Kierra

Retrieving socks and a pair of boots, I miss the ones I lost at that snake pit. Pulling different ones on, grabbing my wallet, charged phone, and keys, I go out back. Before I get to the door, I open my wallet, making sure I have a picture of Faline. Having it to flash around might get me some answers somewhere.

I do, granted it's a year old, but she hasn't changed really at all since then. Done stalling, I open the door. Bastion is on his favorite perch; leaning against one of the pillars, Asher is sitting on his haunches next to him.

"Hey kiddo, thanks for putting my robe out for me. Was thinking to myself earlier on who was taking care of who. Think it's safe to say the last few days, you've been my protector."

His cheeks darken in a blush before he looks away, unable to hide the pride on his face. His coat is half-zipped, revealing the sweater he has underneath. New jeans look uncomfortable as they're still kinda stiff, booted feet are crossed in front of him before stretching his legs out.

Before I can address Asher, Bastion turns back to me with dark sad eyes. Well, shit. What did I say wrong? Kids are hard.

"I failed you that night though, I didn't know what to do to help. All that blood on you, I was afraid when you fell downstairs, you wouldn't get back up. All I did was sit there with your head in my lap. Then you stayed so withdrawn."

Ahh, I see now. I pull myself up onto the railing, making him move his legs and catching his blue eyes with my green ones.

"What you did Bastion was perfect, and what I needed right then. I had gotten into a fight with a really, really big ugly wolf. He got some licks in, but I think I hurt him more. He's gonna be limping for awhile, even with Werewolf healing abilities."

I breathe on my knuckles then rub them on my chest in a mocking gesture, waggling my eyebrows at him to get him to laugh and know that I'm fine. On the outside anyway. I dodge the withdrawn part.

"Speaking of which, Asher, I need your help, but I don't want to lean on you so much for everything. If you don't wish to stay, then you don't have to. I'll understand, I know you're still looking for the Vampire of your past."

I'm babbling there at the end, so I shut up. Looking into the wolf's ocean eyes, even though I want to look every but there, trying hard not to fidget in my nervousness. Nervous he'll want to leave, nervous that he won't. I'm so messed up.

He tilts his head, gaze holding amusement. I frown, not understanding. His tongue comes out and lolls as if he's laughing at me. My frown turns into a scowl, which only brings his voice in my head, low laughter at my fidgeting and trying to hide from him.

"I told you I'd help you find your sister, I hold to my word. I may leave sometime after, but for now, I'll stay. Besides, you're always getting into trouble. You'll need me to pull you out."

I snort, but he's right. Warmth fills me. I send him my gratitude in a warm smile, he inclines his head.

"Speaking of trouble, I need you to do some remarking for me. I kinda went a little nuts in trying to wipe out his scent. I couldn't help it."

My shoulders shrug, but I still feel guilty. Asher had gone out of his way to help me, and I made things worse by advertising my whereabouts. The black wolf winks at me, tongue still hanging out.

"Already done. When you returned that night, I went through and remarked everything. Tends to help when you can piss on things, your ripping up his scenting helped a lot."

I narrow my eyes as I look him over. Is it possible that he was that black shadow that helped me that night? Why didn't he make himself known? I send him a questioning feeling through my mind before thinking about it, then hurriedly look away. I don't want to know if he knows what happened.

He returns the feeling of comfort, of knowing but also an understanding. Anger on my behalf as well as guilt that he didn't make it in time to prevent it. My throat closes and tears burn. I blink them away before they can fall. Bastion knows something's going on but doesn't ask.

My mind picks up a memory of when Asher and I first met, he had said he had precognition. I whisper questions directly to him in my head.

"Asher, you told me you have precognition, have you not seen anything since you got to me at that house?"

He shakes his head, eyes closing.

"They aren't consistent. It's more random visions than precog, I can't call them to me. The night my wife had died, I'd seen nothing. Years will go by between glimpses of what can happen. If I hadn't been given the ability when Changed, I'd say someone was sending them to me."

Shaking my head, I exhale a long breath, then clasp my hands together in front of me.

"Well boys and girls, err, wolf. We're going on a field trip. I have someone I want you to meet Bastion, she's really important to me. I think you'll find her quite amazing."

I feel the discontent and denial from both of them at the same time. I raise an eyebrow and look at them both. Asher's tongue retreats back into his jaws, teeth snapping at me. I furrow my brows and clear my throat.

"Alright, what's the problem?"

Bastion looks at me with fear, causing my heart to clench painfully. His look becoming one of betrayal and pain. How could I think giving him to Ava would help? He's lost enough in his life, I don't want him to totally withdraw because I can't handle the responsibility.

"Oh, Bastion, no. I'm not leaving you there. I will admit I had thought about it, but because I thought it would be better for you, not because I wanted to be rid of you."

I get to my feet and go to him, knowing touching is taboo but unable to stop. His eyes had fallen to look into his lap, pressing himself hard into the pillar. I wrap my arms around him and pull his small frame to me.

Hot tears fall down my cheeks as I bury my hand in his hair, laying my head over his. My heart twists painfully within my chest as I try to explain myself while holding him tight.

"I'm so messed up right now Bastion, and I don't even know where to begin to help you. I know I'm not what you need. You need someone who knows what they're doing. I feel like I fail you at every turn. I would love for you to stay with me, but I don't know if that's what's best for you. Please try to understand."

My arms tighten around him, tucking him tight to me as I talk low into his hair. Having to stop talking several times to try and breathe through my hot tears. Asher pushes close, lending support.

"The three of us make quite the crazy threesome, don't we? Please, Bastion. I'm just trying to do right by you."

The hand buried in his hair lets go to smooth over it. The thick blond hair smells of soap and a mixture of the fear coming from him, so I press my lips into his hair and keep trying.

"I'm so lost myself, I don't know what I'm doing. In attempting to not hurt you, I seem to keep finding ways to do it. Please bear with me. The three of us seem to be kind of floundering around, drawn to each other but no idea how to really help one another. I failed you and Asher feels like he failed me."

I pull back, trying to coax him to look at me. The tear tracks flowing down his face make me feel lower than dirt.

"I had told you I'd let you choose how you want to do this, yet I keep butting in trying to do what I think is best. I wholeheartedly apologize, I'm not used to having kids around me, I have no idea what I'm doing."

He mumbles at me, and I have to smile. 'No kidding' is definitely right. Rubbing thumbs over his cheeks to wipe away the tears, I then dip into place a soft kiss to his forehead.

"I have no right to ask, but, give me another chance? I'll probably falter many more times, I won't lie. When I do, just call on Asher to set me straight, okay?"

I say it with a smile, being more than half-serious. Feeling the wolf in my head, it's almost like he's rubbing against the inner walls of my brain. Weird...but comforting. Bastion and I look into each other's faces.

He looking into mine for truth, and me looking to him for understanding. He bobs his head at me, a smile crossing his face and a mischievous glint creeps into his eyes. I know I'm in for it now.

"You make a better sister than a mom. You go back and forth between the two, and that's when you get all bumbled up. You, me, and even Asher, if he wants, we take care of each other. We make a good team."

I smile, laughter soon following. The boy definitely has me pegged right. I know how to be a sister, I don't know how to be a parent. My arms drop from around him, but I get a surprise when he wraps his around me.

Warmth fills me, both my own and Asher's. After Bastion and I get our hugs in, we both share a conspirators smile. Hopping from his perch, we both descend on the black wolf. Wrapping our arms around him, both of us burying our faces into his fur.

The Werewolf startles and tries to stand, but we have him trapped. The embarrassment coming off him in waves causes both me and Bastion to laugh. The vision of a blushing wolf goes through our heads, and sure enough, the pale skin inside his ears turns a pale shade of rose.

My wolf kicks up and has me nuzzling his fur before I pull back. My own blush making my face hot as I turn away, standing hurriedly and making as if I'm wiping away tears. I think I hide it from the boy, but the midnight wolf can smell and read body signals much better than I can. He gives me the illusion that he doesn't know what I'm doing, but I can feel that he knows.

"I still want to go to Ava's though. She's always been someone I can go to when I need advice or a shoulder to cry on. I would like you both to come and meet her. She has a daughter around your age Bastion, I think you'll like her. She's quite mouthy."

I smirk, knowing that even though she isn't mine, a lot of her mannerisms are from me. To Ava's everlasting annoyance as a mother, having 'Wulfy' around was not always a good thing.

"Oh yeah, because of a lot of the art I've done and because I was, am, enamored by wolves and have been since before Lily was born, they both call me Wulfy. Figure I put it out there now so there's no confusion when we get there."

I can feel the reddening of my cheeks. That's what all of Ava's friends know me as to. Hearing my real name won't ring a bell, but as soon as 'Wulfy' is mentioned, they knew who's being talked about. Made quite a few introductions really awkward, to say the least.

Both Bastion and Asher just look at me for a moment before giving big, toothy smiles. Dorks. I roll my eyes as my own smile creeps up. We all walk around the house heading for my car, forgetting about the laundry till I see it. Measuring in my head, I figure everyone will fit.

With Bastion being so small, he gets the back, while the big wolf jumps into the front seat with no problem. My jeep has detachable windows for the sides, they're off at the moment, but I'll have to put them on soon since it's really starting to get brisk out. Not to mention the child I'll be having in it.

I don't worry about it right now since he's enclosed between a big hamper and a basket. His coat thick enough to keep away any chill.

"Oh yeah, also got laundry to do. It needed to be done before this all happened, so I can't get away with putting it off anymore. I'll see if Ava will let me use her machines. I'm sure she will though, that woman doesn't know how to say no to me."

With that, we leave. Asher's so big that he fills the seat with no problem. I tease him that we're going to have to belt him in. He just bares his teeth at me, causing Bastion to laugh.

Ava has a small farm inside the grounds of Rock Cut State Park. Her land kisses one of the lakes and she owns her own dock. No boat though. Between being a well-known beautician and doing tattoos, she's pretty well off. She's one of those that are highly recommended.

Highly recommended meaning she is that good. I've seen her do tattoos on bikers, lawyers, musicians, and even a hush-hush cover-up for one of the city's ex-mayors. Like me, she loves what she does. The job not feeling as such when she makes friends of regulars.

From what I've heard, she had recently helped a local band design their logo. Her tattoo art ranges from black and white realistic to colorful new age. Aside from the one she did on my shoulder of my nickname, all the others I have are tribal. Speaking of my shoulder, she's not going to be happy that her work is a little twerky.

I wince internally. Ava knows I'm damage-prone, but when it interferes with her masterpieces, I get an earful. Speaking of damage-prone, I feel myself frowning, eyes on the road as I weave through a couple of slow asses.

Ahh, lunch crowd. Great.

"Asher? How exactly do I explain you and Bastion? She knows all my family and she knows what a wolf looks like."

I look over at him as I say the last. Really annoyed I hadn't seen it the night he bit me. I blame poor lighting. He looks at me with a blank expression. Well, that's helpful.

Not.

"She also knows I'm not one for kids, so saying I'm babysitting won't work. Can definitely get away with saying I found you though, I seem to be known for taking in strays."

I look pointedly at him, he returns a wolfish grin.