Learning to Bow

The Gene

"Dinner's ready!" Downing's voice shouted up the staircase. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, but was still reluctant to head down to dine with the wolves. I sighed, and headed down the stairs in discontempt. Everyone was already seated, hands intertwined, ready to say grace. I joined them in my seat, this time between Jack and Marilee. Marilee offered me her hand before I even sat down, a welcoming smile on her face. As I sat, I took both their hands. James and Cassidy lowered their heads, along with most of the foster teens filed around the table. Jack peered at me from my right and I lowered my head politely, but did not close my eyes.

"Lord," Cassidy began, "Thank you for keeping our children safe in the woods today. We pray that you continue looking over us and protecting us from the trials that we will face. We thank you for this food and our family. In Jesus's name we pray, Amen."

"Amen," the voices rang. Willow glanced my way from across the table as I released Jack and Marilee's hands. I wondered if she realized how ridiculous I thought it was, a family of religious wolves.

Cassidy prepared my plate of food again and I flushed as she handed it to me.

Embarrassed, I said in a small voice, "I can start getting my food after today." Cassidy sent me a kind smile, seeming to have forgotten the transgression earlier in the day.

"That's not a problem. I just wanted you to feel comfortable," she said. I nodded. Tonight's meal was much simpler than the night before. A medium-sized piece of meat, some carrots covered in some kind of brown sauce, and a small bun.

"Yo, Joseph." Downing said, starting a small side conversation from across the table. "How scared did that mutt look when everyone rained down on him?" I took bite of a carrot, the sweet sauce stinging my tongue. I chewed slowly, trying to ignore the conversation and the nausea from the event's recollection.

"Like you'd expected," Joseph said unenthusiastically. "He ran with his tail between his legs." Although Joseph sounded disinterested, Downing's face broke into a wide smile and he let out a large chuckle. He patted Joseph on the back roughly.

"Yes! Ah, I wish I could have seen it!" He said. The meat was a strange texture to what I was used to. Perhaps more stringy.

"Yup," Joseph said, "Me and Marilee chased him a good three miles north of the Kettle River." I chanced a glance in Marilee's direction. Her head was slightly lowered, a small smile playing on her lips. "Would have tore him apart if we could have. But gosh those hicks are fast." I clenched my fist, anxiety rising again.

"Joseph," Cassidy said. "You know I don't like that word." Joseph looked down and bit his lip.

"Sorry, Mum," he said.

I turned to Cassidy and James at the other side of the table to my right.

"When you brought me here from New York, did you know I would be Jack's..." I trailed off. I wasn't ready to say that word. Cassidy finished chewing her food for a moment and set her fork down.

"Well, no. We didn't know that," she said. James cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"So why me?" I asked. "Why did you go through the trouble of bringing a girl from 1000 miles away into this world of, of... werewolves. Why bring me here?" I asked confused. Why bring Willow into this world, and Downing?

"We only adopt and foster minors with some sort of wolf lineage." James answered before Cassidy could. I turned my stare in his direction, my eyes widening. "You were a bit far, but we were the closest pack willing to take you in after your mother was discovered." I froze, unable to move. I should have been asking him to deliberate, to explain what he meant by mother was discovered, but my expression wouldn't change, my lips wouldn't move, I was frozen.