::CHAPTER 4::

“Sorry sorry sorry!” I squirmed in his grip.

“I told you never to mention the Choco-Invaders thing ever again.”

“I’m sorry I forgot! Put me down.”

“Maybe I should tie you to the door hook for the rest of the night,” Richie grinned.

“Please no! I swear I’ll scream if you don’t drop me now. Aunty! Help! Uncle! Hey…w-wait—!”

Too late. He had already dropped me head first onto the bed. Rubbing at my neck, I stretched it, “That’s not what I meant by drop me.”

He didn’t pay much attention to my grumblings. He grabbed our bags and sat on the bed beside me. We got out our books and he pulled out a packet of pretzels from our secret stash behind the wardrobe. I grabbed one of the salty curly things and crunched while we worked.

“So did your day suck half as bad as mine did?” he glanced up.

“Don’t know. How bad did yours suck?” I asked eating a second pretzel. He didn’t say anything for a while. Then he gave a huge sigh.

“I got shoved into the girl’s toilet at recess, and in the process bumped into Michaela Gordon—.”

“The Michaela Gordon?” I winced.

“Yes. Of the hip swinging, hair flipping, lash batting dreams that I’ve been having lately.”

“Okay your day already sucked more than mine did. P.S. keep your dreams to yourself.”

“Oh it gets worse,” he ignored my shudder, “She then went on to slap me across the face in front of her friends because...well...I landed in a pretty awkward place when I fell. Then it somehow got around the school that, and I quote, ‘The Chosen-loving Freak’ hangs around in the girls’ bathroom. So now the school thinks I’m some kind of pervert.”

“Wow. Alright. You won. My day was pretty good compared to yours. You okay?” I ruffled his hair. It was a sign of how hard he was taking it that he didn’t make me fix it.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m used to dealing with them,” he chewed on his pen cover.

“But that was so mean to tell everyone that. Did you tell your teacher on them?”

“It doesn’t work like that, Nye,” he chuckled, “You don’t ‘tell’ at my school. Middle School is different. Enjoy the Lower School. You’re going to miss it. Finger paint, make paper planes and stuff yourself with all the gummy worms that you can while you can.”

All the smiles couldn’t hide the hurt marking his face.  Getting picked on was the worst. It was part of why neither of us liked going to school in the first place. We tried faking sick, telling our parents that school was out for the day, trying to get into trouble so that we’d be suspended; every trick in the book really.

We had finished our homework long before we were called for dinner. My aunt had outdone herself as usual. We were stuffed but no one had eaten nearly as much as Uncle Bert. We had left Uncle sprawled on the couch and groaning as he tried to recover.

Richie and I sat on the porch outside looking at some of the villagers disappear into the forest on all fours. “What I would do to be able to shift like them,” I murmured, “And look. Orion gets to go again.” I looked at the distinctive, white, wolf pair. Father and son.

“Speaking of little Orion, his mother needs me to babysit tomorrow. Do you want to keep me company?”

“Keep you company while you babysit Orion White?” I turned to him, “His Highness and I do not get along. It’s bad enough to have to dodge his boys every day, but now you want me to go into his lair?”

“Lair?” Richie laughed at my monster-face and claw fingers, “Dude, he isn’t that bad. His friends are pigs but he’s a good kid. A tad snobby, as we saw today, but good. I babysat him a few times before.”

“How do you expect this to work out?”

“I was thinking that since I’m sleeping there, I can ask his mother if we can make it a sleepover or something. So Orion has company,” he shot me a grin, “It could be fun.”

“You want me to sleep in the same room as him? Are you insane?” I folded my arms, “I can’t and I won’t and you can’t make me.”

“Oh well. I suppose we’ll have our fun without you. If you want to stay here, then fine.”

He turned away from me. Even as he read from his text book, I scowled. How could he leave me behind? He was my friend not Orion’s. They couldn’t have hangouts without me. “Okay I’ll come to your slumber party,” I made a face, “But I’m not going to like it.”

“It’s not a slumber party. Slumber parties are for girls. It’s a babysitting job...slash sleepover thing.”

“Call it what you want. I’m still not gonna like it. And I am not doing his nails or talking about boys.”

“One day you’ll learn to share with other kids. Greediness is only cute up to a certain age,” he flipped a page.

“I am not greedy I just don’t want to share. You’re my Richie not his. How come I have to let him play with you?”

“Stop pouting at me. I’m not a toy for you to claim.”

“Of course you’re not a toy. I know that. I don’t treat you like one, do I?”

“Remember last month when I was keeping an eye on Sally Moses for her grandpa? You threw a tantrum and dragged me away yelling ‘mine’.”

“I don’t remember that,” my cheeks warmed.

“Convenient,” his tone was dry, “Okay, I have an idea. How about we start small? You can bring a toy over for Orion to play with.”

“Why? He’s got his own.”

“Because it’s nice and I’m trying to teach you how to share since no one else seems bothered to.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your aunt and uncle can’t say no to you and your parents think you’re prefect,” he patted my head, “So it’s left to me to make you somewhat decent.”

“You are my best friend and I love you, but you’re disgusting when you start getting all good and nice on me.”

He grinned and dragged me over with one arm. I was surprised by how fast he’d done it. I was falling onto him before I could get the chance to find my balance. With me in a one armed chokehold of a hug, he was free to pinch my cheeks with the other hand.

“What are you doing?” I squirmed.

“I can’t help it. You’re too adorable. That face is why your poor aunt and uncle don’t have the heart to do anything but spoil you,” he all but cooed. Smack!

“Stop talking to me like I’m two,” I grumbled watching him rub his shoulder, “Absolutely no respect. I am eight. Act like it. Honestly!” He stared up at me, his gaze startled. I didn’t want to hit him but he had it coming. With a harrumph I stomped inside. I couldn’t look at him. Treating me as if I was a child.

***

The next afternoon after school, my aunt picked me up in Uncle Bert’s truck. Sunlight peeked through the trees and fell on the truck. I could barely make out the sky and clouds. Birds tweeted and chirped all around, calling to each other and visiting the nests of their friends. Some flitted from branch to branch.

Aunty drove carefully so that we wouldn’t run anything over. There were animals everywhere in this forest; birds, bears, wild wolves.

It was a really really big forest. It took a full hour to drive into the town. Anyone trying to get from the town to the village on foot would take days to get anywhere. Uncle Bert told me that you had to be familiar with our forest to be able to get around. Strangers always got lost and eventually met up with forest animals that recognized that the humans had no business being there. I wasn’t allowed to play in the woods alone.

“Your mother can’t wait to see you. She’s been nagging me all week to bring you on by,” Aunty beamed, “And your dad is home early from work.” I tugged at the ridges on the back of my favorite stuffed dinosaur, Big Rex. I missed my mummy and daddy. It had been a long while since I’d gotten hugs and kisses from them.

Aunty drove through the streets in town and finally we were at the building. It was filled with small, two bedroom apartments. We went to the second door on the ground floor and knocked. A loud squeak followed loud crashing. There was some shuffling and the sound of things being put back in place. Mummy is such a klutz. When the door opened, she stood with the strap of her dress hanging off her shoulder and her hair was all over the place. It looked as though she was electrocuted in some bizarre cartoon.

“Good grief, Gail. Did you fall over the coffee table again? Just as clumsy as ever,” Aunty teased, “Look at you. Is that juice on your dress?” Mummy opened her mouth but Aunty held up a hand, “I don’t think I want to know how.” Both laughed and broke into hugs and ‘I missed yous’.

“Mummy!” I piped up. She looked past Aunty and down at me. Her face softened and she scooped me up off my feet. Only she could treat me like a two year old and get away with it. She hugged and squished me against her chest. The round of her cheek rubbed against mine; warm, sweet, home. Her eyes danced when she looked at me. My clumsy, forgetful, lovable mum. I kissed her cheeks and her nose and her forehead under her shaking and giggles.

“Oh honey, I missed you so much. I’ve been begging your aunt to bring you to see me for ages, but she been greedy,” she beamed, “Not that I blame her. I’d be keeping you to myself if I were her.” She threw a wink at her sister. I wrapped my arms around her. If I had my way, I would never let go. I thought too soon. Someone was dragging me away from her.

Turning, I was held in daddy’s arms.  I was way too old to be lifted up but try to tell them that. “My turn,” he grinned, “How’ve you been, Danny?” He tossed me into the air and caught me easily. It was something I wouldn’t trust anyone but him to do. Before I could answer, I was thrown into the air again. He was enjoying himself almost as much as I was. “Good ole Flying Danny,” he chuckled. I gripped him around the neck.

“Daddy I missed you,” I said. The stubble of his cheek brushed my smoother one. He smelt just as I remembered. Like grass, Decker House cigarettes and cologne. My clutch tightened. His response was a peck on my nose. For its lightness, the kiss said everything I needed to hear. He was happy to see me.

This house was where I was born. It was my real home. Aunty’s house was my home away from home. Though I stayed there most of the time, mummy and daddy weren’t there.

My mother was human, but she had grown up in the village with her Chosen family. Back then, the humans in our village went to the human schools in the town because there were no mixed schools around. While going to the school in the town, she met my father whose parents were from the village too.

They dated and fell in love and then eventually got married. She moved in with him before they had me. Even as a baby, mummy took me to visit my aunt and uncle every week. The other couple grew to love me like the child they’d never had. They babysat me sometimes when my parents weren’t home and in time I began to get attached to Aunty and Uncle.

For the first few years, I lived with my parents. I only went into the village to visit the rest of our family. While I lived in the town I went to a private pre-school there. For a while things were fine. I was just another kid in the bunch. I played and colored and ran about and did regular human kid things.

One day a new boy joined our class. From the very first day, he became very popular very fast. I didn’t talk to him so I never knew why the other kids wanted to play with him so much. That was in the beginning.

Then came that oddly quiet recess break a week later. I heard him talking about the Chosen and he was telling a girl that they were evil animals that were being punished for what they did to humans. It had confused me. I had been in the village a lot. I knew a ton Chosen people and they were just like us; some mean and some nice. But not evil.

The first time I heard it, I hadn’t bothered to pay a lot of attention to the kid. He wasn’t really that interesting to me. That, of course, didn’t last long. It became harder to ignore him eventually. Turns out that the boy had a talent for running his mouth. That girl wasn’t the last person he’d decided to teach about the Chosen.

All of the other children at the school were from the town. They knew almost nothing about the people who lived in the forest. The villagers were a mystery to them and the parents hardly told them anything.

To make things worse, town kids were forbidden to go anywhere near the forest which made them more curious. Parents told their kids that the Chosen ate people and would come for the children who were naughty. It was how they got some to behave. By turning the Chosen into a twisted version of the Boogeyman. Into that monster under the bed. The tapping on their window. The groaning in their closet. The thing that went bump in the night.

So it wasn’t a shocker that they were excited to have a kid who ‘knew’ so much about the Chosen. It was exciting to hear all of these forbidden things that they weren’t allowed to know about. They ate it up.

Me? Not so much.

I didn’t like hearing him bad mouthing people like my Aunty and Uncle. It pissed me off but he was bigger so I stayed quiet…until that last day. That day he went too far.

We were all sitting in the play area coloring. He was bragging to another boy that his father had taken him into the forest to hunt wolves. This caught my attention. Other kids were gasping and wide eyed begging him to tell them all about it. After all, he went to hunt the so called monsters their parents threatened them with. It was stuff of fairytales.

It took a second but when the idea sank in, I saw red. Wolves were cherished, sacred animals in the village and I doubted that these people could tell the difference between a wolf and the Chosen in second form. They were hunting blindly.

I listened in on his story, inching closer. The boy talked about how the wolf was blue and grey with brown eyes and howled as it went down. He told us how the animal bled out and whined until it died. It had howled and cried out when it was shot. We heard about how his father had taken it’s head as a trophy. How they’d stuffed it and mounted it on their wall for decoration.

At that moment I had remembered my aunt talking to my mother about a wolf being found bleeding in the woods with the same scar in his side as Mr. Harrison. They couldn’t identify the body otherwise because the animal was beheaded. Mr. Harrison had twinkling, toffee eyes and cold-silver fur that looked so much like his mop of hair. I’d seen the story in The Den, the village paper.

Nausea rose and I couldn’t breathe. I was sitting next to the boy whose father killed the same old man who’d baked my birthday cake last year. I felt sick. Anger followed soon after. I wasn’t sure when my mind had decided on reacting but a second later Miss Carey had to struggle to get me off of the boy. I had snapped. Every time she parted us, I escaped and dove onto him with fists flailing and my eyes running. The tears wouldn’t stop even in my fury. I scratched and fought her whenever she tried to hold me back. Miss Carey only was able to get me off when my body grew weary with sobs and grief.

They couldn’t get me to say why I had attacked another child and I refused to apologize. I sat in the Naughty Corner all day. No matter how many times Miss Carey came over to ask me to apologize or to explain myself, I kept my silence. She offered to let me go back and play with the others but I wouldn’t. She could not get me to play with kids who could be in awe of a sweet, old man being killed for some sick sport.

My parents had come to pick me up at the end of the day and Miss Carey told them what had happened. My mother hated fighting and my father hated it even more. Both came to the Naughty Corner and stooped beside me.

“Danny, is it true? Did you attack Ronald?” dad scowled.

“Yes.”

“Did you apologize?” mom asked.

“No. And I won’t.”

“Danyel, if you hurt another kid you have to say sorry. I won’t have you fighting—.”

“I won’t say sorry to a boy who tells everyone that the Chosen are wicked and evil and bad. I won’t tell him sorry when he tells the others that the Chosen are stupid animals and that they deserve to be sent away to the forest with other stupid animals,” I told her.

“Oh Danny…” mummy cupped my cheek.

“I’m not telling him sorry because my aunty isn’t a stupid animal. Uncle isn’t wicked and bad and murders children.”

“It’s alright,” dad said his voice calm despite the fire in his eyes, “You don’t have to—.”

“And I won’t say I’m sorry ‘cause I’m not. I can’t be sorry for beating up the boy who told everyone how he went with his daddy to have fun hunting wolves. Who killed Mr. Harrison,” I sobbed wiping the fresh tears running down my face, “and took his head and…and put it up on his wall.”

A sharp intake of breath and I was surrounded by the hold of my father. The tears had truly returned and wouldn’t stop. It didn’t matter that my eyes were red and puffy from crying all day. Or that I’d thought I had run out of tears. The water found a way out.

Mummy went to deal with Miss Carey and talk to Ronald while daddy took me away. I glared at the other boy as I left. It was the last time that I’d seen him. From then on I had been going to school in the village and spent a lot of my time living there.

I visited my parents when I could, usually on weekends. They preferred this to having me go to another all-human school. Nothing had come of going to the police. Ronald’s father hadn’t been arrested and the accusations hadn’t been looked into. Daddy explained to me years ago that while hurting the Chosen in that way is illegal, nothing ever really gets done about it. After that I had told him that I didn’t want to live in the town anymore. As much as I loved my parents, I didn’t want to live in a place that would treat Mr. Harrison like that. Where his head was stuffed and mounted on the wall like a prize.

Especially after I had gone to the funeral and seen poor Mrs. Harrison wailing over the grave of her husband. The man who made the winning chowder at the Cook Off every year. The man who let me play with his puppy when he knew I wanted one. The man who let me pick his best apples before making my favorite pie with the sugar glaze on top. I’d been devastated when I’d heard he was dead but I felt something bad inside me hearing the story first hand.

I shook off the memories and focused on what was happening now. Sitting at the table, I let mummy brush my hair back and fuss over me. Daddy was pumping the tires on my bike for us to go out riding later. Aunty and mummy sat talking in the kitchen while Aunty told her sister how well I did in my spelling test and vocabulary quiz.

“And how is your friend Richard? I haven’t seen him come by in a while,” mummy said.

“He’s good. He’s babysitting dumb ole Orion White tonight.”

“Someone sounds jealous,” daddy came inside.

“I’m not. If he wants to play with that stupid head, he can go ahead.”

“I still think thirteen is a bit young to be babysitting,” mummy sniffed, “He’s still a child himself.”

“No he’s not. He’s a big boy,” I frowned.

“He just keeps an eye on the kids while we’re out and we give him a bit of cash for it,” Aunty shrugged, “The children all adore him and he’s good with them. They listen to him even when we can’t get them to.”

“The boy’s that good?” daddy raised a brow, “Children that young are so wild and all over the place.”

“He’s a good influence on them.”

“Good influence, my foot,” I grumbled, “He’s making me take a toy over to Orion’s because he says I need to learn how to share.”

Mummy ‘awww-ed’ at me and pulled me to her breast, “If he isn’t the cutest thing.”

“You spoil him too much,” Aunty frowned giving me a slice of cake and milk. Talk about the pot calling the kettle’s bottom black. She spoils me just as much. I didn’t comment though. I liked the attention. It worked for me. Aunty stroked my hair with an absent-minded hand and said, “He’s sleeping over at Orion’s house for the night. I think it’s good that he’s learning to share. He’s never been good with that.” I scoffed.

“Okay, stop hogging my boy. Come on. Let’s go for a ride,” daddy said handing me my helmet. Hopping off the chair, I let him help me put on my elbow and knee pads. We were on the road not long after. To me the air in the town seemed more stifled after being so used to the freshness that came from living near a forest. It felt good whipping against my face aside from that. Daddy and I talked and joked and laughed as we sped through the streets, cruised through the park and pedaled into a new street.

Cars passed us but only a tiny, hot pink, Buggy slowed down to drive beside us. The top was down and it was filled with girls who looked like they were still in college. They drove at a pace that caused the drivers behind them to honk their horns and say words that I’m not supposed to repeat. “Hold your horses!” a large brunette with three chins hollered. She was sitting at the back but turned her body around completely to flash a finger that I also wasn’t allowed to use.

The driver of the Buggy didn’t pay attention to anyone, but my daddy. He glanced back at me and then the car again. “Hi there,” she smiled. She had medium brown skin and wavy hair with striking blue eyes. One of the Chosen. I could tell even from this distance. Only an animal could own those eyes. Flipping her hair over a shoulder she added, “Where are you heading, mister?”

“Nowhere in particular. My son and I are just out for a ride together.”

“And after that?” she raised a brow.

“Going back home to my wife.”

“Shame.” Him mentioning his family didn’t seem to kill her hope at all.

“Shouldn’t you guys be in the village?” he raised a brow, “You’re not allowed in the town.”

“We just got back from a vacation. What’s the fun in going straight home?” the driver said and there was an invitation in her tone. Invitation for what, I didn’t know.

“You don’t want to get caught on this side of Rondesdale. I suggest you kids put on your sunglasses.”

Daddy was more concerned for them than anything else. They didn’t seem to be able to focus on much other than him. The blonde in the back was eying his arms and nibbling on her lower lip while the petite girl beside her kept throwing shy glances his way. With a shake of his head, he turned down a pathway that was designed for people on bikes. “He’s so hot!” their giggles and squeals faded as we pedaled away.

I was able to ride side by side with him now that there were no cars around. We were in yet another park. The pink in daddy’s cheeks was now starting to fade. I think because he married and had me young, he sometimes forgot that he was still young. Twenty-seven. In his prime. Desirable to collage girls who liked older guys. He wasn’t an absolute hot mess. If he combed his hair or wore shirts that weren’t washed out with lame phrases on the front, he’d have a lot of potential in the heartthrob arena. Then again, he has mummy. He doesn’t need to impress anyone else.

We stopped at a park bench and sipped from our bottles. Daddy refilled them at the water fountain before joining me on the bench. “So you’re not sleeping at home tonight?” he asked. I shook my head. “You and Richard are still inseparable I see. Didn’t expect him to go as far as to organize a sleepover for you and another charge.”

“He’s just doing it because he doesn’t want me mad at him for going to babysit other kids.”

“You have him wrapped around your finger, huh?” dad glanced over at me.

“Some of the time. But mostly he’s a pain in the neck that makes me behave and do homework,” I pouted, “Homework sucks.”

“School isn’t supposed to be fun. Homework is one of the least fun parts, but I’m glad that he’s a good influence on you. He’s a good kid.”

“Yeah he is. I’ll miss him when he goes to college.”

Daddy didn’t reply. Instead he got up, helped me onto the bike and rode out into the street again. Together we took a slow evening ride with the sunset beside us. We got home by the glow of the streetlights and made it into the house. Cinnamon and apple scented candles were lit in the living room.

Mummy always lit some when night time came. She liked the smell of it. It had been a while since I’d last smelled cinnamon and apples. I walked inside to a big surprise. Sitting in the living room where mummy was fawning all over him, was Richie. She didn’t like a lot of teenagers but she had always had a soft spot for him.

“Hey, pup,” he held out his arms. I ran over and into his lap. “Yuck. You’re all sweaty,” he pulled away, "Get some soap, water and air freshener. You reek.”

You don’t hear me complaining when you come into my house smelling of aux de Eliza. With a glare I went to take a shower. It was a tad longer than necessary but I needed it. I smelt like Irish Spring when I stepped into my bedroom. After getting dressed I went back to the living room. Food was already laid out and Aunty was just about to sit. I climbed into my chair beside daddy and looked up at him. He twirled his fork between his fingers as the potatoes were passed around. I picked up my fork and followed him. Mine fell within the second.

“So how long were you waiting for?” I asked Richie.

“I came on the bus just after school finished. Well I missed the first bus but you get the idea. I got here and your mom said you and your dad had just left.”

“If I knew you’d be coming I would have waited on you. I thought we were going to meet at Aunty’s house.”

“Yeah but it’s easier if I just come here and we go down together.”

“You totally missed me,” I laughed, “Admit it. You old liar.”

“Old liar? I did not miss you and I’ll admit to nothing. Nothing is all you’ll get from me fine sir,” he declared, “You’ll never take me alive. I’ll not confess to thou and thou cannot force mine lips to betray me.”

He pointed his fork at me like a sword. He waved it about as if to attack. I caught on. He was pretending to be Princes like we used to years ago. I grabbed my mashed potato-ey fork and picked up where he left off.

“You point forks as if they were swords and spew untruths as if they were truths. See mother how he tells lies with a forkèd tongue. Serpent’s truths they are. He says what he does not mean. Lower your weapon, you Danyel-loving fiend!” I hissed and jabbed my fork at him, “’Fore I disarm you with mine own and make thou speak the truth with said forked tongue.”

Richie laughed and took a bite of my mashed potatoes. “You win, Danyel Shakespeare,” he grinned and stole a baby corn from my plate. Aunty shook her head at us, used to the antics.

“You still read those plays, Danny?” mummy asked.

“Of course. The man was a genius.”

“Just like you,” she touched my cheek, “Maybe you’ll grow up to be a writer one day.”

“Nope. I’m going to be an architect.”

“I thought you were going to be an artist,” Aunty raised a brow.

“That was last month.”

“But weren’t you planning on being a marine biologist,” Daddy asked.

“So last week. I’m on to new things.”

“You told me that you wanted to be a doctor,” Richie said, “Yesterday.”

“Wars are started in twenty-four hours. Why can’t I change my mind in that time?”

Daddy shook his head. Dinner was short and soon after, Richie had to leave to go to Orion’s house. I hugged and kissed both mummy and daddy. Both looked sad. I knew they wanted me to stay, but I couldn’t. I turned and met the other two in the car and left. Aunty got us back in no time. She was a great driver in the dark.

While I got my overnight backpack from my room, Richie got his. Orion’s house was a ten minute walk away from ours. This time we weren’t going to his grandmother’s house. We were going to his real home. I had seen it while driving by but I’d never set foot inside.

The walk was long and cool. Owls hooted and the streetlights shined down on us. We could have gotten there faster if we hadn’t decided to stroll there. We didn’t talk but the silence was easy. People sat on their porches and gazed out at the quiet night.

When we got to Orion’s house, we both froze. The three story house was a pretty building in dark stone with ivy hangings. There were metal railings and a gate that had been re-done with time. It was said that the house had been the first home built after the first three settlers came. The building stood tall and proud like it knew it was important.

We walked up to the front door and it opened before Richie could knock. A woman stood there. She was willowy and looked too delicate to do much more than breathe and look beautiful. Her eyes were pure amethyst, her hair jet black and her face seemingly flushed by simply being. Her floor length dress swished as she turned her back to us.

“They’re here, hun,” she called. Her voice had a sharp bite to it that showed off a strength that couldn’t be seen on her at a glance. It made sense. Alphas did not have weak mates. “Come on in,” she moved to the side. She was suddenly more intimidating now that she’d spoken.

“Hello boys,” Orion’s father came to us, “Richard, you know where everything is. You know which numbers to call and when.” Richie nodded. “The play shouldn’t be more than an hour and we will be back after dinner. Orion?” he called.

The sound of annoyed yapping. The Alpha scooped up what looked like an arctic wolf pup. “Stop it. We talked about this. Your father and I hardly ever go out. It’s this one time,” his mother said, stroking the fur of the pup. Small ears went flat against his scalp and his head tilted to the side. Begging. He’s begging. “Please don’t do this, baby. We’ll be home soon,” she fussed. A whine as he buried his head into his father’s hold. Wet silver eyes blinked up at the two parents. It was heartbreaking to watch. Another yap. Another beg. He sniffed at his father’s arm.

“Behave yourself, Orion. I’m telling you one last time,” the older man frowned. The pup closed his jaw over his father’s wrist. He didn’t pierce the skin or retreat. He simply looked at the other man. A silent scolding to the Alpha. A challenge. Lifting the wolf, he looked his son dead in the eye. A show of dominance. One Mississippi…two Mississippi. Orion looked away and hung his head. His father’s rank was too high for him to challenge his dominance. The Alpha placed a kiss on the furry head and placed the pup into Richie’s arms. One last goodbye and the two parents were gone.

Richie gave Orion to me and I took him while the older boy carried our bags up to the guest bedrooms. “It’s okay, Orion. They’ll be back in two or three hours,” I murmured. A sniff. The pup didn’t look up at me. His ego was still bruised from his father pulling a dominance play on him.

At no other time would I have ever even thought of hugging Orion White, but in his second form it was easy to pretend that he was just another wild wolf.

Paws padding at my arms, he gave another sniff. His distress was clear. This wasn’t even something I could use against him in school. It was too private a weakness. His connection to his parents was normal for a Chosen child. In this house they were his Pack. A pup losing his Pack. Wolves were too social to handle that.

My fingers scratched at his ears. “It’s okay. Let’s go get you something to do,” I said and took him to the living room. He licked my face. I found that I could read him even when he couldn’t talk in his second form. “You’re welcome…Ri-Ri,” I teased. He growled low in his throat, eyes flashing. I laughed and fell onto the couch. The laugh was cut short. The tips of small claws pricked my skin through my t-shirt. They were small but they would do a lot of damage to human skin. It was a warning. “Okay fine. I got the message. Put those things back in. Sorry,” I told him. Soft, padded paws returned. He rest his furry cheek on my chest and gave a very canine yawn. I decided that wolf Orion was much better than human Orion. He was, strangely enough, more human as an animal. Weird kid.

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Which pairings do you think you will ship when the kids grow up? I'm curious.

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