"He's not even four yet. You still have another year for him to learn how to shift."
For the first time ever, Valerie detected a crack in Randall's facade as he grimaced at her words. "I feel he's ready to attempt the rite of passage now."
"Apparently he doesn't." She saw Randall's jaw tick, a familiar indicator that he wasn't going to take much more. "But I'll work on him," she conceded. "I'll explain that Daddy needs him to do it. But you have to give us time. Right now he's just excited to see me again."
Randall spun on his heel. "I'll return later."
She called after him. "Do you think I could get something to eat up here? You can't just let me starve. It's not your style."
He sneered at her. "You know nothing about my style."
"I know you don't have much," she mumbled as he closed the door behind him. She returned her attention to Mitchell.
"Have you been a good boy while Mommy was gone?"
For the next hour, he told her all about his new toys and staying with Nana and Pappy. She was pleased and slightly miffed that he seemed to love his grandmother, although Mitchell didn't talk much about his grandfather. He had been horseback riding, and Valerie was sad that she had missed his first experience on the back of a horse.
When a light knock on the door echoed through the room, Valerie responded without thinking. "Come in."
There was a click and then Randall's mother, Linda, came in with a tray. "There's my little man."
"Nana!"
Mitchell ran to her, and Valerie struggled not to be jealous. A child should love their grandparents, even when those same grandparents had such a shitty kid of their own.
"Hello, Valerie."
Valerie nodded. "Linda."
"I brought you food," she said needlessly. "I'm sorry that we're meeting again under these circumstances."
"What are these circumstances? I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind about everything going on. After so many years, it's like I didn't know anyone." Valerie had never been overly close to Linda and her husband, Louis, but that had been Randall's interference. He didn't want her close to anyone.
Linda wrung her hands together. "It's not my place to say."
Valerie sensed the submissiveness in Linda that she had never noticed before. She stood and made her voice more assertive. "Then whose place is it, because your son certainly won't tell me what's going on?"
"Randall just cares so much for the pack."
That was not what she had expected her mother-in-law to say. "The pack? What's that go to do with anything?"
Linda turned and looked at the closed door before she stepped closer to Valerie. "I'm telling you this because I love my grandson. Randall is the alpha of the pack. He loses that status if he doesn't produce an heir."
"But we have produced an heir." Valerie gestured to Mitchell who was happily eating sliced strawberries.
"He's not fully implemented into the pack until he completes his first shift. Only then will he be a true heir."
"Then Randall just needs to be a little patient."
"I'm afraid he doesn't have time to be patient."
Valerie suddenly started to understand the problem. "Just how much time does he have?"
Linda bit her lip. "Two weeks. The next full moon."
"Two weeks? He's not even four yet, and Randall said himself they're usually around five." Valerie tried to keep her voice down, not knowing who might be on the other side of the door.
"That's why I'm afraid." Linda fidgeted. "Honestly, that's why I'm here."
