Hedgehog for Hawke by Fel Fern
Hawke
Ashriek of delight made me groan. I turned on my side, but the noise grew louder. Tiny paws dug into my skull. I groaned. A headache started. I didn’t sleep off my hangover from last night. I opened my eyes, only to find my niece Liz perched on top of my head.
She waved her fluffy tail in front of my face. I sneezed. Liz dangled precariously on my head for a few seconds, but she didn’t fall off. A small lump landed on my stomach. Liz’s twin sister, Meg, growled softly at me in her bear cub form.
Did they want to play this morning?
I sighed. I loved my nieces to pieces, but I missed waking up to a quiet room sometimes. Then again, I couldn’t afford to be picky. My brother Walker and his mate Manny were letting me crash at their place. Technically, the house belonged to Walker, me and my older brother Ghost, but neither Ghost nor I wanted the old farmhouse.
One thing was obvious. I wasn’t getting any more sleep this morning.
“Sorry about this, Hawke,” Manny said apologetically. He scooped Liz and Meg in his arms.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind them.” Most days, I told myself.
I dragged myself out of the uncomfortable couch. I yawned and stretched. Manny opened his mouth, then closed it. I almost expected Manny to convince me not to move out. Manny only flashed me a warm smile.
“Breakfast will be ready soon,” he said, before heading for the kitchen with Liz and Meg.
I knew what he wanted to say. Manny probably wanted me to stay a little longer, but Walker probably told him to let me be.
Walker and Manny offered me the spare guest bedroom upstairs plenty of times, but I always refused for a simple reason. I never planned on staying in Westford Hills, or at least that was what I told myself.
I returned home a year ago to check on Walker. After our baby brother Sam died in a car accident, Sam left his daughters Liz and Meg in Walker’s care. Even though Walker was clearly fine now—he was happily mated and had a family with Manny, I still haven’t made a move.
I somehow made to the bathroom without puking. A cold shower woke up me a little, but I still wasn’t completely sober. Although there were tempting smells coming from the kitchen, it was best I skipped breakfast.
Not feeling up to the task of being my usual annoying self, I slung my backpack over my shoulder. Then I snuck out of the house before anyone noticed I was gone. I was terrible at goodbyes, anyway.
My brother was outside, picking up the soggy newspaper from the porch steps. He carried baby Charlie in his arms. Not a baby anymore, I reminded myself. Charlie had turned one a month ago. Time flew by so quickly.
What was I still doing in Westford Hills? I even did freelance security work for my brother occasionally. Manny’s dad, Antonio, told me I still hadn’t left because I just wanted to be around family. Maybe he was right, or perhaps I’d just gotten a little tired of my nomadic lifestyle.
Walker followed me to my car, my dad’s beloved old blue Impala, which I named Betsy. My relationship with Betsy lasted longer than all the relationships I’ve ever been in.
Technically, I’d never been in a relationship. They seemed like a lot of work to me. One-night stands with strangers were enough. I had no problems picking up random Omegas in a bar.
I told myself mates were trouble. However, watching Walker and Manny, and even Walker’s best friend Hunter with his mate, made me a little jealous. Curious even. I couldn’t even imagine what it was like, waking to the same face every single day.
“Hawke,” Walker began. “Does Ghost even know you’re planning to move in with him?”
I scoffed. “I don’t need to make an appointment. He’s our brother.”
“Ghost likes his privacy.”
“Uh-huh. That’s easy enough to deduce, given he lives way out in the woods alone in dad’s old cabin,” I pointed out.
“Or you could continue staying with us,” my brother reminded me.
“Aw. You’re going to miss me, aren’t you?” I teased.
Walker scowled. Charlie fussed in his arms. Walker made cooing noises at his kid, and Charlie immediately behaved. Seeing Walker acting like a dad still surprised me.
One look at his messy appearance and you wouldn’t be able to guess he ran his own company. He also used to be in the Paranormal Special Ops. I mean, damn. The guy had cookie crumbs in his beard all the time these days.
Since Walker and his family put up with me for months, I decided I owed him an explanation.
“Look, it’s been lovely, but I know I’m also getting in the way,” I pointed out. “Plus, no offence, but it would nice to wake up not being pounced on or screamed at by Liz and Meg.”
That got a laugh out of my brother. “You should get your own place.”
“Don’t need one. I’m a free spirt. Remember?” I reminded him.
My own place? I’d been living in my car before I returned to Westford Hills. Home for me was the open road. It wouldn’t be long before I started feeling restless again.
Walker chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that. Good luck.”
“Don’t need any. Ghost will be happy to see me,” I said.
I slid behind the wheel and dumped my bag in the back seat. Who was I kidding? Ghost would probably not be too happy to see me, but whatever. Ultimately, Ghost wouldn’t have the heart to kick me out. I was family, and family was important to me. To all of us.
Walker knocked on my window, and I rolled it down. “Yeah?” I asked him.
“Remember to drop by the office soon. There’s some paperwork Petunia needs you to fill out,” Walker reminded me.
“Sure thing. Later, bro,” I said, blowing him and Charlie a flying kiss.
* * *
Half an hour later, I arrived at my destination. It was a little tricky getting to dad’s old cabin—no surprise there, given it was in the middle of the woods.
I grabbed my bag and got out of the car. It surprised me to find Ghost had company. Ghost never invited anyone over. Period. Mostly, Walker and I took turns checking up on him.
I eyed the bright turquoise Toyota with interest. The car looked familiar.
The moment I stepped onto Ghost’s porch, his front door opened. Manny’s dad, Antonio, appeared, holding an empty casserole dish.
“Well, you call me if you need anything. You have my number,” Antonio was saying. Antonio paused, finally noticing me. He beamed. “Hawke, it’s sweet of you to visit your brother.”
“Wait. What? Why are you here?” I asked.
I was dying of curiosity. The moment Manny mated Walker, and David mated Hunter, Antonio sort of inserted ourselves in our lives. None of us were complaining. Antonio was just like his sons. Caring and thoughtful.
“Ghost has a fever.” Antonio paused, studying my expression. “You didn’t know?”
I scoffed. “Ghost doesn’t tell Walker, and I shit.”
“Language, Hawke,” Antonio said.
“Sorry.” I gave him a sheepish smile. “But how come you knew?”
“Well, I bumped into him in the pharmacy this morning. He looked unwell, so I offered to drive him back here. Can you believe he didn’t take his car? He walked to town and intended to walk all the way home despite being sick.”
“That sounds just like him. Ghost’s always been stubborn.”
“Anyway, he’ll be happy to see you. I’ve got to go. I offered to babysit Liz, Meg and Charlie this afternoon.” Antonio gave me a peck on the cheek before leaving.
I watched the older Omega for a few moments. Then I heard an annoyed growl behind me. I turned, unsurprised to see Ghost glaring at me. He only had a pair of jogging pants on.
Antonio was right. My brother looked awful. He forgot to shave his beard, and he looked pale. That was saying something, given Ghost spent most of his time under the sun.
“Hey, big bro. Thought I’d swing by and see how you’re doing,” I said.
Ghost ignored me and looked out the window, right at Antonio’s car. Huh. Very interesting. Ghost couldn’t be interested in Antonio that way, could he?
“What are you doing here?” He finally asked me. Ghost finally eyed my bag and huffed. “No.”
“No? C’mon. Walker kicked me out of the house. I need a place to stay. This cabin’s big enough for the both of us,” I argued.
“I find that hard to believe. Manny would never kick you out,” Ghost said.
Okay. My brother had a point. “Oh fine. You know I adore my nieces and nephews but I want some peace and quiet.”
Ghost regarded me for a few moments. “Just don’t get in my way.”
I grinned. “I won’t. You won’t even know I’m here.”
Ghost grunted and returned to his room. I dumped my bag on the sofa just as he re-emerged, dressed in a long-sleeved flannel shirt, old jeans and worn work boots. I stepped in front of him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I demanded.
Ghost was no pushover. He was bigger than Walker and me, but I wasn’t about to let him overexert himself. He narrowed his eyes at me. Oops.
“Work,” he only answered. “I’m running out of wood.”
“Your body needs rest. Didn’t you hear Antonio?” I purposely used Antonio’s name in the hopes Ghost would listen. He paused.
“Look, I’ll take care of that. Get back to bed,” I offered when he said nothing for a few moments.
“You will?” Ghost asked, confused.
“Of course. I’m your guest. It’s the least I can do.”
By some miracle, I ushered my stubborn big brother back to bed. His bedroom, usually messy and untidy, was clean and neat. I could detect Antonio’s faint scent in here, so I knew Antonio cleaned up.
“So, since when have you and Antonio gotten so close?” I asked after tucking my brother in bed.
He scowled at me. I knew he wanted me to leave him alone, but I wasn’t budging until I got all my answers.
“We are… friends. Nothing more,” he finally said.
“Just friends?” I pressed.
“You should find a mate to annoy, buy your own place and settle down,” he grumbled, closing his eyes.
“If only it were that easy,” I said with a dramatic sigh. “Don’t you envy Walker and Manny, Hunter and David, sometimes?”
“No. I don’t want a mate.”
Liar.During our last family barbecue, I wasn’t the only one looking at David and Hunter with envy. Hawke was in the same boat as I was. My brother was just too hard-headed to admit it.
“Everyone eventually does. We shifters weren’t designed to live out the rest of our lives alone,” I pointed out.
Maybe it was my loneliness talking. Barely an hour here in Ghost’s isolated little heaven, and I was acting like him. Broody and moody. Ghost snored, not paying attention to whatever I was saying.
“You’re just pretending to sleep to get rid of me, aren’t you?” I asked him pointedly.
No reaction. I poked Ghost in the cheek. Still nothing. His chest rose and fell. I placed a hand over his forehead and blinked. He really was running a fever.
What if Antonio didn’t bump into him this morning? Ghost would never tell Walker and me he was sick. That was just the way he was. He didn’t like asking anyone for help, even family.
I pitied the Omega who was fated to be my brother’s mate. That Omega certainly had a lot of work cut out for him.