Chapter 14

As the meal kicked off, Mila asked the burning question that every wolf surely wanted to ask the newcomer. “So, why were you poking around the border? Surely you smelled the markers.”

Jedidiah had his chin his hand, elbow resting on the table while he watched Mila eating. He didn’t seem to mind the smells at all, nor did he seem in any hurry to be elsewhere. He was just watching her with open curiosity.

“Course I smelled ‘em,” He smiled slyly. “I also smelled your lil trail. You walked right on in. I was goin’ ta make good on my promise to check in, but I didn’t know how deep you’d gone or if you were in trouble.”

Mila quirked a brow. “Worried about me?”

His mouth lifted crookedly. “It’d be ungentlemanly of me to let a lady get hurt.”

Mila scoffed a little. She could handle herself. But at the same time, it was nice to have someone worry. It had been a while since anyone had worried after her and, after all, she had been in really rough shape when the wolves had found her. They might have easily taken her out.

“Your chivalry is appreciated, but as you can see, I’m quite alright.” She said calmly, loud enough for most of the listening wolves to hear.

“Lookin’ a lot better,” he agreed. “I like the new digs too, but the whole Apocalypse Raider was really something. This looks pretty tame.”

Mila shrugged, glancing down at the clothes. Loose yoga pants and a thin shirt that hung off her slim shoulders. She was going barefoot which made her look very casual.

“Sort of a new age spa thing goin’ on. Look like you should be doin’ goat yoga or somethin’.”

Dillon barked out a laugh around a slice of cornbread the size of a grapefruit while Winnie made a little choking sound. Mila smiled easily, not bothered by the comment.

She actually had tried goat yoga. The firstborn had been eager to try every ridiculous fad humans were capable of coming up with. It had felt a little silly, but so did almost every other human recreational activity.

“I always preferred aerobics from the nineteen-eighties. Pity they fell out of fashion.” He went on, more to himself.

Mila nodded. Of course, she remembered the trend well. “You’d look good in spandex.”

Jedidiah was dressed simply in blue jeans, red flannel, and casual shit-kickers, like a cartoon lumberjack. Though compared to all the wolfmen, he was very slim and short. He’d pulled his blond hair back in a short ponytail.

“Darn right,” He enthused, gesturing to emphasize his point. “I used to wear that pastel yellow body suit and had the fanny pack down in front.”

“Mullet too?” Mila was struggling to be dignified as she ate, her imagination a little too vivid.

“No way, cher. Mullet’s only got a part in the back. I was party all the way around.” He said it ever so proudly.

Winnie and Mila cracked at the same time. The two girls put their heads together and laughed. Of course, Winnie had only gotten the tail end of the eighties craze. Mila had lived it in all its glory as she was living in California at the time.

Jed continued to grin sideways at Mila as though he was more than content to just sit there and humor her. Mila, herself, wasn’t opposed to his company, nor was she very concerned with the passage of time, but this was not her place and she did not have the keen sense of smell the wolves did.

They had been polite, choking down their meals despite the stench emanating from the visiting vampire. Wolves naturally burned quite a lot of calories so turning down food just because of a smell wasn’t in their nature, but they were growing weary of having to bear it.

“Well,” A beta wolf wandered close to their table. “Seeing as the mermaid is safe here, surely you’ll have other places to be.”

Mila tilted her head. The alpha was standing a few paces behind the beta, watching with his arms folded over his wide chest. A tick was going in his jaw as his gaze slid between Mila and the vampire.

“Have I overstayed my welcome already?” Jed asked in false concern. “I was just getting curious. I mean, what reason would three wolf packs have for coming together and holding a lone mermaid hostage.”

Mila’s chin lifted at being called a “hostage”. Social awkwardness aside, the wolves had been fairly gracious hosts to her for the last twenty-four hours. And she had decided to accept their offer to be of service.

Clearly, the invitation they had given her, was not something they were eager to extend to Jed. Several sets of wary eyes watched the beta wolfman lean, slightly menacing, over Jed’s place at the table.

Mila felt that it was a little foolish to pull a tough-guy act with a vampire. Beta or not, Jed could easily have ripped the wolfman in half. Probably before they could even visually perceive the danger.

Mila yawned, casually allowing her second set of teeth to extend. The tip of her tongue flicked along the serrated edges until a tiny well of blood formed. The movement had Jed’s immediate attention.

The unicorn bleated, pawing the ground anxiously. Its head tossed in the direction of the beta, a clear warning that it wasn’t pleased with the atmosphere.

“I’m not a hostage,” she spoke calmly, retracting her teeth. “The wolves are having a ceremonial gathering. The harvest moon will rise in a week. I was simply invited to stay and watch. My own ceremonies are somewhat similar in nature.”

It was a half truth. While wolves did get a little rowdy over the full moon, it wasn’t something that facilitated the need for other packs. Mila did also have a ceremony that she was normally compelled to do, but without the presence of the first-born or her kin, it was hardly necessary.

Jed’s eyes showed that he wasn’t the least bit fooled. He had obviously been around long enough to know that wolves wouldn’t gather in these numbers just for a harvest moon. “Really, now? I can’t say I’ve ever seen a mermaid harvest moon ceremony. Don’t suppose these kind folks would allow me to stay to watch as well?”

The beta back-tracked. He looked over his shoulder at the alpha, looking for orders. The amount of civility between the packs was very necessary for their future plans. The younger pack members had accepted Mila only because the eldest alpha had singled her out. Would they really have to be accepting of this leech as well?

The alpha looked toward his elders. Once more, the eldest she-wolf beckoned. Jed jumped up in one of his imperceivable motions that made the wolves jump anxiously, striding over to bow much lower than Mila had.

Mila waited at the table. She might like Jed’s easy-going personality, but it meant little to her if they allowed him to remain. She had no stake in it. At least, so she’d thought.

Jed came back to the table with a little bounce in his step. “Looks like they need all the available spaces for more wolves and don’t care for my smell so I’ll have to bunk with you, cher.”