Page 32 of Mates for the Rejected Wolf

She doesn’t say that she wants his approval, but I can feel it. That’s her real goal. I wonder why she should want it now after being ignored by him for so long, but I hope she walks away with it. If she doesn’t, I don’t know what will happen.

But Jace and I will be there by her side. As will the dragons. It might be intimidating, but we will all go through this together. As with everything in life now. We are a unit.

“We can go whenever you want,” I tell her. “Whatever you want to do.”

She turns and crashes her lips hard to mine and holds me close to her for a moment. Again, this feels like the calm before the storm. A moment of peace before everything erupts around us once more. Only this time it isn’t a battle with the Nightshade Hunters, it’s a meeting with our own pack. That might be a little scarier.

“I will get everyone ready to go. We’ll be waiting for you by the house,” I tell her as we eventually pull back from one another, knowing she probably needs a few moments to gather her thoughts and maybe even her courage.

* * *

Shit,this is more intimidating than I thought it was going to be. I wasn’t expecting everyone to be staring at us like we’re some act in a freak show. Echo’s eyes are narrowed in on us, the elders are definitely confused, and the other pack members look like they can’t wait to gossip about us.

I can only imagine what will be said. Not that I care. Let them speak, let them say whatever. We will be happy, and that’s obviously the most important thing. But I would rather have their support, for sure.

“So, what is all of this about?” Echo finally asks. “Are we going to talk about how you didn’t follow any of my rules? About how you attacked the Nightshade Hunters without any of us being ready for that? Breaking my bond with Sheriff Smart?”

“Oh, Echo, will you just stop?” Holy shit, it’s Frederick Almaz. The guy who doesn’t speak much, but has seemingly found his voice recently. “You can be mad that they didn’t listen to your rules. I get that you had a plan set up with Sheriff Smart to make sure the Nightshade Hunters were arrested and—”

“That plan has been completely messed up because of the fire,” Echo interrupts angrily. “Now we don’t know who is alive and who isn’t anymore. We have no fucking idea where Harley is. Everything was pretty shitty before, but at least it was all under control. At least we knew everything that was happening, we knew where they all were.”

“And now there are no drugs in the town.” Fern throws her hands in the air in frustration, emboldened by the fact that she seemingly has her father’s support. “Can we not be a little happy about that? About the fact that the Nightshade Hunters aren’t mixing up drugs and making concoctions to test on the vulnerable people in the town? You weren’t there, you didn’t see the pile of bodies that we saw, and what they were doing to people.” Her voice breaks on a sob as she recalls the horrors we faced back at the stash house.

“So, I suppose I should just be grateful about what you have done,” Echo sneers. “Even though I didn’t order any of it. Least of all working with the dragons…”

““If it weren’t for them, we would have all died there. I know this might come as a bit of a surprise to you, but we have been working with the dragons because they are good people. Theysavedus,” Fern reminds him.

Echo looks unsure. Honestly, how can he be so closed minded? “So, what exactly have you come here for? Gratitude and acceptance? I guess if you want me to say that it’s fine that the dragons continue living here in Iron Mountain, then whatever.”

Ferns steps forward, anger rolling off of her in waves. “No, that isn’t what I’m saying at all. The dragons are incredible people and they saved our lives. You should really think about what you’re saying, because right now you sound like an arrogant asshole.”

Shit, things are spiraling out of control. I know I should say something before it gets a million times worse, but I honestly have no idea what to say.

“So, what do you want?” Echo demands coldly. “For me to accept the dragons into the pack? Because you know that isn’t possible. We can align ourselves with them, I suppose, if that’s what everyone wants to do, but they are just too different.”

“Not so different.” Fern ignores all the cues in the room not to do this, and she reaches back for Roddrur and Griffin. “We have found a way to be together despite our differences.”

“You and the dragons?” Echo can hardly hide his horror at the idea. I don’t like it, but I guess I get it. It isn’t like he’s been exposed to anything like this before.

“Not just the dragons,” Fern adds. “We are all together.”

Echo’s face goes bright red. We might have pushed him over the edge with this one. Everyone around him is frozen, waiting for some kind of reaction. God knows this isn’t going to go well.

“That isn’t natural,” Echo finally blurts out. “You can’t be with dragons. You can’t do this, it isn’t right. It isn’t done. I know there might be rumors of it around the world, but that isn’t the sort of thing that happens here. It just doesn’t—”

“You don’t know what you are talking about, Echo.” Frederick rises to his feet, commanding the room in that powerful way only he seems to know how to do. “That sort of thing does happen around here. More than that, it’s very natural for Fern to be drawn to the dragons.”

The room stills even more than before. I don’t know what the hell Frederick is about to say, but it’s going to be earth shattering, I can just feel it. I reach out for Fern’s hand because I need to connect with her at this moment.

“Fern, I might not have ever been the best father to you, especially when you got older, but that’s because it was becoming increasingly obvious to me that I couldn’t keep my secret any longer. You are different, and that was becoming clear to everyone.”

“Father, what are you talking about?” she whispers.

He sighs heavily before he replies. “I pushed you away because I was scared to admit the truth to you. I didn’t want anyone to find out. But seeing you now, standing here and being so proud of who you are…it gives me the confidence to do the same thing.”

“What…what do you mean?” she asks again.

“Everyone has always asked who your mother is, and I have never really said anything because I didn’t think I needed to. She died in child birth, taking my secret with me.”

---