Wolfman smiled as Avery hovered over him.
“Oh, Wolfman, you’re my hero.”
The wolf inside him wagged his tail.
“You’re incredible.”
He shrugged modestly.
“No man compares to you.”
“Well…”
“You’re the best sex guy in the whole world!” she gushed.
It was at this point that he started to realize he was dreaming. Probably should have happened sooner, but it was the ‘sex guy’ thing that got him. One, she had no idea what he was like in bed – few women did. Two, he couldn’t imagine Avery using the phrase ‘sex guy’ – that was one of his mom’s little gems.
Soon after this, he knew he was dreaming as Avery started rifling through the few pockets his costume had and them gave him a firm kick. Outside of his dream in the waking world, he was really being mugged by a bunch of kids. Well, it was slim pickings because he had two bucks on him and he left his cell back at the store.
Wolfman let out a roar as he regained consciousness. His wolf howled in fury. A couple of the kids jumped.
He recognized one of the kids as a pickpocket he had thwarted earlier in the week. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
The little bugger gave him a harder kick and ran away.
A young girl gave him a sad look. “Sorry. We don’t have a choice.” Then she kicked him as well and ran off.
Wolfman winced as he ribs twinged. Terrific. Banner night for him.
He pulled himself up and limped back to the store. He changed back to his Winston clothes before riding his bike home. Winston called the SEA anonymously, telling them about the possible abduction he witnessed. He assumed they took the guy away, but after the elephant-sized shifter went Godzilla on him, he had no idea what happened.
True to his bad luck, his mom was waiting for him to get home.
“Winnie!” she exclaimed, “you look like you’ve been mugged!”
Winston gritted his teeth as his mom tried to feel him for injury. His mother was not gentle when it came to injuries. She thought that iodine could cure everything from a cut to a broken leg, and that a twisted ankle just needed to be ‘walked off.’
“Oh ah, I have.”
Which was true – he had been mugged. They only got two dollars, but still, that was the price of an XXL Nutty Fudgkin Bar – he had been looking forward to having one of those.
“Oh my precious little guy!” she twittered.
She grasped his head and pulled him down, trying to crush him to her considerable bosom.
“Mom, I’m fine,” he managed to bite out as he tried to gasp for breath.
Escape was nearly impossible.
“To think I almost lost you like I lost your father,” she wailed.
Winston was going to argue that he was mugged by a few kids who, while they could land a few malicious kicks, were unlikely to take it that far. But, he decided to hold his tongue. He perhaps should have made up a kinder lie to tell his mom – to stop her worry, to prevent her anguish.
“I’m okay, Mom,” he said in a gentle enough tone that allowed him to extricate himself from her grasp.
She gave him a slight nod, but he knew she wasn’t completely appeased.
“To think Tara almost lost you before the two of you had a chance to get married.”
Winston grunted absently. “Yeah, look, I’m going to grab some apple cider and what did you just say?”
Her words only just started to sink in. Over the years he got into the habit of just nodding to everything this mom said, but now and again something got through – especially when his beast gave him the danger sign.
His mom gave him an evasive look. “You and Tara.”
That was all the explanation he was going to get apparently.
“Why would you think we are getting married?” he asked pointedly.
She gave him a look of forced nonchalance. “Well, why not?”
“For absolutely dozens of reasons – that’s why!” he cried.
Avery yowled his beast, though Winston chose to ignore him at that moment.
“Buy why would you think we’re getting married? That’s what I’m asking.”
His mom started fiddling with one of her handkerchiefs, worrying the hem. She had about two dozen with various embroidered flowers and always carried one. Whenever she had done something a little wrong, she always worried one of them. Like the time she got Winston fired from his job delivering newspapers because she thought it was too dangerous for him – she told his boss he was a kleptomaniac. He was thirteen at the time and she gave him an allowance instead that was actually more than he would have earned for delivering the papers, so he really didn’t mind that much.
“Well, I spoke to Tara…”
Winston gave her a puzzled look. “You spoke to Tara about this?”
She nodded fervently. “And she agreed she would be happy to marry you.”
“What?!”
He flicked his ear – he had taken an elephant sized blow to the head, perhaps he was losing his hearing, or possibly his sanity. Hard to say which. His wolf let out a growl. Maybe he was losing his grip on reality – this could not be reality.
“It would be a good fit,” insisted his mom. Who had apparently ducked out on reality long ago.
It really wouldn’t grumbled his beast.
“Are you saying you think we’re getting married, and so does Tara?” he asked, unsure as to whether he trusted himself.
Winston groaned as he remembered the way Tara kept smiling at him earlier. Convinced he was run off his feet at work, his mother sent Tara down there to help him. He tried to tell Tara to leave and they were fine, but she wouldn’t go anywhere. He figured she didn’t want to have to tell his mother she left and he could respect that. His mother would not listen to her and would just berate her for leaving – so he let her stay. Unlike Seymour, she was quiet and diligent and a good worker. Unlike Seymour, he kept catching her looking at him and then she would blush profusely.
Crap – she thinks they’re getting married! His wolf howled.
“Mom! You are way out of line on this one!”
“Now, Winnie…”
“No, Mom!” he snapped, feeling angrier than he ever had before.
This was way worse than the time she showed pictures of him in the bath playing with his Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to all his school mates. Given that he happened to be in his senior year of high school when both the pictures were taken and they were showed to his friends, it was just a tad embarrassing.
“Winnie,” she whined in a needling voice.
“No, Mom. This is absolutely…”
“But, but…”
She started gasping and grasping at her chest. It appeared she was having one of her weekly and well-timed heart attacks. Sympathy failed him in that moment and both he and his beast retained a stony glare. On seeing that her antics were having no impact she soon stopped.
“You better tell her we are not getting married, okay?” he said carefully.
“But…”
Winston held up a hand for silence and amazingly she hushed. “No arguments – tell her.”
Then he stomped down to his basement with his cider. A terrific end to a terrific day he thought huffily.
*
Jessie managed to find labs who were doing research into the shifter gene, and they were splitting the list between them. Wayne and Raf were off interviewing various researchers and lab technicians, while Avery was lumbered with a very twitchy Cutter.
Four labs down and so far they had nothing.
Wes was dealing with a disappearance – someone called in an anonymous report of a guy being snatched. Avery assumed it was Wolfman – doing the reporting, not the snatching. The caller said they thought an elephant shifter did it, and Avery already voiced her concerns that it was Alfie.
The labs they visited were doing research into using the shifter gene to create cures for diseases, none they talked to were interested in the man-beast form shifters took on between their human and animal forms.
“You mind if we make a stop before our next lab?”
Cutter grunted in what could easily be interpreted as a yes or a no.
“Actually maybe you can do me a favor.”
Cutter grunted a noise halfway between dismay and curiosity.
“There’s this guy I’m trying to get rid of – he’s a pain in the ass. Thought you might be able to help out.”
Cutter finally grunted an affirmative.
Her lion mewled. She did want to get rid of the oily little creep that kept sending her unwanted gifts, but perversely she wanted to see Winston and his dainty little fiancée again. Yeah, she was a glutton for punishment.
*
Tara was back at the store and currently being lectured by Seymour on why females did not make good superheroes. She was nodding with every word that spewed out of his irritating mouth.
Winston could only imagine what Avery would say if she was there. Seymour was adamant that women just didn’t have it in them to be tough, which was funny considering that he was certain that Avery could kick the ass of everyone in the store at the same time and still barely break a sweat – he included himself in that as well. She was like an Amazon warrior.
Winston frowned as he sifted through the comics on the shelves. “Hey, ah, Tara – I can’t find the X-men comics.”
“Oh, they’re not under X,” she told him in a guileless voice.
“No, why would they be?” he said sarcastically.
“I used the Seymour standard form of cataloging comics.”
“The Seymour standard?” he repeated with a due sense of dread.
Seymour looked triumphant. “She’s a fast learner.”
Winston jabbed a finger in Seymour’s direction. “I’ve warned you about this before,” he growled.
Though Seymour didn’t look bothered – he knew Winston wouldn’t fire him. Where else would he find someone willing to work for comics?
“Just put them back in alphabetical order,” growled Winston irritably.
Tara frowned at him and went back to the store room followed by a disapproving Seymour. Just when he thought having Tara there couldn’t be any more irritating, she started turning into Seymour’s special little helper. His wolf shuddered. One Seymour was more than enough for any universe.
But just as he was considering retreating to the back office, his wolf perked up, wagging his tail and yapping excitedly.
Avery glided through the door followed by a bulky wolf shifter who looked like he was a chromosome short of being a caveman.
“Jeez, what the fudge is this place?” groused the male.
Fudge? Snickered his wolf.
“Looks like the place virgins come to die.”
Avery gave him a sour look before turning her attention on Howie.
“Here.”
She threw a bundle at him with enough force to send the slight male toppling to the ground. The large wolf shifter sneered.
“Avery, my dove…” started Howie.
“No more flowers,” Avery told him sternly. “No more gifts and definitely no more underwear missing the crotch, okay?”
Winston’s beast was caught between amusement and fury at Howie’s continued pursuit of Avery.
“Howie,” snapped Avery, “I’m not a violent woman which is why I brought him with me.” She jerked her head at the large wolf.
He surged forward and pulled Howie to his feet. Howie was hardly cowardly. Indeed he had a sense of courage and lack of fear that was the envy of many a man. No matter how many beautiful women knocked him back or pissed off boyfriends of beautiful women knocked him down, he just kept coming. But, when faced with this wolf shifter, he rightly quailed. The male looked untamed and Winston hadn’t seen that many teeth since Jurassic Park.
“Seriously,” said Avery, “you piss me off and you contend with him, and you do not want to mess with a wolf shifter whose pup is two weeks overdue. Okay?”
Howie nodded as much as the wolf’s grip would allow. Avery nodded at the wolf who in turn dropped Howie and then proceeded to stomp around the store, sneering at everything and calling it worthless junk. Howie retreated to a corner and started sulking. It was a nice change of pace from the usual Howie personality, but Winston knew it wouldn’t be for long – he’d be back to his usual sleazy self in no time.
Avery gave Winston a polite but distant smile and his wolf pouted slightly.
“Hey, I’m sorry about Howie,” he said.
“As am I, and ah, congratulations,” she replied stiffly.
He looked at her blankly.
“On your engagement,” she added.
“On my what now?!” he cried.
Had the whole world gone mad?
Avery’s brow creased. “To the bunny shifter.”
“What? How did you… we are not engaged!” he howled, startling even the huge wolf shifter.
“You’re not?” breathed Avery taking a couple of steps toward him. “But she said…”
“Son of a nutcracker, Avery, you like all this garbage?” demanded her enormous companion.
The wolf wandered through the store and roughly started flicking through comics, and picking up various limited edition action figures. He managed to snap the head off Gandalf. Winston tried not to wince as the oaf pawed at everything.
“Lucie told me she used to love reading comics with Zatanna in,” said Avery in a mild voice, not taking her eyes off Winston.
The male grunted. “Then they must be okay.”
“Why don’t you get her some since she’s on bed rest?”
“Yeah, yeah, I could do that. You,” he pointed a beefy finger at Seymour who had just emerged from the store room. The mole shifter let out an eep. “Help me choose some Zatanna comics.”
They really didn’t get guys like this in the store. Seymour hopped to help him, not even trying to voice his personal opinion that Zatanna sucked.
“You were saying?” asked Avery and was he mistaken or was she a little eager to hear what he had to say.
She took another step towards him and he spoke in a quieter voice.
“We are not engaged – my mother wants me to marry her – I barely know her. It’s crazy.”
She inhaled lightly. “Really?”
“Yes, definitely. My mother’s definitely crazy!”
And then some added his own wolf.
Avery gave him a small smile. “Well, I do know a little about crazy mothers.”
“You believe me, right? Because Tara and my mother don’t seem to want to!”
Did they think they were going to club him over the head and drag him down the aisle? Because, honestly, that was the only way they could get these ill-fated nuptials up and running!
“Yeah, I believe you,” and she smiled, a warm, real smile and he all but melted.
The large wolf’s phone rang and he scrambled to answer.
“Shit. Lucie, Lucie! Honey, you in labor? God damnit – stop calling!”
“Not your mother again?” asked Avery wryly.
“No, Sister Margaret wanting to thank me for organizing a fun run to raise money for the orphanage.”
Avery raised her eyebrows and he shrugged.
“Lucie spent some time there when she was a kid. Wanted to help them out. Stop looking at me!” He snapped at Seymour. “Get moving, I have a job and a pregnant mate to get to!”
Avery stifled a giggle. “I’d like to say he’s not usually this bad, but… At least he made Howie quiet.”
Howie was still sulking behind a Birds of Prey comic.
“I only really came to tell him I’m not interested in visiting Fiji with him or rubbing any part of him.”
Grrr.
“Crap, I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault. But if he does it again, never mind my friend, Cutter, I will have to beat some sense into him.”
“I’d say good idea, but he’d probably enjoy it.”
Avery’s lovely face contorted in mild disgust. “Yeah, probably – yeuch. Anyway, I have to get back to work. How’s Wolfman?”
He inhaled before he realized she meant the comic. “Oh, ah, good,” he burbled as his cheeks turned pink.
“I love Wolfman.”
The male called Cutter snorted. “Mother fudging vigilante.”
“Well, I think he’s amazing,” she purred happily.
“You do?” gulped Winston.
“Yeah, I do,” she replied in a husky voice.
Cutter muttered, paid for his comics and stomped away, holding the door open, impatiently tapping his foot.
“I’ll see you around,” murmured Avery.
“Yeah.”
Yeah, she would.