Page 52 of Father of the Wolf

Maybe he could get back the same way he’d gotten here.

He focused on his meditations and allowed the waves to call to his powers. This time, he imagined the grassy field in Ella’s back yard.

The long grass tapped at his legs and crickets chirped out their joy in the warm evening air. The soft wind filled with the scent of the forest as the distant trees swayed slowly, bending to accommodate the wind’s insistent force and refusing to break under the pressure. They moved gently back and forth, their trunks creaking as their branches brushed together. They were steady. Strong.

“What the hell!”

Dàn smiled. It had worked. No need to meditate for hours. Sgrios’ exclamation confirmed his arrival back where he belonged. Or was the ocean front where he really belonged? Water had always called to him. Either way, he was where he needed to be. He opened his eyes.

“Want to tell me what just happened?” Sgrios asked.

“I traveled. And returned.”

His derisive snort was full of annoyance. “Just like that?” As always, Sgrios accepted Dàn’s strangeness without much concern or fear.

“Seems so.”

“Did you forget how to pack?” His wry question made Dàn chuckle.

Dàn sat nude in the foot high grass. “I guess I still have a lot to learn.” As out of place as Sgrios was with both the clan and the world, he’d always accepted Dàn’s odd situations. He accepted it and joked about it and never seemed to fear Dàn. It was a welcome change.

“I guess so. Well, you’d better get inside and put on some clothes before one of the humans sees you and gets skittish.”

Chapter Seventeen

Future

Making Plans

After what was surely only a few hours of sleep, Hope woke up, dressed, and reluctantly left Athair to start breakfast for her guests. She entered the kitchen to find that she had waited far too long to be considered a good hostess. Her guests were happily puttering away in the kitchen and had already started preparing the meal.

Ella sat at the table directing the group of young men in their domestic chores. If not for the fear of them burning down the house, it would have been really quite pleasant in a comic sort of way. Steve attempted to explain the workings of the microwave to Díon and Reultan, who were more interested in the way it worked than in cooking the sausage. Dàn seemed comfortable cooking scrambled eggs on the stove top, while Rath fixed tea for Ella and poured coffee for the others.

Since she wasn’t needed as a cook, she sat down at the table with Ella to watch. “Good morning, my very mysterious Granny,” she said.

“Morning to you too, dear.” Ella said with a smile. She was obviously enjoying the pandemonium that reigned within the room. But then, she had always enjoyed having young people around. Apparently, she was more than comfortable around these particular four-hundred-year-old young people.

“Is Sgrios still here?” Hope asked Ella.

“He went for a walk,” Rath said, waving his hand to indicate the room. “This is way too social for him. He left shortly after we woke up.”

“He said he would be back for breakfast,” Ella added.

“I see. Can I help with anything?” Hope asked, thinking she should have just stayed in bed. At least there she could think of something to do for entertainment.

“No dear. Why don’t you go wake Athair?” Ella said.

Reultan chuckled, and Dàn smiled.

Rath laughed outright. “Let the old man sleep. He probably needs it after last night.” At which point he blinked the kitchen light a couple of times with a boyish grin.

That sent the rest, including Steve, into gales of laughter. Hope’s cheeks warmed.

Even Ella had a chuckle, but she stood and followed Hope as she fled the room. “Don’t fret about their teasing, Hope. They mean nothing by it. They are all very happy for Athair.” She patted her on the back and continued. “I imagine he will get the worst of it when he joins them.”

“I don’t mean to be prudish. I just wish they wouldn’t talk about it. I had no idea it would be so public.”

“I know. But they are very open and consider it natural. They’ll joke and tease you two, but they don’t mean to hurt you. I will talk to them about toning it down if you want me to, but it would probably be easier for you and Athair if you simply accept their ways.”

---