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Carol paced her room. Living with her parents was certainly different now that she’d had a taste of freedom, but not in a good way. They were driving her nuts, especially her daddy. He was supposed to be on her side, and yet he kept saying she was lucky that they’d let her come back after all the things they’d heard about her. Carol didn’t understand what their problem with her was, not really. It wasn’t as if she’d filed for divorce.

“Well, that shit is not going to happen. I will not allow him to toss me away like I don’t mean anything to him. I’m his world, and the sooner he figures that out, the better off he’ll be.” As she looked around the room, hating it, she realized how far she’d come since she grew up in this house, and that she’d not had the fashion sense then that she had now. “What was I thinking?”

Posters, old and out of date, hung on every wall. One even had an ugly dog on it that had big sad eyes. She walked to it and tried to remember why she’d hang such a thing. And why on earth her mother would have let it still be there. Tearing it down, she felt satisfied and started tearing down the rest of the crap that she had at one time deemed perfect. Carol decided it was time to update some other things around here too.

It took her nearly an hour to get all the things off the wall. Then she grabbed up the trash can and started swiping things from the dressers and bathroom vanity into it. By the time she’d done all that she could with what she had to work with, the room was a mess and so was she. But she could almost see what she was going to do to this room and perhaps the rest of the house. Her daddy would be pleased with her again, and she’d be able to get him to help her with Jake. As he had before.

Going to the bathroom again, she turned on the water and stripped down. Carol looked at her body in the large mirror. Changes might be in store for her as well. Money was meant to be spent, she thought, and why not on her?

It wasn’t perfect. It might have been had Jake just let her get the rest of her surgeries to make herself just the way that she’d wanted to be. Bigger breasts, pouty lips. She even wanted to get her thighs shaped up and toned looking. Her nose was the only thing she’d been able to get done, and that had been nearly five years ago.

She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to forgive him for taking all her money from the accounts and credit cards. But she supposed it was much better than living in a smaller house had they lost the big one. Who knew that paying your taxes on time was such a big deal? She looked at her belly.

Carol was glad now that she’d found out about the pregnancy when she had. She’d had to sell off some of her prettier things to get it taken care of, but it had been worth it. To be fat with a bastard would have been hard to hide when Jake took her back. And he would…soon too.

It hadn’t been her fault that she’d gotten pregnant this last time, but she’d been the one that had been caught. The guy—she could no longer remember his name—had told her that he’d been fixed. Sure he was.

As she got into the shower to clean up, she wondered how Jake had found out about the other brats. Surely they had some sort of law that prohibited them from telling on her. Of course she’d not gone to a real doctor; she knew they kept records. But still, with him knowing that little bit about her, she wondered what else he might have been able to unearth. Dressing in the bathroom instead of her messy room, Carol thought of herself.

It wasn’t as if she was bad person. She really wasn’t. But she had standards and her standards were a priority, and she thought that everyone, her husband included, should know this about her. Like her hair and nails done a certain way. Her clothing bought from the right places. Also the address of her home, who saw it, and what sort of furniture was in it. Jake had never understood that. He would have gladly lived in a one-bedroom place with all old furniture had she not made him do what she wanted. Like that stuff he’d brought into her home.

“He’ll just have to live with disappointment. I certainly have since I married him.” Jake was just too.... Well, he was too nice. He was polite to everyone. Did everything he was supposed to in a timely manner, and when things weren’t his way or she got upset with him, he just nodded and told her he was sorry. “Like sorry is going to cut it. He never gave me flowers or diamonds. For what I’ve had to endure, I should have been drenched in lovely things.”

“Perhaps because of your spending he figured you had enough lovely things. You prevented him from doing a great many things, I’m thinking, just being the person that you are.” She stared at her daddy as he entered the room and sat in the chair by her fireplace. “I’ve come to have a conversation with you. And for once, you’re going to do as I tell you or there will be consequences.”

“I don’t think I care for your tone, Daddy. And Jake is the one that is going to have to face the consequences. I’ve been trying hard to get him to understand that I’m not going to give him a divorce.” She made her way to the closet to find the perfect pair of shoes. “I’m going out to talk to Jake. He has been doing things to my house that I just don’t care for.”

“As you’ve done to mine? What is this mess, Carol? What have you done here?” She told him it was time for a new room. “No, this one is just fine, or it was. You’re not going to do anything to this room because it no longer belongs to you.”

“What does that mean?” He told her that she was too old to be living at home. “I’m working on that, Daddy. Didn’t I just tell you that I was going to talk to Jake? He has had someone telling him that we need to divorce. I’m not going to allow that. Daddy, you should see the stuff he had coming in. Hideous.”

“Carol, he’s divorcing you and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I’ve called his father and explained it to him, but who knows what will come of that. You should move on. He has.” Carol just stared at her daddy, then asked him if he wanted her to be sad. “No. But I do think you need to come to the realization that he’s not going to take you back. And as much as I hate to say it, I think it’s for the best. For him anyway.”

“Daddy, how can you say such a thing? I married him so that I could be his wife and get all the things I wanted and deserved.” He asked her if she loved him. “What does that have to do with anything? He married me and that’s the way I wanted it. We’re going to get over this little bump in the road. I’m even going over there today to move back in. He’ll be glad to see me once I get the house back to the way it was before.”

“If you say so.” Her daddy stood up, and that was when she noticed that he was looking old. “I’ve decided that I’m going to help him leave you. I know that you don’t want to hear that, but I think you’re not right for him. You never were. I love you dearly, Carol, but that man deserves better. It’s taken me a long time to realize that, but you’re not a nice person. And I’m not going to bail you out anymore. But before you go and take the furniture over there, you might want to check the locks on his home. I think you might be surprised that he’s working on keeping you out completely. Also, your mother and I have talked it over, and you have thirty days to get your life together and out on your own. We’ll not be taking you back to raise again. You’re an adult. It’s time you start acting like one.”

After her daddy left, Carol decided that she’d have to work on getting him committed. There was something seriously wrong with her daddy. Not only was he not in his right mind about her and what she wanted, but he seemed to be thinking that she was the bad guy. Mom too. They were just too stupid to understand that she always got what she wanted.

Shaking her head at how sad it was, Carol decided that as soon as she was living in her home again, she was going to put this one on the market and look into nursing homes for her parents. Some place nice but not too expensive. She was going to need more money now to maintain two homes. Oh what the girls at the country club would think of her now, she thought. The owner of not one, but two houses.

The yard was being mowed by a service when she got to her home. There had never been a service when she was there, Jake telling her that they couldn’t afford it. Well, they could now, and she was going to make sure he knew how disappointed she was that he’d waited until now to bring someone in.

It was nice, she thought, to not just have the lawn mowed, but to have the hedges trimmed as well as pretty flowers planted along the front of the house. She didn’t care for the bland colors, but it would do for now. Going to the door, she tried to slide her key into the lock.

“Can I help you?” Carol turned to the man who spoke. He was dressed in the same outfit that the guy mowing was. “Mr. Winslow isn’t home right now. He left me in charge of the place until he returns. And he never mentioned that anyone was coming by today. Sorry.”

“I’m his wife. I’ve been away on some business. But it seems that my key doesn’t work. If you’re in charge, then you must have a key. I want you to let me in now. I have things I have to get taken care of. Oh, and I will need for you and a couple of those men out there to come in the house and drag out some furniture. Jake will take care of you when he gets here.” He looked at the door then back at her. “I’m his wife, I told you. I need to get in there. I’m having my things delivered in an hour, and I need to make sure that the walls weren’t painted over or harmed while I was gone.”

“I know for a fact that the walls are in first-rate condition. There was a painting firm in yesterday and the day before. I think they redid the whole house, as a matter of fact.” She was going to murder Jake when she saw him if he’d painted over the colors she picked out. “And Mr. Winslow told me specifically that I’m not to let you in, Carol.”

“It’s Mrs. Winslow to you. I’ve not given you permission to call me by my given name. And I’ll tell Jake about this when he gets home. Open the door.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stood there. “Did you hear me? Are you stupid? I want you to open this damned door right fucking now.”

“No. I’m going to have to ask you to leave now, or I will call the police. They’ve been warned about you as well.” Carol was furious, and drew back her hand to slap the man when he spoke again. “I’m not going to allow you to get away with hitting me, if that’s where your mind is going. If you do, then I’m well within my rights to hurt you back. And I will. Also, in the event that you try and claim that I started this, I’d like to point out that there is a camera pointed right at us and it will show that you started it. So, it would behoove you to get out of here now before I call the police, as I’ve said to you once already.”

Carol was tempted to see if he would really hurt her. She knew there were no cameras pointed at them either. Jake had told her numerous times that they lived in a good neighborhood and no one would bother them. Carol also knew that she was well within her rights to slap someone who treated her this way, but she wasn’t sure that he was smart enough to know the rules. Carol looked around and saw that the other two workers, the guy with the mower and the other with trimmers of some sort, were staring at her as if they expected her to be hurt too.

“When my husband finds out how you’re treating me, he’s going to sue you and make sure that you all lose your jobs over this. He won’t tolerate this sort of treatment to his wife.” The man said nothing. “I’m going now, but not because you told me to. I have other things to do today. But you can bet that I’ll be back and you will be sorry.”

“All right.” He moved to the side and her palm itched to hit him. Wound him badly, as a matter of fact. “Don’t return, Carol. If you do, I’ll consider it trespassing and I will call the cops the moment you step out of your car. You’ve been warned.”

“We’ll just see about that.” He said nothing as she made her way to her car. Carol was trembling with anger. When Jake heard from her again, she was going to tell him how much she did not appreciate being treated this way.

On her way home she decided that she wasn’t going to call the moving firm. Let that bastard deal with them when they got there. She hoped that they’d just dump the pretty things on the front lawn and be done with it. It would be a shame for it to be messed up like that, but she figured that Jake owed her new things for the way he’d been treating her. Calling her mom, she asked her to meet her for lunch. When she turned her down, Carol decided that everyone was going to pay for their treatment of her.

~~~

Jake was looking over a file, not even sure what he was reading because his mind was so preoccupied with other crap that it took him several moments to realize that his cell phone was ringing. Pulling it out, he nearly didn’t answer since he had no idea who the number belonged to. But in the end, he said hello.

“It’s Forrest. I need your help.” Jake stood up, reaching for his jacket even as he continued. “I’m at Mercy and I’ve been hurt pretty badly, but I need for someone to come here and.... Could you just come here and sit with me? I hate to ask, but I’m…I’m having a difficult time of it right now.”

“Of course. I’m on my way.” He was telling his secretary where he was going as he headed out the door. “Are you all right? Do you need me to bring you anything? Call someone for you?”

“No. My dad hasn’t spoken to me in years. My mom died about three years ago, so I’m pretty much alone.” Jake told him he was sorry as he set up his phone on the holder to talk while he drove. “I wouldn’t have called you at all but I have to tell you, I’m a little freaked out. Someone tried to kill me last night. On the property that surrounds my complex.”

Jake paused in starting his car. “Was it Carol?” He had no idea why that would have popped into his head, but lately, and he more than likely had thought it before, he thought that Carol was off her noodle as Grandma said. “I know that she was pissed about the divorce paperwork, but there was no reason for her to try and hurt you.”

“I think it was Thomas.” Jake started the car and left the lot without asking. He wanted to, with all his heart, but it wasn’t any of his business. Forrest laughing made him feel odd again. “It’s more than over for us, but Thomas was my lover for a time. He was also a con artist. He took me for a bit, but when he tried to get into my bank account I realized just how bad it was. Does this make you not want to come here? I’d understand.”

“I don’t know enough about you to think that Thomas or anyone else is any of my concern.” Which was true, but he felt something settle over him when Forrest told him it was over. “I’m on my way. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to tell my grandma too. I know she thinks a great deal of you as well.”

“I’d like that. Very much. Even after what I just told you, you’re really still coming?” He told him he was. “All right then. They’ve got me in a room. If I could escape from here, I could shift and be all right. But I think, for now, this is the best thing. The wounds are going to go a long way in getting rid of the bastard. If I shift I’ll be healed, and I have a feeling that no one would care any longer.”

“What happened to you?” Forrest asked him if he could just tell him when he came in. “Of course. Are you sure that I can’t bring you anything? Food? Coffee?”

“No. Just seeing you will be enough. Just having someone here with me will improve my mood greatly.”

Jake told him he was only about ten minutes out. After he hung up, instead of calling his grandma right away, he thought about some of the things he’d looked up last night on the Internet.

Male on male sex was somewhat like having sex with a female, but not entirely. Even in his addled mind that made no sense, but he’d felt better after reading up on a few things. Not that he’d ever enjoyed sex with Carol, but he’d read about homosexual sex and had even gone so far as to watch a couple of videos that he’d found. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to satisfy Forrest any better than he had his own wife, but he had watched enough to know that men seemed to have a better handle on sex than women did.

First of all, they touched a great deal. Like not just where you’d think to touch another person—the breasts, thighs, as well as their mouths—but men touched everywhere. The backs of knees, their feet. Nothing was left untouched or unloved. He shifted on his seat, thinking of how hard he’d come last night watching them.

And then there was how hard they seemed to come. Not just a release from their cock, but it radiated from their entire person. They shouted out with each release. Coming from their hearts, Jake had thought. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

It hadn’t been his plan to get aroused by watching them. In fact, Jake had a hard time remembering the last time he’d been sexually excited. Not for a long while, at least. But then he’d watched the two men, who he thought were really in love, make love to each other. Like they had meant the very world to one another. Then when they both came, it was as if his entire body had been a part of it. His cock erupted twice, spilling out so much of his cum that he ached afterwards.

Jake had sat there, his cock still semi hard, his heart pounding and his breathing harsh, as he thought of what he’d just done. How much he’d enjoyed coming while watching what he’d just seen. Never once did he feel like it was wrong. Nor did he feel guilty over it. At one time he might have, he supposed. Carol would have found out and he would never have lived it down. She was good at making him feel like he was less than a person.

As he pulled into the parking lot to the hospital a few minutes later, he sat there for several minutes just thinking of Forrest. And some of the things he’d been able to find out from his friend who was also a shifter, though a wolf.

He’d told him that while he didn’t know any homosexual shifters, he had heard of them. They were a rare breed, but not thought of negatively in their world as they were in the human one. Peter, his friend, had told him that they were more accepting of things like that, and rarely, if ever, were any issues with anyone’s sexual preference ever brought up as they were in the human race.

“The only thing we care about is that you care for your other half. That you are good to each other and kind to the population in general.” He also told him about cats, or what he knew. “Cats are a very different breed than we are. Not just because they’re cats and we’re canine, but I mean, wolves like to cuddle, hold each other as much as we can. Cats are the same, but they don’t live with others. Not in packs. A pride, which is what it’s called, they’re more of a single male, his mate, and any children they might have. He can take on the role of leader to more should he want to, but—and this is only what I’ve heard not what I actually know—they tend to stay in smaller groups. Once they’re old enough, they might live close but they don’t live in a single dwelling.”

Jake had wondered how that would work when he and Forrest got together, and it surprised him a little that such thoughts came into his mind. And now as that thought entered his head again, a permanency that he’d never thought of before, Jake got out of his car while calling his grandma.

She said that she’d be over later, once her bridge club was done, and bring them all dinner. He loved her for her forethought. Grandma also told him that she’d set up a meeting with Tyler Lane, but she wasn’t sure what would come of it. Jake told her to be careful.

Entering Forrest’s room, he was dismayed to think that he didn’t get him flowers. There were a great many of them in the room, most of them with cards, some of them with small notes. Forrest told him it didn’t matter, he was just glad to see him. He walked to the bed and leaned in to hug him. Jake wasn’t sure that Forrest was going to hug him back, and when he did, he felt better, restored in some way, and thought that was exactly how he felt. Restored. He asked him how he was doing.

“I’m better now; thank you so much for coming in. Last night when they brought me here, I was sort of out of it. I don’t know what I would have done if the wolf pack that roams around the land that I live by hadn’t found me.” The bandage across his forehead was dark with blood stains. “It’s healed pretty much. But for appearances I have to pretend to be on my death bed.”

“You should have had them call me. I would have come in to be with you. I’m not sure what I would have been able to do but to talk to you, but I would have been there for you.” Forrest said he wasn’t thinking right, just terrified. “We should have some sort of notes that come up to call each other when we’re hurt. That way you don’t have to go through this alone.”

“I am alone, Jake. And have been for a very long time.” He sounded so broken that it hurt Jake to hear it. “I’m sorry. I’ve been lying here for hours just thinking and feeling sorry for myself. You should have been here before, when I was crying like a small child. I never cry. But I’m feeling particularly whiny today.”

“Well of course you are. You’ve been shot.” He reached for Forrest’s hand and was glad when he curled his fingers around his. “I’ve been thinking. About us. I mean a lot.”

“And what have you figured out? I’m assuming that you’ve not decided to run to the hills.” Jake shook his head. “I have to tell you something first. Before you tell me anything, I want you to think of what your parents will say. Hell, for that matter, what society will have to say. They’ll not be kind to either of us.”

“No, I’ve thought of that as well. Not a lot but some. My parents aren’t happy with me anyway, for marrying Carol.” Forrest laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure that they’re going to be thrilled to no end when I tell them that I’m living with another man.”

“Are you? Planning to live with me?” Jake asked him if he would have any trouble with moving in with him. “No, I won’t. But again, people will talk. I think you’ll even begin to have problems with the firm that you work for. To be honest, it’s why I have my own practice. I didn’t care for the way corporate America treats my kind.”

“Yeah, about that. I’m leaving my firm. As of this morning, as a matter of fact. I gave my notice in the form of a letter and email. I was up for partnership but was passed over again. Wendell, the guy that is in charge of hours and how that is set up, told me that I’d never be promoted, not the way I work. Then it was confirmed by the guy who is in charge of the hiring. They like having me just where I am because I work a lot of hours.” Jake nodded. “I’m going to hang out my own shingle, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll figure something out.”

“Work with me. We could be partners.” Jake said that wasn’t what he was going for. “Maybe not, but we could make it work. And with both of us bringing in hours, we could save some money too.”

“I don’t really need to work.” Forrest said he knew that as well. “I guess you would. My grandda, he left me a large chunk of money when he passed away. And Grandma told me that she’s leaving her money to me as well. It was a nice bit of cash. Carol never knew, of course. Had she known, I don’t think I could easily say that about not working. She would have drained the pot and I’m betting that it still might not have been enough for her.”

“No, she would have taken you to the cleaners and then stepped over your corpse had she any idea of your worth. But she’s having her own set of troubles.” Forrest told him how he’d talked to her dad just yesterday. “Her parents have given her a month to get her affairs in order and get out. I guess her mom wants her out now, but they said a month is all they’ll give her. I think we can get off with no sort of alimony to her if we can show that she’s not trying to make her way in this world and never has. This is a no fault state, lucky for her, or we’d have her paying you. But as it is, I don’t think you’ll have to fork out any more than necessary to end this.”

“When I heard about the abortions, it was all I could do not to hunt her down and ask her about it. But I figured it wouldn’t do me any good. She’d just figure out a way to turn it so that it was my fault. Carol would never admit to being wrong about anything.” He related the story about her coming to the house today. “This guy, Mark, who works for Grandma, was at the house with his crew, working on the yard when she showed up. He said that just after she left, the moving company called, asking for directions to my house. Mark explained to them that she no longer lived at that residence and that they should take it to her home. Her parents’ home. Mark said the guy was still laughing when he hung up. I guess Carol was none too nice to him when she made the arrangements in the first place.”

“I tried to get them to take it to her earlier this week, but that fell through. She didn’t put it in her name but her father’s, since he was being billed for the place.” Forrest grinned. “I think this is so much better. You refusing the delivery will say a lot to her, and her father will be pissed when it gets to her. Damn, but I wish I could have seen her face when she was turned away. That is not a nice woman.”

“I have it on my computer. I set up some security cameras a few days ago so I could keep an eye on the place with her locked out. It wouldn’t have surprised me to find out that she’d broken in or something.” Forrest said he’d thought the same thing. “You have no idea how content I am that she’s out of my life. No one does. I’m almost giddy with it.”

They talked about this and that, nothing about whatever came next for them nor about Carol. Jake finally asked him about Thomas and why Forrest thought it was him who had hurt him. At first he wasn’t sure he was going to answer, but he finally did.

“I didn’t actually see him there, but I could smell him. And I heard laughter. He brays like a jackass, and I knew it was him. Then when my head exploded in pain, I just passed out.” Jake nodded, understanding that Forrest would be able to catch this other man’s scent simply because they had been lovers. “I was running off steam, I guess, and not really paying attention to what was going on around me. I was on property that I thought was safe…it’s not much but all I had, and figured I was safe.”

“What would drive him to resort to trying to kill you? Or was it simply he wanted you to hurt?” Forrest said he didn’t know. “What do you plan to do about it? I’m assuming that you have something going on in that head of yours.”

“I do. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to, not at first. It’s sort of embarrassing to have someone try to take advantage of you in these sort of situations. But I’ve thought it over, and since I know there are others out there, ones that he’s scammed as well, I’m going to go all out to get him off the streets. Or at least his name out so that others can be aware of him before they’re taken.” Jake asked him if he could help. “I was actually hoping you could. I read over your file, and you have some pretty good contacts with people that get jobs done. I don’t want him killed, mind you, but I do want others safe.”

“It would be my pleasure. And maybe if word gets out, others will come forth and testify against him. I mean, I know it would be hard, but if just one person is safe then it’s worth it.” Forrest said he agreed. “I can’t imagine what sort of things you’ve had to put up with over your lifetime. I know something about your dad. Grandma told me what a prick he is.”

“He is all that and more. When I first came out, he told me that he’d pay for me to be fixed. I wasn’t sure what he meant at first, thought he wanted me to get help or something. No, he wanted me to be castrated—his words, not mine—so that I’d not breed any more of my kind into the world. My mom took it in stride. She told me not long before she died that she knew all along, and was glad that I was embracing myself. I nearly wet myself when she said that. Embracing myself like I was finally coming to know me. I miss her every day.”

“I was never close to my parents. I had a brother, but he was killed in a biking accident when I was about twelve. Benny was two years younger me, and I think that my mom and dad figured that I should have been there for him.” Forrest told him he was sorry. “It’s all right. I mean, I tell myself that. But when Benny was killed I was at a school function. I think some sort of debate team or something. My dad said that had I been home, I could have been watching out for him. Mom just told me she was disappointed, in between sobbing how much she’d lost and that no one would ever understand it. I was never sure if she meant that I hadn’t been killed or that I wasn’t with Benny when he was. And they hated Carol.”

Both of them fell silent after that. Jake wanted to ask him again if he was all right, but could almost feel that he was. The television was on, muted since neither of them seemed to be paying attention to it. When Forrest squeezed his hand, Jake turned to him.

“I was wondering; would you mind very much if I kissed you?” Jake felt his heartrate triple. It was not that he was afraid of a kiss, but he was nervous about where it might lead. Or for that matter, where he wanted it to lead. “If you don’t want to, I understand.”

“No, it’s not that. I don’t know how.” Forrest asked him what he meant. “I kissed Carol on our wedding day, but not since. Not anyone but Grandma. I know that sounds really stupid, but I never really wanted to be with her. Not sexually, nor even as a friend. Not that she wanted any more from me apparently, but I’ve never really enjoyed sex or kissing.”

“Well, it sounds like you’re due.” Jake stood up, his body aching for something more than he knew to name. And when he leaned toward Forrest, making sure not to hurt him in anyway, Jake moaned when Forrest pulled his head closer and touched his lips to his.