It’s not really a lie. I did that sometimes.
“That’s it?”
“I have many skills,” I answer. “Why don’t you sit down and let me serve. The steaks are almost ready.”
Sara goes to sit down, and I fill the plates, bringing them to the table. When she takes her first bite of mashed potato, she makes a little sound of pleasure.
“You really do have a lot of skills—you’re an excellent cook!” she says.
“Yeah,” I mutter, shrugging off the compliment. “I don’t know, I’ve just got a knack for it.”
We sit in silence for a few minutes as we focus on our food, and I demolish my steak so fast, I wonder if I should cook another.
I worked my guts out today. I should probably hunt something. My wolf is hungry, too.
“Shawn,” Sara says, breaking my train of thought.
“Yes?”
“What did you think about the conditions in town today? I’ve lived here my whole life, and I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“I’m shocked, honestly,” I say. “I can’t understand how Talon let this happen if he was such a good guy. I’m sorry to say that, Sara. I know he meant a lot to you.”
“No, it’s okay,” she replies. “But I don’t think he knew.”
“What do you mean?”
She sighs. “The children told me they weren’t supposed to talk to Talon. It’s obvious that my father had been spreading all kinds of lies around the place. I knew my father was doing some dirty things, but it looks like it ran a lot deeper than I ever guessed.”
“Interesting,” I say, my mind racing over the possibilities.
Even if the town was afraid to talk to Talon and he was relying on the old man for information, it’s still a major failing on his part that he didn’t notice this going on.
“The town will resist help from your friends in Eccles,” she says. “Well, I should say, they’ll take your help, but I doubt they’ll ever trust you.”
“I’m aware of that,” I reply. “But I’ll make sure I keep everything in hand. Don’t worry, Sara. Everything’s under control.”
She hesitates for a moment as if there’s something she really wants to say, but appears to think better of it and goes back to her food.
If she was about to warn me that the old man would be coming for me next and turning the pack against me, I’m well aware. I have to stay close to the people here, so they listen to me instead of him.
With some dismay, I realize that might not be possible. I’ve been here a grand total of two days, and the pack has been isolated for generations. If Jackson could turn the entire pack against Talon, who was one of their own, then he would have little trouble doing the same to me.
“Shawn?” Sara asks. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” I answer. “Just thinking.”
“Staring off into space?”
“I do believe that is the hallmark of thinking too deeply,” I chuckle.
“I didn’t really pick you for a deep thinker,” she says.
I laugh. “Well, I have been into philosophy every now and then.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. Watts, Blavatsky, Joseph Campbell.”
