“What are we going to do?” Adrienne asked leaning on Tracker as he led her to the house.
“I hope Wilder talks to Drayton.” As Tracker and Adrienne bypass the stairs to take the elevator, Damon bounded down the stairs, but stopped when he spotted Tracker.
Meeting Adrienne at the foot of the stairs Damon said, “I have to speak to you, mother.” Damon’s voice urgent as he cut an eye in Tracker’s direction. “Without Tracker.”
“What are you doing back here?” Tracker questioned. Damon recognized something in Tracker’s voice as if he felt unsure of himself and threatened.
“I was the one who found father. What were you doing, sleeping around or hibernating like a bear? Coming out when winter is over and when you need to eat. Then checking on females to see if you have pups so you can vanish again.”
“I was hibernating with Saadia.” Tracker shot Damon a hard grin showing all of his white teeth and especially his developed incisors.
“Enough!” Adrienne said her eyes meeting Tracker and then Damon. She saw the animosity that had built up between her sons. When Damon turned to leave, Adrienne reached for his hand. “I want both of you in the library, now.”
When they stepped into the library the fireplace was lit. With the weather cold there will be a fire going. Even when it was summer Adrienne asked that a small fire be built for her to read in the library. The house large and now with a few more wings added for her growing family, Adrienne could never get warm.
The werewolves had no problem with the cold, but not her. Only when she snuggled up at night with one of them did she forget how cold she had been.
Their body temperatures were higher than hers and there existed a constant rotation of the brother’s in her bed, until now.
Walking into the library, Adrienne sat on the long sofa close to the fire. She enjoyed the feel of the fire. It gave her a peaceful existence in a chaotic situation. It gave her a feeling of family. This was something she thought she never would have.
Tracker sat near her after helping her to the sofa. He continued to hold her hand. Then Damon sat across from Tracker with a table separating them.
“What is it Damon?” Adrienne said. Damon twitched his fingers and twirled a lock of his hair. “You always do that with your hair when you want to ask me to go against your father.”
He stopped pulling at his hair and looked at Adrienne. “Yes. You always do the same thing. I can remember when you...” Tracker added but cut off by Damon.
“I’m not interested in your story, Tracker,” Damon said. His voice raised. He looked to his mother, “I have a problem.” Damon paused. “I have a girl.” Tracker laughed.
“I’m not talking about Saadia. And she’s not really my girl, but we have an understanding.”
“Now you sound like a human.”
“Stop, Tracker,” Let Damon finish,” Adrienne said her eyes narrow and her forehead furrowed as she frowned at Tracker.
“She’s a werefemale. She had been abandoned at birth, and all she has is me. I can’t send her back to live in a hole in the ground. I have her here in my room.” There grew a deftness in the air. No sounds except for the spark of the wood burning and making clicking sounds in the fireplace.
A long silence carried over until, “I can’t see a problem?” Adrienne said looking to Tracker and then Damon.
“Wilder said I have to send her away because she belongs to the Alaskan pack. He made a treaty with them and by her being here could put our pack in jeopardy.”
“I don’t know how I can help you, Damon. Wilder is the Alpha in this pack. Even if Drayton goes along with you, there is the vote of your father, who is in no shape to vote on anything. And if he comes out of this, he would take Wilder’s side.”
“What about Hunter and Devin?”
“He’s their father and they may go along with Wilder. They have the same mind set. Whatever is good for the pack they will accept it.”
“And you, Tracker, who will you give your vote to?”
“To you, you fool. I’ll do anything to keep you from sniffing after Saadia.” That wasn’t what Damon wanted to hear, but it was better than nothing. Thorn’s not well yet, but he won’t vote against you, either.”
“But I need more,” Damon said.
“I’ll call Harper. He’s coming down for the holidays,” Tracker said.
“What about you, mother?”
“Of course I’ll vote for you to keep the girl. But the way things are now with your father, and Wilder having to give up his bed with me, and me having to lie to Lycell about the babies, it isn’t going to make for a pleasant holiday.”
“When will father get his memory back?”
“No one knows,” Adrienne said looking to Tracker and then to Damon. “I don’t need you fighting each other not now, or ever.” She paused and traded glances with them both. “Robert is calling a friend from San Francisco to come and examine Lycell.” She looked to Damon. “You need to keep the girl away from here so Wilder doesn’t see her, bring her to the cave. Then I’ll talk to him and see if I can make sense with him. I really don’t know what to do now.” Adrienne appeared exhausted.
There wasn’t much she could do. She had been worried over Lycell, and in jeopardy of losing her babies.
The door opened to the library and Drayton entered. “I didn’t know anyone was here.” He walked over to Adrienne and kissed her on the cheek. With his help she stood. “It’s time for Hayden’s morning breakfast.”
“I guess you’ve heard,” Tracker said.
“Yes. About your father. We’ll talk about that later. Now there’s a hungry werewolf pup waiting for his mother. You promised to eat with him,” Drayton added.
“When is Hayden going to high school?” Tracker asked laughing. “Another mama’s boy.”
“I heard that, Tracker.” Drayton said shaking his head but not affected by Tracker’s brand of humor.
Adrienne gave Tracker and Damon a closed smile and left the room with Drayton helping her into the dining room where Hayden sat patiently. At least there were two patient and understanding werewolves in the Samsa family.
Damon was left alone to break the news to Naja. And to tell her that he had to take her back to the cave until his family convened a council meeting to vote on her.