by Apollo Surge
He took it as a sign that the other man needed a little space. Alicia clearly did as well, so he steered clear of both of them. Alicia made it easy by staying wildly busy, running between the office and several half-finished chores, trying to figure out the bills and, judging by the tense phone conversations he overheard on his way down the hall, arguing with the town about the "illegal campsite." The town appeared to be threatening fines and legal action if they didn't clear everyone out, or come up with the appropriate permits.
Sawyer didn't even see Elliot until nearly lunchtime, hauling a stack of plywood down into the basement. Elliot waved, but didn't stop or speak. Sawyer, trying not to be hurt, let him go. He tried to remind himself that Elliot wasn't angry with him, just frustrated with the situation and not ready to talk about it yet. Though it was easy to tell himself that, it wasn't so easy to believe it.
Fortunately there was plenty to do to keep himself too busy to think. Alicia probably would have told him off for exerting himself too much, but there was work that needed to be done and thoughts that needed to be avoided.
The most work to be done was still in helping the new shifters settle in. He headed back in that direction, carrying a stack of quilts he'd dug out for the deer shifters. They didn't even have any tents, and were living out of the back of the box truck. But as he approached he heard shouting that would rival the screaming match from last night.
"Lacy was just playing!"
"And Rachel was just defending herself!"
"Defending herself from what? A game of tag?!"
"Have you ever seen an alligator play tag with faun?"
"She's not an alligator, she's a child!"
It was Casey the gator and one of the deer women, looking close to a fist fight. Two young girls stood on either side of them. One of the gator children, crying hard through a rapidly developing black eye, and a deer girl looking somewhere between scared and surly.
"Everything all right?" Sawyer asked loudly, interrupting as he hurried toward them. The crying gator girl ran to him immediately, surprising the hell out of him as she threw her arms around Sawyer's leg.
"Black wolf, black wolf!" the girl sobbed as Sawyer awkwardly picked her up. "Eat her! She's bad, eat her!"
She pointed an accusatory finger at the deer girl. Her mother stepped between Sawyer and her daughter immediately, her eyes wide, like she thought Sawyer might actually do it.
"I'm not eating anyone," Sawyer said quickly. "Let's just calm down and figure out the problem here, all right?"
"The problem is we shouldn't be expected to be sharing space with predators," the deer woman snapped.
"We're not predators," Casey argued. "For Christ's sake, we're people!"
"Casey's right," Sawyer said, still holding the crying gator kid and unsure what to do with her. "We're all shifters here, we're not just our wild shapes. Kid's fight, right? It happens."
"And what happens when that kid grows teeth and claws while they're fighting?" the deer woman snapped. "Am I supposed to just be all right with my child playing with something that could rip her to shreds without even trying?"
"None of the kids would do that-" Sawyer started to argue, but she cut him off.
"I should have expected you would be on her side," the deer woman scoffed. "Neither of you have any idea what it's like to be prey! To find yourself at the bottom of the food chain every time you shift! Fae are only the beginning of our problems. We lost one of our own to a mountain lion on the way here!"
Sawyer blinked, caught off guard by the thought. He really couldn't imagine being a prey animal. Full moons must be a nightmare. He took a deep breath, though Kate looked murderous.
"You're right," he said. "I don't understand. But I'm also not just a predator. Like Kate said, we're people. We can work together and figure something out. Uh, Casey? Maybe we could organize some kind of class on like, playing safely with other shifters? Or- or some organized group activities-"
He found himself mostly remembering strategies used to try and limit intercommunity strife and gang violence in the cities he'd passed through, which he'd participated in for the free food. It wasn't, he felt, a great sign.
"What we need," the deer woman cut him off again, "is not to be sharing space with something designed to hunt and eat us!"
"Elaine, that's enough."
All eyes turned as the dark skinned woman Sawyer had seen in the car the day before approached. She was a tall woman with an incredible grace of motion, and dressed to highlight it in a floral sundress that fluttered ghostly around her long legs. She wore her dark hair natural, in a close cropped fade which emphasized the angles of her face. She seemed at once ephemeral, like she might vanish if the wind turned the right way, and at the same time radiated regal authority.
"Daphne," Elaine said stiffly. "This can't continue-"
"I said that's enough," Daphne repeated, quiet and firm, and Elaine shut up.
Daphne inclined her head in greeting, first to Sawyer, and then to Casey.
"We are uninvited guests here," she said. "And at the mercy of our generous hosts. We are lucky they welcomed us at all, and have gone to such lengths to make room for us. Though the current arrangement is not ideal, it is certainly preferable to being on our own, and will require personal sacrifice to maintain. I suggest you have a conversation with your daughter about why hitting others isn't acceptable. And miss...?"
She looked to Casey expectantly.
"Casey," Casey answered, tense but less hostile than before.
"Miss Casey," Daphne confirmed. "For the time being it may be wiser to keep the children separate. We may consider the Black Wolf's suggestion of group activities in the future, but for the moment the tension among the adults is likely to make any unsupervised interaction ill-advised."
It was impossible to argue with Daphne's calm authority. The women separated, though they both still looked on edge. Sawyer handed off the gator child to Casey, just relieved that the fight had been avoided for now.
"It's Sawyer by the way," he said to Daphne as the combatants and the small ring of onlookers dissipated.
"My mistake," Daphne replied, looking him over thoughtfully. "The story of the Black Wolf spread so quickly among the children that I was under the impression it was an official title."
"No, the kids made it up," Sawyer said with a small sigh. "It makes them feel safer so I haven't been trying to stop them, but it's mostly embarrassing."
"I see," Daphne replied, a small smile curving her lips. "I take it the story about you fighting the Erlking is also false?"
Sawyer wrinkled his nose, less certain of how to approach the subject with this woman than he was with the kids.
"Unfortunately, that's true," he said, shuffling uncomfortably. "They're probably embellishing but, yeah. I was part of the ritual to re-seal the King of the Wild Hunt just before the New Year."
Daphne frowned thoughtfully, the grave expression giving her the look of a masterpiece in marble.
"Then I am certain you have noticed the coincidence of timing? Our difficulties with the court fae started just shortly after when I am told you dealt with the King. If I have heard correctly, the trouble started for the crocodilians at the same time."
Sawyer swallowed, anxious guilt stirring in his gut.
"It is a... weird coincidence," he admitted. "But we can't figure out how the two would be related."
"It's just one of many things that must be considered as we move forward," Daphne said with a frown. "Elaine was too blunt about it, but she is correct that this arrangement is unsustainable on a number of fronts. What are your alpha's plans for long term housing, should it become necessary?"
Sawyer took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his head.
"We're renovating the barn, but it'll be tight quarters for even the gators. We haven't started to figure anything out for you and the other newcomers yet. We could try to set up wards further into the state park, but it's risky for a bunch of reasons..."
"Thanks," Sawyer said, unsure how to respond to her gracious formality. "I'll, um. I'll talk to Elliot and Alicia and try to figure something out. A temporary fix at least."
"I would appreciate that," Daphne said with a nod. "And please know that I am at your disposal should you require any assistance."
"Right, uh, thank you, ma'am." Sawyer fumbled, trying to be respectful.
As he delivered the quilts and made his way back toward the house he took more note of the tension between the two groups, and the tension between the stressed out gators themselves, and the unease of the three non-shifters, staying near the cat shifters but isolated still. This would only get worse as more people showed up. And Sawyer was certain more would arrive if whatever was happening with the fae didn't end soon. Things could easily become dangerous if they didn't figure something out soon.
Who was he kidding, he thought looking up toward the mountain. Things were already dangerous.
Chapter Fourteen
He found Elliot in the basement hammering a sheet of plywood into place, building what looked like pens.
"For the full moon," Elliot explained as he saw Sawyer's confused look. "To keep the bull alligators separated, hopefully. It's not ideal, but it should minimize any casualties."
"Are we at the 'minimizing casualties' point already?" Sawyer asked.
"Christ, I know, right?" Elliot said with a sigh, setting aside his hammer on a sawhorse and running a hand through his hair. "How did it get so out of hand?"
"I don't think it was ever in hand," Sawyer said, shrugging. "We weren't prepared for the Fae to go crazy. Neither were any of them. We're all just trying to live."
"But I'm supposed to be responsible for everyone," Elliot said bitterly, turning to grab another two by four.
"Speaking of which," Sawyer said warily. "We need to talk about the deer shifters. If we keep them where they are, there's going to be a fight. We need to figure out a way to give them more space from the gators—"
"Talk to Alicia about it," Elliot said a little sharply. "That's not my job anymore."
"You can't just decide not to be Alpha anymore," Sawyer said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Can't I?" Elliot replied, laying the two by four out on the saw horse a little harder than necessary. "I wasn't enjoying it and I sure as hell wasn't much good at it. If Alicia thinks she can do better I'd say she can have it."
"The Moon chose you," Sawyer said, hands clenching.
"Yeah, well, the Moon didn't ask me," Elliot said with a sour expression, reaching for a hand saw.
"I chose you."
Elliot paused, put the saw down.
"And I chose to be with you," he said, leveling a serious look on Sawyer. "You. Not to be Alpha, not to lead the pack. Just you."
Sawyer's heart flipped in his chest, but he couldn't let himself be distracted by romantic words right now.
"There are people relying on you," he said, almost begging.
"Alicia can handle it," Elliot replied, and turned away, picking up the saw again. His back to Sawyer, he returned to his work. Frustration boiled hot as acid in Sawyer's throat.
"Really?" he asked, demanding. "That's it? After everything that happened to make you Alpha, after Duncan died for it, one person questioning your decisions is enough to make you abandon it?"
Elliot paused for just a moment, then went back to sawing.
"Just one more reason I'm not cut out for this," he muttered.
Sawyer hung on for another moment, hoping he'd think of something to change Elliot's mind, or that Elliot would reconsider on his own. Finally, accepting that it wasn't going to happen, he turned and made his way back up the basement stairs. He hoped, right up to the last step, that Elliot might call him back. There was no sound from the basement but the sawing of plywood.
***
Alicia was, if possible, even less help. He waited twenty minutes for her to finish a phone call with the bank, only for her to be immediately pulled into another call, this time with the utility company. A blind man could have told you that she was drowning. She'd even put aside her stress-knitting to leave her hands free for frantically wrangling paperwork. Her desk was swamped in permit applications and legal resources. There were dark circles under her eyes and her normally beautiful long pale hair was dry and frizzy from stress, pulled back out of her face in a messy pony tail.
"I'm sorry Sawyer," she said, rubbing her eyes, after he'd waited out the second phone call. "Can we talk about this later? I've got six things going on at once right now."
"It's kind of urgent," Sawyer said, trying to push.
"Everything's urgent," Alicia countered, her voice breaking. "There isn't one non-urgent thing happening right now. Get Elliot to handle it."
"He said to ask you," Sawyer said, knowing as soon as the words left his lips that it was the wrong thing.
"Of course he did!" Alicia laughed, throwing her hands up. "I don't know why I'm surprised!"
"He really thinks you'll do a better job than him," Sawyer said, trying not to get defensive.
"It's hard to be worse than someone who never tried to begin with," Alicia said, her laugh turning caustic.
"He just wants what's best for everyone," Sawyer said, jaw tightening.
"No he doesn't," Alicia scoffed. "He just doesn't want to be responsible for anything. He doesn't care what happens as long as it isn't his fault."
"That's not true and you know it," Sawyer said, and had to choke back the tremor of omega power that tried to wind its way into his voice, to make her listen to him.
"I don't have time for this," Alicia said, shaking her head and gathering up the loose paperwork on her desk, sorting through it. "I need to find the money to rent enough port-a-potties to bring us up to regulation for a temporary camp ground permit. I have to talk to a lawyer about the fines and fees. I've got to keep the utility company from bleeding us dry. I have to figure out our food situation still..."
Sawyer sighed and tried to let go.
"At least let me help," he said. "I can make some of those calls, fill out some of the paperwork-"
"No, I've got this," Alicia said, cutting him off. "I won't feel like it's done right unless I do it myself. You need to be resting anyway. Jesus, I still haven't done your ultrasound."
Before she could say any more the phone rang again and, with a groan, she picked it up. Sawyer excused himself, recognizing a lost cause when he saw one.
He found Serena in the hall, on her way toward the office.
"I wouldn't bother," he told her. "She's in a call. And in a mood."
"She's been in a mood since the gators arrived," Serena said, yawning. Sawyer realized it was early for her to be here. She'd been burning the candle at both ends as much as Alicia. "I'm just bringing her some coffee. She won't let me do much else. And here I swore I'd never end up in an unpaid internship, right?"
She held up the two Starbucks cups in her hands. Sawyer looked at her for a moment, worrying his lip with his teeth.
"When you're done with her, come meet me in the garden," he said. "I need your help with something."
She looked puzzled, but ten minutes later she found Sawyer out back, leaning on the garden fence and squinting into the trees out behind the barn.
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
"That we need to get the deer shifters away from the gators before someone gets hurt," Sawyer said. "And Alicia and Elliot aren't going to do anything in time. Do you know how far back our actual property extends?"
"Yeah actually," Serena said, leaning on the garden fence to look out in the same direction he was, beginning to get what he was suggesting. "Alicia was looking up those numbers yesterday
. I think you actually have another acre past the barn."
"Do you think you could extend the wards back far enough for a campsite out there?" he asked her.
"Definitely," Serena agreed, eyeing the tree line with a confident nod. "Just tell me how big you need it."
"I'll get some of the guys to help me clear an area and figure out how much space they'll need," Sawyer said. "Fingers crossed, we'll have it ready by tonight."
It was a backbreaking afternoon of tearing out shrubs and saplings to clear out enough space for the deer shifter's tents, but Sawyer got Jacob, Mateo, and several of the gator shifters to help. It turned out many of them were as eager to see the deer get their own space as the deer were. Gustav's absurd strength sped work up considerably. By shortly after sunset they were setting up new tents and digging the fire pit while Serena put the last touches on the new wards.
It was only one problem among many to deal with, but Sawyer was relieved to see it done. Almost as relieved as the deer seemed to move into the new space.
"They'll have to keep a close eye on their kids," Serena said as, exhausted, they gathered for dinner. "But the wards should be solid."
Neither Elliot nor Alicia had come to dinner, and Sawyer tried not to let it distress him, telling himself again that they just needed space.
"All of their kids are over ten," Mateo said. "I don't believe they will have too much trouble."
"Thank you for buying the new tents, by the way," Serena said to Mateo. "I'm sure they're happy to be out of the box truck."
"It was not how I would have liked to have spent my first paycheck," Mateo said with a chuckle. "But there are no decent strip clubs in this area anyway."
Sawyer suppressed a groan, Serena didn't bother.
"I suppose the next step is getting the crocodilians into the barn?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah," Sawyer agreed, frowning. He glanced at Serena. "Unless you've heard anything from the Council about when this will be over?"
