Page 19 of Shifter's Homecoming

Trent nodded ever so slightly, not daring to say a word.

Troy’s face went incredulous, like Trent was acting crazy. “What the hell is going on with you?” he said. “Do you have amnesia or something? Did you hear what I said? We are going toTranquilitytomorrow.”

Tranquility. Trent shook his head and bit back every response that came to him. He was dumbfounded that they were going to Tranquility, but certainly not for the reason Troy thought heshould be.He had no idea what waited for him in Tranquility, but he’d known from talking to Crew and Dahlia that the world they’d “traveled” to had a town named Tranquility in it, and that town was an alternate to Serenity, his town at home. Trent had asked the dragen, if he faced a sacrifice like Dahlia and was routed through worlds like Dahlia, how likely was it that he would be sent to the same world that both Crew and Dahlia had been in?

Graeme had said, “It is both completely likely, and not at all possible,” which had mystified the fuck out of Trent at the time, and… Trent shook his head hard, like that would unscramble the words and make that shit make sense. It still mystified him. The dragenhadsaid that there were countless other worlds, and hehadsaid that there would be more similarities than differences in most worlds, but other than that? Graeme would not venture any guesses on what Trent would face.

Trent opened his mouth to ask Troy if he knew someone named Crew, but then snapped it shut again. He could not afford to make Troy think he needed sedation again.

Maybe heshouldact like he had amnesia. It would be easier than trying to pretend he was someone he didn’t know how to be, and it definitely would be easier than trying to get his brother to believe the truth. Trent was the one being jerked around worlds, and even he didn’t believe it. He decided to stay non-committal.

“I don’t feel right,” he said, dropping his head into his hands, his elbows on his knees. “I’m having trouble thinking straight.”

His beard was itching his face. He grabbed it with one hand. He tugged on it. He could see some of it. It was thick and coarse and dark brown, andhowdid hestillnot know what he looked like as a man?

“I need to shave,” he growled at his brother.

This seemed to calm Troy down right away. “I thought you might want to,” he said. He produced a little black shaving kit and brought it to Trent. “Can you walk?”

Trent tested it. He could stand, and he could walk with help. His brother supported him across the room and into a tiny bathroom. He shuffled forward. One good leg, one gimpy leg. He sighed as he entered the bathroom and shut the door.

The tiny room had one tiny mirror with one naked light bulb over it. Trent moved deliberately in front of the mirror all at once, taking himself in.

He had dark hair, and a lot of it. It was straighter than Troy’s and shorter, too. His eyes were brown, his nose straight, his teeth white and even. His lips were… what did a wolf care for lips? He looked good to himself, and with that evaluation, reality doubled over for him again.

Trent stared at himself for a long time. So long, Troy knocked on the door and called in to him, “You ok?”

“I’m good,” Trent called back. He opened the shaving kit and thought how he'd never shaved before, but he had this. It was shaving, not brain surgery.

He stared at himself, razor poised, thinking what exactly he wanted to do. Trim the beard? This perfectly badass beard that he had no memory of ever growing? Or should he shave it all off, and see what was underneath?

Decision made, he got down to work. He used every single tool in the bag. Scissors, clippers, razors, shaving cream, all of it.

When it was done, he was only nicked in three places and he could see himself, his entire face. Trent smiled. He frowned. He showed his teeth, and that made him growl, but he kept the idle low and quiet so Troy wouldn’t hear.

His jawline was sharp. His face was hard. His expression was wolfish, even as a man. He approved.

Troy’s voice came across worlds again, this time seeming to shake the bathroom Trent was standing in.

Trent, I did it.

Trent's grin spread so wide, he saw all his teeth in the mirror. He punched the air one time for his brother, cheering silently for him. He knew that Troy, his Troy, had finally done it. He'd shifted from man to wolf then back again. He was no longer scared to shift no longer stuck as either wolf or man, and henever would be again.

I knew you would, Trent told him in strongruhi, but he said no more. He didn't want to run the risk of another awkward moment with this world’s Troy.

When nothing more came from that other world, Trent turned his attention back to the man in the mirror. He nodded once, then slowly, gritting his teeth against the pain caused by moving, went to the door and opened it.

Troy was right there, waiting for him. He raised his eyebrows, but at the same time managed to look completely unsurprised. He nodded instead. “I haven’t seen your face since we were fourteen and that chin skirt you call a beard started to grow.”

He helped Trent across the room, then sat him down on the bed. Trent had used up all his strength and his brother knew it. Troy helped him lay down.

Trent was asleep almost instantly.

12 - Heading Out

Trent woke slowly from a hazy dream of running with his wolf, somehow feeling like he’d missed a day, like he’d slept an entire day away and Troy had let him because there had been transportation issues. But now, today, this was the day he would be transferred to Tranquility, this was the day he would get the vaccine ingredients, and… and then what? Trent did not know, but he guessed that he would be pulled straight out of this body and sent back home, back with his wolf, for good.

There was a lot of movement in the room but Trent held himself perfectly still and tested his mind before he opened his eyes, wanting to know how much of his mental faculties he was working with.

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