A werewolf's life is a constant battle, but a chance to meet your soulmate eases the trials for most. Trae is happy with the mate he's given, a cute and daring girl who meets all of his expectations, but his brother Leroy... not so much. He is sure...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Leroy dropped the bags in the hall as soon as we walked in and gestured to our mother, who stood frozen in the doorway to the living room with a very surprised look on her face. "Shaun, meet Terri, my mom," he said. "Mom, meet Shaun, my soulmate."
Shaun grinned and gave her a military salute. "Hello, Ms Werewolf!"
"I have . . . many questions," Momma said, glancing at Leroy, then me.
I shrugged.
She stepped forward and reached for Leroy's shoulder, making him wince. "You ain't tell your own momma a damn thing, huh?" she said through gritted teeth. "Name? Gender? The fact that you're bringing him over?"
He curled up in guilt, murmuring, "Sorry."
"To be fair," Shaun said, "I kind of inserted myself at the last minute."
"You met him today?" Momma asked.
". . . no."
She turned her steel gaze on Leroy again.
"Come on, Terri," Sam said, chuckling. "At least he brought him."
Shaun smiled. "And I'm glad he did. It's nice to meet you both."
Shaun had slept through most of the drive, but Leroy and I were too keyed up to sleep, so we took a much-needed nap while Momma, Sam, and Shaun got to know each other. Leroy seemed reluctant to leave them, but he was quick to flee upstairs, regardless.
Sam then made lunch for everyone, and we all sat down in the living room. The recliner in the corner of the room remained empty, the scent my father had embedded into it long gone. Even Shaun avoided it, though I couldn't tell if he just wanted to sit next to his soulmate on the couch or if he saw the way Leroy was looking at it. It worked out perfectly, anyway. There were enough seats for everyone.
It would be different if Mae were here.
I wish she were.
When Momma asked about her, I said, "Well, I would've liked to bring her, but there's no need. As long as this pack doesn't know she exists, she's safer where she is, anyway. She's better off not getting involved."
She nodded. "Poor girl shouldn't get caught up in all this. We'll take care of 'em."
"So what's the plan?" Sam asked.
Leroy shrugged.
"Not like we ever dealt with something like this," I muttered.
Momma looked between the two of us. "I might have . . . something."
