FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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 do 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.