Happiness in Numbers

by Nicole Field

  And, yes, there was Felix with his pipe billowing purple and blue clouds of smoke as he grinned and gestured to prove his point. Which had Youneda flipping his ragged, torn wings and rolling his eyes even as his tail tip wagged and his ears went floppy with amusement. They were such a couple, not that either of them would admit it. Platonic life partners, those two.

  The pixies flew overhead, chattering and cursing and clearly having the time of their lives. All in all, it was… nice. Warm and comfortable and welcoming in ways that Giang wasn't used to. Dryads so rarely got out and among people unless they were working, or being seduced.

  Which brought xyr back to Tyson's actions; something xe really needed to speak over with Deidre.

  "Um, will you escort me?" Giang asked Deidre.

  "Sure," Deidre said so willingly that Giang felt better immediately. "I was going to ask you about what varieties and sizes of lilac bushes to get for the front yard. Also how far to plant them from the hemlock trees. One of the witches said that, yeah, you're dead right. The kids feel pretty bad about putting the hemlocks in a place where they can't grow well. Janie was downright biting her nails about the dryads for them."

  "Oh, they don't have dryads," Giang said, looking around for Janie but no, she was inside with the kids. "The trees are too young for that yet. Give it another year or two and, yes, a baby dryad could join with one of them. Maybe both of them. But not yet. They're not strong enough to support a dryad."

  And likely wouldn't be until they were much larger or they had appropriate shade to strengthen them. Giang blushed as they headed into the backyard, partially from all the smiles and welcomes xe got but also from the realization that Deidre and her pack had listened to xem about the hemlocks. Xe hadn't expected that. So few people gave a single thought to trees, once dryads weren't in front of them anymore.

  "Um, did Tyson talk to you about why I left so suddenly last time?" Giang asked as they made their way to the pack of fiddlehead ferns near the western border of the pack's territory. The ground was steep and slippery with mud and duff, so Giang had to watch her step very carefully, both in the real world and in their conversation.

  "Yeah, he was pretty sure you didn't realize that we're interested in inviting you into the pack," Deidre said.

  Giang tripped and nearly slid right back down the hill face-first. Deidre squawked and then grabbed Giang by the waist. Deidre slid a little bit, a few feet, but not that much.

  Heart pounding, Giang stared into Deidre's eyes and then whined because, yes, that was only concern in Deidre's eyes, not worry or jealousy or anything else. She knew about the way Tyson had acted towards xyr the last time xyr had been here, and she didn't mind about that. Which brought Giang straight to—

  "But I'm not a werewolf!" Giang protested.

  Xe squirmed until Deidre put xem down. Giang reached out to the trees and roots wedged themselves under Giang's feet, giving xem the solid footing xe needed. A second later the roots shifted for Deidre, too, because fair was fair. There was no reason to keep Deidre off balance.

  Literally.

  Even though Giang felt like the entire world had just been upturned and xe was floating in midair instead of standing in a lovely forest that was well tended and healthy as could be. A hundred acres of forest. With a pack that adored the land, the trees, the animals. And lovely children who seemed to love Giang. Then there was Rudenth who flirted outrageously, and adorably, every time Giang talked to her. This wasn't just about Tyson, or Tyson and Deidre. This was about everyone since xe'd first come to the pack territory.

  "Oh." She'd thought she'd gotten her powers fully under control. How wrong she'd been.

  Deidre grinned, completely unaware of Giang's thought process. "You just figure out that absolutely everyone's been trying to invite you into the pack? You know, in their own ways. Mostly, we didn't want to put you into an awkward spot if you didn't want to be seduced."

  Giang groaned, only half paying attention to Deidre's words, far more busy berating xyrself for being so thoughtless. "Oh, goodness. I had no idea. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lead anyone on. And the children, my word, I had no idea I was influencing them."

  "Wait, what?" Deidre asked, all the amusement fading back into concern. She caught Giang's wrists, dodging the bucket and trowel and checklist with the skill of a mother with overactive twin toddlers. "Influence? The hell?"

  "Dryads do that," Giang said, even more mortified by the fact that it didn't seem like this was a possibility Deidre hadn't even been aware of. It had happened without consent, without even the pack's knowledge that it might occur. "This forest, it's so beautiful, Deidre. I had no idea that I was drawing on its power that way. I, I, I'm sorry. I'll do my best to stop. You won't see me after—"

  Deidre smacked her hand over Giang's mouth, stopping the flood of words. "Okay, let's get those fiddlehead ferns. They're like two feet away from you. Then we're marching right back to the witches. Because I'm here to tell you that nope, you're not drawing on the forest. You're not influencing anyone. We just like you, Giang. You're beautiful and fun to be around."

  The ferns were right there, two feet away, so Giang dug up the three that had been marked for the Harmony. All the while she tried to figure out how to convey to Deidre that xe had to be influencing everyone. Especially Tyson and Deidre themselves, which was why Deidre was arguing with her now, instead of hearing what xe said. Tyson and Deidre had such a strong marriage, such a deep mating bond. Why else would they suddenly want Giang to be a part of their pack?

  "Not listening to a word I say," Deidre sighed once Giang stood up. "Fine. Don't. But seriously, we do like you. We want you around. Whether there's ever sex or not, we like having you here."

  "Uhhh…" Giang stared at Deidre.

  Xe couldn't hold Deidre to that, no matter how much xe wanted to. Then xe shook xyr head and started back down the slope, picking xyr way at first. After the third slip that nearly dropped the poor ferns back into the duff, Giang reached to the trees and made steps out of tree roots for them to go down. Much easier and much safer.

  The trees hummed happily from the touch of xyr power. Giang made sure to cushion the roots so they wouldn't take damage from being shifted, or from the weight of their feet. Not that these trees—cottonwoods and maple and scrubby aspen—minded such things as much as the cedars did. Their roots were far more delicate so Giang avoided them entirely.

  "You don't want sex," Giang asked despite xyrself once they were back on more level land, returning back to the last thing Deidre had said, and the thing Giang now couldn't get out of xyr mind.

  "Not if you're not comfortable with it," Deidre said. She stared at Giang. "You really don't know anything about werewolf mating dynamics, do you?"

  "I… assumed that you and Tyson were monogamous," Giang admitted and then winced with Deidre rolled her eyes and groaned. "You're not?"

  "No, not at all," Deidre said. She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "Look, some Alphas are exclusive. Most aren't. We're not wolves. Sure, we turn into wolves at will but our mating and our culture don't work that way. We're all about what strengthens the pack. For our pack, and our family, monogamy between Tyson and I doesn't work. Mimi and Cece were sired by one of the men from a different pack. Janie's Tyson's daughter. When we have more kids, and we plan to, it'll probably be someone else siring them. It's just… family. That's what makes the family stronger, happier, healthier."

  "And I…?" Xe barely dared to hope for a minute that what Deidre was saying was true. After all, they hadn't gone back yet and spoken to the witches about whether Giang was drawing from the forest. Xe couldn't take anything at face value until they'd done that.

  "Make us all happier," Deidre said. She smiled down at Giang whose heart felt like it was about to pound right out of xyr chest. "You're smart and kind and loving and gentle with not just us but our land, too. The pack lands don't have a dryad, either. The world they came from didn't have dryads. We'd love to have you here, love to
have your children here, should you choose to have any."

  Giang stared up at Deidre. Xe licked xyr lips because oh, goodness. This. This land. These trees. As xyrs. Not just to visit but to live here and cultivate. Xyrs to draw from and strengthen and, oh, xyrs to have children. Little kids who would be dryad and human or dryad and werewolf or just dryad. Kids who would look at the trees and see home, who would have family that didn't make sardonic comments about their anatomy and lack of clear gender.

  "I can't… answer that yet," Giang whispered. Xyr hands shook so badly that xe nearly dropped the clipboard, so much did xe hope for what Deidre was offering.

  "Hey, I get that," Deidre said as she took the clipboard from Giang. "Don't worry about it right now. We want you around whether it's as pack or family or just a friend. Whatever path you choose, we want you around. Focus on that. And the Harmony, that too. Because work. You know."

  Giang started giggling. Hysterically, but still giggling. Xe nodded. Yes, work. The Harmony. Xe needed to get that done. Xe swallowed down the looming tears, the fear and excitement and joy. Xe needed to talk to Rudenth, then check with the witches and then xe needed to think. Yes. That was what xe would do. In that order.

  "Let's go talk to Rudenth," Giang said. "We're closer to her than to the house. Then I'll talk to the witches for a bit."

  "Sounds good," Deidre said. She looked relieved as she led the way through the forest towards Rudenth's little creek and incongruous bridge. "Anything you want, Giang. And seriously now, I do mean it. We just want you around. Anything more than that can come when you're ready for it."

  Giang nodded as xe bit xyr lip. So much to think about. But as xe walked xe looked at the trees, at this lovely, empty bit of forest. How nice would it be to get to live here in this forest?

  And how was xe going to resist the beautiful offers Deidre had made, even if xe was influencing everyone?

  Cedar

  Deidre watched as Giang made xyr way through the crowd in the backyard. The witches were already gone by the time Rudenth had done her sneaky best to seduce Giang into staying with the pack. Rudenth really was a cheat, using her cuteness like a weapon. Amusing part was that Giang seemed completely aware of it but only charmed by it.

  Amused-charmed, not spelled-charmed. Though Deidre was pretty sure that Rudenth would've gone with spell-charmed if she thought she could've gotten away with it. After that first visit, Rudenth had done nothing but enthuse about 'pretty Giang' this and 'sweet Giang' that.

  Deidre wasn't sure what the attraction was for a fairy dragon. Sure wasn't sex. But there definitely was something between Giang and Rudenth.

  In any case, Giang had arranged to come back today for the next hunt, in order to talk to Garnet and Alinnafe Wyndham-Loncar.

  Which just made Deidre throw their hands up in dismay because Giang seemed determined to believe that something was utterly wrong.

  "Xe's still questioning it?" Tyson asked as he leaned against Deidre's side. "Even when xe came for the hunt instead of for work this time?"

  "Mm-hmm," Deidre said. She gritted her teeth and then deliberately relaxed her jaw. "I think xyr family did a number on xem, sort of like with Roger's mom refusing to treat him like he was male. Xe's convinced that xe's unattractive and that the only reason we would want to keep xem around is because xe'd somehow 'influenced' us. Xyr conviction that we couldn't honestly like xem feels…"

  Deidre shook her head. This many people around, no way was she going to say outright that Giang's family might be abusive. She didn't know enough about Giang's life before this to be sure. It just felt the same as the abused kids they'd adopted into the pack.

  She'd like to go beat Giang's family into the ground for it, stupid as that was. Not her place to do anything like that, especially when Deidre could be grasping at straws. Didn't think she was but she could be. Deidre had been wrong before.

  Tyson's jaw dropped open. He stared at Giang's back as xe talked very urgently with Garnet and Alinnafe Wyndham-Loncar.

  Alinnafe took Giang's hands after a few words while Garnet crossed her arms over her chest and nodded very seriously as she listened. Even in the lowering dusk, Garnet's silk tichel glimmered gold and rust. Then Alinnafe huffed and shook her head no so strongly that Giang stopped talking midsentence. Even this far away, Deidre could smell Giang's shock. Whatever Alinnafe had said had stunned Giang to the point where xe nearly fell down. Took all Deidre's will power not to stride right over there and hug Giang until xe felt better.

  Pretty much the entire pack was not-watching and not-listening as Alinnafe said something intense while staring into Giang's eyes. Garnet nodded her agreement, reaching out to put one hand on Giang's shoulder. Whatever she said, it made Giang gasp and then start shaking.

  And, finally, start crying.

  Deidre was moving before she realized it. Not that Tyson was any different. He was at her shoulder, both of them intent on getting to Giang and finding out just exactly what Garnet and Alinnafe had said.

  "I was so sure," Giang whispered as they marched up. "I just… I was so sure."

  "Your gifts are profoundly well controlled," Alinnafe said. She looked up at Garnet in distress. "And they're not at all the seductive type, Giang. You don't have empathy for animal life, only for plant life. No matter what your emotions may do, you literally couldn't influence people to want you. Any attraction you've gotten in your life is purely because of who you are, not what you are."

  "Agreed," Garnet said so firmly that Giang sobbed. "Hey, that's a good thing."

  "No, no, it's not," Giang said around xyr body-shaking sobs. "It's, it's really not."

  Alinnafe and Garnet looked to Deidre and Tyson, then quietly excused themselves. They would take care of Mori, Mimi and Cece during the hunt. Janie'd gone off to a movie night with August and Roger was already up in bed. Ron took over charge of the hunt and organized the rest of the pack to transform and depart.

  Deidre, Tyson and Giang were alone in the back yard in moments. Which was just about perfect. It meant that Deidre could pull Giang over to the firepit where Tyson started a small fire. No taking it inside, not with the kids awake. Deidre didn't want them getting upset and crying because Giang was crying. Knowing Giang, xe'd blame xemself for that, too.

  "Wanna talk about it?" Deidre asked Giang once she'd sat Giang down and then wrapped an around xyr shoulder.

  Giang did that sob-laugh thing again, tears running down xyr cheeks. "I just. It's. Oh goodness."

  Deidre sighed and let Giang cry xemself out. She knew that look. That smell. Giang was way too distressed to explain a damned thing right now. The emotion need to peak and ebb away before xe would be able to tell them what was going on.

  Though Deidre was pretty sure it'd boil down to Giang's human family assuming that Giang influenced people who liked her. And then scolded or punished her for it.

  There was no cause for that sort of thing. Especially with someone like Giang who was the nicest, gentlest, sweetest person in the world. Giang wouldn't hurt a fly.

  Tyson wrapped the three of them in warmth, both his personal warmth and the warmth of the fire. It was very like being wrapped in their own comforter except with tiny sparks circling around them. Giang sighed and leaned against his side. Better still, xyr tears started to slow. That was good to see.

  "You're always so warm," Giang murmured once xyr breathing evened out.

  "Heh, fire mage," Tyson said, grinning over the top of Giang's head at Deidre. "It's part of how I won Deidre here."

  "Oh, don't start with the falling out of the boat story," Deidre groaned, but she laughed too because, yeah, it was a good story. It was also a distraction from what they needed to discuss.

  "Boat?" Giang asked. Xe stared at Deidre and then shook xyr head. "No, not tonight. I'm sorry I was so… suspicious. But all my dryad relatives told me over and over that I had to be careful because I was so good at influencing people. From the time I was a tiny child, they warned me. Practically every time
they saw me."

  Deidre's jaw dropped open. Xyr dryad relatives? Well, fuck. She hadn't expected that. Deidre had been so convinced it had to be the human side of Giang's family.

  "Um, did they specify if you were influencing dryads or non-dryads?" Tyson asked. And then chuckled when Giang stared at him with xyr mouth dropped open. "I mean, logically that might be what they were talking about. And if you weren't allowed to be around them very much then of course you'd reach out for them hard whenever you encountered other dryads. That's just natural. Janie and I do the same thing when we meet other fire-gifted people."

  "And frankly, that's why the pack is a pack," Deidre said, nodding slowly because yeah, that made sense. "Like calls to like. And what we see as like is personality and behavior more than species, just so you know. Pixies, Mori, Roger. And you. You all belong, no matter what species you are."

  It was what Deidre'd wanted to say every since Giang showed up on their front lawn. No matter what other people thought, werewolf packs didn't adopt everyone. They'd take care of people who needed it, especially if they were kids, but they wouldn't just take anyone in. The individual had to fit in with the rest of the pack.

  And Giang did. Instantly. Smoothly, though Deidre wasn't at all sure that Giang realized it. The kids loved xem on sight. Mori especially adored xem. The adults in the pack all liked Giang and that was damned rare. Usually there was one grouchy hold-out who had to be convinced.

  Not in Giang's case. The only problem was that Giang hadn't taken to them. Or maybe xe had and xe'd felt like xe couldn't have this.

  "I never… believed that anyone actually wanted to have me around," Giang whispered as xe leaned into Tyson's chest. Xe tucked right under his chin, making Deidre smile at the pure joy in Tyson's eyes.