(Not) Really Scary Halloween

by Sophie Martin

  “I will be fine as soon as you all calm down and listen to me, all right?” He straightened in his chair, gathering composure. Everyone gave him a nod of consent, even Tyler, who managed to look at the same time scolded, afraid and slightly mutinous, backing away from the table as far as he could without moving his chair. Toby looked at Ross who sat on a chair opposite Ty and sighed. He knew his mate had some problems with Halloween and all, but this was over the top!

  “Right. Let’s start again,” Toby said in the calmest voice he could muster. “Everyone, this is Ross. He’s an owlcat and has been living in the area for about two years. Is that right, Ross?” He turned to his guest for confirmation. Ross nodded and Toby continued. “The reason why he won’t shift into human and doesn’t smell like any other shifter is a long story. The basics are that he’s a cat-shifter and an owl shifter, but he cannot turn into human form due to an unfortunate accident.” Toby looked up and saw the doubt on other men’s faces. The only thing that stopped him from erupting into a rage again was the look of consideration on Jason’s face. Toby narrowed his eyes at Ty and Jack, then turned to Ross and managed to ask him through greeted teeth.

  “Would you mind turning into an owl, Ross? I’m afraid they won’t believe me otherwise.”

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea? Won’t they try and attack me? I told you, paranormals aren’t known for tolerating those different than them.” Ross sounded anxious, and Toby braved something he wouldn’t try in any other circumstances. He petted the cat’s head. Scratching behind his ears, he felt the owlcat relax slightly.

  “Look around you, Ross,” he said in a kind voice. “There’s a demigod who turned into a full-fledged god here. He mated a tiger-shifter and a human who is not quite human. We live with a cuberow shifter. There are all kinds of creatures in our pack. A vampire, a witch, a demon.” Toby gave Tyler a pointed look before continuing. “We’re friends with an alpha wolf-shifter who never knew he was a shifter because he cannot change into a wolf.” This time, a pointed look was delivered to a collective of those gathered. “There are even pixies in our pack. And maybe the most reassuring for you will be the knowledge that there is also a mixed shifter couple here. Jane is a wolf-shifter and her husband Troy is a seal. They were worried about the same thing you are, as they were cast off and disowned by their families. They’re happy here, though. You seriously have nothing to worry about.”

  “If you’re certain.” Ross still sounded unsure, but as soon as Toby took back his hand from the cat’s head, he changed into an owl. He shook his feathers and looked at those gathered with his big eyes. Toby made a mental note to himself to check what kind of owl Ross was. He was big and mostly brown with the feathers on his head forming something reminding Toby of cat-ears. Toby shook himself of the wandering thoughts and looked at his mates and friend. Both Jack and Tyler looked stunned, but Jason had a look of concentration on his face.

  “Toby,” he asked, “do I read the situation correctly? You can understand him?”

  “Yes.” Toby smiled at his mate and Jason extended a hand to him. Toby squeezed it and said. “We’re not sure why I’m the only one who can, though. Ross says his family members are the only paranormals he’d ever met and they can understand him just fine.”

  “I see.” Jason seemed to be thinking something over. “He looked right into Ross’s owlish eyes and asked, “Would you like me to change it so that everyone can understand you?” Ross’s eyes narrowed as he regarded Jason carefully. Then the owlcat turned to Toby and asked.

  “Is he for real? He’d change it, just like that? Where’s the catch?” Toby smiled and shook his head before answering.

  “I know it seems strange, but that’s my Jay-Jay. The first time we met I was chained to a vampire’s chair. Jay-Jay came in, freed me, and turned the vampire to dust. Then he released Ty, who was in a cage in his tiger form and compelled the humans to turn themselves in to the police. He’s just naturally like that, kind-hearted.” Toby smiled at his mate, his own heart full of love.

  “Okay, but still, it’s a big decision and I barely know him,” Ross said, his voice hesitant.

  “I see.” Toby frowned and looked at Jason. “Ross says it’s too big of a decision to be hasty about and that he barely knows you. He isn’t sure he should trust you.” Jason looked at the owlcat calmly and seemed to consider something.

  “Fair enough,” he said in the end. “Should we try something else then? I can touch you and access your thoughts and memories this way. Would you be okay with that? It doesn’t hurt, I promise.” Ross shook his feathers once again but nodded. Jason stood up and came closer to the chair the owl was sitting on. He stroked Ross’s wings with one finger and smiled. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist, I always wanted to pet an owl. Your feathers feel really silky. Anyway, I’ll do my thing now.” Having said so, he closed his eyes and put his forefinger and middle finger on Ross’s head. He was quiet for a moment before opening his eyes and saying. “I see. Well, it looks like we might have a problem again. Some idiots are planning to strike on Halloween evening.”

  “What?” Toby gasped. “But there will be tons of kids running around! They might get hurt!”

  “Apparently these people don’t care about possible casualties. Anyway, we need to get ready.” Jason turned to Jack, addressing the cuberow shifter. “Jack, could you please call the pack members and warn them? We don’t need them getting surprised if these people know about them and decide to attack. We’ll call Dominic and the fey brothers.” Jack nodded and left the room. Jason turned to Tyler.

  “Well, Ty, I think you’ve got some apologizing to do, don’t you? It seems that you got it wrong. The owl and black cat aren’t the bad guys on Halloween but heroes helping to defeat the evil.” The young Alpha spoke in a serious voice, but Toby could see his lips trembling with a held back laughter. Jason stood up and pulled Toby with him out of the room, leaving the grumbling tiger behind with the owlcat.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea to leave them alone?” Toby asked, shooting one last look over his shoulder. Ross seemed to be puffing up his feathers even more.

  “I’m sure. Tyler might behave like an idiot from time to time, but he’s got a good heart. Once he sees his mistake, he’s sure to apologize, he just won’t want an audience for that.” Jason smiled, pulling Toby with him to the living room. Toby shrugged. He trusted his mates. If Jay-Jay thought it was all right, who was he to disagree?

  * * * *

  Ty and Ross joined them in the living room a few minutes later and they seemed to have reached a truce. Ross jumped up on the arm of the sofa closest to Toby and sat curling his tail around his front paws. He resembled an Egyptian statue of the goddess Bast.

  “You know,” he said when Toby turned to him smiling, “I changed my mind. You can tell your mate to make it so that paranormals can understand me when I wish them to. I don’t think I’ll use it much, but it will be good to have the ability. I had a few choice words for your crazy shifter mate and it was incredibly frustrating to not be able to shout at him!” Toby gave a startled laugh but relayed the message. Jason did his reality changing thing and nodded at Ross.

  “Go on, try and say something. It should be okay now.”

  “So, can you all hear me now?” There were a few gasps and a thump from where Jack walked into a coffee table in his surprise. They all looked at Ross, Ty and Jack’s faces full of shock.

  “Well, it seems that they can,” Toby said grinning.

  “Fine then,” Ross said and licked his paw. Toby guessed he must have changed into a cat sometime during his one-sided chat with Tyler.

  “He talks!” Ty exclaimed.

  “Yes, mate, he does. I told you so!” Toby shot his tiger a narrow-eyed look, and Ty shut his mouth immediately, holding back whatever else he was about to say.

  “Anyway,” Jason said getting everyone’s attention. “We called Dominic and the twins. They, along with Joel, are coming right away. They should be here in forty minutes
or so. How did it go with other pack members, Jack?”

  “Yeah…” The cuberow shifter looked uncomfortable, sending glances Ross’s way, but he answered Jason’s question nonetheless. “I called everyone and warned them. They are to be on guard and contact us if there are any problems.”

  “Very well,” Jason said. “While I don’t think anyone will actually go after them, they should still be aware of what’s happening. They didn’t ask to get involved in our mess. It’s not fair that they should suffer because of it.”

  “May I ask what this mess is, exactly? While I don’t think you deserve to be killed in your sleep, I would appreciate knowing what I got myself into,” Ross said with the slightest bit of hesitation.

  “It’s actually quite a long story, but I can give you a short, rundown version,” Toby said and proceeded to do just that.

  Chapter Four

  “It is a joke, right? It did not actually happen?” Ross asked, his voice incredulous.

  “I assure you that it did.” Toby nodded repeatedly trying to convey his seriousness to the cat.

  “But it’s so… unreal! I know I’m a shifter who cannot change into his human form, but I lead a relatively normal life. What you’re describing… Human and paranormal trafficking, fey prophecies, genocide… It doesn’t happen in real life, does it?” Ross shook his head in another un-cat-like gesture, showing, to those who knew him, how disturbed he was. He only behaved more human-like when he was really moved.

  “I have to tell you, I thought the exact same thing,” Jason said in a slow, thoughtful voice. “I was just an ordinary human, living a perfectly normal human life. Then my twenty-fifth birthday came, and I lost my emotions. Still, despite that and despite discovering my power, I kept leading a life as ordinary as possible, hiding what had happened to me from everyone, including my mother. I thought kidnappings, human trafficking, sure they happened but in faraway places, somewhere on the other side of the globe, not here.” He paused, then looked straight into Ross’s eyes.

  “I was wrong. Crime, abuse, wrongdoings, they happen all the time, all around us. We might not be touched by them personally very often, but they are only too real. I will never regret taking a lost boy and a tiger-man home with me. It was the right thing to do. I will also not regret falling for them both. It gave me happiness and love. But I wish the darker sides of the human and paranormal world were still just something that you saw on the telly, not our reality.” Jason sighed, and Toby squeezed his hand while Tyler cuddled him from the other side. “But it is not to be. We made some powerful enemies and until we can defeat them all, we cannot let our guard down. The discussion you overheard only shows how truly determined they are.” Jason finished shaking his head. Ross’s ears flickered nervously, and he sighed.

  “Well, yeah…” the owlcat paused as if unsure what to say. Finally, he decided to change the subject after mentally clearing his throat. It was weird even to himself how he did it, but as he didn’t use physical muscles to speak, he didn’t do it to clear his throat, either. “So, you only claimed this land to help Jack? You didn’t plan on leading a pack?” Jayson laughed at the question and Ross discerned a slight bitterness in the sound.

  “Heavens no!” the Alpha exclaimed. “Leading a pack was the last thing on my mind. I was tired, horrified by what I saw when we went to save Timiny and by the state Jack was in. I wanted to help Jack, and I was also exhausted by losing and getting back my emotions at all times without knowing what caused it. My power simply escaped me when I made the offer for Jack to join our pack,” Jason said and then shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d do it again in an instant to save Jack’s life, but I would put much more thought into it. I would have tried to make it so that I didn’t claim an entire area as mine.” He paused and tilted his head thinking over what he just said, then he shook it again. “On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t. I had no idea what being a pack or leading a pack entailed. If not for Jack’s help I would have been lost. Without him, I wouldn’t know the first thing about all the rituals and such.” Jason smiled at the slim cuberow shifter. “He’s actually my right-hand man!” the Alpha stated with affection.

  Ross looked at the shifter sitting in an armchair to his right. The man who smelled a bit like a dog blushed at the praise. Ross wasn’t surprised. From what he had heard from his parents, being a part of Alpha’s inner circle was a big thing. He couldn’t tell; he’d never been a part of any pack. But he guessed it had to be somehow similar to being a part of the government, just on a smaller scale. You had the respect of others, sometimes even their envy. Ross mentally shrugged, not like he would need to know this anyway. He would soon be done with his self-appointed task and be gone, never to meet these people again.

  Just as if he was reading his thoughts, Jack cleared his throat. Startled, Ross turned into an owl and turned his head to look at the man. He heard the smaller shifter gasp and held back his sigh. He never thought of how disturbing it had to be for other shifters when he changed. His family was all used to it, and it felt natural to him. Jack composed himself and asked.

  “I don’t want to be rude or seem ungrateful, but there is one thing that bugs me,” the cuberow started. “Toby said you’ve already lived here when Jason claimed the area as his, right?” Unsure where the man was going with this Ross nodded tersely. He learned to show human gestures so that his family could better understand his body language. Humans relied on it so much, and they didn’t even realize it. Surprisingly, shifters were the same in this way. “Right, so, not to be offensive or anything, but didn’t it bother you, staying here without the Alpha’s official approval?”

  Ross mentally frowned, not knowing what the man meant. Jack must have noticed his confusion or maybe he only guessed it from his silence before he proceeded to explain.

  “When an Alpha claims a territory, all the paranormals living within its borders feel the need to seek his or her approval or move away. It is a subtle feeling at first but grows more intensive as time passes. They would be hard pressed to seek the Alpha’s approval. The symptoms would be almost invisible at first, irritability, sensitivity to loud sounds and sudden moves. Then there would come tiredness and general weakness. Shifters would feel their animal weakening. I don’t know about other paranormals. In the end, they could get gravely ill. Haven’t you and your brother been experiencing any of those?”

  Ross could feel his jaw go slack. Seriously, he was so shocked that his beak opened and he felt his body vibrating with the need to change back and forth from owl to cat, cat to owl. While Ross hadn’t been feeling anything out of the ordinary, his brother’s temper was shorter than usual, and lately, there were dark circles under the man’s eyes. He thought Ron was simply overworked, but now he started to wonder. His parents never told them about this. But then they never suspected their sons would live in an Alpha’s territory.

  “Crap!” the curse escape Ross, but no one besides Toby reacted. The young non-human gazed at him with concern. Ross found himself comforted by the boy’s presence. He didn’t know why, but he felt drawn to Toby, not in any romantic way, but rather as to someone who could give him comfort. Looking around, Ross saw the others watching him expectantly and he realized that the word must not have reached them. Well, that was convenient! He hadn’t known if the strange Alpha’s power could actually change the reality to the extent everyone seemed to think it did, but now he had his answer. He asked to only be heard when he intended to, and it obviously worked. Ross cleared his throat and once again spoke to everyone.

  “We weren’t aware of this. Our parents never told us about this clause,” he explained.

  “Ha! See, I told you I wasn’t the only one not knowing shifter laws!” Tyler’s self-satisfied exclamation startled Ross. The tiger had been silent since their little chat in the kitchen. He did apologize to Ross, however grumpily it was, and he’d been silent ever since. Ross had a feeling it wasn’t his usual manner, though, and that the tiger was afraid of getting into
more trouble with his smaller mate. The other men’s reactions varied from an annoyed huff from Toby, an indulgent smile on the Alpha’s face, to Jack’s heavenward turned eyes and a sigh.

  “What’s happening with all the shifters these days?” Ross heard the cuberow mumble under his breath. “What happened to good old shifter education?” Ross noticed that Tyler started feeling more confident once the tiger saw Toby’s lips tremble with a held-back laugh.

  “Well then, maybe you should write a book, Jacky-boy? Something along the lines of Shifters 101 – the textbook for dummies, huh? I bet it would make you billions!” Now, that snarky comment seemed to be more Tyler’s way.

  “Maybe I will!” Jack answered in a way, shooting Tyler an irritated look. “It would sure come in handy! I’m getting tired of explaining every last little thing to you, dumbass!” There was even a little growl to Jack’s voice, but Ross didn’t sense any real aggression from him.

  “Now, now.” Ty rose his hands in a placating gesture. “It wasn’t me this time, remember? You shouldn’t get angry with me.”

  “There is always a reason to get mad at you, Tyler Rhodes!” Jack said in a serious tone, but Ross saw a small smile adorn his lips. “Anyway,” Jack turned back to him, “didn’t you feel out of sorts lately?” Ross transformed into a cat before answering.

  “Not me, no. My brother, however, might have been experiencing some of these symptoms. I wondered why he seemed so agitated and fatigued lately. I thought it was because of work.”

  “Ah,” was all the cuberow said. He did seem worried, though, and he gazed at Jason.

  “While I do understand your reluctance when it comes to joining a pack, it would probably be wise to speak with your brother.” Jason’s voice sounded sympathetic. “I discussed it with Jack when I first learned about this clause, but there seems to be no escaping it. He searched for a solution, but couldn’t find one. It is either being accepted into the pack or moving out of the territory. I’m sorry.” Jason did indeed sound apologetic. Ross understood it now. The man never wanted to have such an impact on so many people’s lives. He simply tried to help someone in need and hadn’t realized the consequences of his actions.