Page 75 of Forget Me Not

Cal, periodically, in the middle of reading news stories out loud to Ray, would pick up one of Ray’s hands and kiss it. Ray wondered if this was what it was like all the time, to have someone, to be kept, and if he had noticed it before, or been too busy to.

No one from the station called him. Lex had sent another message, asking if Ray had any information about who had attacked him. Lex might have asked in text instead of in person so that Ray couldn’t sniff out any motives for wondering besides concern, though Ray told himself that Lex usually had a full schedule.

But he didn’t answer the message.

Cal released Ray’s tie when someone called out a greeting, their voice rising in surprise or worry when they looked over and saw Ray. Then Cal grabbed Ray’s tie again and twirled it around his wrist before looking up.

“You seem… concerned.” It wasn’t exactly a question.

Benny looked between them, then went to the reception-slash-information desk and started to ask something about the legal aid office, which must have been difficult with the receptionist flirting shamelessly with him.

Ray glanced around the room, which had framed art and photographs along the walls, a couch and chairs by a water cooler, and large front windows facing the street, probably to appear inviting. The window glass was covered in stickers and posters: a Black Power raised fist, several variations of the rainbow flag, artwork advertising a charity event for the homeless that weekend which Rainbow Wings was helping run, a sparkly sticker that readTeam Zarrin, some more stickers, faded with time, health clinic information. The sort of things usually found around the village, but all in one place.

“I expected it to be familiar,” Ray admitted in a quiet rumble before meeting Cal’s eyes again. “Do I not visit you when you have work here?”

Cal raised his eyebrows. “You do, actually. Not often, because you are never assigned to the village, but you do. Which is probablywhyyou don’t remember it.“ He gave Ray’s tie a tug. “Stop frowning.”

“Team Zarrin?” Ray asked, bewildered.

“The dragon up north,” Cal filled him in. “They’re selling those, not that he needs money for a legal defense—which shouldn’t evenbea defense since he was the one attacked—deep breaths, Cal. The money goes partly to the artist and partly to Rainbow Wings. They’ve got other stuff for sale too. Some t-shirts with the Beast mural on them, that sort of thing. Tourists love those, and it helps fund things here. The human gawkers think the mural is cool. I’ve seen some tattoos of it, although those are mostly on locals—not being locals, obviously. The humans from the village and the streets surrounding the village in what’s left of old town Los Cerros where they still mostly speak Spanish.”

Ray nodded, familiar with the mural, uninterested in human tattoos. He looked around again. Several of those waiting on the couch glanced away before their eyes could meet.

“You two do a lot of work here? More than you do at the department?” It was welcoming here, to desperate humans and beings alike. Not, perhaps, to Ray, but Cal didn’t seem to think so.

“Well, you help us, in your way. But yes.” Cal pulled on the tie until Ray bent down and lowered his head to look at him. “We do consulting and investigative work for them, mostly for their legal services. We also freelance. Benny and I are an official business now. He only does accounting stuff for the business itself and for his friends and family—but you pay him anyway. You’re adorable.” Cal stopped to kiss Ray’s hand again and beamed when Ray blinked several times. “I would like to say it’s a ‘pay people what they are worth’ thing, but I suspect it’sactuallya ‘make sure your pack member can afford groceries’ thing. We can’t keep relying on the station.“ Cal’s brilliant smile faded a bit. “They keep promising to get more beings officers. Ha! To replaceus.“ He waved energetically toward Benny. “Ha! You’re frowning again,“ Cal continued a second later. He clucked his tongue.

“An elf and some part troll kid.” Ray remembered that much about the other being hires. “No detectives.”

“None in the higher ranks, either. Not that having a few rise through the ranks really does much with a system in place so long. Evenifthey meant well, what could they possibly do on their own? They say they want diversity on the news because that’s what they are supposed to say, but they are perpetuating…“ Cal trailed off then cleared his throat. “I’m ranting again. But really, I mean, if anyone needs a clear example, look at Penn. She should have been a captain years ago. You’ve been worrying about it,” he explained to Ray when Ray made a noise. “She hasn’t complained. But I think… well, Bens thinks, they might have offered a few times and she said no, at least partly to protect you. And herself. After all, she’d be alone too. Don’t tell her I said that. But, frankly, sheisa siren. She knows what they want and could have given it to them if she was after a promotion.”

Ray knew all of this from talking to Penn. Cal, being Cal, was guessing, but guessing correctly.

“It’s so funny with Penn.” Call rolled on, idly playing with Ray’s necktie. “All the people who assume because she isn’t growly like you that she agrees with them. That she is… politic. Penn is politic when it suits her to be and only then. Maybe she uses your growliness—in a good way, a practical way. Everyone looks at that and not when she is being, if you will excuse a gendered insult, a stone-cold bitch. Bless her. Maybe you know that and you let her. It’s harder to say with you.” The motions of Cal’s hand stopped. He narrowed his eyes. “Nobody expects the were to be crafty, but you’re capable of it. You definitely keep secrets.”

Ray stared back at him, headache be damned. “What secrets could I possibly keep from someone who sees the truth?”

Cal yanked hard at the necktie, enough to bring Ray’s head down, then released it to point at him. “You!“ he hissed accusingly. “You are being crafty right now. Don’t think I don’t know!”

“Hello?” Benny entered the conversation with a cautious but amused air. “You can fight outside if you want more of an audience.”

“We’re not fighting,” Ray said in unison with Cal, then crossed his arms and went quiet.

“Stubborn wolf!” Cal hissed again, not giving Benny a glance. “Bens and I are going to go talk with someone. We will be in the back conference room, which is tiny and full of chairs that are not designed for werewolves. Stay out here and do not wander off or so help me.” He brandished his index finger one more time, then slinked off, presumably in the direction of the back conference room.

Benny lingered for another moment. “You took off your protection charm.”

Ray startled, then tore his gaze from Cal to meet Benny’s eyes. “I think I left it on the bathroom counter.” Which was true. He probably had. “It wasn’t intentional.”

“You should have gotten used to the itch by now,” Benny replied, apparently not offended. “I make them much stronger than I did when starting out, but once you forget they’re around, it shouldn’t bother you.”

“It… hadn’t,” Ray realized aloud. “I did forget until I was home.” He hadn’t even thought of it.

Benny nodded. “Magic is like anything else once you get used to it. The charms themselves are guided by the wearer, you know. Even weres. It probably helps that you don’t think about it. No rules to worry about, just feelings.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Ray growled at him, softly, no teeth in it.

Benny just scoffed and said, “Okay, Ray,” before turning on his heel to go after Cal.

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