“Don’t defend them. What they did…”
“I’m not defending them, Hakan. It’s about understanding the situation, I guess,” Damien replied. Hakan opened his mouth, but Damien shook his head. “I don’t want to fight about this,” he said, suddenly exhausted.
Hakan let out a slow breath. “Sorry. I just…”
“I get it. Thank you for the offer of murder.”
Hakan smiled slightly. He looked up at Damien for a moment before slowly lifting his hands and placing them on Damien’s hips. He pulled Damien in a step further, so that Damien was standing, pressed into the bend of Hakan’s knees. Hakan buried his face in the material of his own shirt where it hung loosely over Damien’s stomach. Damien ran his fingers through his hair.
“Fuck them.” Damien said. “I’m…we’re doing good, aren’t we? So, just. Fuck them.”
Hakan laughed slightly against Damien, wrapping his arms tighter around him.
“Yeah. You’re doing good.”
**********
The winter holidays arrived with little fanfare. It was Damien’s first semester of college, so the exams leading up to the end of the semester were minimal and pretty easy. Although he stressed about them anyway, their conclusion was overshadowed by the nervousness and excitement of returning to the Salgados for Yule.
He flew back with Hakan, Damien trying to distract him from the overwhelming stimuli of airport and plane smells and noises. He made the werewolf laugh a few times, but Hakan remained tense throughout the journey. He only truly relaxed when he sensed Cameron waiting to take them home from the airport. They hugged tightly when they reached each other. Damien stood to the side but was roped into an equally welcoming hug by Cameron’s bear arms. Damien felt something in him ease at the contact, as if he too was soothed by the renewal of pack bonds.
The welcome at home was equally as effusive. Lallo and Dee ran towards them, one latching onto each and then trading, two ping-pong balls bouncing from Damien to Hakan. Inside, Mia gave each of them warm hugs. Koko and Nadie, who had already arrived, joined in the fray until Damien forgot to be anxious at all.
The holidays swept them up. The house had remained undecorated until they arrived, and they all helped make it look like Yule was officially there. Damien hung his bird ornament on the Christmas tree with a lump in his throat.
He could never have guessed that first Christmas that he’d still be there so many years later.
Damien and Hakan kept it strictly platonic whilst they were there. Their combined scent would tip any of the werewolves off in an instant and neither of them wanted to answer awkward questions, even if Damien felt guilty for keeping it from Mia and Cameron.
He didn’t know how they would react to him sleeping with their son. Would they know he wanted more? They hadn’t invited him into the pack, so muscling his way in through Hakan was bound to unsettle them.
It was another reason out of many why sex and friendship were as far as their relationship could go.
On one of Damien’s last days there, Mia called him into the library. The anxiety he felt at the request was a reflex, but he was calmed somewhat by Mia’s smile.
“Having fun back home?” Mia asked.
Damien nodded, ignoring the disorienting use of the word ‘home’.
“Yeah. It’s great being back. The run was so fun this year.”
“Yes. I’m glad you’ve been with Hakan these past few full moons. He seemed a lot more settled this year.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Much.”
“Oh. Well, I’m glad.”
Mia’s smile widened for a moment, before settling into something a little more serious. “I actually wanted to talk to you, because I have a bit of a favour to ask.”
Damien straightened instantly. “Oh?”
“There’s a pack a short train ride away from Eketon. Their Kephalē, Camille Niles, has asked for some advice regarding passing on the title to her adoptive daughter Alice. The thing is, the daughter is human.”
“Wait. Humans can be the Kephalē of shifter packs?”
“Yes. It’s unusual, but yes. Alice’s Ousía actually has the potential to be shamanic, but Alice has no desire to train as a shaman. The pack already has one, from a long shamanic line, and her interests lie elsewhere anyway. The matter is complicated, because there is another member of the park whose Ousía could feasibly hold the Kephalē bond, but…well, it’s a difficult situation. I’ll explain more when we get to it.
“Nova and I have put together a package of written information, but I would rather not transfer it electronically. Normally, I would send one of the shifters that know about this topic, but since you’re so close…”
“Of course. Yeah, of course,” Damien agreed despite the responsibility terrifying him.
“If you have time, I’d love it if you could go through the information with Nova, see if you can add anything else.”
“Oh, well, I’m sure I won’t be able to—I mean, of course I’ll do it, but I’m sure I won’t—”
“I think it’s very likely that you will. You have a keen, creative eye for these things. Nova and I were born into this world, so we can sometimes miss things due to preconceived assumptions.”
“Well…I mean, yeah. Of course. I’ll do the best that I can.”
“Thank you, Damien. Nova is coming later today, if you would like to—”
“Yeah! Sorry, yeah, I’d love that. It sounds like an interesting situation.”
“Yes, interesting is one way to put it,” Mia laughed, but she was watching him carefully, as if searching for something.
“We haven’t had much of a chance to talk alone. You really are enjoying college?”
“I actually…really am. The classes are fine. Most of the people are nice. And it really helps that Hakan is there, to be honest. We’re, you know…”
“Close.”
“Yeah, close,” Damien said, hoping his scent and heartbeat wasn’t giving anything away.
Mia brushed her thumb over Damien’s cheek. “I’m glad,” she said.
Damien tried not to let the guilt overtake him.
**********
“Yeah. It gets stupidly cold there. I am not looking forward to going back,” Gonzalo said, shrugging.
“I haven’t seen snow in ages. I’m kind of excited,” Koko piped up, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Gonzalo, Koko, Olive, and Damien were ensconced in their favourite café, tucked away in their favourite corner booth.
“Yeah, Hakan and I are thinking of—”
“Are we seriously talking about the weather right now?” Olive snapped, interrupting Damien. They all turned to look at Olive, who was pressed against the corner with a frown on her face.
“Um…”
“You can talk about college. I’m not gonna start crying ’cause I was too much of a dumbass to get into one.”
The rest of the table shared a look.
“Okay,” Koko said. “How many dumbass professors have you had this semester? I’m talking about, like, ‘what the fuck are you talking about, you complete moron’ professors.”
“At least three,” Damien said.
“I had one that honest-to-God talked about Adam Sandler for a full hour. The lesson was supposed to be biochemistry. No connection,” Gonzalo sighed.
“Jesus,” Koko laughed. “Is Sandler still making movies? Hasn’t anybody euthanized him yet?”
“Oh my God…” Damien laughed. “Some are pretty cool, though. There was one on animal cognition that kinda blew my mind.”
“Yeah, there was another bio class, advanced, that was really cool,” Gonzalo agreed. “It’s gonna be hard to balance partying with studying when things get harder, though.”
“Okay, Animal House. Tone down the frat-bro-ness,” Koko snarked.
“Oh, yeah, ’cause that was such an unusual statement for a college student. Just because you’ve become a hundred-year-old woman and taken up knitting—”
“First of all, it’s crocheting, and I don’t know what that has to do with my age or my wild party days so shut your mouth before I stick crochet hooks through it.”
“Wait. You’ve taken up crocheting?” Olive asked.
“So? I’m a woman of many talents.”
“But…how?”
“It’s relaxing!” Koko growled.
Olive snorted. “I want pictures of everything you create, because they are bound to be priceless.”
“Oh, ye of little faith. I already made a hat so, there!”
“Pics or it didn’t happen,” Olive said. Koko took out her phone.
“See?”
“That…is not a hat. That is a blob.”
“All of you can fuck off. You’re just jealous, because you all have puny little fingers and I’d be able to best you in a thumb war, three seconds flat.”
“I’ll take that challenge,” Olive said. I hid my laugh. She had no idea what she was in for. There was no way Koko wasn’t going to take advantage of her werewolf abilities when she was that riled up.
The evening quickly devolved into an outraged Olive accusing Koko of cheating at thumb wars, which only started another argument about whether it was possible to cheat at that game and if so, what that would entail.
By the time they’d gotten another round of hot drinks, Olive had relaxed considerably. Damien didn’t blame her. They had been avoiding the subject awkwardly due to fears that it would hurt her.
“Okay. You’ve all had one semester in college. Hook-up stories please,” Olive smirked, knowing all three of them were sexually active but not in relationships.
Damien panicked instantly, wondering if Koko would be able to tell that he was holding something back. As if to fulfil a prophecy, Koko turned to look at him, frown on her face. They stared at each other. Damien tried to compose his face, but it was too late. They knew each other too well. It was one of those moments when history, friendship, and poorly kept secrets collided to unearth truths without having to speak them.
“No way,” Koko breathed.
“Koko—”
“You’re sleeping with Hakan?” she said. Damien cursed her internally for being the most unsubtle person on earth.
Gonzalo and Olive turned to look at him, surprised but not shocked.
“I…I mean…” Damien started, but the only way out of this one was straight through. “Yes.”
“Holy crap. Didn’t think it’d happen,” Gonzalo said.
“Yeah, I thought your crush was over,” Olive said.
“How did this get past me?” Koko whispered to herself mournfully.
“It’s nothing! Jeez. It’s casual.”
“Casual? My brother? Casual? With you?”
“Okay, I know I’m not exactly a catch, but—”
“That is so far away from what I meant I’m surprised you survived the leap in logic. My brother has never been able to do casual. And now he’s, what…just sleeping with you? I refuse to say the word sex in relation to Hakan. Urgh, wait, I just did. Oh God, the intrusive images. Make them stop.”
“Stop imagining things!”
“I can’t control my thoughts, Damien! Oh, God! Ew!”
“Jesus—let’s just leave it at the fact that it’s casual, whether you think that’s possible or not.”
“If you say so,” Koko drawled, sharing a look with Gonzalo and Olive.
“Stop that,” Damien said, waving a hand between the three of them.
“Does someone else have a sexcapade with a little less drama?” Olive asked. Damien sighed in relief, glad for the spotlight to be taken off him.
He took a deep breath. The secret suddenly being out had shaken him more than he’d let on. He’d have to make Koko promise she wouldn’t say anything to anyone else. As unsubtle as she could be, he knew he could trust her with a secret.
They were stepping outside of the café when Olive pulled Damien aside. He looked at her curiously.
“About Hakan…”
“Olive.”
“Just—I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. You two…I mean, I know I haven’t spent that much time with him, but the way you talk about him…”
“I’m good. I swear.”
Olive looked at him for a moment. “Okay. But if he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”
“Maybe you should look into bounty hunting, because I totally believe you,” Damien said, giving her a grateful smile.
Olive’s expression turned thoughtful. “I do like shouting at people and kicking ass…”
Damien laughed.
**********
The new semester started with Damien’s attention focused on the mission Mia had set him on. He had read the package of information with Nova during the holidays and continued researching the topic as he returned to Eketon. He communicated with Mia and Nova, making sure that any additions he made to the information were approved by them. In the end, he’d studied that package as if he were preparing for midterms and knew the information inside and out.
Hakan had insisted on accompanying him on the trip. Damien had agreed easily. Sending someone who was actually in Mia’s pack would be a sign of respect that could only strengthen the ties between the two families.
Unsurprisingly, the Niles pack lived in a rural area, surrounded by long fields showcasing the green leaves of the sweet potatoes burrowed underground. The Nileses were generational farmers, their houses dotted around their land in clusters that were all close enough to feel like a community.
Damien parked the rented car in front of a Midwestern-style house, which always looked to Damien as if several smaller houses had fused together, creating a hydra of many roofs.
A woman came out to meet Damien and Hakan as they got out of the car. She was compact and sturdy, her dark blonde hair streaked with grey. Her face was a picture of her life, wrinkles telling of days spent working in the sun, of laughter and joy, of sadness.
“Hello. I am Camille Niles, Kephalē of the Niles pack. I am honoured to have emissaries from the Salgado pack on my land. I welcome both of you and hope our time together will be fruitful,” Camille said, her formal words bellied by her large smile.
“I am Damien, messenger from the Salgado pack. I am honoured to be welcomed onto Niles land. I trust the moon will guide us towards prosperity,” Damien replied formally, tilting his head slightly to the side in a show of respect to the Kephalē. She nodded, and then all formalities broke as she embraced them both.
“Now that all that formal nonsense is over, I’m very glad to meet you, Damien. Mia has told me great things about you,” Camille said. Damien smiled, sure that Mia had talked Damien up so that it wouldn’t seem strange she was sending him instead of one of her pack.
“It’s a pleasure to be accepted into your home. This land is amazing!”
“Why, thank you. You should see it in spring. My, everything comes to life. And, Hakan! You probably don’t remember me. You were just a dot when I last saw you.”
“I don’t, but I’m glad to see you again,” Hakan said a little stiffly.
“Well, let’s get out of the cold. Alice is making us some tea inside.”
The inside of the house was a capsule of the years the Nileses had lived there. Time told its story through the scuff-marks on the doors, the areas of wear on the rugs, the etchings on frames from children who had already grown. The place had the scent of food, of land, of family.
“And this is my daughter, Alice,” Camille said, introducing the young woman who was setting down saucers and plates for the large pot of tea in the middle.
She was dark-skinned, short and plump, her hair in long waves around her. When she looked up, her eyes were sharp and intelligent, her face broad and beautiful. Damien didn’t know if it was because he already knew that she was next in line to be Kephalē or if it was the way she carried herself, but he immediately sensed something powerful in her. Not in regards to the influence she might wield over others, but the sense of confidenc
e and balance she exuded.
“Hello! You’ve done all that formal mumbo jumbo stuff, right?” she asked with a cheeky grin, revealing dimples.
“Yes, Alice. We already did the ‘formal mumbo jumbo’,” Camille said with fond exasperation.
“Great. It’s nice to meet both of you,” she said, abstaining from physical contact in her greeting. Although Camille had hugged them, it was unusual for werewolves who did not have previous bonds to touch in greeting. Although Alice was human, she, like Damien, must have picked up the scenting ways of shifters long ago.
“Likewise,” Damien said whilst Hakan nodded.
They sat around the table, skipping any further pleasantries in their eagerness to start.
Damien took out the written package on the topic, now considerably thicker after he had worked on it for a few weeks. Both Nileses raised their eyebrows as Damien set copies of it on the table, explaining its contents, which were colour-coordinated and bound professionally.
“Wow. This is…more than we expected,” Alice said, sounding impressed.
“I hope you weren’t expecting any less from the Salgado pack,” Damien said playfully. Alice chuckled back, nodding in acceptance.
They spent the next few hours looking through the information. Hakan was a silent observer as the other three sunk their teeth into the package. Damien went through it once with them, clarifying any points that Camille and Alice questioned. He was able to answer any queries that followed, now knowing the topic well enough to extrapolate from his knowledge and answer the scenarios they posed.
Despite his nerves, his focus on pleasing the Salgados by completing the task successfully drove him forwards. Alice was engaged and vibrant, and it was easy to forget the pressure of the situation under her keen-eyed interest and playful demeanour. Despite the fact that she was not training to be a shaman, her knowledge on the topic of Ousía seemed well-honed, giving her the right tools to excavate the material Damien had brought.
Damien and Alice had deviated into a discussion of the necromancer bond with familiars when Hakan interrupted them subtly.
“Sorry, but, Damien, we have to leave soon to catch the train back,” he said. Damien looked out the window. It was already dark.
In This Iron Ground (Natural Magic) Page 22
