3. Brandon

3

brANDON

By the time he drove over to Russ's house for the poker game, Brandon had made up his mind to see whether the attraction to Riley was mutual. And if he could learn more about Riley from his friends, all the better.

"The beer is here, and the moose is loose," Brandon proclaimed when he walked into the kitchen, adding his bag to a pile of contributions that included chips, dip, cookies, and other favorite snacks.

"Pizza's in the oven, and the fox has socks!" Liam greeted him, raising one foot to show off his very bright striped socks.

"Nothing rhymes with ‘wolf' so get over it." Russ joined them in the kitchen and gave Liam a peck on the lips. "Good to see you, Brandon. Come on in."

The cabin had originally belonged to a friend of his grandfather's, who sold it to Russ when the wolf brothers had a big argument with their father over being gay. Since then, Russ had expanded the cabin with a bigger bathroom and a shower big enough for two.

All of which came in handy when he and Liam moved in together and Drew hit it off with Noah. Brandon had heard them talk about building a second cabin, but that wasn't going to happen before spring.

They talked and joked waiting for the pizza to bake and polished off dinner before settling in for their game.

The poker table was set up in the living room, and everyone took their seats. Russ dealt. Their game night had gone on for years, low stakes so no one had to worry about losing rent money.

"Looks like I'm grounded for a while with those storms," Justin, the blond sea plane pilot, noted. "Just as well. If I'm snowed in, I'll have to work on the repair projects I've been putting off."

"The library will open as usual, but we'll be watching the situation, and we'll close if the snow comes in like they say it's going to." Liam placed chips to make his bet.

"The garage is doing the same thing," Drew added. "Personally, I think we're going to get a snowpocalpyse, but it wouldn't be the first time a storm blew right past us." Seeing the Lowe brothers together made the family resemblance clear, Brandon thought.

"I have one more booking and then nothing until the following week, so we'll see if the storms blow over," Brandon said. "Got a group that wants to cross-country ski some of the trails and do an overnight."

He paused, hoping to sound off-handed. "Anyone hear about the new musician at the Fox Hollow Hotel?"

Tyler nodded. "He's doing a work-study program with the Fox Institute, and the gig at the hotel is part of that. Riley Henderson. Seems like a nice guy—and he's a good musician. I heard his audition videos. I think having him will give people an incentive to come hang out at the restaurant and bar."

Riley Henderson. Brandon filed the name away to look up his videos.

"I saw the posters tacked up at the grocery store," Brandon said. "And I ran into Riley in the check-out line."

Liam looked up, giving Brandon a sly glance. "Did our moose see something he likes?"

"We just chatted in line," Brandon deflected, but he felt his ears warm with a blush.

"Uh-huh." Liam turned back to his cards. "You'll never know if you don't try."

"He might be some kind of psychic, but that doesn't mean he knows about shifters," Brandon offered in weak protest.

"If he sticks around for long, he'll figure it out," Drew noted. "Jeffries wouldn't have offered him a scholarship if he didn't think Riley would fit in here."

That made Brandon happy to think that Riley might like Fox Hollow enough to stay.

"He's staying over at the motel," Tyler volunteered. "That gives him an efficiency apartment and a little space from the crowd where he plays. We should make sure he has a good audience."

"I hope he can take the cold," Noah said. "He doesn't seem like the ‘camping in the rough' sort of guy."

Despite the good-natured ribbing, Brandon knew his friends would be supportive if he and Riley got together. Now I just have to get over my nerves and ask him out.

They talked as they played. Brandon kept them laughing with funny things that happened on his last couple of tours, and told them about the multi-day cross-country skiing trip he had coming up.

"Our next big thing is the Winter Moose Festival," Liam said. "It's taken a lot of planning, but things are finally coming together."

Fox Hollow celebrated the designated days for a lot of animals—wolves, squirrels, bear, possums, raccoons, and more, trying to include all the shifters in town.

"We'll have a read-a-thon of moose-themed books, like that one about the muffin," Liam went on, excited to share the plans. "Then there's a sing-a-long of songs about moose as well as a picture exhibition from the art classes at the library. And of course, the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon marathon at the theater."

"Want to see me pull a rabbit out of my hat?" Brandon joked in his best impersonation of Bullwinkle.

Liam rolled his eyes. "That would be impressive, I'm sure. There's also a ‘Moose and Myth' seminar at the Fox Institute, and the Loyal Order of Moose are doing a charity fundraiser."

"I still think that you should need to be a moose to join that group," Brandon grumbled good-naturedly.

"And don't forget the Moose Trails walk that Brandon is leading," Liam added.

"I think it sounds like a great event," Russ said. "Although I'm a little scared to find out what you've got planned for Wolf Week."

Liam gave Russ a devilish grin. "Just wait. It's going to be amazing."

Russ groaned. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"I'm going to ask Riley if he'll play for the sing-a-long," Liam said. "I should have enough money in the budget to pay him."

"Are there that many moose songs?" Noah asked.

Drew elbowed him. "Probably more moose songs than lynx ones. Moose rhymes better."

Of course. Because moose are noble creatures of the forest worthy of adoration, Brandon's inner moose said in a smug tone.

They ate pizza, drank beer, and munched on chips, with plenty of good-natured razzing between hands of cards. By the end of the game, Brandon had broken even, and Noah was the night's winner of forty dollars.

"Just enough to take my sweetie out for dinner at the diner." Noah gathered his winnings.

"So romantic," Drew replied, but he looked pleased.

"See you next week?" Russ asked as he and Liam started to gather empty bottles and plates.

"Sure thing," Brandon said, and the others echoed his answer.

The short drive home in the cold woke Brandon after the warmth of Russ's cabin and a couple of beers. No longer sleepy, Brandon grabbed his laptop and went looking for Riley's music online.

He found Riley's website and a video playlist. Riley did a mix of music, covering mellow favorites and tossing in what Brandon suspected were original songs. While some of the tunes would get an audience clapping along and echoing the chorus, others were wistful ballads.

Our mate has a beautiful voice, his moose spoke up after having been mostly silent all evening.

He sure does. Hearing Riley's voice and watching the emotions on his face as he performed stirred a mix of lust, possessiveness, and longing that Brandon had never felt before.

Brandon had casually dated, but nothing seemed to stick. He didn't like hook-ups, and the closest gay bar was in Lake George, not exactly convenient. After his last relationship broke up, Brandon started to wonder whether there was someone out there for him, especially after several of his friends found their fated mates.

I've just been alone too long. I've forgotten what it feels like to have a crush.

Sure. Tell that to yourself, but I'm not buying it, his moose challenged. He's ours—and you know it.

Doesn't matter if I know it. I have to get Riley to fall in love with me—and so far, I've sucked at getting crushes to return my interest.

Try sucking something else, his shifter suggested in a sly tone.

Ha, ha. Not funny.

As a moose, Brandon felt handsome and confident. He knew he cut an imposing form, huge and tall, with an impressive spread of antlers.

As plain old human Brandon, he felt awkward and gangly, likely to get his feet tangled up or trip on his shoelace. His chestnut hair always seemed to fall in his eyes, and when he wasn't guiding a group or with friends, he often felt at a loss for words.

Look how good Riley is with the crowd, he thought, paying close attention to how Riley interacted with his audience in the video. I could never do something like that.

We don't need two musicians in the family, his moose argued. Betcha being a guide makes more than being a musician. So, we bring in the big bucks, and he makes sure we have someone warm to come home to.

That sounds like a 1950s sitcom, Brandon argued. A big part of this is going to depend on if Riley wants to stay in Fox Hollow and what he wants to do when his time with the Institute is over.

Brandon couldn't help feeling curious about what led Riley to seek out training with the Fox Institute, and how that worked with his telepathic barriers. Is he a psychic immune? And if so, would that be restfully quiet or would I get lonely not being able to hear my mate in my mind?

You'll never know until you try, his moose said, encouraging and a little wistful.

Before I start anything—assuming he's even interested?—

He is. Are you blind when you're human? That scent—he's our mate.

Assuming that's true, what if he is only human? Maybe a psychic immune, but not a shifter. Is that enough for you? Not another moose or even an animal we can run with in the woods. Just human. And a human who might be blocked to our telepathy. We might have a mating bond, but it won't be like with another moose and without the intimacy of being able to know his thoughts?

Could you live with that? Because it's not fair to either him or me to start what we aren't going to finish.

It would be good not to be alone. Even if our mate is "just" human. Even if he's silent. It would be enough for me. Is it enough for you?

I don't know—but I want to find out.

It had occurred to Brandon that acceptance wasn't a one-way street. Riley might be accepting of psychic talents, but having a partner who turned into an antlered creature the size of a car? Sure, letting Riley witness a shift would get past the "seeing is believing" part, but what then?

Madden said his partner is a regular human, and they seem to be doing okay.

We couldn't frolic in our fur together, but would it matter?

Brandon wanted to believe he and Riley could get past that if everything else was good. Fox Hollow had plenty of "mixed" marriages—carnivore and herbivore, small animal and large, different species, psychic and shifter. He found himself hoping that he and Riley might be able to find something uniquely them.

I need a game plan. It's been a long time since I've asked anyone out on a date.

Atta boy. Too long. We're rusty, his moose cheered.

Not helping. You don't know anything I don't know.

I know moose things. Where to find the best berries and twigs, how to cross a river?—

None of which help when it comes to romance. And Riley already works at the nicest restaurant in town. I can't take him there. I need to think about how to do this.

Don't think about it too long. We aren't getting any younger.

On that note, Brandon let his connection to his other half go quiet, already feeling outvoted. He decided to sleep on the problem and come up with a plan in the morning.

He couldn't help daydreaming as he got ready for bed. If Riley returned his interest, would they take it slow or fall head-over-heels? What if Riley didn't stay in Fox Hollow? Could falling for each other give Riley a reason not to leave when his time with the Institute was over?

Brandon tried to quiet his thoughts when he slipped into bed, but he lay awake listening to Riley's music videos on repeat, falling a little more in love with that beautiful voice with each song.

He reached for his half-hard cock and got the lube out of the nightstand. Brandon stared at the screen watching the close-ups of Riley's face, his soulful eyes and pouting lips.

I bet he's an amazing kisser. I'd like to feel those lips all over. I bet he gives head as good as he kisses.

Brandon closed his eyes, focusing on Riley's voice and the memory of his face. He slicked his hand and slipped his fist along his cock from root to crown, then jacked himself slowly, wanting the feeling to build, holding himself off from a quick finish.

On some lyrics, Riley's voice soared, while others were a gritty growl that set Brandon's whole body on fire. He picked up the pace, letting his thumb swipe over the head, pressing that sensitive spot just beneath the flare, running his nail lightly through the slit.

Brandon groaned and used his left hand to push his sleep pants down farther so he could lightly tug on his balls as he kept up the rhythm with his right hand.

In his mind, he imagined Riley naked in bed with him, eyes dark with lust, a light sheen of sweat covering his body, lips parted and plump.

"Please," Brandon murmured, and in his fantasy, Riley slithered down the bed and wrapped that beautiful mouth around Brandon's hard, leaking cock, taking his sizeable prick down in one swallow.

"Riley." Brandon stroked himself faster, lasting only a few more times before his climax ripped through him, and he shot all over his hand.

His orgasm was intense enough that Brandon lay still for a couple of minutes in the afterglow, spent and happily relaxed.

Sticky, cooling come motivated him to use his shirt to clean up, tossing it toward the laundry bag in the closet and grabbing his tee from earlier as a replacement.

Riley's soulful voice still streamed from Brandon's phone. He watched, entranced, as Riley put his whole heart into the music.

Why is he so sad? It seems like more than just a performance. Did someone hurt him? Maybe there's more to his decision to come to Fox Hollow than taking classes and a work-study scholarship.

The idea of someone harming Riley sent a spike of possessive heat through Brandon so sharp it took him by surprise.

Mate. No one hurts our mate, his moose growled.

Easy there. Maybe he's just a good actor. If I could even surface-read him, I'd know for sure.

Protect. He needs us.

I'd like to think so, but we don't know yet.

Green leaves quickly wither, and opportunity is quickly lost, his moose responded.

Is that some sort of moose wisdom?

The First Ones say moose are wise, strong, and noble, his other half said with a sniff.

Keep telling yourself that.

Brandon's attention returned to the handsome man singing his heart out on the video. Tomorrow night, we'll go watch him play. And see how things go.

His promise soothed his shifter half, and Brandon let Riley's video sing him to sleep.

Brandon had another day before his trail hike, which he used to lay in provisions, replenish the emergency supplies in his backpack, and get everything in order.

Once that was done, he found himself at loose ends. Storm warnings still had everyone on edge, but his clients didn't cancel, and Brandon hoped they would get lucky and finish before the storm came. If the forecast changed and the snow moved in early, he would have to reschedule, but for now, it looked like they had a window of time to make it work.

After Brandon finished the preparations, he walked to a sheltered grove behind his cabin where he had built a cabana with a wood stove for warmth and towels for wet weather. Smaller shifters could make their change indoors and scoot out the back door, but that didn't work for a moose—which made for a cold transition to his four-legged form.

He lit the stove and undressed, shivering despite the quickly building fire.

Someday, I'm going to remember to start the stove early so I don't have to drop trou in knee-deep snow.

His shift wasn't quick. Brandon had seen smaller creatures make the change—otters, dogs, forest cats, and similarly-sized animals and birds transformed relatively fast—not nearly the grueling process Hollywood werewolf movies portrayed.

Changing into a moose, on the other hand, took a bit more work. Brandon had long ago given up trying to understand the physics behind the shift, chalking it up to magic. No doubt scholars at the Fox Institute had done the equations and calculated how such a thing was possible, but Brandon didn't care.

The frigid air that made him shiver as a man didn't faze his moose. Brandon stood to his full height and gave his massive rack of antlers a shake. His long legs and sharp hooves had no difficulty with the snow in all but the most extreme weather.

Brandon left the shelter and headed into the woods. He stretched his neck to reach the tenderest twigs and new growth. His supple lips and strong tongue expertly stripped every bit of edible growth, which he chewed as he ventured farther into the woods.

It took a lot to feed him in moose form. Unless he had a lazy Saturday to roam the forest and snack to his heart's content, Brandon ate enough to stop his inner moose from nagging and then got his fill as a human, where his appetite was easier and cheaper to accommodate.

Once he had eaten enough, he found a spot with a nice view where he could stand and ruminate, slowly digesting the roughage and chewing the cud. That process provided good thinking time, a chance for Brandon to quiet his human thoughts and let his moose mind focus on the sounds and smells of the forest around him.

The wind stirred branches in the tree next to where he stood, sending down a shower of snow. Brandon chuffed and shook it off, aided by a slick, dense coat that was nearly waterproof.

Nature feels different when I'm a moose.

Different how? his moose asked, not snarky for once.

I see better as a human, but I can smell and hear more as a moose.

We're taller, bigger, faster, stronger. There's a lot to like about being a moose, his shifter side defended.

Absolutely. But there're are a lot of good things about being human too.

Like what? his moose challenged.

Soft bedsheets, a good mattress, a hot shower, Brandon replied. Coffee. Donuts. And I can't play video games with hooves.

Okay, I'll give you that.

After a while, Brandon felt ready to go back. He shifted as quickly as he could, which still left his naked human form hopping from foot to foot in front of the blazing stove as he lost his protective moose bulk. Brandon grabbed his clothes and dressed, hurrying into his parka and boots.

He banked the stove so it would burn down and headed inside for a late breakfast of human food. Hot coffee, fluffy pancakes, and warm applesauce got rid of any remaining chill. The smell of maple syrup made Brandon hard remembering the maple and anise scent he had picked up from Riley at the store.

Face facts—we've got it bad for him, his moose said.

Brandon sighed, sounding a lot like his moose snuffle. I know. I've never felt this much this fast, so it must be a mate bond. You know what I'm usually like with a new boyfriend.

Clueless?

Enough with your smartass comments.

That's "smart moose," thank you very much.

I meant "cautious." I usually overthink everything and second-guess myself and lose my shot, Brandon replied.

That's where rut makes it easy. Just go with the call of nature.

And be a mindless stud? No thanks.

Fortunately, such things didn't govern the human side of moose shifters, and Brandon had medicine to blunt the impact when he did shift during the season.

After the sexy fantasy Brandon had the previous evening, he couldn't wait to see Riley again. He wasn't sure how to reconnect since Riley would be busy with his performance.

I gave him my card. He hasn't called. Is that a hint that he's not interested?

He's new, just getting settled in, starting a new job. I need to let him catch his breath and not read anything into it. Maybe if he sees me show up at his performances, he'll get a clue that I'm interested.

Since his chores were done and he had the whole afternoon before Riley's show, Brandon decided to drive into town. He stopped at the comics store as if his SUV had a mind of its own.

"Hey, Brandon! Good to see you! We've gotten a bunch of new books in since you were here. Go check them out. If we get the snow they're predicting, you'll have plenty of time to read!" Madden Reid greeted him.

Brandon had rarely seen anyone who resembled their shifter side so much when human as Madden did. The energetic red squirrel always seemed like he had just drunk a whole pot of coffee. Brandon could easily imagine a flicking tail and twitching whiskers from Madden's quick movements.

He looked around and found the shop otherwise empty for the moment. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Madden grinned. "Whatever I don't know, we can ask Elias or look up. Shoot."

Brandon shifted from foot to foot, feeling self-consciousness kick in. "It's not about comics." He dropped his voice. "It's about falling for a human."

"Ohhh." Madden's eyebrows shot up, and his mouth formed a perfect circle. "Does this mean you met someone? That's so awesome!"

Brandon sighed. "It's not awesome until something actually happens."

Madden motioned for Brandon to follow him to a small seating area where they could talk, and Madden could still watch the door. "Do tell!"

Brandon recounted meeting Riley at the store, the "spark" that passed between them when they touched hands, and the amazing scent he had never smelled before, as well as the way he couldn't stop thinking about Riley.

Madden grinned. "Yep, you've got it bad, Big Guy."

"I know. But I'm pretty sure Riley isn't a shifter. And my telepathy doesn't work on him. I can't even get the most superficial surface read of his thoughts, just some vague emotions. He's…blank. I've never run into that before."

Madden frowned. "So, he's got a scholarship to do a course of study at the Fox Institute, but he's not a psychic and not a shifter? What's left?"

Brandon had mulled over the possibilities, and come up with one answer. "Psychic nils are rare. They are people who have such strong natural shielding that they don't ‘broadcast' their thoughts the way most people do unless they've had training."

Madden nodded. "You told me once that for you, it's like everybody is carrying a radio that's tuned into a different channel and playing out loud."

"Pretty much. I've learned to screen out most of it—had to, to not go bonkers," Brandon admitted. "But I always expected to have a mental bond with a mate as well as a physical one. I'm afraid I'll miss it if I can't."

"I don't know about that. Sometimes people need a little space to sort through what's upset them so they don't say things they don't really mean," Madden replied.

"Elias is human. You're a shifter. You told me once he didn't even like squirrels when you first met," Brandon countered, mentioning Madden's partner.

"And then my squirrel saved his life, and he had to reconsider," Madden said with a hint of pride in his voice. "So save Riley's life when you're a moose, and the problem is solved."

Brandon chuckled. "It would be nice if we could get together without mortal danger to either one of us. Is it hard being mated to someone who can't shift? I don't mean to pry—well, not too much—but I don't know who else to ask, and I don't want to talk myself out of something good."

Madden clasped his hands in his lap. "First off, don't worry about prying, but don't blame me if you get TMI. Second—definitely don't talk yourself out of going after Riley just over the human thing. It doesn't have to be a deal-breaker."

"I'm hoping that since he's here because of the Fox Institute, he might be open-minded enough to believe that shifters are real," Brandon admitted. "That would make some of this easier."

"If he's here for the Institute, then he knows Fox Hollow is a haven for psychics and shifters, so he shouldn't doubt our existence. But he may not have any experience with us, and he may not be able to tell who is and who isn't, especially if his gift doesn't clue him in," Madden replied.

"Does it bother you that you and Elias can't do some things together because he can't shift?" Brandon was still trying to get his mind around mating with someone who couldn't go rambling in the woods with him in moose form.

"You mean chase each other in the park and throw acorns? Scurry up and down trees and drop pine cone bombs?" Madden laughed. "I'm sure that would be fun, but those aren't really essentials. I don't see his lack of shifting as a disability, and he doesn't think what I can do is weird."

"Really?"

Madden nodded. "Sometimes we'll go to the park, and I'll run around while he sits on a bench and reads a book. He keeps an eye out for hawks, and I burn off some energy. I can be a bit intense if you haven't noticed."

"Never crossed my mind," Brandon lied with a broad wink.

"I'm jittery, even for a squirrel," Madden confessed. "Elias loves me anyhow. And I bet that if you really are mates, you and Riley can figure things out too."

"We've got two things to get past—the not-shifter part, and the nil part. I always assumed that telepathy would be part of the mate bond," Brandon said. "I've spent my whole life tuning people out, and now the one person who might be my mate isn't broadcasting."

Madden chewed his lip as he thought, and Brandon could almost swear he saw an invisible tail swishing as he concentrated.

"That could be harder," he conceded. "But regular humans go their whole lives without hearing each other's thoughts. We forget that in Fox Hollow, but most people aren't psychics and shifters. And they fall in love and get married and grow old together all the time anyhow."

"I never really thought about it like that, but you're right." Brandon felt a spark of hope. He'd gotten discouraged thinking about the obstacles to a relationship with Riley without considering the positives.

"You told me once that it tires you out some days just keeping yourself from hearing all the thoughts around you. Wouldn't it be nice to let down and not worry about that when you're at home with your best boy?"

"I don't have much experience with serious relationships," Brandon confessed. "A couple of those broke up because the people I dated just assumed I listened in on them all the time, and it made them paranoid. I didn't, but that made me wonder what they were hiding. It turned into a clusterfuck."

"Which goes back to what I said—this could be a feature and not a bug," Madden told him. "If you like Riley and think he's your mate, go for it. Dude, you're positively smitten."

Brandon managed a shy smile, feeling his ears burn with embarrassment. "Yeah. I am. Thank you, Madden."

Brandon bought some comics and ran errands before he went home. He remembered the way dream-Riley made him feel and shivered in a way that had nothing to do with the cold.

Could Riley really be my fated mate? I don't want to get my hopes up, but I can't stand the thought of missing my opportunity.

I guess there's only one way to find out. Take a chance…and leap.