Brother Blood

Chapter 8: late nights

                  Grant shook my arm as I woke, the worried look in his eyes stopping my protests. I sat up in bed.

"Someone's outside the house," he said. "It looks like my father. What do I do?"

I blinked several times, unprepared such a declaration.

"I'll stall him," I said. "Go wake Ralph. He'll know what to do. Until then, I'll go talk to him.

"Maybe he'll just go away?" Grant hoped.

"If it really is your father, then I doubt that," I snorted. "Throw me a shirt, I need to get out there."

"What if he tries to kidnap you?" he worried, tossing me a button up from the laundry basket.

"He won't," I insisted. "And I think I'm faster than he is. Go."

"You're not faster than a bullet," Grant muttered, but I shot upstairs, unlocking the back down to take a stroll around the house. Sure enough, there was a strange SUV parked up the drive. I walked up to it, knocking on the glass. I was tired, and honestly a little lightheaded from yesterday, but mostly fearful of what Mr. Danube would do to my pack.

The window rolled down and three guns were pointed at my face. Mr. Danube was in the driver's seat, scowling at me. He looked like he had aged five years since I had last saw him and I wondered if perhaps he was only worried about his son.

"What are you doing here?" I said.

"Where's Grant?" Mr. Danube countered. "I know you have him."

"So you brought an armed entourage to my home?" I demanded. "How dare you. By your own admission, I haven't done anything wrong. Leave now."

"Not until I talk to my son," Mr. Danube replied.

To my surprise, he got out of the vehicle despite the protestations of the others. He put his hands up, walking towards me. I took a couple steps away from the car, worried that this was going to escalate.

"I'll send them away if you let me talk to him," he told me. "Conor, I know you're a good kid. I don't want to hurt you or your pack. I just want to see him."

"So you came in the dead of night?" I snorted. "Those are not the actions of someone who wants to 'just talk'. Were you going to kidnap me to get your information? How far were you willing to go?"

"I'm willing to talk to a werewolf pack in their territory and walk away without engaging," Mr. Danube replied. "I'm willing to give your family immunity. Whatever you want; just let me have my son."

"Well, you've definitely started off on the wrong foot," came Ralph's voice behind me. He stayed on the porch, glaring with his arms folded across his chest. "Leave. Take you and any teams you have with you out of here. I see anyone else on my property, I won't hesitate to take action."

"You'll kill us?" Mr. Danube scoffed. "A whole team of hunters? We can deal with your kind."

"I am a private citizen of the United States and I would be defending my turf. With a shotgun," Ralph answered. "But since we are civilized people, we will discuss your request and put the matter to a vote."

"A democratic pack, please. Pull the other one; it's got bells on," Mr. Danube laughed.

"And we'll call you if we've decided to meet," Ralph continued. "Goodbye, gentlemen."

Glowing yellow eyes appeared in the shadows around me, and I moved back to the porch. Mr. Danube got back into his vehicle and we all watched as he drove away.

"Conor, what were you thinking?" Ralph growled. "You could have been hurt."

"I didn't want him to break in," I said. "He wasn't going to hurt me; I'm too valuable. They don't know why I'm different from other werewolves. And I knew if you went out there, it would get violent."

"Maybe it should have."

We headed back inside. Keith and Casey were coming in through the back door, pulling on sweaters as they did so. Mel and Grant were waiting on us. Mel had a firm hand on Grant's shoulder, though my friend looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

"So?" Mel inquired.

"Get the rest of the pack, everyone's sleeping in the house tonight," Ralph said. "I don't need any vigilantes here."

He glared at me as he said this, but I was not sorry for my actions. There was a reason that Grant had wakened me up first.

"Was it..." Grant started, but didn't finish his question.

"It was your father," I confirmed. "He wants to talk. I couldn't tell what is intentions were beside that."

"I think we'll have to meet," Ralph sighed. "But we'll talk about it at breakfast. For now, wake the others. And Susie's not going to school tomorrow."

"She has a test," Mel argued. "Why don't we send someone to watch her instead?"

"Because I'm not splitting us up. If this man gets even one of our members, then he'll have leverage. I can't let that happen. Goodnight, everyone."

Keith and Casey headed back out to the shop. Grant took a deep breath and let it out, shuddering a little. I headed back to my bedroom, and Grant followed behind.

"How did he find me?" he asked.

"I don't know," I replied, falling onto my bed. "You didn't message him in any way?"

"I hadn't yet," he said. "I'm sorry. What do you think Mel and Ralph will do?"

I sat up on my bed. "I'm not sure. Unfortunately, this changes everything. They have a lot to consider."

I patted the bed and he sat down next to me, leaning his head back on the headboard. We didn't say anything for a while, but then my door opened and Katie was the first to tackle me, followed by Aidan and Daria.

"Where's Brian?" I inquired, muffled under Katie's arms.

"He decided he wanted to sleep on the couch," she said. "I have no doubt he'll change his mind in a minute or two. Daria, move your leg a little?"

I snuggled down into the comforter and the pack was curled up around each other on my bed in moments.

"You guys have trapped me here," Grant remarked in the quiet. "You know that I don't sleep, right?"

"You can still rest," Aidan said. "And we only have a couple hours until daylight; you'll be fine."

Daria had her arms wrapped around Grant's torso, and Aidan's check rested against his shoulder. A moment later, a grumbling Brian wormed his way onto the bed, and those who could were asleep in moments. Grant glanced over at me, wedged between Daria and Aidan, both of whom had their arms wrapped around him possessively. He didn't seem as worried as I thought he might, but instead closed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips.
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Oof.