Page 2 of Secrets and Ruin

“Then I’ll keep it as is.” Heath wasn’t bothered by my reply. “As it stands, if you want to use it, it’ll take about two hours to mobilize the crew required to fly it, and during that time, the flight plans and everything would be worked out.”

“Do you really see me…” I didn’t finish the question. There was a real chance that I would end up needing to use it at a moment’s notice. That was why I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it even though it was excess and wasteful. “We should have forced Dirk to use it.”

“Then I would lose the crowd of humans to protect me if Niko decides to react violently to my new werewolf identity,” Dirk reminded me.

“That’s right,” I said, inhaling deeply as I silently fretted and freaked out. There was only one way for anyone to know how Niko would react before Dirk landed, and that was my only role in this. One I dreaded but was willing to take on for both of them.

“There’s always a chance he doesn’t show up at the airport because of how he reacts to my call,” I pointed out. “That would be nice.”

“Or he thinks he can handle it, but the moment he catches my scent, he can’t,” Dirk countered.

“Let’s stop thinking about the worst-case scenarios, please,” Heath ordered, clearly losing his patience. “This is Niko we’re talking about. He’s by far one of the most well-mannered members of your family.”

“I’m a werewolf, and he fought a war against us,” Dirk reminded us.

“He was born to a werewolf pack, and the only reason he didn’t become one was due to a betrayal by other werewolves, not his own family,” Heath fired back. “He’s not entirely close-minded. He’s never tried to attack me for what I am, and I’m not related to him. You’re his son, and I can promise that’s more important than what you turn into during a full moon.”

I reached out and touched Heath’s thigh, glad he was willing to look on the bright side. Dirk and I were having trouble finding it. Without a doubt, I needed to be more positive, but I couldn’t find it in me. I was scared for Dirk, and that was overriding everything.

Reaching the airport without further conversation, we unloaded Dirk’s suitcases from my car onto a cart.

I was antsy and uncomfortable with how close this was. The day had snuck up on me, and I dreaded it. I didn’t want to see him go. I didn't want to open the can of worms we were about to open. I was steeped in trouble everywhere I turned, and now I was sending Dirk off into the unknown to handle something without me, more trouble I had caused.

He wouldn’t be a werewolf if it wasn’t for me. I know that. Niko will know that. He could have died… and I had promised to keep him safe. Niko will know that.

It was more than a bit selfish to think of it like that, but I had made a promise to Niko to keep Dirk safe, and I hadn’t. Instead, Dirk had to throw himself in front of danger to help protect others and paid the price. It was only Dirk’s relative okay-ness with his situation that kept me from the gnawing guilt most days, but it had grown every second as this very trip came closer. Only months ago, I had been steady in my resolve that this would turn out okay. That had eroded to a desperate hope, and it was quickly waning.

“Jacky, you need to relax,” Heath murmured in my ear as I clung to the suitcase I had been trying to put down. “He’ll be fine. This will turn out okay in the end.”

“Yeah. Even if he’s mad, it’ll wear off,” Dirk said, leaning on the rest of his things.

“After Niko is Hasan. After Hasan, are the rest of your aunts and uncles,” I reminded him.

“Zuri handled it well,” Dirk reminded me.

“Zuri and Mischa aren’t the same,” I countered. Mischa was a volatile werecat, her moods swinging from joy to rage and back again before anyone could figure out how to handle her. She was harboring some sort of mean grudge right now, too. I hadn’t spoken to her in months, not since last November when I had hosted werecats for political discussions with Zuri.

“No, they aren’t,” Dirk agreed, sighing. “But Niko is my father, and I have to trust he’ll back me up… that he’ll back you up. If Zuri can back us up, he definitely can as well.”

I only nodded to appease Dirk on that front. Niko didn’t support me, not publicly. He was a silent source ofmaybe. As the family tried to figure out how to deal with my relationship with Heath and now his pack’s residence in my territory, Niko never spoke up. We all understood why. He was in a difficult position. If he supported me, he could turn half the family against himself, purely thanks to his background.

“Dirk, if you need anything, call. Help will come, no matter what,” Heath said.

I looked up to see them hug. A growing relationship of trust and friendship was really beginning to bloom. I could see the way Dirk looked at Heath with respect and admiration as he agreed to do just that.

I hugged Dirk next, feeling like I was trapped by a bear. I was stronger than him, but Dirk was big, and the hug felt all-encompassing.

“I’ll call him once I get home,” I promised.

“Thanks. I know it’s a weird situation, but if you warn him now, then he can decide before I land what he wants….”

“I know, I know.” I squeezed until he grunted, then released him. “Go, get on the plane before I buy a ticket and follow you.”

He chuckled and started pushing his things inside, waving at us until he disappeared into the airport.

“Shit,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. “I hope Niko is going to be okay with all of this.”

“You’ll find out once you get home,” Heath said, guiding me with an arm around my waist to get back into the car.

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