A Thorny Problem

The trees were inviting but Ross was not tempted to change and lose himself in them. He was too busy trying to sort out his human feelings to let his wolf take charge. His wolf sat back, unusually patient. Unusually understanding. Grace was going back to the clinic. A bubble of anger swelled inside him. She couldn't possibly know how much danger she would be putting herself in. And putting the community in.

'Penny for them?' Jacob said.

'Not worth a penny.'

'So can I have them free if I guess them?'

Ross didn't respond. He continued pushing his way through the trees and brambles as though on a mission.

'It's, Grace, isn't it.'

Ross glared at him and Jacob grinned. 'I knew it. You're worried about her.'

'I'm worried about the clinic getting that serum finished.'

'Right.'

'So should you be.'

'Oh, I am but not enough that I enjoy getting my legs torn by these brambles. Why don't we change? Run it out of your system? You'll feel a lot better after.'

Ross ignored him.

'You know I'm right,' he persisted.

'Not this time.'

'Ye-ow.'

Ross waited while Jacob tore himself free from a bramble. 'You change if you want,' he said.

'No, absolutely not. Whatever my esteemed leader can endure so can I. Ye-ouch. Besides you just want me to stop talking.'

Despite himself, Ross grinned. 'You know, you don't have to follow me. I just need some time to think.'

'Think away, great one. Don't let me stop you. But I am sticking with you.'

'Your choice.'

'Not really. It's my responsibility.'

Ross began to push deeper into the thickest part of the woods. There had to be a way to solve this, he thought. He didn't think it would be possible to change Grace's mind. He knew her well enough to know that wouldn't be easy now she had decided on a course of action. All the same, he could not sit by and let her go back with only a half-baked plan in place to get her out again. And labeling their so-called plan, 'half-baked', was being generous, he thought.

'A problem shared is a problem halved, they say,' Jacob offered. 'You want to half your problem?'

'Jacob, I don't have any problems. None that sharing will help anyway.'

'You like her don't you.'

'Of course. Otherwise, I would never have gotten her out of there. She is, was, no is, an innocent.'

'You knew who I meant then. But she's a supernatural. She is one of us.'

'She is not one of us.'

'Not one of the pack maybe. But that isn't compulsory, you know that.'

'You overstep yourself, little brother.'

'Then I apologize. But you are in pain and even if you weren't my Alpha my instinct would be to help you.'

'I know.'

There was a pause as Ross led the way over a small brook and into the trees on the other bank.

'Are you going to talk to me about it, Ross?'

Ross gave up and sat on a moss-covered boulder his back against a tree. Jacob squatted next to him.

'I can't talk to you. I can't sort my thoughts out enough to make them coherent.'

'It is, Grace, though, right?'

'Yes, in part.'

'And you're worried the clinic will get the serum?'

'Yes.'

'How would you feel if they killed her doing it.'

Ross felt his wolf get up and prowl looking for an escape. 'We would be as mad as hell.'

Jacob froze. 'Your wolf wants her?'

Ross dropped his head and scrubbed his hands through his hair. 'No. Yes. I think so. Yes.'

Jacob blew out his cheeks. 'Do you feel the same way?'

'I, I don't know. Yes, I suppose so but it's not that simple.'

'Why?'

'She's not one of us.'

'Us?'

'I mean she knows so little about the community. And nothing about what we are. She is an innocent no matter what she ought to be.'

'She knows a lot more now than she did. She won't be ignorant of Weres for much longer. Maybe the best way to find out how she feels about us is to ask her.'

'It doesn't look like I'll get that chance.'

'You're really worried about her aren't you.'

'She has no idea what those people are capable of. Marcy should never have encouraged her to go back.'

'From what I have heard of her she seems to have her own mind about things. Maybe Marcy was simply out to keep her alive once she had decided she was going back.'

'Maybe.'

'They have a plan to get out?'

'Yes. If you can call it that.'

'What's your part in it?'

'Mine? I don't have one.'

'Oh.'

'Yet.'

'That's better. So, let's sum up. You're mad she's going back to the clinic and putting herself in danger and you don't think she even begins to understand the danger she will be facing. You're concerned the clinic will complete their serum. And you and your wolf want her back in one piece to explore any possibilities that may or may not arise. Have I got that right?'

Ross rested his head on the tree and sighed. 'Yes, pretty much. But don't forget the problem of our different species.'

'One thing at a time, you need to work on the important things first. You have to get her back in one piece or your wolf will be as mad as hell and you will be impossible to live with.'

Ross' wolf agreed wholeheartedly with Jacob.

'How the hell am I supposed to do that? I don't have access to the clinic.'

'How should I know. I'm just your second. But, from personal experience, I find a Were always thinks more clearly and comes up with his most brilliant plans after a run. So how about it?'

Ross huffed a laugh. 'You win. It's worth a shot. Let's go, little brother.'