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Authors: Chandra Ryan
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“I’d like to see him do something.”
“Has there been another attempt on the farmer’s life? Have there been any issues with his land since the attack?”
He shook his head. “No, but—”
“Stop right there. There are no exceptions with trust. You came to Drew and alerted him to a problem. Either you trust him to take care of it or you don’t.”
His heart sank under the weight of the fear and guilt pressing against him. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. Maybe too long. I don’t remember what it’s like to be able to trust someone completely. Even if I did figure out it out, I’m not sure why Drew would care. He doesn’t need me. Nobody does.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard a Werewolf say.” He snorted. “And I’ve heard my fair share of ridiculous things around here lately. Trust isn’t something we run out of. It’s not something we forget. It’s a choice—a series of choices. Those choices lead to a series of actions. You proved you stull trust us by showing up here. Drew proved worthy by taking you back and giving you purpose in the pack. What happens next is up to you. Are you going to take the oath and keep moving on your current path, or are you going to leave?”
Returning to his pack—making this life permanent seemed so simple when Gee explained it. “Are you telling me it’s time to shit or get off the pot?”
“Aren’t you eloquent?” Gee shook his head. “What I’m saying is it’s time to get out of your own way. The only person keeping you from happiness is you.”
He had to say the words. The secret he’d fought so hard to keep all these years. It weighed too much for him to carry alone any longer. “I’m gay.” It was the softest of whispers, but everybody in the bar heard it. Werewolves had amazing hearing.
“And?”
He looked around to find everybody exactly as they had been. Nobody had jumped up and demanded he leave. Nobody had demanded his head. Nobody seemed to care. Or, if they did, they were doing an admirable job not showing it. “Can a member of the pack be gay?” His stomach turned and pitched so rapidly he feared he’d be sick, but he’d put his cards on the table. He needed to know.
“I can’t answer for every pack. There are a lot of idiots out there.” Gee put his hand on his. He took comfort in the simple gesture. “They can be in this pack, however. We actually have several members who are gay. Drew’s asked a lot of all of us, and he’ll ask a lot of you if you take the oath, but he’s always accepted us for who we are.”
Needing the liquid courage the drink would provide him, he gulped down the rest of his beer. “Thanks, Gee.”
“No need to thank me. I’m happy to call you an idiot any time the situation warrants it.” He took the glass and put it in a tub of dirty dishes. “Did you decide what you’re going to do?”
“I’m going to go swear an oath to a Tao.” He shook his head when he heard the words out loud. He never thought he’d swear an oath to anybody let alone another Tao. “Then I’m going to figure out how to convince Ryker we can trust Thom with our secret. I’m done standing in the way of what I want.”
Gee smiled. “I knew you were hiding an intelligent Wolf in there somewhere. Glad to see you found him.”
***
Thom looked at the clock again. Hank should’ve been home hours ago. His stomach rumbled for the fifth time in as many minutes. As the clock struck three, he wondered if he should call his cell phone. He hated to seem needy. Appearing desperate would only push the man away quicker.
When he heard the truck pull up, he breathed a sigh of relief. When Drew got out of the cab as well, though, his earlier tension returned. They’d decided Drew would come over next week. Why would Hank change the plan without talking to him?
“Anybody home?” Hank’s voice echoed around the house. He though he picked up a touch of nervousness in the words.
“In the
“Has there been another attempt on the farmer’s life? Have there been any issues with his land since the attack?”
He shook his head. “No, but—”
“Stop right there. There are no exceptions with trust. You came to Drew and alerted him to a problem. Either you trust him to take care of it or you don’t.”
His heart sank under the weight of the fear and guilt pressing against him. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. Maybe too long. I don’t remember what it’s like to be able to trust someone completely. Even if I did figure out it out, I’m not sure why Drew would care. He doesn’t need me. Nobody does.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard a Werewolf say.” He snorted. “And I’ve heard my fair share of ridiculous things around here lately. Trust isn’t something we run out of. It’s not something we forget. It’s a choice—a series of choices. Those choices lead to a series of actions. You proved you stull trust us by showing up here. Drew proved worthy by taking you back and giving you purpose in the pack. What happens next is up to you. Are you going to take the oath and keep moving on your current path, or are you going to leave?”
Returning to his pack—making this life permanent seemed so simple when Gee explained it. “Are you telling me it’s time to shit or get off the pot?”
“Aren’t you eloquent?” Gee shook his head. “What I’m saying is it’s time to get out of your own way. The only person keeping you from happiness is you.”
He had to say the words. The secret he’d fought so hard to keep all these years. It weighed too much for him to carry alone any longer. “I’m gay.” It was the softest of whispers, but everybody in the bar heard it. Werewolves had amazing hearing.
“And?”
He looked around to find everybody exactly as they had been. Nobody had jumped up and demanded he leave. Nobody had demanded his head. Nobody seemed to care. Or, if they did, they were doing an admirable job not showing it. “Can a member of the pack be gay?” His stomach turned and pitched so rapidly he feared he’d be sick, but he’d put his cards on the table. He needed to know.
“I can’t answer for every pack. There are a lot of idiots out there.” Gee put his hand on his. He took comfort in the simple gesture. “They can be in this pack, however. We actually have several members who are gay. Drew’s asked a lot of all of us, and he’ll ask a lot of you if you take the oath, but he’s always accepted us for who we are.”
Needing the liquid courage the drink would provide him, he gulped down the rest of his beer. “Thanks, Gee.”
“No need to thank me. I’m happy to call you an idiot any time the situation warrants it.” He took the glass and put it in a tub of dirty dishes. “Did you decide what you’re going to do?”
“I’m going to go swear an oath to a Tao.” He shook his head when he heard the words out loud. He never thought he’d swear an oath to anybody let alone another Tao. “Then I’m going to figure out how to convince Ryker we can trust Thom with our secret. I’m done standing in the way of what I want.”
Gee smiled. “I knew you were hiding an intelligent Wolf in there somewhere. Glad to see you found him.”
***
Thom looked at the clock again. Hank should’ve been home hours ago. His stomach rumbled for the fifth time in as many minutes. As the clock struck three, he wondered if he should call his cell phone. He hated to seem needy. Appearing desperate would only push the man away quicker.
When he heard the truck pull up, he breathed a sigh of relief. When Drew got out of the cab as well, though, his earlier tension returned. They’d decided Drew would come over next week. Why would Hank change the plan without talking to him?
“Anybody home?” Hank’s voice echoed around the house. He though he picked up a touch of nervousness in the words.
“In the
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