Chapter 14

Darcy was surprised when he got to the communal hall to find a man sitting at a table by himself.

He grabbed a cup of tea and sat down opposite the man. “Hi Spike, why the long face,” he said cheerfully.

Spike growled, “What have I got to be happy about?”

“You’re not just a Dog for one thing,” Darcy replied.

“I did it for Milly, you know,” he said with a rough edge to his voice.

“Yeah, we figured that out. Have you heard of Mages having premonitions?” Darcy asked him and sipped his tea as he watched Spike.

“What has that to do with me?” Spike asked. He was interested even if he didn’t want to be.

“Well, after we have this little chat and you accept the magic box I’m going to give you, you and I are going to go to the room that the others are in. I’m going to take Shelly to another room and you are going to stay with Speeder and Milly until they are no longer fertile.”

“I am, am I? And why should I do this? I don’t screw my own gender,” Spike said in an affronted voice.

“Good, not so into that myself either. I don’t mind changing gender for my partner but I’m not so into the same gender or different forms scene. Speeder was in heat as you said. She is curled up with Milly and she is fully expecting you to give her the daughter I said you would.”

“You wouldn’t wish to make a liar out of me now, would you? We also expect that you will be coming home with Milly, Shelly and us, and probably Sage and Hackle, as you will all need training. Do you have a problem with any of what I have said?” Darcy asked and then drank some more of his tea but didn’t take his eyes off the handsome young man he faced.

“A daughter huh?” Spike said and tried not to grin but couldn’t quite keep it from his face.

“To Speeder yes. I think Milly will have two sons to you this pregnancy and daughters for Speeder and me. Because Speeder came into season, you will also have the arduous task of keeping her, Milly and Goldie happy until they can change form again. It’s a lot to ask but you’re young and I think you have enough spunk to meet the task I’m setting you. So are you interested?”

“I’ve always wanted pups,” he said softly.

“Oh boy, you are going to be in seventh heaven with us then. We seem to be trying to triple the size of the race in one generation. I hope you have a lot of patience,” Darcy said.

Spike nodded. “I do. Many say I’m too patient but I can say no and I can defend myself. I am not a soft touch,” he said.

“I knew I liked you,” Darcy said and removed his pack. He asked Spike to say the pledge and then he handed Spike the magical box and told him he was an Earth Mage. They got it named and Darcy explained a couple of its cool featured and told Spike the AI was there to help him and teach him too.

Once he was happy that Spike was, Darcy took him to his destiny.

Darcy was pleased to spend a full day with Shelly.

They ate, made love and talked. They even got Blaze on the viewer and chatted with her. Darcy told her about what happened to Speeder. He didn’t mention how special the kid was. He and Speeder decided that would be their secret. He didn’t want either of his mates feeling they couldn’t produce a kid like Dakarai would be.

He knew Dakarai would need his sisters. He didn’t know why just that he would. He wondered if Lee also got frustrated with her premonitions if she too only got glimpses. He had the feeling that she did and like him, she just trusted that if she did her part as he would, that it was all for good.

Despite what he had done, she had trained him and prepared him as best she could. It was now up to him to see the vision through. He wasn’t happy about what he knew he had to do next. He just had to make sure the others were not put in any danger.

They stayed another four days. Blaze said things were under control and for him to not worry. He took the time to get to know this tribe and his new mate better. Those that wished to accept the change had immediately done so.

Darcy carefully documented their success and their failures. As he had suspected some of the Dogs both female and male had not been able to change to human form or to any other form. Surprisingly most of them were philosophical about it when he talked to them.

He did tell them that there was still a possibility that if they mated with someone who could change the pups would, too. Several of the older women did take the change. They said they would have one last go at having a litter. Many of them had only had one or two pups in the past and decided they weren’t that old that they couldn’t raise one more litter.

Quite a few of them were pairs and more than one pair had giggled and told Darcy it was worth getting the change just for their sex lives. Darcy wasn’t sure he wanted to know any more than that. By their standards, he was still a pup and he was quite happy to stay ignorant of the sex lives of the old. For him, that was way into the future.

Grunt and his sons still hadn’t turned up and the Redtail people said that now more than half of them were also able to take human form they believed they could look after themselves. They would keep the guards out. They even decided on a special call so that if they were friends, then they wouldn’t get attacked.

Darcy gave the Grand Dame her box and she accepted graciously. She said she was sure that she would work out how to use the vambrace and she did have the little voice to help her. He did spend a little time with her since he had mated with her daughter.

He had a laugh when she told him that with all the new hot studs she had, she might have to pick a new consort. Darcy chuckled and wished her luck. He bet that she would pick one or two. He quite liked Brindle, she had a back of iron but she loved and cared for her people.

Finally, he decided that he needed to go home and he gathered up his people.

They decided near the pool was a safe space as Vam and Lamr could spot for them.

After arriving safely, they headed for the house. Darcy was surprised to see several long tables and chairs set up on his patio. He soon learnt they had needed to expand the dining room. He and Speeder blinked at the number of people lazing around in their house.

It was a mess. The keep clean spell wasn’t designed to clean up after so many. “Blaze! Huntress!” Darcy bellowed out and projected his voice. There was not a soul who didn’t know that Darcy was home. He was not happy finding his house overrun.

Both of them hurried when they heard Darcy holler. Oops! He sure didn’t sound happy. Huntress reached him first. “Darcy, it’s lovely to see you home,” she tried with a big smile.

“I can’t say the same for being at home, Huntress. Is there actually anyone left on the community side of the mountain?” he asked tightly. The anger in his voice was quite evident.

Yes, Rollover, Grunt, their sons, two female dogs and four other males I believe,” she told him.

“So why haven’t you evicted them?” he asked scathingly.

Huntress blinked at him, “I’m still in exile.”

“Bullshit! You have the same voting law that Brindle had. I think you have your seventy percent plus vote that they prefer you as their leader so go claim your damn domain back, woman,” Darcy ground out.

She looked at him shocked. She had been so busy making sure everyone was comfortable here, she hadn’t even thought about claiming her own home back. She swallowed and started tearing up at her own stupidity.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Darcy said and took the taller woman in his arms.

“Damn, Huntress, I’m sorry. Come on now wipe the tears. Let’s gather the boys and go get your home back,” Darcy said more softly.

She sniffed and wiped her face and looked around. “Where is Speeder?” she asked and then sniffed again.

Darcy chuckled when Speeder pushed him out of the way and hugged Huntress, “The brute, he just doesn’t understand about hormones and being pregnant like us girls, does he?”

Huntress nodded and then had a better look at the pretty young woman before hugging her. She grabbed Speeder’s shoulders and pushed her back to look at her better, “Oh my! Who did this to you?” she asked.

“Those two hulking brutes over there,” Speeder replied and pointed to Darcy and Spike. Neither of whom looked the least repentant. Actually, those watching got the impression the two men were quite proud of their achievement.

“Speeder, you little tingko, you loved every minute of it,” Darcy said trying to keep a stern expression but failed miserably.

“I’ll say,” Spike added. “She is a right little vamp in bed.”

Speeder batted her eyelids at Spike and sauntered up to him. She wrapped her arms around the slightly smaller redheaded man, “Oh you say the nicest things, I just might keep you. However, I know of a young lady that may be in need of your attention.”

Speeder turned and searched for Goldie who was standing beside Blaze grinning. He beckoned to her and she came over. “My love, this sexy hunk is Spike and this delight is Milly. Do you like our new mates?”

Goldie gave Milly a hug and then examined Spike, she licked her lips and Speeder chuckled. “Huntress, I’m going to let you sort out Grunt and this mess since you made it. I have a reunion to take care of,” Speeder said and started ushering his mates to their room.

Others chuckled and watched the four of them disappear up the stairs. Huntress was shocked at Speeder’s parting words being, ‘her mess?’ While they were distracted, Blaze hugged Darcy and kissed him. She soon made him forget why he had been cranky. She released him and gently kissed Shelly in greeting and took her hand.

She turned to her mother, “I think we should have a meeting tonight to discuss Grunt and Rollover. I agree with Darcy. It is time you all went home.”

Quite a few of them agreed. Most of them had been changed and they all felt that while Darcy’s home had been a lovely refuge, it was time to go claim their home back. Many of them felt silly for letting their problems escalate as they had and then expecting Huntress and Darcy to solve them because they felt that it was they who had caused them.

Many of them knew neither of them really did get a chance to explain what to expect. They had simply reacted in fear of change and now that they had changed, they were wondering what they had feared. Many of them had actually started re-evaluated their feelings about their reactions, now that nearly three-quarters of the males and most of the females had changed.

There was a small group of half a dozen who had simply disappeared one night, but that too was their decision. They had not been forced or asked to leave. Quite a few of the males still liked to revert to their natural form, as did many of the females.

Now that they could choose, it was their choice to be in whatever form took their fancy and they loved that they had that choice. Many had not appreciated just who was responsible for their newfound freedom.