Page 60 of Same One
“Bayen Alexander,” Tru whisper-screamed. “Manners.”
“It’s okay,” Vic said. “I got shot.”
“You got shot?” Bay’s voice echoed through the woods. “In the face?”
“And a couple of other places.”
“By hunters?” he asked.
“By other werewolves.”
“Oooh,” Bay said, shaking his head. “That’s fucked up.”
“Language,” Tru said.
“You cuss,” Bay pointed out.
“Yeah, Tru. You cuss,” Vic teased.
“Oh my goodness, you are going to make it harder to guide this young man, aren’t you?” she asked Vic, trying to hide her smile. “All of you. Delinquents. Bay you aren’t allowed to hang out with him.”
“I know you’re joking, but he probably really shouldn’t hang out with him,” Tabian jabbed. “He’s weird.”
“Weird how?” Bay asked.
He was such a direct question asker. Always had been.
“He has pet hamsters.”
“Hamster, singular,” Vic corrected him demurely. “Her name is Earline, and I knit her sweaters, and before you let Tabian the Bore convince you that it is lame, I opened an online shop, and I make an extra three thousand dollars a month on top of my awesome job selling said hamster sweaters because apparently there is a demand and no one else is supplying.” He leaned closer to Bayen. “If you would like to learn, you could be my apprentice.”
“Um, maybe some other time. I’m going camping with Tabian.”
Vic frowned. “You sure go camping a lot.”
“Yeah, it’s just something I enjoy doing,” Tabian said quickly.
Vic’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, but me and the guys have been talking about it. You should probably teach your wolf to be comfortable here. You don’t have to travel to Change.”
“Right. I’ll think about it,” Tabian said as he closed the tailgate of his truck.
“It just seems overkill to keep buying all this equipment and spending so much time away from the territory when you have a house here,” Vic said, gesturing to his new home.
Tabian tossed Bayen’s tent and backpack into the back seat. “Noted.”
“It’s just strange is all I’m saying, man.
“Um, Tabian’s a pro,” Bay said in a confused voice.
“Ready?” Tabian asked Tru and Bayen in a rush. “Let’s load up.”
Tru and Bayen stood there awkwardly, and then Tru nodded. “It was nice to meet you Vic the Hamster sweater knitter.”
“Hey, maybe sometime if I come back here can you tell me more about being shot in the face?” Bay asked.
“Bay,” she gritted out in warning.
“What? Scars are cool, right? His scars look crazy.”
