Page 21 of Chosen Spirits (The Bartender Mage #4)

"Tennis balls!" his boyfriend shouted back, holding up a pair that he fished out of the duffel. "Who would like— ope !"

Hurriedly, Leif threw the two balls out as far as he could before the shifters pounced on him, and the two tore across the field as they played their game of fetch.

Leif, Alyssa, and Fang did their best to wear out the shifters using Tucker's supply of yard toys, but when Rahul had finished cooking enough burgers and the three trudged over, winded, he figured that the shifters had come out on top.

Tucker and Jack shifted into their human forms to make their plates first, pushed to the front of the line by friends and lovers who were well-familiar with shifter appetites.

As the others made their lunch, with Leif and Dennis breaking out the supply of alcohol to mix a few afternoon cocktails, Rahul took the time to set up a heated zone around the picnic table and canopy.

Just enough flames to take the chill off while they were sitting stationary, especially for the pair of nudists.

Soon enough, the seven of them were seated, enjoying a well-seasoned meal.

"I have a question, if that's okay," Alyssa said, finishing the first of her four burgers like it were a slider.

She wiped her hands and face with a napkin, then pointed at Tucker and Jack.

"Is there a reason why you two don't stay in were form for meals?

I would think with your better sense of smell, it'd be more enjoyable. "

Tucker and Jack exchanged a glance, then turned back to her.

"Taste buds," Tucker said.

"Smell is important, it's true," Jack continued, standing up to put away his empty plate.

"But humans have five to ten times the number of taste buds as canines.

So if I want to properly experience Rahul's meat, I have to be human for it.

It was gods-damned delicious by the way, Rahul.

I can't remember the last time I had a burger that good. What do you do to it?"

"A bit of marinating and some special meat seasoning, but it's probably the worcestershire sauce I pour on that's doing the heavy lifting.

" Rahul paused while Jack gave him a hug from behind, rubbing his forehead into his back affectionately.

As his former boss, Jack had only ever been professional with him, and it was startling to see this side of him—but pleasantly so.

"I can give you and Dennis the recipe before you go," he said, turning to scratch his fingers through Jack's ample chest hair before the man headed back to his spot under the pavilion.

"Mmm, girl, you best not be trying to lure away my man," Dennis teased. "With your mouth watering meat this, and best meat he's ever had that."

" Your man, huh?" Jack said, sitting himself astride his boyfriend. Rahul was worried for a moment about the chairs, but from the flexed thighs, it looked like Jack wasn't putting his full weight down.

" My man," Dennis said, running a nail down the side of Jack's throat. Jack's low growl was audible. "Or wolf. But I suppose I don't mind sharing with someone who brings this kind of grilling to the table. So I guess I'd best play nice, huh?"

"You two are always welcome at our home," Rahul said to them, but as Jack started licking at the side of Dennis's face and whispering things to him, he figured it fell on deaf ears and would bear repeating later.

When lunch was done and a few more cocktails had been poured, they spent time catching up so as to let the food settle.

Alyssa was proud to showcase her death metal band's latest single, and Dennis and Jack shared the story about their recent week-long ski trip.

Tucker mentioned their own planned visit to the fall shifter festival, which got Jack excited enough to pick Dennis up out of his chair, begging him to go with.

"What have I gotten myself into by dating you?" Dennis complained. "Actually, let's not make that rhetorical. You three worked with Jack for years. What's the craziest thing he's done? "

"Maybe the time that he helped investigate the dancing trees?" Tucker ventured.

Fang was already shaking her head, and Rahul grinned along with her. "Fun Day," she said.

"Oof," Jack said, clutching his chest. "In my defense, it was early on in my career as director for DOMA, but I'm sure any pride I have is about to be lost. Pray forgive me, Dennis, and think of me fondly after we inevitably part."

After saying so, Jack turned into his wolf form and settled himself at Dennis's feet.

Taking turns, Rahul and Fang told the story about how Jack had once put together a team-building exercise involving an overnight camping trip and a number of puzzles and exercises, but was secretly playing the part of the villain who was sneaking among the groups and messing up communications.

The only problem was that they'd had Lilithian and Julia along with them, and the two had worked together to set up protection wards around the campsite that night.

They'd only meant to deter the wildlife, like bears, but the wards apparently worked just as well on stealthy wolf shifters.

"So Jack was nowhere to be found the entire second day," Fang said while Jack let out a mournful whine. "Fortunately Rahul had found the operations binder, and we were able to complete the other team-building exercises."

Rahul looked down at where Jack was burying his head in his paws, Dennis absentmindedly running his nails through his fur while he listened to the story.

"In the end, Jack managed to make it back to camp before the vans came to pick us up, and Julia unraveled the spell that bound him to his human shape.

How far did you have to walk, Jack? Ten miles? "

Jack lifted his snout up. "Closer to twenty, I think. The river swept me away pretty far. And that was the last time I tried to play a behind-the-scenes mastermind."

While Dennis assured Jack that he'd never take him camping in the future, but only because he needed daily baths, a certain weredog planted his head on Rahul's thigh, letting him know that they'd been sitting for too long and it was time to head back to the field.

"Plehz?" he asked mournfully, a frisbee in his mouth.

Rahul kissed him on his muzzle before grabbing the disc. The second it was taken, Tucker dashed off in beagle form, prompting Jack to abandon his own petting and chase after him, and he threw it to the far edge of the field.

Tucker caught it out of the air, but was then pinned to the ground by Jack.

Rahul watched the tug of war, until Tucker shifted himself larger to be of the same mass as his wolf friend.

Then he ran back, dropping it at Rahul's feet.

After waiting until Jack returned, both canines with their tails wagging, he threw it out again.

Another hour passed, at which point Alyssa came up to Fang, kissing her on the cheek and interrupting her umpteenth tale about Jack's misadventures.

Fang checked her phone, then nodded, saying her goodbyes and shaking Dennis's hand, promising to send him any photos she could scrounge up that had Jack in them.

The shifters had unflagging stamina, so while Leif and Rahul took a breather, they shooed the canines off, and Tucker and Jack got to have themselves a nice long run around the park. Leif wiped some sweat off his forehead, then went to the second cooler.

"Popsicle time?"

"Shoot, I should have offered them sooner, for Alyssa and Fang. But yeah, help yourself."

When their shifter boyfriends returned a half hour later, they did so in their bipedal were forms. Rahul noticed them pause at the edge of the field, sniff the air, then dash towards them, nudging and shoving each other in an attempt to be the first to arrive.

"Treat!" Tucker said, panting for breath as he knelt beside the cooler, having won the race.

"A cold snack would hit the spot," Jack said, his ears and wagging tail betraying his full interest. He sniffed. "Do you have any more cherry ones?"

"Dennis said it was your favorite flavor," Rahul said, nudging paws and snouts out of the way as he retrieved the box and began unwrapping one to hand over.

Tucker whined about the unfairness of it, since he'd won the race, but Rahul shook his finger at him.

"Guests first, puppy. It's only polite. "

Jack took it with thanks, licking off the frost while Rahul started opening a lime one for Tucker. The wolf shifter chuckled, then lowered the popsicle so that it was lined up with his sheath. He flexed his hips out suggestively. "Remind you of anything, Dee?"

"Mmm… no, I can't say that it does." Dennis sidled over, reaching out a hand to cup his balls. "It's far too small to be anything I'd recognize."

Dennis looked like he was about to comment further, but Rahul had finally unwrapped the lime popsicle, and in the process of handing it over, Tucker simply lowered his muzzle down and ate the whole thing with a snap of his teeth, narrowly avoiding Rahul's fingers.

"Easy there, puppy! I guess you worked up a thirst, huh? Let me get you another."

Tucker then made a high-pitched noise, whining as he clutched his head.

"Aww, Tucker, did you eat it too fast?" Leif hurried over to pet Tucker soothingly. "C'mon, just give it a minute."

"Rrr. But… second popsicle!"

Still holding one hand up to his temple, Tucker reached the other out towards Rahul and the box of popsicles. They argued back and forth, Tucker using whines and growls as much as words, but Rahul did eventually give in, offering the second treat.

…but only after he'd delayed long enough that the brain freeze had ended, making the point moot.

"I'll start gathering our stuff!" Leif said, using some bottled water and a napkin to wipe off sticky fingers before jogging out to the field and the discarded duffel.

"I suppose it's about time for us to head on out too, then," Jack said. He was hovering beside Tucker, and growled warningly any time he saw the weredog use teeth on the popsicle.

"It was lovely to see you outside of work for a change," Rahul said as he collected his grilling supplies, then helped Dennis with folding the chairs. Tucker and Jack joined them in storing the canopy into its bag. "I hope this means we'll be seeing you two at our place one day soon."

Tucker's tail wagged. "We have a pool!"

Dennis made a displeased sound.

Rahul snorted. " And a hot tub for divas to soak in while the weather's still on the cool side."

"Marvelous."

"Alright, I think that's everything?" Rahul looked around the site, checking for trash. "Should just be the sports stuff left."

"I'll help! "

Tucker ran off to where Leif had just emerged from the far tree line, tossing a found tennis ball up in the air and catching it as he walked back to the duffel, with Jack only a split second behind.

Instead of actually helping look for more lost playthings, though, the two canines converged on Leif.

Rahul heard him laugh, trying against odds to keep the ball out of their grabbing paws.

"Hey, Dennis?" Rahul asked quietly, watching as Leif started charging towards the bag like he were a rugby player, the other two playing at getting in his way. "I just gotta say, you did pretty good with him."

"Of course I did, I'm the perfect role model for all the young gays." Dennis struck a pose, flicking his nails around his face. "I truly am a gift to the world."

"I see. Clearly, then, we need to organize a yearly festival in your honor!"

Rahul paused, wincing as he saw Tucker tackle Leif, holding him in his arms as they rolled along the ground just inches away from the duffel. They tumbled further when Jack joined in, yipping delightedly.

Then both canines froze.

Rahul was already jogging towards them before he heard Tucker's concerned bark as the two large shifters carefully extricated themselves from the pile.

"Cub! Are you okay?"

Leif was curled up in a ball on the ground, but rolled onto his knees as soon as he had space.

Tucker shifted into his human form. "He don't smell hurt, it was just… a burst of alarm? Shock? Maybe we jarred him too hard."

Leif shook his head as Rahul knelt in front of him, and his cub reached out a hand to pat his leg soothingly. As he looked up at him, face coated in grass stains, he lifted a hand to his mouth and spat out a couple of flower petals.

"I'm fine," he said distractedly, looking at the flora he held. "But I think I just figured out how to solve the Lady's request."

◆◆◆

During the drive home, while Leif called to arrange a meeting with Pini and Tithi, two elf acquaintances that had knowledge of magical botany, Rahul received several text messages.

JJ: Sent the info to your email.

JJ: Give me a call if you need anything else!

JJ :Love, Jenny.

Sitting up in his seat, Rahul hurried to skim through the email until he arrived at the attached pictures.

Most of them were ones that depicted I'ari as "Olivia Landon," an elementary school teacher.

She was often shown standing proudly beside different classes over the last couple of decades, or surrounded by a gaggle of students at a playground.

There were a few attached articles, along with pictures of a lake home in Michigan.

A second, smaller set of images showed another elf, presumably the one that had been injured by the soul mask, according to social media screenshots that referenced therapy. Rahul eagerly went back to the email, reading down until he saw the person's name.

Ah.

Shit.