Willow in the Woods: Guarding the Willow

Chapter 30

Marcus

He sat for a moment in the parking lot of a gas station until he was finished covering an extremely brief summery and list of other kinds of Wolfborn that are out there, though little to nothing was known about most of them, other than what Sylvia had heard in stories and Myth. All races of Wolfborn were given their own set of gifts and abilities. Usually whatever was needed by the humans they were helping at that time. Wolfborn races were genetic, though it could skip a generation. Some gifts were easier to access than others. And some traits, like the hot temper of a moon child or the strategic nature of the earth children were also passed down. It did take quite a bit of skill and will power to go against those basic instincts. Other families of Wolfborn may know more, but no one on the ranch had ever encountered anyone other races than those that lived there.

As far as Dorian and Heath knew, you couldn't get stuck mid transition into their wolf phase. That wasn't to say it couldn't happen, simply that it had never happened to them. And Jojo agreed with Marcus that it was the same for an Earth Child.

By the end of the call, Syl and Dorian were ready to wring Marcus's neck for interrupting their romp in the hay.

Syl and Jojo were preparing for the little man's arrival, with Max's help. Heath and Dorian were trying to get out of it, and Marcus was no closer to any answers about this kid then he had been when he started the conversation 20 minutes before.

Marcus had now been gone a little over half an hour. He really hadn't expected for it to take so long.

Marcus broke his promise to Willow and checked in with her, through their mental link, without there being any cause for alarm. The truth was he did need to make sure she was ok right now. Because if anything happened for the next little while there was going to be nothing he could do to help her. Not unless it was life threatening. Even then, depending on how things progressed with Todd, it may take a few minutes to get back to her. He would fess up to it the next time he saw her and she was sober.

Right now they were still at the karaoke bar and she was a little nervous about something but Marcus decided not to wade around in her head any more than what was necessary and pry it out of her. Odds were she was just a little stage shy and was probably going to sing again. He wished he could watch her. Maybe another time. For now she was still drinking her fears away. But Marcus was certain Drew would cut her off before she got three sheets to the wind and needed a wheelbarrow to haul her drunk ass back to Drew's car.

When Marcus stopped the car in the alleyway, just past the strip club, he half expected the boy not to be waiting for him in that hovel he was using as a shelter.

Marcus had been right... Sort of. The boy was standing with his blanket still wrapped around his body and a little over his head, with his arms crossed over his chest just glaring up at the Hummer while he stood in the middle of the darkened alleyway.

Marcus put the Hummer in park and sat there. He thought about rolling down the window and apologizing but that would mean that the kid would be able to tell him to forget it. And this boy didn't seem like the type that would allow someone else to make the last move or have the last say. If he wanted to talk to Marcus, or scold him for taking so long, he was going to have to get in the Hummer to do it. Marcus was even refusing to look at him, so that the young Mr. Smarty-pants wouldn't be able to get the satisfaction he craved by throwing up obscene gestures and walking away.

Marcus suspected he was actually rather intelligent for his age. Especially when it came to having street smarts. But he was still a kid. And all kids were illogical when it came to there frustrated emotions. They needed to be seen and heard. More so if they were angry.