Chapter Sixteen

Ten Days Later

April 15th

CHANNON

Channon shut the door of the truck and walked around the front to meet Waylan, who waited on the pavement.

Waylan pushed his glasses up his nose, then walked confidently onto the college campus and was three steps in the front gates when he waved.

Channon rushed to join him, carrying a bag of wrapped burgers and boxes of noodles as gratitude for Rylee’s time. As the unofficial leader of the House of Acceptance, a college fraternity of Vihaan exiles, he was an invaluable asset to Waylan’s work and Channon’s food truck. Channon usually dropped an order at the fraternity, where a different person answered the door each visit. The only way he knew he’d once met Rylee was in the fact he had Channon’s business card.

Channon caught up, following Waylan around a group of college students to approach Rylee, who sat on a bench with three books spread out around him. “Thanks for seeing us.”

“Of course.” Rylee smiled, attractive in a rugged, hipster way. He was tall, even sitting, his shaggy, blond hair tied into a messy bun, and had intelligent, brown eyes. “We appreciate Channon’s work. He’s a blessing from the Mother, especially for those struggling with the transition.”

Channon glanced at Waylan, not sure what ‘the transition’ meant. He supplied meat to the fraternity but had never socialised.

“Rylee provides shelter for foame exiles. If the Meskli can get word to us, we have people who will watch the known doorways for new arrivals. Anyone of college age can stay with Rylee, where they go through their transition from Vihaan to human,” he explained, tucking his hands into his coat pockets. “They often have trouble maintaining their shifts and can sometimes fall into a dangerous state of being feral beasts until they recover both halves of themselves.”

Channon was shocked to hear foame struggled so much and hadn’t expected this young man to be the orchestrator of a complex and well-organised rescue mission. “Then we’ve all been given a calling by the Mother.”

Rylee tipped his head in a silent thanks for the compliment.

Waylan’s eyes sparkled with happiness, and he hunched his shoulders, reacting to the light wind. “A fraternity brother who is studying technology, Martim, has agreed to help you build your website and teach you how to use a program to show your live location.”

Channon raised an eyebrow, surprised but grateful for the offer. He’d been expecting to pay someone to update his website and set up the live feed, but he hadn’t anticipated being taught how to use the technology.

“I planned to introduce you to Martim, but I’m afraid he’s running late.” Rylee looked genuinely apologetic. “He sent a text before you arrived. His lecturer asked him to stay behind, and he’s not sure how long he’ll be delayed.”

Channon didn’t mind waiting, but Waylan was due to meet Eli for lunch. “He can call to arrange another meeting. I can always change my plans to come by whenever he’s free.”

“Thank you. I’ll pass on the message,” Rylee said, radiating curiosity behind a charming smile.

Though Waylan looked surprised, he thanked Rylee for his time and joined Channon when he backed away to return to the truck. “I’m sorry. I was hoping you could meet Martim today.”

Channon offered his hand, smiling when Waylan accepted, removing his own from his pocket to link their fingers. His hand was warm but Waylan’s was the wrong side of cool. “Is your circulation getting worse?” he wondered, sure a kalou shouldn’t be so cold in the middle of April.

Waylan shrugged, clearly not concerned. “It fluctuates.”

Channon tutted, wondering why he was surprised that Waylan didn’t have a definitive answer. Despite being a doctor, he never bothered to look into his own problems. “You make a terrible patient.”

“I probably do.” Waylan clutched his hand tighter and walked closer. “Why? Want to play doctor?”

“You’re asking for trouble.”

Waylan laughed, unrepentant, but now he’d put the idea in Channon’s head he wasn’t averse to trying. The spontaneity and fun of never knowing what else he would discover about Waylan was something he’d never known he’d been missing.

Waylan was everything he ever needed in life.

*

WAYLAN

“Do you want to wait?” Channon asked, putting the van into park at the nature reserve. His phone had pinged, not long after their lunch with Eli, to say his cooler was ready to collect.

“I’d like to come if you don’t mind,” he replied not sure if Channon would agree. Waylan had been curious about the cooler and the doorway, but he would understand if Channon couldn’t share his last real connection with Caedin.

“Sure.”

Waylan joined him outside the truck. No one sat in the security hut, but Channon had said that wasn’t unusual. Today, Waylan kept quiet, hands deep in his pockets, leaving Channon to his thoughts. It had been a strange day. Their plans with Rylee had gone awry, and then they arrived early for lunch with Eli and spent an hour listening to Eli pepper Channon with questions about his business.

Waylan had expected to talk about Eli and his girlfriend, about college or his upcoming trip to the nature reserve to try his first shift into kalou. Instead, he barely got a word in as Eli begged Channon to teach him how to cook Vihaan recipes, to take him on as a trainee cook and let him help out whenever he got his second truck. He’d never felt more like a third wheel in his life, even with Adler and Tabitha exchanging doe eyes at every meal.

He was happy Eli had accepted Channon, but he could only imagine the chaos when Tabitha found out he wanted to help run Channon’s second food truck rather than go to cooking school.

He wasn’t sure what the rest of their day would look like. Would Channon be melancholy and affected by his first visit to the cooler since he’d let go of his feelings for Caedin? Or would he be happy to continue their day as planned?

Waylan was supposed to be sleeping at Channon’s cabin for the first time tonight, not that he’d told Channon. He intended to surprise him. They were planning to have dinner, and then wine on the porch, a run as kalou, and probably sex before Waylan drove home. This time, Waylan hoped to get a decent night’s sleep and surprise Channon by still being there in the morning.

They weren’t far from the pulse Waylan always felt when he got close to the doorway, but Channon’s posture didn’t change as they got nearer.

“This is it.” Channon gestured to what looked like a rubbish bin at the edge of the path. He crouched and removed a key from his coat pocket. The front panel unlocked, not to reveal a rubbish bag but a cupboard where Channon reached inside to remove a familiar cooler. He closed and locked the door.

Waylan crept closer to peek over his shoulder. The bin was labelled as being a nature camera, a lie that gave Channon a good reason to keep returning. “You just pick up and leave?”

“Pretty much.” Channon stood and goosebumps rose on Waylan’s arms. “Ready to g―” Channon paused, a frown forming as Waylan rubbed his left arm, wondering why he felt so cold when he was wearing a long-sleeved jumper and a coat.

“Are you cold?” he asked, looking at Channon, who stared into the distance. “What’s wrong?”

Channon swallowed and pointed to his left. “The doorway is open.”

Waylan spun, surprised, but relieved to make sense of the goosebumps. He always felt cold around an open doorway. Curious, he stepped closer and peered at the open shimmer that said the doorway had sensed a nearby presence. In his experience that meant within two feet. “Someone’s there,” he said, glancing at Channon.

He looked rooted to the spot but didn’t protest when Waylan got closer. Sensing he wasn’t ready, Waylan got within five feet of the doorway in time to see a tiny kalou darting past. “It’s a child,” he called to Channon, who frowned and joined him. Waylan smiled as the bundle rolled into view to stop a foot from the doorway.

A distinctive growl emanated from nearby, causing the tiny kalou to scramble from the doorway to sit five feet away. Waylan guessed that must be a parent warning their child about the doorway.

Charmed by the child who sat and stared at the doorway, head cocked curiously, Waylan waved as Channon stepped up beside him. “She’s sweet,” he said, recognising the formation of stripes as indicating a female.

“She shouldn’t be alone.”

Waylan smiled, pleased by that protective instinct. “I don’t think she is. Someone warned her away from the doorway,” he explained, coming upon a curious thought. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how does your friend leave meat in your cooler if he’s kalou?”

A sideways glance suggested Channon had expected him to ask sooner. “The bin has a sensor pad on top. We chose that over a conventional drop box for Caedin’s sake,” he revealed, an arm lifting around Waylan’s waist. “He crosses the doorway and puts his foot on the sensor. It’s got print recognition designed for his foot and Caedin drops the meat inside, then it locks between pickups.”

“How clever.” Waylan approved, wondering if that system could be implemented in other ways that would help Vihaans in need.

The distinctive noises of kalou conversation, which he recognised even though years had passed since he’d last spoken to a kalou other than Tabitha or Adler, made him focus on the doorway. Channon’s arm tensed around his waist and a shiver raked his spine.

An adult kalou stood on the other side of the doorway.

Waylan didn’t need a hint to guess who the kalou was, or the identity of the young kalou butting at their feet. “Is that Caedin?”

Channon nodded stiffly.

“I presume that’s his child?”

With an audible swallow, Channon spoke softly, “Yes. The markings are similar, part Caedin and part Nada.” He waved and the kalou tossed its head, emitting a soft chuff that sounded friendly.

Waylan couldn’t believe he’d forgotten how to interpret kalou sounds, but this kalou sounded different, likely a product of having come from a different region. He looked at Channon, his eyes damp with unshed tears. “Are you okay?” he whispered, worried this accidental meeting was overwhelming.

“Yeah.” Channon waved. Then the kalou ushered the child from the doorway. “He, uh…basically said he was happy for us.” He looked at Waylan and released his waist to swipe at his eyes. “He’s happy that we’re happy.”

Waylan wiped at Channon’s eyes and grasped his hand, glad that he planned to stay tonight. Of any other night they’d been together, this was the night Channon needed him most. “I’m glad we’re here. His daughter is beautiful.”

“Yeah.” Channon cleared his voice. “I never knew he had children but…I guess they’re happy?”

Refusing to dampen his hopes, knowing how much Caedin and his happiness meant to Channon, Waylan nodded. “I think so.” If Caedin was as respected as Channon said, he could have left an unhappy union or taken another mate without the elders criticising him. He was a lucky man to have Channon’s friendship and a family. Waylan was grateful, in a selfish way, that he’d never returned Channon’s love, or they wouldn’t be standing here.

They were in this beautiful place, anticipating everything that would follow. This was their moment, and he was determined to make the most of what time they had.

“Ready to go?” Channon asked, abandoning what he’d once wanted to offer Waylan his hand.

He accepted the trust Channon offered with the touch and everything else it represented: a chance, a future, a connection.