I nod my head in Simon’s direction, and he pulls out a tablet from one of his suit coat pockets. Maahes was still eating, I guess the hunger pains have started up; if he is unlucky he will have scars on his limbs in the morning. Simon pokes on his tablet’s screen a few minutes and starts reading out loud.

“As to the Pack as a whole it has been officially disbanded, the property owned by the Pack will be sold and the money placed into your accounts Nancy. No arguing there, it is official as per the fines their Pack now owes. The regular Pack members have all asked to join Lobo’s Pack, which honestly will be a big help as the blood lines have been getting a bit to close for the Government’s liking. The higher up wolves in the Pack have refused to join another Pack, instead choosing; unwisely I might add. To follow Drake in becoming a group of lone wolves.”

That bothered me, as lone wolves while not the ‘rouges’ of the stories I write; have no true governmental rights. They have zero protections, and are required to ask permission from any Pack they come across before coming near their boarders. That will rankle Drake I am sure, I do hope he doesn’t become rouge though. The true rouge wolves kill humans and supers indiscriminately, if they feel a person is blocking them from their goals they will just kill them. I knew his behavior was close to rouge already by not listening to the Government but.

Simon continues, “as to all of the wolves under sixteen.” He pauses gauging my reaction, “they are to be put in a government run orphanage. Save one,” Simon calmly places his tablet down on the table and drinks another glass of wine; his fifth. Then he turns to Doug and crosses his arms, “Doug. I have no idea who your mother knows, but I got a call from one of my higher ups to tell me that one of the five year olds will be coming to live with your family.”

That bothered me, I knew Simon rarely had to answer to anyone above him. The last time he did, my grandmother was killed. I hear he smashed the council building in Europe three hours after my grandmother’s death. He only hit it one time with his fist, and that was after flying across the ocean himself; so he had to have been tired.

Doug shrugs, “I have no idea Mr. Simon. All I know is, anytime mom thought something needed doing she’d talk to someone on the phone.” Simon nods his head, “well expect a government car tomorrow afternoon with the young boy. I was assured your mother will find out exactly how much the boy has been taught.” Doug nods his head, and if I am right; if that child has a sub par education Simon will be hearing about it.

My father finishes eating his dinner and I get up with Doug to clear the dinner dishes and get us some dessert, my father speaks in an oddly dead sounding voice. “Simon that fool might go rouge. Am I permitted to take lethal actions?” I pull out one of my chocolate cakes and a hand mixer while Doug gets an empty bowl out of the freezer and a bottle of whole cream from the farm I get my butter from. I guess from the pause that Simon is weighing the options. I start working on the fresh whipped cream while Doug cuts the cake stealing glances at my father and Simon’s back.

Simon speaks, “reach in there and pull out the 1864 sweet red Maahes; it will go best with what Nancy is preparing.” I hear my father’s chair move as he stands to rummage and Simon stands and walks towards me, and reaches into the cabinet to pull out cordial glasses. “What do you think on it Nancy?” He asks me before returning to the table, and I finish the whipped cream. Doug tilts his head at me suggesting I go sit and answer the question while he brings the dessert to the table.

I sit down slowly my father having sat right before me, carefully unwrapping the cork from the old bottle. I had five of those, a gift from Simon on my twenty first birthday. The cork in these bottles were all hand carved and sometimes required a bit of strength to open. Took my father but a moment of course, he pours a tiny bit in one of the glasses and gives it a smell before tasting it and then he nods his head and pours us each a half a cordial glass full while Doug places a plate before each of us.

Simon takes a small bite and looks over to me, “well Nancy?” I sigh and take a sip of wine and a small bit of cake with a nice dollop of cream on it. “I have no issue with lethal force used, if he goes rouge it will be warranted. Why did you want to ask me?”

My father takes a tiny sip and sits back not touching his cake yet, “because my daughter. It is proof for the case against Drake’s claim on you, if you felt anything for him aside from concern over the idea of a wolf going rouge; he would have some say in the debate over you being his Mate. You not being concerned if lethal force is used proves there is no connection on your side.” My father then takes a small bite of the cake, Simon looks over to me.

“Nancy there is an odd occurrence that could occur with a wolf Mate bond and those of other species.” He pauses while taking a taste of the whipped cream, “ahh Jersey cows very nice. Once in a great while if a wolf’s Mate is not easy to access by the wolf, they will ‘hit’ on someone or something close to that Mate.” I raise an eyebrow at that, “I’ve never heard of that Simon how does that work?” Simon finishes up his cakes in a very ordered manner and dabs his mouth with a napkin and takes a drink.

He then looks over to Doug briefly then focuses back on me, “it is not widely known Nancy. Because it happens very rarely, know this though.” He pours himself another glass, “when he comes across his Mate he will have a blinding headache as his mind resets the Mate Bond.” I nod my head slowly filing the information away till later, Simon stands then and says; “well I need to go now and finish the wonderful paperwork Maahes have given me.” My father grins at him, “that would be more impressive fur ball if you were in your other form.” The two of them chuckle and Simon heads out of the door.

Doug grabs the wine and pours himself another glass in a hurry, “before you ask Nancy.” He downs it quickly and pours a second, “Simon looked at me because of that cousin of mine. You know the one who didn’t marry his mate?” I nod my head and he continues, “well his mate was a female wolf. She wasn’t even a high up wolf, but she already was involved with someone whom she thought was her mate. The two were already married, it broke my cousin’s heart, then he found his wife. While they might never have children, he is at least happy.” He downs another glass of wine, and I ask; “then why are you inhaling the wine?”

Doug looks sad and I see some fur pop out of his ears, which can happen with emotional trauma sometimes. “Once he had found the wolf the female had that blinding headache Simon talked about, and tried to chase my cousin down so she could have her proper mate. The person she married attempted to attack my cousin for it.” I blink my eyes having a hard time coming to grips with that idea, “but why?”

My father answers while Doug gets his emotions under control, it must have been a bad attack. “Nancy you have seen how wolves believe they are. It is most likely the insult that the female he married is mated to a lesser species.” Doug nods, and my father continues; “either the female died saving his cousin or she agreed to stay with her husband to protect him.” Doug nods again, I shake my head. Glad that Doug’s cousin isn’t married to a wolf and glad that I am not truly bonded to one. My father stands and grabs my truck keys, “come on Doug I’ll take you home.” He gives me a look before gently taking Doug out of the house, I then clean up and set out another bottle of whiskey for when my father returns.