Page 82 of Aleko
“No, he’s not,” growled Killian. “They kicked him out.”
“Agh!” yelled Moira and stormed away into the darkness again.
“I’m sorry,” said Hudson. “Are you all right? Do you need some place to go?” Leave it to Hudson to offer immediate aid.
“Uh…” said Rafe, who looked like he couldn’t decide whether or not to laugh. “Thank you, but no. Also, it was sixty years ago. And we got over it.”
“He and Grandpa made up!” yelled Moira returning angrily. “They’re allowed to do that.”
“You can do that?” asked Sebastian, shocked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone being un-rejected.”
“They kicked him out! I’m not going to be in a pack that rejects people!” Killian yelled at Moira.
“Well, no one’s asking you to now, asshole!” Moira stormed through the doorway and up to Killian. She was so close and he wanted to touch her, but he was also mad.
“OK, everyone just take a breath,” said Rafe, coming in with Azure.
“What happens if your grandpa gets mad and kicks out our kids or something?” barked Killian. “I’m not doing it!”
“He’s not like that!” Moira was practically vibrating in rage. “You don’t even know him.”
“He kicked out his own son!”
“OK, yeah,” said Rafe. “But in Dad’s defense Mom had just died and I was smoking a lot of pot and I kept coming up with crazy ideas like finding some of the old wolf records, and forming alliances with other races, and maybe using human technology to help us.”
“Really? He said they were good ideas when I suggested…” Moira trailed off staring at her uncle.
“Oh, yeah, don’t think I’m not bitter about that,” said Rafe. “But I also wanted to tell humans about us. Like I wanted to go totally public.”
“Oh,” said Killian. “Uh…”
“Yeah, like I said. A lot of pot. And then the older pack members, who hadn’t even gotten into cars, started freaking out that we were going to war with humans who now had automatic weapons and tanks. And basically, everything was in turmoil. So Dad told me to shut up about it or get out and I said fuck you and he said, no, fuck you, and he picked me up and threw me out a window. So, I got drunk and when I came back the next morning all my shit and my motorcycle were outside the front gate. Andmaybe I could have come back if I’d apologized and kept my mouth shut, but…”
“But you don’t do that?” asked Moira.
“I figured out apologizing eventually,” he said with a shrug. “But you tell me, kiddo, have you learned how to keep your trap shut?”
Moira’s eyes slid to Killian and the snapped away again.
“Yeah, DeSandres have kind of a problem with that.” Behind Rafe, Azure tried to smother a laugh in her hand.
“But you’re not back in the pack,” said Killian. “If you were, you’d be the heir again.”
Moira flinched as if he’d said something hurtful.
“I’m not in the pack because I’m with Azure and her family. I’m not meant to be the alpha of the Portland pack,” said Rafe simply.
“Are you sure?” asked Moira, tears springing into her eyes and Killian took an involuntary step forward. How could she not be sure that she was meant to be the alpha?
“I’m not an alpha,” said Rafe firmly, but Azure rolled her eyes.
“But… All the cured ones call you,” said Moira. “I think Maverick has you on speed dial.”
“Yeah, that’s just… they don’t have anyone,” he said. “Most of them are lone wolves. So they need a little extra help. They aren’t mine.”
“Yeah, you say that,” said Alex. “Next thing you know you’ve got house full of idiots who eat everything.”
“We’re associates,” said Trevor.
