and Trick propelled himself out of the water onto the rocks as well. He was exactly as cute as Colin suspected he would be. Otters were, after all, adorable. He was big for an otter – so conservation of mass must be in play. There were some shifters, mostly those who traced their ancestry to Asia, who had more advanced density manipulation. Kitsune tended to be small as people, but even smaller as foxes – just very dense. Like mini, furry, fierce black holes. But Trick the otter was about the same size as Trick the person.
Max bent to help him. It was an awkward business getting an otter over shot rock. But once Trick was up on the sidewalk, he shifted back to human pretty smoothly. Apparently, dratsie had better shift capacity than either mermen or werewolves.
Deputy Kettil took off his shirt and handed it to Trick, who put it on without protest. It was like a baggy muumuu on him. Alec gave Marvin his lab coat.
Marvin gave Alec a waterlogged, heavy, gold metallic jacket.
“How on earth…?” The Alpha’s eyes popped in surprise.
“How under water, babes.” Marvin grinned wide at his mate. “We may be smallish, as shifters go, but we be fast.”
“And fierce as fuck,” added Trick, snapping his fingers for emphasis.
They all returned to the café.
Agent Lenis grabbed the jacket away from Alec. “Your merman rescued it?”
Marvin tossed wet hair at her. “Of course I did, it’s totally my style! Wouldn’t it look great with leather leggings? I mean, come on!”
Trick wandered behind the counter to find them clean dishrags to use for towels. “I helped, can I borrow it sometime?” He came back out, handed two rags to Marvin.
Marvin dabbed at his hair. “Absofuckinglutely.”
“Gentlemen,” Agent Faste cut in, “it’s evidence in a case. Besides, we need to cut all the gold out of it.”
“What?” said both sea folk together.
“Did you say cut?” squeaked Trick, big eyes tearing up.
“Oh, say it ain’t so! Poor jacket,” cried out Marvin.
They exchanged glances, then both went on their knees before the jacket and Agent Lenis.
“Their love was so brief and fleeting, they are going into mourning,” explained Colin, for the benefit of the rest of the pack and law enforcement, who were all standing around, dumbfounded.
Colin turned to look at Trick. “But I thought you hated it. Weren’t you fighting with my mother about how awful it was?”
“Oh no, never that. It’s a wonderful jacket, just not for Sunday at the café, right? But on a Saturday night at a club? Come on!”
Marvin nodded gravely. “Oh, I entirely take your meaning. Shall we soliloquy?”
“Oh yes, I think we shall.”
“Ode to the gold jacket we never wore.” Marvin suggested the opening line.
“You were so beautiful and so pure.” Trick was ready.
“We would have worn you with black or brown.” Marvin kept a grave countenance.
“But not on Sundays, in downtown.” Trick added, giving a head tilt to Marvin.
“You represent all outfits lost.”
“Doomed to the ignominy of an evidence box,” Trick finished with a flourish.
They stopped, bowed their heads.
Max started to clap.
After a moment, a few of the others joined in.
Colin said, “Ignominy, excellent word choice, Trick.”
“Thank you, darling.”
“Are you quite done?” Agent Lenis wanted to know. She had her arms crossed and was glaring at them. She turned to Alec. “Your pack is a goddamn nightmare.”
Alec arched a brow. “But boasts damp poets extraordinaire, apparently. Poetry is too much for you to handle? No wonder you’re SBI.”
Agent Lenis just shook her head at him.
Max said, “Come along swim-team gold medalists. I’ll buy you both pretty sparkly jackets that don’t have a quarter of a million dollars worth of gold sewn into them.”
“Good lord, is that all?” said Trick, standing up. “What a fuss.”
“Yeah, we thought it was actually important,” added Marvin. “You’ll really take us shoppies, Max? You hate shopping.”
Max looked morose. “True. I do hate it.”
Alec shook his head at Marvin’s theatrics. “It’s Sunday, my heart, and you’re both soaked. Why don’t you let Max take you back to the pack house, have nice showers, and I’ll take tomorrow off. Then we can go shopping on Haight Street together.”
“Oh, me too?” Trick’s voice was timid, hopeful.
“Of course, you too.” Alec hustled his two dripping truants to the door.
Max trailed dutifully behind, wearing a pained expression.
“Wait!” cried Marvin turning to point an accusing finger at Colin.
“What?” said Colin, scared.
“You too!”
“Me too, what?”
“Shopping tomorrow, we gotta get you more fabulous. You know you want to.”
Colin didn’t have any classes on Mondays. “Uh, okay.”