When a Pack Dies (25 page)

“Hey, Ryan. There’s somebody I’d like you to meet.” She held out her hands. Ryan came to her readily, crawled onto her lap and blinked at the screen.

“
Hey. You must be Ryan. I’m Owen.
”

Ryan looked up at Fina then his finger moved over the screen. He was able to read out over half the words. Fina filled in the rest.

“
I’m Samantha Wells’ son but I moved away before you were born.
”

“Aunt Samantha?” Fina typed for Ryan.

“
Yes
.”

“Are you a soldier?”

“
Yes. I’m serving in a country called Iraq. Maybe Fina can show it to you on a map later.
”

Owen and Ryan looked at each other for a long minute before Owen started typing again.

“
Your dad was really good at building things. I remember he built a lot of things at the nursery and built that little strip plaza with the real estate office your mom used to work in. She was very pretty.
”

Ryan glanced up at Fina excitedly then started talking. “My dad built houses. He had other guys working for him,” Fina typed obediently, “and they built a row of six of them near my school.”

Owen smiled broadly then turned his head when someone put their hand on his shoulder.

“
My time’s up, Ryan. I have to give one of the other guys a chance to talk to their family. Maybe we can talk again later this week. Send me a regular email or maybe a picture if you like. Bye
.”

Ryan waved at the screen until it went dark, then Fina’s email screen came up.

“Is Owen our family, Fina?” Ryan turned his face up to her when he asked.

“Yes. I suppose he is.” She hugged his small body tightly, kissed his head then carried him back to bed.

*
   
*
   
*

Fina held Ryan’s hand as they walked into the local primary school. The floors gleamed, the air was fresh but the place seemed hollow, almost sterile somehow. It was too quiet. As she walked toward the door marked
office
she forced a smile and pointed out the bright artwork on the walls. Last term’s work, no doubt. Each painting or drawing bore a child’s signature. She recognized most of the family names. “Here we go,” she said brightly as she pushed the door open. “Hello?” There was no one sitting at the desk inside.

“Ms. Whitesage?” a woman called out from the inner office. “That was great timing. I just got here.” The woman who stepped out was about 40, maybe a few inches taller than Fina with a generous smile and bright, brown eyes. Her short, brown hair swung against her neck as she held out her hand in greeting. “I’m Dodie Smith. The principal. And this must be Ryan Upton.” She was wearing a pair of tailored slacks, a blouse and, incongruously, a pair of high-tech running shoes. “Forgive the ensemble, or lack thereof,” she laughed when she saw Fina glance at her feet. “I’m going for a run after our meeting and I forgot to bring dress shoes.”

“You run?” Fina asked conversationally.

“I’m training for a 15K in September.” She grinned conspiratorially. “I know it’s not fair...me competing against humans but I can’t turn down a good race.”

“Impressive,” Fina nodded. “Wear uncomfortable shorts and it’ll even everything out.”

Principal Smith laughed. When she stopped, she smiled down at Ryan. “Ready to meet your teacher?”

Ryan glanced up at Fina then back at the principal. He nodded.

“Miss Lee is in her classroom,” she explained as she led Fina and Ryan out of the office. “She’ll have you write and draw a few things, do some addition and play with some blocks. I think you’ll like her.” Principal Smith turned her attention to Fina. “We keep the kindergarten and first-grade classrooms closest to the office. The washrooms in this wing are designed for our smallest students.” She pointed as they passed one sparkling example. “Our curriculum is grounded in the basics but we also put an emphasis on creativity. Music and art stimulate the students in ways other subjects can’t. We find our students’ grades are consistently higher than the state average because of it. Here we are.”

She led them into a spacious classroom. The walls were covered in colorful cutouts of numbers, days of the week, pictures of different topographies, mammals and birds. Ryan walked into the room without hesitation, drawn by the visuals, a cluster of soft cushions on the floor, and a neat row of cubicles. He ran his finger over the names taped above each one until he found his then he turned back to Fina, beaming. He hung his lightweight jacket on his peg then headed for the tidy baskets of toys arranged beneath the large, bright windows.

“Miss Lee will test Ryan’s cognitive skills this morning,” Principal Smith said to Fina, drawing her attention back to her. “You explained you didn’t have his kindergarten transcripts or notebooks and didn’t want to send for them.”

“Yes,” Fina replied firmly. “The pack that took over our lands is still in the area and...not
you
!”

Fina growled and bared her teeth when a tall, black-haired woman stood up from behind the desk at the far end of the room. The principal stepped back nervously. Even Ryan looked at her and blinked.

The black haired, blue-eyed bitch that had challenged Fina in the diner and again before the mating run two nights ago walked toward her slowly.

“No.” Fina’s mouth snapped shut. She turned on her heel, grabbed the principal’s elbow and dragged her out of the classroom and away from Ryan’s ears. “That bitch isn’t getting anywhere near Ryan,” she hissed once they were outside.

Principal Smith’s mouth dropped open. She closed it slowly. “Of—of course. If you wish,” she whispered then glanced up at Fina from beneath lowered lids. Even though she was a good three inches taller than Fina, Fina seemed to tower over her. “But Melinda is one of our best teachers. I know she...” She took a deep breath. “...she challenged you.”

Fina snarled and the principal paled.

“Of course,” Principal Smith repeated. “Melinda is our only first-grade teacher but there’s a few weeks before the start of the school year. We should be able to get a replacement as long as you don’t mind a non-were teaching your surrogate son. Otherwise, we can have one of the other teachers switch—“

“Please.” Melinda Lee stepped up to them. Despite her height, which was impressive, she dipped her head in submission to Fina. She was wearing a pair of summery pants and a modest, brightly patterned, short-sleeved shirt. She exhaled nervously. “Okay. I was angry when you showed up. More than angry,” she admitted and shoved her black hair behind her ear. “But the simple fact is that my pack has a new head bitch. I may have perceived you as an interloper but you’ve demonstrated you’re tough enough to handle the job. He’s bonded with you. They both have. I can’t compete with that.” Melinda held her hands out in a helpless gesture. “I had three options. The first one was to challenge you...been there, done that, lost,” she admitted without rancor. “Two, leave this pack for another—not with the great pension plan I’ve got here,” she added dryly. “Or, three, start making friends in other packs, try to find my own mate and haul his shaggy ass back here.” She lowered her voice, glanced into the classroom to make sure Ryan wasn’t listening and whispered when she said the word ass.

Both Melinda and the principal looked at Fina warily.

“If...
if
I decide I can’t trust her around Ryan, you’ll fire her?” Fina asked darkly, directing her question to Principal Smith.

“Yes.”

She turned to Melinda and scowled. “Make me believe I should trust you.”

Melinda exhaled slowly. “I’m good at my job.” She held out her hand and led them back into the classroom. “I’ve set up a few key tests that will measure Ryan’s language and math skills.” Stepping up to a cluster of child-sized tables, she handed Fina the papers sitting on one. “Like all students he will have forgotten some of what he learned last term but he should still function at a certain level. I’ll test his comprehension and problem-solving skills as well. That’ll give me an idea of his general cognitive abilities.” She lifted her chin. “Children respond to me, Ms. Whitesage. They like me and I like them. I’m firm but fair. I provide structure, individual attention, encouragement and discipline when necessary. I’ve also got a kick-ass,” again she lowered her voice, “file full of group games that teach cooperation, and are physically and mentally challenging.”

Hands on hips, Fina looked into Melinda’s wary, blue eyes and considered what she’d said.

“The two weeks Ryan and I were on the road, after our pack was killed,” she whispered, directing her question to Melinda, “Ryan’s ability to form complete sentences diminished. We’ve been working hard at it at home and his speech and reading are back to where they were.”

Melinda glanced at the principal then turned back to Fina and nodded. “Homeless children start to lose their communication skills,” Melinda said quietly. “He’d have started to shut down, even without the trauma.” Something in her expression softened. “I also know you got him out of Tennessee alive. You’ve protected him, cared for him like he was your own cub.” She glanced over at Ryan. “That child is also my Alpha’s surrogate son. That means I’ll defend him with everything inside me...maybe even more than you would because he
isn’t
mine.” She grinned crookedly. “I always take better care of other people’s things than I do my own.”

Fina looked at the principal, who was nodding hopefully, then back at Melinda. “All right. You can be his teacher. I will however be monitoring your treatment of him. If I catch so much as a whiff of animosity or hostility, I’ll drive you out faster than a pneumatic nailer.”

Melinda blinked then dipped her head in a submissive pose. “Thank you. I’ll get started on his testing now. It shouldn’t take longer than twenty minutes.”

“I’ll wait outside,” Fina replied. “
Within hearing distance
,” she added mentally and stepped out of the classroom.

“Melinda designed the tests to run twenty minutes,” Principal Smith explained as they left. She was talking faster and her voice was pitched a little higher than before. “Students his age should be able to focus that long. It’s another test she’s built into the others...” The principal rambled on, selling their first-grade teacher to their new head bitch and explaining the different programs the school offered while Fina kept one ear tuned to what was going on behind the door.

When it opened again, exactly twenty minutes later, Ryan beamed up at her and handed her a drawing. She hugged him and smiled when he excitedly pointed out the horse, Cutler, Nath, her and him. Fina rolled it up carefully and said she’d tape it on the refrigerator, unless of course Cutler wanted to take it to work and put it on the board in his office.

Ryan promised to draw another one—one for her
and
Nath if Cutler wanted this one. He ran back inside to get his coat.

“I’m probably not the first one to tell you you’re a greedy bitch,” Melinda harped good-naturedly, albeit warily when she joined the other two women. “You just had to claim
both
brothers, didn’t you?”

Even principal Smith grinned.

“Now, unless you have any more questions, I’ll finish grading Ryan’s tests.” Melinda stood up straight. “But from what I saw, everything looks good. He shouldn’t have to repeat kindergarten or any part of it. In fact his reading is better than what I would have expected. You’re probably responsible for that.”

Fina nodded, accepting the rather shameless compliment in the spirit in which she hoped it was intended.

“And when I’m finished
that
,” Melinda continued, “I’m outta here. There’s a pack two counties over having a dance tonight and I’ve got my high heels shined and ready to go.”

Fina grunted non-committally. “Well bring back a plumber if you can. And make it a good one. Cutler says he’s tired of calling in some human whenever the sinks get stopped up in the town hall.”

“I’ll check their resumes at the door,” Melinda promised with a grin, nodded and walked back into her classroom.

*
   
*
   
*

“So Ryan’s fully integrated into the pack now.” Fina sat in front of her laptop, re-reading the last emails she and Owen had exchanged, waiting for him to come on-line. Cutler and Nathaniel were in the backyard with Ryan, catching worms by moonlight. They were going fishing in the morning. “He starts school after Labor Day. He drew a picture of the barn for you. Send me your snail-mail address and I’ll send it to you. He’s a lot livelier (read loud and boisterous) now that he’s got a pack and a place in it. (grin)”

“
What about you?
”

“I feel like a cheat. What if they like me only because I’m strong, the daughter of Alphas and I’ll bear them worthy cubs? Is it the money? My business acumen?”

Fina shook her head as she re-read her words. Why could she be so honest with Owen and not with her mates?

“
Sorry it took me so long to get back. I had to ask somebody what acumen meant. Look you don’t make these guys sound like idiots. Not to be insensitive but I’m hearing a lot of grief talking. I feel the same way. Big boys aren’t supposed to get all emotional and cry about the dead mother they haven’t actually seen in two years. (Mom flew to Germany when I had leave. I guess she never told anybody back home.)
”

“I didn’t know.”

“
We’re hurting, Fina. All three of us. You’re young and you have choices. This pack has taken you in and accepted you as one of them but that doesn’t relieve me of my responsibilities to you and Ryan. I can’t believe I’m saying this after I screwed my position in our old pack so I’d be able to get out but I’m the lone male adult in our pack now. Where you are, you’re safe and provided for. But if it doesn’t work out or you change your mind, you’ve got something to fall back on. Me.
”

Her laptop chirped and she clicked on the instant-message icon. The image of Owen’s face filled one-third of the screen.

“
Hey, cowgirl. Aren’t you sick of seeing my tired old mug?
”

Fina grinned. “Yes. But I’m polite.”

“
Nice. Is Ryan still up? Thought he could show me that picture before you mail it.
”