Homecoming (7 page)

Lisbeth's expression narrowed. “You think if Tony marks this territory I'll let him run you out?”

“I'll leave.”

“Damn it! I told you—”

“He won't be able to consolidate any power with a
bear
running around free, Lisbeth. People won't trust him because he's not keeping his own house clean. Bad enough he's got the queer thing working against him; having me around would just destroy any credibility he has.”

“Look, it doesn't have to be like that! He's already broken with tradition, just like I did! Together, we are going to stake out a new kind of pack. And you're in it, Sula, whether you accept that fact or not.” Lisbeth stood up, walked out and slammed the door behind her. Sula shook her head.

~*~

While they were on the road, Cal and Tony hustled pool and darts for money, even though Cal knew Daniel did not really approve. It was easy to fleece drunken idiots when skipping town was the plan from the start, but it was not something they could do anyplace they intended to stay in for a while. They had, over the past four years of being a rogue pack, settled long–term in very few places, and usually those places were held territories where Tony was friends with or related to the local Alpha. Unlike the mythology that surrounded their kind, the truth was that in general most Alphas got along well together, which helped when a rogue pack like Tony's came into town. Tony still tried to keep most of their stays to a couple of months at most, which was the polite thing to do.

And also because he knew it bothered Cal to live under the thumb of another pack, although neither of them ever talked about it. Their stay in Hartsville was looking to be permanent, though, which brought out the fish wife in Tony, as far as Cal was concerned.

“Wake up! Lazy head. C'mon, I got the lease signed with MacBride. Let's get cleaning.”

Tony kicked the leg of the chair Cal was dozing in. When Tony left to go set things up for renting the cabin, Cal and Daniel had retreated to the back porch of the cabin, which was screened in but not locked. Tony had mysterious reserves of money which Cal didn't ask about, and Tony did not often discuss. It was obviously not a bottomless bucket, because Tony hated spending money they did not earn or hustle, but it was there when they needed it. Another reason Cal knew that Tony was the best Alpha ever.

“No problems?” Daniel asked sleepily as he stretched.

“You think I mentioned that we're werewolves?” Tony snorted in amusement as he unlocked the back door with his new set of keys. “We'll register later, and by then it'll be too late. Papers are signed and I have copies. Meanwhile, we need to—oh hell, this place is a dump.”

Cal groaned. If Tony called it a dump, it meant that they would all be up to their elbows in bleach and dust for hours with no breakfast in sight. Cal had never met a more fastidious werewolf than Tony, other than maybe Daniel. He wondered how in the hell he managed to hook up with a couple of neat freaks as he walked into the main room of the cabin.

Which was, he grudgingly admitted, a dump. “Aw, man.”

“Stop whining, Cal.” Tony growled, toeing at the ragged rug that was in the middle of the room.

“I think I agree with Cal, for once. This requires whining,” Daniel said without an ounce of sarcasm in his voice.

“We knew we weren't sleeping today anyway. I'm not touching anything here until it's all been cleaned, and by that I mean: boiled,” Tony announced.

“The space under the porch is a basic utility room, has an old washer and dryer which might work. But I think we are on the hook for cleaning supplies.” Daniel stood his hands on his hips, eying the place critically.

It was three rooms, the main living/kitchen area and two bedrooms, one on each end. The bathroom was cut out of one of the bedrooms, making it the smaller of the two, while the bathroom itself was minuscule and contained a lot of rust. The place was something in between a hunting cabin and a lodge, with just enough amenities to make a person realize what they were missing.

“No, we've got supplies. I stopped at the little gas market and picked up the basics. Pinesol, bleach, broom, mop, sponges. And gloves, lots and lots of gloves.” Tony waved a hand at Cal. “Go get 'em, boy.”

Daniel laughed as Cal growled in annoyance. Tony grinned at him. “Oh, come on, get a sense of humor. We're stuck here, until we figure out where Lisbeth wants to be.”

That stopped Cal in his tracks. He glanced at Daniel before he looked back at Tony, who was actually blushing. It was Daniel who broke the silence.

“So this is it, then? We've found our home?”

Tony gave a jerking nod of his head. “Yeah, guys, it is. This is it, for me. This is going to be my territory, and Lisbeth is my girl. We've talked about it. She likes you guys, and she's okay with our…ah, unconventional ways.” Tony folded his arms over his chest and looked at them in turn. “Being with her means I won't be sleeping with either of you, though. I love you both, and you're my pack, but Lisbeth and I are already talking about bonding and marriage.”

Cal sucked in his breath. He'd miss Tony as a lover, although it did not hit too hard because Daniel was the one Cal was in love with. He understood Tony's motivations there. What shocked him was the idea of bonding and weddings. Wolves mated for life, in general, so it meant that Tony was planning on staying forever. With them, and with Lisbeth. They would have puppies. It would be like being part of a real family again, with kids running around and holiday dinners. He wanted to cry.

“Hey.” Tony was there next to him, holding him by his arms. “You okay with this?”

Cal nodded, rubbing his watery eyes with one hand. He felt Daniel move up next to him as well.

“Cal, talk to me,” Tony said, worried.

Cal opened his mouth but his throat closed up. Daniel started rubbing his back.

“I can't tell if this is good or bad, Calvin.” Tony spoke softly, moving his hands up to hold Cal's face. “C'mon, talk to me.”

“Home?” Cal croaked, feeling like a moron.

“Yeah: home. Well maybe not this dump. But yeah, this is our territory.” Tony smiled at him lovingly.

Cal felt the sobs wracking his body, trying to get out.
Home
. It was a word he had not used in nearly seven years, since the day his whole pack was murdered. It represented everything he lost and all that he hoped for, and Tony was giving it back to him. He grabbed Tony and hugged him, letting the tears slip out.

“So we're happy? I hope we're happy,” Tony whispered, holding Cal tightly. Daniel had moved up behind him, not including himself in the hold but gently massaging Cal's shoulders, his touch firm and loving.

Cal nodded into Tony's neck.

“I had no idea,” Daniel said softly.

“Hell neither did I. If I knew it meant this much to him, I would have done this a lot sooner.”

Cal shook his head and pulled back. “No, it had…it had to be
right
.”

“I guess it did. And is it right, Cal?” Tony smiled, still holding him tightly.

“Except for this place being a dump, yeah.” Cal sniffed, trying to stop the snot factory that was his nose, but Tony did not seem bothered. He laughed, pushing Cal backwards into Daniel's chest.

“I agree with that. Now let's get to work, make this into a home we can proud of. That Lisbeth won't laugh at, anyway,” Tony added, sighing heavily as he looked around.

Embarrassed about his breakdown, Cal shoved roughly off of Daniel and went to get the cleaning supplies out of the trunk. The cold morning air—it still wasn't even nine yet—enlivened him a little. He looked around at the mountain woods surrounding him, thinking,
Home, home home!
and could not stop himself from smiling.

Several hours later, the cabin was a lot cleaner but still ugly. It was the best they were going to do for the day, though. Tony had given up on the large rug in the main room, making them roll it up and lug it outside. He called MacBride to let him know he was throwing it out and replacing it on his own dime, which seemed to please their landlord enough to offer a small cut on the next month's rent.

Tony had also bought basic foodstuff at the little mart, so when they stopped for the morning Cal grabbed the whole box of sugary snack cakes and sat on the couch to stuff his face. Tony and Daniel were dissecting the kitchen.

“Dear Lord, a percolator.” Daniel held up the beat–up old coffee percolator with a look of awe. “My grandmother had one of these.”

“I think that one came over on the boat with her. No way am I drinking coffee out of it.”

Daniel nodded and put it in the back of a bottom cupboard as if handling a live snake.

“At least the pans are cast iron, not that you could tell from the rust. Well, I can make eggs at least.”

“No onfs cookin' buf me!” Cal yelled from the couch.

“Don't talk with your mouth full!” Tony yelled back. Daniel shook his head, amused.

“I said, no one's cooking but me! That's my job, you stay out of it!”

“I would, if you weren't sitting on your ass stuffing your face with junk food.”

“It's a snack! I need energy!”

Daniel broke in. “We need more groceries, and a coffeemaker, and a decent vacuum cleaner to go over the upholstery and mattresses with. We can only do so much with a broom.”

Tony eyed him. “You're working up to something.”

Daniel blushed, caught out. Cal started eying him too.

“Yes.”

Tony frowned. “You're working up to something, and you know I won't like it.”

Cal put the box of snack cakes aside.

Daniel nodded. “I want to go into town and buy more supplies.”

“Spit it out, Danny,” Tony grumbled warningly.

“I want to take Sula to lunch. Alone.”

Cal remained completely still, uncertain if he thought the idea was good or bad. Tony, on the other hand, was obviously displeased.

“No. Stay away from her.”

Daniel pursed his lips, waiting Tony out, which was really the only way to argue with him.

“I said: no!”

There was another long pause while the two men glared at each other. Cal knew from experience that this could go on for hours. Daniel was a second, but he was also stubborn as hell.

“Let him go,” Cal said to Tony. Tony looked at him as if he had lost his marbles. Which, he supposed, he might have. “This is home, right? I'm guessin' this is where Lisbeth wants to be, or she wouldn't be here for us to find. And where Lisbeth is, Sula's going to be, one way or the other. And she doesn't like us, Tony. She doesn't trust us and she doesn't like us. If anyone can get through to her, it's him.” Cal waved a hand at Daniel, who looked back him in surprise.

“You don't mind?”

Cal rolled his eyes. “She's made it damn clear nobody's gettin' in her pants any time soon. And we need her on our side.” He shrugged. “She's no danger in a public place, anyway. If she wanted to rip up the locals she'd have done it already.”

Tony nodded begrudgingly. “Okay, okay. You sold me. But Danny? You play it safe, and you play it smart. Don't rile her up.”

“She's already riled up, Tony. I don't think anyone but Lisbeth's going to change that.” Cal crossed his arms.

“You know, we had a real moment there earlier today, now you're using that mouth in all the wrong ways again.” Tony glared at him, but it was without heat. Cal gave him a mega–watt “who, me?” smile in return. Daniel snorted in amusement before continuing the conversation.

“I'll be careful. Lunch in a public place.” He wrote out a short list on a scrap piece of paper as he talked.

Cal scratched his head. “What are you going to talk to her about?”

Daniel shrugged. “Whatever comes to mind. I think it would simply be a good idea to get to know her more personally. It might be a lost cause, but knowing would be better than guessing.”

Tony nodded. “True, and Lisbeth's asked me to find out a way for us to all get along.” He waved a hand at Daniel as if giving a blessing. “Go figure the bear out for me.”

Daniel nodded, folded up his little list of things to buy, and walked over to Cal. He planted a soft, loving kiss on his lips before whispering, “I'm coming home to you.”

Cal looked away, feeling himself get choked up again. He knew that Daniel wasn't trying to soothe any jealousy but was promising Cal that he wasn't going to get killed, which they both knew was Cal's greatest fear.

After Daniel left, Cal smashed more snack cakes into his mouth, glaring out the still–dirty windows. Tony let him be for a few minutes, but eventually got tired of it and pulled him off of the musty couch. He shoved Cal at the kitchen, telling him to stop pouting and scour a couple of the cast irons pans for cooking.

~*~

Sula was not particularly fond of her job at the feed store, but then she never held a job in her life she was particularly fond of. Lisbeth, on the other hand, treated her work as a part–time bartender at the local VFW like an unnecessary evil. She had confided once to Sula that her family pack was very wealthy and that she had never actually held a job until after she ran away. Sula could not conceive of not having a job, because to her the alternative was not “being jobless” but “being homeless and hungry.”

She left for work later that morning and decided to bury her troubles in keeping busy.

“Life hates me.” She sighed at the cash register two hours later. As fall was merging into winter, there simply was not much business for the store other than large orders of bedding hay and feed that the owner, Mr. McAllister, delivered himself to their customers.

“Not as much as I do. Jesus, you could help a guy,” her coworker Fred whined from where he was completely redoing a display of saddles and tack.

“That was your idea, smart guy.” Sula chirped, but headed over to help him anyway. It was not as if she had anything else to do.

“It'll make life easier once inventory comes around, and …oof…here…you know it.”

She nodded, acknowledging the truth of that, while refraining from mentioning that she probably would not be around come inventory time. Fred was a middle–aged, very married guy who worked at the feed store part time and trained horses the rest of the time, so Sula did not think he would understand the vagabond nature of a rogue werebear.