Tusks

Chapter 17: Steps We Take

"Tarren?"

"Hey, you sound panicked. What wrong, Erin?"

He was quiet for a moment, trying to quell the panic in his voice. "I just almost made elemouses!" 

"Wouldn't it be elemeese? Or is that just me thinking mouses sounds stupid?" Tarren supplied helpfully.

"Come on man, I'm being serious!" Erin groaned.

"Okay, why? It's not like you did it without him saying okay, right?"

Erin paused again, running back through what had actually happened for the hundredth time. "I don't know. He just started getting really hot and he smelled like a fucking piece of chocolate cake."

Tarren chuckled as he replied "I didn't think elephants liked ca—" "Dammit, Tarren!"

"Alright, alright. You didn't complete the deed, did you?"

"No. That's what the almost was for," Erin grumbled.

"Okay, well, then what's wrong?"

"I couldn't freaking control myself!" Erin growled.

"Oh, that. He's in heat."

"Heat?"

Now that I think about it, Arron had acted like that when I'd found him running away from Rylan's house... naked.

"Yeah, heat. He just needs to have some pervy time with someone and then he'll be fine again."

Tarren must have been able to sense the glare Erin was narrowing at his phone because he continued. "Cool your trunk."

"Is that what you did with Tiegan?"

There was a slight cough on the other end of the line before Tarren answered awkwardly.

"Uh... kind of? He basically was so far into his heat that he just jumped my bones."

Erin nodded, glad that their situation hadn't been that aggressive. "I remember when Arron did that and... yeah, so it will only be fixed if he sleeps with someone?"

"I'm still new to this stuff, but from what I've read, if they try to deal with it themselves it could take awhile, but most times it'll work. Some cross-shifters literally have to do it. Actually, I know a cross-shifter who might be able to help you out. His boyfriend's an idiot, so ignore him, but Tayn's pretty cool."

"Oh? Alright. What's his number?"

Erin put his phone on speaker and quickly typed in what he was told.

"Okay, I'm going to give him a call, thanks Tarren."

"No prob, see you later, elephant."

"Bye, cocky lion."

Erin hung up and quickly pressed call for Tayn's number. He picked up after a minute, but before he said anything Erin could hear a bunch of cackles, then a loud growl, then quiet in the background.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Hi, my name's Erin. I'm Tarren's friend?"

"Ah, what's up?"

"Um, can we talk by chance? Off the phone?"

There was a long pause before he grumbled into the receiver; "I've got kids and a boyfriend."

There was a loud growl in the background and Tayn sighed.

"Husband... kind of. Anyways, not interested."