Page 19 of Wild
Next on my schedule was a visit with my father. He’d left several messages on my phone, messages I’d yet to return. My story needed to be believable and one that would not cause him to worry. It wouldn’t be the last time we saw each other, but we would have long stretches without our weekly lunches and dinners if things went to plan.
Dad was sitting on his front porch when I arrived.
“You had me worried,” he said when I climbed the stairs.
“Sorry about that. Trying to figure out what to do about my John problem.”
Dad scoffed. He definitely had an opinion on the John problem. “How much do you need to divorce him and leave him by the roadside?”
“I am leaving John.”
“Good.”
My father had a wonderful smile. It let you see into his caring soul. “But I need to take a little bit of time to myself.”
“Whatever you need, Elizabeth.” He moved from his chair and wrapped his arms around me. “You promise to call every other day? I need to know you’re safe.” He broke the embrace. “You’re leaving now, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, for a bit. I’ll give you a call in the morning to let you know I’m settled in. And there’s no need to worry. I’ll be with friends.” I kissed him on the cheek and gave him another hug. All that was right with the world was in my arms. “If John comes looking for me.”
“If John comes here looking for you, I’ll put my boot up his fat ass. You go and have fun and take care of yourself. I’ll be here when you get back.”
I left my father standing on the porch, satisfied that he understood I needed some time away to think about what was next in life. Even though I knew what was next, I didn’t bother to mention it. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t understand.
I stopped for an ice cream cone on the way out of town and enjoyed every single lick as I headed down the highway. The real trick was going to be managing seven men. Seven. I giggled and licked the ice cream harder. Harder. Life was about to get real interesting.
First thing was first. I needed to make sure Alexander, Prague, and Anthony were all in, even if that meant drastic measures. Sam would no doubt be pissed, but he’d just have to get over himself. He would fall in line just like the rest.
A little before dusk, I turned off the highway and headed down the dirt road, stealing a glance at my watch. Seven-thirty, which meant John was about thirty minutes into a tirade. Karma is a bitch.
I took the next dirt road toward Alexander’s cabin, confident in my ability to win over the three men. All seven men seemed to be missing a woman in their lives. Sam and his pack didn’t mind sharing, so I only assumed Alexander's pack would see things the same way. Putting all my eggs in one basket was not something I was used to doing, but I felt like it was okay to do in this case.
Alexander, Prague, and Anthony, still in bear form, were just running from the trees toward the house. As soon as they saw my car, they shifted and stood in front of the house naked. Except for Rogue, it was pretty apparent bears were better endowed than wolves. I stopped the car and got out.
“I’m assuming since you came here first, you had the land placed in my name.” Alexander hooked his arm around mine, and the three men led me inside.
“You said you wanted me to stay here with you all,” I said. “Is that offer still good?”
Alexander nodded. “Of course.”
“What about Sam? He has the same expectation.”
“What are you suggesting?” Alexander sat across from me, leaving me on the couch with Anthony on one side, Prague on the other.
“Why can’t the two of you combine packs? Seems like if you came to a truce, you could put the past behind you. I’d like to help do that.” I placed a hand on Anthony’s knee and then one on Prague’s.
Alexander paced the room, occasionally looking back at me. I guessed he was trying to figure out if I was serious.
Wolves always had an alpha. I assumed that was Sam. Although I wasn’t so sure Rogue, Mani, and Flux really like taking orders from him. Bears tended to be loners, but both Anthony and Prague seemed like they liked having me around. It gave them someone to concentrate on. Someone who would praise them instead of ordering them around. Alexander and Sam were the only obstacles to this working.
Alexander stopped in front of the fireplace. “You’re proposing that seven men share you.”
“I’m proposing that the seven of us share a house and share the land your father left you.” I shrugged. “I think it can work if you and Sam put your differences behind you and become the brothers you once were.” Then another question hit me. “When you shift, you become a bear. Sam shifts into a wolf. Why?”
“Sam and I have different mothers. When the old gypsy woman laid her curse on us, it affected our DNA differently.”
“How many other children does your father have?”
Alexander laughed. “He wasn't like that.”
