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Othoni

Earthside, Appalachian Wolf Pack Territory

“Don’t you think we should wait for Teddy or someone to meet us? They did say they’d be here,”

I asked Mori as he shouldered his trunk. We’d spent the last few days on a train traveling from the Hemlock Wolf Pack Territory to the Appalachian Wolf Pack Territory. It wasn’t bad as far as traveling went. Mori and I hadn’t told his parents or mine how we actually planned to travel. The Other World would’ve been quicker but I spent so much time locked up in the small village of my birth that Mori couldn’t pass up the chance to show me a huge swathe of the continent.

“We could but I want to talk to this guy without anyone else there. I want to see what he’s really up to. Teddy is ready to rip this old wolf apart and I don’t want his energy pissing all over my read of him. Not that I blame Teddy. If he shot me, his mate would’ve been SOL on this promise. Seriously, SOL. I don’t do that shit. I don’t do guns. Nope. Anyone who has ever read Nightshade Bear history wouldn’t touch those metal blasphemers of doom with their enemy’s butt crack.”

“Ooookay,”

I drew out the word. “So, we’re going to carry our trunks all the way to town?”

I arched a brow. “I know you’re hiding bear DNA somewhere inside of you but…”

“Are you magical or not, Othoni?”

Mori sighed. “Levitate that Frost-damned thing if you don’t want to carry it.”

“Oh, yeah,”

I laughed and waved a hand. “It’s so strange.”

“What is?”

Mori asked, leading the way through the crowd of strange shifters. Most of the travelers at the train station were wolf shifters, but I spotted a few bears, foxes, and even a handle full of dragons.

“Sandy haired guy is a vampire,”

my inner jaguar pointed out.

He lounged in a try inside his inner sanctum sunning in a beam of light that came from some unknown origin. I envied Mori. Not only did my best friend grow up surrounded by magic he was actually allowed to use, he actually knew exactly who he was too. Unlike me, who didn’t even know where that damn sunbeam came from.

“What’s strange?”

Mori asked again.

“Oh, being able to use magic for just about anything I like,”

I shrugged. “My carrier always told me not to show off or to save it for important things. I like your parents’ thoughts on the whole thing a lot more.”

“Magic is a muscle. You have to use it to make it stronger,”

we said in sync and laughed as we walked past a guy with big, blue feathered wings. I didn’t get a good whiff of him and was about to ask Mori if he thought he was a harpy or a bird shifter, but my friend was already crossing the street away from the train station and I had to jog to catch up. When we shifted, I outran him, but in human form Mori power walked like he was leading an army into a mildly important battle.

“Mori!”

I hissed. “Wait up! It’s like you’re running from spirits, and I haven’t even seen any dead people yet!”

“Shush!”

Mori said, glancing back over his shoulder but slowing down so I could walk by his side. “Don’t be so loud with that. Most folks won’t recognize you, but I look like someone mashed my parents together. I’m not here to tell everyone about their dead friends and family. We’re here to talk to a crazy old wolf. Though….”

“Though what?”

I asked him but Mori shook his head.

His long dark hair fell out of its green and brown scrunchy, and he grabbed at the accessory before it hit the well-kept pavement and was lost forever.

“We both know whatever is going on with that old wolf is probably death bed visions. Almost every old person I’ve known to move on has been visited by their dead people,”

Mori whispered.

“Oh!”

I said, catching a salty, greasy whiff of something tasty. “Let’s find out what smells good and have lunch there! Breakfast was forever ago.”

“We’ll eat at the B&B. I’m sure they’ll have something for us. We don’t have time to dilly-dally around if we’re going to talk to Dern without everyone around,”

Mori sighed and I hissed half-heartedly at him.

“But I like eating like the bears do,”

I fake whined.

“Later, Ni, later,”

he said and led the way down the sidewalk.

The further we walked away from the train station the more trees and flowers there were to be found and the less not-wolf shifters we encountered. Most people didn’t look twice at us even with our trunks levitating at elbow height next to us. In the end Mori hadn’t wanted to carry his around town either. Maybe the wolves here weren’t strangers to magic or maybe their parents taught them better than to question strangers about their personal affairs.

Mori stopped and sniffed the air before glancing at his phone. His screen was filled with mixed texts from Teddy, Marsin, and Dern’s doctor, Jacob. All of them had arrived at the train station about three minutes after we crossed the street. Mori smirked and waved for me to get the lead out as he hurried past the B&B where we’d be staying. With a flick of his wrist, his bracelets jangled and our trunks zipped away from us as if they were caught in some invisible jet stream that deposited them neatly on either side of the front door.

“Show off,”

I whispered.

“Don’t you sound like your carrier,”

he teased me.

“It smells like rain. Like staticky rain,”

I announced as my jaguar stretched his hind legs inside his inner sanctum. “Maybe we should go inside.”

Mori paused and glanced up at the sky. Finding it blue and cloudless, he shrugged and continued on his way. Mori feared no weather. He’d walk through a hurricane for a good burrito or a homemade pot roast. I on the other hand never grew used to the thundering storms of lightning and rain that brought the floods to the lower lands surrounding the village of my birth. Even back in the Nightshade Territory I couldn’t sleep when the sky growled and rumbled and threatened to exhale a twister.

“It’s not going to storm today,”

Mori announced as if whatever gods and spirits controlled the weather were at his beckon call too. Heck, maybe they were. His carrier did seem to know everyone and their uncle after all.

“I hope not,”

I said but my jaguar’s fur stood up in a way that let me know I was right. Hopefully, we’d be inside somewhere safe and sound when the storm hit. “Anyway,”

I said and looked around for anything to distract me from my own intuition. “Didn’t this old dude say that he’d only talk to us if Teddy was there too?”

“Yes, and he doesn’t need to talk. I just need to see him and whoever he’s seeing without Teddy’s anger all over it. I don’t blame him for hating the guy. I just… I don’t know.”

“Are you worried that you’re going to respond to him and beg him to put eggs in you right there at the old folks’ home like your carrier seems to think?”

I teased him.

He shot me a dirty look and let out a long breath before switching over to the Nightshade Bear link for privacy. Sometimes head speak was the only way we could communicate without being overheard. That perk was one of the only reasons I joined the Nightshade Bears. That and well to piss off my carrier in a way that did him no harm.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny. Teddy isn’t my mate. No, I don’t know who it is before you ask, but could you imagine? I don’t want to have to chase my mate through the sky or have his previous hookups show up and yell about surprise babies or something and I’m not living in outer space. I don’t think I was so horrible in a past life that I have to go through that. I don’t think the universe hates me that much. I don’t think I crossed my true-mate to the point where he’d be Teddy Moonscale.”

“Yikes. Pure salinity, dude.”

“What do you care? You haven’t even talked to him.”

“Isn’t he supposed to be your friend?”

I arched a brow and frowned. “Can’t wait to hear what you say when I’m not around.”

“That you’re still pretty sheltered and I have a whole world to show you. A world that I can’t wait to show you,”

Mori grinned. “And Teddy is my friend. That’s how I know he’s not my mate. If he were my true-mate don’t you think I’d feel something?”

“I mean you did travel all the way here.”

“I only said yes because Dad is friends with Dern, and someone needs to find out what’s going on. They’re going to have another baby, and they need a real vacation. Besides, if we ever open up shop for paranormal investigation for real, we’d have to start somewhere, huh?”

“I guess so. Just don’t be mean to Teddy. You don’t think your dad told him he’s your mate, do you?”

I asked, briefly mortified by the possibility.

“Not a chance in Frost’s Pit,”

Mori said aloud as we turned around a curvy bend that led to the home where Dern currently stayed. We both paused, standing akimbo, across the street from it. The building was old brick but nicely upkept. A vivid green, well-manicured lawn surrounded it. Closer to the building sat brick flowerboxes with their bright blooms in full glory. Static danced over my fur again and I crinkled my nose. Why today? Why did the sky have to growl today?

“I don’t see anyone dead, do you?”

I asked Mori.

“No one. Maybe a bird,”

Mori tilted his head. “Sometimes with black birds I can never be certain. Let’s go. I bet they’ve found our trunks by now and when they figure out that we’re not at the B&B this will be the next place they look if they have a brain between them.”

“Why are you being so salty today, Mori?”

I frowned. “I thought we’d have fun on this trip. I know it’s all serious business and stuff but did they do something to piss you off?”

“I’m mad at myself for not thinking to lie about what time our train came in to make time to meet Dern alone.”

“UH…. Are you telling me you didn’t even ask if they’d let you? You just assumed the answer would be no?”

I asked as Mori started across the street. I followed on his heels as a crow called out. Hell, I wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead either.

“You have somethings to learn about alphas. This far north, they’re more like your carrier than your sire. They will say everything is unsafe for you because you are an omega. You can’t see the sick man alone because you are an omega. He shot someone and even though he’s in a hospital and unarmed now, it’s still not safe for you. I didn’t want to have to tell them to fuck straight off to the pit, okay? Sometimes, it’s easier to lie and say you didn’t have reception.”

“Your sire isn’t like that,”

I said, still following.

We crossed the parking lot, weaving through lines of shiny, new-looking cars before Mori stopped in front of the double glass doors that led into the nursing home.

“He is. You want to know the truth? Teddy and I would never be true-mates. We’re not aligned that way, but I almost wish he was because I overheard my parents talking and it’s like my sire’s nightmare that I true-mate respond to someone like Teddy. He doesn’t think I can handle myself.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to sit across from dragons every time there is a big family celebration.”

“He already does that with Star and them! I’m just… I’m so mad that I wish I was a dragon who could spit fire at him just to prove I could take care of myself!”

“You can ‘atsilv ko’ things. That’s almost better than being a dragon. Well, actually,”

I thought about it for a moment. “It is better. You still get fur, and you can spark fires!”

“Let’s just go meet the senile old man,”

Mori sighed.

“Hi!”

A cheerful long-haired, blonde man said from behind a semi-circle desk made of oak. He smelled like cucumber melon pheromone blocker spray and had big green eyes behind his cat-eyed spectacles. His scrubs were grey with little stars on them, and he looked cheerful in that way customer service people always had.

“You must be here to see Dern. I thought his doctor would bring you, but he’s very excited to see you,”

the blonde man stood up and rounded the desk. When he was close enough his name tag read ‘Rian.’ I made a mental note to try to remember that because Mori wasn’t in the headspace to remember it. I wasn’t sure Mori was in the headspace to meet anyone new. I wished he had told me about his sire issues while we were still on the train. If he had, I would’ve had days to talk him down.

“We’re excited to meet him too,”

I said, reaching out to shake Rian’s hand. “I’m Othoni and this is Mori. It’s so nice to meet you, Rian. We find that sometimes those we help open up quicker if they have a snack while we talk with them and you should make sure all the windows are shut because there’s a storm coming in this evening.”

“We can bring you all a snack,”

Rian grinned. “Though, I just checked the weather and there’s not a drop of rain in sight.”

“Well, close the windows anyway,”

I said, still shaking his hand.

“Are you afraid the ghosts will escape?”

he leaned in close to whisper.

“That’s exactly it!”

I grinned.

Maybe Mori was right about lying sometimes if it protected people from their own short-sightedness.

“I didn’t know you were a fortune teller like Dern,”

Rian’s grinned broadened when I finally let go of his well-manicured hand.

“I am many things, Rian. Many many things. Which way is Dern’s room? We can walk ourselves while you work on that snack. Thank you. You’re such a good friend.”

Rian pointed and I walked away before he could say anything else. Mori caught up with me and asked what the hell that was about over the group link.

“He was cute but he really needs to shut the windows, and I told you I was hungry. Why not grab a bite to eat while we’re here? You’re not going to be in the mood to eat after the alphas catch up with us,”

I pointed out.

“Touche, Ni. Touche.”

Dern’s room was much cozier than I expected it to be. Bigger too. Two large bay windows looked over a pretty garden. The walls were light mint green and the whole room smelled like watermelon. They hadn’t sprayed our subject down with pheromone blocker spray, thankfully. He smelled like many old, ornery wolves that I’d met. He smelled like big secrets too. Almost like my carrier when someone tried to guess what was in the potion that allowed jaguars from our pard to astral project to their true-mates. I hadn’t done that yet. I wanted to see the world before I had to go home and lead a life trapped in the village. My pard would need me and I’d go, of course, but for now I was happy to see everything.

“Is he the jaguar guy?”

Dern asked Mori.

“Yes, this is Othoni. Have you met before?”

Mori asked, sitting down in a chair next to Dern’s bed, not bothering to shake the old wolf’s hand.

“I haven’t but others have talked about him. Ormund over there,”

he nodded toward the windows, “for example.”

Mori waved to the windows, but I didn’t see the guy in question straight away. Though, I didn’t always see spirits. A second later, huge white and brown feathers came into view before anything of the man could be seen. He looked like an angel from old human art I’d seen at some of the museum’s Mori had taken me on a tour of.

“He’s not a harpy before you ask,”

Dern said. “He’s not even from Earthside. He died here but he wasn’t born here but that’s a story for later.”

“Isn’t that the story we’re here for?”

Mori asked, crossing his legs and taking out his laptop. “I hope you don’t mind if I type my notes. I’ve been told you’d like your story recorded in some fashion. I could use voice record on my phone but…”

“Do that too,”

Dern said. “Do it in the new-fangled way too. I’ve been reading so much about these damned Starscales that I think that we’ll see more and more mates like me and Ormund and like Marsin and Astral. Times are changing. Things are--- I don’t want to be here for the weird stuff though.”

Dern huffed and Ormund crossed the room to sit on the edge of his mate’s bed. He took Dern’s hand in his and kissed it. For a second, I ached for that attention. Not from Ormund exactly but from some alpha who didn’t care about where I was born or who I’d be later in life. I just needed some big, hunky alpha with arms big enough to brush all my baggage out of the way and---

“He’s a looker, huh?”

Dern said in my direction as if he read my thoughts. “He’s always turned heads. He claims that it’s his wings but we know better, don’t we, kitten? Sit down. I told them to bring sweet tea and sandwiches when you got here. Knew you’d come hungry. Sit down, kitten. He doesn’t bite.”

I sat down in the empty chair and Mori asked, “So, where would you like to start with telling us your story, Dern?”

“Not yet,”

he shook his head. “I could do the whole Appalachian hospitality thing and lie and say I wanted you to have your refreshments first but I’m waiting on Teddy. I shot the poor, scaly asshole. So, he should hear this too. Besides, y’all will be glad I waited.”

“For the love of Juda and all his babies,”

Mori pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell me that you do not believe Teddy’s my true-mate like my carrier does.”

Dern flattened his lips to his face and rolled his eyes. He was already exasperated with Mori and his scent said as much.

“Not everything is about you, buttercup. I know you’re a special boy where you come from. Everyone loves the kid of the shaman and healer who can see dead folks. I’m a fortune teller. I know all about being the special boy but let me tell you, ain’t none of us special. You can wait a few more minutes like everyone else.”

“Are you trying to be a dick?”

Mori asked, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead.

“No,”

Dern shook his head. “Just telling you what someone should’ve told me when I was younger. Would’ve saved me a whole lot of trouble. You’ll need to remember that in the future. You have to look beyond your own nose, pup.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. Dern was being a dick, but Mori’s expression was priceless. The old wolf wasn’t the first one to tell him nepotism wouldn’t get him anywhere but in general I considered Mori a decent guy. As far as I knew he hadn’t chosen his parents.

“So, you’re really not going to tell me after we traveled all the way here upon your request?”

Mori asked, trying to drag the conversation back on track.

“I never said that. I said we’re waiting on Teddy and look here comes the snacks. Thanks, blondie,”

he said the last part to Rian. “Let us know when the dragons get here. Tell Jacob he can blow a seahorse but send in Teddy Moonscale.”

“Dern,”

Rian said, in a knowing voice. “I don’t think Teddy wants to talk to you. You shot him. Twice. When we shoot people, we don’t get to expect them to be our friends.”

“And when we get old, we don’t revert to toddlers, but I guess they didn’t teach you that at Hemlock Academy, huh, pup?”

Dern huffed. “Tell Teddy to get his ass in here. Tell him the story eventually includes his carrier.”

“Dirty pull,”

Mori narrowed his eyes on the older wolf.

I sighed. Mori was hardheaded. I wouldn’t call myself a door mat but in the past, I had been ‘the go along to get along’ guy. At least where my carrier was concerned. Sometimes, it was easier to give him his way than argue for days on end. At least it was before he and my sire separated because he disowned my brother for stealing a potion to meet his true-mate. Now, everyone who is of age has the choice. I’ve opted not to because I’m not ready to crash into fate yet. I haven’t finished seeing the world.

“There comes the man of the hour,”

Dern nodded toward the window.

I recognized Teddy from the video calls he occasionally shared with Mori. The other two men with him had to be Doctor Jacob Leem and Marsin Starscale. My cat rolled onto his back, delighting in all the mischief we caused by following along with Mori’s plan. Sometimes, rebelling in the smallest ways made him a very satisfied pussy cat. One day we’d lead the pard and have to follow all the rules. Thankfully for us and Mori, today wasn’t that day.