Happiness in Numbers

by Nicole Field

  "We do," Tyson said.

  "Just to be clear," Deidre said because, yeah, she needed to be the one to say it, "Tyson's very interested in you sexually. I'm intrigued but it's not a big important thing for me. Neither of us will push it, you know. I just thought you should be aware that yeah, this is more than join the pack here. We ‘like-like' you, as Janie would say."

  That pushed Giang's lingering tears into a giggle-fest that made Deidre's worry dissolve. Mostly because Giang's scent shifted away from the shock, worry and horror into amusement and exhaustion. Poor thing had to be exhausted after being that wound up.

  "I noticed that," Giang replied through xyr giggles. "It took a while but I did notice. I'm… not quick to that sort of attraction. It takes me ages to even think of sex with someone."

  "Demisexual?" Tyson asked. "That's fine. If you don't ever want that with me and Deidre, that's fine. Though if you do, I'll be delighted."

  "We're very open with our relationship," Deidre explained. "Works well for us. I'm with Tyson, though. It's fine if you say no to sex, and fine if you say yes. Now, later, someday, never. Just stay. We want you in the pack, Giang."

  Giang's breath hitched again but only a couple of tears crept down xyr cheeks. She really was going to have to go yell at Giang's relatives. The dryads, not the humans. Though she might just chew on a few asses on the human side for not explaining to Giang and reassuring her. Didn't take that long to tell someone that no, they weren't unnaturally attractive.

  "I want the trees," Giang said, staring out into the looming darkness of the forest. "This land, it's so alone. The trees are empty. None of them have ever had dryads. It's… It's like with the pixies, you see. If there's no new trees, there are few new dryads. It takes a certain age and health before a tree can support a dryad. With this forest… I could have children. I never thought I'd have children. Human children, maybe, but not dryad ones."

  Deidre shut her eyes. The fuck was wrong with the world that people didn't take care of each other? The sheer longing in Giang's voice made Deidre want to go rip people's throats out.

  "Well, we'd be glad to have you bear and rear them here," Tyson said in his very best reassuring voice. He had to be aware that Deidre's jaw was locked so tight that about all she could get out was angry growls.

  Giang nodded. Xe reached out and caught Deidre's hand, interlacing xyr fingers with Deidre's. Even with Tyson's heat enveloping them, Giang's palm was cool. Xyr hand was strong, the fingers as tough as the tree roots xe sculpted when working in the forest.

  Such a strong person for someone so delicate. Deidre squeezed gently and then grunted when Giang squeezed back hard enough to make Deidre's bones creak.

  "Stronger than xe looks?" Tyson asked with a huge grin.

  "Oh yeah," Deidre said. She held out for a few seconds longer and then grunted. "Okay, okay, you win. I'll calm down. Just pissed that no one reassured you before now. Or even asked why you were upset."

  "I never said that I was," Giang said. Xe eased xyr grip but didn't let go of Deidre's hand. "I never told either side of my family that I was upset about anything. I just… took it on faith that I was influencing everyone around me and worked hard to control my powers. I should have asked more questions, Deidre. It's not all them."

  "Yeah, well, it's not all you, either," Deidre said with a little huff.

  Howls echoed across the forest. Sounded like the pack had found a trail on the back half of the property. Ron's deep howl was in the lead, coordinating the others as they corralled whatever prey they'd located so that the strike team could take it down. Deidre usually liked being there, especially for the bigger prey like elk.

  Not today.

  Today she was very glad to be sitting by the fire with Giang and Tyson. Come what may, Deidre wanted to have Giang there. Anything that made the pack stronger. Anything that made her marriage stronger. Anything that made the kids happier and healthier, that made the forest healthier. Deidre was all for it.

  When all of that came wrapped up in a green-haired bundle named Giang? Hey, it wasn't even a question.

  Blackberry

  Giang breathed a sigh of relief as xe parked xyr car in front of Deidre's house. Xyr house now.

  The pack had come and helped xem move in last week, even though xe'd been so busy with the Harmony that xe'd barely had time to come home to change, much less sleep here. Frankly, sleep hadn't been a thing for any of them over the last two days, just naps snatched whenever and wherever they could find a quiet spot.

  But the Harmony had gone off flawlessly. Rudenth's help had been so vital. She'd consented to come and sing the spells into place, even though her eggs had yet to hatch. She'd laid them a month ago and still had two months before they hatched into itsy adorable babies for Giang to fuss and coo over. Her little belly was smooth and flat again, no longer huge and bulgy with the shape of her eggs.

  Giang smiled as xe carefully eased open the passenger door. Xe'd driven as carefully as xe could just so that xe didn't wake Rudenth. Not that xe needed to worry. Rudenth was out cold, fast asleep in her bucket of water sitting on the floor of the car.

  "All done?" Deidre said. She laughed as Giang startled. "Really, when are you going to get used to me sneaking up on you?"

  "Oh, never, probably," Giang replied with a grin and a yawn. Xe shrugged and then gestured for Deidre to lift Rudenth's bucket. "Would you? I'm so tired."

  "Can't blame you for that," Deidre said as she easily lifted Rudenth and her bucket out of the car. "You haven't stopped moving in a month or more."

  That was almost literally true. Giang followed Deidre into the house, dodging easily as the twins ran around xyr feet and August called a welcome from the game room. Janie was apparently winning the video game against Mori but from the way Mori growled it wasn't going to last for very long. Some sort of old race game full of comfortable characters, Giang saw, dragons and princesses and odd little dwarves with colorful hats.

  Tyson beamed as they passed the kitchen. The smile turned into a worried frown when he saw the bucket. Giang flapped a hand at him and he calmed a little bit but he still followed them out into the backyard and then out into the forest.

  The difference between spring when Giang first arrived on pack lands and now was dramatic. Where the trees had been just leafing out in March, now there were good strong leaves everywhere. The trees sang to xem as xe followed the trail out to Rudenth's lair.

  "You look very tired," Tyson murmured.

  He slipped his hand into Giang's. Warmth swept around Giang like a blanket and xe sighed happily only to shake xyr head and pull free.

  "You'll put me to sleep on my feet," Giang said against Tyson's pout. "I'm far too tired for that right now. Let me get Rudenth home and then we can go cuddle. You'll be tucking me into bed in minutes."

  His pout dissolved into a delighted grin that made Giang's cheeks flush. Xe still wasn't used to just how much Tyson liked xem. Tyson and Deidre's respect and love was still too new for xem to accept it easily. Xyr human family was completely unsurprised that Giang had ended up in a wolfpack. Mother had said outright that she'd expected it years and years ago. Xyr sibling had sniffed and tossed xyr willow-tendril hair when told the news but then xe'd always been a snob about 'kind should keep to kind'. As if Kalani ever left xyr tree. Once xe'd made the choice to live as a dryad, xe hadn't once gone anywhere else.

  Giang would never understand it. But then Kalani had never wanted anything other than for the other dryads to accept xem. Now, years later, Giang realized that, while she'd wanted to be accepted by other dryads, it hadn't been enough. They weren't enough like Giang for it to ever be comfortable.

  At least here, with the pack, Giang was accepted without having to change xemself to meet other people's standards.

  "Here we are," Deidre said. "Hasn't even budged. Rudenth must've worn herself right out."

  "Oh, she did," Giang said. "All the mages contributed but Rudenth's magic was what made it all flow together pr
operly. Without her, we probably would've had to do a great deal more work and it might not have succeeded. No one is as good as weaving gateways between pocket realms as fairy dragons. Rudenth's the best I've ever heard of."

  Xe sat on the peak of the little footbridge. It was barely a bridge, really, just arched timbers with boards screwed in across them. No railings or anything other than some nice large stones as foundation for the railings. But it was solid enough for half the pack to stand on at once and it protected Rudenth's lair very well indeed.

  Giang rolled xyr sleeves up and then carefully pulled Rudenth out of the water. The water had gone icy cold while Rudenth slept. She really was a cold-region fairy dragon, so very rare in this day and age. Few of the cold-region fairy dragons had survived the Opening. Those that did tended to stay in the Arctic and Antarctic.

  "Mmm?" Rudenth murmured as Giang pulled her free of the water.

  "You're home, Rudenth," Giang said.

  "Home?" Rudenth asked, blinking her shimmering little eyes and flicking her wings. Water sprayed all over Giang but that hardly mattered with Tyson right there to warm Giang up. "Lair?"

  "Yes," Giang said. Xe smiled and indulged in a blatant cuddle that made Rudenth coo. "You did perfectly. The Harmony is all done and you're home. You can go check on your eggs and sleep."

  "Pretty Giang needs sleep, too," Rudenth said. She licked Rudenth's wrist and then yawned. "Lots of sleep for both of us. Rudenth will see Giang in a day or two. She will come visit if Giang doesn't come here."

  "Deal," Giang said. "Sleep well."

  Xe lowered Rudenth into the water, smiling at the way Rudenth's tail curled around xyr wrist. Then Rudenth slipped free and disappeared into the water under the bridge. There was a little flash of magic, blue light washing up through the cracks between the boards, and Rudenth was gone.

  And just like that, Giang's exhaustion landed on xem. Xe yawned so widely that xyr jaws popped and xyr eyes watered. Deidre chuckled as she offered a hand to Giang. Tyson offered one as well, prompting Giang to smile at them both.

  How odd, to have two lovers when xe'd been convinced that xe would never have any. And two such different lovers, too. Deidre with her strength and power, versus Tyson with his gentle warmth. It was the best of both worlds.

  Giang let them lead xem back to the house, tired enough that xyr feet stumbled often on the trail.

  And then there was Rudenth, who Giang was closest to. The bond between dryad and fairy dragon couldn't be matched by sex. Or anything else. Rudenth's magic dovetailed so perfectly with Giang's that xe almost didn't want to leave the stream, despite xyr exhaustion.

  If xe was going to bond fully with a tree, well, Giang already knew that xe'd choose the big maple tree next to Rudenth's creek. Even with the blackberry vines slowly overtaking the area, it would put xem right there next to Rudenth so that they could talk and spend time together and Giang could take care of Rudenth's little babies once they hatched.

  A beautiful idea but not one Giang would ever act on, because xe already knew xe would never bond fully with a tree. Not when xe had family and friends and lovers, and the potential to have more babies that mixed werewolf with dryad. Or fire mage with dryad. Wasn't that an interesting thought? If Giang and Tyson had babies then the children could potentially live in the desert and be perfectly happy there. Or in forest fire prone areas.

  "You're smiling," Tyson commented.

  "Oh, just thinking about the future," Giang said. "You know, after I get some sleep."

  Deidre laughed. "You sure need sleep. You smell like you're half out on your feet."

  "Xe is," Tyson said. "I'd suggest letting Deidre carry you, honestly. You're tripping more than walking and I do want to get some food in you before you fall asleep."

  Giang blinked, took all of one second to think about it, and then held xyr arms out to Deidre who beamed as she scooped Giang up in her arms. Deidre had her own sort of warmth, a very nice animal warmth instead of the pure warmth Tyson generated. It was nice, especially when Deidre smelled like the twins and chocolate milk and mustard. Lunch, probably.

  Which Giang hadn't had. Too busy. Tyson was quite right that xe needed to eat before sleeping.

  Giang huffed in Deidre's ear but she just laughed, low and pleased. Tyson was already inside, his shoes tossed aside at the door. Deidre set Giang down just long enough for them both to take their shoes off and then Giang was right back in her arms again.

  Lunch was roast beef sandwiches with pepper jack cheese and mustard with homemade sweet potato chips. Tyson served chocolate milk for Deidre and a lovely iced green tea for Giang. He sat and watched Giang eat, joy singing from him even though he didn't say a single word.

  "Oh goodness, I can't eat another bite," Giang said once xe finished xyr sandwich. "I need sleep."

  "Come on," Tyson said as he held out his hands.

  "I got dishes," Deidre announced. She kissed Giang's cheek before gathering everything up. We'll let you sleep, Giang. Wake up whenever you feel ready. Unless you need to go to work tomorrow?"

  "Goodness, no," Giang said with so much relief that they both laughed. "My entire department is off for three days after the Harmony."

  That got xem another kiss, this time on xyr lips, and a delighted smile from Tyson. Who pulled Giang out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the bedroom that everyone had declared to by xyrs the instant that xe said that xe wanted to join the pack.

  It wasn't a big room, only ten by twelve feet, but Giang loved it. Already Janie and August had painted the walls a lovely pale green, the color of new aspen leaves in the spring when the sun shone through them. The floor was hardwood, so old that all Giang could feel was the faintest of impressions of the people who'd lived in the room before. Xyr closet had one of those new pocket dimension extensions, giving xem another ten by ten space to store all xyr clothes, books and other knickknacks.

  Not that xe had many. Yet. Mori was determined that Giang's 'hoard' grew so he was always looking for acorns and pinecones for xem to keep. Giang kept them and arranged them on the shelves in xyr closet, letting Mori come and check on them whenever he wanted. Hoards were so very important for dragons. Practicing with xyr's was good for him.

  And honestly, it was adorable the way he came running whenever he found something new that xe might like.

  "Do you want a cuddle as you fall asleep?" Tyson offered once they were upstairs and the door was shut.

  Giang stared at him and then laughed as xe kissed him gently. "I would love a cuddle. But I'll fall asleep the instant I put my head down so it won't last very long at all."

  Tyson smiled as he caressed xyr cheek. "That's fine. I just… I'd like to hold you for a while."

  "I certainly can't say no to that," Giang replied.

  Xe kissed Tyson again. Stripping down wasn't a nervous thing anymore. Tyson loved Giang exactly as xe was. So did Deidre. They'd shown Giang that the night xe moved in.

  Not that Giang wanted any of that tonight. Xe curled up on the bed in Tyson's arms. Warmth enveloped Giang and xe relaxed entirely.

  "Welcome home, love," Tyson whispered as Giang fell asleep in his arms, safe and at harmony at last.

  The Easy Choice

  ROBIN TENNANT

  I would like to dedicate this story and give a big thank you to Caitlin Ricci for supporting me. She helped me to take those first big steps into being an author, and I am so grateful for that.

  Prologue

  A clanging sound from the other side of the jail woke Jacob Green in the early morning. He lifted his head from where it rested on the metal slab they called a bed, waiting for his eyes adjust to the bright lights that came on following the noise.

  Seeing who came striding toward his cell, he groaned and let his head drop back down, lifting an arm to throw over his eyes. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his father.

  Jacob was familiar with the tiny jail in the town of Landow where he had been deposited just three days earlier. Leading a life of pro
testing had made him familiar with its walls, with the lights being turned on and off at the same times every day, with the poorly made meals they fed the prisoners. He was part of a group called Fight For Freedom—or 3F for short—who made it their mission to support the marginalized by protesting. Where there was a need, and as long as the need was legitimate, they would pack up and be there to show their support. They eventually made a name for themselves, the attention an equal measure of positive and negative.

  The negative mostly came from those who had the power to throw Jacob and others in jail.

  On the night he'd been arrested, Jacob was with the group outside of a manufacturing plant, protesting the almost slave-like conditions in which workers were forced to live and work. As they were a mixture of different alien species from around the universe, the supervisors of the plant—as well as the majority of the rest of the planet—felt that they were less than. Unfortunately for the workers, Madroth was a planet that was mostly ignored by the Cardinal Space Federation, the organization that first brought humans into outer space, terraforming colonies and funding the expeditions of many sub-organizations. Being on the periphery of the C.S.F. allowed laws to be enforced or ignored on the whim of the powerful.

  3F's protests were peaceful, either using signs or handcuffing each of them together as a show of unity. On this particular night, a group of three people had asked to join them. They had been among others who had asked to join, so no one thought it odd. Then those three newcomers proceeded to create chaos. Threats and violence had followed, rocks were thrown at windows, property was destroyed. The police were called and arrested everyone on scene.

  It had only been afterwards that Jacob had learned the outsiders had been hired to cause a big enough scene that their protest would come with consequences.

  Hearing the footsteps stop right outside his cell, he waited. General Malcolm Green could start this conversation. Jacob had no interest in acknowledging his father if he could help it, even while he was stuck in this cell. He wasn't sure why the man was there now. Malcolm had never been a part of his life, not until Jacob's mother died three years ago and he came to the funeral.