All this meant that in the end, Trickle had become the appendage and Pepper a pet of the pack.
Tank suspected eventually Alec would just give up and invite them both to be de facto members.
For now, however, Trickle waited politely next to her car as an intruder in their territory. She was massive. Kelpies came that way – it went along with only one name and a river smell. She was fair in complexion and hair, with a propensity for men’s suits during the week and vests on weekends.
Tank liked her. They shared that thing that came with being over-large in a world built for smaller folk. Mainly a mutual disgust over the questionable stability of deck chairs.
Tank ran to greet her, rearing to his hind legs to put both paws on her shoulders and lick her face. This would change her smell enough so the others knew she had been welcomed. Not that it mattered too much with Trickle, but so far as Tank knew, this was an unexpected visit so best to err on the safe side.
She confirmed this. “Hi, Tank. Sorry to drop by unannounced.”
“Why are you here, woman?” A voice came from behind and above them, the acrid sweet smell of quintessence wafted down, mixed with the comforting mellowness of home.
Max. Pack. Mage. Power.
Max’s tone was sharp.
Max’s tone was always sharp – it mattered not whether friend or pack or lover. In fact, Tank suspected that the more annoyed Max sounded, the more affection he felt. With his mate he was practically waspish.
Max slouched down the steps to greet Trickle, his lips twitching as if he were trying not to smile.
Max and Bryan didn’t live with the rest of the pack in the big house on the upper part of the property. Instead they occupied the funny little grandma unit above the garage near the street. This despite the fact that the house and grounds actually belonged to Max. He had a right to the biggest and best room, but he preferred his small private space. So Alec and Marvin had the master suite in the big house, while Bryan and Max denned in a tiny second-story studio apartment. Since everyone was happy with this arrangement, Tank never questioned it.
Bryan bounded down the stairs after his mate. He was in wolf form, which meant it likely they’d been practicing their Magistar skills. The Beta bounced up to Tank and bunted against him, pleased and playful. Bryan was a big wolf too, mottled white and kind of bear-like, all pert-eared fluffiness. But Tank was still bigger, so was gentle when playing with him.
“My, but Tank really is enormous.” Trickle crossed her arms, looking between the two wolves as they nipped and tussled.
“That’s rich coming from a kelpie.” Max frowned at his former boss. It was not an angry frown, it was a Max hug.
“How’s retirement then?” she asked, grinning.
“Nice to be my own boss.”
“I bet it is.” Trickle didn’t pry into Max’s Magistar duties. If he did anything of note, he’d have to come by her office at DURPS and file the paperwork anyway. Luckily, quintessence had been quiet recently. Nothing major for Max to fix or destroy.
Although Tank realized that this might be a reason for Trickle’s unexpected visit. Official Magistar business. He prepared to return to patrol, no cause for him to hang around if this wasn’t pack-related.
Max seemed to be of a similar mind. “You visiting us officially?”
The kelpie grimaced, uncomfortable. “The opposite, actually. I shouldn’t really be here at all.”
Tank perked up.
Max nodded. “DURPS doesn’t know? Come inside, Tank can guard.”
“Nothing like that. Nothing for you. Nothing that bad.” She grimaced, aware of the harshness of her words.
Max only shrugged. It was true. Things had to be rotten to need a Magistar.
Tank and Bryan stopped playing and stood, ears pointed forward, tails still, attentive.
Trickle looked at Bryan rather than Max. “It’s actually a pack matter. I thought it might be best if Mr Fluffy McBetapants came along while I talk to your Alpha.”
Bryan inclined his head and then shifted form. As a human, he was big and muscled, a dirty blond with a hairy chest and hazel eyes. Not Tank’s type but unquestionably fine as fuck.
“You’re worried it might upset Alec?” Bryan’s deep voice was warm and easy. It showed not a hint of stress. He was Beta. It was his business to be calm.
Tank preened. They had the best Beta. What other pack could boast one that was also a familiar? Bryan even fought on occasion, and Betas really weren’t meant to be fighters. But then Alphas were, and Alec preferred not to.
Alec and Bryan, brothers, had a strange childhood. Bryan, a nascent Beta, spent his youth protecting his geeky awkward younger brother, a nascent Alpha. In the end, they formed their own quirky pack, and Tank got to be one of them, with all their weirdness and oddly arranged ranks. Tank felt both proud and inferior. Really, who was he to hang out with the special ones? Yet he loved his oddball pack.
He barked, tail up and wagging, and started to lead them through the grounds toward the big house. Alec was already there, home from work. The Alpha would help Trickle fix whatever was worrying her. It’s what strong packs did, helped their friends.
Bryan laughed at him and followed. Leaving Max and Trickle to bring up the rear.
Bryan, of course, was still naked. Tank turned to check if the kelpie and mage were coming, just in time to see Max leer at his mate. “My, but that man has a gorgeous ass.”
Trickle ginned. “You know, I once doubted your taste.”
“Foolish child.” Max sniffed.
The very old kelpie laughed at the very young mage. “I admit to no particular interest in the gender as a rule, but I agree with you on purely aesthetic grounds.”
“See? That’s all you had to say.”
Tank could practically smell Bryan’s embarrassment. He resolutely kept walking.
Trickle shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Boundless power and the training to use it haven’t improved your character one jot, oh great and wondrous Magistar.”
“Improve? This?” Max wiggled his fingers at himself. “Surely you jest?”
“You’re impossible.”
“No, darling, just unlikely.”
Bryan shook his head at his mate and his friend.
Tank chuffed. Such silliness.
Tank always thought of Max as being made up of sharpness – high cheekbones and tilted flinty-blue eyes. He was all sharp cutting glances and sharp cutting words. Sharply dressed too, covering himself from throat to wrist to ankle. He was beautiful, but dangerous and fragile, like a sword made of cut glass.
They were at the front door.
Alec opened it before any of them had a chance to. Either he’d sensed the tethers of pack approaching, or he was heeding some Alpha premonition, or most likely he was heading out to his car because he forgot his laptop. Difficult to tell which, as Alec was equal parts Alpha power, wolf ability, and absent-minded professor.
Alec Frederiksen was a lean, almost delicate-looking man, the kind who seemed best suited to lab coats and sweater vests, although he was wearing a t-shirt and jeans at the moment. He had a sweet, open expression and the kindest hazel eyes you ever saw.
“Bryan?” He didn’t even blink to find his brother naked on his threshold. “You and Max done for the day? How nice.” He swung the door open, gesturing them inside. Bryan went to the coat closet in the hall where they kept extra bathrobes and pulled one on. For the sake of Trickle’s non-existent sensibilities.
Max hesitated. Tank wondered if the Magistar would ever get over hating the big house, the bad memories even after all the remodeling. Finally, he shuffled inside.
Alec noticed Trickle. “Oh! Ms Trickle? Are we having a shindig tonight? I thought that was Sunday.” He turned in confusion to his Beta. “Bry, it is Friday today, isn’t it? I went to the lab earlier, I’m sure I did.”
Since Alec could go on for a while in this vein, Trickle nipped it i
n the bud. “I dropped by unexpectedly, Alpha. My apologies. It’s just that something interesting happened at work today and I thought you ought to know about it.”
“Oh yes? You couldn’t call?” Alec, confused, nevertheless gestured the kelpie into his den. Then suddenly his eyes sharpened and he tilted his neck back to stare up into the eyes of the taller woman. “I see. You couldn’t call, could you? Phones might be bugged. This something to do with Max and Bryan?”
He paused. Frowning. “No, not Magistar. You brought it to me. A pack matter? Tell me, please.”
Tank interrupted with a whine. Did Alec want him to stay or keep patrolling? He bumped against his Alpha’s long legs, meekly seeking comfort and direction. Trickle was tense. His Alpha was tense. Max was tense. So Tank was now tense.
Bryan was not, but then, that that’s why he was there. Beta. Bryan dropped a hand to his brother’s bony shoulder and squeezed. The Alpha relaxed.
Tank whined again. What do you want me to do?
“Stay, Tank.”
He let out a small breath of relief.
“Speak, kelpie.” Alec’s voice went hard. The true power of it wouldn’t work on a non-werewolf, but the dominance was there. It said Alpha, and even a kelpie would listen to that.
“It can’t be known to have come from me.” She looked nervous.
Max shrugged. “I’ll take the blame, if someone needs to.” There were plenty of things a Magistar couldn’t do. Like listen in on private government matters, but most people didn’t know that. Including the government. If whatever Trickle told them got out, Max would just say he’d learned of it in some mysterious Magistar way. He’d wiggle his fingers in the air and look coy. They were welcome to try to come after him because of it.
Trickle let out a breath of relief. “Shifter Bureau of Investigation visited my department today.”
Alec nodded, biting his lip.
Tank let out an involuntary whimper of worry. Why was the SBI sniffing around?
Bryan’s hand was back on his brother’s neck.
Alec pressed fingers to the top of Tank’s head.
Tank instantly felt better.
Alec’s voice was cool. “Trappers, huh? They were asking about werewolves?”
The kelpie nodded.
“Did they subpoena our pack records?”
Another nod.
“Should we expect a visit?”
Trickle shrugged.
“Do you know what they’re after?”
The kelpie tilted her head. “Hard to tell with SBI. You know how they are.”
“No, actually, I don’t. Most werewolves avoid the government as much as possible. We paid our dues in the war. They generally don’t ask much of us now, so long as each pack stays off law enforcement’s radar.”
“Thus SBI poking about makes you nervous.”
“SBI makes everyone nervous.”
Bryan said, “What are they like?”
Trickle shook her head. “Cagey. Private. Dangerous. You know, trappers.”
Alec grimaced. “They trying to catch one of mine?”
“You know any other werewolves in the Bay Area?”
Alec took a breath. “Okay then. Thank you for telling me. We’ll take it from here. Tank, round up anyone on patrol. Bryan, go fetch the others from their rooms. Pack meeting, now.”
Tank was out the still open door before his Alpha ended the order.
Tank had never met SBI before. He’d never cross a trapper willingly. But just knowing they were sniffing around made him try to recall any possible wrongdoing that would bring the bureau to their door.
By the time he returned, Judd and Lovejoy in tow, the kelpie was gone and Alec was sitting in the den with the rest of the pack, looking grave.
Max paced the huge windows. Could be he was worried about SBI, could be he just didn’t like being stuck inside his old house. The windows were new, floor-to-ceiling beauties that took advantage of the house’s position on the top of an ocean-side hill, looking down over the San Francisco Bay. They’d been ridiculously pricy, and a bitch to install, but the resulting view was amazing.
Colin was the last to join them, back from school. He looked worried when he came in, finding the whole pack assembled. Perhaps he thought it was some kind of intervention.
Judd looked up at their youngest member, comforting him instinctively with relevant information. “SBI is sniffing around.”
Colin’s pretty face suffused with equal parts relief and a new worry. He dropped his backpack and sat next to his brother.
The living room of the pack house was modern and open plan, composed of a big round dining table and a state-of-the-art kitchen as well as den. The sunken sitting area around a massive fireplace was all comfortable scratch-resistant black leather couches (werewolves, after all) with outrageously bright throw pillows (that Marvin rotated regularly) and nubby blankets, cowhide rugs, and stainless steel tables. Alec liked things simple and comfortable. Marvin liked things contemporary and frothy. They compromised. The rest of the pack didn’t care.
Tank, still in wolf form, as it was doubtful he’d have much to contribute to the conversation, curled up on the big hide that served instead of a carpet. He was happy to have his full pack around him, despite the reason.
Alec sat on the big couch with Bryan on one side and Marvin on the other. As was right and proper, Beta and Alpha-mate. Marvin was a merman, not a werewolf, but he was still pack. He smelled of salt and sea and fish, not unpleasant, because he also smelled of Alec, which meant home.
Max stopped pacing and sat behind Bryan, hip perched on the back of the couch, a hand on his mate’s big shoulder. Quintessence wafted off both of them, a little acrid and slightly too sweet, but tempered by Bryan’s own wolfness, which was earth-warm and forest-comforting.
The pack’s second set of brothers, Colin and Kevin, sat on one of the little couches. Kevin was the stronger wolf with enforcer rank. He looked it too, bigger and bulkier than his younger brother. His hair was a darker red and his face more open and eager.
Tank curled at Judd’s feet across from them. Judd was their other enforcer. A strong pack always had two. From where they sat, Tank and Judd could watch both Alec and the front door across the room, guarding. Judd could also keep an eye on Colin and pretend he wasn’t. Lovejoy flopped next to Judd, eyes bright and interested. Very little upset him, even trappers.
“I need to know, gentlemen, if there is any reason SBI should be hunting us? Any reason at all, from before we moved here. I’ve never asked too closely about any of your histories.” Alec glanced to Judd at that. “But now I must be prepared. Is one of you the reason they might be after us?”
Everyone tried not to look at Judd.
The enforcer shifted uncomfortably, running a hand over his close-shaved head in a nervous gesture.
Tank, Alec, Bryan, Kevin, Colin, and Lovejoy had all splintered off the same pack, the Boston Red Paws. They’d known each other, at least casually, since they were children. But Judd had been a loner, and he just felt so much older. Suspicion fell on him simply because he had more of a past, more possible reasons for the government to be after him.
Then again, they’d all spent time away from pack, college years, or drop-out years, when they might have gotten up to no good. They all had reasons for leaving Boston, too – reasons that might come back to haunt them.
“Max and Marvin are exempt, of course,” added Alec, into the silence.
“Why’s that?” asked Colin, seeming annoyed by everyone giving Judd funny looks.
“The SBI asked DURPS for werewolf records.”
Another long silence. No one admitted to anything.
“Well,” said Lovejoy, nudging Tank with his foot. “At least we know it’s not Tank.”
“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Kevin was willing to help him try to cheer everyone up.
“Couldn’t get a gooder wolf.”
“Gooder is
not a word, numbnuts.”
Tank let out a pathetic sigh – the long-suffering victim of their banter. Yes, I’m boring.
Everyone chuckled weakly.
Judd said, “Look, we all have mistakes in our pasts, even Tank the Paladin.”
Tank slobbered on his foot.
Judd wiped his foot on Tank’s furry stomach and continued. “But I doubt anything so major it would bring trappers down on us. Perhaps it’s something simple? Or a case of mistaken identity? Or perhaps they’re tracking a loner that strayed into our territory?”
They looked at each other.
“I haven’t smelled anyone.” Kevin had been the last to run a wide patrol.
Tank growled his agreement.
Bryan didn’t speak often, and when he did he was careful with his words, measuring each one so as not to waste a syllable. “Bay Area is big.”
Lovejoy followed his meaning. “Exactly. Our territory is mostly North Bay. Some loner could lurk down in Silicon Valley, or over in the Oakland Hills, and we’d know nothing about it.”
Max threw up his hands up. “If none of you will admit to doing anything bad, then there’s no use in speculating. Either SBI has the guts to come to our front door and ask directly, or they don’t. Can’t do anything about it until we know what they’re really chasing.”
Alec glanced over his shoulder at the mage. “I’m not saying we have to take action. This is me warning my pack that we must be on our guard. But also that I don’t want any surprises.”
They all looked at one another again.
Colin said, finally, “Could this be a setup? False accusations?”
Tank whined. He hadn’t thought of that. They were an odd pack, for werewolves. Most of them gay, several in inter-species relationships. No doubt they made the higher-ups nervous. Especially with a Magistar pairing. It’s possible someone in the government was gunning for them. Alec had moved them to the Bay Area because of its open acceptance. But that was local, SBI meant the feds were involved. The federal government was way less accepting.
Alec winced. “Fair point. Good thing we dotted all our i’s and crossed all our t’s with DURPS.”
The Omega Objection Page 5
