Unknown Tenants

Dylan and I froze & then looked at each other with our hearts in our throats as the curvy bespectacled brunette stared at us.

This was bad, and we knew that It was much too late to hope that she chalk us up to a vivid hallucination.

We had been so wrapped up in trying to get the Wi-Fi router to reset that we hadn't paid attention to the time, nor heard her come in.

My laptop kept saying "Reset password" every time I tried getting on the internet this morning, So I had finally decided to just come up and reset the damned router. I needed to look for jobs, even odd jobs would help at this point...but finding work was next to impossible right now. Especially, with no ID documents. Dylan had come up with me due to his recent restlessness.

So there we stood, two nude and rather hirsute grown men standing in front of the candle section of this shop which is where the router was connected. I had been watching Nicki for some time now as she went about her days in the Shop, making jewelry and restocking herbs, she was a calm soul and level headed.....but this situation looked terrible and I wouldn't have been surprised to have Nicki run shrieking from the building.

I could see the calculations running through Dylan's mind, our options boiled down to run or detain her. We could overpower her as there were two of us and our lifestyle kept us fit and wiry....but after that we would have to either persuade her to keep quiet or choose a much less pleasant option. And the thought of detaining poor Nikki just didn't sit well with me at all, I wasn't so sure about Dylan though.

He knew what was at stake; if it had just been us...we would have gladly moved on, but this was about both of our families.

We had all desperately needed a place to stay for the winter and had almost given up hope when we had found our winter home at the Unicorn's Haven ( One of the larger New Age Shops in this town).

It had a huge and largely unused basement, it needed a lot of fixing up down there but we had stayed in far worse and it was warm....and very seldom did anyone venture down to it.

There had been a Psychic renting a room down there at one point but he had moved on, which had been a blessing for us.

Dylan & I had regularly been coming up to reset the router as the internet connection had become quite spotty at the shop.

My mind flashed back to Khayte- Dylan's brother’s girlfriend- telling us that it was a bad idea for months now, and I could feel her eyes on me from up on the Shops upper floor where they held their classes and such. Oh she was never going to let us hear the end of this.

Nikki , phone out and already calling her friend Alice who owned the business- I could only assume, didn't disappoint in her reaction " What are you doing? Who are you and why aren't you wearing any pants??" Her volume rose with each question and I felt Dylan start to shake a bit. Loud noises and his tribe didn't do well together.

I couldn't even open my mouth to speak as Alice's smoky and mildly irritated voice filled the air around us " What is it Nikki?", in the background I could hear Alice's son Ben hollering at the top of his lungs along to some cartoon or other. Ben was a little ball of energy, motion and sound. Alice loved her son so much, but anyone could tell that she was exhausted. She had once confessed to her friend Anna that she was certain that her little bear sucked all of his energy directly from her soul, I wanted to tell her that no he just had the natural energy level of all necromancers his age. They needed extra energy to do the work that they did, not that I was in any position to tell her that.

Khayte had been certain that our youngsters who played with Ben ,when He and his Mom came to run the shop a few days a week, would be the ones to get us caught. At least she had been wrong and would have to apologize for scolding the kids so often- They loved playing with Ben and from what I could tell vice versa.

"Uh, Al, When did you book a Nudist gathering at the shop?" Nikki's voice was level but I could see that she was blushing and trying to keep her eyes at our shoulder level when she asked, and honestly it was a fair question when one worked in a new age shop.

I hadn't thought of that...hunh I should have used that. Oh well too late now. And Alice lived close to her shop...she could be there in a matter of minutes...I prayed for a miracle to myself. Meanwhile Dylan had gone a bit green. His kind was perpetually nervous anyway, but his anxiety had to be skyrocketing right now.

"What??" Alice's voice took on a shrill note "Nikki why would I..........Oh no! Crap, call Dave! " The exasperation in Alice's voice and on Nikki's face was common when they spoke about Alice's extremely absent minded husband Dave. He would often do things and forget to tell anyone, and then Alice and Nikki and Anna would need to settle the ensuing chaos.

"God damn him!!!" Nikki had been increasingly irritated with Dave over the last 2 years as he became worse. Alice suspected a stress driven medical issue, and she might not be far off from everything I had been observing when Dave worked at the shop.

The stress had been steadily increasing since before the Covid pandemic had hit, and didn't show signs of letting up anytime soon. Dave also worked a part time job to help out and was truly trying...he just couldn't seem to organize his thoughts.....at least that was what it seemed like to me.

All of the girls that were involved with the Unicorns Haven were intensely grounded, anytime the pressure got worse, they stressed and then turned that stress into productivity...working it out of their systems as much as they could.

That wasn't to say they didn't have problems and side effects from those problems....They just always seemed to handle their problems in a resolute manner.

It was reassuring to see and had at least one of Dylan's clan crushing hard on Anna, we all told him that he was out of luck but he wouldn't hear it. Edwin would come up and just sit and stare at her from the shop's upper level when she was here. She hadn't been in as much and we could tell that he missed her and her fiercely independent perk.

I myself preferred Nikki's bubbly studiousness , but she was attached and besides even if I stood a chance with her before all of this there wasn't a prayer of a chance now. This was definitely not how I wanted us to meet formally!

Nikki's eyes went wide as her gaze darted to my left and dropped to the carpet.

I chanced a look down even though I already knew what had happened. While I was lost in my thoughts Dylan had shifted to his escape form, it was a reflex to any sort of danger.

"Damn it Dylan!" I hissed through clenched teeth. Now really had a problem, No one was supposed to know that we existed...it was much worse than being caught as a human. We would have to tell the others now, so I shifted as well.

Nikki's shock wore off quick, I hadn't expected her to be so fast, and she chucked one of her multiple clothe bags (She used them to transfer her art & jewelry supplies) over Dylan and I- hopping to the floor and closing the handles of the bag to trap us. She was good, and while I hated to do it...I was trying to claw my way through that bag.

But she was a step ahead and grabbed a large jar from one of the shelves and stuffed us, bag and all, into it- then snapped the lid on for safe keeping.

Oh, we were screwed! I thought to myself...I could hear Dylan crying beside me. Then I heard her pick up the phone from where she had dropped it when she pounced on us and as she spoke I found myself wondering where exactly she was going to take this.

"Alice, Can you hear me?" Nikki's voice was soft and there was still some shock to it.

"Nikki, what happened, are you ok?" Alice sounded concerned

"I can honestly say, this was not a Dave mistake. And you need to get down here right now...bring Anna."

"Ok, I will be there shortly." Alice knew by Nikki's tone that something big was up, she didn't just up and drop everything. Especially with Ben in her care at all times.

"Ok, Leave Ben at home. Tell your Mom it’s an emergency."

Alice's Mom was the only other person to be able to look after Ben due to his health issues, but she also worked a lot.

Alice had had to take a more behind the scenes approach to the shop due to Ben's health issues and was careful about leaning too much on her mother. I had seen the lady a few times, she seemed nice but definitely all about her job.

So I was unsurprised when Alice and her Mom and Ben all came driving up to the front of the shop.

Nikki had thoughtfully put Dylan & I's jar up on the table by her at the front window while we all waited. I had clawed myself out of the canvas bag within the jar ...Dylan was passed out.

Alice's Mom stayed with Ben in the car while Alice hopped out and sprinted up the steps and into the shop.

"Are you ok?" Alice huffed a bit.

Nikki turned my jar to face Alice, her face in a thoughtful cast, "Soooooo..."

"You caught the squirrel?! Awesome!!" Alice's face lit up- Dave had been trying to get the squirrels and Mice out of the shop since winter started, to no avail. I had heard them all talking, they thought that there was only one or two squirrels and I had heard them say that they felt that the mice and squirrels were a little too smart.

Alice had jokingly postulated Were-squirrels and Were-mice at the time .

She was always good at guessing at the truth, but I had almost fallen over when I heard and Nikki both laugh about it.

Nikki shook the jar hard enough to wake Dylan up, and he poked his head out of the bag...little mouse nose twitching, when he saw Alice his eyes got huge.

"And A mouse too? Wow! I had no idea you were that fast" Alice looked a little awed by her friends feat of speed.

"No Al, These were two naked men while I was on the phone with you. I told you that the Mice were too smart. Now we know why."

Alice looked at her friend levelly, anyone else would have just laughed but Alice was a different type of soul, "Ok, have you checked the cameras?"

"I didn't even think of that."

They went to check the cameras and I breathed a sigh of relief, we never showed up on camera as humans.

"Oh thank god Les, Ohhh, for a second there I was sure we were sunk." Dylan's relief was almost palpable

"I thought that too for a minute and then I remembered -That's Alice over there Dylan, She isn't going to give up until she finds out the truth. This means we need to weigh our options. At best we figure out a way to break out of this jar...which won’t be easy because Nikki and Alice will be watching us like a hawk. " I sighed

"We could escape when they try to feed us?" Dylan offered helpfully

"If they try to feed us... Those two are going to want to know if there is even a chance of something otherworldly going on. And they are smart." I needed to think.

"Well then what do we do Les?"

"Or we could do the unthinkable."

"No man! No way, I know that look..... NO!"

"We tell Alice the truth and see if we can make an arrangement! I’m tired of hiding all of the time anyway...aren’t you?"

"Well yeah, but no...No ..Noooooo!" Dylan was tensing up again

I looked out the window to where Ben was playing with his grandmother and ran a claw through my hair.

I was sick and tired of living this life...the elders would have a conniption fit but once the truth was out-and the fact that we had no place else to go- they would have to work with it.

Honestly, I also had a feeling that Alice was the kind of person who would rather work things out then not.

I had watched her many times when she worked and how she related to her young son, She was compassionate.........she had a huge heart but was very aware of when someone tried to take her for a fool. She also found opportunity even when there looked to be none to be had.

Better to tell her the truth, and attempt to find a common ground.

The women walked back to my jar, their jaw's was set. I took a deep breath and shifted, breaking the jar and snatching Dylan before he could run away. I shook him a little until he shifted from mouse to man.

Nikki and Alice stood with their jaws slack and their eyes wide as the implications washed over them. Dylan just averted his eyes and tried to shrink in on himself.

"Ladies, we need to talk. There are many things that I wish to apologize for. But can we please sit down, will you hear me out?"

Alice opened and closed her mouth a few times , then furrowed her brow and said" You know what, let me get you something to put on. Then we can have tea and chat for a bit....wait can you have tea?"

Classic Alice.

"Yes, I would love some pants and I am a big fan of a hot cup of tea." I smiled at her

"Here, have these." Nikki tossed me some clothes from the food pantry & clothes donation room that they kept stocked for families during winter and fall.

And Alice went to make tea.

No sooner had I and Dylan clothed ourselves when Ben came bursting in.

"I couldn't stop him Honey, he wanted Mama" Alice's Mother called out as she rushed in behind her grandson. She shook her head ruefully at the boy who had stopped to stare at me. Ben turned his head this way and that and then broke into a grin.

"Lesley!" He dashed over and gave me a hug as Alice came back around with the tea

I gave him a hug back " Hey buddy, How have you been?"

"Baby, do you know this man?" I could smell Alice's stress pheromones' ratchet up. Well a stranger near her offspring would do that to any mother.

"Yep, this is Lesley. He watched cartoons with me" Ben beamed up at me.

Alice lifted her eyebrows at me, silently saying explain yourself or I make you into a squirrel handbag. Her Mother & Nikki were looking rather dangerous as well.

I cleared my throat " Children are more open to being around us and they can hear our thoughts just as we can hear theirs and each others. Some of our own young approached Ben as a playmate and so I often come to supervise them and make sure that they all stay out of trouble when I am between jobs. I promise you that I have only ever kept the kids safe. Although he has only seen me in my shifted form."

Alice looked skeptical, but open. The grandmother had the aura of a brick wall. Nikki remained passive about the situation, she at least was willing to hear what was to be said.

"We take the wellbeing of offspring very seriously Alice. Ben has never been alone since we have been here. We have always kept him safe" I knew she would be uneasy. I also knew that she would be able to discern truth from fear.

"I'm not quite comfortable with this. But I appreciate it. Let’s talk." She sat down with her mug

"Alice,.." Her Mother began

"Yes Mom, We have Were-squirrels and Were-mice who have apparently been hanging out with Ben...I don't know how many....my mind is blown....have some tea." Alice said it in a monotone

"Considering you have mice & squirrels, I think I will just drink my bottle of water. Thank you very much." Her mother wrinkled her nose and we all started laughing. Even Dylan.

That day changed everything.

Alice & I were able to negotiate a rental agreement between both clans and the shop.

We needed a place to live and she needed money to help with shop expenses.

She was receptive to keeping our young warm and in good health, and was eventually overjoyed that Ben had not only playmates but a chaperone of sorts as well.

She also ended up giving us odd jobs for pay and we were able to help fix up the building for her.

She then proceeded to start a side company called Nature care, Lawn care and snow services, which gave many of us jobs as it grew like wildfire.

With the growth and stress relief that not having to sneak and hide and move all of the time brought...We eventually needed other accommodations to house our rapidly growing numbers which led Alice to purchase a building which we renovated into apartments.

Then with Anna's help, another few buildings to help with the homeless population, which we did the renovations on.

Soon more of our kind came and Alice was able to expand her businesses and she purchased more buildings to house us.

Ben was happy too as he had a whole passel of playmates to scamper around with.

Alice's mother was able to retire and live comfortably with all of Alice's extra income. as Dave's stress went down he began to think much clearer, and Nikki was promoted to manager of both The Unicorn Haven and Nature Care with a huge salary and great benefits too.

As for me, I ended up in charge of Ben and all of the other kids. I had always wanted to have more time for them and with Alice's ever increasing business, she was able to pay me a decent wage to do what I loved and was good at. I still wanted my own kids, and I still had a crush on Nikki but for now life was heavenly.

It’s always better to tell the truth when you can.