James’s Note: Here we get to meet a Character I love named Tasha. She is 100% inspired by the relationship in Lord of the rings between Tom Bombadil and his wife. It also leads to the introduction of her husband Ollie, whom I love even more.
I sent a quick text message ahead so my friends would be ready for me, and we came pulling up to a closed shop front that red, “Ollies Guns and Ammo”. The the tallest most beautiful blonde you ever met in your life was standing out front. As I staggered out of the car she exclaimed, “Oh Danny, you are a mess. Come here, come here.” Her accent was light, musical and hard to pin down.
She scooped me up like I was a little child, instead of the at least moderately strapping grown man that I actually am, and carried me inside. Damien followed confusedly, instructing the junior werewolf to remain with the car. It sucks being the low man on the totem pole in a werewolf pack.
She took me inside, through the gun shop, to the kitchen of her apartment that was above the shop. She laid me on her kitchen counter and began rubbing her hands all over my chest, neck and face. She also began to hum the most beautiful melody and her hands glowed with a warming, gentle light. I swear I could almost feel the burst veins, arteries and capillaries knitting themselves back together at her gentle request. I coughed up a final glob of coagulated blood that she cleaned up in a business-like manner without so much as a word. It’s really nice having friends who aren’t entirely human.
“Thanks, Tasha.” I said as I tried to sit up. She pushed me back down, insisting that I was going to ruin all her hard work, and told me to lay still while she fixed me a tea to finish setting me. She cleaned up the remaining blood from my face and what she could get off my clothes, and sauntered into the kitchen. She may be married to one of my best friends, but watching her walk is still a borderline religious experience.
Damian suddenly appeared beside where I reclined on the kitchen counter, detaching himself from the corner where he had been skulking. I think being in a stranger’s house made him uncomfortable. Not knowing who or even what they were, he didn’t know how much of an asshole he was allowed to be. This kind of attitude is exactly why I don’t like most werewolves. I much prefer the philosophy where you treat everyone with kindness and respect until they have earned the right to be treated like the dick they are.
“All right good”, Damien snorted uncomfortably, “if you’re all healed up we can get you out of here so you can make a full report to Wolfgang?”
I slowly started trying to sit up, careful not to hurt myself, per Tasha’s instructions. “Look Damien, I fully intend to get Wolfgang his report, but before I even start worrying about that, I’m going to finish making sure I don’t die. After that, I’ll look into dealing with the ravening monster in the city. Then, and only then, will I hop my happy ass back into that Honda Civic and go have a nice little chat with your Alpha.”
Damian growled, which I still say was uncalled for. “What do you mean you’ll look into dealing with it? Now that we know what it is, the pack will deal with this loup-garou.”
“Loup-garou huh”, came a voice from the bedroom door, “that’s a new one in these parts. And if that is what you’re dealing with, it’ll eat your little pack for breakfast, lunch, dinner and have some left over for a midnight snack.
I looked up, grinning, as my friend Ollie walked into the room. Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and Jesus-stomper sandals, he was a short man with a stocky build that made him look pudgy. His hair was long in back with a high forehead that gave him the impression of going bald. He was absolutely not the kind of guy you would picture being married to Tasha. He was also a werewolf, a fact that Damien’s flaring nostrils indicated he had picked up on immediately.
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Gray Matters: The Works of Sharon and James Gray 