Chapter 114: Chapter 8

COLE

Ian looks young for his age. He’s forty, but appears to be in his early thirties. His brown hair hangs to his shoulders and his brown eyes are wary.

We’re both short for being wolves and about the same height at six-foot-two. He’s not as big as I am, though.

“I’m glad you came, Ian. You remember Haley, but I’m not sure if you remember my son Cole,” my dad introduces.

“I remember him. The little tyke used to run around naked chasing fireflies with his sisters,” Ian comments, and I snort into my drink.

He laughs. “Sorry. You and your sisters were never afraid of me. It was a relief.”

I nod my head. “Are people afraid of you now? You’re not a pup anymore.”

“I haven’t been around too many to notice. I’m still technically in the Redd pack, but I don’t really have skills that are beneficial. In other words, I’m not a guard. Alpha Redd and Luna Elaina respect that I’m family though. That’s why I’m able to stay in between the territories.”

“Don’t you get lonely?” my dad asks.

Ian just shrugs. “I’m used to it. Aiden and Gretchen visit me every once in a while. My parents like to travel lately. They’re on a cruise now.”

“There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely,” I tell him from personal experience.

He looks at me then looks at my neck. “You still have a chance. I was already rejected… for a human.”

“There are second chances,” my dad retorts.

“I’m not looking for a second chance. So what do you need from me, Virgil? I know I wasn’t brought here to shoot the breeze. How can the hermit fire cursed help you?”

“Actually, I want you to join my pack. A pack that you can actually be a part of. One that isn’t going to judge you because we’re mostly rogues anyway. You helped build up this territory with your dad, you know there’s room enough.”

“I like where I am.”

“Bullshit!” I burst out. “Wolves need a connection, we crave it. No one wants to be alone.”

“What are you, twenty-four, twenty-five? I’ve been alone since the day that Starlight bitch cursed me. She called it a blessing. You know how many other fire cursed there are? Zero. Me, I’m it. I prayed for the Goddess to take it back, see how well that worked out.”

“So you gave up, but you never went rogue. You said yourself you’re still tied to the Redd pack. You need the connection just as much as everyone else. That’s what my parents are offering you. Why not take exactly what you’ve been wanting since you were a pup? Who cares what their motive is.”

“That’s exactly the problem. Why? Why are you offering me a place in your pack out of the blue?”

“Because I’m the Oracle and I saw you,” my mom speaks for the first time tonight. “I see you, Ian.”

She stares at him and her forehead glows. Dad and I just look at each other while they have a silent conversation and a probable slide show of images that haunt him.

Ian’s eyes tear up and he drops his head. “You’re right, Oracle. I’ll stay.” His voice is barely audible.

“You can take my place. It’s on the outskirts, toward the beach. I’ll be traveling anyway. When I get back, I’ll get a different place,” I offer.

Ian shakes his head. “I’ll be fine in the pack house for now. I’ll get my things tonight.”

Ian downs his beer then fiddles with the bottle. I get up to grab him another, which he graciously accepts. I grab one for myself then sit down for the remainder of our quiet dinner.

Thursday morning, I find Ian in the training center looking around. “You look lost,” I tell him as I wipe the sweat from my workout.

“No more than usual. I figured I should act like a wolf since I’m going to be among them again,” he offers as he looks around at all of the equipment.

“Training isn’t mandatory unless you’re a guard. We have language lessons and cooking classes. Hell, you could just sleep if you wanted. You don’t have to change who you are to fit in here. We’re a pack of rogues. You already fit in here.”

“I’m up now, might as well do something.”

“Do you like pancakes? Dorothy makes the best pancakes on the planet,” I offer.

“I don’t know who Dorothy is, but if she has coffee I’m game.”

We pull up to the diner and Ian just cracks a smile. “Ah, Dorothy. She was in the Roberts pack when I was a kid. Lou’s daughter. I hardly ate there, but I remember Lou making the best apple pie.”

“Dorothy is better. She has apple pie pancakes. They’re topped with ice cream and caramel sauce,” I offer as we walk in.

“Not for breakfast, I hope.”

I shrug my shoulder then look for an open booth. Aunt Glory and Uncle Spencer have their usual booth. I wave at them and Spencer tilts his head as he looks Ian over. I stop in front of their booth to say hi. “Did you both just get off?” They’re still wearing their scrubs from the hospital.

“Yeah. It was a pretty boring night. Not much happens in the king’s territory,” Glory offers.

“Would it technically be considered a kingdom?” Ian comments offhandedly.

Aunt Glory chuckles then recognition crosses her face. “You’re Ian Kirkland, right?”

Ian nods. “I remember you. What brings you by?”

“Ian joined our pack last night,” I offer.

Uncle Spencer moves to sit beside Aunt Glory, and I take his seat, making room for Ian. “Did you order?”

“Just our drinks so far.”

Our server brings their drinks then asks for ours. We all have coffee. Ian looks around the diner at all of the different faces. Some give him a nod or a smile, and he minutely relaxes.

“Kirkland. You’re Kya’s cousin, right?” Uncle Spencer asks.

Ian nods once. “Well, welcome to the kingdom.”

“Thanks.”

Ian snaps his head toward the kitchen then stands and walks to the swinging door. He peeks inside, and his palms glow orange as he pulls a fire from inside the kitchen. The scrambling kitchen crew look at him having no clue what just transpired. “Ice doesn’t mix with hot oil.”

He walks back out and sits beside me as if nothing happened.

“Okay, that was fucking cool. I haven’t seen a gift like that since the Ramirez pack,” Uncle Spencer says then sips his coffee.

“I should go make sure no one got hurt,” Aunt Glory says as she gets to her feet and goes to the door.

“I didn’t feel any burns,” Ian says as he takes a sip.

“You can feel if someone has a burn?” I ask. I’m not very well-versed in the abilities of the fire gifted.

Ian nods. “I can relieve sunburns too, but I haven’t really had many to take care of. Mostly just Aiden and Gretchen when we were pups.”

“Do you miss your family?” Aunt Glory asks as she settles back into her seat.

Ian shrugs. “Yeah, a bit. They’re all still at the Redd pack. I can see them.”

“Do they have pups?” Aunt Glory inquires.

Ian nods. “Aiden has two and Gretchen has three. Her son Grant is dating your daughter Blair.”

Aunt Glory nearly chokes on her coffee. Uncle Spencer helps wipe the coffee from her scrubs.

“I take it you didn’t know.”

Glory shakes her head as she continues to clean up. “I knew,” Uncle Spencer comments. “I didn’t know his parents, though.”

“Blair is fourteen. How old is Grant?” she asks him.

“Seventeen. So what? I’m four years older than you,” he points out.

Dorothy drops our food off then pulls up a chair to our table. “I haven’t seen you in years, Ian. Thanks for helping out back there.”

“No problem,” he says as he digs into his apple pie pancakes. “Okay, these are better than Lou’s.”

Dorothy chuckles then kisses his cheek before returning to work. “I hope her mate didn’t see that. I don’t need some monster coming after me.”

We all just chuckle as we finish breakfast.

We head to the pack house so I can talk to my parents and Ian can do… who knows what. My parents are in their study, making out on the couch, and I turn my head.

“Really? Right here in the study?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Mom says as she sits up, still straddling Dad’s lap, and I shudder.

“Okay, gross.” I take one of the chairs and turn it around to face them. My dad is perfectly at ease with an arm behind his head. Is it weird that I’m slightly jealous? My parents have an awesome relationship.

“So what’s going on?” Dad asks, still rubbing Mom’s black denim-clad leg, her body positioned to hide his pants tent.

I take a breath then blow it out. “I talked to Wyatt. Gaia, the Earth Goddess, repressed Alexis’s wolf.”

“Hang on.” Mom pulls up my visit and shares it so we all can experience everything. She lets the memory fade then looks to both of us. “That poor guy, that poor family. Ethan has no idea that his dad has been there for him his whole life.” She shakes her head. “It’s so sad. I couldn’t imagine watching my pups grow up from afar. So what now?”

“I want to talk to Dara and see if there’s anything we can do to help Alexis,” I tell them both, but Mom is the only one that can contact her. She’s never made a link with anyone other than Realta.

“We have Ian here. I’m not sure bringing a Starlight Sister around him is a great idea.” My dad hesitates.

“They have to meet sometime,” I offer. “Does it really matter when?” I look between both of my parents, noticing my mom hasn’t said anything. “Mom?”

“You need to talk to Dara. She has blocked me from seeing her. She tends to show up when she wants, so talk to her when she shows up again.” I know Mom is not going to ask her here, so I’ll have to wait.

“Right. Well, I’m going to go pack. Rosalie told me Alexis has plans to go to a club tomorrow night, so I’ll finally meet her then go from there. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.”

I leave my parents to their study.