Chapter 2

Two

CALUM

It’s not madness.

The follies in the symbols won’t lie to me. They are fact. As real as the numbers on the screen. And truth will set everyone free if they would only believe.

It’s not madness. It’s math.

Math.

Truth.

Real.

Of course, the irony of saying it’s real while looking through a screen at distorted images of people going about their fake lives is not lost on me.

Me

I need to meet. Spot at 0042.

Alpha

Roger

Focusing back on the pictures in front of me, my hand tingles, but a stretch of my fingers keeps my discipline in check. Not now. There’s just enough light from a digital clock to observe all I need to see on the blacked-out monitor.

If I pull out my dick now, I’m no better than my father. Was.

Instead of watching the present, the past clouds my vision, images of Franklin jerking off in a corner room of Strauss’s palace. At first, he enjoyed the regular paid workers. Those gals were good enough when I was eight. By the time I turned nine, he needed to chase teenage girls through the catacombs of the cathedral. Max and Ace thought I was terrified of their jump scares, but I had seen what had happened to the kids down there. When I was ten, he had moved on to children my age or younger and masturbation was no longer enough to scratch his itch.

My palm hits my crotch, the cool metal zipper resting just over my erection. Do I carry the same venom? Am I the poison? Not lowering the fly, I squeeze the tip of my cock to ease some tension there, returning to the present.

Glancing around the desktop, two more shards of Psilocybe sing to me, and I let my mouth make love to them. A swig of blackberry tea washes away the bitter taste.

Some time passes and the blue haze of the clock hums through the glass of the monitor, so loud that its color changes to yellow, the fingers of its shadow crawling toward the figure before me. My eyes have adjusted and no longer need light to operate, the rods and cones magnifying to black holes able to soak up wavelengths no human knew were possible.

And because I can see, memories play directly in front of me.

“Son, there’s only three things to remember: just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you. And everyone lies.”

Turning my head, his stern face appears out of the darkness. Remembering the young boy’s answer, I sluggishly say the words aloud in time with young Cal. “But what’s the third thing, Father?”

“There is no third. I just told you. Everyone lies.” My mouth forms the same way his did as I hear the sound echo throughout the empty room. Rapidly shaking the demons from my head, I flip on the light.

It’s not madness.

It’s math.

Alpha

Where u at?

Fuck. How long have I been in the colors? I’m never late. Throwing up the hood of my sweatshirt, I snag two vials and head out.

Teslas make no sound even when I floor the pedal. Turning off autopilot, I motor to the Wednesday spot for my meeting with Alpha.

By the time I park and make it to the metal fire escape of West Tech, the sleet has covered most surfaces, causing everything to sparkle like stars in the moonlight. Momentarily distracted by snowflakes vibrating in a streetlamp’s path, I blink, then continue my journey to the roof of the building.

With the sleek weather and in her leather regalia, Alpha looks like she’s in a wetsuit about to dive into the black ocean of the night. She’s only missing a snorkel.

“It’s not like you to be late. Did you take too much?” Throwing her hands on her narrow hips, she sighs heavily, casting cumulus clouds from her crowded mouth. Then she pulls up her woolen black mask as I approach. Her blue eyes thin with disappointment.

“I took an extra dose, if that’s what you’re asking, Mom.”

She scowls. Alpha tries so hard to be what I need, she overlooks that she’s not what I want.

With a slight tilt of her head, like she’s a doting caretaker, she asks, “Did you get distracted by the Franklin memories again?”

“He was there, yes.” Leaning over the short brick wall, I study the empty street below. The wind is likely cold, but I don’t feel it. Spotting a homeless man shiver after he takes a piss on a parking meter, I empathetically cross my arms to keep them warm.

Shuffling her boots toward me, Alpha places her gloved hand on my arm. “Hey, sorry. Was it the sunken face one again?”

“Nah,” I say, shaking off her desire to romanticize my follies. “So, hey. I need a meeting. See what you can do about it.” Dangling some spit from my mouth, I observe how far it can stretch before it freezes. Twenty-eight Fahrenheit, that’s my guess.

“Cal…” My ears tingle at the buzz in her alto voice. Flipping her long brunette braid over her shoulder, her body heats mine as she leans on her bent arms next to me.

Without a glance her way, I ask, “Alpha, whose name is tattooed on your hip?”

Whipping her face to me, her dark blue eyes grow icy as she swallows. “Von Dovish.”

Taking a long inhale of the chilled air, I stick my tongue out to catch a flake. It doesn’t taste like anything. “Who do you belong to?”

She clears her throat and stands. “The Von Dovish clan… To you.”

“And to which service did you pledge your life?”

“The foxes. Sir.”

Turning on an elbow, I let my eyes wander down her tight frame. Slowly, her hands crawl up to her forehead and lower her mask. “So. I would like a meeting. Look into Herodius⁠—”

“Cal, please. I’ve told you. We’ve all looked into this before. There’s no such thing as⁠—”

In one step, my fingers grip her neck before she knows what’s happened. As my top spy, I’d expect better of her reflexes, even around me. “Don’t say it.”

Behind the slits of her mask, tears form in her eyes as she stills under my grasp. Maybe she should go for a dive. Ugh, then I’d have to deal with Delta, and no one can stand that guy. Foxtrot? She’s too green. If he were here, Franklin would help Alpha swim in the thick fogs of the ether tonight.

I’d bet she’d float.

Shaking my head, I release her throat.

Her voice comes out in a croak. “Cal. I’m worried about you. We all are. Some of the things you’re saying aren’t making sense. You’re spending all your time on your new project. Maybe you should be with people. Like, away from the computers.”

My nose snorts a small laugh as I step into her, close enough to lick her cheeks if they weren’t covered in wool. Lowering my voice, I ask, “Like, be with you?” Plucking her braid up, I toy with the strands between two of my fingers, watching how the brown has faded to black in the darkness. “Hmm, Daisy? You want my cock in your mouth?”

Gloved palms lightly push against my chest. “Cal…” The steam rolling out of her mask hole comes out in hesitating puffs.

One side of my lips lifts. She’d do it, too. Whatever I asked.

“I’m visiting the Freidenbergs for dinner tomorrow evening. So, I’ll do what I’m told, Mom. Thanks for looking out for me.” Shoving off the wall, I skip part of the way to the fire escape. I haven’t done that since I was a kid, and a laugh bursts from my chest, the sound reverberating off the next building in haunting waves. “And look into Herodius. Strauss is not in charge here. The owls are the birds controlling his flock.”

With a slight wave and a bow at my waist, I send her off with, “If you don’t, you’ll be plunging headfirst into something…” My hand grabs my crotch for emphasis. “Not sure what exactly, yet.”

The following evening,the dark wooden door to Freidenberg manor opens with a loud creak. This time, I’m covered with a winter coat over my hoodie like one of the regulars. And despite that I didn’t dose today, little black butterflies dance in the corners of my eyes but disappear when I check their position.

I need sleep.

“Mister Von Dovish, welcome. They’re awaiting your arrival in the dining room.” Fritz, the butler, leads me inside like a stranger.

As I round the corner, Max is pushing in my sister’s chair, but they both look up with reserved smiles. Yes, brother and sister. Tensions are high, I know. Arianna holds her phone underneath the table, texting Wyatt about another of their trysts, but I won’t draw attention to it unless I need to.

Greeting Max with a large hug, I keep a hand on my twin’s shoulder, so she doesn’t get up for me. “Liv, how’s the baby?”

“Oh, it’s not how are you anymore. It’s how’s the baby…” Her golden eyes glimmer with a smile as she teases me. Rubbing a hand on her still flat lower belly, she responds, “Baby is good, and I’m wonderful, but tired and very nauseated.”

Max reaches across the head of the table to grab her hand resting on it. “She’s doing great. Our healers say she’s perfect. If only Strauss hadn’t paid that one to lie to my wife about her infertility… It’s just another reason to kill him.” The bear’s haunches rise to his ears as Livia’s thumb strokes the back of his hand to ease his ire. Arianna’s eyes briefly glance up at the exchange.

Taking a sip from my water goblet, the cook lays out our first dish. “What if Strauss didn’t do that?”

All four heads in the room snap to mine. The cook’s cheeks fire up as she walks backwards into the kitchen.

“What do you mean, Cal?” Max growls.

“I mean, what if that healer was working for someone else? What if they were threatened to tell Livia a lie by another entity?”

“Like Ace? He wouldn’t care if Max and I ended up together…” Livia’s eyebrows furrow as she speaks, causing the silver ring piercing one to wiggle, but her eyes won’t meet mine.

Should I even bother? None of them are ready to accept the truth. Math doesn’t lie, but they do. To themselves, mainly.

I get it. I, too, once lived in the darkness. But now that I’ve seen the light, it’s a lonely fucking place to be. Some days, all I wish is that I’d never discovered the truth. It would be easier to have one Bogeyman to blame for all my problems.

“You’re right, Ace wouldn’t do that. This butternut squash soup is delicious. Tell your chef my compliments, Max.” Picking up my hints, they all relax and take bites of their food in turn. All I can think about is returning to my observatory.

We make pleasantries as the second dish is served, and things are uneasily peaceful.

“Ari, what are you doing?” Max’s head whips toward his sister’s as she lifts her head from her lap.

“Oh, sorry, I was just⁠—”

“You better not be texting that fucker Wyatt under the table. You’re scheduled to marry Ace soon. Show some respect for your fiancé.”

My sister’s hand grips Max’s on the table. Glancing at her, his face softens. Arianna’s beautiful chocolate eyes meet mine for a flash of a second before staring at her dinner plate.

“Some fiancé. Hasn’t even given me a ring or a proposal.”

Livia turns to me and asks, “Where are we with that, Cal?”

The meal is delicious. I try to recollect when I last ate, but it’s difficult because I seem to gather all my calories in small bursts. “You mean with Ace?”

Max interrupts her. “Yes, he needs to marry Arianna before Strauss calls her up to marry him. She’s been organizing their wedding for weeks now. He isn’t a patient man. He’ll want to marry her sooner rather than later. We need to get Ace on board as quickly as possible, but he’s been too drunk to leave the casino to marry my sister.” The floppy hair on Max’s head waves as he nods in my direction.

Carefully, I chew a bite of mushroom shepherd’s pie. Savoring the gravy and fresh winter asparagus from the manor’s restored gardens, I pause as the three bears stare me down. Waiting.

“Would it be the worst thing if Arianna married Strauss?”

A clang breaks the silence in the air with a snap as Max drops his heirloom silver fork on the Wedgewood plate. Pushing my mashed potatoes to one side, the black and gold bear of the Freidenberg crest reveals itself underneath.

“Yes, Cal. It would be.” Max’s teeth resonate as he growls at me.

“What are you saying, Cal?” my sister asks, cutting off the end of her husband’s sentence.

“I-I don’t want to marry Strauss,” Arianna’s tiny voice rings out, reverting to her innocent defense mechanism. Like she’s not letting Wyatt’s tongue swirl her pink butthole every Saturday night in the estate’s abandoned tobacco barn.

Clearing my throat, I peer at each of them in turn. “I apologize. My intention was not to ruin this lovely family meal we’re having.” Eyeing Max directly, I say, “Brother, I’ll talk with Ace for you. I know my role in this, to help facilitate a smooth transition for Arianna, for her safety. She’s my family now, too. Ace wants to know who killed his sister, and you want to save yours from sexual slavery. I don’t wish that upon anyone.”

And I wouldn’t. That’s what this whole thing has been about. Freedom.

Unfortunately, the citizens of Gnarled Pine Hollow, including my family here, have no idea what it will take to stop the machine. Somehow, I have to help set them all loose from their restraints.

Before I can stop it, the vision of taking that little girl’s dirty hand in mine, the nails black with coal and blood and skin invades my mind. Sweat pours down my back and my muscles tense as I begin to shake. The dinner rolling around in my stomach threatens to make its way back up.

Livia reaches over and grabs my arm while still holding on to Max, joining us all together. The sight of her delicate fingers wrapped around me relieves the growing fear. “Thank you,” she says.

“And Cal?” Max still hasn’t calmed down, the tone of his voice gritty. “Make sure he’ll treat her well.”

Placing my utensils down on the plate in a crisscross pattern, I tell him, “Max, I will certainly try my best. It would help if I could move my product into your area. Ace would see that as a united front for the fox and bear clans. It would put pressure on him to comply.”

A corner of Max’s full bottom lip scrunches into a smirk as his hand raises to brush back his hair. “Sure. But you know what I’m going to say to that?”

Peering directly into my friend’s deep-set brown eyes, I say, “That you need to move your product into my area. Which I specifically asked you not to do… And which you have done anyway.” His face falls as he stares at the table. “I am asking your permission. As a trusted brother.”

Livia’s voice breaks the tension like a tranquil brook. “Yes, Cal. That will be fine. We’ll accept your product without any difficulty and let all our team know not to engage with your men if they spot them.”

My tongue crawls over my front teeth, trying to contain a grin that I know would only upset Max as well as show my hand at play here. Is this the first sign of the new world? Livia making decisions for the head of the bears along with her husband? Is this the first time the wife has been allowed to make a decision for a house?

Hope is an extremely dangerous thing, but a glimmer of it hits my heart as I stare into my sister’s amber-colored eyes. This is exactly what I had been wanting, what I had set into motion. A different world.

“Max?” I ask to poke the bear, to see if this is truly what has happened here tonight.

Max squeezes his wife’s hand and nods assuredly. “If Mrs. Freidenberg says so, then so be it.”

And with that final statement, history has just been made.