Chapter 25

“What?”-Remington

Remington

I’ve been in Howling Pines for two weeks now and over the last couple of weeks I have gotten to see more how Cassidy grew up and hear stories about his childhood. Sure, we have been pissing on each other every couple of days to keep the scent up, and we are sticking with the ‘no looking’ policy. It’s weird, but sexy, if that makes any sense. But also, I have been noticing things.

Cassidy’s family is very accepting of differences and embraces one another wholeheartedly. Whereas, my father was frowned upon for going to university so far away from his pack and kicked out of his pack and his family for mating, marking and marrying a fae. My mother, father, brother and mom’s parents and siblings are all I have known of family and unfortunately mom’s family are so spread apart we rarely see them, some of them don’t even live on the continent of Yearls at all. Cassidy’s family mostly live within a days’ drive of Howling Pines and as many of them as possible get together for Summer Fest, Winter Fest, Lupinfest, and The Vernal Equinox. Cassidy often gets to at least two if not three of these, but rarely all four in any given year.

Growing up in Breel, My family have all kinds of high tech security, technologically advanced heating, lighting, and other home systems in penthouses. My father and brother meet up with other werewolves for runs in The Yearlish Chasm or one of the city’s parks, but otherwise, are typically human presenting. They don’t hide their nature, but also rarely if ever shift outside of these planned runs. Cassidy’s cousins chase each other around the gardens and forest behind the house in wolf form at any opportunity they get. They have security, but aside from the gate with thirty year old tech and a few inconspicuous warriors who guard the perimeter of the estate and the family, there isn’t a ton of security. They live in a peaceful pack in a city that integrates nature into the needs of a thriving capital city. Cassidy said that while Howling Pines is the capital, the coastal city of Hollywoof has the glamour and tech I am used to from Breel. I wonder if Mammoth Falls will offer the same comforting blend of city life and nature, because I really enjoy it here.

I love my penthouse overlooking the canyon, don’t get me wrong, but swimming in a hidden, nearly private, crystal clear pool of fresh water and going for walks in the woods, learning to forage for mushrooms and watching the younger werewolves play in wolf form does something deep in my heart and soul.

Cassidy and I are lounging in the garden watching the young wolves play a game of ‘caught your tail’ as they tumble over one another and try to catch and hold onto one another’s tails in their maws. I am leaning on Cassidy and he is lazily running his fingers through my hair.

“We should ensure you get to more of these family gatherings every year,” I say, turning to look at Cassidy.

“Why would you want that?” He asks in surprise. “I almost didn’t come to this one because my aunts and grandma wanted to set me up with potential mates.”

“They are your pack and family. They love and accept you. They would accept the truth…that you don’t want to be tied down to anybody,” I reply.

“You are wrong,” Cassidy sighs.

“What?” I ask, but before Cassidy can answer, Jasper tackles Finely who barrels into Luna and Luna limps over with a sprained ankle.

“Let me take care of that,” Cassidy offers, massaging Luna’s wolf-ish ankle while she wimpers and nuzzles both Cassidy and I.

“It’s the New Moon tonight!” Finley announces, still in wolf form. “I love New Moons almost as much as Full Moons!”

“That’s just because Emberly is permitted to visit on New Moons,” Jasper teases. “If we were at home, you wouldn’t be as excited, because she would be all up in your business all the time, at school, after school, in the library, in Dada’s greenhouse…”

“Hey! Stop giving away my make-out spots!” Finely argues. “She’s a unique fae with needs not everyone understands.”

“She blooms at night and her scent is strongest on the New Moon and Full Moon, but you are not allowed near her on the Full Moon until you are both eighteen, because you both are likely to go too far,” Jasper groans.

“You are just jealous,” Finely says.

“I am not, she isn’t my type,” Jasper sighs.

“No, but I know who is…too bad he doesn’t pay you any attention,” Finely chuckles.

“Boys,” Lola snorts with an eye roll.

Cassidy and I hold back our laughter at the exchange. I’m glad they feel so free around us. I never got to have anything like this with any of my cousins.

“Do other genus of flora fae reproduce in the same or similar manner that you and Dada can, Remi?” Jasper asks with hope in his eyes.

“Mushroom Fae can reproduce through spores, but I don’t know how much it is like that of Fern Fae,” I admit.  “It may just be our kind.”

“Damn! Brock Oakenfold is a…well, you might have guessed by the name…he’s an Arboreal Fae,” Jasper says.

“He’s also on our school’s football team and Jasper is not into competitive sports,” Finley adds.

“I love sports and enjoy athleticism. I just think the way people act over competition and rivalries is stupid,” Jasper explains.

“Wait! I still haven’t gotten a proper explanation of your reproductive process and how male fern fae can have children,” Cassidy says.

I groan and run my hand through my hair before starting in on explaining.

“Do you know how fern plants reproduce via spores? Ferns can start as one gender and change genders, we can also be bigender and can reproduce asexually…or rather the plants can and we fae are similar in that. I can in heat and humidity, develop the furls, which when stroked or caressed send signals of pleasure and aid in producing spores. When fertilized, these spores over time become sprouts…in the case of fae, these sprouts are our babies,” I explain.

“Beautifully explained,” Oren says from behind me. “Incomplete, but enough to give the gist in a way that remains appropriate to children, teens and Cassidy.”

I laugh, knowing full well what a player Cassidy is when it comes to the ladies. He really doesn’t need all the specifics, though. He isn’t ever going to truly mate with me, so it is enough of an explanation.

Cassidy caresses my arm in the same place he had touched my furl and whispers, “that sounds beautiful.”

What?

“It is,” Oren says. “I can’t wait for the two of you to experience the beauty and joy.”

I can’t keep this up…I want it too, but…