The next few days were relatively quiet. Although I felt better, I was so exhausted that I didn’t leave the bed unless I absolutely had to. Thankfully, Rashid, Abdul and Auda had sorted out the major stuff already with me, and were able to complete the build of Wufei’s house without anything else from me. (As if they hadn’t built a house for him before without my input, but whatever.)

As expected, the rest of the Pack kept their distance. Hilde and Howard kept their distance too, because they thought I was sick and didn’t want to catch whatever they thought I had. The only ones to come see me were Mariemaia, Trollé, Quinze, Heero and Trowa. No one could refuse Mariemaia anything, so I felt confident she could come and go and no one would give her a hard time about it. Trollé and Quinze kept checking on me to make sure I didn’t decide to die where I laid. (Trollé stated that she would if she were in my position, just to spite Wufei. I believed her). Heero was so guilt-ridden I couldn’t help but forgive him. When he looked at me with those big, blue, watery were-puppy eyes, I was done. I just patted him on the head and told him to go rob a bank or something, since it was obvious I would forgive the son of a bitch anything when he looked at me like that. Trowa however, behaved as if me being bedridden was an often enough occurrence and nothing to get excited about. I was so pissed about his attitude that I told him to fuck off and leave me alone. When I thought about it though, it certainly had been that way for me for the past few months. So I forgave him too. (I was currently awaiting his forgiveness for telling him to fuck off).

Wufei hadn’t been by at all.

Worse yet, I was glad about it. It was a very strange feeling. On the one hand, I loved Wufei. I still found him attractive. I believed that he was a great Packmaster who cared about the werewolves under his leadership. On the other hand, I felt… pigeonholed in our relationship. I didn’t want to break up with him; after all, all relationships have their ups and downs. I didn’t think that he would break up with me. I just felt as if I had a rude awakening, or… maybe a reality check would be a better way to phrase it. All I knew was that something in our relationship shifted, and I felt my place more firmly now than I have ever felt before.

/ You are not my equal… /

Despite how that sounded, I knew what he meant. He didn’t mean it in the sense that I was beneath him, as Hilde and Howard would have taken it had they heard him. Wufei meant it in a sense so deep with so many layers that I felt it could only be understood by another werewolf or a clairvoyant. The only way I could explain it would be to compare it to royalty. Someone who came from generations of kings tended to have the bearings of one, naturally. Someone born of low birth could do well for themselves, but doubtfully would become royalty. That person could be as smart or refined as possible, but he would always be missing that ‘thing,’ that ‘it’ factor that the kingly person would have. Wufei has that ‘it’ factor; he is the Packmaster. I could never be that, despite my own strength. I will always fall short.

I was sitting up in bed, stretching, when there was a gentle knock at my bedroom door. Before anything could be said it was pushed open by Trowa. The Alphagué leaned against the doorway with his arms and ankles crossed, eyebrow raised as he stared at me. “Are you going to stay in bed indefinitely?”

Trowa was extending an olive branch; I was going to pick it up running. “I will if I can get away with it,” I said with a smile. “But for some reason I think that my time is up.”

“It is,” he said with a slight smile of his own. Then he got serious. “Wufei wants to see you. There are some things that he needs to debrief you on.”

I pulled the blanket back. “I’ll be there in ten.”

He watched me closely as I stood. “You feel up to walking there?”

I got what he was asking. I’ve fully recovered my strength. “Yep.”

“Unescorted?”

“Yep.”

“I will wait anyway.”

I didn’t argue. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, ran my fingers through my hair, jumped into some clothes and off we went.

***

The door should’ve sounded ominous when it closed, but it didn’t. It only sounded heavy. Trowa had ushered me into Wufei’s antechamber before seeing himself out. It was only the Packmaster and myself. He sat comfortably on a large red dog pillow (I almost raised an eyebrow at the new addition) on his slightly raised dais. I stood several feet away in front of my lover, head slightly lowered so that my line of sight was at his chin rather than his eyes. Despite the fact that he was sitting, it felt as if he was still lording over me. I wasn’t angry about it. Honestly, I felt numb. I genuinely wanted to be told what to do so that I could leave and be left the hell alone.

I felt it. There was a change in the air, some kind of signal that said it was now safe for me to move. I stepped forward until I was about two feet away. I easily lowered myself to the floor, sitting with my legs crossed and eyes down. He began immediately. “We have received information from Quatre about the Hecate. They are shape-shifters from various parts of the African continent, particularly from Saudi Arabia.” I kept my shields tight. I didn’t want to leak any of my feelings. Wufei would pick up on my excitement in an instant. “Quatre has learned from various sources that images of him and you are being circulated through various shape-shifting communities to prove that Quatre has bound a wizard to him. You know what your page in the Creature Catalog says.” I nodded. “So do others, so many believe the rumors.”

He paused. It was safe for me to ask questions. “Did he find out who started those rumors?”

He gave a sharp nod. “From the one you described as the Blue Mummy.”

My rage flowed through me, sharp and hot. I was almost shaking. This bitch not only sent the Hunters after us, but the shape-shifters too?! There was going to be hell to pay. “She will die for this,” I whispered, hoarsely. For all the death she had caused, all the pain… there was no other way this could end for her.

“Yes, she will,” Wufei agreed. “But we will need to find her first. That is your task. There will come a time when Quatre will contact you when he has ahold of someone who knows her location. Get the information from them, Duo,” he leaned forward slightly, “by any means necessary.”

I understood. Wufei wanted me to do whatever I had to do to rip her identity and location from their minds. Even if it turned my mind to mush.

Something inside of me wilted and died. I sat before Wufei, and felt how his numbness matched my own. The honeymoon phase of our relationship was over. Shit had now gotten real. “I understand my task,” I said, unable to dredge up any sense of loss. I just wanted to lay down.

“Good.” It was a dismissal. I didn’t move. “Anything else?”

“A suggestion has been put forth for a moat around the house to serve as a defensive measure against enemies or invaders.” When I thought about bringing this up to Wufei, it was meant to be full of mischief and humor. Instead, my voice was devoid of any inflection. “Are we to draw plans for your approval?”

“No,” Wufei said, none of the hidden laughter in his voice like there was the first time Abdul asked for a swimming pool. “There will be no moat.”

“I shall deliver your decision.” Sensing I was still dismissed, I stood and left quietly, Trowa opening the door when he sensed I was near it. In short time I found Abdul and told him in the same cool manner that his second attempt had failed, before I made my way back home.

Stripping down to my boxers I got back into bed, laid on my back and stared at the ceiling in thought. What the fuck was happening to us? Were we fighting? Did he think the shit was settled? I didn’t see how he could think so. He wasn’t exactly happy either. What was that really? Was that domestic abuse? Was that him exerting his control over me as a fellow packmember? What should I do? Was there anything for me to do, besides run behind him and do whatever I was told to? I felt a snarl cross my face. Yes, I loved being bottom during sex but I was nobody’s bitch boy. Wufei wanted me to get shit done by any means necessary, and that was how I was going to do it. What he didn’t need to know was that it was going to be for my benefit first, and only if necessary. Meeting Wufei head on didn’t work, so it’ll be sneak attacks from here on out.

This time I smiled.

***

My eyes shot open when I heard my phone vibrate on the nightstand. Shit. I didn’t even realize I fell asleep. Looking out my bedroom window, it still seemed early. Maybe around three in the afternoon. When my phone vibrated again I almost didn’t check it. I couldn’t think of anyone who would be texting me right now. Everyone I knew was at work. Rolling over, I reached for my phone and pressed it on.

/ I will be there in five. Dress for outdoors. /

It was from Quatre. Fuck.

I didn’t waste any time. I jumped out of bed, nearly braining myself because I didn’t bother untangling my legs from the sheets. I stepped into some loose fitting black jeans, a long sleeved black shirt that had AC/DC artfully stamped onto the front, and some black biker boots. I hesitated for an instant before I shrugged into my shoulder holster and slipped my berettas into place. A lightweight jacket with a hood went over top. I thought about not bringing my knife before I decided ‘fuck it,’ and shoved an eight-inch blade into my boot. I used a hair tie to secure it around my ankle when I couldn’t find its holster. It genuinely hurt, but I knew that the one time I decided not to bring it would be the time I would need it like a mother fucker.

Right as I stood, my phone chimed again. It was from Quatre.

/ Go. Now. East. /

It was as I read that that I heard a great deal of racket coming from behind the house. Running to the kitchen, I looked out the back porch to see this beat-to-shit truck slowly drive up Wufei’s driveway. I didn’t know what it was called, but it was light blue and so rusted I could see the rust from where I was. I couldn’t imagine how bad it was up close. The truck was sputtering, kicking back, spewing smoke everywhere, had a flat tire… It held every kind of stereotype you could find for a crappy truck. I had to laugh. It was so ridiculous I couldn’t imagine this occurring naturally. Quatre had to have set this up.

Wufei had run out onto his front porch, followed by the rest of the Privileged and a good third of the Pack. The expressions on their faces as the blond shape-shifter slid out of the drivers’ seat and bowed to Wufei as if nothing was out of the ordinary dropped me to my knees in laughter. It was truly the funniest expression I had ever seen on anybody. I guess since the only ones to drive something an average person would have would be Quinze and Trollé, the rest of the Pack appeared to be horrified by Quatre’s selection. Beggars were Choosers with these bunch.

Knowing that I had to get while the gettin’ was good, I stumbled through the kitchen and out of the front of the house. I slipped into my black Dodge Charger (Deathscythe’s replacement) and put the car in neutral so that I could quietly slip away from the house. A memory of me and Hilde doing the same thing to sneak out when we were teenagers rose up as I started the car, making me a touch melancholic. I felt the sad smile stretch my face as I headed east, patiently awaiting Quatre’s next text. It took a while. When I felt my phone vibrate I pulled over to check the message.

/ 1605 N Highway 77. /

I plugged the address into my phone and jerked back in shock at the distance. Holy shit! This was going to be a haul. Shaking my head to myself, I pulled back onto the road, making my way for TX-46. I knew I would need to stop by a Walmart or something along the way, as I was not prepared for a trip like this. I also didn’t know who I would be running into, but I had a feeling that the Adze was going to be around. I was not going to be in the mood to deal with some vampiric insect until whenever the hell Quatre would finally deigned me with his presence.

Shit. The fact that I didn’t know what exactly I was getting into made me want to bring some backup of my own. Although they may be more of a hindrance than a help, I would appreciate their company all the same.

Plans made, I took the left split and got on TX-46.

***

I arrived in Ennis a few minutes after eight that evening. On the way I called Howard to let him know that I had left town unexpectedly and would give him updates when I had them, and that he couldn’t tell Wufei. He seemed both concerned at the secrecy and happy that I was doing something underhanded against the werewolf. Not asking for more, he hung up. I stopped at a Walmart on the way and picked up some drinks, snacks, blankets and changes of clothes. I also contacted my backup and they accompanied me the rest of the way to my destination, which turned out to be a Popeyes in Ennis, Texas.

Popeyes. Popeyes chicken. The food chain. That Popeyes. Because, you know, there weren’t any closer to home. Quatre had to pick a Popeyes four hours and fifty three minutes away from my house. Yeah.

“Gus Gus likes chick-en,” Gus Gus murmured as he took another bite of a chicken thigh.

“Me too Gus Gus,” I said, chomping my chicken strip in half. He was seated in the passenger seat, devouring a thigh with a small serving of coleslaw in his lap. I had my arm wrapped around the headrest of his seat as if we’ve been BFF’s forever. “Chicken is the best.” I finished the other half of my chicken strip and took a healthy swig of Dr. Pepper before turning to peer into the backseat. “Y’all want anything else?”

“More mashed potatoes,” Gob announced as he inhaled the last of the mentioned mashed potatoes. “Red beans and rice too.” Quite a few small voices agreed.

“We’ll need some more biscuits too then,” I thought out loud as I got out of the car. Several voices loudly agreed with me as I closed the door. Chuckling quietly to myself, I went back into Popeyes and made another ridiculously large order to haul back to the gnomes. The staff looked at me as if I was kidding. I wasn’t. After all, why did they think that a quart of red beans and rice was enough? Or mashed potatoes? Come on. This was Texas. We ate those sizes as snacks!

It took some creative maneuvering, but I managed to get our food to the car and distributed. It was nice, listening to the radio playing some new pop tune as we filled our bellies with good food, laughed and chatted. Hell, a few of the gnomes brought their own versions of a stout, and were getting rip-roaring drunk in the back seat. It was awesome.

So of course that was where our fun ended.

I saw the Adze first. He made sure to pace back and forth so that I could get a visual. We all did. The gnomes immediately quieted, watching him with an intensity that was honestly frightening. I didn’t know if they knew what he was, but I could tell they didn’t like it. Then he went into the restaurant and placed an order. I remained in the car, watching, as he made his way to a table by a window that faced me. He sat down and began to eat. It was only a few moments later when I saw a form flicker out of the corner of my eye. It was Quatre, changing into human form from a bird’s. He walked into Popeyes as well, placing an order and sitting at the same table as the Adze, also facing me. He made a beckoning motion with his hand. I guessed that was my cue. “Stay here guys,” I said, getting out. “I’ma leave the car running, okay?”

“Hmmm….” Echoed eerily from all of the gnomes. Gus Gus already had a Colt .45 that he appeared to have magicked into his hand, with a frown that looked even more dangerous because he was cross-eyed. Gob was standing on my console, hands on his waist and frowning as well, clearly unhappy. The rest of the gnomes were hanging off of headrests or climbing over each other, expressions all meaning business. I felt much better. They were already not having it. “Do you know the shape-shifter’s… companion?”

Wow. He said that like he smelled something bad. “I’ve had a few run-ins with him but he’s never hurt me. Why?”

“I do not know what he is, but he was birthed in the sky,” Gob explained. I nodded to show him I understood what he meant. “He is also old.” The way Gob said that was also another thing someone who wasn’t supernatural wouldn’t understand. The gnomes came into existence when the Earth’s crust cooled. For them to call something old… again, wow. “I am glad you contacted us,” he said as Quatre made another impatient motion at me. “The shape-shifter may be allied with your Pack, but right now he does not share your agenda. Use caution.” I nodded. Closing the door gently, I crossed the parking lot and shivered when I entered the air conditioned room. I felt the employees’ eyes land on me, and mentally heard their wails of surprise that I was back for more food. When I simply made my way to the table, their mental voices changed from shock to confusion to relief. The girls then started with flirty thoughts about us, the boys about the girls, and I put up a wall to tune them out.

I barely slid into my seat before Quatre started in on me. “Do you have any idea what you could have done?” He wasn’t exactly angry with me, but he wasn’t happy either.

I didn’t hesitate. “No. What could I have done?”

He breathed out slowly. He was keeping his temper. “Chimaera’s location has been a secret for millennia. I certainly wasn’t going to text it to you.”

I shrugged. “Fine. Cool. Whatever. I get it.” I leaned forward. “What’s it got to do with you though?” I glanced at his… friend. “And what’s he got to do with you?”

Quatre’s comeback was quick. “It is not any of your business.”

“I know it’s not my business. I just…” I threw my hands up. “Damn it Quat, I just want to help, okay? Why are you being like this?”

He was silent a moment, studying me. “You defied Wufei.”

I sat back, irritated. I wanted to throw something. “Yeah, and I paid for it too.”

“And yet here you are.”

This was said by the Adze. I turned to him with a frown on my face. “Yes. Here I am,” I mimicked with a snarl. “Wufei is my Packmaster and lover, but he is not my god damn keeper. I do what I want.” I turned to Quatre and decided to put it out there. He was being defensive and I couldn’t understand why. “You don’t need to hide anything from me. I’m not here to rat you out to Wufei. Hell, I don’t even know what I’d be ratting you out on.” They looked at me blankly. Guess I’d have to go there. “Look, I saw you two, okay?” The Adze looked confused, but Quatre understood right away what I meant. “I saw it in a vision. He,” I nodded in his direction, “was kneeling before you in a hotel room. You were dressed like Rai-” I chocked myself off.

The expression on his face was horrible. He looked absolutely crushed. “How do you know about Rai?” he asked in the smallest voice I have ever heard from him.

I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t… “I saw him die,” I whispered.

Quatre closed his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line. For the first time in a long time, I could feel his pain emoting to me. He was full of devastation. The Adze grabbed his shoulder and held on in comfort, lips pressed tightly together in grief. It was obvious that they cared that he was killed, although Quatre felt the loss much more keenly than the Adze. It took a moment for him to find his voice. “Who-” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “Who… who hurt him?”

“An Earth Wizard,” I said gently. “I don’t know his name. He seemed military though. Short, chubby, dark brown hair. Large glasses. British accent. Had a crew of Shifters with him.”

Quatre and the Adze looked at each other in surprise. “Don Loki?” they said, voices unsure as if in disbelief. They turned back to me. “Do you know why?” the Adze asked. Quatre appeared to be deep in thought.

I pressed my fingers to my temples. “Rai betrayed someone. At least, according to this… Don Loki.” I squeezed my eyes shut, trying hard to remember the exact wording. I couldn’t. “He was supposed to protect someone, um, two someone’s, but instead he sold them out. No one mentioned who Rai supposedly told. That was the gist of it.”

Looking up, I saw that both of them were now looking at each other absolutely horrified. “He didn’t,” the Lightening Bug said, but it was obvious he felt the opposite.

“Oh no,” Quatre murmured at last, hands rising to cover his face. “Oh no…”

“You can not stay here,” the Adze said, voice filled with genuine fear. Fear for Quatre. “You must leave now.”

“We can not jump to conclusions,” Quatre said when he uncovered his face, regaining some authority in his voice. “We have no idea what he told to whom. He did not know everything anyway. I knew he… he…” He sighed, and dropped his forehead into his hand. “I knew he was not as strong as the rest of us.”

“He did not know everything but he knew enough,” the Adze argued. Judging by Quatre’s silence, it sounded like he was right.

I had had enough. “Quat, why are we here?” I gestured to the restaurant. “There were a million Popeyes’ between home and here. You couldn’t’ve chosen one closer?”

He sighed, obviously tired. “Ennis is one of the few areas in Texas where Wufei’s influence is weak. It is beautiful, but most of the supernatural community prefer Dallas to here.” He looked at me. “When I saw your text… I was awed and horrified by what you had uncovered. I knew that if I did not do something, you would continue to dig and may stumble upon something too dangerous for you to know without me there to protect you. So I wanted to bring you someplace where we could talk without our Pack’s… interference.”

Ohhhh boy. This was not Shenlong sanctioned. I guess it was alright since I was in the wolf-house anyway. Did I want anymore problems though? No, I didn’t. I lifted my head to look into Quatre eyes… and saw how badly he was hurting. I still didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I knew that if I stuck around I would learn enough if not more. Maybe then, I could also find this Blue Mummy bitch and put an end to her.

“Also… I think you could help.” Quatre pressed his lips together again. He was afraid to ask.

I nodded. I wasn’t going to let him down. “Yeah, I think I can help too.” I spread my hands on the table. “So, are you going to let me help? Or am I gonna have to randomly text you information and possibly blow millennia-old secrets?”

He smiled. It was tired and small, but it was there. “No no, you can help. I would appreciate it.” He gestured to his ‘friend.’ “Duo, this is Third. Third is the Third in the hierarchy of the Shape-Shifters of Sandrock. Third, you know who Duo is.”

“A true pleasure,” he said. I was shocked to find that he sincerely meant it. I merely gave a short nod. He didn’t react, so I guessed that was appropriate.

Also… Third? Really?

Wait… The Shape-shifters of Sandrock! Holy shit! Rai was Third’s prince! But I saw Third bowing to Quatre, so… huh? I remembered staring at Quatre’s photo in the Creature Catalog, wondering who was he really. That feeling had never been as strong as it was now.

The blonde shape-shifter was looking me dead in my face, as if he knew the question on the tip of my tongue and was simply waiting for me to ask. I opened my mouth to put voice to the words when I felt them. They were coming in fast. They weren’t bullshitting.

They were coming to kill us.

“Incoming!” I yelled, jumping to my feet and reaching into my jacket. Third pushed Quatre down onto the floor and covered him with his body. I turned towards the staff. “Run!” They didn’t ask questions. They scattered out the back. As soon as they did Quatre turned into an owl and Third into his usual form. I got my guns out just in time for a bright orange Toyota 4Runner to come crashing into the building.

The glass shattered into round balls, seeming to shower down on me in slow motion. The lights made them sparkle like ice crystals as they fell. I couldn’t hear anything. The sound of the glass shattering was so loud, I was deaf to everything else. I could feel the kickback of the guns in my hands as I pulled the triggers, not really seeing my targets but knowing they were in the front seats. I stepped backwards with each shot I fired, seeing the shadow of whoever was behind the steering wheel jerk with every hit of a silver bullet. The passenger did the same, but otherwise both seemed to remain alive.

The Hecate. It had to be.

When I made it to the door I turned around and ran out, making sure to stay clear of Gus Gus. He was standing on the hood of my car, holding the Colt like he was born with it in his hand. He covered me as I made my way to the driver’s seat. The sound of more glass breaking as his bullets flew through the window made me throw my arms over my head. I jumped in the Charger and covered Gus Gus until he was in the passenger’s seat, before I peeled out of the parking lot in some random direction.

“Everybody okay?!” I shouted, too worked up to use my inside voice. “Anybody hit?!”

“No!” Gob yelled back. “Everyone is fine!”

“All clear!” A random gnome said. “We are not being followed!”

“The Bug is killing them,” another random gnome said. “We can slow down.”

I did as suggested and dropped down to the speed limit. After all, if I got pulled over I couldn’t even begin to imagine how the hell I would explain my guns, Gus Gus’ gun, the gnomes’ presence, an owl’s presence, and the numerous hills of chicken bones in the car to a cop. So… let’s just not. “The fuck…” I murmured to myself, pulling over and putting the car in park. I couldn’t believe this. “The fuck…”

“Purdy okay?” Gus Gus asked, petting the end of my braid with a solemn expression on his face.

I sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just agitated.” I gave a small smile. “Thanks Gus Gus.”

I raised my eyes to the rearview mirror and met the aqua blues of Quatre's. We stared at each other for a moment before I sighed and punched the hazard lights on. Might as well wait for Third. “Now what?” I asked, leaning back into my seat. With Wufei still acting an Alpha and the long drive to get to Ennis, I wasn’t keen on turning around and going back home. It seemed like today I did a whole lot of nothing. “Where do we go from here?’

He gave a resigned sigh. “Only one place to go.” He paused. “Chimaera.”

(tbc)