Summer of Awakenings

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  “What’s your name?”

  “W-Will,”

  “Okay, Will. I’m taking you back to the camp. Your head is bleeding and you look pale.”

  “Don’t put me on a horse,” Will closed his eyes as the darkness came.

  Seth tightened his grip on Will. His mate had passed out in his arms. Seth whistled at Fury and narrowed his eyes at the mare. “What is wrong with you? You almost ran him down. Go back to the stables. No carrot for you.”

  Fury snorted, raking at the ground with her hoof before setting off towards the stables.

  Seth’s head snapped up, and he whistled again. Fury stopped and turned her head. “You knew he was my mate, didn’t you? Somehow, you knew.” Seth grinned as Fury whipped her tail and trotted off towards the stables. He looked at the beautiful young man in his arms and had to smile. His mate was much shorter than him. Maybe five foot seven at the most. “Let’s get you taken care of.”

  ~~

  A voice was somewhere. Far off, or not. Will couldn’t tell. It was a soothing voice, speaking calmly and quietly. The words weren’t making any sense though. Will tried to concentrate on the voice.

  “Hey, there you are,” Seth leaned over, applying the cool washcloth to Will’s head.

  “What happened?” Will opened his eyes and saw green ones looking back into his. A very large hand was on his forehead and the man sitting next to the bed was huge. Will shrank back, edging himself as far away as possible. Seth took his hand back, confusion clouding his features. Will cursed himself; this man hadn’t done anything but help him.

  “Sorry,” Will mumbled.

  “I wouldn’t hurt you, Will,” Seth said quietly. “I know I look rough, but I would never hurt you.”

  Will squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m sorry; I know you’re only trying to help me.”

  “We had to glue your head back together,” Seth stood up and walked to the sink, rinsing the washcloth.

  “Huh?” Will looked up.

  “You had a nasty gash on your head. Don’t worry, we didn’t shave you bald.” Seth grinned, walking back to the bed. He sat down in the chair and regarded Will. “I’m going to put the washcloth back on your forehead. Is that all right?”

  Will nodded, his eyes searching Seth’s. The man was only trying to help. Pull yourself together, Will.

  “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

  “It’s not you, it’s—” Will clamped his mouth shut. This man didn’t need to know his whole story or how much nasty baggage he was carrying. “Never mind.”

  Seth tilted his head, but let it go. “Well, you need to stay in bed. I’ve got some medical background and I think you may have a mild concussion.”

  Will settled back, closing his eyes. “No problem,”

  Seth chuckled. “Good, I didn’t want to have to tie you to the bed.” Seth noticed Will’s muscles tense and frowned. “I’m kidding.”

  Will exhaled loudly. “I’m a mess, don’t take it personally.” He opened his eyes. Seth’s green eyes were filled with concern. Damn but the man was breathtakingly beautiful. Too bad he’d never have a chance. “Thank you, for helping me.”

  Seth smiled; his mate was perfect. He had short brown hair and doe-brown eyes, his lips were a perfect shade of rose and lifted in the most exquisite way when he smiled. Seth wanted to keep a smile on that face. The eyes sparkled and dimples peeked out from the corners of Will’s cheeks. He’d always thought when he found his mate it’d be someone like himself - tall, muscular and strong-minded. Someone he wouldn’t scare away.

  “What’s your last name?”

  “Cooper, why?”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Will Cooper.” Seth put his hand out.

  Will eyed the extended hand and slipped his own into it. Warmth enveloped his body as Seth’s heat seeped into him. His toes curled as Seth smiled again.

  “Nice to meet you, too.”

  “I’m going to grab you some food. Anything in particular you’d like?”

  Will thought about it. “Grilled cheese?”

  “One slice or two?”

  Will flushed. “Three?”

  Seth grinned; he loved three slices of cheese on his grilled cheese as well.

  “Coming right up.”

  Will sat up a bit as Seth turned to leave. Damn; the man had an ass worth drooling over. Will licked his lips watching said ass move. Kory moved into the doorway and Will frowned.

  “Well, shit,” Kory laughed. “That’s the reception I get?” Kory pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down, smiling at his friend. “Jacob’s here. I see you’ve met his roommate.”

  Will’s eyes widened. “Seth is Jacob’s roommate? Are they like…?”

  “Involved?” Kory grinned as Will’s face flushed. “No, they aren’t involved. I don’t even know if Seth is gay.”

  Will sighed. “Of course he’s not, that would be too easy. Besides, look at me,” Will leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Like I could ever get a guy like that anyway.”

  “Hey, don’t sell yourself short, Will. You’re a good-looking guy.”

  “Pfft, please. Gary always said—” Will closed his eyes and shut his mouth.

  “Gary always said what?” Kory leaned forward, studying his friend.

  “Nothing.” Will pursed his lips and rolled over on his side.

  “You can talk to me, Will. You know that, right?”

  “Can we not talk about this? I just want to get some rest, okay?”

  Kory stood up and patted Will’s shoulder. “Sure, if you ever just want to vent, I’m here.”

  “Thanks.” Will tried to smile.

  He pulled the blankets up and closed his eyes as Kory left. Seth Ralston interested in him? Damn if that wasn’t a laugh and then some. The guy was beautiful and built, and a badass to boot.

  Will sighed.

  Gary had always said Will was lucky that he even wanted his scrawny ass. Their relationship had been great in the beginning, until Gary started getting jealous of the time he spent at the outreach center. It started with a shove, then a slap and always followed up with flowers and an apology. Will sighed, rolling back on his other side. He’d wanted to believe Gary could change, but it never happened. The worst of it was he knew he was still damaged by Gary’s abuse. Seeing a counselor had helped some, but he knew he had a long way to go.

  Will’s nose twitched as the smell of cheese wafted up his nostrils. He opened his eyes to see Seth seated by the bed, waving the plate in front of his nose.

  “I didn’t even hear you come in.”

  “Well, I was a SEAL,” Seth grinned. “Stealthy and all that.”

  Will sat up slowly and took the plate being offered. The bread was golden brown, just how he liked it. “Thank you, this looks really good.” Will took a bite and couldn’t hold back the soft moan. The sandwich was perfect. “So, how come you’re not a SEAL anymore?”

  Seth sat forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands.

  “It gets to be too much. I knew the job I was doing was needed, but after so many years, I wanted out. Jacob and I, along with our friend Tristan, got out at the same time. Now I work SWAT in Seattle.”

  “So, now you’re a cop?”

  Seth grinned. “Kind of. We get called in for situations that need a bit more force.”

  Will eyed Seth’s strong hands. “Have you…killed people?” He saw Seth’s eyes darken. “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have asked that question. It’s none of my business,” Will said quickly.

  “No, it’s all right. Yes, I have. It’s either them or me and I prefer living.”

  “Oh.” Will swallowed hard.

  “I’m not a bad man, Will. I know I look it…”

  Will’s head snapped up. “Oh, wait, that’s not—”

  “Seth,” Jacob poked his head in the door. “We’ve got training.”

  Seth stood and looked down at his mate on the bed. “You take care, okay?”

  Will nodded.


  “Sure.”

  He leaned back, looking at his sandwich as Seth left. The guy was beautiful and seemed so sweet. “Why did I have to open my mouth?” Will groaned.

  ~~

  “Spill it, Ralston,” Jacob stood with his hands on his hips as Seth brushed Apollo.

  “What?” Seth brushed Apollo’s mane out.

  “You looked almost sad when I found you in the infirmary. Did that guy say something to you?”

  “That guy is my mate,” Seth huffed.

  “Whoa,” Jacob backed away a few steps. “Calm down there, I didn’t know.”

  Seth sighed in frustration. “No, I’m sorry. It took me by surprise is all. I always thought when I got a mate he would be like me, you know? Will is way shorter than me and he seems scared of me,” Seth sighed. “I’m not surprised - look at me. I tend to scare people away.”

  Jacob tilted his head as Apollo snorted. “Apollo seems to think Will’s been abused.”

  Seth nodded. “I kind of got the same impression. So why on Earth would the fates think I’m the right guy for him? I’m so much taller than him; I outweigh him by at least a hundred pounds! Hell, I’m bound to intimidate him.” Seth rubbed his face with his hands. “This makes absolutely no sense.”

  “Are you not attracted to him?” Jacob asked with curiosity.

  “Of course I am! Look at him - he’s positively beautiful.” Seth leaned against the railing. “He seems really sweet, too, and smart. And look who he got…me. I probably scare him to death. He’s probably already asking to switch to the Anchorage camp.”

  “He just needs time to get to know you. I know how you are, Seth. You may be a fighter, but you hate taking a life unless it’s necessary.”

  “And it seems to be always necessary,” Seth groaned, dropping his head onto Apollo’s back. Apollo snorted and whipped his tail.

  “Oh, shut up.” Seth couldn’t help but smile at Apollo.

  “See? Even Apollo knows you have a great heart, Seth.” Jacob took his friend by the shoulders. “I know what I see. In time, Will won’t have a choice but to see you the way we all do. You’re kind and considerate.”

  Seth sighed, looking towards the infirmary building.

  “God, I hope so.”

  He hadn’t dated much, and at almost thirty he’d given up on the notion of finding a mate. Most of his dates consisted of going out and having dinner but as soon as his date found out what he did for a living, they couldn’t run fast enough. If it wasn’t the job, it was his size. Seth stared out at the cabins. He’d found his mate, and his mate was scared shitless of him. Great. Just freaking great.

  “Will you please stop?” Jacob playfully punched Seth. “I promise you, Will is going to see the real you, and he’ll fall hopelessly in love.”

  “Yeah? How’s Kory?” Seth grinned.

  “I’ve made progress; he was staring at my lips and he likes my ass.” Jacob leaned against the stable door and crossed his arms, smiling. “I could almost hear his mind grinding away on how I looked. The mate bond is strong, but sometimes it needs work. My mate isn’t sure if he’s gay, but he finds me attractive. I can work with that.” Jacob took Seth’s hand. “How are you dealing with the other stuff?”

  “Oh, you mean the fact that Pierce Barnes killed my family and I didn’t get to end his life myself? Just fine. He got what he deserved. I hardly remember my parents. My mom was beautiful and I guess I look a lot like my dad. Jackson said they loved me very much.”

  Jacob nodded. He’d lost his parents to Pierce Barnes as well. At first it had been hard to accept that he hadn’t been able to kill the man himself, but Chance Christianson had set the asshole on fire with his mind. At least he’d suffered.

  “That’s what Jackson told me, too. I don’t remember my parents much, either. I know my mom read me ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ every night before bed. Once they were killed, Jackson read it to me. I think it’s been hard on a lot of us; Pierce took so much from all of us. Shit, Preston, Tucker and Wesley were violently attacked and turned into werewolves by him.”

  Seth looked at the sky. “We need to get started cleaning the training area.”

  “Yep,” Jacob stroked Apollo’s nose. “Be good and watch out for the others. Take Fury and do a perimeter check, please?” Jacob got a snort and a shove and then Apollo trotted out of the stables.

  “He’s so stubborn,” Seth sighed. He laughed when he heard a whinny from Apollo. “Yeah, yeah, I know, you can hear me.”

  “Well, let’s get moving.”

  ~~*~~

  Kory awoke to his cell phone alarm. He silenced it and hauled his ass out of bed. They had a few more days, and then the kids would descend on the camp. This morning, they were meeting to discuss the hard luck cases. All of the counselors would have at least one in each cabin. Kory had met Skylar Foxx; the kid had been living on the streets for two years, living day to day and selling his body for food. He had a long way to go and was very suspicious of anything given to him without some sort of payback expected. Kory knew Skylar would be a tough nut to crack. He quickly showered and made his way down to the mess hall. The rest of the guys were already seated around the picnic table eating and talking. He’d been told the night before that his brother, Kurt, and Preston, Tucker, Wesley and Austin were getting the camp in Anchorage up and running.

  Kory grabbed a plate and piled it high. It was sad to know there were so many kids with nowhere to go. And others who were just confused, struggling to deal with the realization that they were gay. Caden and Riley, as well as Wayne, had flown them in from all over to attend the camps. Until they could build one in each state, the kids would be flown out to the camps that were ready. The outreach centers were overflowing and the men in charge had bought apartments for the kids who were of age who couldn’t go back home. Additional counseling included life skills such as creating a budget, preparing for a job or college interviews and learning good health habits. Kory sighed, sitting at the table next to Wyatt.

  “What’s wrong?” Wyatt sipped his coffee.

  “I’m just thinking about all the kids.”

  “I know,” Colin sighed. “When I realized I was gay, it was pretty easy coming out to my parents,” Colin laughed. “Seeing as I have two dads.”

  Lance nodded, taking a bite of toast. “I just can’t believe what some of these kids have had to endure. I know for a fact my mom wouldn’t bat an eyelash if I ever came out to her. She was all for me coming out to the camp to help.”

  “Same here; my dad was real proud to know that if I wasn’t sitting in on Cop Shop 101, I would be working with gay kids,” Travis said. “He’s seen it way too many times during his career - kids on the street, trying to survive. It’s really sad.”

  “I thought my mom’s head was going to explode when I told her so many of these kids were kicked out of their homes,” Jordy sighed. “She was so pissed. She actually turned red.”

  “You guys are lucky to have such great parents,” Kory sat back, sipping his coffee. “My parents still won’t talk to me or my brother. ‘Gay is wrong’ has been ingrained in them for so long that I guess they can’t think any other way. It didn’t help that we lived in the most anti-gay state there is.”

  “Which state is that - Arizona?” Jordy cracked up.

  “No, Wyoming,” Kory said.

  Lance spit out his juice. “Oh! Hell no! I beg to differ, my friend. I grew up in Wyoming and guess what? I had all kinds of gay friends and their parents were just fine with it. Don’t come down on the whole state just because your town is freaky.”

  Kory raised his hands in defense. “My bad. Besides, I guess it wasn’t the whole town, just my dad’s church. But that was the limit of my orbit. So I guess it wasn’t the state, just them and the people they surrounded themselves with. The fact of the matter is that Kurt and I are dead to them.”

  “Aw, man,” Jordy covered his face with his hands. “I’m sorry, Kory. I completely forgot your parents were like that. I lived
from state to state because my parents were in the military, and no one state is better than the other. They all have their bigoted parts. Like religions – all church-going people aren’t gay-bashers. Lots of them actually believe in ‘love thy neighbor.’ I’m just sorry that the people who gave life to you can’t see what they’ve lost.” Jordy took Kory’s hand.

  “It’s cool, I’ve got Kurt and Wesley,” Kory smiled at the table of guys. “And you guys.”

  “And us.”

  Kory turned to see Riley with Caden and Wayne.

  “We’ll always be here for you.” Wayne mussed Kory’s hair.

  “The children will arrive soon. Is everything in place?” Caden looked around.

  “Yes, everything is set up and ready for them.”

  “Well then, you all have today and the next to relax before you must get to work.” Caden eyed all the young men at the table. “I want to thank each and every one of you for coming to help. It means a lot to Riley, Wayne and me.”

  “We wouldn’t be anywhere else, Uncle Caden.” Wyatt stood and hugged Caden.

  “We will stay here until things are running smoothly, and then go on to Anchorage to help with that camp.” Wayne sat down at the table and removed files from the bag he’d brought with him. “These are the most horrendous cases. Kory, you okay taking Skylar?”

  “Yes, I’ve spoken to him on more than one occasion and he knows my face.”

  “Just remember, he’s jaded. He thinks nothing is for free. It took a lot of convincing on Caden’s part just to get him to come out.”

  “Where are Ethan and Gage?” Wyatt looked around.

  “They are with Stuart,” Caden said with a smile.

  “Is Will all right?” Riley asked, looking around the chow hall.

  “He was still sleeping when I checked on him. Seth says it’s a mild concussion. I think he’s checking on him this morning,” Kory said.

  “He will be in charge of Ryder Winters.” Wayne pulled the file out.

  “He’s the one whose parents tried to drown him, isn’t he?” Jordy said quietly.

  “Yes. They believed if they could cleanse him in holy water, he would emerge straight,” Riley snarled.