Imogene couldn’t stop a roll of her eyes at his words, though it turned into a glare as she focused on Letty who watched him walk away. She waited until her friend had slumped back into the chair before she demanded, “Whose side are you on, Letecia?”
“You did not just full name me.” Letty accompanied the words with an outraged sound then shoved Imogene’s shoulder. “Yours, forever and always like the song says, but holy crap, Im, you didn’t mention that smile or how charming he is. I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised given his brothers, but I was not expecting that.”
“Ugh, you are not joining the Millers fan club, or I’m revoking your best friend pass,” she said, pointing a finger toward her friend. Letty batted it aside with a quiet laugh followed by a wince. “We need to focus on what happened and get a report for Micah so we’re prepared for the inevitable tribunal that’s going to come from this . . .”
Chapter Twelve
After leaving Imogene with her friend, Landon made his way toward the booth where he’d spotted his youngest siblings earlier. The blood from Tyler’s head seemed to finally be stopping, and the bruises and cuts were largely healed, though Riley still hovered. Even from a distance, he could make out the concern on her face and in her whispered words while Tyler tried to reassure her that he was fine then double-checked the cloth held to his head before putting it down on the table.
“You guys good?” he questioned as he slid into the booth opposite them. Riley offered a small smile to him. “You know Tyler’s head is harder than most rocks plus he has that luscious mane for added cushion.”
“Haha,” came the sarcastic grumble, though the corner of his lips curved into a smile. Tyler’s hand lifted to touch his hair which was loose around his shoulders and streaked with blood. “I broke my damn ponytail holder, but it’s nothing that won’t be healed within the hour. I’m more worried about Letty, but she insisted she was fine, and I should worry about myself.”
Landon laughed, quietly. “Did you tell her you were born with your own personal worry companion?” His words were teasing and earned a roll of Riley’s eyes even as he added, “And we all love you for it, Riles.”
“One day I’m going to find someone new to worry about, and you’ll all miss me,” she informed him.
Despite the skeptical look he sent her way, he had to admit it was nice that some things, like Riley, hadn’t changed in his absence. His little sister had always been a worrier that made them tease her about being old before her time, especially since he and Charlie were both older, though no less reckless; however, it was one of the things he’d always loved best about her, that she didn’t have the complex of a lot of wolves to be the strongest at any cost. So long as the people she cared about were safe, she was happy.
Tyler’s arm wrapped around her neck and gave a squeeze. “I always miss you,” he replied, leaning down to kiss the top of her head before focusing back on him. “Did you get any new details from Letty about what happened?”
He hesitated then repeated the conversation and gave his siblings a chance to think about it. The same suspicion reflected in Tyler’s eyes, though Riley’s frown prompted him to reach across and give her hand a squeeze. She immediately returned it then questioned, “What does Charlie say about everything?”
“I haven’t talked about it with him since he was arguing with Paul when I arrived,” he admitted, though the door opening caught his attention. “Speak of the devil.”
“Don’t call Charlie the devil,” Riley admonished with a frown. “He’s the antichrist, at best.”
He snorted at the unexpected words as Tyler laughed then winced, touching a hand to his bare chest. Part of his skin remained faintly discolored but nowhere near a shade worth worrying over. Likely still sore, though.
Scooting further into the booth, Landon waited for Charlie to join them and noted the tension in his shoulders, his clenched fists, and the yellow light in his eyes that said his wolf was too close to the surface. His hand went to his brother’s back in a show of support as the twins reached across to cover each of his closed fists. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, though another minute passed before he opened his eyes again, back to the familiar brown..
“I take it you couldn’t change Paul’s mind?” The question came from Tyler as he kept contact between them.
“No, the asshole still doesn’t think we should care until something happens to a purebred,” he said, teeth clenched on the last words. Riley’s hand gave his fist a squeeze, “But last time I checked Bordertown isn’t his so I can do whatever I want.”
Landon frowned. “Is shutting down indefinitely something you can do?”
The hesitation gave him the answer he needed before Charlie admitted, “I’d be fine, but I employ a decent chunk of pack members who would need to find work elsewhere for the duration of us being closed. Durand members, too, like Letty.”
“No Langfords, though, right?” He waited for the shake of his brother’s head before questioning, “Are you completely sure that this isn’t some stunt by them? Really think about it, Charlie.”
Even before his brother spoke, Riley interrupted with, “The Langfords don’t gain anything if Bordertown shuts down, and their people get just as much use out of it as us. Do you see anyone else rushing to open a bar this close to werewolf territory?”
He wanted to argue except the fact nothing else had moved this close in the twelve years he’d been gone said plenty. While the human citizens of Worsham didn’t mind their existence, and had always accepted it, few were gungho to spend time in werewolf territory, or open a business there, though Bordertown seemed to have a decent amount of human clientele. However, the majority came with a werewolf friend as a precaution and the others had pack approval so he wasn’t entirely sure that could be counted as trusting the lot of them.
It was strange to think he was looking for things to change yet for every change, he saw two things that hadn’t changed. Maybe it was fate’s twisted way of playing with him, giving him a glimpse of hope only to snatch it away with more reminders that he’d come back to the exact situation he’d left all those years ago.
“What about a compromise?” Tyler finally said as he swiped a bit of leftover blood from his forehead with the dishrag. He tossed it onto the table between them. “Bordertown continues to run, but we up security and pack presence within and outside? No one goes out the back, and I can see about putting in some surveillance around the perimeter so we can keep an eye on what happens outside the doors.”
Charlie nodded. “Matthew had a similar idea a couple months back when the flyers started, but it didn’t seem necessary then.”
Landon started to suggest the pair work together, but the thick scar on Tyler’s chest kept the urge in check. While he wanted to fix the disconnect between them, he didn’t know that this was the right moment even if they did want the same thing. Charlie and Bordertown had enough problems without adding another brawl so he kept the comment to himself, allowing the others to think about next steps.
Thankfully, Charlie seemed to be working out a plan of his own as he continued, “Why don’t you gather what we’ll need, and we can see about doing the install tonight and open back up to regular hours tomorrow night?”
“Does that mean I’m off tonight?” Alexis’ question came from the edge of the booth where she’d walked up with a tray of beers. She passed one to each of them, though he noticed how she didn’t make eye contact with Tyler and carefully avoided physical contact even as she handed him a gray t-shirt with the bar’s logo. “I can group text the others if so.”
The corner of Charlie’s lips lifted into a smile. “Given you still destroy anything electronic in your vicinity, I’d say you’re free to go,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Can you let Letty know she’s free, too? I’ll schedule you both for Saturday to make up the hours if you don’t have plans.”
“Actually, we do,” Riley piped up, fingers tapping against her beer bottle. “Right, L
ex?”
Alexis gave a nod then held up a hand and stage-whispered, “But they’re super secret, and no amount of wings will convince me to share.” Her hand dropped and her voice went back to normal. “Since the emergency is over, you want to go grab food, Ri? My treat.”
Landon’s eyebrows rose at the stage-whispering, but he didn’t say a word as Tyler slid out the booth and pulled on the celan shirt while Riley scooted out. He watched them go then questioned, “Should we worry about her plans? I mean, Alexis has always been a little . . .”
Charlie shook his head and drained half his beer in a single swallow. “Nah, she’s less reckless than when growing up, especially since it’s just the two of them now,” he said, though the guilty look from Tyler wasn’t missed. “Sorry, Ty.”
“It’s fine. I know I screwed up, but they still take care of each other so I’m going to go see about surveillance things like we talked about,” Tyler said before heading toward the door with a call back of, “I should be back in about an hour.”
Landon waited until it was just him to question, “Is it always like that when they’re in the same room?”
A laugh met his words. “Are you kidding? That was one of their better interactions,” he said before standing from the booth himself. He drained the remains of his beer in a single gulp. “You mind keeping an eye on things here until Ty returns? I want to make sure the kids got to Matthew’s okay.”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll practice my bartending skills,” he said then regretted it at the look sent his way. “And I’ll pay for anything I break, promise. Go call your kids, and when you return, I will have an old-fashioned waiting for you that will convince you to hire me.”
“Or you could just ask for a job like a normal person.”
“And face accusations of nepotism? I would never!” His hands came over his heart in a dramatic gesture before he added, “Besides where’s the fun in that? I have to prove my worth.”
Even as he made the words a joke, Landon couldn’t help but think the words were a little more true than he wanted. While he’d been let back into the pack and accepted by most of his family, he still had a long way to go to belong again and what better place to start than the heart of it all? Hopefully his skills had survived a fair amount of disuse over the years to avoid having to replace too much of Charlie’s stock since funds were limited without a full-time job.
Maybe he should have just asked with the job and been done with it.
Chapter Thirteen
A largely empty house greeted Landon as he stepped inside after far too many hours setting up the new security at Bordertown. It hadn’t been hard work, though having a front row seat to the tension hanging between Matthew and Tyler had made it seem almost oppressive. He’d kept to himself behind the bar aside from a comment here or there, but the good news was he had a shift tomorrow night; however, he still needed to talk to his mother about what Imogene had said at lunch.
Pausing in the large living room, he looked around a minute then called, “Mom?”
The single word echoed back to him within the space, though it felt like an eternity before he heard, “I’m out back, Landon.”
His shoes and socks were kicked off and a beer retrieved from the fridge then he headed out the back door of the kitchen. A small fire burned in the large fire pit maybe a yard up from the water while his mother sat in a wooden chair, legs stretched out and bare feet propped on the bricks making up the pit.
He settled into the chair opposite her and questioned, “Is Riley still out with Alexis?”
“Yeah, she’s off tomorrow so they’re making the most of tonight,” she said before lifting her glass to take a drink. “I take it you’ve been at Bordertown with your brothers?”
He gave a nod and stared into the flames. “Charlie told you about the attack?” he guessed, glancing over to see her reaction.
There wasn’t much of one, but he did notice her brows furrow and the worried lines on either side of her mouth. “He did. He also mentioned that you showed up with Imogene Durand.”
The frown lines increased as she focused on him then questioned, “Are you two picking up old habits?”
He barely held back a derisive snort that his mother would call Imogene a habit, but he had to admit that he’d woken up with a need to see her. A need to talk to her, to reconnect. From the minute he’d seen her on the stage at Micah’s side, he’d been struck by a need to see and talk to her again despite the Herculean efforts she’d put into ignoring him. Maybe habit was the best term.
“I happened to stop by the library,” he replied before giving his attention back to the crackling flames. “Although she did tell me about an interesting new law that you and Scott passed.”
His mother’s shoulders tensed while she took a drink from her glass. “Oh, which law? We’ve passed several in your lengthy absence.”
Despite keeping his gaze on the flames, his peripheral vision kept an eye on her face as he said, “The one that says the only way for the Miller and Langford packs to get new members is by blood or marriage which severely limits our abilities to grow numbers. Sounds a little elitist.”
“Changes were necessary,” came the vague reply. “You’ll understand once you’re used to pack life again.”
Landon raised his brows. “Since when does Scott get a say in how our pack life runs? You said more than once growing up that he was full of hot air and self-importance yet now you’re siding with him against Micah?”
“No one is against Micah,” she said, tossing back the last of her drink. “It was just necessary, for our own packs, to limit the acceptance rate for outsiders. It’s really not a big deal, Landon.”
“You mean limit turneds ruining the perfect Miller line. Does Charlie agree it isn’t a big deal?” he questioned as he gave up staring into the fire to focus on her. Only a glimpse of the guilt in her eyes provided an answer. “Huh, so I’m guessing he accepted your vague reasons, but I’m not going to do that. What does Scott have on you?”
“Nothing.”
The denial came too quickly, and she suddenly stood from the chair, striding down toward the water’s edge. He could see the tension that still lingered in her shoulders, though he gave her only a minute’s head start before abandoning his own beer to follow her.
“The truth, Mom,” he said, wading into the water beside her. “Why would you agree to something that limits our growth? I mean, I realize you prefer purebreds, but the fact you’ve kept Alexis close says you don’t actually believe in Scott’s purebred bullshit.”
His mother continued to frown at the water while the silence stretched, though finally, she admitted, “Your father made a deal with Scott before his death without telling me. I only found out because Scott brought the deal up eight years ago, just after Riley and Tyler turned eighteen.”
A curious glance went to her. “Was it something related to them?”
She nodded, mutely and her hands tucked themselves into her pockets as she waded out a bit deeper. “Due to past successes, your father thought an arranged marriage between Riley and Paul would be good for pack relations as well as the next generation of wolves,” she explained, eyes fixed on something in the distance. “It was supposed to take effect on her eighteenth birthday.”
Landon’s frown deepened before he demanded, “Why the hell would Dad pair Riley to that asshole? And does Charlie know? Or Riley for that matter?”
His mother’s guilty look gave him his answer, but he forced himself to wait out the silence. The anger simmering below the surface was his own and his wolf’s, though he took several deep breaths to keep it contained since lashing out would help nothing. A low growl tried to push its way free, but he pushed the urge down and stared out at the calm water surrounding their feet, catching an occasional glimpse of a fish.
“Only Scott and I know which is how it’s going to stay,” she said with a threatening look to match her tone. “I agreed to support Scott’s new law, and he wouldn’t require us
to go through with the arranged marriage. Riley would be able to have her own life, to go to college and pursue her photography, and it would just go away.”
“So Dad didn’t tell you?” he questioned, staring hard into her eyes. “Don’t lie to me, Mom.”
“No, but it was your father’s signature on the paper that Scott brought.” Her eyes remained locked at his while she spoke, letting him know the words were true despite how they angered him. “I assume he wanted to ensure strong heirs for the next generation since you were focused on Imogene back then and Tyler didn’t show any signs of settling down.”
“Like Charlie.”
The words came out with more bite than he’d intended, but he couldn’t stop the old flash of anger at being compared to his perfect older brother. An older brother who’d chosen his perfect purebred mate at seventeen and popped out two purebred heirs in less than three years to ensure the Miller line stayed strong. Half of why he’d joined the Chaos’ Sons was to escape Charlie’s shadow except returning home had placed him back in it along with the rest of them.
“I didn’t say that.”
“But it was implied like always,” he said before turning away and wading back out of the water. Bits of dirt and grass stuck to his damp feet and soaked cuffs of his jeans, but he paid them no mind on his way back to the firepit. “No one in this family will ever be as perfect as Charlie and Jane.”
His sensitive hearing picked up her approaching footsteps as she informed him, “You’re being childish.”
“If wanting to be valued for me and not compared to him for the rest of my life is childish then yeah, I guess I am,” he replied as he grabbed his beer. “Luckily, you have two others under your thumb, four if we count Eliana and Elliot, so plenty of people to fall in line with your demands.”
Rule of Claw: Wolves of Worsham #1 Page 7
