LIAM: HE STOOD UP WITH A GROWL, THEN CONTINUED GROWLING AND YAPPING IN A WAY THAT REMINDED ME OF A HUSKY.
“You can’t talk, buddy.” Briar told him, still kneeling
I finally allowed myself to take a whole breath.
“Oh, Pete.” I sighed, slowly reaching out for him to sniff my hand. I didn’t wanna touch him until he was ready. “Are you feeling better?”
He answered with a rumble, licking the tips of my fingers.
He was noticeably smaller than Briar was, perhaps it was an age thing. He had a smattering of gray and red short fur. I finally took stock of the other two.
Maddie had long black hair, Latina by the looks of things. She had a kind face and almond shaped eyes that flickered back and forth between Pete, Jacob, and me.
Jacob was a large wolf, perhaps around the same size as Briar, with gray and white fur and these big blue eyes.
Maddie played translator for Jacob, explaining to Pete the various how-tos while in this form. I watched carefully as Pete explored his new body, prancing about in circles and jumping around. Briar directed me to the porch while they talked on the front lawn, taking a seat on an old swing bench beside the front door.
We spent a long time in the front yard, long enough that around 8:00 AM another truck came rumbling down the gravel path. A family of five came spilling out the sides. A large, gruff looking man and a woman with fiery red hair in the front and passenger seat. While in the back an older, bored looking teenager, a younger one, and a young excited child from the back seats. They looked like a typical nuclear family, but since they were here, I knew the truth.
“Maddie, honey how are you?” The woman greeted, embracing the shorter girl and kissing the air beside her cheeks.
“We’re doing better now.” She sighed, “This here is Pete. He just went through his first shift.”
“How ya doin’ Pete?” The large man lowered his hands on his knees, grinning nice and wide. Pete barked back, but took a few steps away. The large man laughed, before turning his attention to the porch.
“Briar! Get down here.” he called, Briar answered with a grin, taking me by the arm to gently lead me down to greet them.
“Heya Grant.” Briar smiled, the man pulled him into a bear hug.
“I heard ye were on this side’o town with a new dog. Had’ta see it myself.”
I wondered if calling them dogs was supposed to be demeaning, but Briar didn’t say anything if it was.
“You must be Liam, Never thought I’d see the day.” he said as he pulled me into a bone crushing hug. The man surprised me, he was an omega.
“You know me?” I peeped through the squeeze.
“Course I do!” He began, then trailed off when Briar gave him a very strong look, “Ah, ye haven’t talked yet I take it. Never mind, never mind. I’m happy’ta meet ye regardless!”
“What’s he talking about?” I turned to Briar, who looked embarrassed enough to crawl into a hole.
“Nothing.” Briar cleared his throat.
“Said too much?” Grant asked before launching into a full belly laugh. The other woman approached, I assumed she was his alpha which was confirmed when she came close enough to shake my hand.
“Honey, quit teasing Briar.” She began as she shook my hand. “I’m Diane.”
“Liam. I’m Peter’s guardian.” I informed her, she smiled and turned around to gesture at her kids.
“This is Daniel, my eldest. Micheal, and then Samantha, my youngest.”
“Nice to meet you three.” I smiled. Sam hid behind her mom with a shy smile, while Daniel only nodded. Micheal was the only one to greet me verbally.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“How old are you three?”
“Daniel is seventeen, and Micheal is fifteen. Little Sammy is six.” Diane spoke.
“Oh! Pete is sixteen now, you might get along!” I smiled at the older two of the three. Micheal smiled with interest, and I caught the barest glimmer of curiosity in those eyes.
“What do you think, guys? Wanna go for a run?” Diane asked her children.
Micheal was already running back to the truck, midway to taking off his shirt when he opened the car door and jumped inside.
“Hey! What have I told ye about changing in the truck!” Grant called after him.
“Honey, it’s fine.” Diane disagreed.
“Easy for you to say! He’s putting scratches in me seats!” He protested, and I couldn’t help but giggle a little.
Soon enough a young wolf hopped out of the car, running up to Pete who was watching the introductions with interest while Daniel used the open car door as cover for his own change. He was a little bigger than his brother in wolf form, but the coloring was very similar. I had trouble picking them out when they approached Pete together, sniffing him around his body.
Pete looked confused by their inspection as he sat down on his haunches and rolled his head away from a particularly intrusive nose. Then the other wolves dropped their upper bodies low, leaving their hinds in the air. They took the typical dog-play stance and it made me giggle which turned into a full laugh when Pete hesitantly returned the gesture, and the two wolves before him took off in a full sprint around the yard. Pete looked at me curiously.
“Go on!” I urged him to play, and it’s like he was waiting for it, because he took off next as well, although a little more hesitantly than the other two.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
I sighed as I watched them chase each other in circles.
“Have they taken him into the woods yet?” Grant asked Maddie, who was hovering nearby. Jacob was watching nearby as well.
“Not yet, no.” She answered, then turned to me. “We can, with your permission.”
“Is it safe?” I asked.
“Every hunter in town knows these are our woods. Your boy will be safe.” She smiled comfortingly.
“Okay, then. I don’t see the harm.”
Jacob took that as his queue to join the play fray, running into the round and leading the charge into the woods. Pete hesitated at the border, looking back at me one more time before following him.
“Hey, wait for me!” Grant called, awkwardly hopping out of his pants and making me shield my eyes as he shifted while moving.
I heard Briar hum beside me, and I gave him my attention.
“What? You can go too, if you want.”
“Are you sure?” Briar asked, I wasn’t expecting that to be what the matter was, even though I told him he could. I laughed.
“Go on, big guy. I’ll be here.”
He flashed me a blinding smile that made my heart flutter, stripping out of his clothes right there and running off in the direction of the woods, shifting midway through before disappearing in the treeline.
I sighed as I watched him leave.
“The boys will be hungry when they get back.” Maddie commented, and Diane agreed.
“Want to make some food for them?”
“I’d be happy to help.” I offered, and was met with smiles all around.
“Let’s.” Diane invited.
Maddie led the way into the estate, easily the largest piece of property I’d ever seen, and that was saying something as someone who lived in small towns my whole life. Sam went to play in the living room while we went to the kitchen.
Said kitchen was neat yet rustic, with a generous island in the middle with metal chairs surrounding it. I wondered if Clarice lived here, or if it was just Maddie and Jacob in this massive house all by themselves.
We got started, working together fluidly as a team while gossiping about regular small town drama. They seemed really excited to be able to relive some of these experiences, like the time Ms. Abernathy tried to call the cops on the neighbors for having Halloween decorations up during the summer. Silly petty stories that were as much fun as they were innocent dramas.
This continued for a long while before the front door creaked open and closed. I wondered if they were already back, when suddenly there came a pretty brunette into the kitchen. I recognized her as Jeanette.
“Oh, hi Jeanette!” I smiled at her, she didn’t return it.
“Hi.” Was all she said, before turning to the other ladies. “What are you making?”
“Macaroni, coleslaw, pork chops, and watermelon slices.” Maddie explained, avoiding eye contact with her.
“Hm.” She huffed. I frowned. There was something going on, here. She turned back toward me.
“So. He brought you along.” She noted.
“Ah, yeah. Peter started shifting this morning, so we had t-”
“-I know what happened.” She said flatly, I resisted the urge to flinch. What was going on?
“I’m just saying he could have left you at home.” She set her purse down on the table nearby. I couldn’t take the attitude, so I rounded on her.
“What’s your problem?” I faced her head on.
“Did I say there was a problem?” She lifted her chin defiantly.
“I can read between the lines. The other day you visited my house you were all sunshine and rainbows and now you’re speaking to me like I’m dirt. What’s going on?” I put my hands on my hips, and behind me, Diane slowly stopped what she was doing to watch.
“Then read this: I don’t like you.”
“Why? I didn’t do anything to you.”
“You’ve done plenty.” She scoffed.
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve barely known him for what, a week? And here you are, coming to our territory making lunch for the boys as if you belong here. Get real. You don’t belong here.” She glared, voice full of venom. I barely resisted the flinch this time. She was preying on my weakness. My insecurity that I didn’t belong, I knew that, but it still hurt.
“I’m just as much pack as Pete is.” I told her, voice quieter.
“Well, then maybe he doesn’t belong here either, then.”
“And who are you to make that claim?” Someone else said, someone more powerful than anyone else in the room. Clarice stood by the doorway in a white shirt and a taupe blazer, glaring. Immediately Jeanette’s head was down.
“N-No one, sir. I was just…”
“Being a cunt.” Clarice finished for her, and Jeanette flinched.
“I didn’t mean anything by it…”
“You meant everything by it. Watch yourself, before I suspend you from pack resources for your insolence.”
Jeanette looked like she was about to cry. She didn’t say anything, just grabbed her purse again and left the house.
We were left in tense silence for a while, Clarice still glaring at the space Jeanette occupied.
“You’ll have to forgive her behavior. She’s…” Clarice began, trailing off in thought.
“Jealous?” I offered. Clarice nodded at my guess. “I guessed. She seems sweet on him.”
“They were childhood friends.” Clarice explained, approaching. With her attention on me, I could feel that unnatural focus once again, like she and I were the only two people in the room and I was being interrogated.
“You were mistaken about one thing, though.” She began, “You’re not just as much pack as Pete.”
“Oh.” I finally looked away, saddened, the motion was interrupted by her hand gently lifting my chin to face her.
“You and Pete are just as much pack as everyone in this room, including myself. Being pack means being family. Don’t forget that, that’s an order from your alpha.”
Well now I wanted to cry. I avoided tears gathering in my eyes, thankfully, but I sensed she knew I was emotional.
“Yes sir.” I said. She smiled approvingly.
“Well? How soon till the food is done, I’m hungry.” Clarice turned away from me, walking over to the counter to steal a watermelon slice. She barely stayed around for the answer, heading outside next. I finally felt like I could breathe again. Diane put her hands on my shoulder comfortingly.
“Hey, it’s okay.” She said softly.
“Jeanette is a bit of a bitch to everyone.” Maddie said, finally finishing up the last of the pork chops.
“Except for when she’s not.” I said, frowning. “She was so nice when we first met.”
“Briar was there. He’s the only one she’s nice to. He still doesn’t fully believe people when they say she’s got the mouth of a viper.”
“Great.” I groaned.
“Something tells me he’ll believe you though.” Diane chirped in.
“I dunno. I probably won't tell him.” I sighed. “They’re friends, I don’t wanna seem like I’m taking that away from him.”
“So sweet.” Diane patted my hair, turning to a closet just outside of the kitchen, and pulling out a white fold up table.
“Let’s get this outside.” She grunted, lifting it higher. I approached to help, only to be shooed away. Maddie gave me a watermelon slice as if she were pacifying me, before grabbing two of the trays of food. I quickly devoured the sweet treat before grabbing the other two in my arms, reminding me of my long ago waiter days as I chased her out the door.
“Shall we call them?” Maddie asked, and Diane cleared her throat.
“Boys!” she called out, “Lunch time!”
A resulting howl resounded shortly thereafter, followed by another, and another, until a chorus of howls sang from the hills.