We Become the Night
Chapter 19:

A date with law enforcement

Garrett’s really quiet on the drive over to town to meet with Sheriff Smithin. I don’t know if it’s because he just has a lot on his mind or if it’s something I said or did.

“Do you think it was a good idea to leave Patrick in charge of the other changelings?” I ask Garrett.

“You know him better than I do, but it seems to me that may have not been the best choice. Then again, what choice did you have?”

“That’s a good point.” We lapse into silence again for the remainder of the ride.

The sheriff’s office is on the same side of town as the café. It’s nestled in an unassuming, brown building with a sedate sign on the window announcing that it’s Beartown’s Police Department. Looking at the building, I can safely say that “department” might be a bit of a stretch.

Garrett parks the car on the street and we both exit. I join him on the sidewalk, and, suddenly, I’m nervous. I start shaking. Garrett takes my hand and without a word makes me feel a thousand times better. We walk together into the building. The bright light from outside momentarily blinds us as we step into the darker interior.

Once I can see again, I take a look around. There’s a reception’s desk right inside the door. On the desk sits an open box of donuts. I roll my eyes at the cliché. Low and behold, there sits a coffee pot on a folding table opposite the receptionist’s desk.

“Could I be helping you boys?” comes a sweet, feminine voice heavy with a French Cajun accent from behind us. We both turn around to be greeted by a large pair of chocolate-colored eyes set deep in an ebony face. “Garrett, mah boy!” she exclaims, kissing both of his cheeks. He has to stoop low so she can reach as she only stands as high as his chest. “It so good to be seein’ you again, darlin’.” Garrett lets go of my hand to accept the embrace she is offering. “And how’s that Daddy of yours been these days? He best not be getting into trouble again. The things I could tell you about his daddy.” She directs the last bit towards me. Before I have a chance to answer, she continues. “You too skinny, boy. Have you not been eating what you need be? And just look here at this little one.” Again, she motions towards me. I raise my eyebrows at her calling me “little”.

“Linette, darling, how are? We’re doing just fine. He and I are both eating well enough. My father is doing just fine.” Garrett asks, pulling away from her, but keeping his hands on her shoulders. She pats his hands. He drops his right hand to her left hand, taking it in his. He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses her knuckles. I notice that it’s not the same as when he kisses my hand. His fangs don’t show and it’s quick, more like a peck. Whereas when he kisses my hand, he tends to linger over my knuckles as though debating if he’s gonna go further. As she turns this way and that, fluffing her rich, black hair, I swear I can see a slight shimmer behind her. She giggles.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m doing just fine.” Although she’s a small thing, her presence is much larger though. I get the impression that when she speaks, people stop and listen, no matter where she is.

“So, when you gonna give Misen the old heave-ho and come live in sin with me?” Garrett asks her, wagging his eyebrows.

“You tease. My Missy is doin’ just bien, and I’ll be making sure to tell her that you asking after her.” She giggles again. He laughs.

“Linette, there’s someone here I’d like you to meet.” He reaches behind him and grabs my hand. He pulls me forward. “Linette, meet Caleb Hemming. Cal, this is Linette Fey.”

“Caleb, accueil chaleureux. How wonderful to meet you, darlin’,” she exclaims rushing forward to hug me. She embraces me in a very tight hug with all her four-foot-nothing height. She squeezes my torso with strength I wouldn’t have thought possible from someone so petite, but then she lets me go so abruptly I stumble.

“S’excuser. Sorry about that, sugar.” She giggles again. I clear my throat.

“Uh, it’s fine.”

“Lin, darling, is the boss here? We need to talk with him.”

“Sure thing, sugar. He’s just back there.” She waves towards the back of the building. Garrett takes her hand again and kisses the knuckles. “You big flirt.” She playfully smacks his shoulder. “Get on with y’all, now. You be makin’ your mate jealous, Amour, you be keepin’ up with that.”

“Linette, you know I only have eyes for you.” He tells her, flirtatiously.

“He don’t be meanin’ nothin’ of it, Chérie,” she tells me.

“I know.” I don’t know what else to say.

“Au revoir, boys. Tell the boss I be takin’ mah break, would y’all now.”

“Sure thing. Later, Lin.” He takes my hand and leads me through the small and empty building. “You do know that none of that meant anything. Don’t you?” He asks me as we’re nearing the one office in the back. I don’t know why he feels the need to justify what just went down, but I don’t want him to feel bad.

“I know. It’s just a little weird. I mean, I kinda felt like, I don’t know, intruding.” I finish with a shrug.

“Nah, that’s just our game.” He grabs me and swings me closer to kiss me on the cheek. “’Sides, she’s happily mated to Misen and has been for the past fifty years. I’m the one that actually introduced them. They’re sweet together. You’ll get a chance to meet Misen later, she works a few shops down at ‘Fairly New Antiques.’ They’re both fairies. You might have noticed the shimmering behind her?”

“Yeah, I thought I saw something, but it was so fleeting, I wasn’t sure.”

“You did. Those are her wings. She doesn’t let just anyone see them, either. So, she must trust you. Fairies have an amazing ability of being able to sense a person’s true character. Only those they deem worthy can see their wings.”

“I thought fairies were tiny.”

“Well, lore did sort of get that right. They can change size. Human size or fairy size. Most people that have seen them to write about them, have seen them in their fairy state. Though many have met fairies without knowing it.” He reaches forward and grabs the door handle of the office. “Well, here we are.” He pushes the door open.

Inside is just like those small-town sheriff offices on TV. There’s a desk in the center of the small room. All along the walls are awards and newspaper clippings. The sheriff is sitting in a high-backed chair with a phone to his ear. He waves us in. His sleeve slips back slightly, and I can see the tips of a tattoo just like Joshua’s. He holds up a hand with one finger, signaling us to wait a second. He finally hangs up the phone with a loud groan.

“Politics. Remind me to never run for governor.” He rubs his temple. “Anyway. Hello, boys. What’s up?”

“Well, sir, you asked me to come by. And actually, Garrett and I need to talk to you about something.”

“Yes, Caleb. I’ve spoken with my brother, and he’s filled me in as to what is going on with you. And I do mean everything.” He puts special emphasis on the word “everything” making me think that he knows all about my lineage.

“So, does that mean you know about Cal and the, uh...” Garrett starts to ask, but doesn’t seem sure how to finish.

“That he’s the king of changelings? Yes, guys, I know all about it. Josh filled me in. So, I assume that’s what you want to talk about.”

“In a way, yes,” I start to explain, but look to Garrett for help.

“We’ve just become aware of a prophecy from Mrs. Corey by way of her son. Basically, it says that Cal is gonna lead the changelings in a battle that will involve all the other factions. What it doesn’t specify is who the battle is against and who is on what side.”

“Well, that kind of came out of left field.” Walter runs his hand through his hair. “Any idea as far as when?”

“One of the lines specifies ‘Storm Moon’s bright.’ So, that’s in March. It also happens to be Cal’s 18th birthday.” I nod, confirming what Garrett tells the sheriff.

“Well, ain’t that a bitch. What do you guys think we’re supposed to do now?”

“We have no idea. We do know that the prophecy states that the ‘old king’ will draw blood, but we don’t know who the old king is.”

“Okay. Is that all? Or is there something else?”

“Weeeell….” I drawl out. Garrett shoots me a look, which I choose to ignore.

“Well, what?” Walter asks.

“Well, apparently, Cal’s kingship called to other changelings, and they’ve started gathering.”

“What do you mean ‘they’ve started gathering’?”

“There’s about twenty changelings at one of Garrett’s properties. We’ve got them bunkered down there for now. But we don’t know what to do. More are going to come; we can’t stop them. Then there’s the battle we have to worry about.”

“Well, Garrett. Caleb.” He turns to look at Garrett and me in turn. “Sounds like this is gonna be a shit show. We need to figure this thing out now, before it all hits the fan. I’ll call my brothers and sisters. As many as we can get on our side now, the better.”

“Thanks, Sheriff.” I tell him. He acknowledges the thanks with a single nod of his head. Garrett and I get up and head out. We walk out past the reception area, Linette must still be on her break, and head out the door. Right before Garrett’s hand grabs the doorknob, the door flies open. We’re both momentarily blinded by the brightness of the outside light, and all I can see is a silhouette of a person standing in the doorway.

The figure steps inside and I can finally see who it is.

“Max?” I exclaim, surprised to see my best friend standing in the sheriff’s office.

“Cal? There you are.” He steps forward and embracing me.

“Max, what the hell are you doing here? Not that I’m not glad to see you.” Before he has a chance to answer my question, a second figure walks in.

“Josh?” This from Garrett.

“Ah, there you two are. I see you’ve had a chance to talk to my brother.” He grasps Garrett’s hand, and they do that awkward back slap thing that some guys do.

“Uh, yeah. We were just leaving.” I tell him. Max still has his arm over my shoulders. Garrett doesn’t say anything about Max’s possessiveness, but he does give me a pointed look about it.

“You have a very tenacious friend, Cal. When you didn’t call him for a few weeks and he couldn’t find you, Max insisted that I tell him what’s going on and then pretty much forced me to drive him out here.”

“Max? That true?”

“Yeah. I was worried. I know you said everything was fine in your message, but I couldn’t shake the thought that I’m needed here.”

“Max, I’m Garrett. You’re welcome to stay at my place with Cal and myself. There’s a spare bedroom.”

Max doesn’t say anything, in fact, barely acknowledges Garrett at all.

“Max, you ok?” I ask, concerned.

“Cal, do you mind if I speak to you alone?”

“I guess.” Max and I step outside and go around the side of the building to a small grassy field. Before I chance to get a word out, Max grabs me in a tight hug.

“Max, I...” I start to say that I’m fine, but he cuts me off by shaking his head.

“Cal, just tell me that you haven’t left everything because of me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I know you’ve had a crush on me for years. I’m sorry if the fact that I’ve been unable to return those feelings is the reason you’ve finally given up and left.”

“Max, no. I don’t know where you’re getting these insane ideas.”

“You mean, you haven’t been crushing on me?”

“Oh no, I was crushing harder than a girl watching a boy band.” We both laugh. “But that’s not why I had to leave. I thought Joshua said he explained everything.”

“He did. I mean, I know all about changelings, shifters, and the other paranormals. I’m not sure how much I believe, even after Josh showed me. He shifted right in front of me.” He laughs dryly. “I damn near fainted. I just don’t understand why you couldn’t stay and work it out back in Moose Woods.”

“It’s a lot to go over, but the bottom line is I’m much better here with people I don’t have to hide who I am from.” I then think of the fact that I can’t tell anyone about my lineage. Well, mostly don’t have to hide, I think to myself.

“You never have to hide who you are from me.” Max says and, again, hugs me tightly.

“Careful, or your girlfriend might get wrong idea.” I tell him lightly, trying to ease whatever this tension is.

“We broke up.” He doesn’t seem upset about it at all, rather he sounds numb. I rear back as if he struck me.

“What do you mean you guys broke up? I thought you really liked her.”

“I did. Then I didn’t. When I found out about you, I knew nothing in Moose Woods was as important as being there for my best friend.”

“That means a lot, actually. Thanks. Not that you broke up, I mean. That you thought I was important enough to end your relationship for. I guess. I don’t really know what I’m trying to say.”

“I get it.” He stands there, in front of me, awkwardly holding his arms by his side. “So,” he elbows me in the ribs, “that Garrett is rather good looking.” I know he’s teasing me in the way that only someone who’s grown up with you can. Still, my cheeks turn bright red.

“Cal? Something you wanna tell me?” He looks at me expectantly. I bite my lip. “Cal?” he prods some more.

“Well, we kind of... We’re, uh....” I stammer.

“You mean you two...” he leaves the question unasked, but I get what he’s trying to ask. I just nod heavily up and down. His smile nearly splits his face in two. He shouts and latches on for another hug.

“I’m so happy for you!” He spins me around in a circle, which isn’t so easy for him anymore now that I’ve grown more in size. The others in the sheriff’s office heard his shout and came out to investigate.

“Cal, you guys alright?” Joshua asked me.

“Yeah, I will be as soon as Max lets me breathe again.” I say strained between labored breaths.

“Oh. Sorry.” He laughs and drops me. I land on my feet and wobble a bit from the sudden release.

“Garrett,” Max heads towards my boyfriend. “I apologize for my lack of manners earlier. I’m Max.” He holds his hand out for Garrett to shake it. Garrett grasps his hand and shakes it. “It’s great to know that Cal has been so well taken care of.” The euphemism is not so cleverly hidden. I blush again, going a deep red, and, not for the first time, I curse my pale skin.

Garrett, apparently completely understanding what Max is alluding to, throws his head back and lets out a loud guff of laughter.

“Yes, that I have,” came his response. “He, in turn, has been taking good care of me.” I want to dig a hole and bury myself right now to save myself from further humiliation.

“Alright, you guys,” Joshua must have seen my face because he interjects. “Let’s lay off Cal. Any redder and people will mistake his face for a tomato.”

“Ugh,” I groan, throwing my hands in the air. Garrett comes over to me and gives me a kiss. Right there, in front of everyone. I’ve never really cared for other people’s PDA; it somehow doesn’t bother me too much if I’m the one showing PDA.

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