8. Dennis
Dennis
The road to the den was going to be the death of his truck, even though his truck was built to be hard-wearing.
There were endless potholes. Overgrown branches scraped against the paint on both sides.
Dennis was pretty sure that if their caravan of two cars, his and that of the people who'd met him at the entrance to the bears' land, encountered another car going in the other direction, one of them would have to back up a quarter-mile or more to let the other pass. He hit another unavoidable pothole and winced. “Why don’t you guys keep up this damn road?” he asked Bjorn grumpily.
Bjorn just shrugged. “Only den members use it, and I guess we’re used to it. Plus, it discourages unwanted visitors, and Escalus loves that. He’s not a people person.”
Dennis managed to avoid the next pothole and breathed a sigh of relief as the road suddenly opened up to a dirt clearing that was apparently used as a parking lot, because he counted at least a dozen cars and trucks.
“Your alpha…doesn’t like people? Like, the guy who leads your people, doesn’t like people?
” he asked incredulously as he brought the truck to a halt in an empty space and shifted into Park.
Bjorn just shrugged again. “He’s a good leader. He’s just…also grumpy.”
Before Dennis could reply, two men and two bears materialized out of the car that had accompanied them and took up positions surrounding the truck. “What the fuck?” he blurted. How had bears even fit in there?
One of the men strode up to his window and knocked. “Please identify yourself,” he said with a growl in his voice.
Before Dennis could react, Bjorn had thrown open his door and popped out of the truck. “Hi, guys!” he said cheerfully. “We’re here to see my Gran. Do you know how she’s doing?”
The man who’d challenged them examined Bjorn critically. “Oh. Hi, Bjorn. Why are you naked?”
As if on cue, Bjorn shifted, dropping down to all fours with a grunt. The man’s eyes widened. “The fuck?”
“Oh, shit,” the other man in human form chortled.
“Did Bjorn seriously just lose control? I love it.” Meanwhile, both bears lumbered forward and started sniffing at Bjorn.
One then backed up and grunted at his human companions, who acted like he’d spoken English.
“No shit?" said chortling-man. “His Gran’s gonna love this.”
Bjorn growled low at that, and Dennis decided it was time to interject. He stepped down from the truck and stuck out a hand toward the nearest human. “Hi. I’m Dennis Garza. We’re here because your alpha said Bjorn’s grandma is sick. Can we see her?”
The man hummed. “Eventually. First you gotta talk to Alpha, though.”
“Well, where is he?”
The man who’d been laughing at them sobered. “He’ll be here when he’s ready. Why are you with Bjorn? Like, why didn’t he just hop a plane? We were expecting to get a call to pick him up at the airport.”
Bjorn, still in bear form, growled again and shook himself demonstratively, as if to say Um, duh?
The man looked over at him, winced, and nodded.
“Oh, damn, is this not a one-time thing just because you’re upset?
” His expression stilled suddenly. “Wait did you meet…?” He grinned and reached out to pat Bjorn on his furry shoulder.
“Damn, you got lucky.” He looked at Dennis then, his expression now friendly instead of mocking. “Are you the mate?”
“Uh.” How exactly was Dennis meant to answer that?
Bjorn certainly thought he was, and it was undeniable that the uncontrollable shifting thing had happened after they met for the first time, but hell if Dennis was going to come out and say he was Bjorn’s mate.
“It’s a long story,” he finally offered.
“We’ve got fucking time,” boomed a new voice. A man in dusty jeans and a plaid flannel shirt strode into the clearing like he owned it. “I have a feeling we’re gonna want to hear this story. Hello, Bjorn.” He crossed to where Bjorn was standing.
Bjorn grunted.
The man offered a hand to Dennis. “Escalus Prior. I’m the alpha here. Welcome.”
Dennis took his hand and shook it. “Dennis Garza. I’m a…friend of Bjorn’s. We’d like to see his grandma as soon as possible.” Since Bjorn couldn’t currently talk, it fell to Dennis to advocate for him, so advocate he would.
“Hmm.” Escalus cocked his head to the side and studied Dennis, then Bjorn. “Your parents would like to see you first.”
Why was everyone acting like this was a casual visit? “You told Bjorn she was sick,” Dennis protested. “So he’s worried. He’d really like to see her quickly.”
Escalus shook his head. “She’ll keep. Bjorn hasn’t seen his parents in years, as far as I know. They appealed to me for a visit.”
Bjorn made that subvocal growling sound again, and Dennis, unable to stop himself, crossed to the bear and set a hand on his haunch soothingly.
Bjorn sighed and deflated a little. “Then please tell them we’re here,” Dennis said, deciding he wasn’t going to win this fight. “Let’s get this over with.”
The alpha studied him for a long moment, then shrugged and moved his eyes to Bjorn. “Bjorn, shift.”
“He can’t -” Dennis began to explain, then stopped short when Bjorn’s furry body transformed into a hairy, human one and he stood up. “What the fuck?”
“Alpha can compel shifts,” one of the other men explained in a bored tone that implied Dennis should have known this already.
Fuck him. Just because Dennis didn’t hang out with shifters all the time didn’t mean he was dumb.
Ok, so maybe he'd been deliberately ignorant, just a little, but he wasn't dumb.
“Thanks, Alpha,” Bjorn said, running a hand through his hair. “The shifting thing is…getting really annoying.”
Escalus gestured to the first man who had approached him, who produced a pair of sweatpants and tossed them at Bjorn. “Get dressed,” he ordered.
Obediently, Bjorn shimmied into the sweats, which were a little small on him and clung to his hips. “Thanks. Can you tell me how Gran is while we walk to my parents, at least?”
“She’s holding her own,” said Escalus, turning toward a path that led into the forest. “She knows you’re coming and was pretty excited about it last time I checked in on her.”
Bjorn followed the alpha, so Dennis followed him. The various other men and bears fell into line behind them, making a weird little procession that marched into the woods. “Do you know why my parents want to talk to me?” Bjorn asked as they walked.
Escalus shrugged. “They’re your parents.”
“Yeah, but we…” Dennis saw Bjorn’s shoulders rise and fall in either a shrug or a sigh. “You know we don’t get along.”
“You’ll be fine,” Escalus said with a shrug as they approached a cozy-looking little cottage nestled in a small clearing among the trees. “I’m sure they miss you.”
Bjorn snorted quietly, but didn’t reply to that. Instead, he straightened his shoulders and marched up to the cottage’s front door, rapping it confidently with his fist.
“You’ve got this,” Dennis couldn’t help muttering quietly to himself, trying to morally support his…
friend? Sure, friend. Trying to morally support his friend without making him look weak.
Unfortunately, apparently shifters had good hearing, because all six of his companions turned to look at him, Escalus with amusement, the random guys with confusion, and Bjorn with a dopey look on his face.
“Uh…” Dennis stumbled, feeling his face heat.
Bjorn threw him a smile, then turned back swiftly toward the door when it rattled open. “Hi, Mom,” he said, voice subdued.
“Bjorn,” greeted the slender woman who’d opened the door to them.
Her hair was the same shade of chestnut as her son’s, but her eyes were sharp, much sharper than Bjorn’s had ever looked to Dennis, and she had the beginnings of a sneer on her face.
“Good of you to stop by.” Was that sarcasm, or just a weird formality?
Dennis wasn’t sure, and he didn’t think Bjorn was either, judging by the look on his face.
“Yeah, well.” Bjorn palmed the back of his head and rubbed his hair. “Alpha said you wanted to see me.”
The woman’s eyes darted from Bjorn to Dennis. “Who’s this?” she demanded with no segue.
“He’s -” Bjorn began to say, but Dennis stepped forward before he could confess all.
“I’m Dennis, a friend of Bjorn’s,” he introduced himself instead, holding out a hand to the woman.
She studied him for a long moment, and then took his hand in a limp grip.
“Rowena Karlsson.” They shook, if you could call it that when Rowena barely moved her hand.
“It’s…a pleasure to meet you.” She looked like it was anything but.
She kinda looked like she smelled something bad, really.
Dennis had showered this morning, he was sure of that, so how bad could he possibly smell?
“Likewise,” he said formally, then allowed Bjorn to gently shoulder him aside.
“So, did you need something from me?” Bjorn asked in the coldest tone Dennis had ever heard from him, which wasn’t really all that cold objectively but was still a bit jarring after his usual warmth. “Where’s Papa?”
A man materialized behind Rowena’s shoulder.
He was as tall as Bjorn, but heftier and softer.
He was also wearing a three-piece suit and tie.
Everyone else was wearing sweats or jeans, even the alpha, but this guy was in a suit?
Dennis tried not to stare. “I’m right here,” said the man. “Welcome back to the den.”
Bjorn just nodded tightly. “I’m here to see Gran.”
His father pressed his lips together. “Mmm. You would come when she calls, even though you won’t take our calls.”
Bjorn snorted. “When was the last time you called me, Papa? It’s less that I won’t take your calls and more that you don’t make them.”
“Yes, well.” Rowena pushed on her husband's shoulder, moving him from in front of the door. “You may as well come inside. Thank you for bringing him to us, Alpha,” she said, bowing her head respectfully to Escalus and then the other men. “Enforcers.”