Change (Kitsune) by Melissa Stevens

looking at my brother, something was different about him but I couldn't put my finger on it. He looked the same as he normally did. His long dark hair was pulled back in a neat braid that laid half way down his back. His face was the rounded features of those with predominantly European ancestry with the exception of his chiseled cheekbones, though his skin is much darker. It was obvious, at least to me, that he had a mixed heritage but I’d never been able to figure out exactly what mixture, but then I'd never actually asked either. Apparently I kept my attention on him too long and he noticed.
    "What's up, Trouble?" he asked, using an old family nickname.
    "I'm not sure…" I said as I continued to look at him, "Something's different but I can't place it." That got my mother and Brit's attention and they started trying to spot some difference in Raine.
    "Don't know what it could be, nothing's changed. I haven't even changed shampoos in months." He said lifting one brow as he looked at me.
    "I don't know either, but I know it's something."
    "I can't see anything different, Nickie" Mom said.
    "Me either." Brittney put in.
    It suddenly occurred to me that maybe it wasn’t that something about him had changed but that I was now picking up something I'd always missed. That perhaps I'm the one that's changed.
    "I'm probably just imagining it," I said, letting the topic drop as I went about setting the table for dinner. I finished filling the glasses and cups with ice while Brittney set the roast and sides on the table and Raine added the salad and dressing.
    Cameron showed up just as we were about to call the rest of the family to the table. He was just late enough that Dad would chew him out about it later. Like a typical sibling, I was just glad it wasn't me that was in line for that ass chewing. I hugged Cam hello, noting the scent of leather that seemed to come from his skin and the sweat from his day that was a thin coating over it. It made me think back and realize that when I had hugged Raine I had smelled leather but it was different, it wasn't his scent it was just the scent of the leather he spent so much time carrying as part of his uniform. Raine's skin had had an almost scent to it the sharp tang of sage mixed with the gentler more mild aroma of oregano and again I wondered exactly what it was about him that seemed so different now.
    We all gathered around the table and took our seats, my father quickly but solemnly blessed the meal before we all dug in.
    "I'm sorry I was so late, I got called in this morning. I got off with just enough time to rush home and change. If I had been five minutes later I would have shown up in my uniform."
    "I thought you were supposed to be off today?" Mom asked.
    "I was, but there was a three car accident coming off the mountain and they called me in to help cover."
    "That's too bad, anyone we know?"
    "Nah, no one local, and no fatalities, but they had to fly a couple out to Tucson. They'll probably live but they were pretty bad off."
    "So, what happened?" Raine asked.
    "Driver thought he knew a lot more about mountain driving than he did. He was crossing over the yellow line on switch backs coming down the mountain. He'd missed the fact that there was a car going up and head-on'd him. The car behind him, apparently some friend, was following too close and rear ended the first guy. There was an assortment of injuries all around, but only the two in the first car were seriously hurt."
    I heard a voice in my head, *I wish we could talk about something happier during dinner.*
    "How's Janelle?" I asked.
    "She's good, I would have brought her tonight but she just got off an eighteen hour shift and she was so tired she was slurring things together when she spoke." Cam replied.
    "I'm sure that a good night's sleep will set her right, eighteen hours is a long shift," Mom put in.
    "It is, someone called in sick and she stayed to cover their shift. The money's good but it exhausts