Fic: Keep Traveling On: Part Three
Keep Traveling On, Part Three
Master Post
After his near-romantic interlude with Nate, Eliot had been mortified. He’d apologized to Nate three or four times, and each time, Nate had assured him that there was no reason to feel guilty. The awkwardness had lifted a few days later, and the two men settled into a nice, soothing rhythm. It became clear to Eliot that there had been a subtle shift between them. They were no longer simply friends. And yet, Nate never tried to push Eliot to do anything he wasn’t ready to do, Instead, he took the time to cook for Eliot and ask him more questions about his background and nurture their growing relationship.
As days turned into weeks, Eliot found his connection to Nate becoming deeper every day.
A couple of months after his kiss with Nate, Eliot took the wagon into the village to do some errands. When he got there, he found the people milling around in the streets and shops, abuzz with excitement. In a village this small, a traveling salesman with a cart full of rocks could cause a flurry of activity, so it was hard to tell what was happening this time. It didn’t take long, though, for Eliot to hear talk of a caravan that had positioned itself on the outskirts of the village the night before.
The caravan he’d grown up with was hardly the only one in the area, but he always known there was a possibility that they might pull into a village where he was staying someday. The idea of seeing those people again sent chills down his spine. It’s not that he necessarily believed they’d chase him like people often did. No, it was his sense of pride and dignity that couldn’t handle seeing those people right now. They had unceremoniously turned him out for being something he hadn’t chosen to become. He had just lost his mama, and suddenly, he he’d been pitched out on his own.
Part of Eliot wanted to jump back in the wagon and tear back to Nate’s cottage. But he was here in the village on business. He’d been sent by Nate to retrieve some supplies, and Nate had never asked him to do anything before. He didn’t want to let him down. As he went from shop to shop, he kept his eyes open for familiar faces.
He had finally made it to the general store when he saw her. It was Sophie, his old friend. He felt a rush of affection for her as he remembered that she had argued to keep him with the caravan. But mostly, he felt panic. If she saw him, she might tell the others, and his anonymity in the village would be lost. He gathered what supplies he could and hurried out to the wagon, hoping that Nate wouldn’t be too disappointed in him for not finishing his errands.
As he was packing the last of the supplies into the wagon, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Sophie gazing directly at him. There was no mistaking the fact that she had seen him. He hurried back to the cottage and unloaded the supplies as quickly as possible.
Afterward, he walked over to the little pallet that had been his bed these few months, and he stared at it for a long moment. He knew he should run away before Sophie had a chance to reveal his presence to the others. The idea of leaving Nate and Alec and Parker and this little cottage that had become his home gutted him. But they had all been so kind to him, and protecting them would have to come first. He nodded. It was settled, then. He would leave.
“What are you doing?”
Eliot glanced up and saw Alec, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. Sitting down on the bed, Eliot shrugged. “None of your business.”
“There’s a caravan in town,” Alec said conversationally.
With a scowl, Eliot stretched out and wondered if ignoring Alec would make him go away. He cared for Alec, but he often felt a sense of irritation and affection for him at the same time. He wondered if that might be what having a brother felt like.
Taking a breath, Eliot rubbed his eyes, “It’s the one I used to travel with,” he said finally.
“And no, I don’t want to see them. I’m just not sure if I want to face them.”
“Nate and I wondered.” Alec walked over and sat down next to Eliot. “Do they know?”
“That I’m a werewolf? Some do.”
“How would they react if they saw you?”
Eliot bit his lip. Alec was really asking if he was bringing trouble to their house, wasn’t he? “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “They had a chance to hurt me before, but they just left me on the side of the road instead. I should probably leave, though. To be safe.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Eliot. No one wants you to leave.”
“I’m pretty sure one of them saw me, Alec. I don’t want to bring trouble.”
Alec shook his head. “Nate and I are pretty good at finding it without you.”
“Be serious.”
“Look.” Alec picked up a stray pillow and smacked Eliot in the face. “No one wants you to leave. Nate and I knew you’d probably do something all noble and self-sacrificing like this, and we already decided that you’re staying. And I know Parker feels the same way.”
“It’s my choice, Alec.”
“Then make the right one. You don’t need to spend the rest of your life running. You have a family now, and we need you. As a matter of fact,” Alec said. “I’m here, because Nate didn’t want to give you this speech himself. He’s afraid you’ll leave anyway, and he can’t handle that.”
“I don’t want to leave. I just…” He let out a breath.
“Trust us, Eliot. We have your back. If anyone messes with you, we’ll work it out.”
***
Eliot had gone back and forth in his mind about whether to leave the little cottage. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to go, because he was desperate for a home to call his own. He liked what he had here with the others, and he wanted to allow himself to believe he could keep it. He told himself he’d stay out of the village for a couple of weeks, though. There was no need to risk exposing himself further.
About a week later, Eliot was puttering around in the yard. Spring had finally come to the village, and some flowers had started to poke their way out of the soil. As he stood there with a flower pot in hand, he heard rustling behind him.
“So it was you.”
Eliot looked over his shoulder and saw Sophie standing a few feet away by the fence. She looked as beautiful as she always had.
Clearing his throat, Eliot sat the flower pot down, walked over to Sophie, and embraced her fiercely. He had to admit that he was glad to see her. There was a time when she was his only friend outside of his family. In a way, she was like a part of the family, even helping him take care of his mama when she fell ill.
“It’s good to see you, Sophie,” he said.
“Well, you shouldn’t be surprised,” She cupped his face in her hands. “I always knew we’d see each other again.”
He smiled. “Yeah, you sure said that.” Letting out a breath, Eliot swallowed. “Did you tell the others I’m here?”
“Of course not,” she said, giving him a smack the shoulder. “I wouldn’t expose you.” She walked toward the cottage and glanced around at her surroundings. “You live here then?”
“Yeah,” he said. “The doc took me in when I was sick, and I never left.” He nudged Sophie with his elbow. “Wait’ll you see who he is, Sophie.”
“It looks like a nice, peaceful place. You deserve a bit of peace.” Sophie took his hand and squeezed it. “Listen, I need to tell you something. The caravan had a visitor a few villages back.”
“Who?”
“Damien Moreau.”
Eliot felt his blood start to run cold. Damien Moreau. Ever since the night he’d turned Eliot, Damien had been a memory and an occasional nightmare. He’d lingered in Eliot’s consciousness, reminding him of unfinished business and unasked questions. Shaking his head, Eliot said, “That’s a name I’d rather not hear again. What did he want?”
“You,” she said. “He came looking for you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” She folded her arms across her chest and walked along the edge of the yard. “He spoke with everyone in the caravan, and when he saw that you weren’t there, he left. For what it’s worth, the others didn’t tell him anything about you.”
At the thought of Damien searching for him, Eliot felt like his knees might buckle, so he walked over and leaned against the weathered old white fence for support. “Thanks for giving me a heads up,” he said weakly. “So… the caravan is leaving soon?”
“They left today,” she said. “I’ve had enough of that life. It’s not where I belong anymore.”
Eliot gazed intently at Sophie. “What will you do?”
“Oh, I suppose I’ll do what I’ve always done. Tells fortunes. Or something.”
“Are you staying because of me?”
“For you and for me.” She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. “By the way,” she whispered, gesturing at the cottage. “I told you that man was your destiny.”
He stared at her, his mouth falling open in surprise. “You know?”
“Darling, I’m psychic.”
After Sophie left, Eliot sat on his bed and thought about Damien. He had told Nate weeks ago that Damien sometimes haunted his dreams. Now, though, his nightmares might well become a frightening reality. If Sophie had felt compelled to leave the caravan and to come and warn him, then the threat Damien represented might be more tangible than he’d ever dreamed.
He told himself that he had no desire to ever see Damien again, but he couldn’t deny that somewhere inside, he had a mad impulse to know more about him. He felt tied to him in way, and he couldn’t ignore that connection.
At dinner that night, he told Nate, Alec, and Parker about Sophie. But when he opened his mouth to tell them about Damien, no words come out. Even as the guilt crept up his spine, Eliot told himself that his silence was because he didn’t want to worry them.
Four days later, Eliot woke up with an itch. It was similar to the one he got close to transformations, but the full moon was still a while away. From the moment he climbed out of bed, a surge of restlessness started to nip at the back of his mind, like he’d forgotten to do something important. He felt agitated and impulsive and jumpy. When Alec asked him what was bothering him, he answered honestly that he didn’t know.
When the feeling of being caged finally got the better of him, Eliot tore out of the house and took the wagon into town. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he figured he’d know it when he saw it.
And then the scent flooded over him like a warm breeze.
Damien.
It didn’t take Eliot long to find Damien in the village’s only tavern. He was sitting at a table with two other men and a woman, and he was looking damn smug. Eliot lingered by the door and told himself to turn and leave, even though he knew full well that Damien had probably picked up his scent the moment he hit the edge of town, and he’d only track him if he left.
Summoning his nerve, he walked over to Damien’s table.
When Damien saw Eliot, he flashed a brilliant smile, stood up, and embraced him, his arms folding tightly around his former lover’s body. “Eliot, my old friend,” he said. “You came looking for me. That’s beautiful.” He leaned closer and whispered, “It means you sensed me.”
The warmth of Damien’s breath glanced against Eliot’s ear, and he felt a tug at his gut. Damien was as handsome as ever, and Eliot’s mind wandered back to nights of sweet touches and stolen kisses. “Is it really you?”
“Yes, Eliot,” Damien said. “It is really me. I’ve been looking for you for a long time.” He glanced down at his companions. “This is Eliot,” he said. “He’s a member of our family.” The others all nodded, but none of them rose or otherwise moved to greet him.
Eliot glanced around the bar, grateful that most of the honest citizens of the village were at work and not in the tavern. He narrowed his eyes at Damien. “Why are you here?”
Damien spontaneously embraced him again. “Mmm. You smell good,” he said exuberantly. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?” He led Eliot outside, and they began to stroll along the village square. “I’m here,” Damien said. “Because you belong with me. I made you into what you are, and I have a responsibility to look after you.”
Eliot squared his jaw. “You left me,” he said coldly.
“Yes, I did,” Damien’s expression grew serious. “It was a unfair of me, and I’m ashamed. But I was a boy. And since then, I’ve come to understand my duty to you. I’ve started to form a pack of others like you and me. I made Chapman-the one with light hair. The others I found wandering alone. Together, we’ve formed a family. We look after each other.”
“I don’t need them… I already have a home.”
“Eliot.” Damien grasped both his shoulders, and his face lit up with excitement. “Imagine it. You could be with your own kind. No fear. No isolation. You have experienced those things, haven’t you?”
“Of course I have.”
“Well, you don’t have to feel that way anymore. You can depend on us now.”
Eliot shoved his hands into his pockets. The idea of interacting with other wolves did excite him. Even Nate thought it was odd that he’d never spent any time with his own kind. Maybe he owed it to himself to have that experience. “We could… have dinner, I suppose. I’d like to meet some of my own kind.”
Damien laughed out loud. “Dinner. Yes, we could do that.” He grabbed Eliot’s face and planted a kiss on his lips. Eliot fought to catch his breath. The kiss was deep and sparked like a lightning storm, and Eliot couldn’t help but kiss back at first.
Then he found himself thinking of Nate and of his family back at the cottage.
“Don’t,” he snapped, pushing Damien away. “Where do you get off? You left me. You left me, and you have no right just strolling back into my life after all these years.”
“Eliot.” Damien gazed at him fondly. “You’ve gotten quite a temper. We’ll start with dinner then.”
“No. we’re not having dinner.” Eliot shook his head violently. “Are you listening to me? I have a family, and I’m not interested in yours.”
With that, he spun on his heel and started to walk away, even as he clenched his fists to hide the fact that he was trembling a bit. He walked toward the bakery, where he’d left the wagon tied to a post, and tried to ignore the fact that his lips were still tingling from Damien’s kiss.
When he reached the wagon, he found Sophie and Parker leaning against it as they chatted away. His shoulders sagged a bit as he approached them. “Ladies,” he said. “Why do I have a feeling I’m about to have uninvited passengers in my wagon?
Parker flashed a sunny smile. “I met your friend. She told me my future.”
He glanced at Sophie, who was busy looking intently at her nails. “What did she tell you?”
“That I should have a bunny as a pet instead of a fairy.” She climbed into the wagon and settled herself into the passenger seat. “You should let her tell your fortune, Eliot.”
Sophie stared into Eliot’s eyes, like she was trying to get inside his head. After a long moment, she grinned. “I predict that he’s going to take us home, so I can meet his doctor.”
***
Once they were all back at Nate’s cottage, Eliot introduced Sophie to Nate and Alec, and they all had a calm dinner. The five of them seemed to fit together like a puzzle that had just been made complete. After dinner, Nate suggested that they all go outside and enjoy the night air. As they sat on the ground and chatted, Eliot cuddled up next to Nate, getting as close as he could without sitting on him, and he kept finding reasons to reach over and touch him.
About an hour after dinner, Eliot finally spilled his guts about Damien. He felt exposed as he recounted the incident-he even told them about the kiss. But if he was planning to stay, he needed to be truthful with them. He’d spent the past fifteen years lying about one thing or another, and he couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted to let down his walls with these people.
Nate looped a comforting arm around Eliot’s shoulders. Eliot had felt him tense a bit when he’d mentioned Damien’s liplock, but since he hadn’t gotten up and left, Eliot took that as a good sign.
After a long moment, Nate finally said, “Do you think Damien will pose a problem?”
“I don’t know,” Eliot said honestly. “He says I belong with him. With his pack.”
Taking Eliot’s hand, Nate lightly kissed his knuckles. “Do you want to be with him?”
Eliot took a breath and snatched his hand away. “Are you telling me to go?”
“No,” Nate said quickly. “I’m just asking what you want. What I want is for you to stay here with me. But I don’t think many people have ever asked you what you want, and I don’t want to be another person who makes a decision for you.”
Eliot felt a rush of warmth start to spread through his body, and he took Nate’s face in his hands. “I want to stay with you,” he said. “I’m not saying that I’m not curious about the other wolves. But this is my home now, and I don’t want to leave it. And I don’t want to leave you.” He planted a kiss on Nate’s lips, doing his best to ignore the stares of the other three.
After a moment, Sophie ran her fingers through the cool grass. “Well,” she said. “We should ask ourselves what threat he might realistically pose. He could drop a well-placed word of suspicion at the local tavern, and some ill-tempered drunk might act on it. We have to be ready for that eventuality.”
The idea made Eliot’s hairs stand on end. “I don’t want to bring trouble.”
“Eliot,” Nate said softly. “This is your home now, and you’re a part of this family. If trouble comes, we’ll get through it.”
Parker, who had been lying flat on her back in the grass, sat up. “What if he tries to hurt Eliot himself?”
Alec cleared his throat. “Well, I didn’t want to bring this up, but I’ve been working on Lucille 2.0. She’s still rough around the edges, but I could probably-”
“No,” Nate said firmly. “Absolutely not.” He cocked his head and bit his bottom lip. “Well… I suppose that could be Plan B or C. But let’s try to avoid it.”
***
That night, Eliot surprised Nate by climbing into bed with him. They did little more than kiss for a while, then fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms; but to Nate, it was more intimate than sex. It was a declaration from Eliot that he was ready to make himself vulnerable and risk letting himself fall in love.
It had taken a lot of patience and nurturing to get Eliot to that point, but Nate knew in his gut that he was still feeling scared and uncertain. He’d never had the kind of stability that other people often take for granted. Damien’s arrival, as much as it worried Nate, probably terrified Eliot and made him doubt himself.
Nate wasn’t a man given to confrontations, but considering the impact Damien Moreau was having on the life of the man he loved, he resolved to go into town and speak with him.
Once Nate arrived in the village, he stood uncertainly outside the tavern where he knew he’d find Damien and the rest of his pack. He wasn’t sure what emotion had brought him to the village to see Damien today. Maybe it was protectiveness or simple curiosity. Or maybe it was just plain jealousy. Either way, he knew he had to lay eyes on the man who had taken so much away from Eliot.
Steeling his nerve, he stepped through the doors of the tavern and nodded to Cora, the owner.
Toward the back of the tavern, Nate saw a table filled with outsiders. One of them had a commanding presence and seemed to captivate the others. Nate guessed he’d probably found Damien Moreau. He stood back and gazed at him for a moment, taking in the man’s features and demeanor. Damien was much like Eliot had described him-dark, handsome, charming. Nate took an instant dislike to him.
Clenching one hand into a fist, he strode over to the table. “Moreau?”
Damien glanced up at Nate and smiled pleasantly. “I’d ask who you are, but I can smell Eliot on you. I’m guessing you’re part of his new family. What brings you here?”
Nate glanced over his shoulder to make sure Cora was out of earshot. “We need to talk about Eliot.”
“Do we?” Damien folded his arms across his chest and leaned lazily back in his chair. “Are you here to stake your claim?”
One of the others, a thin wisp of a man with blonde hair, moved to stand up, but Damien reached out an arm to restrain him. “Not now, Chapman.” He smiled apologetically at Nate. “He has a temper, this one.”
Nate smirked and pulled a chair over so he could sit down. “I don’t have to stake a claim on him,” he said. “Eliot’s a free man.”
Damien chuckled. “Oh, I see. You love Eliot. That’s darling. Truly. What do you know about him?”
“I know more than you do.”
A flash of irritation ghosted across Damien’s face. “Hmm. Tell me,” he said. “Are you here to defend his honor? Rescue him from my clutches?”
Smug bastard, Nate thought to himself. He placed his hands palm-down on the table and pushed himself up. “I’m here to remind you that he has people who love him. And we will fight for him if we need to.”
With that, Nate turned on his heel and walked out the door. He didn’t hear Damien or the others following him, and he felt a swell of relief that their confrontation hadn’t descended into a brawl. The crowd that patronized Cora’s tavern was pretty sedate, and any kind of physical contest between a group of outsiders and the town’s batty country doctor would have attracted attention that Nate and his little family didn’t need.
As Nate climbed into his wagon, he let his mind drift to thoughts of Eliot. He didn’t know if his meeting with Damien would have any kind of impact, for good or for ill. But he did feel a sense of closure now that he’d met the man. Damien was just that, a man. In Eliot’s nightmares, he might exist as a charming, deadly monster. But in reality, he was simply a smug bastard who surrounded himself with a team of bodyguards disguised as a family.
***
Eliot spent the next few nights tossing and turning. After telling Nate about Damien, he had moved from his little pallet to Nate’s bed, and he felt a tinge of guilt every time his restlessness caused Nate to wake up from a sound sleep.
A couple of days later, Nate had admitted to Eliot that he’d gone into town to confront Damien. At first, Eliot had chided him for being reckless, and his mind had started racing with all of the things that could have gone wrong. But after he’d chewed on it for a while, he felt a wave of gratitude for Nate. He and the others had told Eliot that he wasn’t on his own anymore, but it wasn’t until he found out that Nate had gone to see Damien that Eliot really understood that.
Damien hadn’t made any further move to contact Eliot since their encounter in the village, and Eliot wasn’t sure if that was a sign that he’d accepted Eliot’s rebuff, or if he was planning some twisted form of revenge. In reality, Eliot didn’t even know if Damien was even the type to exact vengeance. All he really knew about the man was that Damien had turned him into a wolf, and he had left. He didn’t even know why Damien had done that. He was a mystery Eliot had yet to solve.
After one more sleepless night, Eliot finally decided that he’d take another trip into the village and would demand some answers from Damien. He wasn’t sure why he needed them so badly, but a part of Eliot just couldn’t let go and move on without at least knowing why Damien had given him the bite all those years ago.
When Eliot arrived in the village, he learned that Damien and the others had taken rooms upstairs from the tavern. With his stomach lurching, Eliot climbed the stairs and rapped on Damien’s door. After a moment, it flung open to reveal a slightly surprised but self-satisfied Damien Moreau.
“Well,” he said as he stepped to one side to let Eliot enter. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again. Your knight in shining armor didn’t seem terribly fond of me.”
Eliot licked his lips. “He’s a good judge of character.”
“Ouch.” Damien walked over to his bed and laid seductively across the mattress. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Did you miss me?”
“Hardly,” Eliot said. He folded his arms across his chest. “I came because I have a question.”
“I’m all ears.”
Swallowing, Eliot ran a hand through his hair. “Why did you turn me?”
Damien let out a breath. “I was a boy, and you were there. I couldn’t control the wolf.”
Eliot spat out a laugh. “That’s a bunch of bull.” He slumped back against the door. “I used to worry about losing control, but you know what? I’ve never turned anyone, and I’ve only hurt one person in my entire life. And I had no choice that time.”
“Hmm.” Damien cocked his head and gazed at Eliot. “Well, that’s a credit to you then.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you’re trying to blame something on the wolf that you did of your own free will. You invited me out there way before your transformation. You knew what you were gonna do.”
The expression on Damien’s face grew hard, and for a moment, Eliot expected him to lash out. But he didn’t. Instead, he just sat up and buried his face in his hands. “I was lonely,” he said after a while. “It was just me and my father, and he didn’t understand. I suppose I wanted a companion.”
“Then why did you leave?”
“I was frightened that I would expose myself. And when I told him what I’d done, my father panicked.” Shaking his head, Damien rose to his feet. “I was wrong, Eliot, and I’m sorry.”
Eliot gazed at Damien for a while, trying to read his face. There was something in his voice that rang of truth, and it almost made Eliot feel sorry for him. All this time, he’d seen him as a monster, but now? Now, he realized that Damien had been a scared kid, just like him.
Folding his arms across his chest, Eliot glanced down at Damien’s packed bag. “You leaving?”
“We are,” Damien said with a nod. “You’re free to come.”
“Nah.” He waved a hand through the air. “This is my home.” Before he turned and walked out the door, Eliot locked gazes with Damien. “What are you going to do?”
“My family and I are going to leave town,” he said. “If you insist on staying with these humans, so be it. But remember that I tried to do right by you.”
“I mean what are you going to do about me? Are you going to tell anyone what I am?”
Damien shook his head. “You may think me a monster, but I would never betray the connection we have. Your secret is safe with me. And Eliot? You’re free to come to me later if you change your mind.”
“I won’t,” he said. “Have a good life, Damien.”
Parker stuffed a potato into her mouth. “So it’s over?”
Eliot leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He, Parker, Nate, Sophie, and Alec were having dinner at Nate‘s cottage. It had been several days since his final meeting with Damien, and Eliot was still trying to make sense of the whole thing. “Well, he’s gone for now,” he said. “I have a feeling he might turn up again someday. The whole thing feels unfinished. Too easy.”
Alec patted him on the back. “Well, Lucille 2.0 is ready to go if you need her.”
“Alec,” Nate said firmly. “Remember what happened last time.”
Taking a sip of water, Sophie reached across the table and smacked Alec on the forearm. “Do I dare ask what happened last time?”
Nate flashed a grin and shook his head. “We usually just refer to it as The Incident and try not the think about it.”
Eliot leaned back in his chair and gazed around at his surrogate family. Being with them was calm, and it was easy. Eliot hadn’t had anything that made him feel this warm since his parents had died. Even before that, he’d never really felt secure. He and his folks had always been traveling on to the next place, and he’d never really had a home he could call his own. But now, among these people, he felt accepted, even normal.
When he was a kid, he’d stood in the square of the little village, and he’d pictured his future being filled with simplicity and stability. At the time, he hadn’t really thought it would be possible. It had just been the dream of a lonely boy who wanted something more than isolation and fear. Now here he was, and he had more than he ever could have dreamed.
After a good dinner, Sophie, Parker, and Alec got ready to leave. It was a full moon, and they knew Eliot liked to have a little down time before he transformed. He didn’t seem to feel the change as intensely as he once had. He didn’t know if it was because of the potion Nate made for him every month, or if he’d just found peace with himself. Either way, he still liked a little time to mentally prepare himself for the event. They all said their goodbyes and rode off together in Sophie’s wagon, laughing and chatting as they went.
As he watched them go, Eliot impulsively pulled Nate into a long, deep kiss. They were still working out the finer points of their relationship, but Eliot felt his love and affection for Nate grow a little more every day.
After they disengaged from the liplock, Eliot wrapped his arms loosely around Nate’s waist. “Are you going to be up tonight?”
Nate nodded. “I suspect I’ll read a while. I have new volume about fairies that I’d like to catch up on. With Parker around, the information could be vital someday.”
Eliot’s lips curved into a smile. “Would you like some company later?”
Nate arched an eyebrow. “You mean tonight? Are you saying that you’d like to come home… in wolf form?”
“Yeah,” Eliot said. He laid his head down on Nate’s shoulder. “I think it’s time I share that piece of myself with you.”
With a grin, Nate wrapped his arms around Eliot’s neck and gave him a firm embrace. “I’m honored, Eliot.”
***
After Eliot left to transform, Nate sat by the window and anxiously and waited for him to return. He was a bundle of nerves, even though he’d been urging Eliot to come to him in wolf form. He had wanted so badly to share this part of Eliot’s life with him that it never occurred to him how he might act once it finally happened. Would he be taken aback by Eliot’s appearance? Should he pet him?
When he saw Eliot bounding back toward the cottage a few minutes later, Nate hurried over and flung open the door to meet him. Eliot the wolf was beautiful and even a little regal as he stood there in the front yard, unmistakable blue eyes gazing intently at Nate. After a moment, Eliot ran forward and jumped up, his paws landing on either of Nate’s shoulders. Nate laughed in surprise and grabbed the doorframe to steady himself.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered in Eliot’s ear.
Eliot responded with a sloppy lick to Nate’s face, then he dropped back on all fours and looked quietly up at Nate.
Nate was suddenly seized with the need to be the ideal host. He stepped to one side. “Come on in,” he said. “Should we sit by the fireplace? Do you want some water? Chocolate perhaps?”
There was a brief awkward pause, then Eliot walked over to the fireplace and sat down next to Nate’s favorite lounging chair. It was far too hot out for a fire, but the chair was comfortable and it caught the light from the lantern just right and it was only a few steps away from the kitchen area in case he or Eliot wanted a snack while they were relaxing.
Relieved, Nate lowered himself into the chair and reached out a tentative hand to pet Eliot’s thick fur. Apparently pleased with Nate’s ministrations, the wolf walked around to the front of the chair and laid his head on Nate’s lap. As he smoothed out Eliot’s fur and scratched behind his ears, Nate felt himself relax.
After a few moments, Nate stopped the petting and picked up a book. “Would you like me to read to you?”
Eliot gazed at him for a full ten seconds before he reached up with powerful jaws and grasped the book with his teeth. He walked across the room and deposited the book unceremoniously onto the floor.
“No reading then,” Nate said with a grin. “What would you like to do?”
Turning his whole body toward the door, Eliot fidgeted in place.
Nodding, Nate stood up and walked toward the door. “Ah, you want to go out for the night. I suppose the house isn’t terribly entertaining while you’re in wolf form.”
Nate opened the door so Eliot could slip out, but to his surprise, Eliot bumped his nose against Nate’s wrist then nodded his head toward the outdoors. When Nate didn’t respond, he did it again, this time with a little more force.
“Oh, I see,” Nate said. “You want me to come outside with you.”
Apparently satisfied he’d communicated his desire, Eliot tore out the front door, then spun around to wait for Nate. With a grin, Nate wandered out into the balmy night and lowered himself onto an empty barrel he kept next to the cottage.
With Nate in view, Eliot took off and vaulted joyfully across the yard. He ran in circles, stopping every now and then so Nate could pet him or so he could sniff at something on the ground. Eventually, Nate noticed dots of light-fireflies, he assumed-starting to flash in the night air around them. Eliot responded by chasing them around the yard, leaping into the air as he were trying to catch them. Nate laughed out loud, thrilled at Eliot’s enthusiasm and obvious joy.
As he watched Eliot happily play with the fireflies, Nate made a mental note to check the almanac in the morning. It seemed to him that it was a bit too early for fireflies to be out. Of course, Parker would probably tell him that it wasn’t fireflies at all. It was just the fairies stopping by to welcome Eliot home.
And maybe it was.
.
Previous
~The End~
Master Post
After his near-romantic interlude with Nate, Eliot had been mortified. He’d apologized to Nate three or four times, and each time, Nate had assured him that there was no reason to feel guilty. The awkwardness had lifted a few days later, and the two men settled into a nice, soothing rhythm. It became clear to Eliot that there had been a subtle shift between them. They were no longer simply friends. And yet, Nate never tried to push Eliot to do anything he wasn’t ready to do, Instead, he took the time to cook for Eliot and ask him more questions about his background and nurture their growing relationship.
As days turned into weeks, Eliot found his connection to Nate becoming deeper every day.
A couple of months after his kiss with Nate, Eliot took the wagon into the village to do some errands. When he got there, he found the people milling around in the streets and shops, abuzz with excitement. In a village this small, a traveling salesman with a cart full of rocks could cause a flurry of activity, so it was hard to tell what was happening this time. It didn’t take long, though, for Eliot to hear talk of a caravan that had positioned itself on the outskirts of the village the night before.
The caravan he’d grown up with was hardly the only one in the area, but he always known there was a possibility that they might pull into a village where he was staying someday. The idea of seeing those people again sent chills down his spine. It’s not that he necessarily believed they’d chase him like people often did. No, it was his sense of pride and dignity that couldn’t handle seeing those people right now. They had unceremoniously turned him out for being something he hadn’t chosen to become. He had just lost his mama, and suddenly, he he’d been pitched out on his own.
Part of Eliot wanted to jump back in the wagon and tear back to Nate’s cottage. But he was here in the village on business. He’d been sent by Nate to retrieve some supplies, and Nate had never asked him to do anything before. He didn’t want to let him down. As he went from shop to shop, he kept his eyes open for familiar faces.
He had finally made it to the general store when he saw her. It was Sophie, his old friend. He felt a rush of affection for her as he remembered that she had argued to keep him with the caravan. But mostly, he felt panic. If she saw him, she might tell the others, and his anonymity in the village would be lost. He gathered what supplies he could and hurried out to the wagon, hoping that Nate wouldn’t be too disappointed in him for not finishing his errands.
As he was packing the last of the supplies into the wagon, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Sophie gazing directly at him. There was no mistaking the fact that she had seen him. He hurried back to the cottage and unloaded the supplies as quickly as possible.
Afterward, he walked over to the little pallet that had been his bed these few months, and he stared at it for a long moment. He knew he should run away before Sophie had a chance to reveal his presence to the others. The idea of leaving Nate and Alec and Parker and this little cottage that had become his home gutted him. But they had all been so kind to him, and protecting them would have to come first. He nodded. It was settled, then. He would leave.
“What are you doing?”
Eliot glanced up and saw Alec, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. Sitting down on the bed, Eliot shrugged. “None of your business.”
“There’s a caravan in town,” Alec said conversationally.
With a scowl, Eliot stretched out and wondered if ignoring Alec would make him go away. He cared for Alec, but he often felt a sense of irritation and affection for him at the same time. He wondered if that might be what having a brother felt like.
Taking a breath, Eliot rubbed his eyes, “It’s the one I used to travel with,” he said finally.
“And no, I don’t want to see them. I’m just not sure if I want to face them.”
“Nate and I wondered.” Alec walked over and sat down next to Eliot. “Do they know?”
“That I’m a werewolf? Some do.”
“How would they react if they saw you?”
Eliot bit his lip. Alec was really asking if he was bringing trouble to their house, wasn’t he? “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “They had a chance to hurt me before, but they just left me on the side of the road instead. I should probably leave, though. To be safe.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Eliot. No one wants you to leave.”
“I’m pretty sure one of them saw me, Alec. I don’t want to bring trouble.”
Alec shook his head. “Nate and I are pretty good at finding it without you.”
“Be serious.”
“Look.” Alec picked up a stray pillow and smacked Eliot in the face. “No one wants you to leave. Nate and I knew you’d probably do something all noble and self-sacrificing like this, and we already decided that you’re staying. And I know Parker feels the same way.”
“It’s my choice, Alec.”
“Then make the right one. You don’t need to spend the rest of your life running. You have a family now, and we need you. As a matter of fact,” Alec said. “I’m here, because Nate didn’t want to give you this speech himself. He’s afraid you’ll leave anyway, and he can’t handle that.”
“I don’t want to leave. I just…” He let out a breath.
“Trust us, Eliot. We have your back. If anyone messes with you, we’ll work it out.”
***
Eliot had gone back and forth in his mind about whether to leave the little cottage. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to go, because he was desperate for a home to call his own. He liked what he had here with the others, and he wanted to allow himself to believe he could keep it. He told himself he’d stay out of the village for a couple of weeks, though. There was no need to risk exposing himself further.
About a week later, Eliot was puttering around in the yard. Spring had finally come to the village, and some flowers had started to poke their way out of the soil. As he stood there with a flower pot in hand, he heard rustling behind him.
“So it was you.”
Eliot looked over his shoulder and saw Sophie standing a few feet away by the fence. She looked as beautiful as she always had.
Clearing his throat, Eliot sat the flower pot down, walked over to Sophie, and embraced her fiercely. He had to admit that he was glad to see her. There was a time when she was his only friend outside of his family. In a way, she was like a part of the family, even helping him take care of his mama when she fell ill.
“It’s good to see you, Sophie,” he said.
“Well, you shouldn’t be surprised,” She cupped his face in her hands. “I always knew we’d see each other again.”
He smiled. “Yeah, you sure said that.” Letting out a breath, Eliot swallowed. “Did you tell the others I’m here?”
“Of course not,” she said, giving him a smack the shoulder. “I wouldn’t expose you.” She walked toward the cottage and glanced around at her surroundings. “You live here then?”
“Yeah,” he said. “The doc took me in when I was sick, and I never left.” He nudged Sophie with his elbow. “Wait’ll you see who he is, Sophie.”
“It looks like a nice, peaceful place. You deserve a bit of peace.” Sophie took his hand and squeezed it. “Listen, I need to tell you something. The caravan had a visitor a few villages back.”
“Who?”
“Damien Moreau.”
Eliot felt his blood start to run cold. Damien Moreau. Ever since the night he’d turned Eliot, Damien had been a memory and an occasional nightmare. He’d lingered in Eliot’s consciousness, reminding him of unfinished business and unasked questions. Shaking his head, Eliot said, “That’s a name I’d rather not hear again. What did he want?”
“You,” she said. “He came looking for you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” She folded her arms across her chest and walked along the edge of the yard. “He spoke with everyone in the caravan, and when he saw that you weren’t there, he left. For what it’s worth, the others didn’t tell him anything about you.”
At the thought of Damien searching for him, Eliot felt like his knees might buckle, so he walked over and leaned against the weathered old white fence for support. “Thanks for giving me a heads up,” he said weakly. “So… the caravan is leaving soon?”
“They left today,” she said. “I’ve had enough of that life. It’s not where I belong anymore.”
Eliot gazed intently at Sophie. “What will you do?”
“Oh, I suppose I’ll do what I’ve always done. Tells fortunes. Or something.”
“Are you staying because of me?”
“For you and for me.” She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. “By the way,” she whispered, gesturing at the cottage. “I told you that man was your destiny.”
He stared at her, his mouth falling open in surprise. “You know?”
“Darling, I’m psychic.”
After Sophie left, Eliot sat on his bed and thought about Damien. He had told Nate weeks ago that Damien sometimes haunted his dreams. Now, though, his nightmares might well become a frightening reality. If Sophie had felt compelled to leave the caravan and to come and warn him, then the threat Damien represented might be more tangible than he’d ever dreamed.
He told himself that he had no desire to ever see Damien again, but he couldn’t deny that somewhere inside, he had a mad impulse to know more about him. He felt tied to him in way, and he couldn’t ignore that connection.
At dinner that night, he told Nate, Alec, and Parker about Sophie. But when he opened his mouth to tell them about Damien, no words come out. Even as the guilt crept up his spine, Eliot told himself that his silence was because he didn’t want to worry them.
Four days later, Eliot woke up with an itch. It was similar to the one he got close to transformations, but the full moon was still a while away. From the moment he climbed out of bed, a surge of restlessness started to nip at the back of his mind, like he’d forgotten to do something important. He felt agitated and impulsive and jumpy. When Alec asked him what was bothering him, he answered honestly that he didn’t know.
When the feeling of being caged finally got the better of him, Eliot tore out of the house and took the wagon into town. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he figured he’d know it when he saw it.
And then the scent flooded over him like a warm breeze.
Damien.
It didn’t take Eliot long to find Damien in the village’s only tavern. He was sitting at a table with two other men and a woman, and he was looking damn smug. Eliot lingered by the door and told himself to turn and leave, even though he knew full well that Damien had probably picked up his scent the moment he hit the edge of town, and he’d only track him if he left.
Summoning his nerve, he walked over to Damien’s table.
When Damien saw Eliot, he flashed a brilliant smile, stood up, and embraced him, his arms folding tightly around his former lover’s body. “Eliot, my old friend,” he said. “You came looking for me. That’s beautiful.” He leaned closer and whispered, “It means you sensed me.”
The warmth of Damien’s breath glanced against Eliot’s ear, and he felt a tug at his gut. Damien was as handsome as ever, and Eliot’s mind wandered back to nights of sweet touches and stolen kisses. “Is it really you?”
“Yes, Eliot,” Damien said. “It is really me. I’ve been looking for you for a long time.” He glanced down at his companions. “This is Eliot,” he said. “He’s a member of our family.” The others all nodded, but none of them rose or otherwise moved to greet him.
Eliot glanced around the bar, grateful that most of the honest citizens of the village were at work and not in the tavern. He narrowed his eyes at Damien. “Why are you here?”
Damien spontaneously embraced him again. “Mmm. You smell good,” he said exuberantly. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?” He led Eliot outside, and they began to stroll along the village square. “I’m here,” Damien said. “Because you belong with me. I made you into what you are, and I have a responsibility to look after you.”
Eliot squared his jaw. “You left me,” he said coldly.
“Yes, I did,” Damien’s expression grew serious. “It was a unfair of me, and I’m ashamed. But I was a boy. And since then, I’ve come to understand my duty to you. I’ve started to form a pack of others like you and me. I made Chapman-the one with light hair. The others I found wandering alone. Together, we’ve formed a family. We look after each other.”
“I don’t need them… I already have a home.”
“Eliot.” Damien grasped both his shoulders, and his face lit up with excitement. “Imagine it. You could be with your own kind. No fear. No isolation. You have experienced those things, haven’t you?”
“Of course I have.”
“Well, you don’t have to feel that way anymore. You can depend on us now.”
Eliot shoved his hands into his pockets. The idea of interacting with other wolves did excite him. Even Nate thought it was odd that he’d never spent any time with his own kind. Maybe he owed it to himself to have that experience. “We could… have dinner, I suppose. I’d like to meet some of my own kind.”
Damien laughed out loud. “Dinner. Yes, we could do that.” He grabbed Eliot’s face and planted a kiss on his lips. Eliot fought to catch his breath. The kiss was deep and sparked like a lightning storm, and Eliot couldn’t help but kiss back at first.
Then he found himself thinking of Nate and of his family back at the cottage.
“Don’t,” he snapped, pushing Damien away. “Where do you get off? You left me. You left me, and you have no right just strolling back into my life after all these years.”
“Eliot.” Damien gazed at him fondly. “You’ve gotten quite a temper. We’ll start with dinner then.”
“No. we’re not having dinner.” Eliot shook his head violently. “Are you listening to me? I have a family, and I’m not interested in yours.”
With that, he spun on his heel and started to walk away, even as he clenched his fists to hide the fact that he was trembling a bit. He walked toward the bakery, where he’d left the wagon tied to a post, and tried to ignore the fact that his lips were still tingling from Damien’s kiss.
When he reached the wagon, he found Sophie and Parker leaning against it as they chatted away. His shoulders sagged a bit as he approached them. “Ladies,” he said. “Why do I have a feeling I’m about to have uninvited passengers in my wagon?
Parker flashed a sunny smile. “I met your friend. She told me my future.”
He glanced at Sophie, who was busy looking intently at her nails. “What did she tell you?”
“That I should have a bunny as a pet instead of a fairy.” She climbed into the wagon and settled herself into the passenger seat. “You should let her tell your fortune, Eliot.”
Sophie stared into Eliot’s eyes, like she was trying to get inside his head. After a long moment, she grinned. “I predict that he’s going to take us home, so I can meet his doctor.”
***
Once they were all back at Nate’s cottage, Eliot introduced Sophie to Nate and Alec, and they all had a calm dinner. The five of them seemed to fit together like a puzzle that had just been made complete. After dinner, Nate suggested that they all go outside and enjoy the night air. As they sat on the ground and chatted, Eliot cuddled up next to Nate, getting as close as he could without sitting on him, and he kept finding reasons to reach over and touch him.
About an hour after dinner, Eliot finally spilled his guts about Damien. He felt exposed as he recounted the incident-he even told them about the kiss. But if he was planning to stay, he needed to be truthful with them. He’d spent the past fifteen years lying about one thing or another, and he couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted to let down his walls with these people.
Nate looped a comforting arm around Eliot’s shoulders. Eliot had felt him tense a bit when he’d mentioned Damien’s liplock, but since he hadn’t gotten up and left, Eliot took that as a good sign.
After a long moment, Nate finally said, “Do you think Damien will pose a problem?”
“I don’t know,” Eliot said honestly. “He says I belong with him. With his pack.”
Taking Eliot’s hand, Nate lightly kissed his knuckles. “Do you want to be with him?”
Eliot took a breath and snatched his hand away. “Are you telling me to go?”
“No,” Nate said quickly. “I’m just asking what you want. What I want is for you to stay here with me. But I don’t think many people have ever asked you what you want, and I don’t want to be another person who makes a decision for you.”
Eliot felt a rush of warmth start to spread through his body, and he took Nate’s face in his hands. “I want to stay with you,” he said. “I’m not saying that I’m not curious about the other wolves. But this is my home now, and I don’t want to leave it. And I don’t want to leave you.” He planted a kiss on Nate’s lips, doing his best to ignore the stares of the other three.
After a moment, Sophie ran her fingers through the cool grass. “Well,” she said. “We should ask ourselves what threat he might realistically pose. He could drop a well-placed word of suspicion at the local tavern, and some ill-tempered drunk might act on it. We have to be ready for that eventuality.”
The idea made Eliot’s hairs stand on end. “I don’t want to bring trouble.”
“Eliot,” Nate said softly. “This is your home now, and you’re a part of this family. If trouble comes, we’ll get through it.”
Parker, who had been lying flat on her back in the grass, sat up. “What if he tries to hurt Eliot himself?”
Alec cleared his throat. “Well, I didn’t want to bring this up, but I’ve been working on Lucille 2.0. She’s still rough around the edges, but I could probably-”
“No,” Nate said firmly. “Absolutely not.” He cocked his head and bit his bottom lip. “Well… I suppose that could be Plan B or C. But let’s try to avoid it.”
***
That night, Eliot surprised Nate by climbing into bed with him. They did little more than kiss for a while, then fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms; but to Nate, it was more intimate than sex. It was a declaration from Eliot that he was ready to make himself vulnerable and risk letting himself fall in love.
It had taken a lot of patience and nurturing to get Eliot to that point, but Nate knew in his gut that he was still feeling scared and uncertain. He’d never had the kind of stability that other people often take for granted. Damien’s arrival, as much as it worried Nate, probably terrified Eliot and made him doubt himself.
Nate wasn’t a man given to confrontations, but considering the impact Damien Moreau was having on the life of the man he loved, he resolved to go into town and speak with him.
Once Nate arrived in the village, he stood uncertainly outside the tavern where he knew he’d find Damien and the rest of his pack. He wasn’t sure what emotion had brought him to the village to see Damien today. Maybe it was protectiveness or simple curiosity. Or maybe it was just plain jealousy. Either way, he knew he had to lay eyes on the man who had taken so much away from Eliot.
Steeling his nerve, he stepped through the doors of the tavern and nodded to Cora, the owner.
Toward the back of the tavern, Nate saw a table filled with outsiders. One of them had a commanding presence and seemed to captivate the others. Nate guessed he’d probably found Damien Moreau. He stood back and gazed at him for a moment, taking in the man’s features and demeanor. Damien was much like Eliot had described him-dark, handsome, charming. Nate took an instant dislike to him.
Clenching one hand into a fist, he strode over to the table. “Moreau?”
Damien glanced up at Nate and smiled pleasantly. “I’d ask who you are, but I can smell Eliot on you. I’m guessing you’re part of his new family. What brings you here?”
Nate glanced over his shoulder to make sure Cora was out of earshot. “We need to talk about Eliot.”
“Do we?” Damien folded his arms across his chest and leaned lazily back in his chair. “Are you here to stake your claim?”
One of the others, a thin wisp of a man with blonde hair, moved to stand up, but Damien reached out an arm to restrain him. “Not now, Chapman.” He smiled apologetically at Nate. “He has a temper, this one.”
Nate smirked and pulled a chair over so he could sit down. “I don’t have to stake a claim on him,” he said. “Eliot’s a free man.”
Damien chuckled. “Oh, I see. You love Eliot. That’s darling. Truly. What do you know about him?”
“I know more than you do.”
A flash of irritation ghosted across Damien’s face. “Hmm. Tell me,” he said. “Are you here to defend his honor? Rescue him from my clutches?”
Smug bastard, Nate thought to himself. He placed his hands palm-down on the table and pushed himself up. “I’m here to remind you that he has people who love him. And we will fight for him if we need to.”
With that, Nate turned on his heel and walked out the door. He didn’t hear Damien or the others following him, and he felt a swell of relief that their confrontation hadn’t descended into a brawl. The crowd that patronized Cora’s tavern was pretty sedate, and any kind of physical contest between a group of outsiders and the town’s batty country doctor would have attracted attention that Nate and his little family didn’t need.
As Nate climbed into his wagon, he let his mind drift to thoughts of Eliot. He didn’t know if his meeting with Damien would have any kind of impact, for good or for ill. But he did feel a sense of closure now that he’d met the man. Damien was just that, a man. In Eliot’s nightmares, he might exist as a charming, deadly monster. But in reality, he was simply a smug bastard who surrounded himself with a team of bodyguards disguised as a family.
***
Eliot spent the next few nights tossing and turning. After telling Nate about Damien, he had moved from his little pallet to Nate’s bed, and he felt a tinge of guilt every time his restlessness caused Nate to wake up from a sound sleep.
A couple of days later, Nate had admitted to Eliot that he’d gone into town to confront Damien. At first, Eliot had chided him for being reckless, and his mind had started racing with all of the things that could have gone wrong. But after he’d chewed on it for a while, he felt a wave of gratitude for Nate. He and the others had told Eliot that he wasn’t on his own anymore, but it wasn’t until he found out that Nate had gone to see Damien that Eliot really understood that.
Damien hadn’t made any further move to contact Eliot since their encounter in the village, and Eliot wasn’t sure if that was a sign that he’d accepted Eliot’s rebuff, or if he was planning some twisted form of revenge. In reality, Eliot didn’t even know if Damien was even the type to exact vengeance. All he really knew about the man was that Damien had turned him into a wolf, and he had left. He didn’t even know why Damien had done that. He was a mystery Eliot had yet to solve.
After one more sleepless night, Eliot finally decided that he’d take another trip into the village and would demand some answers from Damien. He wasn’t sure why he needed them so badly, but a part of Eliot just couldn’t let go and move on without at least knowing why Damien had given him the bite all those years ago.
When Eliot arrived in the village, he learned that Damien and the others had taken rooms upstairs from the tavern. With his stomach lurching, Eliot climbed the stairs and rapped on Damien’s door. After a moment, it flung open to reveal a slightly surprised but self-satisfied Damien Moreau.
“Well,” he said as he stepped to one side to let Eliot enter. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again. Your knight in shining armor didn’t seem terribly fond of me.”
Eliot licked his lips. “He’s a good judge of character.”
“Ouch.” Damien walked over to his bed and laid seductively across the mattress. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Did you miss me?”
“Hardly,” Eliot said. He folded his arms across his chest. “I came because I have a question.”
“I’m all ears.”
Swallowing, Eliot ran a hand through his hair. “Why did you turn me?”
Damien let out a breath. “I was a boy, and you were there. I couldn’t control the wolf.”
Eliot spat out a laugh. “That’s a bunch of bull.” He slumped back against the door. “I used to worry about losing control, but you know what? I’ve never turned anyone, and I’ve only hurt one person in my entire life. And I had no choice that time.”
“Hmm.” Damien cocked his head and gazed at Eliot. “Well, that’s a credit to you then.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you’re trying to blame something on the wolf that you did of your own free will. You invited me out there way before your transformation. You knew what you were gonna do.”
The expression on Damien’s face grew hard, and for a moment, Eliot expected him to lash out. But he didn’t. Instead, he just sat up and buried his face in his hands. “I was lonely,” he said after a while. “It was just me and my father, and he didn’t understand. I suppose I wanted a companion.”
“Then why did you leave?”
“I was frightened that I would expose myself. And when I told him what I’d done, my father panicked.” Shaking his head, Damien rose to his feet. “I was wrong, Eliot, and I’m sorry.”
Eliot gazed at Damien for a while, trying to read his face. There was something in his voice that rang of truth, and it almost made Eliot feel sorry for him. All this time, he’d seen him as a monster, but now? Now, he realized that Damien had been a scared kid, just like him.
Folding his arms across his chest, Eliot glanced down at Damien’s packed bag. “You leaving?”
“We are,” Damien said with a nod. “You’re free to come.”
“Nah.” He waved a hand through the air. “This is my home.” Before he turned and walked out the door, Eliot locked gazes with Damien. “What are you going to do?”
“My family and I are going to leave town,” he said. “If you insist on staying with these humans, so be it. But remember that I tried to do right by you.”
“I mean what are you going to do about me? Are you going to tell anyone what I am?”
Damien shook his head. “You may think me a monster, but I would never betray the connection we have. Your secret is safe with me. And Eliot? You’re free to come to me later if you change your mind.”
“I won’t,” he said. “Have a good life, Damien.”
Parker stuffed a potato into her mouth. “So it’s over?”
Eliot leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He, Parker, Nate, Sophie, and Alec were having dinner at Nate‘s cottage. It had been several days since his final meeting with Damien, and Eliot was still trying to make sense of the whole thing. “Well, he’s gone for now,” he said. “I have a feeling he might turn up again someday. The whole thing feels unfinished. Too easy.”
Alec patted him on the back. “Well, Lucille 2.0 is ready to go if you need her.”
“Alec,” Nate said firmly. “Remember what happened last time.”
Taking a sip of water, Sophie reached across the table and smacked Alec on the forearm. “Do I dare ask what happened last time?”
Nate flashed a grin and shook his head. “We usually just refer to it as The Incident and try not the think about it.”
Eliot leaned back in his chair and gazed around at his surrogate family. Being with them was calm, and it was easy. Eliot hadn’t had anything that made him feel this warm since his parents had died. Even before that, he’d never really felt secure. He and his folks had always been traveling on to the next place, and he’d never really had a home he could call his own. But now, among these people, he felt accepted, even normal.
When he was a kid, he’d stood in the square of the little village, and he’d pictured his future being filled with simplicity and stability. At the time, he hadn’t really thought it would be possible. It had just been the dream of a lonely boy who wanted something more than isolation and fear. Now here he was, and he had more than he ever could have dreamed.
After a good dinner, Sophie, Parker, and Alec got ready to leave. It was a full moon, and they knew Eliot liked to have a little down time before he transformed. He didn’t seem to feel the change as intensely as he once had. He didn’t know if it was because of the potion Nate made for him every month, or if he’d just found peace with himself. Either way, he still liked a little time to mentally prepare himself for the event. They all said their goodbyes and rode off together in Sophie’s wagon, laughing and chatting as they went.
As he watched them go, Eliot impulsively pulled Nate into a long, deep kiss. They were still working out the finer points of their relationship, but Eliot felt his love and affection for Nate grow a little more every day.
After they disengaged from the liplock, Eliot wrapped his arms loosely around Nate’s waist. “Are you going to be up tonight?”
Nate nodded. “I suspect I’ll read a while. I have new volume about fairies that I’d like to catch up on. With Parker around, the information could be vital someday.”
Eliot’s lips curved into a smile. “Would you like some company later?”
Nate arched an eyebrow. “You mean tonight? Are you saying that you’d like to come home… in wolf form?”
“Yeah,” Eliot said. He laid his head down on Nate’s shoulder. “I think it’s time I share that piece of myself with you.”
With a grin, Nate wrapped his arms around Eliot’s neck and gave him a firm embrace. “I’m honored, Eliot.”
***
After Eliot left to transform, Nate sat by the window and anxiously and waited for him to return. He was a bundle of nerves, even though he’d been urging Eliot to come to him in wolf form. He had wanted so badly to share this part of Eliot’s life with him that it never occurred to him how he might act once it finally happened. Would he be taken aback by Eliot’s appearance? Should he pet him?
When he saw Eliot bounding back toward the cottage a few minutes later, Nate hurried over and flung open the door to meet him. Eliot the wolf was beautiful and even a little regal as he stood there in the front yard, unmistakable blue eyes gazing intently at Nate. After a moment, Eliot ran forward and jumped up, his paws landing on either of Nate’s shoulders. Nate laughed in surprise and grabbed the doorframe to steady himself.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered in Eliot’s ear.
Eliot responded with a sloppy lick to Nate’s face, then he dropped back on all fours and looked quietly up at Nate.
Nate was suddenly seized with the need to be the ideal host. He stepped to one side. “Come on in,” he said. “Should we sit by the fireplace? Do you want some water? Chocolate perhaps?”
There was a brief awkward pause, then Eliot walked over to the fireplace and sat down next to Nate’s favorite lounging chair. It was far too hot out for a fire, but the chair was comfortable and it caught the light from the lantern just right and it was only a few steps away from the kitchen area in case he or Eliot wanted a snack while they were relaxing.
Relieved, Nate lowered himself into the chair and reached out a tentative hand to pet Eliot’s thick fur. Apparently pleased with Nate’s ministrations, the wolf walked around to the front of the chair and laid his head on Nate’s lap. As he smoothed out Eliot’s fur and scratched behind his ears, Nate felt himself relax.
After a few moments, Nate stopped the petting and picked up a book. “Would you like me to read to you?”
Eliot gazed at him for a full ten seconds before he reached up with powerful jaws and grasped the book with his teeth. He walked across the room and deposited the book unceremoniously onto the floor.
“No reading then,” Nate said with a grin. “What would you like to do?”
Turning his whole body toward the door, Eliot fidgeted in place.
Nodding, Nate stood up and walked toward the door. “Ah, you want to go out for the night. I suppose the house isn’t terribly entertaining while you’re in wolf form.”
Nate opened the door so Eliot could slip out, but to his surprise, Eliot bumped his nose against Nate’s wrist then nodded his head toward the outdoors. When Nate didn’t respond, he did it again, this time with a little more force.
“Oh, I see,” Nate said. “You want me to come outside with you.”
Apparently satisfied he’d communicated his desire, Eliot tore out the front door, then spun around to wait for Nate. With a grin, Nate wandered out into the balmy night and lowered himself onto an empty barrel he kept next to the cottage.
With Nate in view, Eliot took off and vaulted joyfully across the yard. He ran in circles, stopping every now and then so Nate could pet him or so he could sniff at something on the ground. Eventually, Nate noticed dots of light-fireflies, he assumed-starting to flash in the night air around them. Eliot responded by chasing them around the yard, leaping into the air as he were trying to catch them. Nate laughed out loud, thrilled at Eliot’s enthusiasm and obvious joy.
As he watched Eliot happily play with the fireflies, Nate made a mental note to check the almanac in the morning. It seemed to him that it was a bit too early for fireflies to be out. Of course, Parker would probably tell him that it wasn’t fireflies at all. It was just the fairies stopping by to welcome Eliot home.
And maybe it was.
.
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~The End~