44)

The three of them trailed along behind me as I carried the blue stoneware bowl inside. The bowl still had a bit of a chill on it and the cling film was foggy from being recently refrigerated.

Even with all the food I had bought over the last week, between me, the three kids, due to the fact it was a commercial sized fridge, they was plenty of room for the bowl.

I turned to see the three of them standing around awkwardly and they flinched at whatever look I gave them.

“No, I just...” I wave my hands around aimlessly. “Why don’t you just have a seat.” and pointed over to the glass topped patio table in the sun room off the kitchen. It was identical to the one from the patio now covered in a dull yellow orange twin sized sheet under the tarp.

It had been a two for one sale, great deal with four chairs each.

They managed to take their seat before I could get there, looking a little relieved at the normalcy of sitting around a table with the guy their kid had turned into a legendary monster.

Yeah, it helped normalize it a bit for me as well.

The kid had ended up book ended between the two of them and opposite me. I gave her a concerned look.

“Your ankle okay kiddo, I’ve got the impression silver can mess us up.”

She look up briefly, blushed and looked down again as she muttered something I couldn't hear.

Her mom rubbed her back as Darius spoke up. “Yeah, she healed up with in a few hours once she was freed up from the silver. It mostly just keeps us from healing while it’s in the wound, and maybe slows us down a bit from any particles that get lodged inside.”

“Once we smelled the blood and dragged her out of her room, cleaning the cuts mostly cleared that out. Plus she’s so insanely strong, she heals up ten times faster then anyone else.”

That got him a outraged look from the girl, before she noticed me looking at her and slumped down in her chair.

How to word this… “I’m glad you’re okay kiddo, and I ain’t upset with you for biting me. I am very angry with the men who hurt you, and a little upset with the sheriff for her plans to just make them work retail as their punishment.”

The last was for the benefit of Adora who I could sense creeping into the kitchen behind me..

The girl looked up as I talked and glaceed down the hall as I mentioned the sheriff, like she could sense her as well. The boy had said she was strong

Or maybe she could just see Adora from where she was sitting opposite me. Duh.

Then finally she made eye contact with me and began to talk all at once. “I’m sorry I bit you and you had just saved me and then I hurt you...”

And here come the water works, the bright red skin and the snot of a little girl who had been holding things in and had it all coming out at once.

Her mom and Darius both leaned in to try to comfort her while I waited them out. I could feel Adora stepping in behind me as we let the kid have a good cry.

After a bit I stood up and turned around to go get a damp towel to let them wipe the kids face, but I froze for a second as I turned to see the sheriff standing there in a blue summer dress so pale as to be nearly white and some strappy sandals with her hair combed out and pushed back over her shoulders.

Kinda took me by surprise as we stared into each others eyes, until she finally spoke.

“You have a Gatling gun?”

Ah. Right. “Snooping were we?” I said with a grin as I circled around her to get to the sink. She gave me a little side step and followed along as I headed over. “You look amazing, but that dress might not be the best choice for a barbecue.”

She glanced over to the child who was at the hiccuping stage of calming down as I wrung out the dish towel. A clean one from the drawer. “I will risk it, and it will be worth it for your reaction. I hope that isn’t from something you said to her.”

I shook my head. “It was and it wasn’t. She was so wound up, anything I said would have set her off at some point. Best to let her cry it out with her mom and male parental figure so we can move on.’

Darius glanced up at that to see his grandmother giving him an amused look that made him roll his eyes.

I neatly folded up the cool damp dish towel and cleared my throat to get the mom’s attention, then handed it off to her.

After getting her face wiped clean, which earned her mom an annoyed look, I figured she was ready to talk.

“Okay kiddo, now that we got that out of the way. No one is angry with you, no one blames you, but it time for you to take responsibility for your actions.”

That got me a sniff from the girl and a scared look. Along with a few other looks of concern, the mom, who pulled her kid a little closer. A look of protectiveness from the boy as he braced himself to jump to his feet if need be. And a strong, with a hint of warning, grip on my arm from the lady in a blue dress.

“You turned me into a werewolf, so you’re the one who has to teach me everything I need to know about being one.”

“Your job. Your responsibility, and believe me. I got questions.”

That got a surprised look on the girls face as I gave her a little smile, which after a moment she returned.

“My nephew is going to want to get in on this as well, so when you’re ready, meet me outside.”