Odin: Lone Wolf

He studied himself in the window reflection of Mario & Sons Suits, and winced. His fade was deflated on one side where he’d slept, and he hadn’t had time to shower. Odin rubbed his cheeks, trying to bring some color to his washed-out face, which was usually a rich sepia tone.

That worked a little, his skin reddening with the irritation he caused, so he picked at the tight curls next, attempting to fluff them into shape, but noticed he still had vomit at the corner of his mouth and said, “Oh shit,” wiping at it.

Staring himself in his dull brown bloodshot eyes, Odin sighed and said, “Well, here we go.”

Time to face Henry, who was surely pissed.

The shop was bustling on both sides, the other half being Sissy’s dress boutique where Odin knew Dot was having her last fitting at the same time.

“Hey,” he said, sliding onto the fancy white couch trimmed in gold, and looking up at Henry, who stood on a platform while Waylon, the son half of Mario & Sons, quickly stitched on the cuff of his pant leg. Mario had “sons”, but Waylon was the only one living.

“Hey, Odin,” Waylon said. He had been a senior when Henry and Odin were freshmen.

“How’s it going?” Odin said when Henry said nothing.

“It would be better if I wasn’t doubting my choice for Beta.”

Waylon slid him a, yeah, you’re in trouble, look.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. We talked about this—”

“I know,” Odin interrupted, but winced, knowing that was never a good idea.

“We talked about this,” Henry said louder, talking over him, “and you assured me the partying was under control.”

“You seem tense, Henry. Nervous?” Odin said, trying to diffuse the situation with humor. His best friend and cousin hadn’t always been such a dick, but he thought Henry would be back to himself after tonight. He wanted his title.

“No,” Henry said, “and if I was, it would only be that my father is going to choke on his words and deny my ascension in front of the entire pack.”

Waylon gave him another look, this one more like yikes.

Henry’s eyes flicked in the mirror and flared. Odin followed his gaze to see a man with a tray of champagne enter the dressing area of the women’s boutique.

‘Oh goddess, here we go,’ his wolf, Elwen, grumbled.

Odin knew he’d never ever dare say it anywhere except in their head because he was an omega wolf and absolutely terrified of him, but Elwen thought

Henry’s wolf Bleu was either dramatic or psychotic. He didn’t know which and it depended on the day.

“Waylon, you assured me no men would be over there while she was dressing,” Henry said, the temper instant, Bleu pushing forward enough to warp his voice.

“What?” Waylon said, his head whipping around, “we had a meeting yesterday to discuss it, everyone knew—”

The door banged open, and the server was shoved back through—sans tray—by Dot’s security guards, two burly warriors chosen by Henry. Women, of course.

“No men in here!” one said, and slammed the door.

Dot’s sister Deb poked her head out a second later and said, “But thank you!” before disappearing.

Henry turned a look down at Waylon that made Odin swallow, and Waylon didn’t hesitate, looking at the stunned server and saying, “You’re fired.”

The man was trying to understand the joke, but Henry was facing the mirror again, and made eye contact with him in the reflection.

Odin didn’t recognize his cousin sometimes. Henry’s face was a wall of ice as he asked the guy, “Do you need help out?”

Without a word, the ex-server turned and left.

“Gods, you are petty,” Odin said, and Henry glared at him.

“What just happened?” Odin’s uncle Gideon asked, coming out of an office where he’d been talking to Mario.

“Henry just had a guy fired because he might’ve seen Dot naked.”

Odin could see it, how just saying the words made Henry’s skin crawl.

“Oh,” Gideon said curtly, and sat on one of the other couches. Odin knew it drove his uncle insane how controlling Henry was with Dot. He waited, knowing he wouldn’t be able to help himself.

“Was that necessary, Henry?”

Yep, there it was.

“Yes. And make a note to have Dot’s security given a raise,” Henry said, looking at Odin.

“Does she really need security?” Gideon asked. “I mean, it’s our pack, Henry. Your mother never had security.”

“Mother is an alpha wolf and has killed a dragon. Dot has no alpha blood and worked in a bakery. She has never trained to fight.”

“But it’s our pack. My mother isn’t trained or an alpha, and she didn’t have security. I mean, my gods, Mario said you hand picked her entire wardrobe that she’ll be wearing as Luna? Henry—”

“Father. It’s no more your business than it was the last time we discussed it. She doesn’t have to wear what I pick; she likes to. Dot is mine to protect, so I will keep her safe.”

Odin thought it was funny when they did this, like a flex to see who could control their temper longer. Elwen hated it, because it was like the two Alpha wolves were taking turns cranking up the barometric pressure in the room. Odin watched Waylon grab his collar to loosen it and knew he was feeling it, too.

“Actually,” Henry said, putting an end to that line of conversation, “we were discussing my Beta that can’t seem to take anything seriously or stop partying.”

Gideon barked out a laugh, unbuttoning his vest so he could relax.

Henry looked over. “What?”

“Oh, it’s just… I know exactly how you feel.” Gideon said, motioning over another employee. “Can I get a Bloody Mary, please?”

“Yes, of course, Alpha,” the server said, and Odin gave his uncle a cheeky look. Alcohol before noon wasn’t typical of him, and Gideon shrugged, an impish smirk lifting one side of his mouth.

“And when did my Uncle Finn decide to take his life seriously?” Henry asked. Finn was Odin’s father, and it surprised Odin he wasn’t here right now.

“Never,” Gideon said, laughing, “but really, when he found Kat, of course.

“Then I anxiously await the day Odin finds his mate.”

Odin’s brows lifted because Henry was usually more delicate about his mateless status. At twenty-four years old, he was in the territory where people got really nervous.

But Odin wasn’t nervous, because he wasn’t waiting to find his mate. When he turned eighteen, Elwen had broken it to him as gently as possible that he sensed their mate had never been born. Odin and Elwen were something their people called a lone wolf. It meant one or both of their mate’s parents were killed before they conceived her, or that she was lost in the womb.

Getting your wolf was supposed to be one of the best days of your life, but it had been the mark of what his parents referred to as “his decline”.

He’d told no one he was a lone wolf. Odin wasn’t sure why he let his family keep hoping it would happen. It seemed easier that way because he often wished he was still hoping.

The server returned with Gideon’s drink, and Odin waved him over. “Yeah, I need a mimosa or something… make it two. Please. Like a tiny shot of orange juice and the rest champagne.” To his uncle he asked, “Where is my old man?”

“Maybe still sleeping. He said he’s taking his retirement seriously,” Gideon said, and Odin snorted a laugh.

“I think that’s perfect, Henry,” Waylon said, standing and stepping away while Henry turned in the mirror to inspect the suit.

He’d gone for a unique style to set himself apart from his father, favoring a look inspired by a bandhgala suit instead of a traditional three piece. It had gold buttons up the front and a closed neck.

“I want more of these suits made,” Henry said, and Waylon nodded. “It’s almost perfect. Did you finish it?”

“I did,” Waylon said, grinning.

He went behind the mirror and pulled out a mass of heavy black fabric trimmed with gold.

“No way, Henry. You’re actually doing it?”

“I always said I was.”

Since they were kids watching movies, Henry had wanted to wear a king's cape at his alpha ceremony.

Waylon flipped the fabric like a blanket and laid it over Henry, fastening the cape with a decorative gold rope that buttoned across his chest. The heavy material was black with a fur lined collar, the inner side golden satin to represent their pack name.

They were all grinning as Waylon made adjustments, and the tailor beamed like a delighted father at his finished creation. He should be proud. The suit alone was awesome, but with the cape it was a wicked getup.

Odin knew Gideon had been doubtful, but his uncle admitted, “Okay, it’s pretty cool,” with a sly grin on his face.

“I told you.”

Henry smiled over at his father while he said it, and it was one of the warmer moments Odin had seen between them in months.

“Agreed,” Odin said, taking his mimosas from an offered tray, and taking a sip out of one, and then the other

Henry hopped off the pedestal and walked around. If he was brisk enough, the cape would kind of billow behind him, which they all concurred was badass.

Gideon’s phone rang, and Henry climbed back on the pedestal so Waylon could make adjustments.

“Hello? Sierra? How are—”

Odin’s ears perked up at the mention of his older sister, especially when his uncle paused, his eyes widening. “She what?… What? Well, did she start it?”

Odin, Waylon, and Henry snickered when they heard Sierra’s excited voice through the receiver. “I don’t know, Uncle Gid, but she was finishing it when I got there!”

“Okay, thank you for calling. I’m only a minute away.” Gideon hung up and dug breath mints out of his pocket. “I’ve got to go. Your sister is trying her best to get expelled. The suit is fantastic, Henry,” he said, stopping and resting his hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

“Did she ever find her mate?” Waylon asked. “Sierra.”

It wasn’t a romantic inquiry, just curiosity, because Odin knew Waylon had his mate already.

When Odin didn’t answer, Henry said, “Not yet.”

Odin picked at the thread on the couch as the door rang with Gideon’s exit. “I heard there’s a few of us though… the orphans of Diamond Moon. You know. Those dragons changed our fate.”

His biological parents had both been killed, leading to his adoption by Finn and Kat when he was only a few months old. Sierra shared a similar story, but she'd been four years old and had gone through extensive therapy to cope with the things remembered from that day. He suspected, at twenty-eight, that Sierra was a lone wolf, too.

“Nonsense,” Henry said, “you’ll find her, Odin. And Sierra will find her mate, too. My father was twenty-eight when he found my mother. It happens.”

Henry was always the most insistent. Odin saw how special the mate bond was to him and appreciated that his cousin wanted him to experience it.

‘It’s depressing to be us,’ Elwen said with a sigh.

‘Yes, it is. Thank you for pointing it out.’

‘You’re welcome.’

“And there’s always second chance mates,” Waylon said, hitting dangerously close to the truth, and assuming Odin had already missed his first chance.

“Yeah, what’s that like, one in a trillion odds?”

“It happens. I met a guy once whose cousin’s best friend found his second chance,” Waylon said, and with a pitying look that made Odin swallow, added,

“I’ll pray the moon goddess blesses you.”

“I heard Katie is pregnant. Congratulations,” Odin said with a nod for a thank you, being purposeful with his abrupt lane change.

Waylon’s cheeks glowed with pride. “Oh, we found out yesterday it’s a boy.”

Odin noticed Henry shift on his feet. It was subtle, barely there. Three girls he’d had with Dot, and Odin knew he craved a son. He loved his girls, though, and was a horribly involved father. Odin already pitied the future mates of Henry’s daughters.

“That’s awesome, man,” Odin said to Waylon, who started a story of trying to assemble a crib and how it spiraled into a three-day project.

Henry related, laughing along. Odin threw out an obligatory chuckle at the appropriate times, but couldn’t relate. His heart felt sour as he sat there and listened, because a lone wolf would never struggle to build baby furniture.

He lifted his empty glasses and made eye contact with the server. “Can I get a couple more of these, please?”