Page 42 of Howling Mad
Chapter 14
Michael
Theemailfrommyfather sits in my inbox like a ticking bomb.I’ve read it five times, hoping the words might somehow rearrange themselves into something less ominous, but they remain stubbornly unchanged:
Michael,
Your presence is required at the semiannual pack gathering next weekend.This is not a request.
Heath Thornton, Beta
Not “Dad.”Not even “Father.”Just his title, a reminder of the hierarchy from which I’ve spent years distancing myself.I rub my temples, trying to stave off the headache brewing behind my eyes.The semiannual pack gatherings are a tradition I usually dodge with carefully crafted excuses about client emergencies or market fluctuations.My father has never explicitly demanded my attendance before.
Something’s changed, and I have a sinking feeling it involves my newly formed relationship with Finley.
My phone buzzes with her incoming text:Just survived lunch with Red, who insists on calling us her “oblivious duo success story” to all clients.How’s your day?
The normality of the message, so at odds with the dread pooling in my stomach, makes me smile despite everything.Three weeks since our full moon run, and already, the texture of my life has altered completely.My apartment bears evidence of her presence in the form of a forgotten scarf draped over my couch, her preferred coffee in my kitchen, along with two new “I HOWL AT MY OWN JOKES” mugs I ordered online for both of us, and a wolf-shaped sticky note reminding me to “eat something that isn’t spreadsheets” stuck to my laptop.
I type back:Less exciting than yours.Can you come over tonight?Need to talk about something.
Her response is immediate:Sounds ominous.Should I bring wine or whiskey?
Both.Possibly in the same glass.
I set down the phone and turn back to my computer, attempting to focus on the quarterly projections.The numbers blur together as my mind stubbornly returns to the problem at hand of how to tell Finley I need to drag her into the wolves’ den.Literally.
By the time my doorbell rings that evening, I’ve paced enough circles in my living room to wear a path in the carpet.I open the door to find Finley balancing a bottle of wine, a smaller bottle of whiskey, and what appears to be a takeout bag emitting the heavenly scent of curry.
“I brought reinforcements,” she says, pushing past me into the apartment.“Food, alcohol, and me.Whatever the problem is, we’ll tackle it.”
I watch her move comfortably around my kitchen, pulling out plates and glasses like she’s always belonged here.The tight knot in my chest loosens slightly.
“So,” she says, uncorking the wine with practiced efficiency, “what’s this ominous conversation we need to have?Are you secretly a vampire?Allergic to me?Harboring a pathological fear of commitment?”She pauses dramatically.“A tiger trapped in a wolf’s body?”
I laugh despite myself.“Nothing quite that scandalous.”I pull out my phone, showing her my father’s email.“Family politics.”
She reads quickly, her expression shifting from playful to concerned.“Well, that’s...forceful.”
“That’s my father.”I accept the glass of wine she offers, taking a fortifying sip.“He’s never demanded my presence before, so something’s happening.”
“And you think it involves us?”She serves curry onto plates, her movements suddenly less certain.
“It’s too coincidental.Our run was barely three weeks ago, and suddenly I’mrequiredat a gathering I’ve successfully avoided for years?”I shake my head.“Wolf gossip travels fast, especially when it involves the beta’s son.”
She settles onto a barstool, her fork hovering over her food.“So what does this mean?”
I take a deep breath, facing the question I’ve been dreading.“It means I have to go next weekend, and I’d like you to come with me.”
Her fork freezes halfway to her mouth.“You want me to meet your entire pack?After three weeks?”
“I know it’s a lot to ask.”I lean against the counter.“It would mean spending the weekend at the pack compound, sleeping there, enduring formal dinners, traditional ceremonies, and my father’s disapproving glares.”
“Sounds delightful.”She sets down her fork.“Why do you want me there?Wouldn’t it be easier to face them alone?”
“Easier?Maybe.”I move to stand in front of her, taking her hands in mine.“I’m done hiding parts of my life from each other.My pack needs to see I’ve chosen someone who accepts me completely, and you deserve to understand where I come from, even the complicated parts.”
She studies me for a long moment, her amber eyes thoughtful.“This is really important to you.Isn’t it?”
