Little Wolf

More Questions Than Answers

Luke

Driving home, Luke chats in mind link with Lucy and Trevor. Tyler is still singing at the top of his lungs with the music cranked. “She felt the mate bond”, Lucy insists, “She said she was tingly all over”. “Yeah, she reacted the first time we touched, too”, Luke agrees, “I tried not to touch her after that, she seemed spooked”. “Somebody explain to me how a werewolf wouldn’t know they’re a werewolf”, Trevor chimes in. “Well, she’ll be in for a rude awakening when she shifts for the first time”, Lucy laments.

“So her parents died in December?”, Luke asks, “I didn’t pick up the scent of any wolves at the house”. “Would their scent linger this long?”, Trevor asks. “I would think so”, Luke replies thoughtfully, “She’s lived in that house her whole life”.

“What about the human?”, Trevor nudges. “Ivy is a complication for sure. She’s her best friend, though. Wouldn’t it make sense that Paislee would tell her when she finds out?”, Lucy comes back.

Luke runs a hand over his beard thoughtfully. This whole thing is complicated for sure. She’s his mate though, and he has no intention of living his life without her. Even if he wanted to deny her, she wouldn’t know enough to accept his rejection. “Should we ask daddy what to do?”, Lucy prods him. “No. He already judges me for everything under the sun. If this doesn’t pan out, he’ll never let me step into my role as Alpha”, Luke replies wistfully. “I’ll ask my dad”, Trevor jumps in, “We’ll tell him we think Tyler found his mate.” That could work. Tyler can’t screw up their story, he never talks.

Trevor

The next morning after warrior training, Trevor fills Tyler in on the plan. Tyler only nods in response as he follows Trevor to the dining hall. Their father Sam is already there with Alpha Michael, both freshly showered after leading their training. Like Tyler, he has red hair and emerald green eyes, standing about six foot five. “Great job today, boys”, he smiles, clapping Tyler on the back as they sit.

“Thanks Dad. Hey listen, I need to ask you about something. Is there any way at all a wolf wouldn’t know that they’re a werewolf?”, Trevor asks anxiously. Sam leans back from his omelette and crosses his arms thoughtfully, “I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of such a thing. That would be highly unusual, I might add”. “Well, they’d find out eventually. Their wolf will speak to them. Who are we talking about?”, Alpha Michael chimes in.

“Oh uh, Tyler met a girl last night and we think she doesn’t know”, Trevor answers nervously. Both Sam and Michael break out into huge smiles. “That’s great news!”, Sam bellows. “If she’s on wolfsbane, her wolf wouldn’t speak to her. At the same time, it would dull her scent so you’d know she’s on it”, Michael leans in. “What’s her scent like?”, Sam asks. “Strong. And I can’t explain it, but it’s familiar. Like we’ve met her before”, Trevor adds.

“So she’s not on wolfsbane, then”, Michael shakes his head, “Maybe she’s some kind of secret. What about her family?” “Dead. Her parents died in a car crash in December”, Trevor offers. “A car crash wouldn’t kill a werewolf”, Sam snorts. “Exactly”, Michael nods in agreement.

“It’s a mystery for sure, son. Let me think on it some more”, Sam smiles before rising from the table and nodding at Tyler. Tyler smiles weakly before putting his head down and digging into his omelette.

Ivy

Ivy awakens beside Paislee, who is still sleeping fitfully beside her. Sliding quietly out of bed, she tiptoes down the crowded hall to brush her teeth. Once downstairs, she sets up the coffee to brew before staring out the kitchen window blankly. Suddenly, the urge strikes her and she quickly makes a cup of coffee before slipping into Bill’s office.

Paislee’s file is still on the floor where she tossed it, and Ivy sets her coffee on the desk before picking up the file and carrying it to the desk. Easing gently into the chair, she opens the file. She flips through the pages until she finds the cover page of the adoption paperwork. Looking up at the doorway nervously, she pulls out the stapled stack of paper.

To her surprise, the papers aren’t adoption papers at all. They’re legal documents drawn up by a law office. A woman named Anne Warner signed full custody of her unborn baby over to Bill and Charlotte Garrett three weeks before Paislee was born.

Scanning the pages, Ivy glances up again at the empty doorway to be sure she’s still alone. According to a copy of the hospital record, Anne died during childbirth. Ivy can’t find the name of Paislee’s birth father anywhere. There’s no address for the law office responsible for the paperwork, just the name of the lawyer and a telephone number.

Grabbing a sticky note, Ivy scribbles down the lawyer’s name and number before closing the file and placing it back on the floor. Today is Saturday, and she will have to wait until Monday when the office opens to do any more snooping.

Sipping her coffee, she slips the note into her pocket and settles back on to the floor to continue to pack up Bill’s files while she waits for Paislee to wake up.

Paislee

The woman who tells Paislee to return home in her dreams is speaking again. “My name is Layla”, the voice tells her. “What do you want?”, Paislee asks her, searching the darkness for a face. “I want you to ask questions, Paislee. Go home”, the woman answers. “But I am home”, Paislee retorts, confused. “I can’t stay in the shadows much longer, Paislee”, the voice warns her, “He’s our mate”. “Who is?”, Paislee asks.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills Paislee’s senses, stirring her awake. Looking up at the ceiling, Paislee ponders the dream she was having. The woman only ever told her to return home before. This time, Paislee held a whole conversation in her dream with the woman. Layla.

Shaking her head, Paislee throws the covers off and wanders to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Staring in the mirror at her reflection, her eyes look like they’re flashing. Dropping her toothbrush, Paislee gasps and takes two steps backwards. Her eyes are fixated on themselves in the mirror. She blinks hard a few times before searching her own face for any hint of what she just saw. Nothing. Paislee splashes water on her face and dries off with a crisp red towel.

Deciding that she is officially going crazy, Paislee makes her way down to the kitchen for a glorious cup of joe. To her surprise, Ivy is nowhere to be seen. “Ivy?”, Paislee calls out. “In the office!”, Ivy calls back. Stepping into the office, Paislee gasps. “How long have you been awake? It looks amazing in here!” “About an hour”, Ivy giggles. “Thank you so much!”, Paislee breathes before settling on the floor beside Ivy.

“I was thinking we could deliver these to the office and then hit the mall to get some clothes that fit you”, Ivy smiles, “Do you still have a key?” Paislee nods as she shuffles files into bankers boxes. “Sounds good”. “Any word from Wolverine?”, Ivy asks slyly. “I haven’t checked”, Paislee answers, realizing that she forgot her phone on the charger upstairs.

Luke

Luke fought hard today in warrior training. He’s tense, thinking about his mate. It’s not in a werewolf’s nature to separate once they’ve found each other. After training he goes in to the gym to take a few hits at the punching bag. Everything is pent up inside him, and he needs to blow off some steam. Luke growls as he pounds the bag with fury. His body is on autopilot as he dances around, jabbing and kicking the bag.

Lucy links in, “Big brother, where are you?” Ignoring her, he pounds the bag some more until sand explodes from it and pours out in an avalanche at his feet. Panting, he high tails it up the stairs to his room for a shower before heading to the dining hall for breakfast.

Lucy, Trevor and Tyler are seated at their table. Tyler is finished eating, Lucy and Trevor aren’t far behind. “Are you ignoring me, big brother?”, Lucy asks as he approaches the table. Luke smiles at his sister genuinely. She’s a pain in his ass, but he’d kill anyone who dared say it aloud. “I just needed a few minutes to myself, Lucy”, he mumbles.

“Did she text you yet?”, she asks with a huge grin. Luke shoots daggers at her with his eyes before huffing out, “No”. Luke wants nothing more than to shift and run all the way to Paislee’s house just to be with her. To make sweet love to her for days, until she’s sore, and then do it again some more. Picturing her naked body underneath his, Luke feels himself grow hard, snapping him back to reality. He snarls as he shifts himself in his pants and then digs into his breakfast.

“How long do you have to wait before you text her yourself?”. Trevor asks, clearly sensing Luke’s tension. “Text her now!”, Lucy demands, straightening in her chair. “I can’t be over eager, Lucy. It will scare her”, Luke rolls his eyes. “Anyone want to go for a run after breakfast?”, Luke asks them. They all look at each other before nodding back at him.

Letting Jax out for a run feels good. Together he runs with Lucy’s wolf Sabrina, Trevor’s wolf Gage and Tyler’s wolf Finn. They race around the woods, nipping at each others’ tails and rolling around the forest floor, play fighting for two hours.

Luke and Jax argue while they run, Luke trying hard to ignore his wolf to no avail. Jax wants to run to Paislee and claim her, and Luke is pleading with him to drop it.

“Son, I need you back at the packhouse”, Michael links in. The four of them make their way back, saying their goodbyes at the front door.

Climbing the stairs to his father’s office, Luke wonders what Michael wants to berate him for this time. Ever since his mother passed away during battle fourteen years ago, things just haven’t been the same with his father. Luke knocks before stepping inside the office. Sam is with Michael, as well as Sam’s mate Abby.

Abby has her sandy blonde hair in a long pixie cut, and light blue eyes just like Trevor’s. She stands five foot eight and always seems grouchy, in Luke’s opinion. “Pop. What’s up?”, Luke asks, trying to sound unconcerned before nodding to Sam and Abby as he sits. Sam smiles and nods back, while Abby’s lips remain in a thin pressed line.

“We need to go to the office on Monday”, Michael begins. Michael owns a chain of hotels, with his main office in the city. He and Luke typically work from home most of the time. “No problem, Pop”, Luke shrugs, “Is there something else?” Luke can’t figure out why Sam and Abby are here for this, and he looks back and forth between Michael and Sam.

“Are you sure you haven’t found your mate yet, son?”, Michael asks. Luke stiffens. Did Lucy tell him about Paislee? “I haven’t, Pop”, Luke says slowly. “Choosing a mate has its benefits, Luke. Abby and I are very happy together”, Sam says gently. Yeah. Abby always looks sooooo happy. Luke rolls his eyes in his mind. “Thanks Sam. I’ll take it under advisement”, Luke answers a little too crisply. Before anyone can say anything else, Luke stands and shakes hands with his dad and Sam. He nods to Abby before closing the door behind him.