The rain had let up overnight, leaving the morning with a pleasant moisture to the air. Not so hot to make the humidity uncomfortable, but not cold either. Levi looked out the window and could just make out the crystalline blue of the waterfront in the far distance.

Rosa hummed softly behind him, fixing her hair. Derrick and Baxter, Levi knew, were waiting downstairs. Baxter wanted them to see the sights, so to speak, before the man from the Bureau arrived.

“Inspector Lorrane,” Derrick had explained over that morning’s coffee, “is one of the most senior members of the Bureau of Conservation and Investigation. He works with individuals like you all over the country, making sure i's are dotted and t’s are crossed. From Lycans, to Hydras, Hybrids to Nymphs, he’s got experience with just about everything you could imagine. He’ll get this sorted out.”

Levi didn’t share Derrick’s faith in the Bureau. He did, however, have some measure of faith in Derrick. He would never admit it, even under threat of torture, but he owed the man that much, at least. Arthur had trusted him. Surely there was a reason for that.

If he thought about it, he would have realized that he felt a touch of jealousy over Arthur and Derrick’s friendship. Levi had never had much to himself, had never had much of his own life. Knowing that his best friend had sides he didn’t know, shared inside jokes with someone that he wouldn’t have understood, made him uncomfortable and a little sad.

Rosa squeezed him from behind, arms around his midsection. He smiled out the bedroom window.

“You,” she began, “seem relaxed.”

“I think I am relaxed,” Levi admitted, feeling a little awed by the words. Everything felt like it would be okay. He felt like he had a place again. Sure, things were still changing. Santa Cruz would be different, he knew. He’d have to figure out what his and Rosa’s living situation would be like, how to get her things if she decided to move with him. How to live with himself if she didn’t. He’d have a pack to blend in with, have to make new connections, find a new job... But right now, it didn’t bother him. Didn’t dig into his skin like it had done before.

That was all for future-Levi. Present-Levi was calm, and focused, and not falling in and out of nightmarish waking nightmares for the first time in days. Hell, the first time in weeks. It was a good feeling. It was a great feeling.

When they walked down the stairs, dressed and fresh for the day, they found Baxter and Derrick waiting by the front door. When they climbed into the Mustang, Rosa hopped in the driver’s seat. When Rosa started the engine, Baxter let out a laugh at the way its snarl rumbled through his chest.

“That’s good,” he grinned, nudging Derrick. “That’s real good.”

“Isn’t it?” Derrick asked, unable to keep a smile from his own face. Whoever Elizabeth and Baxter were, Derrick seemed utterly at ease with them in a way Levi had never seen him. Granted, Levi had only seen him in the context of his work, which he knew from experience was stressful. But still, it felt odd to see the man like this.

He had a curious moment of déjà vu. There was a time, when Levi was young, where he and his father had been in a supermarket together, picking up the week’s groceries. They had stumbled into Mister Roberts, his middle school history teacher. It had been surreal, because he’d never seen the man outside of school. And yet, there he had been, in the store like he belonged there.

He’d forgotten the man’s name, actually, called him by the wrong one. The awkwardness of the encounter haunted him late at night when he was trying to sleep.

Rosa shifted the vehicle into neutral and rolled them down the driveway and onto the road. Then she put the vehicle in first gear, driving west.

“So, Derrick,” Baxter said. “What took you so long to visit huh?”

“Well,” the man replied somewhat gruffly, “I’ve been on a long-term assignment in Redding. Santa Cruz had someone up there, trying to convince the boys in Redding to integrate.”

Baxter let out a little chuff, apparently amused.

“We’ve been trying to get Redding to integrate for forty years.”

“Well, the Santa Cruz wolf had a personal connection with Reinhart. Figured he had a good shot.”

Levi sat up a bit in the passenger seat. Arthur buzzed in his head with annoyance, refusing to make an appearance. This was information that Levi did not yet have in any detail.

“So, what,” Baxter asked, “they were banking on that to get the entire pack into the system?”

“From what I was told, it was working. Bureau officials got invited more than once to visit with Reinhart while this was going on.”

They made a left turn and came out onto another narrow street, but this one was lined with first-floor shops of various kinds. A boutique advertised exclusive faux-leather fashion. A salon offering half-priced hair dye for that week and that week only. The sign on the window looked like it had been up for a few years. An ice cream store proudly advertised its selection of both ice cream and frozen yogurt. A boba tea shop, colorful neon signs featuring a bubble filled cup buzzing on the front.

Trees hung over the road in a few spots, vibrant green from the warming weather and ever-present moisture in the air.

“Well, this whole stunt with Levi isn’t going to help,” Baxter huffed. “And I’m sure Santa Cruz won’t be happy to hear one of their own is being hunted.”

Derrick sighed and Levi heard the rasp of his hand brushing his stubble.

“It’s a mess. The ambassador that was up there is dead, Levi’s being chased south with his tail between his legs- uh, no offense.”

“None taken,” Baxter said amicably.

“If anything, Redding is more isolated than it was before we started,” Derrick admitted. “Bloodthirsty to boot. And I know the Santa Cruz pack is usually fairly calm, but I don’t know how well they’ll take to having this stray show up at their door. And I know they’ve been having issues since the Colorado incident-”

“Which they still won’t tell us about,” Baxter interrupted. He leaned against the door and rolled down the window, letting the salty sea air flood in. “Well, the ambassador’s dead, Reinhart had some kind of connection to him. Figures he’d be a touch upset.”

Levi pretended not to notice Derrick glance at him.

“Yes, well,” Derrick grunted, “nothing that can be done about that now. Reinhart is playing a very dangerous game of chicken right now. The bureau can pull his pack apart into little pieces if it has to, and he has to know that.”

Baxter didn’t seem to like the sound of that. Rosa didn’t either, judging by the way her fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Baxter commented. “Redding is dangerous. There’s a reason they’ve resisted integration for so long, and it’s not out of the spirit of independence. That pack is something else.”

“Are you saying they’re evil or something?” Rosa asked.

“No,” Baxter chuckled. “But they’re fiercely possessive of their pack members. They’re close-knit. They’ve experienced a lot of trauma in the past few decades and it’s caused them to withdraw into themselves, to cling tightly to what they see as theirs. I can’t really blame them.”

“Something something, cornered animal?” Rosa provided helpfully.

“It’s a very wolf thing to do.”

“Lycan,” Derrick corrected.

Baxter rolled his eyes.

“Used to be a lot more wolves than there are now. But, funnily enough, integration wasn’t always a smooth process. Lost a few packs. Hell, a few entire bloodlines. We’re on the way back to our full range, but our numbers aren’t even half of what they used to be.”

Rosa cocked her head a little at the road.

“So, what, humans and wolves fought a war?”

“Nothing quite so extravagant as that, Rosa. Wolves, real wolves, are endangered all across North America. Europe too. Same for Lycans, and just about everything else in our little... family of misfits. Humanity has a wonderful tendency to make their environment as safe and comfortable as possible. Part of that, though, is the elimination of native wildlife.”

Derrick sighed, giving a nod. He looked almost melancholy. “That’s why the Bureau is a conservationist body. It’s too late to undo all the habitat loss, and Cryptids realized a long time ago that humanity wasn’t about to stop expanding. Integration was the only real choice. Carving out a niche in human society, like... I don’t know. Pigeons or something.”

“Thanks,” Levi and Baxter both grunted at once.

“Pigeons are noble survivors,” Rosa chided. “Don’t judge them for finding ways to survive in a new and changing world.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

She was quiet for a few moments, fixated on the shimmering azure of the ocean as they neared the coast.

“So... Lycans and all the other, uh, mythical creatures... They’re endangered?”

“Not all,” Baxter sighed.

“Definitely not all,” Derrick agreed. “Like pigeons, some Cryptids came out on top. Adapted early or found human societies more suitable for them than nature itself was.”

“Pigeons,” Levi muttered.

The Mustang pulled into a narrow parking lot. The place was pretty packed as it was, but Rosa managed to slip them into a spot that was far too narrow. Levi climbed out the window, because there wasn’t enough space to open the door. That seemed to piss Arthur off. Levi was fine with that; maybe if he made the man angry enough, he’d stop hiding inside Levi’s head.

Like a pussy!

…

Damn, he’d really hoped that would work.

Seagulls squawked wildly in the air, dancing around on the breeze blowing in over the sea. The Pacific was cold here. It was overcast, still, after the prior night’s rain. The headlands to the north stood as a grey-brown barrier to the sea’s slithering, grasping hands, sea spray clouding the air as the waves bashed themselves against the cliffs. The sea was winning, but it was a slow, long struggle. The land would not give up without a fight.

Levi pulled off his shoes, then stepped over the little cobblestone wall that divided the parking lot from the coarse sands of the beach. The weather was at a perfect balance of heat and humidity. Warm enough to swim, cool enough not to cook in the sun. Families scuttled along the sand in little clusters, orbited by their children.

Baxter, Rosa, and Derrick followed him over the little divider. Baxter had a big towel rolled up under his arm, sunglasses hanging low on his nose as they walked towards the water. Derrick carried a cooler, blue and old, sloshing with beers and ice.

Rosa pulled off her shirt and Levi entirely failed to avert his eyes from her bikini-clad breasts.

“Tits,” he whispered in awe.

Rosa smacked him in the back of the head.

Fair enough.

He grinned at her.

“Your tail is wagging again,” she mused. Levi actually glanced at his own rear, then scowled at her.

“That’s not funny,” he complained.

“It’s kinda funny,” Derrick and Baxter said at once.

“Betrayal!” Levi cried.

The water tickled at his toes as he stepped into the crisp froth. Baxter laid out the big beach towel in the sand behind them. Derrick popped a beer out and passed it to Baxter. The pair sat on the towel, chatting in hushed, relaxed tones. Derrick gave a chuckle.

It was nice. Levi found himself happy that Derrick was happy. That made him want to puke a tiny bit. Bleh, mushy, gooey, sticky feelings.

Rosa danced into the water, grinning at the surf. She went up to her knees in it, wading through the waves as they pushed against her. Sand stuck to her thighs as the water splashed up and Levi found his eyes drawn to it.

Levi went out a little deeper further. A little bit deeper. The water seemed to writhe around him, his body covered in goosebumps from the chill of the sea. He went out, and out, until he floated on the waves, gently kicking his legs. He took a breath. He let it out slowly.

“We need to talk,” he said to the waves.

There was silence, save for the breeze and the sea and the gulls up above.

“Arthur.”

More silence.

“You have to talk to me, Arthur. Please.”

There was something behind him. A stirring, gentle though it was.

“Levi,” Arthur said, sounding grumpy.

“What was that, Arthur?” he asked.

He thought to that lonely boy, guarding the body of his father. Guarding the body of a man he hated.

“Something private. Something you weren’t supposed to see.”

“The truth,” Levi said. His abuela echoed in his ears.

“Something approximating it.”

“You killed your father.”

“I did.”

Levi was surprised at Arthur’s tone. Cool, distant. He was a bit surprised by the lack of denial, but he was more surprised by the harshness of the man’s voice. Arthur had his secrets, and Levi always knew that. He just never would have guessed they were so... Heavy.

“I killed my father, Levi. I wanted him to die. I’d like to say I lost control of myself, but it’d be a lie. I killed him.”

“... You understand,” Levi whispered to the sea, and only the sea.

“No, Levi. I know you want me to. You want to be comforted by the knowledge that I feel guilty for what I did, that it eats me up the same way your guilt eats you up.”

That was exactly what Levi wanted. At that moment, he would have given almost anything to hear him say he understood. That he could feel it. That he had been who he was in spite of it.

“I don’t feel any guilt for it, Levi.”

The words were a physical assault.

Levi took a breath, deep and chilling. The sea spray tickled at his throat. Salt. Cold. It wanted to swallow him.

“I wanted him to die, Levi. I’m a killer. Maybe I lost control of myself... But I’m glad he died. I’m glad I killed him. I’d kill him again.”

Drifting. Floating in that black sea. Letting it fill his lungs and sink him to the bottom where the crabs would tear him apart and bring him back to the great nothingness.

“We have a lot of things in common, Levi. More than you sometimes notice. But this isn’t one of those things. You’re not a killer.”

Levi thought about the way that wolf had crumbled under him in the cabin. He had just... kept going. Kept feeding it, and feeding it, until it had almost eaten him whole.

The beast paced in his chest.

“I am. I’m a killer.”

“No,” Arthur snapped. “You kill, but you’re not a killer. You don’t enjoy it. Don’t revel in it. You feel guilt. I never did.”

Levi let himself float on his back, the ocean carrying him out and out and out. The sea went on forever. Some part of him did revel in it. Some feral part that loved the way to feel his own knuckles shatter and reknit as he battered another living thing to death.

I am here now.

Tiny teeth sunk into his arm.

I will make it better.

“I will make you whole,” Levi muttered.

Arthur made a wounded noise.

“You were hiding it from me. Hiding it in my own head.”

“No. It’s a part of me. It's not... It wasn’t for you to see.”

“You’re dead.”

Arthur was quiet.

“Reinhart raised you. He raised you, took care of you, helped make you who you are. I killed you. That’s why he’s after me now. I killed you and now he wants me, as revenge.”

“He’s not like that,” Arthur muttered. “He’d-”

“Understand?” Levi threw the word back in Arthur’s face. He was surprised by the calm in his own voice, now. They could both manage the hissing sharpness of ice right now. When had he even been able to muster that for Arthur before? “He already tried to kill me once, Arthur.”

Arthur didn’t reply.

Levi didn’t wait for him to. He swam back towards the shore. He was startled to find how far out he’d drifted. He felt Arthur behind him, always in the same place, following along like the ghost he was.

Dead and gone, an echo over the ocean.

The train rumbled down the tracks, each click of the wheels in time with the waves of the sea.

Rosa walked towards him on the beach, looking concerned. The sun glinted off her wet skin, and she seemed to shimmer. He managed a little smile as she approached, though it felt like a bit of a lie.

“Everything alright?” Rosa took his hand, squeezing it.

“Everything’s alright. Just... struggling with myself a bit, that’s all,” he explained. He really did feel okay. He actually felt pretty good, all considered. He’d been needing to have a conversation with Arthur, and now he had. The weight was gone, at least a little.

Rosa pressed a kiss to his cheek, and her lips were warm and soft.

“Levi, do me a favor?”

“Yes?” Levi said, and it came out as a croak. His heart was suddenly hammering in his chest, and at that moment he felt he would do just about anything for her.

“Stay where I can see you, okay? I’m worried about you, especially after...” she paused for a moment, thinking over how to put it. “After what happened in the car.”

Levi nodded, looking down at his feet. The shame bubbled in his belly, heavy and hot, for a few moments. It went away, though, as he followed Rosa back up the sand, then sat himself on the towel behind Derrick. Baxter and Derrick had immersed themselves in conversation about the San Francisco Giants. Levi got the impression that Derrick was a fan and Baxter very much was not.

Rosa, wordlessly, slipped a beer into his hand. He flicked his thumb to pop off the cap.

“Wooooah,” Rosa mewled, eyes glittering. “What? You can just… pop that off? Show me how to do that!”

Levi glanced down at the bottle, then back at her.

“I don’t think I can,” he admitted. He flexed his fingers, covered in white scars. “It’s a decent party trick, but I can only do it because I have a curse. Not really worth it, I don’t think.”

“He makes an excellent bottle opener,” Derrick commented, peering over his shoulder. “Decent meat-shield too. Hard to kill a Lycan, even if they’re half-turned.”

“Hey,” Levi pouted. “Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you should talk about it. I don’t like thinking about my own instrumentality.”

“You have skills and talents that have nothing to do with you being a wolf,” Baxter assured him.

“You do,” Derrick agreed. “You’re good with people, something I’ve never managed to master. You’re good at math. You care about animals. Oh, you’ve got good choice in romantic partners-”

“Why, thank you,” Rosa said, infinite in her magnanimity.

“You’ve got your own stuff going on,” Derrick concluded.

Levi blinked at him.

“I never knew you were… I don’t know, paying attention.”

Derrick chuckled around the lip of his beer bottle.

“I told Arthur I’d take care of you. I’ve been taking care of you for quite some time now. Of course I pay attention. I’m not a heartless monster.”

Baxter coughed in a way that sounded an awful lot like the word “bullshit.” Rosa covered her mouth as she laughed.

Derrick rolled his eyes. “You’re an ass, Baxter.”

“And you,” Baxter intoned playfully, “are a hypocrite. And ya smell weird.”

“Wh-what?” Derrick demanded. “Levi, do I smell weird?”

Levi stared at him for a few moments. Then, because it would be funny, he nodded. “Totally weird.”

“I do not!” Derrick complained.

Rosa was wheezing with laughter now. Levi let himself smile and mean it.