(Mis)fortune (23 page)

I looked at Charlene.  She watched me with concern, but I noticed dark circles under her eyes that hadn’t been there a moment ago.  Perhaps now wasn’t the best time to ask to shake her hand again.  Whatever had happened to me, something must have happened to her, too.

All the werewolves around me were watching expectantly, waiting for me to offer an explanation for my weird behavior.  If only I had one.

“Sorry, I’m a little tired.”  I gave Charlene a weak smile then glanced at Emmitt’s father.  He met my eyes directly and though I could see he didn’t believe me, he didn’t appear upset about it.  Instead, he nodded in greeting.  I could see where Emmitt got his height and coloring from.

“This is Thomas,” Charlene said, continuing with the introductions.  I was glad Emmitt’s father didn’t hold out his hand.  “And you already met our friends, Mary and Gregory.”

I smiled and said a quiet hello to the others.

“Nana told us some of what you’ve been through.  I wanted to let you know that we will do everything we can to protect you and your brothers so you can feel safe here.”  Her earnest expression lent credence to her sincerity.  “We’ll let you get some sleep and see you at breakfast.”  She turned her warm gaze on Emmitt and gave him a quick hug before leaving.  Mary and Gregory followed the pair out.

“I’ll see you after breakfast,” Nana said, leaving as well.

Jim remained with us, closing the door behind Nana.  “If it’s okay with you, I’ll stay on the couch tonight.”

He glanced at Emmitt when he said it, but I answered.  “That’s fine.  The boys will probably wake you up in about two hours, though.”  I liked knowing he would be between us and the door while we slept.

“I can handle it.”  He stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes.

Emmitt said nothing.  He pulled me toward the back of the apartment, down a short hallway, and nudged open the door on the right.  I peeked in.

Dim, pre-dawn light illuminated two small bumps under the covers of the full-sized bed.  I stepped forward and pulled back the light quilt so I could see them clearly.  They both lay on their sides, facing each other.

I bent to give them kisses and gently touched their cheeks before covering them up again.  The fear that sat heavily in my stomach since seeing Frank and his friend fight Nana Wini wasn’t for me.  It was for them.  I hated feeling so helpless.

Crossing the room, I pulled the curtains on the window closed.  It would give Jim a few more minutes of sleep.

Emmitt stepped into the room.  I waited by the door while he smoothed back the hair from each boy’s head.  When he finished checking on them, he motioned me into the hallway and pulled the door partially closed behind him as he left.  He had werewolf hearing, but I didn’t and appreciated the consideration.  With their door cracked open, I’d hear them when they woke.

We walked across the hall to another bedroom, which mirrored the boys’ room.  Emmitt flipped on the switch so I could see clearly.  The full-sized bed and matching dark dresser complemented the forest green walls.  Sheets and a light quilt covered the bed.  An extra quilt lay folded on a trunk at the foot of the bed.  Our bags rested on top of the spare quilt.

Staring at the bags, I felt a blush crept into my cheeks.  Did he plan to sleep with me?  When he’d suggested sharing a bed last night, I thought he’d been kidding.

I could feel him standing behind me, waiting for my reaction. Too much was coming at me too fast.  Thinking of him...us...right now made my head hurt.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“How about don’t hog the covers or I’ll push your furry butt to the floor,” Jim called from the living room.

Emmitt snorted behind me, and I turned to look at him.

“I just want sleep.  I won’t get it out there with Jim or if I’m further away from you than the next room.”

I recalled what he said about having a hard time sleeping away from me and sighed as I nodded my acceptance of the situation.

Quirking a smile, I quoted Jim.  “Hog the covers and I’ll push your furry butt to the floor.”

He grinned in return.

“Now, go away so I can change.”  He obliged, and I quickly changed into the pajamas he’d packed for me then slid under the covers.  “Okay.  I’m decent.”

I rolled onto my side, facing away from the door so he could change if he wanted to.  Listening, I heard him enter, the rasp of the zipper, and the rustle of clothes.  I closed my eyes while wondering if he felt as self-conscious as I did.

He stepped to my side, surprising me enough that I opened my eyes.  I saw his loose shorts as he reached up and closed the curtains, and I mentally breathed a sigh of relief.  He moved to his side and slid into bed beside me but didn’t reach for me.

We lay quietly, side-by-side, and I wondered if he could still smell my fear or if all my other emotions where flooding it out.

“I’m sorry about in the truck before.  You’re right.  I don’t need to be afraid right now.  I need to be strong and face whatever happens.  I just don’t want to drag anyone else down into my problems.  I wish there was a way I could face Blake and still keep my brothers safe.”

Emmitt rolled to his side so he faced me.  “We will find a way.”

He moved his hand, lightly resting it on my side.  I didn’t mind.  The warmth of his palm soothed me to sleep.

A few hours later, the boys burst into the bedroom, and I heard them pause when they saw two lumps under the covers.  Either Emmitt had been sleeping deeply or Jim had set us up.  I lifted myself up on my elbow, trying to play it cool.

“Good morning, you two.  Is Jim awake?”  They both nodded.  “Good, tell him we’ll be up in just a little bit.”  They didn’t move.

“Who is that?” Liam asked pointing to the lump that was Emmitt.

I glanced down at Emmitt.  He was watching me, letting me deal with the situation however I saw fit.

“It’s Emmitt.  Jim had the couch.  You two had the other bed.  So, I let him sleep here after he promised not to steal the covers.”

Liam quietly gazed at the floor before he took a deep breath and lifted his head.

“If you married Emmitt, we could live with Nana and Jim forever.”

My eyes widen in surprise as I scrambled for something to say, but Liam saved me from a serious answer.

“If you don’t want to marry Emmitt, we would be okay with Jim, too.”

My face flushed, and the bed started shaking due to Emmitt’s silent laughter.

“We’ll talk about who I marry some other time, but I’ll keep what you said in mind.  Now, go get dressed and wait with Jim.”

Both boys scampered out of the room, and I got out of the bed without looking at Emmitt.  I’d never given marriage a thought.  Had Emmitt?  He might have because he’d called me his repeatedly.  I wasn’t sure how I felt about a permanent relationship, though, and couldn’t afford to dwell on it.  There were bigger issues in my life.

I grabbed some clean clothes and left the room, pretending I didn’t notice Emmitt’s scrutiny.  Shutting myself in the bathroom, I started to get ready.  I didn’t take too long.  The boys were probably hungry and trying to talk Jim into leaving without us.  I pulled back my wet hair and opened the door.

Emmitt leaned against the wall, waiting.  His sleepy smile and slow appraisal had my stomach doing acrobatics.  He winked, and I realized he knew what he did to me.  With an embarrassed smile, I indicated the bathroom was all his and fled to the bedroom where I ditched my dirty laundry.

I went to join Liam and Aden in the living room where I could hear Jim entertaining them with stories from Emmitt’s youth.

“Morning,” I said, walking into the room.   “Did you two sleep well?”

“Yep, until Aden woke me up,” Liam complained.

“I’m hungry,” Aden said to explain his purpose for waking his older brother.

Jim reached forward and plucked Aden from the floor.  “Me, too.  Let’s hope Emmitt hurries or we’ll have to leave without him.”  He used his big hand to cover Aden’s stomach and flexed his fingers.  Aden squealed and giggled, the childish laugh making me smile.

Freshly showered and dressed, Emmitt strode into the room.  He spared me a quick wink then focused on Aden.

“I’m starving, too.  Let’s go eat.  If I get there first, I’m eating all the food.”

Aden flipped off Jim’s lap and made a dash for the door, but Emmitt reached it first.  Jim and Liam shared a brief look.  Jim smiled mischievously, and Liam took off running after Aden and Emmitt.

Jim laughed.  “Come on, little sister, or you’ll be left crumbs.”

*    *    *    *

As we finished eating, Paul and Henry came and asked to take Liam and Aden on a tour.  Jim immediately offered to go with.  I watched my brothers leave the common room, both excitedly following the younger pair of werewolves, then helped Emmitt carry our plates to the adjoining kitchen.

He deposited the dishes into a large tub of soapy water and turned toward me.

“Are you ready?”

I looked at him blankly.

“The pack meeting.”  His gaze flicked to the doorway behind us.

I looked over my shoulder.  In those few moments since leaving the room, a growing number of people had entered it.  I wrinkled my nose and shook my head.  He smiled, gave me a tender look, and took my hand to lead me back.  As I suspected, ready or not, I would be attending the meeting.

People gathered along the outskirts of the room.  Those that didn’t have a place to sit stood near the picnic tables or the open patio doors.  They looked like normal people, but I knew better.  This was the pack.

As we headed toward Charlene, Thomas, Mary, and Gregory at the front of the room, I scanned the faces in the crowd.  Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone I recognized.  Most just looked curious about me.  However, the intense stares of a few made me nervous.  I tightened my hold on Emmitt’s hand.

The hush that fell as we delved deeper into the crowd drew Mary’s attention.  She smiled reassuringly, and I tentatively smiled back.

Emmitt stopped next to his parents, and we turned to face the pack.  My anxiety reached new heights as I stared into the sea of bodies that watched us.  Thomas stepped forward, drawing their attention.

“There was a challenge last night, which Elder Winifred declined. Michelle has acknowledged Emmitt in front of Elder Winifred.”

Challenge?  I’d acknowledged Emmitt?  What were they talking about?

The collective eye of the pack focused on me.  Emmitt’s hand lightly squeezed mine as I struggled not to squirm under the sudden attention.

“All challenges will end now,” Thomas said.  “Not only is this a command from me—”

“It’s from me as well,” Nana Wini said from the back of the room.

There was a minute shuffling in the crowd then everything stilled.

“Just as we count Charlene as one of our own, we now count Michelle.”  Thomas glanced at me and gave me a warm smile.  “Michelle has brought two cubs with her.”

Cubs?

“They are under pack protection, but I am looking for a Mated pair to protect them as their own, to put the safety of the cubs above the safety of the pack.”  There was a slight murmur at this.

“I’ll keep them as my own,” Mary said from beside me.

“We will,” Gregory agreed.

Thomas nodded to Gregory.  As if it were a sign, people started to leave.  Many of them looked back to study me before they quit the room, and I wondered what they were thinking.  I wasn’t even sure what I was thinking.  The six of us stayed where we were.

“I’m sorry about that, Michelle,” Charlene said.  “We needed to lay down the law right away so you wouldn’t run into any trouble.”

“And my brothers?”

“That’s what Mary and Gregory are for.  While you’re here, they will be an extra layer of protection.  Mary and Gregory will always be close by, and if you need to leave your brothers for any reason, they will step in while you are gone, protecting Liam and Aden even more ferociously than you could.  They were guardians for Jim and Emmitt while they were growing up.”

It touched me that they already knew Liam and Aden’s names.  But I wasn’t sure I could trust complete strangers to watch over my brothers, even knowing they were friends of Emmitt’s for a very long time.

Charlene must have sensed my hesitancy.  “Nana Wini also spoke a command to the room.  No one will harm them.”

I wasn’t about to mention Nana Wini’s word didn’t seem to work too well if Nana hadn’t already mentioned it.

“Now that that’s settled, we are hoping you will discuss your past with us.  We want to help you,” Charlene said.

I gave a slow nod, not knowing what more I could share other than Richard’s address.  I didn’t think the address would do much good.  I highly doubted Blake would be sitting at the house with all the news coverage I saw online.

Charlene motioned for Thomas to lead the way.  Emmitt’s thumb smoothed over the side of my hand as we followed.  His touch momentarily distracted me from my thoughts.

Thomas opened the door to a small, windowless room.  Its sole furnishing was a battered rectangle dining table, surrounded by mismatched chairs.  Nana Wini and another man I’d never met already sat at the table.  Everyone moved to join them.

“Michelle, this is Elder Sam,” Emmitt said as he held out a chair for me.

I recognized the name of Nana’s stock market friend and said a quiet hello as I sat.  Sam nodded in greeting but remained silent.  He looked just as I imagined him; aged, but not stooped, with neat, grey hair and kind brown eyes.

Emmitt took a seat beside me.  “This room has been soundproofed, so we won’t be overheard.”

Charlene nodded.  “Nana Wini told us the Forlorn ignored her command to leave.  That is cause for concern.  But I’m more concerned about the things you said on the way here.”

I gave Emmitt a sidelong glance.

“You shouldn’t need to live in fear,” Charlene said.  “I’ve seen these people do amazing things.  Let’s face this together.  But in order to do that, we need to know everything you know about those men.  Do you have any idea why they could ignore an Elder?”

I wanted to laugh.  “How could I possibly know anything like that?  I’ve known about werewolves less than a month.”

“Emmitt mentioned you thought Blake was one of us.  You were near him for more than four years.  Tell us about him,” she said.

Did I know something I hadn’t yet realized?  I thought back to the beginning, scrutinizing everything I could remember.  Sure, it had been Blake who was responsible for my prison, but he hadn’t been there most of the time, just at the dinners and infrequent visits to confer with David or Richard.  There wasn’t much else.

They remained silent, patiently waiting.

“I don’t know what you’re looking for,” I said finally.  “I thought Blake was just like everyone else.  Human.  But, he was mean.  He’d come over and ask me about my premonitions.  He sometimes asked if I saw anything other than market tips.  I always wished I did see something more.  But it wasn’t until...”

It wasn’t until I met Emmitt that they’d changed.  With that thought, I realized Blake had known that my premonitions would evolve.  It explained why he kept asking; he’d been waiting for my answer to change.

I looked down at the table in shock.  Was that why he’d brought his men over?

His men.  The thought stuck in my head and pieces fell into place.

“No.  You’re wrong,” I said looking up at Nana Wini, yet still lost in my own thoughts.

“About what, dear?”

“Pack leaders control the pack.  Elders keep the peace between the packs through the pack leaders,” I said slowly, reasoning it out.  “Yet, there are some of your kind you have trouble communicating with.”  My thoughts felt right, but the implications scared me.  “Before the night he shifted, I thought Blake’s control over the men he brought with him was just a businessman’s hold over his lackeys.  But that night, it was more.  I think he’s their leader.  A pack leader.  Those were
his
men.  I think Blake is different.  You can’t communicate with him, and because of that, his men.  They are their own pack.  A large pack.

“Many of his men commented on my smell.  No, not smell.  Scent.  I never understood what they meant.”  I looked at Emmitt.  “I believe Blake brought those men over because he knew my premonitions would change when I met the right werewolf.  They changed after I met you.”

Emmitt’s lips twitched, and the look in his eyes grew warm.  Before I blushed, I turned my focus on the other members of our group.

“Now, I’ve seen actual people in my premonitions, not just stock tips.  I think Blake meant to unlock that new piece of my gift.  He knows more than we think, not only about my gift, but about why Elders can’t communicate with everyone like they should.”

The room remained quiet.

“I think you’re right,” Thomas said finally.  “He does sound like he knows more.”  He looked at Sam and Nana Wini.  “But, is it worth the risk to find out what he knows when we have no way of controlling him?”

Sam and Nana Wini shared a glance.

“These gifted women are rare,” Sam said.

Huh?  What gifted women?  I glanced at Emmitt, confused, but Sam kept speaking.

“And we have yet to determine why these gifted women are compatible with us.  Are they gifted because they are compatible or are they compatible because they are gifted?  Are there other human women out there who are compatible but not gifted?  There’s so much we don’t know.  Charlene, your gift has never been clear to you; and with Gabby less than a month away from leaving for college, I think we need to find out what Blake knows.”

“Gifted?” I said to Charlene then swiveled toward Sam.  “Who’s Gabby?”

Sam reached into his pocket and removed his wallet as Charlene answered my first question.

“So far, the humans who are compatible with werewolves are gifted.”  When I looked at her speculatively, she said, “Yeah, I can manipulate people’s minds, plant thoughts in there, and make them do what I want.”

The idea of that scared me, but no one else in the room seemed too bothered by it.

“I learned at an early age what I could do wasn’t a good thing and started to fear people would come take me away because of it.  So I ran and ended up here.”

Though her gift concerned me, it also gave me comfort because now I knew I wasn’t alone.  Maybe she knew why my gift had suddenly changed.