Chapter 7
Dorian
“Does the pack have a therapist?” Was that even a thing in their world? It should be based on how interesting my neighbors were, but just because people needed a therapist didn’t mean they realized it.
“No.” Braun sighed, but his expression was stuck at his baseline neutral as we watched the kids run around in the backyard. “We’ve never needed one.”
Never?
“Mental health is important.” Did I need to explain that in detail?
“No. Really.” He shot me a smirk that faded quickly as he looked back at the yard at the half-dozen kids that were running around with Emeric.
“No divorces in the pack. Stable households. A few hotheads but that’s to be expected with us.
We’ve got a few kids who need a bit of extra help with school but that’s not what you meant. ”
It was good they were keeping an eye out for those kinds of things, but he was right, that wasn’t what I’d been talking about.
“I think we’re going to need one.” I wasn’t a genius when it came to pack-related situations but nothing about what Emeric had said screamed stable and healthy to me. “Or is that just me being human?”
“No.” Braun sighed out the word as the kids Emeric was playing with said something to make him laugh. “You’re reading the situation right so far.”
Well, that was good and bad.
“Challenges are old school and violent.” Braun lowered his voice to a whisper as the kids raced around the side of the house playing some kind of chase game that seemed to have complicated rules.
“We haven’t had one around here in my lifetime.
I’ve heard rumors of packs still doing them but I’ve never met anyone who’s seen one personally.
Well, not that I know of…but it seems like Emeric’s parents were hiding a lot. ”
Yes, and it’d caught up with them somehow.
We hadn’t gotten much more out of him before the kids in the pack had figured out there was someone new to play with and he’d been dragged outside. It was probably good for him, but the not knowing was driving me crazy.
Braun was playing relaxed and calm better than I was, but I knew he wasn’t pleased with the situation.
“Am I right to assume he probably saw something…terrible?” I wasn’t sure what it was but something had made Emeric run and it felt like he was suppressing too much.
“My first year of teaching, there was a boy who’d seen his parents murdered.
He pushed back all of his emotions about it until they’d burst out.
Eventually he got help but it took too long for his new guardians to understand he needed to talk to someone. ”
Not wanting Emeric to have that long road in front of him, I knew the only way to prevent it was for him to get help as soon as possible.
“I’m not sure we’ve got anyone in the area who’s got the right mix of education and exposure.” Braun wasn’t discounting the idea, but he had valid points. “Talking to the wrong person will just fuck him up worse and this isn’t a situation he can explain to a full human.”
Well.
Braun cracked a smile. “Present company notwithstanding.”
“Thank you.” I thought I’d done fairly well considering the circumstances. “But yes, we’ll need to think about how to handle the situation.”
Who else might have the training?
“What about that online community that Emeric talked about? I don’t approve of social media for children, but would it be a good starting point for you?
” If he gave me the information I could do it.
It wasn’t like I’d be surprised at talking to people who weren’t human.
“Are there other groups who might be able to help? None of my neighbors have the right skills but most people around here don’t seem to be human. ”
There had to be more down-to-earth locals than the people on my street.
Braun started to speak but then he went still and thought about it for a moment. “Maybe. The Bigfoot community on the other side of the forest all seem to be ridiculously overeducated. If anyone is a psychologist, it’s one of them.”
Bigfoot?
How had I missed one of them at the grocery store?
I really needed to pay more attention when I went out in public.
“What kind of education do they have?” Yes, I needed to stick with the important facts. “Do you do much socializing with them?”
Somehow Braun looked both guilty and frustrated by that question. “No.”
What had he done?
“I was polite.” His immediate response made me question his definition of that word. “We just don’t do much with them because the women are…bossy…and nosy…and keep trying to fix me up.”
Oh.
“I can see how that might be stressful.” Did he not date? Were they trying to fix him up with the wrong person? Women? “But they’re generally well-educated?”
Yes.
We weren’t going to get off track.
“Yeah, they basically run the online college system that’s mostly used by different nonhuman groups.” Braun frowned as the kids raced around the house to the backyard again. “They look guilty of something. Um. College. Yeah, they’re really into education for such outdoorsy people.”
Was that rude?
Speciesist?
Deciding to come back to that, I nodded. “I agree about the guilty thing, but having to hide from regular humans might have given your neighbors more time for individual pursuits?”
That had him going still again. “I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
Well, he hadn’t been negative about my push to keep Emeric focused on school, so I knew we could work on his view of higher education.
“They’ll be a good starting point, though.” Braun was good about staying on track as well. “I just don’t know if we need to wait until Emeric tells us more about what’s going on, though.”
That was a very good question.
“I’m going to say we touch base with the local Bigfoot community but hold off on actually bringing in someone for him to talk to until we have a clearer starting point.” We just didn’t know enough at this point and he didn’t seem eager to talk about it.
He’d talk about everything else, though.
“Alpha Braun. Alpha Braun.” Emeric came to a skidding halt with the group of kids following quickly behind him. “Your mother has fruit for us. Can I go?”
Fruit?
Was there any way a group of wolf shifters would be this excited for fruit?
“Yes.” Braun held up a finger before Emeric could get too excited. “But only if you tell me the catch right off the bat. You promised to side with me, not my mother.”
I nearly laughed but Emeric nodded seriously. “Yes, Alpha. It’s covered in chocolate. She bought something weird off the internet and we’re going to help test it for her. But she’s doing it on fruit, so I didn’t lie.”
He’d just left out strategic details.
“Alright. Just on the fruit, though. You need real food soon or teach here is going to complain.” Braun shrugged as I sighed, and we both got a giggle from Emeric and the rest of the young members of the pack. “Told ya so.”
He really liked being right.
“Yes, Alpha.” Emeric threw his arms around Braun and then me before he turned and the kids all ran off toward the woods as he called out behind him. “I won’t stay late. I’ll be back soon for burgers.”
“I’m assuming the other kids know where your mother lives?” I felt better when he nodded confidently. “And we’re still going to pretend all of this is just a regular day in the pack?”
The kids hadn’t asked many questions and seemed to have assumed Emeric was visiting again. I wasn’t sure if he’d explained anything else or not, but Braun would have to at some point.
“Until I can get ahold of his aunt.” Braun clearly wasn’t pleased about the silence from Emeric’s aunt, but we’d only been waiting an hour, so we couldn’t worry too much yet. “I can still feel her pack bond and nothing is telling me she’s in danger.”
“Then we’ll be patient.” But the silence was making me wonder if tracking the pack members’ phones going forward would be overkill. “No one seems to be missing him yet, so keeping his visit private is probably the best idea for the moment.”
Braun knowing that she wasn’t scared was helpful, though.
“You’re right.” Braun’s long exhale said he didn’t like it, but he looked lighter as he focused on me. “But you know that means I’m in charge of the pup until we get a lot more information.”
I wasn’t sure information would make him give up the pup, but if he wanted to put it that way I wasn’t going to argue with him.
“You’re the Alpha.” I shrugged. “You can handle one pup.”
Especially one who idolized him.
Somehow the short visit Emeric had made when he was younger had made an indelible impression on him and Braun wasn’t just an Alpha in his mind…Braun was The Alpha. Even with the man’s inability to get groceries or make sure someone would relieve him at work.
“Come sit down on the porch and I’ll get us something to drink.
I’d like to hear more about Emeric’s first visit and about the pack in general.
” My lack of knowledge was starting to show and I wasn’t sure how much I could trust books.
“I know just enough to look ridiculous if I have to talk to anyone other than a child.”
Braun laughed, shaking his head about something. “Alright, but I want you to think about how Emeric’s going to react later when you tell him you’re leaving for the night.”
I didn’t like the look on his face.
“Emeric understands you need groceries.” That was something no one could deny. “We already talked about me coming back tomorrow. I’m not going to run off with your debit card.”
I wasn’t that kind of person and they both knew that.
I was a math teacher for goodness’ sake.
But as I walked into the house and Braun sat down on one of the oversized chairs on the deck that overlooked the backyard, he laughed.
How a grown man could be so ridiculous I’d never understand.
I also couldn’t understand how his pantry was so empty.
“What’s my grocery budget tomorrow?” He laughed as I called out the back door, but he was smart and it didn’t last long.
“Realistically, it’s going to take a few trips to stock back up, so we’ll say a thousand tomorrow? Is that enough?” His tone said he wasn’t sure, but I was just glad he at least had a reasonable understanding of how little food he had.
Even if Emeric were human, he probably could’ve eaten me under the table, but add in the different genetics and having to feed Braun and need food for anyone who stopped over…well…we were going to need several trips.
“That’s a good start.” We’d rebuild the rest over time after I saw what social events looked like and what their favorite foods were. “I’m going to assume you like lemonade?”
Because he had three different powdered mixes in the pantry…and each one was cheaper and more terrible tasting than the last.
“Yeah. I wouldn’t know what to do with something too sweet.” His chuckle had me rolling my eyes. “What about you?”
Brat.
My first thought was inappropriate given the situation because telling him meaty and delicious would only go to his head…and his ego which seemed big enough already.
“A bit of sweetness goes a long way.” He could take that however he wanted but it got more chuckles as I finished mixing the lemonade and found a tray to bring everything out onto the deck. “We need to work on the quality of lemonade you’re buying.”
Braun shrugged and gave me a grin as I set the tray down on the table. “I can recognize quality when I see it, but unfortunately, all those were bought by different people trying to help.”
We needed to work on how other pack members were going to help moving forward.
“I’ll handle the grocery shopping.” It’d be easier that way even if it would be a big job. “I might need to borrow the truck I saw out front for a larger trip next week, but my car should work for tomorrow. I need to make some lists before I do a big trip.”
Still looking very pleased with himself, probably for not having to do his own shopping, Braun smirked. “I didn’t realize math teachers were quite this organized.”
Really?
“I think people who relate to math are fairly organized in general.” It seemed to go with the territory to me. “I bet Emeric will be the same. He seems smart.”
“And lucky.” Shaking his head, Braun took a drink as he looked out into the forest where Emeric had raced off toward. “I really don’t know how he made it all the way here. The fates must have someone watching over him.”
Not fully understanding the reference, I pictured a very frustrated guardian angel chasing after Emeric. “He is special, that’s for sure.”
I just hoped whoever was watching out for him wasn’t going to drop the ball now that he was safe with us.
Just because we had him didn’t mean the past wouldn’t catch up sooner or later.
If shifter stories got anything right, it would be that a bad guy never just disappeared at the beginning of the book.
They always showed up when the characters least expected him.