“Samsaville. Our town. We have a town?”
“Yes. Our town. Yours, mine, Drayton, and Adrienne. And our children.” Lycell closed his eyes searching his mind trying to understand how this came about.
“So you’re saying we own Samsaville. How? Why?”
“Because it was a gift from our grandfather and grandmother and our father and mother gave us all this land and money.”
“We did nothing but inherit it?” Lycell said pleased.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Nothing rarely is. Like you coming to see about my wife.” Lycell as usual wouldn’t let that die. When Wilder glanced at Adrienne she was stirring. It must have been the nonstop conversation between Wilder and Lycell that woke her.
“What time is it?” She asked wiping the sleep from her eyes. Then looking down at her stomach. “I’m hungry.”
“It’s still early the sun hasn’t risen yet. I’ll have the cook bring you something.” Wilder glanced at the table with the empty tray laying on it which held berries and milk, ice cream and the bone from a steak Wilder ordered cooked for her. The tray lay empty except for a bone and a large empty bowl that had contained ice cream.
“Is that what Adrienne’s is eating?”
“I’m pregnant and my babies need their nourishment,” Adrienne said smiling at Lycell.
She tried getting out of bed. Lycell and Wilder rushed to her at the same time. They glared at each other. Then Lycell held out his hands. Taking his hand she stood close to him her stomach touching his body. The warmth of it sent passion burning through him and lighting a fire he couldn’t contain.
“I want to rub your stomach.” He looked up at Wilder. He could see something carnal in his eyes, but Lycell threw it off as just Wilder being jealous because he didn’t have a wife. Lycell leaned down to kiss her and before he could raise his hand to touch her, in walked Tracker.
Tracker stood in the doorway and sauntered in with his helmet in his hand and said, “I got here as soon as I could.”
“And who is this? Another brother that I can’t remember.”
Adrienne turned and walked to the bay-window and sat on a cushion. Lycell moved with her holding on to him and she said, “No. He’s your son.”
“I don’t think I’m old enough to have a son his age,” Lycell said with a raised eyebrow as he regarded Tracker suspiciously. One that tattoos his body.
“And what age is that, father? If I remember, you’re sporting a few tattoos yourself.” Tracker moved closer and stood over Lycell and then kissed Adrienne on her cheek.
“What is that father?” He pointed to a heart on the muscle of Lycell’s arm. In that heart were the letters L and A forever.
“I need to speak with you, Tracker. Now,” Wilder said. When Tracker looked at Wilder’s eyes changing colors from light blue to a deeper darker blue, he knew something was up.
Wilder immediately ushered Tracker out of the room into the hall leaving Lycell and Adrienne together.
“What’s up with father, Uncle Wilder?”
“Didn’t Saadia tell you?”
“Not much. We weren’t doing much talking.” And he smiled at Wilder. Wilder kept a passive expression. All business, Tracker thought. “I think she did say that he had lost his memory.”
“Not only has he lost his memory...”
“He appears to know mother,” Tracker added.
“She’s the only one. We can’t tell him we’re werewolves not the way he’s behaving this time. I don’t know what he’s capable of doing. I wish you would stay a little longer.”
Wilder put his arm on Tracker’s shoulder. He was never close to Wilder. Wilder left when he was a pup only coming back occasionally. As head of the pack, Wilder had to make sure the Alaskan pack wouldn’t drag everyone into a war, which Wilder thought would be the end to all werewolves in the Americas.
Lycell refused to head the council meetings and so Wilder took the reins for the good of the pack, which gave Lycell the greatest influence with Adrienne until now.
“I guess I can’t leave not with father behaving like a human. I’ll stay at the apartment.”
“Don’t have Robert’s daughter live with you. He’s concerned about Saadia because you haven’t declared her as your mate, but instead you’re sleeping with her and maybe ruining her for anyone else.”
“You’re asking a lot of me.” Tracker stepped to the side and turned away from Wilder. He took a chance doing that to his Alpha. But as far as he was concerned, he was a rogue and why start now trying to be anything else other than what he is.
“I know you don’t like rules and you object to being a part of a pack, but you’re a werewolf and you have obligations to your family and your pack. Your grandfather set out rules and those rules are to be followed no matter where you are. Those rules were put in place so we can survive. And once you stop looking for something better than what you have here, you’ll understand and come back home. But until then, try to follow those rules.”
Wilder took a step and slapped Tracker on the back and left him standing in the hall thinking.
Tracker glanced around to see him disappear through the door and up the walk to the stables. He turned and opened the door a little to watch at his father and mother. He had never seen his father so happy and his mother so sad.
He pushed the door open wider. “It’s time for you to get some rest father and for mother to see to her baby.”
“What baby?” Lycell said with alarm in his voice. Tracker had to watch what he said to Lycell. He looked to Adrienne and her eyes opened wide not knowing what to tell Lycell.
“Drayton’s baby. Your brother. You know you’re one of triplets.” He looked to Tracker, “I guess you’ll tell me that you have more brothers.”
“Well, there are six of us.”
“Six? How did that happen? And now we’ll having more babies? I guess I was pretty busy,” he chuckled. Adrienne could only smile. It was a weak smile. “There is you, Tracker.”
“And Damon. Then Thorn and Harper...”
“Stop. It will take me time to get used to you. I don’t want to hear anymore and what kind of name is Tracker, Damon, and Thorn. Sounds like something you call a dog.” Tracker had managed to distract Lycell’s attention away from Drayton and Adrienne’s son. He blinked with relief.
Adrienne quiet for a moment, then she said to Lycell, “It’s time for you to get your rest. You’re going to need it.” It had an ominous sound to that, Lycell thought. But with all the newborns to care for, and think about, he would need his rest.
When Tracker brought Lycell to the hospital, Adrienne insisted on following them. She needed to make sure he had taken his medication and was sleeping. Lycell made her fearful. Knowing Lycell, she didn’t know what he was capable of doing next.
Chapter 17
“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.
Chapter 18
When Damon arrived at the cave with Naja, the neurologist was pulling into a parking space in front of a hardware store in Samsaville. Robert waited for him, climbed out of his car, walked over to the SUV to greet him when he stepped out. He extended his hand out for a warm handshake. The two men embraced instead.
“It’s good to see you again, John.”
“And you to, Robert. I thought I would never see you once you left for Alaska. Thought maybe a bear had eaten you. You did go there to study bears?”
“Well not quite. It’s a long story.”
“It’s always like that with you, Robert. “How’s the wife and children?”
“You’re staying with us. You can see for yourself.” Robert fiddled with his keys. “There is some things I didn’t tell you when I called you. I thought it best to see you face to face and tell you about the situation you’re getting ready to walk into.”
Robert leaned on his car and told him about his wife Mena and that she was a werewolf. His children were as well, but half human and half werewolf. Then he continued by revealing that John would be treating a werewolf, but he didn’t know he was one.
After standing and listening to Robert for fifteen minutes with his mouth ajar, John shrugged and said, “Well, I think we should get going. I’m eager to see this werewolf who has amnesia. Sounds like retrograde memory to me. But I can’t be sure until I test him.”
Robert knew John was the kind of man who thought anything was possible and that’s why he contacted him. John wrote papers for a fringe newspaper on the existence of aliens. He floated the notion werewolves existed before Robert discovered that they actually did exist. He even said that he could prove there were ghost, witches, and goblins. And there were vampires waiting to control the universe.
“You can’t tell him that he’s a werewolf. He won’t believe it anyway,” Robert said. “And you have to keep the Samsa’s secret. They will pay you handsomely for your discretion.”
“Frankly that’s a hard tale to swallow. But I’m a scientist, so I’ll keep an open mind.” John juggled his keys in both hands and then turned heading for his car. Walking away thinking about his conversation with Robert, he couldn’t wait to get started with this case.
John strolled in the direction of his rental. He had an afterthought and stopped midway and said, “What will happen if I do tell someone?”
“I don’t think I will ever see you again, or the person you confide in,” Robert said starting the motor.
“Well that’s enough for me to keep their secret. I’d rather have the money and my life,” he murmured. “That will pay for a lot of research.” John strode to his car and stepped in. Then as Robert drove pass, John followed him to the Samsa’s home.
When they parked their cars and exited at the ranch, John stood looking at the stun
ning view. A large home two stories, backed against a snow capped mountain range with beautiful lush thick forest, and healthy oak and pine trees marking the perimeters of the property.
To his right a large white fence with horses running free and small dogs yelping and large dogs barking. In a distance he saw someone riding, and next to him on an equally large horse a teenager. From what Robert could tell it was Drayton teaching his son to ride bareback.
“Come. You have time to see this place later.” John hurried to meet Robert and they walked together and before they reached the hospital Adrienne was hobbling out the door.
“You shouldn’t be out here in this cold,” Robert cautioned Adrienne.
John didn’t see the pregnant Adrienne, all he saw was the glow a woman has when she’s pregnant. And she must have had an unbelievable glow because John stood in one spot speechless. He held out his hand.
“Adrienne, this is John Wanamaker a specialist I called in to examine Lycell. John, this is Mrs. Samsa. I think I told you about her.”
“No. I’m afraid you didn’t.” He held on to Adrienne’s hand until Wilder walked out of the stable. He stalked behind John.
“This is Wilder Samsa, John Wannamaker.” John extended his hand with an open smile but Wilder glanced at him and didn’t say a word. Wilder took Adrienne’s hand as if she was his prize horse who had come up lame, and he helped her to the house.
“Well he’s not one to waste words. He’s a scary one and overly possessive of his wife.”
“He’s not the one you have to be afraid of, it’s Lycell. A cunning hard singled focused werewolf who cares for his wife and his sons above all else. He’s the one you have to examine. Be careful of what you say to him. And don’t mention his wife Adrienne.”
John stopped before entering the hospital at the open door Robert held patiently waiting for him to walk through. “You mean she’s married to him, too.” His voice lifting with interest.
“Not legally. She’s married to Drayton.”
“Do I have to be careful with him?” John asked.
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