Page 50 of Under A New Moon

“Dad listen,” Galen hoped he could use the break from Armand’s criticism to respond a little, but any hope he had of sounding coherent and sensible went right out the window the moment he began talking.

“We came here to warn you about the corruption in the Legacy, and that there’s a plot to kill elders, and Sol said you too. And Darla’s my fated mate. We met while she was stalking me for PEACE.” As soon as the words left his mouth he winced.

Why in the name of all that’s holy, would I tell him she works for PEACE?

His father nearly gasped and his jaw dropped momentarily. “That’s a joke. You’re fucking joking right now. Seriously? Tell me how funny you are, because that was a goddamn joke!”

“No joke, papa bear. I got a badge and everything.”

“Well pull it out so I can piss on it, and I’m a wolf, not a bear. I would’ve thought they taught you people the difference.”

His attention shifted back to his son. “I thought you were an idiot for bringing a human out here. Now I think you’re a fucking lunatic, an infidel. No, worse. You’re an idiot who’s a traitor. Get her out of here before the others find out, or I doubt I’ll be able to stop what happens after that.”

“Dad, you’re not listening. There’s corruption in the Legacy. There’s a plot or something. And we think PEACE is involved too. I don’t pretend to think that we understand the whole thing, but the short version is, there’s a group of metahumans and humans thatwanta war to happen. And from the looks of it, they’re this close to making it happen.”

“Yeah, no shit there’s corruption in PEACE. The whole thing is run by a bunch of bloodthirsty jackals.” Armand spat after his statement for good measure and looked Darla up and down.

Darla couldn’t stay out of it, even though Galen was urging her to stand down. “You can think whatever you want about me, and you can think whatever you want about PEACE. I honestly couldn’t care less. But we risked a lot. We’ve been through a helluva lot, to come here and tell you about the dangers.”

“Dad, our people are in terrible danger.”

Armand took a deep breath of air while he considered what was being said. “Since when are they your people? You turned your back on us. On me. Did you forget that? You’ve been gone thirty-five years give or take, and show up with a story about boogeymen and rogue wolves. No doubt wolves that have served the pack loyally for years, and I’m supposed to take you at your word? And her?”

"You basically disowned me!" Galen stood up for the first time since his father had put him on his back, and he began putting on his clothes again. “You believe whatever you want. I risked everything to come here and tell you. I’m a lot of things, and one of them is proud. Do you really think I’d come crawling back here, tail between my legs, to get tongue-lashed by you, if it wasn’t for a damned good fucking serious reason?”

Armand rubbed his stubbled face for a moment while he considered everything that had been said. “It’s just so crazy.”

After another long pause, he finally said, “Ok. There’s a den nearby. Let’s go talk.”

Forty

Darla

Darla tried to follow Galen's example of how to act here. When to sit, when to stand, how to move. She worried that stepping off a path or something might be considered an insult. She was totally out of her depth here.

She knew that she and Galen were a team now. They were together, and she wasn't going to let anything separate them. Still, that meant if they stayed, she was going to have to learn the rules of the world she now inhabited.

She tried to convince herself it wasn't any different from when she joined any new group. There were the written and the unwritten rules that she'd have to learn. In this case, it just meant that she'd be following the laws and customs of a people who could turn into wolves.

In the back of her mind, she wondered if there were places she couldn't go because of this. Were there sacred spaces that she'd be barred from entering?

PEACE had given her so little cultural information. They taught her how to kill wolves, not how to understand them. Why would you need to understand a monster, right?

Armand led them deep enough into the den that she felt almost protected or trapped. Armand, Galen, and she sat around a campfire. There were a few other wolves around them.

It was hard to tell what role they played in this. Were they elders, guards, or family? Again, she pushed the questions down and tried to be patient. Once they were in the den and around the fire, Armand turned to Galen and said, "It's time to tell me what's going on."

Galen looked to Darla.

"It's complicated. I want to start by saying Darla is my mate, and I trust her with my life," Galen said.

Even though his declaration didn't come as a surprise to her, it still touched her in a way. She felt a slight flutter in the pit of her stomach. Though, once she considered what Galen might say next, the feeling transformed from elation to panic.

"Darla was an Agent of PEACE." He paused and looked at her, and she nodded. "She was sent to kill me.

Some of the other wolves growled, but a look from Armand silenced them.

"Please, continue," he said with a slight nod. While he seemed tough on Galen, she wasn't sure if this was courtesy, pity, or something else that made Galen's father seem less brusk with her than he had moments ago.

---