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- 05/23/2022
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Death in the Shadows - 16. Chapter 16: Diverging Destiny
His wolf howled within his mind. C’mon, bud! You can’t be this happy to be back home.
Yes! Yes can! No more plane.
You really need to get over this. Vincent had to admit his spirit was correct. It felt great to be at the airport. The summit was officially over, and the final day could not have gone by slower. He was disappointed no one wanted to challenge him after his showdown with Shore. Even the few that committed prior backed out. Scaredy cats.
Weak.
Vincent was shocked by his wolf’s opinion. I wouldn’t say weak. We have magic, and most don’t. Caleb has a hard time when we spar with him.
Mother do not. I see. No one want fight shadow magic.
Correct. If you didn’t have the ability to drag people across an arena, and your opponent did…?
I still fight!
Yeah, but turning down a fight isn’t a sign of weakness. Alpha Shore willingly forfeited. He recognized when he was beaten instead of receiving one. A wolf knows when to walk away.
His alter-ego was silent.
Why fight an impossible battle when you can live to get stronger.
Then win, his wolf mumbled. Smarter than fight. I like. Thank you, human.
Anytime, bud. You just have to remember that everything’s not about physical strength. Mental and emotional count too.
Mason’s hand laced Vincent’s waist. “Your wolf okay? Did he handle the flight well?”
“Better than the first time. Still, I don’t think we’ll be doing that again any time soon. You got back to the cabin late last night.”
“The committee meeting took longer than expected. Had to practically sit on Barahona every time Lewis spoke.”
“Really? She seemed so nice.”
“Oh, she is,” Mason said with a chuckle, “but was a totally different person when he spoke. Can’t believe I had to do it, but I defended the asshole. He joined the committee for the same reason we all did. Hell, he even has the best option for the summit relocation.”
“Oh?”
“The Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix. Plenty of rooms and suites, hiking, golf courses, and it’s owned by his leap. He even threw Cyrus, Demers, and Sandoval a deal for the first decade of hosting. Lowered the cost of booking the whole resort down to at cost plus five percent.”
Holy… That’s generous! “It shows he’s not interested in lining his pockets. I’m guessing you guys are going to take that offer?”
Mason shook his head. “Not yet. We want to research other options. Barahona and Sandoval are checking around their areas, but I think Andre’s is the best one so far. We’ll be conference calling after the first of the year.”
Rolling his suitcase, Vincent took note of Caleb’s smile. I heard Tasha’s fit from their call last night. “You sure you’ll be fine when you get home?”
“Yeah,” the lion huffed, “she was pissed, but she’s calmed down. I’ll be expecting a flying frying pan when I walk in though.”
“She’s pissed you fought Andre?”
“No, she’s pissed he talked to me. Then got even more pissed we fought. And then even more so when he tried to make amends.”
Vincent snorted. “Sounds like Tasha.”
“She’s my stick of TNT. It’ll be a while before she’s ready to talk to him though. Longer ‘til we’re ready to introduce him to Lowe. He doesn’t know he has grandparents on her side.”
“I never asked. Are you parents back in Elkridge?”
“Yep. It’s been a while since we went to see them.”
Smirking, Vincent asked, “Maybe I can stop by and check on them for you. I’ll be in the area next week when I start my auditor training.”
“Would you? I’m sure they’ll remember you, and they’ll sure as hell be surprised to see your changes.”
Making mental plans, the mage was excited. I remember going to their house for sleepovers! Mrs. Gage made sure to have an endless supply of pizza rolls every time I was there.
What those?
Little bites of pizza, wrapped up in a thin crust… thing? Dad always chastised me for wanting them cooked the wrong way. They’re supposed to go in the oven, but for some reason I like them better out of the microwave. They come out a little gummy, but it blends with the cheese and sauce better.
There meat?
Yeah, they come with pepperoni and stuff. There’s even some that are cheeseburger flavored.
Yes, burger!
It might be a limited time variant, but I’ll see next time I’m at the store. Stowing their luggage in the back of his Kia Soul, he drove to Owensville. The couple waved and wished Caleb the best of luck as they dropped him off in town.
On the way, Vincent noticed Mason was staring lustfully. “Can I help you?”
His mate growled. “I never mentioned how hot you were when you fought Alpha Shore.”
Getting the message, Vincent’s pants tightened, and his foot hit the gas pedal.
***
Closing the door behind him, Caleb caught the incoming spatula. “C’mon, Tash. I didn’t start anything.”
Leaning against the frame leading to the kitchen, Tasha huffed. “I know, but I’m still pissed. He’s a bastard.”
“He got his, honey.”
“Don’t…” she muttered as she held up a finger. She walked away. When Caleb followed her, she gripped the counter tightly. “That fight shouldn’t have happened.”
“He insulted our alpha; my childhood friend. I wasn’t going to let that slide, especially after Andre challenged Vincent.” He noticed his mate making a face, so he went to her side. “It was my right.”
“Were you lookin’ for an excuse to put hands on him?”
“I stopped looking for one when he insulted our love all those years ago. I can handle being called names, but when he mentions you, and how you chose a flea-bag—”
Tasha slapped his chest with force. “Don’t you ever—”
“That intensity right there.” Caleb laced her elbow, then pulled her into his arms. “That’s what I felt when he called Vincent weak. And don’t worry, I had to borrow one of your grins when Vincent fought one of the toughest alphas in Canada. Little B went all out; full hybrid with icicles attached to his back. I haven’t seen Andre so belittled since you told him off back in Arizona.”
Taking the spatula from his hand, Tasha fished a few pans from a cabinet. “Belittled, huh? Still usin’ elegant words like you’re in trouble.”
“I feel like I am, especially with you.”
“Cay, I’m fine with it. Just… still processing it. I can’t believe Dad said and did all that, but on the other hand, I can. And now he wants to come back into our lives?”
Helping, he opened the fridge and grabbed the large package of ground beef. “Give it time. I saw the war he was fighting with his leopard. The animal doesn’t want change, but the human does. He apologized to Vincent and Mason, and I—”
“Did he apologize to you?”
Recalling their conversation, Caleb dipped his head. “No,” he whispered, “not directly. I think it—”
“Then he stays where he belongs.” Her side-eye was menacing. “Until he can man-up and tell you he fucked up, he has no right to be in our lives. Don’t forget what he tried to do.”
Remembering the tactics used to exile him from the leap, Caleb sighed. “Never. I’ll never forgive him for that, but if he is capable of change, then we owe it to Lowe to help rebuild the relationship. He gets to see my parents once or twice a year. Our boy needs to know he has family.”
Cutting bell peppers, Tasha was silent.
He opened the meat and spread it evenly in the large pan. When he sprinkled the seasoning, she sighed, “He gets one day. One day to fix it all.”
***
Tierney stirred awake. The smell of bacon wafting confused him. Morr’s not here. Dirk isn't either. Who’s cooking? Treading down the stairs silently, he peeked into the kitchen. Once he saw the chef, he relaxed. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Alph—” Heather shook her scaly head, “Sorry, Tierney. Did you want some breakfast?”
“I’d love some. Didn’t peg you for an early riser.” He saw her progress, and decided to help. “Making enough for two?”
“Yeah, nothing too special. Ten strips sound okay?”
He nodded. “Got off the phone with Remis last night. He demanded a VPN rep come to Mesker Park. I’d expect quick results.”
Heather looked over, worried. “Beta Triggs said the MPCP alpha is nice, but you make it sound like he’s fierce.”
“Looks are deceiving. He seems like a jolly Irishman, but he means stone-cold business.”
“Is that the bottom line?”
Tierney snickered as he started a pot of coffee. “An early riser and a wrestling fan? You’re a strange vampiress.”
She waved a fork at him. “Wrestling so fits the life of a vampire. The drama in the air is intoxicating. The back and forth, the energy from the crowd, and of course… the action! That, and it’s kinky.”
I got to hear this. “Kinky?”
“Half-naked men in black, elastic briefs constantly sweating on each other. Grappling, choke-slams, belly-to-belly and belly-to-back suplexes. Should I continue?”
Rubbing his forehead, the alpha struggled to keep his laughter in. “You raise some serious points—”
“Oh, don’t forget the bronco buster!”
His defenses were shattered. Tierney laughed with no restraint. “Okay, okay! Wrestling’s kinky. Back to the original topic though. I’ll see if Remis can stop by either today or tomorrow.”
Heather pouted. “I can go see him. No sense in making him travel.”
“Not my rules. Him and Mason agreed to keep you in OCP territory until the investigation's done. Until then, your sanctuary has been extended.”
“Then that’s not fair on you. I don’t want to impose.”
He wagged a finger, then poured two cups. “You’re not. I could use the fresh company. I’m used to meeting so many new people every day.”
Stirring the scrambled eggs, the vampiress glanced his way. “How is that transition? Going from a big city to a small town seems like a crazy move.”
“It does, but the forests here are the reason. Being cooped up in a concrete jungle for so long was suffocating. There were outings in state parks, but knowing I would return to a desk the next day haunted me. Then I came here to see Alpha Bolton’s dance. I ran in Mason’s woods, and the Seven couldn’t change my mind. Every day for nearly a week, my wolf ran around every tree, jumped across the small stream two miles in…”
“And you fell in love too.”
Tierney smirked. “That hasn’t been said yet.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“For now, we’re enjoying each others’ presence.”
“Uh huh,” Heather mumbled.
Sipping his coffee, Tierney smacked his lips. “Quit charming me off topic. You aren’t imposing on me. Even if you stayed for months, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
The vampiress returned to cooking, but there was a smile on her face. She portioned the plates, and when the lycan took a bite of the eggs, he was impressed. “This tastes great.”
“Not my best work, but thanks.”
“Not your best? Do better than this and Morr will offer you a job.”
She blinked several times. “R-really? I thought about learning to cook professionally, but I can’t imagine going to school.”
Tierney leaned forward with a strip of bacon in hand. “Maybe we can go to Nini’s later and see if you’d be interested. Morr runs a tight ship though.”
“Well, it beats waiting for unemployment.”
He scowled. “I thought you said you worked at a shoe store?”
“I did, then I got fired. Kind of hard to work when you’re being protected by a pack of wolves.”
The alpha winced. Yeah, that’s bad. Mace and Remis wouldn’t let her go back to Mesker Park while her coven is being investigated. “I’m sorry about that.”
She shrugged and twirled her fork. “It’s no big deal. I was tired of stocking lime-green Crocs anyway. I have enough in savings to last me a while.”
While they ate, Tierney texted Morrine, Need extra hands? Heather lost her job due to sanctuary. She’s interested in cooking.
The tigress’ response was quick. Hell yes! Bring her by. I’ll pay under the table until her paperwork goes through.
He smirked and set the phone down. “Morr says you’re hired, and you can start today if you want. Before you argue, it’s either this or I hire you as a live-in housekeeper.”
“I… I don’t know what to say.”
Seeing her baffled expression, Tierney smiled. “There’s one thing I learned about this pack; they take care of each other.”
She wiped her eyes and sniffled. “I can see that. I heard about this town several times over the years, but to actually see the generosity… It’s almost insane.”
“It’s insane to look after your fellow man? Your former coven must not have great values.”
“They’re fickle, but some care. I wasn’t the only one struggling.”
The new information sounded unsettling. “There are others who can’t get blood?”
She nodded weakly.
Tierney abruptly rose. “How bad are they? Is there—”
“If you’re asking if there’s feral vamps running around, no. The coven’s smarter than that. They watch the ones in poverty and feed them traces to keep them sane.”
“Still…” He dialed Remis’ number. “I’ll be damned if they miss one and cause a feral situation.” Hearing his fellow alpha pick up, he paced. “Remis, hows the VPN rep? Are they on the way?”
“Aye, they’re flyin’ in as we speak. Somethin’ come up?”
“Yeah. Mind swinging by my place? You should meet Heather so she can tell her story, because I’m tempted to ask the EC to give my auditor badge back.”
“That bad, eh? I’m sending Fred, and I’ll be along with the rep as soon he touches down.”
***
Shit, Shaw! What kind of crap did you leave me? Filtering through the files, Dirk was overwhelmed. With the murder case done, Henry handed the ursus the remaining open investigations. Most were minor, but there was a thick one at the bottom. That’s got to be the meth issue outside of town.
He spent the day reading. Going through them, he deemed the thin folders silly. There’s some car accidents and extensive disturbances, but nothing that should be on my desk. After a conversation with Henry, he handed them off to a few officers. He wanted to focus on the drugs. The suspect list’s a mile long! This is big… Really big! Jotting down a few addresses, the shifter left to get some statements.
Stopping at Beansies, he waved at Dave’s girlfriend, placed an order for the largest cup of black coffee possible, and waited. The shoppe was crowded, and it reminded Dirk of his lost senses. Still can’t smell a damned thing. Hell, I can’t tell who’s a shapeshifter or anything! This fucking sucks. Even though it was futile, he tried again. Bear? You there?
Silence. Every attempt churned his stomach. Only when he was given his coffee did he feel normal. At least I can smell this.
The day was productive. He introduced himself to a few of the people living near the suspected meth houses, and learned crucial information. I’ll need to organize a stakeout or two on Middleground and Bittle. There’s too much activity around sunrise and sunset, at least according to the statements. Just circumstantial evidence at this point, but Mr. Sacra noticed a guy taking a car’s battery out in the driveway, then again a week later on the same vehicle. Maybe check around the auto shops and stores to see if they have repeat customers for a ‘97 Marquis.
Following his hunch, he stopped by the Auto Zone, and the manager gave him an item-velocity report on the needed battery. He’s sold seven in the last year for customers with that specific model. As he went to other mechanics, Dirk received similar numbers. Going to different shops for the same thing on the same model. That’s definitely something. So far, he’s gotten twenty-two batteries for that car over the past year.
Satisfied, he drove back to the station, typed a report, and discussed it with Henry. Dirk wished Ingle was there to bounce off ideas, but it was his day off. I need his nose more than anything. It was nearing the end of his shift, so Dirk checked with the chief and headed out.
After messaging Tierney, he decided against going to the alpha’s house. Remis and the VPN rep’s there. I’d probably get in the way. Unlocking his front door, he hung his keys and kicked his boots off. Once in the shower, he smiled. Before, he could smell the minerals in the harsh water. It was the only time he was grateful for his weak sense of smell. Dried off, he glanced at the mirror and grimaced. He was gaining weight, and it wasn’t the good kind. Really need to look into getting a gym membership.
On the bright side, he wasn’t eating as much. His grocery and dining bills nearly halved compared to when he first moved to Owensville. The spare money allowed him to eat more organic foods, as well as more high-dollar steaks and other meats. I might have a bison burger tonight. Plopping on the edge of his bed, he pulled a pair of boxer briefs and some socks from the dresser. He rolled his eyes as he squeezed into the underwear. Great! Now I need new clothes.
Devouring the burger and a helping of broccoli in record time, he grabbed some shorts and ventured to the backyard. There wasn’t much privacy aside from the wooden fence. Sitting cross-legged, he meditated. The flow of energy within him was still foreign. It’s strange to have this inside me. Months ago, I couldn’t create flames in the palm of my hand.
He sighed. Bear?
Biting his lip, he imagined his black bear form and tried to shift.
No luck. He sat for an hour before growing tired. Yeah, I need to start working out. This human shit’s for the birds. Retiring to the bedroom, he crawled between the sheets. Despite losing his animal spirit, he remained a body-furnace. Anything more than a thin blanket, and he would wake up in a sweat. Moving a spare pillow, he cradled it, turned to his side, and fell asleep.
***
Roaming the woods, the black bear gingerly stepped between the twigs and leaves. The oaks woods filled his nostrils, the gentle breeze blew through his thin coat, and the moonlight illuminated the pathway.
It was endless. He recognized a few trees from their low branches. Pawing the bark, the bear marked it to track his path. An hour passed, and the clawed tree came into view once more. What is this forest? There’s no true way through it. Looking at the sky for an answer, the beast marveled at the moving stars. They’re… They’re going too fast. This isn’t real.
It’s a dream. It must be.
As if his thoughts held power, the puny lights sped up. The wind became harsh. Growling, the bear felt threatened. What’s going on? Branches broke around him. Hugging a nearby oak, he felt weightless. I’m… I’m going to blow away! Gripping tightly, the animal struggled to stay on the ground.
The soil beneath him shifted. Th-The tree! The roots unearthed. He did not dare release, as he figured he would blow away. Just… Just keep holding on!
The stars grew larger. Glancing at the forest around him, the trees were still, but the gale-force winds did not falter. He roared; pleading for help. Please. Anyone? Help me!
Looking to the moon, he saw a figure. It was a human! In an instant, the silhouette came into view, revealing a bald woman with aquamarine irises with an outstretched finger. Before he could act, the bear felt a burning sensation as the digit landed between his eyes.
***
Dirk gasped! He clutched the sheets and scanned the dark bedroom. His heart was pounding, and sweat covered his body.
A dream. Just a nightmare. Palming his head, he got up. His bed was soaked! Checking himself, he was confident he did not wet himself. Taking a quick shower, he changed the bedding and tried to resume his slumber.
Thankfully, he managed to get a few hours in before his alarm woke him. Grumbling and shuffling to the kitchen, he loaded his coffee maker and turned it on. Throwing a frozen breakfast sandwich in the microwave, Dirk recalled the strange dream. It started out so nice! Such a beautiful forest…
The buzzer broke his concentration. Taking a bite, he returned to the bedroom and got dressed. Maybe I’ll stop by old man Richard’s shop and see if he had the Marquis driver buy a battery. Buttoning his dress shirt, he shook his head. Nah, got enough information on that. Need to see if any of the suspects have that car in their name. Filling a thermos, he went to work.
Waving at the receptionist, he caught her blush as she walked by. Mace warned me about Tina; she’s out for the big guys. Booting the desktop, he sipped his coffee. This’ll last me until lunch. Then I’ll have to switch to the break room swill. Checking his email, he responded to a few before seeing Ingle walk into the office.
The lycan stood still in the doorway. What’s his deal? He’s just standing there like a schoolgirl. Ingle approached slowly, never breaking eye contact. Dirk was concerned with his behavior. He’s breathing hard. “Yo, Ingle!”
The wolf looked around, appearing crazed. Monitoring Ingle, the ursus drank more coffee. Yeah, he’s on something. But what? Shifters aren’t affected by drugs. When his partner got to the desk opposite of him, Dirk asked, “Fuck’s wrong with you?”
“Me? You don’t smell this shit?”
Confused, Dirk swiveled in his chair. “Did Donovan walk by or something? Someone blow up the bathroom?”
Ingle smacked the desk surface. “This is serious,” he growled.
“Kay… Seriously, what’s up? You’re looking at me like I’m the walking dead.”
“You don’t…” Ingle whispered. His apple bobbed, then he stepped back. “Right. You don’t have your bear.”
Perturbed, Dirk rose. “Want to say that louder? Let’s go to the viewing room.” He walked away, knowing the lycan was following. Once behind closed doors, he spun. “So what does your fidgeting have to do with my bear?”
Ingle trembled. His nostrils were flared, and his breathing was haggard. “You didn’t smell like this two days ago.”
“Like what?”
“Like mine.”
The words hit him in the chest. Dirk’s vision shook as his head pounded. M… Mate…
Air filled his lungs. M-My bear!
Mate!
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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