The Unwanted Wendigo [ManxMan]

EXTRA Chapter Two: Wedding Preparation

~EXTRA Chapter Two: Wedding Preparation~

While I am used to Jackson forgoing greetings when I meet up with him every two weeks, it is what he forgoes it with that always catches me off guard. The first time, he saw me, immediately gave me five dollars, and told me to buy a couple bottles of water, which he then made me drink. The second time, he said I pointed out that I was late - which was not my fault; octopi just don't know the meaning of 'in a rush' - and held my upside down by my ankles for five minutes because he could, even though it attracted the attention of some humans since humans cannot usually lift humans of a similar size up like that.

The third time, which was exactly two weeks ago, he viciously dried - I mean, I think he was trying to be nice, but he chose the wrong towel to be gentle - my hair and told me we would be discussing sex ed. We did not, of course, and he actually taught me more about the history of the Law, but he found it funny that I tried to run back to the ocean.

Still, it is the fourth time that really takes the cake.

"When's the wedding?"

Since I had been pretending that the warm, tingly feeling - the same one which hit me right before I sought out Felix during the attack on the kingdom - that I have come to learn means that my instincts are telling me that my sire, adopted or not, is nearby after being apart from them for a while, it takes a moment for the question to register. However, the moment it does, I stumble. And since the sand has little traction, I would have fallen, too, if Jackson had not grabbed my elbow.

Without missing a beat, he all but drags me onto the concrete walkway leading up to the pier. I am not entirely sure why he likes to spend the first few hours of our biweekly meetings on whatever pier we end up next to - we do not always meet in Santa Monica - but I am not about to argue. After all, the more time we spend on the pier, the less time we spend camped out in a hotel room, which is something he always has prepared for the sake of privacy.

"Wedding?" I ask, feigning confusion. At the very pointed and unimpressed look that Jackson gives me as we step onto the pier's long but crowded walkway, though, I reluctantly change my question to, "How'd you figure it out?"

Jackson arches a brow at me. "A sire always knows what is going on in his nestling's life," he says, making it sound so matter of fact that I have to wonder if that is actually possible. However, that thought lasts for all of a second before I discard it, as I know the most magical part about him is that he is a wendigo. He does not have premonitions, telepathy, or anything else that would give him that information, even through a sire-nestling bond.

Either he somehow heard about it from someone, or I accidentally gave it away the last time I saw him.

When Jackson gives me another pointed look, clearly more interested in getting a proper answer than giving one, I admit, "It's on the twenty-fifth."

Jackson stops walking, and I take another couple of steps before reluctantly following suit and turning to face him. "The twenty-fifth? As in June twenty-fifth, which is nineteen days from now?" He asks, and though it sounds like he just wants to clarify, I immediately take a step back because, though I have never heard him use that tone before, I know it is not good news. Still, when it becomes apparent that it was not a rhetorical question, I nod. "When were you planning on telling me?"

I know exactly what is planning to do to me before I answer, but that does not change my response in the least. I do, however, plaster on the most innocent look I can before replying, "June twenty-sixth."

To the surprise and horror of all the observant humans in the area, Jackson picks me up and tosses me over the side of the pier. Since we are far enough along the pier that the water is pretty deep, I land with a splash instead of in a broken pile on the sand, but it is still not super pleasant.