Moonlit Fur Chronicles: Lucid Fur
Chapter 8 Home at Last

Phoenix hovered close by, “Quinn was feeling stronger so we brought her out here.” I couldn’t take my eyes off Quinn for more than a few minutes. She was gorgeous. “Could someone please grab my backpack and cardboard box from the backseat of the truck please?” Phoenix swirled into action and pulled Ellis along to help. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sizable blue mass walk behind the couch. Cordelia made her way to her corner of the living room for the day. Quinn’s eyes grew wide, “It’s okay Quinn. That’s my friend Cordelia. She helped me a lot in gathering the stuff for your cure. She’s a gargoyle.” Cordelia waved at Quinn. She stood in her corner, crossed her arms, and pulled her wings tightly around her. Her skin turned dark gray as she became stone.

Quinn stared in disbelief. “Yeah it takes some getting used to,” I commented. She turned to me, “No kidding.” Phoenix and Ellis returned momentarily, “The box can go on the kitchen island and my bag can go in my room please and thanks,” I called to them. “What’s in the box?” Quinn asked. I explained everything that had happened from how Robin showed me the way to the cave, to the awkward reconnection with my parents, and Cordelia’s fight with the shadow being. “Well I picked a good time to get sick huh?” Quinn grimaced. “It’s not your fault. You were poisoned, and they have been dealt with,” I answered. Quinn looked exhausted; the poison ate away at her bit by bit. “Do you want me to take you back to our room?” I whispered to her. She nodded, I gently lifted her off the couch. She was very thin and light. With her appetite gone, she lost weight she really couldn’t afford to lose.

I had to figure out this cure mess soon. I set Quinn down in our bed and laid down beside her. I held her hand as she slept, my heart broke at the sound of her raspy breath. I studied her. Quinn looked very different from when I last saw her. Her eyes seemed sunken and her skin stretched tightly across her face. She reminded me of a skull. I kissed her hand. A lonely tear rolled down my chin. It hurt to see her like this. I closed my eyes. I fell into a fitful sleep. I don’t know how long I slept. I awoke and trudged into the bathroom. I hadn’t taken a shower since Cordelia was kidnapped and I was still covered in filth from the rain storm. A hot shower sounded quite nice. I turned the shower on. The water was finally warm enough so I stepped in and began to scrub myself.

The hot water and sweet smelling soaps worked their magic and brought me back to life. I felt a bit better but I still needed coffee. I wiggled into an oversize hoodie and some shorts. I left my room and headed to the kitchen. I made a small pot of coffee. The scent of coffee sent a tingle down my spine. I eagerly yet impatiently waited for the coffee pot to be ready. I reached into the cupboard and retrieved my favorite mug. I didn’t want to wait. Finally coffee was ready, I poured it in my mug and set out to find my pack. I needed to talk to them about Dylan. First, I went downstairs to check out the basement. Casey, River, and Ellis were down there. I invited them to join me upstairs for a group conversation.

Second, I checked outside. I found Max, Ash, Drew, and Kai in the pool. Robin sunbathed on the pool deck. Phoenix pulled weeds from her garden. It would be simpler if Casey, River, and Ellis joined us outside. I motioned for them to come outside. Phoenix settled into a deck chair and the rest gathered round. I began the tale of how exactly I made peace between us and the hunters. I emphasized Dylan’s help in Jule’s rescue and his sacrifice to make sure we were safe. “It wouldn’t be long term. Only a month or two before he gets his feet back under him.” I explained. Casey queried, “Do you trust him? Can he keep our secret?” I nodded. “He was my best friend in high school.” River frowned, “That was a long time ago. People change.” Kai spoke up, “He was a hunter. How do we know he won’t turn around and hurt us?”

“He allowed Reese to break his leg,” Phoenix argued. “Not many people would voluntarily take a beating like that. If she trusts him, then so do I.” My heart swelled. “Dylan didn’t want to be a hunter,” I explained. “He was pressured into it and then betrayed by his girlfriend. He was living with her and now he is homeless on top of a broken leg. He needs help.” “How far along is he in the healing process?” Max inquired. “He said the doc is kicking him out at the end of the week,” I replied. Ash piped up, “There’s no one in town who could help him? He grew up there didn’t he?” I hadn’t thought of that. I felt embarrassed. “That is a great question. I wish I had thought of it before bringing all this to you.” There were shrugs and dismissive waves all around the pool deck.

Kai responded, “You’ve been super busy and stressed about healing Quinn. Don’t blame yourself for not thinking of every single little thing. You’re only human.” I chuckled. A few others got the joke and grinned. I took a deep breath, who was in town that might look after Dylan for a little while. “Are you sure you need to worry about him, Reese? Your plate is pretty full as is,” Ellis questioned. I thought for a minute before answering him, “You have a solid point, Ellis. I appreciate ya looking out for me. Dylan is not only my best friend, he is a reminder of my life before the wolf, before everything got so crazy. I guess it’s nice to be reminded of quieter calmer times.” Ellis nodded, along with a few others. They understood, they probably had something or someone who reminded them the same.

“Thank you everyone. You’ve given me much to think on. That’s all I needed, unless someone had something else to add?” I asked. The pool deck was quiet. We all wandered off to do our own thing. Casey and River stayed behind to chat with me. “We’ve been thinking about taking a road trip. This is the longest we’ve ever stayed in one place and we are getting kinda itchy,” River provided. “Of course, thank you for letting me use your truck Casey. It really helped.” Casey answered, “Glad to be of service.” “Do you plan on going somewhere specific or just out on the open road?” I asked. River shrugged, “Just out on the road. It’s more about the journey than the destination. We will be a phone call away if ya need us.” I thanked them and remembered my werewolf book.

“Casey, would you mind checking out this book I found on werewolves? I’ve been reading it and it seems pretty accurate for the most part.” Casey agreed and we went back inside. Casey waited for me in the living room while I retrieved my backpack from my room. I pulled the book out of my bag and showed it to Casey. They scanned it, and read a few sections. Casey glanced approvingly at me, “Do you mind if I hold on to it for a while. Give it a proper read?” I shook my head, “Please do. I have another on gargoyles I want to read and get Cordelia’s opinion on.” “Sounds like you had a full trip,” River joked. I grinned sarcastically, “you have no idea.” I told them of how I reconnected with my parents and how that whole interaction went. “I don’t need to remind you to be careful with whom you share our secret. You’ve had enough trouble with the hunters,” Casey gently reminded.

River asked, “Would your parents be able to look after Dylan? It sounds like they have matured since the last time we spoke about them.” I thought for a moment. “That’s a great idea, River. Thanks!” I decided I’d call and ask. I left River and Casey to plan their road trip. I pulled out my phone and sent a text off to Davy and asked him to call me when he got a chance. I busied myself with food preparation. I hadn’t eaten in far too long. I made homemade pizzas. I let my mind wander back to the first time I had homemade pizza with Quinn, Kai, Ellis, and Phoenix. It was a simpler time back then. I remembered how gorgeous Quinn looked while her hands kneaded the pizza dough. I had to find that dang cure, I wouldn’t be able to survive without Quinn.

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