Cernunnos - 58. Chapter 58

Never again!

Cyn shook as he was led through the airport. He had to focus to keep the strange, rolling box in his grasp as Shea whispered assurances to him. The deer valued every step beneath his feet. Flying is for birds! Humans have gone too far!

"It's okay, pup. Airplanes aren't for everyone. We'll rent a car and drive back to Sheb when we head home." The wolf pointed at a kiosk. “Need to pick up our rental.”

As Shea talked with the man behind the counter, Cyn looked around him. The large glass panes displayed the never-ending concrete and airplanes. He shivered and avoided the flying contraption’s existence. People walked with their luggage at intense walking paces. Why are they walking like that? If they want to get somewhere faster, they should run. What he did enjoy was the sound of their feet landing on the polished floor. Smiling, he listened to the echoing sounds of a passing lady with a heeled shoe.

It did not feel like he was in a different state. Every time I was with a herd, I always knew. Something told me I crossed a state line. The buck chalked it up as another fault for flying.

“Alright baby,” Shea exclaimed as he folded some papers. “We got an hour drive between here and our cabin in Pigeon Forge. Need something to eat or use the bathroom?”

“I’m okay. Are… are you sure we’re in Tennessee?”

“Yep. We’ll have to stop at Beta Paulin's office to check into his territory, but Arric said he'll be expecting us. Should be a quick in and out.”

They left the airport and found their rental Equinox. Opening the door, Cyn was repulsed by the scent. It smells like it was just manufactured! He caught Shea’s snicker, but appreciated it as the wolf started the car and rolled the windows down. The drive was peaceful. Cyn spent most of the time staring at the scenery with a hand in Shea’s. From time to time, Shea reclaimed his hand to navigate the busy highway, but it always returned.

The buck’s smile grew as the forest thickened. He heard the woods around Gatlinburg were something to behold. A few cernunnos he traveled with spoke highly of them. I see why Aislin stayed here.

Entering another city, Shea abided by his phone’s directions and parked in front of an office strip. Cyn walked behind the wolf as went inside. A receptionist welcomed them, “Hi, what can I do ya for?”

“Here to check in for the week. Was told the forest had some trails that were to die for.”

Her face brightened up. “Oh, are you Alpha Claude’s enforcer? Beta Paulin’s on a conference call at the moment. Would you mind waiting a few minutes? He should be wrapping up.”

Cyn started to follow Shea to the waiting area, but something piqued his interest. He smelled something familiar. No… someone. Leaning towards the hallway near the awaiting chairs, the scent became stronger. I know the smell. It belongs to someone I know. But who?

“Baby? You okay?” Shea asked.

“I… I think I know someone here.”

The lycan stood, but Cyn flinched as he heard something slam down the hall, followed by a low growl. Padded footsteps grew louder.

A tall and slender man with a mess of blond hair came out of a room. “Nicki, mind if I bum a cig—” He stopped in his tracks as the man saw Cyn and Shea. “Oh, are you the Farrens? Sorry about that!”

Shea’s arm snaked around the buck’s waist. “Beta Paulin? No worries; just became Pack Enforcer, so whatever’s got you growlin’, I probably understand.”

Cyn inhaled. He’s a lycan. I thought this was a bear’s land? Still, he smells familiar. He looked down and furrowed his brow. Paulin… Paulin…

“Yeah, but you can call me Tuck.”

As the two wolves shook hands, the buck silently gasped. Shea must have sensed his alarm. “Cyn?”

Tuck glanced at him. “Oh, a cern! Oh man, I’m real sorry about growling! Nothing aimed your way, I assure you.”

“T-Tucker?”

All eyes landed on Cyn. The deer couldn’t believe his eyes. It’s him!

“Pup?” Shea’s hand waved in front of him, nabbing his attention. “You know Beta Paulin?”

“I was about to ask the same thing!” Tuck crossed his arms. “I’ve only met one cern, and she’s a member of our sleuth.”

“N-no, we know each other,” said Cyn.

“Sorry. Cyn, was it?”

“Yes, but you… you know me as John.”

Shea’s face was covered in confusion, but before a question could come out, Tuck’s arms fell limp. The room fell silent.

Cyn swallowed and whispered, “John Brown.”

“John… wh-what?” Tuck stumbled for stability and slowly took one of the chairs in the lobby. “You’re alive? The… the town thought you were kidnapped!”

“Cyn, what’s going on?” Shea was turning between both men, clearly lost.

The buck held Shea’s arm. “When I was raised, my human name was John Brown. My first shift happened in the middle of school and I had to run.”

Reclining, Tuck kicked up a leg. “That makes so much sense! Mister Kincaid said you ran out of the gymnasium during lunch. I… I had no idea you were a cernunnos!”

Cyn smiled. “I didn’t know you were a wolf.”

The beta exhaled noisily and rose. “I’m… just wow! This is a lot to learn. Hang on a minute, I gotta call Saedric.” He hastily retreated to his office, but not before giving Cyn another glance.

“So… John Brown?” Shea’s voice was soft and the smile was warm. “Didn’t think you could have some secrets.”

The buck shrugged. “It was a long time ago. I almost didn’t recognize his scent.”

“This is a crazy, small world. It’s unbelievable you two are in the same building!”

Tuck came jogging out of his office. “I hate to impose on y’all, but Saedric wants to meet with you guys. Did you have plans for dinner? Alpha’s payin’.”

***

The couple had no reason to decline, and arrived at a steakhouse in Sevierville later that evening. Shea tapped on his phone as they left the vehicle. “Okay, Holsten’s Kitchen. Tuck says they’re already inside. Apparently, Saedric is beyond excited to meet us.”

“It’s odd, isn’t it? We’re just here for a vacation.”

“Well, meeting up with a long-lost friend, who just happens to be the beta of the local sleuth, is already odd. Besides, Saedric’s a good friend to Arric, so this might be more normal than we think.”

The two walked inside and were instantly waved down by Tuck from across the restaurant. Cyn noticed a hulking figure sitting across from him. I can’t see his face, but he’s big like Orson and Pierce. As they ventured closer, the buck paused. He caught an ursus’ scent, and it was coming from the large silhouette.

He knew this one as well. Gathering the confidence to continue, he lost it when the man swiveled in the booth. Covered in a thick and mangy beard, the bear grinned and rose from his seat. “Jesus Christ, Tuck’s right. John? Is… is that really you?”

Shea leaned and whispered in Cyn’s ear, “Another friend of yours?”

Cyn barely nodded. “Chris?”

The bear sized up the buck and laughed, “I haven’t been called my human name in years! Imagine my face when Tuck calls me up and says John Brown’s alive, well, and has antlers! C’mon, c’mon. Sit down, you two!”

Ushered by the alpha ursus, Cyn and Shea took a seat across from the Gatlinburg council. “So, Enforcer Farren, and someone who used to be called John Brown.”

Shea shook his head and chuckled, “Sorry sir, I’m a little confused. Is it Alpha Saedric or Chris?”

“Saedric, but I’m afraid your mate has me at a disadvantage. It appears cernunnos and ursus have a similar taste in using singular names.”

“Cyn,” whispered the deer. “You had a human name too?”

“Yep, but bears only use them until they properly join a sleuth, pack, or any other organized group of shifters. I’m curious; how are cernunnos given names?”

“Our mothers pick them at our birth, but don’t give them to us until we shift.”

“That’s interesting,” Saedric said as he curled a finger under his chin. “I’m sure Tuck’s told you that another cernunnos lives in the sleuth?”

Shea lowered the menu he was holding. “Actually, we found out through Special Agents Wendel and Kaminsky.”

Tuck snorted while the bear slapped the table with a chortle. “Those two! Wendy’s a gas, but Kaminsky needs to pull that plug out of his ass.”

“I hear ya on that! I meant to ask Beta Paulin at the office, but is there any way we could arrange a get-together with Aislin? It'd mean a lot to my mate.”

Saedric sat still, then straightened his posture. “Let me guess. Cyn knows her too?”

Cyn whispered, “Y-yes. We met in Arkansas several years ago, and we traveled together for a few months.” He sheepishly glanced at Saedric’s grin, but retreated to the table.

Silence sat between the four, until Saedric whispered, “Cyn. Look at me.”

He obeyed. The bear’s grin was unwavering. “It really is a relief to see you. Every now and then, your disappearance came to mind. After Tuck told me you were alive, I called Arric. Told me the whole shebang. I’m making it abundantly clear; no one will think about harming you.

“I’m sure it goes without saying you and your mate are welcome in the sleuth’s territory. As for seeing Aislin, I’ll call Frode in the morning and ask. He’s a hardy man, but Aislin usually gets her way when she wants something.” Saedric darted his eyes away momentarily. “Food’s on the way.”

As food arrived, Shea and Cyn questioned the council about their history. The buck was shocked to learn the duo had plans to become a power partnership since childhood. Saedric always had ideas, and before he could gather Tuck’s opinion, the wolf already had wheels in motion. After high school, Chris found a home in the Smoky Mountains, earned his ursus name, and worked his way up within the Great Smoky Sleuth, becoming one of the three Sleuth Boars over Sevier County. With the wolf at his side the entire time, the bear was considered a powerhouse in the community.

In parting, Saedric and Tuck offered friendly hugs to the couple. “I might plan a vacation in a few months for your neck of the woods. Start expecting phone calls; I like checking up on my friends.”

Hearing the bear call him a friend took Cyn back to the day he left Arthur City. They brought me to the table to be friends with me. Many what-ifs filled his mind. If I stayed, would I have ended up here in Tennessee with them? I… I wouldn’t have met Sheamus though. Satisfied with how his life had gone, Cyn knew his pathing was correct. “Okay. I’m starting to learn how Sheamus’ phone works.”

“I’ll make sure he gets your calls,” said Shea. “We’ll try to stop by your office before we leave town.”

“Sounds like a plan. Have a great vacation, you two!”

Cyn watched as the alpha and beta turned away. He looked to Shea and whispered, “Can we come back and see them?”

“I’m sure we can make this a yearly trip,” Shea stated. “Let’s get to the cabin. I’m ready to kick these shoes off.”

Driving through the woods at night was eerie, but with the wolf’s hand on his lap, Cyn kept calm. Long and windy roads surrounded by trees was all the buck could see. Every now and again, he noticed lit windows through the forest. As Shea turned onto a paved driveway, Cyn saw a small log cabin, adorned with a hunter-green veranda over the wrap-around porch. “We’re here, pup. Say hello to our home for the next several days.”

Leaving the SUV, he inhaled the fresh pine. Shea excitedly stepped up to the front door and pushed buttons on the pin pad, unlocking it. The lycan turned on several lights and left to retrieve their luggage.

Cyn explored. He heard about cabins and was relieved to see no mounted animal heads. I heard hunters like to live in these types of houses. He quickly found the kitchen attached to the living room. Nearby were two staircases; one going up, and one down. Peeking upstairs, he discovered a room with a strange, carpeted table with six holes and a glass door leading to a hidden porch. Cyn opened the door to find a pair of rocking chairs and a large, bizarre cube.

Hearing footsteps on the base floor, he ignored it and rejoined Shea. “What’cha think? It looks cozy.”

“It’s nice. I was about to go downstairs and see if the bedroom’s there.”

Shea growled and whisked the buck off his feet. “Let’s find out.”

Nestled in the wolf’s arms, Cyn sighed in relief. He was with the man who saved and changed his life. He belonged to a loving pack that accepted him as one of their own. There was little more the cernunnos could ask for.