by Ines Johnson
Blood wasn't the only substance soiling his clothing at present. Sweat and saliva were also staining the front of Jackson's shirt, as well as his pressed pants, as the man he held tried to break free of his hold.
"I saw her first," growled the salivator in Jackson's custody. His lips curled back, allowing bubbling spittle to spill out the sides of his mouth. His dark, beady eyes locked on another male who could have been his twin, except for the paler brown eyes and scar on his thick forehead. "I can't believe my brother would make a play on my woman."
"She's not your woman," snarled the scarred-faced sibling.
Standing off to the side the woman in question watched the scene with a fevered glow in her cheeks. Jackson saw the silver tint at the edges of her green eyes showing her excitement at the display. He turned away from the she-wolf in disgust.
"All right," interjected Jackson. "The two of you need to calm down before this gets out of hand."
The bleeding lip on Scarred Face and the busted nose on Salivator might have led a human police officer to believe it had already reached that point. But these were wolves. They were larger than humans in height and breadth. They were stronger, too, with tempers as volatile as a wild animal when it felt its territory had been breeched.
At present, Jackson had the matter under control. He was of similar height and build as these two wolves in their human form. But he also had the edge of having a cool head and supreme control over his wolf.
"You may have seen her first, brother," smirked Scarred-face. "But I had her first."
All eyes traveled to the she-wolf standing at the edge of the scene. The girl blushed with heat, looking not at all ashamed.
Jackson had his hands full of the salivator as the scarred brother egged him on with tales of a passionate, animalistic night with the woman they both claimed was their one, true love. The brother Jackson held slipped through his fingers as thick muscled skin became lean, furred forelegs. The other brother shifted, and that's when all hell broke loose.
There was a small crowd of neighbors and passersby gathered outside the small house watching. They stood by, impassive, as though this was nothing new. Under the Moon's light, the lawn showed more dry patches of dirt than tufts of green grass, but nothing an evening of seeding and watering wouldn't fix. The gutters on the roof hung low, but not low enough that one of these boys couldn't heft it up. The paint on the shutters was dull, but a fresh coat would take the span of twilight to apply. Instead, all attention was focused on the brawl.
Neither Jackson, nor his brother, would have allowed his parents' home to fall into such disrepair unless they were in some way bodily incapacitated. Nor could Jackson ever imagine fighting with his brother over a female. He and Pierce had different tastes in females. Pierce loved fae women who let him sink his claws into them with no strings attached.
Jackson had never touched a fairy, or a human female for that matter. Fae practiced free love, and humans had a practice known as divorce. Wolves mated for life. Dating any breed but wolfkind made as much sense to Jackson as falling for a coven witch on her Rumwicca.
As the brawl intensified, Jackson's wolf chomped at the bit to be let out. He tugged on the leash that all shifters had over their inner beasts. His wolf obeyed, as it always did, and sat back on its haunches, waiting obediently until it was called to do whatever was needed.
The two wolves charged again. Jackson looked up at the Moon and wondered why the hell he shouldn't let the males do serious damage to each other. But amidst the snapping and gnashing their mother wailed. A third son—younger by the baby hairs peaking out above his ears—cried out for them to stop.
The dysfunction in this family made Jackson's wolf groan in disgust.
"None of this would happen if dad were here," said the third son. He had the same thickheaded features as the other two boys, but his forehead and nose were pristine.
"He'll be back soon," said the mom in the tone of a broken record on a warped repeat.
"He hasn't been back for years. He's never coming back."
Jackson noticed the kids were spaced out in ages, likely five years apart. The entire picture became clear then. Their sire was a loner.
Lone wolves roamed, never settling, some never returned to the same places twice. It looked like this wolf had at least returned three times. It was clear these boys were related. Not just because of the looks, because they were both attracted to the same female. It happened sometimes with wolf brothers. Jackson had seen it tear families apart. It looked like this would be one of those cases because it appeared the she-wolf was playing games.
The she-wolf looked to Jackson. "Aren't you going to break them apart?"
Jackson detected no sincerity in the she-wolf's voice. It disgusted him. There was nothing more important than family. His father had never spent a single night apart from his wife. Jackson and Pierce looked out for their baby sister, a habit Kayla Alcede labeled overbearing.
There was blood on both of the brawling wolves' noses. Their jaws locked in the flesh of the other. Jackson looked around for something to get in between the two of them.
A figure in an ankle length cape stepped in to the yard. His stroll was casual. All around, the neighbors dispersed, eyes locked down on the ground or their hands shielding them from the man's careless gaze.
The caped man approached the wolves. He reached down and grabbed the ruff of one, forcing it to look into his crystal blue eyes.
"Let go." The warlock's blue eyes brightened to silver.
The wolf whined and did as he was told. The warlock turned to the other wolf. It tried to look away, but it wasn't quick enough. He repeated the same command, and the wolf let go. Its brother's blood dripped from his canines as it obeyed.
Warwick looked up at Jackson with a raised brow. "What were you planning to do with that?"
Jackson looked down in his hands. A few drops of water dripped out of the spout of the garden hose he held and into the parched earth. "You couldn't have gotten here any earlier?"
Jackson tossed the hose to the ground as his partner shrugged.
"What are you going to do with them?" the she-wolf asked.
Jackson curled his lip and turned his back on the woman, girl really. Girl, especially, if she were playing these kinds of games with grown wolves. "They'll sleep it off. And then hopefully they'll come to their senses and make better life choices."
The she-wolf growled at him.
Jackson's wolf had the urge to growl back. He yanked at his inner leash again.
His wolf had been pawing at its boundaries the last few weeks, the last few months if he were honest. Both man and wolf had grown more and more dissatisfied with his life choices until Jackson had relented and made some changes.
The first change he'd made was moving out of his parents’ house six months ago. Wolves were pack animals and stayed with their families until they were mated. Then they would start their own family pack. Jackson's move out of the family home was a clear sign that his wolf sensed that his lifemate was near.
He'd purchased a fixer-upper near the edge of town and began making the place ready for the arrival of the woman he'd spend the rest of his life with. He could feel his wolf pant with excitement at the prospect, its patience wearing thin as it waited for the scent of her.
Warwick spelled the wolves to change back into their human forms. Naked as the day they were born, the warlock marched both boys into the back of the squad car.
"Seriously?" Jackson cringed. "You're not even going to put a sheet on the leather?"
Warwick grinned. "It's Falun's car."
Jackson chuckled. Falun, an elf in the PPU, and Warwick had an ongoing war of pranks. The elf was the only male not afraid to tussle with a warlock. Jackson would miss the practical jokes and antics when he left the unit.
He quieted his thoughts. Leaving his job was the second change he'd planned to make. He had told no one he was leaving the unit, not even his family. They'd taken it hard enough when
he moved out of the homestead. His mother had insisted that he and his future mate could stay with them until after the first few grandcubs were born.
Jackson slipped behind the driver's seat and headed towards downtown. It was only two after midnight, still early in the night. Citizens went about the business of the night, getting their second cups of coffee under the bright Moonlight.
Jackson ran a hand through the dark, thick locks of hair on his head, and then down the perpetually thickening tufts on his cheeks and chin. When he'd joined the PPU three years ago, he'd thought he'd be making a difference in the world. Instead, he spent his nights breaking up fights, busting juveniles for magical abuses, and carting off lunatics high on moonglow and other fae-enhanced substances.
"You're a selfish bastard," said the salivator. "You think of no one but yourself."
"Do you think I care what Mr. Perfect thinks about me?" growled the scarred-faced brother who'd gotten lucky with the gaming she-wolf.
"You knew I wanted her before you went roaming." The dry leather gave a high-pitched cry as the salivator moved his bare ass cheeks to narrow the distance between him and his brother.
Another squeak sounded as the scarred-faced brother shifted on the leather to put distance between him and his brother. "You're a loner, just like dad. At least I'm stable. I can offer her a home."
"Hey!"
The two boys looked forward into the rear-view mirror at the sound of Warwick's command.
Warwick's blue eyes flashed. "Go to sleep."
The two males closed their eyes and tilted over, snoring soundly. Warwick exhaled and turned his attention to Jackson.
"You taking off after this." Warwick asked.
It wasn't a question. Warwick never asked questions. He always knew the answers, often before the person he posed them to had the thought. Jackson wondered why the man even bothered with conversation.
"What makes you say that?" Jackson avoided the warlocks penetrating gaze, even though his partner's eyes were no longer silver.
Warlocks and witches were arguably some of the most powerful of the moonchildren. Where the faire children had the ability to charm the elements in nature, the spelled children had the ability to control the electrochemical impulses within other living creatures. On the few days of the year when the Moon was close enough to the planet, like the Blue Moon which was due to arrive tomorrow night, Warwick could make any living soul his puppet.
"Your brother's due home today. From his...trip?"
Jackson let loose a silent exhale. The warlock was referring to his brother's homecoming later this night before daybreak, not Jackson's planned departure from the Paranormal Police force.
"He's been gone a while this time," Warwick continued.
"Just a few weeks." Jackson fixed his stare out the window.
"I hear he's finally taking up his place on the force, making it a complete family affair."
Jackson nodded as he fixed his stare on the road ahead. Wolves were loyal to a fault, in all they did. Be it mating, family, friendships, and even work. It was one of the laws of nature. Jackson had always had a fascination with the laws. More than the laws of nature, he was fascinated by the laws of man; the study of order from the Egyptian pharaohs, to the socratic method of Rome, to the fall of Western capitalism.
"Should I be looking for a new partner?" Warwick asked.
Jackson cringed at the direction of the query. His eyes remained half-shuttered as he sped along the streets towards the center of town. But Warwick didn't press him any further. Likely because he already knew the answer.
The Paranormal Police Unit was small compared to the human police department. It was fitting as the humans outnumbered the moonkind ten to one. The PPU had been implemented in the city where mankind and moonkind tried to live in harmony instead of amongst their own kind.
Moonkind had natural hierarchies that didn't require outside governance. Wolves had alphas. Fae had monarchies headed by an elven king and a fairy queen. Witches and warlocks had their high councils. Each kind kept their own order. But in the city where they all mixed and mingled, a central structure was required.
Mankind and moonkind crime was at the same rate, with moonkind having lessened under the current chief of police. It was the stability that lead Jackson to believe he could seize the opportunity to step down from the understaffed department. That and the fact that his replacement would arrive home tonight. It seemed the perfect time to move onto the next phase of his life, what he'd always dreamed of doing. He'd still be a public servant. He'd just have a different office.
If everything went right, Warwick would get a new partner: his brother. Jackson would trust Pierce with his life...when he was around. Pierce was the type of guy who people took an instant liking to... when he didn't check out to go for lone walks that lasted half a day or more.
Pierce was due to come home last week, but something had held him up. Jackson had booked a train for his brother that arrived last morning, but Pierce had missed that one. Jackson glanced down at his watch. His brother's train would pull into the station in a matter of hours... that is if Pierce had gotten on the train this time. And then, if all continued to go well, Pierce would put down his travel bags and join the PPU. And once his brother joined, Jackson could take off and do what he wanted.
But first Pierce had to come home.
Chapter Three
The metallic behemoth spewed black smoke into the air making Lucia shudder. She'd only seen pictures of such machinery in books. In person the train resembled a slow moving water snake. Its blocky body wove across the steel tracks and pulled into the station.
Automotives were relics from the twenty-first century. There hadn't been many innovations since that time. The world had largely stalled after the Catastrophe of two hundred years ago. Not much had progressed, except to get back to where they'd left off in the year 2000 A.D.
It took the children of the earth half a century to recover from the devastation. Then another half century to come to terms with the new breeds of mankind. The internet had only just come back online fifty years ago. All satellites remained within the atmosphere. All nuclear weapons not detonated were dismantled. The people of Earth were reaching out to one another again, and trust was a fragile creature.
With its gray body of steel windows and red skirt hanging low from its triangled nose, the train reminded Lucia of the disapproving face of Mother Sage, the High Priestess of her coven. Lucia had been placed in the old witch's care as a novice. When the train stopped in front of Lucia, the dark doors opened and cold air spilled out from the interior giving her flashbacks of the warm welcome she'd received when she'd stood on Mother Sage's doorstep as a child.
Not all covens lived in technology free zones. But Mother Sage, and the priestesses who came before her who governed the Sierra Mountain coven, eschewed any manmade invention; certain it was a Trojan horse intent on ravaging female autonomy. For their part, mankind gave witches the world over a wide berth. Not even aircraft dared to fly over a mountain.
Lucia stepped up to the mouth of the train. She presented her ticket to the older human male. He scrutinized her more than he did her ticket. Finally, he let her pass and she boarded the crowded train to a chilly reception.
The train car was mostly populated with doe-eyed fae and a few wide-eyed humans. The people on board did a double take as she walked past them in her dark cloak marking her as a witch and then cocked their heads at the wild hair atop her head that was the trademark of a wolf.
Even her own coven didn't know what to make of her mixed parentage. When a witch wanted to procreate, she spent her Rumwicca with a human male, or a fae. Some witches preferred elves, but that was a gamble. The novice witchling could be born a fairy instead of a witch in which case she might be returned to her sire. Witches never coupled with wolves.
Lucia sighed as the faces of passengers closed off and empty seats filled with coats and baggage indicating that the spare seat was not hers for th
e taking. She hadn't expected welcoming, opened arms. But she had hoped she'd come to a place where she might make a few connections, have someone see her and not a past she had no play in or ill-intentions that were not in her own heart.
After all, it was humans that had caused the catastrophic event that had shifted the planet off its axis and brought the Earth closer to the moon. The tides had risen and swallowed much of the land. The closer Moon caused the tides to shift in the blood within the people.
Some humans began to shift into animals.
Others came to control the elements in nature.
And then there were the witches and warlocks who could call to the electro chemicals inside of a person. Thoughts, emotions, feelings were all energy in motion. And energy was fluid motion. The power in their blood caused fear. Witches were once hunted and exterminated, then hunted and weaponized. But after the Catastrophe they banded together in collectives and communes, isolating themselves from the barbaric world of men.
Lucia breathed in the night's air, soaking the lunar power into her veins. She had no intentions of using her powers against these people. Most witches had no desire to use or be used. That is why they kept themselves separate, no longer wanting to be pawns in games of power. They wanted to live their lives in peace and quiet, connecting to the Moon, and strengthening their bonds of Sisterhood.
Lucia rolled her eyes at the last part. She was excited to be away from her Sisters and would take the leering of men over the cackles of women any day. The quiet scrutiny and judgments with an artful flick of the eye, or tilt of the head, or quirk of the lips. Statements offered sweetly like a moon blossom; only to sting later when the thorny prickle of the words at the core were revealed.
"We have space over here."
Lucia turned, relieved. Things would be different. She would find true friendship in this world. She would find her father and he'd offer his love and acceptance. And maybe she'd find love like he and her mother had all those years ago... before.