Bumble (Page 46)

"Marcus doesn’t see it that way," Winkler said. "Georgia Daniels’ husband died six years ago in a challenge, and Marcus thinks she went crazy. We’ve had to use one of the decoy houses outside the property as her home," he added. Citizens in Cloud Chief had a post office box to receive mail, and their license listed an address outside Cloud Chief as a street address. It was necessary to protect the community.

"This needs to be kept quiet," Radomir observed.

"I’ve already contacted the Grand Master; he feels the same. He’s ordered Marcus and his family to keep it quiet while we investigate."

"But if someone else is involved, how did they convince Georgia Daniels to do this?" Aedan asked. "And what will be done with her son?"

"I’ll take Trace and do some questioning tomorrow—Marcus asked Micah and Greta to take Chad in for the night and break the news to him. They’ll keep him out of school until this is resolved." Winkler shook his head.

"Are they still planning to execute the Smith boy?" Radomir asked.

"They are, but they have to find him first. The Grand Master has sent two trackers but they haven’t located the boy."

"Did his mother ever call you?" Aedan asked.

"No." Winkler sounded disappointed. "I’ll let you know what I learn from the Daniels boy tomorrow night. Will you keep an eye on Billings and let me know when he returns?"

"Of course," Radomir agreed.

Ashe, hovering over their heads as mist, zoomed away.

Chapter 14

"I’ve already called Principal Billings and told him that you’re staying home today," Adele told Ashe when she woke him Tuesday morning. "He said he’d hand your assignments to Dori and she can bring them. Sali is staying home today as well. Your father says not to discuss the accident with anyone."

"I know," Ashe slid off the bed and searched for clothing. "Want me to make breakfast? I can do scrambled eggs and toast."

"That sounds really good. I’ll meet you upstairs."

"Dude, you know how to cook?" Sali and Denise were at the door just as Ashe was scraping a pile of scrambled eggs onto two plates.

"Your confidence in my culinary skills is lacking," Ashe grinned. "Want some? I can make more."

"Sure." Sali settled into a seat at the table while his mother rolled her eyes at his seemingly insatiable appetite.

"How about you, Mrs. DeLuca?" Ashe pulled more eggs from the fridge.

"I’m not hungry, Ashe, we ate breakfast half an hour ago."

"Mom, I’m a growing boy," Sali whined, dipping into eggs and toast while Adele gave him a bright smile before eating her own breakfast. Denise DeLuca accepted a cup of coffee from Ashe before he sat down to eat.

"Dude, my Aunt Marcie is leaving Uncle Dom early," Sali whispered as he and Ashe walked downstairs later. "Your black eye looks better."

"Yeah, it’s purple, green, brown and yellow now," Ashe said. “At least I can see out of it. What do you mean, your aunt is leaving your uncle early?"

"A lot of werewolf marriages are arranged, dude. The males outnumber the females six to one, so not every male werewolf will get to marry a female werewolf. Didn’t your mom and dad tell you about that? Female vampires are nearly nonexistent. Dad told me that, too. Anyway, Grampa Sal had Aunt Marcie marry his Second, Dominic Pruitt, who’s Packmaster in Phoenix now. ‘Course she told him she was leaving him when Cousin Jackson turned eighteen, right after Uncle Dom challenged Grampa Sal and won. Cousin Jackson is fourteen, now, and Cousin Dustin is seventeen. Two kids is the rule, dude, before the Grand Master will allow a divorce. Then the female werewolf is allowed to pick her next mate."

"Dude, do you know how messed up that sounds?" Ashe shook his head. He only knew a little about how the Pack dealt with marriage. "And your uncle challenged your grampa? That sounds awkward."

"I heard Aunt Marcie was really mad at him. He didn’t tell her what he was planning. Mom said Grampa was old, but she still gets upset about it, too."

"Did you ever meet your grampa?"

"Mom says I was a baby when he saw me, so I don’t remember it." Sali shivered. "Grampa Salidar is the one I’m named after."

"I know werewolves do things differently. I sure hope you don’t want the Pack someday."

"Nah. You think I want to deal with some of those guys? They complain to Dad all the time."

"So, your Aunt Marcie is leaving your Uncle Dom, four years earlier than she planned? Where is she going?"

"She’s coming here. Mom says Aunt Marcie will be here sometime Saturday, so she wants to invite people over. Dad said the Cloud Chief Pack will consider her request to join."

"What about your cousins? Cloud Chief will be a big let-down after Phoenix."

"They won’t be coming," Sali mumbled. "If the female leaves, the father gets the kids. Werewolf tradition. It’s an incentive for the mothers to stay until the kids graduate high school."

"Dude, that is seriously messed up." Ashe flopped against the headboard of his bed.

"Mom and Dad asked to be together, so it wasn’t arranged so much. Now, Mom’s worried that Marco will think she’s going to leave him, too, and that’s not the case."

"But Marco’s nearly eighteen. You’re the one who might be affected most. If it did happen," Ashe amended. He liked Sali’s mom and worried that things might not be as stable as he thought.

"Yeah, but Marco’s been hit twice," Sali worried a hole in one of his socks.

"Your mom isn’t planning to leave, is she?" Ashe voiced his fears aloud.

"Nope. She talked to Marco and me right after she talked to Aunt Marcie. Marco’s in a bad mood anyway, so I don’t think anybody is getting through to him."

"He was okay when we had the cookout."

"But now he’s depressed again. They’re having Megan’s funeral tomorrow and Marco’s still mad that he can’t go."

"What if there was a way?" Ashe traced a pattern in his comforter, decorated with green, blue and brown rectangles.

"Dad said he could stay home, but that’s all he said," Sali hunched his shoulders.

"But what if there is a way?" Ashe persisted.

"He’ll be seen. That’s what Dad is trying to avoid."

"And if he isn’t seen?" Ashe’s comment, made with head bowed as he traced a blue rectangle this time, had Sali drawing in a sharp breath.

"You’re kidding," Sali gasped. "You can’t." He was skeptical immediately.