He was longing for a drink by the time Apollo found himself a bit of a clearing that the wolf deemed safe enough to sit for a while. Apollo clicked himself up a blanket and a bowl of water - which the wolf really appreciated - before settling down with a cushion behind his head, staring up through the trees at the clouds above.
“This is such an incredibly beautiful place,” Apollo said. “Smell how crisp and clean the air is up here.” The wolf sniffed, because he’d been asked, but he much preferred the scent of his mate. He lay down beside Apollo with his head resting on Apollo’s shoulder. Apollo’s hand was around his neck, gently stroking down his back – the wolf really enjoyed that. He’d never been touched in fur before.
“This is one of those lovely times,” Apollo continued, “when you can just stop and take the time to really appreciate the wonderof nature and the beauty around us. Everybody’s always so busy these days. Rushing to do the next big thing or dashing to some place they absolutely have to get to. If only they’d just stop and listen…”
The wolf was listening. He was listening to Apollo, and he was also making sure nobody else was creeping up on them unawares. That was absolutely not going to happen on the wolf’s watch. But all he could hear were birds, crickets, the hum of bees, and the rustle of the leaves as a light breeze moved through. The wolf wasn’t a hundred percent certain what Apollo thought he should be listening to – he heard those sorts of sounds every time he shifted.
“What you’re hearing,” Apollo said, and his tone sounded dreamy, “is the wonder of life just going on without you. I think that’s what makes life on Earth so fascinating. That no matter what’s going on in a person’s life, all this, the trees growing, and some dying, yes, because that’s what happens, but the birds singing, the insects making their way until they become the bird’s lunch, there is so much life, so much energy here.
“Life and energies that are so underestimated and ignored by the millions of mortals that walk this earth. Regardless of who or what those people believe in – because we all know they don’t believe in the likes of me anymore” – Apollo laughed – “but all this beauty was created for them, and yet so few of them barely ever stop their lives long enough to see it. It makes me realize just how lucky I am.”
The wolf thought it was probably time for a nap. He understood how gods could have lofty views about life overall, they’d lived through all of it – good and bad. But regular people had to find ways to pay their bills, buy food, and find a place to live that they could afford. For so many of them, and Titus’s human half hadbeen through that at times, they didn’t even know if they could afford their next meal.
He could understand what Apollo was saying in one respect, the beauty of nature was so often ignored and underappreciated, but that didn’t mean that the efforts a person went through to keep their head above water – Titus included - were any less important.
“You don’t have to understand my way of thinking, dear wolf.” Clearly Apollo had picked up his concepts through their bond. “You were born believing you were meant to have a finite life span, whereas I came into being knowing I could never die. There are those who would love to be in my position, although it’s not as easy as some make it out to be. Silvanus is a good example of that. But still, enough heavy stuff. I can hear your stomach rumbling.”
Apollo chuckled. “I’m happy to click you up some food, but I draw the line at a slain rabbit or deer just so you could eat alongside me in your fur. I did enough hunting in my early days, and I’m eternally glad I don’t have to do it now.
“Do you think you could settle for a barely seared roast beef or something similar? I realize there isn’t a lot of difference between that and a rabbit, but accept that’s a quirk of mine. There’s less fur. Would you be interested in sharing some food with me?"
Food was something the wolf could stay awake for. He didn’t get to eat in his furry form very often because Titus was rather fond of his steaks in his human form. But the wolf sat up and watched as Apollo covered the blanket with various foods, including another big bowl with a chunk of beef in it.
“I’ve left it pretty rare,” Apollo said. “So hopefully that’s more to your taste than it is to mine. But enjoy it. As I say, we’re safe here, wolf. Nobody will stumble across us while we’re eating.”
I can keep watch and eat,the wolf thought, but he didn’t use their bond to let his mate know. He thought it was cute that Apollo thought that he was protecting a predatory animal, but sometimes mates needed to feel they were doing the mate thing. The wolf appreciated the effort.
The two of them ate in companionable silence. Titus, who would’ve preferred to have a picnic with his mate as well, sat back in the recess of his wolf’s mind, processing his feelings from the night before.
He felt complete, content, more at peace about his mating than when he’d claimed Apollo himself. Titus wasn’t sure exactly why he felt more secure with his mate simply because he’d donethat, but he did, and Titus accepted it. He also knew, after the night before, that he was deeply in love with his mate, and that wasn’t just the sex brain talking. That had been hours before.
Love. Even as he thought it, Apollo flashed him a smile, and Titus realized that Apollo knew his heart probably before he did.It’s because we’re in sync with each other, my loving mate.
Titus noticed Apollo didn’t seem to be worrying about their relationship anymore, either.Is that a chicken and egg situation? He realizes our lifelines are tied in his favor now, so he’s not worrying, and because he’s not worrying, I’m not either, or is it the other way around?At least thinking about that stopped Titus thinking about the roast beef his wolf was eating. It really smelled good. Titus would’ve settled for a bite out of one of the sandwiches Apollo was enjoying.
Once the food was gone, Apollo cleared away the mess and lay back down again, resting his head on the pillow and a handon Titus’s flank. The backpack Apollo had been carrying – containing Titus’s clothes and bits and pieces – was on the other side of him, and Apollo had a hand on that, too.
The sun slowly tracked across the sky, and as it started its slow descent, the wolf started to get edgy. Apollo seemed happy enough, humming quietly, just watching the clouds, but the wolf – and Titus – were starting to think about how long it would take them to get back down the trail. The hike up had been two hours, and they still had to get back down before nightfall. While the wolf had very good eyesight, and therefore so did Titus, they were both a bit worried about Apollo.How well can he see in the dark?It’s not like there were any streetlights around.
Maybe Apollo was thinking about that as well, because after a time, he sat up and stretched out his arms and back. “Should we walk a bit more with your four legs to my two?” he asked. “We can find somewhere for you to shift safely before we get back to where you left the rental car.”
That was a good idea, and Titus was just about to nod his approval when he heard his phone ringing from the backpack. The wolf growled.
“That’s unusual,” Apollo said, reaching into the top of the backpack, presumably to pull out the phone. “I thought you had your notifications silenced?”
Titus shifted quickly, reaching for the phone Apollo was holding. “The only numbers who could get through were Regis’s, my lawyer, and my father.”
Checking the screen, Titus could see it was his lawyer calling. He and Liam were good friends who’d worked together for years, although Liam had no idea about Titus’s furry side. Tapping to accept the call, he hit the speaker button. “Liam, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, my gods, Titus, thank goodness I got hold of you.” Liam sounded genuinely upset. “Look, I hate to bother you. Regis told me you were finally taking that vacation we’ve been pestering you to take. But there’s been a new development… fuck, it’s not a development, it’s a shit show regarding this business with Ms. Bloom. When you last got in touch, you said you had proof that you weren’t the father of Ms. Bloom’s child. Is that right?”
“I received the information from a reputable source,” Titus said slowly. “It’s not something I can use in court, which is why you said you’d push for a DNA test. Is she refusing to get that done? That was quick.”
“Refusal wouldn’t be the word I’d use,” Liam said. “I haven’t had a chance to send her the papers yet, and that’s the problem.”
“The next payment isn’t due for two weeks. I’m sure you can get in touch with her by then.”
“Unless you’ve got a line to speak to the dead, that could be problematic.”
