Storyverse: Stealing the Show - 2. Chapter 2 Transcendental Taxi

“Hold my hand, little man,” said the lycan.

The bright lights and advertisement screens lit the night sky. Shea was beyond grateful for Arric giving him and his mate a week of vacation. He probably wanted some alone time, too, he thought. He and Kieran have been going at it like leporidae recently. Now without me nearby and Cyn cooking his meals, they can really let loose.

He would never know why Cyn wanted to come to New York City. It’s the exact opposite of what he needs. I’m surprised he’s handling this many people. With the buck’s hand in his, he marveled at how calm the cernunnos was. A deer walking around Times Square. Surely someone would shit a brick. At least, I’d think the deer would.

Against all preconceived notions and assumptions, Shea watched Cyn stroll leisurely, gleam at every light, and even wave at a few passing shapeshifters. “Slow down a bit. I don’t want to lose you.”.

Cyn sighed before looking around wide-eyed. “Okay. I really like this place, Sheamus. There’s so many people, and all of the lights are shiny.”

“Well, you know New York’s called the city that never sleeps, right?”

“No, I didn’t. I can see why. I don’t think I want to ride in a car here, though.”

Shea chuckled. He knew what his mate was going to say, but he asked anyway. “Why’s that?”

“They don’t go very fast here. There’s too many of them.”

Laughing, he pulled the buck closer. “Absolutely. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving—”

He stopped when Cyn raised his open hand. Sighing, Shea fished his phone out and gave it to his mate. I’ll give it to him, only because he’s getting better with it. My biggest worry’s when he figures out what else you can use the Internet for. Over the past several weeks, the deer became obsessed with learning more and more about the digital world.

He watched Cyn open Google, type in ‘food near me,’ and scroll through the options. “All-Stars,” he muttered. Cyn pressed the Maps button. “It’s up ahead. About… Five blocks?”

Peering over the man’s shoulder, Shea smiled. “Good job. You’re getting better at reading a GPS.”

As they walked, Shea kept a close eye on his mate. Cyn was laser-focused on following the little blue arrow to their destination. The wolf pointed ahead. “There, see the sign?”

The long, black, and white awning over the sidewalk caught their attention. Stepping inside, it was obvious the place was bustling. Shea turned to the screens above the bar. Looks like—

“Oh, dear. Seems we’ve hit game night,” complained a deep, suave voice.

Shea smelled it. Bear. Hmm, alpha. He put a hand on Cyn’s shoulder and turned. A tall, bald, slightly portly man with dark skin sporting a spotless burgundy suit stood before them. Next to him was a shorter beta wolf with medium black hair wearing a navy blazer and fitted khakis bear mark on the neck. Mates.

“We can order to-go,” suggested the beta.

“Nonsense, my pup. Waiting is a part of life.”

Mentally assessing them, Shea sensed they were calm and kind. Pulling on Cyn, they stepped out of the way. “You two can go ahead of us,” Shea said, slightly baring his neck to them.

The alpha smiled. “That’s not necessary. I insist, please, go ahead.”

Clearing her throat, the hostess leaned on her podium. “There’s a four-seater left. After that, it’s a thirty-minute wait.”

“Well,” the alpha said, “it seems we’re destined to make new friends tonight. Shall we, gentlemen?”

“If you’ll have us,” Shea answered with uncertainty. He seems rather cheery for an alpha. I’ve never seen anyone like this guy. Following the hostess, they took their seats. A moment later, a waitress arrived to take their drink order and leave menus. Before glancing at his, Shea leaned in. “Thanks again for sharing a table, alpha.”

“Oh, please. None of that class talk, hm?” The bear set his menu aside. His smile was deadly, and if Shea were a single man, he would have turned into a puddle of goo. “Lovely to meet you both. I’m Cyrus, and this is my mate, Kaplan.”

Shea shook their hands. “I’m Shea. This is my mate, Cyn.”

Cyrus cooed. “A cernunnos. It’s been ages since I’ve met one of your kind. I recall him being well-reserved and wise. Very distinct name too, but Cyn? Hard to imagine being named after a devilish deed.”

The buck’s hands were under the table, and Shea assumed they were being kneaded between his knees. “N-no. It’s C-Y-N.”

Cyrus' smile grew. “Ah! Of course. A very original name. Please don’t feel nervous. Kaplan and I mean no harm, young cern. My panda and I merely wish to dine with you.”

Cyn lit up. "You're a panda?"

"Do I look like someone who would lie?"

"Yes," answered Cyn truthfully.

As Cyrus and Kaplan laughed, Shea felt like dying of second-hand embarrassment. "Cyn, that's not nice."

"Quite the contrary," Cyrus interjected, still giggling, "that was very funny. I like you two. Please, tell us more about yourselves."

The four chatted, telling each other where they were from and what they did. Shea was impressed. Kaplan's the NYSP attorney, and Cyrus has several companies he manages.

When it came time to order, Cyrus pointed at Cyn's menu. "If you're like me, you'll love the chimichurri burger with the veggie patty. Just the right level of spiciness."

Their conversation continued well after their meal. Shea argued when Cyrus insisted on footing the bill. "Here's to new friends. I'll have to arrange a time for a trip to meet your alpha. Seems like a more irritable version of me, from how you described him."

"I'm sure Arric wouldn't mind."

Kaplan looked at his phone. "It's still early in the evening. Would you like to come to our condo for a drink?"

Shea waved his hand, but Cyn nodded first. "That sounds nice."

Hitting the sidewalk, Cyrus immediately hailed a taxi. "Cy," Kaplan said, "we live a few blocks away."

"Yes, but I feel like grabbing a ride." A large, yellow van pulled over, and Cyrus opened the door. "Besides, this one's here already."

Taking a seat, Cyn sat in the back with Shea while Cyrus and Kaplan nabbed the middle seats.

"Where we goin'?" asked the driver, looking through the rearview mirror.

Kaplan gave him an address.

The cab went quiet. Shea's instincts flared. Something was off. They weren’t moving, and the driver hadn’t flicked the turn signal. What's—

Multi-colored light panels illuminated the ceiling, and a loud, catchy jingle and wolf howls came through unseen speakers. Shea instinctively held Cyn as the buck bleated. What the fu—

The driver craned his head back and grinned at them. "You're in the Transcendental Taxi! It's a supernatural game show that takes place right here in my cab."

Kaplan gasped. "I love this show! Cy, it's Ben Bailey!"

Shea was in complete disbelief. Holy shit… This day keeps getting crazier and crazier! Comforting his shaken mate, he stroked Cyn. "Hey, it's okay. Remember when we watched that show, Amazing Race? This is a game show, just like that."

Cyn scanned the interior, relaxed, then saw the host. "Oh. I like the lights."

"Sorry about that," Ben apologized. "I would've given you guys a heads-up, but that reaction was perfect. Anyway, here's the deal. While I drive you to your destination, I'll ask questions that could earn you cash. Get three wrong, and I kick you out on the spot. You get one cellular shout-out if you get stumped. Ready to roll?"

The four agreed and prepared themselves for the first question.

Ben flicked his turn signal. "Alright. You got seven blocks to rack up as much cash as possible, starting with this fifty-dollar question. There are some powerful beings out there in our secret community, but these seven are known by many. Name all seven gods and goddesses, and their governing power."

"Got it," Kaplan said. "Dinbe of love, Rin of war, Terik of mischief, Bol of order, Aliz of destiny, Yir of luck, and Ceresa of death."

"Fifty dollars! Great job, but here's another question. While shapeshifters are commonly animal-based, others are roaming the world too. Name five different elemental shapeshifters.”

Shea’s response was instantaneous. “Earth.”

“Water, wind, and fire,” Kaplan added.

Nervous, Shea looked between Cyn and Cyrus. Cyn’s not going to know much about the elementals like that. C’mon… Think…

“Shadow,” Cyrus finished.

Ben fisted the air. “Another fifty! Brownie points for shadow shifters. Don’t see too many of those guys running around, pun intended. Looks like we got two or three more questions before we're at your destination. Let's keep going."

Kaplan quickly answered the next question. I knew that guy would be smart as hell. So's the alpha. They're carrying us. The sense of inadequacy was leveled out as none of the four knew the answer to the following question. Now how were we supposed to figure that out? I don't jack-shit about the Fae!

Luckily, they were asked a one-hundred-dollar question before they pulled over. "In ye old lore, there's a legend of six wolves that protect the sacred Veil. Without these lycans, our world would forever mesh with humanity, disrupting the natural balance. What is this group's title?"

Shea swallowed. I got nothing. Looking at Cyrus and Kaplan, they were equally clueless.

Cyn? The buck was playing Bubble Breaker VII. Nope. "Might as well use the shout-out."

"Is there someone in mind?" Cyrus asked.

"Yep! Ben, we're using our shout-out."

"Smart move. Remember, even if you get the question wrong, you're guaranteed to walk out of here with one hundred and fifty bucks."

Shea asked for his phone from Cyn, scrolled through his contacts, and put the call on speaker. C'mon, pick up…

"Hey, what's up, Shea?" asked Kieran.

He smiled. "Kieran, I really need your help right now. We're in the Transcendental Taxi, and we're stumped."

"Aw, shit! For real? Look at you two go. Lay it on me, big dog."

Shea repeated the question, and after a moment, Kieran laughed. "Hell… Key, you better know this."

"Oh, I do, but damn, that's an old myth. Leaving the existence of the paranormal on the shoulders of six wolves. That's such a wives’ tale. Anyway, it's the Sentinels."

The four shifters gave hopeful smiles to the host. Ben kept a straight face. Motherfu… Keeping a wolf in suspense like this should be illegal.

"You guys got two hundred and fifty dollars!"

The ceiling panels flashed, and the show music blared. Shea punched the air. "Hell yeah!" After giving high-fives to his teammates, Shea shouted, "You're the best, Kieran!"

He barely heard the beta as he hung up. After their celebration, Ben held up several bills. "Alright, here's your cash, but I got an offer. You can double your money with one final question, but if you answer incorrectly, you walk out with nothing. What'cha say? Double or nothing?"

Cyrus shrugged. "I'm for it."

"Even if we lose," Cyn said, "I had fun."

"Sounds like we're doing it," Kaplan stated.

Shea nodded. Why not? We'll be on TV anyway.

"That's the spirit, guys. For your double-or-nothing question, here we go. Accidents, among other tragic events, can leave turmoil for many. This charitable foundation offers tattoos to cover traumatic burns, scars, and other deformities. Since its inception three years ago, the foundation has performed over three thousand tattoo cover-ups across the globe. What is the name of this foundation?"

Shea's heart dropped. He had no clue. Never wanted a tat. How the hell am I supposed to know this?

Cyrus giggled. It felt both relieving and frightening at the same time. "The Inkwell Foundation, final answer."

All of the eggs were placed in the panda's basket. Despite not knowing the man well and him taking charge in answering, Shea trusted the alpha. He's way too confident.

Ben left them in suspense again, but Shea started to smile. The pause is too long. This is—

"You guys got five hundred dollars, congratulations!"

Cyrus clapped and laughed as the Wisconsin couple bounded for joy in their seats.

Ben handed Kaplan the money.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Yeah, thanks!" Shea hollered. "This was awesome!"

"Go on," Ben said, waving them on, "get out of here."

Feeling the breeze of the streets hit Shea's hair, he pulled Cyn close as Cyrus and Kaplan spoke quietly to each other. The panda grinned and turned to them. "Gentlemen, this was a wonderfully bizarre night! We'll remember tonight for the rest of our lives."

Shea nodded. "Same here.”

The four brandished their wallets and managed to split the prize money using smaller bills. Cyrus watched the taxi van drive away into the congested traffic. "I believe this calls for a drink. Come, allow us to show you our home."

Shea took Cyn by the hand and followed the couple. As they entered the condominium complex, Shea asked, "Say, Cyrus? How'd you know that last question?"

The bear chuckled as he pressed an elevator button. "I tend to do my research with my investments. I'll have to call and tell Miss Cassie about tonight."

Once they were ushered inside the condo, Shea's phone rang. Checking the ID, he quickly answered, "Everything all right, alpha?"

"I should ask you that," stated Arric. "Key says you're going to be on Transcendental Taxi."

"Yeah, we split five hundred between the other guys and us."

"Met some new people?"

"These guys are awesome! Kaplan's the NYSP attorney, and—"

"You're…" the alpha stammered. "You met Cyrus and Kaplan?"

Shea watched their hosts break out a few bottles of wine and whiskey. "You know them?"

"Not personally, but they're incredible leaders."

Leaders? "Cyrus told me he manages companies and makes investments."

Arric huffed. "I don't doubt he does that on the side. Be on your best behavior, Farren. You're representing our pack to the alpha of the New York State Pack."

"I…" Shea almost dropped his phone. What?!

Just as the double-tone signalled the call ending, Cyrus grinned. “Is something the matter, young enforcer? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Shea’s heartrate raced like a train. He was standing in front of the most powerful leader in North America. I dined with him! “Cyr—” Clearing his throat, Shea bared his neck once more. “Alpha Vonder.”

The panda rolled his eyes and rounded the island bar corner with two glasses. “I thought we discussed this, Shea. No titles around me.”

“But you’re… You didn’t tell me you ran NYSP.”

“I didn’t? Oh, silly me.”

Kaplan snorted. “You need to stop that.”

Cyrus sat on the other side of his mate, away from Cyn. “But it’s so fun!”

Seeing the alpha in a new light, Shea shook his head and took the loveseat. Cyn quickly crossed the space and leaned on the wolf. “What’s that you got?”

“Sweet wine. Kaplan gave it to me.”

“That’s something we picked up last time we went to Kentucky,” Kaplan explained. “Purple Toad Paducah Harbor. Eighteen-percent alcohol, and you can’t taste it.”

“Really?” Shea asked. “Is he right, little man?”

Cyn hummed as he sipped. “It’s there. It’s like the Bailey’s Arric has.”

The couples chatted for a while before agreeing to turn on the television. In the spirit of good fun, they watched the supernatural game show network. Cyrus cooed, “Ooh, look! Iron Mom. One of our favorites.”

“Iron Mom?” Cyn asked quietly, patting Shea’s knee.

“You’ll like this one, pup. It’s a cooking show. You might end up wanting to make something for Arric and Kieran one day.”

The couples settled in to watch the newest episode. Cyn’s eyes brightened as the intro to the show began. Shea curled his arm around the deer and returned his attention to the television. This ought to be good.