Chapter 3 #2
That was an understatement. Lottie wondered if Darren even knew that his stepdad was a wolf, and that now his mother was, too.
If he hadn't made the connection, he would have been only fooling himself.
That was the first thing that he needed to find out, and then he would need to know that his stepdad was a very important man in the paranormal world.
Carlos had been a pack alpha, and now his oldest son led that pack.
The former pack alpha was now a councilman, and that was probably the highest level a wolf could go in their world.
Some might say that being on the world council was a bigger position, but she didn't agree.
The world council often asked but could rarely demand results from the other councils.
Lottie knew many other paranormals agreed with her that being on a main council for one of the continents was indeed the highest position for a shifter.
The witches’ councils didn't even have a world council at all.
Everything was decided by the continent councils.
Occasionally, they worked together, but she had to admit that was rare.
Witches tended to be too territorial. She suspected that wolves were the same, and that was why their world council was always in trouble.
“When are you going to start telling me some of this information that I need to know?” Darren asked.
“I think you should make the change too.”
“Me make the change?” Darren asked in a whisper.
“I did, and it made me stronger. As a wolf, you’ll be better able to protect your girls and yourself.”
“I suppose you're right, and I suspected all along that the crazy wolf stuff might be real. I just didn't want to believe it. I still haven’t ever thought about changing.”
“You're going to need to learn about the paranormal world whether you change or not. There's no way to escape it.” Harry suggested.
Darren knew it was true and that he had been na?ve. His mother had been reluctant to force the issue and suggest it right away because she did not think he'd handle it well. She might have been afraid he’d leave and never come back.
None of his siblings had come to see her anywhere near as often as they should have.
She had been a good mother, one of the best he'd ever heard of, and she hadn't been treated right by any of her children.
Shiloh was the only one who had not come to see her for her own sake.
She didn't want to drag her mother into her personal problems or her financial situation.
It was hard for him to explain why he hadn't come to see his mother.
A lot of it was probably because of his wife.
He'd been afraid that his mother would judge him, but he should have known better because that wasn't her way.
Darren had also been embarrassed by the situation that he had gotten into and the wife he had ended up with.
They weren't good reasons, because he should have known better and overcome his problems, and spent more time with his mother.
Darren and Shiloh had now headed home, but he didn't know what would happen to his other siblings.
They'd kept up with each other, sort of.
He intended to contact them and tell them to make peace with their mother and start bringing their children around.
Maybe they would listen to him, but even if they didn't, at least he had done what he could.
It was hard to deal with your failings, and maybe it was harder for a man.
This was his chance to turn things around, and he needed to focus on the positive side.
Had his mother stayed human, she probably wouldn't have had too many years left.
Under her new circumstances, she would probably outlive him and even her grandchildren.
They were all tired, although he was probably the most tired.
He would have to think about a lot of things and come to terms with all the changes in his world.
Tomorrow would be enough time to deal with the other things his mother would tell him.
Harry said goodbye and flashed away. Liza was cleaning up and would probably go to bed as soon as she was done.
The girls had gone to bed on their own, which they were old enough to do, although he usually said goodnight.
It was time for him to head upstairs and see if they were still awake so he could say goodnight to them.
Once he left, he was sure that his mother and Lottie would also turn in.
Darren woke in the morning and quickly remembered the suggested trip.
Eureka had been a place that he had explored when he was younger.
One summer, he worked there in the laundry of a large hotel.
That hotel no longer stood, even though it had been a beautiful building when it was built.
It went bankrupt and had other financial issues.
He didn't understand how these things happened, but he had seen them happen more than once, and it was a shame.
Branson was also a place he was familiar with because they had gone to a theme park there in the summer.
When he was younger, they'd gone as a family, but when he was older, he'd gone with friends.
The girls would probably enjoy a day like that, but it would be better to plan and get tickets in advance.
Darren had decided, and now it was time to go downstairs to eat breakfast. His mom, Lottie, and Carlos were sitting at the dining room table drinking coffee.
Darren could smell the food cooking, but it must not be done yet.
The girls were probably still sleeping or even playing in their room.
“Good morning, everyone,” Darren said, and they all repeated it back.
His mom jumped up and said, “I'll get you a cup of coffee.”
She was already halfway to the kitchen, so he sat down to wait. Carlos and Lottie were looking at him as if they were waiting for him to say something.
“Have you decided what you want to do today?” Carlos asked.
“I thought it would be nice to take a trip to Eureka and see how the town has changed. There should still be many things to do there.”
“Flo and I try to go there when we can. The stores and the beautiful Victorian buildings are the main things.
that we look at. They do have some tours, but to be sure that you can get on one, you need to make reservations.
I'll admit that we haven't gone to most of the attractions yet. We plan to add them one at a time when we have a chance.”
“I've heard some of the old ones have closed, but there are new ones that have taken their place. Mom told me that my favorite restaurant has closed. I would have loved to go there one more time.” Darren admitted.
“Your mom took me there before it closed, and it is a shame it's no longer available.”
“My second favorite one is also closed. Many things have changed since I was here last.”
“That is the way that things go. Very few things last for long, and even then, they change with the times.” Carlos observed.
“True, but I still can't help feeling a sense of loss over those things that I treasured that are no longer here.”
“I understand, but I have found the best way to deal with that is to look for new things to treasure.”
Darren took a sip of the coffee that his mother had brought him.
She knew just how he liked it, black with nothing added.
He was home now, with his daughters. That was the most important thing in his life, and he needed to learn to value that more than the things he felt he had lost. There was no doubt that he had a lot of things to think about and changes to make in his life.
Maybe, just for today, he needed to take the time to just enjoy being with family.
His mother went to the kitchen and began to help Liza carry out the food.
Lottie jumped up and began to help. Even Liza sat with them, enjoying the meal and conversation.
His mother was not a formal person, and he didn't expect that to change.
In all the years he'd known her, her behavior had never changed much.
When he'd been younger, she had been his rock, and he realized that she could be that again.
Everyone ate, and they all took their plates to the kitchen, even the girls.
It didn't take long to clean up, and once they were done, he realized Liza was coming with them.
Carlos had a large luxury SUV big enough to hold all of them.
Everyone found a seat, and they headed towards Eureka.
It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect, because even though the sun was shining, it wasn't hot.
It hadn't fallen yet, but it was close, and the weather was changing. This was the perfect day for a walking trip to Eureka. The girls were practically bouncing in their seats with excitement. This was a beautiful area to drive through with farmlands and forests. There were hills, and they crossed a few rivers. All of this was very familiar to him from his youth. Since they had moved back, this would all become familiar to his girls. Harry had sent word that she wouldn’t make it today.
It was about a thirty-minute drive and just a little bit closer than Branson.
When they arrived in the downtown area, parking was the same problem it had always been, but they managed to find a place.
The streets were narrow, and the buildings were close to the streets.
They got out and began to walk. Some stores they just window shopped, but others they went in.
He noticed that his mother and Carlos weren't buying much, but that wasn't a surprise since Carlos had mentioned that they came here often.