Oregon in the Fall - 19. Chapter Nineteen: Solstice

The rising sun painted a thin line on the horizon, long shadows stretching across the land. I woke, snuggled against Dave. His steady breaths and soft, sunlit fur lulled me from my sleep. I nestled my snout under his head, feeling his heartbeat quicken against my cheek—his cue that he was waking too.

‘Hey you. Good morning,’ I thought to him through our bond.

‘I could wake up like this forever. You’re so soft,’ Dave replied.

‘Me too.’

He pulled back, gazing at me. ‘Can I watch you shift? Like… really slow?’

wants to watch us.

‘Yeah, sure?’ Alright then.

I eased myself away, sitting up just a few feet from him, our eyes locked. Shifting had always been a rush of power, something to be done quickly. But for Dave, I’d make it a slow reveal. Like a striptease. Actually, no. Not like that. Ugh.

He watched, captivated, as I stretched what would turn into my right arm toward him. My paw began to morph, toes lengthening, becoming slender fingers tipped with nails. My fur retreated as my dewclaw became a thumb.

Clara let out a soft gasp, drawing my attention, but my focus remained on Dave. He tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes. I chuckled.

My legs were next, shifting simultaneously as I rose to my feet. My powerful wolf legs contoured, revealing muscular human ones, still dappled with black fur. Four wolf toes transformed, a big toe sprouting where there had been none.

The rest followed. My torso, then my head—though I did keep my canines. Now fully human, save for a bit of stubble and the hair on my head and… elsewhere, I waited. My fur receded slowly, revealing my bare skin. A grin split my face as I retracted my teeth.

“That… was… amazing!” Clara exclaimed, clapping. “Dave, your turn!”

I laughed, gesturing for him to do the same. ‘Just let your wolf guide you,’ I sent to him.

He also started with his arms, and while not as smooth as my own shift, he managed to transform three toes on each paw. He flailed a bit, trying to will the last ones into place. I bit back a smile. It was so cute.

‘Just relax, buddy,’ I sent through our bond. ‘Let your wolf do the heavy lifting.’

He gave a shaky nod, a look of intense concentration furrowing his half-wolf brow. Somehow, his remaining toes sprouted into fingers, ending in surprisingly perfect nails. But just as he let out a grunt of satisfaction, the lingering dewclaws began to twitch. They quivered, then with an odd pop, receded into his skin, leaving behind slightly hairy thumbs.

Dave blinked, then started to howl with a laugh, even with his furry muzzle still in place. The sound was muffled, more of a series of squeaking whoops, but it was undeniably joyful.

Clara, ever the spectator, let out a delighted squeal.

Buoyed by his partial success, Dave moved on to his legs. This proved significantly more challenging. Fur receded, his powerful wolf thighs morphing into equally muscular human ones. But as the transformation reached his knees, things took a chaotic turn. Each leg seemed intent on taking a different path—one human, one decidedly lupine. He started to wobble like a drunken sailor, his balance completely thrown off.

With a startled yelp, he did a spectacular face-plant, his nose digging into the dirt with a soft thump. Half wolf, half human, and entirely mortified, he let out a muffled groan.

I burst into laughter, unable to contain it any longer. Clara joined in, breathless giggles echoing between the trees.

Dave lifted his head, a mix of embarrassment and sheepish amusement on his dirt-smudged face. Just as he was about to attempt to stand, a particularly stubborn patch of fur on his calf shifted to skin with an audible squelch, sending him sprawling again.

This time, even he couldn’t help but howl with laughter, the sound a mix of human chuckles and wolf-like barks.

“Okay, okay,” he gasped, “I think I might need a little help with the rest of this.”

A wave of warmth washed over me. I reached out, a silent pulse of energy, encouraging the last remnants of wolf to shift away. With a final shudder, he was almost fully human—just a few patches of fur clinging stubbornly to his skin.

“Well, at least I got the hard part out of the way,” he said, dusting himself off with a satisfied grin. As if on cue, an enormous sneeze ripped through him. The force of it was distinctly lupine, and I braced myself for the inevitable mayhem. His half-shifted face contorted hilariously. His snout twitched, whiskers sprouting wildly, then just as quickly, morphed into a very human nose.

The sneeze exploded forth in a spray of dirt and fur, leaving Dave blinking in surprise.

“Well,” he coughed, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, “I guess I didn’t think that one through.”

I doubled over, roaring with laughter. Even Clara, usually so composed, was clutching her sides and gasping for air.

Dave just grinned. Eventually, Clara threw clothes at us. “Use the ones from last night, we don’t have an unlimited supply, guys. And put them on. I think Chronos is gay, don’t give him ideas.”

“I think he mentioned having a mate, Clara,” I said.

“That doesn’t mean he won’t be distracted by you guys. I tried all I could. He’s gay.”

“I don’t adhere to such concepts,” Chronos said, approaching from the forest.

“Where have you been?” Dave asked him.

“I was just wandering. This forest of yours is very intriguing. Intricate. The forests in the Seventh Construct are so much simpler. And I wonder why that is. Maybe our control over things is not good after all. Letting nature run wild has its allure.”

“I think you said you created… this,” I said, motioning to the everywhere around us.

“Not me specifically, but yes.”

“Then how do you not control it?”

“Do you control a… pet of yours? You nourish, you guide, you love, but you do not control.”

That oddly made sense. Though I wasn’t sure I was too happy about being compared to a pet.

“Let’s go!” Clara said.

Fully clothed—Dave and me wearing golden and blue ‘The Lunar Haven’ shirts because that was our thing—we started on our journey. Conversation snaked through the quiet like a creek searching its path. Chronos, never one for silence, brought up the ever-present divide between supernaturals and humans.

“You linger in the shadows,” his voice held a note of mild disdain, “hiding from those you should rightfully watch over.”

“Who do you mean by you?” Clara said.

“Those who are not just merely human. Superhumans. Supernaturals.”

She huffed. “It’s hardly a choice. It’s survival, Chronos. Tell a human about druids, shamans, warlocks, shifters, and fey, and you’ll find yourself dissected in a lab or hunted like an animal.” She paused. “Besides, humans already believe in so much nonsense, adding us to the pile changes nothing.”

Chronos tilted his head, a birdlike motion. “You don’t understand your purpose.”

“We have… a purpose?”

“Humans are abundant. It is your destiny to keep them in check.”

“Destiny?”

The hint hung heavy in the air, and something like unease prickled along my spine. I pushed the feeling away and asked the question that had haunted me since Chronos’ cryptic explanations: “Why am I here then? Why Wepwawet?”

His gaze settled on me, ancient and unsettling. “The gods,” he began, “have been absent from this reality for far too long. The Constructs deemed it necessary to send one, to send you… and with you came a shift.”

Questions bubbled up, a torrent against his steady flow of words. We were all listening intently, our feet slowing to a soft walk.

“Realities,” Chronos continued, “this one, the Prime, is the core. If it falters, everything does. You supernaturals were meant to be the guiding force. Instead, you fractured.” A sigh, almost wistful. “So we decided to try and fix it. Inject an influence so to speak. That is you, god who calls himself Grey. But…” His thought seemed to drift away, the pause so very much unlike him.

“But we hadn’t accounted for the tether Wepwawet would hold to our realm. So along came Theodore, a megalomaniac drawn to the ripple you sent across the Constructs’ power. He found a tether, a weakness…”

“Wait. You… gave me this god’s power, knowing that doing so would open the gate between your realm and this… the Prime? Is that what you called it? And you didn’t account for there to be a gate? Wasn’t that the whole point?”

Chronos chuckled, the sound unsettlingly dry. “I misspoke. Which is very much unlike me. We didn’t account for someone powerful enough to use the open path to sow chaos. Theodore did. So our plan changed…” His finger swept across the sky. “All of us… we needed another answer. So instead of one, we now have three. The Triad. Wepwawet and Aten, as you walk beside me right now. You answered the call. But Osiris is missing, which is unfortunate. He must be found.”

“And we can find him, right?” Dave said.

“We shall see.”

Clara scoffed. “Great, and what does that have to do with me?”

“Patience, human,” Chronos’ voice was sharp, “all shall be revealed.”

The conversation swirled in my head. Fate, a cruel puppet master. If not for Theodore’s meddling, Dave and I wouldn’t even know each other. So I had to thank Theodore for that? Great. This flicker of gratitude for the chaos he sowed morphed into something sharp in my chest.

The topic shifted, thankfully, towards my pack.

“Grey,” Dave began, “you’ve… talked about your family a bit, but not a whole lot.”

The truth was a knot in my gut. “Things are complicated,” I hedged. “Now I know it might not be my family’s fault entirely. I can’t blame my brother either, I think. He was always so jealous of me, but none of their emotions and actions might be what I thought they were. Maybe instead, all the blame should fall on Chronos and his cronies?” There was bitterness in my voice.

Chronos didn’t respond.

“There will be conflict,” I warned. As the future Alpha, leaving my pack was an unforgivable betrayal. And now with a mate… When we arrive, my father won’t be happy.”

Dave’s ears twitched in surprise. “Wait… what do you mean?”

A deep breath. No getting around it now.

“Dave, we’re now the leaders of a werewolf pack. The law wills it so.”

“Well, damn,” he said, scratching his head. “Wasn’t expecting that this morning.”

Clara, ever the pragmatist, chimed in. “So, are we all getting a crash course on pack politics, or…?”

“It’s all pretty simple, really. There’s the Alpha and everyone listens to them. Then the firstborn son—usually not the daughter, because… misogyny—is designated Moon Heir, and they will take over the reigns one day. When they are mated,” I said.

“You couldn’t have mentioned this before, Grey? No one asked me,” Dave said.

That hurt, but he was right… “You were dying, Dave. It was the only way to save you.” This was true. It was all that was on my mind at the time.

He hung his head dejectedly. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“They will not be happy that I’m back. I broke the rules by leaving. But they will be furious when they find out that I’m mated to a guy.”

“Ah, bigots. Great,” Clara said.

“Humanity would greatly benefit from less focus on irrelevant matters,” Chronos said.

“Yup,” I simply said. “But since we need to go my pack to see this journey through, can we agree on a few things?”

“Elaborate.”

“No constructy things, Chronos. Please blend in. And Clara, please keep the druid to yourself. These people are narrow-minded and tainted. When they smell mine and Dave’s scent, I bet all hell is going to break loose anyway.”

There was no preparing for… well, for any of this. Hours turned into a steady rhythm, sun climbing higher. My own wolf ached with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation, every familiar scent a trigger for memories, both good and unbearably painful. Yet, a new thread of determination ran through me. I was a different wolf now.

wolf.

You think?

us and mate. law.

Yeah.

I broke our silence. “I think it would be best if Dave and me walked in front. As wolves. Keep a slight distance please. Wolf law is clear. Even my father won’t deny it.”

Dave seemed nervous. “Really? I’m going to meet other wolves. I’m not… what do I do? I’m insignificant.”

Insignificant? He had no idea.

“Stand beside me. You’ll see.”

We shifted. Quickly. I’m sure Dave didn’t want a repeat of the earlier struggles. Chronos offered to carry our backpacks.

The forest thinned, revealing the familiar sweep of Belcore territory. I felt an unwelcome wave of nausea. Ugh. Keep it together, Grey. We approached cautiously, the silence broken only by the soft rustle of leaves underfoot. There were no patrols in sight, which was unsettling and unexpected.

Then, there he was. My brother. Sebastian. Tall but not imposing, he stood at the tree line, his gaze locked on mine. There was shock, yes, but it quickly curdled into something sharper, an anger I knew all too well.

“Brother,” his voice echoed, disbelief lacing the word. “What the fuck?”

Being able to compare myself now to Sebastian, I think I stood taller than I had just a week ago. Was this Dave? Was our bond affecting me? Sebastian clearly seemed to notice the difference. And he had to have picked up on the scent.

His eyes narrowed. “How the fuck did you grow?” he hissed, taking a predatory step forward. “And what is this… stench?” His nostrils flared, taking in the mingled scent of Dave and me. The disgust was clear in his growl.

“Ugh. You’re mated to a guy. You’re a disgrace.”

Then, the trees behind Sebastian parted. My father and mother emerged together, flanked by two large unfamiliar wolves. They looked apprehensive, my father’s rule of terror visible on them. I knew it all too well.

“Sebastian,” my father roared, the sound echoing through the trees. “Stand down.” He ducked slightly, deferring to this Alpha with fear. So much fear in his eyes.

Reluctantly, Sebastian backed away, but his glare remained fixed on us, burning with contempt.

My father’s gaze swept over our wolves. It lingered first on me, then slowly, almost hesitantly, moved to Dave. His brow furrowed in confusion.

“What is the meaning of this?” he boomed, his voice filled with anger, and just a tiny bit of discomfort.

Before I could react, my mother stepped forward, a look of fierce determination on her face. There was a tension between her and my father, a silent exchange that spoke volumes.

“Look at them.” she said, her voice clear and resolute. She cast a meaningful glance at me and Dave, lingering on him, judging, probing.

‘You’re strong. Don’t let her get to you,’ I said to Dave, unspoken. He glanced over to me, just for a short moment, and nodded.

My mother noticed the exchange, eyes squinting. She seemed… better, more aware. Her mind was clearly racing. What did she see?

“You’re mated to a man. You make me sick…” my father said, his disdain clear as day, but he was interrupted by my mother who held her hand in front of his mouth. Her gaze never broke with ours.

“Luis. Shut the fuck up,” she said, her voice an authority. What was this dynamic? What the hell?

And then my mother, Luna Cassandra Belcore, magnificent and strong, with a clear gaze and bright eyes that I had never seen before, did something completely unexpected. This woman, who gave birth to me, but that I never felt tethered to, slowly got down on one knee, and bared her neck toward me. Toward us.