Brother Blood

Chapter 6: daytime

"We're supposed to get snow in a couple days," Ralph announced at the breakfast table.

This got all of our attention. Snow this early meant we were in for a rough winter.

"Will I get out of school?" Susie Lynn asked hopefully.

"No," Mel answered without looking up from her toast. "And you have ten minutes to get to the bus, young lady."

She groaned, slinking away from the table. I could hear her scramble in the hall, grabbing her backpack on the way out the door.

"What do we need to do?" Keith asked, redirecting the conversation.

"It shouldn't be a heavy snow, just a little cover," Ralph admitted. "We just have to get the animals prepped a little earlier. Also, I want to run tonight. There's no way I'm letting anyone off the property when we're so exposed on the snow. Someone will shoot us."

"If you would let us cross the highway, we'd have plenty of space," Keith remarked. "The land is mine, or rather, ours."

"Because a dozen wolves crossing the road doesn't look weird at all," Daria snorted. "Yeah, we'll be totally fine."

"We need a tunnel or something," Mel agreed. "But we can save that conversation for a later date; this is about running off some steam before it snows. Grant, as always, you're welcome to join us."

Grant shrugged. "I'll think about it, thanks."

"In the meantime, Mel has a new list of chores that must get done in the next two days," Ralph said. "The priority is the chickens, damn things will freeze to death from stupidity. Keith, I want to check all the exposed pipes, might as insulated them now. Mel, do we need any space heaters?"

"Did you just ask a wolf pack if they need heaters?" Mel laughed. "There's enough hot air in this room to turn the gas off. We're fine, Ralph."

"Grant might want one." Ralph protested. "And Keith. He's a wimp."

"All right, old man. Let's see who's the wimp," Keith shot back with a grin.

"Boys," Mel said, before Ralph and Keith could continue. "Take this outside. We have work to do and you can fight all you want once it stars to snow."

They both gave her a sheepish smile. Katie cleared the plates and started to clean with Susie Lynn. Everyone else started dividing up the work. Aidan and I were assigned to the chickens, as the others scattered around the farm, fixing what we could before the storm hit. Aidan looked a lot like his brother Keith with his brown hair and gray eyes, but Aidan had a narrower face, thinner shoulders. As wolves they were nothing alike, but Katie said I was more discerning than most.

"How much do you know about Grant?" Aidan asked me as I shoveled the pine shavings out of the coop.

"A bit," I said. "I don't know a lot about him, but I trust him. Don't worry."

He laughed as he pulled the roosting bars out of the wall. "I'm not worried, I was just curious. I've been trying to get to know him, but he's closed off to everyone but you. Not that I blame him; a vampire living with a pack of werewolves; a large pack at that."

"He's been a hunter most of his life," I offered. "He grew up in the South, though I'm not sure where. Didn't go to college. His favorite food was pizza, but now not so much. He hates hunting deer."

"Why? Deer are a great hunt."

"He doesn't like the way they taste," I explained. "Apparently, they taste like acorns, whatever that means. Do you want me to talk to him? I don't want him to feel alone here."