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Con sat in the office, staring at the computer screen. It was so quiet here, and not just because he missed the sounds of Gesa and Oisin constantly teasing each other like infatuated teenagers. There was an energy that was gone. Like they'd taken all the warmth and safety with them when they left.
They were going to be so pissed off when they woke up and realized where they were and what Con had done to save them. But what else could he have done? He didn't have magic. And no matter how much he worked out, he'd never have the super strength to drag them somewhere and demand help. He was only human. And completely useless.
His amazing new friends—lovers now, though he hardly believe that—needed something more. If he had Gesa's strength, or Oisin's cunning magic, he might have been able to go with them, help keep them safe. But no. He'd sat here dusting books and organizing Gesa's contacts list like a... secretary, while they were out getting shot.
He sighed. Self-pity wouldn't help. Con had learned that lesson long ago. He needed to do something. And fortunately, he'd discovered something that he could do. He clicked the computer screen and made sure the tab was maximized, so it would be the first thing Gesa or Oisin saw when they came back and turned on the computer.
The Ontonagon County hunter's association had a tab labeled "pest removal." And the wording describing their services was a bit strange. If you knew about the supernatural world, it read just like an anti-supe call to action.
When he called the association and asked about their pest removal services, he told them he didn't have his own pest problem, but that he'd seen "pests" infesting the city, describing how they were infiltrating human society. He sounded liked a damned crazy person. But the guy on the other end didn't seem surprised. He just asked Con to hold while he transferred him to another line.
The new guy who answered kept up the "pest" charade, but it was a very thin veneer. When he found out that Con had the sight, he practically fell over himself to invite him out to "see the work we do," and decide if he'd like to join the hunter's association.
Con glanced at the clock, then stood, turning the computer screen so it faced away from the desk, toward the doorway. He got out Gesa's cell phone and checked to make sure the app he'd installed worked. Then he placed the phone next to the computer screen with a post-it note attached. Slipping into his jacket, he paused to adjust the holster and gun he'd taken from Gesa's room, thankful she'd taken him to the shooting range a few times. He should at least look like he knew something about hunting, if he was going to join the hunter's association.
He didn't think this place would ask for his gun license though.
Taking one last look around, he left the office, careful to leave the door open, and crossed through the dusty old bookstore he was coming to love. He wanted to be as brave and unaffected as his supe roommates when they went out to hunt down prey. But the truth was, he was terrified. The only thing he had going for him at the moment was the fact that he was human. And for once, that was a useful thing to be.