“I believe that we would have done the same here in Cookietown if we hadn’t already had an established clinic in place,” Taggart stated. “At least that’s the feeling that I got from Gabai during the meetings that were held about the council sponsored clinic.”
Soren felt a little better about that, though there was still so much more he needed to tell them.
“Construction happened fast, and when the clinic did open, it was with three doctors, two nurses, and a receptionist. During the construction, everyone in the community received a questionnaire to fill out about their health history and any medical concerns they had. It was pretty intensive and overfive pages long,” Soren explained. “Appointments filled up fast, and the clinic was packed at first, mostly by elders. Then they sent out a second questionnaire, only that one was only for the mated pairs and tri-bonds, asking all kinds of questions about when and how they’d met their mates, where, how old they were, if they had any offspring yet. I saw it only because some of my mated siblings and cousins got them. They asked questions about the offspring too, like when they were conceived. If they’d had any issues with the birthing or hatching. If they were full term, properly formed, or failed to thrive, and if they had been sickly or had recurring health issues. It was a lot, but everyone filled them out thinking they wanted to have a more comprehensive health history on every member of the community.”
Arlington nodded, wearing a deep frown. “It seems like a logical assumption to me. As much as I hate paperwork, as a parent I’d have filled it out in case the information I gave could help my younglings down the line.”
“Exactly,” Soren answered, while Taggart’s head bobbed in agreement. “No one blinked or asked questions, but a few weeks later, another questionnaire came. This one for the non-mated.”
“Really?” Arlington replied, carding his fingers through Soren’s hair. “Did you fill one out?”
Soren nodded. “Uh-huh, we all did.”
“Do you remember any questions that stood out as odd?” Arlington asked, still gently playing with Soren’s hair.
It kept him grounded, as did the fact that he remained perched on his Daddy’s lap, his strong chest right there for Soren to cuddle against if he needed to. Taggart had perched on the edge of the desk, his fingers trailing a lazy path up and down Soren’s spine, creating a bubble of comfort and support around him. No lab could do this.
To think that just a short time ago he’d believed that remaining in their home when the smelly thing had invaded would be the hardest thing he ever had to do. Sitting in the kitchen before, making his list and remembering those moments before his life became irrevocably changed was just as hard and mentally draining too.
He was with Taggart, when would they get to be just them living their lives in peace?
“Yes, Daddy, I made a list,” Soren explained, leaning into Taggart’s touch.
He needed his mate in his arms and opened them wide, pleading with his eyes for Taggart, who immediately read it for what it was, shifted, and with a soft burr, leapt into his embrace. Soren cuddled him like a stuffy before reading from his list.
“They asked if we’d ever traveled outside of our homelands. If we’d ever sensed that we had a mate but been unable to find them. Ever felt a bond with someone and had it turn out they weren’t our mates? Ever noticed our scents changing when we were around certain groups of shifters? If we’d ever noticed others' scents changing around us? If we were attracted to or repelled by scent, and if so, what types of scents? They asked us to go into detail on these questions, right down to how the scents made us feel. If it caused us to modify our behavior in any way. And if we sought out the source of that scent.”
“And had you ever experienced anything like that, with the scents of others?” Arlo asked softly.
“No, but my cousin had, and one of my sisters had,” Soren admitted, clinging a little tighter to Taggart. “They were the first to leave our lands. We thought they were still searching for the one the scent came from, only now I don’t know if that was the case or if they were taken. There was a lot of upheaval after that. A lot of shifters leaving or just up and vanishing without a word. They came around conducting blood tests not long afterthe questionnaire, and then later, they held a big blood drive. Certain shifters received postcards specifically requesting them to donate. Some did, but others chose not to, so the clinic sent nurses to their homes with letters from the council encouraging them to do their duty and donate. They came across as thinly veiled threats, to be honest. I was so scared when I received mine, I sat right down in the chair and let them take a blood sample.”
Arlington growled, while Taggart made a squeaking noise when Soren cuddled him that much tighter in defense against what they’d done to him. He quickly eased up and nuzzled his mate, pressing his nose to Taggart’s fur, inhaling the scent of him.
“Things happened fast after the blood samples, especially to the rhinos and the warthogs. Every day it seemed like more and more strangers were on our lands and more people fled or disappeared. We started being more watchful, as I said before. Some took notes, some stayed indoors, others carried warnings when we felt one of our neighbors was being targeted, but it was too little, too late. You know how the rest turned out.”
“We do,” Arlington rumbled. “And while I’ve never had a very scientific mind, the conversation I had with Zaiden has given me a good idea of why they were hunting for the serpents while also seeking the rarest and unique shifters remaining in the world today. It’s also why I believe he and his people’s elite warriors are the only ones equipped to deal with any remaining hybrids the council have created.”
He wore a thoughtful look as he met both their stares. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m looking forward to being able to stand down for a little while and just enjoy time with the two of you making kites, coloring, enjoying our backyard and the new wallow once we can finish it. Taking the opportunity to revel in your rambunctious antics and laugh as you gang up topulverize me in another round of Hungry-Hungry Hippos. It will be the best way of recharging and beginning to move past the horrors we’ve endured these past few months. After tomorrow, I promise you lazy days of sleeping in and plenty of cuddle times and games.”
“That sounds amazing,” Soren murmured as Arlington wrapped him and Taggart in his embrace and held them tight, a silent promise and reminder that he would never let them be taken from him.
Arlo
Tensions were high as Arlo walked with Zaiden into a meeting with every Alpha and shifter community leader they’d been able to reach out to. Armed with the information they’d gathered, it was time to lay all the cards on the table if they were going to have any chance of putting an end to the damage and destruction the old council had wrought. Finding the remaining council escapee was no longer the priority.
There were several gasps when Zaiden slithered up the floor, but he held all their attention as he came to stand before them. His absolute stillness would have been unnerving if Arlo hadn’t known him as long as he had. Zaiden didn’t twitch, didn’t blink, didn’t even rearrange his coils as he listened to the details of their encounters with the owls, the recording devices behind their eyes, the foul smelling creatures, the tigers used as attack dogs, the being who could turn himself into flames, the experimentations, the hidden laboratories, the attempts on Cosmo’s life where it had all started. The kidnapping and torture of Romy. Losing lives while they’d looked to create a ‘super shifter’ for want of a better word. Taggart’s informationgathering, disappearances, and all the other atrocities that had taken place—some of which they were sure had been missed.
Arlo had lived some of it, and yet as he laid it out, it was hard to comprehend how they had all been duped for so long. It was still a lot to take in when all the information got presented at once. His fury almost got the best of him as he presented the information Soren had written in his list, the page tear-stained in places, something he’d never be able to forgive the fuckers for.
The crowd in front of him tensed as he spoke, braced like concrete struts supporting a building hit by an earthquake, the information rocking them to their very foundation, weakening them.
In Arlo’s world, his boys would receive nothing but love, joy, and peace in their lives from this point forward, even if he had to build a fortress around the house to keep them protected. He’d even craft gun turrets and arm the damn things if need be. He just wanted the torment, guilt, shame and upheaval to end for Taggart and Soren, so they'd stop beating themselves up for not speaking out, or noticing what they believed was right under their noses. The whole shifter population had to shoulder the blame when communities had allowed the sneaky fuckers to run amok.
The last bit of intelligence came from the scarred tiger, who’d witnessed his brother burn even as he’d destroyed the flaming being.
Their long day finally seemed to draw to a close when Zaiden moved. “I understand with far more clarity now what the council hoped to find when they hunted my people,” Zaiden offered after silence had filled the room and no one appeared to know what to say at the vacuum of pain they found themselves in. “My people have always governed themselves and kept apart from the shifter community for many reasons. It saddens me to say that we lost touch with most of the other populations and were blindto the struggles you’ve endured. It should never have been this way. I believe that we all want the best for our societies. To live in peace with our neighbors, to thrive, prosper, discover our mates, love and receive love, form friendships, build communities, and look forward to the quirky little adventures life throws our way.”
The authority in his voice was tempered with compassion, and Arlo felt it sway the room when there were murmurs and nods from those in attendance.
