by Noah Harris
They were already there waiting when he walked out, a tall man and woman. Like their wolf forms, they were different in coloration and build. The woman bore every bit of grace she’d had as a wolf, her skin not quite pale, but still light in the bright afternoon sun. Her almost golden hair hung low, her body curved and sleek, but holding an obvious strength. It was obvious that the man beside her was her brother, quite likely her twin brother. He was just as tall, but with a stronger build, lacking his sister’s grace but holding himself with more dignity. Dark hair, neatly clipped, worked well against the golden color of skin that almost matched the color of Mikael’s. Dean didn’t know how he knew that the two were twins, as nothing save the matching eyes gave them away, but he became more certain of the fact as he observed them.
Before Dean could think of anything appropriate to say, he blurted out, “Lord, is being attractive a werewolf thing, or is it just that I’m only getting to see the good-looking ones?”
The woman let out a bark of laughter, her eyes suddenly bright with amusement, “He skips the greeting and goes straight to flattery. I think I like this human already.”
Dean flushed, already feeling that he had started the conversation off on the wrong foot, “I’m sorry, that came out before I . . . urgh . . . let me just try that again. Hello, I’m Dean, and you two are . . . ?”
Mikael’s voice came from behind him, “Apollo, Artemis. I didn’t expect him to send you two.”
The woman, Artemis, Dean assumed based on the names, tossed her hair back with a smile, “Mikael. You look . . . well, different. I would say better, but for that look on your face. We’re not here to drag you back home by your tail. Which is why Mother insisted that we were the ones who came for her little trouble pup.”
“I think you can understand why I’m not exactly wiggling with happiness to see you,” Mikael replied as he came to stand beside Dean. Artemis had been right, however, the tight expression on Mikael’s face had sapped it of all the life and happiness that Dean had come to expect there. That anyone was able to take that away from Mikael, especially by their presence alone irritated Dean. Not for the first time, he felt a surge of anger that he tamped down, unwilling to make matters worse by raging at the man’s family.
“Mother?” Dean asked quietly, glancing at Mikael.
Mikael glanced at him for a moment, and sighed, “A term of respect. Artemis and Apollo are my cousins, but they refer to my mom as Mother, same as with my father. They’re . . . the leaders of our tribe, our pack.”
Dean raised his brow, “The leaders of The Grove are your parents?”
Mikael shifted slightly, obviously trying to restrain his discomfort, “Yes.”
Well, that certainly explained why it wasn’t that easy for Mikael to step away from his family. Dean also remembered from another conversation that Mikael was the only son in his family. He gathered that something had prevented them from having more, and that theirs was the type of group that put a lot of stock in passing on their genes. Based on the difficulty they were giving Mikael, Dean guessed that task was focused mainly on the male offspring.
Artemis snorted, “Keeping secrets still, Mikael?”
Mikael’s expression faltered for a moment, and Dean caught a split second of something not unlike remorse there before his face returned to a taut state as he looked at Artemis, “Old habits of survival are hard to break, Artemis.”
The woman made a small, helpless gesture, “I get it, I get it, I already told you that. Guess I should be impressed that you even let this one in on your biggest secret . . . well, biggest from a human standpoint.” She paused, letting those words sink in for a moment before looking to Dean, “Did anyone ever tell you that you look like your grandfather?”
Dean blinked in surprise, “Is there anyone around here who doesn’t remember my grandfather?”
That made her smile, “Only those too young to have known him. He was a special man, and you have the same look about you . . . though it is a little different.”
Dean didn’t know what to say about that, only then realizing that the brother, Apollo, hadn’t said a word the entire time, and had been steadily watching Dean throughout the whole conversation. For a big man, he didn’t seem like the type to give himself away too easily. When Dean turned his attention to Apollo, the man only stared back for a moment. Whatever was going on in the big man’s head; Dean wasn’t likely to figure it out, at least not any time soon.
Instead, Apollo turned his attention to Mikael, speaking in a deep, but measured tone, “Father requires you to return, and Mother wishes to see you again. The pack needs you to come back Mikael. You cannot put this off any longer . . . you know this.”
Mikael opened his mouth to speak, but Dean beat him to it, “We can both be there whenever they need us to. We’ve known someone would be coming, and I appreciate that you didn’t come like his other cousin did.”
Artemis smirked, “That would have been Dante. Heard you gave him a bit to think about.”
“Not much,” Dean responded with a little shrug.
“Yet, facing a full-grown wolf, you still gave him a good few smacks,” Artemis pointed out, raising a brow.
Dean snorted, “He attacked my dog. Had I been thinking a little more clearly, it would have been a shotgun I used on him instead of a stick.”
“The necklace was a better idea,” she mused, smiling at him. As much as he didn’t like that they were here, he was admittedly becoming a little fond of this woman already. He was also getting the feeling that she felt the same way. Apollo, he wasn’t as certain of, but at least he didn’t instantly dislike the man. Whatever the guy thought of him was a mystery, but he figured it was okay since the guy hadn’t tried to attack him, yet.
“Dean,” Mikael murmured low, in warning, “I already told you—”
Dean glared at Mikael, “And I told you.”
He was well aware of the amused expression on the woman’s face as she watched them. Apollo was as impassive as ever as Mikael’s mouth slammed shut, his eyes searching Dean’s face. This was an old argument, going back to the start of their relationship. Dean wasn’t about to let Mikael go back to The Grove without him at his side. But Mikael was worried about bringing Dean back with him, being a human and all; not to mention dragging him into the family politics. As far as Dean was concerned, he was going whether Mikael took him willingly or not.
Mikael sighed, speaking through gritted teeth, “Fine. Are we expected immediately?”
Apollo shook his head, “No, but it is required that it be soon. Mother is aware of the . . . difficulties involved, but both Mother and Father wish to impress that it is important that you come as soon as possible.”
Dean nodded, “Good, then we can at least get a good night’s sleep before we go. Will you two be staying?”
“No.” Apollo responded to Dean directly for the first time. “We are to report back immediately.”
“Well, at least stay for lunch,” Dean told them, feeling the habitual politeness come out of his mouth before he could stop it. Realizing that he was already committed to the idea, he continued, “We have enough for everyone.”
“Oooh, ‘we’ huh?” Artemis questioned with a wag of her brows, “Already at ‘we.’ And making Mikael here behave. I think I’m starting to like you, Dean. The question is . . . can you make a proper bit of steak and eggs?”
Dean snorted, crossing his arms as he puffed out his chest, “Likely better than you’ve ever had.”
“Well then,” she shrugged, walking forward with Apollo on her heels, “we can put that claim to the test.”
chapter
Five
Prior to the departure of the twins Dean and Mikael decided to make it a couple of days before they would leave together to head to The Grove. It would be enough time for them to prepare themselves and the farm, yet short enough for Mikael’s pack, family, or whatever it was, to be happy that he was coming at all. Apparently, Mikael’s word on the matter was enoug
h to satisfy the twins that he would be coming, rather than just saying that so they would go away. Dean had gotten the impression that it was an honor thing among werewolves—apparently one’s word was their bond and all. Considering how flippant humans could be with words, Dean thought that trait was an important piece of information to note.
Lunch had been less tense and awkward than he had expected. If he’d have been thinking, he wouldn’t have offered it up in the first place, but old habits had won out, and he ended up with two extra werewolves in his kitchen. It was a little strange to think that not so long ago, he wouldn’t have known enough about the world to even recognize that he’d ever even had one.
Apollo had reverted to his being mute upon entering the house though he’d eaten quite heartily. Artemis was obviously the more vocal and social of the two, throwing herself into conversation with ease. His first impression of the woman had continued to prove itself true over the hours they had hung around. There was a wildness about her, a love of freedom and expression that bordered on fierce. She said what she meant and meant what she said, regardless of whether it upset someone else. Apollo was the total opposite, barely speaking at all, and anything he did say was carefully considered and spoken with dignity.
Artemis had even gotten Mikael to warm up, and Dean figured that it wasn’t the first time he’d been won over by his cousin’s charm. The woman was far too full of life and energy for someone of Mikael’s true disposition to ignore. Soon, their conversation was animated and full of laughter while Dean busied himself at the stove. Obviously, simple sandwiches and tea would not have sufficed for this bit of hospitality, and Dean was glad that he’d pulled extra steaks from the freezer before the twins had even arrived.
Despite the direct nature of Artemis and the almost unnerving silence of Apollo, Dean found himself rather liking both of them by the time they’d departed, exiting the land in their wolf forms. It was obvious that whatever Mikael’s feelings about his family as a whole, he liked the twins too. It seemed to be the reminder of what they were trying to bring him back to that made him so tense. Dean had happily helped ease this tension, once he was certain that even sensitive wolf ears wouldn’t be able to hear. He had thought that with everything that had happened and the worry over what was to come, that Mikael might actually decline the suggestion. Instead, Mikael had responded to Dean’s advances with a sudden ferocity that was almost unnerving to Dean. It certainly had left him both sore and tired, though not before it had aroused and excited him. Their sex had always had a primal edge to it, but had never been quite that intense before.
When they were both spent and worn out from the session, followed by an equally passionate though gentler encore, they lay in their shared bed and talked. Mostly it was about nothing, talking about the recent storms, Dean’s desire to expand the farm a bit more and finding the humor in the spread of gossip around town. Dean had shared that he rather liked the twins, despite his dislike of the situation overall.
It was then that they had discussed where to go next. The trip to The Grove and whatever happened there would obviously take more than a quick afternoon. Dean couldn’t very well just leave his farm and the animals without anyone to look after them. For Mikael, it was simpler, he could take the time off as needed. Apparently, his boss was pretty lenient about that sort of leave, and the oddities of The Grove apparently worked in Mikael’s favor.
The concerns over his farm was what eventually led him to call upon his neighbors the Williams. Well, specifically Mr. Williams. Dean certainly enjoyed Mrs. Williams and her visits, however short or long they ended up being. He had also noticed however that the woman seemed to time her visits perfectly with Mikael’s absences. Dean didn’t want to deal with the potential awkwardness of trying to get the woman to his house when it was so obvious that she was avoiding Mikael’s presence. Mr. Williams was also better suited to dealing with the farm and the animals, so Dean called over and asked him to visit.
When the older man showed up the next afternoon, both Dean and Mikael had been lounging on the front porch. They had both come to accept the inevitable trip, mutually deciding to make the most of what little quiet time they had left. Thanks to all the work they had done to ensure that the space was comfortable, the porch made for a fine area to hang out. Mikael had made the porch look brand new, with big, comfy furniture that they could both enjoy together, along with the rest of the house. The place had the sturdiness that Mikael was so very fond of, and with Dean’s addition of soft cushions and beautiful colors, it was beautiful, relaxing, and very comfortable.
It was in this popular lazy spot that they had remained for most of the day, where Mr. Williams found them as he drove up Dean’s front drive. The older man emerged from his truck, eyeing the two of them without much expression on his face. Dean chose to ignore his work for the day to spend time with his lover, relaxing on the porch although the day was far too warm for them to sit close to each other,. Dean might be willing to defend and stand by his decision to keep Mikael in his life, but he wasn’t about to deliberately escalate that right now. He wasn’t comfortable with the idea of anyone around here finding out that there was more to this friendship just yet. Somehow, he had a feeling that the gay thing would eclipse the whole Grove thing in the gossip circle.
“Afternoon, boys,” Mr. Williams greeted them as he approached with a wave, “Takin’ a load off, eh?”
“Afternoon Mr. Williams,” Dean greeted the man, pushing himself up from his sprawl in the outdoor loveseat. Mikael was already standing, obviously a little quicker to react than Dean had been. Dean wasn’t surprised, the other man was generally a little more cautious when it came to people from town. Best to make as good an impression as possible when it came to people who were apt to think the worst of you straight away.
“Afternoon sir,” Mikael greeted, his voice even and friendly.
That brought a chuckle from the older man, “No need to be so formal with me, Mikael. I ain’t no one’s ‘sir,’ and don’t plan on being.”
Mikael nodded his understanding, glancing at Dean, “I’ll go get us something to drink. Mr. Williams, come and make yourself comfortable up here.”
“I’d appreciate that,” the man smiled, “I may not be ancient yet, but it seems like the older you get, you start to feel the heat a bit more.”
That made Dean smile, “You know, Davis said about the same thing when he was here a while back. Is that just a phrase around here, or do you two share the same mind?”
Mr. Williams made a face as he sat himself comfortably on the seat that Mikael had vacated just moments before, “I hope not. No offense to the man, he’s a good one and he does right by the people around here, I won’t deny that. But still, a lawyer is a lawyer, and I don’t wanna be sharin’ the same thoughts as one.”
Dean had to laugh at that. “I guess that’s one thing that’s the same in the country and the city. Nobody likes lawyers . . . not even lawyers.”
“Aww, I like him just fine, he’s just a lawyer is all,” Mr. Williams corrected amiably. Jax had wasted no time in situating himself at the man’s feet, begging for attention. The older man didn’t hesitate to stroke the dog’s head and scratch his ears. Unsurprisingly, Jax seemed to suck up the attention, his butt wiggling happily against the hard wood of the porch.
“Knowing Davis, he doesn’t take that too personally,” Dean smiled, turning as Mikael came out with a cool drink for each of them. Mikael was feeling more than a little uncomfortable if his body language was any indication. Typically, Mikael was confident and could deal with just about anyone in town, but Dean was getting the feeling that Mikael’s nerves were on edge due to this particular and unusual interaction. It probably didn’t help that Mikael knew that Dean had a great deal of respect for the other man, making this encounter even more important.
Mr. Williams thanked Mikael and took a drink from the glass, looking over at Dean, “Ya know, I didn’t know if you’d be able to get her recipe just right so q
uick, but here it is. You’re full of surprises, Dean.”
Dean blinked at the unexpected compliment, “Me? I’m not really a surprising kind of person Mr. Williams, but thank you.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, Dean,” Mr. Williams mused, sipping his drink slowly. “For someone who has been living the city life for years, and only spent a part of his boyhood summers out here, you took to farming like it was second nature to ya. Don’t take a genius to see how well your place is doing. Though a big part of that is how well Mikael here fixed the place up for ya. People weren’t kidding when they said ya did good work son.”
Mikael beamed at that, causing Dean to have to hide the smile he felt creeping up on his face behind his glass. Despite all appearances, Mikael was actually a little bashful when it came to certain matters. He took a great deal of pride in his work as a craftsman, and while he didn’t exactly expect praise when it came to his work, he wasn’t about to say no to it either.
“He also made this furniture out here,” Dean told the other man, making a point to ignore the flush of color he could see creeping onto Mikael’s face.
His eyebrows rose and Mr. Williams sat up a little straighter as he eyed the furniture around the porch, “Did he now? Didn’t know ya did this type of work too, son. You could open your own place with work like this, no wonder the man keeps you around.”
“I, uh . . . thank you sir,” Mikael managed, turning even a darker red at the praise. Dean felt more than a little pride of his own at the praise. He firmly believed that Mikael deserved every bit of credit he got, and then some, for the work that he did. Just like the farm buildings that Mikael had fixed up, the furniture was both sturdy and beautiful. Somehow Mikael had a way of making the simple look absolutely beautiful.
Mr. Williams waved Mikael off with a slight smile, “Don’t you worry about it. I’ll keep ya in mind the next time I need something around my place fixed up a bit. Used to doing it myself, but I ain’t quite as steady as I used to be. Damn near took a finger off trying to fix the step on my own porch last time I made the attempt. The missus gave me all kinds of hell for it too, till my bum finger was the least of my worries.”