She Came From the Forest (James and Tera: book 1)

26

Our trip to Sidney wasn't short. When you're in a car for 14 hours straight with nothing much to do but stay on your phone from time to time and listening to music on the radio, it gets kind of boring. Being in a car with Flower wasn't exactly the best thing for me right now, especially with the mood she's in.

"I tell you to stay away from werewolves, and here we are going to the den of those damned dogs." She muttered to me while staring straight ahead at a semi truck that was in front of us. "You get into trouble not only with one, but the Pack Master of North America. Who's next, the President of the United States?"

I was going to correct her and say that I wasn't exactly in trouble, but I decided to keep my mouth shut if I wanted to be able to eat without a straw.

We had made it to the city limits and were searching around the streets for a motel. Luckily for us, since Charles was old friends with Everard, he had us reserved for rooms in a motel here. The only thing now was to find it. When we passed by one with a shiny black F-150, we knew this was the motel.

We checked in and got settled, Flower got her own room and I got mine. It was only a two night stay, so we wouldn't have to get too comfortable with the rooms. But other than that, the rooms weren't half bad. Clean bathroom, clean room, a little flatscreen on the dresser. It wasn't half bad, although the first thing I did was turn up the heat.

Once I got settled in, I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to find Charles standing there, wearing a black button-up dress shirt with the top buttons undone. He also wore dark black jeans with boots on his feet, and his hair was in a braid. He could be a model if he wanted, I'll give him that.

"Can I come in for a moment?" He asked.

I nodded and held the door open wider for him. He walked in and I shut the door behind him to keep he warm air in. He walked over to the leather chair and took a seat, resting his hands on the arms. "I wanted to give you a few tips about tonight."

"Tips?" I asked, leaning my back against the door.

"Yes." He crossed his legs. "Tonight, don't be stupid or reckless. Old wolves like Everard are dangerous and can be a bit aggressive towards unjustly behavior."

"So don't go trying to speak until spoken to, or I get eaten alive."

Charles cracked a smile. "I want to see you keep that same comedic energy when you go stand before that monster again. If I recall, you couldn't hardly get your words out the last time."

I sat silent, knowing he was right. I gulped at the thought of him, of Everard Rolfe, the Pack Master of North America. I had to keep myself in check before meeting him again.

Charles sat still and calm. "Also, make sure you be truthful and sincere. Wolves can smell a lie from a mile away. It's natural for us."

"Oh believe me, I'm too scared at getting caught in a lie by him." I told Charles.

Charles smiled. "I can smell the truth in your words. Good. You're all set for court." He stood up and walked over towards me. I moved for him to exit through the door. When he opened it, he turned to look at me with a sincere look on his face. "Thank you, for making my daughter happy." He patted my shoulder, then he walked out, shuttling the door behind him.

I walked over to my bag and got out some clothes. If I was going to werewolf court, I might as well dress decent. The only problem was this damned cast on my arm.

.........

Everard's home was where the court was taking place. When I say that his home was beautiful, that was just an understatement. It was huge, it was modern, it was in front of a lake. This house was like it was out of a fantasy tale. I was wondering if he had his pack over here before we pulled up, but that was obvious, considering there were cars parked everywhere, inside the driveway, all the way to the field outside of the driveway.