by Noah Harris
“Read you the riot act, huh?” Dean asked, smiling a little because he already knew the answer.
Mr. Williams huffed, “Don’t you know it. Love that woman to pieces and I’m gonna keep on lovin’ her, but she can chew you up one side and down the other before you know what hit you. But, much as I would love to keep to the small talk, I know you didn’t call me over here to talk about my wife. She can do that plenty well on her own.”
Dean nodded, “You would be right, sir. I’m needing someone to look after this place for a little bit, starting tomorrow.”
Mr. Williams shifted his gaze over to Mikael, and Dean continued before the man could ask, “We’re both going to be gone, so I can’t have him looking after the place for me. Otherwise I would have already asked him and just asked you all to make sure he fed himself right.”
Mikael cleared his throat, obviously feeling a little offended by the comment, but Dean ignored him and went on, “So, I wondered if you would be able to help, Mr. Williams.”
Mr. Williams looked between the two of them for a moment, his face thoughtful, “Ain’t my business to ask, but I gotta ask anyway. Where exactly you goin’? Don’t seem like this was planned.”
Dean shook his head, “It wasn’t, it just kind of came up at the last minute. Don’t want to get too much into it, sir, a bit of a personal matter.”
The man’s gaze went over his shoulder, to where Mikael had sat down. Dean didn’t glance behind him, but he knew full well that Mikael must have had something on his face for the older man to be eyeing him like that. Something flickered on the older man’s face before he turned his attention back to Dean. His eyes searched Dean’s expression, which hadn’t altered in the slightest from the polite, warm expression he had deliberately put there.
Mr. Williams grunted, “Ain’t givin’ much away are ya? Your Granddaddy was much the same. Though your friend ain’t as good at it, not at the moment anyway. You boys in trouble?”
Dean wanted to turn his head to glare at Mikael, knowing his guilt over Dean’s involvement was probably to blame for the slip. Instead he only shook his head, “Nothing like that. But there are some things we need to take care of, some business we need to tend to.”
“Grove business?” Although Mr. Williams said it like a question, Dean could feel the statement that lay in the man’s eyes. Dean said nothing at first, merely staring at the older man until Mr. Williams shrugged, “Wouldn’t be the first time for over here, now would it?”
Dean blinked, “Pardon?”
“What? You and I both know your granddaddy used to go over there from time to time. Do ya think he didn’t have someone watching the place for him while he was away? You two got the same way of working things out, son.” Mr. Williams gaze shifted back to Mikael, “You might be old enough to remember him coming every now and then. Used to drive a few people nuts, including the missus, knowing someone from town was goin’ there. Never seemed to bother him none, so I ain’t never saw the problem.”
Dean supposed it wasn’t too surprising that his grandfather used to make the same trip now and again, though he was willing to bet it wasn’t for the same reason, “So . . . ?”
“Aye,” Mr. Williams grunted, “I’ll do it. Can’t say I’ll be much good for the field work though, but from the looks of it, you don’t need it much. Whatever you’re doin’ out there, you’re doin’ it right. Don’t even think your granddaddies fields looked like that. Then again, it’s been a good while since I saw him grow anything out there, and my memory ain’t totally what it used to be.”
Dean probably should have felt proud of that, but instead he was confused. The idea that he had somehow managed to grow crops even slightly better than his grandfather had was a disturbing one. After all, his grandfather had farmed for decades, and probably had had all sorts of tricks up his sleeve. Dean was doing the best he could with what he had, and while he was certainly happy with the progress he’d made, he’d never thought too hard about how well he’d been doing. Certainly not well enough to merit that sort of praise.
“But I can keep an eye on the place, take care of the animals and what not,” Mr. Williams continued, clearly unaware of the effect of his words. He glanced down at the dog whose head he resumed petting, “This ole boy can come stay with me if you ain’t takin’ him.”
Dean sighed, looking at the content mutt, “No, it’s better if he stays here. He’d probably just find trouble out there.”
Mr. Williams nodded, “That works mighty fine for me. The missus will be glad too, been awhile since we had a good dog like him around.”
“You going to tell her?” Dean asked, before he could think to stop himself.
Mr. Williams scoffed, “Ain’t no point in hidin’ it really. She’ll figure it out real quick, woman’s got a nose like a bloodhound when she wants to figure something out. Tell you what though, I’ll hold off on tellin’ her, and let her figure it out after you’re already gone. Save you the trouble of hearin’ about it before you leave, but you can bet she’ll catch you when you get back.”
Dean nodded, standing with the older man as he pushed himself slowly up from his chair, “That sounds good to me, but before you go—”
Mr. Williams waved him off with a gnarled hand, “Don’t be talkin’ about paying me or anything like that. You can make it up the way we do out here, by returning a favor or a few. Maybe you can teach me what you been doing out here so I can do it to my own place.”
Mikael piped up, speaking a little more quietly than he normally would have, “I can do some repairs around your place, Mr. Williams, if you’re needing it.”
Mr. Williams fixed his gaze on Mikael, that same penetrating expression coming onto his face. When he turned to Dean, Dean could only helplessly wonder what it was that the older man was looking for this time. Again, there was a flicker of something, then it was replaced by a warm smile, “That would be mighty fine of ya Mikael, thank you. I’m sure the Missus can have a list and a half ready for ya, so be careful what you agree to.”
Dean wondered just how happy Mrs. Williams would be at having Mikael in her home. The woman was certainly not a fan of anyone who came out of The Grove. Yet, he knew Mr. Williams wouldn’t say it if there wasn’t a kernel of truth in there somewhere. Dean thought the man might actually like Mikael, based on whatever he had puzzled out in his penetrating way. If Mrs. Williams had her way often, then it meant that Mr. Williams knew how to hold his own and get his way now and again. He had easily shut down the tense conversation at dinner with them weeks ago, and Dean wondered what would happen if Mr. Williams pushed the issue with his wife.
“Well, with that, I’m gonna head on out, boys,” the older man grunted, taking each of their hands and shaking them firmly. “You just drop Jax here off when you leave tomorrow, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Thank you for this Mr. Williams, I really appreciate it,” Dean told the man as he retreated. Not surprising, the man gave another dismissive wave over his shoulder, not even bothering to put words to it this time.
The two of them watched the man drive off, waiting until the truck disappeared completely from view before letting out a sigh, “That went . . . well.” Dean muttered.
Mikael laughed, pulling Dean beside him and nuzzling his hair, “I think he’s quite fond of you . . . so if nothing else . . . at least he has good taste.”
Dean only snorted, “Aren’t we full of flattery all of a sudden?”
“Will flattery get you naked?” Mikael asked, the tone of his voice deepening.
Yes, yes it would.
chapter
Six
The drive out to The Grove had simultaneously seemed longer and shorter than he had expected. The way the people spoke of it, it might as well have been on the other side of the country. Some mysterious land that lay beyond the borders of the normal world. But the fact of the matter was that it was no more than a simple drive in Mikael’s truck, following a few of the long country roads until finally
coming to some hidden streets. The couple of hours the drive had taken felt longer than it was because Dean was anxious, but the same anxiety had also made the trip seem too quick. As long as they were driving, they weren’t there, and he didn’t have to deal with a pack of disgruntled werewolves.
The deeper they went into the woods, the more oppressive their surroundings became. Everything grew closer together, the forest turning thicker and wilder. Despite the size of the trees they passed, Dean was struck by the sensation that they were going back in time. Back to a time when woods like this were spread out all across the land, and built up areas like the Town were far rarer and more isolated.
It was easy to see why humanity had left these sorts of places, even going so far as to trim them back to make room for themselves. As for himself, Dean felt torn . . . and filled with a low-key awe. A part of him wanted to walk beneath the thick and heavy boughs of the trees that were spread out everywhere, hear the rustle of little creatures, and witness the sun dancing through the breaks in the branches above. The rest of him, the part that was very much a creature of the city, shivered at the thought of what might lay out there. Woods like this seemed no place for a soft and vulnerable human being.
Neither of them had made much of an effort to talk throughout the drive. Whatever small talk they attempted fell flat. Dean had relegated himself to leaning against the passenger side door, watching the passing scenery. He had known they were drawing near, however, when Mikael’s hand reached across the cab of the truck, his fingers wrapping around Dean’s. There was a comfort in the warmth of the man’s hand, and Dean wasn’t about to turn it away, especially when his heart felt ready to leap out of his chest, like it did right now.
When they finally reached a break in the wall of trees, a surprisingly wide, almost completely open area was revealed. Maybe it was the air of mystery and suspicion around the place, or perhaps it was simply the old world feel of the woods leading up to it, but he had expected . . . something else. The Grove was certainly no sprawling community, but it was larger than he would have believed. Each building was well made, and each spoke of an older era, with their simplistic, yet sturdy design. It was obvious that some of the woods had been trimmed away from everything, but it was obvious that care had been taken to minimize the damage as much as possible.
People of varying ages milled about, doing their own thing as Mikael pulled into a space not far off the path, where other cars were parked in a clearly marked area. It was clear that if they wanted to go anywhere else around here, it would be on foot. Mikael had mentioned before that they were big on keeping close to nature. Apparently, that included requiring everyone had to walk everywhere, and he suspected that most of the people around the area went barefoot.
Their arrival did not go unnoticed, and after the growing crowd saw it was Mikael, they turned their attention, much to his discomfort, to Dean himself. The expressions flashing his way were varied, and he was pretty sure more than a few of those expressions weren’t all that welcoming either. He wasn’t surprised, it wasn’t as if anyone from the Town was all that welcoming to those in The Grove, why wouldn’t it be a shared sentiment? Still, the people that weren’t from here couldn’t turn into a hulking wolf and tear his throat out if they were so inclined.
“Hey,” Mikael’s soft voice came from behind him as he slipped a strong hand onto Dean’s lower back, “you okay?”
Dean glanced back at the man, forcing a smile he didn’t truly feel, “Yeah. Guess I’m kind of getting a feel for what it’s been like for you every time you headed into Town.”
Mikael chuckled, “Most of them here won’t give you too much trouble, and you’ll see the ones who will coming a mile away. We’re not really the most subtle of people . . . at least not to someone who’s been living with one of us for a couple of months anyway.”
It was clear that Mikael had noticed Dean picking up on the messages he sent though his body language. Outside of a few instances, Mikael’s face very rarely gave his internal thoughts away, so it was almost always the man’s body language that told Dean what was going on with his lover. He hadn’t known if that was just Mikael, or if it was a more general werewolf thing. Apollo certainly hadn’t given much away, though Artemis had been true to the rule. Guess it seemed he hadn’t been wrong in his guess about werewolf tendencies, so Dean mentally gave himself kudos for that.
“Apollo certainly threw me off,” he muttered low as Mikael grabbed a couple of things from the truck.
Mikael snorted, “He’s always been like that. Even as a kid he didn’t say much. Doesn’t really need to with Artemis around. Since they’re always near one another, he does the thinking and she does the speaking. They’re both pretty wicked fighters, though.”
“Good to know.” Dean responded, hoping that the nervousness he felt in his gut wouldn’t come out in his voice.
Mikael eyed Dean carefully, “You sure you’re—”
“Yeah,” Dean assured the man, smiling a little, “it’s just—you know, first time I’ve really met the family and all. And, now that I think about it, also the first time I was the minority when it came to species.”
The corner of Mikael’s mouth twitched, “It’s not quite that bad you know. We have humans here as well. Some of them are outsiders we brought in.”
“For breeding,” Dean murmured under his breath, hoping belatedly that the only person who could hear him was Mikael.
Mikael nodded, “For breeding. But most of the people brought in from the outside aren’t cattle or whatever you may be thinking. They’re brought in because they’re wanted and trusted. But we also have people who aren’t werewolves, just Kin.”
Dean blinked, watching the man remove the last of the bags, “You know, I kept meaning to ask. You always say that word like it’s a significant term, rather than just the word itself.”
Mikael smirked, “Picked up on that, huh? Yeah, it just means wolf kin. Just because a werewolf has a kid, doesn’t mean that the kid is always gonna be a werewolf. But, they still have the blood in them, even if it isn’t the full blood. They’re just as important, and they can still end up having their own werewolf kids, if the blood runs true.”
Dean stared about, “So . . . basically, they’re the ones who carry the gene but don’t express it. But they might be able to pass it on to their own kids, who might also get the gene from their other parent and be werewolves themselves?”
“Uh,” Mikael blinked, “you do know that I’ve never really kept up on that sort of thing, right?”
Before Dean could answer, a low, but distinctly feminine voice interrupted, “That’s because you’ve been too busy building things.”
Dean turned to the owner of the voice. It was another tall woman, though she didn’t seem to have the same aura of physical strength that Artemis did. Instead, she seemed to embody a great deal of both grace and dignity, her hazel, almost yellow eyes dancing with amusement as she watched the two of them. Dean stared at her for a moment, taking in the shape of her eyes, the curve of her nose and the way she curled her hands as she motioned to them.
“Your sister,” Dean said aloud, before he could catch himself.
“Learned and observant,” the woman noted in what sounded like praise. “At least you don’t bring an empty-headed human to us, Mikael.”
“That a good thing?” Dean asked, suddenly both curious and a little nervous.
“Yes, but it won’t help, because you’re still a man,” she shrugged.
“Katarina,” Mikael growled, stomping toward his sister. She apparently knew the drill, allowing her older and larger brother to pick her up in a bone crushing hug. Dean had been on the receiving end of that sort of hug and he knew damn well how quickly it could suck the air from your lungs if you weren’t ready for it. Either she really was that practiced at it, or she was a lot more durable than her tiny frame would suggest.
“My big troublemaking brother,” she replied fondly, when her feet had finally hit the ground,
“I’ve missed you.”
“I’m sorry,” Mikael winced, looking pained, “it was just . . . better; at least that’s what I hoped.”
Katarina shrugged, “Well, Father stopped throwing things and threatening pretty much anything that moved. So, I suppose it was the best plan at the time. Hasn’t changed their minds at all though, you know how they are. It’s all about tradition with them still, and you’re the eldest son.”
“I’m their only son,” Mikael grumbled.
“And we both know that makes it even worse,” Katarina said, as she shrugged her shoulders delicately.
Dean certainly didn’t miss the hint of a bitter thread that ran through Katarina’s words, however. He had already gathered that the biggest issue they were going to run into was the fact that Dean wasn’t going to be producing Mikael’s babies . . . ever. It wasn’t just the woods that ran old school, but apparently the beliefs as well. Dean hadn’t grown up in that sort of world, so it still struck him as a bit odd to think that was actually a barrier to acceptance for some people.
Yet, there also seemed to be something else at play here. He wasn’t about to make a big assumption just yet, as he wasn’t completely aware of the situation, but it made him wonder just how well Katarina had been treated. From their short interaction, Dean suspected that the woman was highly intelligent and well read. That seemed obvious from the quickness in her eyes and speech. Dean wondered just how much of that intelligent mind the woman had really been able to utilize.
Lord, please don’t let this be a place where she’s expected to be a broodmare.
“Dean?” The questioning tone cut through his thoughts, making him realize that he’d been off in his own little world, rather than paying attention to what was happening around him. Mikael was staring at him, a concerned expression on his face. Katarina only looked amused, however, cocking her head in a way that reminded Dean strongly of Mikael.