Death in the Shadows - 37. Chapter 37: Endearing Epilogue

He was numb for the next few days, both emotionally and physically. Moving autonomously, Vincent did the bare essentials to keep functioning. Cooking or ordering delivery, using the toilet, and taking showers. He took plenty of showers. The steamy water relaxed him. It was as if his experience was washing off of him. Still, he could not get the smell of the Montana rain out of his nose.

He accepted the fact Stefan was dead, coped without having magic, and was eternally grateful for Terik bringing him back to life. What he struggled with was obvious. Even though he knew Terik was behind the wheel, the hands and feet that killed his parents still roamed the planet. It's not him, he told himself. It's not him. She needed a body to survive.

Mason walked into the bedroom and immediately curled next to Vincent. "Hey, Pup. What'cha thinking?"

"Same old shit." Unfurling the blanket, Vincent rested his head on Mason's biceps. "Erik and Stefan being the same person."

"You know better. One's different from the other."

"Yeah, but still. She probably has the power to change into a different body or something."

Running a hand through Vincent's chest hair, Mason hummed. "We don't know that. Besides, I think it was all part of her plan."

Giving his mate a look, Vincent raised an eyebrow. Oh, I need to hear this…

Mason shrugged. "Well, Terik’s the goddess of mischief. It might be to mess with you."

The theory sounded plausible. "Maybe, but to walk around in that murderer's skin though?"

"Hey," Mason purred. "Terik… Erik. He's not Stefan. Remember what he said? You won't recognize it being Stefan by the next time you see him."

Sighing, he resigned. "I know. It's Erik. Not Stefan. Not Terik. He's a completely different person."

"There you go. Now c'mon. We're heading out."

Vincent groaned as Mason got up. "And where's out?"

"Anywhere. You need sunshine and people. Can't stay in bed forever. Besides, Mom and Dad want to see you."

Knowing it was inevitable, he reluctantly slid from the bed. Guess I should see them. I'll also need to get ready to head to Wisconsin with RJ.

Mason had talked with Dave and Caleb about their fight with Stefan while Vincent sulked. Both were upset they weren't notified nor asked for assistance. The pack alpha quickly squashed it, explaining he was a hindrance in his own way. Having more bodies there might have caused the outcome to be worse.

However, Elaine and Lei were kept in the dark the entire time. They deserve to know. We never bothered telling them about the whole Seven stuff, so this won't be pretty.

Starting the day, they went to JD's. Mason insisted. "Eat up. You've gone back to bird meals lately."

Vincent chose the largest plate possible with all-you-can-eat pancakes. Once half of the food was demolished, he realized how hungry he was. Mason ordered two extra sides of bacon, and when they arrived, Vincent's stomach demanded them immediately. I get it, I get it! I've been slacking.

Yes. Need eat.

I don't need to hear you too. Our stomach's speaking for us.

Hearing his wolf chuckle in his mind, he doused the next helping of pancakes in syrup. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as the warm, sticky sweetness coated his tongue. By his third plate, he debated whether he should stop before he became miserable.

Mason stared at him with a loving smile the entire time. He trapped Vincent's feet with his own. "I love you, Vinnie."

"Love you, too. You okay? That's the fourth time you've said that today."

"Just… I'm just enjoying every moment with you."

"You know I'm not going anywhere."

"Yeah. It's just—"

Vincent freed his feet and pinned Mason's. "Nothing's going to tear us apart."

His mate's lips trembled. When the check came, Vincent gave the waitress his card and moved to sit on the same side of the booth as Mason. "I promise. My destiny's orb turned black. That means nothing else drastic's going to happen. I'm all yours, big guy."

Mason kissed him, and the two made their way to his parents. Arriving, Elaine was sitting on the porch. She rose and gave each of them a peck on the cheek. "Driving today? I figured you two would've dashed over."

Vincent took a deep breath. "Actually, Mom. That's why we're here. Can we talk to you and Dad?"

***

Both of them were floored. They listened without interrupting. Elaine was more collected than her mate after the tale was told. Lei trembled, gripping the leather armrests of his recliner. "So," he growled, "he's dead."

Vincent nodded.

"And so were you? And now Terik walks among us?"

Mason smirked. "She goes by Erik now. Also wants to come for Thanksgiving next year."

His mother sniffled and wiped her eyes, but before she could speak, Lei snarled. "I… Not in that body."

"Leidolf," Elaine spat. Her glare could have shot daggers. "Terik’s inside Stefan's body. She isn't him, or were you listening."

"Ellie, that man hurt you."

"And he's dead. This… Terik brought our boy back to life. Dinner is the least we can do."

"Erik," Vincent corrected quietly. Having the couple's attention, he sighed. "All I care about's moving forward. It bothers me knowing who Erik used to be but it's not Stefan."

Lei sat silently. There was a glow behind his closed eyelids.

Rising, Mason uttered, "Dad. I faced both Stefan and Erik. They're not the same. One killed Vincent's parents, and the other gave me back my mate. Open your eyes."

The father did so, revealing the bright, tan irises.

"Now really open them. I'll gladly welcome Erik into my home. Hell, he can move in for all I care. As far as I'm concerned, he's a member of my family. He saved my mate. He prevented North America from becoming a warzone."

The older alpha visibly swallowed. "When you put it like that…" Lei's eyes dimmed, and he cleared his throat. "I'd be honored to sit with him."

Relieved to hear the change of mind, Vincent relaxed on the couch. Elaine scooted closer and palmed his knee. "Are you okay?"

Her touch was cold, reminding him of his lost magic. "Yeah. It's just a lot to soak in."

"This is just another test to pass."

They spent the afternoon there before leaving. I really should get ready for my trip. Need to buy a plane ticket… He looked over as Mason drove. "Did you want to come with me to Wisconsin?"

"Sure, but you should probably check with RJ though. No more coming back home the same night. I'd need to stay with you guys or get a room wherever you're staying."

"Right," he said, pulling out his phone.

"Vinnie Mac!" RJ hollered when the call connected.

The wind was blowing loudly over the speaker, but Vincent still smiled. He's probably driving Axel with the windows down. "Hey, Grumpy! Quick question. Are you good if Mace comes along this time?"

"Sure, as long as my new boyfriend can too."

"Shit, he said yes? That's awesome! If that's the case, we can nab our own room."

"Not going back home at night?"

Vincent bit his lip. "Well, we're doing something a bit different, but yeah."

"Get with Marlo. Pretty sure he'll swing for us to have separate rooms. We're meeting in the hotel lobby, so no going off to meet the alpha before me this time."

"Gotcha. I'll see ya there."

***

The connecting flights from Mesker Park City to Chicago and then Milwaukee were smooth and uneventful. Vincent enjoyed his time. I forget how peaceful flying can be. While in the air, he worked on his laptop, plotting the chapters for his book. By the time the plane landed at O’Hare, he had a basic outline ready for Drego to review. Now to actually write the damned thing. He thought about ways to conceal the text and its contents from the nonmagical community. Fire affinity tomes are typically cookbooks. Frost is hidden in art instruction manuals. So how should the shadow affinity be showcased? Historical fiction? No, that doesn’t feel right.

He debated the genre during the whole flight to General Mitchell International. Richard’ll probably have some ideas. I’ll schedule a call with him in the next few days. Rolling his suitcase, Vincent arranged for a rental car for the duration of their stay. He started the car, set the GPS, and drove an hour and a half to get to the Watershed Hotel. Checking in, he learned Marlo arranged for each couple to have their own king suite.

Once inside their uber-modern room, Mason snooped around. He whistled. “Damn… Swanky. Smells like it’s newly built.”

Vincent immediately looked through the large window and saw the nearby trees and shade. He texted RJ and informed him of their arrival. After a few minutes, his phone rang. RJ. "Hey. Just texted."

"Yeah, about that," the polar bear said unenthusiastically. "Jake and I are in Ontario. There's some storms, so our flight's delayed."

"Damn. Are you guys going to make it?"

"Weatherman says it's decent-sized. We're good to be in the air in about four or five hours. If you want to, go ahead and meet up with the Sheboygan board members for pleasantries. We can get to business tomorrow."

Board members? Right... Jake's with him. "Got it," Vincent answered. "Take your time. Don't need you two getting shot out of the sky."

"How's the hotel?"

"Brand new. They did a decent job getting rid of the smell. I like it. You wouldn't."

RJ grumbled. "Not very homey? Oh well. I'll let you know when we get there."

"See ya," Vincent said, ending the call. Opening his work satchel, he grabbed the pack information. "Looks like I'm flying solo for a bit. I'm calling the beta real quick."

"Ask 'em for dinner," Mason offered. "Use some of that auditor money the EC gives you."

Not a bad idea. Finding the beta's number, Vincent tapped it in and waited for the dial tone.

"Hey, this is Kieran," chirped a lax and dopey voice.

"Hi, my name's Vincent Bolton, and I'm one of the two examiners from the EC. Is this a good time?"

"Of course! Er, sorry. I'm a little excited; this is my first audit as beta."

"Well, my coworker’s flight was held up, so the audit won't be until tomorrow. I'm actually here with my mate, and we were wondering if you and the Sheboygan council would mind a dinner on my dime. No business. Just food and getting to know each other, and you're welcome to invite your mates."

There was some whispering on the other side of the line. It's the beta and a really deep voice. Is that the alpha?

Kieran cleared his throat. "We'd be delighted. Arric's calling Lino's for a reservation. You two, then four of us. How about six-thirty?"

Just four? They have a full, basic council. The alpha's recently mated, so are the beta and enforcer unmated? "Sounds great to me. We'll be there."

***

Their time in Sheboygan was relaxing. Work and adventure took everything off Vincent’s mind. Aside from meeting with Arric and his council for the audit, Mason never left his side. What surprised him was Sheamus and Cyn. When it came time for Mason to skedaddle and peruse the city during the audit, the buck asked to tag along for lunch. After a short discussion, Cyn declared he trusted the Owensville alpha. Such a strange couple. Sheamus is pretty protective of the cern, yet Cyn wants to run loose.

When it came time to leave, Vincent pulled RJ to the side in the hotel lobby and explained the recent events. The bear grimaced. "I'm… I'm so sorry that happened to you. So you have no magic now."

Somberly, he nodded.

"Why did you tell me?"

Confused by the question, he answered truthfully, "Because you're my work partner. I figured you should know since I can't do the things I was hired for."

RJ flinched. "You think you were hired because of your magical talents?" He scoffed and shook his head. "You're fucking dense if you think that."

"What?"

"Marlo hired you because you wanted to help the world, or did that change? From what I saw the past few days, you still have the drive. I don't have magic. I can't vanish and all that shit. Doesn't mean we can't do our jobs."

"Y-yeah, but—"

"I get it," RJ stated. "I can see it. You lost a part of what made you you. I have no idea what that's like, but what I can tell you is that you're here. You're walking around, breathing air, and evaluating packs. Did a damn good job here, and I'll be excited to see you do it again next week when we head to Florida."

"I…" Feeling ridiculous for thinking his magic made him important, Vincent took a deep breath and hugged RJ. "Thanks."

"Any time. Even government employees can be down in the dumps."

They boarded the elevator. Vincent had one more question. "Should I tell Marlo?"

RJ hummed. "Probably. Just in case they need a shadow mage and come to you. I'd leave out the fact Terik's walking around though. He might send a search party."

"Right." A thought crossed his mind, and he couldn't hide his amusement.

"Spill it," ordered RJ.

"Erik and Teddy."

He saw the gears spinning in the bear's head before joining in the laughter. "That's gold! A match made in heaven."

***

"How about a children's book?"

Hearing the suggestion on the video call disturbed Vincent. "A kid's book? Like, what? A young adult fiction?" He leaned on the desk in Mason's office.

Drego grinned. "No, like you said; a kid's book. One for a five or six-year-old. It's simple and easy to follow. You can explain the differences between using emotions and what the magic can do."

"With illustrations," Vincent mumbled.

"Exactly, and no one in the normal world would think anything of it."

The more he pondered the concept, the more Vincent accepted it. "I think we have a winner."

The Pennsylvania alpha typed swiftly. "How do we want to style it? Obviously with lots of color."

Keeping his goal in mind, he nodded. "The overall mood needs to remain positive. Maybe add the concept of it being a scary power, but it can be used for good. I want mages to know it doesn't make you an evil person."

"Of course. We’ve made some wonderful progress here, Vincent. Shall we call it a day and meet back in a week? In the meantime, I’ll work with my scribe on finding an illustrator, and you come up with the general pages for the book.”

“Sounds good to me, Richard. Text me if you have any questions.”

“Likewise,” Drego responded before the call ended.

Riding a working high, Vincent opened his cloud drive. A children's book. I like it. In the next hour, he made several lists. How each emotion affected the magic, the abilities of the affinity, and the fun things you can do with it. He jotted down a few ideas for Drego's scribe and illustrator. That'll be cute. Have a kid get hungry, then run to Italy for a pizza.

A knock caught him off guard. Mason stepped through the door frame. Vincent sighed in relief. "Scared me."

"Really? Didn't smell me on the way or anything?"

"I guess I got used to feeling the shadows around me. I'll remember for next time."

Mason rounded the desk and rubbed Vincent's shoulders. "Book stuff? Hey, a kid's book! You know Lowe needs an autographed copy."

Rolling his eyes, Vincent typed a few more keys. "He might be too old by the time it's published."

"I'll still buy him one."

"You know I'll be able to get my own book a lot cheaper, right?"

Mason's prickly stubble rubbed Vincent's cheek. "And we won't have to worry about that when you sell millions of copies. Imagine it. Vinnie's shadow book in every house in Americ– No… The world."

Vincent laughed at his mate's silliness. "Didn't know we were going global with this."

"I'm sure there's shadow mages all over the world, Pup. Your book'll be useful everywhere."

Typing a note in the document, he smiled. "Guess Drego's scribe will need to find some translators then."

"Alright, put the laptop away," ordered Mason. "We're due for dinner with the council. Let's go."

"I was getting hungry. Where to this time?"

Mason never said as he escorted Vincent to the truck. Try as he might, Vincent could not get his husband to talk. He's got that shit-eating grin again. He held Mason's hand and settled into his seat. I'll find out shortly.

After a few minutes of silence, Mason finally spoke, "Do you know how long it's been?"

Feeling the ambiance, Vincent guessed, "Since Montana? Almost a month now."

"Yep, and I've treasured every day." Mason's grip tightened. "I'm so proud of you, Vinnie. You make me a happy man. Going around the world and evaluating packs, stopping a giant war, all the while being the same man I met at the grocery store."

Mason made a turn using his other hand. "I know you've been down about losing your magic. I see it in your eyes and the way you walk. You're still the same man I fell in love with, and nothing's gonna change that. Magic or not, you're perfect for me."

Sniffling, Vincent wiped his eyes before the tears could fall. "I know. It's taken some time to get over it, and it still bothers me… But it's better than the alternative. Terik said this was the best outcome, so I believe her."

"Speaking of that…"

"What?" He asked when it was all Mason said.

"I might've made a call."

Parking in Biacci's lot, the alphas walked in and were led up the stairs to the sun room. Inside, Dave, Stacy, Caleb, and Tasha hovered around a rectangular table. A silhouette of a man stood in front of the large window, blocking the sunset. Without looking hard or smelling his scent, Vincent knew who it was.

Erik turned and waved finger guns at Vincent. "Hey, squirt."

Vincent was baffled at his appearance. Gone was the salt and peppered hair and stubble, and in its place was unkempt black hair with a clean-shaven face. I… Wow!

The sound of rubber-smacking skin clicked as Erik came forward. He wore yellow, short shorts and a white, cropped, hooded sweatshirt. The man was sucking on a Dum Dum, and his pink toenails were on display with the brown flip-flops.

In disbelief, Vincent shook his head. That's… That doesn't look like Stefan's body at all.

Erik gleamed. "Right? Pop-daddy vibes. Pretty sure Dinny's drooling as we speak."

"So that's his type, huh?"

"Well, everyone's his type, but he has a soft spot for crop tops. Pretty sure he started that fashion trend on purpose."

Laughing, a wave of relief washed over Vincent. "I knew you'd give him a makeover, but this… It's very you. I like it."

"You should've seen it, kid," Erik said. "I walked in this place, and half the people eating dropped their forks. I even gave an old lady a wink. She might need a new pacemaker."

Shaking his head, Vincent chuckled. He saw everyone staring at them. Stacy was giving Vincent a side-eye, and he knew tea needed to be spilled. "Have you introduced yourself yet?"

"I was waiting for you to do the honors."

"Yes," Caleb muttered, "I'd like to know who this is."

Vincent caught Erik's wink. C'mon, squirt. You know you want to mess with 'em.

Tempted, the alpha smirked. "Eh, no one special. You've met her brother before."

"Oh, that's good," Mason mumbled.

"Layered, too," Erik remarked.

"Her?" Dave questioned. "That's a dude."

Stretching out his waistband, Erik looked down. "Yep, got that right."

"What's your last name?" Asked Caleb.

"Maschev. Ukrainian descent."

Vincent snorted. That's funny.

Thanks, Erik thought, looking at him.

Dave pointed, first at Erik then Vincent. "You two. It's like you're…" He trailed, dropping his jaw.

Tasha caught the beta's realization. "Spill it, 'cause we ain't got it."

"Terik," he responded breathlessly.

The room went quiet as the god's eyes glowed white. He huffed, "Erik now, but bingo."

Tasha pinched her forehead. "You're jokin', right?"

"No, sweetie," Caleb said, rubbing her shoulder. "Remember, Vincent was possessed by Bol a while back." He glared at Erik. "I believe it."

Stacy tightened her ponytail. "So… Erik Maschev. God of mischief. Makes sense. Well, as much sense as it can. But why are you here?"

Erik shrugged. "Nowhere else to be. Being limited to one plane of existence is a pain in the ass."

"So's being mortal," Vincent added, dejected.

"Hey!" The god shouted. "This was my choice. I'm having fun in this meat suit. Don't tell me you're not happy with how shit turned out."

Sighing, Vincent held Mason's hand. "No, I'm happy."

"Good. Now hurry up and sit down. I'm starving!" Erik scooted a chair out and plopped in it.

Dinner was awkward at first, but the group warmed up to having Erik join them. Stacy and Tasha were the friendliest with him, and cackled when the deity told tales of his past deeds and plans. Vincent was impressed to learn what parts of history he was part of. Of course he had Andrew Jackson's parrot start swearing at his funeral…

Once the main courses were finished off, Erik rose and fished out a fresh sucker. "Well, it's been fun, y'all."

Dave snorted. "Been here for an hour and he's already picked up our lingo."

"It's very useful," he replied. "Stace, we're going clothes shopping soon, 'kay?"

"Got your number," she said, grinning. "You'll need to show me where you got that crop hoodie."

The deity wagged his finger. "Ah, ah! No jacking my style." Before leaving, he walked around the table towards Vincent. "Remember, squirt. Have a good rest of your life."

Vincent bit his lip, got up, and hugged him. "Thank you," he whispered. "For everything."

Erik returned the gesture. "I'll hit you up at humanity's next threat of annihilation."

"Please don't," Mason murmured. He and Erik exchanged a hug, but the alpha jumped away as they parted. "Ow!"

Erik laughed and pinched his fingers in the air. "Nope. The other guy has a better tushie."

The god vanished in a cloud of black smog. Vincent watched as it dissipated into thin air.

***

"Alpa! Vinsy!"

Setting the wooden spoon down, Vincent was about to head into the living room to see what Lowe needed. Mason clapped his shoulder. "I got it."

Vincent sniffed and grinned as his mate left the kitchen. Ha! Diaper duty.

A year had passed, and he valued every moment. Dave and Stacy had their wedding, albeit more ceremoniously outside of a pack meeting. Dirk and Ingle were planning theirs for later in the fall. Morrine demanded a destination wedding, so Tierney took her and a select few to Belize. Vincent grinned as he stirred the frying vegetables. Running in the jungle was awesome! Now Morrine's going to pop any day. Good on them.

"Uh, Pup?"

A terrible odor overpowered the food. "Big one?" He asked out loud.

"A Howitzer went off."

Laughing, he set dinner on simmer.

Caleb and Tasha welcomed a girl into the world, and she was a bundle of joy. Among other things, he thought to himself. Coming closer, he gagged. "Oh, gods… C'mon, Luce," he cooed. Kneeling, he joined Mason with clean-up. "You're supposed to drop those bombs on your parents, not us."

Mason rose and opened every window in the living room. "Good job calling us, Lowe."

The six-year-old was glued to his Nintendo Switch as he walked over. "Yeah, it's a bad one."

"You up for a round of Smash when we're done here."

"You're gonna lose again."

"Not until after dinner," Vincent warned as he wiped Luce.

Mason smirked. "One quick round, if I win Lowe has to eat all of his broccoli."

"Deal," Both Lowe and Vincent agreed. He watched as they set the handheld onto the dock, lighting up the TV screen.

Hoisting a diapered Luce up, he held her on his hip and returned to the kitchen. Oh well. More veggies for me. No way Mace is winning. "Isn't that right, little lady?"

She gave him a blank stare with half of a hand in her mouth. He made a funny face, causing her to smile and gurgle. "Yeah, you like that, don't you?"

Opening the oven door, he spot-checked the baked spaghetti. "Food's about done, boys. Wrap it up."

Setting Luce in the high chair, he heard the iconic, "Game!" from the living room.

Three… two… one…

Mason growled, and Lowe snickered. "Told ya."

Dinnertime came and went. Lowe petered out before Luce, and once she went down, Vincent set her in the pop-up crib in the living room. He sat on the couch, exhausted.

Mason curled next to him. "Sunday can't get here fast enough."

"I don't know. I like babysitting for them."

His husband raised an eyebrow. "Even the bombs?"

He stood corrected, but would not let Mason know it. "Makes me think sometimes." It was a frequent subject to the alpha couple. "The more we watch Lowe and Luce, the more it doesn't seem that bad."

Mason sat up straight and held Vincent's hand. "You know I'd want nothing more."

Butterflies flew in Vincent's stomach, and he could feel the same through his end of the bond. "Then let's do it."

"How'd we go about it?"

Leaning on Mason, he sighed. "Anyway's fine by me. It can be yours, mine, or adopted. They'll be ours."

Glassy-eyed, Mason kissed him and whispered, "I love you."

"Right back'cha, big guy." Vincent kissed his mate, then rested his head on the alpha's shoulder. Enjoying the silence, he smiled.