Chapter 4:
"After meeting Cass, my choices didn’t improve, if anything, they got worse. I guess I was trying to distract myself with the biggest, baddest guys I could find." - Remington
Remington:
My strange best friend has stumped me. What’s with the hand on my knee and snuggling me on the airplane? Sure we have been known to snuggle and watch movies before exams or anything stressful ever since college. Cassidy always insists on watching the most cheesy romcom movies, or just plain goofy things that get my head out of whatever problem I have eating at me and this airplane ride is no exception to that.
Cass pulled the armrest between us up out of the way and the thin airline blankets barely cover our laps as he pulls me against his side and makes me watch ‘Moonstruck Mates 3: Howling Forever’. The first one came out when we were young and at the time, the comical parts went over my head and I found it boring, but by the time we reached college aged the jokes gave me a good chuckle. The second one came out while we were in college and the element of children added to the laughs. Kids and romance always lead to mishaps. This third one is a few years old and now the kids are teenagers and getting into dating, which adds a different element. Several of the actors are represented by us. We discovered the young werewolf who is playing the gay son who is afraid to come out to his parents. We also discovered the woman who plays the mother, but that was long before my time and the grandmother, grandfather and uncle. Dad was behind all of those. Cass was responsible for signing the woman who plays the neighbor. Cass chuckles at a line about the moon blinding the boy as he tries to find the window of his love interest in the old apartment building the other boy’s family occupies in a run down part of Mammoth Falls.
I turn to look at my best friend in the dim light of the airplane cabin. He’s stunning and everything any werewolf could want in a mate. I should let go of the idea that we could ever be more, but my heart only wants him.
I tried dating. In high school, I dated a guy named Irving, another geeky hybrid, but once he got his wolf he got all self important and macho. Some people change once they get their wolf. I also dated one of the football players, a bear shifter named Bud, but it was a secret relationship and it fizzled out after a couple months. After meeting Cass, my choices didn’t improve, if anything, they got worse. I guess I was trying to distract myself with the biggest, baddest guys I could find.
The last guy I dated was a one night thing about six months ago. He wanted to keep it on the down low and I just can’t be a secret, especially not when the guy is one of our talents. I used the excuse that I didn’t want scandal for him or the company if anything got found out, especially since we had just hooked him up with a contract at a major recording studio. His first hit dropped last week and it’s climbing the charts.
I’m not like Cassidy, I can’t handle one night stands, I want more form relationships, I crave more. I don’t know if he will ever settle down. His brother is pre-mated and intends to complete his mating after his Alpha ceremony, though they have yet to set a firm date. Werewolves can mate and mark officially at any time, but tend to aim for spring or summer dates. There is something about optimal breeding time being autumn and winter and summer being the best time to make a union official, but we all know not everyone is patient enough to wait so long.
If I were to get married in my home city of Breel, I would choose early spring when the most delicate flowers are in bloom and the parks and valley at the base of The Yearlis Chasm were coming to life with delicate petals and buds of all sorts. I may be more of a hopeless romantic than I like to let on, that or watching these cheesy movies with Cassidy is frying my brain. I hate to admit that Howliday is one of my favorite movies because of the number of comical situations and how the couples just seem to fit so well together. I never would have even watched it if it weren’t for Cassidy insisting we watch it at least once every winter holiday, usually before he goes home to visit his pack.
That is another thing, my father is sort of a lone wolf. He and my brother don’t have a formal pack. I know my father was born into one, but his choice to move to Breel put a lot of distance between them and Dad never talks about his parents. I only visited Cassidy’s pack once, but they seem tight. Is it healthy for Cassidy to be so far from his pack?
“Remi, you aren’t watching the movie,” Cassidy mumbles, turning to look at me and catching me staring at his face.
I blush. He caught me admiring him, but also with my forehead wrinkled in thought.
“You are overthinking again, aren’t you?” He asks.
“Yeah, I suppose I am,” I sigh.
“What about? Maybe I can help you,” he offers.
“You can’t help me with all of it, but through a series of loosely connected thoughts I came to the realization that my father has no contact with his pack, though I know he was born into one. That got me wondering…is it unhealthy that you live so far from your pack?” I ask.
“Yes and no. Remi, you are my pack when we are in Breel, you and Fred and the guys I run with on Full Moons. Back at my hometown, my pack sees me two or three times most years. I haven’t forsaken them or been disowned or exiled. I know it is hard to hear, but many packs frown upon unions such as your parents, so even if he had initially gone home and stayed in contact, his mating with and marking a fae could have been the reason he doesn’t talk about or contact them,” Cass admits.
“That’s speciesist crap!” I huff.
“Yeah, and they lose out. You and your family are awesome! I love you, man!” Cass says, squeezing me tighter to his side.
If only he loved me the way I love him!
After our chat, I settled in and fell asleep near the end of the movie. I woke up with my arms around Cassidy’s mid section and my face plastered to his firm chest, drooling on his sexy pectoral muscle that was my pillow, while he absentmindedly ran his fingers through my hair, ignoring the embarrassing drool spot on his shirt. The airline attendant smiled down on us and asked if we wanted any last refreshments and then informed us that we would be circling Luna to land within the hour.
I was devastated that anyone saw us in such a state, but Cassidy smiled softly and ordered us each a bottle of water.
Now, we are in line to pick up our rental car and Cassidy has his usual beaming smile while I can’t get over the fact that he is still so embarrassingly covered in my drool.
“Do you have a reservation?” The rather obviously gay fae man behind the counter asks as we get to our turn.
Cass nudges me forward with an impish smirk on his face.
“Ah…yeah, the reservation is under Wolverton, for Howling Moon Talent,” I say as I stumble forward a step then regain my composure.
“Oh, yes. Here it is. Luxury sedan! Very nice choice, sir,” he replies with a smirk and wink before handing me a tablet to sign and then dropping the keys into my palm.
I turn and we start walking to the car pictured on the tablet and Cass whispers, he was into you, maybe you should flirt.”
“I doubt it…” I start but before I can argue more, we are interrupted when the fae runs up to us.
“Please, let me show you the way and can I help you with your luggage?” The fae man asks.
I look over at Cass, who is holding back chuckle.
“The wolf has it. He insists on carrying all the heavy stuff,” I reply dryly.
Once we get to the car, I open the trunk and the fae man walks me to the driver’s side door while Cass puts our luggage in the trunk.
“If you ever grow tired of being a wolf’s play thing, or if you two want a third, give me a call. You’re cute,” he says, slipping me a business card with his name and personal phone number written on the back.
“If you need anything don’t hesitate to call! Enjoy your stay in Luna!” He chirps before sashaying back to his spot behind the desk.
“Told you so!” Cassidy laughs as he climbs into the passenger seat and reaches over to pat me on the back. “That guy knows an attractive man when he sees one!”
“Did you just call me attractive?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yeah, objectively. Dude, I dont have to want to fuck you to be able to see how good you look and if I were going to fuck any man you’d be it. You are damn pleasant to look at!” Cassidy says.
Just when I think Cassidy has done all the things he can to surprise and confuse me, he finds another one. My best friend is like an onion…even after all these years, I am finding new layers.
I shake the thought from my head. I know he is just trying to cheer me up because I have been moody, the worst part of the Full Moon is that even if I have no wolf, I get Pre Moon Syndrome and it makes me moody as fuck.
Maybe…maybe with the full moon and my needs and tendencies this time of the month, I should consider calling the guy at the car rental place. It could never be serious, but it could prevent me from doing something even more stupid.