Small Town Love

Chapter 21

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.

John Muir

His mother fussed over him that morning, cleaning out the scratches at his side, even when they were already closing, the bruises lightening from deep purple to something that looked far more than his skin color even when it had a terrible yellow tint.

"Did you really need to let him throw you against a tree?" Grace asked him with a raised eyebrow where she sat next to him. "We all know that you could have easily ripped out his throat without doing that."

"At least makes it have the appearance of a fair fight. And not like I picked on him," Luke gave back with a shrug, regretting that motion nearly immediately. Damn it, that still stung.

"You got in quite a good strike with your claws," his father commented as he entered the kitchen. "I talked with his father. Daphne can expect a formal apology the next time she sees him, but that probably won't happen before the end of this year."

"You should probably have a talk with her," his sister said idly. "According to Ollie, she spent most of the night curled up downstairs waiting for you."

"Didn't you had plans for this afternoon?" His mother asked him with a raised eyebrow and he sighed.

"We did. Iceskating. I talked her into it. I had it all planned out." He couldn't help but pout at that. He had looked forward to that. And he had it all planned out for Daphne and him, including that small, romantic cafe where they could have gotten hot chocolate afterwards and where he could have given Daphne her birthday present.

Now...Now his wolf was getting furious at even the idea of taking her anywhere where he didn't have full control of the surroundings. And Luke couldn't fault himself for that either.

Too many people had tried to fuck with them and that would stop now if he had anything to say about it.

"You always did badly when your plans where thwarted," his mother said with a grin and he glared at her.

"Very funny, Mom," he told her with a sigh.

His father just chuckled, chucked something metallic, and small into his direction. He caught it easily, a key finding its way in his hand and he stared at that. Was that...

"The keys for the forest cabin," his father said drily. "I would be thankful if you would actually use it."

"Stephen!" His mother exclaimed, slapping the back of his father's head who just rolled his eyes.

"Oh for god's sake, Cecilia, if they wanted to mate than they would have already done that," he told his wife with a raised eyebrow."The keys wouldn't change anything."

"Go up there. It's a much better idea than dragging her anywhere with a lot of people. And you need to have a talk," his father said when he turned back to Luke. "I didn't put my foot done about her shifting yet. And I don't want to but the wolf is under the surface and it's not backing down Luke."

"You said she wouldn't just shift someday," Luke said carefully and his father shook his head.

"Not without a good reason . But she nearly did it yesterday," his father answered tightly. "She was shaking with it, Luke. I was half expecting to have my hands full with a very angry, very furious newbie werewolf," his father said drily.

"So I should try to talk her into it," Luke surmised grimly. Fuck.

He didn't want to influence her like that. If it was about what he wanted...then he would have her shift weeks ago, as soon as her injuries that Kyle had inflicted had healed.