Oregon in the Fall - 25. Chapter Twenty-Five: Assembly

“Nothing surprises me anymore,” Dave said, his nonchalance evident.

I was unable to contain my amusement and chuckled.

Mark stood there, shrugging toward Sebastian. “I guess… welcome to the club, honey?”

“Seriously, how could I have been so clueless? Honey, again? We’re going to have words, Mark! Words!” I tried to pout. I failed.

But how quickly the mood could change…

“Grey, you ignored him for years…” Sebastian said.

That stung. I growled. And it made Sebastian whimper, so much so that Mark seemingly felt the need to protect him. He growled back. At me! The nerve…

“I am your Al…” I started, but Dave, trying to defuse the situation, touched my arm, interrupting me. “Friend,” he said, “Right, Grey? He’s your friend.”

“I’m sorry… Yes. I’m sorry,” I said.

And then I lunged out of bed toward Mark and Sebastian who were standing in front of it. I hugged them. So closely. I breathed them in.

Dave spoke. “Grey. I think they are struggling to breathe.”

“Oh. Oh! Sorry guys,” I said.

For the first time, being in front of Mark and Sebastian after everything that happened in the past week, I truly noticed how much I had grown.

Fuck. I was so much taller than before. Wider. Stronger. Dave stood beside me, at equal height and posture.

I must’ve been checking myself out when Mark interrupted me. “How, Grey? What happened to you both?”

Mark didn’t know. Of course he didn’t. How could he have known? When we met in my dream—our dream, something we’d still had to unpack at some other time—he saw only my wolf. If that even was my wolf. It was a dream after all, right?

So we told them both. About the labyrinth, everything that happened after the door where Mark… vanished. About Dave almost dying and me having to give him the bite to turn him as a last resort. About Aaru and Constructs. About struggling with what to do next and feeling utterly helpless in a cosmic plot.

“To be quite honest, I feel like a puppet in a story that has already been written, and no matter what I do, I can’t change the outcome,” I said.

By now we were sitting on the floor in my room. The sunlight through the trees was streaming into my window, making everything seem calm and right, as if nothing had happened. But everything had happened already.

Dave squeezed my hand. He did that a lot. I didn’t want him to ever not do it. “I think I would be dead if you hadn’t done what you did,” he said and smiled.

Mark said, “Yeah. How is that going for you, brother? Do you hear your wolf?”

And Dave simply responded, “Yup. He’s here. It’s as if he’d been here all the time. I call him grumpy Dave.”

I turned my head toward him, furrowing my brow. “You what?”

“What?”

“You have names for each other?”

“You don’t?”

“No,” I said.

my name for you is moron.

What the hell, man?

And I heard the wolf chuckle inside of me.

“One thing is clear,” Sebastian said.

“What’s that?” Mark said.

“Both our families are severely fucked up.”

“Yup,” all of us said in unison.

And we laughed. It was a kind moment, one I would like to repeat many times for years to come. But now we had to make sure that we’d get there. But how?

“Dad’s really not going to like any of this, Grey,” Sebastian said.

“Where the fuck is he, anyway?” I said.

“He hasn’t been in this house since you escaped. Not that I’ve been in a sound state of mind, but I’m sure he wasn’t here.”

“Did mom throw him out?”

“I think so. I think he’s fucking around with Brianna.”

“What the actual fuck?”

“You can’t blame her. I don’t even know if you can blame him. The curse is bad, Grey. It tears at you. It makes you insane. It makes you want to die and rip apart every living being you see. It’s…” Tears were welling up in his eyes. Mark put an arm around him, comforting him. “Mark here is the reason I’m ok now. He’s special. He…”

“Changes everything,” Dave said, smiling at Mark.

“Yes,” Sebastian said.

“I think this is why I clung to you, Mark. You were normal. You didn’t have a stench, a rot, like everyone else. I’m…” I paused. “I’m happy you found my brother. Everything seems right now. Here. Us four. This is right.”

“Thank you, Grey. I’m glad I didn’t lose you as a friend after all,” Mark said.

“You didn’t.” And tears were welling up in my eyes as well.

That’s when Mom shouted from downstairs. “Boys! Downstairs! Now!”

So we went.

Fiona. Her scent unmistakably happy. Never would I have described a scent on someone as happy, but with Fiona, that’s precisely what it was. And now it had intensified, mixed with some lime.

Mark sensed her, too. And he bolted down the stairs into her arms.

“Mom, I’m so sorry I left. Please forgive me.”

And Fiona cried. She held him tightly, her tears soaking into his shirt as she buried her face in his shoulder. Her sobs sounded like a mixture of relief and joy, each one a testament to the depth of her love and the agony of the days without him. She pulled back slightly, cupping his face in her hands, her eyes searching his as if to make sure he was truly there.

“Oh, Mark, my boy,” she said, her voice trembling. “I was so worried about you. They told me you were lost, but now you’re here. I didn’t even ask what happened, I knew Grey would find you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“In fact, Sebastian found him, Fiona,” I said from behind.

“Oh,” she said. “Of course he did.”

Mark hugged her even tighter, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I missed you too, Mom. I had to find Grey, but I never meant to worry you.”

Fiona shook her head, a smile breaking through her tears. “It’s alright. You did what you felt was right. I know you would never fail anyone you love. And you’re back now. That’s what matters.”

The room fell silent as everyone watched the reunion. Fiona’s happiness radiated through the room. She wasn’t stupid, however. And I think I might have piqued her interest with my statement about Sebastian.

She held her boy at arm’s length. “Wait. How did Sebastian find you? He was in his room last night when people were eating my casserole.”

“He… reached out to me,” Mark said.

“Ah. That doesn’t make sense. Try again.”

“It’s complicated.”

Fiona smacked him across the head. A playful smack, but a smack all the same. “And I’m not an idiot, son. But it’s ok, you can tell me when you feel ready.”

Beautiful and radiant Clara ran down the stairs. I couldn’t sense the fury of last night on her. Warranted fury because who wants to be ripped from sound restful sleep, right?

She basically jumped at Mark and enclosed him in her arms.

“Mark,” she said, continuing to hug.

“Ah, yeah, Clara?” Mark said.

“Welcome back.” And with that, she dropped the hug, and smiled at him with the biggest smile imaginable. “I’m sorry I was so grumpy last night.”

“Ah. Ha. It’s ok.”

“You got powers, man.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Told? You literally shot a god into pieces and left him on the floor just minutes after interdimensional travel or whatever that was.”

“You did what?” Fiona interjected.

“Again, it’s complicated, mom,” Mark said.

Fiona turned toward my mom and said, “Well, I’m glad we prepared enough food, Luna. The boys have some explaining to do.”

“I’m just glad to have them back,” Mom said.

Breakfast time. This was just like last night, but better because Mark was here. And Chronos wasn’t. And I really liked the morning because that’s when a day is still fresh and full of promises and possibilities.

Mom went all out, and it seemed like Fiona did as well. The breakfast table was a vibrant array of colors and aromas. Every dish was meticulously prepared, reflecting the joyful relief and celebratory spirit of the household. To think people would actually be happy to have me back was a foreign concept to me just a week ago.

Maple syrup drizzling over a mountain of pancakes. Freshly baked bread, its crust perfectly golden, emitted a warm, comforting scent that filled the room.

Mom, with a lightness to her that I didn’t remember ever seeing before, had arranged an array of fresh fruits—slices of bright orange, deep red strawberries, and glistening blueberries—all artfully displayed in a large crystal bowl, adding a refreshing zest to the table. Beside it, a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice caught the morning light.

The center of the table featured a large dish of hash browns, each piece crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, arranged around a bowl of rich, creamy country gravy. Nearby, a large casserole dish revealed layers of cheesy goodness, aromatic herbs, and tender vegetables, a testament to Fiona’s skill and care. The coffee pot burbled quietly in the background, filling the air with a robust, invigorating scent that promised a much-needed boost of energy.

As my family gathered around the table, the mood was light, almost festive. Family. It sounded so foreign, but I had wanted this for so long. The food not only offered nourishment but also served as a symbol of unity and a reminder of the normalcy they all craved. It was a moment of peace, a brief interlude from the chaos of our lives.

“It’s been a hell of a week for you, boys,” Fiona said.

Yup.

“Is that a question, mom?” Mark responded.

Fiona laughed, wiping a stray tear from her eye. “No, it’s not a question. It’s an acknowledgment. But Mark, I still don’t fully understand. Where were you? What is interdimensional travel? Who did you shoot?”

Mark glanced at me and then back at Fiona. “Well, it’s a bit like the stories you used to read us about wizards and warriors,” he began tentatively. “Except it’s not just stories. I… We can do things. Extraordinary things. I can’t even find the words to explain what I’ve seen.”

“Start at the beginning, sweetie.”

“It felt like I had failed everyone when Grey left…”

This was going to be long.

Mark continued, “I found him, way too easily. Like something was drawing me toward him. And he had met Dave and Clara in a bar that wasn’t really just a bar. Things felt right there. Magical, but like home. I knew we were on the right track. I knew because… I know people. Whenever I get close to someone, I feel them change…”

“Change how?” Fiona asked.

“Remember when Beatrice left?”

“Yes. What about that?”

“Something awoke in me. The day she left, I felt you heal when I got close to you. Whenever I got close to anyone, I would feel them. And if I stayed long enough, something in them would break free. You have to remember how our family changed?”

“I do.”

“And you knew it was me doing it?”

“Kind of. The power of love is what I called it.”

“We never really talked about it… And there’s something else…” Mark began tentatively. “Beatrice was my birth mom.”

Oh, right. She didn’t even know. I couldn’t fucking keep the facts straight in my head anymore.

“What?” Fiona replied, eyes widening.

“Luis instructed me to never tell anyone, not even you. I was turned as an infant. I wasn’t born wolf.”

Fiona’s gaze changed from one of curiosity into one of shock and horror. “Oh god.”

“No no, mom. It’s ok.”

“Luis gave you to us as an abandoned pup. He said you were from another pack that had perished.”

“That was a lie. But I’m so happy to have you as my parents, truly. I love you with all my heart, mom. Luis and Beatrice had an elaborate plan to keep destiny from happening. He separated me and my brother at birth, and to keep me in the pack, he decided to change me. It would’ve been odd for a human to grow up here, I guess.”

“That was so dangerous. How could he…”

“I’m fine, mom. I’m fine.”

“Do you know where your brother is now?” Fiona wanted to know.

Mark turned his head and nodded toward Dave. “He’s sitting right there.”

Fiona’s eyes widened some more. “Really now?”

“Yup. So. Back to the bar. Grey, Dave, Clara, and me sat down. We ate pizza. And to sum it up, we figured that we had to find answers. Answers to the magic happening around us, to questions we didn’t even know how to ask yet. And of course to the plight of our pack here. Clara is a powerful and ancient druid, and we went to meet her friends in the Eldarwood.”

Mark nodded toward Clara, who simply raised her hand in greeting. “Hi.”

“Eldarwood! I have heard of this place in tales!” Fiona said.

“That’s where we… met my grandmother.”

It might have seemed impossible, but yet, again, Fiona’s eyes widened.

“My maternal grandmother Deia and this other druid woman Maio tried to make sense of it all. So there’s this mythical place under the Eldarwood called Labirinthoset, and it’s where we went to find answers. But before getting past the first door, I was teleported… elsewhere.”

Teleported? He died in front of me. He screamed in agony. His very blood spattered in front of the door we stood. But I wasn’t going to query him on this in front of Fiona. Nope.

Mark continued, “I found myself in Ginnungagap, the vast void. It’s not just a place, it’s the underpinning of everything and nothing at once. It’s so difficult to describe… I was talking to it. To all of it. I was told that I wasn’t supposed to be there.”

Fiona, visibly trying to grasp these concepts, interjected, “But how can a place be both everything and nothing?”

“Imagine being everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. Time and space lose all meaning. Infinite dimensions. You don’t see, you don’t hear, you don’t touch, you don’t talk. You just are. When I say, it felt like forever, it’s not a hyperbole. I knew it would rip me apart if I again came back to my body as I am now. But it had to be done, so I did. I was never supposed to be there, the Constructs had tried to remove me from the equation, and that’s why I am back. With vengeance.”

With a hint of skepticism, I leaned in. “Mark, Chronos explicitly wanted us to retrieve you, to bring you back. How does that align with the Constructs wanting to keep the Triad apart? If they truly see us as a threat, why help in reuniting us?”

Mark nodded, seemingly acknowledging the contradiction. “That’s the paradox, isn’t it? I believe Chronos and some others might not fully align with the Constructs’ agenda, or perhaps he sees an advantage in us being together that we haven’t realized yet. My experience in Ginnungagap made it clear—they fear what we might become, yet they can’t control all the variables. My return was not planned by them; it was a direct defiance of their intent.”

“And I sent him away,” I said.

“Well, he was lying. Certifiably so,” Dave said.

“True. But maybe that was a misunderstanding. Was it? Oh god, I don’t know.”

“The Constructs tried to kill me to disrupt the Triad, seeing us as a significant threat to their dominance. This wasn’t the plan they wanted, but it’s the reality they inadvertently created,” Mark added, his voice firm with resolve.

“Yet, they let you live. They let Dave live. They concocted a weird plan of keeping us all apart, but never attempted to kill one of us until Labirinthoset,” I said.

Fiona looked from Grey to Mark, trying to keep up with the revelations. “So, what do we do with this knowledge? How do we move forward?”

Clara’s voice held a trace of urgency as she spoke, “As I said last night, we need to consult Maio and Deia. The mysteries we uncovered in Labirinthoset were beyond any of our expectations. If anyone can help us decipher these enigmas, it’s them. Their wisdom is crucial now, more than ever.”

A sharp knock on the front door sliced through the morning calm, drawing everyone’s attention.

Mom got up to answer the door, but before she could even reach it, it swung open to reveal one of my dad’s enforcers. I knew him. It was Casey, and he seemed flustered.

“I’m sorry, Luna,” Casey said. He bared his neck to her. “I need to speak with the Alpha.”

“My husband is no longer…” Mom tried to correct him immediately.

He interrupted her, head hung low, neck still bared, “Your son. I need to speak with your son.”

Mom’s face was ecstatic. I got up and walked toward the door.

“Casey. What is it?” I said with a low voice, trying to sound authoritative.

voice low. i like it. good wolf.

It’s my new thing.

“Alpha. I’m glad you’re here. Everyone’s glad you’re here.”

“Thanks. You can look at me now. Please relax.”

He did, his eyes bulging. “Why are you so big?”

“I eat well, I guess. Casey, meet my Consort.”

‘Please stand beside me, Dave,’ I sent to Dave.

‘Uh, ok,’ Dave answered. He got up and casually walked to stand beside me.

And the neck baring again. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Casey,” he said.

“Nice to meet you, Casey. I am Dave. Please relax. What is it, why did you come barging in?” Dave said.

“Several people have arrived at the pack’s borders. They have leaves in their hair and seem to come from afar. The one who appears to be their leader introduced herself as Maio. She said you would know who she is.”

“We do. Please lead them here,” I said.

“It’s at least twenty people,” Casey said.

“Oh. I guess we’re going to meet them outside then.”

“There’s something else, Alpha. Your father…”

“What is it?”

“We can’t find him. I think he’s gone.”

Good. Or not.

But that was something we’d have to deal with another time.