Connor and the Wolves - 31. The Werewolf Mage

Connor’s feet skimmed the track, streaking together as he focused on speeding up. Eighty-metre strides were a much-needed improvement over the endless block starts Alastair had forced him through that morning — slip up one time in a meet and the coach was merciless, even if Connor had still managed third place.
The cones blurred past, and Connor began decelerating, moving off the track as Brienne took his place. Jason and Dylan were both missing. Brienne had mentioned the nekos were both off the team after Varyal. That stunk of favouritism — Brienne had missed Varyal’s meet alongside the two, though Jason being escorted off campus by the Kingsguard was a bit more extreme of an absence.
The neko had been in school. Connor had seen him cosying up with an elf of all people that morning, though the two seemed a little frosty later in the day. School romances. If they lasted more than a week, tongues began to wag about fated mates. Jason seemed to fit that profile — it had barely taken a week for him to end things with Brienne.
How would Connor’s romance with Soren go? They were actual fated mates — Connor couldn’t see Soren breaking up with him. And the werewolf was so timid, Connor really couldn’t imagine him doing anything to make Connor break up with him. Maybe they’d be the one high school romance to last.
Though if they were fated to be together, did it really count?
Connor pushed the thought from his mind, sipping at some water to soothe his dry throat. He fought the urge to pour water over his head. The heat wasn’t that bad, and practice was almost over. There was no reason to get wet for the bus ride home.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, Connor stared at the last message from Soren. Connor’s hand flashed on the screen above Soren’s response, poised over his crotch. He didn’t know what had come over him — why would he tease a werewolf like that?
Not that it mattered. He was a claimed man now. One day he’d be a werewolf. It was only a matter of time. He wasn’t sure whether to be thrilled or worried. Either way, his parents were going to make his life a nightmare the moment they found out. If Connor could push that moment off, he was going to take every chance to keep his parents from knowing.
Setting his phone aside, Connor jogged to the starting line as Brienne finished her stride. He started down the track, steadily accelerating until the cones at the end blurred past again.
And another round. And another. By the end of practice, Connor was dripping sweat, his shirt clinging to his skin. Heading into the locker room, he stuffed the shirt in his locker. Werewolves liked musk; maybe Soren would enjoy the shirt.
A quick, thorough, shower got most of the stench off him, and Connor hurried to catch the bus home. He found a couple of wolves waiting at the bus stop — fresh from school if the bags on their backs were any indication. One of them looked familiar; probably a runner on the wolf track team. Not Devyn; he was almost certain Devyn was a red wolf, not cinnamon.
He’d almost say the wolf looked like Soren, but that was ridiculous. Soren lived kilometres from Quarian Academy. His home was the opposite direction from Elias Academy, and Connor certainly wasn’t worth the trek.
The bus arrived, cutting off Connor’s speculation. He waited for the wolves to board first, knowing they’d need help buckling into their belts for the ride.
Dropping into a seat near the middle of the bus, Connor clipped on his earbuds and turned on his music. He relaxed against the seat, eyes closed as he worked through a list of things he had to do tonight. That report on the biochemistry of mages was due by the end of the week, and he needed to finish the study on the conservation of mass in werewolf shifts. Hopefully River wouldn’t mind him staying awake later into the night. His father slept through the daytime to keep his eye from the light, but he still enforced a strict bedtime for Connor.
It didn’t take long before Connor was stepping off the bus. A quick jog brought him to the apartment complex, and a sprint up three flights of stairs saw him outside his apartment.
River was laying back in his chair, light snores filling the room. He still had an hour before he usually woke up — the afternoon light was still too painful.
Connor closed the front door quietly, creeping into the bedroom. It took a moment to unpack his bag from the weekend, slipping everything neatly away as quietly as possible.
The sound of the doorbell shattered any hope of keeping River asleep. Connor sighed as he shoved his bag into the closet. Slipping out of the bedroom, he grabbed the front door as River grumbled from the recliner.
“I got it.”
His father grunted, stretching out on the chair. Connor opened the front door.
“Oh… it is the right door,” Soren muttered.

Connor’s heart thundered in his chest. He pushed Soren back, closing the door behind them.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed, his hand on Soren’s chest.
“I… I wanted to see you.” Soren’s voice was filled with confusion. He stared at Connor’s hand. Connor yanked it away.
“I want to see you too, but my father cannot find out-”
The door opened.
“Find out what, Connor?” River scowled at his son.
Connor winced. River hadn’t bothered putting on an eye patch — almost like he wanted to scare Soren off.
“That… that Soren is my boyfriend…” he muttered, head dipping to stare at the ground.
Give River something to find, some flaw to latch onto. Maybe he wouldn’t look too deeply. If it meant he wouldn’t find out Soren was a werewolf, Connor would even tell his dad Soren was selling him neko juice.
…Okay, maybe he wouldn’t go that far.
“His mate-” Soren started.
“Dad doesn’t like that term,” Connor said quickly, eyes flashing a warning at the werewolf.
Behind him, River grunted.
“Nice to put a face to the name. Connor let you have our Netview account.”
“Oh yeah… sorry about that,” Connor muttered, rubbing the back of his head.
River stepped back inside, closing the door behind him. Connor let out a ragged breath.
“Fuck…”
“I messed up again,” Soren muttered.
“Kind of, yeah,” Connor agreed. “How did you find this place?”
“I… kind of followed you from school.”
Blasted werewolves….
“You’re not going to turn into one of those stalker boyfriends, are you?” Connor laughed, playing off the question, but a hint of steel remained buried in his voice.
Soren shuddered.
“No… I’ll… um… I’ll go-”
“Uh-uh. You’re here now. We’re going to make the most of this.”
Grabbing Soren’s hand, Connor tugged him into the apartment. The door closed behind them, leaving the two in silence. A moment later, the shower ground on. River was starting his evening routine.
“Okay, we have a couple of minutes,” Connor said, pulling Soren into a tight hug.
“You’re… not mad?” Soren asked as his arms hesitantly wrapped around Connor’s back.
“Nah. Not thrilled that Dad knows, but as long as you’re not a werewolf, he probably won’t care that much.”
Soren stared at Connor, his eyes unreadable. Finally, the werewolf muttered, “Okay.”
“Look, I’m sorry,” Connor murmured, glancing toward the bedroom. “He just… has a bad history with wolves. I didn’t want you to come out here. It’s nothing against you, I swear. I just don’t want you to have to pretend to be something you’re not.”
“It’s okay Connor. Really.” Soren gently lifted Connor’s chin, and their eyes met. A second later, the werewolf’s lips caressed Connor’s own, soft and caring, despite the slight fumbling. Connor’s heart skipped a beat — Soren was getting really good at that.
A loud ring pulled the two apart. Frowning, Soren pulled his phone from his pocket.
“Um… hello?”
“WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?”
Khurtschono’s voice blasted through the phone. Soren yanked it away from his ear as Connor tried not to laugh. The poor guy must have hit the speaker by mistake.
“At… at Connor’s-”
“I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU FOR AN HOUR! YOU KEEP DITCHING ME!”
“I’m not-”
“FROM NOW ON YOU GIVE ME AT LEAST TWO DAYS NOTICE IF YOU DON’T NEED A RIDE.”
“But what about tomorrow-”
“EXACTLY. SEE YOU TOMORROW.”
The phone went dead, leaving nothing but Connor’s quiet snickering. Soren lowered his phone, casting a withering stare at Connor.
“Sorry.” He just couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “That’s just… that’s classic SharpCat. I’d make sure you’re wherever you need to be tomorrow.”
“Oh… I should go then…”
“Wait-” Connor grabbed Soren’s arm before he could leave. “I… um…” He sucked in a breath, glancing away as his cheeks burned. “I was going to make some dinner. Might be better than fresh-caught fish.” He smiled wanly, hoping Soren wouldn’t be offended.
To his relief, Soren chuckled.
“I’d love some dinner.”

For his large size, Soren didn’t take up much of the small kitchen. Connor kept an eye on him as he drizzled oil in a skillet and removed chicken from bone. His hands were dexterous, his eyes sharp.
Connor forced himself to focus on the salad he was making. If he started getting excited, Soren would get excited, and it would be even harder to pass him off as a non-wolf.
Of course, the smell of frying chicken might drag out Soren’s wolfish instincts anyway. Connor was salivating already from the scent.
It didn’t take long to get the chicken plated, with generous helpings of coleslaw and fries. Connor carried a plate to River, before excusing himself and Soren to the bedroom to eat. The short table he and River usually ate at would certainly not support three.
“Keep the door open,” River grumbled as the two slipped into the bedroom.
Connor sighed, but left the door cracked. Setting his own plate on the desk in the room, he grabbed his phone and turned on some music. The phone went next to the door, strategically placed to prevent any eavesdroppers, and he reclaimed his food before dropping on the bed.
“You and your father share a bed?” Soren noted.
“Sort of.” Connor shrugged. “I sleep at night, he sleeps during the day. It keeps the light from burning his eye and lets me be fresh for school. There isn’t any space in here for a second bed.”
“What happened?”
“Werewolf attack. It was during a protest after one of Dowager Finley’s new Wolf Laws. Dad stepped in between a wolf and another officer, and got clawed. It got infected, he lost his eye, and he lost his job.”
“Oh. Did they get the werewolf who did it?” Soren asked.
“Uh… yeah… funny story,” Connor muttered, glancing at the door. “Wolf who did it works security for Elias Academy during school events. He’s… actually a pretty nice guy. Dad doesn’t know, though.” He shrugged helplessly. “The guy said he felt so remorseful for the hit that he joined up to try to prevent things like that from happening again. Dad refused to talk to him or answer any of the letters he sent apologising.”
Soren tore through a piece of chicken, frowning as he chewed.
“I didn’t know they let werewolves on the Patrol.”
“Oh yeah, Mom’s a werewolf,” Connor said. He grimaced at Soren’s confused look. “She turned after she and Dad separated. It’s why I go to a pack school. What about you?”
A moment of silence stretched into two. Soren stared at his food.
“What about me?” he asked finally.
“How’d you get dragged into a pack school?” For most people, it would be obvious. Soren was a werewolf. He’d been sent to a pack school. But Connor knew that only worked if the werewolf was part of an actual pack, and he doubted Soren held any sort of membership.
“Uh… I… got picked up for truancy,” the werewolf muttered. “Wolf Patrol caught me searching for something to eat, and they sent me to Elias Academy.”
“You’re a mage?”
Connor and Soren jumped as River appeared in the doorway. River’s eye flashed at the werewolf. Soren’s face was ashen, all warmth stolen from him.
“Yes sir,” he stammered. “I… I can shift. Any form I want — though it takes an intimate understanding of the form.”
Connor had to give it to Soren. He could lie really well. He didn’t even act like he was lying — the opposite in fact, like the information was a load off his chest. There was no way River wouldn’t believe him.
“Thought so,” River rumbled. “Connor knows better than to bring a wolf around here.”
Connor fought back a flinch at that. To his credit, Soren didn’t even bat an eye.
But it worked. River had his secret. He’d leave the two alone now, satisfied that he knew what they were trying to hide.
“Is that why you draw?” Connor questioned, trying to add credence to Soren’s words.
“Yeah. Yeah it is,” Soren replied with a small smile. “At least, when I can. There’s an alpaca I used to draw on Kurt’s farm, but it left with the old owners.”
“You work on a farm?” River picked up that thread. Connor winced — if the two let themselves go, they could be pressing Soren for answers for the next week.
“No sir,” Soren said. “I… I don’t work.”
“I’m sure you’re too busy hunting and fishing,” Connor added quickly, already seeing River’s scowl at Soren’s answer. “It sounds like a lot of work living in the woods.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey Dad, shouldn’t you head out to the gym? You’ll miss the bus if you wait,” Connor said, casting a glance at River.
It was absolutely transparent. But River had been young once. He had to remember wanting time alone with Emma, right?
Connor fought back a wince at the thought. The way his parents acted, he was surprised he was ever born. They’d been a loving family once, but the strain of River’s disability had ruined that.
“You know, I’m contemplating taking the night off.”
Was it his imagination, or did River actually smirk? Connor tried not to react — if he showed any sign his father was disturbing him, River was likely to pounce.
“Great! You can listen to Soren and me make out all night,” Connor grinned.
“Wait, what-?” Soren started.
“Fine. I’ll be back at my usual time,” River said, turning to leave the room. “Oh, and if I find out the two you actually did anything-”
“Come on Dad. I’m not having sex with anyone.” Beside Connor, Soren shuffled his feet nervously. “I’m sure we’ll just be working on homework together.”
“Right.”
Why was it adults got away with rolling their eyes? If Connor did that, he’d be in so much trouble.
He let it go. Better to get River out so Connor and Soren could spend some time together. He would have nudged River out the door if it hadn’t been so suspicious. As it was, Connor breathed a sigh of relief as his father finally left the apartment.

“Something’s wrong.”
Connor glanced up from his homework, glancing at the desk where Soren was playing SoA. He frowned at the sight of the guild screen — Neko Pack was missing.
“Huh. Sharp might have banned you.” He’d have to talk with her. That was three bans in two weeks, and two of those had been without Connor’s approval. Tongues would start wagging soon.
“Oh. Because… because I claimed you?” Soren asked.
“Probably. Especially if that’s what got Altanmuur banned too. SharpCat doesn’t play favourites.”
“He… tried to claim me…” Soren muttered, staring at the screen.
A snort broke from Connor. He slapped his arm over his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter threatening to burst out.
“Altanmuur? But he’s, what, ten years old?”
“Twelve… I think…”
“Still, that’s too young to even think about claiming someone.” Connor paused, cocking his head. “You… you don’t feel anything for him, right? I mean, he’d be your mate too.”
Soren shrugged.
“I'd never act on it. But that’s why Kurt banned him from the guild.”
“Then yeah, that’s why she banned you too. It’s less her being petty and mean, and more her trying to keep a single standard for wolves and non-wolves alike.”
“They’re sending him to therapy.”
Connor frowned.
“Probably for the best,” he decided. “Werewolves can get severely depressed when they’re rejected. You probably don’t feel it because you hooked up with me so fast.”
“So… should I join a new guild?”
“Mmm… Try Otter Spotters. They’re a noob-friendly guild. There are plenty of people who can help you out if you ask them in chat. I think I’m still a part of their PackTalk.”
“Otter Spotters?”
“Yeah. You know that trucking run I told you about on Urdyal? Mathis is Rellanic for Otter, so new truckers are often called Otters. The guild is geared more toward trucking and protecting truckers, but it’s still a good place to meet other players and learn the game.”
“Methis,” Soren said. “Uh… it’s the… scientific word for the family otters are in.”
“Nerd.” Connor snorted.
“Says the person taking advanced science classes.”
Their eyes met, and a tiny smile lifted the corner of Soren’s lips.
“Careful. Rib me like that too much and I might try to claim you,” Connor grinned. “Seriously though, it’s nice to see your shell cracking a bit.”
He stood up and walked behind the werewolf. Wrapping his arms across Soren’s chest, Connor pressed a cautious kiss against his head.
“So, a mage, huh?”
Soren tensed up under Connor’s arms. Rubbing his thumbs over the werewolf’s chest, Connor soothed him back into a relaxed seat.
“Yeah… My parents were mages,” Soren said slowly, as though each word hurt.
“Hey, as long as it keeps my dad off our backs.”
Wait… was Soren actually a mage? No… that was ridiculous. Why would a mage pretend to claim a random stranger? Soren had to be a werewolf. He was just a really good actor.
Shaking his head, Connor gathered up his work and set it neatly in a drawer.
“Well, I hate to break this all short, but I do need to get to bed. And you need to head home before SharpCat neuters you.”
“Yeah,” Soren muttered, unfolding himself from the chair. “I… um… I need to shift-”
“Or you can let your boyfriend treat you to a free ride on the bus back to your place,” Connor suggested, setting a couple of copper coins on the desk. “Come on. You made me this really cool bracelet. Let me do something for you.”
Soren stared at the coins. Connor could already see the protest forming in his mind.
“Besides, wouldn’t it be suspicious for my dad to see a wolf coming from the apartment?” Connor added innocently.
“Er… yeah… I guess it would,” Soren agreed, setting his hand over the coins. “Um… You want to come to my place again this weekend? I’ll stay away from the fish this time.”
“Sounds great.” Connor grinned, nudging Soren from the room. He followed the werewolf to the front door. “And try calling next time you want to stop by. I wouldn’t want you to walk in on the orgies Dad and I throw constantly.”
A laugh blurted from Soren, and Connor’s grin widened. Score.
“I’ll see you on Varyal,” he said, rising up on his toes to plant a kiss against Soren’s lips.
“See you,” Soren smiled, dipping his head to return the kiss.