Page 20 of Jack of All Trades

“There were three other people there that had children the same day you were born, Jack. Two were shifters, one man and one woman, and the other was a human woman.”

Maltin pushed, “And?”

“And one of the shifter families lost their child. He died soon after he was born.”

Maltin watched Jack struggling to understand that. It was obvious he did, but what he struggled with was to think of something, anything else that could explain it. Then, he did. “That can’t be. The hospital wouldn’t do that.”

“I’d like to think the same, Jack. I want to go and meet these shifters and see if there is any way you could be their child. Humans have made that mistake a lot. There are always stories like this in the news.”

“I can see accidentally exchanging the live children, but one being dead and the other alive? That isn’t the same,” Maltin thought aloud.

Then he wished he didn’t. Jack’s shoulders slumped, and his head lowered. “Fuck.”

“I’d like your permission to travel to them. They live in northern Canada.”

Maltin hurried to say, “Whatever you need to do to set Jack’s mind at ease or give him the truth. Go, charge it to the expenses.”

“I will call the second I learn anything. I do need something, however. Will you send a picture of Jack? I doubt that it would be any proof, but I have pictures of his Pengrove family. If I can’t find exact proof, that might help some.”

“Of course. I’ll send one as soon as the call is over.”

Jack’s face was pale and drawn, but he knew the picture was necessary. He didn’t smile and, in fact, looked nearly murderous. Maltin took the picture and sent it anyway, then set the phone on the counter. “Jack…please, don’t be upset. We don’t know anything yet.”

“Sure, we do. We know I am a hellhound, and a guy that practically hates me is my fated fucking mate. I’m just jumping for joy.”

Maltin rose from the stool and took his hand, pulling him gently until he slid from the stool and followed him to the couch. As they sat, Maltin was closer to him than he’d intended, but he didn’t think Jack needed to be distant.

“I do not hate you. I act the way I do to push people away from me. Over the years, I’ve discovered that friendships and closer relationships end in my heart being broken. People, whether human, supe, or whatever, break your heart. But with you, I felt immediately that you were different. Maybe it’s as simple as being mated, but I don’t think so.”

“You were…you were nice to me before I flew off the ladder.”

His voice was almost childlike. He was unsure. The trauma of finding things out about himself he’d never guessed was wearing on him. “I think you need to rest. Go up to my bed and rest. I was going to clean the Thunderbird.”

Thinking he’d get an argument, he was surprised when Jack nodded and rose, heading for the stairs. Maltin watched him head up to the loft bedroom, and once he was out of sight, he went immediately to his desk and opened his computer.

On VWQuest Search Engine, the search engine for all things supernatural, he started looking for the book Jack had mentioned, with the families known to produce hellhounds. It wasn’t long before he found it and pulled up a PDF of the section he was looking for.

Sure enough, Graves was on the list. He looked at the other names and recognized a few, but he knew no one personally. After texting their investigator, he received a text with the name of the shifter family that Dennis was going to see.

Garmer.

It was another name beginning with G, and as Maltin was looking for his own, he saw the name. It was there.

Maltin’s heart sank for Jack. There was little doubt that he was a hellhound and little doubt he’d been born to others.

Maltin stood and quietly ascended the stairs. Jack was sleeping peacefully, his face slack from all the day's worry. His heart went out to the beautiful young man that fate had somehow given him.

How would Maltin tell him? Could he?

He had to. The question was, how?

Chapter Six

Jack woke just beforedark and walked down the stairs slowly while Maltin sipped a drink, still trying to figure out how to tell him. And he knew it had to come from him.

Jack walked over to the couch and fell back on it, turning his head to Maltin. “Sorry, I slept so long.”

“You must have needed it. I fully plan to fall into bed for about fifteen hours soon.”

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