Redford
REDFORD RAN.
Nothing else existed but him and the forest. The wind through his fur, the ground under his paws, the noises of insects and night birds that guided him. To his sight, the forest was alive with movement, flora and fauna swaying together as a single organism, one that he was instinctively in tune with.
He had never felt so free.
The aggression and the fear that his instincts were usually edged with were nowhere to be found. It was just him and the forest and utter freedom.
Every once in a while, he caught a glimpse of another wolf. His instincts reacted first, wanting to chase and growl, but once his human mind kicked in, he recognized them for who they were. Edwin, a lighter streak amongst the darkness. Anthony, stalking a deer. Randall, curled up next to a stream to watch the play of moonlight over water. Then, later in the night, the three of them gathered together. Redford could smell them and the deer they were eating.
He approached cautiously, loitering on the edge of the clearing they’d dragged their prey to. Though Redford understood that they were wolves and they were just eating, the whole scene looked briefly terrifying to him: three wolves gathered around a carcass, blood shining on their muzzles. But it was just the Lewises, all of whom gave him a happy welcome. Redford sounded a low huff in return and trotted over.
Edwin had saved him the liver. Redford wasn’t sure why, but from the expectant body language of Edwin, it was probably his favorite part. They fed, and splashed around in the river to clean, and wound up collapsed in a pile afterward, warm and full. Randall’s nose was pressed into Redford’s stomach, Edwin was draped across him, and Anthony was warm at his back. The moon bathed them and the river sang to them and they were at peace.
Redford closed his eyes, and the rest of the night drifted past him. His instincts and the wolf in the back of his mind were peaceful and satisfied, for the most part. But Jed wasn’t there. That was the only thing that would make it better.
As the sun started to rise over the horizon, Redford lifted his head and opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. He hadn’t slept so much as he’d rested. Detaching himself from the pile, he sneaked a few short steps away to change back, biting his tongue so he didn’t disturb the brothers. They didn’t look like they were waking up anytime soon, so Redford left them, unable to help smiling briefly as he started the walk back.
He wished he’d had the foresight to bring along clothes or to change back closer to the van. It felt very strange, strolling the woods in nothing but his skin, but it also felt like an extension of the night and everything it had contained. Freedom. Freedom from worry and boundaries. The freedom to do exactly what he was doing.
It felt amazing.
The walk back didn’t take him as long as he’d anticipated. Jed was hovering at the tree line, looking anxious and worried. The playful spirit of the night lingered in Redford, and he grinned to himself as he stalked behind the trees, keeping himself hidden until he got close enough to pounce on Jed, tackling him to the ground.
“That was awesome,” Redford enthused, happily thumping his hands on Jed’s chest. “We should do that every full moon.”
The tension faded from Jed’s face into a slow grin, his fingertips brushing along Redford’s cheeks. There was guilt under the smile, but Jed shook it away to laugh lowly. “You look like you had fun, babe,” he murmured, kissing Redford’s chin.
“It would have been more fun if you’d been there,” Redford replied. “But it was good. I ran around, and Anthony killed a deer. And then we rested a bit.” Self-conscious, he reached up to swipe a hand over his mouth, making sure there wasn’t any blood remaining. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be. “And I liked it earlier too, when it was just you and me.”
Jed’s hands ran through Redford’s hair, down his back, Jed’s idle touch exploring his skin. Making sure he was all in one piece. It was a touchstone for Jed, Redford knew. A way to assure himself that Redford really had come back to him. “Nah,” he huffed out a rueful breath. “Couldn’t have kept up with you. You’re much better off with the furry brigade.”
Redford rolled off Jed and flopped down to lie in the grass next to him on his back, their arms still pressed together. “Our time together was my favorite bit,” he murmured, finding Jed’s hand with his own, linking their fingers together.
He hadn’t felt quite this satisfied in a long time, like every part of him was exhausted in the best kind of way. It was actually similar to how Redford felt after a round of really good sex with Jed, only this time his instincts were happy too.
Jed raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed Redford’s knuckles. He almost looked embarrassed by the gesture, but he didn’t let go. “It’s always mine too, Fido,” Jed said gruffly. He wore the same look he always got when he said something sentimental but didn’t want to acknowledge it. So Redford rolled over again, sprawling himself on top of Jed to kiss him, reaching his arms past Jed’s head to stretch.
“I’m going to need a massive breakfast,” Redford announced, nosing his way in against Jed’s neck. He smelled the same as always, pine and gunpowder, mixed together with what Redford knew was his own scent. “Did you have a good night?”
“I slept in a van with Victor goddamn Rathbone,” Jed muttered, head arching back to give Redford more room, a pleased little murmur as Redford found that one spot on his throat that always made Jed’s toes curl. “What do you think?”
“Poor Jed,” Redford laughed. “Did you have to put up with lectures?” He didn’t know what Victor could possibly think of to lecture Jed about, but he was sure Victor could come up with something.
“It was terrible,” Jed pouted, a gleam in his eyes as he wiggled a bit under Redford. “I’m traumatized for life.”
Redford lifted his face from Jed’s throat to briefly sniff the air, glancing up at the sun. If he figured correctly, the Lewises would still be an hour away, considering how deeply they’d been sleeping. Victor too smelled like he was fast asleep. For now, it seemed, they had the entire forest to themselves.
He wanted to say something potentially cheesy about making better memories for Jed after his lecture-based trauma, but instead Redford just kissed him, leisurely and slow, lifting up to grin at him. “I’m sorry. I’ll never make you sleep in a van with Victor ever again.”
“Good.” Jed arched his neck up to catch Redford in another kiss, his legs wrapping around Redford’s hips to keep him there. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” Redford ducked down to kiss Jed’s throat, biting him lightly. The instinct was there, wanting him to bite harder, to give Jed a mark that would last for the next few days, but that could wait. For now, Redford was content and comfortable, the sun warming his back, and he had Jed underneath him. He wanted to relish this.
He kissed Jed, smiling into it, lazily running a hand down his chest. Redford still wondered if he should feel weird about the fact that he was naked in the middle of a forest clearing, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world, especially with Jed there. “You have far more clothes on than I do,” he pointed out, getting his hands under Jed’s T-shirt.
With a laugh, Jed tumbled out of his shirt, tossing it away and sliding his hands through Redford’s hair, down to his shoulders, tugging him in to meet in a sweet clash of lips and tongue. “God forbid,” Jed mumbled with a smirk, kicking off his jeans, sprawling out under Redford happily. He looked more than comfortable to be in the same naked state. If a car happened to drive past on the nearby road, Redford had no doubt that Jed would just flip them off and attempt to charge them for viewing rights.
Jed’s hand slipped between them, wrapping around Redford’s cock, his lips trailing along the slope of Redford’s shoulder. “God, you’re gorgeous,” he murmured, nipping lightly at Redford’s neck, burying a smile into his skin. “How do you just keep getting more beautiful?”
“Wolf secret,” Redford replied, giving the words a lofty tone, grinning down at Jed. He still felt heat rising to his cheeks, though, just like every time Jed complimented him. There was a laugh buried against his skin as Jed painted a trail down his chest, tongue teasing across his nipple. In retaliation, Redford bit harder at Jed’s neck, grinning to himself at the gasp it produced. “You’re getting predictable,” he teased fondly, doing it again. Every time, Jed would get this glazed look in his eyes like he’d temporarily lost all sense of anything else that was happening.
It was satisfying to know that Redford could have that kind of effect on Jed—a man who normally divided his attention between fifteen different things. Not now, though. Now the hands that would be reaching for weapons, that would be focused on violence or planning, were gentling down his sides. Now the eyes that scanned rooms for exits, that picked people apart, that looked for weaknesses and opportunities, were dark with want. Were only focused on Redford. Every part of Jed was in tune with him, every shudder and sigh was only for Redford. Jed tipped his head back, baring his throat, a slow smile slipping across his lips.
“Yeah, I’m predictable,” Jed muttered. “I’m so fucking into you, Red, you have no idea.” Redford smiled against Jed’s throat at the words, soothing the bites with a kiss.
“Predictable is good,” he replied lowly, moving his way down to Jed’s collarbone, giving him another bite there. He liked knowing exactly what to do to make Jed lose his mind, and knowing the steps didn’t make it any less exciting.
As for himself, he thought he might try to be a little unpredictable this time around. Redford knew he was still a little shy when it came to things like this, something he hadn’t quite managed to break out of yet. But on the morning of the full moon, and after a night of running, he was feeling confident. It was a good feeling. So he bit at Jed’s throat again, then down lower, nuzzling over his stomach, then licking a long line up his cock, grinning up at Jed. Jed certainly seemed into it, if the moan was anything to go by, so Redford grasped his hips, settling in, contentedly ducking down to wrap his lips around Jed, sucking him gently. He could go hard and fast, and maybe he would later, but for now the sight of Jed, free and happy, sprawled out on the grass, was something Redford wanted to savor a little longer.
Jed’s heels dug into the ground as he sucked in a quick breath, as he spread his legs farther for Redford. One of Jed’s hands dropped to Redford’s hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands. “God, Red,” he managed, voice throaty and low. “Fuck, that’s so good.” As much as Redford could with his mouth full, he grinned again, the expression in his eyes. He was addicted to making Jed come undone.
He let his eyes fall closed, concentrating on the scent of pine and gunpowder, the heavy weight of Jed’s cock on his tongue, the gasps and groans Jed was making. Redford knew Jed’s favorite moves, and he employed them with enthusiasm, drawing back to tease, licking at the tip and using his hand, watching the almost frustrated little frown that Jed would get. But making Jed lose his mind also had the effect of making Redford very quickly get single-minded too, so he stopped teasing, stopped the light touches, and took Jed as deep as he could—he was almost at the point where he could deep-throat Jed, and practice made perfect, as Jed was fond of saying—lifting Jed’s hips to encourage him.
Yelping out a surprised little whimper, Jed scrambled his free hand into the dirt. His eyes were closed, that look of blissful concentration on his face as he gave himself over to Redford. There was so much trust there. Jed wasn’t watching his back, wasn’t worried about what happened next. His body rolled up into Redford’s mouth, and Jed was moaning loudly, uncensored and uncaring who might hear. All he cared about in that second was Redford. Reaching up, Redford took Jed’s hand, twisting their fingers together.
Maybe he’d have to practice deep-throating more often, if this was the reaction he got.
His eyes still closed, Redford redoubled his efforts, one hand curled under Jed’s hip to lift him up slightly. If Jed’s whole world was the pleasure right now, then Redford’s was the giving of it, in tune with every little noise Jed made, every faint twitch of his muscles. He smoothed his fingertips over Jed’s hip, down to his thigh, smoothing his palm over the trembles he could feel that told him Jed was getting close. He wanted to turn his head and bite at the muscles, but with his mouth busy, Redford used his fingernails instead, scraping over soft skin, laughing to himself when Jed’s leg jumped.
That little touch of pain with the ecstasy was what tipped Jed over. Redford could see it happen when he opened his eyes again—the blush that curled across Jed’s body, the way his eyes were glazed over with need, the twitches in his muscles, the soft, keening gasps of air. With a hoarse moan of Redford’s name, Jed came, body jerking up like it was caught on a string before he sagged back into the grass, panting and spent.
Redford gave in to the urge to bite Jed’s thigh then, just lightly enough that it only left a faint red mark, and propped his chin on Jed’s hip. Their hands were still joined, and he squeezed Jed’s fingers, thumb rubbing over his knuckles. Redford heaved himself up and knelt next to Jed. Though he was still aroused, he was content, more than happy to just watch Jed come down from the high.
“I think that might be my favorite sight in the world,” he murmured, carding his fingers through Jed’s hair.
“Nah,” Jed said, voice still all slurred and happy. “Best thing is you smiling. Then a good steak. Then you smiling with a good steak. I’m, like, number five, tops.” But he slowly arched his neck up to kiss Redford, hands painting a path down his back.
Bending down, curled over Jed, Redford hummed a happy noise against his lips. “I said my favorite thing,” he replied. “I have my own list, and you’re at the top of it. Steak is much lower down.” And, needless to say, Redford’s smile wasn’t on his own list. He wasn’t a big fan of looking into the mirror.
“What about Knievel?” Jed asked seriously, but his fingers were creeping up Redford’s sides, brushing just below that spot Jed knew made Redford squirm. Redford gave him a suspicious look. “She’s very important. Is she on this list of yours?”
Jed’s fingers sneaked higher, and, grinning, Redford attempted to bat his hand away. “Yes, the cat rates on the list,” he replied. Jed’s oh-so-innocent face wasn’t fooling him. “Getting to my ticklish spot is not on the list.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” With wide eyes, Jed looked up at him, the very picture of innocence. That was, until he attacked, hands sliding just above Redford’s ribs, tickling him, with a huge grin. Redford yelped, scrambling away, slapping at Jed’s hands to no avail.
“Jed!” Redford protested, laughing, leaping up and taking a few short steps away—and now he felt ridiculous, standing in the middle of the woods, naked, still very turned on.
Jed didn’t seem to care. There was a very predatory gleam in his eyes as he stood gracefully and stalked over to Redford. He grasped Redford’s hips, pulling him in with a low little growl, which Redford happily responded to, leaning into him. Nipping sharply at Redford’s lower lip, Jed murmured, “I’m counting to ten, and then I’m coming to get you, Fido.”
Taking a step back, Jed grinned, covering his eyes. “One,” he counted, apparently not caring that he was stark naked, fifty feet away from the van where Victor was sleeping. “Two. Three.” He peeked through his fingers. Redford hadn’t moved, staring at Jed in vague confusion. “Better go, babe. I’m not going to go easy on you.” Then, eyes covered again, “Four.”
If this was a game that Jed knew, Redford definitely wasn’t familiar with it. But he caught on pretty quick, because the rules seemed easy, and Redford could never resist that grin. So as Jed said, “Five,” Redford turned and took off, trying not to laugh. For the first few steps, he felt awkward, like he should be running on all fours if he was going to be running at all. But he settled into it, concentrating on the ground under his feet, the wind rushing past him, and it was just as good as last night. Better, even, because he knew Jed wasn’t far behind him.
When Jed started running, Redford could hear him. Jed was stealthy when he wanted to be, but at that moment, to a wolf’s ears, he sounded like an elephant crashing through the forest. Redford took a sharp left turn, ducking behind a tree, grinning to himself as Jed ran right past him. The sound of Jed’s laughter trailed after him, and Jed turned, spinning in a tight circle, looking for him.
“Come out, come out,” Jed called, eyes bright in the early morning dimness. “Or I’ll huff and puff and suck you right off.”
Redford couldn’t help it. “That’s not how it goes,” he replied. Then, realizing he’d given his position away, he darted out from behind the tree, tossing Jed a smirk over his shoulder as he sped in the other direction. Next time he’d just have to refrain from questioning Jed about incorrect references.
He heard the quick noise of Jed’s bare feet through dried leaves, the soft puff of breath hanging on the chill morning air, and then Jed tackled him from behind. They rolled together through the underbrush, Jed finally pinning him, both laughing until they couldn’t move. “I win,” Jed crowed, arms in the air like the prizefighters Jed liked watching so much.
Which, of course, gave Redford the perfect opening to twist them around, sprawling on top of Jed and giving his own little smirk. “Who won?” he asked innocently, a gleam in his eye as Jed sagged back onto the ground.
“Nice moves, Fido,” Jed teased. “And who taught you how to do that?”
Jed had, obviously. “Maybe I’m just a natural,” Redford replied. “It could all be part of the wolf instincts, you know. How to get out of a hold.”
Snorting out a laugh, Jed reached up, hauling Redford in for a kiss. “That must be it,” he mumbled against Redford’s lips. “You’re all natural.” As if to demonstrate this, his hand closed around Redford’s cock again, stroking it slowly as Redford arched into the touch with a hiss, eyes falling half-closed. Far from making his arousal die down, the chase had magnified it. Jed’s thumb rubbed against the head of his cock, and he huffed out a laugh. “Left the lube in the van,” Jed grumbled. “I’m just going to have to finger fuck you the old fashioned way.” The words had a bolt of heat shooting through Redford’s body, and he kissed Jed again, hard and wanting.
Grip strong on Redford’s hips, Jed hauled him up to sit over his face, tongue teasing down his cock to press against his hole. The suddenness of the move had Redford’s legs jerking, and he slammed his hands against the ground above Jed’s head, fingers digging into soft soil and brittle leaves, laughing shakily. “Maybe a little warning next time so I don’t fall over and break your nose,” he breathed.
Jed’s voice was rather muffled. “What’s the fun in that?” And then he buried his face under Redford, tongue licking along the curve of his ass, twisting around his hole, long moments of nothing but teasing until Redford was rocking back, desperate for more. Jed’s tongue pressed inside of him slowly, fucking in and out with deliberate restraint. Jed knew how much Redford loved this. He took great pleasure in making Redford go crazy with want. It was amazing and frustrating all at the same time, making Redford grab a handful of Jed’s hair and tug.
Responding with a low moan, Jed nudged his finger in alongside his tongue. Slowly, carefully, just to the first knuckle at the start, Jed toyed with the pressure and friction until his finger was sliding in and out of Redford, brushing against his prostate with every other thrust. His tongue moved with it in time, hot and wet and perfect.
The threat of accidentally falling over and breaking Jed’s nose was becoming more of a possibility by the second. Jed loved this position, Redford knew quite well, but every time he felt like he was just going to collapse and something very unsexy would happen. Still, it was difficult to think about any of that, with Jed so intense.
“Jed,” Redford tried to warn, tugging at his hair again, muffling a moan around a bitten lip as Jed decided that adding a second finger was an awesome idea. “Seriously, I’m going to—” Oh, God, his knee was beginning to slip, and he didn’t care because everything that Jed was doing felt incredible. All he could think about was moving into Jed’s fingers and tongue, his gaze focused sightlessly on the woods ahead of them, the scents of pine and arousal and gunpowder overwhelming him.
One moment slipped into the next, the sounds of the forest waking up around them, of Redford’s bitten off gasps and moans, surrounding them. It was like everything stopped, everything, and Redford was achingly aware of the wind through the trees sliding over his skin, of Jed’s heartbeat a steady throb underneath him, of the way Jed was moving and the growing twist of arousal. Every second turned into a wave, every wave crashed into him, over and over, until Redford couldn’t feel anything but this.
For once, everything in him—the wolf instincts and his own mind—were in perfect harmony. And it wasn’t that unknown growl that rumbled Mate-Jed-Journey in the back of his thoughts, it was his own voice.
Digging his fingers deeper into the soft ground, Redford tipped his head back as Jed eased his fingers still deeper, and the orgasm that crashed through him made his vision blur at the edges, unexpectedly intense, a kind of freedom to it that Redford had never felt before. He was dimly aware of grinning, laughing, and then flopping down on Jed to happily nuzzle at his neck, feeling like every inch of his skin was buzzing.
He couldn’t believe how good he felt. How, for the first time, every part of him was perfectly content. Blowing out a happy sigh, Redford leaned up on hands and knees to give Jed a light kiss. “You’re amazing,” he murmured, eyes still half-closed in contentment. “We should do that every full moon.”
“Sweetheart, I’d do that every morning if you’d let me.” Jed’s voice was teasing, but he was looking up at him with a strange mix of expressions. Jed kissed his forehead and combed his fingers through Redford’s hair, that softness on his face that only seemed to come out in moments like this.
There was that guilt on Jed’s face again. It was nearly impossible to notice, and it was mostly covered by Jed’s usual look of tired contentment after sex. Redford knew why now, but he didn’t think Jed should feel guilty. His staying in the cage and the basement was his own choice.
“Come on, we should probably get dressed before everybody else arrives,” Redford sighed, reluctantly getting off of Jed. He offered a hand to Jed, helping him up, wrapping an arm around his waist. As much as he kind of wished Jed could go around naked all the time, it sadly wasn’t feasible. Even if he was sure Jed would love the idea too.
“Gonna need your nose on that one, Fido,” Jed murmured, kissing just in front of Redford’s ear, their hands lacing together. “Not even sure where we left them.”
Redford raised his chin slightly, closing his eyes as he scented the air. “This way,” he decided, leading Jed back through the woods and toward the clearing again. Truth be told, he wouldn’t have known the way back either, if not for his nose. He hadn’t really been thinking about directions during their chasing game.
Jed had left his clothes scattered in the clearing, and they were now appropriated as Knievel’s napping spot. She’d come out of the van apparently for the sole purpose of shedding all over Jed’s shirt. They both showered her with attention until she stalked off, and Redford left Jed to get dressed while he cautiously crept up toward the van. His own clothes were packed in a backpack, left resting against the wheel, and since there was no flustered exclamation, he had to assume that Victor was still asleep. He got dressed, tugging boxers, jeans, and a T-shirt on, then socks and his boots. After digging deeper into the backpack, Redford put his necklace on and tucked it under his shirt, and then slipped his bracelet onto his wrist. These days, he didn’t go too long without wearing both items—the whistle and Jed’s dog tags looped on a chain and the lapis lazuli scarab bracelet Jed had bought him in Cairo. They were good-luck charms, things that he wanted to keep with him at all times, even if Redford knew the idea of “good luck” was just a superstition.
Jed had gotten them for him. And if he was ever apart from Jed, for any reason, Redford could look at the jewelry and know that Jed was coming back. He’d always come back, because he’d promised.
Behind him, Jed was cursing as he accidentally put his shirt on inside out, so Redford opened the van door as quietly as he could. The sound still woke Victor, who blinked owlishly at him and then seemed to remember where he was with a faint groan. He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s morning already?”
“The others should be getting back soon,” Redford replied, reaching for a water bottle. “How did you sleep?”
“Horrendously.” Victor smiled dryly. He rolled his shoulders with a wince. “But I’m sure we’ll all get a decent night’s sleep when we arrive at the compound.”
From far off in the forest, Redford could hear the distant noise of the Lewises coming closer—one two-legged beat and two four-legged beats. When they emerged, Edwin was happily running circles around Anthony, who was still a wolf, and Randall, who seemed more comfortable being human. Randall nodded at them both, a faint blush staining his cheeks as he reached for his clothes.
“I didn’t think you’d be awake yet,” he mumbled in Victor’s general direction. For his part, Victor had gone red and seemed determined not to stare at Randall and his current state of nudity. The confidence that Randall had worn so easily last night seemed faded a bit in the sunlight. Edwin, however, changed back to his human form with the same rakish grin, climbing into his clothes and sprawling over Randall’s back in a hug.
“Wasn’t that great?” he enthused. “You got up early, Redford. Shoulda said something. I totally would have gone for a swim before we had to come back. Also, you missed breakfast. Ant got us the best rabbits. Randall ate two. That’s how you know they were good.”
Randall flushed deeper. “No one cares, Ed,” he said, straightening his sweater, grimacing as he pulled a leaf out of his hair. “Get in the van.”
“I’m sad I missed it,” Redford said, the end of his sentence trending upward in a tentative tone. He surprised himself by saying the words genuinely, though. It did sound nice. He was just still unsure as to whether he really fit with them and their family, and whether or not he was intruding.
Anthony, still a wolf, was circling around the van, nose to the ground as he, presumably, checked to see if anything had happened over the night. When he’d made a full circle, he changed back, grinning as easily as Edwin. “We’d love to have you along, Redford,” he said. “As often as you want.”
There was a moment where Redford was sure Anthony would hug him—the Lewises seemed so easy with their affection, so free about tumbling all over each other in a very wolfish manner—but the man just smiled at him, squeezing his arm and moving over to ruffle Randall’s hair. It was kind of a relief. Redford wasn’t sure how to do things like that, how to hug and roughhouse and be a part of something that messy and big. At the same time, he did like hugs. Jed gave very nice hugs.
Randall had ducked out of his brother’s grip, grabbing a bottle of water and a small bag. He walked a few steps away, dug out a toothbrush, and quickly scrubbed his teeth, following it with a gargle of mouthwash. Victor had climbed out of the van, stretching with a groan, and Jed had finally managed to get dressed and was walking back to the van with Knievel under one arm, who was yowling her protests about leaving.
It was all more than a little domestic, Redford realized. Getting ready for a long trip in the early hours of the morning, with Anthony bustling around and making sure everybody was okay. Victor had turned bright red again because Anthony was cheerfully rubbing his shoulders, talking about muscle knots and how bad they were if you left them alone.
Randall came back and handed the bag off to Edwin, urging him to wash up. Digging around in the luggage, Randall produced what appeared to be a battery-operated hot plate, which he immediately set about making tea on. His shoulders slumped a little, and Randall absently rubbed the back of his neck, looking tired. He kept cutting glances over at Anthony and Edwin. Redford realized, all at once, that he was worried. It was easy to forget what was happening, especially after last night. Anthony didn’t seem to be letting his illness slow him down, Edwin was relentlessly cheerful, and Redford almost didn’t notice how Randall appeared to be gathering all the stress and piling it onto his own back, bit by bit.
“Oh my goodness, Randall, you are a lifesaver,” Victor announced. “Tea is exactly what this morning calls for. Tea will solve everything.”
“Ah, yes,” Randall replied dryly, pulling out several travel mugs. “I heard about the recent Parkinson’s cure. Cup of tea and everything will be fine.”
Anthony’s happy chatter was cut short, and Victor rubbed a hand over his face, looking guilty. “My apologies,” Victor sighed. “I wasn’t thinking, I’m afraid. Unfortunately, I do that a lot.”
Looking horrified at himself, Randall closed his eyes, forcing out a breath. “No. No, I’m sorry. That was completely uncalled for. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You’re thinking your brother is sick and you’re worried.” Jed’s brisk voice cut in, and he nudged Randall out of the way to rifle through his own bag. “Jesus, kid, if that’s the worst thing you say then you probably got something up your ass bigger than a Chinese stripper pole. It sucks, the whole situation sucks, but we’re going to fix it. That’s the point of this little operation.” He found the gun he was looking for and strapped it on. “Now have your tea. We’re moving out in ten.”
“And we’re nearly there,” Anthony said, giving Randall a playful shove. “So stop looking so down.”
Redford had to admit, he was starting to admire just how cheerful Anthony seemed most of the time. If he had a degenerative disease with no known cure, Redford knew he’d be incredibly depressed and probably wouldn’t work up the motivation to get out of bed. But Anthony had his brothers to take care of—whatever his own feelings on his illness were, he wasn’t indulging them.
Rolling his eyes, Randall bumped his shoulder against his brother’s. He poured the tea, which both Edwin and Jed promptly declined. “I’m afraid I only have the horrid powdered creamer.” He sighed heavily. “Anthony? Victor? Can I fix you something?” He gave Redford a slight smile. “How about you, Redford? It’s my favorite blend, and I think Victor is right, it’s exactly what’s called for this morning.”
Victor took a mug appreciatively, wrapping long fingers around it and taking a grateful sip. Jed brought out his instant coffee, and between himself and Randall they got everyone a hot morning beverage of choice. Redford tried the tea. It was better than coffee, not as bitter, but he still didn’t see the appeal.
Redford and Edwin gathered around the hot plate, joining Victor and Randall, while Anthony puttered around in the van, cleaning up, and Jed attempted to shave in the side-view mirror one-handed while never letting go of his coffee. After a brief discussion between Anthony and Jed, Anthony got into the driver’s seat, and Jed squeezed himself into one of the backseats, with Redford seated beside him. For a while, he watched Anthony’s driving closely, clearly not sure about giving up control. But Anthony handled the van well enough, and eventually Jed’s head dropped onto Redford’s shoulder and he drifted off, snoring quietly when sleep finally claimed him.
Redford woke Jed up as they pulled into the first diner they saw, and got breakfast to go. No one argued the chance to eat on the road and shorten their trip. They were cramped and exhausted, anxious to reach their destination. Once they were back on the road, Redford entertained himself by stealing pieces of Jed’s bacon out of his to-go box. Redford had ordered himself a gigantic breakfast platter, eggs and sausage and ham, and he hardly needed more, but Jed’s possessiveness over his bacon was too fun to not antagonize. The drive passed in peace, with Victor flipping through the pages of a book and Randall reading too, while Edwin and Anthony kept switching the radio channels.
The closer they got to their destination, the more nervous Redford was feeling. He liked the Lewises, and he was starting to feel relatively comfortable around them—but where they were heading, there would be a lot more wolves. Dozens, possibly hundreds. While Anthony had laughed at the idea of calling wolves by rank, like alpha and beta, Redford wasn’t sure if that was unique to their family or not. He’d already had one bad experience with a wolf who thought himself an alpha. What would happen if there were wolves like that at the compound?
As per the directions they had, they turned left at a lake and started heading down a long dirt road, walled in on either side by tall trees. Jed had taken over driving duties and was muttering under his breath every time the van hit a bump in the road. Edwin had stuck his head out the window, taking deep breaths. Randall was holding onto the back of his shirt with a long-suffering expression, nose still buried in his book.
Redford didn’t know how far away they were, but with the window opened, he could smell it. Wolves. A lot of them. He couldn’t pin down exact numbers, but there had to be at least a hundred. Probably more.
But showing nervousness wasn’t going to help, so he gritted his teeth and kept watching out the side window. He just had to trust that these wolves wouldn’t be like Filtiarn.
The van jolted to a stop, and Jed muttered, “Fuck.” There was a steel and wire gate across the dirt road, overgrowth heavy around it. The whole thing looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. There was even a rusty No Trespassing sign hanging crookedly from one side.
For a moment they all just sat there, considering it. Jed unbuckled his seat belt. “Stay in the car,” he ordered, opening the door and stepping out. There was the quiet ping, ping, ping of the van alerting them he’d left the keys in the dash, echoing in the eerie stillness of the woods. Jed’s boots were loud against the gravel as he walked closer to the gate. Redford watched as Jed slipped his gun from his holster, the tense set of Jed’s shoulders easy to read, even through the dusty windows of the van.
Anthony huffed a sigh. “Humans,” he muttered, climbing out of the van and grabbing Jed’s shoulder to tug him back from the gate. “You might want to let me do this, Jed,” Anthony said, an amused little smile on his lips. “They might not be all too happy about a human just stomping up to their gates.”
He tested the gate with a brief push, but it didn’t budge. Then Anthony tipped his head back and howled. It was long, wavering only slightly at the end, and Redford could pick up on the meaning of it right away.
I need help, the howl said.
It faded into the stillness of the air, echoing slightly off the trees. Surely, Redford figured, someone would hear that. Jed had jumped a little at the howl, just a quick jerk of his shoulders, and growled under his breath. “Fucking freaky loud wolves,” he muttered, but he took a step back, just behind Anthony, though his grip hadn’t loosened on the gun.
For a long moment, there was simply stillness. Edwin and Randall were tense, leaning into the quiet, as if waiting for something. Knievel’s ears pricked forward. The cat was sitting on Edwin’s lap, tail lashing in irritation. After seconds ticked by with nothing but the faint rustle of tree limbs, Randall sagged back in his seat, slumping in disappointment. But Edwin grinned, eyes flashing. “They’re here.”
Five wolves appeared, flashing in between the trunks at the tree line like ghosts half-seen. As they came closer, the drumbeat of their run turned into stalking forward, ears flat back against their heads. They stopped a ways away, teeth bared, a low, menacing growl rippling through the pack. Anthony held up his hands, showing that he wasn’t armed and he wasn’t going to shift, and put himself between them and Jed. “Jed, it might be a really good time to put away the gun,” he muttered. Then, to the wolves, with a pleasant grin, he said, “I’m Anthony Lewis. Our parents used to be part of the Gray Lady’s pack.”
Redford directed his gaze away from the growling wolves. If his instincts had been perfectly happy this morning, they were clamoring for attention now, rattling in anger at the back of his mind, snarling protect Mate-Jed-Journey, no other wolves. He shut it out as best he could, because the last thing that anybody wanted was a fight to break out.
Well. The last thing anyone but Jed wanted. Because he still was holding his gun, though he had, surprisingly, lowered it to point at the ground. Which was pretty much as relaxed as he ever got in these situations.
“Inside the van are my brothers, Randall and Edwin,” Anthony continued. “The other wolf you can smell is Redford Reed; he’s a friend. The two non-Canos are Jed Walker, Redford’s mate, and Victor Rathbone, also a friend.”
“Whoa, whoa, not a mate. Not… mating.” Jed glanced at Anthony, who gave him a baffled look in return. “But we’re just here to do a little business with the boss lady. Want to drop the furry act so we can talk?”
One of the wolves sneezed, a sound that almost might have been a laugh. It took a step forward, and then it was a man with red hair past his shoulders, arms folded across his bare chest, completely unconcerned that his altogether was, well. Swinging in the altogether. “We could talk before, two-legs. And that one”—clear blue eyes darted over at Victor—“isn’t Canos and definitely isn’t human. Though he does smell rather—” The wolf huffed out a laugh. “—scrawny.”
Victor gave a muffled squawk of indignation, but seeing as he remained inside the van, he didn’t seem set on protesting that hard. “He’s a medusa half blood,” Anthony explained, smirking at the wolf’s description. “Just don’t accidentally meet his eyes, and you’ll be fine.”
“My name is Mallory. We patrol these woods.” Mallory studied Anthony carefully. “How do I know we can trust you, Lewis?”
Far from the posturing and growling that Redford had expected from two wolves of their status, Anthony and Mallory were merely calmly studying each other—a little defensive, perhaps, but they didn’t look close to starting a fight to prove dominance. Anthony lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I can’t really say anything that’ll make you trust me,” he apologized. “But I need help. That’s why we’re here, and you know it, because you can smell it. I’m not in any condition to start fights.” He sounded pained to say it.
Mallory simply nodded, circling Anthony, ignoring Jed altogether. Anthony stood still under the study, meeting Mallory’s eyes when he could. “Why is the rest of your pack hiding in the van?”
“Hardly hiding.” Randall climbed out, Edwin following him, Knievel fast on his heels. Apparently she felt as if she had to keep him in line. Both of the remaining Lewises shed their clothes easily and shifted, flanking Anthony even as Mallory’s group did him. Edwin glanced over at the van, yipping softly. Victor clambered out to stand beside Randall, and Redford was last, shoulders hunched. If Edwin expected him to turn, he wasn’t going to. Not here. Jed was right there, arm pressed against Redford, seemingly unfazed by all the wolves.
Randall stood in front of Victor, keeping his place by Anthony’s side. Mallory looked at each of them by turn, gaze lingering on Redford for a long moment, a twitch of a smile appearing when he studied the cat, who was mildly staring them all down, unimpressed. Then he chuckled softly. “You definitely need help,” he told Anthony. “This is the sorriest pack I’ve ever seen.” But he smiled, holding out his hand. “Come on. I’ll take you to see the Lady.”
Laughing at the comment, Anthony reached out to clasp Mallory’s hand. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. “Jed, Victor, Redford, you guys follow us in the van. We’ll go on foot with Mallory.”
Relieved—and still a little nervous about why the wolf’s gaze had lingered on him for so long—Redford got back into the van. Once Jed had scooped up Knievel and gotten himself behind the wheel, he checked to be sure both Redford and Victor were settled. They watched out the dusty window as Mallory swung the gate open. The wolves started trotting their way down the road, flanking the Lewises on all sides, though Redford didn’t know if that was for protection of the Lewises or their own security.
“Well, that went okay,” Redford said hopefully as the van slowly crept along behind the wolves, Jed keeping his foot just barely on the gas. “I think. That went okay, right?”
“No one’s dead, bleeding, or spewing out either end” was Jed’s reply. “I count it as a win.”
Redford rubbed his nose as the scent of wolf grew stronger. The dirt road started to falter as the trees grew denser, and Jed began to curse under his breath as the path became harder to find. The wolves obviously didn’t have vehicles come in very often, because the only trail looked to be worn by foot. Occasionally, the wolves leading them would look back, a distinctly amused glint in their eyes at Jed’s struggles with the van.
It seemed that the camp came into sight very suddenly. One minute the view outside the van had been nothing but trees. Then they emerged into a clearing which Redford hadn’t even seen glimpses of through the forest. The scents hit him like a truck—wolves, a nearby river, fire, the smells of an entire community of hundreds living in secret.
Victor leaned forward to peer out the windshield. “Goodness,” he remarked, looking fascinated.
“Holy fucking LARPers, batnerd.” Jed hung his head out the window, staring around, eyes wide. “What the hell is this place?”
Redford thought that might be a good question. He leaned over alongside Victor as they continued to drive, his gaze darting back and forth, trying to take everything in. The clearing the camp was set in was massive, circled by thick tree cover. As far as Redford could see, there were cabins lining the edge of the circle, rough-hewn, hand built but sturdy looking, some so small they must only be a single room, some that must surely fit a few dozen people.
To the right stood larger buildings that Redford thought might be for community use. He twisted his head to look through the windows of one as they drove past, and stared in stunned silence at the rows of desks covered with books and pencils, young children attentively watching a teacher write on a blackboard.
“Jed, they have a school,” he said, reluctantly turning away when he could no longer see through the windows. He caught a glimpse of a playground at the back of the school, a clearly hand-built slide and a seesaw, kids in human and wolf form alike playing happily.
There was a painful kind of sadness on Jed’s face as he watched them, one fuzzy wolf darting around underneath the slide, apparently on the receiving end of a game of tag. For a long moment, Jed didn’t say anything, fingers tightening on the wheel as he followed their escort to park the van alongside a building. “Yeah, Fido,” Jed finally answered, quiet, voice thick as he ducked his head, checking his weapons, tightening the straps on his chest holster. “I see it.”
Redford moved aside as Victor got out of the van, but didn’t follow. “What’s wrong?” Redford frowned at Jed. “Did you not like the school you went to?”
Jed seemed to be taking quite a long time to check all his guns. “My school was just fine,” he said, words clipped, jaw tight. “Not my school that I’m thinkin’ about, here.” Before Redford could form the next question, Jed was swinging out of the van, tossing the keys to Anthony with a sharp whistle. “Come on, Red. Time to meet the furries.”
Redford, as he hopped out of the van, worriedly hoped that the wolves wouldn’t be insulted by Jed calling them furries. Knievel seemed content to march alongside their feet, tail thrashing in irritation when Jed attempted to pick her up. Randall was grabbing his clothes out of his bag, having changed back. Edwin didn’t seem so inclined. Hopping on one foot as he got his shoes back on, Randall gave him a slight smile as Redford closed the van door behind him and looked out into the camp. They had parked near one of the bigger buildings, though Redford couldn’t guess what it was used for—his gaze was more drawn to the bonfire set in what looked to be the direct center of the camp. There were wolves gathered around it, relaxing, reading, some of them curiously looking back at the newcomers. Redford instinctively hunched his shoulders and put himself near Jed’s side.
“The Gray Lady is expecting us,” Anthony called, absently dodging as Edwin—still a wolf—ran past his legs. “Jed, lose the weapons. This isn’t a war meeting.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening, Lassie.” Jed didn’t even look at Anthony, his eyes restlessly roaming over the camp, the buildings, his shoulders tense. Jed didn’t like to be put in situations where he didn’t know the lay of the land ahead of time. Redford could see his gaze darting to the shadows of buildings, the edges of the bonfire, the thick darkness of the trees beyond the camp.
“Jed,” Anthony tried again.
“You got fangs, princess fluffy?” Jed snapped. “You got teeth? Well I’ve got my damn guns. So shut up and keep walking.” Redford could hear Anthony give a sigh, but he let the conversation drop. With every step, Jed seemed to get more irritated, fingers tight around the butt of one of his guns. He dropped to the back of the group, suspiciously studying the wolves they passed.
Edwin found this all rather funny, apparently, chuffing at Jed’s knees before taking off in a run toward the large cabin they were approaching. “Edwin,” Anthony barked, a sharp tone of urgency to his words.
It was echoed in Randall’s more desperate, “Edwin!” His ears going back, Edwin skidded to a halt, looking over his shoulder mournfully. Redford glanced between the brothers and saw Victor doing the same out of the corner of his eye, wondering what was happening.
Anthony put a hand on Edwin’s nape. “We’re in unfamiliar company.” Redford could only barely make out Anthony’s words. “What’s more, we’re in the home of the oldest wolf alive. You can stay as you are, but please don’t run around like a pup who thinks he owns the place.”
Edwin’s ears were pointed back, his tail still for the first time Redford could remember. After a moment, Edwin huffed a sigh and rolled over, showing his stomach with a whine. Randall rolled his eyes. “And stop acting like we’re beating you, just because we want you to behave.”
Wriggling his body, Edwin arched his head up, blowing a huff of air into Randall’s face. Randall’s stern expression didn’t falter, but he, along with Anthony, gave Edwin’s stomach a pat. “I know, I know. Lots of stuff to smell,” Randall agreed with a sigh. “But later, okay? They might kick us out.”
Redford sidled up to Randall as they continued walking. “Didn’t Anthony let him off really easily?” Filtiarn—the alpha, the wolf in charge—would have reacted much more violently had any wolf under his command disobeyed him. “I haven’t been in a pack in a while, but I remember punishment being, um, harsher.”
Randall gave him a baffled look but didn’t have time to speak. Anthony said, “We’re here.”
The wolves that had guided them into the camp had sat themselves nearby, and Mallory nodded toward the entrance of the building. “She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Nervously, Randall straightened his sweater, pausing to fix Anthony’s collar. “It’s going to be fine,” he murmured to his brothers, stooping down to fuss over Edwin’s messy fur. “Just let me talk. It’ll be fine.”
Anthony gave Randall a look; it seemed to Redford that he wanted to speak, his mouth even opening as if to start. But Randall didn’t need to meet his brother’s eyes in order to immediately cut him off. “We’ve talked about this, Anthony,” Randall said quietly.
“Doesn’t mean I like it.” Anthony sighed, pulling back to fidget with his shirt himself, purposely undoing the top button Randall had just finished putting into place. “It’s my place.”
“But this was my idea.” Randall sounded so practical, so matter-of-fact, but Redford could see faint creases of worry lining his face. “Do you want to flip a coin?”
“Yes,” Anthony grumbled.
“Too bad.” Randall’s hand paused halfway toward reaching out to Anthony, a low breath leaving him. “Ant….”
“I know.” Anthony didn’t sound happy, but he moved to close the distance between them, shoulder butting up against Randall’s palm. “It’ll be good. We’ll all be fine.” Randall’s eyes met Anthony’s, a silent conversation between the two; Redford felt suddenly awkward to be staring. He’d just never seen wolves interact like this before. He was half expecting Anthony to snap, to show dominance. Instead all he did was allow Randall to once again fix his shirt buttons, snapping his fingers once to get Edwin’s attention. Edwin had apparently gotten distracted, rooting around under a nearby bush, but at the sound he immediately jerked around and came trotting back up to them, tail wagging happily.
“You’re a mess,” Randall informed Edwin archly.
Edwin didn’t seem to mind. Randall and Anthony, though, immediately set out to try to brush dirt from his fur, much to Edwin’s apparent distress.
Knievel was helping, grabbing Edwin’s head between her paws and aggressively grooming the fur between his eyes before she stalked off to find Jed again, crying at him until he sighed and stooped, letting her jump up and settle onto his shoulders. Even Victor was running his hands through his hair, trying to look presentable. Redford chanced a look down at himself and grimaced. Perhaps he should have dressed nicer?
Edwin whined softly, nudging his nose into Randall’s shoulder. Randall bowed his head, rubbing a hand over his brother’s ears, obviously worried. But then he stood, brushing off his slacks. “Right. Okay. We should—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Never one to hesitate, Jed brushed past them all and strode into the cabin, rapping on the door as he passed. “We’re here, sweetheart. Let’s get this over with.”
Redford winced as he followed. Normally, Jed’s way of doing things didn’t faze him, but there was an air of reverence to the cabin and the wolves waiting outside it. He could hear the Lewis brothers behind him, Victor at the very back, as they made their way through a short hallway that opened up into a wide meeting space. It was lushly decorated, brightly colored silk hanging over the windows, plush chairs lining the edges of the room. The only light within was provided by candles and the sunlight that struggled to filter through silk.
The Gray Lady herself was sitting cross-legged at the edge of a lavish rug woven in many different colors. Like the room she surrounded herself in, she was regal in appearance and brightly clad, dress nothing more than soft folds of fabric gracefully draping to the floor, her white hair falling loose around her shoulders. The candlelight seemed to flicker in dark eyes as she opened them, lips parting in a white smile against olive skin. She seemed young and old at the same time, an ancient sadness in her gaze even as she moved elegantly, welcoming them all in. “Come, my children,” she said, sharing her smile equally with Redford, Randall, Edwin, and Anthony. “Sit.”
Jed started forward, his hand at Redford’s elbow, to be stopped by a low growl. The Gray Lady’s eyes flashed yellow, her smile never fading even as her expression darkened. “Not you, human. You may stand, if you must be present. But this is a conversation for wolves.” Her mood shifted slightly as she nodded to Victor. “Half blood, you are welcome to listen. Keep the human in line.”
Redford glanced at Jed, unsure. He didn’t want to sit now that Jed had been refused it. The choice was made for him by Anthony’s hand at his elbow, tugging him down until his knees buckled and he sat awkwardly. “Sorry, Jed,” he murmured, reaching over to curl his fingers around Jed’s calf, wanting to keep in contact.
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Anthony said, his head bowed. He’d placed himself closest to the Gray Lady. “Thank you for agreeing to see us.”
“I would ask you how you found me, little wolf,” the Gray Lady said, tone kind once more. “But I can smell Filtiarn’s foul work from here. I take it you have sought me out, werewolf?” All eyes turned to Redford as the Gray Lady sat, expectantly awaiting his response.
Redford flinched under the weight of her gaze. “Sorry,” he said automatically. Did he smell bad to wolves? He really hoped not. He hated to think that riding in a van with him might have been awful for the Lewises. “And no, that’s not exactly why we’re here. We, um….” He looked at Anthony, waiting for him to jump in and save Redford from himself.
But when it came time to speak, Anthony seemed to hesitate. He’d curled his hands into his lap, the same knotted stiffness that Redford recognized as Anthony attempting to stop the shaking. So it was Randall who stood, bowing before the Gray Lady, all that nervousness and quiet restraint bundled up and forgotten. He spoke softly, yes, but there was a strength to each word. “My lady. I’m afraid we came with Redford because we weren’t sure you would see us otherwise.”
“And why would I deny you?” she asked, head tipped to the side, watching Randall carefully.
“Because our parents were once part of your pack. We are the Lewises.”
There was a long pause before the Gray Lady clucked her tongue with a quiet, “I see.”
“We’ve come back because we need your help, my lady. My brother, Anthony, he’s sick. You’re the only hope we have for a cure.” Randall took a step forward, hand reaching out to the Gray Lady, pleading. “Please. I will do anything. Pay any price. Just… help my brother.”
“And what would you have me do?” The Gray Lady turned to Anthony. “What ails you, wolf?”
“If you can’t help, I understand,” Anthony said hastily. “It may be beyond your ability.” He glanced back at Randall and Edwin. “But human doctors can’t help me. It’s….”
He hesitated again before saying it, like he was embarrassed.
“Canine Parkinson’s,” Anthony finally said with a sigh. “It’s degenerative.”
The Gray Lady stood, going to her window, looking out over the camp. The sound of voices filtered in, the noises of a thriving pack, the smells of meat cooking. It was all so calm and peaceful, like something out of one of the books Redford had read in his childhood. It was a home. “Do you know why your parents would not have been welcome here again?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at the Lewises.
“Not exactly, ma’am,” Anthony said politely, though his expression had tightened. “But I can hazard a guess.”
“There are men who hunt us. There is a world that does not know of our existence, a fact which I work very hard to maintain. A lone wolf is a danger to all of that. One family, one mated pair, it is not a pack. It’s a risk that I cannot allow. Letting you come back after your parents chose to leave, what would that say? How would I begin to explain to the rest of the pack why you should not be shunned, as we shun all others who chose to walk away from our protections? As we shun those who put all of us in danger.”
Jed shifted beside Redford, lips tight, fingers curling around his gun. He cut a quick glance over at Anthony and stayed silent, though it was clear he desperately wanted to make a point.
Anthony drew in a deep breath. “If you’d like to shun us, ma’am, I’ll accept that decision,” he said, his tone still polite. A thread of steel crept into his voice as he continued, “But we are not our parents. We did not make the decision to leave. And if your decision to shun us is based solely on how difficult it would be to explain to others, we’d be glad to leave however quickly you’d like us to.”
There was a long, tense moment, Jed shifting a step closer, Edwin’s hackles rising as he backed up against Anthony’s leg. But then the Gray Lady smiled. Tight and powerful, yes, but she smiled and waved her hand. “Go. You wolves may stay the night so I can think on this matter. Your human and half blood may even join us for the evening meal. I will meet with you in the morning to discuss this further.” She reached out, taking Anthony’s shoulders in her hands, leaning forward to rest her forehead against his. “For now, Lewis pack, leave me, and sleep well.”
“Thank you,” Anthony whispered to her. He stepped back, and inclined his head, the lines of tension eased out of his expression. “Thank you, ma’am.”
He turned and hustled his brothers out of the building. Redford followed at a slower pace, absently finding Jed’s hand with his own. Jed’s fingers tightened on his immediately, though he kept cutting glances back as they left the cabin and the door was shut firmly behind them.
“So,” Jed drawled once they were all huddled around together, blinking in the sunlight once again, “that was a trip. Not exactly big on welcomes here.”
“I’m really sorry, Jed. Victor.” Anthony shook his head, looking surprised. “I wasn’t aware they’d be so xenophobic.”
“No apology needed,” Victor said. He didn’t sound bothered by it at all. “If you think that’s bad, you should see some sections of the half-blood community. You’d think it was the apartheid all over again.”
“Wait, so, she hates bugs?” Jed was looking between them, confused. “Doesn’t everybody?”
Redford, like everybody else, gave Jed a questioning stare. “No, she hates humans,” Redford explained. “Not bugs.”
“Oh.” Nose wrinkling, Jed turned to Redford. “Isn’t xeno-whatever a bug? The one with the legs all….” He wiggled his fingers and did a face with all his teeth showing. “Or wait. No. That’s the alien from that movie, right? So she hates bug aliens.” Knievel, disrupted by his motions, jumped lightly down and wandered away, tail waving, eyes shining in the sunlight. She apparently wanted to explore, though she didn’t go far.
Anthony started laughing, a deep, full-throated sound. “No, Jed. Xenophobic means she doesn’t like people foreign to her.”
“But you have a good point about the xenomorph aliens,” Victor said brightly. “The key word is xeno, meaning foreign or alien, hence—”
“The point is,” Anthony cut in, still smiling, “She doesn’t trust anybody that’s not a full-blooded wolf. I’m sorry, again, I didn’t want you to get treated so….” He glanced back at the cabin, seemingly torn between bluntness and reverence. “Rudely.”
“But at least we have a chance to speak with her again,” Randall said, stubbornly clinging to the good points. “For now, at least, she hasn’t forced us all to leave.”
“Just the humans.” Mallory had come up behind them, smiling, clapping Anthony on the shoulder. “And then, only after the meal tonight. That’s practically a warm welcome.”
“Hold on.” Jed’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean we’re getting kicked out?”
Mallory shrugged. “Just got my orders. You and the half blood are to be escorted out of the camp after evening meal. We don’t allow humans on our territory, not while everyone’s sleeping.”
“What, cause we’re going to slit your throats?” Jed bitched.
That scenario didn’t seem to be too far-fetched to Mallory, though, who simply said mildly, “Or something like that. Look, friends, I’m sorry. That’s just how it is. No one trusts humans, and half bloods are too close to them. Especially with the trouble we’ve had with hunters. There’s a town two hours north. You can find a room there, I’m sure. And it’s not as if we’re kicking you out immediately. Food gets served a little before sundown. That’s plenty of time to visit the gift shop on the way out.”
Redford saw Victor give Jed a horrified look. Jed nodded, seemingly accepting this. “Fine. Red, Vickie, and I will go have a spa day and—What now, Pippi Longfur?”
Mallory had been shaking his head, then arched an eyebrow at the nickname. “We can’t just let a wolf wander off. Even if it’s with you. Aren’t you listening? We’ve got hunters out there, looking for us. A lone wolf is a danger to the whole pack. I’m sorry, but until the Gray Lady says otherwise, the wolves stay inside, the humans stay outside. End of story.” He paused, eyes flicking to where Knievel was happily fighting with a flower stem. “Though if you’d like to keep your cat with you, I can’t see a problem with that.”
Redford hated that idea already. The concession for Knievel was hardly the same. Redford had barely spent a night apart from Jed since Jed had first burst into his grandmother’s house pretending to be a repairman. There had been a few nights, times when Jed had been out on a job in the early days when Redford hadn’t helped as much—but even then, Redford had stayed at Jed’s apartment.
He’d never told Jed this, but staying there surrounded by Jed’s scents had reassured him far more than Jed’s occasional postcard had. Though Redford did appreciate the postcards!
But Mallory looked like he wouldn’t be swayed. There were a lot of wolves around too, ones that would probably back him up if they argued the point.
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Jed moved a step closer to Redford, arms folded, an almost bored expression on his face. That wasn’t a good sign. “Me and Red, we’re together. Period. End of story. Finito. Whatever wolf barky thing that means full stop. Where he goes, I go. So either find me a place to bunk or he and I will head to the van.”
“Jed,” Victor said. He gave a nervous glance over his shoulder, where several wolves were beginning to look distinctly unhappy at Mallory being disagreed with. “Perhaps this isn’t worth a fight. We are in their culture, on their territory.”
“Fuck you, princess.” Jed’s voice rose. Mallory shifted a bit, eyebrow raising, moving a step closer to them. Jed’s hand was on his gun, eyes flashing in anger. “You think I’m going to let some teen wolf with a hair gel problem separate me from Fido, you—”
Randall shoved Jed backward, giving them space. Redford instinctively straightened his stance, scowling at Randall—though it looked like the flash of yellow in his eyes went without notice. Randall’s hands were on Jed’s shoulders, voice low and urgent, a thread of steel and worry running through his words. “Listen to me, human, and listen very carefully. You are not in your world. You are not anywhere you understand. You can use your guns and your explosives and start a fight, but if you do, the very best thing that could happen is that we’ll be shunned. And I know you don’t care. I know right now you think that’s a great idea.” Randall’s eyes slid over to Anthony, and something painful entered his expression. “But if you do that, you are killing my brother. Do you hear me? You will be killing him. All for a night spent with Redford.”
Redford could hear the very distinct sound of Jed’s teeth grinding, his hand tightening on the butt of his gun. Redford knew that look, he knew the way Jed’s shoulders were tightening, how his gaze was flicking between Mallory and the other wolves—he was trying to decide if he could fight his way out, if there was a way beyond the path he really didn’t want to take. But, in the end, he let out a slow breath and nodded, a sharp jerk of his head.
“Fine, Cujo,” Jed relented, jaw tight. “One night. One. We solve this shit or I am going to get really cranky.”
Randall seemed relieved at that, his shoulders slumping slightly as he nodded. His “thank you” was ignored as Jed shoved past him, going to Redford and wrapping an arm around him possessively.
“I was going to get really cranky too,” Redford said. “You know, if anybody cares to actually feel threatened by that.” He doubted they would. Explosions were a lot scarier than a man who couldn’t even really shift properly.
“I’d feel extremely threatened,” Anthony said, patting Redford’s shoulder consolingly. “I’m going to take Edwin and Randall to unpack, check out the guest cabins.” He looked at Jed and Victor, apology crossing his expression once again. “I’ll see what I can do to sway their decision to keep you out.”
“Or you’ll focus on the reason we’re here,” Randall said under his breath. “Honestly, you people are acting like it’s the end of that movie with the boat and the iceberg.”
“Nerd,” Anthony said fondly. He gave Randall a light shove. “Come on. Mallory’s taking us to our cabin.”
“Titanic. Even I know that.” Edwin had shifted back, not bothering to find pants as he curiously walked around, eyes wide while he watched all the other wolves. Redford determinedly kept his eyes above waistline—that was just awkward. “Come on. Let’s see if we can figure out where they keep the food. I’m starving!”
Redford’s gaze went over Edwin’s shoulder to a pack of wolves walking past. His eyes widened. Apparently Edwin’s clothing choices—or lack of them—weren’t actually all that unusual here.
“Is this part nudist colony?” Victor grumbled. He sounded torn between being scandalized and giving a few of them an interested eye.
A growl rumbled in the back of Randall’s throat. He bit the noise down with a quick cough. Victor looked even more startled at the sound than Randall did. “Right. Edwin, pants. Now. We’ll put our bags away, and Anthony can rest while we get food. Redford? Do you want to come with us to the cabin?”
Edwin protested, shifting back to wolf form as if to keep away from the dreaded clothing, streaking off after Mallory, who was waiting a short ways away. Edwin yipped loudly back to them, tail wagging eagerly. Knievel gave him chase, speeding off like a demon and then stopping, grooming herself and pretending she wasn’t the least bit interested. She, at least, seemed fully comfortable here. Jed was keeping half an eye on her, but the cat seemed perfectly content to explore and stay within sight.
“I’ll stay with Jed until dinner,” Redford replied. “I’ll find you later?”
Randall nodded, hand easily cupping Anthony’s elbow like he wasn’t doing anything odd. Like he didn’t need to help hold his brother upright. “Sounds good. Try and stay out of trouble.”
Redford watched them leave. Anthony was walking slower than usual, his shoulders hunched, though Redford wouldn’t have noticed anything wrong if he didn’t know that Anthony was sick. A glance at his watch informed him they had about an hour until dinner.
“I don’t know how I’m going to sleep,” Redford admitted. “It’s usually… you’re usually there.”
Rumbling out a sigh, Jed reached up to rub his fingers across Redford’s cheek. “I know. But hey, you’ll be with all the wolves, right? That’s going to be good.”
Redford just shrugged. “Still nothing compared to you.” As soon as he heard his own words, he sighed mentally at himself. Moping wouldn’t help anything. “Maybe I’ll stage a jailbreak,” he continued, perking up at the thought of it.
Jed drew him in for a kiss. “You stay put,” he ordered, nipping lightly at Redford’s lip. “Last thing I want is a bunch of flea-bitten mutts getting pissy. Besides, I won’t be that far away.”
“Venturing outside for a wolf may not be the smartest idea, either,” Victor said cautiously. “Twice now we’ve heard mention of hunters.”
“You think that’s legit?” Jed, arm still looped around Redford’s waist, keeping him close, squinted out into the woods, like he could magically see everything that lay beyond. “Might have to do a little hunting of my own, we stay here much longer. Just to see what everyone’s so worried about.”
“Just not tonight,” Redford insisted. “I don’t like the thought of you tracking hunters on your own.”
Huffing out a little laugh, Jed drew Redford in, both arms slipping around him, fingers pushing up under Redford’s shirt to play along warm skin. “No hunting tonight,” he murmured, lips trailing along Redford’s jaw. “We’re a team. I’ll just be sleeping right on the other side of this damn camp, dreaming about you. Deal?”
“Deal,” Redford replied, smiling against Jed’s cheek.
“Ew.” An unfamiliar voice broke Redford out of his Jed-induced distraction. Startled, he glanced over Jed’s shoulder to see a woman watching them, her nose wrinkled.
“Um, sorry,” Redford offered, flustered. “Are public displays of affection not okay here? I’m really sorry, I’ll—”
“It’s not that.” She cocked her head, staring at Jed. “It’s just… him.” She nodded toward Jed, looking baffled. “How can you even stand to get so close, with that scent?”
Redford growled in response before he could restrain himself. The dark instinct that had made itself at home ever since Fil was curling hot in his gut. Redford dug his nails into his palms to try to force it away. “Jed smells fine,” he said, his voice more a snarl than anything else.
There was the light touch of Jed’s fingers on his back, Jed’s voice interjecting calmly, “I shower and everything. Pardon us, sweetheart. We’re just going to keep moving, if you don’t mind.” Then Jed was leading him away, Victor following worriedly behind. “It’s okay, babe,” Jed was saying. “Doesn’t even matter. We’re fine.”
Redford made himself close his eyes, take a deep breath, and then another one. The woman was shaking her head in disbelief as she walked away—Redford could hear her murmur something about humans under her breath, the tone of it distinctly displeased.
He rubbed his hands over his face, hard, hoping there wasn’t any yellow in his eyes. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I just don’t like it when people insult you. Or us.” It had been a problem a few times before. Once, a client had been confused about why Jed would hang around with a hobo. Another time, a complete stranger in a bar had told them they looked completely unsuited for each other. Redford had not quite figured out how to just ignore the comments.
Jed’s hands ran through Redford’s hair, pulling him in close so that Jed could circle him in a tight embrace. “I just figured,” he drawled, voice sounding a little amused, “that as much as I like to stir up fights, maybe you shouldn’t. These are kind of your people, right?”
Redford looked over toward the center of the camp. As dinner was getting closer, more and more wolves were gathering around the bonfire. They looked content in one another’s company, easily sharing space and cooking duties alike. There were no scuffles for dominance, and nobody looked miserable. He still didn’t quite believe Anthony when he said that ranks like alpha weren’t actually a thing. But looking at them now, maybe Anthony was right. Maybe these wolves—these Cano that could shift painlessly whenever they liked—had no rankings. That still didn’t ensure that Redford would fit in any easier, though. He wasn’t a werewolf, and he wasn’t a Cano either.
“Not really,” Redford finally murmured in reply to Jed. “Should we get ready for dinner? I don’t want to be late.”
For a moment, it looked like Jed was going to say something else. Long fingers touched the edge of Redford’s eye, like Jed could capture the wild yellow that curled up in them sometimes. But then Jed smiled that cocky grin and pulled away. “Sounds like a plan. Vickie has to primp, and you know that takes ages.”
The only response that came from Victor was an exasperated sigh. He looked even more awkward than Redford felt. Redford might be caught between the two types of wolves, but Victor was the only half blood in the camp. Jed, however, being the only human, looked nearly perfectly at ease, if a bit wary.
Victor didn’t wind up primping, but Redford did. He wanted to look his best if he was going to be judged from all angles. He changed his sweater three times before Jed took the luggage away and insisted he looked perfect. Redford wasn’t sure of that, but he supposed Jed knew what he was talking about.
Then again, Jed might say the same thing if Redford wore a potato sack, so perhaps Jed’s opinion was not to be trusted.
A loud bell was rung to indicate that dinner had started, and Redford nervously made his way back into the center of camp with Jed at his side, Victor trailing behind them. They’d left Knievel curled up in Redford’s cabin with a can of tuna. She seemed perfectly at home. Redford just wished he could be so content. Many more wolves had gathered outside—Redford was willing to bet it was nearly the entire population of the camp. He was hit with a chaotic mix of too many scents, all of them underscored by one thing: wolf.
Some stared at them as they got closer to the bonfire. Some, visibly uncomfortable, shifted away. But some seemed not to mind, and those were the wolves that handed Redford, Jed, and Victor plates heaped with meat and bread, pushed glasses of water and home-brewed beer into their hands. Though Jed’s gaze was near constantly darting back and forth, his expression brightened as he tasted the beer.
They found a more sparsely populated area a short distance away from the bonfire, sitting on long logs that served as communal seats. While Redford might be feeling a little anxious from being around this many wolves, he had to admit their food was amazing. He’d never been able to cook meat this good.
Halfway through dinner, Victor had found himself a wolf that obviously didn’t mind the smell of half blood so much and was excitedly asking him questions about wolf culture, having to shout to be heard over the din of conversation. Redford was more than happy to keep to himself and Jed, leaning against Jed’s shoulder as the sunlight grew dimmer and the bonfire was stoked higher.
He found himself envying the wolves. They were so comfortable with one another, perhaps something that was brought about by communal living. They were like the Lewises on a much larger scale: completely at peace with what they were.
Redford didn’t want dinner to end, because as the food grew scarcer, his time with Jed for the night grew shorter. He rubbed his cheek against Jed’s shoulder, feeling Jed’s arm tighten around his shoulders in response. But time, like it always did, had a bad habit of continuing to tick onward. The wolves started leaving, and the noise around them grew quieter until there were just a few small groups of people remaining.
Redford caught sight of Mallory across the bonfire. The man was talking with a few friends, but when he saw Redford watching, he nodded in the direction of the gate.
It was time for Jed and Victor to go.
Jed, surprisingly, didn’t argue. He stood, fishing the keys to the van out of his pocket. With a whistle, he tossed them to Victor. “Take it into town if you want, princess,” Jed said. “I’m going to sleep by the gate.”
“Really?” Victor blinked at Jed, perplexed. “Though I’ll only admit this under extreme duress, I wouldn’t mind having to share a hotel room with you again. I saw one on the way here that wasn’t too terribly far away. I’m sure they’ll still have some available rooms.”
Jed smirked, clapping his hand on Victor’s shoulder. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. But I’m not leaving Red. If the closest I can be is the damn gate, then the gate’s it.”
Victor didn’t look inclined to argue the point too much. “All right.” He pocketed the keys. “Before I leave, get what you need for the night out of the van.”
“Come on.” Jed’s hand had dropped to clasp Redford’s, like he couldn’t bear to let go. Redford knew the feeling. “I’ll walk you to it, grab my bag.”
They walked back to the van, and Redford waited patiently while Victor tutted at Jed and kept reminding him of things Jed might need for the night, such as reading material if he got bored and a pocketknife should he ever need a small screwdriver to unscrew something. Redford hid his smile as Jed grew increasingly more and more exasperated at the suggestions, and finally, he and Jed watched Victor drive the van out of the camp.
Redford winced as Victor nearly hit a tree. He obviously didn’t drive much.
“Okay, where to?” he asked Jed.
“By the gate. So you know right where I am if you need me.” Jed cupped the back of Redford’s neck, lightly pulling him in for a kiss. “And so you know I’ll hear you if something happens.”
“Okay,” Redford agreed. Needless to say, he wasn’t particularly happy about it. He deliberately walked as slowly as he could as they made their way toward the gate, staying close. When they got there, Jed carefully closed it behind him, fussing over it like it was very important he get everything just so.
“I’ll be right here,” he finally said gruffly, unrolling his sleeping bag. “And if you need me….” He paused, looking up at Redford, giving him a very small smile. “Well. Just whistle.”
Redford absently clasped his fingers over his necklace. Given to him by Jed in the midst of the chaos with Filtiarn, the necklace had never been taken off unless absolutely necessary. He bumped his fingers over the cold metal of the whistle and the smooth edges of Jed’s army dog tags. “I will,” he promised. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Jed hooked his fingers into Redford’s belt, tugging him closer to the gate slung across the dirt road. “I’ve slept in worse places, Fido,” he rumbled, resting their foreheads together. The gate was cold metal, digging into their stomachs, but Jed didn’t seem to notice. “Go. Sleep. You need your rest. And keep an eye on our spoiled cat. You know how she fusses if she doesn’t have someone adoring her.”
Redford couldn’t leave without kissing Jed good-bye first. He’d see Jed in the morning, he knew he would, but he still clung to him like he wouldn’t see him for days. Maybe he was being a bit overdramatic; he just hadn’t slept without Jed in the same bed for a long time now.
He had to make himself pull away. That didn’t last long as Redford ducked closer for another kiss, but after that he squeezed Jed’s hand, forcing himself to separate from Jed for real this time. “Good night,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Jed didn’t seem to want to let him go, either. But he forced his hand away, cupping Redford’s face briefly. “Night, babe.” And then, so much softer, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He wanted to stay. Or to haul Jed back over the line that separated them, the small bit of iron and dust that was keeping them apart. But just as Redford was reaching out again, to insist that he could leave, that he could so easily just slip free of the camp, there was a rustle in the woods beyond them. Two yellow eyes blinked out of the shadows of the trees; a wolf was watching them. Watching the human, Redford realized. One of the pack’s sentries was making sure that Jed didn’t go anywhere.
The walk back to the cabin that had been assigned to him was miserable. Redford kept looking back at Jed every few steps, just to make sure he was still okay and hadn’t suddenly vanished in the few seconds he hadn’t been looking. And then he turned the corner and Jed was out of sight completely, the bend in the trail hiding the gate from the rest of the camp. Redford trudged to his cabin, head down, already wishing it were morning.
He could hear the Lewises in the next cabin over. His own, Redford had discovered, was perfectly bland. As he went inside, the only colors he could see were brown and white, though it seemed comfortable despite the sparseness. The most comforting part of it was Knievel, already asleep on the bed, just like she would have been at home. After pacing around the small room, Redford realized he had nothing else to do besides get ready for bed.
Half an hour after his head hit the pillow, Knievel graciously sharing the mattress with him, Redford was forced to come to the realization that he was not going to be able to sleep. Frustrated, he turned, and grew even more frustrated when he nearly rolled off the single bed, having gotten used to Jed’s ridiculously large one.
This wasn’t working.
He knew, logically, that this was only for the night. Tomorrow they would be able to speak to the Gray Lady again, and once she saw that Jed and Victor were trustworthy, she might let them stay. Redford knew he wasn’t going to fall apart over one night without Jed. But his instincts were clamoring in the background of his mind, pushing a dull ache into his chest with how much he missed Jed.
Redford growled to himself in exasperation, flopping over to stare at the ceiling. The wolf in him wanted his companion. His thoughts were pacing back and forth uneasily with a steady mantra of Jed, Jed, Jed.
He gave up and got out of bed.
The air was cold when Redford stepped outside. The bonfire was smaller now but still glowing in the distance, splashing orange light over the camp in contrast to the moon’s white glow. Footsteps crunching on dirt and gravel, Redford rounded the bend of the faint trail, heading toward the gate. His eyes were still adjusting to the dark when he spotted Jed, a fair distance away.
Jed couldn’t sleep either, it seemed. Redford could hear the steady pace of his footsteps, could smell his wariness even from here. The scent of the wolf sentinel was just as strong, though Redford couldn’t see him any longer. As he drew nearer, Redford expected to be stopped. There was nothing more than a warning snort, though, the almost silent noise that let Redford know they were being watched.
In the chill of the night, wearing only the old sweatpants he slept in, Redford silently padded closer. “Jed,” he whispered when he reached the gate. “Why are you still up?”
He heard the huff of noise that was Jed’s nearly silent laugh. “I could ask you the same thing,” Jed murmured. “What are you doing out here?” Redford could hear a rustle of fabric, and then Jed was leaning over the gate, wrapping his own sweatshirt around Redford’s shoulders. “You’re cold. You should be inside. Is something wrong?”
“No. I just can’t sleep,” Redford sighed. Even as he stood, his eyelids felt heavy, and the ground looked awfully comfortable. He just wanted to sleep.
He hugged Jed’s sweatshirt closer around his shoulders. In the distance, there was a very faint howl, joined by two others. These wolves, of course, didn’t have to wait until the full moons to go running whenever they liked.
Neither did Redford, he supposed. But he didn’t want to think that way right then, not when those howls were an invite to come join them. Come run with us, they said. Be free.
“I think I’m going to sleep here,” Redford said decisively. He could definitely sleep on the ground. At least he’d be close to Jed.
“No way” was Jed’s instant response. “It’s freezing and the ground is hard. You have a cabin, Fido, and a bed. That’s where you should be.”
“Oh, stop protesting,” Redford grumbled. He sat down, bundled Jed’s sweatshirt up for a pillow, and then lay down fully, stretching out on the hard ground. “This is fine. You’re not the only who has slept in worse places.”
There was a long pause, and Redford could almost smell all the arguments Jed was biting back. Finally, with a drawn-out sigh, Jed reached down to grab his sleeping bag. “Stubborn wolf,” he muttered, but his tone was fond. He leaned over the gate to spread his sleeping bag out, followed by his pillow and the extra blankets Victor had insisted he bring. “Here. You are not trained in sleeping in shitty conditions. You are going to be warm and slightly comfortable.”
Redford gave Jed a look and opened the sleeping bag. He laid it out like a mattress, half on his side, half on Jed’s side, the gate between them. He did the same to the blankets, then crawled under them, putting his head on the balled-up sweatshirt. Now he almost felt like he could sleep. It was uncomfortable, to be honest, but he’d spent many a night on his grandmother’s cold basement floor. Having a thin mattress and a blanket was luxury compared to that.
Jed reached out, took Redford’s hand, and held it in the space between them, the line that delineated the wolf’s pack and the rest of the world. “You are something else, Fido,” he said, bending his head to kiss Redford’s knuckles. He lay down on the other side of the sleeping bag.
“Get some sleep,” Redford urged. He echoed Jed’s previous fond teasing. “Stubborn human.”
“Damn straight. I am all human, baby.” Jed grinned, a leer in his tone. “You like it like that.”
Redford laughed quietly. Only Jed could possibly turn that into innuendo. “I do,” he confirmed, squeezing Jed’s hand. “And I think you smell great.” No matter what the wolves here might say or indicate.
“Well, you’re the only one who gets to sniff me,” Jed murmured, approaching sleep starting to slur his words slightly. “So that’s a good thing. All those other furry asses, they can smell someone else. No smelling for them.”
Redford let his eyes fall closed as he smiled. “Good. I wouldn’t be happy if they tried.” He fell silent as he absently rubbed his thumb over Jed’s knuckles, relishing the one point of contact they had. “Night, Jed.”