Change

by Melissa Stevens

  Chapter 7

  I arrived at Bill and Karen's house Wednesday morning, just as Bill had asked. When I got there Bill was the only one around. He took me into his office and asked me to have a seat.

  "I asked you here today for several reasons, Nickie. First, I want you to realize that because of the circumstances surrounding you, and your discovery of the Kindred, you've gotten what some people will consider special treatment. I admit it, I don't treat you the way I treat a lot of my pack, or even in the same way I treat my own children. If I had to make a comparison, I would probably say I that treat you much as one treats a beloved god-child, which is very much how I have come to see you over the years. But I want to be sure you’re aware that the special treatment may cause some hard feelings with some of the other pack members.

  "Second, I also need to be sure that you understand how the pack works, the hierarchy and structure that we live within. You saw a small part of it last week when Brandon brought you here. His addressing me as Anikitos and you noticed and commented his differential manner toward me. That is only a very small part of the way the pack works.

  "From what we've seen from you so far, it appears that you may end up being Alphic. What that means is that you're powerful enough, and because I know you, I can say fairly accurately, dominant enough to be an Alpha, or high ranking member of the pack. Even if you have no desire to be a pack leader, the term Alphic just means that you COULD be. That you have the power and dominance to do so.

  "You already know that a pack’s leaders, Karen and I in this pack, are the Alekto and Anikitos. The second in command positions are called the Lysandros and the Harmonia. They, like the pack leaders are generally a married couple, though it's not required, they are also earned positions. You'll be meeting ours, Hank and Alexis, later this evening at dinner. There are also several other positions, including Theron, which is a pack's chief enforcer, security positions, elders and others, some necessary, some not. We do have a Theron, and though I'm sure you will in time, you haven't met him yet.

  I also wanted to let you know that Karen and I often have bodyguards around. They are part of the enforcer, or security team, and it's their job to ensure our safety. I know you've never seen them, I've been careful around your father and I've kept them at a distance for our meetings. I know the two of you aren't a danger to me and I didn't want to freak you out with strangers hovering around us. But I'm going to start having them stick around so that you can get used to them."

  "Okay, I can deal with that." I said, blinking as I processed the new information. I knew that there had to be things about pack structure and life that I didn't know yet, but I had no clue it was so complicated.

  "There's also a lot more to the government of a pack, and basically ruling is how it's done. But you just need to know that Karen and I are charge of seeing to it that our pack follows the rules that have been set down for all of the Kitsune. "

  "Set down by whom?" I asked, curious.

  "By the council. For now, just think of the council as similar to Congress and leave it at that. I don't want to give you too much information to process at once.

  "We have a little while before I have some visitors coming by to meet you, so let’s do something different for a while and let it all sink in for a bit."

  "What do you have in mind?"

  "Have you been practicing using your telepathy?"

  "Yeah, some. Brandon and I went out for a run yesterday. It was nice to be able to talk to him while in wolf form, more than just the barking and tail wagging I had imagined."

  "Where did you go?"

  "Out to the old hot tub on Haekel Road. We figured there was lots of space to run and few people around to spot us during the day on a weekday."

  "Pretty sound reasoning." He nodded his approval, "How did you like running in wolf form?"

  "I had fun. We shifted and started out, Brandon scared up a jack rabbit and we chased that for a while. He offered to share with me when he caught it, but the idea didn't do much for me and I headed back toward the tub and cars, investigating the different scents that caught my attention along the way. I found something that I hadn't come across yet, it was odd…kind of sharp and musky at the same time. I asked Brandon if he knew what it was, he said it was javalina and that even in wolf form it's best to avoid them."

  "He was right, they're mean little buggers, and they don't care how much bigger than them we are. So unless you want to hurt one or be hurt by one of them, it's best to just steer clear of them. Did you have anything to eat with you?"

  I smiled before I responded, "I'd planned ahead. I stopped at the grocery store on my way out of town and picked up some fruit and a few of those meal replacement shakes. They may not taste the greatest but they worked really well, and they're better than protein bars any day."

  "You know, those things hadn't occurred to me, but they're a really good idea. I'll have to mention them to Karen; it would be something good to add to the emergency bags we keep in our cars."

  "Yep, they have lots of calories and nutrients, fast. And they transport and store well."

  We talked about my run the day before and spent a while practicing with telepathy before the door bell rang.

  "You stay here; I'll just go get that. It should be the people we've been waiting for." Bill told me. I remained seated in the overstuffed leather chair that I loved so much in his office until Bill returned. He had two men following behind him. I don’t know what I’d been expecting but they weren't kids, one was my age, maybe a little older, the other was a bit older than the first, but still not as old as Bill. As I looked up at the trio my mind went blank until Bill spoke and drew my attention back to him.

  "Nickie, these are my Enforcers, my security." Bill said. I pulled my feet out from where I had them curled under me and stood up to meet them. "This is Terry Vaughn; he generally works evenings and nights around here,"

  The older of the two men stepped forward, he was about 6' 2" with a military short hair cut on his almost black hair and even though it was cut short I could see that he was starting to go gray. He was big, bulky and muscular like someone who did a lot of lifting heavy things or spent a lot of time in the gym. His blue eyes were pleasant over a straight, slightly bulbous nose, and a prominent chin. He had a smile on his broad mouth as he extended one hand toward me. I stepped closer and shook his hand; he had a firm, sure grip without being overly aggressive.

  "Nice to meet you" He said to me in a calm, quiet voice.

  "You too." I replied, slightly unsure what was going on. After he released my hand Terry stepped back until he was once again standing next to the other man.

  "And this is Gabriel Hensen. You'll probably encounter him the most, as he has the day shift." Bill introduced the younger man.

  Gabriel wasn't quite as tall as Terry, he probably stood about 5'11". He was thinner too, not less muscled just built differently. It was the long, lean muscle of a runner instead of the bulk of a football player. He had a more ethnic look to him, his hair was a rich dark brown, but it was cut longer on top and shorter on the sides, it was a cut that was designed so that he could artfully muss the top, as was done now. He had dark, chocolate brown eyes, a sharp, narrow nose, and an angular jaw. His full lips were smiling at me as he stepped forward and I extended my hand again.

  "I'm pleased to meet you, too." I looked up at him.

  "The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure." He returned in a slow, deep voice as a smile spread across his face.

  I could feel the strength in his hand as he carefully but strongly clasped mine in his to shake hands. After he released me he stood for a moment, just looking at me. It was as though he was trying to figure something out. Then he suddenly stepped back, and he was once again standing beside Terry, as though nothing odd had happened.

  "Boys, this is Nickie Daniels. She shifted for the first time last week. She's brand new to our secret and she's still learning all the details about the Kindred."

&
nbsp; Instantly, all pretense of relaxed comfort fell from the men. They seemed to stand taller and be generally tougher, as they moved to stand on either side of Bill. They were now obviously alert and ready to face whatever danger might threaten their leader. Their actions made me realize the truth behind what Bill had said earlier, that they weren't only there to enforce the rules as their titles implied. Wow, they really seem to take the bodyguard thing seriously. Then it occurred to me what had caused them to change their demeanor, Bill saying that I've only recently shifted and discovered that I'm Kindred, and that can only mean that they think I am a threat. I couldn't help myself, I had to speak up.

  "I realize that the two of you are just doing your jobs, but I find the insinuation in your actions that I'm a threat just plain insulting. I would never do anything to hurt Bill or Karen." I said in a matter of fact tone, letting my displeasure show in my voice. I saw confusion flash in their eyes when I used names instead of titles but I had to give them credit, they never wavered from their positions and determination to defend and protect Bill.

  "Stand down, Boys. You can relax, Nickie's no threat to me. I've known her all her life and she's like my god-daughter. I just wanted to make introductions so you'd recognize her and so she wouldn't be surprised if she stopped by unexpectedly and found one of you here." The two men visibly relaxed some at his words They were still wary but not at attention and on alert like they had been just moments before. "Nickie still has a lot to learn about us and the culture of the Kindred. I thought that if you could get along with her, you might be able to help teach her what she needs to know about living among the Kindred. The more people she knows and feels comfortable asking things, the sooner she'll feel at ease among us."

  "As long as they don't treat me like I'm likely to attack you at any time, I'm willing to give it a try." I said, addressing Bill.

  "You have to understand our position." Terry spoke up. "You're an unknown, one who's in an unfamiliar situation, going through major changes in your life that you couldn't possibly have expected. The high emotions and stress involved in such a situation can lead to some aggressive or violent behavior. As far as we know, you could be not handling things well, and could very well be a danger to our Anikitos."

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I organized my thoughts before I spoke. "I do understand your position, but I also know that I won't put up with being treated as if I'm about to explode at any moment. Because I can tell you now that that alone will drive me to it. Not toward the ones you are trying to protect, but at you. Treat me normally, not like a mental case and we'll get along fine." I said to them both, my voice steady and determined.

  He was silent for a moment before turning to Bill and asking, with one brow raised, "She's got a bit of an attitude there, how're her talents?"

  "So far, her talents seem strong, and I already knew she had a dominant personality. But it remains to be seen how ambitious she may be." Bill spoke to him as if I weren't standing right in front of them.

  I ignored the fact that they weren't talking to me and put my two cents worth in. "Not ambitious enough to try to take your position away from you, if that's what you're worried about. I have no clue how large the pack in the area may be, and while I don’t want to be at the bottom of the pecking order, I have no desire to be responsible for a bunch of people either."

  "That's understandable," Bill said. "It's a big responsibility, and not one to be taken on lightly. I've never really seen you as possible Alekto or even Harmonia material anyway. You've always been more of a loaner than a leader."

  "Pretty much. I've always said I don't care what you want to do, just don't try to make me do it too. And my biggest battles have always been with people, whether it be teachers, bosses or classmates, who tried to mold me to be their clones."

  Gabriel cleared his throat before he spoke for the first time since our introduction, "If I may, I'm more than willing to try to help Nickie learn whatever she needs to know to become a member of the pack. However, I reserve the right to determine the risk she poses to my leader for myself. To take that away from us defeats our purpose."

  "Watch it." Bill started warningly.

  "No, he's right, Bill," I interrupted, laying my hand on his arm to placate him, "It's his job to determine if someone is a threat, and I can live with that. As long as you don't treat me like a stick of dynamite sweating nitro just because of my situation. Get to know me and judge me for myself. If after that you still see me as a danger, I can accept it, but not before."

  "I guess that's fair to us all." Bill said. He invited the guys to sit down, and we started to get to know each other.

  I spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon visiting with them. I did a lot of listening to them talk, learning more about pack structure, and listening to the stories they had to tell me, some of them were childhood tales learned by all the Kitsune. I listened carefully and asked questions of the Enforcers when I was unclear, and I learned quite a bit about living among the Kindred, though I still had quite a bit to learn.

  It was mid-afternoon when I excused myself, taking some time to go home and get ready for dinner that evening. I didn't want to meet the pack second in command in ragged jeans and a tank top.

  I got home and went through my closet, trying to decide on something appropriate. I didn't feel like I needed to dress formally, but I knew that something nicer was in order. I ended up deciding on a long, flowing black and red print skirt that brushed the tops of my feet as I moved, I paired it with a clingy red silk blouse. The affect was quite stunning without being revealing or flashy. Because the bright color of the top made me look a little washed out, I had to reapply my make-up. I pulled the hair around my face up into a clip on top of my head so that it didn't hide my face but I left in tumbling curls down my back. I pulled a pair of black kitten healed strappy sandals onto my feet and decided I was as ready as I would get. I wasn't dressed to show off, but nicely enough to show my respect for their positions. I grabbed my purse; made sure my PCD was tucked inside the small bag and headed out the door.

  When I pulled up in front of Bill's house I saw that Karen's car was in the driveway, meaning she’d returned while I was gone. There was a third vehicle parked in the driveway as well, one I didn't recognize. It was an older SUV, but I had to admit it looked like it was in great shape despite its age. It made me I wonder if perhaps the Lysandros and Harmonia were already here. I walked up to the front door and pressed the doorbell, I heard the sound of the bell ringing inside the house as I waited for the door to open. When the door in front of me opened I was surprised to see Terry.

  "Good Evening, Nickie. You look nice this evening," He smiled pleasantly at me.

  "Thank you," I replied, returning his smile, "I thought I could do a little better than jeans and a t-shirt."

  "You certainly did that," he replied, "Come on in. The Alekto is busy in the kitchen and the Anikitos asked that I bring you into the living room to join him."

  "Thanks. I know the way, if you have something else you need to do."

  "Nothing better than escort a pretty lady," He said glibly.

  "How kind of you. Are the others here?"

  "No, you're the first to arrive."

  "So the truck out front is yours?" I asked, walking beside him through the house.

  "Yep, she may be old but she runs well, and age alone is no reason for me to replace her."

  "Very true." I agreed. As we passed under the archway between the dining room and the living room I saw Bill standing near the fireplace staring absently out the large window at the rear of the room. He appeared distracted, as though trying to work out the solution to a problem.

  "Is something wrong? Has something happened?" I asked, starting to worry.

  Hearing my voice so close to him Bill seemed to snap out of whatever thought he had been lost in and he turned to look at us, smiling.

  "Nickie, don't you look nice! Are you ready for this?"
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br />   "Is something wrong? You looked worried when we came in." I asked.

  "No, no, nothing's wrong. I was just enjoying the view while thinking a few things over." He turned back to the window and gestured out the glass.

  I had to admit that the window did provide a stunning view of the mountains that stand south of town. I moved next to him so I could share the view.

  "It's a great view this time of year isn't it?” I agreed, “Especially in the evenings when it's still light enough to see while you relax for a few minutes before or after dinner."

  "I never tire of it." He turned his attention to me once again. "Can I get you something to drink?"

  "I'm good for now, thanks."

  "Karen will be back in a few minutes she just went to check on dinner. Have a seat, make yourself at home. Hank and Alexis will be here soon, I'm sure."

  I chose a seat in one of the chairs positioned near the fireplace and sat down, Bill took a seat on the sofa beside it as Karen walked into the room.

  "Nickie! I'm glad to see you!" She said enthusiastically, and I stood to give her a hug before sitting back down. "I love that skirt, it's just stunning."

  "Thank you, it's one of my favorites." I smoothed the skirt down my legs just for an excuse to run my hand over the smooth fabric.

  "It looks good on you, it's somehow just perfectly you." She took a seat on the sofa next to Bill and leaned against his side, "Have you been practicing finding your center and visualizing your shields?"

  "Yes, Ma'am. At least twice a day, more if I have the chance."

  "That's good, the more you practice the better your shields will be. Have you had any leaks, picked up any stray thoughts, since we started building your shields?"

  "No, but I haven't been out much. The only time I've spent with around anyone but Kindred was when I made a quick stop at the grocery store yesterday before going for a run."

  "No rush, just keep practicing and pay attention when you are around people, try and see how well your shields are working. When you're comfortable with it you can try to lower your shields some and see what you pick up, just as a demonstration on how well your shields are working."

  "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for all your help, really. I would be so lost if you two hadn't been so kind and understanding."

  "Think nothing of it, Nickie," Bill spoke up, "You're family to us, we could do no less. Speaking of family, have you given any thought to when you might want to tell your parents?"

  "I've thought about it, but I just don't know. I know that I'm not ready to tell them yet, and I don't know when I will be."

  "That's all right. You don't have to tell them if you don't want to. But I think you're going to find that the longer you wait the harder telling them is going to be, and I really think you're going to want to tell them in the end."

  "I know I probably should, but just don't think I can handle it right now. I'm doing okay handling things one day at a time. By taking each hurdle and change as it comes at me and not worrying about what is to come I've been able to deal with it all. But when I start thinking about what to say to Mom and Dad, how to tell them about all this, I end up in the middle of a panic attack. Let me get used to what I am before I tell them, at least. If I have more knowledge about it, I will be better able to answer their questions, and I know they will have questions."

  "Fair enough. You've done surprisingly well handling all that has been thrown at you in the last week, and I don’t want to do anything to compromise that, so I'll let you decide when you're ready. I'd like it if once you've decided you'd let me know, I told you we'd help you tell them, and I meant it."

  Our conversation was interrupted by the peal of the doorbell.

  Neither Bill nor Karen moved to answer it, instead Bill said, "Terry will get that, he's playing butler for me this evening." A moment later Terry escorted the couple I was there to meet into the room. Neither of them were anywhere near what I had expected. I was expecting to meet an older couple, closer to Bill and Karen's age than my own. Neither of them was more than a few years older than myself and that surprised me. I stood up to greet them, as Bill introduced me from where he remained seated.

  "Nickie, this is our Lysandros, Hank Jeffries, and his wife, as well as our Harmonia, Alexis," turning, he addressed them, "Hank, Alexis, this is Dominique Daniels. She goes by Nickie. You know, now that I think about it, I think the only time I've ever heard anyone call her Dominique was when she was in trouble." He said, smiling fondly in my direction.

  "It's nice to meet you" Hank said stepping forward to shake my hand. I felt a strange current of energy run through my body when his hand touched mine, not quite an electrical shock but not much different either. I had to look up several inches to look him in the eyes, so he was at least 6' tall, if not a little over. He has a muscular build, well defined without being overly bulky. He appeared to be a man who earned his muscle with what he did for a living, not one of those pretty boys who built it in a gym. His dark hair was cut in a short men’s style that has been popular for decades, and his deep brown eyes seemed to look inside you and be able to tell what secrets you were hiding.

  "So glad to meet you, Nickie." Alexis said, smiling as she took a turn shaking my hand. She's a couple of inches shorter than me and slender and beautiful. Something about her size and graceful movements made me feel over-sized and clumsy. She had shining blond hair that was cut in flattering pixie style around angular her face, and large green eyes that caught and held your attention, she reminded me of those classic tiny film stars

  "It's nice meeting you both too," I said, trying to keep a smile on my face in order to hide my confusion.

  Bill looked past the group of us to the man standing in the doorway and spoke "Thank you, Terry. You're free for the evening, if you'd like."

  "Thank you, Sir, but with the four of you in the same place I'd rather stay if you don't mind. Just in case. But I'll stay in the other room unless I'm needed, and leave you to your evening." Terry replies, waiting for Bill’s acceptance before turning to leave the room.

  "Very well." Bill said to him, before looking at Hank and saying, "Have a seat you two. Hank, I told you over the phone when I invited you over, that she shifted suddenly last week." The couple sat on the love seat positioned on the opposite side of me from the sofa.

  The other man nodded, "I remember."

  "I asked the two of you to come meet Nickie because, as you know, she wasn't raised among us and she's still learning the pack hierarchy. She needs to know who the leaders are, and who to turn to if she has a problem. She's comfortable with Karen and I, as I've been a friend of her father's since before she was born or adopted. I want her to know who she'll be turning to for help in case Karen and I can't be reached."

  Alexis turned to me, "Is it true you had no clue what you are until you shifted last week?"

  "None at all," I replied, "It's still pretty new to me, though I'm starting to get over being stunned and confused. I'm doing my best to get it all figured out."

  "I wanted you to meet Alexis for another reason, Nickie. She's the only member of our pack who can teach you to call animal forms, and after what you told me this morning, I think you may need to see what she can teach you. I'd like for you to get to know her a little, see if you can work together so she can train you."

  Alexis turned to me with a surprised look, "What makes you think you have the ability to call or restrict animal forms?" She asked

  "Well," I started, "Yesterday Brandon and I…"

  "Brandon?"

  "Brandon Stone. He's been my best friend for years."

  "Ah, I see, continue."

  "Anyway we were out on a run. He told me that is what it's called when you go out and run around in wolf form."

  "It is," Alexis acknowledged, nodding for me to continue.

  "Well, we wandered around as wolves for a while and then we went back to the cars and Brandon was going to shift." I could feel myself blushing as I tried to explain
, "Well, I'm just not comfortable with that yet, I'm having a hard time with the casual nudity. So I kind of thought 'I don't want him to shift yet' but I didn't think it at him like I do for him to hear it, I just thought it to myself and he didn't shift. I managed to get around to the other side of my car, to where I couldn't see him anymore, and then I didn't care if he shifted anymore. Once we were both dressed he confronted me about it, asked me why I kept him from shifting. I had no clue what he was talking about. I didn't intend to do it, I just didn't want to see him naked, or for him to see me that way either.

  She nodded, seeming satisfied with my explanation, "I see. It appears you may actually have the gift to restrict animal forms at least, and I'm willing to work with you to develop the talent. We can see if you can call forms too, if you're willing. However, I'll warn you, you're going to need to get past the squeamishness of seeing people naked. Most of us don't care to keep losing our clothes from shifting in them and it often, isn't convenient to find a changing room."

  "I understand why nudity is so casual among the Kindred, but it's going to take some getting used to though. It's not anything I've ever been exposed to."

  "On top of all the everyday reasons for it, most of the calling and restricting of animal forms that I do is medical related. That means that if you want me to teach you to control this talent, you'll need to be able to handle blood at least to some extent and sometimes extreme and very emotional situations."

  "Blood doesn't bother me. I have two brothers and three sisters, someone always had one kind of wound of another and we all learned to deal with the injuries we tended to give ourselves and each other."

  "Very well, I'll give you a try. Where do you work?"

  "I'm the Dean's secretary at the college."

  "So you work Monday through Friday?"

  "Generally, but not right now. For the summer we're on a 4/10's schedule."

  "Oh, that will make it easier. Mondays or Fridays off?"

  "Fridays"

  "Is there any reason why you can't spend at least part of your Fridays helping me out in our clinic?"

  "You have a Kitsune clinic?" I asked surprised, "How do you keep humans from coming in, seeing things and finding out about us?"

  "It's not officially a clinic, or any kind of business. It's an unofficial clinic that’s run out of the guest house at my place. We've converted much of it over to be used as a Dr's office, and we do what we can when we need to. There isn't a huge call for a Kindred clinic but we get a few walk-in's a day. Broken bones, torn muscles, random injuries. But it would look strange for them to turn up in a Dr's office with an injury that would normally take weeks to heal and then hours or days later be fine."

  "I can see how that would be a problem." I said.

  "So I run the clinic, it's mostly for non-emergent cases, but we also have a couple of Dr's who we can call if we need and there's an EMT too. It's not entirely my responsibility but since it's set up at my place it's easiest for me to staff it a lot of the time. So, what do you think, can you spend your Fridays with me for a while?"

  "I don't see why not. It would probably be a good opportunity for me to meet more of the pack too." I said.

  I liked Alexis right away, she was a few years older than me but very friendly and she didn't treat me like a child, like some do to people my age. She was kind without being patronizing. I wasn't so sure about Hank, it wasn't that he was patronizing or spoke down to me; he was just quiet, making it harder to get to know him. He had spent the time that Alexis and I were making arrangements watching me, as though he was trying to figure something out, I did my best to ignore it while occasionally sealing glances at him, trying to figure out what he was up to. He seemed reserved, as if he hadn't yet made up his mind about me either. And I have to admit, that the strange sensation I got when I touched his hand was still on my mind, but I had no clue what it might mean. Hank seemed like the polar opposite of Alexis, she was outgoing and engaging to his seemingly quiet and reserved.

  "Have you had any other talents emerge yet?” Hank asked.

  "We've learned that I'm telepathic, in both directions, but that's all that we know of so far." I replied.

  "I'm working with her myself on that one," Bill put in, "And Karen's been working with her on shielding, since she's one of the best in the pack, and Nickie knows us both already."

  Hank nodded and continued to listen to us talk. He seemed a bit intimidating. Not because of his size but something about him that I couldn't quite place. I tried to ignore it and continue the conversation as if he wasn't watching me so closely.

  After we had been talking a while Karen excused herself to check on dinner. She was gone for a few minutes before she reappeared to call us to the table. We all moved into the dining room and started to take our seats. Terry reappeared and Karen followed him into the room. Apparently she had called him to dinner as well. It was a nice evening and after dinner we visited a while longer. I got the Jeffries' address from Alexis before I left for the evening, so that I knew where I was supposed to be Friday morning.