The following is a crossover chapter with Thunder Chicken, the author of "Defining Daecon." If you haven't read it yet, "Defining Daecon" is an LGBTQ shapeshifter story set in modern times. For best enjoyment, this chapter follows the events of "Defining Daecon" Book 2 Chapter 7 "The Curse is Broken."

A piercing shriek echoed throughout the room, deafening the other three shifters surrounding the bed. The plaintiff call of an incredibly angry osprey pierced his beloved’s ears, and it was all Daecon could do not to double over in pain from the continued caterwauling.

Calm down, Evander. We’re trying to HELP you. Daecon did his best to get closer, but nips and bites from a sharp beak were all he could expect for his trouble. If he had any hope of getting close to the egg Evander was guarding, it wasn’t obvious how the Dunamis could manage to.

In the absence of a comforting touch from his mate, Evander had gone wild, flapping his wings and doggedly defending the egg that was tucked safely beneath him. Eager to intervene, the osprey’s father sidled near the bed with an outstretched hand to try and quell the shifter’s temper.

“Evander, please!” Owen begged, but his son was too far gone to be reasoned with. “We’re not going to hurt it, I promise. Eva—ahhh!”

A pair of razor-sharp talons sliced into the back of Owen’s hand where he’d reached dangerously close. His father recoiled at the bracing contact to cradle his wound and hopefully think twice before approaching the agitated osprey again.

Quaking and unsure of what else to do, Leander reached a gentle arm around his mate and coaxed the injured man to beat a hasty retreat. There was no sense in both of them getting injured while their son was so upset.

“Where the hell are you two going?” Daecon asked as his in-laws turned to leave the secluded bedroom. “Aren’t you even gonna to try and help him?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what else to do,” Leander replied.

“We should give him some space and regroup,” Owen added. “It’s not ideal, but Evander’s too unstable to talk to right now, at least for us. Maybe you might have better luck with him… Ah, that stings.”

Daecon swallowed hard as the heavy door closed behind the retreating couple. Evander’s parents had done their best, but it wasn’t enough to quell the rage that caused their son to lash out. It was up to their king to make the call on what to do next, but he was equally baffled by how to help.

“Evander… Just let me see if it’s all right,” Daecon pressed. Another piercing bray and a lunge from his stabbing beak kept the Dunamis at bay.

Daecon was silently cursing his in-laws for leaving without another word as Evander eyed him suspiciously. For want of any answers, they’d left Daecon all alone with an avian who’d been driven half-mad by forces he couldn’t understand.

Wait a minute, Daecon recalled silently to himself. He’s a bird right now… If I can’t get closer, maybe someone ELSE can…

Evander eyed his mate warily as Daecon produced a cell phone from his pocket. It wasn’t as fancy or expensive as the one he’d had before, but at least it could make calls out in their remote paradise.

The Dunamis licked his lips and met his mate’s narrowed eyes as he waited for the phone to ring. There was something in Evander’s expression, some fierce, determined quality that was equal parts brilliant and terrifying that made Daecon’s hair stand on end as the line picked up.

“Hello?” a man answered the phone and greeted Daecon with a curious lilt in his tone. “Anyone there?”

“It’s me,” the Dunamis replied while trying to keep the fear from creeping into his words. “It’s Daecon, from the boat… S-sorry, I got a new number and, well, that’s not important right now.”

“Is everything okay? You sound…”

He knew damn well how he sounded. Despite his best efforts, a tremble had found its way into Daecon’s voice and robbed him of the confidence and dignity he tried to project since they’d met. After all, he wasn’t only a shifter, but the rightful heir to the throne—a king of shifters—and Daecon was struggling to live up to that austere reputation just then. That, and he flinched at having to call for help at all.

“Listen, Zay… Can I ask you a favor?” Daecon ran a hand through his luxuriant hair to calm himself in anticipation of a “no” in response.

“Yeah?”

“We’re having some trouble with Evander. He’s, well, he’s an osprey right now, and…” Daecon sighed defeatedly. “It’s kinda hard to explain, but he’s laid an egg.”

A worrisome silence descended on the room, broken only by the occasional motion of a suspicious raptor shifting positions on the bed. Daecon’s sharp ears picked up breathing on the other end of the line, but the Paxoram remained quiet to soak up this unusual information. Only once he’d collected his thoughts did his friend speak again.

“Do you want me to stop by the colony?”

“Would you?” Daecon asked with a fragile air of hope in his voice. “That’d be great. You remember how to get here, yeah?”

“Of course. Let me grab a few things and head out,” Zayzann replied. “I should be there in a few hours… And Daecon?”

“Yeah?”

“We’ll figure this out, okay? Hang in there…”

The line went dead, but Daecon couldn’t bring himself to lower his phone until long after the Paxoram had hung up.

***

A pair of black-taloned feet on high-torque bird legs displaced the gravel path as the winged creature made landfall from above. Sapphire-blue plumes on his wings and tail fluttered as Zayzann settled, rattling his feathers like plastic window slats.

An eerie hush descended as the Paxoram loped down the thoroughfare, bobbing gently as he strode past curious onlookers. Not everyone had seen him last time Zayzann had visited, so he tried not to take offense at the myriad stares of curious shifters.

After all, it wasn’t every day that a gigantic blue bird man strode through town. Still, Zayzann remained in good humor, smiling and nodding politely to the colonists as he passed. There was a familiar kinship to be had with these people—strangers, but not too strange to the Zhalterran nomad.

Aloe green eyes with X-shaped pupils dilated at the sight of endless forest around the sprawling colony, and Zayzann’s tail swayed gently to indicate his interest in these remote surroundings.

It’s so peaceful here.

Even after visiting before, the Paxoram couldn’t get used to such a wonderous place as the secluded shifter colony. Pristine woods with clean, white-capped waterways echoed their churning calls for miles around, filling the air with the welcome sounds of vibrant life and a thriving ecosystem. Though the animals differed greatly from what he’d known all his life, Zayzann marveled at how much the creatures and landscape reminded him of Zhalterra, and the valley he grew up in back home.

Zayzann’s appreciation of nature was interrupted by the arrival of Daecon, who was flanked by advisors, subordinates, and anyone brave or foolish enough to trouble him during this difficult time.

“Guys, guys, we have a guest,” Daecon interrupted their questions with his commanding presence. “Whatever it is, it’ll keep for a little bit, right? So, go on, scram. ‘Dismissed’ or whatever.”

The Paxoram stifled a smile at Daecon’s expense. If things were as dire as he’d claimed on the phone, there was no time to lose in reconciling the mates after they had young. Granted, the species were different, but Zayzann was no stranger to territorial caregivers. He knew better than to take parental instincts lightly, and had at least some insight to offer. The rest would be up to Daecon…

“Can we visit your nest?” Zayzann asked, taking Daecon aback with his phrasing.

“Yeah, uh, sure,” Daecon replied as he guided the Paxoram.

As expected, Evander was just as irritable at the Paxoram as he’d been with his mate and parents. Zayzann gave a few chirps to reassure the osprey, but Evander remained hostile to anyone who approached his nest.

Undaunted, Zayzann reached into his messenger bag to retrieve the irresistible treasure within. Several plastic bags were filled to bursting with fresh fish, lately caught by the Paxoram himself to offset food costs at the apartment. The first bag’s fish shimmered when light hit the reflective scales on the bounty within, drawing Evander’s interest.

Zayzann tilted his head and lowered his ridge of cranial feathers before asking Evander, “d’you want some?”

The osprey’s eyes never left the Paxoram’s catch, but Evander remained silent, patient, and attentive to every movement the bird man made.

“Suit yourself. It’s over here if you change your mind,” Zayzann added before he began rasping at the soft flesh of his fish with a barbed tongue.

Daecon eyed the Paxoram with equal parts curiosity and confusion. Did Zayzann really think that Evander could be lured away by food? Sure, they hadn’t actually tried that yet, but it was so, so…

The Dunamis couldn’t find the right word to describe it. Try as he might, Daecon struggled uncomfortably in the silence and waited with waning patience as he watched Zayzann eat an entire fish in their bedroom.

I know he said to be patient, but this is driving me crazy, Daecon lamented.

This continued for some time, until a familiar roil of an empty stomach drew Daecon’s ear. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but Evander…

A single squawk drew Daecon’s attention when Evander stood up on the bed. Weary and exhausted from laying the egg and protecting it, poor Evander was famished and unable to ignore the alluring shimmer of fresh-caught fish nearby.

“You want some of this?” Zayzann asked again as he licked the last scraps of food from his catch. Once finished, the Paxoram collected another fish from his bag and slowly strode a few steps closer. This time, however, his approach came with an unexpected addition.

What’s he doing? Daecon wondered at the strange sound coming from his avian friend.

Zayzann was able to inch closer, partly because of the handsome fish he was holding, but also from the strange, soothing trill that he emitted from a ruby-colored throat pouch.

The avian alien lifted his chin up as he drew closer, exposing the reddened flesh in a submissive, unobtrusive gesture of goodwill. Several darkened “mate’s marks” dotted Zayzann’s throat pouch and were seen by Evander’s keen osprey eyes.

It’s okay… He’s not after our baby… He already has a partner…

Zayzann wasn’t interested in messing with Evander’s egg, nor of trying to claim the osprey as his own. He simply offered himself as a watch-mate to comfort the weary shifter. It was typical of Paxoram parents to share watch duties with each other, and Zayzann offered the same gesture to Evander as a sign of friendship.

Daecon stared intently as the Paxoram inched closer still, with his echoing vibrations lowering his and Evander’s hackles.

It was uncanny how the vibrations sounded like ocean waves and rich, lazy cello music as the Paxoram trilled on. Before he knew it, Daecon watched Zayzann lay the fish in front of Evander, who dove at it eagerly without a word. Zayzann continued to sing the relaxing melody for Evander, until the osprey was placid enough for the Paxoram to kneel beside him on the bed.

A twinge drew both of Daecon’s ears back as he watched Zayzann approach his mate. It was foolish, childish, but the mighty Dunamis flinched at how close the Paxoram could get to Evander when he couldn’t get close at all. Evander appeared unbothered by Zayzann’s proximity, and the Paxoram practically ignored the osprey once he’d settled on the mattress.

“Do you want to join us?” Zayzann cooed with the same low, tranquilizing tone that calmed Evander. “If so, then come on over, nice and slow, okay?”

Daecon faltered before carefully slinking closer to the bed, silent as the grave.

“There now, that’s it,” Zayzann whispered. “Nice and easy…”

Within moments, the Dumanis found himself sidled right next to Evander, who was still too preoccupied with eating to notice his mate approach.

The trio remained there, safe and motionless, until Evander eventually succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep, still guarding his precious egg.

Huh, Daecon mused. Well, I’ll be damned…

***

The Paxoram lingered long enough for Evander’s health to be confirmed, then motioned to leave the shifter colony.

“Hey, before you go,” Daecon called out after the Paxoram started walking away. “Th-thanks, for, you know…”

Zayzann paused, remembering the comforting sentiment his mate had given him before he left home about “a friend in need…”

“It’s my pleasure,” Zayzann smiled as he unfurled enormous blue wings that faded into the midnight darkness. “Just remember; it’s not about what you want right now, but what he needs, yeah? I’ll be rooting for you two. Good luck.”

And with a running start, the Paxoram took flight, flapping his immense wings with great effort to stay aloft in the less-than-ideal atmosphere. Daecon remained, watching Zayzann until his friend’s outline vanished into the night, leaving nothing but cool winds and starlight behind.

Daecon couldn’t help but crack a smile as Zayzann departed. With everything happening so quickly, he hadn’t had time to process his and Evander’s new reality. There would be one hell of a learning curve, but a growing sense of hope blossomed in Daecon’s heart as he strode off to return to his mate.