Over the River and Through the Woods (Adventures!AU Book 2)

Ch. 23 Omen Deliveries and Reality Checks

This chapter man. The beginning is the usual flavor of OtRaTtW but the second part...
It's gonna hurt. I'm serious, it WILL hurt. Definitely hurt to write, to the point I had tears in my eyes at one point. But well, reality is often painful. Especially when you have two headstrong people who both want different things.

I was originally going to post both ch 23 and ch 24 the same day, but I'm feeling mean. Ch. 24 will be posted Tuesday. Don't worry, ch 24 is extra fluffy to make up for the angst you're about to read. <3
Be glad tho I decided to post it back to back, because with the upload schedule you guys would have had to wait three more weeks for resolution since OtRaTtW is on a two weeks on two weeks off schedule. But I'm not THAT mean.

Content Warning: Past emotional trauma (ghosting), intense character conflict, emotional angst, perceived hate, Hunter and Shadow argument/falling out (temporary). I'm serious, prepare for some real hurt.

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Twenty minutes later, we were out the door and heading to the trailhead.

Hunter came to my side. "So," he rumbled. "Like it when I'm jealous?"

Uh oh. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sergeant Hunter," I replied, keeping my eyes straight ahead.

"Oh, yes you do," he chuckled, nudging me.

Driving my shoulder into his, knocking him away, I pointed a finger at him. "I will shave your head, try me."

After I run my fingers through that hair once.

He shoved me back. "I wouldn't be Sergeant Shaggy then, would I?"

"Goin' to make me sick," Crosshair groaned.

I began to remind the salty sniper that he had lit a match to this earlier, and had no right to complain, but a screech cut my insult short.

All guns turned skyward and I reached for my sabers. Recognizing the dragon, I relaxed and pushed Hunter's gun down. "Much as he deserves it, please don't shoot Trevor."

"That's Trevor?!" Hunter exclaimed, gesturing towards the descending dragon.

"I didn't mention all Rags can shift into Red Screamers?" I asked, twitching an ear.

"No?"

"Oh... well they can shift into Red Screamers," I informed him with a smile.

"What is a Red Screamer?!" he demanded.

I pointed upward. "That."

Hunter's helmet remained fixed on me before he shook his head. "I quit."

"C'mon, Shaggy. Where's that Bad Batch spirit?" I teased, nudging him.

"Revoked whenever dragons get involved..." Hunter groaned.

"There there," I said, patting his shoulder. I received an armored elbow to the ribs for my sympathy.

Rubbing my side, I eyed Trevor as he drew closer.

Red Screamers were definitely one of my stranger anthro species. They looked like someone mixed a lion, jackal, lizard, hawk, wyvern, and porcupine... which is exactly what I did. Humanoid body, quills lining its back and tail, a boxy muzzle, tall ears, a mane wrapping around its head and shoulders then lining its flanks, sharp-clawed hands, taloned feet, and bizarre wings that could double as feet and carry its body off the ground. Then I threw in a spaded tail because I could.

Creating critters was so fun.

Landing in front of us, Trevor used his wings and hopped on over. "Morning, everyone!" he said, revealing rows of savage backwards facing teeth.