Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley

CHAPTER 1

I was standing on the ladder, working loose the bolts for the holiday banners spread through Wolf's Run. There was always something a little sad about taking down the seasonal decorations. It was proof that the joy of the holidays was gone, and it had been a good winter break this year. Our second chance with Elena was slowly but surely working out.

It was amazing how knowing what we were helped her accept our point of view. Unfortunately, sex was still off the table, but I actually didn't mind. She had concerns, and I could respect that. Now. After she'd pointed out the flaw in my thinking - but at least she was giving me a chance to prove that I'd learned better.

Instead, we spent time talking. There was also a lot of cuddling. Yeah, and sleepovers were a thing, so there'd been a little making out as well. Gabby was ok with her mom's crazy relationship with the wolves next door, so Elena was relaxing into making our budding relationship a little more public.

Not that I blamed her for being careful. Everything she'd ever known had been turned upside down when her daughter decided to get herself bit. I was still pissed at Roman for that, but at least the boy had the brains to stay out of my way. Gabby got a bit of a pass because she didn't know better. That did not mean she was out of trouble, though. The girl was basically the wolf version of grounded, and had been for months.

But the ordeal had Elena a little spooked about becoming a wolf. Nothing we could say would convince her to risk exposure, and I understood that. I just didn't necessarily agree, but it wasn't my decision to make. A little part of me hoped she'd change her mind and decide to join us forever, but she wasn't ready. She wanted information - no, she needed it. To set her mind at ease, she deserved to know how this thing we had really worked.

So my darling sister had doubled down on her search for a doctor to treat our kind, and she may have even found one. That was why I'd picked the street closest to the front gates to start removing the decorations, hoping to see who stopped at the office. It wasn't working out so well, though. Mostly, I was just trying to make sure these holiday banners came down without killing myself in the process, and maybe daydreaming about the last few weeks having my two girls at home. It had been so nice.

Gabby's dad had stood her up for the holidays - no surprise there. In the time Elena had been living in Wolf's Run, the man had only managed to make his first scheduled visit to see his daughter. So, the guys and I had made up for it. Yeah, it was a hard line to walk to make sure the kid felt like a part of the pack without acting like she was no longer in trouble, but we'd been managing. And when it came to Christmas, Ashley and Dad hadn't cared about any of that. They'd gone a little overboard.

My father had sent Elena a "holiday bonus" check at the start of December. Elena had thought it was a windfall, and she'd spent every last cent on Gabby. Henry went even further, lavishing presents on his "grandpup" without care as to the cost. Elena had worried about that until I explained how long he'd been waiting for another kid to spoil. Then there was Ashley.

My big sister had become my secret weapon. Every day, she'd figured out a few more things that Elena really wanted, then she'd passed the list to Lane. Our mate now had new linens for her house, all new towels, new pots and pans, plus a formal dining table that would fit all of us with room for our elbows. Gabby had a new phone - that had been Lane's idea, so he could keep track of her - and so much more.

Yeah, we'd spoiled her, but it was the best Christmas I could remember in years. Arriving at Dad's that morning to see the pile of presents almost as tall as the tree? And the way Elena's eyes had lit up when she realized that we'd actually found things that Gabby really wanted? It had been perfect.

So what if there hadn't been sex in months? The feeling of her appreciative hug? It was