The Porch Wolf
Always Room For Dessert

Alpha Leo Volkov’s POV

The house cleared out as the new Pack members returned home, and Liv and Brent went off to meet Liv’s mother. I called ahead to The Smokin’ Oak and reserved a large table, to the shock of the hostess. I’d been going there on Sundays for years, always alone, always at the same table.

Anita drove my truck, and I was stuck in the back with Vicki. My scooter was driven up into the bed using ramps, then strapped in place. Adrienne rode shotgun, as I pointed out some of the local sights as we drove east towards Red Wing. Mike drove the second car with Larry and Donna, and Brian Knight drove a third with his mate Carla. Susan was up in Minneapolis, getting close enough to Todd to link to him about the agreement we’d made.

Anita parked in a handicapped entrance, using the temporary tag my doctor had given me. The smell hit us before the truck doors even opened. The smell of open fire and meat was thick. My wolf and I loved the scent of the place.

It took a few minutes to get my scooter down and join the rest inside, where they waited by the hostess table. “I think I might like this place,” Adrienne said as she stood behind me.

“I want RIBS,” a fascinated Vicki said as she watched the meat moving around. Mike had picked her up so she could see over the screen that kept children from burning themselves.

The owners knew how to get people in; the oak fire and rotisseries were right by the entrance. Motorized racks carried slabs of pork ribs, whole chickens, pork shoulders and beef around, letting them taste the flames and then move away to slowly cook and rotate. We were brought to our table, and I had Adrienne on my right and Vicki on my left as we sat down. The waitress passed out menus and took our drink orders. “It all sounds so good,” Adrienne said.

“May I suggest something,” I asked and she quickly agreed. “The Rotisserie Sampler Platter to share. We get ribs, chicken, pulled pork, beef tips and brisket, plus sides."

“I want RIBS,” Sharkbait said, “And I don’t want to share!”

We gave our orders, then the waitress asked Vicki if she wanted chicken strips or macaroni and cheese from the kid’s menu. “Full rack of ribs, please,” she said. Our waitress looked at me and I nodded, so she wrote it down and moved on.

An hour later, she put the last of thirteen rib bones down onto her plate.

“Where does she put it,” Adrienne said as she looked over at her. We’d finished ten minutes earlier, and I think she expected to eat some of her ribs, too.

Vicki went to point at her tummy, but her hand was caught by Anita and the wet wipe she had in her hand. Vicki’s hands and face were cleaned of the sauce, which took several wipes, then she took her to the Ladies Room to wash up. Mike followed, standing guard outside the door without being told.

“She’s quite the girl,” Adrienne said. “I can see why you claimed her.”

“She saved me as much as I saved her,” I said. I told my mate the story about my friendship with Liv, and my decision to give her Catherine’s car.

“Did you have a romantic interest in her?”

“No, and even if I had, she wouldn’t have gone along with it. At the time, I had nothing. I decided to go through Catherine’s things, finally, and I knew she could use reliable transportation. I didn’t need the money as much as I needed to feel I had done something worthwhile. I knew she had a daughter, but I didn’t know she was a werewolf until I was invited to her place for Christmas. Vicki hadn’t shifted and was completely unprotected; my wolf claimed her as his own that day.”

“I can’t believe there was a preschool werewolf child out there with no one around to help her,” Adrienne said with a shiver. “If she had her first shift among humans, it would have been a disaster. You did the right thing; even the Council would have struggled with helping her since she had no ties to any Pack.”

“They are more than just my Pack members. I see Liv as the daughter I should have had, and Vicki as my heir. I love them both, and I hope you’ll grow to love them as I have.”

“That girl could melt the hardest heart,” she said. “Mike said she spent twenty seconds with Liv’s Mom. I bet they find a way to reconcile, just to spend time with her grandchild.”

“They were foolish, and it cost them years of memories,” I said. “I was foolish, and it almost cost me you.”

“You recovered a lot faster,” she said as she squeezed my hand under the table. “As long as we are still breathing, there’s still a chance.”

Sharkbait came running back to the table, giving both of us a quick hug before we sat down. “What was that for?”

“Dessert, Unky Leo?”

I reached across with my right hand and tapped her distended stomach. “I don’t think there is room in there for anything, Sharkbait. Even Great Whites stop eating when their stomach is full.”

“But… they have CHOCOLATE CAKE here. With ICE CREAM.”

I looked over at Adrienne, who was trying not to laugh. “Would you like dessert, love?”

“I couldn’t eat a whole piece,” she said. “Maybe we get one slice with three forks?”

“Yaaay,” Vicki said. A few others decided to share desserts, and we somehow managed to put the thick slice away. I put a stack of cash down to cover the bill and a generous tip, then used the restroom before we left. Once again, I was frustrated by the injuries. I couldn’t wait until I could get my arm out of the sling and get a walking boot.

As I waited in the back seat for the scooter to be tied down, I checked in with Brent. I was pleased that there was reconciliation occurring with Liv’s mother; I didn’t want her to be without family at her wedding. “We are eating dinner here, then Liv is going to go up to her room for a while. I think I’ll try their fine whiskey collection while I’m waiting.”

“Take as much time as you need. Sharkbait can barely stay awake, so we’ll get her home and to bed. Tell Liv that she ate a full rack of ribs by herself.”

“Wow. That’s impressive.”

“And then she had chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert.”

I could sense his amusement over the link. “We need to take Vicki out running again to work off those calories.”

“School starts in the morning, she’ll burn it off with the others.” I was serious about her not returning to public school, and this weekend had solved the problem completely. The wolves of the former Welch Pack homeschooled through fifth grade, and Vicki would slide in with them. Paul and Lois Temple would resume the Pack school, which would move to my basement. Their classroom lessons would be alternated with wolf training that Anita and some of the other ladies would supervise in the woods on my property.

“We’re heading home now. Take care of your mate.”

“Of course, Alpha.” By the time we turned onto Highway 61, Vicki was asleep, and I was drowsy. I updated everyone that Brent and Liv would be back late. “Adrienne, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” she said. “What are you doing?”

“I need to go to the construction office and start cleaning up the mess,” I said. “I need to let all my subcontractors, suppliers and customers know that I’m back in charge before they move on to someone else.”

“You should stay with us,” Anita said. “We’re setting up the Pack school, and we have a lot of work to do with combining Pack funds and duties. I could really use help from you, Larry and Donna to untangle the mess.”

“I’ve not agreed to be your Luna,” Adrienne protested.

“She needs your help, not your signature,” I replied.

“Fine.” Great, she said FINE, which every male knew meant ANYTHING except that she was fine. Oh well. I would use any means, fair or unfair, to win her over. Groveling? Check. Wining and Dining? Double-check. Flowers? Roses set for morning delivery. Cute kiddos? Sharkbait and a half-dozen more in the basement. She’d be back in my bed tonight, this time without her wolf forcing her there.

Vicki would be there too, I was sure. With her mother and Brent out late, she’d want her Alphas. That bond was forming quickly, as the wolves of my mate and heir got closer. I sought to make it impossible for her to leave when her Council job was done. “Adrienne, do you like your Council job?”

“I’m good at It, and the Council needs my help,” she quickly replied.

“I understand that, and I know your reputation. That wasn’t my question, though.”

That kept her quiet, and she watched the town turn into the Cannon Valley as she thought. “I needed the job as much as it needed me,” she finally said. “I had too many memories in my Pack, and my son and his mate needed to make their own way as Alphas. Staying busy helped me to recover from the loss. It gave me a reason to get up in the morning.”

“I wish I had your strength,” I said. “I couldn’t even work, and then when I was alone, I did nothing. I wasted away for years, doing just enough to exist. It’s going to be a shock to my system when I show up at work in the morning.”

“That’s the secret, you wake up and work and hope it gets better,” she said.

“You make it better,” I said. We made it home and went inside; Anita took Vicki upstairs, waking her to take a shower and get dressed in her Finding Nemo pajamas. Adrienne went to her room to get ready for bed. Mike helped me get into my shower, where I could use the bench built into the limestone surround. He helped me into my bed, letting me scoot into the middle. Vicki backed up to me in her sleep, instinctively looking for the warmth and protection of her Alpha.

I set my phone alarm for seven and placed it on the table, turning out the light. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Adrienne walked in. I opened the covers for her and she slid in, her soft flannel pajamas and skin against mine. “I wasn’t going to be able to sleep apart from you, not anymore,” she said quietly.

“I don’t ever want to sleep apart from you. I love you, Adrienne.” I didn’t know what to expect from that; I knew she was still upset, but I was doing all I could. She rolled towards me, reaching for my lips with her own. They touched, setting off tingles, then more as her hand cupped my cheek. She deepened the kiss, her hand moving around behind my head to pull me closer. I didn’t want it to end, but it did.

“Goodnight, Leo.” She settled into my side, and I stroked her back lightly as she dropped off to sleep.

My wolf and I were happy, our mate and our heir next to us and sleeping comfortably. It was too perfect to last, and Monday was coming.

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