by Lynn Lorenz
“Makes sense. Kids aren’t born with that stuff. Hate is learned.”
Scott groaned and rubbed his hand over his face. “Now I have to ask some poor member of the pack to take these boys in to raise here in St. Jerome. Charles will do his first change soon. They need to stay here, and, frankly, there’s no related family I can find to take them. Not here, anyway.”
“Maybe Wyatt had some friends?”
Scott snorted. “If he did, do I really want to give those kids to another asshole jerk?”
“What about Marie’s friends?”
“Marie’s friend, Ginnie, has the boys for the next few days, and she’ll keep them until we find someone to take them, as a favor to Marie. But she told me she couldn’t take the boys. She’s afraid of what Charles might do to her own son.”
“God. That’s awful. I feel sorry for that kid.” Ted had a mom and dad still living, even if his dad had taken a huge step back from their relationship. Losing a parent had to be awful, but losing both? He couldn’t even imagine it.
“Sorry for him?” Scott snorted.
“Yeah. With a dad like his, no wonder the kid is a bully and rude. All he’s had is his dad to model himself on as a man, and it’s a piss-poor one if you ask me.” Ted got up and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and started pulling out ingredients for their meal.
“You’re right. But man, that kid just pushed my buttons. Now I understand why some folks hit their kids. It’s awful, I know, but it took a lot of restraint not to get physical.”
“I hear you. I met a few kids during my time on the force who took all my strength not to smack upside the head.” Ted placed the bread on two plates. “What did you do?”
“I used the alpha voice to remind him who was alpha and sheriff.”
“Did it work?” Ted cocked an eyebrow. He’d heard Scott use that voice a time or two at a few of the pack meetings to bring the unruly in line.
“Yeah. Shut him up, but he was still pissed as hell at me. Like I’d killed his dad.”
“Shot the messenger, huh?”
“Bull’s-eye.” Scott chuckled.
“As a cop, I’ve seen a lot of kids who could have gone down the right road, but without guidance…they were lost. He needs guidance. Morals. A decent man to look up to.” Ted poured the can of soup into a pan. “Tomato okay?”
“Grilled cheese?”
“You got it.” Ted winked. “One or two?”
“Make it two. Wolf metabolism.”
“Riiight.” Ted rolled his eyes before turning back to the stove. He’d heard that excuse too many times. It wasn’t fair. Scott could eat any amount of anything and not gain weight. Ted had to work out a couple of times a week to keep in shape.
Scott exhaled. “I’m worried about tonight. I just know no one is going to take those kids.”
“If they don’t, then what?”
“CPS, I guess. They’ll have to go into the foster system.”
“But they’re werewolves. Or will be.”
“I know. It’s a cluster fuck no matter what happens.” Scott scrubbed his hands over his face.
“It’s a shame. Thank God it’s not our problem.” Ted ladled the soup into bowls and then set them on the counter. “Soup first while I work on the sandwiches.”
They ate, but Ted could see Scott found it hard to get the second sandwich down with worrying about those boys and their situation.
They’d know the fate of Wyatt’s boys in a few hours when the meeting started.
Ted hoped someone would step forward and take the boys because it sounded as if putting them in the foster system would be a horrible mistake for everyone.
»»•««
Scott leaned against the podium placed at the head of the room as Ted and Mike set out chairs for the pack meeting.
“Good luck with finding a place for those boys.” Mike snorted. “That Charles is a handful if you ask me. Having Wyatt for a father didn’t do him any favors.”
“I’m sure someone will step forward.” Ted frowned. “After all, it’s not like the kids have nothing. They’ll inherit the house and everything, won’t they? If it’s managed well, they should have enough for some income and maybe pay for college.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Scott groaned. “Guess I need to speak to a financial planner for the boys.”
“And a lawyer.” Ted nodded. “All this fostering or adopting will need to be legal.”
“Right.” Scott’s head swam at this new responsibility. Had Bobby dealt with anything like this in his days as pack alpha? When Bobby got there, Scott was going to bend his ear for a while. The number of questions on Scott’s list kept growing.
But with Ginnie keeping the boys for a few days, he had time to figure it all out.
The first of the members came through the doors, and he greeted them. Ted and Mike took their places in chairs facing the crowd on either side of the podium as Scott’s mate and his beta.
It felt good, reassuring, to have the two men backing him up, knowing they’d stand by him no matter what. And Scott spotted his deputy, Billy, and his mate, Peter, the second gay couple to come out to the pack and be recognized. He nodded as they made their way toward the front of the chairs and took seats.
With the addition of Bobby, who came out only last October when he met his new mate, Mark, their pack had been changing its mindset and definition of “mate” and “family.” And that was a good thing.
His mother came in, waved to him, and took a seat with a few of her older friends from the church. Even though his father had died when Scott was a teen, she’d never remarried and was still a part of the pack, and since he was a werewolf, she always would be.
He waited as the chairs filled. Everyone mumbled to each other, some with worried faces, others questioning, and some a little annoyed. Being called for a last-minute meeting meant putting lives on hold, finding babysitters, calling on grandparents, because as many members of the pack as possible, werewolves and their mates, had to attend.
Men and women were allowed to vote, even if the women didn’t shift, and Scott was glad that was the pack rule because it had been those women’s votes that allowed him to claim Ted as his mate. Without them, he didn’t think the men of the pack would have voted for it. Or accepted Billy and Peter. But they hadn’t stunned the pack the way Bobby had when he brought a man, Mark, to claim as his mate, especially since Bobby had been married for over twenty years to Carol before she died.
A few stragglers, including Bobby and Mark, came in and hunted for seats in the back or stood against the glass windows of the strip center space. It was a few minutes past the hour. Time to start.
“I’m sorry for calling this meeting at the last minute, and if it wasn’t so serious, I wouldn’t have dragged you away from your families. I’ve got some bad news.” He paused and looked around. Several women took their mates’ hands. “We’ve kept it sort of quiet, but this morning there was a wreck on the interstate at the exit to St. Jerome. Two fatalities were involved, and they were pack.” Many people looked around, probably trying to see who wasn’t here. “Wyatt Boudreau and his wife, Marie, were the victims.”
A collective gasp and then silence. A few women hugged each other or cried. Some of the men shifted in their seats, unwilling to make a show of their feelings.
“Now I know it’s a shock to all of us. Even me. Despite Wyatt and me having our differences, he and Marie were pack, and their deaths are a loss to all of us. He’ll be missed as a firefighter”—he turned to acknowledge Mike, who nodded—“and as a friend by some of you. Marie will be missed by many, I’m sure.”
“She was good people,” someone offered. Others nodded.
“This brings me to why the big secrecy, as some of you may be wondering. Wyatt and Marie left two boys, Charles and Timothy, and we wanted to tell them before everyone started talking about it. No reason for them to learn that the wrong way.” Scott glanced around the room to the nods of agreement. Goo
d. He’d done something right.
He continued, “As you know, these boys need to stay with the pack. They have no immediate relatives that we can find, other than Marie’s parents. Both of them are in ill health and probably can’t take them on, but I’ll discuss the situation with them. They live in Baton Rouge, and I’m not even sure if they know about the pack.”
His mother paled, and for a moment, he thought she might faint, but she straightened in her chair. What was that about? He’d ask later if he remembered.
“I’m going to need some help.” Scott swallowed. “First, I need a couple of people to help with the funeral service. The boys can’t make those kinds of decisions. The pack will pay for the funeral expenses from the fund set aside for this sort of thing.”
A few women raised their hands. Matt, Ginnie’s husband, stood. “Ginnie said to tell you she’d get a few of Marie’s friends to pull it together, Scott. Don’t worry, she’s got it covered.”
“Tell her thanks, Mark. I’ll leave it to her.”
Matt sat, and a few of the women told him they’d help also. Scott waited until their chatter quieted down.
“Second.” Scott leaned on the podium and looked out into the room, catching a few of the members’ gazes. “Those boys need a home. Here in the pack. I know it’s a lot to ask, but is there anyone out there who can take them in? They’ll need to be fostered or adopted. Once Wyatt and Marie’s estate has been settled, they should have some money, so it’s not like you’d have to take on all the financial responsibility for them forever. That can get worked out with the lawyer and such later, but for now, I need someone to step forward.”
No one said a word.
“Ginnie and Matt have them now, but they can’t keep them. So I need someone to be ready to take them in a few days or so.”
Again no one moved or spoke. People stared at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing they’d ever seen. This did not bode well.
Scott turned to Mike, eyebrows raised. Mike shrugged. Scott glanced at Bobby, but the big man only frowned.
“Frankly, I’m surprised, folks. This pack has always stood together. Can I ask for some honesty here? Why? Why not take them in?”
People looked at each other. It was Matt who stood. “I didn’t know Wyatt well. Never wanted to. I know some of you were friends with him, but I’ve always thought he was a bully and…not the sort of man I wanted to hang out with. Now, his little boy Timmy and my boy are in kindergarten together and are friends. But Charles? That boy is trouble.” Matt looked around. “I’m thinking that’s what’s holding most of us back, am I right?”
Heads nodded. One of the firefighters stood. “Wyatt was a good firefighter. Did his work and such, but…his boy has a reputation. He’s a troublemaker at school. Fights. Bullying. Most of the parents here know that. Kid’s got issues. Not many want to bring that problem into their home. Sorry, Scott. It’s just the way it is. If it were just Timmy, I’m sure he’d find a home.”
“Breaking up the boys is not an option.” Scott refused to let that happen. They needed each other, and having their parents ripped from them was hard enough.
Scott exhaled. “So, no one.” He turned to Ted, whose brows were knitted together.
“Okay. If I can’t find anyone in two days, I’m going to have to turn the boys over to CPS. Maybe they can find someone here in the area to take them in. It puts all of us at risk. They’d have to learn about the pack because Charles should be having his first shift soon.”
He shook his head. “I guess the meeting is over.” He couldn’t think of any other words to say to convince anyone, and he certainly couldn’t force anyone to take them.
Now what the hell was he going to do?
Chapter Six
Scott watched as the room emptied. The only people left were Ted, his momma, Mike, Billy, Peter, Bobby, and Mark. Each of the men approached the front and shook his hand. His momma just sat in one of the front row chairs, clutching her purse and staring at the floor.
“So. What do I do now?” Scott looked to Bobby. “Has this ever happened to you?”
“Nope. Son, this is something you’re going to have to deal with on your own. I can only tell you to do the right thing for those boys, and we both know it’s not handing them over to CPS.”
“I know.” Scott sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I just don’t know what to do.”
Mike leaned against the wall, his arms folded. “You know we can’t let them out of our protection. If that boy shifts without a safe place and someone there to guide him, it’ll be a disaster. Either he dies, or we’ll have to answer why there’s a werewolf.”
“Protect the pack is the first rule. We all know that.” Billy spoke up. “But those boys are part of the pack. And they have no one to protect them.”
“Except us.” Scott stood. “Can I speak to you for a minute, Ted?”
Ted glanced around, then followed Scott to the side of the room. They leaned against the wall as close as they could without touching. Scott looked into Ted’s eyes and braced himself for what he had to say.
“I can see the wheels turning, Scott. What do you have in mind?”
“It’s obvious to me there is only one solution to this right now.”
“Really? Please tell me, ’cause I got nothing.” Ted spread his hands.
“We take the boys.”
“What?” Ted lowered his voice. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Listen to me. It’s only for a little while. We need to get Charles through the change. Get their legal situation and inheritance straightened out. Maybe until school starts. Then we can find someone else.”
“You heard them. Who’s going to take Charles?”
“Maybe we can help him. Turn him around and put him on the right path.” Scott touched Ted’s arm. “I’ve always wanted kids. Now’s the time to see if I’ve got the stuff it takes to be a father.”
“That’s fine for you, but I told you before, I’m not ready.”
“But this isn’t permanent. You can deal with two boys for a few months. You’re a part of the pack and my mate, and with that comes responsibility.” Scott stared deep into Ted’s eyes.
“I didn’t bargain for this. When you said kids, I was thinking in a few years. And we’d maybe do the surrogate-mom thing, where they really were ours. If not, then kids we chose to adopt. This is a bad idea, Scott.”
“I really don’t have a choice.”
“Well, I do. Have you thought of what it would mean to us to have two kids around? How it would change our lives?” Ted shook his head. “Hell, you just finally admitted you love me. This is going to put a huge strain on our relationship.”
Scott took Ted’s hand. “We can do it. We’re solid, right? You love me, I love you. Our relationship can handle a couple of kids for a few months.”
Ted rolled his eyes. “What will the pack say about this? It’s going to be one hell of a hard sell. The pack might put up with having gay members, but having any of us raising those boys? It’ll be a war, I tell you.”
“Well, if they disagree, then they can take them.” Scott got his stubborn-as-a-mule look on his face, and he meant business.
“But both of us have jobs. I’ve just started a case, even if it’s only part-time. And what about my art? You don’t expect me to just stop painting. This leaves me to care for those boys during the rest of the time, not you. You’re working the day shifts.”
“I know. I know it’s asking a lot from you, Ted, and I wouldn’t if I had any other answer.”
Ted growled. “I’m not the motherly type, wolf. I’m not even sure I like kids. Mr. Mom, I’m not.”
“It’s only for a few months.”
“Who’s going to watch them while we’re both at work?”
Scott raised his eyes to the ceiling. After a moment, a thought hit him.
“You know, my maman was praying again.”
“Uh-oh. What for this time?”
“
For us to have kids.”
“Hol-y shit!” Ted hissed. “So that’s why she’s been so meek and mild and quiet.” He glanced at her, and Scott followed his gaze.
“I think so. And this time, I think we can get her ‘praying’ to work for us. Back me up.” Scott jerked his head to signal Ted to follow him, and he walked over to his mother.
“Maman?”
She looked up at him as she clutched the purse to her chest. “Yes?” Her gaze wouldn’t meet his. He had her. Scott squatted next to her.
“Maman. Ted and I will take the boys, but we need you to watch them while we’re at work. Just temporarily, until we can find someone to take them permanently. Okay?”
“But…I’m too old to fool around with little kids,” she mumbled.
“Oh no. You can’t pray for grandkids one day and then say you’re too old for them the next.” He leveled a hard stare at her. “Besides, I’m thinking this would be good practice for you, for the future.”
“That boy of Wyatt’s no good. You heard everyone.”
“He’s just a kid. He had a bad influence, is all. I’m sure you can whip him into shape, just like you did me. And I turned out all right, didn’t I?”
She looked up at him. Her bottom lip quivered. “It’s my fault, son. It’s all my fault.”
“What is?”
“I prayed for you to get kids, and then Wyatt and Marie are dead, and now you got kids.” Her eyes filled and spilled as she clutched his hand. “I never meant that to happen, Scott. Never. I didn’t want anyone hurt. I’m so sorry.”
Scott sat back on his heels. “I guess it’s a case of be careful what you wish for.”
More tears spilled, and Scott’s heart hurt. “Now, Maman, you got to know the truth. Nothing you did caused that accident. It was all Wyatt, rushing and taking a chance that didn’t pay out.” He patted her hand. “Please, will you help us? Will you help those boys?”
“Sure. Whatever you need. I owe it to the children.” She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with a hankie she pulled from her purse.
“Good.” Scott stood and turned to the rest of the men. He motioned for Ted to stand next to him. This would be a lot easier than telling the pack.
