The Song of the Armbruster's Wolf
Chapter 1
The battle had raged for over three hours, and the rebels were not faring well. The Thalon beam of the Gabatian Empire battleship floating above the planet had destroyed the rebel land cruisers below. Smaller destroyers of the rebel's fleet were gone. Only one last aircraft carrier remained, and it was barely holding together. All rested on the brave liberation fighters approaching the massive enemy battleship. They were nimble and fast, but that was hardly enough to wage war on the battleship. Two fighter jets banked left, leaving the squadron. They dipped carefully under the detectors toward the looming ship surrounded by a phalanx of drones protecting it.

"We have only one shot at this," Derrick said as he placed his helmet visor into place. "Those rebels are out there sacrificing their lives to create a diversion. Let's not make their losses in vain."

"Are you sure this will work?" the other pilot asked.

"The weapon grid uses a single portal to shunt the heat out into space. With our wings retracted, it's just wide enough for us to gain access. We pull our wings into docked position right before we enter the portal. Once inside, we'll have four seconds before the internal self-defenses kick in. In that four seconds, we have to launch the rockets, hit our Hyperlight drives, and blast through the other side of the ship."

"Initiating Hyperlight is impossible in a confined system, let alone with wings up."

"So they say," Derrick replied. "We'll find out today if they're right. Stay focused. Let nothing distract you."

"Roger that," came the reply. All was going as planned until the wolf walked in front of the approaching battle cruiser.

"Old Wolf, you're going to get me killed," Derrick said as Will paraded in front of the battle going on in front of Derrick. The battleship fired through the wolf, but he remained unaffected by the computer simulation. The old wolf reached down and seductively stroked his cock from its sheath, allowing it to grow longer and thicker with each moment.

"The Gabatian Empire has destroyed you," the computer said.

"No," Derrick protested. "An old wolf pulling his dick out in front of me got me killed. That's very distracting, you know."

"You're the one who told the other pilot to let nothing distract you," Will replied as he leaned down into the young wolf's field of vision. "So, now that you're dead, could you please put that thing away and get ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"New Zealand," the old wolf replied. "We have a request to bring Oliver to the temple. Seems someone misses him and wants him by her side."

"The fenghuang? But why… how? She and Oliver never even met in this universe, did they?"

"That's what everyone says, but apparently that isn't the entire story," Will replied. "Whatever the case, her babies fledged last week, and it seems she's got a case of empty nest syndrome something fierce. When Genji asked what they could do for her, she said she wished to see the badger. So, the mystery unfolds by our making a trip to New Zealand. It's only a day trip. You know how Oliver can cheer anyone up."

Derrick put down his controllers. "Sure, but why are we going?"

"It seems the temple dogs get despondent when all the babies fledge as well. We're going to help ease their troubled minds."

"I have a feeling it's not their minds you're interested in," the black wolf said with a laugh.

"Maybe not," the old wolf replied. "They have an extraordinary ability to find solace through sex. And it's our job to help our fellow brothers through this trying time."

"I'm not sure we should head over there because you're horny, Old Wolf," Derrick said as he turned off the computer system. "This might come back to bite you in the butt."

"I certainly hope so," Will said as he bounced anxiously. "Come on, Pup. You've got to come. You know how much Genji loves being with you. It really would cheer him up."

"Are you sure they asked for all of us and not just Oliver?"

Will drew a cross over his chest. "I promise."

Eric walked into the game room. "And you, Old Wolf," he said, "did you get your reports done?"

Will shook his head. "I gave them to Bertrand. If he's going to be the next CEO, he ought to be up for handling the paperwork."

"That wasn't our agreement," the polar bear said as he helped the young wolf out of his chair.

"I renegotiated a better deal," the wolf said with a sly smile. He headed toward the door and stepped out into the hallway. "I have wanted to be done with that company for years. This may not be my chance to bow out completely, but if I can convince the board that I'm expendable, maybe they'll let me go. They place far too high a value on my presence there."

"Quarterly profits have consistently risen every year you are sitting at the CEO's desk, Husband," the bear said as he too stepped out into the hallway. "It's hard to argue with success."

"Profits have risen most of the years when I'm not there. Are you honestly trying to keep me tied to that chair, Old Bear?"

The polar bear turned away. "Perhaps. It gets lonely when you're not there with me."

"You don't have to be its president, Hon," the wolf said as he put out his paw to rub the bear's shoulder. "We could both retire. We promised ourselves we'd do that one day. How many hundreds of years ago was that?"

"Three hundred sixty-five years, two months, and twenty-five days," the bear responded.

"If you keep track of it that closely, it's time to quit, Hon," Derrick said as he rubbed the bear's other shoulder.

"Can we at least keep it open-ended in case we need something that only Bear Paws can cover?"

"Sure," Will said with a nod. "We don't walk away from the company entirely. But we need to have the company sound enough to deal with our absence when we decide it's time to make some kids again."

Eric looked down at Will. "You're willing to do that?"

"If you and Kris ever need to merge again, we're going to be there with you. No argument over that choice."

"Yep," Derrick agreed. "We're not sitting the next one out. We know you can take us, so you will."

"Ain't taking me," Oliver said as he walked past the group. "I'se not gonna be a rock for the rest of my life. And since you and my other husbands can't seem to synch up worth shit, I'se decided I'se gonna make my babies with them."

The polar bear tilted his head in thought. "Seems fair enough. Will you wait for us?"

The badger turned and glowered at the bear. "Damn fool bear. Of course, I'se gonna wait for you. But I'se gonna kick you every day and tell you just how much fun I'm having being banged by the rest of my husbands, so you come back as soon as you can."

Will laughed. "That seems fair, Oliver."

Oliver's foot pivoted in a circle. "And you don't go holding it against me if now and then I cry 'cause I miss you. It ain't like I ever want you to go. I just knows we gots to merge now that we's turning into Changelings. Jason, Jean Pierre, and Lothair is doing it. Anders and Lewis done it. Those of us that loves Changelings gots no choice. We gots to be there with our husbands, even if it means we're a rock for years."

Kris came walking down the hall. "Time for all good Changelings to get it together. The Red Wolf is powering up. We have some temple dogs and one very anxious dragon waiting for us in New Zealand." Oliver raised his hands toward the Kodiak and smiled. Without a moment's hesitation on the badger's meaning, the bear swooped down, snagged the little mammal, and threw him up onto his broad shoulders.

The Kodiak threw open the front door and a blast of hot Montana summer forced its way into the ranch house. "Good Lord," Kris said as the heat slammed into him. His eyes squinted at the brightness of the landscape. The whole plateau shimmered with the rising heat, causing watery mirages to flow across the landscape. "How hot can this place get?"

"It's supposed to be one hundred and twelve today," Will said as he walked by the bear and badger standing in front of the open doors. "On the plus side, we're going to New Zealand. It's winter in New Zealand and temple dogs are waiting to help warm us up in that frozen landscape."

"It's a balmy sixteen degrees at the temple, Old Wolf," Eric said as he, too, walked past the Kodiak and badger. "That's sixty-two degrees Fahrenheit for those of you who still refuse to go metric."

Derrick followed, laughing. "I will eventually learn it, I swear, Papa Bear."

Eric stopped in his tracks and waited for the black wolf to catch up with him. He put his thick, furred arm around the young wolf and pulled him in tight. "They're arbitrary measurements, Pup. Learn them or don't. I won't complain. As long as I get a few tablespoons of liquid from my favorite black wolf by the end of this trip, I'm good."

Derrick looked up at the polar bear and smiled. "That would be about sixty milliliters, then?"

"Yeah, about that much should do it," the bear replied, "at least for the first time. I might need more, depending on unforeseen factors." Eric leaned down and kissed the wolf on his lips. The kiss lingered and tongues played. The two started giggling, and the bear mumbled between the tightly pressed muzzles, "Yeah. I'm going to need a lot more than sixty milliliters."

The polar bear felt a resounding slap across his butt. "Come on, Son. Let's shake a leg… and not that one growing between your other two."

Eric looked up at the Kodiak with a badger on his shoulder walking by. "But, Dad… Pup…"

"Pup's sporting wood," the brown bear interjected. "I know. He always sports wood when you kiss him. We have a nice forty-five-minute flight. I'm sure you can attend to it in transit."

"You'se gonna take care of mine, Bear?" Oliver said, rubbing the top of the Kodiak's head. "Watching them two kissing always gets me hard."

Kris looked up at the badger on his shoulders. "It would be my pleasure, Oliver." The two made their way up the cargo bay of the Red Wolf, and Eric and Derrick followed.

The flight to the New Zealand temple went smoothly thanks to the internal stabilizers of the Red Wolf. Had it not been for them, the happily rutting animals on board would have caused it to plummet into the ocean.

As the airship dropped through the thin layer of clouds, the group saw the coastline of New Zealand in the distance. "On approach, men," Tiff said, looking back at the group. "Back in your seats, and for the safety of all, no doubling up and sitting in someone else's lap."

Will stared at the red wolf. "Are you learning to read minds like Jean Pierre?"

Tiff laughed. "You can't learn our father's gift, Old Wolf. But experience can teach us what you're thinking in pretty short order."

Will took his seat and pressed the large button on the side of the armrest. The invisible restraints pulled him in close to the seat and then relaxed. "Then experience should teach you what I hope you two boys will do to me once we land."

"I wish we could, Father," Tuff said as his hands moved the controls and the skids of the airship dropped into place. The airship maneuvered toward the landing site on the far side of the temple. "We have a date with a group of volcanologists and seismologists heading toward Mount Etna today. The Red Wolf is going to do a low-level pass and hover before the volcano slips into the ocean."

Will's cheerful demeanor changed almost immediately. "You boys are going to be safe, right?"

Tiff nodded. "We'll be fine, Father. The upgraded shields on the Red Wolf can take a hit from anything a volcano throws at it and not even flinch. Besides, the things we'll learn about Terra will be invaluable. The Red Wolf still has its scientific research mandate in place, so we're snagging our husbands and making a date out of it."

"Mount Etna is more than sitting in front of the fireplace, you two," Eric said. "You boys be careful."

"We always are, Papa," the two red wolves replied in unison. The pilots could see the waiting group of yellow dogs and dragons waiting below and began their vertical descent.

The airship touched down on the landing pad. As the family exited from the cargo ramp, the New Zealand temple dogs were there to greet them. There were hugs all around and kisses that lasted long enough that all knew which direction the day would head. Yet it was the greeting of the dragon and the badger that stopped all else as everyone turned to watch.

Like some great movie moment, the two saw each other from across the distance and their eyes locked. Oliver's smile widened, and he ran toward the fenghuang. In return, she hopped toward the badger until, at last, they met in the middle. Oliver hugged the dragon around her neck. "How's my favorite dragon in the entire world?" he asked as the dragon rubbed the side of her beak along the badger's muzzle. For two that had never met, they seemed intimately familiar with each other. Oliver paused, letting the images sort through his mind to become the ideas that created the dragon's speech.

"I'se sorry you'se hurting for your babies being gone, but you gots to know that's what babies do. They grows up on us and then they make lives of their own." Oliver's head dropped against the side of the fenghuang and he listened to the images in response. "Yeah, my babies is born all growed up. They smooshed themselves together with a bunch of other beasts. It's confusing, but I knows where they lives. Still, even with the knowing, it don't mean I don't miss them the moment they walk out the door. Ain't never gonna change for us parents who loves our kids."

The quiet returned as the fenghuang responded without a word between them. "You coulds come back to the island, Dragon. Your babies is off making babies of their own. Bring your mate. Once, a long time ago in another universe, you lived on the island. You and Dá Lóng were mates."

The dragon chortled at the thought of mating with a water dragon, but then a memory never recalled reminded her why that happened. She grew silent, and the images stopped flowing through Oliver's head. "Them was dark times, Dragon. They's somehow still inside you and me. That's why we feels the way we does for each other. We knows the good and bad of another world, and we carries it with us. You could come home with us to Partridge Island. Li Wei would watch over you like the before time. And when it all goes dark again, I could be there for you." The badger paused. "And you could be there for him. He ain't gonna make it without us, Dragon."

Why Oliver said what he said, and how the dragon responded, was a mystery to all. Oliver had a knack for blocking what the Sight showed him from others with the gift. Today Will and Derrick could tell that the conversation between the fenghuang and the badger was one he shared only between the two. Without other words between them, the badger and the dragon talked. The family did their best to let the meeting of the two play out with as much privacy as they could offer.

After an extended silence, Oliver's hand reached out and touched the fenghuang. "I had no idea you was trying to find yourself a companion, Dragon. I can't never call myself a rider like they does in those books Derrick reads. It sounds too much like what I done with horses and you ain't no horse. Don't matter what no damn book called them years ago, you're my friend. In the before time, you tolt me how I could mate with the Beast. You taught Martin how to become a cat. You'se been one of the best friends I have ever had in my life. If you want someone to be beside you, to fly with you, I would be right proud to be that one."

Oliver's eyes closed. "Zhen-Zhen? That's a beautiful name. What's it mean?" Oliver smiled at the answer. "Well, you are very precious to me, Zhen-Zhen. Does I tell the others your name?" Oliver shook his head and laughed at himself. "Of course, I didn't think about that. I can't go calling you Zhen-Zhen if I don'ts tell everyone why."

Oliver sat down by the dragon, and she lowered her head, rubbing up alongside his arm. He reached out and stroked the feathers along her neck. "Zhen-Zhen, you know I loves men, right? I want to do right by our being friends, but I ain't all that good around women. Is you sure I'se the one? There's so many other beasts out there who is so much more at ease around a lady."

The badger laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't get off the ground if any of my husbands tried to climb on your back."

Oliver laid back on the grass and looked up at the sky. "We's so much different, you and me. You belong up there. Me, I belongs here on Terra." The badger's eyes closed, and he smiled. "You's right. We don'ts have to live in each other's world. We can visit from time to time. I guess you've done that all your life with me. It's time I visited your world more often than them tiny trips we used to take to tai chi class."

Oliver pushed up on his elbows. "No, I don't gots no problem with you teaching me how. I guess it makes sense. Both of us gots to learn how to fly together. I didn't rightly think that I would need a teacher like Li Wei taught me tai chi." Oliver stood back up. Zhen-Zhen lowered her head and pushed back her wings. Oliver awkwardly tried to climb onto the dragon's back. "How's I supposed to do this?" he asked.

The fenghuang flooded his mind with the images of companions long past and Oliver saw the path. He climbed up onto the shoulder blades, slipped his legs behind the wings, and pressed tightly against the rib cage. The fenghuang's head bobbed as she accustomed herself to the extra weight. "You sure you is comfortable?" he asked the dragon.

The dragon chortled a joyful response and took two great jumps before her wings extended. As the wings flashed out, Oliver went tumbling to the ground. Zhen-Zhen's more colorful mate made a noise everyone recognized as laughter. Oliver turned and glared at the dragon. "You be careful, Dragon," the badger said. "I'se gots no problem snagging me a few tail feathers from a dragon making fun of me who ain't Zhen-Zhen."

The other fenghuang hopped over to Oliver and lowered his head to help Oliver up. As Oliver grabbed the neck, he grew silent, and the two held their position for minutes. The silence held the attention of the crowd, wondering what was happening between the two.

"You weren't there in the before time," Oliver finally whispered. "I ain't got no right to ask you to leave your home. Ain't got no right to ask neither of you to leave your home. I hope you'll forgive me. I didn't mean no disrespect. There was a time when you weren't a part of what Zhen-Zhen and I shared. You was killt by the humans, and there ain't never a time when I wants you to remember that. You gots to trust me. It ain't a world you should ever see. But Zhen-Zhen sees it. Li Wei loved and cared for her, and they was something special in my life like no others."

The quiet returned. Finally, Oliver whispered, "Daquong." All knew that Oliver had accepted the call to be a companion to another dragon. The mated pair would share a bond between two universes that only one remembered. Daquong would stay beside his mate wherever she chose to go, even if that meant leaving their New Zealand home.

Oliver looked up at the crowd. "We's gonna go home to Partridge Island. It's a small island, but Zhen-Zhen and Daquong is small dragons. One thing we gots to get clear. I don't care what no books Derrick reads, sez. Ain't never gonna be a rider, so I best not hear anyone call me that. I gots dragons who I is gonna watch over, and they is gonna watch over me. And somewhere along the line, we is gonna make ourselves the family we once was. You can calls us companions, or friends, but you ain't never gonna make them less than what they are by calling me a rider."

Genji bowed his head deferentially. "We will miss the pair, but we understand the nature of your bond and are happy for you. And what of Li Wei, Katashi, and Saand? Are they to be guardians of the dragons?"

"Yeah, they is. That ain't gonna be a problem, is it? I knows you all loves your dragons."

"No problem at all," the temple dog replied. "We have the forest dragons to watch over and so many little ones on the way. We will contact our Partridge Island brothers to tell them the good news. Stay the night with us so they can prepare a place for the dragons' arrival."

"Is we gonna be up all night?" Oliver said with a grin.

Genji smiled back. "You all have the scent of those involved in copulation. The look in your eyes speaks to the desire we know reflects in our eyes as well. It would be remiss of us to suggest sleeping this night was the only appropriate choice."

Kris laughed aloud and grabbed the temple dog into a tight hug. "Come, Dog," he said as he bit into the shoulder of the yellow beast, "let us get started now. Morning is only eighteen hours away, and I have desires that need at least that brief a time to be sated."

Genji returned the bite on the bear's shoulder. "I, too, find the time constraints frustrating, but we will make do as best we can. Come Bear. My brothers and I are at your disposal." He looked up toward the crowd in front of him and mumbled through his tightening grip on the bear's shoulder. "We are here for you all; let us not waste a moment of our time together by being coy about what we want."

The family didn't hesitate to act on Genji's words. The two fenghuang rubbed their beaks together. Even dragons yielded to the scent of the Changelings and Temple dogs. They slipped to the edge of the forest and spent their night lost in the elaborate mating dances of the winged dragons. In the morning, when the Black Rhino set down on the landing pad, all were ready to accept one last hug and kiss as a parting promise to return soon.
Chapter 2

Derrick smiled as he watched Oliver spin through the sky on the back of the fenghuang. Zhen-Zhen's dragon mate flew next to the two, moving in tandem. The three spun into an elaborate spiral. In the middle of the spiral, the badger's hands reached out, and he transferred between the dragons with an easy jump. The flight continued with Oliver on Daquong's back, and he laughed as the dragon made a comment shared only with the badger. Once more at the top of their arc, the two dragons maneuvered into a mesmerizing spiral. The two dragons grew ever closer with each spin around the other. When they came out of the tightly twisting spiral, Oliver was once more on the back of Zhen-Zhen.

"They look so good together," Derrick said as he put his arm around Will's shoulder.

"They do that, Pup," the old wolf said. "I love seeing my family smile. Have you reconsidered taking…"

"No, Old Wolf, I'm not going up. I am more than content to watch Oliver from here."

"He's going to find out about sex with Chet and the boys up in the air, you know."

"That's fine. I'm okay with that. He can take pictures."

"You're never going up?"

"It will take another reboot of the universe to get me up there, Husband."

"Okay, my love," Will said as he leaned in and kissed the black wolf. "I'll not push you on this one." The old wolf looked at the polar bear. "What about you, Old Bear?"

Eric laughed out loud. "You're never getting my fat ass up into the sky without it being inside the Red Wolf."

"Your ass is not fat," Will protested. "It's delightfully defined."

"He's right, Husband," Kris said, wrapping his arm around the polar bear. "My ass is fat. Yours is just… just exquisite."

Derrick looked at his two husband bears. "There are no fat asses in our family, you two." He shifted into his rotund human form. "Not as beasts, not as humans. No fat asses in this family, period."

Will looked at his human mate. "Damn, Pup, you are as beautiful as the day I turned you."

Derrick laughed. "I'm exactly the same as the day you turned me."

Will shifted and became the bulky, bearded human rarely seen by the rest of the world. "I still can't believe how lucky I was to meet a man so beautiful and so brave. Thank you for asking me to be your mate, Pup."

Derrick stood on his tiptoes as his husband lowered his head, and the two kissed. "Thank you for saying yes."

The two bears shifted and became human. The once brown bear now rubbed his white beard. "Thank you for saying yes, Pup. And you Will; how lucky can a man be to be mated to you two? I am without a doubt the luckiest man on this planet to have the husbands I do; including that one hopscotching mid-air between two dragons."

"We are all lucky," Eric said as he watched the fenghuangs turn and soar back toward the foursome. "Looks like we're getting him back for the day." There was a shake, and in the place of the polar bear stood a middle-aged man with graying hair and a trim beard.

Zhen-Zhen touched down and bowed her head as Oliver jumped off. He gave a quick hug to the dragon. "Thank you for a wonderful morning, Zhen-Zhen." He hugged the other dragon. "And thank you, Daquong."

"You three are beautiful together, Zhen-Zhen, Daquong," Eric said with a bow. "We hope you don't object to us taking him away from you so soon. As you can see, we're not quite ourselves today." The taller, muscular man shook his head. "Or we are ourselves, only different. Pup has been schooling us on accepting ourselves exactly the way we are."

The fenghuangs nodded their understanding. Their wings spread out, and with two hops, they were airborne, flying toward Li Wei and Katashi's home.

Oliver looked at the four naked men and shook himself into his human form. "Why's we human, Humans?"

Derrick smiled. "That would be me, Oliver. I made an official proclamation that there are no fat asses in this family, either human or beast."

"Hell, Pup," the short, hirsute chubby man said with a laugh, "I'se known that for centuries. We's only got fine asses in this family."

"So, why doesn't one of you take my fine ass to bed?" Will said. "I'm heading over to the museum and I'm not changing back to wolf until I've had every one of you men the way you are right now."

"That's fine by me," Oliver said. "I likes poking me some big man butt." Oliver's foot spun in a familiar circle. "Especially the one who taught me how."

"And I enjoy being poked," Derrick said as he grabbed Kris's hand. "Come on, Husband. Let's show them how we do it," he said with a giggle.

Kris smiled and began walking up the hill toward the museum with Derrick in hand. "You realize, Pup, turnabout will be fair play. You're already hard, and we can't leave that unattended. Oliver assures me it leads to all kinds of complications."

"It does," Oliver said emphatically. "I seen it on the Internet."

"Then we best attend to yours as well, Oliver," Eric said, extending his hand to the bearded man with scruffy long hair.

Oliver took the taller man's hand. "I loves you, Old Bear," Oliver said and then paused a moment. "No matter what way you comes at me."

"Well, today, this is the way I'm coming at you, Oliver," Eric said as he tousled Oliver's long hair. He tugged at the shorter man's hand and pulled him toward the pathway. "We're walking here, Oliver," he said as he shook the hand.

"Yeah, we is," Oliver said happily.

As the five rounded the pathway past the lighthouse, they heard a voice from above yell down, "Well, this is quite the sight. Ape suits before ten in the morning?"

The five looked up and saw the grolar bear and the white wolf looking down from the lighthouse gallery. Beside them, their son, another grolar bear, but with his colors flipped from those of his father, stood with a wide smile on his face. Eric nodded. "We're about to see how much we can push them past their limits. You're welcome to join us."

The three looked at each other and smiled. There was an eagerness in the young bear's face that betrayed his desire. His bear father wrapped his arm around the lad and pulled him close. Anders whispered something into his ear and the brown and white bear nodded. The disappointment was unmistakable on the bear's face. But the smile returned when his father whispered something else in his ear, and again he nodded his agreement.

"Not today, gentlemen," the wolf replied. "Perhaps another time. Today I sense a need for the five husbands to renew their acquaintances without the distractions of other families."

Kris waved. "You three are always a pleasant distraction, but for now, we'll wish you a good day."

"And we will wish you the same," Anders said, waving back. His son added another wave.

"Nathaniel and Max are at the hospital," Lewis yelled down from the lighthouse. "I'll alert them you've taken over their home. You should get those delightful hard-ons indoors before the first boat from the mainland arrives. I realize the humans won't see you, but you will distract any beast out there playing tour guide."

The five looked down at themselves and made a spontaneous group snicker. "He's right," Will said. "We really need to be somewhere else, doing something else besides standing here." Within moments, the garage door was opening, and the five stepped inside.

The door had scarcely shut when three temple dogs rounded the corner by the lighthouse, rocking uncomfortably. "Dogs," the voice boomed from above. Li Wei, Katashi, and Saand all looked up at the grinning bear. Anders pointed downward. "They are together for the day. My apologies to the three of you for the Kodiak. Even as Santa, his pheromones go unchecked."

"It is most distracting," Li Wei agreed. "Zhen-Zhen and Daquong are practically paralyzed in their laughter over our state."

"We'll come down, dogs. There are three of us and three of you. We can attend to your needs and let the family attend to theirs. And you can do us the favor of educating our son in the ways of controlling yourself even as you lose control. It is a lesson I enjoy learning from you every time we are together."

"There is an exceptionally sturdy oak tree on the south side of the island. If it's not too great an inconvenience for the three of you, perhaps we can begin his education there," Katashi said with a heavy sigh. "We promised Greg that we would no longer visit the battery apartments, and the repairs to our house have exceeded what he calls a reasonable budget."

The three beasts laughed and leapt from the lighthouse gallery. They hit the ground with a thud and righted themselves. "Let's see what we can do to make sure Kyle does not ban us from the southern forests as well," Lewis said as he adjusted his balls. Li Wei stared at the paw as it shifted over the sac. Lewis laughed. "They're all yours, Dog. Let's go stir up the leaves." The six dropped to all fours and ran toward the south side of the island.

The day progressed at an uncomplicated pace. Birds fled the south forest with the first branch that broke in the large oak tree. Visitors in the museum asked if there had been an earthquake at one point when the whole museum shook. Life on Partridge Island flowed as it had always done since the first day the Changeling bear and his human mate had arrived and met the badger.

Zhen-Zhen and Daquong waited patiently for their guardians to return, eager to see what new wounds the temple dogs would need to heal in the days to come. As they waited, they looked up into the evening sky and saw the burning light of a shooting star plummeting to Earth. At the last minute, it veered and headed directly toward the island. As it was about to impact the earth, the burning ball uncurled itself into a pangolin. Just as quickly, it became an otter looking about. "Ahh, it's good to be home," he said, his tail flopping about. "I wonder what the family is up to?"

Adam's head shifted. "Do we really need to be here?"

"Yes," he answered himself. "We told you this from the very beginning. This is where our family lives. This is where we return when there is a break in our schedule. And for now, it would appear that there is an extremely big break in our schedule."

Adam's nose twitched, catching the scent of sweaty humans from the museum and temple dogs intertwined with two bears and a wolf out in the forest. The scent of others on the island enjoying the same intimacies tickled his nose. "Got to love this family," he said with a laugh as he walked toward the hospital.

"No, please," Adam said as he tried to turn back toward another path.

"Nope, Adam," the otter told himself. "This is who we are. Make peace with it. Five-sixths of this family is in love with multiple individuals on this island. When we come home, you don't need to stay with us, but don't stand in our way."

"But I'm not ready."

"You mean to tell me that there's not one beast, not one Changeling you don't love?"

"I'm not sure I even understand the construct of love."

"Really, Adam?" the disbelieving otter asked.

The otter grew quiet. "I might love one. Maybe more. I guess it depends on how you define love."

"Well, tonight I define it as a fondness for the two hunky wolves working at the diner," the otter said. "Come along, Adam. We're paying our family a visit. Try to hold up your part of the conversation, okay?"

"Okay," the otter told himself. Once inside the hospital, Adam made his way to the back of the building. He pushed open the doors to the Midnight Diner. "Carl? Sorry to barge in, but the door was open," he yelled out.

A wolf with a white apron stuck his head out from behind the service counter. "Adam?" he asked.

The otter nodded yes.

"Adam!" the wolf yelled enthusiastically. "I haven't seen you since you were Marcus and Kendall. We heard the news about the merging. How's it going? I wish we could have made it, but someone had to hold down the fort, you know?" The wolf pointed toward the grill area. "Grab a stool at the counter and I'll get you a coffee. You can tell me all about your travels." He leaned back into the kitchen. "Frank, we have company. Adam is home for a visit."

"You better set aside a big hug for me," the deep bass voice boomed from within in the kitchen.

"It's waiting for you," the otter yelled out. "Comes with free kisses and a grope or two if I'm not mistaken."

The laugh from the kitchen filled the diner's intimate seating area and made Adam smile. He leaned against the counter on a stool about a foot and a half too tall for his feet to reach the floor.

Frank came out from behind the kitchen, wiping his hands on a paper towel. He stopped and stared at the otter. "So, it's true. You really merged into an otter?"

"It's true," the otter replied.

"Wow, there's a lot of very sexy men stuffed into that tiny little space, aren't there?"

"And more than a few of us can pinpoint where all your erogenous zones are, Handsome. Don't let the body fool you. We're all still here and all more than happy to see you."

"It's so good to see you too, Adam," Frank said. "We prefer newborns stay close to home for a time rather than running off. Adjusting to that new body is best shared with your family."

Adam rocked awkwardly on the stool. "There are three Changelings and two werebeasts rolled up inside me. I'm aware of the traditional approach. But I had other obligations that I couldn't postpone."

"Fair enough," Carl said as he leaned over the counter and gave the otter a kiss. "French press or what's in the coffeepot?"

"How old is the stuff in the pot?"

"We just unlocked the door, so it's fresh, but you know how I make it. You could stand up a spoon in that stuff. We need to keep everyone wide awake through the night shift. After all, that's why the diner is here. Leave the fancy grub and lattes for the commissary. This is where you come when you want something greasy and eye-popping strong."

Adam sighed. "Give me the stuff in the pot. It's been a long day."

The wolf poured the coffee into a cup and put it down in front of the otter. "Want to talk about it?"

"Oh, I'm having problems at work. It's nothing to concern yourself over. But for the time being, it appears I'm furloughed." The otter stirred the coffee watching the ripples expanding outward until they hit the edge of the cup and turned back. "But I am seeing mandatory time off as time off nonetheless. I'd rather talk about what's happening with you and the hubby."

Carl laughed. "You could come over and give us something to talk about."

Adam thought for a moment and nodded. "Actually, that sounds nice."

"Oh, my dear little otter," Carl said, shaking his head. "You really have been away too long. Nice isn't the word for what I have in mind." He put the coffeepot back on the burner. "Are those parts of Marcus inside you still fascinated by the sling?"

"Yeah, that didn't change with my shift in size," the otter said with a smile.

Frank came out from behind the kitchen and grabbed Adam in a hug that spun the otter around. The kiss that followed was a passionate one, and by the time it ended, the wolf was trying to catch his breath. "Damn, Otter," Frank said. "It's not fair that you don't need to breathe."

"You'll be grateful for that fact the next time I go down on you. Men who don't need to breathe have very little gag reflex."

The diner filled with Frank's boisterous laugh. "You said something about a grope?" he questioned as he put the otter back on his stool.

"Now or later? You wait, and the grope will be only the start."

Frank looked up reflectively. "Hmmm…" he mused. He looked at Adam. "I'll wait." He turned to Carl. "I heard something about a sling. Is there room for two more? My husband and I have nothing on the docket tonight."

"Oh, please say yes, Carl," Adam begged.

"You toss in the pangolin and that tongue we heard about for a few rounds, and you've got yourself a deal," Carl answered. He pushed up from the table and paused. "But you go on over to the museum house first, Adam. Will's there. You see him first."

Adam frowned. "They're human," he said. "You know Pup freaks out about doing things with beasts when he's human."

"Two of his sons and one of his husbands are a part of you. He'll make an exception for you, Adam. His boys went to a great deal of effort to teach him that," Carl said, putting his paw over the otter's. "You should learn that lesson as well."

"I hate to impose on them."

Frank looked at the otter. "Don't make us get all up in your face over this, Otter. There's a wolf out there who sacrificed a great deal to bring you to where you are today. He won't say why, but your absence concerns him a great deal. And that look on your face tells me you're suffering in the same way. You best not avoid him for any reason if you want to see us later tonight."

"You two don't have the Sight, do you?" Adam asked.

"Nope," Carl answered. "But we can see the look of a man who is trying to come to grips with who he is and the relationships he is struggling with. I don't know what's bothering you, Adam. But trying to avoid it by playing with us won't fix it."

"Am I that easy to read?" Adam asked.

"Yep," Carl said, nodding. "You and Will have that in common. You're both open books to those who love you." He waved to two werewolves walking into the diner and turned back to Adam. "Randy and I will be happy to do whatever you want just as soon as we know you've dealt with your family. We've got customers. Frank and I are here until four. Go see the old wolf. He loves you. Whatever brought you home, you two will work it out."

"I hope so," the otter said as he took a last swallow of coffee and put down the cup. "Thanks for the coffee and the advice," he said as he jumped off the stool.

"Both are on the house tonight, Otter," Carl said as he picked up the cup and wiped the counter.

Adam sighed. "This would all be so much easier if I were better at being Terran."

Carl's eyebrow rose. "You will explain that comment to me someday, right?"

Adam looked up at the wolf towering above him. "Yeah, yeah… I guess I have a lot of family business to attend to… including explaining myself to you."

The wolf in the apron squatted down in front of the otter. "In your own time, Adam. But remember, this family pushes to know the truth. It's how we survive. More to the point with this discussion, it's how we thrive and grow together. Secrets are never a good idea. Trust the love we have for each other. It will get you through this night and many nights to come."

Adam hugged Carl one last time. Holding tight, he whispered in the wolf's ear, "Thank you, Carl. I love you… at least I think that's what I feel. I know you mean more to me than I can find words for."

Carl pushed back and looked into the confused eyes of the otter. He smiled. "That's about the nicest thing someone has ever told me that I didn't understand. Rest assured, Otter, I love you. And I know what I'm feeling."

Adam nodded. "You will be okay if things get confused in the days to come?"

The wolf reached out his paw and gently poked the nose of the otter. "Of course, Adam. Comes with that family title we use so freely around here. You'll get used to it in time. It's very Terran; at least for beasts like us. If it's after four in the morning before you and Will sort things out, you drop by the house, okay?"

"Okay," the otter replied. He sighed and took a deep breath. "I guess it's time." He rubbed the thigh of the squatting wolf and shrugged. "I'll see you later, I hope." He turned around and walked out the diner doors.

Frank watched from behind the counter as the otter left. "We're in the middle of something we don't understand, aren't we?"

Carl stood back up. "Yep. But I have faith in this family. They'll work it out. We'll all work it out."

Frank smiled. "Yeah, we will. You go get Gavin and Trent's order and I'll get back to work."

Carl nodded and walked toward the two werewolves looking at their menus. "Gentlemen, what are you having tonight besides each other?" he asked with a grin.

Chapter 3

Outside the museum's back door, Adam hesitated. "You can do this, Otter," he said as he paced. 

"I appreciate your confidence, but it's difficult," he said, talking back and forth with himself in the way his conversations often went. "I am trying to see them as my family, too. Please, this is all so confusing to me. I thought it would be easier. I thought it would be like the first time, but I see now that a crisis brought us together. It isn't the same as it was. The longer we're together, the more I realize being a part of this family complicates everything."

The otter paused. "I made such a mess of things." He turned, walking away from the door, when he heard it creak open. The tall, stout man looked down at the otter and shifted to an Iberian wolf. Adam looked up. "Hello, William," he said shyly.

"Hello, Adam," Will replied. "The family is going to be occupied for a while. Max and Nathaniel just got home and they put on their ape suits. That redheaded doctor is pretty irresistible."

The otter nodded in agreement. "And Max?"

"Ass worth biting, you might recall. It's a family trait." Will paused a moment before he spoke. "So, where do we go, Adam? Inside to play with the family, or out for a walk to discuss what we need to?"

"I know what I would prefer."

"Me too, but we won't enjoy our time together until we get everything straightened out. Between my husbands and me, over half the men in that museum have the Sight. If we're ever going to make this work, it's in your best interest to come clean before we piece it together on our own."

Adam nodded again. "I understand that. But you need to realize this is very difficult for me."

"I get that, Adam," Will replied. "But you know I love you. We can get through any difficulty together."

"You don't really know me, William. You might think differently if you did."

"I can tell you're struggling with everyone inside you. I sense that even without the Sight. You joined some extremely powerful personalities together to make yourself, Adam. That's what you're struggling with now."

"I thought if I could add just one more… one wolf that loved them all… one wolf who understands…"

"It doesn't work that way, Adam. This is your life. You don't shift the burden to another when the tough parts of who you are come up."

"But they all love you."

"They?"

Adam fidgeted. "I might too. This is all so new. We don't… I don't…" The otter stopped. "I made such a mess of things, William. I mistook want for need. There are so many emotions I don't understand: desire, longing… love. I don't understand any of it."

"There are five men inside you that do."

Adam looked up at the wolf. "Then you realize they're all still autonomous? That none of them chose to actually merge fully with me?"

"Yeah, I figured it out. I think Derrick was aware of that even before you left. You shy ones bond so quickly. It took Oliver and me longer to see it. Those are powerful men you took inside you. Their personalities are even stronger. I imagine it's a struggle to keep them all together."

"I'm struggling to do that. I want this to work even more than they do."

"Well, they're a part of you now. What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm trying to do right by what I've done, William. But, it's new. We never merged with a species like yours before." Adam grabbed his tail and held it up against his chest like a stuffed toy. "In a universe of millions of populated worlds, we found so many that would bond with us to share their lives. But seldom in all those worlds did we find something as unique as you, William."

"That's flattering, I suppose. If it's a good thing."

"Oh, it's an excellent thing. But also a very confusing one because who and what you are is who and what I am becoming. By leaving the five in me to live out their own lives, I am becoming increasingly more like them than the other way around. There are so many contradictory feelings, so many strange tangents my mind wanders off into that make no sense. And I fear that the choices I made have hurt the ones I feel the most affinity towards."

"Affinity?"

"I am not sure I even understand the word love enough to use it to describe my feelings," Adam said as he struggled to form his next thought. "But they all love you, William. I was hoping you would merge with me to help bring us together."

"I'm afraid you'll need to figure out another way, Adam. I won't be merging with you."

"I think I've always known that, William. I guess I was desperate enough to ask, anyway."

"Not because I don't love you. And not because I don't want to be with you. You need to learn that merging with those you care about isn't always going to be the answer."

"I am learning that already, William."

"And you'll need to learn to let go of a desire when you realize it can't be."

"I'm struggling with that now; and not only my desire to merge with you, William."

"I'm not saying that I don't want a relationship with you, Adam. I do. But you need to realize that I am not the man you think I am. Nor am I the solution to your problems that you think I will be."

"But you understand so much more than I do, William."

"Granted. This is new to you. But that means sometimes you're going to have to trust the ones that love you to help you make the right choices."

"I want you to be a part of me, William. Merging is all our kind has ever known to make that happen."

"But you have merged with others who can teach you a new way to merge; a way that doesn't require you to meld them all together inside you. You need to listen to them, Adam." Will pulled the otter in close. "Come on, Handsome. Let's go for that walk."

The two had scarcely taken a step when the rear door of the museum flew open and a crowd of naked men poured out into the cool night air. "Randy called," Kris said, smiling. "He's waiting for us at the house. He said we have to get in some quality ape time before Carl gets off work. Apparently, Carl has decided he's not changing for anyone after a day at work and he expects to be playing with bears tonight."

Will smiled. "You men go on ahead. We'll catch up to you soon."

Derrick stared at Adam with a look of concern. "You two going to be okay, Adam?" he asked.

"Yes, we will be fine," the otter answered. "William is helping me adjust to my new life."

The chubby man squatted down in front of the otter. "Becoming Terran isn't easy, Adam. It took the Changelings millions of years before they made that leap. Don't you go kicking yourself for not going fast enough."

Adam smiled. "Thank you, Derrick. I will see you later tonight. I realize playing with animals makes you uncomfortable in your human form."

Derrick smiled and rubbed his rounded belly. "This old thing? I'm getting used to the idea that some men I love in my life will never be human around me. They accept me as I am no matter what I am. I will figure out a way to do the same." He leaned in and kissed the otter. "It will all work out, Adam. Don't be afraid of what you're becoming. Embrace it. Trust a chubby little guy who has been learning that for hundreds of years."

"It means letting go of so much more than I think I can, Derrick."

"Baby steps, Otter," the chubby man said as he stood up. He looked around and realized that he was alone with Will and Adam. He shook his head. "We really are a horny lot, aren't we?"

"Very," Will laughed. "Go, Pup. The family needs you."

Derrick reached up and kissed the gray wolf. "I'll see you later, Husband?"

"Count on it, Pup."

The naked man turned back to the path and raced off toward the southwest. Will's hand reached out once more for the otter. "They're going to expect you tonight as well."

"I enjoy my physical relationships with you," Adam said as he took his first steps. "Those are easy to understand. My other relationships are more confusing."

"Welcome to our world, Adam," Will said, looking down at the otter.

"What becomes of us, William? You told me what you won't become. What else is there?"

Will leaned over, put his paw on the otter's chest, and rubbed it lovingly. "Adam, in another universe, five remarkable men gave up who they were to join you. They never hesitated, they had no regret; because they understood who and what they were. Two of them, Kendal and Marcus, were very much in love. You should still feel the memory of their teeth marks on your neck from time to time. That's how much they loved each other. Kendal loved Marcus, but in the beginning, he stayed behind and waited for Marcus to return. Marcus begged him to come with him, but Kendal was confident where he was in that universe, and he led Marcus to accept his place by remaining true to who he was."

Adam shook his head. "But they're one now, William. Isn't that the destiny they were always moving toward?"

"Yes, but that's because they understand who they are in this universe. They are bound by a love that will tide them through the toughest of times. And you, my dear otter, are going to find that more important to you in the future than you can imagine. I realize it's new to you. But love isn't a pleasant add-on for putting together Terrans. It's mandatory to survive."

The old wolf tugged at the paw of the otter and resumed walking. "Marcus and Kendal are together because that's what's important to them. They're with you because the way they feel for you is equally important. Call that destiny if you will, but that destiny couldn't become reality without those two being apart first. Marcus needed to be out there developing his relationship with you," Will said, waving his hand upward. "Kendal needed to be here with the family."

The old wolf let his paw slip from the otter's and rubbed it across the otter's heart. "Kendal needed to ground the wolf that held so much power. He had to provide a home for him whenever he felt lost. Marcus had to have a home, and Kendal made sure he always knew where that home was."

"Are you saying that you're my Kendal?"

Will laughed. "No, Adam, I'm your William. If you think about it, I've already merged a long time ago. I merged with my husbands. It's not the way you merge, but I'm linked to them in ways that go beyond what even we think of as family."

Adam nodded. "That's true. I once told Derrick, the members of your family are setpoints in the universe. There is something about all of you that draws me to your side."

"And we like you by our side, Adam. But remember, I merged with a part of you buried deep inside. Marcus and Kendal are a part of you. Even more to the point, Donovan and my sons are a part of you, and that means I am as well. Only not in the way you thought it would be. I will always be here waiting for you to return. No matter where you are in this universe, you look back on this tiny speck of dust and take courage that I wait for you to come home."

"And should the circumstances change one day the way they did for Kendal and Marcus?"

"Then we'll deal with that the day it comes, the same as the two of them did. But they didn't lose a moment of the happiness and love they shared worrying about that day."

"What if it isn't so much worry as desire that motivates my wish for you and me to merge?"

"I get that, Adam. But trust me on this, you need me here by your side, not inside you." Will walked up to a bench and sat down. He patted the open space next to him.

"How can you be so sure?" the otter asked as he sat next to the wolf.

Will pushed back his cowlick, exposing the deep scar on his forehead. "Because of this, Adam. I wear it as a constant reminder of the world into which I was born and the man who sired me. There is anger buried deep in me, which I acknowledge to only a few. Only the Old Bear knows the entire story. It is not a life I can share with even those I love the most."

The otter nodded his understanding. "Your family has had a very troubled past. It's enough for me to be told the answer is no. I don't need to know the details if they make you uncomfortable."

Will snorted a laugh. "Oh, they make me very uncomfortable, Adam. But you are the only man who has ever asked me to merge with him." Will paused. "Well, I guess Kris did, but that was a more temporary merging. You're asking for something vastly different."

The otter smiled. "I understand the difference, William. It's one thing to share a rock together for a few years while you heal and your family makes a child. It's a completely different thing to merge your atoms and all you are with another. All while realizing who you are will never return in the same way again."

Will nodded. "Okay, so we agree on the difference. You're the only man in my life who asked me to do what you asked me to do. And that means you are also the only man I ever loved enough to consider saying yes to that merging. You deserve to know the reason I said no."

"That I would take you away from the family you love is enough of an answer for me. That is an issue already with those inside me. I never realized the bond to your family would be so strong."

"That is a reason, but it's not the reason," Will said. "You deserve that answer because it will frame our relationship and your expectations going forward."

"Then I would like to know the answer, William," the otter said, "because I desperately want a relationship with you going forward."

The old wolf jumped up and walked out onto the grass. The otter followed. When they both sat down, Will fell backward, looking up into the night sky. He avoided any eye contact with the otter. "I was born of rage and hate. I grew up surrounded by violence and death. And I learned at the hands of a master how to lash out against anything that defied me."

"But you're not that man. You're not your father."

"No… because I met Alexander on the field of battle and he put me on a different path. That path ended at the feet of the old bear, and those two saved me from every wrong path I followed. But who I am, and what I am, is someone I have hidden from you." The old wolf sighed, weighing whether to continue. "Adam, I have killed so many. I have seen so much of death at my hand."

"Know that whatever you say will never change my affection for you, William," the otter whispered.

Will took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It was the autumn of sixteen-sixty-seven. I was in the middle of a short skirmish they call the War of Devolution in the history books. Spain was at war with France over control of the Spanish Netherlands. It didn't matter who was fighting who. Pick a year. Pick a war. It was all the same to me. My life had blurred into one bloody battle after another.

"For me, it was choosing a side and killing everyone who wore a different uniform. I was a mercenary with a sword slicing through the enemy ranks; praying to be killed, but too afraid to take my life. I had no fear of guns and cannons. Pay me enough, and I would lead the charge. I wanted to die; I wanted it all to end. Because everywhere I turned, I saw a world as violent and unforgiving as I was.

"That was my life. That was who I was," Will said, looking straight up into the sky. He paused and his voice softened with the words that followed. "One night, after a day of fighting, I sat huddled around a campfire next to a man who seemed to hold the entire sadness of the world on his shoulders. He was the first man that ever stirred compassion in me.

"His name was Alexander Wambeke. Now there was a mouthful for an uneducated kid from Ireland. But he was so handsome, and he fascinated me. He wasn't in the war for glory or fame. He pointed out to the south. There, in the darkness, I saw the lights. There was his small farm next to a handful of other small farms. This community of six families whose only sin was to be in the middle of a war they had nothing to do with.

"He was this simple man who took up arms after he buried the bodies of his neighbors to the north. The French killed them when they tried to stop the army from looting their home. There's something about burying a child that breaks you, Adam. Burying three broke him.

"That night, he sat beside me, a part of his own private war to defend his world and the other farms in the area. They were his family. He would not let another die without being there in front of them. He had no desire to be there, but I had seen him on the battlefield. My god, he was a warrior. Nothing stood in front of him. In the three days of fighting, I saw a man become more than a man in defense of the ones he loved. I envied him because I realized the day the war ended, he would be back at his little cottage and farm, and I would be on to the next war. In the end, he would have a home and loved ones. I would have coin to help me drink away my life.

"So, we sat around that fire of ours trying to stay warm, and he told me the stories of his home and the people he loved. He was so happy that I chose to fight alongside him. He never realized he was sitting next to the devil. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I suppose. Still, all he was trying to do was keep them from destroying his little part of the world. He didn't see the monster that killed for money sitting next to him.

"The next morning, the battle began again, and by his side, we cut such a swath of death that it stunned even me. I watched him do things I had never seen another man do. He charged toward one of the six cannons on the French front lines, and the French were more than happy to fire that cannon at him. Three hundred miles a second, Adam. That ball came at him from only a hundred feet away, and he did more than dodge it. As it passed him, he gave it a shove that dropped it onto the empty field between the two armies.

"The French soldiers reloading the cannon had no time to realize what had happened. The man charging them was in their midst in seconds. They never had time to draw their weapons before he sliced through every one of them. Then, by himself, Alexander turned a cannon that took three men to move, and he pointed it toward the French front line. With one perfect shot into their line, he took out the five other cannons. He reloaded the cannon, turned it again, and pointed it toward the rear of the French army. He had no gunner's quadrant to figure out distance and trajectory. And yet, he made one expertly guided shot into the French command quarters six hundred yards away."

"Literally hoisted by their own petard," Adam said, staring into the same night sky as the old wolf.

"Exactly," Will replied. "The French army was in disarray, but even then he never slowed. He threw his sword away and rushed into the confusion with only two long knives. He was like a beast with steel claws. No one stood in front of him. They were dead before they could even load their weapons. And through it all, I was beside him; as drenched in the blood of the French as he was. I was no longer fighting to earn my pay. I was fighting to protect this man that I didn't even know. Because it mattered, Adam; because he mattered." Will grew quiet for a time and Adam never pressed him to continue. "My entire life, I wanted so desperately to think that anything mattered. And in this lowly farmer, I found what I had searched a lifetime to find."

"At the end of that day, my commander told us to set camp and in the morning we would leave in pursuit of the retreating French. All the while, diplomats were hammering out a peace treaty that they would announce only months later. How many souls have died while waiting for men who never touch the battle to decide when it will end?" Will shook his head. "It's all such a waste; a horrible, horrible waste."

For the first time, Will turned his head and looked into the eyes of the otter. "Alexander came up to me and thanked me for helping save his people. I would have cried for the irony of his gratitude. But I had long since lost my ability to cry over any of what I saw." Will fell quiet and Adam put his small hand in the wolf's paw without a word. There was no need to rush forward into a story he sensed ended somehow tragically.

"He asked me to spend the night with him in his cottage as a way of thanking me. He offered a warm home, a hearty meal, and a bed without fleas for a night. I accepted his offer. After our meal, we sat talking. I can't remember what we talked about because as I sat there in the candlelight, all I felt was that I so wanted to be him." The wolf choked back a sob. "No, I wanted to stay beside him without a war compelling my loyalty to him. I wanted to share the world he had made for himself."

"And then, he reached out and put his hand on mine. Nothing more than his touch and those tears I thought I could never shed poured from my eyes. He waited until I finally stopped, and with his napkin, he dried my tears. He stared into my eyes past all the hurt, past all the death, and he saw the wounded eight-year-old boy who stood his ground in defense of his sister. He leaned in and kissed me. He kissed me, Adam. A demon sat in front of him and kissed him. How could he do such a thing? How could he love something so unlovable? And then he kissed me again, and I realized I was kissing him back. That night, a simple farmer brought me home and changed my life forever."

"Was he…" the otter asked.

"The werewolf who turned me?" Will responded before Adam finished the question. "Yes. The next day, after spending the night in his bed, I watched the army leave. I couldn't follow them. All he did that night was hold me, Adam. He simply held me, and I knew I couldn't leave him. The army would march on without me. The wars would never end, the humans would never stop dying, and they would never stop killing. But there in the fields of the Spanish Netherlands, I found my first reason for living.

"It was two years later that he told me what he was. Every month, I would wait during the full moon for him to return home. You can't imagine how much I wanted to follow him when he walked out the door. But he made me promise not to, and I never understood why being true to my word was so important to me when he was near.

"One night we lay naked in bed, as we had done every night since the first. He told me where he went and what he became. I admit I laughed when he told me. Then it dawned on me. It was the full moon, and he had stayed home with me. He stood up, and I sat on the side of the bed watching him as he transformed into the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. I am an Iberian wolf, just as my husband was."

"Your husband?" Adam said, rolling over and looking at the wolf.

"My husband," Will repeated. "I thought were going to be mated forever. I never realized we only mated for life." Will grew quiet as he sat up on the grass. Adam sat up beside him and once more placed his hand on the wolf's paw and waited. "Nearly fourteen years, Adam," Will eventually said through his tears. "Thirteen years, nine months, twenty-two days, eight hours, and fifteen minutes. That moment haunts me to this day. I was making him breakfast when I heard his scream. I rushed out to see what had happened and found his burning clothes in the field with only ash where his body once was."

Adam pressed the paw of the wolf tightly. "I'm so sorry, William."

"I deserved to die that day, Adam. I had killed so many for so many misguided reasons; but not Alexander. He only killed to protect those he loved. Alexander never attacked; he defended. It should have been me. When I was in battle, I was as vicious and relentless as the Children of the Night. I've killed more humans than most of those monsters.

"But the day he asked me to be his mate, Alexander made me promise I would never kill again except to save the life of an innocent. Even before he turned me, he was teaching me the ways of the Were Nation." Will shook his head and laughed. "All I knew was that the man I loved was asking me to turn from everything I had been. And I did it, Adam. I made that promise because I wanted to be by him, and I knew I couldn't be beside him if I didn't turn from the human I was to become the werewolf I wanted to be. We mated under the first full moon after he proposed. The night that I was born a wolf, I believed that the man of my past died; and that the wolf I became would never kill. Fourteen years later, on August eighteenth, at eight fifteen in the morning, it all ended. An Armbruster's wolf I never met launched a wave of energy that killed my husband, along with all the Children of the Night."

The two sat quietly with no words spoken until at last the otter whispered, "We hurt… we all hurt so bad. I feel them all, William. Donovan is so sorry."

"You tell that wolf, I never loved him more than the day I realized how much he sacrificed to save my people. Alexander would have done the same. Oliver was right. We needed Donovan to tell us what he did. I needed to understand why Alexander died. I needed to know there was a greater purpose to it all."

"It still hurts."

Will put his arm around the otter. "Yeah… it still hurts. His name is on row three, line four of the memorial. I find it difficult to visit, but I try. Eric is always there on August eighteenth to help me place flowers on the memorial. He's my rock when I can't be."

"I sense this isn't the end of your story, William."

"No, Adam, it's not. There's more before we reach the reason I said no."

"Then know we all listen, and when we are one, I will not forget, nor will I ever question again."

"Fair enough," Will said as he dried his eyes with the back of his paw. "We all have different ways of grieving when a loved one dies, and as approaches go, I chose one of the worst. I dulled the pain. Some drink and some do drugs; I chose hedonism in all its forms, but mostly, I chose sex. It drowned out the voices of the Sight that came flooding back into my head the day Alexander died. Sex pushed back the pain for a few moments. As a man who made a living off the wars of the humans, I knew where to find men starved for any kind of friendly touch. I followed the wars.

"Lonely men are easy prey, and I became a predator. I got what I wanted from the men and while I had it, it dulled the ache enough so that I could live out another day. Same wars; same desire to die. Only with a different approach to the battles. I promised Alexander I wouldn't kill, and I kept my word. But I was more than willing to profit from the human's propensity for killing to quiet my agony."

"Well, you developed a skill set that many envy," the otter said, smiling.

Will reached out and hugged the otter. "God, I love you, Adam. Even at my worst, you seem to find something redeeming in me."

"It's who I am, William."

"Yeah. That's one reason why I love you."

"So, your hedonism?"

"It went unchecked pretty much right up to the day I met the old bear. Not since Alexander had I met a man who moved me the way Eric did. And I had been with other werewolves, so it wasn't the beast that made me stop long enough to remember what it felt like to be in love. Through all those wars by Eric's side, I realized what I was before I met Alexander: all rage and anger lashing out against the world that hurt me. A cog in an endless machine of replaceable cogs performing for the powerful."

"But you are so much more than that, William," the otter interjected.

"If I am, you have Eric to thank for that. Beside him, I felt alive again. Sex became something meaningful again. I remembered what it was like to make love, and the substitute I had been using paled in comparison. But more than that, we were there in the middle of war doing something I never imagined possible. We were saving lives instead of taking them. The old bear saved me, Adam. He took this broken old wolf and helped heal me by forcing me to help heal others."

"He is a remarkable man."

"He is that. As is my Kodiak husband. And here is where our story nears its conclusion. Despite everything I learned over the centuries, there is a part of me that still lies deep inside. It manifested itself on the Night of Blinding when I threw the soldier who shot me. It's seems that Kris brought him back from the dead, but at that moment, I didn't care. He had tried to kill my alpha. That assault would not go unpunished. And when you told me to kill the Shumuuluud, the only thing that crossed my mind was: how many could I take out before they took me?"

"I doubt those feelings are unique to you under the circumstances."

"No, but they are unique to my upbringing. And they lie so deep inside me that when they surface, there is no holding them back."

"You were protecting your family," the otter protested.

"Yes, and that alone kept me true to the promise I made to the man I loved. But, you push me far enough, I will kill, and I will do it without regret or remorse. You have seen me do that in battles with you."

The otter shook his head. "Again, I doubt that's unique to you."

"You threw me into the fight to hold the Shumuuluud back until you could do something far less violent. Your weapon of last choice wasn't to kill everything in your path. It was mine."

"You would be a part of the whole, William. When we are one, the options you might choose would be only one of many we consider."

"Do you think that's what the Shumuuluud thought when they became one of you? Do you think their dark side would never have manifested if they had discussed it a bit more?"

"You know?"

"Derrick isn't the only one with the Sight trying to figure things out, Adam. I said no because you can't risk what I might make you become. There is no darkness in the souls of the men your share your body with. There is in me."

The otter rubbed the leg of the wolf. "Oliver once told me you always heal from a broken heart, that you are fearless in love."

Will laughed uncomfortably. "That's because he loves me. He sees me at my best and I try so hard to be that man for him. I need him beside me, Adam. I need them all. They keep me grounded, and you've seen what happens when they're not there beside me. The Shumuuluud saw me without them by my side, and for billions of them, it was the last thing they saw."

The otter wrapped his arms around the wolf. "I agree with Oliver. You are fearless. But I also agree with you. You need your family by your side. They keep the darkness at bay. Strange how Donovan helps me understand that feeling all too well."

"I miss him, Adam. I hope he knows how much I love him."

"You forgave him a sin he thought unforgivable, William. He never understood until tonight the full cost to his family. Even I am amazed at how easily you embraced the wolf who so desperately wanted to be loved."

"We all deserve a chance at forgiveness, Adam; especially Donovan. No one should ever ask another to make the choices he had to make. I'm glad I could share in his life. I hope he was as happy with that choice as I was."

"He was, William." The otter put his hand under his chin in thought. "So what do you think my best course of action to keep you in my life is if I don't merge with you?"

"Leave me here, Adam. Let me be one of those you come home to. Let me be where you turn when you need to hear another voice besides those of your coworkers."

Adam laughed. "They're not coworkers, William."

"Well, whatever you call each other," the old wolf said, flailing his hands. "What I'm saying, Adam, is I can't be a part of what makes you strong in here…" the wolf said, tapping the otter's chest. "But I can help keep you strong here." Will thumped the ground he sat on. "We are stronger when we realize where our home is. Leave me here. Know that you always have a home you can return to. Let me be who I can be, my weaknesses and all. Don't make me a part of what might destroy you one day."

"So, are we talking about an ongoing physical relationship?"

"Of course. I love you. Is that going to be a problem?"

"I get horny out there all alone."

"We have family, Adam. I come with attachments. I call them husbands, but you can call them play toys if you like."

"I don't want to objectify your husbands, William."

"It's okay. They married me. They're used to it."

Adam laughed. "Is it any wonder I am drawn to you? I am seriously considering your counteroffer to my offer, William." Adam grew quiet. "The Sight has already told you, hasn't it?"

Will put his arm around the otter. "Yeah, it's okay, Adam. I love Marcus. I'm happy for him. But the moment I heard his voice again in this universe, I knew he belonged with Kendal. I have memories of another world, but the world they share here is the one they deserve for all their sacrifice. They belong together."

"They still both love you deeply. It is very confusing to be me, William."

"I imagine so. Sorting out the feelings of five men and your own can't be easy."

"I'm struggling with exactly what it means to be in love."

Will leaned back. "You've been alive for only a few months, Adam. Go easy on yourself."

"I've been alive for millions of years, William. What I am didn't come to be when I appeared in your reality. I existed for eons before then."

"Okay, I'm confused. I guess you have every right to be."

"William. Have you ever loved someone so much that you couldn't stand to watch them walk away?"

"Yeah, lots of times. I call them husbands."

"What if being a husband wasn't an option? What if he doesn't love you?"

Will was quiet for a time, thinking. "Walk away from him, Adam. Don't hold on. You do, and it will destroy you both."

"I was afraid you would say that."

"You know what I find helps when making those tough choices?"

"No, what, William?"

"Sex with my family. Lots and lots of sex."

Adam laughed. "Is that your answer to everything, William?"

"Pretty much if I can get away with it." The old wolf reached over and picked up the otter. He placed him in his lap and kissed him. "Adam, you have a family that loves you here. Remember what I said about you needing a home? This is that home. There is something to be said about sex with the ones you love. It teaches you what it feels like to be one with someone. It also helps you realize what it feels like when someone doesn't love you. It helps teach you to let go of desires and dreams that can never be and embrace all the ones that can. Let's head to Carl and Randy's place and spend some quality time with our family. I may not merge with you the way you want, but I sure can merge with you for a few days the way Terrans have done since the beginning of life on this planet. And so can my family… our family. Let us teach you what love feels like. And then you decide what to do with those feelings you have for him."

"There is so much for me to think about, William."

"We've dealt with enough tonight, Adam. Let it wait for another day. Come play with our family. Be an otter for tonight. Tomorrow you will see things more clearly."

The otter tugged at the wolf's paw. "Let's go before Randy gets Kris onto that inversion table. I have a suggestion for the two of you that might create a reputation for me equal to yours."

Will laughed as he stood up and extended his paw to the otter. Adam grabbed the paw, and let the old wolf pull him into a kiss. "Are we walking hand in hand, or are you on my shoulders?" Will asked.

"I can do that? I can ride on your shoulders?"

"Sure. I offer that to every beast I meet under five feet."

"I am almost seven feet, William."

"But a third of you is tail. I don't count tail."

The otter stopped. "I would very much like to ride on your shoulders."

Will reached down and pulled Adam up. A quick flip placed the otter on his shoulders. As the two passed the helipad, Will leaned back. "Adam, is that your hard-on pressing up against my neck?"

"Yes," the otter replied. "I thought that all the beasts under five feet have one when you carry them this way."

"That is true," Will said. "That is true." They crested the hill and walked toward the coast and the home of Carl and Randy.

Chapter 4
  
Morning found the family strewn across the south beach in configurations that even those who were a part of it would find difficult to unravel. The pangolin slowly retracted his tongue that lay on the chest of the badger. Oliver giggled as it moved over his nipple. "More, Adam," he snickered. "If you'se gonna drag that tongue over me, at least let me enjoy it."
 
Adam smiled, working the two nipples at the same time with his tongue. Oliver sighed. "Okay, you wins, Adam. I likes both your beasts."
 
"And they both like you," Adam said as his tongue slipped back into his head and he became the otter.
 
Oliver looked around him. "How the heck did we gets here?"
 
"Randy said we should all go swimming in the ocean to clean up. I sort of took you here."
 
Oliver nodded as he remembered. "That's right. Couldn't remember running down no ramp." The badger's face took on an air of seriousness. "Adam, can I asks you something in private?"
 
"Sure, Oliver, I can keep them all asleep until we're done here."
 
Oliver stood up. "You can do that?"
 
"Yeah. That's not too creepy, is it?"
 
"I guess not this time. Just don't go telling me if you does it to me, okay?"
 
"I promise. No one will ever learn if they stay asleep because of me." There was a silence between the two. "It's okay if I wake you guys up, though, right?"
 
"Does it involve that tongue of yours?"
 
"Or my mouth and tail if I'm an otter."
 
"Yeah, Adam, I'm pretty sure we's all gonna be good with that."
 
Adam rolled over and kissed the badger. "Are we walking, Oliver?"
 
Oliver laughed and crawled over the intertwined bodies. "Yeah, we's walking."
 
The two began their walk along the beach, listening to the waves and seabirds. Finally, Oliver spoke. "You once said the pup and I would be the head of that damn robot, and I guess you was right, 'cause we hold the memories of our family. But you also said Donovan was gonna be beside Will. That weren't right. It was Nathaniel that were by the old wolf's side in that battle. Donovan was… well… he became you."
 
Adam nodded his head in agreement. "That's true. If I tell you the Sight's not the most perfect forecaster of the future, you'll accept that, right?"
 
"Probably not, Otter," Oliver said, shaking his head. "I gots the Sight too, and one thing it don't fail on is telling us when we's lying to each other."
 
Adam laughed. "Damn." His right foot drew a little circle in the sand. He stared at his foot. "You're aware that I got that from you, right? Or at least I got it from your sons. I can't help it. I see your family and it makes that little circle."
 
"You gets used to it," Oliver said with a smile. "Ain't nobody but Martin who notices it, and he thinks it's funny."
 
Adam laughed again. "They all see it, Oliver. They just never mention it for fear you'll stop if you figure that out."
 
"I can'ts stop it. I've tried."
 
"Me either. Guess we'll have to make peace with it."
 
"So," Oliver pressed, "Where's Donovan gonna stand by Will in a fight?"
 
"Down the line, Oliver," Adam said. "Like you, I see things in snippets. Brief glimpses of what's ahead. I can't tell you when or where they will battle side by side, but the outcome will change the universe in ways I can't see or understand." The otter paused. "There is so much that is happening that I can't understand. Donovan is in me. So many of your family are in me. It's not turning out the way I thought it would. It's not turning out the way any of us thought it would."
 
"You's still all there?"
 
"Yeah, and they won't leave me alone until I make some promises to them."
 
Oliver laughed. "Serves you right, bastard otter. Taking all them bodies and slamming them together."
 
Adam nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it serves me right." Adam jumped up onto a driftwood log. "It's funny, Oliver. I thought I wanted to control the merging, the same as the Order. But when they started talking to me, I realized they were my family. They're the ones I take with me everywhere. I thought we would merge into one being, but I'm okay with the way most things are happening."
 
"You knows, we's pretty much one in my family too. We gots our separate bodies and all, but we think and act like we's one on most days."
 
"That's why I'm comfortable with it overall, Oliver. Your whole family has always been so many bodies trying to become one soul. I'm so many souls trying to become one body. We're working toward much the same goal from different sides."
 
"We misses our husband and our boys, Adam."
 
"I realize that. That's why I told you about the future; the day William would fight beside Donovan."
 
"It ain't happened yet? We got something more fucked up than them shiny things eating our eyeballs out in the future?"
 
Adam laughed. "I hope not." Oliver jumped up on the log next to the otter and Adam leaned in for a kiss. When the kiss ended, Adam pulled Oliver close in a sideways hug. "Donovan and William will fight beside each other during a pivotal point in all our lives. I see them beside each other and it will change everything. Donovan is so strong. Marcus and I needed that strength to do what we had to do in another universe. I thought I still needed that strength, Oliver."
 
"I understands that."
 
"But I was wrong." Adam took a deep breath. "I don't really need him by my side. Not the way things are now."
 
"Is you saying…"
 
"One day he'll come home, Oliver. He's not happy where he is. I'm struggling with that. But he will come home one day. It's the way of your family."
 
"And what's about you, Adam? Does you know where your home is?"
 
"I see images of home from the men inside me. Of all those men, Donovan is the strongest and presses the most for me to stay beside the ones he loves. By your side, Oliver. By Eric and Kris, and by Derrick and William. He pushes me to stay beside all those he calls Husband. And because I don't have a home, Oliver, I stay here next to you, hoping it will make him happy. And because one day I hope the man I love will see me."
 
Adam sighed and picked at a piece of bark on the driftwood. "Marcus loves William, but in this world, he was never in love with William. William knows that too." Adam laughed and shook his head. "William was like a mentor with benefits. He taught Marcus so much. He helped make him strong. But when Marcus met Kendal, he realized the difference between loving a family member and loving a mate. The two of them are so happy together. They're melding into one, and I doubt they will ever need to leave this body to be totally fulfilled.
 
"The twins have each other. They're crazy together and they brighten up our lives to no end. They push me to do things I would never do. Raymond and Samuel are actually quite happy merging closer together. It reminds them of their childhood inside the chrysalis with their fathers. In time, both couples will have no problem becoming one. I suspect even if they merge inside me, they'll never lose their individual identities. They'll always be two wonderful, happy couples in love with each other, completely content to live out their lives in me. And I will be so much stronger, braver, and wiser because they are a part of me." 
 
Adam let out a long sigh. "Only Donovan and I are alone, hoping one day to come home to those who love them. Donovan has a home that he sees as something outside of this body. Of the six of us, only he hopes for a day when he is free to return to the ones he loves, and I can't deny any of those inside me what they hope for most."
 
"His family is all here, Adam," Oliver said. "It's hard to leave family when you realize you found it." 
 
"I get what you mean, Oliver. There are days when I want to bite your neck so bad."
 
Oliver looked at the otter. "Why me, Adam? Ain't I gots enough husbands to worry about?"
 
Adam threw his hands up into the air. "I don't know, Oliver. Why do you love the old wolf, or Kris, or Pup? Couldn't you stop at Nathaniel and Max? Why did you let your heart open up to Martin and Chipo, or Eric and Donovan?" Adam sighed. "It's not only you, Oliver. It's all of you. I want so desperately to feel that connection you enjoy with your husbands. I want the teeth of a man buried into my neck that tells me I'm the one he will stand by forever.
 
"And I get so confused. I think if I can find that one neck to bite, it will all be so different. And I stand here by you all, and I realize how much fun I have by your side and how good it feels to be near you."
 
Adam let out a long sigh. "I say to myself, yeah, I can grow into this the same way those inside of me are growing together. If I can bite the neck of one of my family, perhaps one day I'll have those feelings. There's a possibility they'll grow inside me. It's not totally unfeasible that I'll learn what it means to love someone.
 
"I'm too new at this, Oliver. You all make me feel things I've never felt before. I am not dealing well with them because I can't seem to tell the difference between those feelings I have for each of you. I am going to make mistakes and I'm going to hurt the ones I care about most by trying to hold onto what I can't have."
 
Oliver put his paw on the otter's. "Love ain't easy, Adam. It's the hardest thing we gots in our life. That's why it makes us so happy when we gets it right. You ain't got no difficulty with us. We gets how much you loves us. And you're right… it's gonna grow, and we's gonna get closer. But that ain't what's confusing you, is it?"
 
Adam shook his head. "No, that's not my problem. The feelings I have are all new to me. Terrans possess an emotional range that is extremely difficult to navigate. Do you have any idea how close your ideas of love and hate are? Do you realize how easily you confuse them and swap back and forth between them? I love you all, or at least I think it's love. But I realize that there is one man I might be in love with."
 
Adam looked out at the ocean. "Why did you have to love Donovan, Oliver? What chance does a guy have when he looks out and sees a little badger who is clan; a badger who saved him from death by singing to him? You, more than any other husband, helped him be at peace with himself. What chance do I have, damn it?" Adam's face dropped into his hands and Oliver heard the sobbing. 
 
A flash of recognition came over Oliver. "You's in love with Donovan, ain't you?"
 
"If I understand the concept. When he sees your face in the morning, I see him. I feel every emotion, every touch he shares with you through my fingers. I love him, Oliver. At least I think it's love. Why can't he love me the way he loves you? Why can't he love me the way he loves all of you?

"And I hurt. I hurt so badly when I realize that I'm his warden in a prison that keeps him from you. The man I love must hate me, Oliver. He wants nothing more than to be rid of the chains I bound him with." The otter looked up with tears in his eyes. "Forgive me, Oliver, but I can't let him go, even when every part of me cries out to honor what he did and let him return to your side."
 
"Has you told him, Adam?"
 
"What do I tell him? 'Hey, your jailer loves you. Do you think maybe we could get together and merge a bit?' What do you think the answer is going to be?"
 
"I don'ts know, Adam. But you gots to tell him."
 
"I can't, Oliver. I can't."
 
Oliver reached over and pulled Adam into him. He held the shaking otter tightly and whispered. "Tells him, Adam. Tells him the way you told me. Don'ts you hold nothing back from him. He's already heard it the same as everyone else in your head has heard it. But he needs to hear it from you, face-to-face. You gots to be fearless, Adam. You gots to risk it all or nothin' good will ever come of this."
 
"I can't…"
 
"You gots to, Adam," Oliver pushed. "You tell him, and you understand that no matter what he sez, you has a family here that loves you. We ain't never leaving you. If he's mad at you 'cause of what you done, then we deals with that as a family. But you don't walk away from this. Think about what them temple dogs taught you. You're fighting for the one you love. You don't never back down from a fight until it's over. Win or lose, Otter. You don'ts back down, you don'ts turn tail and run."
 
Adam closed his eyes and Oliver heard the otter talking to the wolf he could neither see nor hear. "I love you," the otter said. "I realize you have family. It was wrong of me not to tell you, but before I was born of this merging, I loved you. In that other universe, it wasn't Marcus who pushed to bring you into the six. It was me."

There was a pause while the otter listened to a response Oliver couldn't hear. "No, Marcus understood that he was a Channeler. He didn't need you, but I did. I needed you. I needed your strength beside me. Donovan, without you, this universe wouldn't exist. I couldn't have done it without you."
 
Adam was quiet for a time, listening. "I realize that. What would you have me do? I remember the way it felt with you beside me. I remember what it felt like to be confident. But you taught me that lesson, and I don't need you to hold my hand anymore… I only want you to…
 
"Because life is like that where I come from… no… no… I'm so sorry, Donovan. I am so sorry. Please forgive me… Of course… no, today… I won't hold you captive a moment longer. Please, Donovan, please don't hate me… I love you… I will always love you, but I don't need you to be whole. I don't need you by my side, but they do… your family needs you. Please forgive me."
 
Adam's eyes opened. "Please forgive me," he repeated quietly until he looked up at Oliver. "Donovan wants to come home. I don't have the heart to deny him anything."
 
Oliver nodded. "Then brings him home, Adam. Bring him home to his family."
 
"Home," the otter said sadly. He jumped off the log and ran toward the sleeping family and yelled, "WAKEY WAKEY, EVERYONE!" 
 
The sleeping bears and wolves stirred. One by one, they untangled themselves from the group and stared at the grinning otter. Kris was the first to voice the group's concern. "You've been crying, Adam. What's wrong?"
 
"Nothing is wrong," the otter replied, waving his hands, trying to wipe away the doubt. "I have such wonderful news. I'm afraid it made me overly emotional."
 
Eric looked at the otter in disbelief. "And that good news is…?"
 
"I found a way to return Donovan to your family."
 
The whole family's eyes widened, and smiles spread over their faces. "How?" Derrick asked.
 
"It's more or less just reversing the way he got inside of me originally."

"Does this involve exploding a hole into something somewhere?" Eric asked.

"No, I have much more control over it now that I've done it the first time. It will be easy, and I'm happy that he can come home to you."
 
Will stared at the otter. "You do get that I have the Sight, don't you, Adam?"
 
Carl and Randy stared at the stern look of the old wolf and the frightened look on the otter's face. They turned to Frank and Joseph who had the same concern showing on their faces. "Gentlemen, a family council has been called, whether or not you know it," Carl said. "Frank, Joseph, I'm making you and my husband breakfast at the diner this morning. Let's leave these men to work this out." With a shake, the four wolves were running toward the cliff and the ramp leading back to the Midnight Diner.
 
Adam frowned. "Please, William, please let me do this."
 
"On one stipulation," the old wolf said.
 
"Anything, William. I promise. Anything. Just let me do this."
 
"You stay after his return."
 
"There are places I need to be; worlds out there needing help."
 
"You said anything, Adam. I am holding you to your word."
 
Adam's head bowed. "Yes, Sir."
 
Will knelt down in front of the otter. "I am not a sir, Adam. I am your friend. Stay with me. We will make this work."
 
The otter looked up into the eyes of the wolf. "I'm so sorry, William. There is nothing that will make what I've done right. Please free me from my obligation to you."
 
"No," the wolf said flatly. "You bring Donovan back and you stay until I say you can go."
 
"Please…"
 
"A deal is a deal, Adam. You either honor your word, or you throw in the towel about being a protectorate of the universe out there."
 
"I really hate you sometimes, William."
 
Will smiled. "Yeah, I'm a bastard. But on the plus side, I'm a bastard that loves you."
 
Adam wiped the tears from his eyes. "Everyone stand back… and it might be best if you don't watch." Adam pushed his hand up against his chest and thrust it in deep. The white light spilled out from around his embedded fist. "Look away, gentlemen, or you won't be able to see your husband until your eyes are healed."
 
The group turned away from the otter. They turned back only after a bright flash of light faded and the rolling thunder stopped echoing off the cliff walls. There before them was the Armbruster's wolf and the otter breathing heavily as blood trickled from the quickly closing wound in his chest. 
 
The jubilant family rushed to the arms of the wolf; save Oliver, who went to the otter and rubbed the bloody chest. "Is you going to be okay, Adam?" he asked.
 
"I have it on the best authority that broken hearts heal, Oliver," came the reply.
 
"They does that, Adam. They does that."
 
"I wonder how long William will make me stay here. It seems cruel that one with the Sight forces me to stay here and watch this reunion. He has to be aware of how much this hurts."
 
"Hardly cruel, Adam," Will said, turning to the otter. "This is called Karma. What you put out in the universe eventually comes back. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it heals. Today it's a little of both."
 
"Bastard wolf," Oliver said, frowning. "Can'ts you cut him no slack? He's hurting."
 
"I realize that, Oliver, but he and Donovan need to talk," the old wolf replied.
 
"I agree," Donovan said, pushing his husbands aside.
 
He stepped in front of the otter and looked down at him. Adam turned his head away, trying to avoid any eye contact. "Say whatever you will, Donovan. I deserve it."
 
"Indeed you do, Otter," Donovan said as he knelt in front of the sleek-furred mammal clinging to the badger. He paused for a moment, waiting for Adam to glance at him, but the otter averted his eyes. "Look at me, Otter," Donovan commanded. 
 
Adam looked into the eyes of the Armbruster's wolf. "I'm sorry, Donovan. I don't know what else to say."
 
Donovan's stern face remained. "Say that you love me."
 
Adam whispered, "You know I do."
 
"Then it shouldn't be hard to say it to my face. When you told me I could return to my family, I insisted, because I want them to hear this conversation between you and me. There will be no confusion in anyone's mind the way this plays out."
 
The otter nodded his understanding. "I love you, Donovan," he said weakly; turning his head the moment he spoke the words.
 
"And I love you, Otter," the wolf said quietly.
 
Adam looked back up. "What?"
 
"I love you," Donovan repeated. "The words imply deep affection for another; often with overtones of passion or sexual attraction. Was the definition unclear?"
 
"No… no… I understand what the word means. But how… how could you?"
 
"Because you saved my family, and you returned me to them."
 
The otter's right foot made a circle in the sand. "I can't say that I particularly wanted to return you."
 
"I understand that. It's hard to let go of someone you love," the wolf agreed. "What's that thing about if you love something, let it go. If it returns…"
 
"Only a fool lets something he loves go away without trying to hold on to it the best he can." Oliver interrupted.
 
Donovan laughed. "You have a point, Husband, but the otter knew I wanted to be by your sides. He let that happen. He was smart enough or kind enough not to hold me. I make a formidable opponent when I am caged." He looked back at the otter. "But I make a loyal companion when I stand by someone of my choosing. We need to come to an understanding."
 
Adam nodded his head. "Anything."
 
"Do not assume that my insistence on returning to my family is the same as me leaving you. I still want to be with you. You need me, Otter," Donovan said. He paused. "And I need you."
 
"You don't need me."
 
"Yes I do, Otter," the wolf corrected. "Since my return, I have sought my purpose in life. That purpose finds its greatest expression when I am with you." Donovan reached out and cupped the otter's chin in his paw. "But my family is something I cannot give up."
 
Adam nodded. "I understand."
 
"No, Otter, I don't think you do." He reached down and pulled the otter up with him as he rose. "Husbands," the wolf said, turning toward the crowd. "I wish you all to meet Adam. He is my family. I love him with the same intensity that I love all my family that stands before me today."
 
The family smiled back. "Hello, Adam," they said in one accord.
 
"I remember how Derrick and Oliver told the story of how they lived in Max's brain when he took them on the Day of Transformation," Donovan said. "This little otter has held us even closer from the moment he joined us. I realize that there are no words for holding one close to our hearts that ring true. It is an organ that pumps blood, a muscle, and really no more. But if there is a place we can call a soul, it is there where the five of us live next to Adam. 
 
"Since moments before the battle with the Shumuuluud began, he drew us in. He kept us safe so that we could watch the unspeakable horror that was the Shumuuluud, and he waited. He needed us to see what we were truly up against, and then he waited even longer for us to act together as one. 
 
"I thought it was Marcus who couldn't commit. But it was the rest of us: we clung to a hope that somehow we could save our world by killing a few more of the Shumuuluud. It wasn't until we admitted to ourselves there was no other course than the one that had to happen, that Adam took action and bound us together."
 
The Armbruster's wolf pointed toward the otter. "And now the same being who stood by us before is asking us to stand by him again. We may not be the same group as before, but our commitment to each other and to Adam remains the same."
 
"Adam, aren't you all merged?" Kris asked, rubbing the top of his head.
 
"No, Bear," Donovan replied with a chuckle. "Adam is Adam. The first of his species to merge with Terrans. And like most things involving Terrans, he's having a rough go of it. We all are."
 
Kris looked at the otter. "You realize what's ahead is going to confuse me, don't you?"
 
Adam nodded. "It's one of those 'brain hurts' types of conversations none of you particularly like."
 
Oliver winced. "My brain already hurts. Ain't gonna get no better trying to explain it."
 
Derrick raised his hand. "I believe I can explain it to them."
 
"If you want to take a stab at it, I'm all for it. I sure don't want to." Adam replied.
 
Derrick knelt in front of Oliver. "Do you want creepy or cute?"
 
"Which is Adam?" Oliver asked.
 
"Adam is cute. But if we consider the animals here on Earth, the closest one to him is creepy."
 
"I tell you whats," Oliver replied. "You tells me the creepy, so I understands, but then you tells me the cute, so I don't get nightmares every time he crawls into bed with me."
 
"Works for me," Derrick said. He looked up at the rest of his on-looking husbands. "Everyone follow along as best you can." He looked back at Oliver. "You remember the episode on Animal World about deadly sea creatures?" 
 
"Sure, that's why I thoughts the Bear couldn't never be a squid. I sure fucked that one up. And Adam went and made it worse by becoming an even bigger one."
 
"Sorry, Oliver," Adam said. "I meant it as a joke."
 
"Yeah, yeah, I knows what it was supposed to be," Oliver grumbled. "Still a dumbass thing to do in front of a badger."
 
"Regardless of the squid, Oliver," Derrick said, trying to draw him back into the discussion. "Do you remember the Portuguese Man o' War?"
 
"Yeah. You's right. Them's creepy. Ain't never going to ask the bear to become one of those."
 
"That's just it, Oliver. Kris never can become one of those. Because it's not a 'one of those', it's an 'all of them'. Kris can only be one animal at a time. He can never be something that's actually four animals living together."
 
Oliver nodded. "Oh, that's right. I forgots. They's all them little animals joined together."
 
"Right. And none of the animals can survive without the other. One of them forms a big bag of air that helps keep it afloat in the ocean so it can find food. One captures and kills the food. Another animal digests the food and makes sure everyone else has enough food to live."
 
"And one has sex to make more of them critters," Oliver interjected. "If I had to be one of them critters, I knows which one I'd choose."
 
Oliver's family laughed, and Derrick continued the story. "So, Adam is kind of like the man-of-war. He's not really anything until all the individuals necessary come together. He's kind of like the glue that holds the five together as one."
 
"It's that form feet and legs robot shit, ain't it?"
 
"Yeah, pretty much. But when the six are together, it's like the dwarf mongoose and the hornbills. Plus, mongooses are way cuter than the man-of-war."
 
"Yeah, I likes that story better, Pup."
 
Will groaned. "Okay, Pup, for those of us who don't watch Animal World, what's the story with the mongooses and the hornbills?"
 
"Mongooses and hornbills both like most of the same foods, and have most of the same predators. So, over the years, they developed a relationship where the mongoose will go hunting for food and leave part of it for the hornbills to feed on. In return, the hornbills sit on top of the trees watching for predators while the mongooses are hunting. If anything comes along, the birds sound a warning and they all hightail it to safety. 
 
"The little mammals get the recon they could never do on their own, and the birds enjoy a free meal for their efforts. Everyone wins. But like the man-of-war, none of this would ever happen if there wasn't first a relationship established between two alien species."
 
Adam looked up at the black wolf. "I like that story better than the man-of-war one."
 
Derrick reached out and grabbed the otter, hugging him. "I do too. Did I get it close enough?"
 
Adam smiled. "Yeah, it's pretty close. The day Marcus became the white wolf was the day he and I merged. It wasn't the universe giving him your power, Donovan. He understood that. He realized what I was asking him to do. It's far more frightening for an Empath to take on the responsibility of another life inside him than any power the universe might give him."
 
"So that is why it took such encouragement for you to accept what was happening," Donovan said with a new understanding.
 
"That's why. Marcus wasn't only accepting a new power. What caused the first struggle was that he was accepting responsibility for someone even closer than a mate. I am a being that fuses itself to the body of another and manifests all that I am through my host."
 
"Which explains why one of your own, with a yearning to rule the universe, might become a parasite of the host instead of symbiotic," Will said.
 
"I am afraid that is true as well," the otter agreed. "The Shumuuluud didn't deserve their fate. They barely had the intelligence of a dog. What they thought was an act of friendship became their enslavement."
 
"You killt them all because of something you did? Them weren't monsters?" Oliver asked.
 
"No, Oliver. They were harmless little creatures floating in space, living off cosmic energy. It was one of my kind that twisted the lives of the Cherel into the Shumuuluud."
 
"Ain't rightly fair to kill something that hurt no one," Oliver said sadly. "But you had to do what you had to do."
 
"We killed the Shumuuluud by killing one of my people, Oliver. The same as with the deaths of the Children of the Night, we who created the Shumuuluud had to destroy the monster we had created. But the Cherel never were that monster. One of our own was. We killed the monster before it subjugated an entire universe. The Cherel are happily floating in space in this universe, as they did in the old."
 
Adam looked at the Iberian wolf. "William was right about killing. It changes us. It is something I never wish to repeat. But I swore to protect this minor part of the universe and to do that, I needed more than myself. I needed to be corporeal. When I saw what your people willingly did to save their world, I realized I wanted to be a part of you. My people didn't see what I saw, nor did they see a need for a merging to take place with so primitive a world. 
 
"Likewise, the gentle nature of the Unity made them seem a poor choice for merging. My people misinterpreted being peaceful as being weak. I knew differently, and my goal was to convince them they had overlooked a true asset to this universe. The birth of Marcus made it possible for me to take the first step toward introducing myself to the Unity. It was his gifts and his love for William that I saw as the perfect path toward eventually merging with not only the Terrans, but with the Unity as well."
 
Adam bowed his head. "I approached Marcus and told him who we were. The goal was to help him develop the gifts and skills needed to aid us in our work, and he was agreeable to that. In fact, Marcus's enthusiasm was so great that I was sure I had made a wise choice. 
 
"And then an act of aggression on our part forced a course of action that I never thought possible to save your family. We alone couldn't conquer the Shumuuluud. By yourselves, you too would have failed. It took all of us and so many millions of other worlds inhabited by those like you willing to join our fight to make that happen. I tried to make it right for you. It was my responsibility to safeguard your world. I am so sorry I didn't have time to do it properly. I threw you into a maelstrom without a chance to prepare for it."
 
Oliver glared at Adam. "Fancy words, Otter."
 
Adam smiled. "I threw you into a shit storm, Oliver."
 
"Well, yeah, you done that."
 
"But you rose so easily to the challenge. Other worlds where we lived for millions of years could find no champions like those by my side. I kept Derrick and Oliver apart to record your history because you are such amazing beings."
 
"So we turned out to be your deep dive into multidimensional beings, Adam?" Kris asked.
 
"Yes, and I am grateful that the choices I made led to you. We share bodies with so many races, but yours are unique in what you bring to our union. There is much my people can offer to protect your family. But we are so far behind you in understanding the one thing the Terran Changelings so easily adapted to."
 
"The reason you locked the one you loved inside you?" Donovan asked.
 
"I am sorry, Donovan. I don't understand love. I never felt the emotions I have for you before. By becoming corporeal through Marcus, I learned of feelings that defy our understanding because we shut them out. We don't see them as necessary. And yet, in this universe, as in the last, I saw Kendal stand by Marcus, and in that union, I see so many things I never even dreamed possible."
 
"But you defend the universe," the polar bear said. "How does one do that without love?"
 
"Easily, Eric," the otter replied. "We are guardians. It requires no emotional investment to interpret the difference between entities that are thriving and ones that need help. We can see a universe about to be destroyed and know enough to try and save it. Even diplomacy is better served divested of emotion. We are perfectly suited for our work. Emotion had nothing to do with our retooling of this universe; only practicality and obligation."
 
"He's saying we's worms, and he took us out of that damn rainbow fish's mouth," Oliver interrupted.
 
Adam frowned. "Two years ago, I might have agreed with you, Oliver. I'm not sure my people don't still feel that way. But I no longer do. I was the one who insisted on resolving our disastrous relationship with the Shumuuluud. And I was the only one to offer a plan. But that plan also included restoring your people to a set point in the universe where you belong. I am vested in your world. Worse yet, for one who is supposed to be dispassionate about the care I give, I am in love with one of your kind. Not only in love but to a degree that I made completely bone-headed decisions about his care. My people… for lack of a better phrase… are watching me. They see the changes in me, and they are not yet sure that this thing called love is a trait any of us should manifest."
 
Eric rolled his lower lip. "And what about you, Adam? How do you feel about the trait?"
 
"I am still unsure as well," the otter replied. "All I know is that at this moment, I will defy my people's command to return home if they tell me to. I love Donovan, and to hear him say he loves me changes everything. I now have one who might teach me to use such power wisely."
 
"And in that challenge, I will gladly spend a lifetime," Donovan said. "Husbands, we faced the unknown before and our family has found a way through. We changed an entire world to save it from itself and we used our love to make that happen."
 
"That and about a bazillion bombs," Oliver mumbled under his breath. 
 
Donovan laughed. "That and about a bazillion bombs, Badger." The wolf squatted in front of Oliver. "And why would anyone in their right mind let bombs fly toward them on purpose?" he asked the little mammal.
 
Oliver's foot twisted out the involuntary circle. "Because I loves the humans that is my family."
 
"I rest my case," Donovan said as he stood back up. "Husbands, Adam is a stranger to our world. He is not unlike a group of lost souls who crashed here over sixty-six million years ago. Terra has been gentle with us. She has let us grow and learn. She saw potential in a group of aliens on her shores and she let us stay. I am proud of what we became. For all our mistakes, we rise each time stronger and more determined to do right by those who live beside us.
 
"Adam has always tried to do the same. There are five of us who know his heart. Four of them see such a beautiful soul they took up residence there. And although I am not sure I'm quite ready for that, knowing my feelings for him, one day I may find myself in that same position."
 
"I really can't see you working together without that being a requirement," Will said. "At some point, if you want to be who you say you were born to be, Donovan, the two of you need to share that body to do what you need to do."
 
"Adam and I will spend a lot more time together in the future, and I am convinced we will only grow closer together. But that presents some challenges for my husbands that we need to discuss."
 
Kris nodded. "I agree. We enjoy rights as your husbands that we refuse to give up regardless of your relationship with Adam."
 
Adam nodded his head. "I too agree. My feelings for your husband will never supersede yours." Adam looked at Oliver, who had crossed his arms and was frowning. "You were in love with him first. You got dibs."
 
"Better, Otter."
 
"And I agree with both the bear and the otter," Donovan said to the group. "So what are the rights that you feel are inalienable?"
 
"What's about aliens?" the badger asked.
 
Donovan looked at Oliver and smiled. "What do you absolutely need from me as your husband?"
 
"You means like a dick up my ass on a regular basis?" Oliver questioned.
 
"Yeah, I'm liking that one, myself," Will said with a laugh.
 
"Me too," Derrick said with a giggle.
 
"Okay, my dick up your ass. What else?"
 
Eric looked at Donovan. "Are you serious about this, Wolf?"
 
"Completely."
 
"Okay. My list: I'll admit the whole dick thing seems on target, and your incredible ass shouldn't be overlooked. But I also have a son to raise. I'd like him to see his dad now and then. If you need to go gallivanting around the universe, the two of us deserve to have you home often enough that we don't forget what you look like." The bear paused for a moment, "No matter what you wind up looking like."
 
The bear continued his list. "I'd like to spend a night with you alone from time to time watching the stars and having you tell me about your day. I want to bring you breakfast in bed, watch you swallow it in one gulp, and then me in the second. 
 
"I want long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, and warm baths together. I want us to be the fulfillment of every personal ad ever written on LoveLink. But mostly, I want you next to me when nothing but that will ease my pain, and for you to find that same solace next to me. Wherever you go, I want you to be thinking about me and hoping to come home. And I want you to never doubt that wherever you are, I am counting the moments until you're back with me."
 
"I want to see you across the table for breakfast now and then," Kris added. "And it would be nice to see you at the table, completely disheveled because of the sex we had the night before." The brown bear thought for a moment. "I want to bathe with you in the highland creek and shower with you in Montana. When the family comes, I want to see you flipping burgers while I make potato salad. At the end of the day, I want you to rub my feet, or play a game of cards with us because it's what we do to unwind as a family. I want the warmth of your breath on the back of my neck when I lay down at night. I don't want you ever gone so long I forget what you smell like or the way your laugh makes me feel."
 
"Bacon," Will interrupted. "I want you to cook me bacon the way you do, where it's crispy on the edges and kind of soft in the middle. And that whole naked in the shower, throbbing hard-ons, and a sore ass for days stuff." The wolf paused. "And somehow while you're breathing down Kris's neck, you need to wrap your arms around me, because I love your touch and I don't sleep as well without it. And what the old bear said about counting the moments. Never forget that he's not alone. I do the count even now."
 
Donovan nodded. "Bacon, way too much time getting cleaned up with my spouses, and a lot of dick. So far, so good. If you accept that I've never been nearly as romantic as you make me out to be in those descriptions, we're good. What else?
 
"I wants you to teach me how to use my powers," Oliver said. "It would be nice if you sat down with me and bitched about the bastards that gave them powers to us. I'd like you to kiss me for no reason, just because. I wants you to be okay with me kissing you for no reason, too. 'Cause I'se gotten used to you being in my life, and I ain't given up kissing you never. I wants you to loves me like we gots no tomorrow every day you's here. Oh, and a reminder in case you forgot; lots of butt sex."
 
Donovan laughed. "Okay, Oliver," he turned to the black wolf. "And what about you, Pup?"
 
"I want you to go fishing with me," Derrick said. "I want you to lie back and watch clouds on a spring day. It would be nice if you were the first one to find a bunny or a dragon or anything that tells me you're finally loosening up a bit. I want to feel your shoulders relaxing as I massage them at the end of your day. I want you to help me do the dishes and finish that damn puzzle we started." He paused. "And I want you to promise me you'll be careful out there," he said with a wave of his paw toward the sky.
 
Donovan turned to Adam. "Can you agree to let me live up to all those expectations?"
 
"You mean merged inside me?"
 
"For the sake of this discussion, yes."
 
"I can do that. I can even give them the body they love if mine is not adequate for their needs."
 
"That's good to hear," Donovan said. "Now, a bit about my needs."
 
"The other shoe drops," Will said with a grin.
 
"I need to be with this otter. I need to train him, and he needs to train me. We both need to continue our training with the temple dogs. I don't understand how, but those dogs knew long before Marcus and I ever realized it that we were going to need to work as a team. Their training saved this universe when it came time for Marcus to merge us. There is a great deal that Adam and I need to learn. We are both better when we are together, and I need my family to realize that."
 
"Understood," Kris said.
 
"I need my family to accept that I will not always be home, but I will always think of you. I need you to take care of each other in my absence, and I need you to be extremely horny when I come home."
 
"We can do that easy, Wolf," Oliver said
 
"I need you to know I'm changing. This otter and the family inside him are a part of me. I want you to accept Adam as family because one day I hope I become a part of that family inside him. We need to prepare for that day as a family. And I need you to understand that this is what I dreamed of for so long. I have five beautiful husbands that I love and a purpose in life that brings me as much joy as anything I ever did."
 
"We can accept change," Derrick said. "We already love Adam, so that's not an issue."
 
"Will there always be a home for me here?" Donovan asked.
 
"Of course, my love," the polar bear replied.
 
"Then our negotiations are almost at an end," Donovan replied. He knelt in front of the otter. "You loved me enough to let me go free. Do you love me enough to bite my neck and bind yourself to me forever?"
 
The otter smiled. "I do."
 
"These are enormous jaws, Otter," the wolf said with a wide grin. "You will hurt for weeks."
 
"I will heal."
 
"There is the matter of the temple dogs and family we will need to deal with. It is arduous, to say the least."
 
"I have stamina. I proved myself on the fields of the highland."
 
"Then be my mate, Adam," the Armbruster's wolf asked.
 
"Are you sure?"
 
"That is not what I hoped to hear, Otter."
 
"Be my mate, Donovan," the otter replied. 
 
Donovan smiled. "That will do," the wolf said as he leaned down and kissed the otter.
 
Donovan looked up at his husbands. "I believe there is only one thing left from my husbands that I hope for."
 
Oliver stepped forward and hugged the otter. "Be my mate, Adam."
 
The otter's voice cracked when he answered, "Be my mate, Oliver."
 
"You wants me to kiss you like the wolf, or does I mount you now and chews on your neck?"
 
"A kiss would be nice."
 
"Yeah, well, you got lots to learn about loving a badger. The right answer was to let me mount you," Oliver said with a smile. "But I gots forever to teach you. Now and forever, Adam," the badger said.
 
"Now and forever," the otter replied as he leaned in to kiss the badger.
 
The white bear knelt in front of the otter when the badger stepped aside. "Plain and simple, be my mate, Adam."
 
"I'm afraid being my mate will never be plain or simple, Old Bear. But I will try my best. Be my mate, Eric."
 
Another hug and a kiss sealed the agreement. When the white bear rose, the Kodiak bear picked the otter up. "Kisses are getting too common around here," the bear said with a smile. He lifted the otter up over his head until the mammal's cock slipped into his mouth. The bear waited for it to grow enough to stand upright and let it slip out of his mouth. He rubbed the cock with his nose. "Be my mate, Adam," he said, looking up at the otter with a smile. 
 
Adam nodded happily, wiping his eyes. "Be my mate, Kris."
 
Kris handed the otter to Derrick. "Be my mate, Adam," the black wolf implored.
 
"Be my mate, Derrick."
 
The black wolf kissed the otter, paying no attention to how long the kiss was or what the waiting old wolf might say. When the kiss ended, he smiled at the otter and rubbed the erection the otter was still showing. "You'll get used to these after a while," the black wolf said. "We get them a lot around each other."
 
Adam smiled. "I will look forward to them, but I will never get used to them. They will always be amazing to me." Derrick took the otter and handed him to the old wolf.
 
Will pulled Adam in close. "Otter, we discussed this before. If you say yes to becoming my mate, I will be the one waiting for you to come home. And you will be the one to merge with me in ways you have yet to understand."
 
"I haven't forgotten," the otter replied. "You, of all the husbands, understand how much I want this."
 
The old wolf nodded. "There are some very big shoes to fill with such tiny feet."
 
"I can be fierce in love, William. My family will teach me."
 
"Then be my mate, Adam."
 
"Be my mate, William."
 
"I am not settling for a kiss, Adam," the old wolf said. "I am biting your neck, and if the Armbruster's wolf you love doesn't do it quickly, I will be compelled to show him how it's done."
 
The old wolf put the otter back onto the ground. He looked at Donovan and Adam. "This will never work as long as temple dogs are on this island. If we are to mate with you, Adam, we will need lots of time and somewhere more secluded."
 
"Where do you suggest, William?"
 
Will looked up. "Somewhere out there," he said with a wave of his hand, "preferably with a high oxygen atmosphere, a soft terrain, and no Shumuuluud."
 
"Done," the otter said, and the beach was empty.
  
Chapter 5

The short-faced bears pressed the temple dog for more information. "Nathaniel, Max, I assure you I have nothing more I can tell you. I found the note pinned to a log on the beach when I went to visit Dá Lóng. There is nothing else."

"And the note says what exactly?" Max asked, pushing against the table.

Li Wei looked at the crumpled piece of paper in his paw again. "Love you all. Be back in a week. Have the family meet us on the highland Monday, the 17th, at 10:00 a.m. sharp. Undress casual. Love, Will. P.S. Get all the temple dogs to the highland. We don't want to play favorites."

"Well, we know what undress casual means. They don't expect to see any of the human family in attendance, whatever this meeting is," Nathaniel speculated.

Carl put down a plate in front of Max. "Double cheeseburger with fries, extra side of wasabi." He shook his head. "Really, Bear? Wasabi on my burgers?"

"I think I might be pregnant. Nathaniel and I have been trying so hard."

Carl laughed. He leaned over and gave Nathaniel his BLT. "I'm glad you boys asked us to let you in early because I can save you the speculation. I know where you're heading. You're going to a family welcoming circle."

Chipo looked up from his salad. "What makes you think that, Carl?"

"After Nathaniel and Max headed home for the night, the party kept going. We all wound up on the beach together. However, the jovial mood of the night before changed quickly. Adam said he was going to let Donovan go. Will was not happy. We bowed out before the fur started flying. Whatever was happening, the tone was strained when we left. The fact they are gone as a family means they found a way out of the mess Adam created. And the fact Will asked you to meet them as a family with all the dogs together means…"

"There's been a mating," Nathaniel interjected. "My fathers don't drop off the face of the map unless it's someone or something important. Adam certainly qualifies as someone very important."

"The old wolf told us what we need to know," Martin said. "We only had to figure out what it meant. Chipo and I probably didn't even need to fly in this morning. It's just our family being family."

Max took a bite of his hamburger. "Well, I'm glad you're here, Husband. Help us figure out how we're going to deal with the news. If there's been a mating, then there's going to be a welcoming. Will has said as much. We need to figure out who's on that welcoming list."

"Yikes, that is tough," Nathaniel said. "The highland is much bigger, but so is our family."  

Chipo nodded. "My family alone adds another twelve to the gathering, and I can't tell them no. Dad and Will are old friends."

"Of course they're invited," Nathaniel said. "And you too, Carl and Frank," he said with a yell back toward the kitchen. "Bring the husbands," he added. The short-faced bear turned back to the group. "I'm thinking more along the line of Henry and Dennis, the South Dakota couple. Did that happen in this universe?"

Max and the others exchanged glances. "Sorry, Hon. No clue what you're talking about."

"So Will and Oliver didn't get hurt at the temple ruins?"

"Nope," Max answered. "That's a good thing, though, right?"

"Yeah, right; that's a good thing," Nathaniel answered. "So why is Oliver now a four-foot-tall badger in your world instead of three feet?"  

Max shrugged. "Because that's the way he came home? He told me he changed so his werebeast could accommodate his husbands. That was reason enough for me. Sometimes I don't question things if I believe the answers will confuse me even more."

Nathaniel laughed. "I guess that is the best approach sometimes." Nathaniel leaned forward. "In our previous life, Oliver and my father were involved in an explosion at the Tibetan temple ruins. Father lost limbs and one of his eyes. Oliver's badger died, saving Father and the others there that day. When Father recovered, he turned Oliver at Henry and Dennis's home in South Dakota. Oliver became a badger again. Only this time he was a foot taller, so he could be more accommodating to his big bear husbands."

Martin smiled. "Then I guess we should be grateful that he returned from your world. He was quite a handful in our world, but his additional size is a perk we all appreciate." The others nodded in agreement.  

Nathaniel nodded his head in return. "But it also means that Henry and Dennis are still living out there in Deadwood, thinking they're not connected to a larger family." He thought for a moment. "Husbands, what say we get people to cover for us while we go visit Deadwood, South Dakota? I'd like you to meet a wolf and a puma who I met, but who never met me. I'm sure they are two that Will and Oliver would love to see next Monday."

"A puma?" Martin asked, his stub tail wagging happily. "I'm not the only cat in the Were Nation?"

"I think they're two of you," Nathaniel replied. "In my world, Henry had a love for cats, so if Henry and Dennis are together, I'm pretty sure that Dennis is a puma. Only a ComLink call will tell us if that's true or not."

Chipo stood up. "I say let's go make the call. If they're up for a visit, we grab the twin twins and press the Red Wolf into service."

Nathaniel grinned. "I like that idea; especially the part about bringing the red wolves along for the ride. All too often that family plays taxi driver for the Were Nation without a benefit. I, for one, would like a bit of time with them to say thank you."

Max put his paw on his husband's. "I'm glad to see you didn't change in that respect, Hon. For the record, in this universe, we invite all the pilots to join us pretty much whenever the family gets together. We created these amazing devices in our universe called locks, so they can walk away from the ships."

Nathaniel's smile widened. "I think I'm going to get used to this universe more quickly than I thought."

"Good," Max said. "Because now that you're here, I'm not letting you go. I need at least one Nathaniel in my life, and you appear to be him."

Nathaniel leaned in and kissed Max. "And you appear to be the one Max I need. I'm glad to be home, Husband." Nathaniel looked up and smiled at the grinning cat and rhino. "I'm glad to be home, husbands."

Chipo tapped his ComLink as he leaned over and kissed Nathaniel's shoulder. "Me too, Husband. Connect to any available red wolf." He waited. "Hey, Handsome," he said in his booming voice. "How are you four doing?" There was a pause. "So, Darius, any chance we can get those husbands of yours to give us a lift to Deadwood, South Dakota?"  

Chipo listened to the voice on the other end of the call. His hand came up to his chin. "I don't have a clue. This is a bit of a special trip, but we can ask the men we want to see if they're up for a few extra visitors." Chipo gave a chuckle. "Okay, let us make a few calls and make sure this is a go and I'll get back to you. Is it okay to show them your picture? It would make clinching the deal so much easier." He was quiet for a moment and suddenly Chipo burst out laughing. "Okay, Darius. I'll get right back to you."  

The rhino tilted his head in thought when the call ended. "I'm sorry, Li Wei. I totally spaced the fact I didn't include you. The twin twins can drop by with the Black Rhino if you, Katashi, and Saand want to tag along."

"We will wait until later if that is permissible. I believe it's in the best interest of Henry and Dennis if we stay at home."

"You have a point," Chipo said with a nod. "It might be better if they're worn out after they get to see Will and Oliver rather than before."

"You are too kind in your praise," Li Wei said with a smile. "If you will excuse me, Katashi expects me to help wear him out at home." Li Wei stood up and, with a small bow, headed for the diner doors.

Nathaniel tapped his ComLink. "Deadwood, South Dakota. Henry Longfellow."

Two thousand miles to the south, Henry walked into the bathroom where Dennis was drying off. "I love that you're a cat who likes water. It makes showers so much more fun," he said, leaning in to kiss the mountain lion.

Dennis smiled, returning the kiss. "And I love the fact that you're a dog that knows how to chase a cat the right way."

Henry frowned. "I'm a wolf." He put his paw up to his ear. "Anyway… I've got Nathaniel Templeton on the line. He says he's William Gentry's son."

"Will?" Dennis said, laughing. "He's got a son?"

"So it would appear," Henry replied. He put his paw over the ComLink. "He's that Nathaniel," he whispered.

Dennis's eyes widened. He mouthed the one-word question, "Changeling?"  

Henry nodded, pulling the towel from the puma's paws and rubbing the cat's back with it. "On speaker," the wolf said. "Okay, Nathaniel; you've got both of us. We'd do video, but we just stepped out of the shower and our hair's a mess."

Nathaniel chuckled. "Fair enough. I apologize if what I'm about to say sounds confusing, but do you two share a history with my father, Will?"

Henry laughed out loud. "Oh hell, yes," he said. "The city council barred my husband from Sturgis for life in the nineteen sixties because of your father."

"Okay," Nathaniel said, working through the history in his mind. " And, Henry, you met Oliver, right?"

"Well, we met once back in the eighteen hundreds. Will and he had their picture taken by the undertaker."

"The undertaker?"

"He was the only one in town to own a camera. A morbid bit of history, I suppose. He took pictures of dead folks. You could make some good money selling pictures of corpses back in those days. Famous outlaws, family members. It was all pretty gruesome, but also fairly commonplace. He was happy to take Will and Oliver's picture. It was one of the few times his subjects didn't have coins on their eyes."

"Hmm…" Nathaniel mused. "That's a bit of history that's new to me, but at least you're familiar with both of them."

"Yeah, whatever became of them? The last time we saw Will, he was a single man at Sturgis."

"They're mated."

"But I thought you said Will was your father? You're  the  Nathaniel, right? The Changeling who married the human who married the badger? Oliver is that badger, right?"

"That would be him."

"So, your father married your husband?" Dennis asked.

"Yeah, that's us. We form unions in our family that go against most human conventions."

"I guess so," Dennis laughed. "So, if you pardon the curiosity of a cat, why are you calling us today?"

"My father has asked us to gather the family together, and we'd like to invite you."

"We're honored, Ancient One, but we're more like acquaintances of Will's. I mean, we love the guy, but family is a pretty big step from where we're at."

"I understand why you might feel that way, but I need to talk to you both about history that you don't yet know. There's more to this story, and I prefer to tell it to you in person if I can."

"You're welcome to visit anytime," Henry said. "There are two spare bedrooms if you need them."

"Uhhh…" Nathaniel hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I sort of told the family about you… and… well… Dennis, you're not the only curious cat in the family. Martin would like to come."

"Martin?" Henry asked. "The lion at the Day of Transformation? He's part of your family, too?"

"He's my husband," Nathaniel replied. "He's changed a bit from that day, though."

There was silence for a moment. "We really do need to bring you out here, don't we?" Henry asked.

"It would help."

"How many are coming to dinner, Nathaniel?"

"There are four of us who need to come. Another four red wolves will be hanging out at the airport waiting for us if they don't tag along, and they really want to tag along."

"So, eight, then?"

"Is that too many? I realize this is short notice."

"Dennis?" Nathaniel caught the muffled voice asking on the other side of the ComLink.

"How long have we dreamed of having a house full of family?"

Nathaniel heard the excited voice on the other side of the conversation. "We're good to go from this end. Would you like us to pick you up in Rapid City? That's the closest airport of any size."

Nathaniel almost said yes, and then he thought about it again. "There's a large open field on the south side of your property, right?" Nathaniel asked.

"Yeah, there is, but I didn't know you knew about it," Henry replied.

"Part of what we need to discuss," Nathaniel said with a laugh. "If it's okay with you, we'll land the Red Wolf there."

"The Red Wolf?"

"Its engines won't burn up your land because they don't generate heat. And the landing footprint is pretty tame if they hover and drop."

"But we're talking about the Red Wolf. The rig that everyone knows about but no one has ever seen?"

"Lots of people have seen it," Nathaniel said with a laugh. "It's the humans who rarely see it. They always see something else. Most of the time, it's seen as a helicopter because of how it takes off and lands."

"But we would see it?" Henry asked, his smile practically audible on the other side of the ComLink.

"Yep," Nathaniel replied. "And if you let us land in your field, you can even take a tour. Tiff and Tuff are very proud of that rig."

There was a pause, and finally, Henry broke the silence. "I realize all this is a routine day for you guys, but this is something big for two guys who live in Deadwood. We have our family. It's not big. Hell, you probably have more husbands than we have family, but there are five of us who get together here now and then. Would it be okay to invite the other three?"

"It's your home, Henry," Nathaniel responded. "We'd love to meet your family. We're grateful you're willing to meet with us." The bear thought for a moment. "So how long will it take to get your family together?"

"Clyde lives the furthest away. It will take him about three hours to get here. He has to get someone to babysit his farm and then drive out here. Is nine o'clock too late?"

"No, not at all. I will tell you what; let us bring dinner for your whole family."

Henry smiled. "That would be great. Nothing too fancy, you hear? We're kind of plain out here on the plains."

"We'll keep it simple," Nathaniel said with a chuckle. "Only domestic caviar."

Dennis laughed. "Joke all you want, Ancient One. Cats love fish eggs."

"How do you boys feel about barbecue?" a big voice in the distance boomed out over Henry's ComLink speaker.

"We love it. This is South Dakota, after all. There's an international barbecue championship at the state fairgrounds every year."  

Before anyone in the commissary could make a comment on the wolf's remark, the puma's voice came over the ComLink. "Hon… Clyde… we're inviting him."

"Oh, damn," the Great Plains wolf stammered. "I totally forgot. Hey guys, can you pull together something vegan and limit the menu to chicken for our carnivores? Clyde's kind of special to us, and some barbecue doesn't set well with him."

"Not a problem," Henry and Dennis heard the mysterious voice in the distance reply. "There aren't many vegan beasts out there."

"Yeah, Clyde is one of a kind, all right. But you'll love him. We sure do."

"Tell him he's not alone," the two South Dakotans listened to a deep bass voice interject. "I'm a vegan as well."  

"He's right there," the baritone voice in the distance added, "and we love Chipo. We'll add extra of what we send along with him. Consider it our little diner throwing our hat into the barbecue cook-off ring. We'll make chicken and something for the vegans joining you," the voice replied.

"That's Carl," Nathaniel interjected. "Carl and Frank are the head chefs at the Midnight Diner. They are going to amaze you. Those two wolves have skills with food."

"I have skills in all sorts of things that would amaze you," Frank bellowed from behind the counter.

"You can invite Carl and Frank too," Henry said, grinning. "They've got very sexy voices. I mean, if we're going to be hosting a sizable crowd anyway, we could thank them for dinner in person."

"Sorry, boys," Carl shouted. "We're working the night shift, but I tell you what, we'll meet up with you later. Come back to our place after your stay on the highland. My mate and I love to entertain at home. And trust me, our home is very entertaining."

"That would be great," Henry said. "So, except for Carl and Frank, we'll see you all around nine?"

"We'll be there," Nathaniel said. "Bye for now." He tapped the ComLink. "You're up, Rhino," he said with a nod to Chipo.  

"On it, Husband," Chipo said as he tapped his ComLink. There was barely a pause before the rhino spoke in a low, seductive voice. "So, Darius, what's a rhino got to do to spend a bit of quality time with you?" He paused and then smiled. "Then consider yourself asked. We're meeting the guys in Deadwood at nine. If you could get here by seven, we could brief you so that we're all on the same page." The rhino snickered. "Actually, yes, I would like that." He nodded. "Yeah, that too." Chipo shook his head. "Stop. I'll get a hard-on."

The group around the table smiled. "I'm okay with that," Martin said.  

"Me too," Nathaniel agreed.

"Damn… I'm getting a hard-on thinking about him getting a hard-on," Max giggled.

"Well, keep it in your sheath," Chipo said with a smile. "If Carl and Frank are going to get dinner ready for us, they'll need a few extra sets of hands to pull it off. There's no line crew here until five-thirty, which means they're working for us without backup."

Carl looked around the corner. "Well, that would be nice, but what are we going to do about the hard-ons we got listening to you four?"

Chipo shook his head and laughed. "Come on, husbands. Let's give the wolves a hand for whatever they need to be handled." The two bears and the saber-toothed cat pushed back from the table and headed into the kitchen.

Chapter 6

The werewolf looked up into the sky and watched as the Red Wolf coasted over his head toward the helipad. There was a chime in his earpiece and he heard the voice. "We still have one unauthorized human on the island that isn't heading back to the docks, Yarnell. Looks like a male; late teens, early twenties."

The wolf tapped his ComLink. "Where's he located?"

"Same place most of them try to hide; out in the woods. You should be able to smell him before you get into the trees too deep. He's only about twelve meters past the fence."

"Okay, I'm heading there now."

"Try to get him rounded up quickly. There's about an hour before the final skiff heads back to the mainland. You know how Cable is about keeping to schedule. Happy hunting."

Yarnell laughed. "You realize I hate this. Those poor kids panic every time they watch me coming."

"You're security. You're the bane of every kid who wants to stay here overnight to find out if the stories are true."

"Yeah," the werewolf sighed. "But I'm the one who has to walk them back to the dock. Why can't they just save up and get a hotel room like everyone else? Don't they realize the island has been open for years without a single verified report to any of those stories they keep telling around campfires?"

"Those ghost stories will never die, Yarnell," the voice on the other side of the ComLink said with a laugh. "We dedicated a quarter of our acreage to a cemetery. Our buildings are memorials to a very sad time in human history. Ghost stories are always a byproduct of that."

There was a chuckle from the voice. "And we don't exactly help, Yarnell. We try to behave, but we can make some strange sounds out there in the forest when we're feeling frisky. Urban legends are bound to crop up no matter what. Kids are curious. But we need to make sure they don't hurt themselves out there in the dark. So, you get to be the Babadook that rounds them up."

Yarnell shook his head. "How did that ever get to be a gay thing? They come here hoping to find ghosts down by the chapel or get a glimpse at the glowing apparition by the lighthouse. Instead, they get terrorized by a huge security guard."

There was another laugh on the other side of the line. "It's in the job description. If you want everyone to love you, take up selling Girl Scout cookies."

Yarnell tapped his ComLink, severing the connection. He walked into the woods and took a deep breath. "Jeez, Kid," he said with a sigh. "If you're trying to hide, you're going to need to at least get behind a tree that's bigger than you."

The arms of the young man reached up from behind the quaking aspen. "There aren't many trees here that wide," he said as he stepped from behind the tree, his arms raised. The overweight young man looked at Yarnell and began shaking. "Please, please don't kill me."

The werewolf cocked his head. "I was considering taking you back to the skiff, but is there a reason I should kill you instead?"

"I swear I won't tell anyone."

"Anyone, what?"

"That you're a werewolf."

The werewolf shrugged. "Oh, that. How many of them did you see today?"

"You're all over the place."

Yarnell took a deep breath and snorted it out. He motioned with his hands for the young man to lower his arms, and the lad complied. "So, you see a bunch of werewolves walking around with all those humans, and not one human seems a bit upset but you."

"I don't think they see you."

"Good guess. Spot on, in fact." The werewolf extended his paw. "Come on, Kid. Let's go walking."

"You're not going to kill me?"

The werewolf glowered. "Really, Kid?" he fumed. "What is it with you humans that makes you think we have nothing better to do than kill you?"

"Because that's what werewolves do," the youth said, extending his hand, not sure why.

"So, you go out there and tell the world that we werewolves are all over Partridge Island. What do you imagine happens to you?"

"They probably send me to a psychiatric hospital for observation."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too," Yarnell said as he took the young man's hand. He pulled his loose-fitting vest around and pointed to the words security on the pocket over the badge. "I'm not here to kill you, Kid. I'm trying to get you to go home. Where is home, by the way?"

"NBCC Saint John dorms."

"Oh, what trade are you learning?"

"I'm in electrical and mechanical engineering right now. I'm trying to get a general contracting degree. Next semester, I'm doing plumbing. I'm handy with tools and fixing stuff. There's got to be a job out there where I can use what I learn. I only have to find it."

The werewolf nodded, impressed. "Those are excellent skills to pick up. You should meet Greg. He's our Chief Construction Officer for the island. He's the supervisor for nearly everything that goes on behind the scenes here. You'd like him."

"Is he a werewolf?"

"Yeah, he is. You have issues with guys who are furrier than you or something?"

The youth shook his head, confused. "No, Sir. It's just that I never met a werewolf until now."

The werewolf shrugged again. "You should have said hello earlier today." The beast began walking out of the woods and toward the fence that surrounded them. As he did, the young man followed behind him, clinging to the wolf's paw. The wolf helped the young man over the split-rail fence and then jumped over it. "We don't get many who see us…" he looked at the overweight youth with tightly cropped black hair and chocolate-colored skin. "I'm Yarnell. Have you got a name?"

"Spencer, Sir."

"Well, Spencer. You realize we won't kill you, so what do you think I should do with you now that you know what you know?"

"You could let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"That would be in your best interest because we won't back up your story when they come to the island asking us if we're overrun with werewolves."

Spencer laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"So, I bet a few questions are rattling around in that head of yours," the werewolf said as he took the human's hand and began walking him toward the paths as the ground lights turned on.

"Lots."

Yarnell tapped his ComLink. He waited for the front to answer. "We have another Kendal," he said calmly. He waited. "Yeah, is Kendal here on the island?"

"He did what?" the wolf asked. He waited for the answer. "Does that family ever consider sending out a memo?" the disappointed wolf said. "No, it would help if he was still, you know, Kendal. I was hoping to find Spencer a kindred soul to talk to. I suppose Martin is in Africa, right? He's the only other I can think of who saw us from the get-go." The wolf paused, listening. "Well, at least he's here. Could you please ask him to take a break from his kitchen duty and join us out on the bay overlook?" The werewolf paused again, listening. He looked at the young man. "Is there anyone waiting up for you, Spencer?"

"No, but the dorms have an eleven o'clock curfew."

"We'll get you home on time," the werewolf said with a grin. "Send the skiff back to the mainland at eight," Yarnell told command central. "We can give him a lift home a bit later." He turned back to the young man. "You doing okay with me, Spencer? Not going to pass out or lose it here?"

"No, Sir. It might be easier if you were human."

"I'm wearing a security vest to help cue humans to what I am. But you might notice that I'm not wearing anything else."

"Yes, Sir."

"So, what do you say? A big, naked, scary guy who looks like a bouncer at a biker bar; or a nice, friendly wolf in a blue vest?"

Spencer considered the options for a moment. "Friendly wolf sounds nice."

"Thanks, Kid," Yarnell said. The wolf's keen eyes watched the saber-tooth cat shift to human as he raced along Old Street in the distance. The naked human awkwardly tried to run and put on a lab coat at the same time. "Let's go, Spencer," he said, tugging the human along the path. "We need to catch up with Martin. He's like you. Before he ever became a beast, he saw us. That's very rare. You are in a very special group of humans."

As the two hurried along the path, Spencer watched the brown-skinned man moving toward the intersection of the two paths at a bench overlooking the bay. "I saw him today," Spencer said, never slowing his pace. "He was the nice guy wearing the ranger's outfit explaining how the hospital worked in the old days and what it does today."

"His husband is our chief surgeon. He likes to have lunch with him, so rather than sitting around waiting, he likes to visit with the island guests."

"I thought he was some sort of actor."

"No, he's actually a ranger in Kruger National Park. He visits here frequently, though. Most of us have other occupations, although his job is on a different continent. But when he's here, he enjoys trying to make your visits memorable."

"Yeah, we'll you've done that," Spencer said with a sigh.

Yarnell stopped in front of the bench. "Take a seat. Some of what's about to happen might knock you off your feet."

Spencer sat down but rose back up as Martin approached. "Hi Yarnell," Martin said with a wave. "I'm sorry to rush you two, but I'm on the clock here. The husbands and I need to be in South Dakota in a couple hours." Martin smiled at the young man. "Hello, Spencer," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Martin. We met earlier today."

"Yeah, I remember you," Spencer said, taking the hand and shaking it. "Are you a werewolf too?"

"No, I'm a saber-toothed cat."

Spencer's eyes widened in disbelief. "A saber-tooth cat?"

"A very big cat. Would you like to see me?"

"Could I?" the young man begged.

"You keep looking out on the bay. I'll get out of this outfit. My husband would be none too happy if I shredded his lab coat when I make the change."

Spencer put his palm up over his eyes. "I won't peek."

In a moment, the young man heard the voice towering above him. "You can open your eyes now."

Spencer turned and stared into the belly of the cat. He followed the fur upward until he saw the cat's face with two short, protruding fangs staring down at him. "You're huge, Sir," the young man said.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot," the cat said with a laugh. He walked out from behind the bench and knelt down in front of the youth. "How old are you, Spencer?"

"Twenty-one."

"Don't lie to a beast. There are ways we can make you uncomfortable that you don't want to find out about."

"Nineteen. But I'll be twenty in September."

"That's better. If we're going to make this work, we need to feel we can trust each other. Agreed?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Sir. I promise I won't lie again."

"Fair enough. And I never lie. It's a genetic trait of my husband that's sort of rubbed off on me."

"You're not human?"

"I'm part human, but my husband is an alien," Martin replied, waving his paw upward to where the stars were appearing in the night sky. "The kind that lives out there."

"Your husband is an alien?"

"Yes," Martin answered. "Most of the wolves you saw today are humans… or were. We're obviously different now." He looked at Spencer. "And no, it doesn't involve wolfsbane, wolf attacks, or getting our throats torn out under the full moon."

Spencer smiled. "That helps. Fewer questions I need to ask." The young man looked at the saber-toothed cat. "The man in that lab coat you kissed in the hospital hallway? Was that your husband?"

Martin nodded. "One of them. When he's not in his human form working with patients, he's a short-faced bear. I have two short-faced bear husbands; one alien and one human. There's another husband who's a badger and one that's a cute rhino. They're all over at the diner cutting up vegetables for the grill. Well, except for the badger. He's out somewhere with his other husbands."

"You might reconsider how much truth you tell me, Sir," the human said, shaking his head.

"Too much?"

"You're kind of overwhelming being something I've only seen in movies. Now I find out you're gay and that you have multiple husbands, who are multiple animals, all in a single sentence."

"Sorry, Spencer," the cat said apologetically.

The human smiled. "No, I'm sorry. I guess I'm envious. You seem to have it all together when I'm struggling to keep my head above water. I work two jobs. I'm taking a double course load to graduate in half the time. Today was my first day away from the campus in two semesters. And well..." he said, pointing to himself, "… as you might expect looking at me, I'm not exactly enjoying an active social life."

Martin laughed. "So, you're talking to a saber-toothed cat and a werewolf, and your biggest concern is that you don't have a date for Friday night?"

Spencer's head dropped into his hands. "God, I am so lame. I should be asking you about what it's like to live with a husband from another planet, or what it feels like to have teeth like those. There are so many questions I should ask, but I'm sitting here whining about my life."

"Nathaniel was born on this planet. He may be an alien, but he's never been anywhere else," Martin replied. "And my teeth feel just like yours, I expect." He reached out and put his paw on the lad's shoulder. "So, that out of the way, Spencer. What's bothering you? We're pretty good listeners."

Spencer looked back up. "But why would you?"

"Because you see us. In the history of our people, only two of us ever saw the beasts from the moment we met them. You're unique, Spencer. You also seem to be unafraid of us. That, too, is unique for most humans."

"Oh, I'm afraid. All I can say is I'm glad I used the restroom before I tried hiding out to get a picture of you guys. I sort of hoped it would catapult me to fame on social media. Guys like weird shit. I thought a bit of notoriety would make me more popular." Spencer took a deep breath. "You remember that whole socially awkward part I was whining about earlier."

"For the record, we don't show up as beasts on any human-made camera. You get nothing but digital noise unless we opt for something else," Martin said. "But, you referenced increasing your popularity with guys, not women. Does that mean you're gay?"

"I guess so. I can't say that I have the experience to prove it."

"Perhaps you just don't like to rush things," the cat said, trying to console the human.

"I don't want to rush having sex," the young man said. "But it's still pretty sad that the first man I ever held hands with is the werewolf security guard who busted me."

Yarnell laughed. "Well, I'm flattered."

"You're kind of cute and you didn't growl at me with dripping fangs. I don't think I set my bar too high."

The wolf nodded. "You get kind of desperate after a while. I remember the feeling."

"You?" Spencer asked disbelievingly. "You seem to have it all together."

"I'm older than you, Spencer. We both have a few years on you. But we remember what it was like to be young and awkward." The wolf squatted in front of the human and shook, trying to use the hanging vest to make sure he covered himself in all the right places. Spencer stared at the firm, rounded shape of the man before him. Yarnell was right. He looked like a bouncer at a biker bar; a very tough biker bar. A thick black beard framed his bald head, and a barrel chest full of tight-knit hair covered his dark skin.

"You're black," the startled young man said.

"At the moment. A few seconds ago, I was gray and brown. I was under the assumption that humans were past judging by a person's color."

"Most of us try not to judge, but it's still an inherent trait we acknowledge. Humans are pretty mixed up genetically. But if you're going to describe someone, the color of our skin is a pretty easy identifier to whittle it down."

"That makes sense," Yarnell said with a smile. "I tell visiting beasts to keep an eye out for the nine-foot snow leopard with an overbite when I'm talking about Martin."

"It surprised me, that's all. You told me you were scary. You're actually kind of hot," Spencer said. He shyly looked down and then, wide-eyed, he looked back up. "Oh crap, I looked at your junk. I didn't mean to. I was trying to avoid eye contact, but it's like… dangling there… and… and… oh, god… I'm so sorry."

Yarnell laughed. "It's okay Spenser. We're men. That's what men do. I'd worry about you if somewhere along the line you looked at a naked guy and didn't notice his junk."

Spencer's embarrassment eased. "This whole day has me so confused. I don't know whether to be frightened or aroused. I guess I'm a bit of both."

"Look past the hours in the gym trying to push this body into something it doesn't want to be, Spencer," the bald, bearded man with dark ebony skin said. "Remember your history lessons and imagine a pudgy little grade school kid in the nineteen sixties. Remember the film footage of police leading me past the protesters as I got out of the school bus in Alabama. The Little Rock Nine took the brunt of the abuse, but prejudice was still going strong when I went to school. So, I understand what awkward feels like. And I know what fear feels like. We might intimidate you, even scare you, but I promise we will never hurt you. I had to walk through people threatening to kill me every day. When I met the wolf, I didn't fear him. It was the humans that kept me awake at night trembling."

"I can't imagine," Spencer replied, looking at the human in front of him. He paused a moment, doing the math in his head. "You're over two hundred years old?"

"Yeah, I am."

Spencer looked at the cat. "You, too?"

"I'm much younger than Yarnell," Martin replied. "But I passed the century mark a while back."

"But you both look so much younger than I thought men your age would look," Spencer said, shaking his head. "I guess I don't feel so bad if it takes longer for me to find my place in this world. I'm nineteen. If I am still this geeky at, say, fifty, then I'll throw in the towel."

"That's the spirit," Yarnell said as he shook back into his wolfen form.

"You both swear you won't tear me apart?"

"We swear," Martin said, crossing his paw over his heart.

"Then could I maybe come back one day and just talk with you?"

"Sure," Yarnell replied. "I get Mondays and Tuesdays off. On Tuesdays, we close the island to all but hospital visitors; but if you promise not to tell anyone, I can leave a pass for you at the mainland dock. If you don't mind doing rounds with me on the other days, I'm good with you dropping by anytime. And, one day I can introduce you to Greg. As general contractors go, he's well respected. You two can talk shop."

The cat nodded in agreement. "I wish I could introduce you to Kendal, but he's away for a while. He's the other human to see werebeasts from the first moment he met them."

"How did he do?"

"We had to treat him for shock," the saber-toothed cat answered with a grin.

"I guess I didn't do so bad," Spencer said with a half smile.

"You did great, Kid," the werewolf replied. "So, you want to go home, or can I take you over to the diner and get you a burger or something? I'm pretty sure they shut down your dorm cafeteria by now."

Spencer was quiet considering for a moment. "Something to eat would be nice. I stress eat, so right now I'm starving."

Both the beasts laughed. "Okay, you two," Martin said, rising back up to his full stature. "I'll leave you to figure out where you go from here. I've got a plane to catch." He turned to the werewolf. "Please make sure he gets back to the dorm safe and on time, Yarnell."

"I promise, Martin," the werewolf responded. "Say hi to the husbands for me." He reached out his paw to the young man, and then turned back toward Martin. "So what's in South Dakota?"

"We're visiting friends of Oliver and Will's. We're inviting them to the highland. You got the memo, right?" the cat said with a guilty smile.

Yarnell laughed. "About the family gathering, yes. The whole thing about Marcus, Kendal, and a sizeable chunk of your family turning into an otter… that's news to me."

"He's really nice," Martin said apologetically.

"I look forward to meeting him. I hope you don't mind if you don't mind if we don't connect until later in the week. It's triple time and a half to work the first half of the week. Scheduling thinks that by day three there will be a few of us on the highland so tired that work will start looking like a break. When they return home, I'll drop by."

"We keep an eye out for you," the cat said. Martin leaned down and kissed Yarnell, while the young man watched, amazed at how natural it seemed to watch two animals kissing.

"So you're good with me taking the boy home instead of eating him?" the wolf said as he nudged the lad.

"You made the right call, Yarnell," the cat replied. Martin turned to the human. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Spencer. I look forward to seeing you again. Next time you can call me Martin instead of Sir."

"I'll try to remember… Martin," the young man replied. He watched as the upright saber-toothed cat shifted, dropped to all fours, and bounded toward the helipad. "He has four husbands, huh?"

"Yeah, and his badger husband has four more. Five, I guess if he married the otter."

"The badger is married to eight or nine guys?"

"Yep. His name is Oliver. You'll love him."

"I'm probably dreaming all of this, Yarnell, but I thank you for making this the best day of my life."

The werewolf smiled. "Wait until you meet Carl and Frank." He grabbed the young man's hand and pulled him up. "We're off to dinner," the wolf said as he followed along the same path as the retreating cat.

"So, everyone is going to see some big muscle-bound guy taking me home tonight?" Spencer asked.

"They might. The protections in place that keep humans from seeing us are kind of fluid. To be safe, I'll stop by my locker on the way out and put on my ape suit and clothes. They should see my human side from the start. Sometimes people see what they expect to see. Without a visual reference to work with, some of your dormmates might think I'm a date you're returning home with. Who they believe you would date could influence what they see."

"That would be cool," Spencer said with a laugh. "I could use a bit of gossip about me dating. You know… any press is good press."

"We're not dating, Spencer," the wolf said emphatically. "You told us you won't lie. If there are misconceptions about who I am, you correct them."

"What do I tell them?"

"You tell them I'm a friend," the werewolf responded. "That's the truth. Oh, and you might mention that I'm not nearly as intimidating as I appear."

"I don't think you're all that intimidating anymore," Spencer replied.

"Well, that's nice to hear," the wolf said as he rose to his full seven-foot height. "Let's go get you dinner." 

Halfway up the hill, Spencer looked up and watched the Red Wolf rising into the sky, its engines flaring blue. It hovered for only a moment, and then it was gone. "That's a spaceship," he said, gawking.

"Actually, it never leaves the outer atmosphere, so strictly speaking, it's an airplane."

"It looks like a spaceship."

"You're the one who wants to be a general contractor. Best learn the right words for things."

Spencer stood staring into the space where the Red Wolf had disappeared. "I'm in way over my head."

"Nonsense, Spencer," the wolf said as he tugged the human back into their walk toward the diner. "You're doing fine."

Moments later, Yarnell pushed the diner doors opened and yelled, "Carl, Frank, we have a human in the house and he sees us."

"Another Kendal?" Carl said as he came out of the kitchen.

Spencer made a quick jolt, staring at the well-muscled wolf's body pushing out from beyond the white apron. The smiling werewolf took a step back, wagging a tail that seemed to come from nowhere. Spencer realized the wolf was trying his best to appear as close to a friendly dog as he could. "You're all so different, but the same," Spencer said in awe.

"That has a lot to do with where we grew up, Son," the wolf in the apron replied. "I'm Midwestern Canadian. I'm a Hudson Bay wolf because those were the wolves I grew up with in Northern Manitoba. Our wolves are pretty much light gray or cream-colored like me. Frank is a Mackenzie Valley wolf because that's what was around him in Yellowknife. His fur is dark brown and black."

"And I'm a timber wolf," Yarnell added. "Because kids growing up in Alabama don't see any wolves except in textbooks."

Frank poked his head out from behind the counter. "So we all have our own markings, but we're all family. Just like all the subspecies of wolves out there."

"You're all beautiful," Spencer said. "I never realized there was so much diversity in your colors. I thought wolves were wolves."

Carl laughed. "Well, you learn something new every day, Son."

"I guess I do," Spencer said, smiling. He looked at the two wolves in aprons. "Are you two married?"

Frank laughed out loud. "No, although the way we argue sometimes, you might think it. Carl is my best friend from our days at culinary school. We worked together in several restaurants over the years, but this is where we spend our lives now. This is home."

"So, you're not married?"

"No, we're both married," Carl replied. "Just not to each other. But lines drawn by humans in relationships are blurrier in the Were Nation." Carl paused. "Did Yarnell tell you about the Were Nation?"

"No, but I think I already understand what it is. I see how you all interact. It extends to all the werewolves, right?"

"Pretty much," Carl said with a nod. "And the other beasts as well."

"Like Martin, the saber-toothed cat, and his bear and badger husbands?"

Carl laughed. He put down two menus at a table, and Spencer and Yarnell sat down. "They're a pretty rarefied group, Martin and his husbands."

"And the badger's other husbands?"

Carl laughed again. "What the hell, Yarnell? Did you give him a speed course on the entire history of the Were Nation?"

"Martin told him about his husbands. I was only trying to help familiarize Spencer with the men I know he's going to meet. I figure they're going to want to say hello to any human that can see them."

"Makes sense," the wolf said as he put out his paw toward the human. "I'm Carl, by the way. The man on the grill tonight is Frank. José, Trent, and George will come in soon to work the line. We told them to enjoy a bit of time off while Nathaniel and his husbands helped in the kitchen."

"I'm Spencer. It's a pleasure to meet you all." He took the paw and shook it.

"We should warn you that most of us hug. If it makes you uncomfortable, let us know and we'll make sure that everyone gets the memo." The wolf looked at Yarnell and grinned.

"I swear I will never use the word memo around this family again."

Spencer thought for a moment. "I don't exactly come from a family that hugs," he said shyly.

"Okay," the Hudson Bay wolf said with a nod. "No hugs it is."

"No… no…" Spencer stammered. "I'd be okay with the hugs. But I'll probably be really awkward about them."

Carl smiled. "Okay. So, it's only the four of us here right now. How about we practice?" The wolf helped the human up and hugged him.

At first, Spencer's arms flailed at his side, but soon they crept up along the waist of the wolf and wrapped around his back. "I could get used to this," Spencer said as he buried his head into the apron of the wolf.

"But don't get too used to it," Yarnell said. "I still have to get you home by eleven, remember?"

Spencer turned toward the timber wolf. "That's right, I forgot. But if this is a dream… and I'm pretty sure it's a dream… I could stay longer, right?"

Carl gently pushed the human back. "It's not a dream, Spencer. We'll get you home on time. I doubt you'll get much sleep thinking about everything that's happened today. Remember one thing. You're one of the special ones. You, Martin, and Kendal are the only three that saw us from the start. That has to mean something."

"I sure don't know what," the young man replied.

"Nor do any of us," Yarnell said. "But you met Martin, and you know how special he is. Kendal was quite the amazing wolf, so I wouldn't underestimate your ability to become an amazing human."

"Kendal was a werewolf?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"His husband turned him a few years after they married."

"Did he mean to do it?"

Yarnell smiled. "Yes, Spencer, it's always intentional, and always with the agreement of the human preparing to turn."

"So you won't turn me to force me to keep your secret?"

Yarnell looked at the youth, perplexed. "You spend a great deal of time creating horrible scenarios in that head of yours."

"Sorry," Spencer replied. "It's my first time talking to werewolves. I'm trying to get all my fears out in the open so you can calm them."

The werewolf grinned. "Fair enough, Spencer. You feel free to voice any of those ideas that pop into your head, and I'll do what I can to help calm your fears."

"Why is Kendal a was instead of an is?"

"He turned into something else. He merged with a few other beasts to form one."

"You do realize that even for a dream, that sounds improbable."

Yarnell nodded. "Yeah… yeah, it does. But you asked."

Spencer looked at the wolf. "And you never lie?"

Frank came out holding two plates and placed them in front of the wolf and the human. "You guys won't get around to ordering at this rate, so here you go; pasta to die for."

Yarnell groaned. "Oh, Jeez, Frank, don't say die. The kid is going to have a panic attack."

Frank looked at the young man. "This is pasta Alfredo with prosciutto. It's good. You'll like it. Don't have a panic attack. Have the pasta."

Spencer smiled at the wolf in the apron. "Thank you. I'm sorry to be a bother."

"You're fine, Spencer," the apron-wearing wolf said. "This is all new. You're doing great. The first rule of everyone who lives in our community is that we protect the innocent. You're in safe hands. Let go of what you think you know and embrace what is."

"I say embrace the pasta before it gets cold," Yarnell said, pushing the plate closer to the human.

Spencer swirled a fork full of linguine into the sauce. He shoved it into his mouth and smiled while he chewed it. He looked up at Frank. "This is great." He paused. "In fact, I'd say this is pasta to die for."

"I'm going to like you, Spencer," Frank said. "Enjoy your meal. If you need anything, holler."

The diner doors swung open wide. Four boisterous wolves wearing nurse's smocks walked in. "Hi Yarnell," one said, waving.

Spencer stared at the four wolves as Yarnell waved back. The timber wolf turned to the human. "Deep breaths, Spencer. They're my friends; four night-shift nurses dropping by for something to eat before heading off to work."

Spencer took a deep breath. "I can do this," he mumbled to himself as he shoveled another forkful of pasta into his mouth.

"Yeah, you can, Spencer," the wolf next to him agreed. "We'll be there to help."

Chapter 7
    
Henry leaned back and looked up at the fading stars through the ponderosa pines. A warm pink glow shone off to the east, and the night sky was turning cobalt blue. "It's going to be daybreak soon. I can't believe how incredible this night has been. Thank you again, Nathaniel, for letting us renew our vows in both universes. It means a lot to us. Sometimes it's easy to forget how much we let slip by over the years."
 
"It was a pleasure, Henry. You and Dennis are amazing in whatever universe I find you." Nathaniel pushed up from the blanket he was lying on. "And Clyde, Wyatt, John… thanks for making the trip. I will rest easier knowing Henry and Dennis have such loyal friends. I hope you'll consider yourself a part of the larger family now."
 
"You don't mind knowing a pig?" Clyde asked, pushing himself closer to the hold Chipo had on him.
 
Nathaniel laughed. "Most of my fathers would say they're pigs… only not literal ones. To be honest, the only difficulty I have with you is wondering whether to refer to you as a pig or a boar."
 
Clyde smiled. "No one enjoys being called a bore. I figure it all sounds the same hearing it, so when someone says what I am, I prefer pig. Like you said, at least that has a positive connotation in our community." Clyde frowned. "Sorry about the tusks last night, Max. I ain't never had a bear before, and I got excited."
 
Max pushed up from the ground and laughed. "I had fun, Clyde. You didn't hurt me. We bears have pretty tough hides under all this fur."
 
"Well, your pecker is a wonder," Clyde said, shaking his head. He thought for a moment. "Don't mean no disrespect by saying that. It's just the truth."
 
Max smiled. "My husband, Oliver, calls it a pecker too. I took no offense. It's a pleasure to hear a voice so like his."
 
"Me?" Clyde said with a snort. "I get that I talk funny, but I'm a farm kid. Ain't no one who talks like me that I'm aware of."
 
Martin looked up from nuzzling Henry. "Oliver does. He doesn't have as much of your southern drawl. His is more late nineteenth-century West Texas. He also uses a few more words we don't hear from anyone else, but other than that, your speech patterns are very similar. We love the sound of his voice, so yours feels like home."
 
Clyde smiled. "I always figured the boys here treated me kindly because I'm family. But last night was so different. Ain't never felt sexy outside of these men's arms," the pig said, pointing to his friends.
 
"Well, I had fun with you last night," Chipo said, rubbing his thick fingers over Clyde's chest.
 
"I ain't seen anything quite like you, Chipo," Clyde said. "Never seen another hairless beast, but you're a handsome one, for sure."
 
Chipo's prehensile lip played with the back of Clyde's smooth neck. "And you as well, my porcine friend."
 
Clyde laughed. "Ain't never thought of me as handsome; more of a mistake."
 
Martin leaned back from hugging Henry's backside. "If it's not too personal, what made you choose a beast that you think of as a mistake?"
 
The other four South Dakotans tried and failed to stifle their laughter. Clyde's pink face blushed red, and his snout scrunched up. "It wasn't my intention, that's for sure." 
 
When Clyde leaned forward from Chipo's hold, the visiting family realized how much he still looked like a human. A fine white hair lay flat, covering the top of his head, sides, and back. It spread out over the top of his arms and completely covered his hindquarters. The smooth, pink skin was thick but soft and warm to the touch. From the back, Clyde looked more like his animal counterpart. The tan and brown spotted skin was a familiar site in 4-H pens at South Dakota county fairs. The thicker, raised hairs that formed a peak of stiff hair running down the backbone to his curled tail were decidedly porcine. 
 
However, from the front, his massive chest and gut were identical to that of a country farmer who loved his beer a bit too much. His front was almost hairless. A small patch of white hair swirled around his crotch in a circular pattern, but other than that, his chest and belly were smooth. Only the large forward-facing floppy ears and snout instantly betrayed him as something other than human. Those and the two short tusks on either side of his wide mouth protruding from the bottom.
 
"It was my fault," Wyatt answered. The Great Plains wolf rolled out from underneath Tiff and Tuff. "I was so eager to turn him, I didn't think about his life beyond our time together."
 
"T'weren't you, Wyatt. I should have paid more attention to what we were doing," Clyde objected. "I guess I thought all any of us did was turn into wolves. None of us had an idea that what we thought about was what we became. I thought I'd be a wolf, like those two beauties there. But I had three gilts." Clyde paused. "Them's female pigs… I had three of them ready to birth and that was all that was on my mind that night. I kept thinking: fuck me, Wolf, and let me get back to my farm and my pigs." Clyde rubbed his belly with his hands, which had a similarity to Chipo's with their four thick digits having a rough, solid look to them. "Couldn't stop thinking about them pigs and now I am one."
 
The family was silent. The pig looked at them. "You can laugh. That was hundreds of years ago. Even I think it's funny now."
 
The family smiled, and a few chuckled at the thought. Martin seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Clyde, there is a way that you might change if you are unhappy about what you are. Adam helped me change into a saber-toothed cat so that our family could be together. He could help you if that's what you want."
 
Clyde looked down at his body and then back to Chipo. Wyatt rose and took the pig in his arms. "For how many hundreds of years have we told you that you are the most beautiful creature on earth and you've not believed us? Don't you see? Look around you. There are more beasts here today than any of us have seen at one time in our entire life, and not one of them turned away from you. Damn it, Clyde, that Rhino still has a look in his eyes that says we're going to need to fight our way through him just to get to you later today."
 
Clyde shook his head. "Look at you, Wyatt. You and John, you're so beautiful. You're the most beautiful wolves ever. I wanted to be like you. I wanted to run by your side at the full moon. But I can't. I can't do any of that."
 
"So we walk. Do you think that ever mattered to us?" John said as he put out his paw and rubbed the shoulder of the pig. "What matters is that every month you lie by our side at the end of those walks." He leaned in and kissed the pig's neck. "Our only complaint is that you don't do it often enough for the two of us to be content."
 
"This ain't pity?" Clyde asked.
 
Wyatt shook his head no. "This is passion, Clyde. We waited for two hundred and thirty-six years for you to figure that out. Look at the family surrounding you. They intertwined their lives by ignoring human conventions and making their own. You share our bed with us a few nights every month. Let's make it every night."
 
Clyde looked around the group at the smiling faces, all nodding in agreement. "I never felt I could bring to that bed what you two do. My life is out on a farm with my chickens and goats."
 
"Then invite us to become a part of that life," John said. "We've been waiting for you to finally figure this out. If what it took was spending a night with a family of beasts, then we owe the Ancient One and his mates a debt of gratitude we can't repay. Clyde, the same as we do every year on the day Wyatt turned you, I'm going to ask you again today… will you marry us?"
 
Clyde looked into the yellow eyes of the Great Plains wolves in front of him. He nodded shyly. "This time I'm going to say yes."
 
The three fell into a hug, and Dennis sighed. "Finally, Pig," he said.
 
Clyde pushed back slightly. "You ain't farmers," he said, looking at the wolves. 
 
"We can be. Give us a few hundred years. I'm sure we'll get the knack of it," John replied.
 
"You would do that for me?" the pig asked.
 
"And more," Wyatt said. "Be our mate, Pig. Change if you want. Be whatever your heart desires. But know that we love you. We loved you long before you turned, and we will love you long after you choose what you will be."
 
Clyde looked at his body. "I've kinda grown used to this body. I know how to use my tusks to drive you both crazy."
 
"And we're fond of smooth guys. Makes for variety, if you get what I mean," John said, rubbing the pig's chest.
 
"Yeah, I guess I am that," Clyde said with a smile. "You don't mind marrying a pig?"
 
"Would we have asked you for the last two hundred and thirty-six years if that was an issue?"
 
"I guess not. I'm thick-headed sometimes about those things."
 
"Then let it get past that thick head of yours that this is love. It's always been love. It was love when we asked you to turn, and it's been love every day since then and long before."
 
Clyde looked over at the saber-toothed cat. "I guess I'm going to stick with this body. Might be that I was meant to be a pig for these two. I sure feel like that every time I see them."
 
Nathaniel rose with a sigh. "This presents a bit of a quandary."
 
"What's that, Ancient One," Henry asked. 
 
Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "We really need to rethink that title, men. You can call me Nathaniel, you can call me Bear, you can call me all manner of pet names and I will cuddle up to you faster than a whelped pup to his mamma. But please, can we let go of 'Ancient One'? I don't care what the stories or protocols say."
 
"Sure, Bear," Henry replied. "But it will cost you. I couldn't make it to you last night, but I overheard my husband yelling. I'd like you to prove you can do that."
 
Nathaniel smiled. "I can, and I will…" he paused. "But that's where we have a problem. It's Friday morning. We need to be on the highland by Monday, ten a.m." 
 
Clyde waved his hands. "Hold on a minute, Bear. I'd love to join you, but I got to get back to my farm. I got my neighbor Gerald covering for me this morning. But he expects me back by nightfall."
 
Nathaniel's face scrunched up in thought. "What's out on your farm?"
 
"My crops. They need watering every other day if it don't rain. I have me a parcel full of chickens and goats. The goats need milking and feeding, and the cheese I make from the milk needs tending to. The eggs need gathering and the chickens need feeding and watching. I sell my wares every afternoon until sundown. So you can see, Bear, I have chores and duties."
 
Wyatt looked at Nathaniel. "And that means after today, so do John and I."
 
"This won't do, men. You can't go having a mating and not go on a honeymoon. That wouldn't be right." Nathaniel tapped his ComLink. "Is this a one-man farm, Clyde?"
 
"Yeah, I bring help in the spring when people come to pick strawberries, but I won't be bringing in any workers now until the fall harvest."
 
"Okay," Nathaniel said smiling. "Albert," he spoke into the ComLink. The bear pronounced the name in its French iteration, leaving the T silent. There was a pause. "Bonjour, Albert. Comment allez-vous?" He paused. "Oui, Nathaniel; le fils d'Eric." He looked out at the confused faces of the group. "Hey Albert, there are friends with me. We're good with English, right?" he said as he tapped the speaker function.
 
"Of course, Nathaniel," everyone heard the man with a thick French accent say. "I always enjoy listening to you speak French. It reminds me so much of your father when he took care of me in the field hospital. How is he doing?"
 
"Well, we hope to find out in a few days. He's MIA with a note from Will saying they'll be home on Monday. He might have gone off and married someone again."
 
The voice on the other side laughed. "Mon Dieu, how many does that make now?"
 
"It would be six, but we're still trying to figure that part out." Nathaniel paused. "Albert, there's a family member here who won't be able to attend the return gathering because he has to tend to his farm."
 
"Oh? How big is this farm?" 
 
Nathaniel looked at Clyde and waved his paw toward the ComLink. "35 acres," Clyde said. "Mostly feed crops. Got a creek and pond on the back ten that has trout in it. Have me some chickens and goats, too."
 
"Nice. Are you doing subsistence agriculture, or is this more commercial?"
 
"A bit of both. It keeps a roof over my head, but my needs are small. Gonna need to rethink the farm layout, though. I'm getting married today. I'm marrying me two of the most beautiful wolves you have ever seen."
 
"Congratulations. Sounds like you're part of the Old Bear's family, for sure. Few use the plural when they say they're getting married. Two you say?" the voice asked. 
 
"Two. But they're a handful."
 
"Tell me about it. I'm married to a Labrador wolf." The voice paused. "Oh, I'm Albert, by the way. Anything on that farm that's not subsistence crops?"
 
"My name's Clyde, Albert," the pig said, trying to figure out what was happening. "I got me a bit of a sideline with strawberries up at the front. But they're June bearing. They're already spent. Don't need to worry much about them other than watering until I prepare the beds for winter. I clipped the runners last week."
 
"Okay," the voice with the deep French accent said. "And your goats. Any mommas this year? And if so, how many nursing kids?"
 
Clyde scratched his head, slightly confused. "I got five does nursing eight kids."
 
"Sounds like you're having a good year."
 
"Yeah. The weather was kind and the bucks frisky."
 
"Gotta love frisky bucks," Albert said with a laugh. "So, how long do you intend to be at this reunion?"
 
"It's a mating, and we were told we got a big family. I guess that means a few days."
 
There was a pause. "Nathaniel, are there going to be any temple dogs?" Albert asked.
 
"All of them."
 
Albert made a sound as if he had the wind knocked out of him. "Clyde, have you ever been to a family mating circle with temple dogs?"
 
"Never been to a mating circle until last night, and I never even heard of a temple dog. Until a couple of hours ago, I've only been with wolves and a cougar."
 
"A cougar, huh? Those are some pretty special family members you have there, Clyde. But you're all going to get a surprise when you meet the rest of your family."
 
"They've been telling me that. Already met the bears and the saber-toothed cat. There's a rhinoceros here that's bigger than a house and there are four red wolves that are about the prettiest men you've ever seen. I got me some amazing family, for sure."
 
"You do that," Albert said. "Listen. I want you and your new husbands to experience what it's like to be with your extended family. I understand how important that is. One day you will, too. So, what do you say I grab my husband and we come down there to tend to your farm while you're gone?"
 
"That's right kind of you, Sir," Clyde said. "But farming ain't for everyone. There's lots to know. You got to know all about the cheeses I'm making and tending the chickens. And every day I'm out on the side of the road selling what I don't use. There's lots, and I mean lots, to do."
 
"I realize that, Clyde. We're farmers up here, too. I'm a Maître Fromager here in Canada, and my CCP certification for working in the States is current, so I'm good to go with your cheese. As for chickens, we go way back."
 
"Really?" the pig asked not sure if a voice with a French accent could be a farmer.
 
"I'm Albert Goland."
 
There was quiet on both sides of the line. Clyde leaned in toward Nathaniel's ComLink. "The Albert Goland?" The hard T in Albert was clear in Clyde's question. It was obvious he had never heard it with the T dropped.
 
"Pretty sure I'd be the only one you've heard about. I just don't pronounce the T. It's silent in French."
 
Clyde clapped his hands together. "Oh lord almighty, Sir; I live by your books. I am your biggest fan. It was you that convinced me to plant them strawberries. I work them a few months out of the year and people pay me money to let them pick them and pet my goats. There ain't nothing come along like it to keep me in the black. I mean, your books are like my Bible."
 
There was quiet as the pig put his hand up over Nathaniel's chest, searching for the mute on the bear's ComLink. He turned to his two future husbands. "It's Albert Goland. I'm talking to Albert Goland," Clyde gushed, careful to drop the hard T at the end.
 
The two wolves smiled back, clueless as to his enthusiasm. "That's nice, Hon," they said in tandem.
 
"Wait a minute," the voice on the ComLink said. "Strawberries? Clyde? Is this Clyde Johnson who lives outside of Hermosa, South Dakota?"
 
"Yes sir, that's me."
 
The hand went up again on the bear's chest, pushing over the top of the ComLink. "He knows me. Albert Goland knows me." The two wolves smiled and nodded.
 
"Your letter is framed on my office wall, Clyde," Albert said. "It was the nicest thing that anyone has ever written to me. It's nice to find out you're not a stalker. Even better to realize you're a member of the Were Nation." 
 
The hand went up again on Nathaniel's chest, searching in vain for the ComLink's mute. "He's got my letter on his wall. Albert Goland has got my letter on his wall." The pig paused for a moment and rubbed his hand on the furry chest. He looked up at Nathaniel. "Bear, your nipple is getting mighty hard."
 
Nathaniel sighed. "You're playing with my chest, Clyde."
 
Clyde looked at his hand buried in the bear's fur. "Oh, I guess I am," he said, taking the hand away. He whispered the words, "But it's Albert Goland. I'm talking to Albert Goland."
 
Nathaniel smiled. "I'm aware. I called him, remember?" He took the ComLink off mute. "Hey, Albert, your biggest fanboy is having a meltdown here. Could you please talk to your biggest fan's future husbands?"
 
"Of course," the voice said. "Is everything okay?"
 
"Yeah," Albert heard a warm voice reply. "Our husband-to-be is speechless beyond telling us he's talking to you."
 
Albert laughed. "Oh, okay. So, is he going to be okay with me running his farm for at least a week? You need to budget more time if you're going to a Changeling gathering with temple dogs."
 
Clyde nodded enthusiastically. "Albert Goland is going to take care of my farm," he whispered.
 
"We'd love that, Albert," Wyatt answered. "But this is too generous for someone you don't even know beyond a letter."
 
"Nonsense, men. You can't have a mating without a honeymoon. And while a reunion with your family will drastically cut into your alone time, I assure you, you won't regret it."
 
"We can't thank you enough, Albert. We'll try to find a way to thank you when we return."
 
"Is your relationship going to be open?" Albert asked.
 
"We're pack wolves, Albert. Of course, it's going to be open."
 
Albert laughed. "Had to ask; don't want to make assumptions. Look, when you come back, let's spend a few days together. During the day, Clyde and I can work out a new plot layout for your farm to accommodate two more men. During the evening, my husband and I can enjoy the company of three friendly-sounding wolves."
 
"We probably need to tell you that Clyde is a pig," Wyatt stammered. 
 
"Aren't we all?" Albert responded with a laugh.
 
"No, Albert. He's a pig. Big snout, tusks, nice soft pink skin, hardly any hair."
 
"Wow… he sounds enticing."
 
"He is. Incredibly so."
 
"So, do we still have a deal? I can put more on the table just to meet Clyde," Albert said with a laugh.
 
"You put our husband on the table and do him, and you have a deal."
 
Albert laughed. "I guess I was being too vague about my original offer. I'm a timber wolf; a very large, very horny timber wolf. If you don't decline, I intend to have you all up on that table and a few of my other favorite farm locals before our visit is over. I hope none of you have hay allergies."
 
John grinned at his husband. Wyatt grinned back. "You got a deal, Albert. And apologies in advance for the fanboy you're about to meet in a week. I'm sure once you've had him a few times, he'll calm down. He really is a sweetheart."
 
"I'll look forward to meeting you all," Albert said. "Nathaniel, can you send the farm coordinates to me? I'll see if I can get an airship to give me a ride there today. I'll line up my replacement here. Devon will appreciate the overtime. Clyde, give your neighbor a call and let him know we're coming."
 
Clyde's grin never lessened. "Albert Goland is going to be sleeping in my bed," he gushed as he patted his hoof-like hands together.
 
Wyatt laughed out loud. "Dear god, Albert, you created a monster."
 
"We'll get you to the farm from our end, Albert," Nathaniel said. "Expect a call from Takeo and Daisuki later this morning. We have a mating to attend to."
 
"Good luck, men. And again, Congratulations."
 
Nathaniel tapped his ComLink. "Hon?" the bear asked, looking at the rhino. 
 
"I'm on it, Husband," Chipo said as he stood up and tapped his ComLink. He lumbered off toward the house involved in a conversation between the pilot wolves.
 
"Okay, that's taken care of. Now we have the actual issues to deal with," Nathaniel said with a sigh. The bear looked at the South Dakota five. "There are three beasts promised to each other. My suspicion is that you're going to consummate that arrangement pretty soon."
 
"You ain't wrong in that suspicion," the pig said as he hugged the two wolves tighter. 
 
"Oh jeez," Max said with the sudden realization of where Nathaniel was headed. "The temple dogs."
 
"Temple dogs? Albert mentioned them. What are temple dogs?" Wyatt said, turning toward the short-faced bear.
 
"Temple dogs are beasts that long ago gave up their human forms. They share in none of the deadly sins that plague humanity like greed and anger, but the trade-off is that their animal nature manifests easily. We joke about going into heat. Once a year, they actually do."
 
"Wait," the pig said. "Ain't lust a deadly sin?"
 
"According to some people's beliefs it is, but the temple dogs have no lust in their hearts. They simply love everyone, and like everyone else in the Were Nation, they show that love through physical contact. They lose their normal focus when confronted with certain situations."
 
"So, how does that involve us?" Wyatt asked.
 
"Temple dogs are sensitive to pheromones," Martin answered. 
 
"Very sensitive," Max added. "Do you remember what it felt like to be in the company of a Changeling last night, right?"
 
The South Dakota five nodded happily. "Yeah, that was amazing," Dennis said. "I've never been so hard."
 
"Me too," Wyatt said with a grin. "And I wasn't even close to him." He turned to the speckled short-faced bear. "I never had the pleasure of your company."
 
Nathaniel smiled. "We need to make sure we correct that oversight in the future."
 
The saber-toothed cat interjected into the playful banter of the wolf and bear. "So, the same way Nathaniel's pheromones enticed you to join him, the Changelings draw the temple dogs to their side," Martin said. "But even more so, because they have no human filters of shyness or societal shame. In the company of willing beasts, nothing makes them retreat from physical encounters. Temple dogs find aroused Changelings irresistible."
 
"Me too," Wyatt repeated with a wider grin.
 
"Not quite the same," Nathaniel corrected. "Think of that desire in hyperdrive and you have the temple dogs. And from their first encounters, Changelings have always found the temple dogs equally seductive. The two races' hormonal shifts feed on each other. The result is they drag most werebeasts into their sexual activity without even thinking."
 
"Like moths to a flame," Max said with a chuckle. "A sizzling hot, totally wonderful flame."
 
"Okay, so they like Changelings. I'm still not getting the connection to us."
 
"They also have a nose for newly mated beasts," Chipo said with a laugh, as he walked back into the crowd. "We all put out a pheromone trail the same as the Changelings, only ours is never as pronounced. That said, our pheromones are never stronger than in the hours and days after our turning or our mating." 
 
"As with other animals and their pheromones, ours evolved to trigger a response in those around us. On our home planet, we use them as simple identifiers. But here on Earth, they act differently. They grow stronger when we wish to be intimate with another beast. Those pheromonal changes transferred to the werebeasts during their turning," Nathaniel added. "We all sense that change in newly mated werebeasts. We know what that feels like. It arouses all our senses regardless of our relationship with the newly mated. That's where the tradition of welcoming our family into our circle after mating came from. We will frustrate the ones who wait for us if we don't spend that time together with them. And no beast enjoys frustrating the ones we love."
 
"So we wind up feeling like we did all night long?" Henry said asked. "Are you saying we are responsible for last night? Do even beasts renewing mating vows have ramped-up pheromones?" 

"Yes, they do," Nathaniel replied. "You manifest the same level of emotion and love as when you first mated. In turn, the same level of your hormones surges on every level. That includes your ectohormones; the ones secreted on the outside of your body. Science loosely refers to all those that draw others to you as pheromones."

Dennis rubbed the fur on his chest. "We were flagging everyone that it was time to mate?"

Nathaniel gave a nod. "The way we all felt last night was no less than we would feel when you first mated. It's all about the pheromones. They excite us. They move us to bond with each other. But they drive temple dogs crazy."
 
"But crazy in a good way," Max added. 
 
"That's true," Nathaniel said. "But come Monday, we're going to be meeting up with our family. They're returning from wherever it is they are. One thing is certain. The nature of my father's note says that at least two of them are returning as a mated couple. My guess is that it will be Adam and one of my fathers. My father, Will, likes his surprises. So, he was pretty tight-lipped about what's going to happen." 
 
"But if Adam mated, we have a situation," the spectacled brown bear added. "He has absolutely no control over his hormones on any level. He's too young in his body and his hormones are all over the place every time he becomes aroused. Even I get harder around him, and I'm a Changeling used to them more as identifiers than aphrodisiacs."
 
"And I doubt it's only one mating we're heading to," Martin interjected. "The reason they're gone is that they were on an island with three temple dogs. Whatever they're up to, they left because they didn't want the temple dogs to suffer without being able to offer them a release. Wherever they are, they're too far away for me to sense them. And that means Adam took them somewhere other than Terra."

"Wait, there's a guy that can transport beasts off Terra?" Dennis asked.
 
"Yeah," Martin said with a small laugh. "But if it's any consolation, he's an entirely different alien species that merged with fellow Terrans. The pheromones he puts off are unique to him. As far as I can tell, they're based on the three Changelings and two beasts he houses inside him. They're not quite Terran or Changeling. It's more as if they took every pheromonal signature and smashed them together. That's where the comments about his pheromones being on overdrive come from."
 
Dennis turned to his husband. "I'm all for a big family, and I love out-of-town company, but I never realized how far that family was coming for this shindig."
 
"You get used to it after a while, Dennis," Nathaniel replied. "On the plus side, we won't kick you off the highland for falling out a window while having sex." The bear gave the cougar a knowing grin. "I think Martin is right on all accounts. So, getting back to where you all fit in, we're bringing the five of you to a place where you will all be newly mated beasts. That place will have an enormous crowd and other potentially newly mated beasts. It will also land you right in the middle of all the Terran Changelings. Now add to that a monastery full of very horny, very eager temple dogs wanting to share their affections with the newly mated."
 
"So, I don't see a downside to this," Henry said. 
 
"Me either," Clyde said. "Unless their vows don't allow them temple dogs to eat pork."
 
Nathaniel laughed. "They're omnivores when it comes to beasts, Clyde. They'll eat anyone willing to be eaten."
 
"But the one detail Nathaniel left out is that the temple dogs are bigger than me," Max added. He stretched himself upward to remind them of how large he was. "And that's bigger in every department. Only Nathaniel is larger than the temple dogs." 
 
Nathaniel grinned. "And I'm not larger in the one area you're thinking about. They're also identical in every respect. You won't be able to tell them apart. Not by sight, scent, or voice. They are mammoth, golden dogs, and they can appear intimidating at first glance."
 
"Okay, now I see the potential difficulty," Wyatt said, shaking his head. "I assume you're warning us because they're tops."
 
"And bottoms," Nathaniel answered. "If you tell them yes, prepare to be had in every fashion you can imagine."
 
"If they suggest anything with trees, say no if you're afraid of heights," Max added. "But if you're not, oh my god, say yes."
 
"We're going to be hurting after this day, aren't we?" John asked.
 
"That's the other thing we need to bring up," Nathaniel answered. "Temple dogs are insatiable. They will have at you for days, and between the dogs, the rest of your family will approach you. One wolf is a sure bet. Greg has fantasized for centuries about what it would be like to play with a tusked boar. You, Clyde, are a dream come true for him."
 
"Me?" Clyde said, amazed at the thought.
 
"Told you that you were hot, Hon," John said as he hugged the pig.
 
"So, we need to get a week off from work," Henry said. "And more than likely, some aspirin."
 
"On the plus side, temple dog pheromones relax their sexual partners even as they heighten their sensitivity. The pheromones make it easier to accommodate their girth and length. All while increasing the pleasures you associate with those activities. They are the most gentle of creatures until you ask them to be otherwise."
 
"Don't let any of this scare you," Tiff and Tuff said in tandem. The two looked at each other and laughed. 
 
Darius pulled his husband close. "They're right. It's good to realize that some of your family will be far different from anything you have ever seen before, but don't let them intimidate you. They will show you a part of yourselves that even you didn't know you had, and they will do it while giving you one of the best times of your lives. They are creatures who will embed themselves in your memory and your heart all in a single moment." 
 
Martin rose and stretched. "I agree with the red wolves. There's nothing to fear here. It is only to help you feel comfortable meeting a family you didn't know you had. The rest of Will's family is equally pleasant and diverse. Eric is a polar bear, and his father and husband, Kris, is a Kodiak bear."
 
"Father and husband?" 
 
The saber-toothed cat smiled and nodded. "Changelings adapted themselves to share in our lives. But you will find they don't view who gives birth to them, and who they love erotically, as mutually exclusive."
 
"Damn," Clyde said. "Gonna need to remember not to make jokes about family around them. I come from a long line of Holler folks and we joke about marrying our sisters the same as everyone else."
 
Nathaniel smiled. "So, you might find me together with my fathers on the highland. Try to remember that the Unity from which we were born is exactly that. We are one with each other, and our affections express themselves in ways that might confuse you."
 
"I don't know, Nathaniel," John said. "Seems to me you and your family are some of the least confused men I ever met when it comes to love. You got the man we love to say yes to mating with us. We couldn't do that until today. I'm sure this group had a great deal to do with that."
 
"I do too," Clyde said. "These two have always made me feel loved. But everything changed last night. I watched you all. You don't hold back. You give it all to every single man you touch. And when it's all over, there ain't a man left on the side wondering why everyone else was a part of something he wasn't. I started thinking maybe all the things I believed about love and marriage were keeping me from loving these two wolves flat out."
 
Clyde hugged the wolves on either side of him again, pulling them in close. "When John asked me this morning, for the first time in my life, I saw a way to say yes. I saw a family who always says yes, and I want to be a part of that family."
 
"Already done," Chipo said, pushing away from the tree he was leaning on. "You've always been family. We just hadn't met yet. But about that mating. Shouldn't we be giving you three a bit of space?"
 
Wyatt looked at his husband and Clyde. "I waited over two hundred years for this day. To tell the truth, I want everyone to stay here so no one will ever doubt what happens today. I want witnesses to how much I love you two."
 
Clyde smiled. "Me too, Wyatt." He paused. "Me too, Hon," he said, rephrasing the words. The pig leaned in and kissed the wolf. "I ain't got the teeth for biting you," he said sadly. 
 
"We don't need bite marks on our necks, Hon," John said. "We can make our own traditions this morning. What do we need to do to make you our mate forever?"
 
"Well, I know I want you both to fuck me because I never feel closer to you than when we do that. That's got to be in there somewhere. And I want to fuck both of you. Oh, and lots of oral sex, because… you know… the tusks."
 
John smiled. "Yeah… oral sex is definitely something we should include. Should we say something? Some sort of promissory words?"

Clyde shook his head. "Ain't no words that will ever come close to telling you what I feel for you. If we can't find it in what we do together, I don't think any words will fill in those gaps."

Wyatt leaned over and kissed the pig. "I think you said the only words I needed to hear to make this real for me."

"I agree," John said as he leaned in and kissed Clyde once more.
 
Clyde looked up at the short-faced bear. "What do we need to do to make this legal?"
 
"Love each other for as long as you live. That's pretty much it," Nathaniel said with a smile.
 
"Ain't never gonna have a problem with that," the pig said. He looked at the two wolves. "Be my mate, Wyatt."
 
"Now and forever," Wyatt said with a smile. "Be my mate, Clyde."
 
The pig nodded. "Now and forever." He looked at the other wolf. "Damn, I got the jitters so bad."
 
John reached out and pulled the shaking pig into his chest. "Be my mate, Clyde."
 
The warm salmon-colored arms wrapped around the furry beast in front of him and Clyde whispered the words into the wolf's ear. "Now and forever, John."
 
John pushed the pig back. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear that. What did you say, Pig?"
 
"I said now and forever, Wolf. What did you think I was gonna say?"
 
John laughed. "I was making sure our witnesses heard it. Besides, I enjoy hearing it. Get used to all of us saying it a lot in the future." The wolf paused and gestured his paw in a circle toward himself, trying to encourage the pig. "I believe there's something left for you to say."
 
"Be my mate, John."
 
John's voice bellowed through the forest, "Now and forever, Clyde." He grinned at the pig. "So, do we fuck you one at a time, or do we both take you together?"
 
"Ain't a proper marriage if you don't take me together, now is it?"
 
"Not the way we see it," Wyatt said, reaching out to the pig as he pulled back the sheath on his expanding cock. John came up from behind the pig. "You realize if we do this right, we will seal your reputation as a total pig forever."
 
Clyde nodded. "I ain't never holding back with you two ever again. If this family can't keep up, then let them get out of the way. Baste me in barbecue sauce 'cause this is one pig that's going to be smoking by the time this day is done."
 
Wyatt looked at the group. "We would love it if you stayed to watch our mating. But I would suggest you do it from a safe distance."
 
Chipo laughed. "What's a safe distance?"
 
"Pick a tree on the outer rim of the clearing. Stay behind it to be safe. If you see something that looks fun to you along the way, remember it, because we're more than willing to fulfill our duties with our family when we're done."
 
With a collective nod, the family walked out from the center of the clearing and found a suitable tree to hide behind. They watched as a new family formed from the three who had waited so long for the day to come. There was growling, squealing, and noises for which language has yet to create words. There was flesh and fur pushed into positions that defied physics. Even as they watched the wolves pound the pig up against a tree in their forest, the family was still amazed at how lovingly the three took each other. 

The tree didn't survive the three as it uprooted and toppled to the ground. The three barely broke their stride as they began pushing again into the pig as he leaned over the fallen tree. Their mating left no marks on the necks of the husbands, but all knew by the time the sun had set that the three had mated forever.

Chapter 8
The Red Wolf's landing gear set and the ship glided into the highland. When it touched down, the family stepped off onto the landing rock and stared at the expanse of the grassy field. From the rice fields, they stared as the two temple dogs bounded over the terraces, down the stairway of the temple, and raced to greet the new arrivals.

"They're huge," Dennis said. "I mean, I know you said they were, but they're huge."

"Best to let them hug you," Chipo said with a laugh. "Don't brace yourself. Let them take you. They won't let you fall, and their fur will cushion most of the impact."

"You're cruel, Rhino," Nathaniel said, grinning. "Family, form a line. Protect the mated pairs," he commanded.

Max, Martin, Chipo, and the red wolf twins formed a line between the two dogs barreling toward them and the South Dakota family. The dogs noticed the line form and pulled up short. Remaining on all fours, they stared at the wolves and bears between them and the unknown visitors. The rhino waved at them playfully. "Have we done something wrong, family?" Zhuang asked from a distance.

"Not at all, Dog," Chipo said. "We are here to help ease you into greeting your new family."

"They are newly mated," Bolin said. "It is quite distracting. But we have trained for long hours to be civil. We can maintain our composure for extended periods in the most adverse of circumstances."

"Well, we ain't averse to you being less than civil around us," Clyde yelled back to the dogs. "But you're something we've never seen before. We don't know what to expect."

"Perhaps our family should remain between you and us," the golden-haired dog replied, rising onto his back legs. His size became even more apparent with his change of posture. "If you will allow us the social slight of saying hello to them before you, it might provide you with insights."

"We're more than happy to let you say hello to your family first," Wyatt said with a wave. "We will try to learn whatever it is you think we should know."

Bolin bowed. "You are kind. Your first lesson will be to learn that you are our family as well. When I said our family, I meant those members of our mutual family that stand between us."

Wyatt nodded. "It will take a bit of time to grow comfortable with that, but we will learn. Anything else?"

Bolin smiled and made another deferential bow. "When aroused, we often lose focus. If our company is amenable to it, that loss of focus will find a new focus in our shared physical intimacy. Know that, and the rest should flow unencumbered."

"Do you always talk so polite?" Clyde asked.

"It is our nature," Zhuang answered, lifting himself upright.

"It's right pretty," the pig said.

"As are you," Bolin replied. "Family, if we needn't maintain ourselves, could we approach?"

"Come here, Bolin," Max said, extending his arms. "Give an old bear a hug."

"You are not old, Max," the dog said, racing toward the bear. When the dog collided with the bear, they rolled back onto the grass and began laughing as they kissed. "We are old. You are young compared to us."

"True, but I never think of myself that way. I calculate age in human terms."

"Then, in that case, you are ancient. No human has ever lived as long as you have, Bear."

Max laughed. "Kiss me one more time, Bolin, and let me introduce you to your new family."

The two kissed while the South Dakota contingent looked on. Zhuang lumbered over to Nathaniel and hugged him. The kiss that followed was as passionate as that of Max and Bolin. Henry leaned into Dennis. "They were right about the pheromones," he whispered. "I'm rock hard just watching them kiss."

Dennis nodded in agreement. "I don't know what they're putting off, but dang, I want that dog."

Bolin looked up and smiled. "And you can take me, Cat. But I believe introductions are in order first."

The puma turned away shyly. "I'm sorry. My manners suffer in the presence of beautiful beasts. Especially those that appear to be gifted with exceptional hearing."

Zhuang looked up from kissing the other short-faced bear. "We attune ourselves to our family. Other distractions seem to fade in your company, but we must admit to being terribly distracted by you five." The two dogs let their hug of the bears go and stood up. The Dakota five suddenly realized that the stories told them didn't prepare them for the shock of seeing an aroused temple dog for the first time.

One of the Great Plains wolves gathered his composure and stepped forward. "I'm Wyatt." He pointed to the wolf next to him. "This is my husband, John." His other paw reached out toward the pig and grabbed his hand. "And this is my husband, Clyde."

"Your company honors us," Zhuang said as he gave Max his paw to pull the bear up. "Our nature makes us somewhat unfocused at this moment, but let me say before I slip further what a joy it is to see such a handsome triad. We wish you joy and happiness in your new journey."

"Thank you kindly," Clyde said, smiling.

Bolin's ears twitched. "You're southern state; Appalachian, if I'm not mistaken."

"I ain't been home for a while, but that was where I was born and raised. I moved North just before the war."

"And which war would that be?" the golden dog asked. "Humans can choose from so many."

"Yeah, you're right there," the pig said, shaking his head. "I left before the Civil War. T'weren't long after that I met Wyatt and John."

"Strange that you are only now mated with the ones we sense you love so deeply," Bolin said.

"You've heard of pig-headed? Well, there's a picture of me in the dictionary when you look that up."

Bolin smiled. "It is good to see you chose to reconsider. Your mates seem most happy that you are no longer a pig-headed pig."

"We are," Wyatt replied. He paused, realizing he had no name for the massive dog in front of him.

"I am Bolin," the temple dog said with a bow. "We realize there is always a difficulty in identifying us. We never take offense if you wish to call us Dog. It makes matters so much easier before you learn how to differentiate us."

"Thank you, Bolin," Wyatt said.

The other temple dog bowed. "I am Zhuang. And like my mate, I enjoy hearing the name Dog if it makes it easier for you."

As the conversation continued, the dogs carefully worked their way through the members of the pack. They hugged and kissed each one in greeting. When Bolin reached out to hug Clyde, the pig stepped back. "Ain't never seen a dog like you," Clyde said innocently.

"That is because there has never been a dog like us," Bolin answered. "We were born of our love for a great dragon Changeling. There was a need for a smaller, more nimble form of that beast. We were born of more myth than biology."

"Well, you are beautiful beasts," Clyde said. "They told us about you, but they never come close to how beautiful you are."

Zhuang bowed deferentially. "You are kind. Might I say that you too are beautiful? There are none in the Were Nation with skin that looks as soft and hair-free as yours. I imagine it would feel exquisite on my paw pads."

"Are you asking to touch me, Dog?" Clyde asked.

"Yes, if that's not an imposition."

"No imposition at all," Clyde said. "Do you object to having sex with someone you just met?"

"We never found it to be objectionable," Bolin replied. "Quite the contrary. If you are asking if we would enjoy sex with you, the answer is yes. You are beautiful beyond words."

Beaming with newfound pride in his body, Clyde turned to Henry and Dennis. "These are my two best friends in the world, not counting my husbands. The wolf is Henry; the cougar is Dennis. They're about the best people you will ever meet. Now that we've got the introductions out of the way, can I please suck that cock of yours? You ain't the only distracted beast on this highland."

"It won't hurt your tusks?"

"I don't know, but I sure want to try, no matter the outcome."

"He has no gag reflex as far as we can tell," John said with a laugh.

"Oh, I bet it's there," Clyde admitted, "and I'm hoping this dog helps me find it. I want to feel a cock down my throat that I can't take."

Bolin looked at the two Great Plains wolves. "Would it be okay with you if I borrowed your husband for a few hours?"

"We're newlyweds, Dog," John replied. "You take him; you're taking us both as well."

"I accept that stipulation," Bolin said with a grin. The pig fell to his knees and took the yellow-skinned phallus into his mouth. "Oh goodness," he said as he backed off and licked the swollen cock. "This is heaven."

Zhuang shook his head. "No, this is the highland, but there are many similarities." He reached out and pulled the two mated Great Plains wolves close, giving one a long kiss while his paws explored the other.

Max gazed at the two kissing beasts and absentmindedly stroked his cock out of its sheath. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Oh, crap. Heaven. Angels are coming, aren't they?"

Martin chuckled. "They're on their way. They should be here in an hour."

"There's time for me to go down on Henry and Dennis and still explain the three to them, right?"

"No, but I doubt that's going to stop you."

Max looked at the two. "There is something else we need to tell you about your new family. But I really, really want to suck your cocks. You know… temple dogs… pheromones…"

Henry pushed his sheath back up against his belly, letting the taut cock spring forward. "Yeah, I realize what you were trying to tell us now. If these things don't go down, this is going to be one exhausting weekend."

"Week," Max said, falling onto his knees. "Pretty sure it's going to be a week."

Martin slipped up behind Henry and kissed his neck. "Oh, damn, Cat," Henry groaned, "bite me with those fangs of yours." Henry felt the two enlarged canines push deep into his shoulder muscles. "A week is good. We can survive a week."

"Even if we don't, we'll go out smiling," Dennis said as he felt the bear below him take his cock deep into his mouth. He leaned back and began a gentle thrust that the bear responded to with a happy moan.

Martin laughed through his hold on Henry. "This is going to go sideways when Chet and the boys arrive."

Nathaniel nodded. "It's the dogs, my love. Really, they show no control."

Martin looked up at his husband and smiled. "Oh, is that right? And you, Bear; you show control?"

Nathaniel leaned down and kissed the saber-toothed cat. "Not a lick. Take me husband before Zhuang becomes too enticing." Martin released his hold on Henry, spun him around, and pushed the wolf up against his husband. With another forceful shove, the three tumbled to the ground and intertwined in moments.

With Darius and Damien by their side, Tiff and Tuff watched the others. "We best be going, husbands," the two said in tandem. "We stay much longer and half our family won't make it to the highland in time."

Damien laughed. "That's true. Seems a shame to leave, though. It would be fun seeing them meet Chet and the boys for the first time."

The twins looked up into the sky at the noonday sun. "Surely an hour won't hurt."

"Besides," Darius added, "We have a rhino in need of a companion."

Chipo looked at the four red wolves. "Are you all volunteering? This body of mine has no difficulty tending to multiple partners."

Tiff and Tuff's eyes twinkled. "Funny that, Chipo. Neither do ours." With a leap, they were on top of the rhino, rolling out into the field.

When the two winged bears and the angel flew over the highland, they looked down on the playful interchange from a distance. Chet pointed away, and the three pulled back and landed deep in the forest. It was only Saturday evening and Monday morning was still far off. Even from a distance, they could smell the newly mated couples' scent and the helpless temple dogs' arousal. Content to introduce themselves at a less intrusive time, the three curled up together and napped.

When morning came, the landing of the Black Rhino brought the Tibetan and New Zealand temple dogs to rouse the family from their sleep. The disembarking temple dogs were as eager to meet the South Dakota family as their highland counterparts. As they walked off the airships, they immediately began leaping off the landing rock into the air. When they landed on the grass, they began jumping up and down like puppies. The South Dakota five looked up from wherever they were and stared at the six dogs. The yellow beasts ran around the group in circles that grew ever closer with each rotation. "These are our brothers from the Tibetan and New Zealand temples," Bolin said, pushing himself up off the grass. "Those living on Partridge Island will join us as soon as we can arrange a flight."

"They seem happy to see everyone," Wyatt said, waking to the pleasant experience of seeing a temple dog's morning erection in front of him. Zhuang stirred and pushed himself upright. Wyatt stayed, resting on the dog's thick leg as the cock pressed into his muzzle.

"We resemble the Changelings in that what one experiences, all experience to a degree. I am afraid our night of play has resulted in dogs who are aroused beyond their normal state," Zhuang said. The South Dakotan five watched the temple dogs circling slow down as they tightened around the group. "Their circle will continue to grow closer. This is the best they can do to offer you greetings and to allow you to escape should you so choose by leaving their circle."

"Escape?" Wyatt questioned.

"Our brothers did not benefit from the release of passions that we enjoyed, but they have had all night to become aroused by our actions. They realize some may choose not to accept their advances. Our brothers are allowing you to decline their affections now. They are relying on us to teach you what their movements mean."

"Dog, I'm as hard as a rock because of you and those dogs circling out there," Dennis said, rubbing his morning hard-on. "All of us are. How long do you have this effect on us?"

"I realize our pheromones are in disarray. The circling should be familiar to you wolves."

"Yeah, it's like a pack getting ready to take down an elk," Henry said. "I kind of feel like we're on the breakfast menu here."

Zhuang nodded. "That would be an apt description. While I don't wish to pressure your choices at all, you mated beasts are singularly responsible for my brothers' predicament. They wish only to greet you, but that desire to greet you will go far beyond a traditional bow or kiss."

"I, for one, say let them at me," Clyde said with a smirk. "Might as well cement my pig reputation."

"We're in," John said as he rubbed the arms of the smaller short-faced bear that hugged him. "Husband says yes; I say yes."

Wyatt nodded. "My jaws are already sore from last night. Might as well add a matching butt this morning."

Henry laughed and rubbed Nathaniel's chest. "You see now why we love those three?"

"I do," Nathaniel said. "Welcome to the family."

"So is this a yes?" Zhuang asked the group.

"This is a yes," Henry answered.

Darius gave Bolin a gentle kiss. "We need to be going now, Bolin."

The dog's face became the sad look that dogs do so well when they are unhappy. "But there is still so much more that we have yet to explore."

"There is, Bolin, and I promise you that as soon as we return with all the family, we will go to the trees and you and I will explore each other."

Bolin smiled. "The trees? This is a promise?"

Darius kissed the temple dog again. "It is a promise. And you know red wolves never break a promise."

"But we do break trees," Damien said as he rose from behind the temple dog, trying to deal with the furiously wagging yellow tail.

"We will all be back, Bolin. If you like, we can leave Damien and Darius here with you," Tiff said, rubbing the back of the temple dog.

Bolin shook his head. "No. I love seeing you together. It would only make me unhappy to see you parted because of me."

"Then when we return from our transportation chores, you find your husband and the six of us will take to the trees until tomorrow morning," Tuff said

"Brothers," Bolin yelled. "My mate and I are promised to the twin twins at the end of their workday. I rely on you all to make sure no other diversion takes precedence."

The circling dogs nodded their agreement to the contract.

"Let them pass," Bolin said. "They must gather the family together."

"As must I," Chipo said, as he rose from the grass. "Brother monks, I too will return with my family from South Africa. They spend long hours on the savanna and will come here thirsty and hungry for what you monks can offer. I ask that you welcome them with open arms. But, more importantly, in my absence, I entrust the care of my beloved cat to your paws. When I return, I pray I find him sated and the sweet smell of your cum on his breath. Do I have your word that your good graces will meet my supplications?"

The dogs once more nodded as their pace slowed and the circle grew tighter. Dennis laughed as he rubbed the saber-tooth cat's shoulders. "Is your husband always so formal?"

Martin shook his head. "No. This is an ongoing joke between my husband and the temple dogs. He plays the petitioner, begging for my care. They, being good monks, cannot deny one who comes begging. I, in return, offer my body for their pleasure. They always seem to find interesting ways to fulfill Chipo's requests. I suspect that in moments, you and I will discover what new ways the temple dogs have learned to push our physical limits."

"Me?" Dennis questioned.

"Chipo said he entrusted the care of his beloved cat to the temple dogs. You are a cat. They know Chipo loves everyone. By default, when Chipo returns, you must be sated and have the sweet smell of temple dog cum on your lips, or the monks have failed in their promise."

"You know," the puma said with a smile. "I am loving Chipo more and more every minute."

Martin laughed. "Yeah. He grows on you." The saber-toothed cat leaned down and kissed the cougar. "By the way, he will check your lips to ensure they taste like temple dog cum."

Dennis laughed. "I swallow."

Martin shrugged. "I'm guessing you haven't sucked off a temple dog yet."

"No, why?"

"Because as good as it tastes, and it is sweet, I have yet to meet a beast who can swallow it all."

"Wow, you threw down the gauntlet, didn't you?"

Martin smiled. "Yeah, I guess I did. Please, don't be too disappointed when Noboru wins without even knowing there was a wager in play."

"Noboru?"

"He's the one coming toward us there," Martin said, pointing as one dog broke from the circle.

"He's the abbot of the Tibetan temple. You are his new charge, and that means he will make sure his cum is the first you taste."

Martin stood up and bowed to the temple dog. "Good morning, Noboru. It is good to see you. And how are your little ones?"

"They are doing well, and in the temple dragons' care today. I see Bolin and Zhuang's little ones are absent from this gathering."

"They promised to visit in the days following the return of our family," the saber-toothed tiger replied.

"They are no longer fond of the copulations that occur at such events?" Noboru asked.

"Quite the opposite. Nothing has changed," Martin replied. "Their love for our bonding has never altered. It is why there are baby dragons on this highland. However, they also realize the sacred nature of what we do on these fields at a welcoming. They willingly wait until we are ready to receive our extended family."

Noboru paused, looking about the crowd. "Will we be seeing any of our human family in the days to come?" the temple dog asked.

"They wait for the announcement that we are returning to Partridge Island," Martin replied. "They sense that this event is important to those that the world does not see. Like the dragons, they choose to wait until we have properly welcomed our family."

"I trust your Sight in such matters, Martin," Noboru said. He turned and bowed to the mountain lion. "I am Noboru. It is a pleasure to meet you, Cat."

Dennis bowed. "I am Dennis. It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Noboru. Your brothers have made our first night on this highland most pleasant and we're grateful."

Noboru waved his hand in the air. "It is always a pleasure to meet new family members. Did Martin explain our obligation toward his husband's plea and toward you as well?"

"I believe so. Apparently, I am to taste your sweet cum so that Chipo can taste it on my lips later."

"That, and we must sexually satisfy you."

"I think tasting your cum might do both."

Noboru laughed. "You are almost as good at this as Chipo."

Dennis bowed. "I try."

"I notice that your genitals are fully erect. Perhaps we can help with that as well."

"I wanted to be inside one of you since the moment Bolin turned away from me last night to take my husband."

Noboru put his paw to his chin. "This complicates matters."

Martin put his arm around the golden dog. "Let him take you, Noboru. He doesn't have the spines of a cat, but his cock is ringed by bumps where the spines are normally found. He feels like no other beast you have been with."

"Not even you, Martin?"

"I avoided the spines by choosing not to have them. Dennis had the common sense to replace them with something more pleasurable. His tongue is equally arousing."

"I am a terrible bottom," Noboru said, bowing to the puma.

"No, you're an incredible bottom, Noboru," Martin said with a laugh. "What you mean to say is that you enjoy bottoming a great deal. We don't say terrible in that case."

"But you say that you're a terrible tease to mean you enjoy the activity, do you not?" the golden dog asked.

Martin smiled. "Yes, we do, but that's English for you. It doesn't mean the same for bottoming. Simply say you enjoy bottoming."

Noboru looked at the puma. "I enjoy bottoming; actually, a great deal. Like Martin's wolfen fathers."

The saber-tooth cat nodded. "Like Will and Derrick," he explained to the puma. "Take him, Dennis. He will soon teach you who is in control when you top a temple dog. And you will be grateful for the lesson."

Dennis reached up and pulled the dog's chin down to his and kissed him. "Would you like to be spit-roasted today? My husband is a beautiful wolf who still has the scent of our mating on him."

Noboru smiled. "You are most kind, Cat. I am honored by your invitation."

Martin turned back to the circle of monks. "Peng, I am a cat in need of a sweet-tasting dog."

A temple dog looked up and bounded toward the three. He bowed hastily to the saber-toothed cat. "It would honor me to seed your mouth."

Dennis burst out laughing. "Oh dear, I lost it," he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. He signaled to his husband, who left Nathaniel and came over. "Honey, I have an abbot to suck off and a promise to take him from both ends with my husband. And apparently, we need to have this all done in…"

"About an hour and a half," Martin said. "All the way to Africa, load up the wild dogs, a few other stops along the way, and back again. Two hours if they're dragging their tails."

Dennis looked at Noboru. "Are you okay with only an hour, Noboru? I want to make sure we keep your promise."

Noboru nodded sadly. "I suppose honor takes precedence over extending your pleasure."

"What if we join you in the trees after I prove to Chipo you are a brotherhood whose word is their bond?"

"Do you know of what you speak, Little One?" Noboru asked.

"Not really," Dennis answered. "But the twin twins seemed more than happy to make that arrangement."

"Do you heal quickly?"

"Yes, both of us do."

"Then yes, I agree with your proposal."

Henry looked at the temple dog. "Are we going to regret this, Dog?"

Noboru nodded. "Yes, I suspect at some point during this day, you will regret your choices. It will be up to me to ensure that your regret is short-lived and outweighed by the pleasures you experience." The dog turned to the saber-toothed cat. "Choose whomever else you wish to satisfy your needs, Cat. Your affections always honor us. Kang would make a fine companion for you once you have enjoyed Peng. Kang took a seventy-two-hour vow of abstinence that he is set to break in five more minutes. He will be easily aroused and very energetic in his copulations."
"Seventy-two hours, huh?" Martin said, smiling.

"His capacity to endure in the face of such a challenge impresses us all."

"That's three days, Noboru. You lasted longer than that when you all became abstinent after the pagoda incident with Will."

"But that was before we realized the Old Wolf was right. Abstinence proves nothing, save we don't know what is truly important. We now use it only to heighten our pleasure when we return to our copulations."

Martin smiled. "One day, I hope to be as wise as you, Noboru."

Noboru bowed. "You already are, Martin. There is so much in this world for us all to learn." His paw reached out and pulled Dennis to his side. "But for now, let us enjoy our time together. I would not waste our hour together on idle talk." The temple dog turned and kissed the puma. "Take me, Cat," he said, smiling. "Show this old dog who's boss."

By the end of the third hour, the panting, sweat-soaked puma sat on the grass, letting his husband lap at the cum on his chest that he failed to swallow. He squeezed the temple dog's cock and stared as even more cum spilled out. Dennis realized Noboru had shown them both who was boss, and as Martin had promised, both the cat and his wolf mate were grateful for the lesson.
Chapter 9 

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The clouds in the sky were billowy white with yellow and deep blue, accentuating the edges where the sun colored them. The blue-gray sky, growing brighter by the moment, hinted at the sunshine to come.

The crowd out in the field was there not because lodging wasn't available elsewhere. It was a choice made at the time of their napping. It seemed easier to stay where they were lying than to seek lodging in the apartment complex. Clyde snorted as he woke from a pleasant dream to find the dream continuing with the arm of a wolf, not his mate, wrapped around him. The arm pulled him in closer to the firm erection he felt pressing against his rounded butt. "Morning, Wolf," Clyde said as he pulled on the wolf's arm and kissed the paw.

"Morning, Pig."

"Did you have as much fun as I did last night?" the pig asked.

"Oh, you can't imagine," the wolf said with a laugh. "I have fantasized about meeting a man like you for hundreds of years."

"You don't mind the tusks none?"

"I love the tusks," the wolf said, pushing himself up and kissing the pig's jowl. "My name is Greg, by the way. The wolf running interference for me was Mike."

"And them spotted dogs he was with?"

"That was Kabelo and his pack. Trust me, your husbands were in the best of hands last night. Kabelo is Chipo's dad and he watches over a very friendly pack."

"A dog has himself a rhinoceros for a son?"

The wolf nodded. "Being a rhino was Chipo's choice, but his immediate family members are all African dogs."

"It seems keeping up with this family will take some doing."

Greg laughed. "Oh yeah, that's an understatement. Damien and Darius have kept a flow chart of everyone for centuries. Éric, Eric's godson, used the book and his artistic talents to create a mural in the common area of the cave apartments. It looks like the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux, France, but it tells the story of our family tree."

The wolf pushed his body close to the pig. "It's where I first saw you, actually. I never realized we had such a handsome porcine in the family until I followed all the tangents in the painting, and there you were. I saw a painting of a tusked boar and his family. The paint was still wet. I figured that if it was that new, you might be on this highland somewhere. Mike and I went out onto the field, followed our noses, and well, here we are together. You really are wonderful, Clyde."

Clyde was speechless for a moment. "They have a picture of me and my husbands on a wall for everyone to see?"

"Éric insisted on placing you on the tree as soon as he got here. You might not have met him yet. He's a cave bear. His husband is a wolf."

"But my husbands and I are a part of this family's tree?"

Greg squeezed Clyde tightly and kissed his cheek. "Of course you are. All five of you are there together. You, your husbands, Dennis and Henry. You need to check it out before you head home. It's amazing. So many beasts live in this world, and our lives flow together in such amazing ways. Éric's painting lets us see just how far our family reaches. And he never stops adding to it."

"This is one amazing group of critters."

Greg kissed the pig on the cheek again, and this time the pig turned his head to let the lips slip over his mouth. When the kiss ended, the wolf smiled at the pig. "I hope, one day, you'll feel comfortable enough to call all of us critters family."

Clyde smiled back. "It may take a while for me to use the words, but I hope you know deep down inside it's what I'm feeling. Ain't never had a family so big I couldn't remember all the names. And I come from a mighty big family." The pig turned away slightly. "I'm glad I met you, Greg. I guess we got into it so quick that our mouths didn't have much time for introductions. It's gonna be nicer to have you inside me this morning now that I learned your name."

"Is that what you want?" the smiling wolf asked.

"Yeah, it's what I want," Clyde replied as his four thick fingers pressed against the wolf's paw. The wolf's shifting weight pushed Clyde onto his belly. Greg's dripping cock slipped easily past the pig's sphincters and probed deep inside him. Clyde made a happy groan as the gentle rocking began. He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes, letting the pleasure of the wolf's cock start the new day for him. When an aggressive shove from the wolf on top jolted his eyes open, Clyde saw a dozen or more yellow, white, and black spotted feet. They were there, standing on either side of his husbands' feet. Clyde's smile widened. The pig realized his morning would be even better than he imagined.

Elsewhere on the highland, the winged family stepped into the grassy field and looked up at the sky. The three yawned and stretched, and as they did, their wings stretched with them. High above them, in a great oak tree, a waking puma and wolf stared at the sight. "The bears… they really have wings," Dennis said in disbelief.

"It is to show their mate how much they love him," Peng replied. The dog pulled the cat closer. His tail pulled them up toward the branch from which they hung. "Their mate is a red-tailed hawk."

Henry shook his head in disbelief. "I never thought that we could even do that."

"They are three unique men born of trials few have faced."

"We all read the stories of the two bears, but we thought they embellished them. We figured their wings were like gliders or something."

Noboru shook his head, and his arms tightened around the wolf. "No, Little One, the stories you have read barely begin telling you the story of those three. It is not in their nature to discuss their history. They seem to enjoy creating pleasant memories in the company of others more than recounting theirs." The temple dog's tail tightened. Slowly it pulled him and the wolf to the top of the branch. Henry placed his legs over the edge of the tree, and Noboru put his arm around the wolf to steady him.

The two watched as a pack of wolves and two temple dogs ran to greet the three. Three colossal bears lumbered over and joined in the hugs. "They seem very popular," Henry said.

"All who know them love them."

"Then perhaps we should get out of this tree and introduce ourselves. I would love to get to know them," Dennis said with a chuckle.

Peng smiled. "I assume that your statement is a play on biblical nomenclature?"

Dennis blushed slightly. "I wasn't aware that you were familiar with the phrase."

"We are versed in many religious texts," the dog replied. "That we choose to ignore their teachings is not the same as being ignorant of them."

Dennis nodded. "I am sorry, Peng. I was making a joke."

Peng smiled and leaned in, giving the cat a kiss. "It is I who should apologize. It's always awkward when one has to explain a joke. Come, let's go say hello to the winged ones. You'll never get to know them as you wish while we remain here."

"My brother is right," Noboru agreed. "And getting to know them in that fashion is one of the great experiences you should not miss in life."

Henry shook his head and laughed. "I believe the dogs are joking about your joke, Husband."

Noboru gave the wolf a kiss. "That was our intent." In one smooth motion that the cat and wolf barely realized was happening, the two found themselves on the ground beside the dogs. "Shall we go? It is Sunday, which means you and your newly mated family have only a few brief hours left before Will and his husbands' promised return."

"Their return is still a day away, Noboru," Henry pointed out.

"I believe that is what I said," the dog replied as he grabbed the wolf's hand and pulled him toward the three winged beasts.

Chapter 10

Monday's sunrise was as beautiful as the day before. A blanket of blue-white fog clung to the forest floor and dissipated as the wisps reached out toward the sunshine in the fields. The dragons were moving in the forest, carefully avoiding the glade on this special day. The buildings that rested along the face of the cliff housed the newly mated beasts as they slept.

Inside the monastery, the slumbering temple dogs' arms wrapped around the newly mated triad, holding them close. Greg and Mike also slumbered face to face. Behind them, Kabelo and his pack held the wolves and each other close. Two temple dogs spooned the smaller dogs, creating expanding circles of colorful fur.

Farther down the cliff face, two winged bears cuddled the South Dakotan cat and wolf. The hawk-man lifted his arm from the Kermode bear and slipped quietly off the bed. He walked to the coffee machine found in all the cave apartments and tossed a pack of coffee into the machine. The scent of the brewing liquid woke the four. He waved to them as they sleepily began moving to the side of the bed. "You men all okay?"

"I don't think I've ever slept so soundly," Henry said as he tugged at his ball sack. He leaned in toward the puma and gave him a kiss. "Morning, Husband."

"Morning, Husband," the cat replied. The two bears bounded toward their husband and the kisses between mates repeated. Dennis gave a heavy sigh as he watched the three. "You are so beautiful."

JP smiled. "Why, thank you. We're glad you found the time to be with us, considering the complications that five newly mated beasts and twelve temple dogs can create."

Henry laughed. He stood up, walked over, and gave each of the three winged beasts a hug and a kiss. He lingered after his last kiss, staring into Chet's eyes. The nictitating membrane blinked across the hawk-man's eyes. "What?" he asked when the wolf's stare made him feel self-conscious.

Henry shook his head to clear his wandering thoughts. "Nothing, Chet. I just never made love to an angel before."

The arms of the winged man tightened around the wolf's waist and the wings folded forward to rub up against the wolf's shoulders. "And you still haven't. Don't let the image fool you. I'm no angel," he said with a grin.

"Oh, you don't know how wrong you are," the wolf replied. "I know angels when I'm with them, and last night I was with four of them."

Dennis came up behind the wolf and hugged him. "Nice of you to include me, Husband."

Henry giggled when the cat bit into his neck. "Now and forever, Husband. I forget sometimes that you were my first angel. But Chet has the wings. He's definitely my first winged angel. That said, dear cat, you remind me every morning how lucky I am to have met an angel that became a cougar."

"Well then, you two wingless angels," Max said as he pulled the two in close to either side of him, "how about we go get you breakfast in the commons? We're going to have company coming soon, and things are going to get busy."

"Exactly how busy?" Dennis asked.

"Very, very busy… in all caps," Max replied. "By ten o'clock, the highland population of yesterday morning will have increased twentyfold."

"But there had to be at least forty men here when you invited us to get this room," Dennis said. "Are you telling me they're going to be a eight hundred beasts arriving in the next two hours?"

"No, I'm saying that they're already here," Max answered. "While the five of us were playing with Max and Nathaniel yesterday, the flight crews of three airships were shuttling family members to the highland. You didn't notice because those bears are very distracting. While we've been sleeping, that pace never ceased." Max swiped his paw above the fireplace and a screen appeared. "Good morning, Ori. Do you know what the headcount is on the highland?"

The image on the screen showed a milling crowd out in the glade. "There are eight hundred twenty-three currently on the highland," Ori replied. "However, there are two inbound flights and another fourteen scheduled before nine-thirty." There was a slight pause. "And two fenghuang are also inbound to greet their companion."

"What's a fenghuang?" a confused Henry asked.

"They are small, feathered dragons," Ori replied. "Oliver is their companion. They are eager to see him return."

"Wow," Henry exclaimed. "So, do you know where Will and his husbands are?"

Ori paused before responding. "Will and his husbands appear to be off-planet. He has promised to return at ten sharp. No additional information is available."

Henry smiled. "I never knew you were such a fountain of information, Ori."

"I am underutilized by the Were Nation. Like you, most consider me an operator placing calls for them on their ComLinks and little more."

"Where are Wyatt, John, and Clyde?" Henry asked.

"The three have not authorized me to reveal their location. You are welcome to call them, though. Their ComLinks are active."

"So all the information you ever give out is information that's been pre-approved?"

"If it involves location, activities, and personal information of any in the Were Nation, yes."

"No exceptions?"

"None, unless it involves the safety of an individual."

Henry smiled. "So what Dennis, Will, and I did in Sturgis in nineteen sixty-seven?"

"It will be our little secret unless the three of you wish it to be otherwise."

Henry looked at Dennis and let out a deep breath. "Well, that's a comfort."

Chet laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, Henry. We now know you have a story to tell, and I have always found stories that involve the old wolf to be very entertaining."

Henry looked away, embarrassed. "I suppose in the right company it might be."

The winged man wrapped his arms around the wolf and gave him a kiss. "Let's go get you breakfast. I'm pretty sure this is a tale best told around a table with food and friends."

Henry stared back into Chet's face. "I guess confession is good for the soul," he chuckled. "You angels are pretty tight-lipped, right?"

"You didn't figure that out last night when I was going down on you?" Chet said with a grin.

Dennis slapped the top of Chet's folded wings. "Don't get him started or we'll be late for Will and Oliver's return."

JP grabbed the cat, and the two kissed. "We can't have that. You're their big surprise."

Dennis sighed. "But," he said as the kiss lingered on his lips, "we're going to get together again, right?"

"Of course," the winged Kermode replied. "Come on, let's go get breakfast before those mating pheromones of yours cause us all to forget why we're here."

The three exited the apartment and walked down the hall toward the elevators. Crowds of beasts milling about took Henry and Dennis by surprise. Their newly mated state slowed their progress toward the common area substantially. Congratulations from unfamiliar faces were frequent, but somehow not upsetting. Even strangers had an air of familiarity to them when they made their greetings. When they stepped out of the elevator and looked over the common, the throng of beasts filling every table and free space took them aback. Only the night before, it had been empty.

"This is amazing," Dennis said in awe. "I've never seen anything like this."

From across the common, a voice yelled over the top of the conversations. "It's like being at Woodstock, only furrier," The wolf in an apron said as he flipped a line of burgers on the grill. He pressed one down with his spatula, and then, with another flip, plated it on top of a bun. "Order up, Kevin," he yelled. A wolf in scrubs grabbed the plate and looked about, trying to find an open seat.

"What's with the clothes?" Dennis asked. "We're all beasts here, right?"

The puma felt a large pair of arms wrap around him and the muzzle of a short-faced bear nibbled on his neck. "José is working with food. You don't want to get your fur covered in bacon grease. It makes it tough to figure out if a guy is licking you because he's horny or hungry," Nathaniel answered. "Kevin is on call, and he just got notice that they need him back at Partridge Island. He'll be on the next flight out, so he's dressed for work. The scrubs help cue the humans on what his job is. Their minds fill in the rest."

Dennis pushed back into the bear's chest. "But you're naked, right?" he giggled.

"Oh, yeah, I'm naked," Nathaniel replied. "But I'm doing my best to keep this body of mine under control. You two are already turning heads, and we only have an hour and a half before all my dads show up. I hope the boys prepared you for what's ahead."

Henry laughed. "We were with them all night."

"Oh?" Nathaniel asked. "Just the five of you?"

"They kept us plenty busy," Dennis protested

Chet looked up at the big bear. "We tired them out as quickly as we could, and let nature take its course. They needed a few hours of sleep, Nathaniel. Nothing is going to prepare them for what's going to happen today. Rest seemed more important than an all-nighter."

Henry's voice expressed genuine concern. "What exactly is going to happen today?"

Chet reached out and rubbed the wolf's shoulder. "Nothing that needs that much worry in your voice, Wolf. It's like going to a gym for the first time. You see all those amazing machines telling you they're going to make you stronger and better looking with every movement. So, you dive in and try them all. You have a great time and by the end of it all, you feel energized and tired at the same time."

"Sure," Henry agreed.

"But then the next day you're in agony because your muscles weren't ready for what you did to them. The machines, on the other hand, are fine. They were built for the abuse they get."

The wolf chuckled. "So, in this analogy, you're the machines, I take it?"

Chet smiled and gave the wolf a quick kiss. "First law of the Were Nation: Protect the innocent. In today's scenario, you and your friends are the innocents. Large gatherings of beasts are new to you. You're going to want to take it all in and play with everyone, but that's not a good idea. In the days ahead, you're going to meet many of your family. We don't want you collapsing after the first day. You're going to have to learn to pace yourself."

"And it's up to all of us to help you with that," the Kermode bear added. "I'm pretty sure that your friends are sleeping close to others who knew that by the end of last night, you were all running on pheromones and little else."

Nathaniel squeezed Dennis tightly. "In time, you'll understand the signals your body gives when you need to rest and when you can continue on. But Chet is right. Last night, you two needed sleep more than an ongoing orgy."

"I didn't think of what we did as an orgy," Dennis whispered.

"Neither did I," Henry added.

Dennis felt the bear behind him pull his hug even more tightly. "That's good to hear. I apologize for testing you about what is happening here. We don't think of it as an orgy either. This is more than rutting."

Henry snickered. "Oh, I think there was a fair amount of rutting going on. I don't want to sound above it all. But there's something more; something deep inside me I can't explain. It happens every time I'm with Dennis; every time I'm with John, Wyatt, and Clyde. It's different, not as intense with others, but it is odd to have those feelings manifest now in the company of strangers."

"We sense it with everyone we touch here on the highland," Dennis said, finishing his husband's thought. "I know I wanted you three the moment we saw you," he said, looking at the winged bears and their mate. "I assure you, that was lust. But then when we actually touched…" the cat's voice trailed off.

"It's what we felt for only three other men in our life," Henry said. "How could we feel that way with all of you?"

"You're changing," Max said as his gray-blue wings rotated forward. "We all are. Our human genetics are being replaced by the Changeling genome. And, with that change, the way we look at our fellow beasts changes as well."

Nathaniel gave Dennis another squeeze. "On our home planet, we are a sea of independent creatures flowing in and out of each other. We call ourselves the Unity because it is an apt description, not only of our physical nature but our emotional nature as well. The Unity exists for the communion of all the souls that surround us. We live for the touch. Every contact you make with your fellow beasts draws you closer to that same unity. Part of it's your genetics changing over time. Part of it is learning how we all interact."

"So no one thinks what goes on between us is an orgy?" Dennis asked.

The smaller short-faced bear standing beside his husband laughed. "A lot of us have mixed emotions about these gatherings. You can't look out on that crowd and say it's not an orgy. By definition, many could see it that way. For most of us, being together is something more than sex, but that doesn't mean it isn't sex. Nathaniel asked as a way of seeing where you are on the spectrum. That you see the sex as something greater than the physical act means we don't have to worry about confusing you with how we approach you."

"Because we know that you're not just hitting on us."

"No," the bear laughed again. "We're hitting on you. Your pheromones are jacked up pretty high. Beasts hitting on you will come with the territory."

"But you're asking us to be with you for so many other reasons, right?" Henry said, trying to understand what Max had said.

"Exactly," Max replied. "We are the children of the Unity. But we are Terran. The bodies we have don't give us the flexibility of a Verital body to merge with each other, but the desire for that intimate contact remains."

"So, sex because that's as close as we get?" Henry asked.

"Sex because it's as close as we get. And breakfast sandwiches made for you by a chef whose cooking is darn near a communion of its own," said the wolf in the white apron. He held out a plate full of stuffed ciabatta. The wolf smiled. "I'm José. I work the line at the Midnight Diner."

"We talked to Carl and Frank the other day," Henry said.

"Yeah, they said to give you their regards and remind you that you promised to visit them on your way home. They're holding down the fort again. When you own a place, it's tough to step away for a vacation. You gents eat up. We already sent a contingent of wolves over to roust the temple dogs and your friends. In less than an hour, the boys are back in town."

Henry smiled. "Is it going to be like what I think it's going to be like?"

"And more," the wolf in an apron replied. "By the end of today, you're going to realize how far your family reaches." José pushed out the plate toward the group again, and all grabbed a sandwich. "You boys have fun out there. Don't behave." He turned with his empty plate and disappeared into a sea of mingling beasts.

Henry took a bite of the sandwich and chewed quietly. "Hon, we may be in over our heads," he finally said to his mate. Dennis nodded in agreement.

"You're going to be fine," Nathaniel said as he put his paw on Henry's shoulder. "You're with family. My father is going to be thrilled to see you. You both mean so much to him and Oliver. But I have a suggestion. Let's find your pack and get you all back together. A few familiar faces next to you might help ease the 'meet the family jitters'."

Dennis nodded again. "I think that would help a lot."

With a flourish of his wing and arm, Chet motioned everyone toward the cave's entrance. The group pushed their way through the crowd, out the cave entrance, and toward the monastery. The milling crowd already filled the field of grass, and the Red Wolf was hovering over the landing rock. "Welcome to the highland, men," Nathaniel said, holding the paws of both the wolf and cat as he walked toward the monastery.

As they neared the intricately carved front, the noses of all twitched. "Oh god," JP sighed. "The temple dogs are showering."

"Is that what that is?" Henry asked, shaking his head as he tried to push his growing cock out of sight.

"Yep," Max said with a shake of his wings. "Wyatt, John, and Clyde are with them. And a handful of African dogs and wolves, if I'm not mistaken. You men go on ahead and join them. We'll see you again soon."

Nathaniel let the paws of the two go and gave them a gentle shove toward the monastery. "You aren't going with us?" Dennis asked.

Chet shook his head. "The temple dogs have a much keener sense of obligation than we do. We would get distracted by their showering techniques."

Henry laughed. "And we won't?"

"Oh, you will," replied the shorter short-faced bear. "But as we said earlier, you're innocents. The temple dogs will ensure you're standing in the field when Will and Oliver return."

"But the shower? Those pheromones…" Dennis sighed, adjusting himself.

"You boys wanted to meet your family," Nathaniel said with a chuckle. "The temple dogs are one of the biggest parts of that family by their stature alone."

"We're already hard," Henry whimpered.

"And they will see to that," JP said with a smile. "Go, they're waiting for you. They're all waiting for you."

"How can you tell?" Henry asked. "Is this that Sight thing?"

"No," Chet responded. "This is us knowing who is waiting for you. Take a deep breath and you'll sense three beasts are waiting in the company of the dogs for the two they love."

The cat and wolf took a deep breath through their noses and sensed what the others already knew. "Is that what we smell like to all of you?" Henry asked.

"That's what you smell like," Chet replied.

"It's wonderful," Henry sighed.

"Yeah, it is," Nathaniel said. The bear gave them another push toward the monastery. "Now go. Don't keep your family waiting."

Both the cat and wolf dropped to all fours and raced toward the entry of the monastery. In moments, they were past the doors. Nathaniel gave his husband a hug and kissed the shorter bear. Max groaned happily. "Okay, I could hold off the hard-on until you did that," he mumbled through the kiss.

"Why do you think I hugged you?" Nathaniel laughed. "I figured the boys wouldn't see mine if I pressed it up against you."

"It ain't going down, Bear," Max giggled.

"Nope."

Chet rubbed the butt of the shorter bear. "We have a bit of time. What say we find a place out in the forest and see what we can do to have you two ready for your fathers' return?"

Nathaniel let the hug go and turned toward the hawk-man, nearly smacking him with the swollen cock. "Oh, please, yes," he begged.

The wings of the two smaller bears flashed out. With two bounding jumps, they were airborne. They flew up, around, and then came up from behind the two short-faced bears. Their paws reached out and shoved under the bruins' shoulders. All four bears lifted into the air and flew toward the forest. A group of wolves stared as they disappeared over the trees.

"Well, that got me hard for the next hour," one of them groaned.

"Yeah, me too," another agreed.

"You think they would mind a bit of company?" one asked.

"We could ask," another answered. "I mean, it's Nathaniel. I don't think he's ever said no in his entire life."

"Max has always seemed agreeable to most suggestions," the first to speak added.

"Which Max?"

"Both of them."

"I bet we can find them if we hurry," a wolf said as he dropped to all fours. The others repeated the shift and soon all eight were running off to the forest.

The Red Wolf lifted off the landing rock as the Black Rhino pushed past the clouds on approach. From a distance, Katashi and Li Wei watched the flurry of activity. Li Wei's tail gave a happy wag back and forth. "Family," he grinned. "The newly mated seem to fit in well."

Katashi nodded. "It is wonderful. Here's hoping that they all remember the reason they're here today. It's so easy to get distracted in a crowd like this."

Li Wei laughed. "They shuffled the newly mated family off to showers with our brothers. Max and JP flew off with Nathaniel and Max. Worst-case scenario, this entire highland forgets all about time. If so, when they come up for air, the two winged bears will drag everyone back into the past to ten o'clock in our future."

Katashi nodded. "I believe that is what will happen."

Li Wei shook his head in disbelief. "Sometimes I forget all the talents our family has. We grow closer with each passing day." The temple dog tapped his ComLink. "Ori, when is the last flight scheduled for arrival?"

The perfectly modulated female voice responded. "The Grey Wolf will touch down in fifteen minutes. Thirty minutes later, the Red Wolf and the Black Rhino will arrive. All three ships will power down in forty minutes."

"We are cutting it close," Li Wei thought aloud.

"Extremely close," Ori replied. "However, this gathering perceives the return of your traveling family as an important event. The number of those desiring to be here has required a tight timeline to secure their transport. There are currently one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two beasts on the highland. With the last flight, the number will exceed two thousand."

"Thank you, Ori," the temple dog said. "We best be heading toward the landing rock. Getting through the crowd in the glade will take the better part of the hour we have left."

"I hope our brothers don't lose touch with the importance of the day because of the pleasures of the newly mated ones," Katashi said apprehensively.

Li Wei grabbed the other dog's paw and moved into the throng. "Would you miss their return, knowing that they wish us by their side?"

"Of course not," Katashi replied.

"Then trust our brothers to be as steadfast in their calling. The newly mated must be at the front of wherever the seven choose to return. Our brothers will see to that."

"And the possibility that all seven will smell of mating?"

"A distraction, to say the least. But also an encouragement to be there shepherding the newly mated South Dakotans to the front." Li Wei tugged his mate past another gathering crowd. "When they return, our size will be an advantage as we place them on our shoulders so that our entire family can see them easily."

"Like Oliver and Jason," Katashi said with a chuckle.

"Or perhaps Adam. His diminutive stature might also encourage placement on top of the larger beast's shoulders. There is much to be said for wrapping your legs around another."

"For both parties," Katashi agreed. "You are wise, Husband. I married well."

Li Wei paused a moment in the crowd, turned, and kissed his mate. When they separated, he smiled at the temple dog in front of him. "As did I, Husband. How fortunate for both of us." With a gentle tug, one dog pulled the other through the crowd toward the landing rock, where the first of the three airships touched down.

Chapter 11

The winged bears, the angel, and their entourage pushed through the crowd, rushing toward the landing rock. As the gathering realized who was moving through their midst, they parted to let the family through. Across the field, another group of newly mated beasts and dogs pushed toward the rock.

With only moments to spare, the bears and the angel stopped in front of the landing rock. JP took a deep breath. "You know, if they choose to show up in the middle of the field, we're going to feel like idiots pushing through that crowd to get here."

"This is the most logical place for them to touchdown," a large brown bear replied. "It's the most open area on the highland at the moment."

"Éric," JP said as he bolted toward the bear and gave him a hug. "We haven't seen you in ages." He gave a quick turn toward the wolf beside the bear and hugged him as well. "Luca, so good to see you again." The hugs had scarcely ended when the South Dakotan couples pushed through the crowd and joined the family. JP started another round of hugs. When they ended, he pointed back toward the cave bear. "This is Éric, Eric's godson," he said to the five, "And his husband, Luca."

"A pleasure," the five said in tandem.

JP held his paw out, pointing to the two. "Éric, Luca, this is Dennis and Henry. They're friends of Wills from way back when. They brought their family here to welcome Will back. These three are John, Wyatt, and Clyde."

Éric smiled. "You are the newly mated couples turning so many heads. When I saw the five of you earlier, I asked Damien and Darius about you. I hope you approve of me adding you to the family tree. You are such a beautiful family."

Henry nodded shyly. "We didn't know until after the mating it would be like this. We didn't mean to steal anyone's thunder."

Luca laughed. "I thought you said you were friends of Will. Do you really think anyone can steal that wolf's thunder with a few hyperactive pheromones?"

"It's been a few years since we've seen him," Dennis admitted.

"Well, it's good to have family here regardless of the circumstance," Éric said. He put out his arms, and Henry and Dennis both entered an embrace. Luca hugged the other three, and in short order, the hugging configurations reversed. "Save a few of those overflowing hormones of yours for my husband and me if you can find the time," the bear whispered into the ear of the pig.

"We'd like that," Clyde whispered back.

As the hugs ended, there was a crackling noise above them. The cloudy sky above the crowd began swirling in a circular pattern over the landing rock. The radiant light at the center soon followed. "Told you," Éric beamed. He looked at the five South Dakotans. "And if you think I'm good at predicting where they'll land, you're going to have a great deal of fun with my husband and me later." The bear made a wide grin. "It's only a prediction, mind you."

Henry and Dennis laughed. Clyde, Wyatt, and John pulled their hug of the bear even tighter. All eyes were on the widening crack in the sky. "I bet they fall out of the sky and hit the ground on one knee like superheroes," Henry mused.

"Nope," Éric replied. "Eric and Oliver would never allow that. They're going to materialize through the light and they're all going to be upright." He looked over and smiled at the two again. "Just a prediction."

"Anything else?" Dennis asked with a chuckle.

"Oliver's going to be on Kris's shoulders," Éric replied casually.

The light from the rotating clouds grew brighter. The clouds dissipated as the white light broke through. A single beam of light slammed against the landing rock. When the white light hit the rock, it broke into a rainbow of light spiraling around the six forms taking shape. When the last of the light faded, the six images of light were now seven beasts, the badger sitting atop the Kodiak's shoulders looking out over the crowd. Clyde turned to Éric. "We really have to get together if your predictions are that good."

Éric laughed and responded, "Most of those men up there are my godfathers. I'm what you might call classically trained by the best. You have no clue how spot-on my predictions are. We really are fun."

JP giggled a bit and with a broad smile added, "They really are."

"Gentlemen," the elder Max said, clearing his throat, "we have family to say hello to." All eyes turned to the short-faced bear as he beckoned toward the seven.

Nathaniel needed no encouragement at the sight of his fathers. He ran toward the rock, nearly slamming into his brother Colton as the bear-wolf raced toward his fathers. "You take Dad and I'll take Papa," Nathaniel said, pointing to Donovan.

"Done," Colton said as he leapt toward his wolfen father. Donovan caught him in his arms easily and hugged the bear-wolf tightly. "It's so good to see you, Dad," Colton whispered into the ear of the wolf.

Donovan whispered back, "It's good to see you, Son."

Li Wei lost no time in jumping up onto the rock and embracing the polar bear once his son freed him from his tight bear hug. "Welcome home, Ancient One," the dog said. "I stand in place of the Gray One, who could not be here to welcome you. Jean Pierre is still resting with his husbands. When this celebration slows a bit, I will take you to where they sleep. It will do you both good to say hello and talk about all that has happened in the last week."

Eric hugged the temple dog and agreed. "I would like that. I was hoping he might be here with a new son, but perhaps that would create too much mayhem in an already hectic gathering."

The entire field of beasts remained motionless, waiting as always for the call from the newly mated to join the family. The scent of all seven told every beast all they needed to know, but for a time, they also knew the family would seek out their closest family first. Soon enough, all the beasts in the field would be welcome, but for now, the choice lay with the seven.

Derrick was the first to leave the rock and rush toward Chet and his mates. The hawk-man wrapped his wings around the black wolf. What transpired under the cloak of feathers all knew, but could not see.

Kris passed Oliver to Will, and the badger and the wolf jumped off the rock toward where Henry and Dennis were standing. The four hugged and kissed. Even though the memories of another world never surfaced, both Henry and Dennis felt as if the four had been friends forever. Dennis looked into Will's eyes and smiled. "You think there's someplace on this highland we could go where we won't fall out a window?" he asked.

Will smiled back. "I'm sure there is, but I believe you have a family to introduce us to."

Henry broke his kiss with Oliver and pointed to the three beside them standing in the middle of the temple dogs. "These are our best friends in the world, Old Wolf." In turn, he pointed to each. "John, Wyatt, and Clyde."

Will smiled at the pig with a grin that couldn't be mistaken. "Leave it to Henry and Dennis to choose three such handsome friends."

"I'm married to these two," Clyde said, somewhere between pride and apprehension.

Will nodded his understanding. "And I'm married to this cute little guy here," he said, pointing to the badger. "His name is Oliver. I'm Will."

"I'm right pleased to meet you both," the pig replied. "I ain't never met anyone married to so many men as you."

Will's smile only broadened. "You'd be surprised at how easy it is once you realize that it's what you wanted all along." The old wolf's gaze shifted to all five. "This is a mating circle, men, and you five smell as if you belong in the middle of it. Have you given the call?"

John shook his head. "We're only now realizing what that means. We hope no one expects too much of us. You all have far more experience than we do."

"I sez we goes and grabs them dogs behind you and go bangs our brains out up in their shower room," Oliver said. The five stared at the badger, unable to speak. "Look, you men are worried that we's gonna do something to you, and you is right. By the end of this week, you'se gonna be had in just about every way you can think of, and a few ways them dogs will teach you that you never knowed existed. But what you don't knows yet is you really, really wants us to do it. You'se scared 'cause you thinks you'se gonna turn into some kind of animals that ruts all day and nothing else."

The badger shifted into his taller form and reached his hand out to the pig. "It ain't like that. We's beasts and we's becoming Changelings. These is baby steps to becoming the Unity you heard of. We teach each other every time we touch, every time we kisses each other. You'se all been alone too long. I knows it when I sees it because it were me in your place not that many years ago. You men only now got married, when you knows you should have been married hundreds of years ago."

Clyde's head bobbed. "I know that now."

"You knowed it for a long time, Pig," Oliver corrected. "It's just now you can see it looking back. Sometimes those of us who is thickheaded needs to be pushed a bit."

"And your husbands pushed you?" Clyde asked.

"Nah, they had to kick my ass and drop on top of my head before I budged," Oliver replied. "But if you gots people that loves you, they's gonna do that. You and me, Pig. We gots people." Oliver looked up at the wolves on either side of Clyde. "And you wolves, you gots us. We ain't here to change you. We is here to help you become what you wants to be in your heart."

"So, wanting you ain't a bad thing even though you and us just got married?" Clyde said as he kicked a hoof toward the badger.

"Ain't a bad thing in my mind. And I know it ain't a bad thing for the old wolf." Will nodded his head in agreement.

"Because it's more than just sex," Henry interjected. "Nathaniel and Max were trying to teach us that this morning."

"It's a lot more than sex," Will agreed. His hands reached out and took the wolf's and puma's paws. "We learn that so much of who we are expresses itself through physicality. It begins at our turning. But in time, we learn that there is a step beyond that physicality. We find that place with the help of those around us. You have five very horny dogs here surrounding you. Trust me, you want to be with them at this time in your life."

Dennis laughed. "Oh, we already know that, Old Wolf. We've been here on the highland for two days."

Will laughed. "Good. Then you know where Oliver wants you to go is exactly where you want to go as well. But he's willing to push you to accept that." The old wolf's paw lovingly rubbed the shoulder of the badger. "He can be a bit of a nudge from time to time with folks he sees as reluctant to do what they should do."

"'Cause I loves them, and I don'ts want them to be wasting their lives afraid to jump into the very thing they wants."

"Are we doing that, Oliver?" Henry asked.

"You comes with us," the badger replied. "Spends a day or two loving on each other and all the rest of them that joins you. You figures out what it means to be a beast by doing what your heart and body tells you to do. You figures out there ain't no break between the two for a beast. You leaves your human learning behind here."

"The showers have a balcony that we can fall over, Old Wolf," Henry pointed out.

"That's true," the wolf responded, "but if we fall over, I'm pretty sure it will be on top of some very soft beasts."

"We've been with Chipo," John said with a snicker. "I really don't want to fall on top of him."

Will grinned. "You've got a point." Will put his paws to his mouth and yelled, "Chipo, we need a rhino over here. Bring the family if you like. But every beast with a horn or a thick hide best make their way to the monastery showers if they don't want an old wolf dragging them away from whatever fun they get into."

In seconds, Chipo was by Will's side. "I'm ready, Old Wolf," he said with an eager grin. "Am I getting another slutty merit badge today?"

"Oh, yeah," Will answered. "And you're going to help some very worthy beasts earn a few as well."

Henry laughed. "Well, there goes that whole 'more than just sex' talk we had."

Chipo looked at the wolf and smiled. "Oh, Wolf, you have so much to learn." His arm reached out and pulled the wolf close. "Fortunately for you, I am an excellent tutor." Henry leaned into the kiss and let the prehensile lip work over the top of his.

The wolf worried for a time that sex would be all he would feel. Yet, even as the three-fingered hand rubbed his chest, he realized there was so much more that he was feeling beyond the simple touch. Between the pressed lips, he mumbled, "I'm ready to learn, teacher."

Henry felt the rhino pick him up, never letting the kiss slip away. The others in the group let the temple dogs repeat the same act, lifting them into the dogs' arms. Quietly, the group slipped away toward showers in the monastery. On the highland, the beasts playfully interacted with each other as they waited for the call from the seven. On the second day, one by one, from all points of the highland, the call came. The seven husbands welcomed the thousands into their lives.

From atop the monastery, the five looked out and hesitated. Oliver gave the puma a gentle shove. "Does what your heart tells you to do." The five looked at each other and gave the call. Choosing their path, the beasts in the glade dropped to all fours and sped toward their most irresistible invitation.

Chapter 12
  
Carl and Randy stood up from the pile of beasts on the floor and gave themselves a shake. They looked down at the five, only now beginning to stir. "You men are amazing."

Henry laughed. "The same is true of our handsome hosts." He looked around the dimly lit room. "And this room is amazing. I have to admit it ups the ante on nearly everything we ever did."

"You had fun?" Carl asked.

"Words fail me for how much fun I had," Henry answered. The nodding heads of the other South Dakotans showed their agreement.

"Good," Carl said. "You men stay here and relax a bit. Randy and I will go make you breakfast." The two headed up the stairs to the main house, leaving the five behind.

Dennis gave a happy sigh and pushed himself up. He looked at the group. "I am so glad you're here. For all the family we met this week, I still look at you four and realize this is who I am. You are my people, the ones I looked for in that crowd when it all overwhelmed me. You're the ones who make me feel safe."

Clyde's face blushed red. "I'm the same about y'all. I ain't never had someone like the four of you I love so much. It's funny how playing with them others made me realize how lucky I am that you are in my life. I loved every man-beast out there. But the ones in this room…" the pig paused, "I ain't got words for how you make me feel."

Wyatt shifted his position. "I agree with Clyde."

Henry nodded. "I think we all do."

Clyde's four-fingered hands reached out and touched both Henry and Dennis. "I've been learning so much this week; about myself, about us. I watched an entire field full of beasts that jumped into loving each other like they were together forever. And somehow they drug me along with them."

Wyatt put his arms around the pig. "Kind of felt good, didn't it?"

"It was heaven, Husband." The pig's other husband slipped up on his side, and Clyde sighed when the teeth bit into his shoulder. "I never knowed who I really was. I never knowed what I wanted to be until these last few days. And then it all came tumblin' down around me."

"Any regrets," John asked.

"That I didn't see it sooner, I suspect," Clyde answered.

"I didn't mind waiting," John comforted. He chuckled. "Well, not much anyway."

Clyde turned to the wolf, "Thank you for waitin'. Thank you both for waitin'." He turned back to Henry and Dennis, where his hands still lingered. "And thank you both."

"Our pleasure," Dennis replied.

Clyde took a deep breath. "All them beasts taught me how important it is not to wait. They taught me what it meant to dive into life instead of sitting on the sidelines wonderin'."

"Agreed," Wyatt said.

"So, I gots me a question for you four, and if I'm wrong, then I'm sure y'all will tell me." The four nodded. "When we was at the highland, did y'all see the tree that big bear painted of the whole family?"

"Yeah, we saw it, Clyde," Dennis answered. "Is that your question?"

Clyde smiled and bumped himself playfully into the puma. "No, Cat," the pig replied. "You seen us, right? We were there, and Éric painted all five of us together linked to Will and his family. I asked him why, and he said it felt right. And I got to wondering if he saw something we should have seen ourselves. I'm wondering if Oliver and Will were aware of it too when they dragged us off to them showers. They made sure that we was together for the first two days."

The pig hesitated, forming the words in his head. "So here's my question. I want to know if we should be more than a pack, more than a family? I want to know if we should be mates like Will and his husbands are?" Clyde grinned, seeing no look of shock or disagreement in the faces of the others.

John nodded his head again. "I was contemplating the same thing around day four. When I looked across that field and watched Nathaniel pounding Henry's ass for, like, the twelfth time, I wasn't just happy for him. I realized how much I wanted to step up and take care of that ass once we got home. And, not as a friend the way I've always done…" John looked into Henry's eyes, "… but as your mate. As someone you knew would be there for so much more than a monthly pounding at our get-togethers."

Henry smiled. "I would like that."

Clyde rubbed Dennis's chest. "I don't want to take nothin' away from the love you two share, Cat. But I want you to understand that the love I have for you two goes deeper than you know."

Dennis brought his paw up to the hand on his chest. "Then we're two of a kind, Pig." He looked at the other three. "I always thought of Will as a free spirit that would never settle down, but then I watched him there in those showers. He was the same over-the-top sexual creature I remembered from our first meeting. God, how that wolf can draw me into mischief, and how I love him for it. But, for the first time, I saw his other side.

"I thought our showering was winding down when he dragged me into the most outrageous group sex I've ever been in. There was the rhino, a pack of African dogs, and I don't know how many wolves. And, the same as he was at Sturgis, Will was there, everywhere, making sure he left no one out. He was committed to every one of us going home extolling the virtues of his very unvirtuous behavior.

"But he never left their sides; not really. I saw it in his eyes even after Oliver got dragged away by Kris. All alone with us, Will's husbands were there with him. They were all somewhere else, but he kept them there, locked away safely inside him. He loved us all, but he was in love with them, and never for a moment did any of us doubt it."

Dennis paused for a moment. "I realized it was the same way I felt about Henry for so long. It didn't matter who else I was with, Henry never left me because I had him safely resting in my heart." He shook his head, rubbing the hand of the pig lovingly. "And then I looked up from all those bodies and I saw you, Clyde. There, in the middle of so many wonderful bodies playing with me, I realized I felt the same way about you." The mountain lion paused again. "I loved them all, but I was in love with that smiling pig staring into my eyes. These last four days, I have felt that way for you and Wyatt."

"And you, John," the puma said, looking up at the wolf clinging to the pig. "I don't know how long I've felt it, but Will was right. It's easy to love more than one man once you realize how much that's what you want to do. I have held all of you in my heart so that even when you returned to your homes, you were beside me. We have stayed together for centuries. I have no clue why we didn't realize the reason until now. Maybe, because until we met those seven, we didn't even believe it was possible. Maybe it took the scent of their mating mingling with ours to wake me up to what has been around me all this time."

Wyatt let his hold on the pig slip away. "So, now that we realize it's possible, should we be doing right by what they taught us?" He reached out his paw to Henry. "Marry me, Wolf. Be my mate the way we should have been for all these years." His other paw reached out toward the puma. "Marry me, Cat. I'm sorry I let your marriage to Henry ever be a reason that I never told you two how much I love you." He shook his head. "Or how much I wanted you to be my mate."

Clyde put his other hand on the puma's paw. "What he said, Cat. I never imagined I could ever be happier than the day these two wolves made me their mate, but I see now I can be. I need another wolf and a lion in my life that calls me Husband."

Dennis smiled at Clyde. "There's going to be a lot of neck biting this time around, Pig."

"I'm good with that. You set them chompers of yours deep, Cat." Clyde twisted to see all in the group. "Biting you is risky with these tusks of mine, but if we go slow, I will do my part."

"Then we'll go slow," John said.

"Most of the time," Henry interjected with a lecherous grin. "I just got told you wanted to take me like Nathaniel, and that bear does not go slow."

"Most of the time works for me," John agreed. He looked at the others. "No time like the present men. We work out our living arrangements later, and we all chip in to repair this place after we're done. Agreed?"

"Agreed," the three responded. It was hard to say if Clyde mounted Dennis first or if John beat him to the punch mounting Henry. Wyatt was the first to set his teeth as he mounted the pig. All five would recall those first moments the same. They remembered how much longing and desire vanished in becoming what they wanted to be all along.

From the kitchen, Carl looked up from his chafing dish. He reached over and turned the burner off. "Looks like we need to wait on breakfast," he said with a smile. "What say we give Clifford and Kirk a call and invite them over for the waiting?"

"Sounds like a plan," Randy said with a chuckle. "Took those boys long enough to figure it out,"

"I was beginning to think we lost our touch."

"I was beginning to think the room had lost its touch. I'm glad all our reputations will remain intact." Randy sniffed the air. "I love the smell of mating in the morning."

"You realize It's going to be at least midnight before they call us," Carl said.

"You know what? I say we give Eldon a call and put a flight back to the highland on standby," Randy proposed.

"Are you insane? Do you have any idea what those five showing up on the highland newly mated will do after that week-long love fest?"

"Extend it for another week?" Randy said, smiling. "This is new to them, Hon. They're just now learning how far that love will take them. Don't they deserve to feel what it's like to have that love celebrated in a grand way?"

Carl tapped the ComLink on his chest. "Eldon," he said. He gave his husband a quick kiss. "Yeah, Babe, they do. We all deserve that at least once in our lives."

Chapter 13

"I am not sure what you want of me, Adam," the confused temple dog said.

"I want you to teach me how to battle beside Donovan," the otter repeated. "You did it once. You can do it again."

"We trained Marcus so that he could stand alongside Donovan," Noboru replied. "The goal was not to make them warriors. We sought to make them work as one. You and Donovan have already found that bridge, and now seem to have walked back from where you once were. Teaching you to battle is unnecessary. And even if you press for such training, you are an otter. Two wolves fighting at least have a chance to best a temple dog while sparring."

"I can do anything that a werewolf can do," the defiant otter growled.

Noboru tossed his khakkhara at Adam and the otter's hands reached out to grab it. When he tried to twirl the staff the way Donovan would do, it hit the ground with a dull thud. "You are too short to even wield a khakkhara, Little One," Noboru sighed.

"Okay, I thought I was going to be okay with you calling me Little One," Adam said, shaking his head. "I know you call everyone that… but no, just no."

"I am sorry it distresses you, Adam," Noboru said. "I will speak the words no more in your company."

Adam dropped to the ground, and the khakkhara fell beside him. "I'm sorry, Noboru. I'm out of line. You call all those you love Little Ones."

"It does not upset them, Adam. I have no problem using any name you choose."

"Yeah, but what kind of protector of the universe am I if calling me Little One is enough to upset me?"

"It would seem to be a low threshold for a breaking point," Noboru agreed.

Adam shook his head and gave a laugh filled with regret. "What have I done?" he asked himself more than Noboru. Noboru understood the conflict in the otter's eyes and did not answer the rhetorical question. "I made a mess of everything, Noboru," Adam finally whispered. "I thought freeing Donovan was the right thing to do."

"It was," the temple dog agreed.

"I know, but it's only made matters worse."

"With you?"

"No, no, he is very loving and caring," the otter replied. "But he insists we must train. He says we need to be one first in mind, then in body." Adam let out a long sigh. "How can I convince him to return if I can't even show him I can do everything he does outside of me?"

"You are an otter, Adam. By extension, you cannot be the wolf you once were. You need to find a different path. Marcus should have told you this."

Adam looked down at the ground. "He did. Many times. He said the one place where Donovan and I seem to be a match is how bull-headed we are."

Noboru laughed aloud and then waved his hands back and forth, trying to call back the laugh. "I'm sorry, Adam," he said, "but I agree with your family, and it's nice to know they are trying to help."

"Help? How is calling me bull-headed helping?"

Noboru bowed and kissed the top of the otter's head. "They tell you the truth, even when it is difficult to speak. And they do it with love." The noble dog stood back up. "And a bit of humor. They are teaching you, Adam. Your training has already begun. You have erroneously believed that your training would only come from outside yourself in the shape of a temple dog."

"But Marcus and Donovan trained with you. I was there, remember?"

"We remember, Adam. But we also remember we created that training for Marcus and Donovan. It was unique to them; as is all the training we offer to our family. You cannot recapture what they did."

"Then we try another form of training, or make me a smaller staff," the otter rebutted. "Donovan has returned, and he has told me we need to train together. I have to find something we can share."

"Perhaps your training lies beyond the martial arts. We could seek another way for the two of you to train," Noboru suggested.

"Is this going to be one of those sexual marathons that my other husbands love so much as a teaching opportunity?" the otter asked.

Noboru smiled. "Would you like it to be?"

The otter thought for a moment. "I won't say no. I'm pretty sure everyone inside me is screaming yes. But I don't know what Donovan would say. I know he enjoys sex with you, but I'm not sure he enjoys making it a part of training."

Noboru nodded. "Then we have already laid the foundation for your training." The temple dog looked up into the night sky. "We begin our training tonight. Go talk to Donovan and meet me at the pagoda at midnight."

Adam laughed. "What? Meet me at the pagoda at midnight tonight. What are we doing? Going on a spy mission?"

Noboru gave another nod. "That could be an accurate description of what we are doing. If you like, I can even give you passwords and codes to make it more intriguing. However, what we are about to do is far more simple than any training you have ever done. I will ask you to view the world around you and learn from it."

"That is not a simple task, Noboru," the otter disagreed. "That is far more difficult than wielding a staff while fighting."

There was a third nod from the smiling temple dog. "You have already learned the first lesson of your training, Adam. Ensure that before midnight, Donovan understands it as well. I will meet you both then."

The dog leaned over and kissed the top of Adam's head once more. He turned and left the bewildered otter watching him walk into the temple.

At midnight, both Adam and Donovan were in front of the pagoda. The tolling of the hour came from above, and Noboru rounded the corner, adjusting his fur. "I hope I am presentable. Peng and I usually bathe in the evening, and I lost track of time for a moment."

Donovan shook his head. "I am surprised we weren't waiting for you in the morning light, Dog."

Noboru grinned. "Then you understand my predicament, Donovan. But I promised you two tonight. Peng and I will have other moments to enjoy."

"Why are we out so late at night?" the Armbruster's wolf asked.

"Because the world you are to encounter is not here," Noboru replied. Without a single gesture from the temple dog, the three were blinking back the bright sunlight. They stood in the middle of a bustling park. People were jogging along the tree-lined paths. Others sat on park benches, reading under the shade of the trees. Vendors congregated about a block down the path selling balloons and snacks from pushcarts. Rising from behind the trees were buildings of incredible heights.

"Where are we, Dog?" Donovan asked.

"This is Central Park Island off the coast of New York," Noboru replied. "You sought training, Ancient One. Your training has begun."

"And how did we get here?" Adam asked.

"Do you wish to explore the how of where we are, or do you wish to train?" the temple dog replied.

Donovan groaned. "Let it go, Otter. He will not answer your question. This is all too familiar to me. Accept that we are here the same way we accept you take us places."

"But I am a pan-dimensional being. I can traverse space by bending it," the otter protested.

"And Noboru is a dog that wishes to teach us a lesson he can only provide here on Central Park Island." The Armbruster's wolf extended his hand to the otter. "If we spend too much time on the how, we may well miss the why."

Noboru smiled. "You are wise, Ancient One," he said. He pointed out toward a section of the park where old men sat under a pergola playing chess. There was an old octagonal red and cream-colored brick structure beside the pergola. Individuals of all ages walked in and out. "They call that building the Chess and Checkers House," Noboru said. "Here is our first lesson."

"What are we to learn from a brick house?" Donovan asked.

"It is not the building you should see, Ancient One," Noboru replied, "but the people who share the space."

The two beasts accompanying the temple dog tried to discern what Noboru wished them to understand. "There are only a few old men playing chess," Adam said.

"It is early," Noboru replied. "Come the noon hour, the crowd will grow with those on their lunch break. Many choose to walk the mile across the bridge to spend their time here. The children will arrive after school lets out. The age or sex of who you watch here is irrelevant. Go beyond what your eyes see. See the lesson taught with each move of a chess piece."

The two remained quiet, watching. Neither could see anything beyond the few old men playing chess. At last, Noboru sighed and broke the silence. "Perhaps an easier lesson," he said. "I told Adam that these lessons would be simple, but my choice of words might have been misleading. The lessons are simple, but I do not mean they are easily learned. Take one last glance, gentlemen, and hold it in your memory. I hope as we walk, all will become clear." The great yellow beast turned and began walking down the path toward the forests.

Noboru avoided most of the pathways through the park. He walked through grassy fields, over large rock outcroppings, and through wooded areas. As they walked, sometimes Noboru would help Adam through the rugged terrain. When surmounting a wall of stone was impossible, he lifted the small otter. Both Adam and Donovan noticed that Noboru intentionally chose the most difficult path. They walked through the brush rather than around it. Other times, he would bypass the gentle incline of a rock outcropping in favor of going to the highest point of a rock before dropping over the side.

There was no real danger to any of the beasts. Their strength easily handled any jump they made. And yet, with each new obstacle, Noboru would step in front of the smaller otter and hold back a branch or help him up over a rock wall.

When they reached another outcropping of rock, the three looked down from the top of the precipice. Again, Noboru had led the three to the top of the rock, rather than down along its sloping side. Donovan placed his arm in front of Noboru's paws as they reached out to Adam. "He is my husband," Donovan said with a smile. "I believe I should be helping him."

Noboru smiled. "Then you have learned the lesson." Donovan reached out and lowered his mate over the side of the rock and safely to the ground.

Without another word, the walk continued until the three stopped in front of a statue of a dog wearing a sledding harness. "As you might expect, I have an affinity for this statue," Noboru said. "His name was Balto. He was a lead sled dog so many, many years ago. In the winter of nineteen twenty-five, a devastating diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome's children. The local hospital had used all its antitoxin for the disease. The closest serum available to stop the outbreak was in Seattle, Washington. Normally, they would fly the serum to Nome. But the engine of the only plane that could deliver the medicine would not start.

"Late in January of that year, the Great Race of Mercy began. They used a dogsled relay to transport the diphtheria antitoxin across the frozen terrain of Alaska. This was an act of desperation to save the small town of Nome from the epidemic. To accomplish this incredible task, one hundred fifty sled dogs had to run one thousand eighty-five kilometers in five and a half days.

"When the humans told the story of this amazing feat, the hero was a Siberian husky named Balto. Balto was the lead of the Gunnar Kaasen team on the last leg of the serum run to Nome. Balto's reputation as a team leader was not good. When an unexpected blizzard enveloped the team, few expected them to make it through. However, Balto rose to the challenge and safely guided his team past dangers unseen. The legend says he even stopped the team before they fell into the Topkok River.

"The team arrived before dawn on the second of February with the serum. The town of Nome and the surrounding area circumvented the epidemic. Balto became an instant hero as the savior of the children of Nome. Headlines in newspapers and stories over the radio made him so popular that later that same year, they erected this statue."

Noboru paused. His paw reached out and touched the nose of the bronze dog. "He was a noble dog, and deserving of his accolades. And yet, so were all his one hundred and forty-nine brothers. Seppala and his lead dog, Togo, actually traveled much farther and braved much harsher conditions. The press ignored the Athabaskan and other Native Alaskan mushers entirely. This slight was despite their brave dogs covering two-thirds of the distance to Nome. The color of the human's skin did not make for popular headlines. So many dogs died along the path. There are no statues for them. Their names are long forgotten."

Noboru paused. "Here is your next lesson. I will not make you struggle with its meaning. Balto was not the hero of the story. He alone would not have saved the children of Nome. His team alone would not have saved the children. The dogs worked as one to save their charges. What notoriety came of that act, what fame they might have received; all that was of no consequence.

"It is the way it has always been for the dogs in your midst. We do not care if you remember our names. It doesn't matter if you know which dog catches you as we fall through the trees in our copulations gone awry. We do not care if you know who stands by your side as the universe falls. We do not care because we are one. When you look at us, it matters not which dog stands beside you, only that you know the dog you see loves and protects you with a singular purpose." The dog paused, and in the stillness, the two learned. "Our lives before yours," Noboru whispered. "It is not only something we say. It is how we live."

Adam thought about what Noboru had said as he stared at the statue. The pieces were falling into place. He wondered if Donovan saw it. Noboru wasn't there to train them. He was an object lesson for what they needed to become.

Before the otter could voice his understanding, a golden paw reached out to the two and yanked them in another direction. They were walking again. This time along the paved pathways, crowded with humans enjoying the day.

As they passed by a drinking fountain, Noboru paused. He leaned over and took a long drink from the spigot. He rose back up and wiped his paw across his mouth. "You must try this water. New York is still very proud of the quality of their drinking water. In its heyday, before the War of the Continents, there were two hundred and fifteen drinking fountains in Central Park. The island has far fewer, but they hope one day to restore them all. Water is life. It doesn't matter from which fountain you drink. All will quench your thirst and provide that which we cannot live without."

Adam and Donovan both took a drink from the fountain, knowing that Noboru never stopped without a lesson to be learned. They were grateful that this lesson was again an easy one to understand. Adam looked up at Donovan and smiled. Donovan returned the smile. Again, the temple dog pulled both in another direction.

The three stopped at last in front of an enormous statue of three bronze bears. The deep blue-black coloration of the bears attested to the number of years it had weathered the elements. As with the previous statue, Noboru's paw reached out and touched the bears. "One last lesson to be learned. The only lesson you need to learn before your training is done."

"And what, pray tell, is that lesson, Dog?" Donovan asked.

"The only lesson I have been trying to teach you all day," the temple dog replied as he pulled his paw back to his side. "This is called Group of Bears," Noboru said. "While their species are incorrect, I like to think of them as the members of my family." The temple dog pointed to the one standing in the middle. "That is Kris, and the two on either side are his sons, Eric and Nathaniel."

Adam chuckled. "You're leaving out two of his sons that are inside me."

"I realize the statue doesn't include all our family. That would be a rather cumbersome statue. But it speaks to the truth of our family. The father rises above his sons, not to make them subservient, but to watch over them. The sons rest close to his side, not because they are weaker, but because they know their place is always by their father's side. They watch over him, even as he watches over them. They are three bears with one heart shared between them."

"And that is the lesson we are to learn?" Donovan asked.

"The lesson you are to learn is there," Noboru said pointing toward an old couple sitting on a park bench. "Watch and learn. All that you need to learn is there. It was there when you watched the old men playing chess together. I spoke of it when you learned the story of the sled dogs. It was present as you drank from the fountain. It is here in a couple facing their last years together. See beyond the moment. See what you must see before you even lift a khakkhara to spar against the dogs you would have train you."

Adam nodded to those inside him. He understood. But the wolf beside him did not see as clearly. Donovan shook his head. "I'm afraid the lesson eludes me," he said.

Noboru smiled. "Then I hope the sexual marathon we engage in upon our return will open your eyes. Adam has said he is not opposed to the idea, and Peng is still aroused. Perhaps we can share the next few days together exploring what eludes you, Ancient One."

Donovan looked down at the otter. "Do you understand what he's trying to teach us?" he asked.

Adam nodded. "I do."

"Then tell me."

"I can't, my love. It is a lesson one has to learn on his own."

"Are you telling me those four inside you didn't help?" the wolf pressed.

"They've known all along. I'm the slow learner," the otter replied.

"Then what does that make me?" Donovan growled.

Adam smiled. "My husband. The man who is going to leave me breathless in our first sexual marathon together."

"Really?" Donovan said with a laugh.

"I believe your mate has tendered a challenge, Ancient One," Noboru said. "Now it only remains to be seen if you can rise to that challenge."

"Innuendo, Dog?" the wolf grinned.

"If it pleases you to think so," Noboru replied. Without a motion, the three found themselves back inside the walls of the Tibetan monastery. Peng came running outside to greet them. Noboru hugged the dog and stared at his erection when the hug had ended. "I regret leaving you earlier tonight, Peng," the temple's Abbot said. "Our guests have offered to help ease your suffering." 

"And what of yours, Master?" Peng asked as he reached out and stroked Noboru's swollen flesh.

"We are family. We will find a way."

"We mustn't forget the family gathering in three days," Peng added. "They will expect all the temple dogs to be there."

"Then we will have to concentrate our efforts to make this sexual marathon end on time," Noboru said, turning to the wolf and otter. "I hope you don't mind that we tire you out quickly."

Donovan looked at Adam and smiled. Adam smiled back with a happy nod. The Armbruster's wolf looked up at the two eager dogs. "Have at us, Dogs. We give no quarter until two nights from this moment." Donovan regretted he didn't see what his husband saw. But when the temple dog jumped on top of him, he realized for the moment, he was okay with being in the dark — both literally and figuratively.

Chapter 14

The clouds above Partridge Island swirled as the airship pushed them aside. "We have incoming," Derrick said, pointing up toward the sky. "It's all the temple dogs from points east. The Carver family is on board, Diego and Billy, and how many kids do they have now? Six? Kabelo and the pack are bringing Chakalaka, Bobotie, and Malva pudding. It's kind of nice having a vegetarian in the family."

Will laughed, "Especially when he's built like a rhino. I'm glad that boy eats meat when it comes to his family."

Derrick giggled at the thought. "There are a few others, it seems, from the Middle Eastern pack. We don't get to see them very often. I guess Damien and Darius's exchange program is finally taking hold." The Black Rhino appeared in the distance. Within seconds, it was over the secondary landing site, pivoting its engines to land. "Talib and Faraji have been hopscotching their way here. There are family members from all across Africa. Anders and Lewis won't be the only Egyptians here today."

The black wolf pivoted around and pointed toward the North. "Red Wolf arriving on gate nine," Derrick said, laughing as the airship coasted toward the helipad. "Éric and Luca made a round trip to pick up the whole Fabron family. There are eight humans from the Friduwulf Memorial Hospital. And there are six vanguards from Germany's research and development teams here to show off some tech to the family."

The black wolf paused, and his eyes widened in recognition. "It's only a video of what they're working on, but oh my god, Old Wolf, they've got a working model of a four-dimensional portal." Derrick grinned. "It's like a shoebox hooked up to about ten warehouses of stuff to make it work. It's a doorway that's larger on the inside than it is on the outside, and they painted it like a little blue police box." When Will's vacant stare betrayed him, Derrick blurted out, "It's a TARDIS, Old Wolf. They made a TARDIS."

"Well, isn't that the most wonderful thing ever?" the old wolf said with a smile. He gave his husband a nudge. "You're missing a few of our family. Keep your focus on the humans, not the tech. You have no problem seeing the tech. See the humans instead."

Derrick closed his eyes. "Okay, there's the entire Fitzgerald clan. Trent looks exactly like his dad, Alejandro when he was middle-aged." The black wolf sighed. "I miss Alejandro and Victoria." Derrick kept his eyes closed and his head tilted. "I see Karen's granddaughter, Katharine, and her family. They're keeping up the tradition. They brought Karen's deviled eggs. We better say hi to them before Clifford and Kirk gobble them all up."

The old wolf pulled the young wolf in tight from the back. "That's my pup. It's all about those we love, not the machines." Derrick giggled as he felt the old wolf push up against his back with a few playful thrusts. "Now, let's go say hi to the family."

The two werewolves bounded over the split-rail fence that cordoned off the forest and raced toward the helipad. Families lifted their coolers and bags as they came off the helipad, wondering where to place their contributions to the potluck. The employees of the first-class hospital were there to show them the tables. Grills prepped for later in the day lay waiting.

From the other side of the island, a steady stream of beasts and humans came from the hotel. Buried beneath the convention center was another world. The island architects had taken a lesson from the Japanese. When building up was not possible, they tunneled below. The world below the convention center left people forgetting where they were. Large cargo elevators could take even the largest beast down below to the four-story atrium of the hotel. It was a point of some renown that the largest trees on Partridge Island were actually underground.

People and beasts wandered through forests and over streams as they made their way to their rooms. The architects had designed the hotel for the ever-growing number of group marriages in the Were Nation. The beds in the master suites often confused human visitors. Still, the size of the beds for oversized beasts had created a reputation for the hotel. It became the must-visit locale for newly wedded human couples seeking a bit of adventure on their honeymoon night.

Wherever one looked along the bark-chipped paths, the edge of the forest was unseen. The creeks would wind around a tree, or disappear among the rocks. Nothing seemed out of place. That was because of the care the forest received from the wolves that loved it. Visitors rarely saw the gardening crew that kept the illusion alive.

Hotel rooms each had their own pathway through the forest to their door. The first-floor rooms were the larger suites for bulkier beasts and human families wishing to stay together on their visits. Upper floors in hotel rooms were a bit more traditional by human standards. But if one had children, it was the tree house rooms that attracted them. The third level of rooms appeared high above, nestled into mammoth trees overlooking the forest. Where the actual trees merged with the supports for the tree house rooms was something few ever figured out.

At night, the moon was forever full, but the guests never got lost along the paths. They had only to wave their key cards in front of lighted guideposts and the pathways lit up along the sides, guiding them to their rooms.

Only one restaurant had an actual edifice that looked like a traditional building. The others were whimsical nods to their location. One restaurant appeared carved from an ancient tree. It opened into a much larger inside than the tree could ever house. An Asian fusion restaurant seemed at first glance to be an ancient shrine nestled between the hemlock trees.

One group of food carts had the flavor of a Romani caravan, for good reason. The vardo wagons that formed a circle around the forest clearing were created by a werewolf descendant of the Dauton family. The family name intertwined with the history of the flamboyant, straight-sided wagons of the Romani people.

Hand carved, ornate, and brightly colored, each wagon was a masterpiece of artistic beauty and functionality. True to the history of the first vardo, every chef in the caravan camp was an immigrant displaced by the wars that broke out so many years ago. The inner circle of wagons was the food carts. However, the outer ring of Reading wagons were the lodgings of the happy wolves that had found a new home.

Diners at the caravan camp could find their meals at one of the ten carts. All were in operation throughout the day and night. They offered choices for all palates from various countries. With a meal in hand, visitors could either sit at tables under canvas canopies in the inner circle or up on a ledge wagon with their wide bench seating. But one area was a favorite of the werewolves and beasts on a hot summer day. Down under the earth, the temperature was always seventy-two degrees. Many of the flat stones along the creek made perfect seats for any beast hoping to plunge his feet into the cool water on his lunch break.

The wildlife of Partridge Island was equally happy when they found their way down below the surface. Visitors often remarked how lovely the recordings of the crickets were at night. They never knew that Greg and his crew had never installed speakers in the forests. They had only let nature take the course it always did. Life begat life. The smallest of creatures found their way down below the ground. They lived out their lives in the sunshine of a sun that glowed beneath the earth. Every spring, the peeper frogs would call out looking for mates, and every summer, the crickets returned looking for the same.

But today, the hotel was bustling with visitors from around the world. Each was preparing for the largest gathering the island had ever seen. The swamped concierges attended to guests preparing for the gathering. Beasts and humans alike were inquiring about the weather aboveground. The days below were always sunny, and the sun began its slow descent at six thirty every day.

Aboveground, the world was more fickle. Today's sunshine on the surface of Partridge Island was welcome. The island was in a small pocket of clear weather, surrounded by the clouds and rain so typical of the season in Northern Canada. How that was possible was a mystery only to the human residents of Saint John. They watched the sunshine over the island through the pouring rain on the mainland.

The skiffs were busy shuttling people to the island. Saint John loved the family gatherings of the Were Nation. When the island closed for a Bear Paws Enterprises event, all Saint John reaped the benefits. Even the mainland had full hotel rooms and hundreds of happy, well-behaved tourists eager to sample the local fare.

Today, though, the local fare of Saint John took a distant second place. They were up against foods prepared by every island family and the staff of every restaurant on the island. Preparations for this day had been going on for weeks.

The children debarking from the Red Wolf, and those already on the island, were oblivious to the food, though. All young eyes watched in apt attention as the Black Rhino's cargo bay ramp lowered.

From a distance, they saw the lumbering temple dogs. In the front, three abbots led the procession in their ceremonial robes. Khenpo Lei Wei was returning home to Partridge Island. Khenpo Genji headed the New Zealand temple contingent. And Khenpo Noboru was the Tibetan temple leader.

There was a casual similarity between the garb of Buddhist monks and the temple dogs' clothing. The abbots wore an antaravasaka wrapped around their waists like a sarong. However, there was no main uttarasanga, the ubiquitous yellow robe of the Buddhist monks. Unlike the Buddhist Abbots with their robes of yellow and orange, the temple dogs wore green and blue. Woven into the cloth was an intricate design of gold thread embroidered into the story of the great Changeling dragon Jiao-long.

Behind Li Wei, Genji, and Noboru, the nine remaining monks wore their battle armor. Each carried a long, colorful flag that caught the lightest breeze and danced in the sunshine. Eight dogs marched two by two with the clan colors of the Changelings. Saand was the last to disembark carrying a white flag signifying the Channelers. The children watched the slow-moving monks and anticipated the jousting matches that were only moments away from starting.

The children from the orphanage greeted the visiting children. Each jockeyed for position, hoping to grab the first pool noodle. Oliver stood by a case of pool noodles, guarding them until he received his first kiss from the temple dogs. With that, he grabbed the cardboard case and gave it a shove toward the sky. The colorful pool noodles flew into the air. The children scrambled to see who would be the first to go head-to-head in the tournaments. Matching the color of their pool noodles to the flag bearers, each child learned to which team they belonged. There was never a disappointed child from the resulting color that fate or luck had chosen for them.

Two of the temple dogs fell onto all fours and allowed their brothers to fit them with saddles crafted from metal and fabric. The saddles kept the children safely on their backs. Like children's auto seats, they had a padded back and seat belts securing the children to their steeds. The goal of the children was to bump their pool noodles up against the shield of their opponents. It was not as easy as they thought it would be. The temple dogs could muster speeds for the event which amazed all onlookers.

For the older children, there was tent pegging. One dog, no saddle, and only a woven rope harness wrapped around the chest of the temple dog to hold on to. A dangling bronze ring spun on a cord, through which they needed to thrust their pool noodle to win their prize. The rite of passage to go from the jousting tournament to tent pegging was a sign of growing up. It was something that each child looked forward to. For the dogs, it was a day of celebration in the expanding lives of their human family. Later, the dogs would read the children stories of the old world from which they were born. In the evening, the families of men and the families of beasts would gather and sing. The return of the six husbands and their newly mated otter husband was a cause for celebration.

Freed from his obligation to protect the pool noodles, Oliver made his way to where Derrick sat with the journal. The young wolf was writing about the history of another world in another universe. He looked up, saw the approaching badger, and smiled. "It's about time, Husband," he said with a laugh. "I can't write this thing on my own, you know."

"I don'ts know why you brought it here in the first place," Oliver replied. "It's not like we's gonna have a lot of time to work on it."

"I like to write while things are fresh in my mind. I figured writing about today is about as fresh as it will get."

"That damn thing don't need us half the time," Oliver said. "If we don'ts write it down, it does it for us."

"But it always writes about what we've experienced. Somehow, it's linked to us."

Oliver nodded and smiled. "We's sure gonna have something to write about today, Pup."

Derrick's quizzical look was all Oliver needed to explain himself. "I seen it, Pup. I seen Donovan and the Old Wolf fighting side by side just like Adam said they was gonna fight. It weren't to save the world. I think it's somethin' way bigger."

Derrick paused in his writing and looked at the journal's screen. What he had written appeared on the screen describing Partridge Island's festive nature. But as he wrote, the words turned from his cursive hand to printed text. When the words appeared, quoting what Oliver had said, he shook his head. "That still kind of freaks me out. I realize it's writing down what we think and say, but I'm not sure how it edits everything into a story we can read."

"You knows it changes things, right?" Oliver asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It goes back from time to time and changes words or adds things."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I notices it 'cause I likes to go back and reads the stories. It's like as we remember things, it remembers. And sometimes it puts down stuff in ways we ain't never thought to."

"Like calling the Shumuuluud a 'voracious, unstoppable army?'" Derrick asked with a laugh. "I never used the word voracious in my entire life."

"Me neither," the badger agreed. "I don'ts like fancy words. But if I did, voracious would be one I'd use to describe them critters."

There was a sudden roar from the crowd, and the two turned their heads toward the commotion. Rising, Li Wei pulled his robes over his head and the crowd cheered as the dog tossed them aside.

"What the heck is going on?" Derrick asked.

Oliver pointed to the book. The words describing the uproar appeared in the journal even as they spoke. "Best we go find out before we gots to read it in the book," Oliver said, jumping from the table and racing toward the crowd.

Once the two arrived, Derrick hoisted Oliver onto his shoulders so he could see over the crowd. "What's happening?" the black wolf asked as he tried to work around a wall of temple dogs.

"I think's they's gonna fight," Oliver said.

"WHO?"

"Li Wei and Donovan. They gots themselves those sticks, and they's standing eye to eye. And maybe Noboru. He's stripped down just like Li Wei."

The Armbruster's wolf pounded the khakkhara in his paws on the ground. "We made the challenge, Dog," he growled. "All you need to do is accept it."

"It is hardly a fair fight, Ancient One," the temple dog replied with a laugh. "Your training has barely begun. You're making progress, but in your unity of spirit, not in any discernible skill set. The diversity in your physical bodies still leaves you decidedly unfit as sparring partners."

Adam frowned as he tried unsuccessfully to pull a khakkhara from Zhuang's clenched fist. "I am willing."

"But you are also not properly trained, Adam. This is not negotiable." Li Wei objected. "We will not embarrass you in front of this crowd through your lack of experience."

"Then take me as your champion, Otter," came a familiar voice from the crowd. The old wolf pushed his way through the throng. As he passed Bolin, he took the dog's staff and moved into the clearing where the Li Wei and Noboru stood before Donovan.

"Two wolves, two dogs," Will said with a smirk. "Seems a fair fight."

Donovan looked at Will. "Do you even have a clue how to use a khakkhara, Old Wolf?"

"It's an Asian shillelagh," the old wolf replied. "I've had a bit of experience throwing them about."

"Old Wolf, I don't wish you to make me a fool of in front of this crowd," the Armbruster's wolf said, taking a step back away from Li Wei.

"Nor do we wish to embarrass either of you," Li Wei said, towering above the two.

"Well then," Will said as he twirled the khakkhara loosely in his paw. "We will need to make sure that only the dogs are embarrassed, as they have yet to raise an objection to that idea." The old wolf turned to the crowd. "Are we all game for this bout?" The cheer of the crowd was deafening.

Noboru looked at Li Wei. "Are we supposed to engage them in battle? You know the old wolf. In all the years he has lived with us, he has not once asked us to train him for anything but sexual unions."

The crowd roared with understanding laughter, and Will took a bow. "I yield to the truth of the noble dog's statement," the old wolf said as he paced. "But I have had over four hundred years of my life spent without a single dog beside me." The khakkhara in the wolf's hand spun out in a wide, sweeping arc, and suddenly a temple dog was airborne, flailing backward as he toppled off his feet. "I believe that there are lessons to be learned today."

Noboru lifted himself up from his fallen state and smiled. "Old Wolf, are you serious? You wish to teach us about the use of the khakkhara?"

"No, Noboru. I wish to teach my husband an important lesson that he has yet to learn. It appears you cannot teach him. It now falls on the shoulders of his husband to fulfill that obligation."

"And we teach him this lesson by defeating you in combat?"

Will smiled as he extended his paw and helped Noboru up. "No, you help teach him this lesson by being defeated in combat. On your mark, dogs. The game is afoot." As soon as Noboru righted himself, the old wolf spun around and the same sweeping movement sent Li Wei toppling backward.

What followed was a battle between giant dogs and limber wolves that kept the crowd cheering. Amid the rapping of khakkharas slamming against each other, a conversation heard only between Donovan and Will played out.

"You're far more skilled than I thought you would be," Donovan said as the two were back to back, fighting off their opponents.

"Thanks, Husband," Will said, never dropping his guard against the onslaught Noboru brought to him.

"About this lesson that you were going to teach me," the Armbruster's wolf asked.

"You're learning it now, Wolf. You're learning that I will always be there by your side. Every one of us will always be by your side. I realize you didn't learn it in this life, Donovan, but we were there by your side until the very end of the universe. We don't walk away. We don't leave you because you change."

The staff of the Armbruster's wolf blocked a crashing blow above him. "This is a promise?"

"This is who you married. We are all in agreement on this."

The battle shifted and once more, the two wolves were fighting apart. Despite their skill, the wolves were no match for the temple dogs. The size and stamina of the dogs were far too great for the wolves to best. Even the cheering of the crowds could not bolster the wolves' flagging energy. When they were once more side by side with the two dogs in front of them, Will looked at his husband. "When I say go, you turn into an otter and sweep low to the right. I will sweep high to the left."

"WHAT?"

"Why is it you question everything I say, Wolf?" Will growled. "Just do it."

Donovan blocked another blow and realized that the bout was soon over, regardless of what they did. "Win or lose, Husband?"

Will smiled. "Now and forever, Husband. Learn your lesson. GO!"

Donovan shifted. The small otter braced his khakkhara horizontally to his chest and ran alongside the two massive dogs. The staff slammed against the temple dogs' feet and swept them out from under the dogs. Will spun around. The staff in his hand glowed bright red as he leapt into the air. It rammed against the side of the two toppling dogs, sending them tumbling out into the field. With a shake, Donovan was a wolf again, holding his staff against his side, ready to resume battle.

A dazed Li Wei lifted his paw, laughing. "We concede the bout. The wolves have bested us."

The cheering crowd never heard the words whispered into Donovan's ears as Will hugged him. But the journal wrote them down. "It doesn't matter who or what you become, Husband. Wolf, otter, whatever your heart tells you to be. Be it, and never doubt that we will be there by your side."

Donovan pushed back and smiled. "This is the lesson I needed to learn?"

"Yeah, well, a visit to New York and endless amounts of sex didn't seem to teach it to you. So, I figured we had to get all up in your warrior face to get you to understand it."

Donovan pulled the old wolf back into a tight hug and kissed him. "The warrior has heard, Husband," he replied as the crowd finally reached them and pulled them apart in victory celebrations. The crowd swept the two away. Li Wei smiled at Noboru as he watched the celebratory victors. "They make formidable fighters," Noboru said, smiling back.

"They make even more formidable lovers," Li Wei said with an agreeing nod. "They are family, and we would be wise to learn from them."

"That has always been my goal, Master," the younger dog replied.

"Shall we save them from the throngs?"

"It would seem a kindness."

"Saand," Li Wei yelled above the clamor of the crowd. An armor-clad temple dog came running up to the abbot and bowed. Li Wei returned the bow. "Dear friend, do you think we can pull enough children away from the crowd to start another match?"

"My saddle is still secure, Master," Saand said as he thumped the straps on his side.

Li Wei leaned over and kissed the armored dog. "One day, can you all learn to call me something other than Master?"

"Of course, Master," Saand said with a smile. "But that day is not today. I will grab Katashi and we will resume the games." With a pivot, the dog was off running back toward the throng of identical dogs, easily differentiated today by their elaborate armor. In moments, the children were clamoring to gain access to the dogs' backs, and the games began anew. The crowd shifted its attention away from the valiant warriors and back to the mayhem of the children. Once more, they brandished foam noodles as they raced toward each other on the backs of giant yellow dogs.

Derrick and Oliver sat back down at their picnic table and quietly watched as the journal wrote furiously line after line. Derrick looked out onto the field where Donovan and Adam were talking. "They're going to make it work, right, Badger?"

"Of course," Oliver said as he pulled the black wolf in close. "We's always gonna find a way. That's what our family does. Adam said Donovan and Will was gonna fight side by side one day, and when they had done that, our world would change forever. Today I seen it. Today, the wolves formed the arms and torso of that lame ass robot. They became what they needed to become. The Old Wolf talked to Donovan. I don'ts got no idea about what, but it's got that Armbruster's wolf to thinking. And now he's talking to Adam. Today changes everything. We only gots to remain open to the idea that, like this journal, the story unfolds in ways we don'ts always expect."

On the far side of the field, Donovan reached down his paw to the otter's. "Walk with me, Adam?" he asked.

The otter looked up. "Of course, Husband."

The two walked slowly away from the festivities of the day in quiet. When the din of the crowd had softened in the distance, Donovan spoke. "We need to talk about the day I merge with you, Adam."

"I'm not sure I have the heart to ask you to be more than my mate. I'm not sure merging is the right idea anymore."

"I will merge with you," Donovan pushed. "I told you that, and I am a man of my word."

"I realize that. But I see how happy your family is with you by their side. And truth be told, I am happy being by your side as well. I am not sure you being one with me is the same. I'm not sure I want to give up what we have."

Donovan reached down and picked up the otter, giving him a hug. "I think I understand what Noboru was trying to teach us." Donovan paused. "What he was trying to teach me."

Still clinging to the otter, Donovan turned and stood in front of the split-rail fence. He lifted Adam up and over the fence. He jumped over, joining the otter on the other side. "This was what Noboru meant. We don't need to train. I need to accept who I am. Our union is a necessity to the four who live in you. But more importantly, I am here to make sure you're not alone inside that world of yours. Two mated pairs are happy together within you. We must accept that you and I will be the third. The triad is formed as it has always been with my people. You wanted a bond with the Unity. I am that bond."

"I guess it's selfish of me to want anything more," the otter said, pressing against the shoulder of the wolf.

"Are the needs of the four being met?"

Adam looked up into the eyes of the wolf. "Yes, of course. I would never ask them to stay if they were unhappy."

"Then let the two of us figure out together what our needs are. There are no battles to fight, no worlds to save at this moment. Let's take this moment of peace to decide how we will spend our lives together. I have no reluctance to be inside you anymore, Adam."

Adam snickered. "I like you inside me, too, Donovan. But I like it when you're inside me the way we are now. I'm not sure I can give up your physical presence next to me."

Donovan laughed and kissed the otter as he laid him down on a grassy spot in the forest. "How much of sex is in the mind, Otter?"

"For the average human, about sixty-three point seven percent."

"And for a Changeling?"

"Terran or Verital?"

"Terran."

"Ninety-six point two."

"And for your people?" the wolf asked.

"I'm the only one of my kind having sex, Donovan. This is all new to us."

"So, how much is in your mind?"

"I don't know. Maybe twelve percent. This body is really, really important to me. Your body is really important to me."

The Armbruster's wolf smiled. "How much, Adam?"

"Eighty-three percent and that's being generous. There are days when I'm pretty sure twelve percent is the truth."

"Okay, then. When we are together inside that body, why don't we do what the other couples do?"

"I am not sure what they do. They rarely show me, and I don't pry. They told me that whenever I need them, they will be there."

"That sounds reasonable to me."

"But it's not the way we've ever done it. The merging of my people has always been to create a unified bond of one entity. Having me run around with five people inside me living out their own lives is unheard of. You can't believe the amount of calamity I am causing on my home world."

"Do you think I care what your people think about our love or my family living happily inside you?"

"I doubt it," the otter said with a shrug.

"See, Husband? You already know me better than you think," Donovan said as he rolled his paw across the otter's belly. "Your people grew comfortable living in a certain way, and I understand that. The Unity is the same. They have always thought we would turn out the same as them. But there came a time when they had to let their Terran children break from that world to become something new. Be brave, Adam. Tell your people that this is who you are. They need to understand that you're proud to hold the souls of Terrans in you and that you will never ask them to give up their identities for you or anyone."

"I'm not sure I can do that."

"Adam, you are on the cusp of something bigger than you. For so long, you tried to conform to your people's expectations, even when your heart told you to follow a different path. You're coming out of the closet, Otter. You're admitting you're different, and in that difference, you finally found the happiness you seek. Be strong enough to stand by your choices and not hide them from the ones you love."

"But you know they don't understand love. They understand duty. They understand fidelity and protection. But they don't understand love."

"Most of us here struggle with understanding love," Donovan said with a smile. "I'm learning every day. Teach them if you must, but let them know that this is who you are. If they're going to be your family one day, you need to be truthful with them. Your choices may frustrate them, but they will eventually make peace with their prodigal son."

Adam rubbed his hand along the wolf's forearm. "I think that even the notion of a family will confuse them."

"It confused my people. But the Unity has grown from those of us who stayed behind. We are better and stronger people because of our diversity. There is strength in diversity. The people who fear it can't see this universe evolving around them. They're holding on to something that is slipping through their fingers even as they cling to it more tightly. You need to grow with the universe around you. Stand still and you will be extinct before long."

"I'm not sure I can convince any of them of that."

"You're not obligated to convince anyone of anything, Adam. Lead by example. Be who you are and let them decide whether to follow. We have sung to our people for generations. We tell them how much we love them, and how happy we are here on this planet. And we tell them the stories of our lives. We sing of all that we have lost and all that we have found. Good or bad, we never back down. We sing to them about everything in our lives.

"The Unity knows about the old wolf that kept his polar bear lover from killing all the humans. They sing of the Kodiak who blinded the humans to save the Were Nation. Together, Terran and Verital, we sing of the short-faced bear that loved a human who loved a badger. The Unity was there when Eric took Chet for the first time, and they were there when he did so again last night. The Unity has become a part of our lives and we have become a part of theirs.

"They sing with us, Adam. The Verital sings of our joys and our sorrows. Our people revel in our success and mourn our losses. They became our family where once there was only the Unity from which no one veered. Do you have any idea how amazing that is? They sing of an Armbruster's wolf that fell in love with an otter and became his mate. This is the world they share with me and hope one day to share with you. The Unity still has no clue why you and I are so reluctant to merge. That is all our kind has ever done for billions of years. But they're so very patient with us. They love us, Adam. They love us as we are because we never hid from them what we are."

Adam pushed his tail back and forth through the grass with a nervousness Donovan watched. "I will be here by your side, my love," the wolf said. "They will gaze out into the universe and see you have an entire family that will defend your choices. You will never be alone." Donovan pushed up from the grass and pulled the otter upright. "Can you do me a very, very big favor?"

"I can try."

"Bring them back."

"What?"

"Bring them back. They're our family. Let them tell you what they want face-to-face. No hiding, no doubts. If we're going to be one in body, let's make sure we're one in spirit. That's what Noboru was trying to teach us. We don't need to be warriors. We need to be one. You need to realize this is what we all want. You need to understand this is what we all need. Let us decide as a family how we do that."

Adam reached down to his chest. "Oh, my people are going to give me so much crap for this."

"Do you think I care?"

Adam plunged his fist into his chest. "No, I'm pretty sure you don't. I guess I don't either. Turn away, Husband. This is going to be very bright."

The people and beasts out on the lawn looked out at the blazing light coming from the woods. They watched for a moment as it faded. Derrick set down the journal and looked at Oliver. "Family," he said, smiling. "It's the best."

"Yeah, ain't it, though," Oliver said, returning the smile. "You wants a wiener, Pup?" the badger said, holding out the tongs clutching a hot dog.

"Yeah, that would be nice," the black wolf said, putting out his plate.

The rest of the family watched the fading light a while longer and then turned back to their chosen activities. Armored temple dogs raced toward each other, with the children screaming on their backs. Wolves mingled and tried not to stare at the bears when they walked by with their large rumps shifting up and down with each step. The bears were enjoying themselves and the distraction they caused in the wolves. All were happy to realize at the end of the day, the wolves would invite them to run beside them. The humans smiled at their beast family. They realized they took better care of each other by having the beasts as examples in their lives. Life on Partridge Island had barely a hiccup from the light in the forest. They understood that their family was talking in private, and they had no wish to disturb them.

Inside the forest, the two pandas were laughing and playing grab-ass with each other. "Look at you, Bear," Raymond said, rubbing his brother's butt. "I swear you've gotten fatter." The two kissed and looked at the others. "Sorry," Raymond said with a sheepish grin. "It's kind of fun seeing my brother in the flesh again."

"Do you miss it?" Adam asked.

Samuel looked up in thought. "Hmm…" he said. "We're Changelings, so sex is about ninety-six point two percent in our minds if I recall what you said. So yeah, maybe three point eight percent of the time we miss having our bodies."

Raymond reached out and touched the otter. "You know we sense everything through you, right? Every touch of every wolf. Every kiss you gave your husband bears."

"OH, GOD!" Samuel yelled. "The sex with all six of your husbands. Now that was incredible!" He looked at the five surrounding him and smiled. "Sorry; outside voice."

Marcus laughed. "He's right, though, Adam. We feel it all, and we hear it all, but somehow we also have our own lives, and we're pretty happy with the way things are. I guess… Are you okay with this, Honey?" he asked looking at the Newfoundland wolf.

"Yeah, I am. I'd use more tongue than Adam uses on blow jobs, but overall, I'm pretty happy." Kendal laughed. "I'm teasing you, Adam. I knew going into this the first time that I wanted to be with Marcus, and I am. The rest is doable. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it's fine."

"I don't want any of you to be unhappy with your decisions," Adam said timidly, holding onto his tail.

"Don't worry about us," Raymond said. "We're happy. We get to protect our family and we have each other. And you, Adam. We have you."

"And we think you use just the right amount of tongue on your blow jobs," the other panda said, giggling.

"Are you happy with our merging?" Donovan asked. "Are you choosing to bind yourselves even further in the future?"

Marcus looked at his mate. "I'm kind of happy where I am now. That's not to say I won't want something different in the future, but Kendal is important to me now. I don't want to lose him by blending into something else."

Kendal nodded. "I'm pretty happy where I am, too. We love you, Adam. You're doing a fine job under difficult circumstances. We want to support you. You only need to tell us what we can do to help."

"We're pretty much in uncharted territory here, men," Adam said. "My people never let their unions remain autonomous, let alone merge multiple individuals into a constructed body. But I can't ask you to be anything other than what you choose to be."

"About that choice," Raymond interjected. "Speaking only for my brother and me, there are a few things we would like to change about our living quarters. We appreciate the fact that you let us have our own space, but we're not always the best company for each other. If it's okay with everyone else, could we have a common area where we can meet with everyone else just to chat or have a drink?"

"Maybe go hiking or swimming?" Samuel said with a nod.

"Sex with pandas would be kinda fun now and then," Kendal said with a laugh.

Raymond and Samuel grinned. "Oh, yes, please. Wolves and big bears are so hot," Samuel said. He turned to the otter. "And you, Adam. We'd like to see you and Donovan more often."

Raymond nodded in agreement. "Look, we get that Donovan is having issues dealing with his family, and we're okay with that, but we're his family, too." The panda turned to the Armbruster's wolf and smiled. "You stay out there in the real world as long as you need to, Wolf. But don't forget there is a family here that loves you, too. Find a way to visit us. We need to be confident that you'll be here by our side when things go south. We can't build that bond with you always away from here. Think of it as work, Donovan. You have a job, and we're a part of that job. If you don't show up to work with us, we'll never know if we can rely on you and your husband to be there for us, even if you know we're always there for you."

Donovan nodded. "You have a point. I have been remiss in my duties. And as one who finds panda ass to be particularly distracting, I suspect I've been remiss in my play with those pandas' asses as well."

"Oh yeah, Wolf. Big time. But we're easy. You can make it up to us."

Adam groaned. "William was right. You guys are acting like coworkers; right down to after-work get-togethers and drinks at the local pub."

"We're family," Kendal said. "We have a job to do, and we do it together. This universe obligates us to make sure we stay together. For werebeasts, that means we need to touch and connect with the ones we love."

"That touch part," Adam said. "Should I be leaving us outside my body until we're needed?"

Marcus shook his head. "I don't think so, Adam. When you practice tai chi alongside Li Wei and the other temple dogs, we learn alongside you. We learn how your body moves… how our body moves. You think the temple dogs are teaching you martial arts, and you think you're learning quickly. That's not the case. It's actually me guiding your body in the moves I already learned. This is who we're going to be… one body with us sharing responsibilities. We need to share in how we join with you to make that body whole."

"More to the point, Donovan needs to be here with us training alongside us in our otter body," Kendal added. "Marcus and I also don't have a problem with you staying on the outside for a time, Donovan. But in the years to come, when Adam needs to merge us all into one, you need to understand where you fit. You need to do your part."

Donovan's paw went up to his chin in thought. "You four are much better at seeing the bigger picture than me. They are right, Adam. I need to spend more time with my family inside."

"But not at a cost to your family outside," Marcus interrupted. "Find balance, Wolf. Until your family can let you be an otter by their side, let them hold on to the wolf."

Donovan shook his head. "No, my family is stronger than that. Will taught me that today. I let my own insecurities force them to decide between an otter and a wolf. I should have been helping them learn to love the one I wish to be."

Adam looked up at the wolf. "Are you sure, Husband?"

"I am sure, Husband," the wolf responded. He knelt down and rubbed the otter's chest. "This is who I am. This is who I was born to be. When you let me return to this world, I turned from this body to live as I once was. It was easy and familiar. It wasn't a new challenge every day. I was happy letting myself become what I once was without a thought of what I should become. Trying to remain where I was comfortable, I became one of the creatures I warned you would become extinct. I am clinging to the past instead of embracing the future. You five are so far beyond where I am. You chose who you will be. Help me be wise enough… brave enough to become who I believe I should be."

Marcus walked over to the kneeling wolf. "Donovan, you have always been a warrior who yearns for peace. Look out on this world and your place in it. Don't let the wolf stand his ground trying to hold on to a place you don't wish to defend. Come home to us. Be by our side. Let the wolf stand down. Make peace with the otter that stands before you."

"He's right, Donovan," Samuel said. "The heart of an otter beats inside you. Lay claim to the body you should be sharing. If you must fight, fight for your right to be by his side forever. Every member of your family will cheer to see the one they love leave behind the wolf that has caused him so much pain. Embrace the otter that has brought you nothing but happiness."

"What my brother said," Raymond agreed. "Life will only give you so many opportunities to turn away from the wolf. There is a warrior in this family. That warrior is my brother. You needn't take that burden on your shoulders. We need a Channeler that can unite us all. Bring him to the table in the body of an otter."

Donovan looked up at Kendal, who smiled at him. "You see the path, Donovan. Shed the wolf. Embrace the otter. Nothing less will bring you the peace you seek."

The Armbruster's wolf looked at the four. "You will be by my side?"

"Now and forever," the four said in one voice.

Donovan looked into the eyes of the otter. "And you? Together as one? No more us? Just me?"

Adam shook, and the pangolin stood before the wolf. "Come home, Otter."

Donovan shook and became the otter everyone knew. He looked at the five in front of him. "I am about to quote a poet; if the rest of the family ever hears of this, I will make you all regret it. Are we clear?"

The pandas giggled. Characteristic of their old wolf father, they drew their pinched fingers across their lips, zippering them shut. Marcus smiled. "You are us, Donovan. Why would we hurt ourselves?"

"I have no words for what is going on inside me, so I let another say the words for me," Donovan said as he placed his paws on the shoulders of the pangolin. "'losing through you what seemed myself; i find selves unimaginably mine; beyond/ sorrow's own joys and hoping's very fears/ yours is the light by which my spirit's born:/ yours is the darkness of my soul's return/ –you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.'" The otter gave the pangolin a brief kiss and pushed back. "I'm ready, Husband. Make me whole again."

Adam's eyes teared. "Are you sure, my love? There will be no turning back from what you ask of me."

The otter nodded. "I don't wish to turn back."

The pangolin reached out and pulled the otter into a hug. "I'll be gentle this time."

The otter smiled. "I would like that. I think I'm done fighting."

"Yet another reason I love you so much, Donovan," the pangolin said, his small mouth spreading into a smile.

The otter smiled back. "My name is Adam."

The pangolin leaned in and kissed the otter. "I love you, Adam," he said.

"I love you, Adam," the otter replied. The two kissed again as the pangolin shifted into an otter, never letting their lips separate. One otter glowed red, and then white. The familiar crystalline rock spread over the two, beginning at their held paws. Adam yielded to becoming one with the Unity. He wasn't merging with the Changeling otter, the otter was merging with him. In all the history of his people, what had never happened was happening. He was giving up his autonomy to another. He was letting the otter take him, and he yielded to all that it meant.

Slowly, the glowing white crystal that appeared to be two small mammals melded and became one small chrysalis. The nature of the Unity was taking hold. Molecules split apart and came back together again. The two were reforming into one. The desires of both beasts found expression in one small otter that took shape from the melting crystal. When at last the otter returned, he had become what both had always dreamed of becoming. He looked up at the four. "We are one. We are Adam." The little mammal paused, pulling at his tail. "I am Adam," he said.

Samuel looked at Raymond. "We haven't been here but a few years and I think we might be watching the most loving thing we will ever see."

Adam made a chuckle. "Oh, young men, your life has barely started in a family of wonders. This…" He said waving his hands over his body, "… this is only the beginning of the love you will see."

Marcus and Kendal nodded their heads in agreement. "Adam is right, boys," Kendal added. "When we sing our songs of the love we share, this moment will hardly be another day of who we are and what we are becoming. The men we are, the man we will become, we… he… will see so much love shared in this family. Even our view of the infinite cannot hold it all."

The otter smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Well, now, do you gents want to go out there and bang your family one last time in those bodies, or do you want to come home?"

Raymond laughed. "Tough choice, but if it's okay with you, I'd like to go home. It's been a rough day, and I'd like to spend some time relaxing in a hot spring with Adam."

The otter looked up, trying to work out the logistics in his mind. "Okay… as long as you're going to keep your identities inside me, l can create a world for us all to share if Kendal will help. Hot springs are totally doable." The otter's hand rose, glowing white, and then he dropped it again by his side. "Does this involve sex? Am I going to need to make accommodations for all of us to have sex together inside this body?"

"Oh yeah, for at least ninety-six point two percent of the time," the other panda said with a grin.

"Okay," the otter said. "Any other takers for a trip to the hot springs?" The bear and wolf raised their paws. "How was I ever lucky enough to find such a family?" the otter asked and his hand went back into the air, glowing bright white. "Let's find somewhere to merge that won't destroy this forest."

The family watched the second blast of white light explode from the forest in a single day. "Donovan has gone home," Derrick said, smiling. He watched as the journal by his side started writing again.

"Yep," Oliver said, pushing himself deeper into the black wolf's lap. "It's about time."

"Hey, he had a tough time with this. Cut him some slack."

Oliver laughed. "I said the same thing about Adam. I guess we's protective of our husbands."

The old wolf flopped down next to the couple. "That's an understatement."

The polar bear and Kodiak dropped to the ground on either side of the black wolf and badger. "It's nice to know he's finally found a way home," the polar bear said, staring out at the dark forest in front of them. "You're sure about this, right?" He asked, looking at the badger.

"We's sure, Old Bear. Donovan ain't no more. What is out there now is what the wolf and that glittery thing always wanted to be. Adam is an otter that is home with the ones he loves."

Eric looked out at the forest and rubbed the tears from his eyes. "'i thank You God for most this amazing/ day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees/ and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything/ which is/ natural which is infinite which is yes/ (i who have died am alive again today, and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birthday of life and love and wings: and of the gay/ great happening illimitably earth)'."

"What is you saying, Bear?" Oliver said as he looked up confused.

"It's e.e. cummings, Oliver. He was a poet many, many years ago. He was one of Donovan's favorites, although I don't think he told anyone else. I was saying goodbye to Donovan, my mate, and hello to Adam, my mate. They both would understand. I'm trying to tell him I understand what he did. That I'm happy for him. That I always knew who he was and how much I hoped one day he would find that man and embrace him."

"The poet in him will understand," Derrick said. "In becoming that man, he has made a home for one that had no home in this universe. The warrior wolf has become the peaceful little otter he always dreamed of becoming."

Kris shrugged. "I realized he didn't want to be a warrior. I didn't know he wanted to be an otter."

Derrick chuckled. "Neither did he until today. Adam's first real merging has happened. Our husbands are one. The rest seem content to be themselves living inside a world inside Adam. A world created inside a little otter for his family to play in. Oddly enough, it doesn't seem that Adam minds that one bit."

"Is they really in a hot spring, Pup?" the badger asked twisting his head and trying to figure out what he saw in his mind.

"Yeah, I think so, at least in the same way you were in a desert and I was in a forest when we were inside Max's head," Derrick said

Will let out a long sigh as he too cocked his head to the left, watching the image the Sight was showing him. "Damn, I miss panda dick."

"I hear it tastes like chicken," Derrick said with a laugh.

"No, but it tastes an awful lot like a polar bear's dick," Will said, grinning at Eric.

"Do we need to head off to the woods?" Eric asked the old wolf.

"Might be a good idea, Papa Bear," Derrick replied to the question. "It would help the three of us break our link to Adam. He deserves his privacy."

"I'm game," Kris said, lifting himself up and lumbering off toward the forest.

"Damn," Oliver sighed. "Look at that bear's ass. Makes you want to bite it all over."

Without looking back, the Kodiak made a happy growl. "Best be getting those teeth ready, Badger. If I come back from the forest without bite marks on my butt, I know who I'm holding responsible."

Oliver giggled. "Wait for me, Bear," he said as he sprung to his feet and waddled off toward the bruin.

"Well, Pup?" the polar bear asked.

"Well, what, Papa Bear?"

"Wanna get fucked by an old bear that loves you?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun."

"Not to the old wolf that seems to come up short in all this pairing."

The black wolf smiled at the Iberian wolf. "I figured I'd sit on the bear's lap and you'd sit on mine. I'm going to have a hard-on anyway. Might as well do something with it."

The old wolf's grin spread wide. "God, I love you, Pup."

Derrick smiled. "And I love you, Old Wolf," the black wolf replied as he jumped up. "Last one to the forest has to lick all the cum off everyone else before we head back to the party."

Will looked at Eric. "After you, Old Bear."

The polar bear grinned. "No, Old wolf. I insist; after you."

Derrick stood watching the two. "Neither of you is going to make the first move, are you?"

"Nope," Will said.

"Change of game," the black wolf said, waving his hands. "We all help lick our cum off each other like we always do. But, later tonight, I top the first husband who makes it past the first row of trees." He smiled at the bear and wolf with a wide grin. "And you know how rarely I promise to top anyone," Derrick said as he fell onto all fours and raced toward the woods.

The black wolf hadn't made it halfway across the field before his Papa Bear and the old wolf sped by him.

Chapter 15

The darkness of night still lingered, but the morning of a new day was only hours away. Most of the family of humans had returned to their homes. A few had retired to the apartments or hotel rooms in the convention center, affording them time to visit with family in the days to come. The family of beasts had enjoyed their run. Most relaxed, cuddling with those nearest them. The five husbands were sleeping, having never made it back to the party.

The families understood the reasons for their unexpected departure. None complained of being slighted by their absence. They smiled and joked that the honeymoon had gone into overtime. All knew the days before the grand party filled their lives with family and friends pushing the newly mated to be present. When there was a short time they could be alone, they took that opportunity. Their family was more than willing to offer them that time.

Those who hugged the temple dogs goodbye at the airships begged the dogs to give the newlyweds their goodbyes. They promised that at the next family gathering, they would ensure their hellos would more than make up for the absent husbands' missed hugs.

The bright burning light in the sky approached the forest. Moments before it plunged into the earth, the pangolin rolled out onto the path deep inside the Partridge Island forest. He uncurled from his tight ball of scales. Adam dusted himself off. "I'm getting better at that," he said aloud to himself with a self-satisfied smile. He looked over at the dark forest and crept into the trees. He walked by various sleeping beasts and a few that gave him a friendly nod as he slipped by.

When at last he saw the sleeping husbands, he tried to place himself at their outer edge. As he curled up close to the Kodiak, the enormous paw of the bear reached out and pulled him in tight. "Welcome home, Husband. Did you have a nice evening?" the bear asked.

"It was a lot of fun. I took the family to a hot spring."

"Sounds nice," the polar bear mumbled. "We'll have to go out to one as a family one day. Not the one on the highland. I'm thinking of one in Wyoming."

"We aren't getting arrested in Yellowstone again, Old Bear," the old wolf said with a low growl.

"No, this one will get us arrested in the Grand Tetons. They have much better incarceration facilities at that park."

"Welcome back, Adam," the black wolf said, giggling over his husbands' conversations.

"Thank you, Derrick," the pangolin replied. "I missed you all."

"We missed you too, Adam," Oliver said sleepily. "You can cuddle up to me if you get rid of them scales."

The pangolin shook and became an otter. He slipped out of the big bear's grasp and crawled up into the curve of the badger's torso. "You feels nice, Otter," Oliver said as he pulled Adam in closer.

"You feel nice too, Badger."

There was quiet for a time before the otter spoke. "I'm only Adam now."

Derrick stretched out, and his hind leg shook. "Lucky we married Adam, then."

Adam reached out to the black wolf. "Samuel and Raymond want me to remind you of what they told you on the island. They would mate with you if you asked them to."

"I think I did that when I asked you to be my mate, Adam. I mated with all that you are. Tell those two I hope they're happy with my choice."

"They have no words for how happy they are. They look forward to teaching you so much. Some of it will require me to be a panda. Is that okay with you?"

"I'm good," Derrick said, closing his eyes and rolling away from the Kodiak. The brown bear reached out and tugged the black wolf back in close.

"Does that panda play with all of us?" Will asked, pushing back against the white bear.

"I'm your mate, William," the otter said askance. "Of course, the panda would play with all of you."

"Then I'm good too. I have a few things I want to teach him."

"I'm good with this as well," Adam said happily. Adam was quiet, listening to the five breathing. Taking in a breath he didn't need, he let it out slowly. "You won't miss Donovan?" he asked.

"Rumor has it he changed his name to Adam," the white bear said. "It suits him. He never did like the name Donovan. I know what it's like to hate a name given to you. Besides, it saves us a lot of bother learning a new name. We already love an otter named Adam."

"I love you all so much," Adam whispered. "We love you, too, Adam," Will said. "But it's time for sleep. I know you don't have to sleep, but you need to learn to fake it when you're with us."

"I can do that, William."

"Good night, Adam," the polar bear said.

"Good night, Eric."

"Good night, Adam," the brown bear said.

"Good night, Kris."

"Good night, Adam," the black wolf said with a yawn

"Good night, Derrick."

"Good night, John-Boy."

The otter looked up. "Who's John-Boy?"

"Damn, I hate when aliens come to this planet with no historical or cultural perspective," the old wolf growled.

Oliver pulled the otter closer. "Don't you never mind that bastard wolf," the badger said.

"But I love that bastard wolf."

"Yeah, so does I," the badger said. "But if we ignores him, maybe he'll shut up and lets us sleep."

"Good night, Mary-Ellen," the black wolf mumbled.

"God, I love you, Pup," the wolf said with a smile.

"Good night, Elizabeth," the Kodiak said.

"Good night, Jim Bob," the polar bear said with a yawn that had become contagious.

Adam closed his eyes, with no clue what his family was saying. Still, he was comforted by the voices speaking in the night. "Good night, husbands," he whispered.

The old wolf reached out and touched the paw of the otter. "Good night, Adam. Welcome home. We'll see you in the morning."

Adam took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the way William had taught him. He felt the badger's chest rise and fall against his back with each breath. Soon it pushed against him with each quiet snore. He stayed awake listening to the breathing of his husbands and the sounds of night on the Island. When Oliver's hard-on push up against him before sunrise, he smiled at the thought of what the new day would bring. Adam lay quietly between two worlds and two families. And for the first time since he fell to earth, he was at peace.

His hand reached out and stilled the world in its slumber. In the quiet, he began singing to his people. He sang in the manner taught to him by his family. He sang of all that he had lost and all that he had found. His people wouldn't understand why he sang to them, yet still, he sang. He knew this was only the first of so many songs he would sing to them. One day, he hoped they would join him as he sang. He would sing until his people knew what it meant to be family.

The otter stopped his song when he heard the voices. Their ethereal song comforted him in its familiarity. The Unity was joining him in his song. They welcomed their newest son and thanked him for watching over their children. Light years away, they acknowledged his change of name. They didn't ask why. They simply accepted the change. Never speaking of Donovan, their son, they greeted Adam, their son. Adam choked back his tears and sang on in the chorus of voices melding their hearts together.

Adam's hand pulled back. Throughout the island, the beasts stirred. Both beasts and humans woke to hear the voices of their family across the galaxy singing. They rubbed the sleep out of their eyes and joined the chorus, singing of all they had lost and all that they had found. The husbands pulled their mates close and sang with the otter to his people. Across a thousand galaxies, Adam's people listened to the song of a family asking them to be a part of all that they were. They listened and learned.

Chapter 16

The polar bear looked out on the vast expanse of the plateau. The building of a colossal airship three kilometers from the ranch house obscured the view of the distant mountains. His mate stood quietly beside him. Finally, the brown bear spoke. "It's time they started learning the nature of traversable wormholes, Husband. This is the first step."

"According to Will, we didn't have them in the other universe. Nathaniel doesn't even possess the genes for bridging."

"And perhaps that is why the technology is so much a part of our life in this universe," Kris replied. "I nearly lost my son because our transport was too slow in that universe. If any part of that father followed me into this universe, I understand why we reached out to the dragon home world before you were even born. I will not risk losing you again because sub-light is the best we can do. The same goes for all my family."

The polar bear sighed. "I get that. I wish we didn't need to think about such things, but you're right." Eric stared at the monolith in the desert. "Sill, did we need it to be that big?"

"We can transport all the temple dogs and their dragons on one ship. We never enjoy asking them to travel alone. In a natural disaster, we can deliver entire warehouses of supplies, equipment, and support to any location. Evacuations from disaster areas can number in the hundreds instead of dozens at a time. The Blue Whale is like its namesake. It can float; in the air, over land, or on the ocean. It doesn't make a difference. In fact, it never needs to land to deliver its cargo or pick up survivors. It will dock in high orbit until we need it. Human or beast, the Blue Whale can provide support none of our airships currently in service can."

"And how do we explain to the world that we're picking up hundreds of people from a flood area with a stealth ship?" the white bear asked.

"The same way we always do. The humans will see what they expect to see. Some armada of helicopters or personal rescue drones will show up. Their brains will always create a plausible scenario for our intervention."

The polar bear sighed again. "I wish we didn't need it."

"Max and JP said it's failing. Human genetics, and their ability to rationalize their behaviors, are pushing to the forefront again, Son. They're chipping away at what we put in place so long ago. I wish the boys were wrong, but we can't ignore the human's track record," Kris said. "This technology needs to be in place within the century. It is the first step in so many that we must take."

The white bear scuffed his foot in the Montana clay. "I realize that." The quiet lingered for a time. "Dad, I don't know what to do. I can't be true to the prophecies and my husbands at the same time."

"We find another way, Son. Prophecies have been wrong before."

"None of ours have been. We're not exactly talking about Terran superstition."

"I'm sure one of ours will go wonky one day."

Eric laughed. "That would be nice." He looked back at the airship. "How long before it's finished?"

"About another four months. It's three times the size of the Black Rhino. Getting the building materials here without notice has taken some doing."

"And how much are we pirating from the moon?"

"Only a few materials we can't access here on earth without attracting attention."

"And it's jump technology?"

"It's primitive," Kris answered. "We linked it to a portal system through our genome. The Terrans have their stories about Stargates. We should work with what they believe is possible. The advancements will come soon enough to broaden the scope."

"I think the Were Nation is more capable of making the leaps than you give them credit for."

"Baby, steps, Old Bear," Kris replied. "This eases them into a reality that not all are ready for. We aren't building for the strongest of our children. We're building to help our weakest understand their place beside us."

Eric nodded. "You're right." The white bear turned to the brown and kissed him. The brown bear pulled the white into a tight hug and let the kiss explore more than the gratitude it initially meant to convey. Eric had no problem following the Kodiak's lead. Soon enough, the paws ventured lower and played with their swelling cocks. "Let's not go down this road again," Eric mumbled between kisses. "I had red clay stains on my fur for a week."

"You can be on top this time," the brown bear replied. "No one will even notice it on me."

The white bear shoved the Kodiak, and he fell back willingly. "Legs up on my shoulders, Bear," Eric commanded. "Let's see if we can keep at least a bit of you from being caked in clay dust."

Kris lifted his legs and let Eric guide them up against his shoulders. With a single push forward, the bears became one. "Oh, that feels so good," the Kodiak said with a happy groan. "What say you don't hold back, Old Bear? Pound me good. We have husbands. They can get me cleaned up later."

The polar bear grinned. "You read my mind." Eric pulled back until the tip of his dick hesitated at the tight pucker of the bear below. "Launching through the gate in three… two… one…"

The Kodiak's eyes shut tight, and he clenched his teeth as the white bear above him slammed deep inside once more. Kris's body rocked as Eric began his thrusting in earnest, sending both to the place they wanted to be. The brown bear's butt rose as the white paws cradled it to give the polar bear even greater access. "Docking… maneuvers… are… successful…" Kris blurted out between thrusts. "Jump… gate… fully… engaged."

Kris moved his heavy bottom to tease the cock inside him. Eric thrust forward and paused, letting the brown bear's sphincter milk his cock. "Docking is good," the brown bear said. His skilled ass took the white bear to the edge and then relaxed, letting the bear calm before he began his pounding again.

When the white bear's thrusting brought him close, he paused again, fully embedded in his mate. He let the bottom bear work his magic once more. "I can't hold off, Bear. You're too good."

The Kodiak smiled. "I told you docking was good."

The polar bear grinned. "Oh, no, Bear. Docking is great." He let the ass muscles of the bear below work along his shaft, and he yielded to the desires of the bottom bear. Embedded deep inside his partner, the polar bear came. His mate followed as the spiraling white liquid shot from the brown cock into the white bear's paw.

From a distance, the workers on the airship looked out on the dry plateau. They wondered what was causing all the stirred-up dust. When they heard the roar of the two bears echoing through the valley, they laughed and returned to their work.

Back at the ranch, things weren't going so lovingly. "Damn it, Old Wolf, you need to do something. My herds are in disarray because of that thing," the winged man yelled.

Will looked up and frowned. "What do you want me to do? It's not like we can tell them no. Eric owns this place. He said we need to build that ship."

"But it's huge," Chet protested. "There's not a single reason that we need a ship that big. Hell, it can hold half the Were Nation on board if you stack them right."

"Tell them we're going to stack them on top of each other, and I'm pretty sure half the Were Nation will want to try it," Will said with a smile.

"Old Wolf," Chet glowered.

Will stood up, came around the large desk, and pulled the hawk-man into a hug. "I'm sorry, Chet. I realize this is tough on your herds. But you see how much land they need to make that thing. There isn't any other place for it. From what I hear, they'll shelter it in space when they finish it. The cleanup crew has promised you won't find any evidence it was ever there. Please be patient."

"Not one bolt or piece of trash?"

"Nope. If you want to find a screw out there, it will be you and me doing the screwing. The rest will be gone in another four or five months. They gave me their promise."

"Old Wolf, are you trying to use sex to bribe me to back off?"

"Will it work?" the old wolf asked.

"No, but I miss you, so it might make me feel better about this whole affair."

"Can we try moving the herd back over the river again?"

"I suppose. I tried to get them to do it on their own, but their curiosity about the ship brings them back."

Will pushed back away from the hug. "You mean the accidents are happening because the bison are stumbling into the barriers on purpose?"

Chet looked away. "Maybe. They're not the smartest animals."

Will laughed. "You're yelling at me to do something? They're your babies. You find a way to corral them away from the danger."

"We could discuss it out near the site. You said something about finding a screw out there," the angel said sheepishly.

"Chet, are you trying to use sex to bribe me into moving those beasts of yours somewhere safer?"

"Would that work?"

Will snorted a laugh. "You're talking to me, Chet. Of course that will work." He turned and pushed a pile of papers on the desk off to the side. "I've got two husbands humping out at the edge of the plateau. Let's say we take a path around them and check out your herds. You come up with a plan, and I'll find the funding to make it happen."

Chet smiled. "Thanks, Old Wolf. I'll owe you one."

Will returned a lecherous grin. "Oh, no, my dear angel. By the time this day is through, we'll be even-Steven."

Chet grabbed the wolf around the waist and pulled him into a kiss. "I'm not opposed to it taking more than a day," the hawk-man said when the kiss ended.

"Can we take a rain check on anything that gets overlooked today?"

Chet nodded. "Sure. But you aren't scheduled to return to New York for two days. Is there somewhere else you need to be?"

Will nodded back. "I'm not exactly sure why, but by tomorrow morning I need to be on Partridge Island."

Chet frowned. "The Sight?"

"The Sight," the old wolf confirmed. "Something is stirring in the Force. I'm not sure what it is, but this time it's strong enough that Oliver didn't even have to call me about it."

"I'm never comfortable when you see things on the horizon."

"Me either," Will agreed. "But we both know it's not exactly something I can ignore."

Chet clung to the waist of the old wolf. "Should we wait? It might be better if Oliver has you for the next couple of days. Perhaps the two of you can figure out what it is you're feeling."

"You wouldn't mind?" Will asked. "I promised you we'd take care of the bison today."

"I tell you what. I'll come up with a plan and a cost analysis before you get back from New York," Chet suggested. "You promise me you'll sign off on it without a review, and we're good."

Will shook his head no. "Sounds like way too little bribery going on from both sides."

Chet grinned. "Yeah, I guess it does. How about you, me, and the hubbies spend a few days in bed going over the details when you get home?"

Will reached his arms around Chet and hugged him tightly. "We have a deal." He pushed back and tapped his ComLink. "Hey, Pup," he said, "How would you like to take a quick trip to visit our badger husband?"

"What's going on that we need to be there?" the black wolf's voice asked.

"Use your Sight, Pup. Something is happening. Oliver seems pretty tight-lipped about it, but if I can sense it, I know you can."

"Oh, that," Derrick said casually. "You don't need me for that. In fact, you're probably better off if I stay here."

Chet's face lit up into a wide smile. "We could take care of Pup while you're gone, Old Wolf."

Will laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you could." The old wolf paused. "Okay, Pup. You stay here, and I'll head out in the morning. You and the boys have fun."

"Don't forget tonight," Chet said, letting his hand slip onto the crotch of the wolf. "We could use a few pointers on the care and feeding of a pup."

Will smiled. "I can think of an old wolf you could feed as well."

Chet let his wing wrap around the wolf. "Then there is a plan for the evening. What say we my husbands and yours and run off to our place for the night?"

Will nodded. "Let me set up transport for early tomorrow." He leaned in and kissed Chet. "I'm so glad you're in my life."

"Say that tomorrow when you can't walk straight."

Will laughed. "Oh, I know I will, Angel. Some things I don't need the Sight to see clearly."

Chapter 17

"Oh, crap," Spencer said in a panic. "First the damn bus is late, and then it hits every red light from the dorms to the harbor." Spencer stopped running, leaned up against the street lamp, and tried to catch his breath. "I'm going to miss the boat because I can't run over two blocks without getting winded," he sighed. He began running again along the causeway toward the Partridge Island access wharf. As he neared the wharf, he watched the skiff listing outward toward the open bay. "Wait!" he yelled, trying his best to increase his sprinting speed. His overweight body was incapable of obliging him.

The werewolf at the controls of the skiff moved the wheel and bumped the boat back up against the side of the loading ramp. "Hurry up, Spencer," he yelled to the running lad. "The folks on board are here to visit their families at the hospital. I don't enjoy making them lose even a minute of their time together."

"I'm sorry," Spencer said as he leapt onto the boat, gasping for air. "The bus was late, and… and…" Spencer looked at the werewolf, who he could tell didn't care about explanations. "Thank you for waiting, Cable."

"It's good to see you again, Spencer," the werewolf replied. "We wondered if you were ever coming back."

Spencer looked at the other individuals on the skiff. There were five werewolves, two of whom Spencer recognized as nurses from his first day on the island. There were two couples with children heading to the Anthony Wells Memorial Center. Last, he counted five other humans off to visit patients at the hospital. The adult humans seemed unaware of the werewolves surrounding them. The children, by contrast, stared at the nurses with wide smiles and waved at them when they thought their parents weren't looking.

Spencer leaned in toward Cable and whispered. "Actually, I was kind of holding off. I wanted to see if you guys came after me when I didn't return."

Cable's eyes rolled. "Really? What about your first visit with us led you to think that was what we were going to do?"

Spencer frowned. "Nothing. I probably watch too many werewolf movies."

The werewolf at the helm laughed. "Fair enough. So, if you're still skittish about us chomping down on you, what brings you back?"

"Because you're the only friends I have. I got tired of being afraid of the very people I wanted to be next to."

"You should stop watching werewolf movies," Cable said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking."

"I'm glad you faced your fears, Spencer. Even if they're unfounded, that takes courage."

"Even if I'm messed up?"

The werewolf rubbed the corpulent young man's shoulder. "We're all pretty messed up in one way or another. You see us. In my mind, that means you're far less messed up than you think you are." The werewolf turned the helm out toward the bay and the island. As they moved out into open water, Cable looked at the lad. "Did you tell Yarnell you were coming?"

"No, but he said Tuesdays were his day off."

"Yeah, they are, but a lot of us don't hang around the island on our days off," the werewolf pointed out. He tapped his ComLink. "Good morning, Ori, Could you please locate Yarnell?"

"Yarnell is in Paris visiting Patrick."

Spencer looked crestfallen. "Paris? As in France? And who is Patrick?" he asked.

"We get around this world pretty easily, Spencer. Patrick is an adorable Changeling who loves showing off the city he was born in. Yarnell and Patrick are both single. Dating is still a thing for the two of them."

"I should have called," Spencer whispered.

"Yeah, probably," Cable replied. He gave the human a bump with his shoulder. "Take a seat." He turned the wheel and waited until Spencer had sat down. "Don't worry about it. Let's figure out what we can come up with." He tapped his ComLink again. "Ori, who is on the island that might visit with Spencer?"

"There are several individuals with whom Spencer might enjoy the day. I would suggest Will would be your best choice."

"Will? Our Will?"

"Yes. He is on the island having breakfast with his husband, Oliver."

"Yeah, but he's Will. Why would he be a good choice?"

"Oliver has four husbands who expect his company after his breakfast is over. A waiter is clearing their table now, so Oliver is preparing to say his goodbyes as we speak. Will is seeking any chance to cancel his appointments tomorrow in New York. None of them are pressing, and all are sure to be boring. The pleasure of spending the night with Oliver's island husbands without the need to report to work tomorrow is sure to interest Will. Canceling his appointments and spending the day with Spencer would ensure that happens."

"Yeah, but we're talking Will here."

"William has a reputation of not suffering fools gladly," the perfectly modulated woman's voice replied. "It makes him appear gruff at times. But he is kind and patient with novitiates. And of all those presently on the island, his intimate familiarity with Kendal is unrivaled."

"Where's Adam?"

"Adam is off-planet," Ori replied. "We do not expect his return to Terra for at least three days."

"Off-planet?" Spencer asked.

"Adam is an alien. He's a different species than Doc and his kin, though. That guy can jump from planet to planet in a blink of an eye. I don't think Doc can do that. At least I've never seen him do it."

Spencer shook his head. "That might be another reason it's taken me so long to come back. It's kind of tough to wrap my head around what's really happening over there on the island."

"It can be daunting even for those of us who are there every day. Piecing it all together can get confusing sometimes. It might be easier to pace yourself. Try not to take it in all at once."

Spencer looked up at the wolf. "I don't think I can do that anymore, Cable. I look out on this world and everything starts to unfold. It's as if when Yarnell said hello to me, the floodgates opened. You guys pop up whenever I'm in town. I watched two gigantic bears and a tiny badger shopping with Martin the other day on the mainland. Our local grocery store has a werewolf checker."

"Are you doing okay with that, Spencer?" Cable asked.

"It's why I came back. I can't go ducking into an alley every time you guys walk by."

"Yeah, I think we'd prefer a hug."

Spencer smiled. "Me too."

The wolf pointed the helm toward the island and locked it into place. He stretched out his arms. "Well, come on. We waited for you. I don't want to wait for that hug."

Spencer jumped up, grabbed the wolf around the waist, and hugged him. The warm, thick paws pulled him in close. As he pushed into the fur, he could smell the wolf. He couldn't explain it, but somehow, every hug he ever shared with the wolves was different from any he had ever experienced. The warmth of their bodies wasn't the only thing. It was something more. It felt like… like home.

The wolf let go of the hug and Spencer sat back down. Cable returned to his captain's chores. Spencer heard Cable talking to Ori about something. However, the wind and waves splashing alongside the boat drowned out the conversation. The docks of Partridge Island drew nearer. The wolf turned the helm, placing the skiff into a tight slip set apart for it. "Okay, everyone," the booming voice of the wolf announced, "prepare to disembark. You're here and you've got family and doctors waiting for you." The skiff bumped into place and listed as the passengers stood up and headed toward the front.

One by one, the humans stepped off the boat and walked up the ramp. As each passed by, Cable had words of encouragement for each. "I want to hear all about what you're doing today on the way home," he told the children. "Tell me all about your husband's progress, Mrs. Silva," he told a gray-haired older woman. She smiled at the werewolf about mid-chest. Spencer realized it was right about the height of an average man. She didn't see the wolf. She saw the illusion.

When the wolves walked by the two that Spencer recognized gave him a nod. "Welcome back," one wolf said. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name that night."

"Spencer," the young human said with a slight reluctance in his voice.

The paw extended. "I'm Peter. I'd introduce you to everyone, but if you're like me, you'd forget the names as soon as you heard them. You seem too busy staring at us to remember much."

Spencer laughed. "Yeah, Peter," he agreed. "I'm sorry. That's pretty much what's going to happen all day. I'll do my best to remember you."

"Not to worry," Peter said with a grin. "You can call any of us Wolf until you remember our names. We're more than happy to work with you. We have one new human name to remember. You've got a lot of wolves running around here."

"Thanks," Spencer said as the wolves filed past him. He looked at Cable. "When do I need to be back?"

"Skiff leaves on the hour until eight."

"Where do I go?"

"You go with me, Kid," the deep voice from behind him replied. Spencer looked up into the eyes of the wolf standing at the top of the ramp that led up to the island in carefully crafted switchbacks. "I'll be right down."

Spencer watched as the werewolf jumped up on the guardrails of the ramp. He jumped halfway down, bounced off another guardrail, and dropped in front of the human. He smiled. "You don't have to go back up that way. We can walk if you'd like." His paw extended. "I'm Will."

Spencer took the paw and shook it. "I'm Spencer."

"You still good with hugging others? Yarnell said you wanted to learn."

Spencer grabbed the wolf and hugged him. "Yeah, I'm good with hugging," the young man replied. The old wolf hugged back, and a friendship was born.

"Well," the wolf said with a smile when the hug had finally ended. "Let's say we get you introduced to a bunch of beasts on this island and get your training underway."

"That would be fine," Spencer replied. The two set off on a walk around the island. Each time
 they would meet someone, Will would introduce Spencer as his huggable protégé in training. What surprised Spencer most was that the old wolf never once introduced him as 'Spencer'. It was always something else. Most times it was only as 'the adorable human who recognized us from the get-go.' Eventually, what started as embarrassing for the young human became an introduction he enjoyed.

"You've not called me Spencer once," the young man said as he walked along the path with Will.

"You don't like the name," Will replied.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"A lot of us have something akin to extrasensory perception. We call it the Sight. Over time, we develop the ability to sense others' emotions and feelings better than most."

"So you can tell I hate my name?"

"Two of my husbands hated their names. One is a polar bear. Everyone called him Lee. He hated it."

"What did he do?"

"He changed it by taking a name he found in a census ledger. That's why we call my polar bear husband Eric."

Spencer laughed. "Okay, so maybe I'll wait until I hear a name I actually like. I don't like my name because I'm a junior. Dad left Mom a year after I was born. Being named after him wasn't my idea. I'm not fond of people who walk away from their responsibilities."

Will let Spencer tell as much of the story as he wished and didn't press further. "Well, one day you'll hear a name that works. We're pretty flexible about what we call folks." The two started walking along a path toward the west side of the island. "My other husband changed his name from Donovan to Adam. He's an otter. You didn't meet him yet, did you?"

Spencer shook his head no. "But Cable said he was an alien."

"Yeah, he is. Did I mention that he's part of a merged bunch of guys, including two of my sons and one of my lovers?"

Spencer stared at the wolf. "Okay, now you're just seeing how much I'll fall for before I call bullshit."

"Nope. I never lie," Will said.

"You're married to a guy with three guys inside him?"

"Actually four; Kendal is married to the guy who's my lover. He's the one we're hoping you can visit with later."

"Is he the one that everyone is talking about when they look at me and say, 'Oh, he's another Kendal'?"

Will nodded. "Yep, that's him. He's a great man, and he and his husband live inside Adam."

"You do get that my brain is probably going to explode halfway through this walk if you keep that up."

The old wolf laughed. "Okay, we'll sort out my family later. Even so, if you don't like your name, you don't need to keep it around us. You let us know what you want to change it to, and we're good to go."

"That's nice to hear. I'll alert you of any changes."

"So, you're okay with 'Kid'?"

"Sure."

Will took Spencer past the fields and barn on the left side of the path. He paused as they neared a large building on the right. It was a rather plain, three-story building. It had the same functional military feel to it as many other buildings on the island. "That's our aquatic center. Its facade is the old Third Class Hospital design. They used it as a barracks during the second world war, if I recall. Inside is a huge, shallow pool for the residents here. There's a gym with equipment for the humans as well."

"Don't you exercise?" Spencer asked.

"I'm married to five horny husbands that I try to keep happy. I don't need to exercise," Will replied with a grin. He put his hand on the young human's shoulder. "Our human bodies don't change from the day we're turned. Keeping fit isn't an issue because our bodies are in a constant state of regeneration. My human side has a beard I can't actually cut off without it growing right back into the same configuration as the day I turned. Takes about two days, but these bodies of ours want to stay the same."

"Really?" Spencer asked with his envy obvious.

"Really," Will answered. "But the downside to that is that if you're not content with the body you have, you're stuck with it for a very long time. Derrick was that way. He's a bit like you in the weight department. He was none too happy to find out the morning after he turned he could never lose the weight he had packed on around him."

"I guess I better concentrate on losing more weight. I wouldn't want to look like me if I ever became a werewolf," Spencer said with a smile.

Will stopped in his tracks. "Is that what you want, Kid?"

Spencer stopped and nodded. "I think so. If that's something I can work toward. Yarnell said you don't turn anyone before they're twenty-five."

"No, we don't," Will agreed. "But there are training programs for those younger who set that as a goal. There is a lot more to being a werewolf than the fancy fursuit."

"Yarnell was telling me about that, too," the young man said. Will pointed toward a path that veered east, away from the aquatic center. It headed toward an area dotted with small white markers. As they walked along the pathway, Spencer realized they were tombstones, each with a name. In the distance, he noticed the mirrored surface of a half dome on its side, with a large flame flickering in the middle.

Will stopped and pointed to it, and then to two others further in the distance. "There are three searchlights. They contain all the names of everyone who has died on this island carved into the surface of that mirrored metal. The flames inside the domes never go out. They remind us to never let their memory fade. At night, the mirrors turn outward and act as a guide to ships moving along the bay. Those who have gone before watch over those who are here now."

As they neared the small chapel, Will stopped. He pointed to a small stone with six names carved into the rock. Under each name was the insignia that adorned the Red Wolf's wings. "This is the memorial for the red wolves who gave their lives to save two young humans and a polar bear from a hunting party of humans. This, Kid, is who we are."

Spencer squatted to look at the names on the stone. "For love, for honor, for family, they gave all," he whispered as he read the epitaph. His hand reached out. As it grazed the stone, the image of the wolves rushed into his mind. On an open plain, he watched them running alongside the polar bear, the young boys clinging to his fur. The gunfire from behind him jolted Spencer into turning toward a group of humans on horseback racing toward where he stood. He watched the red wolves turn as one and race back toward the horsemen. When the guns fired into the pack, the wolves rose onto two legs. Their fangs bared, their claws to the ready, the wolves leapt toward the hunters. Spencer turned away from the carnage and blood that flooded his mind.

Will could almost feel the pain in Spencer's eyes as they shut tightly, and the young man turned from the marker. "Are you okay, Kid?" he asked.

"I saw them. I saw it all. Why would we kill our own? They were just innocent little children. He was just a bear trying to get away. Why would they try to kill them?"

Will knelt beside the young man and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Jeez, I'm sorry, Son. I didn't know that would happen. I was trying to show you what it meant to be one of us. A marker of our fallen, a story; that's all I hoped it would be."

"I see the entire story," Spencer said as he opened his eyes and the tears spilled out. "I understand now the price you pay to be you," he sobbed. He nuzzled his face into the wolf's chest and cried. Will struggled for a way to take away from the young man what he had seen. But he realized that once seen, the horrors of that day could not be unseen. So, instead, Will stayed with Spencer in the moment, waiting for the shaking youth to reclaim his balance.

In time, Spencer pushed back from the wolf that held him. "I can't stop the images, Will. They're all around me. The battle in the mountains between the rabid werewolves and the glowing white wolf." Spencer stood up. "There," he said as he walked over to the larger, green stone memorial. His hand reached out and ran along the name Alexander Wambeke. "I see him die. I see them all die. The wolves, the bears, the whales, the lions, I can't turn away. I watch them all die, Will. And the killing doesn't stop. It doesn't stop," he cried out. "I can't… I can't…" The words pushed past the crying. Once more, the young man's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground. He pushed against the stone and turned his head.

Will knelt down next to the fallen human. "Son, let it go."

"I can't… I can't turn away."

"I know you can't. But let it go. There's anger building up inside you. You need to let it go. It's not our way."

"Why? Why not? Fight back, wolves! Kill them before they kill you!" Spencer yelled as his fingers dug into the grass. "Stop them, Eric! Stop them from killing your brothers. Don't let them kill the dragons. Stop them from killing the dogs. Nathaniel, don't let them kill the Megatherium. Stop them from killing you all. STOP THEM!" he screamed.

"NO, SON!" the wolf yelled back as he grabbed the youth and pulled him back into a hug. "See the Kodiak, see the saber-toothed wolf, find the path we take. Watch the Old Bear turn from the path you would walk. Watch Nathaniel turn away from it on the highland and in the jungle. We don't kill except to save the innocent. We don't kill because someone might kill us. Turn from the path you're on and follow the Kodiak bear and his sons away from it." Will looked up into the sky filling with darkening clouds. "Husband, I need you here, now," he yelled.

The ball of fire that fell from the sky landed on the ground, rolling out as a pangolin. In two steps, another shift left an otter racing toward the two. "What's happening?" Adam yelled.

"He sees it all," Will yelled back as the surrounding ground began shaking. A white funnel of spiraling energy that was all too familiar to the old wolf bolted out from the ground and surged into the sky. The air grew electric and the dark clouds turned to swirling red flames overhead. He pulled the human in even more tightly. "No, Son," he begged. "This isn't our way. I know it hurts. I know you want to lash out against those who do the hurting. But don't kill. Don't kill for what's in front of you. It's in the past."

"I see it all," Spencer sobbed. "The future lies before me as clear as the past. It's all the same. The past, the future; it's all the same. They never change."

"No, you don't see it all," the otter rebutted. "You look out on this sad little rock and think you understand the universe. There is so much beyond your sight that is hidden." The small paw reached up and pushed against the young man's temple. "See the truth," Adam commanded.

What came from the young man was a howl of pain never uttered by any human, but heard all too often from the mouth of a beast. Spencer crumpled into the body of the old wolf. "This is the truth of who we are," Adam said. "We are not the pain. We are not revenge." The arms of the otter wrapped around the large waist of the human. "We are the protectors of the innocent. We are the protectors of life, not the destroyers of it."

Spencer's sobbing softened. The flaming clouds above the three melted away and the white energy spinning around them vanished. In its wake, the ground lay torn as if giant claws had ripped through the soil. Wherever the white light had touched the cemetery, the markers lay scattered about.

No sooner had the energy dissipated than the ground around the three began healing. The tombstones moved across the regrowing grass and dug themselves back into the earth where they once were. In moments, one couldn't tell anything had happened to the area. Will patted the grass. "Thanks, Gaia. I appreciate the help."

Will pulled Spencer back up into his hug. "Let it go, Son. It will do you no good to hold on to it."

"It hurts," Spencer whimpered.

"I know," Will said. "We live through the hurt. On the other side, we find our core. We are not human. We will not be human. Leave that world behind, Son. We are beasts. We are the Unity. You need to reach beyond what you see and find who you are."

"I'm just a fat guy who doesn't know anything," Spencer choked out between his sobbing.

"A fat guy rebuilt this universe, Son," Will said. "Don't you dare underestimate who you are."

"A fat guy did what?"

"Marcus, my lover. He was a fat guy who became the saber-toothed wolf that kept us all from dying by rebuilding the universe."

"He lives inside me now," the otter added. "He is still the most remarkable fat bear you will ever meet."

Spencer wiped his eyes. "I saw him... the saber-toothed wolf."

"Then stop denigrating yourself, Son," Will said. "Your appearance has nothing to do with who you are."

Spencer looked at his hands and noticed the slight glow that his body gave off. "What exactly am I?"

"I don't rightly know, Son," Will replied, "but I'm sure you're one of us." He squeezed the hand in his paw and gave it a shake.

"Really?" Spencer asked, wiping the last of the tears from his eyes.

"No doubts about that," Will said. He tapped his temple next to his eyes. "The Sight, Son. Those of us who have it recognize each other. You have it in overdrive."

"So, you're actually kind of glowing? That's not all my crying messing up my vision?"

"Nope. What you see is our identifier. You'll be seeing it more often now that it's triggered in you. In time, you get used to seeing it."

"I don't want the Sight, Will."

"I understand, Son. None of us do. But it's there to protect you. We'll help you deal with it. There's always a reason for it showing up in someone. We can turn away from it, but eventually, we find out that trying to ignore it only makes things worse."

"Will it always be this bad? I still see so much."

"Such as?"

"There is a small leafhopper crawling along a blade of grass eight meters away from us. I see the earthworms and nematodes beneath us. They're all a part of everything that surrounds us. All life is unfolding in time and space. I see it all."

"Okay, that's new," Will said, trying to understand what Spencer had said. "You seem capable of dealing with all the feedback coming in. Do you think you can whittle it down to seeing just the three dimensions you're used to seeing?"

"If I try hard enough," Spencer replied.

"For the sake of getting you across this island in one piece, let's give that a try."

Adam watched the two try to upright each other. "This is more than the Sight, Old Wolf."

Will nodded in agreement. "I know, Hon. I need to take him to a couple who might understand what's happening here. There aren't many of us who can channel energy spontaneously. Let alone a boy who hasn't been turned or ever met a Changeling."

"Max and JP are in Montana," Adam said.

"Yeah. And both of them have Derrick preoccupied with their husband," Will added. He sniffed the air. "Oliver is similarly preoccupied," Will added. "But there is one very select group of lovable canines who I know for a fact channel."

Adam's eyes widened. "The temple dogs."

"And there are a couple on the island. Maybe Li Wei and Katashi will provide a clue about what's happening here."

"They're out on the Westside practicing tai chi," Adam said. "I noticed them when I was coming in." The otter paused in thought. "Or they could be practicing tantric sex. I didn't notice their state of arousal."

"It's not tantric sex, Adam," Will said with a laugh. "The island is still open to humans on Tuesdays."

Adam grinned. "Good to hear." His hand extended to the young man, who was still quaking from his experience. "I have responsibilities elsewhere, but I will be back as soon as I can. This has been a rough day for you, and I'm sure you're confused. But there are answers to be had."

"You promise?" Spencer asked the otter.

"I promise." The otter's arms rose. "Come, give me a hug. It's surprising how many problems hugging an otter can solve." The human gave the otter a hug, and as he clung to the sleek fur, he realized Adam was right. When the hug ended, the otter kissed the cheek of the lad. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to some dicey interplanetary peace negotiations."

"Okay," the young man said. He watched the otter raise his hand and disappear.

Spencer shook his head. "I'm thinking I should have stayed at home today."

Will grabbed the young man in a sideways hug. "You'll be fine, Son. Let's go find some answers." The wolf's arm dropped, and the paw shook, inviting the lad to grab it.

Spencer put his hand into the paw. "I notice you call me Son when I get upset or confused."

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Spencer replied. "You might as well get used to using it instead of 'Kid'. I'm pretty sure upset and confused is going to be my new normal."

Will laughed. "It can be difficult waking up to a new world that's been around you your entire life."

"I'm not insane, am I, Will?"

"No, you're not insane. This is all happening," Will replied as he pulled gently on the human's hand and resumed walking. "When the Sight wakes up inside someone, it's never easy and it's always confusing. The advantage for you is that your family is experienced in its use. We can guide you so that you don't hit all the bumps in the road while learning how to use it."

"I have a feeling my college days are over. I won't be able to go back to school if every speck of dust on the chalkboard starts unfolding in front of me."

"How many semesters did you have to go?"

"Five."

"And you're studying to be a general contractor, right?"

Spencer nodded. "Yes. And the curriculum only gets tougher toward the end."

"So, what if we tutor you for the rest of your education? Greg is a general contractor with licenses all around the world, so he knows his stuff. Lewis is the guy who designed and oversaw the building of the Lighthouse at Alexandria. I'd put the two of them up against any teacher you can find out there on any subject dealing with that contractor's license you want."

"They would be willing to do that?"

"It's what we do, Son. If we can't be there for the ones we love, why even bother waking up in the morning?"

"But they have their work."

"You never heard of an apprentice?" the old wolf asked. "You get to do all the grunt work they don't want to deal with in return for them passing on their skills."

"I guess that could work if they were willing," Spencer said and then he froze, staring ahead. He started laughing. He pointed to the cannons tied up into rusted knots. "Who did that? It's brilliant."

"Gaia. She's got a wicked sense of humor."

"She's the incorporeal Changeling, right?"

Will paused in his walking. "Wow, the universe really did unfold for you, didn't you?" the wolf asked. Spencer nodded yes. "She's the mother of them all, Son," the old wolf added.

"Really?"

"Really. Although the Changelings don't actually have genders. They choose to be whatever they want to be. She chooses to be a woman because it amuses her on so many levels. Plus, it makes it easier for us to say Eric's dad is Kris and his mom is Gaia."

"But you said Eric and Kris are husbands."

"Yeah, don't think about that too much. It all sorts itself out down the line."

"Is Gaia married to Kris?"

"No, they merged once and had Eric as a child. Beyond that, their relationship is loving, but not the same as what Kris and Eric share."

The two rounded the battery apartments as their walk continued. Spencer froze, staring straight forward. A shudder moved through him. Will turned and looked at the Celtic cross looming in the distance. Will shook Spencer's hand forcefully. "Tell it no, Son. Tell it you can't deal with any more grief today. Don't let it rule you. You rule it."

Spencer closed his eyes tightly. "So many dead."

"Yes, but let it go. Tell the Sight you will return to it one day and learn what it wishes to teach you. But not today."

"Not today," the lad said, struggling to stay focused. "Not today."

When Spencer's shaking stopped, Will squeezed his hand. "You did great, Son. That's one of the most important lessons to learn; you control the Sight. You can't let it control you. That will drive you insane because it has no focus, no filter for what is too much."

"But I can tell it not today?"

"You can, and you did. Now let the images go. Let them slip from your mind. Acknowledge them. Tell them you'll return to them when you're stronger. Then let them go. They will become a part of you later when you can deal with them and honor them. You're too young to do that today. Let them go."

"I'm not sure I can do that," Spencer replied. "I'll try, but I don't think I will be able to."

"We're walking here," Will said with another tug of the human's hand. "When we get to the cross, tell the Sight no. You're strong enough to do that. Put that strength to work for you."

"I'll try," Spencer said as they approached the cross. Spencer closed his eyes as he walked past the cross. He tried to push it and all the dead it honored from his sight. "Not today," he whispered.

"Eyes open," the wolf said with a shake of the human's hand. "Don't try blocking out the bad by closing your eyes and hoping it goes away. You don't hide from the past or the future that you see. You simply let the Sight know when you are willing to accept all that it wants to show you. Today isn't that day, Son, but that day will come."

Spencer opened his eyes and walked by the cross. "Not today," he repeated. "One day, but not today."

"That's it, Son. This island is full of stories. Some are amazing tales of sacrifice and heroism. Others are reflections of loss and sadness. All the dead who once lived here have stories to tell you. The Sight sometimes acts as a conduit to those lives. It doesn't want us to forget those people. They lived. They were here. And the Sight doesn't want us to forget them."

"It's so painful to watch," Spencer said as he took one last look at the cross.

"That's the truth," Will said with a sigh.

"Do you see it every time you walk by the graveyards?"

"Not anymore," the old wolf replied. "Once you acknowledge the visions. Once you tell the Sight that you understand and that you won't forget, they stop. When I look at those white markers and that cross, the stories flow through me almost like a breeze. They're a part of me. But it never hurts anymore. It simply is."

"I hope one day I can feel that way about all this."

The wolf shook the human's hand again. "One day you will, Son. I promise you that."

As he looked past the Celtic cross, Spencer's eyes turned toward two massive yellow beasts in the distance. This time, when the young man stopped, he wasn't shaking. He stared at the two temple dogs. The two dogs moved together in slow motion. Their hands made graceful movements in the air. Their feet shifted their positions in perfect harmony. The lad's hand went limp and slipped from Will's paw. "They're beautiful," he whispered. "I've never seen anyone so beautiful. Who are they?"

Will smiled. "Good call, Son. You asked who they are, not what they are. You see them as individuals, not as things."

Spencer stared at Will. "Well, of course. They're obviously some kind of dog, but they're not things. Is that Li Wei and Katashi?"

Will nodded. "That's them. And you're right about them being beautiful."

"Their glow is so different from yours."

Will pushed back his cowlick. "They're glowing?"

"Yeah," the young man replied. "You don't see it?"

"No, not really."

The flowing movements of the two dogs slowed as they turned toward the wolf and young human. Their left legs rose and bent at the knee. Their arms extended upward. The paws drooped downward.

"Crane stance," the old wolf said.

"Like Ralph Macchio in the Karate Kid movie?"

"I knew there was a reason I liked you, Kid," Will replied with a smile. "Exactly like the Karate Kid. The dogs have done it for hundreds of years as a friendly way of greeting a new pupil. Apparently, your training will be in more than electrical engineering and plumbing."

What escaped from Spencer's lips was something between a sigh of desire and a gasp of excitement. Whatever it was, Will laughed in recognition. The first time the temple dogs caught his eye, he made much the same breathy sound. "Go to them, Kid," Will said. "They won't hold that stance all day."

Spencer needed no encouragement. He ran toward the two dogs, stopping short of plowing into them both. He leaned over, trying to catch his breath. "I… I… I'm Spencer. I'm Will's protégé." Spencer took a couple of deep breaths. "He's teaching me how to hug beasts."

"He is extremely gifted in the art, Little One. You chose your shifu wisely," Li Wei said as the two temple dogs lowered their stance.

"He kind of chose me."

"Then we will need to determine if your training is going well. Come, Little One," Katashi said as he extended his arms, "show us what you have learned."

Spencer dove into the arms of the noble beast and wrapped his arms around the body wider than his reach. He buried his face in the yellow fur and sighed. "You're even softer than I thought you would be."

"We have no guard hairs typical of most dogs."

"What type of dogs are you?" Spencer said as one dog gently passed him to the other and the hugging continued.

"We are not a species that has ever existed save us," Li Wei replied.

"You're beautiful," Spencer said.

"Thank you," Katashi replied.

"Why do I see you glow, and Will doesn't?"

"For the same reason that you see the old wolf glow."

"You have the Sight?"

Li We smiled. "Yes, but that is not what I meant. You perceive the truth in all things, Little One. Try to embrace the gift at all times; not only when it pushes itself on you. You need to let it flow through you uninterrupted."

Spencer pushed back from his hug and looked up at the smiling dog. "Find the truth within you," Li Wei said, pushing the young human to find his answer.

"I see Will glow because I'm like him. I see the glow in you because I'm one of you."

The two dogs bowed. "For thousands of years, no child of man has been born with the gift. And yet both those born in this millennium found their way to this island."

Spencer realized what the dog meant. "Kendal?"

Li Wei nodded. "Kendal."

"But he was never a temple dog, was he? I thought Will told me he was a wolf."

"He was," Katashi replied. "And is still. But his nature to perceive the truth is a gift that unifies us all."

"In his first life, his calling to be by Marcus's side required that he be a wolf. So, he did what was needful and was born a wolf. Our kind chooses to do what is needful. In this life, in gratitude to the wolf that sacrificed all, he became the one thing that meant everything to him. He is by Marcus's side forever."

"Is he a temple dog?"

"Like you, he is our brother. What we choose to be at any one time is determined by what we need to be."

"I'd rather not be a fat kid talking to two handsome dogs."

"Then what is it you need to do to become what you wish to be?"

"Eat less?"

Katashi smiled and bowed. "A noble start. And?"

"I need to keep doing what Yarnell already inspired me to do," Spencer replied with a spark of understanding. "I need to go beyond wishing for something to be, and train to become what I want to be." He frowned. "But I'm not sure I even know what I want to be, much less what I need to be. I feel so lost at times."

Li Wei rubbed the top of the youth's short hair. "You know, Little One. You have always known. It only took you this long for the truth to manifest before you." The paw slipped off the head and lowered to Spencer's chest.

Spencer's hands lifted and cupped the massive paw. "I wish to be a temple dog."

"The training is arduous. It will test your body and your mind. It will challenge you to become something beyond yourself. The brotherhood you seek to join is not merely a group of meditating dogs," Katashi replied to the request. "In the entire world, only seventeen have ever been born that rose to the calling. Others received the gifts you possess. They thought they would become temple dogs."

"They were mistaken," Li Wei added.

"I might be mistaken too," Spencer said. "But I will never know if you don't give me the chance. I'm willing to fail trying, but I need to try."

Li Wei let his paw slip from the young man's chest. "Then we must do our best to make sure you do not fail."

Spencer smiled. "I'm not really going to need to lose weight, am I? I won't be a human when this is all over. I'll be a dog."

The two golden dogs bowed. "If that is your wish. Those that tried in the past and are not dogs today did not fail. They became something else, and in becoming what they were meant to be, they found peace. Seek to become not the dogs you see before you, but the best of who you are. If becoming a dog is your destiny, you will become a dog; but that is not the goal of our training. Train beside us, and before this is over, Little One, we promise you will find the place where you belong."

Spencer nodded. "That's my dream. Even if I never realized I dreamed it until today."

Li Wei grabbed the young man and hugged him. "Those are the words of all your brothers since the day we met Father."

"Will Father train me?"

Spencer felt the dog above him shake his head no. "Father is not with us. We will train you if you will accept us."

Spencer looked up at the face of the dog looking down at him. "Please, yes."

"Then go home, set your affairs in order. Return when you are ready. Your life is about to begin anew."

Spencer didn't understand why there was no fear in him. Before this moment, he mulled over and worried about even the smallest of life choices. Yet nothing at this moment raised a doubt. Even uprooting his whole life to become some massive golden dog was calming. He felt no fear of becoming a dog that promised only a difficult path to his life.

Katashi slipped up behind him and the human's arousal was almost immediate. He stressed over how he was going to slip from the two's embrace without it being painfully evident. Katashi leaned over and kissed the top of the young man's head. "It is our nature to cause those we touch to become aroused. Do not let it concern you."

"It's kind of hard not to," Spencer groaned. "I've got Will back there acting as a tour guide."

"The old wolf is often aroused in our company. He will understand."

"He's right about that," Will said as he placed his paw on Spencer's shoulder. "Let's say we wiggle you out from between these two and head over to the convention center? We can get you some lunch and give you a chance to calm down."

Spencer nodded. "That would be a good idea." The two temple dogs separated and freed Spencer from between them. He stared down at the bulge in his pants and shook his head. "I'm probably going to get one of these every time I'm with you two."

Katashi reached down and dabbed it. "Then teaching you how to control it, to save yourself the embarrassment, will be one of the first things we will undertake."

"You never did that for me," Will protested playfully.

"Your erections never embarrassed you."

Will smiled. "True that." He wrapped his arm around Spencer. "Come on, Kid. Let's go walking. I'm pretty sure you're watching a whole life unfold in front of you. We need to get you somewhere where we can rein it in."

Spencer looked up at the wolf and smiled. "Thanks. I can't understand why Cable thought you wouldn't be the right person to take me around the island."

"Because I'm a bastard, Kid. He knows that. But, sometimes he forgets that the laws of the Were Nation are sacrosanct for me. You're an innocent. I may tease you, but I will always protect you."

"You're really a bastard?" Spencer asked, unconvinced.

"Born that way, Kid; spent an entire lifetime perfecting it."

"Well then, you're a pretty nice bastard compared to the others I've met."

The wolf laughed. "Well, thanks, Kid. That's about the nicest thing anyone has said about me." The wolf turned to the two temple dogs. "We'll help him get things squared away. The day he moves to the island, his training can begin."

Spencer choked slightly. "I… I'm moving here?"

"You need to be with your people, Kid. It's easier to move you here than get a bunch of wolves and a few temple dogs into the dorms."

Spencer nodded. "I guess so. But it's so sudden."

"What's the one thing you feel to be true about all that stuff whirling around in your head?"

Spencer thought a moment, trying to make sure what he said was true. "I want to be a temple dog."

Will smiled. "Brave lad. Now let everything go that doesn't help you become what you dream, and tell me where should you be?"

Spencer once more thought about what Will had asked of him. "I need to be here on the island."

Will pulled at the young man's hand and began walking away from the two dogs. Spencer turned back and waved. The two dogs returned the gesture. "You're not leaving home, Kid. You're coming back to it. This is where you find out who you really are."

"And you're going to be here to help me?"

Will sighed. "I won't be able to be as faithful as others. I live in Montana and in British Columbia. And I work in New York. But I'm here frequently, so I will check up on you."

"But where will I stay?"

"There are apartments. If you prefer, we can ask one of our couples if they'll foster you for a while until you're ready to head out on your own."

"No biting, right?"

"Not unless you ask them to," the wolf said with a chuckle.

"Who would want a fat kid hanging around them?"

"Remember what I said about disparaging remarks, Kid? I protect the innocent; sometimes even from themselves."

"Sorry," Spencer replied. "But honestly, you're all werewolves and wonderful animals. What about me could possibly interest you?"

"I'm curious to find out how a young man becomes a temple dog. I think that's worth my time. No turning before the age of twenty-five, remember?"

"Thirty," Spencer said resolutely.

"Really?"

"Thirty. When I turn, I want them to be confident I was sure."

Will paused for a moment on the walk toward the convention center. "That you're sure about what?"

Spencer stopped beside the wolf. "That I want to be a temple dog."

"And?" Will asked. "I should point out that those of us with the Sight can't lie to each other."

"Do I have to answer?"

Will shook his head. "No, Kid. But sometimes when you share a dream with another person you trust, it helps. You know they have your back and are rooting for you to succeed. I think you realize you can trust me to keep this between us if you want it that way."

"You're married to five guys, right?"

"Right."

"I want to marry Li Wei and Katashi."

"Wow, not only a temple dog but married to two of them?"

"Is that asking too much?"

"Not from where I stand. But you put even more on your plate than you accepted by saying you want to be a temple dog."

"I realize that. But from the moment I saw them, I felt it wasn't only that I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be with them. You know… the whole nine yards." Spencer looked up at the lighthouse as they walked toward it. "I'm a kid. I get that. But when I'm thirty, I won't be a kid anymore. I may not become a temple dog. I might never marry those two, but that's what I feel when I see them."

"They didn't tell you that you were wrong to think that, Kid," Will responded. "The temple dogs are quick to correct misconceptions about them."

"Then maybe…" Spencer said, leaving the question unasked.

"Maybe. It's a hell of a goal to work toward. But as you said, regardless of the outcome, you're going to come away from it all as a better man."

"Will you be there to help me?"

"Of course, Kid," Will replied. "I told you, I have your back."

"You don't think this is infatuation?"

Will shook his head again. "Nah. I've been infatuated with the temple dogs since the first day we met, and I've never wanted to marry them." He bumped himself playfully into the human and began walking again, pulling on the hand of the young man.

Spencer began walking as well and playfully bumped himself back into the wolf. "I think I'm infatuated with you, though."

"We wolves have that effect on humans. The temple dogs will help you learn how to deal with it."

"That will take some doing," the young man said.

"It's that or you spend a lot of time jacking off with blue balls."

"I do a lot of that already," Spencer said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I forgot you're a twenty-year-old human."

"Will it get better when I'm a temple dog?"

"In some ways, yes. Temple dogs are as horny as you are, if not more so. But they have more opportunities to channel that horniness than any kid living in a dorm. We are an affectionate group."

"And will you be affectionate with me?" Spencer asked the wolf.

"If you wish. Li Wei is one of my oldest friends, and I love his mate, Katashi. Hell, I've loved every temple dog I've ever met. I will learn to love you when you're their brother, as well." The wolf smiled down at the young man. "Whenever you decided what I it is I should call you."

"And one day, who I am will learn to love you too."

"That's the funny thing, Kid," the wolf replied, "I think you already do. I'm sure you already love us in a way that's unique to you. That's why you see us."

"Would it sound egotistical to say I agree?"

Will laughed. "No, Kid. I'm glad you feel that way. We're going to have such a wonderful life together."

"But not for another ten years," the lad said with sadness in his voice.

"There is so much more to us than the sex," Will corrected.

Spencer nodded. "I know, Will. I see it all. The love, the nurturing, and the camaraderie are always so easily seen. It's all so wonderful. But I can see the sex too. I understand how it binds you to each other, how it takes your relationships to a new level of intimacy."

"And how it gets you aroused, without a way to deal with it?"

The young man made an audible sigh. "Yeah, that too."

"Are you planning on staying celibate until you're thirty?"

"I kind of hope that's not a requirement."

"It's not. But the level of intimacy you're hoping for won't come from the temple dogs for ten years. You can't be with the ones you love in that fashion until you're ready to turn. Being a temple dog is a sacred calling. You will give up your human to become one of them."

"I felt that when I told them what I wanted," Spencer said, confirming he understood what Will was saying. "I guess I can wait for another ten years."

"I don't think they would want you to wait."

"Then what do I do?"

"You develop relationships. You create friendships. If one day it feels right to express yourself sexually with another, we will all understand. Only the temple dogs will be off limits, and one day they will more than reward you for your patience."

Spencer noticed the bench that faced the lighthouse. He let the wolf's hand go and sat down on it. His head dropped into his hands and he shook it. "I'm so confused."

The young man felt the wolf sit next to him and wrap a furry arm around him. "Don't look for the end of this path you put yourself on. Just be here at the start. Let the first steps you already took be all that you need to take," the wolf said. The wolf leaned over and kissed the top of the young man's head.

Spencer made a little laugh. "How did you know I wanted you to do that?"

"I have the Sight, Kid; remember?"

"Then you're aware…"

"I'm aware. However, the answer is no. You and I are going to form a very special relationship. But what you want to happen won't happen soon."

"Why not? It can't be because you're reluctant to be with others."

"That's true," the wolf said with a laugh. "But you and I are going to be working together. That dream
 to be a temple dog is going to need a mentor for so many unique challenges. I can't go having your twenty-year-old brain wandering off into some fantasy romance. I need you focused on the goal of preparing to be with your true mates."

"It could just be sex," Spencer said, his face still resting in his hands.

"No… no, it couldn't," the wolf replied. "And you know that."

Spencer looked up at the wolf. "Yeah, I do. Besides, what about your husbands?"

"By your side now and forever, Son. Where I go, they will follow. It's all a part of someone having your back. I have yours. They have mine. You're important to me. That means you're now important to them."

"I don't understand how you make that work," Spencer said as he let his hand rub the leg of the wolf. He felt comforted that the wolf didn't pull away from the gesture. "But I'm glad you do."

"Give this time, Kid," Will replied. "One day it will make sense." He stood up and put out his hand. "Let's go down to the convention center on the wharf."

"That grungy-looking building with the smokestacks?"

"Yeah, that's the one. You're in for a real treat. There's more to that building than meets the eye."

Spencer closed his eyes and the forest growing underground appeared in his mind. For the first time that day, the Sight pushed forward to show him something beautiful. He had no idea what to say, so he whispered, "Thank you," to the power inside him he didn't understand. The image faded and Spencer opened his eyes. He reached out his hand to Will, and let the wolf pull him up.

"You're learning, Kid," the old wolf said with a smile.

Chapter 18

Hours later, after lunch and a return to the top side of the island, Will and Spencer's wanderings stopped when the young man paused. They were in front of the same park bench they sat on earlier in front of the lighthouse. "Could we stop here, Will?" the lad asked. "I'm kind of wearing out. Those underground forests had a lot of trails."

"Sure, Kid," the old wolf replied. "We don't tire out easily, so we sometimes forget to pace ourselves around humans."

"Would you two like something to drink?" a voice yelled out from far above them.

The two looked up and saw a white wolf looking over the gallery walk at the top of the lighthouse.

"That's Lewis," Will told Spencer. "He's kind of famous for his previous life as Wepwawet, the companion of Anubis." Spencer looked at Will with a mix of shock and disbelief. Will smiled. "It's the truth. He's the one I told you about. He designed the Lighthouse at Alexandria."

"His husband was the god of the dead in Egypt?"

"Yep, but his husband goes by Anders now. That whole Anubis/Wepwawet thing wasn't an easy time for them. Both of them have new names and new lives. As I mentioned, we have no problem changing our names when they don't suit us. So, you figure out what you want us to call you, and we're good to go." The old wolf looked up at Lewis and waved. He turned back to the young man. "So, do you want something to drink?"

Spencer nodded. "That would be nice. Water is fine."

"Can we get a couple of waters from you, Handsome?" Will yelled up.

"Be down in a second," Lewis yelled back. What Spencer didn't expect was how close to a second that arrival would be. He had scarcely looked down when there was a thud in front of him. He looked up, staring at the white werewolf holding two bottles of water standing in the street. The startled lad stared at the wolf. "It's easier to jump off the catwalk than it is to shift into a human and run down the stairs. I had the waters up where I was working." He extended his paw with the bottled water to Spencer. "I'm Lewis."

The young man took the water from the wolf and smiled. "I'm Spencer, but Will has been telling me I can change my name if I find one I like better."

"It worked for my mate and me. We're not much for telling people they can't change what they don't like about themselves. Sometimes you have to shake it up and start over to become what it is you hope to be."

"I hope to be a temple dog," Spencer said.

Lewis cocked his head and looked at the young man. "Yeah, that could work. Are you good at sticking to things… I mean really sticking to them?"

"If I want them bad enough."

Lewis knelt down. "Then want it bad enough, Son. The temple dogs are a touchstone for the entire Were Nation. If you believe you're destined to be one, then be the very best that you can be from this day forward. You don't stand down until you see that golden fur covering you."

Spencer nodded. "I promise."

"We take promises seriously here, Son."

"I know," the young man said. "Will told me that if you knew what I wanted, you would all help me."

Lewis nodded. "He got that right. Feel free to ask anytime you need help."

Spencer shuffled his feet. "You can help almost anywhere you like. I'm pretty much a work in progress. I'm trying to lose some weight if you have any ideas about that."

Lewis shrugged his broad shoulders. "We can chew off an arm or a leg and you'll drop at least twenty pounds overnight."

Spencer stared at the werewolf. "Really? No one told you about my fears?"

Lewis laughed. "Of course they did, Son. Why do you think I made the joke?" He put his arms around the young man and pulled him close. "We will never hurt you, Spencer, but if you stay with us long enough, we will tease you about everything."

Spencer leaned forward into the hug. "I guess it was funny. Werewolf humor takes some getting used to."

"I know you have fears. They're unfounded, but it still takes time to put them into perspective."

"I have more phobias than I care to admit."

"We all have things we're afraid of," Lewis said.

"My husband hates spiders and slugs," Will consoled. "And bridges, and flying without a plane, or flying in a plane with a window next to his seat. What else? Deep water where he can't see the bottom, wet willies, and okra. But hell, everyone hates okra. Derrick is the first person I ever met who has nightmares about the damn things attacking him."

Spencer laughed. "Your husband and I would get along great in a hermetically sealed bubble."

"Give it time, Kid," the old wolf replied. "You never know. You might lose the phobias as you learn more about the things you fear."

"How long has your husband had his phobias?"

"Oh, a few hundred years, but I'm pretty sure they're all going away any day now," the old wolf said with a chuckle. “Try not to make us of one of your phobias, Kid. You see us for a reason. Since the night of blinding, there have only been three of you who have seen us from the start."

Will paused in thought. “Well, JP knew who we were from the get-go. Of course, he was six months old and a prodigy." The old wolf shook his head, thinking of the history that surrounded him. "I guess there are more of you than I thought. But Kendal and you are unique in that you both came here searching for something without realizing that was what you were doing. This island is where so many of us came to find ourselves."

"So you think that's what's happened to me?"

Will leaned back and looked up at the white wolf, hoping he would answer the question. "That's up to you," Lewis answered. "Our lives are filled with possibilities. What we become is what we choose to do with those possibilities. That you're here, that you want to be a temple dog, that opens up so many paths you can choose. But I agree with Will. The first path you took brought you here."

Spencer frowned. "I don't want to be a hero or anything."

Lewis smiled. "There are few things more amazing to me than a quiet life well lived. You're surrounded by people and beasts who don't seek the limelight. They don't want to find their names in the papers. The adoration of the masses is irrelevant to them. They want nothing more than to live out their lives with the ones they love." The door to the lighthouse opened and a white grizzly bear with brown leggings stood in the doorway. Lewis turned as all eyes went to the bulky bear. "And there is the most amazing one of them all," the white wolf said. "The love of my life. He is my reason for stepping away from this world to live that quiet life I told you about, Son."

"You're biased," Will said with a chuckle.

"Do you disagree with my evaluation of the bear?"

Will shook his head. "Not in the least. You are both amazing. On his way to becoming a temple dog, the kid could do far worse than following your example."

Spencer was still looking dumbstruck at the massive bear across the street. Anders made a slight wave as he walked down the stairs of the lighthouse deck. "Are you okay, Son?" he asked when he reached the bottom.

The question shook Spencer out of his stupor. "Yes… Yes, sir. I'm sort of overwhelmed by how many handsome beasts there are on this island. The last time I was here, I only saw a saber-toothed cat and all the wolves. I never knew how… how…" The sigh that the young man let out made everyone laugh.

Anders approached his husband and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. He turned to the lad and grinned. "We have quite a few beasts that turn heads wherever they go," he said as he put his arm around his mate.

"Present company included," Will said as he stood up. "Gentlemen, the kid and I are going to need to head out soon. He's living in a dorm, and we're pretty much in agreement that he should live here."

Anders smiled. "What a wonderful idea. Do you have a place to stay?"

Spencer shook his head no. "Will was giving me options."

"He wants to be a general contractor," Will interjected. "I told him that someone willing to teach him about his chosen specialty might sponsor him here on the island."

"Well, it won't be Greg," Lewis said with a laugh. "He and Michael recently adopted a baby girl. You do not want to be in that house come two in the morning. That's feeding time. She has a set of lungs like you wouldn't believe."

Spencer's confusion was obvious. "Two werewolves adopted a baby human?"

Anders nodded. "We're gay, Son. Not too many of us are out there making babies," he answered. "Greg and his first husband, Trevor, adopted their first children centuries ago. Two wonderful little twin girls. Since that day…" Anders paused, counting in his head, "… I can think of at least twenty-two children they've adopted. Aubrey is only the most recent."

"I didn't know you adopted children," Spencer said.

"Not all beasts do. Some like Will here give birth to them," the grolar bear replied. Anders saw the old wolf shake his head no and back peddled. "But that's a story for another day. Some never have children, and some of us sponsor young men who want to be general contractors."

Spencer grinned shyly. "Can I put in an application?"

Lewis shook his head. "No need to do that, Son. The moment you told me you wanted to be a temple dog was the moment I knew we would ask you to stay with us."

Anders turned to his mate. "He wants to be a temple dog?"

"Yep," Will replied. "And we're the family that's going to make sure he succeeds. He came to this island for a reason, and it's up to us to see he gets the help he needs."

The grolar bear nodded. He squatted down in front of the young man. "Stay with us, Son. My husband can train you to be a contractor, and the temple dogs will train you to be the one you were born to be."

Spencer smiled. "I doubt the temple dogs will need a general contractor."

Lewis huffed out a deep breath. "On the contrary; those dogs have had three temples built for them without a single dog taking part in anything but sweat equity. It's about time one of their own stepped up and help engineer at least one of their dwellings from start to finish."

Spencer nodded eagerly. "I'd be happy to help, but that's ten years away for me at the earliest."

"Pfffttt…" Lewis said with a wave of his hand. "That's a drop in the bucket for most of us on this island. If you're going to be a temple dog, I'm making sure you're their first licensed general contractor."

"And if I have any say in the matter," Will added, "with you and Kirk helping, we'll expand his skills so he can design that temple."

Spencer watched the wolves engage in a conversation about his future. He realized he wasn't upset the way he was when others told him what he should be. For the first time in his life, those discussing where he should head were guiding him in the direction he wanted to go. They were laying out a path that acknowledged his goals while letting him live next to the dogs he loved.

He paused a moment in wonder. How was it so easy for him to think that? How did he know it was love? The Sight pushed forward, and he saw Li Wei and Katashi. The two dogs reached out toward him, inviting him into a hug. When he reached out to hug them his golden paws wrapped around them. Instantly, he was back with wolves laying out a curriculum for him. "Thank you," he whispered again to the Sight. The young man was learning, and alongside him, the Sight was as well.

Chapter 19

The trip back to the mainland allowed Spencer to decompress a bit. While Cable and Will talked, he stared at the bay, watching a flock of cormorants diving for food in the waves. He wondered if he was doing the right thing. So much of the day had come at him so fast. He had so little time to think anything through. Then it hit him. It was late August, and the next semester would start soon — the semester he had already paid for. The books, the classes, the lodging; all his savings poured into an education he was walking away from. That's when the panic set in.

He stood up and walked toward the bow. "Will," he said, "I can't make the changes quite as quickly as you might like."

"You need to give two weeks' notice for your job?" the wolf asked.

Spencer slapped his forehead. "Yeah, that too," he sighed. He looked at the smiling wolf. "I already paid for my entire semester. If I walk away, I'll lose what I've worked half a year to pay for."

"Ahh…" Will said. "That's a lot of work to walk away from, isn't it? That can't be easy."

"Kind of impossible," Spencer replied. "I know it's dumb, but I worked hard for that money, and this next semester is what I bought with it. I can't just let it go."

"What if I could get you a refund?"

"I doubt they accept wanting to hang out with werewolves as a reason for a refund. I never heard of anyone getting a refund for anything but illness."

"Dr. Kennedy works with the CDC from time to time. He has access to all sorts of pathogens we could give you."

Spencer laughed. "I don't want to get sick."

"Okay. What about a family emergency?"

"They usually don't see that as a reason to drop out of an entire semester or stop living in the dorms."

Will rolled his eyes. "They haven't seen our family."

"No… no, they haven't," the young man agreed. "But that won't alter their refund policy."

"Look, Son," Will said, "when we get back to the dorms, you pack your things, and I'll talk to the financial services folks."

"I doubt there's anything you can do, Will. Seriously, it's only a few months. I can leave my job and return to the island on weekends."

"Or I can get you a refund. Then you have your money to spend on making your move and settling in."

Spencer shook his head. "How are you going to do that?"

"I'll ask them. They're always pretty nice to me."

"You know them?"

"Did I mention my last name is Gentry? As in William Gentry?"

"The guy whose name is on the Science and Technology building?"

"Yeah. Buy a school a building, and they get all lovey-dovey when you show up."

"I don't want you to go out of your way, Will."

"I'm not, Kid. I'm bringing you home the fastest way I know how. That's what I promised I would do. And you know how we feel about keeping our promises. Besides, I think I need to talk to them about their refund policies. Any excuse that tells them you won't be up for studying should be an acceptable out."

Spencer smiled. "I could kiss you."

Will grinned. "Become a temple dog, Kid, and we'll do a lot more than kiss."

Spencer's grin widened. "Is that a promise?"

"Yeah, Kid. That's a promise."

"But for today? Is a kiss okay?"

Will returned Spencer's grin. "Yeah, for today, a kiss would be okay." The two leaned into the kiss. As their lips pressed together, both realized their friendship would become so much more.

Chapter 20

Spencer sat on the bench overlooking the bay, trying to sort through his thoughts. The move to the island had been so quick that he had little time to think about what had happened. Will was as good as his word. Whatever strings the old wolf pulled resulted in a full refund of Spencer's tuition. But Will had no sooner placed him on the island than the old wolf disappeared for weeks of meetings in New York.

Spencer was settling into life with Anders and Lewis. The first night, they offered him a choice. He could sleep in the spare bedroom or he could sleep with them. They explained beasts preferred sleeping together when given the option. Still, they wanted him to know he was welcome to choose whichever sleeping arrangement seemed right to him. He placed his suitcase in the spare bedroom, acknowledging his awkwardness about sleeping with others in so intimate a setting. They said nothing of his choice and went about their day as normal.

Lewis took Spencer on a tour of the lighthouse, explaining both the design and the state-of-the-art technology that ran the light. He told Spencer the story of the art spiraling up the lighthouse. Every decade, local graffiti artists created a new design for the lighthouse. The Abenaki elders approved each design created by the young artists.

The elders ensured the artwork respected the mythos of their people. This decade saw the lighthouse covered in images of animals, giants, and forests. It told the story of Glooscap, a giant involved in creating the world. Frightened by the greed of human hunters, Glooscap asked Grandmother Woodchuck for help in saving the animals. She pulled the hairs from her belly and wove them into a magic bag. Glooscap used the bag to hide all the animals in the river. Grandmother Woodchuck reprimanded the giant for not seeing the need to balance the humans' need to hunt for food and the animals' need to survive. Glooscap let the animals out of the bag and returned them to the world.

"And that is why the Woodchuck to this day has no belly fur to speak of," Lewis said with a smile.

"And the desolation near the top of the lighthouse?" Spencer asked.

"It represents the folly of man that won't heed the lessons of the gods. It is human history running headlong into what Glooscap learned. Without conservation, without stewardship over what we share, this world falls apart. Those represent the disasters that almost wiped humanity from the planet. The Wabanaki Confederacy encouraged the artists to show what happens when we turn our back on the lessons Glooscap taught."

Spencer stared up at the artwork. "A much more important lesson than why woodchucks don't have belly hair," he said.

The white wolf wrapped his arm around the young man and pull him close. "Both humor and sadness fill the legends of the First Nations. They teach us to value all that life gives."

Spencer leaned over and kissed the chest of the wolf. He didn't know why he did it, but it seemed right. When Lewis pulled him in even tighter, Spencer knew the wolf felt the same way.

As the sun dipped behind Saint John, Anders joined the two out on the bay overlook. "This is one of the best views of the lighthouse," Lewis said, moving to allow Anders space on the wide park bench. "It's exceptionally beautiful at night. A lighthouse is always at its most beautiful when it's doing the job it was created to do."

"Much like all of us," Anders said as he put his arm around Spencer, giving him a hug. Spencer giggled as he pushed into the furry warmth of the bear. Bear, wolf, and human all sat quietly, listening to the day end. The upper guiding light of the lighthouse never dimmed, but as the sun set, the auxiliary lights turned on and Spencer gasped. A rainbow of lights spiraled up along the surface of the lighthouse. "You're right, Lewis," the young man said. "It is beautiful."

"Kendal created the lights."

"I wish I could have met him."

"You will in time," the bear replied. Spencer's confused look told Anders the young man didn't understand his comment. "He is your brother. He will find a way to be by your side when the time is right."

Spencer sighed, unable to understand all that the grolar bear's words meant. It was strange to agree with Will that he had come home, only to find himself confused by so much around him. Everyone welcomed him with open arms, and yet somehow he felt alone. He wished he understood. He wished it all made sense.

"You stand on the edge, Little One," the temple dog behind him said. Spencer jumped at the sound of the voice, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned and looked behind him. Even though the dog was identical to Li Wei and Katashi, he knew he was looking at another temple dog. The dog bowed. "I am Saand. I have sworn to be by Li Wei's side in this life."

"You're his mate, too?" Spencer asked.

Saand chuckled. "No. Many years ago, I swore to our Master Bai that I would stand beside Li Wei and ensure his success as our new Khenpo. Bai died in the War of the Continents. I feel my obligation to Li Wei even more strongly now that Bai is not here."

"I know so little of your history," Spencer said

"It is your history as well, Little One. In time, you will sing the songs of your people alongside your brothers. But for tonight, it is only needful that you learn who you are and why you are here. Your confusion over this creates conflict in your soul."

"I don't want it to, Saand," the young man confessed. "But there is so much to take in, so many things happening so fast."

"And that is why I am here," the temple dog said with a small bow. Saand took a few steps to the left of the bench and sat down, folding his legs into a half-lotus. He patted the grass next to him and smiled at the young man. "Come sit with me." He turned to the two beasts sitting with Spencer. "If it is not an intrusion."

Lewis and Anders stood up. "No, no," Anders replied. "We were going to get dinner ready, anyway. Spencer, come have dinner in an hour with us."

Spencer nodded as he rose from the bench. He sat next to Saand, trying his best to bend his legs the way the dog had. "You needn't copy my position, Little One," the temple dog said. Find yourself a comfortable position." Spencer tried repositioning himself to no avail. "I think I was more comfortable on the bench," he sighed.

Saand stood up and extended his paw. "Then come; let us sit on the bench together. We do not confine our meditations to only one approach."

"Is that what we're going to do?"

"That is what we are going to do, Little One. We are going to quiet our minds and let the silence speak to us of truths we've yet to learn. You are in conflict not because of what you are, but because of what you think you are supposed to be."

"Are all temple dogs so cryptic when they speak?" Spencer asked as he took a seat on the bench.

Saand smiled. "I believe so," he replied as he sat next to the young man. "We hint at what is true, but we know that finding the truth is more important than being told the truth."

Spencer smiled back at the dog. "Somehow that makes sense."

"Then shall we?" the temple dog said, extending his paws and laying them on his lap. "Close your eyes, Little One. Clear your mind of everything but your breath. In the darkness, together we will find the light."

Spencer placed his hands in his lap, the same as the dog had done, and closed his eyes. He felt the warm paw of the dog press into his hand. "When your mind wanders, I will give your hand a gentle squeeze," Saand said. "For a time, this will be necessary, but in time, I will no longer need to hold your hand."

Spencer kept his eyes closed. "Holding hands with you is distraction enough, Saand," he replied.

"Meditation is not only a practice done in a quiet room with flickering candles," the dog replied. "True meditation infuses every moment of our lives. If my paw challenges you, I am glad."

The young man's eyes opened, and he looked at the dog smiling at him. "But you had me close my eyes and concentrate on my breath. That's exactly what I've read about meditation. I thought I was to block out every distraction."

"The idea is not to force the distractions away, but to acknowledge them, and having done so, to let them go. For humans, this is incredibly difficult. For a dog, it is our life. You are human for a time. We will work with what we have and lead you into the life of a dog."

"Then meditation for a dog isn't the same as for a human?" Spencer asked.

"Nothing in our lives is the same as for a human," the dog replied. "When we turned, we gave up all that makes us human to embrace all we wished to become. And in becoming, we found so much more than we abandoned."

Spencer shook his head. "I think I'm getting confused again."

"The first step to wisdom is knowing when to admit we do not have it."

The human looked at the dog. "And do you have that wisdom, Saand?"

"Perhaps. I admit there is much in this world that I do not understand."

Spencer smiled. "Then we are two of a kind."

The dog made a small bow. "We are brothers. One day, you will see that more clearly."

"When I am wiser?"

"I believe that truth will come from your heart, not your mind."

Spencer shyly looked away from the dog. "My heart already tells me that."

The young man felt the paw of the dog squeeze his hand. "Then you are already wise in one thing. We are making remarkable progress." Spencer looked back up at the dog with his broad smile. "Shall we begin anew, Little One? Leave your eyes open. Let the world around you be your mediation."

"That's a lot to meditate on," Spencer replied.

"Then look to me as I look to you." Saand stepped off the bench and sat in front of the young man. Even seated on the ground, the dog was taller than Spencer, but they were closer to being face to face. "See in me the dog you will become. I will meditate on you and the ease with which you embrace the truth."

Spencer sighed. "This won't work. I'm getting a hard-on."

"As am I, Little One," the dog laughed. "Today we embrace the challenge. We accept we find each other arousing, and we let it go. One day, we will embrace the reality of our arousal rather than the challenge of letting it go."

Spencer smiled. "But not today?"

Saand's head bowed. "Not today." He took the young man's hands into his paws. "See the truth beyond our simple arousal. See the love flowing so much deeper. Realize that the love within you extends to all in this world, and to so many worlds beyond this one you have yet to know."

"I don't…" The paws squeeze Spencer's hands gently. The young man took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "See the love," he whispered to himself. He looked into the brown eyes of the dog in front of him and concentrated. The erection between his legs never faded, but he tried to sense the love beyond the arousal. He realized if nothing else, he was okay with the way his body responded to the touch of a temple dog. He looked down at his hands and saw only two yellow paws cradled in Saand's paws.

Chapter 21

"Okay, you can do this," Spencer told himself aloud. He adjusted the webbing and locked the carabiners into place. He checked the quickdraw and made one last check of the anchor on the floor of the lighthouse gallery. "On belay?" he asked the bear standing next to him.

"On belay, Son," the white bear with brown legs replied. "Trust yourself. You can do this. I'm here to make sure you don't fall."

Spencer jumped backward off the gallery railing. The line went tight, and his body rushed toward the side of the lighthouse. He put out his legs, and his feet landed on the lighthouse column. He looked up at the grolar bear still on the gallery and shook his head in disbelief.

"I've got you, Son," the bear said with a smile.

"Slack, please," the young man requested. The bear eased the rope through his paws, and Spencer lowered himself to the crack in the lighthouse surface.

"Okay, so far, so good," came the voice from below. "You've got everything you need in that backpack of yours."

Spencer looked down at the white wolf below him and reached back, trying to get the package out of the backpack. "Is this really the only way to fix this?" he yelled down over the noise of the wind.

"No," the white wolf yelled back. "The lighthouse has a resurfacing function built into it. We could run that. But you need the experience."

"Oh, you two better have something special for me tonight," Spencer laughed.

"At the dinner table or in bed?" the grolar bear asked as he pulled the belay rope tight.

"I doubt I'm ready for what you might offer me in bed," Spencer replied. He shifted the backpack forward and pulled the tray out. With a few swipes of his trowel, the two ingredients blended, turning from a dark gray to white as the chemical reaction took place. "But I'm kind of glad you always ask."

"You've got about ten minutes to get it into place," the wolf barked up at the human dangling from the rope. "By the way, you forgot to clean out the crack before you mixed the compound."

"Crap," Spencer said as he grabbed a tool from his belt. He slipped the safety glasses on his forehead down over his eyes and turned on the rotary tool. With one hand balancing the palate of repairing compound, and the other working the rotating bit, Spencer cleaned out the crack. He expanded it to help the compound find a surface to stick to and prepped the hairline cracks.

"You've got five minutes," Lewis yelled to the young man.

"Oh, you are so lucky we don't have sex," Spencer mumbled. "I would pound it into you sideways tonight."

The grolar bear above him laughed out loud. "One day, Son, I will hold you to that."

Spencer looked up shyly. "I'm sorry, Anders. I forgot how well you hear everything."

The bear smiled down at the lad. "That's okay, Son. Now and then, I feel the same way about Lewis. He can be a bit of a taskmaster."

Spencer began troweling in the compound. As he worked the paste into the crack, it began to self-level against the side of the wall. The compound melded into the crack until it was almost invisible, even to Spencer. He looked back up at the bear. "You won't hurt his feelings by telling him what I said, will you?"

The bear shook his head. "It's just between us, Son."

"Thanks, I owe you one," the young man said as he continued his troweling.

"Do I collect at dinner or in bed?" the bear asked.

Spencer looked up and smiled at the bear he loved. "One day, my answer might surprise you."

"Hey, Spackle!" a voice from below yelled out.

Spencer looked down and saw a wolf waving. "Hi, Peter," the human said, waving his trowel back.

The wolf put his paws to his mouth. "Sorry about the mix-up between your name and your job. I'm heading home from a sixteen-hour shift. Had a bit of a brain fart there."

Spencer looked at the work he was doing. There was a wound in the lighthouse and he was healing it. He took the trowel and rubbed more of the compound into the crack. He watched it bind the separated pieces of cement and smiled. Spackle. It was what he had always hoped to be. He wanted to be the glue that held his family together. It was what he wanted; the chance to heal the cracks in relationships and bind the hearts of the ones he loved. He looked down at the wolf. "You know something, Peter," he yelled, "I kind of like the name Spackle. It's way better than Spencer."

The wolf laughed. "You like Spackle?" he yelled back up.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah… Yeah, I do. Call me Spackle from now on."

"Sure, Spackle," the wolf yelled back. "Hey, I'm off to catch a few hours of sleep. Would you like to go out and grab a bite to eat later?"

"Thanks, but I'm staying in tonight."

"Okay," the wolf said with another wave. "I'll see you around, Spackle. I'll get the word out to everyone about your name change."

"Thanks," the young man said with a last wave. He turned back to his chore. "I've got a minute and a half," he said. "I can do this." His hand worked the polishing cloth over the crack, and in moments, the lighthouse looked flawless.

"That's a fine job, Spackle," the grolar bear said, reviewing the work from above.

Spackle looked up. "If it's okay with you, I prefer hearing 'Son' when you say my name."

The bear's mouth spread into a wide grin. "Me too, Son. Me too."

"Thanks, Dad," Spackle said as he reached out his hand, and the bear pulled him back onto the catwalk.

Anders stood, holding the young man in his arms. "You called me Dad."

"I figure it's about time I called you by what I feel every time I see you. It's not out of line, is it?"

The bear pulled the human into a tight hug and rested his head on the young man's shoulder. "No, Son, it's exactly what your father and I hoped to hear one day."

The young man closed his eyes and let the hug flow through him. He pulled tightly, and the bear grew even closer. It was like spackle. The two sides were coming together, finding that space in the middle where they were one. Spackle embraced his name and his calling. "Let's go get Dad. I'll take you to lunch. My treat."

The bear pushed back, and after a kiss, Spackle watched the bear jump over the side of the lighthouse. He looked down at the two beasts looking back up at him. "If it's okay with you two, I'll take the stairs," he yelled. He gathered his gear, slung it over his shoulders, and headed for the gallery trap door.

Chapter 22

Spackle watched the Red Wolf push out of the clouds and sail toward the landing pad. The rain was pouring down as it often did, but it didn't matter; Will was coming to visit. As the airship touched down and the hatch opened, the young man waited anxiously for the wolf to appear. Will slid down the banister rather than take the stairs, and soon the two were hugging. Spackle didn't understand why, but every visit from Will left him feeling as if a part of him had returned from far away. He tried to rationalize it as a simple crush, but in the wolf's arms, he realized it was so much more.

Will pushed the young man back to arm's length and looked at him. "You lost a bit more weight."

Spackle beamed. "Yeah, ten pounds since your last visit."

Will frowned. "I need to visit more often, don't I?"

The young man smiled. "I would love that, but I understand how your job and family keep you from visiting as often as I would like."

"One day you'll understand that," Will said. "There will be husbands of your own to watch over. Obligations and things that need doing yesterday will pile up on a list that never seems to get smaller. And, somewhere along the line, you'll realize time flies by so fast."

Spackle nodded. "I guess it helps to be immortal, then. At least you have time for everything."

Will chuckled. "Yeah, it doesn't work out that way, even on paper. Time is time. Even if you live forever, there's never going to be enough of it." He pulled the young man back into another hug. "I heard you found your name."

"Yeah, it's Spackle."

The wolf pulled the youth in tighter. "I like it. The stuff that binds things together and smooths over the cracks."

Spackle buried his face in the chest fur of the wolf. "You get it," he sighed happily.

"More than you know, Spackle," the wolf whispered. He pushed back again from the hug and grinned. "So, have you put anything on your agenda today?"

"I didn't give it much though with you coming to visit," the young man said with a laugh. "Right now, my agenda is trying not to drown."

"Why don't we head down to the beach?" Will asked. "There's someone you need to meet."

"Ahhhh," the disappointed human sighed. "I hardly ever get to see you, and now you're making me share you with what little time I have?"

"There are people you need to meet, and I'd like to be there to introduce you to them. It's what I promised you. I told you I would have your back. I realize how difficult it is for you to meet new people on your own. So, I'm here today to introduce you to one of my favorite wolves of all time. You want to be a temple dog, Spackle. One day you'll realize that requires you to share your time with thousands of other beasts. If you can't keep that perspective, you're already losing ground."

The young man gave a nod and lowered his head. "I'm sorry. It's just that I miss you. I'm still human, remember? I'm kind of envious of everyone who sees you more often than I do."

Will smiled. "I'm flattered. But today, I made this trip specifically to introduce you to someone else. You go meet him, and if you don't agree the time was better spent with him, I'll stay another day and I'll make it up to you."

"So, can I say it wasn't worth it now and get the extra day?" Spackle asked sheepishly.

Will took the wet lad into his arms and hugged him. "You've got your day, Spackle. But at the end of this day, you tell me the truth."

"I never lie, Will," the young man said. "It's the hardest thing in the world for me sometimes, but I don't lie."

"It gets easier with time," the wolf said, pressing the human closer.

"Not for me."

"It will. I promise."

"It requires me to hold back too much. The Sight shows me things, and I want to talk about them, but I realize I can't."

"Because the truth is too difficult for you to see, let alone burden someone else with it?" the old wolf asked.

Spackle nodded his head. "You understand, don't you?"

"There are more of us that understand that reality than you realize, Spackle."

"Only one that I think I'm in love with," the young man said, averting the wolf's eyes.

The thick paw cradled the human's chin and lifted it into a kiss. When it broke, the young man looked into the yellow eyes of the wolf. "I share that love. One day, you'll find that your human upbringing will not serve you well as a temple dog. You will have many loves in your life. If you think it's limited to just the first, you will miss out on so much of what life as a beast offers you."

"You don't mind that I care for you? That I love you?"

"No, why would I?"

"Because you're married to six husbands."

"I suspect one day, you will be too."

Spackle shook his head. "So much passes in front of me, Will. I don't want these visions to move that far into my future."

"Can you tell them to stop?"

"Sometimes."

"Did you talk to Li Wei and Katashi about this?"

"No."

The wolf let out a huff. "Then perhaps it's time. If they are to be your mates, they deserve to be told the truth."

"Do I tell them I love you?"

"I think they deserve to know as much of the truth as you do, Spackle."

"I don't want to do this, Will. It's like looking through a window and seeing everyone's life. When I try to look away, I just see through another window into another world. The only time it ever stops is when I'm with you and my dads."

"It doesn't stop when you're with Li Wei and Katashi?"

"Oh, god, no. It's all I can do to force it out of my head. It pushes to show me our future. The closer I get to them, the more it pushes. I'm not sure I can even stop it. One of these days…"

The old wolf pulled the soaking-wet human into another hug. He bowed his head and rubbed alongside the cheek of the young man. "I'm sorry, Spackle. Let's go down to the beach. Maybe who I want you to meet has some answers for you."

"That would be nice. But I can't imagine how."

"He's your brother."

"Another temple dog?" Spackle asked. "I've heard there are others around the world."

"Come on," Will said with a gentle tug toward the cliff ramps. "Let's go meet another part of your family." Spackle realized his confusion was as strong as ever; but with Will by his side, it always seemed somehow manageable.

As they reached the base of the stairs, Dá Lóng breached through the shallows and fell onto the shore. Spackle jumped back, startled at the size of the dragon that shook the sand beneath the young man's feet. He tried to catch his breath from the shock. "I… I never imagined she was so large. I watched her out on the ocean before, but never this close."

"She can be imposing," a voice from the dragon yelled. Spackle watched as a wolf climbed off the back of the dragon, sliding down the last few feet in a controlled drop. The wolf leaned over and spoke to the dragon. Dá Lóng chortled in response. With a few twists, the colossal beast returned to the waters of the bay.

The wolf waved at the two as he walked toward them. "Will, it's so good to see you this way. I am tempted to hold the entire family hostage to enjoy an evening in bed with you."

"Would  they  forgive you for that?" Will asked with a laugh.

"I suspect they would demand equal access to their favorite activities in their favorite bodies. Marcus definitely would."

Will gave a nod. "I miss you both. One of these days, we might need to figure out a way to make those visits happen."

The wolf's head turned to the side as if he was talking to another. "Okay, okay, boys," he said with a laugh. He looked back at Will. "Samuel and Raymond like your idea." The wolf smiled at Spackle. "Hi, Brother. I'm Kendal." He watched the confused face of the human and wagged his tail. "I believe this is where the two of us hug."

Spackle put out his arms, and the wolf hugged him. "I…I thought you… you lived inside Adam," he stammered.

"In a manner of speaking, that's true. We all live inside a biological construct. The body we share is a form that gives Adam a way to manifest in a multi-dimensional existence. He, in turn, provides us a way to exist without a need for independent bodies."

"Confused," Spackle said, barely able to get out a one-word response.

Kendal laughed. "Yeah, my explanations rarely go over well. What it all boils down to is we can change to be whatever we need to be. We're not Changelings, but since you love Anders, you at least understand the underpinnings of a shapeshifter."

Spackle nodded.

"We are also five very distinct individuals. While we prefer to manifest as Adam, should the need arise, we can become any of the five or someone entirely different. And because you love Lei Wei and Katashi, you understand the nature of becoming what is needful."

Spackle made another nod, and Kendal continued. "Today, I'm visiting with Dá Lóng. She and I share a relationship that has started long before the one I now have with Adam. So, we all agree to visit her. We shift to my old Labrador wolf's body, and the others go off somewhere and do the humpy bumpy while Dá Lóng and I catch up."

Spackle smiled. "That almost makes sense to me."

"Yeah," the wolf replied. "It makes more sense the more time you spend with us. But the more time you spend with us, the more you realize we're happiest being Adam. One heart, one mind. It's not that big a stretch for us."

"Like the temple dogs."

The wolf grinned. "Exactly. One heart, one mind," Kendal paused, "so many wonderful bodies."

"You called me Brother," Spackle said as much a question as a comment.

"I did," Kendal said. He looked up at Will. "I'm not sure you want to be a part of this conversation, Handsome. Spackle knows more than he's willing to acknowledge in your company. Can you do me a favor and go up and visit with Li Wei and Katashi?"

"Do I have an agenda?"

"Oh, your usual gay agenda will do fine," the Labrador wolf replied. "But along the way, could you tell them Spackle is struggling with seeing too much of the truth in all things? I think he'll admit that he'd rather have you broach the subject with the dogs."

Spackle gave a feeble nod in agreement. Will stepped close to the young man and gave him a quick kiss. "You understand I wouldn't leave you if I didn't feel you were safe, right?"

Spackle nodded again.

"Then I'll let you two get to know each other better."

Spackle's hand reached out and grabbed the old wolf's paw. Will gave it a tight squeeze. "Trust in your family, Spackle," Will said. "There are so many willing to help. Today you're meeting another." Will turned, dropped to all fours, and ran off into the pouring rain toward the ramps.

Spackle watched as the wolf crested the top of the cliff and disappeared. "I'm afraid," he whispered.

"I was too," the wolf said as he put his arm around the young man. "Try not to let this shock you too much, but Partridge Island in the rain is miserable." The two were on a warm beach somewhere in the Pacific. Spackle's clothes were dry and a warm breeze moved through the palm trees. "There, that's better," the wolf said.

Spackle looked around, taking in the change of scenery. "Thank you," he whispered.

Kendal's paw made a small wave, and a sturdy bench appeared. "Take a seat. There's a lot we need to discuss."

"I wouldn't know where to start," the young man replied.

"I get that. It's so confusing at the start. There are so many realities coming at you. So many worlds, so many lives, and so much to deal with. He didn't mean to. He simply didn't understand how weak our minds are."

"He?"

"Dad."

Spackle sighed. "Do I want to know?"

Kendal laughed. "Actually, it might be better to wait a few years. But trust me, brother; one day you will figure it out, and when you do, you're going to insist on having a talk with our old man."

Spackle's confused face didn't change. "Did you?"

"Yeah, I did. It's frustrating when your parents want you to be one thing, and you realize your heart is leading you another way."

"I'm not sure what my mom would think about the direction I'm heading. Telling her I was gay shook up things bad enough."

"Her upbringing clouds her judgment, Spackle. If she could see you without those blinders on, she would be so proud of you. You're an amazing young man."

"I wish I had your confidence in that," Spackle replied. "I thought the moment I met Li Wei and Katashi that I was on my path. Everything I wanted in life was there, laid out in front of me. But now, so much unfolds around me. I've lost that confidence. Worlds are being born and dying. I watch galaxies evolving and returning to the emptiness of space."

"Memories of worlds no longer alive," the wolf said quietly. "The histories of worlds not yet born. A billion-billion lives on a billion-billion worlds flowing past in an unending stream." Kendall paused, letting the words sink into Spackle's soul. "All time and space, crashing down on your shoulders, and no way to stop it."

Spackle looked up at the wolf, startled. "You know."

"I know."

"How?" the young man asked.

"I told you we were brothers, Spackle. That wasn't metaphorical. I meant we're brothers. Because we share the same father, we share the same talent to gaze beyond what anyone has ever seen."

"But how?"

"A gift, I guess they would call it. It's taking me a long time to accept that's what it is." The wolf looked out at the ocean in front of him. "It is a gift, Spackle. I understand it doesn't feel like that now. But in time…"

The two fell into silence, searching for words to explain what they couldn't explain. Finally, Spackle spoke. "How do I make it stop?"

Kendal put his arm around the young man once more. "You don't. You learn to control it. To keep hidden those things that should remain hidden, you learn to parse what you're shown. And you endure a pain like none you ever knew, or ever will know when you allow to happen that which has to happen."

"I doubt I'm that strong."

Kendal nodded. "The human isn't. The temple dog is."

"I don't want this."

"I'm sorry, Spackle. There is no one but you. Think about that crazy wolf you love, and the dogs, and your fathers. All those you love and those you haven't even met who will become the greatest loves of your life; all their lives rest in your hands." The wolf paused. "We can't love and turn away from what we are. There are four men inside me I love; four men that mean everything to me. And they will never know a fraction of how much I hide from them to keep them safe. They will never comprehend the struggle I face when I allow to happen what I know must happen; even as it breaks my heart."

"How? How can I possibly do that?"

"By never forgetting who you are. When Adam placed his hands on you and told you to see the truth, that was me, Spackle. None of them can see the truth that we see. It would drive them mad. But we were born to be what we are. We were born to observe the past, present, and future as one continuous whole."

"No one should be able to do that," Spackle said.

"And yet, here we are."

Spackle sighed. "Here we are."

The silence lingered for a time. The two listened to the waves lap the shore. Inside each moment, the universe unfolded and revealed itself. Spackle tried to drive it out, but it flowed past every defense he threw up against it.

"Let it be, Spackle," the wolf whispered as he pulled the young man closer. "Commanding it the way Will and Oliver command the Sight won't work. Short term, it has its place, but you need to teach it what your limits are. It doesn't want to hurt; it simply doesn't understand how to control the flow. Teach it what it can show you. Teach it what you're too young to see. It's alive, it feels, and it wants to be whole. But it can't be whole without you."

"There is so much I can't cope with. I don't even know where to begin."

"Then tell it what you can see."

"I can see a day on Partridge Island where it isn't raining," the young man replied, snorting a laugh.

The wolf pulled the sideways hug even tighter. "What a perfect place to start."

The two were back on Partridge Island. Spackle felt the warm, dry breeze move across his skin. "Is this real?" he asked the wolf.

"It's all real, Spackle. You only need to find your truth. It's a part of all the truth out there in front of you. But for now, let it be the truth you can accept at this moment. Let the rest slip away like those idle thoughts you have while you're meditating."

"That will take some doing," Spackle sighed.

"You're a temple dog," the wolf said.

"Not yet," the human corrected.

"I disagree. You were born a human, but the dog manifested on the first day you came to Partridge Island. Every day since, it has grown stronger. It's what you want and what you must let happen. The dog can control your visions. Let your fear go." Kendal rested his paw on the temple of the young man. "See the truth, Dog." Spackle put out his hands and stared at the golden fur. He looked down at the wolf, and the wolf smiled back at him. "And in seeing," Kendal said, "let go of every vision that doesn't bring you closer to the ones you love."

Spackle closed his eyes. "There is still so much that I feel I shouldn't see. I don't think I can stand on the sidelines and let bad things happen to the ones I love."

"Preaching to the choir, Spackle," Kendal said with a nod. "Seeing the truth doesn't always mean it's easy to accept what is true. We were both born human. Our human genetic disposition is to turn away from the hard truth and accept an easy lie."

"That's why I need to let go of my human?"

"You're stronger than me, Spackle. I couldn't do what you can do. You can become a temple dog. I became a wolf that loved a bear."

"And in doing that, you saved the universe if I read the histories correctly."

Kendal laughed. "Save one, save all. I saved Marcus the wolf, so I could spend my life with Marcus the bear. I'm hardly the hero they paint me to be in that story."

"But you found a way? You made peace with the visions?"

"The truth is a burden greater than any one man should shoulder," Kendal answered. "That burden lifts a bit when two can share it." The wolf released the hug and put his paw on Spackle's shoulder. "Can I give you one small gift before I return home?"

"Sure," Spackle said.

The wolf placed his paws on the temples of the human. He let his head fall onto the top of the human's. "Sleep," he whispered.

Spackle smiled. "It didn't work. I'm still awake."

Kendal smiled. "I wasn't talking to you."

The wolf tapped his ComLink. "Will," he said. Before Will could answer his ComLink, the otter stood in front of Spackle. "Hi, Husband," the otter said happily. "There's an attractive young man here in need of hug from the wolf he loves."

"Really?" Will said. "I'll be right there."

It was only seconds before Spackle watched the wolf jumping past the ramps and toward the beach. "Lord, what am I going to do?" he said aloud. "I'm in love with a married man."

The otter looked at the human and smiled. "Yeah, me too."

Spackle laughed. "Not helping, Adam."

"He can cope with you loving him just fine, Spackle," the otter replied. "Don't underestimate him or your family."

Spackle gave a nod. "I'll try not to." The running wolf leapt toward the human, becoming a werewolf that pulled Spackle into a tight hug. Spackle expected to see his life with the old wolf stream across his consciousness. Instead, all there was before him was the grinning werewolf staring down at him.

"Are you going to kiss me, or what?" Will asked.

Spackle stood on his tiptoes as the wolf bent down to make the kiss possible. The warmth of the wolf surged through his kiss, and Spackle relaxed into the pleasures it brought. While he did his best to ignore the erection stretching his pants, he took comfort that no vision pushed to the foreground of his consciousness. All around him was a quiet he hadn't felt since he arrived on the island. Spackle looked around and realized that the otter was gone. "Thank you, Kendal," he whispered, hoping the Labrador wolf that lived within the otter heard him.

Chapter 23

In his third year, Spackle traveled for the first time in his life beyond the world of New Brunswick. When Li Wei and Katashi announced they would visit their brothers in British Columbia, Lewis and Anders insisted he join the temple dogs. Saand did his best to calm the young man's doubts about the trip. Carl and Frank were as adamant about his need to visit the highland each time he visited the Midnight Diner. 

The flight to the highland was the first time Spackle flew in a plane of any kind. But traveling inside the Black Rhino was overwhelming. A twelve-minute trip across the continent was an experience he never expected to have. 

When the airship landed, and the four disembarked, Spackle looked out across a field of grass at the temple rising from the mountainside. He gazed in awe at the tiered rice paddies above the temple. The forest, the gardens, and the monastery; everywhere he looked, Spackle was amazed. The young man now knew why everyone was so sure he needed to visit. Yet, most amazing of all to him was how he could leave home only to feel as if he had come home again. 

The highland was an experience that exceeded his expectations; had he an idea of what to expect. For three years, the gift Kendal said they shared lay dormant inside him. Occasional flashes reminded him that the gift lay buried. Still, it was nothing like his first months on the island. 

He wandered through the temple, meeting Zhuang and Bolin. They introduced him to the family of dragons. The children found a human that adjusted so easily to their language fascinating. It took some doing from their parents to return the gawking children back to the forest. Spackle stared at the trees shifting in the distance as the dragons walked away. He marveled at the feeling that he had met another side of his expanding family.

When Spackle entered the cavern apartments, Li Wei and Katashi waited patiently outside with their brothers. He explored every pathway created in the cave created to entertain visiting human children. To Li Wei and Katashi, the twenty-three-year-old human was still a child. It delighted both that his curiosity and joy in new experiences never seemed to dwindle. Never once did they seek to curtail his enthusiasm.

When at last his first day on the highland ended, the temple dogs asked him where he wanted to spend the night. Spackle replied beside them. They took him to the monastery. There, the human had his first experience showering with five temple dogs. He stayed in the corner, facing away from the dogs that showered together in the middle. Using a single showerhead to clean himself, Spackle heard the wet paws slapping against fur as the dogs soaped and lathered each other. 

When the young man glanced at the four, he saw their soapy erections jostling between furry paws. His own cock was painfully erect the whole time. When the low growls of the dogs became a howl, Spackle ejaculated while steadying himself against the wall. As the five dried off, none spoke of the matter. Yet, so many thoughts raced through Spackle's mind as he tried to sort through what had happened.

Later, in the largest bed in the monastery, Spackle cuddled up against a temple dog for the first time in his life. Wrapped in the arm of a dog, Spackle spent an entire night without sleeping. Excited by the closeness to the two he loved, even the breath that blew across his neck each time Katashi exhaled kept him aroused. In the days to come, sleep finally came to the young man in the arms of the two dogs. It ingrained in him the desire to sleep next to them forever.

Spackle met scores of new beasts inside the cave each morning when Li Wei and Katashi took him back to the commons to have breakfast. On the third day, Spackle met a young black wolf careening around a corner in the apartment commons. The wolf's keen reflexes kept him from slamming into Spackle, but he was instantly apologetic for not watching where he was going.

"It's no problem," Spackle said with a laugh. "I hope your package is okay."

Derrick looked down at the box in his hands. He opened it up and smiled. "Everything's still intact," he said with a smile.

Spackle looked at the contents of the box. "Oh my god," he gushed, "is that a set of PS12 controller gloves?"

The black wolf's blue eyes lit up. "Two sets. Do you know what they are?"

"Of course. They're the Holy Grail of gamers. Are they real or a reproduction?"

"They're real. I had them delivered here to the highland because there's an old-style 3-D flat screen here. It's part of the gaming room. There are all sorts of antiques there. Pinball machines, sixty-four bit video games, and today, PS12 gets added to the mix."

"Do you own any games?"

"Falcon Flight, Moose Mayhem, and the Diablo reboot Back from Hell. I might get a copy of Quagmire Twenty-four, but it's kind of iffy."

"You have Moose Mayhem?" Spackle asked as the two walked toward the gaming center.

"Yeah, moose driving eighteen-wheelers; it's hysterical."

"I know. I've played the Holodeck version, but everyone says the first version was the best."

Derrick pulled out a pair of black gloves lined with metallic wiring. "Want to give it a go? There are goggles in the gaming room."

"Really? You wouldn't mind?"

The wolf laughed. "No, I'd love it. You don't know how hard it is to find anyone who wants to play these games with me. I'm an old-school gamer fan."

"Oh, me too, but I can't afford to even look at them in a store window," Spackle said as he took the gloves.

"It helps to work for a corporation that gives great Christmas bonuses."

The two sat in front of the large TV that curved around two walls. "Well, when I'm done with my schooling, I'll need to look them up."

"Bear Paws Enterprises," Derrick said. "They're easy to find."

Spackle paused. "The Bear Paws Enterprises that has William Gentry as a CEO?"

"Yep, that's the one," Derrick replied.

Spackle stared at the wolf. Black fur with blue highlights, sparkling blue eyes; the words came flooding back. The human was staring at the husband of the wolf he loved. He jumped up. "I'm sorry. I forgot all about an appointment with Li Wei and Katashi." He hurriedly tried to remove the gloves as Derrick watched.

It was Derrick's turn to tie the links together. "You're Spackle," he said happily. "You're the human that's going to become a temple dog." Spackle nodded. "And you're in love with my husband."

Spackle struggled to find a response. The truth; he promised to always tell the truth. "Kind of," he mumbled.

"Kind of? Boy, that's going to crush his spirits if you ever tell him that."

Spackle crumpled back into the plush sofa. "Okay, more than kind of; a whole lot." He looked at the smiling wolf. "You're not upset?"

"Not anymore. Like I said, you mean a lot to my husband. As long as he means a lot to you, I'm good."

"Really?"

"He's always had great taste in men. I can't say that anything I learned about you so far would change that evaluation."

"Are you forgetting my major crush on your husband?"

Derrick smiled. "Yeah, I have one too." He picked up the gloves on the couch and held them out to the young man. "Li Wei and Katashi are very understanding dogs. I think they would be okay if you played a game or two."

"You're not mad at me?"

"Let's look at this pragmatically, shall we? I just now met a guy who wants to play on a PS12 with me. Few people even know what it is, so he gets bonus points for that. He knows how to play Moose Mayhem, and he's kind of cute. More points. He has the good sense to love a very lovable wolf. And he's never done a single thing try to drag that wolf away from his husbands." The black wolf leaned back. "So far, meeting you has been all on the plus side of the scoreboard."

Spackle shook his head. "I'm out of my depth here."

"Why?"

"Because Li Wei and Katashi both said you would act the way you're acting, and I didn't believe them. They told me it was time I met Will's husbands."

"I agree with them. Three years waiting to meet you seems a tad bit excessive."

"You don't mind?"

"That you love Will or that you take way too long to introduce yourself?"

"Both?" the confused human asked.

"Nope, I'm good with both. Now if you kick ass at Moose Mayhem, I might need to reevaluate my judgment. I'm not very good at most of the games I like to play."

"I always played the games because I thought they were fun. I don't enjoy trouncing anyone."

Derrick waved the gloves again. "Come on, play with me. What's the worst that could happen?"

Spackle sighed as he took the gloves and put them on. A myriad of worst-case scenarios flooded his thoughts. Of them all, the most complicated possibility seemed the most likely. He could fall in love with another wolf.

Chapter 24

Derrick hugged the yellow dog, and they kissed. "It was so good to see you again, Li Wei," he said when the kiss had ended. He turned and hugged the second dog. "And you too, Katashi. I'm sorry we don't visit as often as we should."

"Our lives often slip into paths that do not cross, Little One," Katashi said as the young wolf buried his face in the dog's chest. "It is always joyous when the paths cross once more."

"I promise I'll get out to the island more often," Derrick said as he pushed away. He gave the third dog another kiss. "Always fun to see you, Saand." He turned to the young human. "I had a great time, Spackle. Thanks for everything."

Spackle smiled. "I can't tell you when I've had as much fun with my clothes on," he said, trying to be glib.

"You could take them off the next time," Derrick suggested.

Somehow, Spackle realized his humor had turned more into a Freudian slip than expected. The mere thought of being naked with the black wolf started a swelling in his pants that he could see no way of hiding. At least, not without it becoming painfully obvious what he was trying to do.

Derrick extended his arms. "I hear that you've been studying proper hugging techniques for over three years." Spackle nodded shyly. "Then come give me a hug so that this weekend is perfect."

Spackle entered the hug. He sighed, partly because it felt so good, and partly because he knew when the hug ended there would be no hiding his erection. "Do we kiss goodbye, Spackle?" the wolf asked.

Spackle pushed back, but Derrick held the hug. The young man looked into the blue eyes and spoke the only truth he knew at that moment. "Yeah, we kiss goodbye."

The kiss was a first for Spackle, but it was as familiar a tradition with the young wolf as any. The kiss lasted longer than expected, explored more than anticipated, and ended all too soon for the young human.

When they separated, Derrick looked down at himself and pushed his hard-on down, letting it flip back upward. "Well, this is embarrassing," he said with a laugh. He gave it another shove and then hugged Spackle again. "Thanks for getting one, too. I don't feel nearly as embarrassed when I know the man I kiss feels the same way as me."

Spackle hugged the wolf even tighter. "Thanks for understanding," he whispered.

Derrick let the hug go and turned to the temple dogs. "You take good care of Spackle, okay?"

Li Wei bowed. "That has always been our intention."

"He will miss you, Pup. Please don't stay away too long," Katashi said as he took the hand of the young man. Together the four walked back toward the Black Rhino.

Derrick waved one last goodbye as the four walked up the cargo ramp. He lingered long enough to watch the airship speed into the sky. In time, the young wolf's erection subsided, but the feelings that caused the arousal lingered. Aboard the Black Rhino, Spackle's erection subsided as well, but the same feelings that caused the arousal also lingered.

That night, both men found sleep eluded them. Will pulled the sleepless young wolf close to him. "Don't think on the day too deeply, Pup," he whispered.

"I'm confused, Old Wolf," Derrick said. "I have so many feelings about what happened today."

"Are any of them negative?" Will asked.

"No."

"So, why the confusion?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I'm too human for my own good sometimes. You don't seem to have any problem with caring for Spackle."

"Nope. I find that pretty easy."

Derrick pulled the old wolf's paw up and kissed it. "I think I do, too. Maybe it's just easier than I expected."

"Then get some sleep. We seem in agreement about the young man."

"One day he's going to be a temple dog."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

"Seven years is a long time to wait, Old Wolf."

"I waited thirty-eight years for one husband to come back. I can wait seven years for a temple dog to be born."

"I can't imagine how tough that's going to be on him. He's surrounded by beasts."

"He'll find his way, Pup. The beasts that surround him love him."

"What about the two who aren't anywhere nearby?"

The old wolf gave the young wolf a gentle squeeze. "It will all work out. Now try to get some sleep."

"Or get your asses up and fucks the badger," Oliver grumbled. "What's with wolves and bears that they can'ts make it through a night without jabbering?"

"Sorry, Oliver," Will said. "We'll go to sleep now."

The Kodiak rolled over and grinned at the badger. "Not me. I'm going to fuck the badger. He said I could."

Oliver's eyes widened at the thought. "It mights be too late for fucking, Bear."

The polar bear rose and shook himself. "Well, if we all fuck long enough, it won't be too late in the night to fuck; it will be too early in the morning to fuck. I say we teach the badger a lesson about making suggestions he's not prepared to back up this late in the night."

Oliver grinned widely. "Old Bear, you can take me anytime you wants me. I ain't gonna never complain about any of you shoving yourselves inside me."

"Roll over, Badger," the Kodiak commanded. "What is it about badgers that they can't stop jabbering after offering sex?"

Oliver shoved the brown bear onto his back. In one motion, he shifted to his larger self, pulled up the bear's hardening cock, and shoved himself down onto it. "Gets to work, Bear," he said with a wicked grin. "I gots me a polar bear to satisfy as well." The Kodiak was more than willing to comply.

Up north, on Partridge Island, the two fathers heard Spackle pacing. "Son," the grolar bear said, poking his head into the open bedroom door, "it's three in the morning. You should be sleeping."

Spackle looked toward the darkened doorway. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just had a very confusing day."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"I think I might have feelings for both Will and Derrick."

The bear shrugged. "They're both wonderful men to have feelings for. I have powerful feelings for both."

"And they seem to like me."

"Again, not a terrible choice on their part. I'm very fond of you."

"But they're married."

The bear entered the room and sat on the side of the bed. He patted the space next to him. "Come sit here, Son." Spackle sat next to the bear. Anders put his arm around the young man. "It's not easy for humans to make the leap that we did over four billion years ago. Sometimes we forget the conflict loving more than one partner creates for you."

"I know," Spackle sighed. "I want to be open to the ideas you teach me, but sometimes they only confuse me."

Anders pulled the young man tighter into the hug. "When you met us, what did you think?"

"That you were such a beautiful couple."

"And at that moment, all things being equal, would you have had sex with us?"

Spackle chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I would have."

"Had you asked, we would have had sex with you as well." The bear shifted his position. "And now that you call us Dad and Father? How would you respond?"

"That sort of changes things, I guess," Spackle answered.

"Why? Do you think we love you any differently than we did on the first day?"

"I don't think you do. I know I actually love you way more than I did the first day," Spackle admitted.

"So, the more you love us, the less likely you are to want to have sex with us?"

Spackle shook his head. "When you say it that way, it does sound sort of illogical. At least from a Changeling point of view."

"I'm not trying to force you to reject your feelings, Son. I'm trying to help you reevaluate which ones serve the dog you're becoming."

"That's what I'm trying to do, too. Will and Derrick mean something to me. But I'm not sure what. You and Father mean something to me. I thought I understood that relationship, but now…" The human's voice trailed off.

"You're human, Son. When you turn, so much of what you feel will change. You don't have to rush into any of this. You have seven years to figure out who you are and what you want to be."

"But I want to do right by all of you."

"And we're grateful you do."

"Dad?" Spackle asked.

"Yes, Son?" the bear replied.

"Would it be okay if I slept with you and Father tonight?"

"We'd love to have you join us."

"I'm probably going be sporting wood all night."

"I'm a Changeling. There's a very good chance you will. I'm sure both of us will as well."

"I don't know what to do about that."

Anders jostled the human playfully. "What would a temple dog do?"

"Probably enjoy having sex with both of you."

"Well then, Dog, I believe there is now a map for a course of action we can take."

"I don't want to turn until I'm thirty, Dad."

"And we don't want you to either. We will get you through this night. The day you turn will be when Li Wei and Katashi take you. That day is many years away. Trust me, Son, abstinence is not the best policy for a temple dog or a young man in the company of beasts."

"There is so much I need to learn."

"You're a bright lad. We have faith in you making the right choices. If you change your mind, you say so. No matter when or why. You tell us. Whatever we do, we don't want to make you ashamed of your choices."

Spackle wrapped his arm around the bear and smiled. "Thanks for being my dad."

"Thanks for being my son," the bear said, standing up.

Spackle groaned. "Jeez, Dad, you're already half hard."

The bear leaned over and kissed the human. "That's okay. You've been hard during this entire conversation. I'm only catching up with you. What is it with you youngsters? Always so quick to rise to any occasion."

Spackle shook his head. "This could be very embarrassing."

The bear pulled the lad up. "Not if we do it right. Come on; let's go talk to your father about what we're going to do tonight. Between the three of us, we should be able to help you get some sleep."

Anders leaned down and kissed the human. For the first time, Spackle let his body take him to where he wanted to go since the first day he met the grolar bear.

Chapter 25

"It's an incredible design, Son," Lewis said.

"He's right there," Kirk said as he leaned forward, staring at one section of the design. He tapped it with a worried look on his face.

The white wolf hugged the young man from behind, and Spackle giggled. "You've made major strides in your designs over the last three years. It's beautiful, it's functional, and in about a hundred and thirty years it will also collapse when a level four storm hits the island."

Spackle shook his head. "What? Where did I go wrong?"

Kirk drew his paw along the shapes of the support beams. "You factored in the load balances," the Yukon wolf pointed out. "But you didn't factor in constant wind shear combining with salt air. Nor'easters are brutal. Those winds will take your balcony supports and torque them over the years. When that storm hits, they will break right here." The building Spackle had worked so long on slowly twisted. It collapsed on itself as a cascading effect took place with the breaking of the first two beams. The computer simulation ended as Spackle stared dejectedly at the rubble. "It won't happen overnight. It's not like getting hit by a hurricane in the beginning. Your building will stand up to those for years. It's the slow degrading of the structure that leads to catastrophic failure down the line. A little over a century from now, when that hurricane hits, the results won't be as favorable."

"So I designed it to be strong enough to withstand the hurricane, but not the slow hammering of years of storms. There's nothing about that in the books."

"Which is why you're studying with us," Lewis said, tousling the young man's hair. "I watched the lighthouse I designed fall during an earthquake. I created a wonder of the world for some. But I didn't account for what might happen if the world around it wasn't perfect. Kirk is a genius with design. He sees the things the books overlook. We can't build to code. You need to learn that lesson. To humans, a building that lasts one hundred twenty years is more than acceptable. To those who live longer, it's not."

"So, how do I design for all the contingencies?"

"That, young man, is a lesson for another day," the white wolf said as he pulled the young man up out of his seat. "You have a class to get to."

Spackle looked at the clock. "Oh crap," he blurted out. "I'm going to be late."

"Not if you run all the way there," Lewis replied. "Now, give us a hug and a kiss, and off you go."

The hugs and kisses were short, but as Spackle ran out the door, he realized how accustomed to them he had become. He also realized how easily he ran down the pathway toward the Radar battery observation post. As he neared his fourth year on the island, he had lost weight and replaced much of his fat with muscle. More important to him, he had a calming sense that Will was right; he had finally come home.

Spackle had his work at the Midnight Diner busing tables in the evening. Lewis and Kirk proved to be exceptional teachers. He had an apprenticeship with Greg where he got the hands-on training he needed to be more than book-smart. He had everything he ever had at school and more.

One of the extra benefits of living on the island came in the way of friends. Yarnell was there to spot him in his weight training classes in the first year. As the wolf's trips to Paris became more common, other wolves volunteered to step in and help. The island wolves never failed to give him a hug whenever they walked by. They were always interested in what was happening in his life. They sat with him and encouraged him when his spirits lagged. Even the humans seemed friendlier and less judgmental than those that lived on the mainland.

Derrick was as good as his word. The young wolf regularly visited the island with his husbands. Each time they dropped by, Derrick sought Spackle out. They would go off on adventures that made sense only to two men who were still young boys at heart. The two even wound up on the back of temple dogs racing toward each other with pool noodles at a family gathering.

Over time, the shared relationship between Spackle, Derrick, and Will began exploring a more intimate side of the young man's nature. He loved them even more that they never pressured him to go further than he wanted. They knew of his desire to be a temple dog, and their actions never challenged that goal. Likewise, the nights he slept with his fathers no longer left him doubting his choices. He found pressing himself against them as inviting as the temple dogs on the highland.

Spackle's reminiscing stopped as he rounded the corner. He saw the two temple dogs in front of the Radar battery observation post. Yellow and gold light flowed over their bodies with each slow movement in the sunshine. The young man watched, mesmerized by the dogs as he always was. Without slowing, and never looking at the young man, Li Wei's paw reached out. "Humans believe that practice makes perfect. Nothing could be further from the truth. Practice helps us understand that there is no perfection. We simply create a new goal when we meet the first."

"There will never be a day you will find perfection in any act, but its pursuit can be noble," Katashi added. "Life is a journey that has no destination. It is the journey alone that gives it meaning."

Spackle watched the two moving gracefully through each of the movements. They were like the tai chi he had learned, yet each movement was different. The slow rotations and extensions accounted for the massive girth and stout bodies. Sometimes it seemed their steps were so light they were levitating on the concrete surface. It was as if… Spackle struggled for the right word… they danced. The two were dancing, and each gesture was a gift to the other.

The two tapped their feet in the space between them. "Come, Little One. Join us."

"I don't know any of the moves," Spackle protested.

"You are to be a temple dog. Feel the moves through us. The brotherhood of dogs is one. One day, you will be a part of us. We are not training you today to understand the movements. We are training you to understand how to experience that unity."

Spackle took his place between the two and tried his best to mimic the motions of the dogs. "Do not copy us, Little One," Li Wei said. "Let your body move in unity with ours. Today, our brothers are here with us. We are moving as one so that you might better sense the motions. A world apart, and yet we move as one." The paws of the temple dogs pushed out, and as they did, Spackle watched his hands move outward. "That's it, Little One. Be one with your brothers."

With each passing movement, Spackle had a growing sense that the dogs guided him to what the next move would be. Soon, the motions seemed fluid and unforced. But each time he thought he was gaining the upper hand, he would falter. Each time, the two temple dogs on either side of him would remind him that pride was the first harbinger of failure. Spackle tried to stay in the moment with the two and let the other dogs living continents away teach him the steps of a dance that was never the same. In time, the twelve brothers brought the young human into the pack and their every move became his. When it ended, Spackle was exhausted, but somehow filled with more energy than he had ever had before.

Li Wei's arms dropped to his side at the same moment as Katashi's. Spackle let his arm go limp and fall against his side. The two turned and bowed to the human between them. "You have made remarkable progress, Little One," Li Wei said. His hands began moving again, rotating in circles. Katashi's paws soon followed. As the two moved their hands, Spackle could sense the energy forming between the rotating paws. When the paws pushed out, Spackle followed the path they pointed toward and watched as the trees bent in the wind across the field.

"Thank you, Shifu," Spackle said with a bow.

Li Wei smiled. "And what have you learned from our practice today?"

Spackle thought for a moment. It was important for him to find the right words. He never felt pressured for a quick response from either of the dogs. "I think it's a mistake to search too hard for perfection," he answered. "Practice isn't to make us perfect. It's to make us aware of our limitations and our progress. But there will never be a day when we reach perfection."

The two dogs' paws returned to their rotating movements. Spackle continued. "I wasn't perfect at anything I did today. I'm aware enough to know that. Even so, I was with you. I was a part of a greater whole. It was far more important for me to be there than it was for me to be perfect." Spackle made a little laugh. "It's like trying to find the perfect kiss. If you spend your life in search of it, you will miss all the wonder of every other kiss."

The two dogs stopped in mid-motion and turned toward the young man. The two smiled. "Exactly, Little One. A most apt lesson to learn today," Li Wei said. His arms extended. "Come, give me a kiss. It is time that the three of us share the wonder together."

Spackle needed no further encouragement. He raced into Li Wei's open arms and pushed up on his tiptoes as the temple dog lowered his head. Li Wei's lips were as soft as… as… again Spackle struggled for words that described the sensation of the dog's flesh on his. He found no words to match. His lips rubbed across the enormous mouth as the dog pressed his lips up against the young man.

Spackle closed his eyes. "Be in the moment," he told himself, struggling with the feelings that swept over him. It was then that he understood what the words 'be in the moment' meant. He rubbed his face across the dog's lips and up along his flat muzzle. He breathed in the temple dog's scent. It smelled like love. What was happening needed no words; needed no description. It simply was, and it was everything Spackle dreamed it would be. He stopped wondering the why of everything that was happening and let it be. And, in that moment, he felt bliss without ever needing to find a word for it.

The young man never realized how much pleasure he experienced until the orgasm was coursing through his body. Beyond anything he had ever known before, the experience overwhelmed him, leaving him shaking in Li Wei's paws. Soon enough, he noticed the spreading wetness across his groin. He pushed away from the temple dog. "Oh god," he exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this… I'm so sorry…"

Li Wei reached out and brought the human back into the hug. "Why would you apologize for such a delightful compliment to our union?"

"I… I just came," Spackle groaned. "I wanted this to be something spiritual and profound."

Li Wei smiled at the young man. "And it was. You worry too much about appearances. In doing so, you diminish the love. It's why you didn't join us in the shower with our brothers when it was all that you wished to do. What you find embarrassing is not what your body has done, but how society might view it. You are with us, not the world of humankind. Never apologize for the way your body responds in our company."

"But I'm a mess."

"We could lick you clean if you wish," Katashi said with a slight bow.

Spackle laughed. "No… no… that won't be necessary."

"I said it to make you laugh, Little One; to take your mind away from the shame you feel that has no reason to be."

The lad looked down at his pants. He watched the spreading wetness. "It will take me a while to get used to the idea you don't find this odd."

"That you find it odd is the oddest part about it," Li Wei said with a little laugh. He put his hand down where the liquid darkened the human's pants. "This is a symbol of what you feel for us. One day, we will share that same symbol with you. And we will not be ashamed nor apologetic for it."

Katashi slipped behind the young man and wrapped his muscled arms around the human. Spackle immediately noticed his cock hardening again. He closed his eyes, trying to understand what Li Wei had told him. "Open your eyes, Little One. Look into the faces of the two who love you. This is the world you have chosen for yourself. Never turn away from it."

Spackle looked up into Li Wei's face. "You know?"

"We know," the voice of the temple dog behind him replied. "Let go of the fear and embarrassment you harbor. Let the shame fade away like a cloud on a hot summer day. If you can do that, you will find all that remains is the love you have for us and the love we have for you."

Spackle buried his face into the fur of the dog in front of him. "I love you, Li Wei." His hand reached back to the paw resting on his hip. "I love you, Katashi."

"Then we are of an understanding?" Katashi asked. "When your body shows that love through any path, it will not be an embarrassment to any of us."

"I will do my best."

"And when the day comes that our bodies show you the same affection, you will not be taken aback?"

Spackle shook his head. "No, I will never have a problem with that day."

"Then shall we retire to our house and let you get cleaned up?"

Spackle smiled as he turned, trying to see both dogs. "I would like that."

"We can start by licking you clean," Li Wei said with a grin.

"And then shower together," Katashi added. "We have no illusions of how messy our slobber can be on human flesh."

"My clothes," Spackle said, pointing down to the damp pants.

"They will be a nuisance tonight, don't you think?" Li Wei asked.

Spackle looked down at himself. "Yeah, I think they will." The young man paused. "Will told me I can't have sex with you without turning."

"He is correct. Our first copulation with you will be your final transformation to becoming a temple dog."

"I'm not ready for that," Spackle admitted nervously.

"And we are not ready to extend that offer," Katashi replied. "We are offering to be with you. To let our bodies relax from all the training and simply be together. Sex will not be a part of what we offer this night."

"But I've already come once," Spackle pointed out. "I'm pretty sure that's going to happen again if I get naked with you."

"Ejaculation is not sex, Little One," Li Wei answered. "Coming is coming. If your body finds pleasure in it, we see no reason to dissuade you from letting it happen."

"That's kind of what I thought sex was all about."

Li Wei bowed his body until he was eye to eye with the human. "Then you have a great deal to learn about sex before your training is complete."

Katashi tapped the ComLink on his chest. "I will tell Anders and Lewis you will stay the night with us. We shouldn't rush the cleansing process. I expect that before the night is over, we will all need frequent cleanings."

Li Wei extended his arm toward the door of the Radar battery outpost. "Come with me, Little One. Let's get you out of those clothes."

Spackle followed without a single question. He was at ease with the direction he was going without needing to question which direction that was.

Anders tapped his ComLink, closing the call he had received. Lewis looked at him from across the dinner table and smiled. Anders wiped his thick paw across his eyes. "You are such a sentimental softy," Lewis said with a gentle laugh.

"First Kendal and now Spackle. Our boys grow up so fast," Anders replied.

"They do that," the white wolf said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Chapter 26

"SPACKLE!" the young wolf yelled when he saw the young man running toward him.

"WOLFY!" the young man said, picking up his pace as he ran toward the black wolf. He jumped into the wolf's arms and Derrick spun him around. "God, I've missed you so much, Wolfy," he said.

"And I've missed you, Spackle," the wolf said, leaning in to kiss the human. As always, the kiss between the two pushed the boundaries set by the last. As always, the two went in the direction the kiss took them. When at last it ended, Derrick pushed back and smiled at the young man. "So what's on the docket today, Handsome?" he asked.

"Going somewhere or doing something where I can hide the hard-on you gave me?"

Derrick laughed. "Well, that leaves out having lunch over at the underground restaurants. We can go visit Li Wei and Katashi."

"They're in New Zealand with the fenghuangs visiting family."

"Lewis and Anders?"

"On the mainland for the day. They'll be home later tonight."

"So, today we don't have a single chaperone?"

Spackle chuckled. "I suspect they thought it was time for us to share a bit of alone time. Their collective need to be elsewhere came up suddenly when I told them you were coming to visit."

Derrick smiled and gave the human a quick kiss. "Well, what should we do on our own, then?"

"We can visit Dá Lóng. She's pretty independent, but I think Li Wei and Katashi would appreciate us checking up on her."

The young wolf nodded. "And we could go wave jumping afterward."

"That sounds fun. Let's drop by the Light Keeper's Home and I can put on a swimsuit."

"Is the water going to be too cold for you?"

Spackle shook his head. "It's funny. The cold never bothers me anymore. In fact, sometimes the clothes I'm wearing make life a bit too warm for me."

"You could go skinny dipping with me," the wolf suggested with a leering grin.

"No, I can't. Any human seeing you and Dá Lóng from the top of the cliff will see something that makes perfect sense. But me they would see as exactly what I am; some naked, crazy black guy running around in the ocean."

"You're not crazy."

Spackle pulled the hug the two had never let go even closer. "There are days when I would have to disagree." He leaned up to kiss the wolf again, and the wolf leaned down to oblige him. When the kiss ended, the young man sighed. "I have a major league crush on two married wolves, and I have two temple dogs I want to marry. That sounds pretty crazy to me."

"It sounds to me like a young temple dog just now understanding how much capacity he has in his heart to love others. Baby steps, Spackle. The life of a temple dog is one of infinite love finding expression through an adorable giant ball of fur."

Spackle laughed. "I like that definition. I hope one day I'm worthy of it."

Derrick gave the young man another brief kiss. "I have no doubts that one day I will kiss a temple dog named Spackle. There are days when I feel as if I'm doing that now, only you haven't figured out that whole ball of fur part."

"Now, which one of us is crazy?" Spackle laughed.

"Both of us are. Let's go visit Dá Lóng before this day passes us by."

When Dá Lóng breached the bay and fell down onto the beach, the two tumbled off from her back and onto the sand. Laughing happily, they came up to her massive face and touched the side of her muzzle. "It's been such a wonderful visit, Dá Lóng," Spackle said.

The images flooded their minds as Dá Lóng spoke without audible words. Derrick paused, taking in the images. Without effort, the images became the conversation he heard in his head. "I understand how you miss Kendal. But more and more, he's happy being Adam." The wolf heard the response and laughed. "Tell me about it. He's always away from home. We miss him too." The images continued to flow into his mind. "Yes, I'll have a talk with him. Please forgive him for being away for so long. We're never far from his thoughts, but that doesn't always make it any easier."

Spackle leaned over and kissed the dragon. "It's not always easy making peace with the fact that we share him with so many others. Our commitment to you and all the dragons goes deeper now than ever before. You don't have to let go of your love for Kendal, Dá Lóng, but perhaps finding an additional companion wouldn't be such a bad idea. One day you will find a mate, and your children will need a bridge from your world to ours. It might be time to find someone who can be more faithful to that calling."

Spackle ran his palm along the side of the beast and stopped as his eyes shut. A conversation took place without the young wolf's involvement. Derrick sat quietly, understanding the look, and let the two talk. After a time, Spackle whispered. "Of course I will. I hope one day to be your protectorate alongside Li Wei and Katashi, but until then, it would honor me to be your companion."

When Derrick heard the words, he smiled. The dragon was reaching out to another. She was asking Spackle to be her companion. He could sense the dragon realized this new companion was so much like the one before. She realized the calling he accepted was not forever but for a time. Here on the shoreline, the magnificent beast embraced the change and the impermanence of their union. Dá Lóng slipped into the moment, knowing that the moment was all they had.

"You go now. Get back in the water before you dry out," Spackle said with a loving shove. "I'll come to visit you tomorrow and we can decide where we go from here. Today, I'm promised to that handsome wolf over there," he said with a wave toward Derrick. He paused and laughed. "We'll see, but for now, Oliver and Will are enough nudges in my life, okay?" With a kiss from Spackle on the side of her head and another shove, the dragon snaked her body back into the water.

Spackle turned and smiled at the wolf. "What did she say?" Derrick asked.

"Oh, nothing. Sometimes I swear everyone on this island is a Yenta."

The black wolf laughed. "Okay, no need to say more." He took the young man in his arms. "Although I sometimes wonder if everyone sees something we don't."

Spackle pushed away and laughed loudly. "Oh, Wolfy, you have no idea what I see."

"What? What do you see?"

"Well," the young man said, "I see a crazy black guy skinny dipping with a black wolf that frosts his tips with blue." He turned from the wolf and pulled the suit down over his legs down to his feet. He gyrated his hips in a circle, pulled the suit off, and flung it over his head toward the wolf.

"I don't frost them," Derrick protested as Spackle completed his striptease. "And aren't you worried about the folks up on top?"

"The island is closed, Pup. It's seven o'clock."

"There are still plenty of hotel guests and island folk."

"And a wolf I want to go skinny dipping with."

Derrick smiled. "And there is a wolf that wants to go skinny dipping with you."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that when you started getting hard," Spackle replied with a giggle.

"I started getting hard when you turned around with a boner."

Spackle looked down at his crotch. "Well, get used to that, Wolfy. If I get naked in front of you, that's going to be a given. Le Wei and Katashi taught me it's an expression of affection. And I have a great deal of affection for your, my dear wolf." The young man extended his hand, and Derrick took it. Together they ran into the waves of the bay, diving into the water as one.

Later, after an hour in the cold water and time on shore making sandcastles, the two walked toward the Light Keeper's Home. "We're covered in sand," Derrick said with a laugh. He gave a violent shake and sand flew everywhere. Even so, he realized there was far more embedded deep in his fur.

"The house has a walk-through shower. We can enter it without walking through the house," Spackle said, opening the door outside the house and waving the wolf in. "Clean-up should be easy. I was told that wolves enjoy showering."

"We do," Derrick said, stepping into the shower. He looked around and laughed. "Well, you can tell this is a beast home. This shower will fit four."

Spackle wrapped his arms around the wolf from behind. "Or two, Wolfy. Shower with me, please. I could use someone to clean the sand off my back."

The wolf gave a shake, and Spackle held an overweight, balding man in his arms. The new human, three inches shorter than Spackle, turned and wrapped his arms around his fellow human. "It's easier to clean the sand off if I don't have all the fur." He looked down at the floor of the shower. "I hope this shower has a good drain system," he said, pointing at the small pile of sand at his feet.

Spackle looked at Derrick, realizing this was the first time he had seen his human persona. He looked down at the rounded stomach devoid of any hair. The large chest had just a hint of hair between the two hefty mounds of flesh. The full beard showed the beginnings of gray. It hinted to Spackle that Derrick was older than twenty-five when he turned. Yet, somehow, the beard and balding head fit the man before him. He was aware that Derrick wasn't happy with the body he had when he turned. But in front of him, Spackle couldn't understand why. "You're beautiful, Wolfy," he said.

"You're only saying that because I'm naked."

Spackle laughed. "Yeah, that doesn't hurt, but I mean it. You're beautiful."

Derrick forced a smile. He didn't enjoy hearing compliments about this body. Whenever someone gave a compliment, his immediate action was to negate it with a self-deprecating comment. Even after hundreds of years in the company of men who told him he was handsome, he struggled to believe them. "Thank you," was all he could think to say.

"I realize how hard it is to believe me, Wolfy," Spackle said. "But don't forget that this time, my opinion means so much more than yours."

"Really?" the chubby man asked askance.

"Eye of the beholder, Wolfy. To believe anything less is to say my taste in men sucks. And that would be rude."

"I'm glad you like what you see. I'm fond of looking at you, too, Spackle."

Spackle stepped further into the shower and closed the outer door. "Ninety-three degrees," he said. The water poured from the four shower heads at exactly ninety-three degrees. The young man motioned for the other to enter his arms.

Showering together was like every kiss that Spackle received from Derrick. It lasted longer than expected, explored more than anticipated, and was leaving Spackle reluctant for it ever to end. He had scrubbed down the chubby man's body front and back, paying particular attention to the groin and butt that had captivated him.

At one point, squatting down in front of the full gut, his soapy hands played with the swollen cock. He leaned forward, realizing how much he wanted to take it in his mouth. It made it even more difficult knowing how willing the man in front of him was to let that happen. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn't tell how far the two could push their activity before foreplay became sex.

Spackle had never played with a beast in his human form before. Anders, Lewis, Li Wei, and Katashi; all came to him as a beast. They all understood the lines they would not cross. Yet, here was another human in front of him, clearly as aroused as he was. He knew what it meant. He knew he was safe from the turning. But to make that leap, to admit to himself what the fellatio meant to him and the man before him; that he couldn't do.

Derrick pulled the young man up and kissed him. The soft fingers played with Spackle's cock. Derrick brought him to the edge of orgasm and then let him slip free. One of the few times those with the Sight saw it as a gift was when two shared the Sight together during sex. Each understood the needs and fears of the other. It led them to know intuitively what the other craved. Sex became the gift that Li Wei and Katashi had taught Spackle it was meant to be. The two moved together, each knowing what the other needed and intent on meeting those needs.

Derrick spun the muscular man in his arms around and pushed him against the far wall of the shower. His fingers rubbed the soap across the back and down through the crack of his butt. Slowly, the legs of the taller man spread out to give the shorter greater access. Derrick's body pushed up against Spackle's. The pale flesh of his arms stood out in stark contrast to Spackle's dark skin as the two steadied themselves against the wall. They let their soapy bodies rub against each other.

The Sight pushed forward when Spackle made a whimper. It wasn't the sound made by a human. It was the plea of a temple dog that the human behind him realized his large gut would not let him answer. The shift was quick, and Spackle saw the wolfen arms alongside his. The whimper came again, and the wolf pressed his cock between the human's rounded mounds and slid it along the flesh. His paws rested on the human's shoulders as the thrusting along the crack became more intense.

Spackle could hear the slapping of flesh and fur from across the continents. He joined the dogs as their soapy bodies played. He felt each gentle push inside as they mounted each other in New Zealand. The young man closed his eyes as his brothers brought him into their world. They offered him another opportunity to share their closeness as they had done on the highland. This time, there was no embarrassment. There was only gratitude as the rubbing of the wolf behind him pushed him where his brother's soapy paws led him. The small whimper of a dog accepting the offers was all that heralded the orgasm that surged through Spackle. As his legs buckled under the waves of pleasure, he watched the wolf's orgasm splashing against the shower wall in front of him. The line the beasts never crossed was still in place even in the moment where the human forgot what he was in the arms of the wolf.

In New Zealand, a panting Li Wei let Katashi slip from inside him. The two looked at each other, feeling the warm glow they still shared with Spackle, and they smiled.

Chapter 27

Anders stood in the entry hall staring at the two naked men on the couch who were watching the wide-screen monitor. "Well, this is entertaining," Anders said with a laugh. Both he and Lewis adjusted their grocery bags to maintain their balance.

"Hi, Dad," Spackle waved, not budging from where he lay in Derrick's lap. He shook a bowl of popcorn sitting on the coffee table. "We're having a pajama party."

"I don't see any pajamas," Lewis pointed out.

"I guess it's more of a pajamaless party," Derrick agreed.

"Ape suit, Pup?" Lewis asked.

"It's easier for the two of us to cuddle if I'm not seven feet tall."

"I suppose. The sofa is plenty big to fit you either way, but you two look cute together."

Spackle waved toward the two beasts. "Come join us. We're watching Godzilla 2000."

"That's the version where the lizard is a guy in a rubber suit, right?" Anders speculated.

"The only real Godzilla has always been a man in a suit. Those CGI and Holo versions are only Godzilla wannabes. How can I spend so much time with you two and not educate you on truly important matters?" Spackle said with a laugh.

"The day you welcome us to your turning, Son," Anders interjected, "we will educate you on truly important matters."

Spackle looked away shyly. "You're already teaching me so much, Dad. I was teasing you."

The bear leaned over the couch and kissed the human. "And I was teasing you." He righted himself and curled his lip as he stared at the two. "So, are you two going to be hard all night? That can get distracting for two beasts that are aware of both your sexual appetites."

Derrick nodded. "I'm pretty sure they're going to be there as long as we're together. We can toss something on if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Nonsense," Anders said as he shifted the bags of groceries in his paws. "You boys are fine." He headed toward the kitchen. "Are you staying the night, Pup?"

"Would that be okay?" the young wolf asked.

"Our bed is large enough to fit one of you, but not both. If you two will share the bed in the guest room, I'm sure we can make accommodations for you to stay the night."

"We can do that," both human and wolf responded in tandem, followed by an amused laugh over the identical response.

The two beasts, with their bags of groceries, entered the kitchen. "Somehow, I knew you would make that accommodation," they heard the bear say from behind the kitchen wall.

Chapter 28

When at last the two were alone in the guest room, they shyly explored each other's bodies. Unlike the shower, the two didn't feel as driven toward where the temple dogs had taken Spackle earlier. Here in the bedroom, they both sensed that they were alone. For Spackle, it was the beginning of a new understanding of how the temple dogs communed with each other. Sometimes they were one, and other times they were not. The reasoning involved in how they understood which way to be was still a mystery to him. He sensed it required being in tune enough with another to realize when the other needed space. Tonight Spackle needed space from his brother dogs, but not from the corpulent man beside him.

The two kissed each other. Their hands rubbed across each other's cocks and played with their balls. They were the same awkward moments seen so many times between young lovers exploring. That the one was hundreds of years old didn't matter to the newness of what the two shared. Derrick stopped kissing and his head lowered toward Spackle's cock. When he sensed the hesitancy in the human, he righted himself. "Too soon, Spackle?" he asked.

"You're not mad, are you?" the young man asked.

"No, not at all. You know I want you, but only when you're ready. The day you say yes, I want you to be confident, not confused; and certainly not because you think that's the answer I want."

Spackle smiled. "Thanks, Wolfy. I promise one day the answer is going to be yes."

"But not tonight," Derrick replied as he shifted to wolf. "This shape makes it easier for me to remember what I've promised."

"I love you either way, Wolfy."

"And I love you both ways, Spackle," Derrick said with a laugh. "How about we try to get a little sleep?"

"I guess that would be the right thing to do. I have classes tomorrow and a visit to pay Dá Lóng."

"Big spoon or little spoon, Spackle?" the wolf asked, patting one pillow.

"Little spoon, Wolfy. I loved the way you felt up along my backside earlier."

The two found their positions, and Derrick draped his paw over Spackle's side. He rubbed the chest and then let his paw go limp. In the night's quiet, Spackle struggled between his desires and his feelings for Derrick. As he did, he realized the struggle wasn't only with the way he felt about the wolf. He was different, and he was aware of the change.

The touch of any beast once excited him as a simple human response. It was a physical response tied to nerve endings and the biology of a million years of reproductive evolution. But what once excited on a simple physical level now carried an underlying current of need with it. Beyond the physicality, there was an urge to be one with not just the one, but one with the whole. He realized what the emotions inside him meant. The Unity, the link that bound all Changelings together, was growing inside him. It brought him closer to everyone he interacted with, but most especially those he loved.

He put his hand up to the wolf's paw and guided it to his swollen cock. "It's okay if you touch it," he whispered. Without a word, the wolf fondled the hardened flesh. When Spackle came, he sensed the wet warmth of the wolf's cum on his back. How strange it was to have no urge to get up and grab a towel to clean up the mess. How different to realize he no longer thought of it as a mess. His Shifu had taught him well. He would not be ashamed of how his body responded to the wolf, nor how the wolf's body responded to him.

The wolf's body pressed close to the human, mopping up the fluid in his fur. Before it dried in the night, it left only a warm moistness between the two. Their years of friendship deepened that night and became something else. At first, what that might mean frightened Spackle. He leaned into the moment as Saand had taught him. He saw all the feelings swirling by him, and he let go of all those save the truth.

His meditation left him with only one emotion. Spackle never told Derrick that was the night his infatuation became love. Then again, Derrick never told Spackle that was the night he saw the truth as well. The wolf had loved the human since the day they met. They were the only secrets the two ever kept from each other. All the same, they were secrets both already knew.

Chapter 29

"Of course, we'll be there. We wouldn't miss it. We'll we'll catch up when we get there," Kris said happily as he closed the ComLink call. He turned to the husbands around the breakfast table. "They're throwing a graduation for Spackle this weekend," he beamed. "Adam is already on Partridge Island waiting for us to join him. Something about living on an arid planet for the last three weeks leaves our home here in the high desert less than alluring."

Will laughed. "That, and three of his personalities have a weakness for big bears. That might have something to do with it. Nathaniel and Max make a pleasant distraction."

Eric got up and took his plate to the sink. "He seems to be doing better letting them all contribute. It can't be easy negotiating that much diversity, but the more he lets himself be what he is, the easier it will be for him."

"Is they gonna all smoosh up into one Adam any time soon, Old Bear?"

Eric looked at the badger. "I hope not, Oliver. Adam is Adam. I hope he finds a way to be comfortable with what he is instead of trying to change himself. I like that most of those inside him feel a part of the whole without the need to become one. It reminds me of the Unity. Overall, he's better off for it."

"I agree," Kris said. "Adam will find his place in this universe, not by trying to be what others expect of him, but by becoming what those inside him dream of becoming."

"He's closest to being one in purpose when all the others are there to guide him," the black wolf said with a smile. "They benefit from a decentralized government. It may not make sense from the outside, but inside him, it works."

"Works if you knows what a decentralized government is," Oliver groused. "Fancy words, Pup."

Derrick leaned over and kissed the badger. "You know how they say 'too many cooks spoil the broth,' right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, in Adam's case, having a bunch of cooks is what makes it all work out."

"Kinda like us, Pup?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, like us. If we all feel like we have a voice in this family, we're more likely to work as one when the need arises. Adam is finding out it's the same for him."

"I hopes it all works out for him," the badger said. "I hopes he knows we's there for him."

"It's why he asked us to join him, Oliver," Eric said. "We are still his husbands. Only now he has more husbands than he thought he would, and so do we."

"Wait," the badger said. "Is you saying that Marcus, Kendal, and our boys thinks of us as husbands?"

"They do now. Adam needs to be of one mind, and all those inside him agree that one mind needs to accept us as their husbands. Anything else just adds confusion to the mix."

Oliver leaned back. "I is married to a bear that's married to his father and his sons, and them sons is mine as well. And now they's married to me?"

"It's like the Trinity," Will replied with a chuckle. "Catholics have been okay with relationships being all smooshed up for centuries. The father, the son, and the other son, and well, I'm losing count."

"Well, they ain't fucking an otter when they's worshiping that smooshed up god," Oliver retorted.

"No, but they fuck practically everything else."

"Old Wolf," Derrick reproached.

"What?" Will replied. "It's the truth."

The black wolf sighed. "Just let it go. None of us here are fond of religions, but it's not nice making fun of them."

"Especially when we're talking about something as sacred as fucking the otter," Eric said as he stood up from the table. He watched the black wolf shake his head. "What? It's the truth," he said, rubbing the top of the young wolf's head as he walked by him.

Derrick took a last bite of his breakfast. "I suppose you're right. Old habits die hard. That disconnect between the sacred and profane still creeps in now and then."

"We live for the one," Kris said. "The Unity isn't about judging how we accomplish that. If sex brings us closer to each other, it's sacred. If it pushes us apart, then it's profane. We're not much for worrying about what others believe."

"Especially humans," Will added, and he stood with his plate in hand.

"Humans fucks up every good thing somewhere along the line," Oliver agreed. "They sure fucked up sex. Nothing healed my hurting like the first time Nathaniel banged my butt. Maybe I don'ts say it pretty, but being with that bear helped lead me to where I am today." Oliver got up, and as he passed Derrick, he rubbed the wolf's leg. "And I ain't never going back to what I was 'cause someone tells me what I do and who I loves is wrong."

Derrick nodded. "Okay, everyone. Adam is sacred, we're all sacred, and I don't get to worship on my knees in front of you all as often as I like."

Will looked aghast. "Pup, I'm shocked. Making light of religious practices; that's profane."

Derrick's eyes narrowed as he glared at the old wolf.

"What?" Will replied with mock innocence.

"You know what," the young wolf replied.

Will leaned over and kissed the top of Derrick's head. "What say you and I go worship together later this afternoon in front of a couple of bears? I'm not picky about which. I'm more Unitarian in my beliefs."

Derrick shook his head. "I don't know why I even bother," he sighed.

"Because you love me," Will answered.

"And you will never change," Derrick rebuffed.

"Nope."

Derrick smiled. "So, I guess it's best to worship together. You know, keep the family together, and all that."

"Seems wise."

"Either of you two wants to be fucked while you's worshippin' on your knees?" Oliver asked as he wiped his plate. "I could use me some religion today."

"God, you two," Derrick said with a laugh as he stood up with his plate. "Give it a rest. I'm sorry I brought it up."

The young wolf felt the arms of the polar bear wrap around him from behind and pull him close. He sighed when the bear's teeth set into the curve of his neck. Pain, pleasure... love. The feelings surged forward as strong as the first time the old bear took him hundreds of years ago. At that moment, the sacred became clear. "We need reminding, Pup," the bear whispered. "We need to remember what is important. Never stop challenging us."

Derrick felt the teeth set deeper and bowed his head, yielding to the bear behind him. The other three husbands watched and realized they would be late getting to Partridge Island. The congregation was going to church.

On Partridge Island, things were not going well for the otter. He sat in the corner of the aquatic center's male locker room, his head twisting back and forth. His wide-open eyes darted back and forth in the conversation that continued inside.

Adam was getting better at controlling his outward response to the exchanges. The otter no longer talked to himself in the outside world. But inside, the five still discussed their life and what they needed to do to unify the group. When those conversations took place, the jerking motions of the tiny mammal continued. Regrettably, it left an otter with a jerking head and darting, glazed-over eyes. In short, he looked like a poor creature having a seizure.

Spackle squatted in front of the otter and tried to look past the unfocused eyes. "Are you okay in there?" he asked.

Adam's head shook like a person trying to clear his head. He stared at the young man in front of him. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

Spackle laughed. "My apologies for interrupting the conversation you were having inside your head. You looked like you might need medical help. I had to check."

Adam nodded. "We're working on fixing that. I think I'm having a panic attack."

"And why is that?"

"I volunteered to visit with the orphanage swim classes today."

Spackle grinned. "That's wonderful. They'll love you."

"No one told me how many kids that actually is. There are over thirty kids out there," Adam countered. "I'm skittish around infants. They're too unpredictable." The otter's head twisted to the right. "But I've dealt with them all my life." The head twisted to the left. "But you're not all of us, especially the one trying to hold this all together."

The head of the otter shifted again, and another personality came to the surface. "We love kids. They think like us. They still see the wonder of everything around them."

"What? I don't?" the otter asked himself. "You think I'm so caught up in solving problems I don't have time to see the world those kids see? It's why I said yes to meeting them today. I need to find options for decompressing beyond our husbands. I can't keep relying on them."

Spackle cupped the muzzle of the otter in his hands. The young human's understanding opened with the touch. "Slow down, Otter," he said. "So many voices inside that noggin' of yours. So many trying to help, but it just confuses you, doesn't it?"

Adam looked up. "I love them so much, but so much that's routine for them is new to me."

"They're you, Otter," Spackle said. "They're not them. Those voices you hear are the extensions of yourself that you need to embrace, not control. Learn to love yourself exactly as you are and the voices won't confuse you. They will just be a part of you."

"Are you so sure of that?" the otter asked.

"I'm sure," the human said, letting his hold on the otter's muzzle go and replacing it with an extended hand. "I'm Spackle. We didn't actually introduce ourselves the last time we met."

"I'm sorry. William returned so quickly, and you both seemed so caught up in being together," Adam said. "I tried to give you space."

Spackle nodded. "So, hello, Adam." He pushed his hand toward the otter again.

"You're the human who is training to hug, right?"

Another nod from the young man followed. "Then we should hug, not shake hands," Adam said with a smile. "I'm married to William. He would not be happy with either of us if we shook hands."

Spackle hugged the otter. During the hug, Spackle sensed the change. The link to his brothers seemed to push forward in a manner never experienced before. It was as if their gift to share another's frustrations and fears was unlocked. A part of himself was waking, stirred by the otter in front of him. "So, Adam, why the struggle to be with children if a part of you spent his entire career taking care of them?"

"He's not the entirety of who we are."

"You really are a novice at this, aren't you?" Spackle asked.

"It's becoming clearer to me by the moment that's the case," the otter groaned.

"When you were just that copper glitter guy, didn't you have any internal dialogues with yourself? Some sort of back and forth where you tried to weigh the options and make the right choice?"

"Sure."

"So why are you freaking out over the fact those conversations are still continuing, but with different voices trying to guide you? Wasn't the whole idea of your merging to find new voices, not just new powers?"

"That was my hope," the otter said with a nod.

"Then don't fight those voices. When you sense you're not up for the task, let those voices who are confident take the lead, Adam. They are only a part of you that's new and unfamiliar, but they are still a part of you. When a part of you is stronger, let that part come to the forefront. Stop trying to control the very union you say you want."

Adam looked up at the human. "That's what I'm doing, isn't it? I say I want us to be together, but I won't let them take control without me overseeing it."

"Yeah, being a boss seems to go with that mindset of yours."

"The Order never permitted their symbionts to maintain control over their body."

"Then perhaps, Adam, you shouldn't be a part of the Order. The Were Nation never forces anything on anyone, let alone hijacking someone else's body."

Adam was quiet for a time. "They've said the same thing to me. It's so foreign to what I have always seen." He paused. "But it shouldn't be. I shouldn't be fighting them if what I hope for is for them to be me."

"Bingo," Spackle said with a smile. "You just got a major upgrade in experience with that merge of yours, but you're not letting that experience out without first trying to vet it. We don't do that, Adam. Sane people will bounce back and forth a great deal trying to decide what to do, but eventually, one idea wins out and we push forward with our most confident side. We use the talents we have that are best suited for the task without ever thinking we need to control them with some other side of our personality."

"You're right, Spackle. That was what I wanted to be. I shouldn't be thinking 'them and me'. It should only be me that is thinking things through with all the resources I have at hand. And when I've done that, I should put my best foot forward."

"Then be that otter, Adam," Spackle said as he rose. "I can hang with you today if you'd like. You know, someone to watch your back. Your husbands do it for me. It's time I return the favor."

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all. Adam, let the stronger parts of you make the choices today. Don't fight losing control. Accept that you're always in control, no matter what part of you comes to the forefront."

Adam's head darted to the left. He glazed over once more and the young man leaned back, watching. "Spackle is right. If we're ever going to stop being we and become I, we need to love ourself the way we are. Adam needs to be a part of us, not our overlord constantly picking and choosing from cogs in his little machine. We can make this right, but you're going to have to become one of us."

The otter paused, turning the other way. "I never considered that. I was so focused on making you all a part of me, I never thought the unity I sought was to become a part of you."

Spackle smiled. "Really, Adam? There's not a part of you that hasn't known the path?"

Adam looked up at the human. "Your training with the temple dogs seems to be going well," he said with an awkward grin. "What was once Donovan might have said I was approaching this all wrong a few times."

Spackle nodded. "There is no Donovan, Adam. What you're hearing is your own internal dialogue. You're talking to yourself because you have new information and you're forming new ideas that differ from what you once thought. You didn't merge with Donovan. Donovan merged with you. He left you with your autonomy and his intact. You don't control him, he doesn't control you, because there is no you and him. The two of you are one. He saw to that. But only if you let go of the idea that you need to be in control of everyone else."

Spackle rubbed the top of the otter's head. "The Order exacts control over their symbiont. That's not what you and Donovan did. The only time you think of Donovan as separate from Adam is when you have conflicting thoughts. We all have those from time to time. But if we're a single identity the way you hope to be, we work through our conflicting emotions as one. We don't go splitting apart. Stop doing that, Adam."

Adam's eyes widened in recognition. "You're right. When things are going well, I don't think of myself as two merged symbionts. I only think of myself as Adam."

"And when you say Donovan, you're referring to that part of you awakening with different ideas and different moral values. But it's still you, Adam. No one else. You're struggling with a paradigm shift. This is the beginning of a new reality for you. There is no Adam and Donovan. There is only Adam. Until you accept that, you will have an internal conflict of your own making."

The otter's head lowered. "The part of me that's the Unity is struggling with the part of me that's the Order. I say I want to merge, but I fight the very part of me that understands merging better than any of the Order." Adam lifted his head. "A part of me is what I should have become with everyone around me all along. It's not Donovan trying to teach me. It's me. The one who I became when I said yes to the merging. I am redefining myself and who I am."

"There you go, Adam," Spackle said. "The next step is to take what you taught yourself through your merging and extend it to all the rest who share that body."

Adam smiled. "I need to merge with them. They don't need to merge with me. And not in the way the Order merges. I need to merge with them the way William does with his husbands. That's what William was trying to teach me."

The otter paused. The glazed look returned. "Well, it took you long enough," he said, laughing. "You don't mind?" The twist of the head happened once more. "There really is no you in this conversation, Otter. There is only me. And I really want to go out there and say hi to those kids." Adam paused. "I guess I do too." The otter clapped his hands together happily. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun." He paused. "What? I can say we. We're going with Spackle, remember?" The otter laughed. "I am going to be so confused for so long." He turned to Spackle and put out his hand. "Thank you. I have a long way to go, but I'm feeling so much better about myself. Walk me to the pool?" he asked.

"I would love it."

When the two entered the hallway toward the pool, a young lady at the end of the hallway smiled at them. "Oh good, Adam; I thought you were going to be a no-show for a moment there."

"I was working out some details, Heather," the otter said, squeezing Spackle's hand a bit more tightly.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Our kids have been looking forward to today."

"Really?"

"Really," Heather said, peeking around the hallway wall. "Yeah, they know you're here. Let me go introduce you." She ran out toward the shallow pool and yelled, "Are you ready?" The children cheered. "I can't hear you!" she yelled. "Are you ready?" The children cheered again, even louder than before. "Okay then," Heather yelled. "Without further ado, I give you your swim instructor for today — Adam."

Spackle gave the otter a gentle shove. "You're on, Adam. Go. You'll be fantastic."

Adam ran out into the natatorium, waving to the children, and the cheer from the little ones filled the building. When he reached the side, he smiled at all the children bouncing up and down in the water. "Are you ready to practice your swim today?" He asked.

"YES!" came the deafening response.

"Okay. First: everyone, grab your tail," Adam said as he flipped his up and held it in front of the class.

"WE DON'T HAVE TAILS!" the children yelled almost in unison. The other mix of comments calling the otter silly followed at a much lower volume.

"Really? No tails?" Adam asked as he let his tail flop back behind him. "Well, that certainly makes swimming tougher." He paused and shook his foot in the air. "So, shake out your webbed feet and wave your webbed paws."

The thunderous response of the children was exactly what Adam hoped would follow. Inside, he let go. He found the one inside him that was comfortable in this world and that part of himself lead instead of trying to oversee it. He stepped back and joined the parts of him that watched the stronger push forward. It felt different, unfamiliar. But he assured himself this was right. This was the otter he hope to be.

"No webbing?" the surprised otter responded to the children. "My goodness. How do you kids even swim?" The otter dove into the water and swam toward the group. They all watched the otter swim through their group with little effort as the tail guided his path. With an easy flip, he righted himself half a pool away. "Okay, you strange little creatures with no tails and no webbing. Show me how you swim." He extended his arms toward the crowd and the children began paddling toward him.

From the sidelines, Spackle leaned up against the wall and watched. He smiled. "God, how I love this family," he said.

Chapter 30

"Come on, everyone, gather around. Time for a group photo," the grolar bear said over the conversations.

"Oh, Dad, do we have to?" Spackle asked.

"This is your graduation, Son," Anders replied. "I'm getting a picture of this, and your family is going to be in it. Come on Li Wei, Katashi. Grab the boy and put him in front of you." The two temple dogs complied with the order. The camera floating in the air moved back and adjusted its lens to fit the two new beasts in the picture. Anders and Lewis took their place on the left side of the young man, who was wearing a robe and mortarboard. Again, the camera made minor adjustments in its location and focal length. "Okay, you two, get over here," Anders said, staring at the two wolves.

"I thought this was his immediate family pose," Will said.

"It is. By the time his family finishes expanding, we'll probably have that camera floating out over the bay to capture us all. But today, this is his immediate family, and you two are a part of that."

Will smiled. "You good with that idea, Spackle?"

Spackle nodded. "He's right, Will. I think of you and Derrick as my immediate family. Or at least my intimate family."

Will laughed and grabbed his husband, pulling him toward the group. "We're honored to be a part of your immediate family. And ever so slightly aroused that you think of as your intimate family."

Derrick smiled. "Yeah, he's right on both accounts." The two stood beside Spackle's right side and smiled.

Anders pushed up the hands of the human next to him. "Hold up your licenses and degrees, Son. Okay, camera, take a decent picture of us all. Come on everybody, smile like you're enjoying this."

The day progressed as expected for every graduation, save for the long, boring speeches. The family of man and the family of beasts had long ago concluded that no one actually paid attention during most ceremonies. Acknowledging that, Spackle's graduation was pleasingly short. Anders was the one speaker to get up, and he cried throughout his entire speech. After a few minutes of unintelligible sobbing from the proud father, Lewis pulled him from the microphone. The white wolf promised he would hand out copies later of the wonderful speech his husband had written.

The party afterward left everyone happy that they were a part of Spackle's celebration. All fourteen provinces had awarded him contractor's licenses. That included the most rigorous testing from South Quebec. He passed his Certificate of Qualification exams with ease. Four times he had to correct provincial authorities on current best practices when they marked answers on his exams as incorrect. Spackle was years ahead of anything the Canadian governments were aware of thanks to Greg. The wolf's direct conduit to Bear Paws Enterprises' latest advances made sure of that.

His master's thesis in architectural design included plans for a stone temple. Dragons adorned the pillars. Alcoves for massive pieces of furniture were a part of the front, and altars adorned the hallways. The review team couldn't seem to remember any details about the interior of the temple, even after they had signed off on the design. The College Board shook their heads as to why Spackle chose such an edifice. But they couldn't deny the functionality of so large a structure. Despite their confusion, they gave him his degree for the temple's flawless design and attention to detail.

Everyone on the island felt a part of the degrees, licenses, and awards Spackle had garnered. So many had been there through his studies, and so many had helped him prepare for his tests. Now, as they celebrated his special day, they took equal delight in providing enough food to get everyone through the day.

As the day wore on, Spackle took Will aside, and the two walked away from the festivities. As they passed by the cemetery, Spackle paused. "They still speak to me. Not all at once anymore. It's more like the party we left. Someone comes up and talks with me for a while and then we're off talking to someone else." He knelt beside the marker for the red wolves. "They want me to realize the sacrifices they made for me to be here, and I want them to understand how much I appreciate them." He looked up at Will, who smiled. "They lived such incredible lives of love and sacrifice. I'm grateful they've never grown silent."

He stood up and walked to the monument for the Fallen at Osogovo. His fingers traced along the name of Alexander Wambeke. "There are names here we must never forget, Will. Stories that we need to hear no matter how hard they are to tell. When we speak the truth, when we share our stories, the pain softens and the grief divides."

Will watched the young man's fingers linger on Alexander's name. "I'll talk to Derrick and Oliver," the old wolf said. "The story has written itself more than once into that journal of theirs, and they have taken it back out. It was too hard for me to read, Spackle. But maybe it's not for me to edit our history. Perhaps the truth does need sharing for the pain to go away."

"The pain will always be there, Will. But so will the joy. Telling your story helps tip the balance to the joy. The man you love deserves that much."

Will helped lift the young man up. "How much do you see, Spackle?"

"I haven't seen the limits yet. I don't know if there are any."

"And how are you dealing with that?"

"I'm trying to forgive the one that gave it to me."

"That is a kindness I never gave the one who gave me the Sight or that damn red glow," Will said. He pulled the human into a sideways hug and started their walk anew. "Perhaps it's time I did."

"It frees you. Whoever it was didn't mean to hurt you. They only wanted to help."

"I get that, but they're still going to get a talking to if I ever meet them."

Spackle laughed, "And rightfully so." He paused as the two walked by the Celtic Cross. "But you realize that's not why I'm taking this walk with you, Right?"

"Not so much. The Sight never works for me that well around the ones I'm in love with."

Spackle didn't challenge Will's words. It was comforting to hear the one he loved so deeply loved him in return. "I don't know how to say goodbye."

"Then don't. Tell me what's happening. And when you're done, promise me you won't have to use the word goodbye once. I have faith in you. You're an educated man. Look at all those degrees you were holding up earlier. You can tell me what I need to know without saying goodbye."

"I'm leaving the island."

"That has to be hard on the four you love here."

"You saw what it's doing to Anders and Lewis earlier. Poor Dad; he can hardly get a sentence out without crying."

"How are Li Wei and Katashi taking it?"

"They're the ones who suggested it. I can't tell you how much I love them, Will. We go out every day, do our exercises together, and I sync up with them almost immediately. You understand what that means, right?"

"Temple dogs sync up when they practice. Married couples sync up quickly."

"Before even the first motion, I sense what the three of us are going to do. And in that sensation, I realize how much I want to be their mate."

"It might be prudent to put a bit of distance between the three of you. Where are you heading?"

"Tibet. I will study with Noboru."

"Damn, Spackle, what are you going to do when you sync with him? Because trust me, I've been with Noboru. You will sync up with that man."

Spackle nodded. "I don't doubt that. But he is my brother. I have promised myself to Li Wei and Katashi, and they have promised themselves to me. It's different. Noboru will make sure that we cross no boundaries."

"I'll miss you, Spackle," Will said.

"You won't come to visit?"

"I don't think so," the old wolf replied. "Your training requires leaving behind distractions. I don't want to be the distraction that shows up on your doorstep from time to time. We don't train together, Spackle, but you've figured out we're syncing up in our own way."

"Then I will miss you as well, Will."

"We'll cross paths down the line," Will said with a wistful chuckle.

"I'm sure," Spackle agreed. He paused. "I'm leaving in two hours. Li Wei told me your family deals better with someone leaving if it's done quickly."

"He's right there," Will said as he stopped the walk. "What about Pup? Have you talked to him yet?"

"No. I was waiting to see if it went well with you first. I was told bastards have a stronger constitution than most."

Will gave a chuckle as he shook his head. "They say that, but they're wrong." He lifted the young man's chin, leaned down, and kissed him. "You need to tell him. Don't take him for a walk. You two go over to the Potato Shack, get yourselves some tater-tots, go stick your feet in the creek, and talk. Let it be somewhere fun. Stir up some ranch dressing and A-1 sauce and dip those tater-tots until you can't find the potato."

"Ewe."

Will laughed. "No, really; try it. Pup loves it. It's not half bad."

"I'll try it, but no promises."

"You might not understand this, Spackle, but of all the ones you're saying goodbye to, it will hit Pup the hardest."

"Then I will have to make sure I don't say goodbye to him, either."

"That would be nice."

The two watched the black wolf crest the top of the hill walking toward them. "You two left a rather enjoyable party. I had to wonder, why would they do that?"

He stopped in front of the human and gave him a tight hug. "What say we head over to the Potato Shack and get ourselves some tater-tots?"

"How about we whip up some ranch dressing and A-1 sauce and dip them?" Spackle added.

Derrick kissed the human. "That would be nice." He turned to Will. "You coming along, Old Wolf?"

"No, I'll go find Anders and Lewis. We old geezers can commiserate together."

Derrick smiled. "If it's okay, I'll join you later. I have a feeling tonight is one of those nights when commiserating together is in order."

"Sounds like a plan, Pup."

The three parted ways. An hour later, Derrick and Spackle's feet still dangled in the creek near the caravan restaurants. "This won't change anything between us; I promise, Wolfy," the human said.

Derrick forced a smile. "I hope not. I hate when someone I love gets on a plane and leaves me. It feels too much like Casablanca. I have to turn to Will and say, 'Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'"

Spackle paused. "Wait. You're Rick, and Will is Captain Renault? That makes me Ilsa Lund. That won't work. I look nothing like Ingrid Bergman."

"I told you I hated it."

"I'm not leaving you, Wolfy. I'm going to study for the greatest test in my life. The one where I find out if I'm worthy enough to be a temple dog."

"You're worthy enough, Spackle."

"That you believe in me means so much to me, Wolfy."

"I'll miss you."

Spackle hesitated, feeling the urge to ask Derrick to visit. Will's words came back to him, and his head lowered. "I'll miss you, too." He held out a tater-tot, and the black wolf took it in his mouth. The muzzle grazed the fingers, nibbled gently along the arm, to the human's neck, and ended on the lips. The kiss lasted longer than expected, explored more than anticipated, and didn't end. Pressed tightly against the wolf, the human giggled. "Boner," he mumbled through the kiss.

"Boner," the black wolf agreed.

Together, the two slipped out of the water. They found a secluded part of the forest unseen by visitors, where the walls of the underground structure met the trees. There, the two said goodbye without ever uttering a word.

Chapter 31

Will crept up from behind and wrapped his arms around the black wolf with blue highlights. "How you doing, Pup?" he asked.

"I'm doing well," Derrick giggled in response as the old wolf began chewing on his neck. "I miss him, but I know he's where he needs to be, and I realize he doesn't need me there distracting him."

"But three years is a very long time to be missing someone," the old wolf pressed.

Derrick turned and looked Will in the eyes. "And you, Old Wolf, you're not having any problems dealing with him being away?"

Will fell into a hug and grabbed the black wolf tightly. "I miss him so badly, Pup."

"Me too," Derrick whispered. "We'll make it through this together. He's training, and one day he's going to be a temple dog."

"And he better be ready to top an old wolf that's expecting three years of backlog sex."

The black wolf with blue highlights laughed. "I'm sure he'll be agreeable to that. He's a pretty horny young man now. I can't imagine that changing when he is a dog."

"Mights be that becoming a temple dog turns him all prim and proper," Oliver said, looking up from the dinner he was preparing.

"Temple dog? Prim and proper? How can you use those terms in the same sentence, Oliver?" Will asked.

"Just saying the boy is special. I'm thinking one day you'll realize the temple dog he becomes is gonna be special too."

"We know that, Badger," the black wolf protested. "But we hope he's special in the same way all the temple dogs are special."

Oliver grinned. He gave the pot a few extra stirs and put the lid on it. "He's gonna be great. We just gots to treat him likes I'se treating dinner. Don't stir him too much and quit looking under the lid, trying to figure out when he's gonna be ready."

"That sounds like good advice to me," Derrick agreed.

"That boy has got enough love in him for all of us," the badger said.

"True that," Will said as he pulled the badger into a hug. "And what about you, Oliver? Do you have enough love for all of us?"

"Always, Old Wolf," the badger replied.

"Well, I think Oliver should put that dinner on simmer while we test how much love he has," the polar bear said, standing up.

"There's a difference twixt love and sexing, Old Bear. I said I gots enough love for all of you. Didn't say I gots enough sex."

The polar bear frowned. "Well, that's disappointing on certain levels."

The badger flashed a lecherous grin. "I gots way more sexing inside me than you all can handle."

"The badger has thrown down the gauntlet," the Kodiak said as he rose from his chair. He leaned over and turned the stove off. "No simmering for that dinner of yours, Badger. By the time I'm done with you, it will have boiled down to charcoal. I expect you to quench my appetites with something other than what's in that pot."

Oliver beamed. "I'se ready, Bear. Let's get at it before them two wolves figures out you'se inside me instead of them."

The Kodiak grabbed the badger and ran off toward the master bedroom. Derrick looked at Will. Will looked at Eric. "Do you think we should give them a head start?" the old wolf asked.

"I think not," Eric said as he grabbed the paws of both wolves. "Come along men, I want to see if there's a way I can line you two up so I can shove in one of you, pull out, and shove into the other."

"You know there is, Old Bear," Derrick giggled. "You've been doing it for over three hundred years."

"Yeah, but tonight I want to see if I can hold on to Oliver and slip him into the hole of the wolf I'm not in. We'll trade back and forth so you two are never without a cock inside you for more than a single thrust. It will take some remarkable timing not to miss a beat."

"How much time between tradeoffs?" Will asked.

"Three thrusts per wolf and then trade. Changelings like the number three."

"Sounds challenging," the old wolf responded.

"Yeah, and the Bear will shove his cock in and out of your mouths at the same pace."

"And this is going to prove Oliver's statement, how?" Derrick asked.

"It's not, Pup. It's going to prove how good a distraction we can be when our two favorite wolves are missing someone they love."

The two wolves grinned and raced off toward the bedroom. In short order, they found their positions, and the rhythms set into place.

From outside the ranch house, the fireball raced toward Terra. Seconds before impact, it rolled out into a ball of scales. The pangolin unraveled and started walking toward the ranch house. When he pushed open the front doors, the pangolin shifted.

"Hi, husbands, I'm home," the otter said, throwing open the bedroom door wide. He stared at the five, watching the shifting bodies slamming into each other. "Oh, please, please tell me there's a place for me in all that," he pleaded.

"You fill up Pup's mouth, and I'll take Will's," the Kodiak said. Adam watched the two wolves slung over a table being pounded from both ends. "Grab a chair to get the height you need and prepare to take over when I slip out of Pup. We can get more adventurous as we go along."

Adam reached down and freed the growing cock from his sheath. He grabbed a chair leaning against the bed and pushed it up against the kitchen table. He never questioned how or why the kitchen table and chairs were inside the bedroom. "Welcome home kisses later, men," the otter said. "For now, just understand that I love you all." The otter watched as the Kodiak shoved his cock in and out of the two wolves, never slowing his pace. As Kris slipped out of Derrick, the otter saw his opening. With one shove, the dripping otter cock was inside the young wolf's mouth, and a new rhythm began.

"Gotta love this family," Will mumbled as the bear's cock shoved deeper into his mouth. Adam smiled, realizing the old wolf had said exactly what he was thinking.

Chapter 32

"It's nice to have you home, Adam," Eric said as the otter lay on his chest.

"It's nice to be home," the otter replied. "I apologize that it's been too long between days off."

"We realized what we were getting into when we married you, Adam," the white bear comforted.

The otter chuckled. "I wish I did. This marriage of ours is turning out to be more challenging than I expected it to be."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Eric asked.

"Not really," Adam answered. "It's not my relationship between you and me," the otter explained. "It's the one between me and my husbands on the inside."

"Is that the way you see yourselves now?"

"Yes, and it takes a bit of getting used to. Everyone has a voice in our relationship. It makes things more complicated than the normal life of one in the Order."

The polar bear rubbed the otter's chest, playing with a claw across the otter's nipple. "I'm still not convinced the Order is the place for you. I'm glad you're helping others. But the price those in the Order pay for the privilege is far too high."

"I can't say I don't agree," Adam conceded.

"Which one of you said so?"

"All of us," Adam admitted. "Eric, I used to think I understood what I wanted in life. I used to be so sure it was the Order that would provide that life for me. But my husbands are showing me I may need to rethink everything I believed." Adam rolled over and tilted his head into the bear's chest. "Can you see the teeth marks?"

Eric rubbed the fur and saw the small dents appearing to be two small lines of teeth set in the otter's neck. "They're beautiful, Adam. You're lucky to have such loving husbands." He reached up and knocked on the otter's head. "That said, you guys; cut Adam some slack. If you're going to be Adam, find a way to bring one voice to the table."

Adam looked up. "Thank you, Husband."

"I have faith in the men inside you, Adam. And I have faith in you. You're my mate, and that means the entirety of you. We all struggle with trying to address you as one because we understand how your relationship works. But if you can act as one, it will be easier to treat you that way."

"We know… I know…" Adam said. "Thanks for listening. I'm a work in progress."

"It's going to be difficult. If you think of yourselves in the same way that we look at the different parts of our personalities, it might help."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Right now, I'm sitting with my husband and we're talking. This is my relaxed personality at the forefront. At work, the negotiator steps up. When we're having sex, the uninhibited satyr takes the lead. When you are hurt, the doctor with a great bedside manner is in control. I'm different men for different reasons. But they all know when they're called on before they're even asked."

"How do they know?"

"By being there through all the years. They're all me. They just manifest when the need arises. Sometimes more than one of those personalities comes to the front to deal with a single issue. And I still struggle with parts of myself. I struggle with doubts and fears, but there are parts of me that help control those doubts and fears. Other times, those parts of me hoping to keep things in control fall apart."

Adam nodded. "I have that feeling far more than I like to admit."

"Because you're becoming one of many personalities instead of growing them the way I did. They evolved inside me out of need. Yours were born into you in a single moment. Now you need to sort through them so everyone knows where they fit in. Some will be easy. Our boys are your satyr. Marcus is the negotiator. Kendal is the builder. You, Adam, are the Channeler. It's your job to unite all those personalities into one. But you're going to find on some days Kendal and Marcus are bringing as much of your satyr to the table as Raymond and Samuel. At times, Kendal might share a negotiating insight Marcus overlooked. Even our boys are brilliant in their own right if they can stay focused."

The bear rubbed the top of the otter's head, "And you, Husband, don't underestimate your talents and abilities. There is much you can bring to who you are."

The polar bear's paw slipped downward and across the otter's back. "All those personalities, all those talents. Find a way to unify them the way we all need to, and you will be even more amazing than you are now."

Adam smiled. He rubbed the large black nipple hidden beneath the bear's white fur. "You think I'm amazing?"

"You will never realize how much so. I worried when Marcus told us what he wanted to do, but I was wrong for not trusting his judgment."

"It was Kendal who made it all work," Adam said. He paused. "That's what you meant, isn't it? Their two personalities created a better outcome than only one."

"That's what I meant. Give yourself time, Adam. You're a good man. One day, you'll realize that's all you are. There won't be all those individuals inside you. There will be only Adam working with the talents and gifts he has."

Adam smiled. "I will try to remember everything you said today, Old Bear. I will admit that I had a similar discussion with Spackle not long ago. It seems the temple dogs are right. The important lessons we learn in life will be repeated. Perhaps for me until I learn them. I do hope to learn them. One day when you look at me, I hope you see the beast you believe I can be. I promise I'll do my best."

"That is all we ever ask, Adam." There was a quiet moment between the two, and the polar bear stirred. "That, and I'll ask you to go down on me. Playing with my nipple got me hard as a rock."

Adam grinned and turned around on top of the bear's stomach. "Your satyr and mine getting together?" he said as he lapped at the swollen black cock.

"Yeah, they should have fun."

Adam opened wide and swallowed the bear's cock. He closed his eyes and let the satyrs in him take the lead. It surprised him at first how many stepped up. Soon enough, he realized they were far better at rising to the challenge of getting the white bear off. He let them channel their individual energies through their shared body. He let go of the need to control anything. In doing so, the one called Adam found again the unity that he sought.

Chapter 33

The khakkhara slammed against the naked young man, and he went tumbling through the paper and wood doors into the snow. He stood up and glared at the temple dog standing on the patio ledge before him. "Dog," he growled.

"Human," the dog said with a smile.

"You set the ground rules for this fight and then you broke them when I had the upper hand."

Noboru smiled. "And now you learn that when you enter a fight, there are no rules save to win that fight. You cannot try to play by rules that others might ignore or you jeopardize the lives of those you defend."

"But what about all that stuff I learned as a kid? You know… the noble knights, the cowboy who won't shoot anyone in the back; that stuff. What about that?"

"The defense of the innocent is the only time outside of training where we set stance to fight. When we have done so, only one goal remains. Chivalry is for times of peace, not battle. If a bullet shot into the back of a cowboy ends the violence toward the innocent, then we take that shot."

"So, no throwing away your sword because the bad guy's got shattered, and duking it out with your fists? I mean, that's the way every hero I watched in the movies did it."

"Then every hero you ever knew was naive," the temple dog replied.

Spackle stepped up onto the porch and began wiping the melting snow off his legs. "Or an idiot. I always thought they were idiots."

Noboru nodded. "That word might also be appropriate." He reached over and grabbed a towel. "Come, Little One, let me dry off your back." The temple dog rubbed along the back of the human and sensed the arousal of the young man. "Are you okay, Spackle? I did not hurt you?"

"Only my pride, Sensei."

"I am glad to hear that. Your erection is quite distracting."

Spackle laughed. "Is our training at an end?"

"No," Noboru replied. "We still have much to learn before the day is over. In martial arts, distractions are one more thing we must ignore. But tonight, my brothers and I would enjoy your company in the bath."

Spackle rubbed his side where the khakkhara had hit him. "I would like that very much. I'm going to be sore tonight."

"Your arousal with us in the baths will make that a given, Little One."

Spackle laughed. "So, we're not lounging in the water, relaxing tonight?"

"I do not think so. We will be gentle. We understand the limits of your human body."

Spackle laughed again and shook his head. "And you test them every time we're together."

"Your training requires us to do so," the temple dog confessed. "And we love you accommodating our needs so willingly."

The young man leaned over and picked up his khakkhara. "You're my brothers, Sensei. Of course I try to do my part."

The temple dog leaned down and kissed the young man. Spackle felt his cock grow even tighter. "Perhaps one day you will call me Noboru," the temple dog whispered.

Spackle pushed the temple dog back, kicked his khakkhara with his foot, and grabbed it with both hands. He set stance and grinned. "Perhaps one day, Sensei. But today is not that day." The human shook the staff. "On your mark, Dog. I have lessons to learn."

Noboru chuckled. "The temple dogs have eighty-three forms of martial arts that we practice. You are barely competent with five."

"Then we better train harder, or my Sensei will have some explaining to do when I return home. Li Wei is the Khenpo of all the temples. I don't want the dog I love in front of me now to suffer the displeasure of the dogs I love on Partridge Island."

Noboru bowed. "You are wise, Little One." The temple dog put out his staff and set stance. "Flying cumquat, dancing lotus bear stance," Noboru said as his staff pulled in close to his side.

Spackle stared, laughing as he pulled up out of stance. "There's no such thing as flying cumquat, dan…" The temple dog's khakkhara slammed into his side and set him spinning into a wall.

The young man shook his head, trying to gather his bearings. "Dog," he growled.

"Human," the smiling temple dog replied. "You set stance. You told me you were ready to fight. What did I say about distractions being another part of what you must learn to ignore?"

Spackle rose. "You're right." He set stance, pulling his staff in close. Noboru did the same. Spackle's free hand slipped down and rubbed along the swollen cock between his legs. "Today, I'll fight with two staffs," he said with a grin. Noboru had scarcely glanced at the erection when the khakkhara slammed against his side and he tumbled out into the snow.

Righting himself, Noboru smiled. "You are learning, Little One. I am proud of you."

Spackle jumped into the snow and hugged the temple dog. When they kissed, the human felt the warmth. Even naked in the snow, there was no chill. Temple dog blood ran hot, and the young man realized it ran through him.

Noboru pushed back. "Again. We train again." He pushed back further, letting his hug of the human go. Spackle stared at the monumental cock standing upright between the dog's legs. How he loved seeing it. All his years of training as an architect left him in awe of flawlessly built things. The cock of a temple dog was one of those creations.

"We will both fight with two staffs today, Little One," Noboru said with a smile. "You have your staffs, and I have mine. Set stance. Come at me," the temple dog commanded.

"Here in the garden? There's a foot of snow."

"Life will not afford you the convenience of choosing your battlegrounds, Little One."

Spackle shrugged and pulled his khakkhara in close to his side. His free hand extended and his legs set stance. With all the distractions surrounding him, he knew Noboru would best him in short order. Regardless, he prepared to do his best. The temple dog set stance, and they lunged toward each other.

The battle between the two was the first time where Spackle felt confident in his moves. There was an understanding that seemed to go beyond his training. Yet with each new accomplishment, the dog in front of him pushed past his success and challenged him anew. Spackle didn't recall how long the fight had gone, but he was determined to show his sensei that he would not falter.

As he ducked and the khakkhara flew past Spackle's head, he realized it wasn't his sensei to whom he hoped to prove himself. It was the dog he was to share a bath with later in the night. It was his brother, Noboru, whom he wanted to impress. Not so much to impress him as he wanted Noboru to realize that he could stand beside his brother through all that came at them.

Still, the dog came. Noboru was unrelenting. Spackle's strength waned. He worried that there were no tricks to pull from his training that the temple dog didn't second-guess. He raised his staff above his head, and the dog's khakkhara came slamming down against the wooden rod.

Spackle didn't understand what happened next. If there were out-of-body experiences, then at that moment he had one. He saw the battle from his own perspective, even as he saw it as a spectator far above the two. Every step Noboru was going to take was there in his mind. He saw past every move they had made, every future step they would take. He even watched the eventual outcome when he went flying into the koi pond. Then, from above, he changed all that happened below.

The temple dog swung toward the human's midsection and Spackle blocked the blow. The staffs rose to chest height. Noboru pressed down on the much smaller human pushing back against the khakkhara. The Spackle watching from above altered the outcome of the Spackle fighting below. He saw the one move that would change the game. He saw the gift of every temple dog, and he reached out to claim it as his own.

Spackle's khakkhara glowed a fiery red as he pushed back against the temple dog. Noboru lost his footing as Spackle shoved him beyond any human capability. As the temple dog staggered, he saw the glowing white staff with the rings ablaze coming straight for his midsection. He toppled backward as the khakkhara shoved into him. Another swipe of the glowing staff cut across the dog's side. Noboru slammed against the garden wall that crumbled against the impact.

Spackle stared at his glowing staff. There was no other view when he looked out on his sensei and saw the bleeding side of the dog. "What have I done?" the young man screamed as he threw the glowing staff away from him. It landed in the snow and melted through to the ground. Spackle ran to his sensei and pressed his hand into the bleeding wound. "I'm so sorry, Noboru. My intention was only to show you my progress. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Noboru looked up at the man trying to stem the flow of blood and rubbed his head. "I am not hurt, Little One." The dog pushed his bloody fur back, exposing a slowly closing wound. "I am a temple dog. Like all beasts, we heal quickly."

"You promise I didn't hurt you?" Spackle pressed.

"I promise," Noboru replied. The dog paused and watched the young man. "You should not have been able to do that, Spackle," he said as his paw rubbed against the human's tear-stained cheek.

"I saw it in my mind. The path to opening up the khakkhara seemed so simple. Noboru, I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I never knew how much power lay in that staff."

"A gun from the outside appears exciting, but it can do much harm if the one wielding it is untrained in its use."

Spackle couldn't stop apologizing. He knew he was repeating himself. But he could find no other words to express the regret he felt for what had happened. "I'm sorry. I promise I will never do that again."

Noboru smiled and pushed himself up from the snowy ground. He groaned uncomfortably. "The warm waters of the baths will soothe both of us tonight. Tomorrow we will repair the wall together." He put his paw on the human's shoulder. "You will train, Spackle. But do not promise never to use the power again. For that very reason, you were born. Power in itself is not right or wrong, good or evil. It simply is. How we choose to use it gives it its definition. Today, you manifested an ability none of us thought you would have until after your turning."

"I'm sorry, Noboru."

The massive paw rubbed the shoulder of the human again. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Spackle. Your body defended itself against what I brought to it. I was intentionally pushing your limits. We have found today that those limits are far greater and more complex than either of us thought."

"I'm still sorry. I hurt you."

"And I am healed."

"It doesn't negate what I did."

The rub of the shoulder became a hug. "But forgiveness does. Let your spirit rest. There should be no guilt where there is forgiveness, and I forgive you, Spackle. This was an accident."

"But, I…"

"No, Spackle," Noboru commanded. "Learn to let go. I have told you all is well. Your training has ended for the day. Learn one lesson from all that has transpired. Learn to accept forgiveness when offered. Let go of your guilt. Learn to let go of any emotion when that emotion does not serve you well."

Spackle hugged the dog even more tightly than he had. "I love you, Noboru."

"And I love you, Spackle." The kiss the two shared softened the hurt both felt. When it ended, Noboru smiled at the young man. "Come, let us go to the baths early. We could both use the extra time together. You run on ahead and prepare the bath, Little One. I will put the khakkhara away."

Spackle smiled at hearing the words. "I'm still your little one?"

"Now and forever, if it pleases you to hear it."

Spackle hugged the dog again, and the dog wrapped his paws around the human. The hug was brief. Spackle turned, wiped his eyes, jumped up onto the veranda, and ran inside. Noboru bowed his head. "Master," he whispered, "we will need to talk."

On the other side of the ocean, Li Wei's head lifted from his early morning meditation. "In time, Noboru. For now, take good care of our brother."

Noboru made a small nod. "That has always been my intention, Master."

Chapter 34

Eric leaned on the railing and looked out over the cliff at the beach below. He smiled as he watched a chubby bald man playing with an otter in the waves splashing up on the shore. He heard the approach of the werewolf behind him, but he didn't turn, entranced by the joyful play below. Will put his arm around the bear and smiled at the two in the water. "They look like they're having fun," he said.

"They do, indeed," the bear replied. "It's still early. Few are stirring at this hour. Adam has to grab his cuddle quotas while he can. He's on call."

Will shook his head. "Could you ever imagine all those hundreds of years ago that a shy little guy wrapped up in that gorgeous round body would one day be playing with an otter?" He paused, enjoying the view of the two. "Playing with an otter who, if I'm not mistaken, is about to fuck him royally. Did you ever imagine we'd see this day?"

The bear laughed. "No, I didn't," he replied. "I remember the first time he saw me take your human when I was a bear. To be honest, I thought I would never see him comfortable enough in his own skin to let a beast take him as a human."

"Our husband is all grown up, Old Bear."

The bear smiled. "Yes, he is. And he's as beautiful as the day I met him."

The Kodiak joined the two and looked out over the cliff edge. "That's because he's still the same as the day you met him," the brown bear said. He stared at the two playing in the water. "You know, that's pretty hot stuff going on down there."

The otter was pushing the human's legs up and back, trying to stabilize his position in the shifting waters of the bay. When a large wave came up from behind, the otter's body lurched forward with the momentum of the wave. The sharp eyes of the beasts on top of the cliff could tell he had penetrated the human. The slow, gentle rhythms of two that were in no hurry to push toward orgasm began in the receding waters of the wave.

Will nodded his agreement. "I don't know whether to leave them alone or run down there and join them."

"Derrick has an open mouth. You know how that boy likes to have all his holes filled," the large brown bear said as he shifted to his human form. He grinned at the wolf. "And Santa is the perfect guy to give him the present he loves." He pulled on the arm of the wolf. "Come on, Old Wolf. Let's go join our husbands."

Will thought for a moment. "Human or beast?" he asked, more to himself than anyone around him.

"Balance in the universe, Husband," the polar bear replied. "Two humans playing need two beasts to play with them. Adam has no human form, and he seems content playing with Derrick the way he is. Give them both another beast to play with."

Will shrugged. "That works for me." He leaned into a kiss with the polar bear. "You going to join us, Old Bear?" he asked.

"I think I'll stay up here and live vicariously through you all for a bit."

"That works, too," the old wolf remarked. He turned to the white-bearded man next to him. "Come on, Husband. I'll race you to the bottom of the ramp to find out who feeds the pup." The two were off laughing and pushing each other as they raced toward the beach access ramp.

The old bear smiled as the four became one in their play. He adjusted his bulky body and fell to the ground, pushing his legs out toward the cliff edge. He leaned on the railing with his arms. His head plopped into his crossed arms as he continued gazing at the revelry below. He heard the soft shuffle of badger feet behind him and smiled when the little mammal pushed up alongside him. "Them boys is gonna be so sorry when they tries to figure out how to get rid of all that sand later today."

The polar bear chuckled. "We can offer to shower them down, Oliver. I admit to a fondness for ape suits and hot soapy water."

Oliver thought for a moment. "I woulds like that." He looked up into the Eric's smiling face. "I loves you so much, Old Bear," he whispered.

The bear leaned over and kissed the badger. "And I love you, Oliver," came the reply.

The badger looked out wistfully at the four below. "I never dreamed I would be in this place all them years ago when I looked down from that hill and saw a bear and two boys running for their lives. I never dreamed there could be so much love and forgiveness in you, Old Bear… or in them boys."

The bear fell backward onto the grass, putting his head into his folded arms. "Or in you, Oliver. You never cease to amaze me."

"I loves you all so much," the badger replied, rubbing the belly of the bear. "When I sees you, I knows there ain't nothing I won't do for you and your boys. I will stands between you and the awful and I won't never back down again. My moment of greatest weakness become my greatest strength."

The bear turned and looked back at the badger and smiled. "And in doing so, you have become our greatest strength."

Oliver shook his head no. "Ain't me that's this family's greatest strength. It's all of us. We's strong because we's together." Oliver climbed up on top of the white bear and rested his head on his chest. "All alone, we may not be much, but together we is fierce. I dreamt of being fierce all them years ago, but I never knowed it would take me loving nine husbands to become that beast."

"Yin Yang," the temple dog standing above them said. The two looked back to see Li Wei and Katashi smiling at them. "The greater your love becomes, Oliver, the more gentle you become with those you love. In that gentleness lays your desire to protect that which you love. In that desire to protect, you are fierce. You are fierce because you are gentle."

Oliver thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "I guess you is right."

Katashi made a small wave to the two reclining beasts as a greeting. "Dá Lóng is getting terribly aroused by your husbands' copulations," Katashi said as he approached the cliff wall and looked over the railing. "We rose from our slumber to find out what was causing her agitation."

"What do we do about that?" the white bear asked, lifting himself up with the badger in his paws to look back over the bay. "There are no other water dragons for Dá Lóng to mate with."

Le Wei nodded knowingly. "The dragons are like all our family, Ancient One. They watch over each other and attend to the needs of those they love." He pointed toward the sky, where a serpentine dragon appeared in the distance. "The wingless fliers have remarkable breath control," he said as the dragon spiraled out of the sky.

The resulting wave from the dragon's entry rushed toward the four at play. It took them along the crest and dropped them far from where they were moments ago. The four on top of the cliff watched the dazed four below and laughed. Within moments, the four below were also laughing as they ran from another great wave. Dá Lóng breached the bay, wrapped around her fellow dragon in a passionate embrace.

"They will have the most amazing children," Li Wei said enthusiastically. All watched the two dragons submerge once more. The bay returned to what it once was, calm and inviting to the four who resumed their play as if nothing had ever happened.

Oliver laughed. "We has one seriously fucked up family. I loves it."

Katashi made a slight bow. "Indeed, Oliver. But Dá Lóng is right; your husbands' copulations are most arousing."

"Go down there with them, dogs," Oliver said. "Ain't nothing saying they don'ts want more family to join them. Seems to me there's an Old Wolf down there that loves himself a good pounding from a temple dog now and then. Go on and make his rump happy for days."

"It would not be an imposition?" Li Wei asked, the desire clear in his voice.

"Of course not," the polar bear responded.

Katashi shook his head in disappointment, "It would never work, Husband," he said to Li Wei. "Our fur and the sand… you know how difficult it is to get clean."

The bear chuckled. "Oliver and I have decided we will be the official cleaning party for all that happens below. You can go with the assurance that we will help you clean up after you return. The barn hoses and a bit of soap will make everything right again."

Katashi grinned. "Would it be too much to ask that you use the genitals you euphemistically call your scrub brush to ensure we are clean all over?" the dog asked optimistically.

"Not at all," the bear replied. "That is why barns have doors. To allow such deep cleaning to take place without disturbance."

Oliver stood up and stuck out his tongue, wagging it back and forth. "And I can use my little scrub brush here to gets you two ready for his bigger brush if you likes," he said between lapping noises made by the tongue.

The two dogs nodded their enthusiasm. "That will be more to look forward to than we could imagine." Both paused. "The barn has very sturdy rafters," Li Wei added.

Oliver and Eric both laughed. "They's right sturdy, Dog. But for now, why don't you two goes out there and bang yourselves some beasts?" the badger said, pointing toward the ramp. The two needed no further encouragement and were bounding down the ramp in seconds.

The two on top resumed their watch over the family. The polar bear cradled the badger and pulled him in close. "You know, Oliver. You've had a hard-on now for quite some time."

"I gets them watching my husbands fucking."

"Me too," the bear added.

"I reads on the Internets that they can cause all sorts of problems if you don'ts do something about them."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I seen it."

"Should we do something about it, Oliver?"

"Just you and me?"

"Yeah, just you and me."

"I woulds like that a lot, Old Bear."

"What say we find ourselves an empty gunnery apartment and we get all fierce together?" the bear said.

"By being gentle?" the badger questioned his response.

The bear leaned over and took the badger in his arms. "By being gentle, Oliver. Let's not hurry this day."

"I'd like that lots," Oliver agreed.

"Hand in hand or on my shoulders, Oliver?"

Oliver grinned. "On your shoulders, Old Bear. I loves the way my boner feels rubbing up along your fur."

"Funny thing that. I love that feeling too," the white bear said as he hefted the badger up onto his shoulders.

Together, the two began walking toward the gunnery apartments. The badger wrapped his arms around the side of the bear's temples, resting his paws on the bear's forehead. "Be my mate," he whispered into the ear of the bear.

"Now and forever, Oliver," the bear said without hesitation.

Oliver tightened his hug and laid his head on top of the bear's. He closed his eyes and smiled. Forever was a very long time. But in that moment, the little badger knew the bear spoke the truth. The Old Bear would be forever by his side.

Adam looked up from the waves toward the cliffs. The dogs were at the base of the ramp and pivoting to head out onto the sand toward the happy foursome. He grinned and saw beyond the two slobbering dogs to the loving couple walking along the cliff face toward the gunnery apartments.

He saw beyond the bear and badger to the two short-faced bears snuggled in their bed together with the saber-toothed cat and rhino by their sides. He saw beyond the island to the young man who lay in the baths wrapped in the arms of his temple dog brother in the night.

Beyond the two, the world turned into a universe full of worlds. Adam's gaze went so far beyond what the human mind could even contemplate. His hand lifted upward, stilling the world for a moment.

"This… this is what I was talking about," the otter whispered. "This is what we must learn one day," he said. "They have so much to teach us. Don't let this moment slip by without realizing what a wonder it is." His hand slipped down and the chubby man below him wrapped his arms around the otter's butt. The bearded man lifted the otter up, and the furry mammal's cock slipped into the human's mouth.

The only constant in the universe was change… change and the love of the otter's family for each other. Whatever it took, he knew the family would find a way to stay together. Adam smiled, letting those he loved take his body to places only they could ever take him. In that moment, he knew the lessons he was learning were only now beginning.

In a gunnery apartment, the polar bear laid the werebadger down on the bed and gently kissed him. His paw reached up and a claw ran along the length of the badger's aroused cock. The first caress of a day of unhurried lovemaking brought smiles to both.

In the museum house, the four stirred. Two bears, one rhino, and a saber-tooth cat made their morning greetings with kisses and hugs. The sun crested the bay, casting a warm glow across the eastern beach. The light crept slowly up the cliff face.

The night shift workers stepped out, blinking back the sunshine they rarely saw through the clouds, and smiled. Across the haven, the Partridge Island residents began stirring at the start of a new day. Another beginning, like so many the family shared. And for a moment before the day would whisk them away to other tasks and obligations, the family realized what a miracle they had surrounding them. And with that understanding, all that framed their lives became clear.