"So the egg was donated by a female and then fertilized by a male Elemaiya. That's the only way this might have happened," Winkler observed.
"Yeah. I was born with pointed ears and everything. Mom said they did reconstructive surgery when I was two. The surgeon said it was only a slight deformity."
"A slight deformity." Winkler rose and went to the fridge to pull out a beer. Trajan and Trace got one, too. Ashe asked for another soda.
"Will it bother you that I’m not a half?" Ashe asked.
"Kid, I don't care if you're a stink-eyed humpback," Winkler said, making Ashe laugh. He had no idea that Winkler had gone to see any of a popular movie series, which depicted many fictional characters.
"Read the books, too," Winkler said. "To my kids. They couldn't get enough of that stuff."
"I caught him reading ahead—several times," Trajan whispered theatrically.
"How's Marco doing?" Ashe asked.
"He's fine. Coming to terms with his place in the world," Trajan opened up the box containing their dessert—a pineapple upside-down cake from an Aransas Pass bake shop.
Ashe accepted his slice of cake with a glass of milk. He cleaned up the kitchen afterward, too.
"Have everything you need? Clothes? Toothbrush?" Winkler stuck his head inside Ashe's office, where a cot had been set up for him.
"Yeah. I got it," Ashe said.
"Don't stay up too late," Winkler warned. Ashe was flipping through one of his study guides.
"I’ll be in bed by eleven," Ashe promised. Winkler closed the door.
* * *
"The father and mother are in transit," Wildrif bowed before Baltis. I will tell you when they settle for more than three days. Then you may send your guards, my King."
"Do so. Leave me now, I wish to think on this in peace."
"Of course, my King." Wildrif bowed a second time.
"Send word to my brother. Have Dauntless brought to me. I will send you, Dauntless and four others after the boy's parents as soon as they remain stationary." Baltis extended the royal seal to Fearless, his personal guard.
"Shall I carry any other message, my King?" Fearless asked.
"Yes. Tell my brother to remain hidden. We will take the boy for our own and Beldris will instruct him in our ways. He will either obey us or die."
"You do not believe the H’Morr?" Fearless asked.
"Faugh—that worthless bit of prophecy? You saw what happened to its author, did you not?"
"Saldis, my King? Of course I know what happened to him. He died at the hands of Diamond, the Queen's Chief Sentinel, when he refused to serve her after the coup against her predecessor."
"Didn't see that coming," Baltis laughed at his own joke. "Go now and visit my brother."
"As you say, my King." Fearless bowed respectfully before relocating.
Chapter 8
"What happened?" Ezekiel Tanner asked Josiah. Zeke contacted Josiah after the relocation of Zeke's compound outside Juarez was complete.
"Dexter managed to get himself caught, that's what," Josiah grumbled. "But my source says that the vampire didn't question him about anything other than his little indiscretions. We're still in the clear on that quarter."
"But we were going to pair him with your other source," Zeke muttered angrily. "Who do you have to replace him?"
"Nobody available at the moment. I may go myself."
"Might be risky. Winkler may suspect the Amarillo Pack. The Grand Master didn't ask any of you to help take down my brother. Find someone else if you can. If not, then go to Corpus Christi but remain hidden as long as possible. I want Winkler's head hanging in my trophy room—wolf or man, doesn't matter."
"I’ll arrange it, Mr. Tanner," Josiah promised.
* * *
Ashe was already on the weight bench the following morning when Sali walked in with Wynn and Dori. Ashe was surprised that Wynn didn't bear animosity toward Dori or Sali, but she didn't. Trajan put the new arrivals to work right away. Sali worked out with the butterfly machine while Wynn and Dori lifted dumbbells. Trajan wanted to build their arm strength before setting them harder tasks. Ashe thought Trajan might be underestimating Dori—she'd hit him with a good right hook.
Trajan pushed them hard that morning, with Trace working with Sali and Ashe while Trajan watched over the girls. Ashe thought Dori might balk when it came to running down the beach, but she gamely kept up with Wynn, who was used to running on the full moon. Dori, as the ocelot, went prowling with her mother's lioness and Cori's panther, when Cori was home.
"You're running better, bro," Marco ran up at the last, Cori trailing him gamely. Ashe spared a grin for Cori, who'd been noticeably absent for the past two days.
"Went to enroll for the fall semester at Corpus Christi University," Cori said. "Got everything transferred down, I just had to finalize my classes."
"Good for you," Ashe said. "I’m going to take online courses with the University of Texas. Winkler insisted, and since he's paying," Ashe shrugged.
"Have to pass the GED first," Sali poked Ashe in the ribs.
"Sali, wait up," Dori moaned behind him.
"Sorry, baby," Sali dropped back to run with Dori.
Baby? Ashe mentally poked at Sali.
"You had your chance, dude," Sali grinned.
"Don't forget to stretch again," Trajan called after Dori, Wynn and Sali as they walked toward their respective homes later. Sali, nearly out of breath, waved at Trajan and kept walking.
"So—a man now and all?" Ashe stretched beside Marco. Cori was nearby, listening.
"A calculated risk, Ashe," Marco huffed as he pulled a leg up from behind to stretch it. "He wasn't going to live, one way or another. I decided to take it."
"He was a terrible person," Ashe nodded. "I’m still glad I didn't see it."
"Pack law dictates that executions are all Pack, unless someone from another race is instrumental in the capture. You could have gone if you wanted, Ashe. We didn't figure you'd want to."
"Yeah. You were right." Ashe shivered in the early-morning light. He still had a few screams in his head he couldn't easily banish after seeing Dexter Beesley's memories. "Marco?"
"What?" Marco was pulling the other leg up this time.
"Who killed Paul Harris?"
"Ah. Well, Dad took that one himself."
Ashe nodded. "I’ll get in the shower," he walked toward Winkler's house. "Oh," he turned back to Marco one last time. "I still don't understand how Billings thought he could take on your Dad. I don't know much about him, but if I were a werewolf, there's no way I'd make a challenge against Marcus. Unless I wanted to commit suicide."