Page 44 of Father of the Wolf

“Hey Steve.” She smiled at him, and then turned to her grandmother. She kissed Granny on the cheek like she always did, as though the world were the same today as it was yesterday. “How was your day, Granny?”

“Very nice. Athair is such good company, even if he didn’t know any card games. I tried to talk him into strip poker, but he said he wouldn’t play until he knew the rules better.” Granny shared with them a look that was the next thing to a leer.

Steve stared at them like they were two nuts from the same tree. Then he turned to Hope and confronted her. “Athair is a werewolf.”

Okay then, he wanted it direct. “Yeah, he is.”

Steve continued with an accusing tone, “He’s the wolf, isn’t he? The one we hit with the car and patched up?”

“Yes.”

“Who’s the other one?” Steve’s glance darted to the door. “One of his friends?”

“Sort of. It’s his adopted son, Rath.” Should she mention Dàn? No. Not yet.

“Wrath. Good name! I can sure picture him on a vengeful rampage,” Steve ranted. “So, the wolf, I mean Athair, is already healed? He probably didn’t need us to do anything. Did he?”

“He would have died without our help, and he’s not completely healed.” At least she got that impression.

“They can be killed, then?” he asked with a hopeful look.

Granny interrupted him with a snort, “Why would you want to do that? Steve, it isn’t like you to want to harm anyone. Athair makes such a nice man. So what if he howls at the moon now and again?”

Hope thought that might be oversimplifying the matter, but she was glad for any reinforcement to fight Steve’s fear. Maybe she should try another path. “I’m glad you know now. I hated keeping the truth from you.”

“At least there are only two of them. We should be able to get away from them if we work together.”

“Steve, Athair and his sons are my guests. Athair has not tried to hurt me or Granny. And Rath had his reasons for what he did.”

“What reasons?” Steve challenged. His eyes widened and he added, “Sons, as in plural?”

In for a penny, in for a pound. She might as well explain it all. Or as much as she had figured out anyway. “Rath and Dàn were tortured. They were trying to find Athair, and Rath was worried that we had hurt him.”

“Who is Dàn?” Granny asked with interest.

“Another of Athair’s adopted sons,” Hope answered.

“How many does he have?” Steve shouted.

“He told me that he and his brothers raised eleven children after their parents were murdered. I suppose some of them would be girls, though,” she answered honestly.

“Oh!” Granny said as she sank into the nearest chair.

“It’s a shame they weren’t all killed,” Steve said.

Granny exclaimed, “What awful people would do such a thing to the poor little ones?”

“Poor little ones, indeed. Ella, they’re werewolves!” Steve complained loudly.

“Children are children.” Granny said stoutly. Hope could have told Steve not to waste his breath. The protection of children would not be anything less than a priority to Granny. The protection of animals would fall no lower than second. Athair and his children apparently qualified on both counts. It was quite a relief that Granny had accepted this so easily. A relief, and more than a little suspicious. Hope wondered if Athair had told her any of this during their day together.

“Except these children come in litters and see us humans as snacks.”

Hope started to reply, but stopped when Athair opened the door.

Granny immediately smiled a welcome to him, “Come in, Athair. We were just talking about you and yours.”

He managed a half smile in return, and then spoke to Hope. “Steve must stay inside the house, and you probably should also. My brother comes.”

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