Chapter 66

Jo put her hands on her hips as she watched the wolves emerging from the forest line. Unfortunately, she hadn't been around the Monroe pack long enough to recognize everyone in their wolf forms (heck, sometimes even putting names to human faces was hard). However, she did recognize Lexi. The black and grey wolf beside her...eh....

Blake crossed his arms over his chest. "So, we're going to be best friends now."

"Yeah, no," Jo said. She looked back over her shoulder to see if Ryker was back yet, and she found him frozen in place only ten feet behind her. Her eyebrows lifted. "Hey. You okay?" The look on his face would best be described as stony horror.

Blake whined. "Aw, come on, but Lexi's a part of our pack now!"

Jo jerked around toward him. "What--"

"Like hell she is," Ryker snapped, the comment forcing him into moving again. He waved an arm at the wolves coming closer. "This is a mistake."

"Would you like to explain what's going on?" Jo asked.

"That's Duncan," Ryker said, nodding his head in the black and grey wolf's direction. "Lexi's confused."

Jo started to say something, but her mouth simply hung open as her thoughts stitched together. Lexi and Duncan...no way...

"Right." Ryker scowled. "She can't be right."

"I don't see how she'd be wrong," Blake said, shrugging, "You can't just be like, 'whoops, my bad, I thought you were my mate but I was wrong'."

Ryker's jaw clenched. "Lexi will be a first."

Jo glanced at Ryker, then Blake, then back at Ryker. Ryker was fuming. This wasn't good. Ok, if her conclusion was right, then what happened with Lexi wasn't good either, but they didn't need him making things worse by wolfing out on his sister.

Stepping closer to him, she clasped his hand, her thumb stroking against his hand gently in reassurance. "Let's hear what Lexi has to say," she said softly. "Maybe it's not what it looks like."

"It sure smells like it," Ryker grumbled, although his tone had quietened down. Jo arched an eyebrow as she looked at him in confusion and he shrugged. "They smell...like each other."

A soft, rumbling sound came from behind them and Jo glanced back to find Malcolm eyeing the pair as well. Oh. Right. Lexi's dad had figured it too, which was probably even worse.

As they came closer the group slowed, most of them hanging back, but Duncan and Lexi came right up to the pack together until a low growl from Malclom stopped them. Lexi growled back while Duncan shifted restlessly.

Um, great. Wolf talk. Rawr growl woof woof snarl.

Ryker sighed finally and glanced at Jo almost as if he'd read her mind. "We're going to go in to talk while Dad's Beta stays out here and keeps an eye on the Duncans."

"What about Jake?" Jo leaned into Ryker and he released her hand so that he could wrap an arm around her instead, nestling her against his side. Sweaty, nasty side, but she wasn't going to fuss about that right now, considering she probably smelled a little on the smoky side. He bent to kiss her temple, eyes unfocused for a moment before answering her question.

"Charlie and Blake will escort him to the cabin to stay under guard while we decide what to do with them."

"I think at this point we need to rename that place Blake's Cabin."

Ryker snorted in amusement, but apparently it was at a comment made through the mindlink. "Charlie says he thinks the Duncan Penitentiary sounds better."

Bake grinned and gave Charlie a thumb's up. "How about in the new spirit of compromise and brotherhood we call it Blake's Fortress of Solitude? Implies doom and gloom like you want but with my name attached."

"Anyway..." Ryker rolled his eyes, tugging Jo away from the pair as they headed toward the house, following Malcolm who'd already disappeared inside, and Lexi and Duncan, who were just climbing up the porch.

"I can stay with them if you want?" Jo offered, not sure if she had a place in the discussion about to take place in the house.

"You're not getting out of this so easily," Ryker said, his hand on the small of her back as he pushed her forward.

"That's not what I was trying to do," she protested.

"Mhmm, sure," Ryker said, his tone extra grouchy. She watched as Duncan tentatively stepped through the doorway, almost like he was willing to walk to his death if it meant following Lexi. What were they supposed to do about that? And it was going to be a weird conversation if Malcolm, Lexi, and Duncan stayed like that.

Brett came trudging up the steps behind them, his normally cheerful face stormy. Behind him, she spotted Aaliyah in human form stepping out from out of the sheds, wearing shorts and a baggy t-shirt, her arms crossed as she hurried toward the house as well. Family meeting meant family meeting. She wondered where Lexi had stashed the kids as Ryker nudged her inside the house.

Tension filled the house, and Jo half-wished Ryker actually had let her stay outside with Charlie and Blake. Malcolm's lips curled back over his teeth, and Lexi lashed her tail as Duncan sat in front of the fireplace, looking awkward and unfortunate with just a touch of defiance.

"So...is everyone staying wolfy?" she asked quietly, though they would all be able to easily hear her.

Ryker scowled and looked at his dad, sister, and enemy. Malcolm growled and didn't move and neither did Lexi. They seemed really busy staring at each other, possibly yelling? Telepathically? Duncan pointedly looked away.

"It's rude to Jo to not shift," Aaliyah said firmly as she walked past, headed toward the stairs.

Lexi glanced at Jo, then nudged Duncan's shoulder. Or...Hayes? Should she call him Hayes now? Malcolm growled in response, but besides another glare at her father, Lexi seemed to ignore it as she pushed Duncan out of the room, presumably to go shift.

"Are they really about to shift in the..."

Jo grabbed Ryker's arm as he went to follow them.

"I seriously doubt they're going to try anything with all of her family right here waiting for them," Jo said, tugging him back toward her. As he stared moodily in the direction they'd gone, Jo squeezed his hand, trying to draw his attention back. "At least it wasn't Jake, right?"

At that Ryker looked at her, a reluctant, tiny sliver of a smile flashing across his lips for a nanosecond. Jo would take it. "Trust you to come up with an even worse scenario."

"Hey, this is positive thinking right here, get with the program."

Ryker suddenly tugged Jo closer to him, and she realized why when a second later Malcolm stalked past them, luckily not in the exact same direction Lexi and Dun-Hayes had gone. She guessed he was shifting too. She felt kinda bad they all had to shift for her, but if she had to be here, it was nice to know what was going on. And probably would be more inclusive anyway since not everyone here would be able to talk directly to Hayes while in wolf form.

Ryker's arms wrapped around her waist as he lowered his head, breathing in the smell of her hair before kissing it. "Do I taste like campfire?" Jo asked, smirking up at him, trying to keep him distracted.

She was rewarded with a rough chuckle. "Honestly? It's just like straight up ash." He sniffed again. "With maybe an undertone of vanilla."

"Guess I picked a good shampoo if you can still smell the vanilla after all that."

"It's a keeper," Ryker agreed, although his attention was partially distracted again as first Lexi, looking very defiant, and then Hayes, looking highly uncomfortable, re-entered the room.

"So, um, guessing y'all are mates?" Jo asked, trying to break the awkward silence that seemed determined to descend.

Lexi's gaze flickered to Ryker briefly, then she raised her chin just a little as it returned to Jo. "Yeah, we are," she said. Grabbing Duncan/Hayes' hand. He seemed started by the action, although it was already quite clear Lexi wasn't afraid to show she was with him. Lexi looked up at him. "He knows he's got some explaining to do."

"That's certainly right," Ryker grumbled, just as Brett and Aaliyah returned from upstairs. The kids weren't with them, but Jo was willing to bet that they were still upstairs, probably playing or something. This wasn't exactly a kid-type conversation, especially with Duncan there. Hayes?

"What're we supposed to call you now?" Jo asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Duncan."

"No, Hayes," Lexi said, making a face at him. "We're starting fresh. So no one's going by their last name anymore."

"That's not how this works," Ryker said.

"He's right, Lexi," Hayes-Duncan-Whatever said, still not looking over at Ryker. "It's not like everything that happened magically goes away."

"It's definitely not," Aaliyah said as she sat down on one of the couches, her expression tight and annoyed. Not a good idea to endanger a mother wolf's cubs. And Aaliyah didn't seem like she was about to forget what he had put her and the kids through not too long ago, plus there was today. It wasn't exactly a great look for Duncan.

"Especially when you were trying to poach people away from us," Ryker growled. Jo put a hand on his arm. All right, maybe the past wasn't going to simply be tossed out the window, but as far as she knew, they actually couldn't stop Lexi from being this guy's mate. So. They were all going to have to figure out how to get along somehow.

"Offering people a different opportunity isn't poaching," Duncan growled right back. "Or are you going to force people to stay?"

"Hey, stop," Lexi said, frowning at Duncan and then Ryker. "At least wait until Dad's back before you really start arguing."

"Okay, but did it have to be him, Lex?" Brett asked, leaning back against the couch cushions beside Aaliyah. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You sure you don't like that Blake kid? He seems dumb but harmless."

"I'm sure," Lexi said. "It's not like I had a choice."

"Hey," Duncan mumbled grouchily. He glowered at Brett. His face swiftly became blank. Maybe he realized that giving the family doctor and eldest son death glares probably wasn't a good idea.

Lexi gave him a shove. "Well, you did attack my family today."

"I–"

"During my birthday party–"

"I didn't–"

"My eighteenth birthday party!"

"That she didn't even want," Brett said almost under his breath but not quite.

Jo sank down into an armchair, leaving Ryker to stand like an extremely peeved statue not far from the door. If they were going to be here for a long family discussion, she was at least going to be comfortable.

"Brett, how many were injured?" Malcolm's voice cut through the room as he came over, footfalls at a near-stomp.

"Ours or theirs?" Brett asked.

"Ours."

"Only a couple," Brett said, "Hannah will probably be laid up for a couple days, but she'll be fine. One of the Callahans got a nasty bite, but it'll heal by the end of the week."

Yet another reminder that werewolves healed freakishly fast. Her own claw mark wounds weren't nearly healed, and they were probably going to leave scars.

"How many of mine were injured?" Duncan asked, gaze intent and fixed on Brett. Okay, small point to Duncan, at least he cared about the health of his pack.

Brett gave a wry smile in return. "Yours or Jake's?"

Duncan growled softly, but immediately stopped as both Ryker and Malcolm growled in return. Way too much testosterone in this room.

"I'd say about eight or so injured enough they'd need me to look at them," Brett said after the growling had subsided. "Jake had them pretty confused, which probably resulted in less coordination and more stupid injuries than was needed."

Duncan gritted his teeth. "Jake will be banished as soon as he wakes."

"Well, that's the first thing we can agree on," Malcolm said, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed his future son-in-law. Good lord, she was glad her introduction to the Monroe family hadn't been like Duncan's. "Far as I see it, you got some serious explaining to do." He shook his head in disappointment. "And a lot of work to do in taking back your pack."

Duncan bristled at the put-down, and Jo suppressed the urge to sigh, wondering if Duncan had a death wish. At this rate, she was looking at a long, long night if everyone kept going at it the way they were.