Cernunnos - 35. Chapter 35

They did all they could. The Sheboygan team evaluated and re-evaluated the crime scenes thrice, only to come up with the same information as the first time. With the SFBI setting up headquarters in both the Green Bay police station and Sheboygan's, Ken decided to let the group go home. “I can’t thank y’all enough for the help you’ve provided! Especially you, Cyn. Your nose is one in a million!”

The deer smiled and pocketed his hands nervously, “Thank you, Ken. I just hope I did enough.”

“You did God’s plenty. Farren, you take good care of your intended, ya hear?”

Shea pulled Cyn closer to him and pecked the head of brown hair. “Sure will. Give me a call if needed, sir.” With waves, he led their formation to his car. Everyone buckled in and he started the journey back to Arric’s manor. “We got some ground covered. Good job, everyone!”

Kara yawned. “Sure hope so. We cancelled a gig for this.”

The mated couple joined hands, “It’s all good, Karr. Ben understood and had the tickets either refunded or transferred to a new date.”

Shea glanced at the rear-view mirror, “When’s the new date?”

“In two weeks. Why, want to take Cyn on a date night?”

The delta smirked, “Exactly.”

Cyn reached over and gripped the driver's free hand, “What are they talking about?”

“Kara and Jaime are part-time comedians. They tell jokes and make people laugh.”

The deer looked at the couple and back to Shea, “And that’s work?”

Snorting, Kara leaned up. “It’s a little harder than just telling jokes. We have to pay attention to what goes on around us and in the news. Then we have to warp it to make it funny. I’m not going to lie, bud. You might not get our humor for a while, at least until you fully understand the human world.”

He saw his mate get disappointed, so Shea brought up Cyn’s hand and kissed the knuckle. “Don’t worry, you’ll be with me the whole time. We can laugh together."

"You two are adorkable." Kara rested her head on Jaime's shoulder.

***

Arriving, the four took note of Kieran’s Rav4 and an unmarked black sedan. “I think the SFBI is here.”

Nodding towards Jaime, the delta agreed. “They might need statements. You okay with that, baby?”

A trickle of hesitation was quickly squashed. I’ve been around wolves enough to stop being scared. Cyn gleamed at his boyfriend. “Sure, whatever’s needed.”

Escorting his deer inside, he called out, "Alpha!"

"Yo! Shea!"

Hearing Kieran's voice instead, the group ventured to the living room, finding the scribe tapping away at a laptop with Arric hovering over him. There were two unfamiliar men in the kitchen, whispering over coffee. Cyn caught the sudden stares and scented them. More wolves.

A snarl rose beside him, then in front as Shea became a wall. Arric quickly crossed the room. “Easy, Shea. It’s their job to look.”

The bulky body in front of him did not budge. Concerned, Cyn gently gripped Shea’s hand. “It’s okay, Sheamus. I’m not scared of them.” His plea was heard and Shea moved to the side, but the deer could tell a gaze was still being issued.

One of the men, the bulkier of the two, traversed closer. “Is this the cernunnos from the report?” Cyn knew the man meant business.

Arric waved Shea down, “Yes. Keep in mind, Cyn is under our pack’s direct protection and Sheamus will not be leaving his side under any circumstance.”

“We’ll need to conduct an interview with him. Standard proced—”

“Not without me.” Shea’s voice dropped an octave, signaling his displeasure.”

The other suit held his partner’s shoulder and stepped forward to take command. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Special Agent Wendal, this is Kaminsky. If we acted toward the cernunnos in a wrong manner, you have my apologies. I’m assuming you are Enforcer Sheamus Farren?”

Shea nodded slowly.

“And this must be Cyn. We just read Alpha Rogier’s report. You’re accredited for the major breakthrough at the Martin scene. I’m not sure if you’re officially working on the search for the rogues, but your assistance is much appreciated.”

Studying the pale man, Cyn knew Wendal could be trusted. Glancing momentarily at Kaminsky, the feeling was not similar. I don’t like him. He’s not like Eike, but it’s similar. "It's nothing, sir. Whatever you need of me, I want to help."

Wendel's smile seemed genuine. "I've met one other cernunnos, I think her name was Aislin. Being gentle must be a trait for your species."

Hearing the name excited him. "I met her in Arkansas! It's been several years, but we traveled together for a few months. She was nice, but we separated when a new buck was named the lead."

"This was just last year. I'm happy to tell you she's living peacefully among an ursus clan outside Gatlinburg. Last time I checked, she was being courted by one of their members. It was strange, but she seemed fond of the bear."

Arric smirked, "Glad to see we're not the only ones to accept cernunnos into their communities. I know Saedric, maybe I can arrange a video call for you, Cyn."

"Does that mean I can see her?" Earning a nod, he bounded with joy. "That would be great!"

Shea nuzzled his neck. "Maybe once all this blows over, we can plan a getaway. I've always wanted to go see the Smokies."

Kaminsky coughed, asserting himself, "Glad we can help make future plans, but there are two rogues that need to be caught. What's your next step, Alpha Claude?"

"I'm holding a pack meeting tonight in the backyard. We'll be publicly denouncing them and alerting the public. The mayor and the chief of police will be broadcasting them as threats to the human population. They'll likely want one of you two to make a statement."

"Understood. I can expect Milwaukee and Green Bay will follow the trend. We've expanded our team's search to the neighboring states, but we're expecting a run to both borders."

Shea shook his head. "Eike's not that stupid. I agree with the expansion, but he'll wait several months to flee the country."

The agent chuffed defiantly. "And what do you know about investigations? From the reports, you just became a delta."

Arric growled. "Do not speak ill of my enforcer! This is the leading commander of the Tracking Trio; one of the finest noses in the country."

Wendal pinched Kaminsky's shoulder tightly, "We are not here to start shit! Do I need to have you replaced and file an incident report?"

The insubordinate agent grimaced from the discomfort, "N-no, sir."

"Good, now start caring! We're here to gather information and assist these packs." Releasing his hold, he noticed Cyn's glare.

Cyn couldn't take his eyes off the insult's origin. Anger bubbled within. Sheamus was everything to him. Only when Shea held him did the buck halt. A hand rubbed back and forth on his forearm. Meeting the brown eyes, he saw pride. He's proud of me?

Wendal apologized once more to the group and gestured to the living room. “Would you mind going through your experiences with this case? We want as many perspectives as possible, especially if Enforcer Farren knows how Thomas operates.”

“We can do that.”

Everyone took a seat in the living room. Kaminsky set a phone on the coffee table and tapped it several times. “We’re recording this for note taking and re-examination purposes.”

One by one, the Tracking Trio recounted their experiences in the Kettle, working with Cyn in the hospital, Marric’s sneak attack, and the time spent in Green Bay. Shea went into detail about Eike’s hunting and tracking tactics, as well as preferred dietary choices and preferred environments.

With Shea’s arm around his waist, Cyn told his story. Starting, he was shaky recalling the Kettle, but as he incorporated the friendly wolves, his words came out steady. Every occasion he mentioned Sheamus, he received a gentle pull from the hold. As the questions continued, he leaned further and further into Shea’s body.

He was nudged. “Cyn? You okay?”

Snapping to, he lifted his head. Did I fall asleep?

Shea stared lovingly before turning to the agents. “Can we continue this later? I think we all could use some food and rest.”

Agreeing, the agents stopped the recording. “We should have enough for now. Alpha Claude has already given us extensive files on both rogues, but your additional information is very helpful. We’ll be staying in town for a while. Here’s my card if you need us or recall any insightful information.”

“Thank you, Agent Wendal. Maybe we can go into more detail after the meeting?”

“I’d like that.”

With the interviews tabled, the agents left the manor. Arric rose and targeted the kitchen. “Don’t know what everyone’s waiting for. Everyone go home, get some rest before the meeting. Ten o’clock, sharp. Farren, you’ll be getting publicly sworn in, so dress up. And Cyn?”

Through his sleepiness, the deer managed to lift from his prized pillow.

“Even though you aren’t a pack member, I’d like to see you there as my esteemed guest. Shea will have to stand with me, but Kara and Jaime will be at your side the entire time. The choice is yours whether you want to be there.”

Taking a moment to register the offer, Cyn blinked his eyes in an effort to wake up. I’m invited to a meeting? With Arric’s pack? The thought of being surrounded by wolves made him shiver, but knowing the Turbins would be there brought solace. I’ve run with wolves before. How is this any different? His fears were cut off as he smiled. “I’ll be there.”

The grin on Arric’s face curled. “Good, because I’ll be telling them you saved our lives. You’ll probably have half the pack fawning over you.”

Staying silent, Shea sat up and offered a hand. “If I have to, I’ll fend them off with a stick. Arric’s just joking, baby. Kara and Jaime will keep you safe.”

Kara yawned as she and Jaime rose as well. “We got you. We’ll probably stay near the back so you won’t deal with as many people afterwards. Anytime you want to go, just say the word.”

“Thanks, Kara. You too, Jaime.”

Shea ushered him towards the door. “Let’s get you to bed, okay pup?”

Whether it was a blur or a black-out, Cyn couldn’t remember how he found himself back at his boyfriend’s apartment. His body was stuck between desiring sleep and Sheamus. He clung to the wolf as they journeyed to the bedroom. Seated on the edge of the bed, Cyn stared at his shoes, wishing they would untie themselves. Beginning with the shirt, he pawed at his clothes. As tempted as he was to sleep with them on, he longed for the feel of the cool and crisp fabric against his skin.

His feet were being tugged, and air blasted them. They were free from their confines. The wolf tossed the shoes to the side and began undressing.

“Is that better?”

Shea’s voice did something to him. Any whisper soothed his mind. Every touch made him melt.

"Thank you."

"Time for a nap. We got about twelve hours, so we can get a good one in, maybe a snack before. Arric usually has Melinda and his staff cook up a meal after the meeting for those who don't feel like going on a run."

Food sounded great, but sleep trumped the idea. With only his underwear on, he slipped under the cover. Eyelids drooped as he landed on the pillow and a hairy chest pressed against his side. He turned and let the fur touch his back. Feeling the chest vibrate, he fell asleep.

A gentle hand moving along his side woke him. Peeping, he saw the sunlight glistening through the window. How long did I sleep?

His attention centered on Shea's breathing. It's not as deep as it would be if he were sleeping. He whispered, "Sheamus?"

Movement of the hand drew around to his chest. "Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?" The tone was ragged, as if the lycan had just stirred.

Cyn pressed his back against Shea, his attention being diverted to his lower half. Feeling the prod, he whimpered and laid a hand over the one on him.

"I'm ready."