Stag and the Ash (The Rowan Harbor Cycle Book 5)

by Sam Burns

  Jesse was setting the flowers on the passenger seat of his SUV when his phone buzzed. He made a mental note to get them in water as soon as possible. It might not be hot outside yet, but they’d wilt without a little care all the same.

  He pulled out his phone to find that he had a text from Andrei Volkov, of all people. His mother had forced him to add the number of every wolf in town to his phone, but he’d never expected most of them to contact him. The text itself was even more unexpected.

  strange wolves @ diner

  Well, that was the last thing Rowan Harbor needed. Heck, it was the last thing strange werewolves needed, to come into a town that was already dealing with one crisis after another. He sighed and pulled himself into the driver’s seat, then texted back.

  On my way.

  He looked down at the flowers and sighed. No time to find them water or take them home. Sometimes being on the council sucked.

  There was a midsize hybrid parked near the diner that he didn’t recognize, and given the fact that it was lime green, he thought he’d remember it if it belonged to someone in town.

  He parked in an open spot and checked his phone. No more messages, which seemed like a good sign. It was only eleven—early for lunch—but Jesse figured he could call it brunch and order French toast.

  Hana was waiting for him at the door when he came in. She looked a little tense, and when Jesse saw the strangers, he had to work not to roll his eyes.

  The text and Hana’s posture had made him think he was facing a motorcycle gang or something, but it was three kids. He would have been surprised if any of them were over twenty, and he thought at least one was underage. They looked a little nervous, but otherwise completely average and innocent.

  They also looked damn hungry.

  The girl appeared to be the oldest, and she didn’t have a plate in front of her, only a glass of water. Her golden blonde hair was pulled up in a bun that looked more about comfort than style. She was on alert, despite the dark circles under her eyes, scanning the diner for threats, so Jesse figured she was in charge.

  Then there were two teenage boys. They were turned away from Jesse, so he couldn’t see their faces. Both had unremarkable medium brown hair, albeit in different shades. They appeared to be sharing a plate of something, both taking measured bites but staring at the food and glancing at each other like they wanted to fight over it. Andrei’s cooking was good, but not that good.

  “Coffee?” Hana asked as she sat him alone in the spacious corner booth reserved for council members.

  “Yeah. And orange juice, please. And the French toast.” He glanced up at the kids. The girl was watching him. She must have caught his scent and realized she was looking at another wolf. “What are the kids eating?”

  Hana didn’t hesitate or ask which kids he meant. “Ham sandwich, carrots instead of fries.”

  Jesse curled up his nose. “Carrots instead of fries? What the hell, Hana, that’s like a punishment. Did they piss you off?”

  “Carrots are healthier.” She looked pointedly down at where she’d written his order.

  He wasn’t sure if she was insulting the nutritional value of his order or making a suggestion, but it didn’t alter his course of action. “Okay, I’m gonna need three more of those, but with fries. Calories, man. Growing boys need calories. Girls, too. Hey, and chocolate milkshakes. Everybody likes ice cream, right?”

  “I don’t.”

  He scowled at her. “I always knew there was something off about you, Hana. Only villains don’t like ice cream.”

  She shrugged, unbothered, and turned to a new page on her notepad. “Anything else?”

  “I think that’s good for now. If we need anything else, I’ll shoot you my best puppy eyes.”

  She clicked the pen closed and put it in her apron pocket, followed by the notepad. “Those stopped working on me when you grew into your feet, Jesse Hunter, but you go ahead and keep thinking you’re adorable.”

  “Sean thinks I’m adorable.”

  “I always worried that bike accident when he was five did permanent brain damage.”

  Jesse opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally, he shook his head. “I’m not sure whether to be insulted for him or me.”

  She winked at him and turned toward the kitchen to put in his order.

  The girl was watching him, expression interested and wary. He gave her what he hoped was a benign smile; he wasn’t sure he pulled it off. He wished Devon were there, but he always worked Wednesday till midafternoon. Jesse wasn’t as good with people, but at least he already had something in common, them being werewolves.

  The wolf he still struggled to acknowledge grumbled that they were also strange wolves in his territory, but Jesse told him to stuff it.

  Hana came back with his coffee and juice after a minute. “You going to say anything?”

  “Sure. What would you like to hear?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him, lips thinning. “You know what I mean.”

  “I do,” he agreed. “Weirdly enough, I also think I know what I’m doing. Shocking, isn’t it?”

  She let out a bark of a laugh and shook her head as she walked away, muttering something about ridiculous wolves. She was probably right about that—he was pretty ridiculous. But he felt like he did know what he was doing, for once. He’d prefer someone else had to do it, but he knew what to do. The kids were hungry and scared, and like a feral cat, they weren’t going to come out from under the bed for the first person who waved a can of tuna around. He had to wait it out a little.

  He whistled as he made a crawly snake out of the straw wrapper from his orange juice. No reason to make an impression that he was a real adult. He wasn’t the kind of guy who was good at protracted deceptions, so it was best not to start with one.

  His conscience twinged at that thought, and the reminder that he was keeping something from everyone. He’d spent the last day trying not to think about it, or about how Sean would react to the knowledge that Jesse had a hand in his mother’s death.

  He was almost done with his first cup of coffee when Hana came back with an enormous tray of food. She watched him dubiously as she set the plates out, the French toast in front of his spot, and the others evenly spaced, one to his right, and two to his left. She quirked a brow and looked at the place settings, then him, in question. Did he really want to be surrounded by strange wolves?

  He gave her the same placid smile he’d given the girl. To make friends with the feral cat, one had to put the cat in the position of power. He didn’t doubt that surrounded and at a table covered with food, he could take out three half-starved kids if they came at him.

  He wondered how kids who didn’t have enough money for food had enough for an expensive hybrid car that looked almost new. There was a chance that his guess about the money was wrong, but he didn’t think so.

  The way the girl was eyeing the food in front of him convinced him he was right. Unconsciously, she licked her lips as she watched Hana set out the shakes. Hana made an impressive old-fashioned milkshake, complete with a cherry on top.

  “Anything else?” Hana asked when she finished. “Some company, maybe?”

  He grinned. “Think I’ll have that covered in a minute, but thanks. I know Andrei could put all of this away, but I’m sure you’ve got him slaving over the grill for now.”

  “Slaving,” she scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “If he had his way, the boy would be chained to the grill.”

  “That sounds like a health hazard.”

  She shrugged. “You tell him that. You’re his alpha.”

  The boys, who had largely been ignoring everything but their food and each other, tensed when she said the word “alpha.” Jesse had to try hard not to do the same. It took work not to correct her, remind her that his mother was still alive and still in charge. She wasn’t still in charge, and everyone knew it. He was the only one arguing.

  “Fair enough. Someday, you’ve got to put him out of his misery and
retire, so he can buy the place. He’ll settle once he has territory of his own.” Sweet hell, had he actually said that? That was the kind of crap his mother used to spew, about territory and alpha wolves and pack hierarchy.

  Instead of more mocking, Hana gave him a thoughtful nod. “James has been making noises about retiring to Hawaii, like we used to talk about.”

  “Hawaii sounds cool. No more blizzards. When you decide to go, I’m sure the bank will take care of you guys and Andrei.” He felt like the godfather from a mob movie, giving his blessing for a business venture, and had to work to keep from rolling his eyes at himself.

  “We’ll have to think about that,” she agreed. “I can’t think of anyone better suited to take the place over. Andrei’s a good boy.” She clutched her tray to her chest as she drifted back into the kitchen. Through the door, he caught a glimpse of Andrei, who was grinning dreamily, like a man on his wedding day.

  Jesse took a minute to pour syrup on his French toast and take that first, perfect bite. Hot, slightly crisp, and custardy inside. Andrei would do fine when he took over, as long as he got someone to take over the business part of the actual business. Jesse had tutored him in math when they were in high school, and it hadn’t been pretty. He wondered if Andrei had considered taking a partner.

  He savored the bite, followed it up with the last of his coffee, and then made eye contact with the girl. The boys were unsubtly trying to sneak glances over their shoulders at him, and she was unabashedly staring. When he caught her eye, she looked down at her water glass. His life really was a damned nature documentary.

  “Well?” he asked out loud, still looking at her. “Are you guys gonna come over here, or do I have to eat it all myself? ’Cause lemme tell you, I can do it. The fries will be cold by the time I’m done, but do not doubt my stomach.”

  Both boys turned to stare at her. She bit her lip, indecision all over her face. Jesse considered adding something about how they didn’t want to insult him in his territory, but that was much too alpha for his taste.

  After a long moment, she nodded. Before she even finished the motion, the boys were out of their seats and sliding in to the council booth on Jesse’s left. She followed, more hesitant.

  “Jesse Hunter,” he said to her, holding out his hand to shake.

  “I heard.” Her eyes widened, and she looked horrified. “I mean, I’m Madison Blake. It’s nice to meet you, sir. Alpha. Um—”

  “Jesse.”

  She swallowed hard, and Jesse’s brain conjured up images of cartoon characters in mortal peril. “Jesse,” she whispered.

  He patted the table next to the untouched sandwich, while the boys devoured the food he’d ordered them. Watching him as though worried he was going to snatch the plate away, she slid into the booth next to him.

  Jesse ignored her in favor of his French toast for a minute, in hopes that she would relax a little. Her stomach gave a loud growl, but she still didn’t pick up any food.

  One of the boys looked up, concerned, and paused in his eating, glancing between her and Jesse. This one had green eyes and a cute upturned nose that matched Madison’s. Probably siblings, Jesse thought. The kid swallowed the food in his mouth and said, “Mads?” his voice almost a whisper. “Should we . . .” He obviously didn’t want to finish the sentence for fear she’d tell him he shouldn’t be eating.

  Instead, she shook her head. “It’s fine, Ant. You guys eat.”

  “It’s not poisoned or anything,” Jesse pointed out. “You’d be able to smell it if there were anything weird in something as simple as a ham sandwich.”

  She looked as though she hadn’t considered that option, leaning down and giving the sandwich a sniff. Her stomach growled.

  “Or is this a Persephone thing?” He left enough time between sentences to let her interrupt if she wanted to speak, but when she stayed quiet, he went on. “You know, afraid you’ll be trapped here if you agree to eat the food. I tell you what, you might be, but only because Andrei’s damn good at his job. Last guy who visited town is still here, and the carrot cake might have something to do with it.”

  “I thought carrots were a punishment?” she asked, a tentative smile on her face.

  He grinned back. “Dude, they are. But everything is better in cake.”

  “What about zucchini?” the second boy asked, not bothering to swallow before talking. Ah, a kid after Jesse’s own heart.

  “You’ve obviously never spent much time in a small town. Wait for Annie Anderson to make her famous zucchini bread. It’s pretty much cake, and it’s amazing. I’d eat it three meals a day if she’d make it for me.”

  In the kitchen, Andrei muttered something about getting the recipe out of her yet.

  The kid still looked dubious but shrugged. “I guess.” He picked up his milkshake and sucked on the straw. “Omigod,” he mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream.

  Madison picked up her shake and took a pull, then gave a happy sigh. “No kidding.” She sat up straight and turned to Jesse. “I’m sorry. I’ve lost my manners. This is Anthony,” she said, motioning toward the kid with the manners who looked like her. Then she pointed at the other boy, “and that’s Joshua.”

  They both nodded to him and continued to eat.

  “They’re, um, that is to say—we’re pack.” She sounded like she was going to change her mind in a minute, but Jesse figured she just wasn’t sure what she was doing.

  “New pack?”

  She shook her head vehemently. “Ant and me, we’ve always been pack. We were born into a pack.” They both winced at that, and Joshua stopped eating for a minute, staring at his plate. “We were a family. But Mom was killed last year, and—” She broke off and looked at Joshua, something like sadness or pity in her eyes.

  He sighed and set down his sandwich. “You guys have to stop looking at me like that. You aren’t responsible for your dad. You don’t need to be ashamed for what he did.”

  That sounded sinister. Jesse didn’t want to press, and the siblings didn’t seem inclined to say anything else.

  Joshua looked like he wanted to bang his head against the table. He looked at Jesse and rolled his eyes, then leaned into Anthony, pressing their shoulders together and giving the boy a sad look. The puppy eyes obviously still worked for him, since Anthony sighed and nodded to him.

  “Dad lost his marbles and bit Josh,” Anthony finally said, addressing the formica tabletop as much as Jesse. “I don’t know why. Maybe just because he was my friend. Whatever it was, it was bad. He ran off, and we didn’t find him for almost a week. We think he got caught by the same people who killed Mom.”

  For a second, Jesse was speechless. Andrei was staring shamelessly from the door to the kitchen, horror written across his face.

  Jesse decided to let the elephant lie for the moment. “So it was just the four of you.”

  Anthony nodded solemnly. “We’ve never seen other werewolves. Let alone”—he looked toward the kitchen and Andrei, and then at Jesse—“two in one place.”

  “Are there a lot of werewolves?” Joshua asked, picking up a fry and trailing it through his ketchup.

  With a shrug, Jesse tried to act nonchalant as he dug back in to his lunch. “No real way to know. There’s no secret, worldwide society of wolves. We only know of the wolves we've met in person.”

  Joshua nodded and ate the fry, and then his appetite appeared to revive itself, and he picked up what was left of his sandwich.

  “We heard about your town, and we kind of—” Madison started, then broke off. “We hoped maybe there would be a place for us if we found more werewolves. That maybe we could find someone who knew more about being werewolves than us. Mom and Dad didn’t exactly live a wolfy life. Dad was an advertising executive.”

  “We’ve never been camping,” Anthony added, as though that were something shocking. It was a little odd to a Harbor native, but Jesse suspected there were millions, maybe billions, of people in the world who had never even heard of camping, let
alone done it.

  After making eye contact with Hana and looking sadly at his empty coffee cup, Jesse turned back to Anthony. “Lots of woods around the harbor if you want to go, but it’s not like there’s a rule that says werewolves have to camp. My uncle Tris might die if he had to be separated from the library for more than a day.”

  Anthony giggled at that. “Thank god. I was worried we’d have to be lumberjacks or something.”

  “Man, you’ve been watching the wrong movies. I know it sucks your parents didn’t teach you about being a wolf, but it’s not like they were off the mark. We’re like anyone else. Jobs, houses, school, dinner with the family. Boring stuff, you know?”

  “It does seem less exciting than I’d expected,” Joshua said. “Except for the going-crazy thing.”

  “They were mates?” Jesse asked Madison. She nodded. He looked back at Joshua. “I guess that’s one of the things that is different. Mating for life. I’ve never heard of anything like their father before, but my grandmother basically became a hermit after my grandfather died. It’s traumatic.”

  Joshua ate the last bite of his sandwich and looked thoughtful. “Do you have a mate?”

  It had been years since Jesse had been in a position to talk to a stranger about his sexuality, but he wasn’t going to jump in the closet for a couple of kids. “Yeah. His name is Sean.”

  Joshua jerked back a little, but he looked surprised more than bothered.

  Anthony leaned forward, excited. “Is it the thing Mom used to talk about? Electricity, or something?”

  “The zap,” Jesse agreed. He was glad to know it wasn’t only the Hunters who put up with that, but apparently all werewolf-kind. “Shake hands, and suddenly you’re stuck with one guy, or girl, or person, for life.”

  “What if they’re a baby? That’s kind of gross.” Joshua made a face, but he didn’t seem all that bothered.

  Jesse shook his head. “I’ve known Sean his whole life, and it didn’t happen till we were adults. Don’t know if it ever happens another way, but I’ve never heard of that.”

  “My parents were teenagers,” Andrei offered from behind the counter where he’d crept up, shamelessly listening in. “He was fourteen, and she was fifteen. They were from rival families, so they ran away to America.” His gaze held overlong on Madison, who blushed and stared down at her lunch. She didn’t look unhappy, though.