She rushed over to them, intent on pulling Robin from Tim's arms. Seeing her approach, Robin immediately squeezed out a few more tears.
“Geez,” Tim muttered, “whoever gets you as a mate will have their hands full.”
“Not to mention that his mate will have to be really tough not to give in every time he opens his tear ducts,” Daniel said, chuckling.
Debra said indignantly, “Tim was hurting him. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“I would never hurt him!”
Robin, now clean, sat on his diapered butt and watched, wide-eyed, as Tim and Debra glared at each other. He crawled over to Tim, hauled himself upright by holding onto Tim’s jeans-clad leg, and said, “Up.” It was one of the very few words Robin could speak so far and probably the one he used the most after “Mommy.”
Tim scooped Robin up and kissed him on a dimple. Robin giggled, then snatched the washcloth from Tim’s hand. Clumsily he wiped his face.
“Now you want to clean up yourself?”
Robin nodded and grinned. The grin showed off his dimples, which melted Tim’s heart instantly. He sighed. “It’s not good for you to look cute all the time—you’ll never learn to behave yourself if you get away with everything.”
Robin blinked at him, apparently decided he was forgiven, and struggled to get down on the floor. Debra still scowled at Tim. Wrinkling her nose, she followed their baby brother. “I’ll look after him now.”
“I’ll help,” Laura chimed in.
“Well, that leaves us to put away the mugs,” Daniel said.
“Isn’t that a girl’s job?”
Both girls hissed at Tim while Daniel slapped him lightly on the head. In a conspiratorial whisper, Daniel told him, “That’s a real bad joke. Mom would clip your ear for that.”
The brightened mood that had settled over Tim while he had chased Robin evaporated. His throat and chest felt tight, making it difficult to breathe freely. It had only taken the mention of their mother’s name to tip him back into an agitated state of mind. He turned away from Daniel and started collecting some of the mugs. Silently, Daniel retrieved the remaining ones and followed him.
In the kitchen, they put the mugs into the sink. Tim started to run the water and got a new dishcloth from under the sink. When he came up again, his brother turned off the tap and laid his hands on Tim’s shoulders.
“Timmy.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“It’s okay to be frightened and to show it, you know.”
“Did you watch too many women shows again?”
“Tim.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
“I can’t. I’m busy washing dishes.”
Tim didn’t want to look at Daniel. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his composure. No matter how often he claimed to be closer to adulthood than to childhood, right now he felt more like a child.
Daniel’s soft and soothing voice made him feel even smaller. He wanted the comfort Daniel offered, but pride and pure stubbornness stood in his way.
“Dear Lord. Come here, you stubborn so-and-so.”
Tim didn’t resist when Daniel turned him around. Long and surprisingly strong arms enveloped him in a crushing hug. For a moment even breathing became an issue. Tim closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace. He squashed that little internal voice that kept insisting how unmanly he was behaving right now.
“Stop beating yourself up. It’s just me. I won’t tell anyone.”
He wouldn’t. Tim could be sure of that. It was one of the many reasons he looked up to his older brother. In a hoarse voice he squeezed out, “It’s pathetic.”
“Be glad that neither Mom or Dad is here now to hear that shit.”
“We’re not allowed to use shit or crap or whatever, so you better be careful yourself.”
Daniel chuckled, a low, comforting sound rumbling through his chest. Tim put some space between them. Discreetly, he tried to rub his eyes. When he looked at Daniel again, his brother’s gaze had softened.
“Ask,” Daniel ordered.
“I….”
“Ask.”
“What do you think is going on? Mom has been away for more than two hours!”
“Dad thinks it has something to do with the den of hybrid pups someone found. You know how Mom feels about these things.”
“Yeah.” Tim knew. He also knew that others hated the idea of hybrids. “Thompson doesn’t like them. I heard him ranting about them to some of the others today.”
“Dad fears some of the pack want to hunt the hybrids and kill them.”
Tim frowned. “But… they wouldn’t attack pups, right?”
Daniel picked up a dish towel and nudged Tim back to the sink.
“Daniel?”
Daniel twisted the towel but didn’t look at Tim. When he answered, it was barely audible. “Dad thinks they might.”
Tim gulped as he washed out the first mug. “Do you think Mom will be able to convince them to refrain?”
“If anyone can do that, it is going to be Mom.”
Silence stretched between them. Only the clinking of the mugs disrupted it from time to time. After they finished, they cleaned the sink, hung up the cloth and towel, and then went back to the living room.
Debra and Laura had Robin sitting in between them. Debra combed his hair while Laura busied herself with setting dishes on a blanket on the floor. Robin endured everything with a broad smile, receiving equally broad smiles from his sisters in return.
“How can anyone even consider killing pups? Even if they are hybrids,” Tim whispered, too softly for their younger siblings to hear.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know,” Daniel whispered back.
TIM stood at the large windowpane in the living room, gazing outside. Dusk had begun to settle. Shadows crept toward the house, dipping it into darkness. Even the flowers seemed to fold in on themselves. Their bright colors receded to dull variations of gray.
There was no sign of their mother or father.
Tim started to pace the living room. He’d tried settling down with a book like Daniel had done, but to no avail. Nervously, he paced through the room again and again.
That scent kept pushing its way into Tim’s nostrils, growing more intense by the minute. He wanted to howl in frustration but kept his voice to a low persistent grumble. At least he had deduced that the scent came from another wolf, a male wolf. He had to be quite young because he smelled vaguely like Robin.
First, the scent clearly spoke of a male wolf. Second, it had to be a pup. Third, something unknown lingered in that scent, calling out to Tim like nothing had ever done before.
Tim couldn’t deny his interest in other boys. He had tried liking girls, like his buddies did, but no girl had ever aroused him. Some of the other boys, though… yeah, he had jerked off at the thought of some of them.
He knew he was different and had to come out to his family at some point. He preferred that point to be in the future—a future far, far away. His parents would love him, no matter what, but they would be disappointed in him.
Tim shivered slightly. He hated disappointing his family; he valued their opinion and their respect and feared losing that.
That scent kept luring him. It confused him even as it touched something primal deep within him. It wasn’t sexual, more… spiritual, maybe? Tim didn’t know. A low, pained groan escaped his mouth.
“Tim? Are you okay?” Daniel asked, looking up from his book.
Tim startled and almost tripped over his feet. “What? Yeah, sure.”
“Really? You’re… skittish.”
“Skittish?” Tim snorted. “I’m just burning off some energy.”
“You’ll burn a hole in the carpet if you keep pacing back and forth on the same path for much longer.”
Debra, Laura, and Robin interrupted their play to look at Tim. He flushed, and before he could process what he was doing, he snarled at them. Debra cried out, whereas Laura pulled a
baffled-looking Robin on her lap.
“Leave me alone!”
“Hey, hey, stay calm, Tim.” Daniel said, setting his book aside.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Tim shot back hotly.
Annoyed, he wiped sweat away from his forehead. It was hot in the room, intolerably hot.
That scent filled his nose completely now, and nothing else registered. Tim staggered; he couldn’t think straight anymore. He could only think of hunting down the originator of the scent, burying his nose into the other one’s fur and never letting him go.
A yelp tore free when Daniel grabbed his shoulders to stop his pacing. Wild-eyed and panting, he looked at his brother. Daniel’s eyes widened before he whispered, “Oh shit!”
“What? What’s going on with him?” Laura demanded to know.
“He made Robin cry!” Debra added.
“He did not!” Laura replied. “Look, he’s quiet but not scared.”
A harried smile crossed Daniel’s face. To himself, he muttered, “That’s because he’s not only cute, he totally gets what this is about.”
Tim didn't have a clue what Daniel was talking about, but the urge to run was too strong now. “Daniel, I have to get out. I can’t stay inside.”
“Tim, I can’t let you go outside. Neither Dad nor Mom would ever forgive me if I let you go outside now.”
“Please, Daniel!” Tim pleaded.
He needed to get out, to get to that enticing scent. Whoever the originator was, Tim knew he was in trouble. Tim needed to get him away from the fights; he needed to protect him, no matter what.
“No, Tim.”
Tim shifted, fast. Leaving Daniel no chance to intervene, Tim ran. He jumped over the tea party on the floor, which elicited a laugh from Robin and a terrified cry from Debra. Tim couldn’t stop.
No way could he stop now.
The scent pulled and Tim had to follow.
At the front door, he shifted only partway, so he could open the door. Outside, Tim completed the shift. An eerie howl came from the clearing a few miles away, stopping Tim on the porch. Another howl answered and then more swiftly followed. The wolves had gathered to start a hunt, a deadly hunt.
Tim’s tail tucked itself between his hind legs of its own accord and his fur stood up. That scent became even stronger.
Tim glanced over his shoulder and saw his siblings’ frightened faces, but knew he couldn’t stay at home. Daniel would stay with them and keep them safe; he was sure of that.
I have to go. I’m sorry.
“Tim!”
Three
TIM ignored Daniel’s shout and the surprised snorts from the big Shire horses as he ran past their paddocks. The ponies whinnied in alarm, and Tim hoped none of the horses would try to flee right now, adding to the confusion and concern at home.
Guilt and fear fought against the longing in his heart and loins, which forced him on relentlessly. Tim didn’t know what was going on with him, much less know how to stop himself.
Tim’s blood boiled, or at least that was how he perceived it. He felt the pulsing and rushing of it through his veins, bordering on being a painful throbbing everywhere. He was hyperaware of his body, his surroundings, pretty much everything. Yet the other wolf’s scent remained foremost in his mind.
Leaves grazed his fur, and some tangled in it as he ran through the thick brush in the woods. He would retain some serious scratches and gashes, that was for sure. The wounds would heal immediately, but the thin lines of reddened flesh would be visible for a few days. Sometimes Tim wished his werewolf powers would not only let him heal awesomely quickly but also not leave any scars behind. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.
The thin scars bothered him because he hated coming up with flimsy explanations to his friends. Only a couple of them were wolves too, and some of the others had become more and more suspicious. Luke had even asked him once if his parents abused him. Tim had laughed and quickly diverted his friend’s concern.
The scratching branches didn’t bother him this time. He’d happily carry scars for the rest of his life if he could only get to the source of that scent. Holding his nose up in the air to decide whether he was running in the right direction, a series of loud howls had him peering at his surroundings repeatedly.
Tim listened intently, his ears pricked up. A lot of wolves were swiftly approaching Tim’s position. It would do him no good if the other wolves found him here. He was, after all, the son of the alpha wolf. A son who’d disobeyed the clear order of his mother. He was in so much trouble.
Suddenly, the howls stopped, and a deadly silence settled over the woods. No bird chirped, no squirrel climbed a tree, no mouse scurried through the leaves on the ground, nothing. Tim’s own panting sounded aggravatingly loud. Surely he’d alert someone to his presence just by his heavy breathing.
A long-drawn, high-pitched howl broke the silence, causing Tim to crouch flat on the ground. He knew that specific howl. That was his mother, calling out a challenge.
Seconds later, an answering howl echoed through the woods. Tim sensed movement close to him. Instinctively, he pressed himself flush to the ground, tucking his tail tightly between his hind legs.
He cringed when the first sounds of a battle reached his ears. High-pitched yips mingled with aggressive barks while the air filled with the scent of blood. Even though he doubted it would work over the distance, he tried communicating with his mother.
Mom? Mom! Dad is on his way. What is going on?
He tried several times but received no answer. Uncertain what to do next, Tim lay in the same spot for a long time. The battle sounds reached new levels of ferociousness, leaving Tim shivering and wishing to be anywhere but here.
A single, soft yip drew his attention. Turning his head to the left, he caught a glimpse of movement there. All of a sudden, the intensity of the scent multiplied. Tim snapped into movement before he could think about it. Fear still lingered in the back of his mind, but he was able to put it aside so he could move without shaking.
Great werewolf I make, he thought.
Ignoring the increasing howls, shaky yelps, and other sounds from the battlefield not far away, Tim moved toward the source of the scent. It wasn’t an easy undertaking because the scent’s carrier sped away fast. Tim fell into a trot, then sprinted after the scent, not caring anymore that the originator had to know Tim was following.
Tim’s muscles burned, and he was breathing harshly by the time his… his prey finally slowed down a bit. He was grateful; he didn’t think he could keep up the chase for much longer. Though he was in very good shape, he’d had trouble keeping up with the other wolf. Whoever had run away from him had stamina. Or maybe pure terror fueled the other one’s legs.
Panting, Tim slowed down as well. Awareness of his surroundings broke into his self-induced haze. Birds chirped warningly above him, and small animals scurried away and fled into their tiny holes and dens.
Tim heard all those normal forest noises, felt small branches sticking in his fur, one of them pricking painfully right behind his right ear. He stopped briefly, tried to get rid of the branch, but the other wolf chose exactly this moment to increase its pace again.
Tim took a deep breath and forced his legs to move faster than they wished, again following the carrier of this irresistible scent.
HE LOST all sense of time as he hunted the other wolf… the other guy. His world narrowed to the scent in front of him.
Sometimes dizziness caused him to stumble a few steps. Whether the dizziness came from exertion or from the scent, Tim didn’t know. He didn’t much care, either. Not even about the battle he had left behind like a coward, not about his parents or siblings. Dimly, he was aware that they’d ventured deep into Bass River State Forest, a place his father sometimes took him and Daniel for canoeing.
Guilt made a quick appearance and would probably be his companion for some time to come, but Tim just couldn’t force himself to care about anything other than the scent, and more specifical
ly about the source of the scent, fleeing from him. The originator of the scent belonged to him and only him. Tim would protect the guy, no matter what it would cost him.
Having acknowledged the owner of the scent was male and that he still intended to do whatever was necessary to keep him safe, Tim pulled up his last reserves and sped up.
Tim quickly closed in on the scent’s carrier. Rounding a tall tree, he almost ran straight into another wolf. Trying to catch his breath, he blinked at the dark-furred wolf who gasped as hard for air as Tim did. He didn't recognize the wolf, which could only mean she wasn’t a member of his pack.
Tim was confused. The wolf in front of him was grown-up and female. Still, she carried the scent on her. Tim frowned. She carried it on her, but she wasn’t the source. Boldly, he stepped toward her, searching for some hint of the scent’s source. The wolf growled deep in her throat and bared her teeth.
Tim stopped in his forward movement, gauging his chances against the larger wolf. He was strong, but he’d only ever brawled with wolves his age. Taking on an adult wolf could backfire, badly.
While he pondered his chances, a small movement behind the wolf’s forelegs caught his gaze. Tilting his head slightly to one side, he barked. A small head peeked out from behind one foreleg. A small, gray-and-red-furred head with a black snout, black ear tips, black socks, and the brightest blue eyes Tim had ever seen appeared.
Tim reared back in shock. He was face to face with a hybrid pup.
PUTTING some space between them, Tim just stared silently at that… thing in front of him. The pup nudged its mother’s legs. Hesitantly, she allowed him to sit between her forepaws. The pup directed a soft, questioning yip at the wolf.
The wolf answered the yip, and Tim tried his best to at least get a hint of what they were talking about. Of course, all wolves could converse telepathically, but only if they chose to include you in their conversation. While they were in their wolf form, it was also their only way to communicate.
The older wolf didn’t seem inclined to allow Tim to eavesdrop.
She bored her dark-amber gaze into Tim’s, and he hastily distanced himself a few inches. Tim stuttered, What… what is he? It’s a boy, right?
Secret Chemistry (Shifters) Page 2