“What do you suggest?”Darren wondered.
“We're about halfway between Eureka Springs and Branson.Both are wonderful tourist towns.Take your pick, but if you go, I suggest extra people go for protection.”Flo offered.
“I'd go.”Harry offered.
“Carlos and I would go too.Of course, Lottie will also be there.That should provide enough protection.”Flo observed.
“Where has Carlos been?”Darren asked.
“He's been working with the wardens.It was nice of him to give us some time alone since you just arrived and there was a lot to discuss.”Flo explained.
“We've not really discussed much.”
“You had a business trip.I didn't think to drop everything on you all at once.”
“That might have been the better way to do it because now I'm wondering what you haven't told me,” Darren observed.
“I'd hoped that starting tomorrow, you might spend some time with Carlos, and he could fill you in on some information about himself that you might find interesting.”
“There's more than the fact that he's rich?”Darren asked.
“He's a complicated kind of guy.”Harry giggled.
That was an understatement.Lottie wondered if Darren even knew that his stepdad was a wolf, and that now his mother was, too.If he hadn't made the connection, he would have been only fooling himself.That was the first thing that he needed to find out, and then he would need to know that his stepdad was a very important man in the paranormal world.Carlos had been a pack alpha, and now his oldest son led that pack.The former pack alpha was now a councilman, and that was probably the highest level a wolf could go in their world.Some might say that being on the world council was a bigger position, but she didn't agree.The world council often asked but could rarely demand results from the other councils.
Lottie knew many other paranormals agreed with her that being on a main council for one of the continents was indeed the highest position for a shifter.The witches’ councils didn't even have a world council at all.Everything was decided by the continent councils.Occasionally, they worked together, but she had to admit that was rare.Witches tended to be too territorial.She suspected that wolves were the same, and that was why their world council was always in trouble.
“When are you going to start telling me some of this information that I need to know?”Darren asked.
“I think you should make the change too.”
“Me make the change?”Darren asked in a whisper.
“I did, and it made me stronger.As a wolf, you’ll be better able to protect your girls and yourself.”
“I suppose you're right, and I suspected all along that the crazy wolf stuff might be real.I just didn't want to believe it.I still haven’t ever thought about changing.”
“You're going to need to learn about the paranormal world whether you change or not.There's no way to escape it.”Harry suggested.
Darren knew it was true and that he had been naïve.His mother had been reluctant to force the issue and suggest it right away because she did not think he'd handle it well.She might have been afraid he’d leave and never come back.
None of his siblings had come to see her anywhere near as often as they should have.She had been a good mother, one of the best he'd ever heard of, and she hadn't been treated right by any of her children.Shiloh was the only one who had not come to see her for her own sake.She didn't want to drag her mother into her personal problems or her financial situation.
It was hard for him to explain why he hadn't come to see his mother.A lot of it was probably because of his wife.He'd been afraid that his mother would judge him, but he should have known better because that wasn't her way.Darren had also been embarrassed by the situation that he had gotten into and the wife he had ended up with.They weren't good reasons, because he should have known better and overcome his problems, and spent more time with his mother.Darren and Shiloh had now headed home, but he didn't know what would happen to his other siblings.They'd kept up with each other, sort of.He intended to contact them and tell them to make peace with their mother and start bringing their children around.
Maybe they would listen to him, but even if they didn't, at least he had done what he could.It was hard to deal with your failings, and maybe it was harder for a man.This was his chance to turn things around, and he needed to focus on the positive side.Had his mother stayed human, she probably wouldn't have had too many years left.Under her new circumstances, she would probably outlive him and even her grandchildren.They were all tired, although he was probably the most tired.He would have to think about a lot of things and come to terms with all the changes in his world.Tomorrow would be enough time to deal with the other things his mother would tell him.
Harry said goodbye and flashed away.Liza was cleaning up and would probably go to bed as soon as she was done.The girls had gone to bed on their own, which they were old enough to do, although he usually said goodnight.It was time for him to head upstairs and see if they were still awake so he could say goodnight to them.Once he left, he was sure that his mother and Lottie would also turn in.
Darren woke in the morning and quickly remembered the suggested trip.Eureka had been a place that he had explored when he was younger.One summer, he worked there in the laundry of a large hotel.That hotel no longer stood, even though it had been a beautiful building when it was built.It went bankrupt and had other financial issues.He didn't understand how these things happened, but he had seen them happen more than once, and it was a shame.
Branson was also a place he was familiar with because they had gone to a theme park there in the summer.When he was younger, they'd gone as a family, but when he was older, he'd gone with friends.The girls would probably enjoy a day like that, but it would be better to plan and get tickets in advance.Darren had decided, and now it was time to go downstairs to eat breakfast.His mom, Lottie, and Carlos were sitting at the dining room table drinking coffee.Darren could smell the food cooking, but it must not be done yet.The girls were probably still sleeping or even playing in their room.
“Good morning, everyone,” Darren said, and they all repeated it back.
His mom jumped up and said, “I'll get you a cup of coffee.”
She was already halfway to the kitchen, so he sat down to wait.Carlos and Lottie were looking at him as if they were waiting for him to say something.
