Chapter 2 - River

I don’t know what’s been going on with Leo recently. We’ve still been talking, but I can tell something is up. There’s something they aren’t saying. And I’m worried about them. I know what kind of wackos their parents are. Close-minded control freak fuck-nuggets. So I can only assume what they aren’t telling me is something about their parents.

That, of course, only makes me worry more. I remember these pricks grounded Leo for a month because they cut their BANGS! Leo cut their bangs and acted like Leo wiped their ass with the original copy of the Declaration of Independence. So whatever Leo is keeping from me could be bad. Would they hurt Leo? I don’t want to believe Leo’s parents would stoop to physical abuse. It’s bad enough that they abuse them psychologically.

“Whoa! River, turn down the light show! We’re not using powers. This is hand-to-hand combat.” David commanded as I suddenly realized I was being put into a full nelson to try and subdue me. My entire body was glowing like the sun blinding everyone else in the Bloodmoon training facility.

Crap. Lunar lost control again.

‘Oh, don’t start blaming me for that. You lost control, River. I’m still sitting over here because I listened. David said training today would not include wolves, so I’m only an observer.’ Lunar scoffed. ‘You’re the one whose mind wandered to Leo.’

I grumbled, instinctively trying to struggle out of David’s grasp. It wasn’t working in my favor as he tightened his grip—damn stupid stripper cop.

“River. Listen to me. I’m not looking to hurt you. Take calming breaths. Breath in, hold it, count to four, then let it out. Once you calm down, your power will too. And when you’re calm, I’ll let you go.” David instructed, his voice less authoritative.

I tried to do what he said. I was still annoyed, but with myself. It was my fault that I got distracted and lost control. I was focused on Leo, what might be wrong, and what their parents may have done. And because of it, my power got out of my control. It’s not on David. He’s just doing his job.

Not that this is his job. His job is to guard Luna Aurelia. This is a favor. He’s doing me a favor by training me. No slight against the Bloodmoon trainers, but I don’t mesh well with their way of training. And while Austin and Daddy Hale are always willing to train me, and they do when their schedules allow, training with David is slightly different. He’s pack, but he ain’t fam, so I know he’ll go harder.

I snickered at my innuendo. “Well, you shut down the light show and seem calmer. I don’t want to know what has you snickering. Your mind is a scary place, kiddo.” David shook his head, letting me gently go, so I flopped onto the mat rather than dropped.

I should be grateful for that. David could have just let me drop. Austin totally would have allowed me to fall and laughed at me for it. He’s an excellent big brother like that. Dad… yes, I sometimes slip and call him dad instead of Hale or Daddy Hale, so sue me… would have been all dad about it and made sure to set me on the ground. So David’s an excellent middle ground.

I sighed, rolling to my back and looking up at David. Like everyone else in this training facility, he’s in the Bloodmoon standard issue tearaway shorts and a muscle shirt. Unlike everyone else here, David’s the only one covered in ink and piercings. It was harder to tell when I met him a couple of years back since he was in his state trooper uniform. But in workout gear, it’s a game of where’s skin.

He’s got this incredible realistic grayscale full sleeve piece on his right arm of a mountainscape of a wolf pup sitting on a lake looking at the rippled reflection of a full-grown wolf. His legs are grayscale realistic mythology scenes featuring, you guessed it, wolves. His left sleeve is different, still grayscale, but it’s a Nightmare Before Christmas sleeve. And his back dude has a full-color Japanese Godzilla piece. And lastly, his chest piece is this grayscale twisted grove of branches that comes together to look like a guitar with a raven on the perched wings spread wide on the top.

I asked him once if there was anywhere he didn’t have a tattoo or piercing. His answer was his ass for both. I almost asked him if that meant his dick was tattooed or pierced, but mom heard the thought and clamped her hand over my mouth before I could say the words. It wasn’t a mystery for long since I had seen him naked after a shift since. FYI no ink on his dick, but it’s pierced. Something tells me that his blind mate likes it.

“Do you want to tell me what’s up?” David questioned, taking a seat next to me. “Sure, you and Sage are about as laser-focused as my ten-year-old, but not like this. You haven’t lost control of your power since the first few months of awakening your wolf. So, spill.” He nudged my leg with his foot.

I groaned, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes. I’m not always good at talking shit through. I’ve been through enough shrinks to prove it. However, I’ve had some success with seeing Gamma Charles. He’s a good dude. Down to earth and possibly more patient than dad, which says a lot. David’s also good to talk to. I don’t feel like he’s judging me or that he thinks there’s something wrong with me that needs drugs to fix as all the human shrinks did.

‘Hey, what about me? Am I chopped liver? I’m in your head, so I know how you think and don’t think there’s anything wrong with you. And I offer my advice when you want it.’ Lunar pointed out.

‘And when I don’t.’ I snorted.

“I’m worried about Leo.” I finally admitted.

“Your long-distance they-friend?” David arched a pierced brow.

There are few things David would judge me about, and while he’s not outright judging, I know he has opinions about relationships that aren’t with your mate. And I get it. He’s told me his story. He dated a girl before he met Aislinn, and it was a shitshow. I want to tell him that Leo and I aren’t him and Cindy, but I don’t want to be a dick throwing his bad life choices at him. Plus, he’s just concerned for me, Leo, and whoever - if it’s not Leo- my mate could be.

“Yeah. Not in the mood to hear about how I shouldn’t even be keeping a close friendship with someone, least of all a human. But come on, there are two humans in Bloodmoon with fated mates. That’s gotta mean something, right? And I’m the kid of one of those humans. So maybe whatever made my mom special to get Daddy Hale as a mate and to bring Jason back is in me too. Maybe the Goddess will be on my side, and Leo will be it. Cause I don’t think I could love someone like I do Leo.” I ranted, getting to my feet as I started to get worked up.

“I’m not going to say anything. You aren’t me, and Leo isn’t my ex. I will suggest not getting your hopes up on a human mate. I watched Princess Hana’s heartbreak when none of the males in the pack was her mate. She was so heartbroken she went to college across the country.” David frowned, watching me pace around. “So let’s change the subject from mates. What about your friend got you all worked up and distracted?”

“Okay, soo… their parents are total fucking abusive drink the kool-aid cult assholes,” I growled, thinking about how they treated Leo before we moved and what they’ve told me since. “I don’t think they’ve ever physically hurt Leo, but I know they’ve psychologically abused them.”

“Like when Leo told their parents that they are nonbinary, they have refused to recognize it, which was years ago. They keep calling them by female pronouns, which is such bullshit. Just because Leo has a nice pair of tits doesn’t mean they get to use the wrong pronouns.” I snorted. “And worse, they call Leo by their eww name.” I wrinkled my nose.

“Ew name? I take it that Leo is their chosen name, and the ew name is what their parents gave them.” David nodded, quickly understanding. “Does Leo realize there are things legally they could do about their parents’ psychological abuse? Steps could be taken up to and including removing Leo from their custody.”

“Mom told Leo all about that stuff before we moved. With us moving, I think they lost the support system to attempt.” I frowned. But like a lightbulb went off in my head, I suddenly stopped and got down on the mat, grabbing David by the shirt.

I questioned him urgently. “But you’re a cop, so you’d know what we could do. Do you have connections to people in the Boston area? People that could help Leo? That could check on them? Cause I’m worried.”

“Whoa… relax.” David sighed, prying my hands off his shirt. “I can ask around. I don’t personally know anyone over there, but I can check into it. If all else fails, I could check local packs in the state to see if anyone I know from my guard duty is a cop.” David offered.

“Seriously? You’re awesome!” I grinned, launching myself at him in a hug.

“Okay… you’re welcome. Now get off me.” David grunted, shoving me off him like I weighed nothing.

“Sorry, I got excited. If you can find a way to get Leo away from them, that would be awesome. They’ve been acting weird recently, and I fear something bad happened, but they are afraid to tell me because their parents might hear. And I mean, these are the nutters who grounded Leo for a month because they cut their bangs!” I huffed.

“Okay, that’s fucked up. If my parents grounded me for every bad hairstyle choice I made… shit I’d have spent all of high school in my room. Cause let me tell you, my pop was not impressed when I went rainbow mohawk with straight razor-shaved sides.” David snickered, shaking his head.

I cocked my head, trying to picture him with a rainbow mohawk. “I need photo evidence of this!” I demanded.

“You got to the same high school I did, kiddo. The library keeps all the yearbooks. Otherwise, my parents probably have plenty of pictures. I don’t have any of them cause most involved my ex, and I purged myself of everything dealing with her when I found Aislinn.” David shrugged.

“I’ll have to check that out when school is back after the new year.” I grinned, eager to tell Sage about the rainbow mohawk and that David is willing to try and help Leo get away from their parents. “So, are we good for today?” I asked.

“Yeah, go home. You’ll be too distracted to train anyway.” David waved his hand to dismiss me.

“Later, Stripper Dave!” I shouted as I ran across the training center. I know it will annoy him, and that makes me smile more. But not nearly as much as I smile, thinking that I may have just set into motion the path to Leo’s freedom from their parents.