Page 22 of Abundant Moon
Nolan agreed and they found safer topics to discuss, making the drive much more enjoyable. About an hour in, a little red sports car traveling in the opposite direction began to drift over the line. With no time to even honk, Ash jerked the vehicle sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding a collision. A shifter-scented whoosh of air washed over their car, and while Nolan didn’t seem to notice anything unusual, Ash’s wolf found the diluted scent very interesting indeed. What was that all about? He knew one thing - if he ever got his hands on the asshole driver, he’d teach the idiot a lesson.
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ROBERT FINALLY CALMEDdown after his near miss a few miles back – admittedly his own fault. Messing with his phone while driving was a terrible habit he couldn’t seem to break. Well, at least nobody got hurt and he’d been able to continue on his way. He prided himself as an on-time kind of guy, still on schedule to arrive in Gladstone in fifty-four minutes.
If his nose were tracking correctly, there were shifters in the car he’d almost sideswiped – not surprising here in the U.P. One of them smelled enticing in a strange way Robert didn’t understand. His half-hard dick certainly found it arousing, but there was more.... something compelling. Perhaps even irresistible. Unfortunately his wolf took notice too, which usually led to trouble. This time it didn’t matter. He’d never meet the source of that scent anyway.
He remained of two opinions about this trip – looking forward to seeing Donna and Erin, and wanting to flee in the opposite direction. Since he couldn’t do both, and Donna expected him, he continued the journey with trepidation. He’d spent over twenty-five years avoiding places like Gladstone, having rejected pack life and all that went with it. Throwing his lot in with humans meant adapting to their ways while carefully hiding his true nature from them. It left him at odds with his wolf, out of touch with the shifter world, and extremely uncomfortable around his own people. Donna, bless her heart, accepted him for who he was, and for the most part, let him be.
This rehearsal of ancient history wasn’t helping his mood, and he punched up the sound track from South Pacific. Hmph! He wouldn’t wash a man like Emile out ofhishair – more likely drag the handsome, hairy-chested Frenchman into his bed and roll the end credits. No one, including Donna, appreciated his love of movies; from classics to musicals and nearly everything in between. They were mostly ignored by shifters as a human cultural thing, giving him all the more reason to embrace them as his entertainment of choice. Given his destination, he welcomed nearly any distraction and he let his imagination take him to the tropics for the remainder of the drive.
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ROBERT’S WOLF LAY LOWand considered recent changes. Other shifters were nearby – many of them. That in itself was strange for him and his human, but the trace of scent a few moments ago held true promise. Not enough to understand with certainty, yet the most enticing thing to come along in memory. Was it time to fight for his freedom? If so, he must watch for weakness and error; ready to strike at the first opportunity and end the long frustrating days of his confinement.
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DONNA’S SCENT REACHEDBen long before she knocked on his closed office door. Something wasn’t right. The normally confident and unflappable doctor smelled anxious and uncertain, piquing Ben’s curiosity. This promised to be an interesting conversation – or not.
“Come in, Donna.”
The good doctor entered, shut the door behind her, and sat down across from him without saying a word. Ben took the initiative to get things started.
“What can I help you with today?”
Donna glanced down at the floor, took a deep breath, and raised her head to look Ben in the eye.
“My older brother, Robert, will be here shortly and there are some things you should know.”
While family and friends were always welcome at Gladstone, the Alpha expected a bit of information about first-time visitors before they showed up. Ben cocked an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. Evidently, something about this situation troubled her.
“I thought the two of you got along well. Has something changed?”
Donna shook her head.
“It’s not that. Robert isn’t your typical shifter and he’s going to be extremely uncomfortable while he’s here. I wanted to warn you ahead of time in case he says or does something out of place.”
Warning bells began to chime in Ben’s mind, his wolf already on edge.
“I don’t understand. Tell me about him.”
“It’s a long story and difficult to explain. He’d be furious with me if I said too much.”
Donna paused, seeking some kind of reassurance.
“Whatever we discuss here remains between us. Why don’t you start at the beginning?”
Ben’s gentle words brought her anxiety down to a manageable level, allowing Donna to mentally regroup. It still wasn’t easy.
“Our parents were, are, old fashioned in their views of shifter life. They embraced all things wolf, shunning their human side, and our Alpha encouraged them. As their firstborn, Robert got the worst of it. He resented the pressure to conform and tried to protect me as much as he could. When I showed an interest in medical school, my parents refused to consider it and Robert fought with them constantly. Things got much worse when he admitted his same-sex attraction, and he ended up leaving home as soon as he graduated.”
Ben growled, the story sounding way too much like his own. Donna continued.
“As a result, my brother embraced the opposite extreme. Except for his scent, you would never know he’s a shifter. He’s careful to keep his true self hidden, living and working as a human. As far as I know, he hasn’t stepped foot on packlands anywhere since he left home. In the world at large, he’s well-liked, successful, and a popular food critic for a number of publications. Among us, an outcast and a stranger.”
Incredible. Ben didn’t understand how any shifter could live this way, and his angry wolf snarled at the thought of being denied.
“Are you saying his wolf is completely suppressed? No shifting or contact with our people?”
