Induction by T.K. Eldridge (howl and other poems TXT) 📕

Sid

I was still feeling a little unsettled after my – whatever the hell that was. Vision? Brain cramp? I drained the glass of wine and held it out to be refilled. Sin gave me a look and I just wiggled the glass in his direction until he poured.

“Don’t argue with the woman, Sinclair. Just pour your sister her wine and tell me why you two wanted to treat me to dinner. I’m sure there was more to it than shootin’ the shit with an old family friend.”

Sin finally filled my glass and set the bottle down before he turned to Stumpy. “Well, we had a few reasons to get together with you.”

I took another swallow of wine and set the glass down. Of course, the waiter had the best timing. I was just about to speak, and he showed up with our appetizers, so I leaned back and stayed silent until he left once more. “We know you’ve been helping Dad and we need to meet with him.”

Stumpy stopped helping himself to the appetizers for a moment, then finished loading his plate. His gaze shifted from Sin to me, then around the room to check for anyone paying too much attention to our conversation. We had chosen a corner table away from the windows and main areas, so it was clear.

“I know you two saved his ass the other day in the forest, but it still took him a couple of days to heal from that. Even with our accelerated healing, he needed the time.”

“Our accelerated healing?” Sin asked.

Stumpy chewed a stuffed mushroom, then swallowed. “Yes, our healing. I may not have all of the shifter gifts, but I do have some of them. Healing, enhanced senses, speed. I just can’t change my form.” He stabbed a bit of bacon-wrapped cheese, then looked at me. “How’d you find out?”

“About you?” I said as he nodded and ate.

“It was a mix of something Benny said about you being a Null and the fact that Sid and I had never seen you shift,” Sin told him.

“We didn’t know exactly what a Null was. Still don’t, really,” I said.

“Null is the most polite term that is used when a child is born of shifter parents doesn’t develop the full spread of gifts. Some can shift but don’t have the healing or sense enhancements. They don’t usually survive very long. Some are like me, get everything but the shifting ability. That is more common, simply because genetics tends towards the survivors.”

Sin nodded to that. “Those that survive, pass on genes. Those that die, don’t.”

“And precisely why I will never mate,” Stumpy said. “I won’t pass this curse on to any kids.”

“But the chance of it happening is relatively rare,” Sin said.

“But there’s still a chance,” Stumpy replied. He picked up his beer and drained half of it before speaking again in a rough whisper. “My body cannot complete a shift, but it still wants to shift. That torture is not something I’d ever wish on another being.”

We all sat in silence for a moment before I laid a hand over Stumpy’s. “I’m sorry, Stumpy. That well and truly sucks. So, what the actual hell is going on with Dad? Mom’s still too weak to risk getting her upset and no one else seems to know anything.” Well, Grampa Walsh knew stuff, but I wasn’t going to mention him unless Stumpy did first.

The waiter showed up to deliver our food and a fresh beer for Stumpy. We had cleared out most of the appetizers so I dumped them onto one plate and handed him the extras so there was room on the table. One thing I could say for shifter metabolism. It needed a lot of fuel. We all waited until he’d left, sorted out our plates and took a couple of bites. Then Stumpy started to talk.

“Your father suspected about ten years ago that something was going on with the Academy and, as such, with the SPD. We talked about it often over beers, but I didn’t realize he was running his own investigation until about three years ago when he came to me about this Purist League bullshit.”

“We didn’t hear about the Purists being organized until a few months ago,” Sin said.

“There were always those who wanted more purity within their species. Believing it made them stronger or more powerful. We’ve not yet been able to find the person behind the organization. Or at the head of it. We’ve figured out some of their members – mostly the talking heads that fundraise and recruit – but not the leaders,” Stumpy said.

“You don’t have to tell us about the purists wanting purity. We’ve lived with it our whole lives,” I said.

Stumpy nodded as he chewed and swallowed. “And your parents did an excellent job of keeping you alive. Other parents of mixed kids weren’t so lucky.”

I looked at Sin and he at me.

“Are you saying some kids like us were hurt?” Sin asked.

Stumpy nodded and drank more beer. A heavy sigh slid from him as he spoke, “Three little ones were killed over the past couple of years – that we’ve learned about. Two in Belle Cove and one in Sorsyville.”

“Kept out of the news?” I asked.

“Of course. Accidents all of them, officially. The SPD has them as open murder investigations, but nothing is being done on them,” Stumpy said.

“That’s no surprise. Not with Lord James running the show,” Sin grumbled as he viciously stabbed a bite of steak.

“Who’s Lord James?”

“That’s what we call our Grandpa Boudreau, ever since we decided he was an asshole for trying to mess with us and hurt our parents. Oh, and burning our house down,” I said.

Stumpy didn’t even look surprised – which is about what I expected. “Yeah, your father told me it was James and Brian behind it all. Family can be seriously fucked up, eh?”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Sin muttered.

I poured us both more wine, then dug into my food. For a few minutes, no one spoke, just ate.

Feeling a little less ravenous, I settled back with my wine and lifted the glass. “To the thin blue line. May we walk the path half as well as you have, Stumpy.”

Sin lifted his glass with a “Here, here.”

Stumpy lifted his with a wry grin and tapped both of ours. “Welcome to the family. I’d say brotherhood – but it’s not just brothers anymore. I’m glad to see more sisters joining the ranks.”

We all took a drink and I set my glass down to eat a bit more.

Stumpy had nearly finished his plate when he spoke again. “I did get to your graduation. Stayed way in the back.” His gaze met mine. “I stood next to your Dad, and while he was in disguise, there was no disguising the pride in his expression. You both did him real proud.”

I choked up