Chapter Seventy Six
Over the next few days, my life changed drastically.
Every morning around six, my alarm woke me up and I started my day by either getting out of my bed, walking into Echo's room, and flopping down beside him so I could cuddle him awake or waking up in his bed and snuggling close to his side so I could pepper him with kisses.
He was a grumpy one in the mornings and often complained at me even though I got the feeling he did like me cuddling and kissing him. The clothes he'd ordered himself arrived not long after Aerin went back home to Sebastian's manor, which was a blessing since he'd needed them. He now owned his own skirts, decorated jeans, shorts, stockings, and shirts, sweaters, hoodies, underwear, jockstraps, and blouses. He'd even gotten himself lacy black thigh-highs with a garter belt open in the back and closed in the front like a weird jockstrap.
I'd asked him why he'd bought that and he'd just looked at me.
His blank face clearly asked if I was dumb and I'd felt my cheeks burn.
After letting him bite me and spending time with him together, talking and hanging out and just filling each other in on our interests and experiences, I would leave the apartment and head down to the forest around noon so I could spend time with Yuma, Luka, and Sasha.
I hadn't said a word about my birthmark.
I hadn't even seen it. I'd been tempted to shave my head many times since the moment my dad told me where it was, but I'd fought the urge to look at it because I didn't want to be tempted to do anything stupid. My father had given me hope that something would happen, either way. Part of me still contemplated telling Yuma about what I now knew since he seemed to be a very open and trusting guy, but I'd promised I wouldn't so that was that.
Instead, I focused on other, more constructive things.
Yuma would often sit with me in the grass near the river and teach me about the strange magical forces known as glamour and Arcana. The lessons were the actual highlights of my day... it was just so far-fetched and alien to know I could use magic like some sort of wand-wielding wizard or one of those characters from fantasy movies. Granted, I could already do incredible shit what with my werewolf genetics and all, but still, jumping higher than a skyscraper, moving faster than a car, being capable of punching through a stone wall was enough for me.
If I could do magic on top of all that, I would literally be a super hero and the thought made me tingle because despite seeming so unrealistic... when I saw magic right in front of me and watched Yuma give examples of it, like making plants shoot out of the ground, healing dead trees, making flowers grow and bloom all around, and even creating insane light shows that glittered and spiraled and sparkled around my head like fireflies, it would hit me.
Magic was real.
Magic existed.
And now, I could only wonder how long it was going to take for me to learn how to use it.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't so much that I didn't think I could--the practice Yuma and I were putting in had shown me that all I really had to do was think right and follow his very specific instructions and shocking things would happen, but the way it flowed inside me, like a whisper of power just beneath the surface... well, that was going to take a little time adjusting to.
I'd always been capable of using magic because it was the feeling I got whenever I played my panpipes. Raw. Primal. Wild. Like I was somehow a part of nature, a force that couldn't be controlled or tamed, free to do as I pleased and thoroughly enjoying every single part of it.
That feeling was my magic boiling under the surface of my skin, ready to come out and it felt weird to have such a strange name for something that had always been apart of my life.
Magic, to me, didn't feel like another network of veins within my body, nor did it feel like a free floating force that would sift its way through my blood. It didn't feel spiritual or universal or anything like what people had ever written about or talked about in movies.
Magic felt physical, hot-blooded, very emotional, and in-the-moment... which, unfortunately, also made using glamour and arcana both very difficult. Yuma had informed me that I did need to be careful with feeling things too much after tapping into my magic because if I didn't get a grip or understand what I was doing, we'd have a repeat of that night in the forest.
I still shuddered whenever I thought about how everything had spun completely out of control, how we'd been tangled up in the roots, and I could still hear the screaming of the forest in my mind as the trees swayed and leaned, as if reaching out to me, to stop me from hurting.
We started with little things.
My first lesson was making a small orb of light appear over my hands in different colors and brightness levels, which to me was insane because it completely negated the need for a flashlight. I felt like a kid on Christmas and couldn't stop doing it for the rest of the day.
Kat and Jun typically swung by my apartment around eight or nine, alone or together, so I always stopped my lessons with Yuma around seven so I could hang out with them. They had both been shocked and amazed by my freaky new ability to just flick a floating orb of light into existence above my hands and had been absolutely enthralled by the way I could make them disappear and reappear and flash brilliantly with prismatic colors.
I'd been bombarded with questions about it and Kat had even put her hand through an orb.
Her face when she'd felt nothing had been absolutely priceless.
"It's like smoke!" she'd squealed, mouth dropping. "What the hell is this?! It's literally light!"
"I'm a magician, Baby!" I'd cackled, tail flapping so hard it was a wonder my ass didn't get rug burn. Of course, Echo had swatted me and accused me of cheating on him and to stop it, which had led to more laughter, and we'd moved onto ordering pizza and popping a movie in.
Kip swung by once, too, on the seventh, asking if it was okay to hang out with me, but Erika, for once, hadn't been with him. Looking around, I'd asked, "Where's Ri?"
He'd looked a little sheepish and awkward. "Hanging out with Dylan and his friends on the campus football field."
I'd raised an eyebrow. "And... you'd rather hang out here?"
"Well, yeah, we haven't talked in forever and I miss your ugly mug," was his response, which had made me grin at him and wiggle my ears. "It's been a while since we've caught up with each other. How are things with Echo and your new neighbor? The hot one, I mean."
"Great, actually, on both fronts," I'd told him, puffing my chest up proudly. "I'm actually dating Echo now, and I've gone all the way with him!"
Of course, Kip had been thunderstruck and had looked at me blankly for an entire minute. I'd felt a little confused by his reaction because he didn't really look all that happy about it, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. I mean, he'd often teased me about being a virgin.
"When?" was all he said.
"A few nights ago, before the fourth."
More silence. He just stared at me, face unreadable. He came inside and hung out with us, but stayed mostly quiet during the banter and playful conversations taking place between Echo, myself, and Katrina, even though she'd gone out of her way to try and include him often.
He hadn't said much of anything, really, but frankly, I wasn't worried. I'd figured he was most likely just upset because I hadn't told him about any of my recent experiences right after they'd happened, but I'd been very clear the day we'd fought in the hall that I was no longer invested in our friendship and that he and Erika would have to reach out to me and work at it for a change.
There was also the slimmer chance that he'd been crushing on me... a chance that he'd felt a little fucked up by the knowledge that I'd found someone and lost my virginity with them, but I didn't feel guilty about that, either, because the way I saw it he'd had five years to make a move on me and not once, in all that time, had he ever shown any clear sign that he was interested.
Not to seem callous, but that was his loss, not mine.
However, a few hours later, when Kip finally left my apartment and headed back to his dorms, Kat had paused the film and given me an odd look.
"Is he okay?" she'd questioned. "He seemed... kinda like he was in shock."
"I mean, he found out I got laid and that I'm dating Echo a few minutes before he came in," I'd pointed out, and her face had screwed up in confusion. "I think it took him a little off guard."
"You didn't call him or text him?" she'd slowly asked. "Isn't he like of your best friends?"
"Yeah," I'd confirmed, giving a single nod, "but he also stuck up for Erika and even tried to justify her behavior after she broke my heart and ghosted me for a year. He also hasn't been acting like a very good friend to me lately and I don't feel obligated to talk to him like I used to."
"Still... this was kind of a big move on your part, Horst," Kat chided, and I'd frowned at her. "You should apologize for not getting in touch with him. It probably hurt his feelings that you didn't even think to let him know you'd found yourself a boyfriend and got laid for the first time."
She'd had a point, so I'd done exactly that through text, then and there. I hadn't received a response even though he saw the message, but I wasn't bothered. I felt detached from him and Erika, like I wasn't as dependent on their affection as I'd been when we were kids. You can only be treated poorly for so long before you just stop caring what people do or think or feel.
For the rest of that night, I'd played with my magical balls of light, as I'd goofily dubbed them, but Echo had not been all that thrilled with the random flashes and had grumpily banished me from his room that night. I'd been fine with that, though, I was like a kid with a new toy.
"Flash on! Flash off!"
On July eighth, Aerin had called me to let me know he'd spoken with Sebastian about Echo's situation and they'd had a long talk about things. He'd told me that my dad would be coming to get me, and only me, on the eleventh so we could talk about it at the manor with the pack.
I'd immediately asked him why I couldn't bring Echo, what with him being my boyfriend.
"Oh, you can!" Aerin had chirpily told me. "Just not until the thirteenth. I don't want him to over exert himself, and plus, I kinda have a surprise for him that I don't want him to know about and it isn't ready so, he has to stay behind when Jak comes to get you! Don't worry, though, Raphael is coming back to stay in the apartments to watch him."
"Does he know we're together?"
"Uh, no idea, but your dad seems happy."
Oh, boy, how I'd blushed...
I'd hung up not long after giving him my love and regards, had waddled back into Echo's room, and the two of us had gone to sleep, which brings us to the present: the 9th of July. Like always, I snuggled Echo awake and when he blearily peeled his eyes open I kissed his face and smiled when he groaned a complaint.
"Sleepy," he whined. "Stop."
"I know, Hon, but you gotta bite me," I murmured, chuckling softly when he grumbled and buried his face against my bare chest. He muttered something I couldn't hear, then pulled back, wriggled his way up towards my face, and nosed my neck. I took a breath when his teeth pricked the skin on my shoulder and I clenched, stiffening up as he pushed down.
I clenched my jaw as his fangs punctured my skin with an electrical zap.
His arm slid across my waist and he relaxed, sleepily swallowing mouthful after mouthful of my blood. I caressed him in return, closing my eyes and waiting until he finally pulled his sharp teeth out of me. He licked his lips and wrapped a leg around my hips, getting comfy.
"Thank you," he mumbled. "I appreciate it."
I glanced at the holo-clock on the side table and sighed, since it was 9:32 in the morning.
Must have forgotten to set the alarm last night, I realized, letting loose a yawn. I figured I could sleep in since it was a Sunday and everybody was probably doing so anyway if they weren't at the campus chapel. Unfortunately, life always seemed to have other plans. Right as I was about to zonk out again, loud, obnoxious banging came from my front door, startling me.
I groaned in exasperation and rolled out of bed and Echo pulled a pillow over his face. I rushed to drag my jeans on and for once didn't bother with a shirt, deigning to just stuff my tail into the back of my pants while I dealt with the nuisance smacking the hell out of my door.
The banging continued incessantly while I shoved my hooves into my shoes, dragged my wig on over my horns and ears, and popped my contacts in. My nostrils flared in frustration as I stormed out of the room and towards the front door of my apartment. I opened my mouth to shout at the offender, figuring it was Jeremy and his obnoxious friends again, but stopped dead when I actually heard my guest's voice.
"Halloooo! Hallo-lo-lo! Hallo-Hallo!" Luka was yodeling in a singsong tone. "Big Horst?! Luka vants to play! Halloooooo!"
All of my anger deflated in an instant.
Heaving a great sigh, I opened the door and caught him around the middle when he leapt at me with a happy bleat, swinging him around in a circle and setting him down. He seemed surprised by the fact that I'd caught him but wiggled his ears at me and I smiled despite myself. I couldn't be mad at him. I couldn't find it in myself to be.
"Hey, Luka," I greeted, and he giggled, tail wagging so hard his hips wiggled with it. "What brings you up here? I was gonna head down and hang out with you guys a little later, remember?"
"Yah, but vant fun now!" he happily exclaimed, bouncing on his hooves and prancing with a toss of his horned head; the movement was animalistic. "I am good mood! Bant to play with Big Horst! Have big urge to toss and tumble and romp and make merry!"
I blinked, taken aback. "You're saying you actually wanna play with me?"
He nodded eagerly and tapped his horns, then pointed at my Afro. "Luka and Big Horst have romp! Lock horns! You special, you different than satyrs in home tribe! Big Horst is special!"
A strange sensation came over me when he grinned and a chill settled in my stomach.
I didn't know why hearing that I felt different than other guys in his tribe weirded me out, but it did and I was suddenly very uncomfortable. I tried my best to hide it, though, figuring it was just jitters because I'd never play wrestled or butted heads with another satyr before.
I took a breath and let it out. "Okay. Sure."
He yipped, clapping his hands when I took my wig and hair net off and tossed them to the side. I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to do, so I just watched as he pawed at the floor with his hoof, scraping it. He wriggled like a cat about to pounce and charged at me, head down.
Like a bolt of lightning, I involuntarily snapped my head down on instinct and tensed my back, shocking myself. Normally I'd have just moved aside and bitch slammed the person trying to rush me, but something just... came over me.
With a crack, Luka's horns crashed into my own.
He let out a bray that wasn't at all human and my spine prickled with territorial instinct.
I stayed put, squaring my shoulders as he locked horns with me, hunched low as he fought against me. He pushed, and pushed, and pushed, snapping his head left and right, trying his hardest to make me lose ground, but I wouldn't budge, I clenched my fists and became steel.
"Big Horst strong," he happily crowed, furry legs shaking as he fought to push against me, "but Luka... strong... too! Will tumble! Will win! Luka do!"
"We'll see," I grit out, grinning.
He grunted and wriggled and pushed and I fought back a laugh, because this wasn't fair at all. I had supernatural strength on my side. Even if he pushed until the end of time, he would never be able to topple me unless I let him... but I liked Luka, a lot. He was always bringing me little things like jugs of water when I was training and nuts and berries and the occasional flower that he would weave into my hair. Sasha always watched him lavish these attentions on me with a smile, content to see him treating me kindly.
He was a special man, endearing, and very kind... there was no shame or harm in letting him think he'd won. I took a step backwards, hiding a smile when he let out a goat-like bleat.
"I winning!" he yapped, fighting with new vigor. "LUKA DO!"
"You're so strong, Luka!" I gasped, trying my hardest to sound like I was straining. I took a second step back and he started freaking out, laughing and screaming and babbling happily in Russian, and I bit the inside of my cheek to fight my giggles.
I took another step, and then another, and then let my legs start buckling under the pressure of his advancement, letting myself slowly go limp. He bore down on me and, with a very violent shove, swung me against the wall.
I was startled because my feet left the ground and I actually hit my head.
Hard.
I tumbled to the floor in a heap, landing on my side, and clutched the back of my skull. I glanced up to seem him frozen like a deer in the headlights, smile gone, eyes wide.
"Ow, man," I said, frowning at him while I rubbed. "A little rough there."
"I so sorry!" he burbled, going red in the face; he shuffled closer, looking nervous. "Ouch?"
"I'm okay, just wasn't expecting you to slam me so hard," I admitted, rubbing my noggin; the pain was already fading thanks to my healing factor, but he still seemed mortified. I flapped a hand at him dismissively. "I'm fine, really. It wouldn't have been a problem if we'd been outside, my apartment is just kinda small for this, you know? But for real, Luka, you're really strong!"
The satyr preened and his skinny chest puffed up, bearded face cracking into a grin. His tail wagged madly as he pranced over and gripped my arms, pulling me up and hugging me. I was surprised by the gesture, and I was even more surprised when he buried his face in my chest.
Then something strange happened: he suddenly stopped moving, tail going still, and abruptly stepped back, nose wrinkling a little. He seemed confused and sniffed a few times.
"Horst..." he said, pointing at me. "Strange smell."
I flushed, looking down at myself. "Do I stink or something?"
His ears fluttered, nostrils flaring as he sniffed one more time, but then he just shook his head and smiled at me, moving forward to clasp my hands again. I furrowed my brows when he stepped close and buried his face against my neck, sniffing me like an animal.
"You all good, fam?" I squeaked, highly uncomfortable, and he pulled back with a grin.
"Like a dog!" he laughed, poking me. "Smell like a dog!"
My jaw dropped and with a scoff I flicked his forehead, relishing in the squeak he uttered; he held his forehead and stared at me with puppy eyes, as if I'd done something mean, but I just smirked and smugly wiggled my ears. He wiggled his own in response and relaxed.
"Again? Make merry?" Luka asked, perking up. "Big horst want to--"
"Hold your tongues!" Echo suddenly blurted from the bedroom. "I require undisturbed sleep!"
Luka swiveled around and peered over his shoulder, tail wagging, then he looked at me and put a finger to his lips before holding out his hands to me.
"We go?" he whispered. "Come to forest and play?"
"Sure," I whispered back, making my way over to the wig. "Gimme a sec."
All I was gonna do was put my disguise back on, but Luka abruptly snatched my wrist and shook his head with a smile. He stepped close to me, took a tight grip on my palm, and rubbed his left ear; I noticed a small red piercing at the base of it for the first time, barely noticeable under his fur. He fiddled with it for a second, then went still and snatched my other hand, tightly.
I went rigid as a strange tingle began to creep through my whole body, like an electric current.
My eyes went wide as Luka's hair crackled outward, rising with a static wave, and I gasped as the apartment began to go blurry all of a sudden, twisting and spiraling and warping in a circular manner as if reality were distorting and folding in on itself. My hooves slowly left the floor and I looked down at it, opening my mouth to let out a scream--and then, with an abrupt surge of wind, my apartment was sucked away into a blinding nothingness and I began to fucking fall.
Curly hair flying in every direction, I screamed at the top of my lungs as Luka and I began to flip and spiral and twist through distorted something faster than if I'd just jumped off a skyscraper, and I felt terrified because I had no sense of what was up or down in this strange space. All I could see clearly was Luka's laughing face, filling me with terror and vertigo as millions of images sped past my eyes faster than I could ever hope to process, spiraling as if we were spinning down through the center of a tornado.
Just as I was going lightheaded and felt like I was going to vomit and faint, with a crack, the sensation suddenly stopped. I gasped for air, breaking out into an immediate cold sweat as the forest materialized. I was standing upright again, whereas moments ago I'd been flipping.
I stumbled backwards, jerking my hands free and tripping over a root. I lost my balance and fell flat on my ass, dizzied and nauseous and feeling like I was gonna pass out. I clutched my face in horror, and shock, and what the fuckery as I got my bearings and realized where I was.
We were in the the camp! In the middle of the woods! How the hell had we--?!
"Oh," a pleasant voice said, nearly making me piss myself. "Luka was with you, then."
"HOW THE HELL DID I GET HERE?!" I screamed, shaking violently; my stomach overturned just like that and I flopped to the side, losing my breakfast on the forest floor. Bile and vomit rushed past my mouth and I coughed, spitting up, ears completely flat against my neck.
Yuma and Sasha both got up in concern and came rushing forward, fretting over me, and I heard voices through the strange fog in my hearing, muffled and distorted. I hardly cared, I was too busy heaving my guts out and trying to stop feeling so dizzy and disoriented. The two of them said something back and forth in Russian and Luka chimed in. His wife scowled and he bleated and ran away with his hands up when she started chasing him, scolding and shouting.
My skin crawled when Yuma set a calming hand on my arm and I tried to jerk it away from him. He caught me again and held me steady, pulling my curls out of my face when another series of heaves hit me and I puked all over the ground again. I coughed, and coughed, and choked and spit up, and he rubbed my back with gentle fingers, keeping my hair out of my face.
I somehow found myself staring at his mellow eyes through those oval glasses on his nose.
"You're all right," he told me, but I didn't feel alright, I felt dizzy and sick and my heart wouldn't stop pounding even though I hadn't even exerted myself. He cupped my chin and forced me to keep eye contact when I tried to avert my gaze, expression going stern. "You're all right, Horst."
"I--" I tried to say, but cut myself off when another bout of nausea hit me and I doubled over a third time, expelling the contents in my stomach. He patted my back sympathetically until I stopped retching, and then I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
"There, there," he soothed. "You're all right."
I couldn't really answer at first.
I was unnerved by the bubbling creek and the chirping birds and the rushing wind in the trees.
"How the hell did I get here?" I finally asked in a weak, thin voice, shivering. "The apartment... it got sucked away and suddenly I was just... here. I have no idea how to explain what just--"
"Glamour," Yuma sighed, stroking my cheek with his thumb and silencing my questions; his scarred face was gentle and apologetic. "I cast glamour on Luka's earrings so he can get my attention if he gets lost. He rubs them when he wants me to cast a spell to return him home."
"You... you did that?" I asked, shell-shocked. "You... pulled us out of my apartment and...?"
His smile said it all.
The only thing I could think was, Oh, my god.
"There are many things glamour and arcana can do," he informed me, rising from the ground and stepping away; with an experienced flick of his wrist, at least thirty glowing white orbs flickered into existence around his body. I watched, dazed and in shock, as he began to perform a complicated dance that looked vaguely to me like a form of Tai Chi; with spinning spheres of his magic turning effortlessly a few inches from both of his palms, he spun, moving the orbs in shimmering streams as though they were nothing more than extensions of his limbs.
He made using magic look effortless.
I wasn't sure I'd ever be that graceful.
"I have been practicing a little longer than you," Yuma suddenly said, calm and steady, almost as though he wasn't exerting himself at all... and a bit more creepily, like he'd been reading my mind. I was in awe, just watching as the globes of magic twinkled and whirled and sparkled. Then he stopped and righted himself, straightening his polo and patting down his leg fur.
"Are you calmer and feeling better?" he questioned, and when I thought about it, I realized that I was; it actually baffled me a little because my nausea had completely vanished.
"Yeah," I said, peering to the left to see Sasha kneeling down beside me; she wordlessly held out a jug full of water, freckled face full of concern. I saw Luka wringing his hands not too far behind her, watching with a face that made me think he was gonna cry. I took the water from Sasha and used it to rinse the vile taste out of my mouth, then drank a hearty amount.
"I am sorry for husband," Sasha said, setting a tentative hand on my shoulder. "He not meant any upset to you."
"I know, it's fine," I muttered, waving her off. "I just... wasn't expecting it is all."
Of course, that was an understatement, but I wasn't gonna make her feel bad by saying that.
"The spell I used can wreak serious havoc on a third party traveler," Yuma explained, giving his son a chiding look that made the satyr's ears flop; he shuffled on his hooves, shoulders hunched, giving us puppy eyes and looking really the worse for wear. "Luka wouldn't have known that, though, since I never considered the possibility of him bringing someone with him."
"I sorry!" he whined, prancing anxiously. "Ya ne znal chto eto opasno!"
"It is alright," Yuma grunted, reaching out and extending his hand; his goat-like eyes were kind. "I know and I believe Horst knows as well that you didn't mean to."
I took his hand without thinking and let him pull me upright, shifting on my hooves.
"Yeah," I rasped, swallowing, transfixed by the warmth in the old buck's irises. "Yuma's right... I admit, it scared me, but it's all right, Luka. Just give me a bit of a warning next time."
"Okay," he sniffed, sulking. "Luka do."
"Good," Yuma hummed, holding out his hands. "Now, since you're here, perhaps we can resume our lessons in glamour to prevent further mishaps like the one that just happened, hm?"
"Sure," I sighed, nodding. "Sounds good."
"Wonderful," he chuckled, clasping his hands together. "I have good news for you, as well."
This surprised me. "You do?"
"Yes," Yuma gleefully confirmed, nodding once, broken horn glinting. "Soon, I'll have a schedule of learning set in place for you. I will be teaching you about glamour and how to use it safely, as well as about the bodies, instincts, and life cycles of satyrs. Sasha will be teaching you of our religions and the tribal cultures and how they differ from clan to clan. Luka... well..."
The old goat trailed off and looked at his son, who was literally squatting in front of a bush and staring at a preying mantis with his eyes the size of saucers, clutching his bearded cheeks with his tail wagging so much that I could literally see his furry balls swinging between his legs. I sucked my lips into my mouth and held them there with my teeth, slowly looking away.
Luka is a mood and nobody can change my mind, I silently thought, buggy-eyed.
"Eh, he's here just to be here," Yuma finished with an awkward laugh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "He'll keep your mood light when you're stressed and bring you little gifts. He seems to have taken a rather unusual liking to you, Horst."
"What makes you say that?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow. "I figured he'd get along with anyone."
"No, he's never openly expressed any sort of desire to lock horns with another male," the old goat said with a twinkle in his eye. "My son is blindingly honest. If he wants to do something, he tells us about it without even thinking, it just comes out. He expressed to us yesterday that he likes you and wants to wrestle, romp, and play with you like most young bucks do."
I dunno why, but I felt warm and fuzzy after hearing that and grinned from ear to ear.
"To be fair," I said softly, giving the oblivious guy a look, "I like him, too. Its kinda hard to explain, but I warmed up to him way quicker than I normally do with other people. Maybe its because of how innocent he comes across. I get he's a grown man and all, but the way he acts and talks to me makes me feel like he hasn't had any bad experiences or worried about serious things."
"Because he hasn't," Yuma murmured, and I paused. "He is special, in a sense. He does not think like others of our kind do. Our race has adapted to form a civilized structure of life, but there are some satyrs who are drawn to the wild and are more at home in solitude. My son is one of them."
"What's the difference?"
"He is a creature of the forest... not civilization," the old goat sighed, crossing his arms. "Among others who are cognitive thinkers, you experience things such as conflicts with young bucks to display dominance, tests of strength, and arguments with those who disagree with you. Most males wind up desiring bacchanalian things like physical strength, wine, and females, but my Luka has never engaged with others that way. He is the sort to offer flowers to others before he would ever lower his horns at them. In fact, when he was seventeen, he actually picked a bouquets of wildflowers and gave them to one of his challengers." Yuma chuckled and wiped his eye, shaking his head. "I swear, I've never seen anyone look as confused as that poor boy."
I laughed as well, because I could only imagine. The thought of a young Luka being challenged to a fight by a meathead satyr only to pick a bouquet of flowers for him and hold them out... I could almost picture his face and that doe-eyed smile, asking, 'friend?'
God.
"He's a good man," I said firmly, nodding. "He reminds me a little of Woody."
Yuma paused, giving me a look from behind his glasses. "Who?"
"Oh... a hybrid in our pack, half banshee, half werewolf," I explained. "He can't talk because his voice has the power to kill people, but he's one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He's like... an uncle to me, but also a brother. He and Luka are sort of similar with the way they behave."
"It gladdens me to hear you compare my son to someone you hold in such high regard!" Yuma heartily guffawed, slapping my back. "Enough chatter, though! Come, let us begin your lessons!"
I nodded and followed him into the wigwam, casting a glance at Luka as I went.
On his finger was the preying mantis, but his face was soft... loving, even. I could only watch as the little insect crawled over his hand as he turned it over. Right before he vanished from view, I saw him setting it back on the leaf. I knew I would never forget that moment even as I saw it.
Granted, I never really forgot anything, but still.
There was no denying that Luka was special.
I was glad to have met him and his family.