Hunter's Moon

Familial Advice

He had lost her. He knew it the minute he turned into the housing development. Liza had never gone home. He pulled his car in the garage, mumbling angrily to himself the entire way into the house.

Katie met him in the dining room, halting his descent to his room. "She was with him."

It wasn't a question but it still pissed him off. "Of course she was," he snarled. "Why else would she be so goddamned happy?"

She let out a choked laugh. "No need to lose control, brother. Keep the beast contained," she half-joked, gesturing to his body. "We don't need to buy more furniture."

"Why would she do this?" he roared.

Katie flinched and it was Jason who answered from his spot in the living room. "Cause, bro. You aren't telling her you want her to be your g-f. She's the kind of girl who needs to hear those words before jumping to conclusions." There was a pause as he chewed on something. "Just ask her."

"She'll never say yes."

Jason laughed. "Not after all the crap you're pulling on her. You need to level out, be nicer, not so pushy and demanding to know every detail of her day. Girls hate that crap."

"Glad you know about girls," Katie grumbled.

He grinned as he joined them in the dining room, crunching on an apple, and shrugged. "Just trying to help my bro out, unlike you. If he doesn't control that temper of his, one of these days he'll Change right in front of her and scare her off. She'll pack up her bags and move, leaving Lincoln here with a broken heart worse than any human could imagine."

"How do you know?" Lincoln asked, his temper fading with each word Jason said.

He shrugged again. "Did you ever wonder why Dad went all whackjob on us?"

Both Katie and Lincoln shook their heads.

Jason sighed. "Him and Mom were, like, connected or something. Nuh-uh," he said quickly, not letting Lincoln speak. "They weren't Imprinted, so to speak, but sometimes Dad would go off on the weirdest rants, turning all poetic and you could tell they were coming from deep within, you know? He would call Mom his shining angel, his sun, his flower. You don't remember him saying žariaci anjel, moje slnko, and moja kvetvina?"

"All I remember is him saying moja láska."

Katie shook her head. "That is the weirdest thing to remember. Ever. You two are seriously deranged. Dad never said anything like that."

"Yes he did!" Jason exclaimed. "I swear to you!"

"So he and Mom had a connection too?" Lincoln asked.

Jason looked at him like he was stupid. "Uh, yeah. That's why he went psycho on us after he killed Mom. The beast did it, though. That's what he said. He said the beast had been so angry, it had slaughtered her like a pig while he watched helplessly."

"How do you remember this stuff?"

He looked him in the eye. "Believe me when I say I wish I don't. It isn't the best thing to be running around my head every day."

"So what does Linc have to do to get Elizabeth?" Katie asked.

"Well, for one thing, don't go all beasty on her," he chuckled. "That wouldn't be good. Also, it'd probably be best if you started apologizing to her. No need getting all pissy. Oh! And when she comes back, don't get pissy. You shouldn't even go over there. Let her have her space. What you did yesterday probably still hurts her despite her pretending it doesn't. It hurts, man, getting yelled at. It isn't something to do every day. It could seriously scar someone." He looked down at his apple. "Like me." He tried to keep his grin in check but it still came, full blast and full of mischief like it usually was.

Katie slapped his arm and laughed. "Oh my Goddess! You need to stop with that. You can't even do it with a straight face!"

Lincoln frowned. "So, I should go over and berate her for what she's done?"

"No!" they bother hollered. Katie took over. "Lincoln, give her time. She confused; she's just moved here, her mom's probably driving her up a wall, and her dad's not in the picture. She needs time to get her head on straight. Think about what she's going through. I'm sure a six-foot-seven, one hundred ninety pound Lycan bearing down on her every second isn't helping the matter."

"She doesn't know I'm a Lycan."

Katie slapped him in the arm too. "Stop missing the point! She. Needs. Time!"

"All right! I'll give her time."

Katie grinned and she hugged him. Jason rolled his eyes and mouthed, Day. Tops. Lincoln was going to give her until tomorrow morning. 

~~~~~*~~~~~

When the morning came, Lincoln was as quiet as possible. Apparently, it wasn't quiet enough.

"Where are you going?" Katie chirped from the sofa downstairs, calmly flipping through a magazine.

"I...uh...I'm going to check the mail."

"From the basement slider?" she laughed once. "Doubtful."

"Has he gone yet?" Jason hollered from upstairs.

"He's trying to!" she hollered back, arching a brow at Lincoln.

"PSYCHE!"

Lincoln sighed. What a prick. "He planned this?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Katie beamed. "Oh yeah. He told me right after you went to bed."

"You two are the worst tattletales ever," he grumbled.

She just giggled and walked him upstairs.