The Second Covenant

I woke up to loud voices downstairs, and the absence of my Ulfric. “Druex?” I pushed up from under the covers and looked around. But there was no wolf to be seen. I licked my dry mouth and looked over at the clock. Ten a.m. Not so bad. “Teeth, brush the teeth.” I said and got up to stumble into my bathroom. I washed up, brushed my teeth and was ready to start the day. It was ten twenty and people were still yelling. I came down the stairs, ah look, my boys were home. And their parents. And Druex.

Who was yelling you ask? Take a wild guess.

Tristan and Riley were trying to get Peyton to shut up, he was yelling at his father, his father was yelling at him, and my dad was yelling at Pogue to stop yelling at Peyton . All I got were random curses here and there hands flying madly all over the place and my poor Ulfric was wincing as the volume kept increasing. The mothers were just standing to the side, arms crossed, waiting it out. They saw me and I waved with two fingers.

This wasn’t going to stop anytime soon and I did not want to start the morning off with shouting. How bout a bang? The moms looked at me and I put my hands over my ears and nodded at them. Their hands went to their ears. I whistled softly and Druex looked at me. “Hands on your ears.” I mouthed and he frowned as he put his hands over his ears. I called up my power, my eyes flashed black and I slammed my hands together, magnifying the clap to a huge explosion of sound. Everyone not holding their ears dropped down to a crouch, eyes black. “Morning.” I said breathing deeply as I lowered my hands. “You’re giving me a headache, you mind?” I said to Peyton and continued down the stairs to Druex.

Peyton’s eyes were the only ones who didn’t return to normal. I could see that expression building on his face, the one where he was going to be an asshole. “You raise your voice at me, and I’ll make your tongue swell up like a balloon.” I warned, pointing my finger at him, let a thread of power chase down my arm to push at his chest gently. He took a breath to speak anyway. “What the hell did you let him do to you?” I guessed Him, was Druex. I ignored Peyton’s hiss and greeted Tristan and Riley with a kiss on the cheek. Nothing took the wind out of your sails when you were trying to be intimidating, like being ignored. “When did you leave?”

Tristan’s lips twitched a bit. “Soon as the sun was up. You feel okay?” I nodded and scooped my hair back from my face. “Headache.” He seemed disappointed and I smiled slowly. “Oh what, you expected me to come down with ears and a furry tail? Thanks.” I shoved at him playfully and he went flying back into his father. I gaped down at my hands and then up at Tristan. Who’d knocked his dad down and they were both on the ground staring at me. “Oops.” Druex sighed behind me. “She can bench press a Toyota now. I wouldn’t get into a shoving match with her.”

I looked back over my shoulder at him in openmouthed shock. “I can?” I squeaked and he nodded slowly. “Mm-hm. You were so tired last night I didn’t want to keep you up any longer.” Peyton made a strangled sound of rage and I glared at him. “Shut up. Or go away.” But Druex had kind of started that I tossed him a displeased look. “So my new super powers aside, we do have a bigger problem.” I said and Uncle Tyler and Tristan pulled themselves up off the floor. I put my hands in my pockets. “Sorry.” I said to them sheepishly and Tristan laughed shortly. “We’re fine.” He held his hand out to me, trusting me not to hurt him and I felt my eyes burn.

I took his hand and he squeezed it I didn’t return it just in case. He rolled his eyes. “I’m hungry.” Riley said suddenly, and I could have kissed him. “Me too. Who’s cooking?” The men all looked at the mothers. Mine laughed. “Ah, no. Not today. You want food you make it yourself.” Riley and Tristan whined piteously. “Mom,” They chorused. “Come on, please? We’ll just burn everything and ruin the pans, we can’t cook.” Riley said and Tristan nodded with an adorable pout. “We’re genetically predisposed to destroy the kitchen.”
“Please?” They said and then looked at me. “Not a chance.” I said and went to stand with the other women. Uncle Pogue clapped his hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “Come on kid, we’ll manage to scrounge up something without smoking down the house. We can grill the dead animal, that’s manly.”

Aunt Kate was the one to cave and go over to the dark side. “Oh no, you are not going to make steak for breakfast.” And with that she tossed her ebony hair and flounced off to the kitchen. My mom sighed under her breath. “Pushover.” But she went to, the moms went to cook and I shook my head at my second oldest uncle. “You’re so manipulative.”

He looked offended. “I was perfectly willing to make food.” I laughed at him. “And do dishes?” He sniffed down his nose at me. “In my house those who didn’t cook do the dishes.” I nodded agreeably. “Really?”
“Of course.” I grinned wickedly at him. “Oh good. Did you bring your rubber gloves or should I see if mom has any to loan you?” He scowled, caught by his own rules and the rest of the men laughed. “Oh don‘t worry, there’ll be gloves for everyone.” I swanked off and left them to whine to each other about the unfairness of that rule to Pogue.

French toast, lots of bacon, eggs and potatoes. A feast. I had a moment where the raw bacon had looked really, really good. Then I’d nearly thrown up at the thought of eating it. I’d told the mom’s Uncle Pogue’s golden rule and they’d had a good laugh. “Cherish, the day my husband does dishes is the day I sprout wings and fly.”
“I heard that!” Pogue said as he and the rest of the gang came into the kitchen. Good thing it was cavernous in there, otherwise we’d not have all fit.

Druex hung back, just watching and I felt bad that he was the odd man…wolf out. Our eyes met across the room and he smiled at me. I winked at him and bumped hips with my Aunt Lisa. Very gently. She kissed my cheek. “You okay?” She whispered and I nodded. “Yeah.”
“So Cherish, are you going to go all furry on us, like Uber PMS?” I shook my head and flipped a piece of toast. “No. I lack the ability to actually shift shapes.” He frowned at me. “Why?” I gave a roll of my shoulders. “Not sure. Druex are the others coming?” I waved around at the food in case we needed to make more. “That‘s up to you.”
“Wait, wait ,wait. There’s more werewolves besides him?” Peyton demanded and I sniffed at him. “Lots more.” I handed my spatula to his mother and left my post to walk over to my Ulfric. Looked up into his eyes and felt our power rub together sensuously. Had I done that or was it him reminding me?

I could smell his anger before I even saw it in his eyes. He had his hands in his pockets, but he kept fighting not to look at Peyton in a manner that would piss anybody off. “Why is it up to me?” I asked softly. “You’re Lupa. They’ll come if you call.” Like ordered them? No, I didn’t want that. “And if they don’t want to be here?” He shrugged. “That’s tough shit for them.” I frowned at him, “Can I just ask politely and give them a choice?”
The way he looked down at me you would have thought the sun had just risen out of my body. “Yes.”

I slipped my cell phone out of my pocket and walked out of the kitchen, feeling all the eyes on me. I dialed the club and I think it was Dom who picked up. “The Circle.” He said shortly. “It’s Cherish, who‘s this?”
“Dom.” Oh, I was right. Cool. “Is Druex okay?” He demanded and I blinked, held the phone away from me and then put it back to my ear. “Why wouldn’t he be?”
“He made us all stay here last night because something bad happened. He didn’t give us details. We worried.”
I turned around to glare at Druex. “I’m sorry.” Dom seemed surprised I was apologizing to him. “Are you okay?” Was his next question, softer, more tentative. “Yes, you all met my Uncles. I thought maybe you’d like to meet the rest of my family. We’re making breakfast and you’re welcome to come. If you want to.”

There were several moments of silence. Surprised silence. “You know you could just tell us to haul ass over there and we’d have to come right?”
“Yes, but I’m not going to.”
“Why not?” I frowned at the question, confused why he would ask that. “Because you don’t know me, and other than the fact I happen to share wolf genes with you guys, I don’t have any right to order you to do anything. If you‘re hungry come on, but if you don‘t want to have a sit down with a bevy of witches and mothers, you don‘t have to.”
“Man, can we keep her?” I heard another voice ask.
“I knew I liked her.” and another.
“She’ll be good for Druex.” and another.
“Yeah well I haven’t met her so I’ll reserve judgment. Helluva phone voice though.” That must be Dax.
“Well I don’t know about you losers, but I’m hungry. Let‘s have the directions sweetheart.” I growled softly and the man laughed. “Please?”

I gave directions and hung up the phone to tell my mother we had five more breakfast guests incoming and went to put the leaves in the dining room table. Tristan, Riley, Druex and Peyton, came to help set the table. “Thanksgiving came a week early.” Riley joked and I tossed him a pile of napkins. “Please try and behave. No mean jokes.” I told him and he gave me a wounded expression. “I’m hurt you even think that I’d be rude to your puppies.” I let a wolfish growl spill up from my throat and everyone but Druex froze. “I’d smack you but I’m afraid I’d break my hand on your hard head.”

I drilled my finger in his direction. “We’re going to have breakfast, minus the commentary,” I pointed at Tristan next. “You’ve never been rude so you are exempt.” He grinned at Riley. “Yeah, I’m exempt.” I rolled my eyes at him and pointed to Peyton. “And you’re going to cut the totally unreasonable jealous act. Or I’ll let someone bite you.” Peyton glowered darkly. “I’m not jealous.” The scent of his lie was acrid enough to make me wrinkle my nose. “Just FYI, I can smell it now when you lie.”

Riley groaned. “Man, now you’re going to rat me out to my mother every time I fib.” He was trying to prevent a nasty confrontation, sweet, but it was going to happen eventually. “Not unless you make it worth my while not to.” I said sweetly and Druex rolled his eyes at me.