Page 9 of The Wolves At My Sides

For a moment, no one said anything else. We all sat pondering the fate we’d concocted for ourselves before this life. Maybe before any life on Earthside. The widely believed lore said that true-mates chose each other in the Other World before ever incarnating on Earthside. If that were true at one time, I chose both of them and they chose me and each other too.

“Ummmm….. This is awkward,” I said aloud to break this silence. “You’ve read my story. You know where I came from and you know that after I was in foster care I just did whatever to get by. You know my story, but I don’t know anything about you. Well, you,” I looked at Marcus.

I knew Irwin attended Hemlock Academy with his best friend Shepard. I knew that he ran a printing press and wrote and published books that brought the dead back to life. I knew his parents had disowned him and now I had a guess as to why.

“I’m a therapist,” Marcus said.

“I knew that part,” I said and gestured at the room we were in.

“I was born at The Sanctuary on Hemlock Mountain. You’ll meet my family and hear their stories. They’re the sort who never shut up,” Marcus said, trying to sound light-hearted.

“Some of the other kids from the ---” I started, but stopped.

I didn’t want to talk about Bram Valen.

“We took in some folks from your situation,” Marcus nodded. “They’re doing well.”

“I’m doing okay,” I said, not wanting to sound useless to my new mates.

I didn’t do the college thing. I didn’t do the trade school thing. I worked restaurants and retail, anything that would pay the bills and didn’t involve making any real connections. I was good at putting on a customer service face and raking in tips.

“You’re trying to tell your story. I think you’re doing great,” Marcus said.

“It’s not my story,” I shook my head. “It’s my parents’ story. My life outside of them is boring. At least it was until this.”

I looked down at my lap to find that we were all holding each other’s hands. I smiled despite the anxiety creeping up the back of my neck. I usually did my best not to think about meeting my true-mate. There was too much they might see in our claiming vows. It was the sort of shit that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies. Only, now I had two men holding my hands and, on the path, to seeing all the things I tried not to talk about – all the things I came to Heartville to talk about.

I let out a long deep breath and tried to think of something else to say. The silence buzzed in my ears. Marcus and Irwin already knew each other. They had a baby boy and a life together. I was just some weird, traumatized wolf that stumbled into their path.

“I have to cancel my afternoon appointments,” Marcus said.

“Tomorrow’s too,” Irwin said.

“Maybe.”

“Marcus,” he said, his name full of love and warning in the way only a mate could. “This is a mating moon.”

“And I work in health care. Stability is important for patients. I’ll cancel who I can, but some folks rely on me to---be here,” he said after searching for a way not to oust his clients’ secrets.

“Okay,” Irwin nodded. “How about this? I’ll take Fen back to the house and get him settled in while you try to clear the week?”

Marcus shot Irwin a look that he said he wasn’t sure how much of the week he could clear. Only what he said next made me think I read his look wrong.

“Maybe you should ask Fen if he’s comfortable with staying with us first, Irwin,” Marcus said.

“You do want to stay with us, right? Maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I couldn’t imagine --- Well, I did run away from Marcus at first,” Irwin said.

“Are you okay with me staying?” I asked Marcus.

He thought for a second and everything inside me squeezed up tight. I got it. I wasn’t the sort of wolf someone wanted around their pup.

“You’re the one who just arrived here and received huge news. Are you comfortable with staying with us?” He asked.

“I don’t want to leave you guys,” I said in a rush of honesty that surprised even me.

“Okay,” Marcus said and nodded at Irwin.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said.

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