As Rhys rolled over, he found himself draped in a soft darkness, accented by the light sound of the lessening downpour whose arrival he clearly missed. He blinked his eyes opened and looked down at the floor when he heard a soft snore break through the rhythm of the rain. Vic was curled up with his head atop a spare pillow, Rhys’ copy of Interview With The Vampire was placed on the rug beside him with a receipt in between the pages, and he was in a state of deep sleep.

Heart racing, Rhys cursed his hopelessly romantic heart for pining so hard for the obviously dangerous and ridiculously handsome mayor of Wylder Wood. And so quickly, too! He was no better than the webcomic characters he often poked fun at. He set his head in his hand and watched the vampire for a few minutes before he fished his phone from his pocket and checked the time. It was only after realizing that it was nearing 7am that his mind comprehended the reality of the situation. When did he fall asleep? Where did the others go? And why was the mayor on his floor?

“Vic?” Rhys asked quietly, a bit embarrassed to wake him up.

“Hey,” Vic mumbled as he struggled to pull himself back to consciousness. “You good?”

“What happened?”

“You fell asleep.”

Rhys pushed himself up, “And… you’re here, why?”

“You said you were nervous, so I didn’t want you here in the dark by yourself, especially in a storm. We aren’t in the clear when it comes to tornados out here—though they are rare—and the cabin can be eerie, so I wanted to make sure someone was with you in case things got dicey. You fell asleep so fast, without taking your medication, and I… wanted to make sure you were safe.”

Rhys felt his cheeks grow hot, he knew he was blushing at least seven shades of red and he was thankful the cabin didn't have lights.

Vic sat up and stretched before he rose to his feet. He walked to the window that hung over the kitchenette and pulled back the curtain. It was definitely morning, but the heavy clouds and light patter of rain obscured most of the sun. He was surprised he slept so soundly, especially overnight.

“Thank you for staying,” Rhys said quietly as he slid out of bed.

“No problem. You didn’t say what you had—other than the sun allergy—so I couldn’t help but be worried,” Vic said, trying to make the uninvited sleepover less awkward.

“I don’t know. No one can figure it out and I got tired of paying the hospital bills and getting no answers in return, so I gave up. I get really sick really quickly, and I stay sick for a long time once I do catch something, and I have that sun allergy and pretty severe chronic pain, but that’s about all I know.”

“Well, make sure you take care of yourself, then. We have a pharmacist in town but he’s a bit… old school. Cane makes a few trips every month into the nearby city, it’s about an hour drive each way but, if you need to find a local doc and match your appointments up with his town trips, then do so. He wouldn’t mind taking you out there, so please let him know. I have a few rules in town; be transparent, be helpful, be honest. So long as everyone is taking care of each other and themselves, that’s all that matters.

"Speaking of a city trip, we should head over to the funeral home for breakfast so we can chat with Cane about plans for renovations and your furniture, see what he wants to do today to help you get settled while he can, especially since the rain doesn’t seem to be letting up. The full moon is coming so he’ll be making his run soon.”

Rhys walked to the fridge to find a bottle of water so he could take his morning round of medication, “Does he make a run every full moon phase?”

“Pretty much. His transformations aren’t as intense as a lot of other wolves so he doesn’t go fully feral, but he’s a staunch vegetarian so he struggles to keep up with his increased metabolism and protein needs during those few days. It causes a dip in his iron levels and he becomes incredibly lethargic—and cranky—so he’s usually down for the count. With the farm out of commission for a while and Cas’ fervent dislike of cars and driving… and leaving their house, he likes to make sure they’re stocked up on everything they need in case the cycle hits him hard.”

“Do you mind if I take a shower before we head over? I’m a mess from being in the car all day yesterday.”

“Not at all, I’ll rummage through your boxes—if you’re cool with it—and find your towels, see if I can’t figure out where your kettle went.”

Rhys nodded. He unscrewed the cap of the water bottle and took his pills before he wandered back over to his suitcase to find his bag of toiletries. Vic squatted beside one of the neatly stacked boxes and began looking through the items inside. All Rhys could do was smile. It was nice to have company. Nice to have someone who cared.

Rhys and Vic arrived at the front door of the funeral home a while later, the new farmer’s large truck was coated in mud from the saturated ground, and Rhys felt his canvas shoes become soaked as he stepped out of the vehicle. The storm must have been more intense than he realized. He hadn’t found his boots yet, and he was more than ready to get his life unpacked so he could make some sense of his belongings and the new place he called home.

Vic knocked on the door and was greeted by the voice of Cane calling out through an open window. The two men  wiped their shoes and walked inside. Removing their soaked footwear, they headed through the double doors into the back half of the Wylder-Michaels' home.

They found Cane sitting crosslegged on the sofa, with Cas on the floor drinking their morning cup of coffee while their husband braided their long hair. A sitcom was on the television with the sound down low.

“Mornin’,” Cane said with a yawn. His scruff had turned into a near-full beard overnight.

“You need to shave, you look like a vagabond,” Vic teased.

“It ain’t gonna help much, it’ll grow back in a few hours,” he replied as he turned his eyes to Rhys. He smiled, “Hey, kiddo! How'd you sleep?”

“Like a rock. I’m sorry for falling asleep on you, though, I should have been helping,” Rhys apologized.

“You’re fine, it was a long day for you. I’m honestly surprised you’re awake, I figured you’d be down for the count for a while.”

“I’m still used to waking up early for my job, it’s been a hard adjustment. I probably won’t last the full day, though, I feel worn down. Um… Cas, I brought you some tea. Vic said you like earthy blends,” Rhys said as he handed over a small box with a little bow on top.

Cas turned their silver eyes toward him, “T-thank you,” they whispered as they took the box.

Vic slid his hands into his pockets, “How’d things go in town last night?”

Cane shrugged, “Fine, everyone was plannin’ on stayin’ in anyway ’cause of the storm so it was quiet. Y’all hungry?”

“Yeah, Rhys hasn’t unpacked any of his stuff yet so we figured we’d crash breakfast before we finish up at his place. I’m off work today since it’s the weekend so I can stay and help, Lee and Lynn will let me know if they need anything. I figure we might as well get him settled so he can focus on the farm once the ground dries up,” Vic noted.

“Ah, hell, I need t’work on that shed, too,” Cane said with another yawn. “Might be a bit slow on that front, I’m lethargic and I didn’t sleep well. This moon cycle has been a nightmare for me.”

“Let me start breakfast, then. You should stay off your feet for a while,” Vic stated as he pulled his jacket off.

“I can put the furniture together myself, Cane. I was planning on it anyway,” Rhys offered.

“Nah, it’ll be fine, I just need t’take it easy for a bit and get some food in my system. There you go, pumpkin, all done,” Cane said as he patted Cas on the shoulder.

They took the long braid and wound it up atop their head before they secured it with a hair pin that was adorned with a little bat. They stood, the box of tea in one hand and their mug in the other, and walked wordlessly into the kitchen to help Vic prepare breakfast.

Cane patted the sofa and began throwing his own hair up atop his head into a messy bun, “I should have all of your furniture built before dinner. I need you t’think about what kinds of things you want t’grow so I can swing by the gardenin’ depot when I go t’town tomorrow. I think you’re good on pumpkins from what I saw, which is good. We take Halloween very seriously here and those suckers will be a hot commodity in a few months.”

Rhys sat beside him and pulled his legs up to his chest, “What do you think I should grow?”

“Whatever you want. I, personally, think potatoes, eggplants, carrots and tomatoes would be good. Maybe some fruits and peppers, but I’m not sure how some of them will fair startin’ this late in the year unless you got some plants that were already bloomin’.

“It really depends on what you want t’get out of it, what you can use. Squash is a good choice, too. If it’s alright with you, I want t’get a few apple trees, start a small orchard. I’d also consider some extra plants with large yields for the greenhouse so you can try t’keep things year round, but we’ll have t’look and see what the buildin’ looks like, how much room you actually have. Not sure if there’s anythin’ alive in there, either, I didn’t get out there over the winter.”

“We need herbs!” Cas called from the kitchen.

“And herbs; dill and rosemary, things like that,” Cane said with a smile.

“Herbs are a must, those were high on my priority list. Since I make teas and apothecary items, I was thinking more… floral-based plants, but I definitely think we should throw everything at it and see what sticks… so long as I can financially do it, of course,” Rhys replied.

“We’ll cover this first round, that’s no problem,” Cane stated.

As Rhys went to protest, he was interrupted by the mayor yelling from the other room.

“Cane’s right, Rhys! It’s in the town budget, we’ll get you started!” Vic added.

Cane patted Rhys’ shoulder and pointed to the kitchen, telling him to head into the dining room so they could stop shouting across the house. As Rhys lifted his tired body from the sofa, he stumbled a bit. Cane caught him by the arm and held him upright.

“You good?” Cane asked.

“Stood up too fast, that’s all. Thank you,” Rhys said quietly.

“Take it slow.”

Rhys nodded and walked through the archway into the dining room. The smell of pancakes filled his nostrils and the muddy notes of coffee lingered in the air. Cane walked up behind Cas, set his hands on their hips, and kissed their cheek. He laid his heavy head on their shoulder and nuzzled his face into their neck.

“You should go back to bed for a while after you eat,” Cas said quietly.

“I may, I’m tired,” he mumbled.

“We can work on some of the furniture while you sleep, Cane, that’s no problem,” Vic assured as he flipped a pancake over, “We can also get the boxes sorted and unpacked. We’ll find a way to be productive if you need some rest.”

Cane looked over his shoulder at Rhys who was quietly standing in the entryway with his hands clasped together. The young newcomer nodded to let him know he agreed and it was fine to rest. He sympathized with the need for a nap.

“I need some more sleep, too,” Rhys admitted. “I feel a bit off. That drive really drained me.”

“Sounds like we need t’make a fire and go back t’bed. Might as well while it’s chilly and rainy out. Y’all are welcome t’the couch if you want, or you can go home, up t’you,” Cane offered.

His eyes were locked on Vic’s expression and the mayor’s inability to keep his composure after Rhys’ soft comments. His friend seemed to be falling hard, and fast, for the newcomer and it was curious and uncharacteristic of him.

Cas pulled a plate filled with vegan sausage and turkey bacon from the microwave and handed it to Cane. He took it along with the fruit basket and walked over to the kitchen table. He nodded his head back, telling Rhys to come join him and get off his feet. Vic followed shortly with a large silver platter loaded up with multigrain pancakes and a half-drunk pot of coffee.

“You eat food?” Rhys inquired of Vic.

“I do, occasionally. My diet is about 95% blood and blood-based products but about once a week I’ll eat real food. I wasn’t able to when I first got turned but I’m old, so my system has settled enough that I can tolerate light meals. Usually rice and breads, I like smoothies,” Vic explained with a smile. “Oh, strawberries would be good for the farm. I’m sure you could find some in-season, flowering plants this time of year.”

“I’ll add it t’the list,” Cane said sleepily as he stabbed a sausage link with his fork.

Cas approached with an oak tray in their hands, a variety of black bottles rattled atop it. They set it down and handed Vic one of the containers. Rhys read the labels, he noticed the one Vic took was called ‘Blood-Jam’, and the words were written in deep maroon ink. He wondered what it tasted like, wondered what the day-to-day life of an old vampire was like and how it differed from his own. Cas joined them, and the tired group indulged in a warm meal on a chilly late-May morning with soft, sleepy conversation. Rhys found the tension in his shoulders—for the first time in months—release.

If only the stern gaze of Casper Wylder-Michaels would lift from his person, then maybe, just maybe, he’d feel like he was where he belonged.