Lynx Northern Shifters 3
isolated man.
Trey cleared his throat, returned to the question of Aaron Smythe. “Who is he?”
“He was my mother’s boyfriend. For a couple of years.”
“Craig’s father?”
“No,” said Jonah as if that was the end of it.
And for now, Trey let it be while noting that Jonah’s mother had had at least three men in her life, and the last one had hurt Jonah. Trey intended to look up Aaron Smythe when he got back. “My coming here has nothing to do with him.”
Jonah didn’t exactly accept that, but he let it go. He tilted his head towards the door. “See you outside then.”
Trey watched him leave, the door closing behind Jonah, his footsteps echoing until they hit the snow. Well, it had been a rough start, but not terrible, all things considered. To think he’d been worried to find a vicious, feral lynx shifter that had to be destroyed. Destroying feral shifters—and it had only been a handful—was the worst thing Trey had ever had to do.
But this was a lynx shifter who went out to feed the deer so they wouldn’t starve to death. Trey had to smile to himself.
As soon as he shut the door behind him, Jonah let out a breath of relief. It had been intense, talking like that to a stranger, telling him his family was dead. It might have been unwise. Probably Jonah should have kept it vague, but at least Trey had answered about his own family. That made it feel less dangerous somehow.
Of course, Trey could be lying through his teeth and Jonah would never know. Irritably, he gave himself a shake and put on snowshoes. Not exactly the same as his paws, despite the description people sometimes gave of the lynx having snowshoe feet, but they would help keep him from sinking into the snow.
He set off for the cedar grove.
The deer steered clear of him, which suited Jonah fine. No sense taming deer and have them sitting ducks for hunters. They didn’t deserve to have their edge of fear worn off because Jonah helped them out once in a while.
The only deer he’d ever half-tamed was the fawn he’d splinted a leg for. That little guy had got himself shot the following year, and while many deer got shot, Jonah felt guilty about it. So, yeah, that was the end of deer pets.
After he felled the first tree, Trey appeared. As wolf. Somehow this form made Jonah feel a lot more comfortable. While he knew Trey and Enigma were one and the same, the proof was reassuring.
But he said, “You shouldn’t have come here.”
Trey looked up at him, solemn and blue eyed.
Wiping the sweat from his face, Jonah added, “Your scent is going to scare the deer away.”
Trey jerked his head up towards Jonah.
“They’re used to my scent.”
Trey turned around and headed back, and Jonah felt a pang, perhaps a momentary panic. “Wait,” he shouted and Trey stopped. “I’m almost done, then we can leave together.”
He felt stupid now, but Trey just settled on his haunches and waited him out. So Jonah resumed his work on the second tree, the ax slicing away more and more of the trunk until he could push the tree over.
“That’ll do it.” Gripping the ax, he walked towards Trey and suddenly felt at a loss, not used to explaining himself and his routine to anyone. He pointed to his right. “I, uh, usually walk this circuit. Partly because I can’t stay inside all day and partly because it’s got a good view, especially after a snowfall. But you don’t have to come. I just ask you stay away from the cedars I cut down, so the deer can eat.”
Trey probably thought it was strange to be concerned about deer, given that they both hunted and ate them. But Jonah had particular rules about what and who he killed, and the rules were important to him.
It took a good hour to walk up and around the path, as it always did, but the long view down from the ridge made Jonah feel better, and Trey-the-wolf seemed to appreciate it as well.
“It’s best in winter. Once the leaves arrive in spring, the view gets cut off by the trees. Nice in the fall too though.” He glanced to see if Trey was listening and Trey gave a low bark of acknowledgment. That made Jonah smile. He kind of wished Trey had stayed wolf. Then again, there was something to be said about having company that could talk back, no matter how stressful and alien it felt.
Not that he was ready for Trey to be human again, at least not immediately. As if he knew, that entire day Trey didn’t shift. When Jonah bedded down for the night and the fire began to die, he finally asked,
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