Big Bad Wolf (7 page)

“Yes,” he replied. “But I promise to stay back. Does that make you happy?”

“No, it only makes me a little less pissed at you.”

“I’ll just have to settle for that then.” Getting up, Gregor headed down the steps and stood by his bike. “I’m ready when you are.”

“I thought Boris was going to take me back. In fact, I think I’d prefer to ride with him,” she said, not taking a step off the porch.

Gregor wanted to be angry but instead he was proud of Eleana. She was indeed becoming a strong leader. “Boris!” he barked.

Boris emerged a second later, realized they were ready to leave and went over to his bike. He started it and Eleana got on the back. “Okay,” she said firmly. “Now we can go.”

* * * *

It had been close to two days since she’d left home and Eleana wasn’t sure how her pack would react to seeing her ride up to Steven’s house with two Dire Wolf shifters in tow. So to avoid anything unpleasant she had Boris stop a half-mile away so she could call her brother first and warn him they were coming. Gregor pulled up alongside them with the same grim expression he’d worn when she met him. She really wished he’d stayed at home. He was only adding more tension to an already tense situation.

Eleana punched in the numbers on her phone and waited nervously for Steven to pick up. What if he’d disowned her while she’d been gone? Unfortunately there was only one way to find out. Finally on the fourth ring, he picked up.

“Hi, Steven.”

“Eleana, my God. Where the hell have you been? We’ve been worried sick about you.” Well, at least he
sounded
sincere so maybe he really had been worried.

“We have a lot to talk about,” she said.

There was a long pause on the phone. “Yeah, I know.”

“I have two of the Dire Wolf shifters with me. They promised to behave themselves. Where would you like to meet?”

“Can’t you ask them to stay at home?” he asked.

“They won’t. I’ve tried. I guess, like us, they’re a little nervous about how things stand,” she said.

“Why don’t we meet at Seminole State Park?” Steven offered. “That’s pretty neutral territory for both our packs.”

Eleana studied Gregor nervously. She hadn’t known the alpha shifter that long, but she could sense his apprehension and knew he was up to something. She just didn’t know what. But if this truce between their packs was going to work, she would need to get a handle on this dominant male before he did something stupid to ruin their fragile peace. “Okay. I’ll meet you there in about twenty minutes.”

Steven hung up and Eleana turned her attention to Gregor. “He’s agreed to meet us at the state park and he probably won’t be alone.” She dismounted Boris’ bike and gave the shifter a sober look. “Can you leave Gregor and me alone for a moment?”

Boris turned off his bike and strolled out of earshot.

“Are you armed?” Eleana asked her grim faced leader.

Gregor met her gaze with cool blue eyes. “I usually am.”

“Are you planning to do something with that gun?”

Gregor didn’t answer and Eleana felt a frosty terror grip her heart.
He’s going to kill Steven, I just know it.
“If you do
anything
to ruin this meeting I will never forgive you and I will refuse to be a part of this pack. I won’t have you going all vigilante on me. I understand there is a lot of pain in your past but this has to end now. We must have peace with the werewolves if we are to have a future.”

“Am I just supposed to sit by like a simpleton while they slaughter you?”

“They are not going to slaughter me. If they wanted to do that they would have a long time ago,” she said.

“But you weren’t a threat to them back then. You couldn’t even shift. Now things are different,” he replied and she could see how honestly worried he was. If she hadn’t been so pissed at him she would have been flattered.

“Yes, but I’ve known them all my life. I would think that changes things too. Listen, if this meeting goes wrong and all hell breaks loose I can’t tell you what to do, but until then, I want you to keep your cool. What I mean is, please don’t be the first one to start anything. Okay, Gregor?”

The Dire Wolf male pulled her into his arms and squeezed her. He smelled good, like fresh soap, and there was a comfort to his massive strength. “I think you’re taking a big risk,” he said grimly. “But we’ll do this your way. For now.”

Chapter 10

The meeting place was a picnic pavilion located near the main entrance to the park. Eleana dismounted Gregor’s bike trying not to look as nervous as she felt. She really needed this meeting to go well, for all their sakes. Steven sat alone on the old picnic bench, his handsome face pale with worry. She squeezed Gregor’s arm to reassure him and approached the bench alone.

“Hi,” she said. There was plenty of room for her to sit down but she decided to remain standing for now.

Steven glanced back at Gregor. “Hi.”

This was proving to be much harder than she thought. “Listen,” Eleana said, trying to cut through the tension. “I know about what happened in the past and I don’t care. What I care about is the future, both the werewolves’ future and the Dire Wolf shifters. All I want to hear from you, Steven, is that you’re willing to work with me.”

Steven rubbed his face. “If we let the Dire Wolves grow in strength again, what’s to say they won’t start killing us off? You’ve seen them in their wolf form. We’re no match for them. How am I going to keep my people safe?”

“I was one of your people once,” Eleana said, feeling lost and distant.

“No, Eleana, you were never one of us. You were always the threat we had to manage.”

“So what are you saying?” she said, feeling her throat tighten. “That you never loved me or cared about me? I’m sorry, Steven, I just don’t believe that.”

“You’re one of those
things
now.”

Eleana took a seat next to her brother and was relieved he didn’t jump up to get away from her. “I understand you’re hurt and you feel I betrayed our family but it’s not like that. This is what I am and you’ve always known it. Don’t push me away during this critical time. Let’s use our love for each other to make things better for everyone.”

Steven hung his head and Eleana was shocked to see a tear fall from his eye. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. Then he threw his arms around her and hugged her tight. “Oh, Eleana, I’m so sorry for deceiving you all these years,” he said into her neck. “I should have told you what you were but I was afraid you’d turn on us.”

Eleana hugged him tight. “It’s alright. I understand why you did it but it’s time to put all that fear and prejudice away. Okay?”

Steven pulled back and took a moment to collect his emotions. “Okay.”

Standing up, Eleana signaled Gregor to come over and join them. The Dire Wolf leader hesitated and then stalked over, keeping his cool blue eyes riveted to Steven. This face-to-face meeting was a risk but she knew she had to do it. These two strong men would never be able to let their issues rest until they got to know each other. They had a lot more in common than either one realized.

“Gregor,” Eleana said. “This is my brother Steven.”

Steven made the first gesture and offered his hand to shake. “Peace?” he asked. Gregor tensed and glanced at her. A few dark gray clouds moved across the afternoon sun. A ribbon of tension tightened in the back of Eleana’s neck. And then Gregor reached out and took Steven’s hand and shook it.

“Peace,” Gregor said.

The two men let go and all the tension drained out of the air. Eleana felt the muscles in her neck relax.

“Now what?” Steven said.

“Now we get to work drawing up laws that will govern both of our people,” Eleana said. “And we come up with a plan to enforce those laws.”

“Your sister is really something,” Gregor said to Steven. There was an affectionate note in his tone that lifted Eleana’s heart.

Her brother smiled and his face brightened. “You’re telling me. Why don’t we have you, Gregor, and the other two Dire Wolf males come back to the neighborhood and meet everyone else?”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Eleana said.

“When?” Gregor asked.

“How about tonight?” she suggested, casting a playful glance at her brother. “Do you think they can prepare a moonlight festival by then?”

“Sure,” Steven said. “You know our group. Any excuse for a party is all right by them.”

That was sure true enough. And this time Eleana would be able to shift just like everyone else. She glanced at Gregor and, for one of the few times since meeting him, Eleana saw him smile.
Miracle of miracles
. Well maybe there was hope for this werewolf and Dire Wolf truce after all. Eleana sure hoped so. Then she could have the best of
both
worlds.

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