Chương 13: Supernatural House Party

There were several sets of footsteps outside. I could also hear other voices in the distance as well. Which meant there were a lot of people. Damn, I hate having visitors, I thought. Especially before dawn. What the fuck is wrong with them? I scrambled up onto the back of the recliner to get a better view through the window. My claws dug into the fabric. Multiple figures were walking down the dirt road leading to the cabin. Since I hadn't heard their trucks, they must have parked quite a distance down the road.

Either that, or I'd been distracted. Why would they do that? I wondered. Was it so that they wouldn't disturb me? If they didn't want to disturb me, they wouldn't be visiting at such an ungodly hour. As for why they were there, that was kind of obvious. They were carrying toolboxes. Well, some of them. Others carried lumber slung over their shoulders. Relax, kit. I can smell wolf from here, Tala sent me a mental reassurance, not that I needed it. Thank you, Captain Obvious. I could tell that with my own eyes.

I had to struggle not to roll my eyes like I was possessed. Pierre was in front of everyone and knocked on the door. Alder and an old woman walked behind him. Damn, but if he didn't somehow manage to knock hesitantly. I didn't even think that was possible. I'd actually expected him to just walk in. Then again, he probably wanted to put up a good front for Shelly. And apparently it worked. Shelly glanced out the window and smiled. She then turned to me and said brightly, "It's Pierre and some workers."

I heroically resisted the impulse to say anything back. I even managed not to put a claw down my throat and pretend to gag. Before I could say anything, she was already opening the door. Pierre gave her a smile and said, "It's good to see you." He was looking at her. Then he turned to me and absently added, "And you too," before turning back to give her a hug. Yeah, no blessing for you, ever, I thought, glaring at him. I smoothed the hairs on my arms. They felt like they were about to stand on their ends.

Taking a deep breath, I silently counted how many Mississippi's the hug lasted. Well, that certainly let me know where I stand, I thought grumpily. Stupid, hormone driven wild dog. As for Shelly, she must have a thing for bad boys. Alder coughed, but didn't say anything. Shelly didn't even notice at first before suddenly realizing the hug had gone on too long. She abruptly broke away from the hug with a blush. She then motioned everyone to come inside.

I started climbing down from the back of my recliner and almost missed it when Alder smacked Pierre in the back of the head. He mouthed the word 'idiot' when Pierre turned to look at him, wondering why he had been hit. Behind Pierre, Alder and the old woman entered next. They were followed by a small parade of workers carrying toolboxes, measuring tapes, and what looked like reinforcement materials.

"Apologies for the intrusion," Alder said. His voice was calm and careful, like always.

"We thought it best to begin the modifications immediately."

"Modifications?" Shelly lowered her broom slightly. Confusion replaced her defensive posture. I guess she thought the doggie door was going to be it. Well, I'm not having any of that. I need my baby seat and my step stool so I can go to the bathroom without risking either my dignity or my life. At the moment, I was more concerned about the woman. I knew she wasn't a werewolf because she didn't smell like a wolf. Instead, she smelled more like nature. Probably a druid, I decided.

After Kathy and Shelly hugged, my guess was confirmed. This was confirmed when Kathy asked, "How's my young student doing?" Kathy had silver-streaked hair pulled back in a practical bun. Her sharp green eyes held the kind of authority that came from decades of being in charge. She wore hiking boots and practical clothes. But something about her presence made the room feel crowded. The woman's gaze swept the room with professional efficiency. Finally settled on me with an intensity that made my fur prickle.

"So," she said. Her voice carried a crisp authority.

"You're the talking raccoon who's got everyone in a tizzy."

"Kathy," Shelly said. She sounded relieved and nervous at the same time.

"I wasn't expecting…"

"When my student calls claiming she's found Azeban's inheritor, I don't wait for formal invitations," Kathy interrupted. Her eyes never left me.

"I'm here to assess the situation." Assess the situation. Great. I'm being evaluated like a used car. Then again, she is kind of attractive in that commanding, silver-hair-and-sensible-boots kind of way. Immediately upon finishing that thought, a cucumber was thrown at my head. Apparently, I'd broadcast the thought to Tala by accident. Kathy didn't react other than raising an eyebrow. As for Pierre, he looked confused, which was probably a common occurrence.

He always seemed to look like he was fighting to remember something. Alder, on the other hand, seemed amused.

"Quite a nice pet you have there," he said to me. Only to get another cucumber piece thrown at him. Lucky bastard, I thought as he easily dodged the projectile. Good reflexes. This time I noticed where she got the cucumber from. It tasted so horrible last night that I'd ignored it. At least she wasn't throwing it at me this time. The workers had already begun spreading out through the cabin. Measuring doorways and muttering to each other about "reinforcement points."

They didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to what was happening.

"Nice to see you guys again," I said. I nodded to the two men. Then I turned to Kathy and said, "And it's nice to meet you too. I'm Abe." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Pierre stepped forward. He somehow managed to look sheepish despite his intimidating bulk.

"This is Kathy Whitmore, high mystic of the Eclectic Coalition. She's here to…"

"I can introduce myself, thank you," Kathy said dryly. Then she turned to me with a slight smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Abe, huh? I wanted to meet Azeban's supposed inheritor myself." Supposed inheritor. The skepticism in her voice was thick enough to cut with a knife. I barely resisted the impulse to either turn into a coyote and jump at her or just kick her out of my house.

"Charmed," I said. I matched her dry tone. Despite being semi-attractive, her personality was definitely ruining any romantic thoughts. What a bitch. I bet she's single. Kathy settled into the chair across from my recliner like she was conducting a job interview.

"When supernatural phenomena start manifesting in my territory, I investigate. Shelly trusts you, which carries weight with me. But I prefer to make my own judgments." Tala chose that moment to hop onto the table. Her tail bristled as she studied Kathy. I guess she could sense that I wasn't happy with this overly proud... lady taking over my spot. If she continued to act so high and mighty, someone might just come along and teach her a lesson. Of course, that person wasn't going to be me. Well, at least not yet.

Since she was Shelly's teacher, I was willing to cut her some slack. For now. However, if she pushes me too far, I'll tell her exactly where she can stick her stuck up nose. Kathy's attention had shifted completely to Tala. I saw her eyes narrow slightly.

"Interesting. A squirrel with an unusually strong mana signature." She looked back at me.

"Your companion?"

"More like my self-appointed bodyguard," I said. I scratched behind my ear.

"She showed up last night and decided I needed supervision." Supervision? Tala's mental voice was indignant. I'm protecting your sorry hide, kit.

"The modifications," Alder said. He was clearly trying to steer the conversation back to practical matters.

"Are precautionary. Reinforced doors, magnetic touch latches for the cabinets and drawers, an autodoor for the fridge, and a few other necessities."

"Thank you," I said.

"Do you mind doing something about the toilet as well?"

"No problem," Alder said.

"Anything else on your mind?" Clearly, he was talking about modifications. But I was still thinking about my encounter with the two trickster spirits.

"Not much, just met with two trickster gods arguing over who gets to claim me as their successor. Coyote thinks I'm the next big thing, Azeban just wants someone to carry on the family business. Typical divine dysfunction." The room went quiet except for the sound of hammering from the workers. Kathy stared at me like I'd just claimed to be the reincarnation of Elvis.

"You're saying you've had direct contact with two major trickster deities?" she asked slowly.

"Contact might be overstating it. More like I got caught in the middle of their argument." I shrugged.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I'm a talking raccoon having this conversation with a mystic while werewolves renovate my cabin. Crazy is relative at this point." Pierre looked a little annoyed at being called a werewolf, but still snorted with what might have been amusement.

"He's got a point." Okay, maybe you will get a blessing… someday. Kathy held up a hand for silence. Her expression was thoughtful.

"Tell me about these visions. Every detail you can remember." So I did. I described the misty glade. Azeban's throne of collected treasures. The mood-swinging berries. Coyote's dramatic entrance through reality. Their argument over my cosmic significance. When I finished, Kathy was quiet for a long moment. Her fingers were steepled in front of her face.

"The chaos berry," she said finally.

"You mentioned unlocking new abilities. What exactly did you gain?"

"Mask of Many Paws," I said. Then I focused on my shapeshifting ability. My fur prickled as I shifted into Coyote's form.

"Shapeshifting into other animal forms, plus invisibility." Several things happened at once. One of the workers dropped his hammer with a clatter. Pierre's eyes widened. His nostrils flared like he was trying to process conflicting scents. Shelly took a step back. Her broom rose defensively. But Kathy just nodded, like talking raccoons turning into coyotes was something she dealt with on Tuesdays.

"Impressive," she said. Her voice was carefully neutral.

"Change back, please." I paused and gave her a look, but since she said please, I complied. I shifted back to my raccoon form. I noted how the transformation felt smoother this time, more natural.

"The ability to take other forms is significant," Kathy continued.

"But it doesn't prove divine inheritance. Shapeshifting magic exists in many forms." Of course it doesn't, I thought. God forbid anything be simple.

"So what would prove it?" I asked. I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Time," Kathy said simply.

"Power can be faked, learned, or stolen. But true divine inheritance reveals itself through actions, choices, and consequences. We'll see what you become." One of the workers approached Alder. He was holding what looked like a tablet.

"Sir, we've got the measurements. The reinforcement work will take about three days, but we can have the basic security enhancements done by tonight."

"Good, thank you Derek," Alder said. Then he turned to me.

"The work will be minimally invasive. We'll try not to disrupt your routine too much."

"Routine?" I laughed. A sound that came out more like a chittering squeak.

"My routine involves hiding from unseen stalkers and trying not to get eaten by things that shouldn't exist. Feel free to disrupt away, but maybe not so early next time." I was pretty sure I knew why they'd come so early. Probably Kathy not wanting to wait until a decent hour and feeling entitled enough to barge into someone's home and be rude. Her parents were so close with the name, but I guess Karen would have been too accurate. So, no judgement. I hope you stay single forever.

Kathy stood and brushed off her pants.

"The coalition is hosting a gathering in three days. Full moon. We'd like you to attend." My ears perked up, literally.

"What kind of gathering?"

"Leaders of various supernatural communities. An opportunity for introductions, information exchange, and assessment of current threats." She paused.

"It would be beneficial for you to be there." A supernatural mixer. Great. Just what I needed. I hated get-togethers. They were so annoying.

"What's the catch?" I asked, because there was always a catch.

"No catch," Kathy said. Though her smile suggested otherwise.

"You're a player in this game now, whether you want to be or not. We need to know where you stand."

"And if I don't want to stand anywhere?" I was starting to find it increasingly difficult not to say or do something just to annoy the woman. She was starting to get on my nerves. Who is she to come into my house and judge me?

"Then you'll be making a choice anyway," Alder said quietly.

"Neutrality is a position too." I gave Alder an annoyed look before glancing around the room. At the workers measuring my walls. Pierre's protective stance near Shelly. Tala's alert posture on the table. Kathy's calculating gaze. My quiet prepper life is officially over, I thought.

"Fine," I said.

"But I'm not making any promises about playing nice." Kathy's smile became more genuine.

"I wouldn't expect you to. You're Azeban's inheritor, after all." Allegedly, I thought, but kept that to myself. Maybe she's not as bad as I thought. Then again, maybe she is being sarcastic. The hammering resumed. Louder now as more workers joined the effort. Through the window, I could see others setting up what looked like equipment around the cabin's perimeter.

"And my husband," Tala said outloud, her words breaking the silence, clearly marking her territory. Then she added, Till death do us part. I had just popped a popcorn kernel into my mouth when I heard that. One of the few snacks left besides that awful cucumber. I immediately choked. Damn, did I get married and not know? The system notification did say she was my companion now. Tala came up and patted me on the back, as if that was going to help me not choke. Don't worry kit, I've got your back.

Tala's mental voice carried a note of smug satisfaction as she told me, For the rest of our lives. Everyone else was completely silent as they stared at Tala. She was tossing a cucumber piece from one paw to the other as if waiting to see what they would say.