Uncomfortable Howling

"I'm thinking about the fact I have a little girl outside, a boy somewhere inside, and one inside of you right now." He scratched his head. "I want to get them."

"Then why didn't you?" It came out rougher than she meant it too. Really. They were his children, why didn't he just snap their little girl out of that dreadful collar outside? Why wasn't Wolfie brought to their room? Why did he do nothing but crawl into bed?

Then, he said it.

"My home and the islands are in danger. I watched the ad for the show," he revealed. "They know the children are werewolves, and so are you."

"What's the point?" She already knew they would go with that angle. There was no hiding anything.

"The show is a compromise, to let the humans see where wolves go. Outside or inside. I don't know what I can do yet, or how long I can have them with us, or they'd be here," he said. "I'll ask Zoan tomorrow."

Why didn't he ask tonight?

"Zoan cares about nothing more than to make sure you and the kids are safe," he answered without her saying anything. "If there was even a slight chance I could have them, he would never have forgotten to tell me that."

Right.

"The group is going to help you make the meals starting tomorrow," he also said to her. "I don't want you to stress about this. We are going to be here as long as we have to be, and when we leave, we are taking you and the kids with us. I promise you that."

Yeah. Well. So far, he hadn't done one good thing for her. He was all talk. "Good night." She turned back around and got more comfortable.

Of course it'd be this way. She knew it would be this way. There was some tiny, little part of her that believed they'd come back with Zoan, break her daughter out of her chain, and get Wolfie away.

Even if not far away. Even if not out of the house. Just, in the safety of her room. She would settle for that kind of miracle. The safety of her room.

She heard her daughter howling at the moon and tried to stop her tears. Every night she always howled. Juniper couldn't stay out there forever, he was watching over her, but he didn't sleep out there with her. "She's more dog than person."

Then, she seized up, feeling her blanket getting yanked away. She looked at Devin, she was breathing really hard, she messed up and triggered the wolf to kill her!

"I'm? I'm sorry," he apologized as he pulled the blankets closer. "I scared you, I'm sorry. I would never hurt you, I came for you and them, I didn't come for the mission at first. I didn't even know about it, I just wanted to get back to you." He covered his ears. "She's so lonely."

"Every night." She tried to steady her breath.

"I scared you and I'm sorry. I was moving toward the window, and it caught the blanket. I just wanted to see her. I didn't mean to frighten you."

She didn't say anything as he went toward the window. She watched him lift the window. Then, he started howling.

When he howled, she heard another howl that wasn't her little girl's too. Severa people were starting to yell now. One wolf howling each night was tough, but hearing three people howling?

He looked back toward her. "Go ahead. Howl at her. Even if she can't see us, it'll make her feel better."

Was he serious? "I don't know how to howl."

"You do. You just haven't done it before. I'll show you tomorrow," he said.

After everyone quieted down, she didn't hear her daughter anymore. The night was calm. "Who howled with you?"

"Mattie," Devin told her. "She recognizes my howl." He went back toward the bed and got back into it. "She's my sister."

Yes, she remembered. The odd woman who started the nonsense of getting them all involved in the first place. "Zoan is guarding her, right?"

"Yes. Not very far away," he insisted. "When a wolf cub howls, they are just looking for a sign they aren't alone. I'm going to see what I can do for her, Destiny."

"Sweetie," she said to him. "I have to go by Sweetie."

"I'm going to see what I can do for her, Destiny," he said again, not using the fake name. "Sorry again about yanking everything away, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You apologize way too much," Destiny said to him. "How are you really going to protect me? How in the world did you ever beat my brother?" It didn't make any sense.

"I apologize, because I don't know what else to do in this situation you've been left in," he said. "I didn't even know if you'd be willing to talk to me or hear me out."

Oh. "I'm not . . . happy." Of course she wasn't happy. "I understand. Zoan didn't come see me for a long time either. My other brothers figured out something was wrong before he did," she admitted. "I can't deal with you for a year with silent treatment. Yes, I'm mad, I'm annoyed, and I wish I never met you every day of my life. I'm glad you are here. Please don't let me down again."

"Yeah. I get that," Devin said. "Do you want a hug?"

"In this nightie?" Was he kidding?

"Maybe later." He lied down. "Don't worry." He shrugged. "I've killed before. Several times."

What?

"If anyone comes after you, I will kill them."

He sounded way too casual with that phrase. "You think you could take a life to protect me?" she asked.

"I've killed for my sister's favorite necklace before," he said, "so of course I would. Night."

This. Polite man. Had no qualms with killing. At all. Part of her might feel better, if she knew him better. Another part? Wanted to scream.

She was sharing a bed with a murderer. Killing? Why did he kill so much? He seemed civil, but what civil man mentioned killing like it was nothing?

Yes, she was quite sure she identified him right. Not a dear, and not a darling. He was a bastard.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said, finally noticing she wasn't comfortable with that reveal. "You're pregnant with my child. You had another two. I'm protecting you, not killing you."

Uh huh. Still. She better just treat him like she did every other bastard around there. Be polite, but watch her back. Wear a fake smile, fake politeness, but keep a knife nearby, ready if anything went wrong.

It's what she did the last four years. That wouldn't change.