***
I eavesdropped on the family meeting that didn’t include me. It was more of the same circling and disagreeing and hurt feelings. Nathan was convinced that this other wolf, Ryan, would help us, and he was standing up to Opa, except my grandfather wouldn’t accept what Nathan claimed. He couldn’t seem to face doing things somebody else’s way. Well, if Nathan could stand up to him, then so could I. When Opa stormed off, completely unwilling to listen or be reasonable, I decided to take him on.
Nathan and Jeremy took Byron to see Ryan, leaving me alone with Opa. I knew he probably wanted to be entirely alone, but this time, I wasn’t going to take his feelings into consideration. This time, I needed to be strong, tenacious, and brave. All of the things I wanted to be.
“Don’t you think running off to have a sulk is a little counter-productive?”
He almost dropped his mug of coffee in surprise. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
“You’re a werewolf. Sneaking up should be near impossible.”
“Yes, well…” He waved me away in his embarrassment. “Don’t you have some homework to do?”
“No.” I stared at his back, wondering how to begin. I finally decided on jumping in. Screw the consequences. “Opa. When are you going to see sense? Can’t you see you’re pulling the family apart? If you really want them to respect you, then you have to show some respect first. You can’t act like a bull and shove your way through every conversation.”
He raised both brows in surprise. “Child, are you really lecturing me on manners?”
“No. Common sense, maybe. We’ve only just pulled Nathan back into the fold, yet you seem determined to push him away again. You loved us once. Doesn’t that mean anything to you now?”
We stared at each other as my words echoed in the air. Did he love us still? Was that hurt I saw in his eyes?
“Mémère would want you to take care of us. She’d want you to love us, no matter what. And Nathan’s not stupid. He’s pretty smart… for a werewolf. And if he says he trusts Ryan, then I believe him. Maybe you should give him some credit for a change.” He didn’t say a word as I left the room, but I turned back for the last word anyway. “You might not remember the man you used to be, but I do. He wasn’t anything like you, and I’d really love to have him back.”