Page 45 of Father of the Wolf

Steve jumped up. “See, Hope! We’re prisoners. Hell, we’re probably their buffet!”

Athair looked like he had finally had enough of Steve’s nonsense. Hope ignored Steve’s comment and asked, “Which brother?”

“Sgrios.” he answered Hope in a grim tone. In response to Steve’s opening mouth, he growled at him, “He makes Rath look like the overgrown pup he is. You will stay inside, out of Sgrios’ path, or I will not be held responsible for your death.”

“I am sorry for all this. Rath is much calmer now. They had tortured Dàn in front of him.” He gave Hope an invisible caress to her cheek before leaving.

Steve continued to sputter incoherently.

Hope knew from what Athair had told her about Sgrios that his coming to her house would not improve the situation. She also knew that the threat to Steve would be certain if she couldn’t convince him to keep his mouth shut. He could irritate even a saint. And by all accounts, Sgrios was far from attaining sainthood.

Grabbing Steve’s arm in a determined grip, she pulled him down onto the sofa across from Granny for a serious, down-and-dirty, time-for-the-truth, talk. “Steve, you need to listen to me about this. They are good people, but very different.” Before he could interrupt her, she went on to tell him nearly everything she knew about Athair and his family, describing Sgrios as a crazy uncle, pointing out that all families have their crazies. Athair’s just had bigger teeth and a shorter temper.

Hope watched Steve as he began to relax and finally got himself under control. He asked, “So we can leave now if we want to?”

He would pick that question. “I think you could, but it probably isn’t a good idea right now.”

“Why?”

“Because, the evil, um, people that are searching for them wouldn’t hesitate to hurt us or anyone else to get to them.”

“Couldn’t we just give them up?”

“I suppose we could, but I won’t do it. I don’t want Athair, or his family hurt any more than they already have been.”

During all this, Granny listened from her seat across from them.

Hope continued, “You saw what they did to Athair. They did even worse than that to young Dàn.” At Steve’s somewhat compassionate expression, she was encouraged. “Dàn was tortured in front of Rath. So, you can see why he was so violent. We all have limits when we have been pushed too far. He had reached his.”

“Even you can understand that.” Granny added.

Steve still looked skeptical, but he no longer appeared terrified.

Granny brought up the part that Hope had been planning to skip. “Besides, you now know enough to be dangerous to them. I’m quite sure they won’t allow you to ever be a threat.”

After dropping that bombshell, she turned to Hope. “I think Steve needs some time to sort this out. And I would like to meet the young ones before Athair’s brother, the Big Bad Wolf, gets here.” With that she stood and left, not waiting for Hope and Steve to follow her.

Hope did. Steve of course, did not.

She and Granny went to the back porch where Athair and Rath stood chatting beside where Dàn lay. Granny walked directly to Athair’s side and put a fragile looking hand on his arm, effectively interrupting his quiet conversation.

“Ella, you shouldn’t be out here,” he chided with a worried frown toward the forest.

“I wanted to meet your boys before your brother arrives.” She smiled at him. “And I would like to also meet him. I am much too old to be banished to the house like a child.”

“I believe you are about to get your wish, since he is coming across the field now,” Dàn said without opening his eyes. He sat upright, carefully leaning back against its back. He looked tired, but at least that strange mist was gone.

“I presume you must be Dàn.” Granny smiled. “I’m Hope’s grandmother, Ella. You may call me either Granny or Ella.”

Dàn opened his extraordinary eyes to study Ella for several long, silent moments.

“You are not what I expected,” he said.

Chapter Fifteen

Honor of a Man

Within the Beast

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