Page 11 of All That Has Flown Beyond
“Like you’re any better! I’m just going to finish this chapter. God, why is the writing so small?” Kaiyo complained.
He returned to the yellowed page only to have the book shut in front of his nose.
“Hey! I just lost my place!” Kaiyo whined.
“You’ll find it tomorrow. I’m going to bed. Come on.” Ahmik walked away, turning off the lights on his way out of the living room.
“Asshole,” Kaiyo said half-heartedly, knowing Ahmik’s werewolf ears would pick it up.
“Bed!” Ahmik said from the stairs. Kaiyo rolled his eyes but followed.
Exhaustion hit Kaiyo as he brushed his teeth and washed his face. He looked at his sallow face in the mirror. He was never going to get a good night’s rest again. This was who he was now.
Kaiyo padded quietly towards Ahmik’s room. Ahmik had taken over his parents’ bedroom after their death in a masochistic move neither Thea or Kaiyo had the strength of will to protest.
Kaiyo stood in the gap left by the ajar door. Ahmik was sitting up in bed as if he had already known this was going to happen.
“Can I sleep here?” Kaiyo asked. He hated the silence of sleeping alone. It was like death.
“Yeah,” Ahmik replied quietly.
Kaiyo didn’t hesitate in closing the door behind him and crawling into the large bed. The sheets were cool and soft. Kaiyo felt his body sink into the mattress like a stone as Ahmik turned off the bedside lamp. Ahmik slid down, settling beside Kaiyo. Everything stilled around them.
“You’re going to need glasses if you keep that up,” Ahmik said. His voice was hushed, a reverence to the shadows.
“I’d look great in glasses, so,” Kaiyo said haughtily.
“Yeah, okay, Steve Urkel.”
“Asshole. Just you wait. I’m gonna be a hit, and when we’re old, you’ll just be my Seeing Eye dog. I’m gonna make you wear one of those snazzy reflector vests.”
“I’m kicking you out of the pack,” Ahmik grumbled.
Kaiyo laughed. “You’ll growl at all the kids that want to pet you, and I’ll get to squirt you with a water bottle.” Kaiyo blew a raspberry right in Ahmik’s face to make his point. Ahmik reared back, pushing Kaiyo away.
“Gross!” He wiped at the spittle on his face, glaring at Kaiyo through the darkness. His eyes were the translucent, reflective yellow of the half-moon shift. It took less energy than the full-moon shift into wolf form, although either could be achieved with enough stamina at any point of the lunar cycle. The half-moon shift came in parts: eyes, elongated muzzle and facial hair, fangs and claws. Ahmik liked threatening him with sharp edges, but Kaiyo knew it was all play.
Kaiyo leaned towards Ahmik and blew another raspberry. Ahmik growled, trying to pin him down, but Kaiyo had grown wily through the practice inherent in living as part of a pack of shifters. He squirmed from under Ahmik, biting at his arm. Ahmik yelped, letting him go.
“Stop slobbering over me!”
“Stop asking for it, then!”
They scuffled under the sheets until they dissolved into laughter, louder and longer than warranted. It felt like relief.
They settled facing each other, their breaths slowing. It was hard to see Ahmik in the darkness, but Kaiyo could tell he was being watched.
“You need to take care of yourself,” Ahmik said eventually.
Kaiyo sighed. “I need to take care of the pack.”
“You’re one-third of the pack now, Kaiyo. Taking care of yourselfistaking care of the pack.”
Kaiyo couldn’t argue against the logic of that, even though his heart didn’t agree.
“Okay. How about this? You take care of yourself, and I’ll take care of me. And we’ll take care of each other.”
“And Thea.”
