Ansgar

Dad sat in the living room, a cup of tea in his hands, and listened attentively to the conversation.  He grinned as I entered the room. (I wasn’t naked anymore, of course!)

"Ansgar! You're honoring us?" Dad asked, laughing. "You haven't missed anything exciting yet. Only drama, the forging of plans... Have you fallen into your wardrobe? I heard it rumbling."

He recognized me by my steps and said I was moving like a euphoric elephant.

"Yes." Exciting? I tugged at the clothes, which I had quickly thrown on. Brain 2 behaved again. Wonderful. Running past my sister with a 'happy brain 2' had been embarrassing. Fortunately, Dad hadn't been able to see my dilemma. "And no. I didn't fall into my closet." Yes. That's exactly what I did. After I stumbled across a forgotten pile of clothes that needed to be washed.

Juta sat next to him. She winked at me, which made me pull my long shirt down even lower. Mom sat on his other side and rolled her eyes. Of course. She probably hadn't missed my performance of a greeting stick at the front door. I just hadn't seen her. Great.

Stick. Haha. Fetch the stick... Fetch the stick, Everwinus... Aaaaah. I'd better forget this thought right away.

Juta raised her eyebrows as if she could read my mind. Or... I casually glanced down at myself. No, not a greeting stick. Lucky.

With the three of them, one of the two sofas was fully occupied. Aunt Fenna had fetched a chair from the kitchen, on which she sat with an annoyed expression. On the second sofa, Everwinus sat between the other two vampires. He looked at me briefly. Short, but long enough that we both blushed.

"Um..." I sat cross-legged on the floor, pulled my shirt over my knees in embarrassment, leaned against the wall, and tugged at loose threads of my protesting tunic. The fabric was not very stretchy and poorly woven.

Ingeborg wasn’t here.

Apparently, there was a very nasty quarrel between her and Mama after Wilderich had spoiled it with the pack. Now, I knew from Juta what exactly had happened:

 He had not only challenged her, and had failed, no!

 Wilderich had also challenged Mom in his anger. Drunk! Otherwise he would hardly have dared to do it. When he lost both times, he rioted on the market square. Two small children were injured. Seriously injured. Although we heal quickly, we are not immune to pain.

Ingeborg did not accept the punishment.

Her son behaved as an alpha should. In her opinion.

Her son did not belong locked up, but at the top.

I wondered if mother and son had left their brains behind when they 'left' their original pack.

My gaze wandered to the window.

Clementina and Begina looked curiously through it. Clementina waved at me and motioned for me to come outside. Presumably, she wanted to know what was discussed. I shook my head and nodded in Everwinu's direction. Clementina rolled her eyes, Begina grinned, and then nodded. She pulled the protesting Clementina away. I couldn't tell them anything anyway, because I didn't know anything yet. And my vampire (Fetch the stick! Haha... Bad Ansgar! Naughty wolf!) needed me here.

At least that's what I told myself.

Everwinus avoided my gaze...

"A trap?" Dad's sullen voice brought my attention back to the conversation in the room, which had continued without me noticing. "And you are sure that our pack has nothing to fear? These vampires are murderers, right?"

"Right." The male soldier nodded. "This group is very dangerous. So far, they had covered their tracks perfectly. This could be our only chance to catch them."

"But you want wolves from us as support," Mom growled. "To help you with your failure."

"Which would endanger our wolves!" Dad growled too.

"Well, no!" My sister, on the other hand, laughed and poked Dad in the side. "Our pack is strong. As if 3 vampires had a chance! No matter how dangerous, there are many of us. We are more dangerous."

"That's right." Mom nodded with a dissatisfied expression on her face. "And our younger wolves are bored. There is unrest in the pack, as you have probably noticed." She looked sullenly at the three vampires. Her gaze lingered on Everwinus. "Many people don't like hosting a murderer in a pack. And since a war is currently being waged, everyone is tense. Our pack sent wolves into battle. Nobody knows if they will return."

"We are aware of that," said the woman next to Everwinus. "Vampires also fight against the Witch Queen. She is also our enemy. And thanks to the war, our city guards are understaffed. Failure? We don't have enough men and women to send them to hunt down a small group of dangerous criminals. Our cities must be protected. We need your help to catch these murderers. We ask for a lot, but it is also for the safety of your pack."

Mom smiled. "I don't want murderers in our forests. My pack doesn't want a murderer in our city."

I didn't smile.

I growled.

"Everwinus IS NOT A MURDERER!" I jumped up angrily. Murderer? A murderer certainly did not have such soft, kissable lips. "And when it's all over, where is he supposed to go? What kind of deal? He said he had a deal! And then? Where to?"

Everwinus still did not look at me and was silent. He clenched his hands into fists.

"As far away from our pack as possible. Preferably," Dad grumbled.

"What?" I waved my hands wildly. "That's unfair! He has no one! He... Can't he stay HERE? With..." I stopped speaking before I could say 'with me'. "He's a FRIEND." Were my cheeks still glowing? Again? Possibly.

A look at Everwinus showed that his cheeks were definitely redder than before. Finally, he looked at me, only to look away from me, embarrassed and surprised. Again.

Juta looked at me with her arms crossed and raised her eyebrows.

"Ansgar," Everwinus spoke up for the first time. He stared at his feet. "Thank you. Sit down again, will you?"  His arms and fists trembled. Out of fear? Or anger?

"What kind of deal is this?" I asked him and did NOT sit down!

"We just talked about that." He smiled briefly. "You were still lying in your closet."

"I wasn't lying in the closet! And?" Pouting, I now turned my gaze away from him. "So?"

"I’ll help... setting up a trap… for my friends. I won't have to go to prison, but I'm banned from my homeland," Everwinus explained. "The only uncertain thing is whether and when my friends will show up here or nearby."

"If," Mom growled again. This time quietly.

"What?" I didn't like the plan. Would that put him in danger? And then? "But..."

Someone knocked on the door.

"Ansgar? Please go to the door. Since you're already standing." Mom sent me out of the room.

I did so. But under protest. I didn't want to leave Everwinus alone with them. I...

There was another knock. Loud and rumbling. "Hey! Hey! Alarm!" shouted a man's voice. "Alpha Richina! Beta Vivelin!"

"Yes, yes!" I tore open the door. "What?"

"Vampires! In the forest!" he said.

"Oh."

Well. Everwinus’ friends were faster than expected.