Jace
Neither of them tried to take things further than kissing and petting, though the desire was there on both sides. The fragrance of Clarke’s arousal was addictive.
Her hands roved under his shirt, mapping his muscles, and his did the same with her curves. Neither tried to touch below the waist, and their clothes stayed on.
He did try to express his gratitude when Heath returned from his errands. They didn’t have much time to talk, however, with Nadine and her husbands arriving early, and putting Clarke in a dither.
Nadine was a bit bristly when she realized that Clarke had impersonated a man to get the job at Mars, and had an agenda for being here. But her resentment faded when she understood Clarke’s reasons for doing so.
Jace had worried that Nadine might feel betrayed and bamboozled by someone she considered a friend, who wasn’t who she appeared to be. He relaxed when Nadine’s expression changed from guarded to sympathetic. Clarke deserved to be embraced with love by all her in-laws, not just his parents.
“I would have done the same in your shoes, Clarke,” Nadine said fiercely. “Nothing could have prevented me from searching for my parents personally.”
“I’m relieved that you feel that way,” Clarke said. “Deceiving people isn’t easy for me, especially those that I like and respect. I knew this would be difficult without having a genuine concept of what that would entail. Bonding Jace and Heath was a shock, but also a huge blessing.”
Nadine nodded slowly. “It’s a wonderful thing, but threw a wrench in your plans, and made everything more complicated.”
Brady was frowning. “We must be very careful not to act any differently at football games, or any time we see Clarke in public. I agree that the clue is most likely to be a person. He might be willing to go to extreme lengths to guard his own secrets. Clarke could be in danger if this person discovers who she is, and why she’s here. ”
Jace nodded at Brady in approval. He agreed completely. He’d been worried about exactly that from the moment he had realized that Clarke was coming to Mars, and why.
“Everything has two sides, positive and negative,” Roger commented seriously. “Clarke has more support, and help searching for her dad. However, the risk of exposure is also greater.”
“I hadn’t planned on revealing myself to anyone, but the odds against me felt overwhelming at times, and the stress might have broke me,” Clarke said.
“Having more brains to help investigate, and a support network is worth the risk. We all need to be careful, and not just to conceal my identity. All of you could become targets by hunting for leads. Dad and Dr. Prentis could be in more danger if the person involved realizes that we are sniffing around.”
“And the students, if everything is connected,” Heath added.
“If they are connected, this is big, and dangerous,” Nadine commented with a concerned frown.
“Clarke, have you tried to call a vision asking for clues about the missing students?” Brady asked.
“No. Jace and I just learned about that and Dr. Prentis from Heath a week ago,” she said.
“Sunday, we experimented with asking questions while I was in a meditative state. We focused on Russell’s trustworthiness, which is something that should be easily verifiable.
My power stated that he will be a strong ally who won’t betray my confidence. I confided in him on Monday.”
“Wow. So, Russell knew when we all met at the game last night,” Nadine said. “I never would have guessed. He played that well.”
“Yeah, and he’s really observant with a good memory,” Heath mentioned. “We don’t know what Russell will bring to the table, yet, but including him was a good choice.”
“I agree. Back to the previous subject, you think we should do the same, asking about the missing students, or have Clarke try for a vision that could hint at their location?” Jace asked Brady.
“That might not get us anywhere, but it can’t hurt,” Brady said.
“You’ve been searching for weeks for a clue that will lead you to Charlie without results.
It occurred to me that if all the anomalies are connected, Clarke might have been led to Mars because of the students. A clue to them could lead to her dad.”
“It’s worth a try, and gives us another avenue to explore,” Clarke said.
“We’re having a strategy meeting with Russell tomorrow,” Heath said. “He might have more ideas. If so, we can make a list, and prioritize those that seem to have the highest potential.”
With the big confessions out of the way, lunch was convivial. Clarke and Nadine fell into easy conversation, as if there hadn’t been any tension or big secrets revealed.
“Thank you for not being angry with me, Nadine,” Clarke said as everyone finished eating. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you were.”
“Nonsense,” Nadine said firmly. “The circumstances make all the difference. If you pretended to be a man and got this job just to prove that you could, and get one over on the establishment, or some other selfish reason, I would be angry. I can’t respect egocentric motives.
But you didn’t have a choice. You did what you needed to do to try to find your dad at risk to yourself, upending your life.
“Besides, I liked you from day one, and respect you more after what we just learned. This is perfect. I always wanted a sister, and now I have one. You’re stuck with me.”
“Having siblings sounds awesome,” Clarke said.
“Eh, I suppose brothers have their uses,” Nadine said with a smirk directed at Heath. “It took me a while to learn to appreciate him. I always just wanted a sister.”
Roger and Brady chuckled at that. Heath grimaced, and stood to clear the plates away, seeming very eager to avoid the topic.
“Not so fast, brother mate,” Jace said. “I sense a family story here, and we could all use a good laugh.”
“Yes, please,” Clarke said. “Jace and I are both only children. Sibling dynamics are foreign to us. The little I’ve heard about Heath’s childhood makes it sound like you were both rather precocious, and have wonderful parents.”
Heath groaned loudly, and sat back down. “I suppose I can suffer through the embarrassment if it will make you happy,” he said.
“How embarrassing is this story?” Jace asked. “Because we can make a pact if it means I can avoid hearing my parents once again recount the tale of when I climbed the rose trellis, and launched myself from it, thinking I could fly. In my defense, I was four.”
They all laughed at that. “The pictures are the most embarrassing thing for Heath,” Roger said. “It’s a hilarious story, though.”
“When Mom was pregnant with Heath, I was so excited,” Nadine told them. “I was convinced that he would be a girl, because that was what I wanted.”
“Mom and the dads say Nadine had an absolute meltdown when she realized I was a boy,” Heath said.
“I was inconsolable,” Nadine agreed. “Five-year-olds aren’t exactly logical.
Our parents refused to exchange him for a girl baby, which made me furious.
In my mind, it was like returning a product at a store for something better.
My tantrums were epic, and obviously, didn’t get any results.
Since they refused to give in, I came up with a plan that made sense to me. ”
Clarke was giggling, making Jace and Heath smile. Brady and Roger were giving Nadine similarly adoring glances.
“Oh no. What did you do?” Clarke asked Heath’s sister.
“I got my old clothes out of a box in the closet, switched them with the ones in the nursery, and insisted on calling him Heather,” Nadine confessed with a rueful grin at her stubbornness.
“Every time Mom put the boy clothes back, I did it again, even throwing Heath’s clothes in the garbage.
Mom started hiding my old dresses, but I searched the house until I found them. ”
“Our parents said that Nadine would behave for a few months, calling me Heath instead of Heather. But as soon as they thought she was over it, Nadine was back to her tricks, swapping my overalls for dresses,” Heath commented.
“Now I can see why you snuck critters into Nadine’s room,” Jace said.
“That was years later, after I resigned myself to having a brother,” Nadine protested.
“Don’t sound so innocent and maligned. You still called me Heather sometimes to provoke me, and wallpapered my room with pictures of me in a pink dress with ruffles. It was well-deserved retribution,” Heath declared.
Jace snickered at that. Clarke was still giggling. Seeing her so happy and carefree was rare. He was grateful to Nadine and Heath for giving Clarke a few moments devoid of worry.
“I can picture it in my head,” Clarke said, smiling. “That was hilarious. We should probably start moving the cats, though. What’s the plan?”
“I brought cages that we’ll put down where Heath usually feeds them,” Nadine replied. “Since the cats recognize his scent, and are comfortable with him, Heath will call to them while the rest of us stay back. I’ll put a barrier up, so the cats can’t run if they get startled.”
“If the cats are leery, I’ll cast a lure to get them in the cages,” Heath said.
“I can use my power to close and lock the cage doors,” Clarke offered.
“Good idea,” Nadine said. “That should be less upsetting to the cats, who might try to run from strange people. The rest is simple. Once the cats are in the basement, we’ll open the cage doors and let them leave when they’re ready.”
“I have bags of dry food in the closets of the powered dorm,” Clarke said. “I’ll put food and water out, but think we should leave immediately afterward, so the cats feel free to explore the space. We can go down to get the cages tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” Heath said. “I do want to check out the habitats and self-composting litter boxes. They sound awesome.”
“They are really nice, better than I expected,” Jace said. “The students did a great job. These cats will be working hard to control the rodent population, but they’ll be living in comparative luxury, and much better off in their new environment.”
They took two vehicles, parking a distance from the clearing where Heath put out food and water for the cats. Heath directed them to place the cages in a wide semicircle with enough space for a person to move between each of them.
Unsure if the cats could smell his wolverine when he was in human form, Jace hung back while the rest of them put catnip and bowls of food in the cages. Heath waited for Clarke, Nadine, Roger, and Brady to join Jace downwind before calling the cats.
Less than a minute later, the first cat stepped into view, followed by three more. And they kept coming, lured by the enticing aromas. There had to be close to forty cats in a broad range of colors and sizes.
Jace was relieved that there probably were enough felines to control the rodent population in the basement. And they would be out of the elements, in a safe place. It was a win-win.
The cats were smart enough to be leery of the cages, despite wanting the treats. Nadine ended up erecting a shield to keep them from hiding. Heath cast some kind of calming spell that enabled them to get the cats in the cages without injuries to anyone.
Most of them were loaded into the back of Jace’s truck, with the rest in Roger’s SUV. With the spells now retracted, the cats hissed and yowled their displeasure. Fortunately, it would be a short drive.
“Shh, hush now,” Clarke said soothingly as Jace and Brady secured the cages with tiedowns. “I know this is scary, and you feel betrayed. But you’ll be kitty kings and queens with a cat palace just for you, and all the mice you could ever want to eat.”
Some of the cats did seem to calm a little, while the rest were still agitated. Most cats were routine-oriented, and found change unsettling. But they also loved exploring, and anything that stimulated their senses. Jace was confident they would adjust quickly.
Since smelling shifters could cause the cats more anxiety, they parked behind the powered dorm. Some of the students volunteered to help when they saw Jace, Clarke, Heath, Nadine, and her husbands carrying cages toward the stairs. That made it a quicker process.
Curiosity overrode panic in most of the cats when they set the cages on the floor near one of the habitats. Clarke poured food into the bowls, and used spigots to fill the water basins.
“These ramps and hammocks are great,” Brady said.
“Yeah. I like that the feeding stations are raised, and at the end of each habitat,” Nadine said. “That should prevent the mice from getting into the bowls.”
“And the kittens will be safe,” Heath said. “I thought I had all the cats either neutered or spayed, but clearly I was wrong. That, or we have some new additions. With this many cats, it’s hard to tell.”
Clarke and Jace opened the sliding doors that led to the tunnels, so the cats could move freely. They gave Heath, Nadine, Roger, and Brady a tour so they could see all the shelters.
“These tractor-tire litter boxes are even better than I expected,” Heath said. “They’re functional, artistic, and a good size.”
“Yeah, I still don’t know which powered student donated them, but I’m so grateful,” Clarke said. “He did an amazing job.”
“You were so right when you said these cats will be living like kings and queens,” Nadine said. “Let me know when you start running low on cat food. The guys and I will pitch in.”
“Yeah, same here,” Heath offered.
“I was happy to do it, but I won’t turn you down,” Clarke said.
Three of the powered students who were helping them talked to the cats, promising to visit and play with them. One already named two of the felines. Jace had no doubt that some of those kittens would be adopted soon.