Being Pack

Being Pack

By Vic James

vicjames2@hotmail.com

Copyright 2014 by Vic James

http://www.vicjames.com

If you enjoy this story or the other stories at Nifty, please make a donation at: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

This story is fiction. None of the characters are based on real people. You can see a list of my stories at http://www.nifty.org/nifty/authors.html#vicjames

This story takes place in the same universe as my stories Plan of the Shusheen and Son of a Wolf. It takes place immediately after the events in Son of a Wolf. Plan of the Shusheen explains how three genetically-engineered shifter races were created.

Warning: this story may contain incest scenes.

Eight

Eddie was unpacking his computer in our bedroom. It was a really inexpensive model. We were wealthy, but he still bought a really cheap one. I sighed. I should have told him to buy the nicest one. Whether he would have wanted to do that, I couldn't say.

"Do you need help setting it up?" I asked him.

"Yeah. I'm not very computer literate."

"We got them cellphones, too," Luke said.

"Oh, good!"

"Are you two planning to continue working?" I asked them. "We have plenty of money."

"You have plenty," Dutch said.

"You are my spouses and this is a community-property state, I think," I said.

"I didn't think about that," Eddie said.

"You are going to have to take the bad with the good," I said. "Taking money will be the bad. Sex will be the good."

We all laughed.

"There are more people than jobs, Dutch," Eddie said. "And some of them need the money."

Dutch nodded.

"You're right. I just always assumed we would keep doing the same things."

I realized that they weren't happy taking the money I had earned. But I couldn't be a billionaire with penniless mates. It would make me horribly uncomfortable. It was them or me. As with my parents, I only got to choose who suffered. I couldn't make everyone happy. Then I had an idea.

"I know you guys are used to being independent and you don't want an enormous amount of money from me. Maybe you could do some of the work on the new house. I have to give you some money; I'm a billionaire! But maybe would feel like you earned it."

I could see they were considering it. I looked at Luke. He gave me a thumbs up sign.

"Or maybe you could mow the grass and I could lick the sweat off you," I added.

They grinned.

"Would you blow us after each row?" Eddie asked.

"Of course. Does that mean I have to wait until you finish a row?"

We all laughed.

"I would like that," Dutch said. "I would feel like I earned it. Would you, Eddie?"

"Yeah. That sounds great to me."

I smiled at them.

Dutch took me in his arms.

"Thanks for understanding."

"I love you. I want to make you happy."

"And I want to make you happy, too. I just wish there was some way my cock could do that."

"You know, I think it could do that. I haven't had it in my mouth for a while."

Dutch grinned.

He was wearing shorts, which is what most of the men in the pack wore. Rince had told me that cold didn't affect Vin-Ta the way it did humans, so many wore them year-round. It explained why I seldom wore a coat during winter when I was young. I pushed Dutch's shorts down. His cock was pointing up at me. It was very stiff. The head extended most of the way out of the foreskin. While I looked at it, a bead of precum formed at the end. I wiped it with my finger and stuck my finger in my mouth.

"I love your cock, Dutch."

"My cock loves you right back."

"What about mine?" Eddie asked.

"Actually, I'm in love with three cocks."

They laughed. I remembered Alephin's.

"Make that four. I forgot Alephin's," I said.

"He does have a nice one," Eddie said.

Dutch picked me up and put me on the bed. He straddled me and pushed his cock down to my lips.

"Here. Daddy Dutch is going to feed you."

I grinned at him. I swallowed him and began sucking. He tasted so good. I fondled his balls and earned a sigh from him. Someone began sucking me. When Dutch's cream shot into my mouth, I shot, too. He pulled out, and the mouth let go of my cock.

"Damn, your cum tastes good, Dutch," I said to him.

He grinned.

"Turn around, will you?" I asked Dutch.

"Uh. OK."

I pulled his cheeks apart and began rimming him.

"Oh, fuck!"

"Does it feel good?" Eddie asked him.

"Have you never been rimmed?" Luke asked Eddie.

"No."

I heard Eddie moan.

"Fuck! It's incredible!" Eddie said.

Luke had to be rimming him. I wasn't through with Dutch. I reached around and stroked his cock while I rimmed him. Dutch bent down and swallowed my cock. I kept licking his ass. Dutch was very good at sucking. I pulled away from his butt and cried out as I came. He swallowed my load. As I came down from my orgasm, I went back to rimming him. He lowered his butt, so that he was basically sitting on my face. I didn't mind, though. All I could smell was Dutch and he smelled great.

"Rim Luke," Dutch said.

"OK."

Dutch climbed off me.

Eddie was standing, with Luke kneeling behind him. There wasn't an easy way to get to his ass.

"You two need to get in bed," Dutch said to Luke and Eddie.

"Eddie, you get on your stomach."

Eddie did. Dutch pulled Eddie towards the bottom of the bed. Luke got on the bed on his knees. He pulled Eddie's cheeks apart and began rimming him. I could get to Luke's ass, standing on the floor. As I began rimming Luke, Dutch knelt behind me and rimmed me. It was wonderful. Sex with three mates was better than sex with one. After rimming me for a while, Dutch began sucking me. After I came, I pulled away from Luke's ass.

"I want to suck Eddie," I said.

Eddie flipped over on his back. I got up on the bed and began sucking him. Eddie's cock wasn't as big as Luke's or Dutch's. It had a beautiful shape, though. As usual, Eddie came fairly quickly. I sensed he was unhappy about that. I kept sucking him, and before long, he was shooting in my mouth, again.

"Two orgasms are better than one," I said to him, grinning.

"I wish I knew why I come so quickly with you," Eddie said.

I didn't know.

"You fed me two loads, so it is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. And it means you can have more orgasms in the same amount of time."

Eddie nodded. "True!"

I looked over and saw Dutch was sucking Luke. I grinned at Luke and he grinned right back. There was a smell in the room. It was unusual. I sniffed my arm. That wasn't it. I noticed the dried semen of my mates was falling off my arm in flakes.

"I smell something," I said.

"It's lust," Eddie said. "The room reeks of it."

"Yup," Dutch said. "That, wet asses, and jizz."

"After we finish this, I want you guys to reapply your special sauce to my skin."

"You got it!" Eddie said.

"You could probably use a booster 'shot'," Dutch said.

I laughed.

"Let's do it now," Eddie suggested.

We cleared the remaining things off the bed.

"There is something I want to do," Luke said. Will you two shoot on Tom's cock?"

"Sure," Dutch said.

Dutch and Eddie kissed while they stroked themselves. Luke ran his hands over both of them.

"They are so hot," I said to Luke.

"They are. We are very lucky. For a sex addict, this is heaven," Luke said. "We can have orgies for hours, every single day. And with people we love."

I nodded, grinning.

Dutch and Eddie were soon shooting on my cock. I groaned. It felt incredible. Each spurt made my cock harder.

"Wow!"

"You like that?" Luke asked.

"It feels great!"

When Dutch and Eddie were through, Luke licked it all off me. I came while he was licking. After that, we took a break. Luke got up on the bed with me. Dutch sat in a chair, and Eddie in another. Dutch patted his lap while he looked at Eddie. Eddie got up and sat on Dutch's lap. Dutch wrapped his arms around Eddie. It seemed kind of submissive on Eddie's part. I knew they hadn't fucked each other, but seeing them like that, made me wonder whether Eddie had ever wanted Dutch to fuck him. I decided to ask.

"Eddie, have you ever wanted Dutch to fuck you?"

"No," Dutch said.

I frowned. Why had Dutch answered?

I looked at Eddie. He shrugged.

"I've thought about it," Eddie said.

Dutch looked surprised.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dutch asked.

"I'm not saying I wanted you to fuck me. I'm saying that if you asked, I probably would have let you, just to find out what it was like. Alephin fucked me, of course, but he is the Alpha and my wolf was mostly in control."

"Oh. I understand. Will you let me now?"

Eddie sighed.

"If you love it and I don't, I may spend the rest of my life doing something I don't enjoy, just to make you happy. I want to make you happy, but not that way."

"OK."

"Do you think you would like to have Alephin give you a facial?" Eddie asked me.

"Why? Do I look bad? It's probably just dried cum on my skin. Buy why would Alephin do it?"

They looked confused. Luke clarified.

"The kind of facial they mean is having cum shot on your face. You would close your eyes and Alephin would cover your face with his semen."

"Oh, god!" I cried out. My cock started shooting, and no one was touching it! It bounced up and down, shooting cum on me and the bed. Some hit one of my eyes.

Luke grabbed and swallowed my cock.

"I think he likes the idea, Eddie," Dutch said.

I laughed as I came.

When I was done, Luke licked the cum out of my eye socket. I would smell like Alephin. I wanted that! Suddenly, I felt myself changing. I jumped off the bed. I looked down and saw wolf paws. I began howling. It wasn't intended, I just did it. It was the first time my wolf had done something on his own. Then Alephin walked into the room. He was smiling. My wolf cowered though. I crawled on my belly towards him. It felt very strange to me. My wolf feared Alephin, while I liked him very much, even loved him.

Alephin bent down and rubbed me. I whined in pleasure.

"Stand up," Alephin commanded.

I did, transforming into a man, as I did so.

"What was the howling about?" Alephin asked.

"Eddie asked him if he would like it if you gave him a facial," Dutch said. "He seemed to like the idea."

Alephin chuckled. He took me in his arms. I wrapped mine around him.

"Your lust for me excites me tremendously. I could smell your desire for me in the living room. You need me and my cock, and you shall have what you need," Alephin said.

I groaned.

Alephin thrust his tongue in my mouth. I held him even tighter as he kissed me. It was incredible. I felt Luke's cock enter me. He thrust a couple of times before pulling out. I continued kissing Alephin. Or perhaps Alephin continued kissing me. He was in control, just as I knew he should be. Another cock entered me. It had to be Dutch.

"You better not fuck him right now. You've got a hair trigger with him, Ed," Dutch said.

"Shit!"

I ran my hands over Alephin, feeling his muscles and hair. He kissed me harder. My hands roamed over his muscular body. Alephin's erection was pressed against my belly. I began rubbing it with my body. Dutch was inside me, and that was very nice, but I wanted Alephin in me. I craved it. Alephin began grinding his cock against me. I felt wetness and I was happy I had so excited him. Alephin pulled away. He began sucking and biting my neck and the shoulder near it. It was painful and incredibly arousing, at the same time. He bit, hard. I cried out and came, shooting jizz between our bodies. Alephin chewed at my neck. My orgasm went on and on, for as long as he bit me. He took my hand and placed it on his cock. The Alpha's cock. I shuddered. The Alpha wanted me to have it. I was very happy. I felt the beginning of a change. Dutch pulled out of me. My wolf wanted to howl, no doubt.

"Do not shift!" Alephin commanded.

He spun me around. I cried out as the Alpha buried his cock inside me in one swift motion.

"You do not want my baby!" Alephin said.

I nodded as he began to fuck me.

I do not want Alephin's baby, I kept repeating to myself. The pleasure was intense, though. I had trouble concentrating on it. Alephin pushed on my upper back. I bent over. He grabbed my hips and began a fierce fucking. His body slapped against mine. I looked at my mates. Eddie and Dutch were kissing. I motioned to Luke. He brought his cock to my mouth. I swallowed him, while listening to the sound of flesh slapping flesh-Alephin's against mine. I held onto Luke's thighs. Luke began shooting in my mouth. I gulped down his spunk. Alephin sped up his thrusts. He pulled me up, just as Luke was finishing. Once I was upright, Alephin wrapped his arms around me.

"You don't want a baby. No baby," he said, right before groaning.

"No baby, no baby, no baby," I kept repeating.

He fucked me for several minutes.

"I should have waited longer, but you are just too sexy, too horny for me, and too eager to please me. And my mate," he said in my ear.

"Aw! Aw!" Alephin cried out as he ejaculated inside me.

I went into a strange state of euphoria at that point. My skin tingled everywhere his body touched mine. The smell of my Alpha surrounded me completely. I could feel every spurt of semen inside my body. I had never felt it when Luke bred me. My shoulder throbbed where he bit me. I could feel his cock throbbing inside me to the same rhythm. I was barely aware of it, but I came again. Someone swallowed my cock.

"You are mine, little wolf," Alephin said into my ear.

"Yes, Alephin. Thank you."

My head fell back against him. He licked my ear.

"You are precious to me, little wolf. I will breed you every day," he said.

Alephin licked a line along my jaw to my ear. The tingling of my skin continued. I shuddered at the thought of daily breeding by the Alpha. I was truly accepted into the pack. I couldn't imagine there were many members of his pack he bred daily. I felt precious. He started to pull out of me.

"No! Please!" I said.

He chuckled. I was pleased when he pushed his cock back into me.

"How can I cover you with my semen if I don't pull out?"

I shuddered and came again. My cock was in Luke's mouth. Eddie was on his side, on the ground, sucking Luke. Alephin pulled on a nipple with one hand, while the other caressed the front of my body. I tilted my head back and he kissed me. I had never known such pleasure. The Alpha's erection was completely buried inside me, while his tongue was in my mouth. His roving hand gave me enormous pleasure, too, as he caressed me. He pulled his mouth from mine.

"I love you, pup," he said to me.

"Oh, Alephin! I love you, too!"

"Good. We will make love every day. I'm glad you chose to live next to me. If you need me more than that, tell me."

"Rince won't mind?"

"No. You impressed Rince a great deal. We have already spoken of it. He is very excited about the new pack hospital you are paying for. He told me you were worried about having my baby when you may not have full control of your body. Another, lesser person might have tried to use bearing my pup to come between Rince and me or boost their standing in the pack. I am certain that never occurred to you."

"It didn't."

"Try not to get pregnant, but if you do, you won't displease me."

"I will try not to. If I were Rince, I would not want someone else having your baby. I don't want to make him unhappy."

"We both know that. Just do your best. If you become pregnant with my baby, I will blame myself for not waiting longer to breed you. I won't blame you, my precious pup. I had to have you."

I sighed.

"Kneel in front of me," Alephin said.

I pulled my body off his cock and turned around.

"Oh, fuck!" Eddie said.

I felt Eddie's tongue enter my asshole. Alephin must have really loosened me. He moaned as he licked my insides.

"Can you taste Alephin's load?" Dutch asked him.

Eddie just moaned and kept his tongue moving inside me.

Dutch knelt behind Alephin. Alephin groaned. I assumed Dutch was rimming him. Eddie stopped rimming me and stood. He began sucking one of Alephin's nipples. I groaned as Luke's cock entered me. My head fell back against him once his cock was deeply embedded in me. He pulled out of me, and slid his tongue inside me. He lapped, while I groaned from pleasure. Luke moved under Alephin and tried to suck his balls. I gasped when I saw Luke's erection covered with Alephin's cum. My attention was brought back to my Alpha when Alephin began stroking his wonderful cock. It was pointed at my face. I licked my lips while I watched the head of his cock slide in and out of his foreskin. Or so it seemed from where I was kneeling. I leaned forward and kissed the head. I gave the underside of it a couple of quick licks. Alephin sighed.

"My cock is yours any time you need it, Tom. Even if it is ten times a day."

I looked up at him and grinned. He chuckled.

"Isn't sex wonderful?" the Alpha asked me.

"It is! I'm new to it, but I love it!"

"Do you want my spunk, little wolf?"

"Yes, Alephin. It is inside me. I want it on the outside, too."

Alephin reached over and rubbed the spot where he bit me. I felt a tingle like an electric shock as I had another orgasm. My dick just started shooting. I guess it hit Luke, but I was looking at Alephin's erection and had no desire to look at anything else. I had no idea why, but Alephin's fingers on the bite gave me an orgasm. He pinched the bite. It hurt, but my orgasm intensified. I groaned, with my mouth open, as the first burst of semen shot out of Alephin's cock. It went right into my mouth. I swallowed as his hot sperm began splattering against my face. Alephin took my hair in one hand, as he fisted his cock with the other. He tilted my head back, using his hand. He coated my neck and under my chin. I closed my eyes and felt semen hitting my eye sockets. The smell was heavenly. One spurt covered my nostrils. I sniffed without thinking, and his spunk entered my sinuses. I sniffed until my nostrils were clear, swallowing it, just as though it was mucus. I loved the smell of my mates' spunk, but Alephin's smelled even better. I thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of his hot, wet cum hitting my face. I planned to ask my lovers to do it, often. Alephin turned my head by twisting my hair, although not painfully. He coated both sides of my face thoroughly. I felt his warm spunk dripping off my face and onto my chest. He pushed his cock into my mouth and fed me several spurts of semen. I was as contented as a baby must be when drinking milk. When he stopped coming, he pulled out of my mouth. He put his hands under my arms and pulled me up.

"I would kiss you but I don't want my spunk on me."

The others laughed.

"Tom sure seems to like having it on him," Dutch said.

"I do! And in me, too. How about later?" I asked.

"It's a deal. You should have a happy secure wolf, now, Tom."

I nodded.

"I'll see you later, pups."

Alephin left the room.

I looked at my mates. They all seemed happy. I walked over and shut the bedroom door.

"Does Alephin breed many people every day?" I asked.

"Not that I know of," Dutch said. "He has sex regularly with people, like Joyce, when they ask, but this sounded like more than that."

Eddie nodded his head.

"He seems to really like you. He said you are precious to him."

I smiled.

"Do any of you want to fuck me?"

They grinned at me.

We spent the evening having sex. I was deliriously happy. I remembered to not wish any of their babies. I reminded myself to ask Rince whether I needed to wish for no babies every time I had sex.

All four of us slept in the same bed. Fortunately, it was king sized. It was a little crowded, but I didn't mind. Luke wrapped his arms around me. Dutch had his arms around Eddie. Eddie and I faced each other. Eddie had a moustache. I felt it while he smiled at me. I leaned forward to kiss him. I fell asleep kissing him.

I woke during the night. I needed to use the restroom. I carefully got out of bed. None of them seemed to wake up, which was surprising. I walked into the bathroom and relieved myself. Afterwards, I looked at myself in the mirror. The night before I had shifted into Luke and Alephin. I remembered the photo of the statue of Michael, the Archangel. I closed my eyes and pictured him. I felt very strange. Something happened, but it seemed to take a long time. During that time, my center of gravity seemed to change. When things seemed to stop, I opened my eyes. I gasped as I looked at a live Michael, the Archangel. I had wings covered with white feathers and I was even wearing the same garment that was on the statue. I tried to move my wings. They spread out at least seven feet on each side of me. One wing knocked something off the back of the toilet. I tried to fold them and they collapsed again. I stared at myself. I wondered if I could fly. The bathroom wasn't big enough for me to try it in there. Or was it? I moved diagonally to the bathroom and extended my wings, again. They didn't hit anything. I tried to flap them. Flapping them made a little noise. For some reason, I didn't want anyone to know I could do that. I worried about keeping secrets from my mates. It seemed wrong. But if no one knew I could fly away from danger, they wouldn't expect it. I wondered if I should be so paranoid. It wasn't normal, but I had never been normal. I kept flapping, and I felt the pressure on my feet lessen. I had a feeling I could fly, if I needed to. I closed my eyes. The statue of Michael had him holding a sword. I pictured the sword in my hand. I felt something. I opened my eyes. My right arm was thinner, and there was a sword extending from my hand. It was attached to my hand, part of my hand. I lifted the sword. For some reason, the artist had painted Michael's sword green. The one extending from my hand was green, too. I lifted it up to my eyes. It didn't seem like metal, which made sense. It also wasn't sharp. I looked carefully at the surface. It looked like green skin. It was fine for show, but useless as a weapon. I closed my eyes and pictured a sharp, steel sword. I felt something. I opened my eyes and watched the sword change. It became shiny and the color was right. I looked at the edge. It was sharper, but I didn't know if it could be used as a weapon. I almost laughed. What did I know about using swords? Especially ones that were part of my arm! If I had to run from danger, I would probably trip over the stupid thing. I certainly couldn't drop it on the ground. I imagined my hand without the sword. I saw it shrink back into my arm, as my arm grew thicker. When that was done, I shifted back to my normal shape. I was hungry, again. I left the bathroom. Luke was standing next to the bed.

"I'm going to get something to eat," I whispered.

He got up and joined me. We waved at a guard outside our bedroom door. He followed us to the kitchen. I found the same can of peanuts. Luke opened the refrigerator.

"What were you doing in the bathroom? It was kind of noisy."

"I was practicing shifting into different shapes."

"Oh! That's a good idea!"

I felt bad. I wanted to tell Luke. But part of me insisted on secrecy, a fearful part of me. Then a thought popped into my mind. My mates could take care of themselves, but maybe not if they were trying to protect me. I felt better, even though I knew with absolute certainty that I was a coward.

"We should hire a cook for the new place," Luke said.

"That's a good idea. We can give someone a job and eat better at the same time."

He nodded.

"I love being close to Alephin, but I would feel better it was our food in the fridge," Luke said.

I nodded.

"I feel strange about eating anything. What if they are planning to eat it and find it gone? I feel guilty for eating these peanuts!" I said. "I feel like we are stealing them!"

Luke chuckled and nodded.

He moved his chair next to mine and put his arm around me.

"I was thinking we could have Eddie and Dutch take care of the house. I mean be in charge. They can hire the help and oversee them. Besides a cook or two, we will need maids, pool cleaners, gardeners, and probably more." I grinned at him. "And we can sneak off for sex." He wiggled his eyebrows. I laughed.

"Is any of this bothering you?" he asked me. "All of these changes, I mean."

"Just my parents. Otherwise, I'm very happy. I'm starting to understand why a clean break was needed. Even if we remained living in Gatlinburg, they would notice in a few years that we weren't aging. And I think it's better that they think I'm dead, rather than never seeing me again and wondering why I stopped loving them."

Luke nodded.

"Do you ever miss your family?" I asked him.

"A little, but we were never close. My parents were not as dysfunctional as yours, but my father was--is a workaholic. His job is the most important thing in his life. My mother is a social butterfly. The last few years, I didn't speak to them often. Usually just on holidays. My sister is a crusader. She has causes. She's always battling a disease, or poverty, or promoting Meals on Wheels, or blood banks, or children's literacy. That makes her happy and I can appreciate that. She's trying to help people. I don't know how much actual good she is doing, she is kind of combative. I was her cause, for a while. Her plan to get me to stop drinking only alienated me. But it is what she wants to do. I spoke to her even less often than my parents because that was all she talked about-what crisis she was working to eliminate and what she wanted me to do about it. She'll be fine without me."

I leaned my head on him, and I guess I fell asleep. I woke when he put me on the bed. He lay down next to me and pulled me close. I snuggled back against him.

The following morning and afternoon, the four of us spent making love and getting to know each other. That afternoon, we sat in the backyard, under an enormous pecan tree, watching the children play. There were two tire swings handing from the tree. The kids were too young to use them, but I knew they would enjoy them when they were older. Each child had a couple of women supervising their play. They were volunteers who wanted to help take care of the children. I remembered Rince saying that our kids would belong to the pack. We would never have to worry about babysitters! Rince sat next to me.

"I'm going to make a terrible father-or mother," I said to him. "I have zero aptitude. My people skills consist of hiding. That's it!"

Rince laughed.

"You aren't that bad. You have months to learn, and you aren't out here hoping a webworm will drop on you, are you?"

"No. I know I have to learn, but if a baby cries at night, what do you do? Ask it to stop?"

Rince laughed.

"I would try that first. It may not work, but who knows? Besides, Eddie knows a lot about taking care of babies. He babysat for a while. And you can have as many nannies as you want."

"I hadn't thought of that. The nannies could do the dirty work," I said.

We could pay them, and give even more pack members jobs.

"We'll pay the nanny per poop," Luke said. "And per tinkle, of course."

We laughed.

"I don't want them to turn out like me," I said.

"I do," Luke said.

I smiled at him.

"What I mean, is socially clueless. I went through entire days without saying a word. I liked it. I know it isn't normal, and I want normal kids."

"You keep assuming you are defective," Dutch said. "You aren't. You were surrounded by humans and it made you uncomfortable. There are a lot of people in this pack like you. When they have to go into town for a doctor, they are doubly- terrified. That is why people are so excited about Tom Black Hospital, here at Techupawa." He kept talking, but my mind stayed on 'Tom Black Hospital'. They were naming the hospital after me? I was glad it wasn't the Tom Black 'Memorial' Hospital.

"He's right," Rince said. "It wasn't you, it was them. If you had grown up here, you would have had a completely different childhood. You seem to do fine around Vin-Ta."

I supposed he was right. I was an abnormal human, but not an abnormal Vin-Ta.

"Is that the name of the hospital, or was that a joke?" I asked.

"That's the name. What else would it be called? Your money is building it," Rince said. "It's traditional."

I shook my head. It was bizarre. I only had the money because I agreed to have someone's baby. That reminded me of Hephin.

"I haven't seen Hephin today."

"His pack is having a picnic at one of the lakes."

I smiled.

"Oh. That sounds nice."

"He will probably be by this evening."

"Is he OK with me, Dag, and Dag's baby?"

"Yes. Hephin isn't upset, anymore. You know, he was much more upset with Dag than you. Dag told you--a stranger--that he wanted another child, but he hadn't told Hephin. Then he asked you to bear it, without asking Hephin to do it. It was a complete surprise to him. But, like I said, he's over it. Dag explained to Hephin why he did it and Hephin seems to understand."

Off and on, all day, I wondered about the angel wings. I really wanted to find out if I could fly. I didn't want to do it outside where anyone could see. I decided I wanted to stop being paranoid, at least with people I really trusted. I decided to share one of my secrets.

"Is there a large room with a high roof and a mostly empty floor, that's private?" I asked Rince.

Rince frowned.

"What about the basketball court?" Dutch suggested.

"How long do you need it?" Rince asked. "And why?"

"I would rather not say why, but you can watch if you want. It should only take a few minutes."

I had clearly mystified all of them.

"Is something going to happen there?" Rince asked.

"Yes."

"Should Alephin be there?"

"If he is free, and he wants to watch."

Rince shook his head. He pulled out his cellphone. He called Alephin and asked him to meet us there.

"Mrs. Lewis, we are going to leave for a little while," Rince asked.

"All right, Rince."

"Let's go," Rince said.

Luke brushed my shoulder. I looked at him.

"A webworm fell on you."

Rince and I laughed.

We walked into the house, and out the front door. Howard and another man accompanied us. The gym with the basketball court was not far. When we got there, I asked the other guard to wait outside. We walked into the empty building. A minute later, Alephin joined us.

"What is going on?"

Rince shrugged.

I stepped out of my shorts and pulled off my T-shrt. I closed my eyes and pictured Michael. I heard gasps as I felt my body changing. I opened my eyes. My mates, Alephin, Rince, and Howard were staring at me with their mouths open. I realized I was missing the sword. I pictured it, and watched it extend out of my hand. I tried to flap my wings. The wings hit the ground, but I felt myself lifting. A few seconds later, my feet left the ground. Once I was a couple of feet in the air. I stopped flapping. I dropped abruptly on the floor. I changed back to my normal shape.

"I found out I could do that," I said to them.

None of them said anything.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Uh. Nothing. It's just not every day you find out your mate is an angel. Literally," Luke said.

"I don't understand why I can fly," I said to Alephin. "I got the shape from a picture of statue of an angel, but why can I actually fly? Angels are fictional, but I'm functional."

Alephin shook his head.

"I have no idea. I've never heard of anything like this, Tom. I know people of the other race can change into other shapes, like wolves or other people, but you are far more capable. More powerful. After all, you can change into a small tree, and now this."

Alephin shook his head.

"I haven't been this amazed for a while. I thought male pregnancy was odd, but this is odder."

"Maybe angels aren't fictional," Rince said. "That would explain it. Maybe what people thought were angels were actually shifters created by the Shusheen."

Alephin nodded.

"Or possibly even the Shusheen. We don't know what they looked like. Maybe they looked like angels."

"Angels were supposedly around before people," Howard said. "Supposedly, God made them before humans. The Shusheen were around before the Vin-Ta."

Alephin nodded his head.

"Maybe that is what they looked like. Maybe they told those first Vin-Ta they created that they weren't gods, and that is why we don't think of angels as gods."

"I wonder if our baby will be able to do that," Luke said.

"He would be a little cupid," I said, grinning.

"I suppose you could change into a bird, as well," Rince said.

"How strong was that sword?" Howard asked.

"I don't know. But it looks like skin up close," I said. "I doubt it is anywhere near as hard as metal."

Howard and Alephin nodded.

"Are you able to change into other shapes?" Alephin asked.

I closed my eyes and pictured Joyce. I opened them after I changed.

"You are very good at that," Alephin said.

I closed my eyes and pictured the big, granite rock. I felt the change. I immediately shifted back to my normal space.

All of them were staring at me, again.

I was famished and my stomach growled.

"It makes me extremely hungry, though. I need to eat, badly."

"I'm not surprised," Alephin said. "Let's keep this to ourselves for now. Howard, I want you to begin thinking of how Tom can use this ability in an emergency. Dag will need to know, too. His baby may have Tom's capabilities. Let's go to the canteen and get you some food."

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