by Cree Storm
"I'll be danged. I really thought Ollie and Jett were joking." Pascal giggled.
Timmy whispered, nervously putting his hand out to pet the porcupine, "Me too. They seem nice enough, though."
"Let's just hope the other one doesn't decide to fart." Pascal said with a giggle.
After a few minutes of silence, except for the noises the piggies made as they chomped on the carrots, Timmy knew he had to ask his friend if he was okay. “Pascal, why did you look so sad before when we were talking about my mate? Don’t you like Yorkie?”
Pascal’s head snapped in his direction, his eyes opened wide. “Of course, I like York. He’s a good man and he’s a good mate for you. A good mate to you. I couldn’t be happier for you, Timmy.”
“Then why were you sad?”
Pascal sighed heavily and looked back at the piglets. “Because I wish I could find my mate. And when I do, I hope he’s a lot like York and the other mates around here. Someone who will like me for me and let me be who I want to be. Someone who will support me and encourage me, but not try to boss me around.”
“Who you want to be? I don’t understand,” Timmy said.
Pascal stood up and brushed his tush off. “Come on. Let me show you something.”
Timmy stood, brushing himself off too as he followed Pascal to the far corner of the barn. Pascal opened the back door there and stepped out, then knelt. Timmy followed and watch silently as Pascal touched a small weed that sat there against the barn. As Pascal wrapped his hand lightly around the base, suddenly the plant began to grow. Timmy watched in awe as the thistle plant now stood four feet tall before Pascal released it and stood.
“Pascal, that’s…wow. But what does that have to do with your mate, or him not letting you be who you want to be?”
Pascal stepped back into the barn and Timmy followed. “Can I tell you a secret, Timmy?”
“Of course. You can tell me anything. I am your best friend so I will keep any secret you want me to.”
Pascal gave him a smile as he grabbed one of Timmy’s hands. “I like Dain, and the work is good, but…it’s not what I want to do. I’m actually jealous of Toby because he gets to do what he always dreamed of and is now cooking at Twixie's.”
“And what is it that you want to do, Pascal?”
“Honestly? I love plants. I like growing them and caring for them. If I could do anything I wanted to do, I would open a nursery,” Pascal answered.
“But I thought a nursery was for babies?” Timmy asked confused as he tilted his head.
“Yes, there is the baby nursery, but I want to open a plant nursery and have all kinds of different plants that people could come by and plant in their yards, or in flower boxes and flower beds, so their homes will look pretty. I just really love plants, but now that I am working for Dain, I don’t think that will ever happen.”
“I think you should tell Dain what you want to do. I know you said you had to be an adjutor or whatever that’s called and assist someone else, but Nelson is working as a nanny for all the babies, and Toby is a cook at Twixie's, so why can’t you be a plant nurse?” Timmy asked.
Pascal chuckled from Timmy’s words. “Because Nelson works for Rhys, Twix, and their mates, and Toby works for Twix. We need to work for somebody so that we will have the safety from them with our blood promise. I have no one that I can do that with who works with plants.”
“Well, I still think you should talk to Dain. With Maddox opening a lot of new businesses maybe he can help you find a solution,” Timmy encouraged.
Pascal gave him a bright smile. “You may be right, Timmy. I’ll have to do…”
Pascal stopped talking as a large man stepped in the back door that they had just returned through. Timmy gasped in surprise at seeing the man, but then he relaxed when he saw who it was. “Day, what are you doing here?” Timmy asked, then his face changed to concern as he reached out to Day. “Oh, your face. You’ve been hurt.”
“I just came to―” Day began to say, but stopped when they heard York call out.
“Timmy! Where are you, nugget? Everyone’s getting ready to leave.”
Timmy and Pascal turned to look at the front of the barn where York just entered. “There you are. Come on guys. We need to say goodbye to our guests,” York said and held out his hand to Timmy. He immediately ran to York and heard Pascal behind him.
York opened his arms and Timmy went right into them, cuddling against York’s chest. “Vik got a call and he and Baldwin have to get going. I wanted you to say goodbye before they left.”
“Okay. I love my Shelly, Yorkie,” Timmy said and stood on tiptoes, leaning up for a kiss.
York smiled and leaned down, kissing him gently. “So who’s Shelly?”
“That’s what he named the horse you got him,” Pas said as he followed them out.
“Ah, I get it. Shetland Pony, Shelly. Very smart. And what about your new little pup who’s not really that little and will grow to be bigger than that pony,” York said with a laugh.
“Oh, that’s Charlie. Where is Charlie?” Timmy asked.
“I left him with Jett. The two of them were rolling around on the ground.”
“Wait, shouldn’t we wait for…” Pas said as he turned back toward the barn, but no one was behind him and the door was closed.
“Wait for who?” York asked.
Pascal shrugged. “No one. I guess he already headed back.”
Once they returned to the others, Timmy noticed that Vik and Baldwin had already left, as did Angelo, Morgan, Ethan, Day, and Rhys. They were told that another human had been found dead in the town and needed to hurry there. Now that it was dark, Orion was going to meet them. Timmy was sad that he didn’t get to say goodbye but he knew what they were doing was important.
When everything was cleaned up and they all went home, York picked up Charlie in one hand as he looped his other arm around Timmy’s shoulders and they headed to their new home in the large barn. After settling Charlie down in his comfy pillow on the floor in the corner of their room, Timmy climbed into bed where York was waiting for him.
He cuddled up against his Yorkie’s side and laid his head on his mate’s chest as York wrapped an arm around his shoulders, then kissed the top of his head. “I hope everything is okay and they find out who is hurting those humans soon,” Timmy said softly, then yawned.
“I agree. From what evidence they have been able to find so far, it looks like a rogue vampire, so I want you to be careful, nugget. Don’t go out alone and definitely not at night. It would kill me if anything happened to you.”
Timmy smiled against Yorkie’s chest. His mate really was the best. “I promise I won’t, but I don’t think that this vampire is after me. He seems to want humans. If they do find him tonight, I hope Day is careful though. He looked hurt already and shouldn’t be fighting anyone right now.”
York pulled back and looked down at him with confusion in his eyes. Timmy raised his head and looked up at his mate. “What do you mean Day was hurt? We just saw him at the barbeque and he was fine.”
“When me and Pascal saw Day in the barn, he had a big scratch across his face, that went down his chest. I was just about to ask him what happened when you came in, so I didn’t get the chance.”
“Shit. Maybe that’s why they left so quickly? I wonder what happened? I’ll have to call him or Illan in the morning and see if he’s okay,” York replied.
“That’s a good idea. He didn’t look so happy either. His eyes were very sad,” Timmy said solemnly.
“I’m sure he’s alright, baby. If he wasn’t then we would have heard about it from the others. It’s been a long day and as much as I would love to make love to my most wonderful mate, I think we both could use some sleep right now.”
“I am tired. But do you think we could…” Timmy asked shyly as he cuddled back into York’s side and hid his face.
“What, nugget?”
“Maybe when we wake up, we could…”
York chu
ckled and kissed the top of his head again as he hugged Timmy close. “I was planning on it. Making love to my mate when we wake up every morning sounds like the perfect way to start every day for the rest of my life. Ilove you, Timmy.”
“I love you too, Yorkie. Thank you for being my mate and making me the happiest man in the world,” Timmy said on a yawn and closed his eyes as he relaxed against York.
“No, thank you, my mate, for being the best mate anyone could ever ask for. And I promise to always try to make you happy, like you make me happy. Thank you for being mine,” York said and held Timmy close.
Timmy had never felt so happy or content. He had a life now. A home. And he was so grateful to the gods and fate for giving him such an abundance of blessings. He kissed Yorkie’s chest and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.
EPILOGUE
Vik looked around the playground but it was too dark, even with his shifter eyes, to see into most of the shadows in the surrounding woods. The swings rocked, and the leaves rustled, but other than that, nothing stirred. A shadow moved toward the street and Vik looked to find Orion making his way across the parking lot. He stepped up on the curb and crossed the grassy field, stopping as he joined them.
“Who is it this time?” Orion asked nodding to each of them.
“It’s another of Crystal’s humans. Her name is Mary Murphy and she was the town’s Librarian. Really nice lady who mostly kept to herself,” Morgan replied.
“What was she doing out here all alone after dark?” Baldwin asked.
“It’s a free country,” Angelo snapped. “Just because she was out after dark alone doesn’t mean she was doing something bad. Shit, she was practically a saint in this town. Every Saturday she had Storytime at the library for all the kids. Then after she would have a craft workshop for them, and three nights a week she stayed late just to help some of the children with their reading so that they could keep up in school. Does that sound like an evil person to you?”
Morgan wrapped his arms around Angelo, pulling him close. “I don’t think he meant it that way, Angel. I know you’re hurting seeing all the people you knew your whole life, well, their whole lives, being taken from Crystal, but you have to calm down so you can think clearly.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Baldwin. I didn’t mean to snap at you,” Angelo said, giving Baldwin a watery smile.
“I understand, Angelo and it’s okay.” Baldwin returned the smile.
“So what was she doing out here?” Orion asked as he crouched down, turning her head to look at her neck.
“Yup, same MO as the others. Two drain holes in the side of her neck, but no tearing of the skin around it,” Vik answered.
“As Angelo said, she worked late a couple times a week helping the local kids. She can’t have been out here that long, her body is still relatively warm, so I’m guessing she just left the library over there and was cutting through the park to her home down there,” Day said and pointed down Main Street.
“For the safety of the humans, I think Justice needs to start a curfew until this bastard is caught,” Vik said.
“I agree. I think the humans needs to start taking this seriously and protect themselves. No more walking around alone. Should we go have a talk with Justice now, or do you want to do it in the morning?” Orion asked.
“I’ll give him a call and let him know what’s going on and see if we can drop by later, once the coroner comes to retrieve the body,” Vik replied as he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned away from them.
* * * *
A hand reached out of the darkness and gently moved the branches of a bush aside so he could clearly see the men gathered in the park standing over the dead woman’s body. As the one pulled something from his pocket and turned in his direction, he dropped the branch and stepped back, further into the shadows.
THE END