50)

Everyone stared at our local sheriff as she sat there struggling to come up with an answer, before she finally shrugged.

“I think turning that many people would ultimately draw attention, and would place everyone who is other then unchanged human in danger.”

She intertwined her finders together. “For myself, I do not fear what could happen, not enough to ask someone to hold back from caring for their own, or those in need. As far as any concerns for my children or grandchildren.” She smiled at Dare. “They are adults and can take care of themselves, but I fear that those who hunt our kind may still be out there.” Then she looked me in the eyes, a clear challenge. “As for your own. Are you willing to put them in danger to help strangers? Family yes, clearly, but a good man or woman in need who you don’t even know you can actually help?”

She shrugged again. “I have no authority to tell you what you can do as a werewolf, as least anything that isn’t breaking any laws. I would not want anyone to claim such authority. But for myself, I would say help your own, and you many find that more then enough to deal with that looking for more people to turn won’t...” She waved her hands around awkwardly. “Be such a pressing concern.”

I sagged down in my chair and gave her a wry grin. “Same old story huh? Idealism can’t last when it goes up against exhaustion.”

Sitting back up I got myself to my feet and held out my hand to Adora. “But we aren't here to figure out if outing the existence of werewolves is a good idea. We’re here to eat.”

She gave me hesitant smile and took my hand as she stood up. I waved the two men down as they also began to stand up. “You two keep an eye on the barbecue, we’ll take care of the rest.’

I held out an arm to the sheriff and she took it with a quick laugh and a grin. “You are quick enough to volunteer me John, are you sure you aren't plotting to take over as the alpha wolf?”

I automatically started to protest until I saw her grin and sly sideways look and instead grumbled out a “Yeah, you got me. I shall force all of you into becomeing my minions to prepare salad and corn bread for all of your days.”

As we headed inside, Adora leaned in to whisper. “The vampires would fear being outed if our existence became public knowledge. If you do this, you must choose to make it too well known, too quickly for them to try to make the problem, you, vanish. It must be all or nothing.”

I stopped for moment in shock before she jerked on my arm to get me moving again.

“Oh. Yeah. Them.” I glanced down as Adora slipped free of my arm and began looking at the various ingredients laid out on the counter and island. She turned to me. “You bake as well?”

I gave her a little bit of a glare. “Give me a second to switch gears Missy.” She grinned and looked around the kitchen again before heading over to the fridge. “I’m guessing you don’t have any aprons, so I will make a salad while you get flour all over yourself.”

I watched her for a second, deciding not to argue to let her have a win. “Actually Ami seemed pretty excited to bake, which leaves me either getting her upset for not calling her in from playing with a cute non threatening werewolf puppy, or calling her away from the cute non threatening werewolf puppy and making her bake.”

She glanced over thoughtfully. “She will complain no matter what. Text her so it’s her decision and she won’t have a excuse to complain.’

Heh. “I take it you had girls as well.”

She grinned as she set out lettuce, carrots sticks, and a cucumber on the kitchen island. “Two daughters and three sons spread out over thirty years, three early on, and two more after my Rian got used to the idea that he would have a long, youthful life. A large family for werewolves.”

Some cheese, lunch meat and an onion joined the produce. “Ah, Mel didn’t cover the one other thing silver does.”

She looked over at me and pushed her hair back with a tie she had produced from somewhere to secure it behind her head. “With enough silver piercing the skin we cannot change shape, so the girls wear earrings when they are pregnant to keep from changing on the nights of the full moon. If we don’t then when the pregnancy is far enough along they can lose the child.”

She arranged everything she had gotten out in some sort of order that made sense to her. “In the old days we often lost the child before we even knew we were pregnant, so newly married woman were forced to wear ear rings at all times.” She grinned to herself “Now a day some of the girls use it as an excuse to get their husbands to buy them all the jewelry and piercing their parents never allowed them to get.”

She gave me an odd look. “Text?”

Huh? Oh yeah. I dug out my phone and sent a text to the grand kid. [Here now if bake] I don’t bother with punctuation mark on texts, if it’s confusing they can call me back.