. He has to be.

The man smiled, and his irises returned to tan. "You're so genuine. Come closer," he offered, scooting slightly. "But do keep your pants on. At this rate, we can forgo those in a few weeks."

Kaplan closed the distance and rested his head on the larger shifter's biceps. Warmth emanated from the large ursus, and he liked it. Whispering to each other, Cyrus combed through the wolf's hair, and Kaplan resumed tracing the mesmerizing ink.

***

Sunlight seeped through the blinds and curtains. Vincent woke peacefully and stretched his arms. Noticing he had fingers, he checked under the blanket and saw he was fully human. I shifted in my sleep. Cool!

He rolled over and was met with a puff of warm breath from Mason. The alpha was still soundly asleep. Smiling, Vincent nudged an arm. "Morning, big guy."

Mason grumbled and buried his face in a pillow. He grumbled something unintelligible, so Vincent held his hips. "C'mon. Don't you want some breakfast?"

Again, his mate barely responded. He rolled away from Vincent and kicked the blanket off. Doing so, Mason exposed his bare ass. The mage felt an unfamiliar urge as he laid eyes on the hairy, meaty cheeks. He stared and licked his lips. Did Mace's ass get bigger or something?

No think so, but I want.

He never thought about topping Mason before. There had been ogling and playful smacks, but this was a new desire. You think he would want that?

Human silly. He mate.

Yeah, but he's an alpha. Isn't that, like, an extreme form of submission or something?

His wolf growled. Yes, but is mate. He alpha, but so we. Only fair.

I see your point, but we don't know if Mace is ready for—

"Staring at something, Pup?" Looking away from Mason's ass, he noticed the man's sleepy stare. He was smirking.

Vincent blushed. "I… Yeah, kind of."

"And just what were you staring at?" Before Vincent could stammer an answer, Mason laughed. "It's alright, Vinnie. I've been thinking about this for a while now. With both us alphas and only half of our bonding complete, I knew you'd be wanting my ass sooner or later. I'm still mulling it over with my wolf. We've never been… Well, fucked."

Vincent reached for Mason's hand. "I understand, big guy. You waited on me, so it makes sense for me to do the same." He sent a wave of love through his end of the bond.

Mason's irises glowed, and he reciprocated the feeling. "You're amazing, you know that?" He leaned in and peppered Vincent with kisses.

His heightened sense of smell caught Mason’s morning breath. “Uh uh.” Vincent patted the larger man’s thigh and hopped out of bed. “Time to brush your teeth, then help me cook breakfast.”

“I’ll brush my teeth,” Mason whined, ”but I’m coming back to bed. I’m exhausted. Can’t we just order delivery?”

Vincent chuckled. “I guess my big, bad wolf can sleep in. I’ll start cooking. I’m not about to order in when we have guests.”

“Speaking of big and bad, your hybrid gave me a run for my money.”

Guilt washed over the mage. “I can barely remember how it all started.”

Mason sat up and crossed his legs. “That was my fault, Pup. You broke the wall.”

“The one containing my instinct,” Vincent remembered releasing the water. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Nah. Cyrus neither. You gave me a few good scratches, but nothing a shift couldn’t heal. See?” Mason pointed at his furry chest. “You knicked me here, then tackled me a few times. We did get a little worried when you used your shadow magic.”

“I used magic? I couldn’t control anything until you held me down.”

“That’s what we figured. I had to calm you down.”

Vincent nodded and sat on the edge of the mattress. “My instinct calmed down when it recognized you as my mate, but it was still rough.”

Arms wrapped around him. “I’m so sorry, Pup. I should’ve told you about the wall.” Mason’s guilt could be clearly heard.

Leaning into his mate’s hold, Vincent sighed. “It’s okay. No one was hurt, right?”

“Right.”

“Then we can put this behind us. I know you didn’t mean for that to happen, and I shouldn’t have pushed buttons without asking. Just… Use this as a learning experience.” Vincent felt Mason’s head rest on his shoulder.

“Yeah. I need to remember the next time an alpha shifter’s born in the pack.”

“So, this whole wall thing is just for alphas? Wouldn’t every shifter have some sort of instinct?”

“They do, but an alpha’s is on a whole other level. It’s the primary reason betas are needed in the hierarchy. Our instinct leads us to rash decisions, which requires rationalization.”

Vincent chuckled. “I should’ve known Dave wore the pants around here.”

“Oh, ha! Dave just keeps my head on straight." Mason scooted away and pulled the blanket over him again. "I think it's going to be an easy day. All I got to do is head to the farm and make sure everything's running smoothly."

"Gotcha. Later, can we shift? I want to learn to be a better wolf.” When Mason gave him a questioning look, Vincent explained, “How to be a better hunter, to fight as a wolf. Anything really.”

Mason grinned. “Of course. We can do that after I’m done at the farm. Did you want to come along?”

Vincent hadn’t been to the Wilson family farm before, and the thought of going excited him. “Sounds like fun, but you know what that means, right?” When Mason raised an eyebrow, Vincent grabbed the bottom corner of the comforter and pulled, marching toward the door. “Time to get up!”

There was a tug as Mason whined, “No, oh no, babe! C’mon, just five more minutes.”

Rolling his eyes, Vincent looked back at him. “You’re already up. No sense in laying around when we have guests to feed.”

“Alright,” Mason groaned, “I guess I can help. I’ll handle the bacon for ya.”

Chuckling, Vincent hurled the blanket back onto the bed, then put sweatpants on. “My hero.”

The couple found Dave still sleeping on the couch. They worked silently, the only sound being the bacon’s sizzles. Just before the food was ready to be served, Vincent headed for the doorway. “I’ll go knock on Cyrus’s door to let ‘em know.”

“Just talk in your normal voice, Pup. They’ll hear it.”

“Right, I keep forgetting about this special hearing stuff. Cyrus, Kaplan. Food’s almost ready.”

Vincent heard the panda’s giggle and a few hushed words. Even from behind a closed door, he heard Cyrus. “We’ll be right out.”

Turning back to his mate, Vincent whispered while sprinkling salt on the hashbrowns “So, those two?”

Mason shrugged. “Dinbe’s been working his magic around Owensville lately.”

“Right?” Vincent grinned and turned the burners on low. He heard a yawn coming from the living room. “Morning, Dave.”

Shortly after, the beta walked in with a pillow and folded blanket tucked under his arm, wearing nothing but boxers. “Mornin’. Coffee almost done?”

Checking the machine, Mason grabbed several mugs from the cabinet. “Yep, brewed strong.”

Dave grumbled and rubbed his shaved head as he entered the laundry room. Cyrus, wearing the robe from last night, entered with a shirtless Kaplan. They were holding hands, and Vincent nearly squealed. “You two look cute together.”

Kaplan’s cheeks reddened while Cyrus grinned. “Thank you, Mr. Bolton. I trust you all slept soundly?”

Still feeling guilty about his unpredictable actions, Vincent nodded. “Yes, and thank you for helping me last night, Cyrus.”

“Please, it was no trouble. Unexpected, but nothing ill came of it.” Cyrus took a seat at the island and scooted the other stool out for Kaplan. “It was an experience I hadn’t dealt with, so I consider it knowledge gained. Are you alright, Vincent?”

He nodded while Mason poured coffee for them. “Yeah. As long as no one got hurt, I’m okay with it.”

Dave returned and filled a mug. “Definitely a night to remember. Glad to see you in one piece, Vin.”

As plates were filled, Vincent asked Kaplan, “So, does the New York crew have plans for the day?”

“Our flight back’s later this evening, so we have until the afternoon. I’m not sure what Tierney has in mind.”

Cyrus cut into his fried egg. “I believe he wanted to spend time at Leidolf and Elaine’s. Part of me wishes we could stay another day, but there are meetings Tierney wishes for me to join. He wants to introduce me to some of the shifter-friendly city officials. Not sure who, though."

Covering his mouth, Kaplan hummed. After swallowing, he answered, "Mayor at nine, and a commissioner at noon."

"Lovely!"

"If you say so," the wolf mumbled.

Mason chuckled. "I've been meaning to ask. How's it going with getting accustomed to NYSP?"

"Everything is smooth," Cyrus said. "Tierney and his council run the pack well. After meeting with all the betas and deltas, nearly all of them agreed to remain on the council. Only one has decided to step down."

"That's great," Dave commented.

Vincent drowned in pack dynamics as the alphas and betas rambled on. Once everything was placed in the dishwasher, Cyrus and Kaplan said goodbye, and Dave left to go see Stacy at Beansies. Mason smacked Vincent's ass. "Ready to go check out the farm?"

"Sure." The two dressed casually and hopped in Mason's truck. Heading further away from town, Vincent held his mate's hand. "How far out is your farm?"

"A couple miles, not too far. You'll see the corn pop up over this hill in a second."

As promised, a massive field of stalks came to view. "Alright, corn. What else do you grow?"

"Corn, wheat, and we raise cattle. We keep it pretty simple."

A few minutes later, Mason turned onto a gravel road between two crop fields. Twin silos loomed over a large steel barn with wide open doors through which tractors were visible. Next to it was a house similar to Mason's. When they parked, Mason slapped Vincent's leg. "C'mon, let me show you around. Some of the guys have been wanting to meet you. And a heads up, everyone here’s aware of the supernatural, so don't worry about spilling beans."

The mage nodded and hopped out. “That's convenient. Are any of your staff pack members?”

"Most of 'em. Only three humans, but they were exposed to us a long time ago. I offered Neil the opportunity of becoming a member, but he turned it down. He's fine with just working here."

"Is that common for a human to be invited into a pack? I understand since I was your mate and a mage, but how's he different?"

Mason led the way to the barn. "Neil's different. After a few years working for Dad, he knew there was something up with everyone. He's a smart cookie. Likes to think outside the box."

"Sounds like a great guy." As they approached, Vincent noticed three guys walking their way. Without thinking, he sniffed the air and caught different scents. Whoa! What did… What was that?

What? What do?

I sniffed, and I smell a weird, gamey scent on two of them.

Instinct?

Maybe? "Mace? The two on the left are wolves, aren't they?"

"Your instinct just kicked in, didn't it? You'll get used to smelling as people get near you. Your instinct does that automatically for you. It's helpful, especially if you don't see someone behind you." Waving, Mason greeted the men. "Neil, Wayne, Ryan, this is Vincent. Vinnie, these three are in charge when I'm not around."

The mage shook their hands and sniffed each one. Instinct again? It's like I'm remembering their scents.

Good, in case we smell later.

I mean, okay. But this is getting weird. Now I know what people smell like. "It's good to meet you. I think… Yeah, I remember you two from the meeting."

Wearing dusty jeans, a flannel shirt, and a trucker hat, Wayne grinned. "Yeah, Ryan and I sat next to each other in the back next to those fuckin' teenieboppers. It's cool as hell to finally meet you. Your dance was crazy as shit! I felt like a kiddo when you let loose all those little stars."

The shorter, black shifter slapped Wayne’s back. Sporting a buzz-cut, Ryan snickered. "Man, you was grabbin' at them like you was in diapers. Neil, you should've seen it. Vincent's got magic."

Neil, a thin man a few inches taller than Vincent, kept a stoic stance. He brushed his shaggy, brown hair lightly and hummed. "Magic, huh? I've heard about it, mostly from these two blabbermouths."

"You've never seen any?" Mason asked. He smirked at Vincent. "Well, maybe Vinnie could show you something?"

Glancing at the other two shifters, Vincent knew they were eager to witness whatever he decided to do. "Sure." He considered what would be easy and fun for a first-time experience. "Do you like roller coasters, Neil?"

"Aww, shit," Ryan squealed. “Here we go!”

Neil raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I’ve been on a couple. They’re alright. Why do you ask?”

“Just wanted to see if you’d like to go for a ride.” When the man nodded, Vincent snapped his fingers and a pink cloud appeared above his hand. “This is a sight ward. I’m going to touch you with it, and you’ll see what it sees.”

Once he had Neil’s permission, Vincent manipulated the ward. It grazed the human, causing his irises to turn lavender. Neil mumbled to himself as Vincent elevated the cloud. Changing his own vision to direct it, he kept the speed slow and steady. Up high, the ward provided a bird’s eye view above them. “How’s this?”

“Man,” Neil whispered. “This is amazing.”

Hearing the human was enjoying the experience, Vincent wagged his finger, sending the ward toward the field. Increasing the pace, he called out, “Does someone want to make sure Neil doesn’t fall down?”

“Way ahead of ya, Pup,” Mason replied.

Pointing downward, Vincent directed the cloud to dive between stalks. He zoomed through the ears of corn at a blinding speed. Neil’s excitement grew louder as it flew faster. “H-holy… This is awesome!”

The mage continued for another minute before recalling the ward. Once in front of him, the magic dissipated, and Neil’s eyes returned to normal. Mason and Wayne let go of the human, and Neil grinned. “Never been through anything like that. So, that’s actual magic. What kind was that?”

“Clairvoyance. I can mess around with vision, whether it’s someone else’s or my own. I can also conjure ice and manipulate shadows.”

“Wow. Manipulate shadows? Like puppets?”

Vincent laughed. “It’s a little more complicated than that. I can travel in darkness. See?” He channeled anger to stretch his shadow through the sunlight and connected to Mason’s. In a blink, he disappeared and emerged behind his mate.

Neil did a double take, and Mason appeared shocked. “Since when can you zip around in daylight?”

“I can’t, I can use my energy to connect shadows. I found out right before my dance.”

“Wait,” Neil said. “You can vanish in a shadow, right? Then travel quickly between them, but can’t go in light?”

Vincent nodded. “That sums it up. And I can use my own shadow as a weapon or armor.”

"Damn. I mean, cool ability, but I thought you'd be able to latch onto tiny shadows too."

"Tiny shadows?"

Neil stooped and picked up a pebble. "Yeah, even things like rocks cast a shadow. We just don't pay attention to them."

Astounded, Vincent gawked. Tiny shadows. Holy shit! In a burst of energetic wonder, he made the world gray and experimented. He still couldn't step out of his shadow, and his foot hit the invisible wall light created. Nope, can't walk.

Try lean, his wolf suggested.

Maybe… Vincent covered his feet with his inky magic and lurched forward. Small tendrils seeped from him and latched onto the darkness beneath each piece of gravel. They looked and felt like slimy roots from a tree in a bog.

He gasped. Moving slowly, he was traversing in daylight. Vincent increased his speed, then zipped up and down the farm driveway. On his return, he attempted to cross grass and was equally successful. Emerging several yards away, Vincent hollered, pumping his fist in the air.

"Pup!" Mason yelled. "How the hell—"

Vincent rushed to Neil and hugged the human, nearly toppling him over. "Thank you! Holy shit, thank you!"

"Uh… You're welcome?"

Seeing his confusion, Vincent backed away and explained. "I've had shadow magic for two and a half years, so I'm still learning what I can do."

Wayne crossed his arms. "There ain't no instruction manual?"

"Not for the shadow affinity. For the rest of them, there's books and stuff. Seriously, thank you."

"Glad I could help." Neil shrugged and turned to Mason. "So, boss. Whatcha here for? Everything's running smooth."

"Just checking in," Mason answered, looping an arm around Vincent's waist. "Wanted to show Vinnie around, knock out a little paperwork."

"Gotcha." Neil nodded. "We're about to change some oil."

"Good. Make sure the equipment's ready for next week." Mason glanced at Vincent. "Harvest time. Hope you're a fan of corn, 'cause we'll be up to our ears in it."

Vincent groaned. “Is that the Wilson family farm joke? It has Lei written all over it.”

“Believe me,” Wayne muttered, “it’s a father-son thing. Been here long enough to know.”

The farmhands chuckled, and Mason rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. At least I try to be funny. Anyway, I’ll let you guys get back to work.” Wayne, Ryan, and Neil waved and returned to the barn, and Mason rubbed Vincent’s shoulder. “Alright, Pup. Just need to handle paperwork for an hour or two. Did you want to come with, or wander around?”

“I hate paperwork as much as you do, so I’ll go check everything out.”

“Sounds good. If you go near the cattle, don’t look them in the eye. They’ll think you’re there to eat them.”

Pecking Mason on the lips, Vincent watched him enter the house, then tried to decide where to explore first. He decided to sneak around in the shadows, going to the barn first. I don't want to disturb their work more than we already have. The three farmhands were huddled around a gigantic tractor, talking about parts and maintenance. Vincent had no idea what any of the names meant and got lost in the conversation. He walked out, reappeared, then moved to the cattle fields. Nearing them, he remembered Mason’s advice and avoided eye contact. Some of them sauntered away, but a few stayed still. “Easy there. I won’t hurt ya.” He held his hand out, but the cows stared at him as if he had asked for a Whopper at a McDonald’s. Chuckling at his silly joke the animals did not react to, he decided cows were not social animals.

Wasting time at a farm proved to be a difficult task. Vincent eventually joined the farmhands and sat next to the industrial fan blowing at them. After asking, he palmed the protective grate on the rear and used some of his frost magic, providing cold air. He spent ten or so minutes with them before thinking of a fun idea.

Leaving, he set his sights on the silos. Standing in the massive shadow, he ran up the metal structure. At the top, Vincent marveled at the view. A breeze flowed through his hair. Isn’t this awesome, bud? I can see everything!

Feel nice, but can go down now?

Aww. Scared of heights?

I wolf, not bird. Like feet on ground.

Vincent took a step, and his wolf’s fear intensified. What’s up?

You no jump! I know think!

Oh, quit being a scaredy cat. We can dive in the shadows and be perfectly safe.

The animal growled inside his mind. Okay, but once. No more.

I got’cha, but I think you’re going to like it. Without a second thought, he leaped and prepared for landing as the grass approached. His wolf howled in pure terror. The green ground turned gray, and Vincent’s feet touched without a hard impact. He sighed, adrenaline pumping throughout his body. That was awesome! See? That was fun.

Fun for you, quipped the wolf. No do again. Not like!

Oh, come—

Vincent looked up abruptly. His instinct tightly wound, and he knew something was wrong. What’s going on?

Watched. Feel like being watched.

Well, yeah. We just jumped off a silo. I’m sure someone might’ve—

No, bad watch. No like.

Staying in the shadows, Vincent scanned for a threat. Nothing in front of the house… He turned to the warehouse, but his instinct flared again.

He spun around and was face-to-face with the bald monk from the Greenthumb parking lot.