| |
Things settled down over the next few days. Giselle’s wounds healed, and Martina had all but forgotten her little runaway attempt, or at least pretended to. Even the girls had let up on their crusade to push her into a decision. The weekend excursion to the mountain had done everyone good. A sense of normalcy had descended upon most of the house – but not Giselle. Though she felt some peace of mind knowing that Damien would help her possibly find out more about the wolf statue, she was still no closer to the answers surrounding the two families or the strange wolf in the desert, and she couldn’t help but wonder at a possible connection.
Risking another trip into the desert wouldn’t be smart, especially after the lone wolf’s warning. And she wasn’t keen to reopen those wounds that had just healed. Knowing the girls were happy not to ever bring up the subject again, she was at a loss as to what to do.
How long could she put it off before they forced her to make a decision? She couldn’t hope for them to keep her until she came of age, could she? Too many questions. What should have been a time of peace was filled with these nagging questions, and as she stared blankly at the bed above hers, she knew another night of insomnia awaited. Might as well get some more studying in while she had the time.
Giselle crept down into the living room with her algebra book and notepad, expecting to find it empty, but as she hit the last step, Gavin’s voice nearly made her jump.
“Taking off again?” Curiosity rather than annoyance colored his tone.
“Yeah, secret math club meeting.” She held up her book.
He smiled, and even in the dark, she could see relief washing over his face. He must have really thought her a runner. That spoke volumes about how they really saw her. “All the cool kids are in Trig, eh?” Despite what he might be thinking, his tone remained cool and calm.
“One day... one day...,” she giggled.
She hadn’t really spent much one-on-one time with Gavin. A foreman for a local homebuilder, he was a workaholic, gone most of the day and often late into the evening. But their limited interactions had been nice enough. And the girls loved him like a father.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“Never... anymore.” She must have been tired to blurt that out the way she had.
“I’ve got the cure for that.” He held up a mug. “You want some tea? Chamomile... Martina swears by the stuff.”
“Sure.” She’d give anything for a night of good rest. Setting her book and notepad on the bar, she scooted up onto a stool and watched Gavin put the mug of water in the microwave.
“I’d ask if you wanted to talk, but I know you’re not going to.”
Well, that was an odd way to start a conversation, but Giselle had never been happier to hear those words. Everyone else in the house had been hell bent on getting to the bottom of her issues. The no-pressure approach was refreshing and actually made her trust him that much more.
Gavin pulled out a box of tea and a mesh infuser. “I was a lone wolf once... Did Martina ever tell you?”
She had, and Giselle appreciated it. Just one more way in which she fit in with this group. They were all, to some extent, lone wolves. As far as his place in the pack was concerned, Gavin was the strong but very silent Alpha partner. Martina did most of the mothering and organizing of pack business, whereas Gavin seemed to be content to go along with her lead.
The microwave beeped. He pulled out the steaming cup of water, placed the infuser inside, and set the timer for three minutes. “Yep. Thought I’d be a loner for life until I met Martina. She’s quite special.”
“You two make a wonderful couple.” She wasn’t sure where he was going, but felt she had to say something to avoid looking rude.
“Thanks. But I wasn’t fishing. Just pointing something out. I know what you’re going through. Pack life isn’t for all wolves, despite what everyone else will tell you. Some wolves just don’t belong in a pack.”
Was she one of them, and was he saying this to her as a gentle nudge to get out?
“Perhaps I’m one of those wolves.” She shrugged. Not the worst thing to admit to.
“Only you can know that. But...” He set a honey bear in front of her and the steaming cup of tea on the counter. “Whatever decisions you make for or against being part of a pack have to come from here.” He pointed to his heart. “You can’t be forced. And your wolf certainly won’t stand for it. It all has to feel right.”
“Thanks.” She spoke cautiously, not sure what the right thing to say was.
Gavin leaned his large frame against the tile counter and watched Giselle for a moment. She could see the wolf underneath his gaze, curious more than calculating, but watchful all the same. “Now, don’t let that stuff scare you. I’m not talking about you being in my pack right now.”
He’d hit the nail right on the head, and she was relieved he was not giving her the old heave ho.
“I’m talking about how you feel about being part of any pack. If your heart isn’t in it, you cannot commit. Nor should you.” His words were exactly what she needed to hear. The girls had been on her since day one. Martina had been almost sickeningly sweet in her own attempts to sway Giselle. It had all been too much given the questions she’d had, causing everyone own grief. Gavin’s words were a breath of fresh air.
“But what about you all?”
“If that’s what is stressing you out so much you can’t sleep, then stop. You do not have to be part of my pack to stay under my roof.”
Those words released all kinds of pent up tension that had been building within her. But despite that relief, she had to wonder if there was some underlying motive. Now things were fitting together a little too perfectly. “Why are you so understanding?”
“When I was a kid, I was abandoned. I grew up on the streets and had to make my own way. I’d have given my left eye for a family, but none ever came. When I was older and had made something of myself, I knew I did not need that family to support me. I met quite a few good packs along the way, and none were for me.”
“And then you met Martina?”
He smiled. “Drink your tea.”
She poured some honey into her cup and pulled out the infuser, setting it on a plate. “Love at first sight?”
Gavin chuckled. “Quite the opposite. She was insufferable. A gigantic pain in my ass.”
Giselle took a sip of her tea, enjoying the way it warmed her as it traveled down her throat. “So how did she change you into a pack man?”
“She needed me. She was in a very bad place and coming unraveled. The two packs were at a full-scale war. She’d just lost her sister and her father. Then the pack war claimed her mother and one of her brothers too in less than a month’s time. The rest of the family, cousins and aunts and uncles, were driven off, and poor Martina was left to be a loner herself. She refused to leave, and if I hadn’t helped, she might have been a goner too.”
“So you didn’t join a pack...”
“I created one.”
“What about Martina’s family? The rest of the pack?”
“Scattered, dead, who knows? The war with the Thrace clan really did a number on her family.”
“But why?”
“Old man Thrace was the mob boss of Alphas.”
“Asher’s father?” she mumbled, not intending for Gavin to hear.
“No. His grandfather. There was supposed to be a joining of the packs, but Martina’s sister didn’t want to marry. Old man Thrace got wind of it, and when the wedding didn’t happen, feelings got hurt and he called in some nasty favors...”
“Magical favors?” Giselle’s thoughts turned to the wolf statue in the cave.
“Sure, and plenty of violence. If you ask me, neither pack was playing fair, but that’s not for me to say. When all was said and done, Martina was the only one left. Said she wouldn’t go. Her sister had vanished and maybe she’d come back one day.”
Giselle’s eyes lit with excitement as she put the puzzle pieces together in her mind. “So she’s not dead?”
Gavin let out a defeated breath. “I think she is. But Martina lives with hope. Her sister just vanished without a trace. It was in the early days of the war, but, if you ask me, I believe she was the first casualty.”
“What was her name?”
“Christina.”
“Pretty.”
“She was Martina’s twin.”
“Does she have a grave marker or memorial? Someplace Martina can go to grieve her?”
“No. Martina says she believes her to still be alive. She’s got that whole twin psychic link thing. That’s why she won’t leave town despite all the fighting. She hopes that one day she’ll see her sister again.”
Giselle took another sip of her tea. “I hope she does.”
“I’m more practical about these things, but if it keeps her from breaking down, why not hold on to the dream?” Gavin leaned across the bar and whispered, “Don’t tell her I said that, though. Our secret, okay?”
Giselle nodded, sipping her tea, trying to act as casual as she could when inside she was a bundle of energy. If what she hoped was true, that statue she’d found could be the key to it all. She had to find a way to see it again, and if Damien could find the spell... She might just burst with all the possibilities. “I’m all for keeping the peace. I guess that’s part of my problem with joining a pack. I’m too much a free spirit. I need to run and be free. Feel the wind in my fur. You known what I mean?”
His expression changed, and the father in him showed quite clearly in his stern gaze. “Not safe for a pup. But you’ve already had that lecture.”
“Martina told you?” She slumped in her seat, trying to look appropriately guilty enough to avoid round three of ‘running in the desert’ lectures.
“Of course she did. We are partners in all things. Including being your parent, guardian, or whatever you want to call us.”
“You were a lone wolf once, so you understand.”
“I do. But I cannot condone your running in the open desert with tension between the packs still running high.”
“What if I stayed within our borders? What are our borders?”
“I still think it’s a bad idea, but you and the girls together within our borders might be doable.”
“That’s not exactly a free run in the desert.”
“No, but lone wolf or not, you’ll have to make compromises until you’re of age.”
“I see. And if we were all to run... all us girls... what would be the boundaries?”
“Easier to show you, rather than say, but if you hit creek or mountains, you’ve gone too far, and obviously running in the city as a wolf is a big no-no. But luckily, the girls know the boundaries, so if you’re running with them, you should be okay... in broad daylight.”
Giselle giggled. “Got it... Only run though the neighborhood streets in broad daylight”
He narrowed his eyes in a very fatherly “I don’t think so” stare.
“Joking!”
“I’m not giving my permission, just so we’re clear; but if you and the girls have to run without us, stay away from the creek. That’s out of bounds. “
“Understood.”
“It’s hard being a loner in a pack world. I more than anyone else here understands, but try to work within the rules while you feel your new position out. No one will pressure you for an answer, okay?”
“I really appreciate that.” It lifted the biggest weight of her shoulders having him confirm it.
Gavin nodded and headed out of the kitchen. “Finish your tea and head up to bed. Algebra can wait.”
She took another big sip and let the warmth wash down her throat again. Whether it was Gavin’s words or the tea’s effect, she did feel calmer. Maybe now sleep would come.
A lone wolf howled in the distance.
Maybe not.
She wanted so much to go out and investigate, but knew better. Alone was never a good choice. Of course, no one said she had to be alone.
She ran upstairs and pulled her phone off the charger and texted Asher.
Elle: Want to redeem yourself?
She waited in anticipation, hoping he would answer, but after looking at the clock realized that might not happen. Past midnight, most people – or at least not insomniacs with insecurity issues – were in bed.
She shrugged, set the phone back down, and collapsed on her bed. Staring up at the bunk above her, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander. The statue, the lone wolf, the two families. They were all so closely tied together, but what was the real story?
Just as she was finally in the arms of sleep’s warm embrace, her cell chirped. She sprang from the bed and snatched it in one swipe.
Ash: I don’t need redeeming.
Asshat! Of course he would say something so, so, jerky!
Elle: Nevermind!
She wanted to slam down the phone but thought better of it. Waking the other girls would just lead to drama. Downside to the whole pack thing – everything is everyone’s business. Even insomnia!
The phone chirped again.
Ash: Are you drunk?
What the hell kind of question was that? She angrily punched in her answer.
Elle: No. Just wanted to talk, but you’re too busy being a dick about everything.
Ash: You need to chill, seriously. I’m just messing with you. You did text me at midnight.
Elle: I want the truth. Your family’s side of the story. The whole story this time.
Ash: This again?
Elle: Yep. Until I get to the bottom of it all.
Ash: You know everything I know.
Elle: Well, then I’m going to have to ask the lone wolf.
Ash: Don’t go back there...
Elle: I have to. We’re missing something big here. And I bet he knows. About that statue too.
Ash: Don’t go alone.
Elle: Come with me... and stay with me this time.
For what felt like an eternity, the messages stopped. She knew his answer without him having to type it. He wouldn’t come. And that was fine. That was exactly the reason he was no good... not for her, and not as a wolf either. She’d convince the girls to go with her in the next few days. As a group, they’d be in better shape to approach the loner anyway. Yeah. That was a better idea. She needn’t bother with stupid Asher.
Ash: Fine. Tomorrow. Before school.
His response shocked her. School started at nine. If they got an early start at six, when the sun came up, they’d have plenty of time to make it back.
Elle: 6am. Same place. By the road.
Now she only needed to sneak out before the girls got wind.