Epilogue
"I'll be right back." Eliot hurried down the stairs at werewolf speed but slowed just before he opened the backdoor onto the dock. "Everything okay?"
Chrissa smiled and held out a covered dish. "I thought that with the hard week that you all have had that maybe a casserole would be nice. So that you wouldn't have to cook anything."
Eliot smiled. He was immediately transported back to his childhood. He remembered helping his mama make casseroles to take to church or to someone's house. He remembered the casseroles that were brought to their house when his mama died. He pushed that last memory to the side as he reached for the dish. "You really didn't need to do this. This is so nice."
"You're welcome." Julio wrapped an arm around Chrissa's shoulders.
Eliot hesitated with the dish in his hands. "Would you guys like to come up? A few of our friends came to town and its sort of turned into an impromptu party."
"We don't want to be in the way." Chrissa leaned into Julio.
"You'd be welcome."
Julio looked at Chrissa and after a second of silent conversation he smiled. "Sure. That'd be great." He reached out to hold the door for Chrissa and they followed Eliot up the stairs.
As they got to the top of the stairs Eliot smelled a change in Julio. "Everything okay?"
Julio glanced at the door and then back to Eliot. "Are your friends like you?"
"Two of them are wolves and three of them are human. Two of the humans are part of my pack. So, with you guys that's six humans and four wolves."
"Will the other two be okay with us here or should we pretend that we don't know?"
Ewen pulled the door open. "We'll be just fine meeting two more of Eliot's friends."
"Werewolves have extremely good hearing." Eliot smiled and handed the casserole to Ewen.
Ewen set the casserole on the counter and came back. "I'm Ewen McEllen. One of the werewolves. And you are?"
Julio held his hand out to shake with Ewen. "Julio Mendoza and this is my wife, Chrissa."
Abby had spotted Ewen at the door and made her way over. "Hi there. I'm Abby." She held her hand out and shook with the Mendozas.
"You'd be the other…" Julio started but saw the look of amusement on Ewen's face.
"No. My wife is just as human as you. It's my Alpha that's the other werewolf."
Julio couldn't seem to help looking around the room and his gaze fixed on Nate. He didn't notice the young woman with the dark hair that had walked up until she cleared her throat.
"Julio, Chrissa. Let me introduce you to Natali Ossory, Alpha of the Ummoon pack, in Ireland." Eliot made the introductions. "Nati this is Julio and Chrissa Mendoza, good friends of mine."
"Lovely to meet you." Nati smiled. "I can see that you were a part of the recent drama." Nati tapped her own cheek to indicate the ugly purple bruise on Julio's cheek. "And despite that you still brought Eliot such a wonderful smellin' dish. That's very kind." Nati inhaled in obvious pleasure at the scent coming from the casserole dish.
"Don't worry Nati I'll get everyone fed before long." Eliot rolled his eyes. "Hardison." He put just a little push into Hardison's name, and he saw Hardison's eyes flash yellow as he turned to see what his Alpha wanted. "Would you mind bringing up a box of steaks from the freezer?" He didn't turn the request into an order but was glad to see Hardison and Parker both hurry for the stairs. He looked at the Mendozas. "Let me introduce you to Nate and Sophie and then I'll get dinner started."
Sophie was relaxed enough that Eliot could tell she wasn't in full grifter mode, but she was still very charming when he left Julio and Chrissa with her.
He'd just tied the strings of his apron when Hardison came back in with the steaks. "Thanks." Eliot set the box to the side and checked in on his pack bonds. "How are you doing?"
Hardison shrugged. "Better." He pushed at a couple of the vegetables that Eliot had been chopping before everyone arrived. "Still kinda nervy but I don't know why."
"I told him he should just change into his wolf and show everyone and then he wouldn't have anything to be nervous about." Parker slid partway down one of her ropes so that her face was head and shoulders above Hardison.
Eliot could feel Hardison get more nervous at the suggestion. "She's right." He held a spoonful of sauce above his head and Parker rocked forward to taste it.
"Needs more…"
"Salt." Eliot and Parker said at the same time.
Eliot sprinkled more salt over the sauce and waved Ewen over. "Can you start browning the steaks?"
"Sure." Ewen took the proffered apron and stepped up to the stove. He looked up at Parker. "Would you mind comin' down here? I'm sure you could be givin' me some pointers and it'll make me so much happier to not have ye hanging over my head like the sword o' Damocles."
"Hardison, come on." Eliot called from the door to their gym.
Hardison walked slowly in Eliot's direction.
Eliot shut the door behind Hardison. "I think Parker is right that's what's got you all worked up. Let's change and get it over with."
"Now? Like right now? Shouldn't we wait until after dinner?" Hardison looked like he might bolt from the room.
Eliot growled while he started stripping off his shirts. "Come on. Let's just get it over with."
"You mean you're gonna change too?" For a moment Hardison just stared.
"I know you're not comfortable with this. I really, really understand that, but this is part of being in control of your wolf and not letting it control you. You will be able to shift, and you will be able to control the wolf in a roomful of people, and you'll be able to shift back." Eliot waited for Hardison to meet his eyes. "I got your back. I won't let anything bad happen to you or to them." He held his hand out and was pleased when Hardison smirked at him, and they went through their hand slapping fist bumping routine.
Hardison stripped off and Eliot locked eyes with him just before he pushed power at him and the urge to shift. Eliot kept his eyes on Hardison until the shift blurred his vision. This time Hardison made it to his wolf shape first, but Eliot wasn't far behind. Eliot shook to rid himself of the last tingles of the change. He turned to lead the way out and realized he'd shut the door after Hardison came in. He didn't want to ruin the door and for a moment he thought he'd have to at least partially shift to manage the nob. He heard Parker's laugh in the other room, and he used the bonds to call to Parker.
When she opened the door, he yipped at her in thanks and brushed past her on his way out. Hardison didn't follow him, so Eliot stopped and waited for him.
Parker went to him and wrapped her arms around Hardison's neck in a hug. "You are amazing. Everyone will think so." She kissed between his ears. "Don't be scared."
Eliot could feel Parker's love for Hardison and her pride in him wash through the bonds and he couldn't help the wolfy smile.
Hardison nuzzled against Parker for a moment and then followed Eliot into the living room.
"Oh, Hardison, you are gorgeous." Sophie gasped when she saw him.
Eliot led them around so that they were in the middle of the room in front of the couch. The others gathered around, and Eliot caught Brian's scent just before he saw him in the circle.
"Who's this?" Brian looked at the faces around him.
"Hardison." Parker smiled. "I told you we were having a party for Hardison."
"Boss when you do maintenance, you really get after it." Brian looked back and forth from wolf to wolf.
Nate chuckled and Sophie elbowed him.
Nati and Ewen smiled, and their eyes were the color of their wolves' eyes.
After a moment Ewen ran back to the stove and Brian went with him. Nati, Sophie, and Nate fell into conversation and Abby and the Mendozas started talking about living around werewolves.
Parker pushed her way in between Eliot and Hardison and sat with an arm draped over each one. "I hope you don't mind that I invited Brian. He's not exactly pack but he knows. And he helps make things feel normal."
Eliot could feel Hardison relax, and Parker was content. It made him happy to have his pack close, and safe, with good friends around. This was so much better than he'd hoped his life would be and he was grateful. He leaned into Parker at the same time that Hardison did, and Parker collapsed in a fit of giggles as their fur tickled her face. He could feel Julio's regard, so he stood and with a lick to Parker's cheek he went to see what Julio wanted.
Julio had left Abby and Chrissa deep in conversation and was leaning against the wall near the gym.
Eliot trotted past him into the gym and Julio followed. Julio fumbled for a light switch for a moment but once he got the lights on, he gently closed the door. Julio watched as the huge tan wolf began to melt and twist in front of him and finally resolve itself into the shape of his friend.
Eliot shook his hands like he was flicking water from his fingers. With a deep breath he opened his eyes and nodded at Julio before he started pulling his clothes back on.
"That is one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen."
"Freaky. I'm pretty sure the word is freaky not fascinating." Eliot's voice was muffled through his shirts as he pulled them on. "You've got something on your mind besides that though. I can practically smell it."
"I know you could have found some way to keep this a secret, but you decided to share it with us instead. Why?" Julio started to cross his arms but put his hands in his pockets instead as he leaned back against the door.
"There's been a lot of bad road between killing Griff and getting here, but those guys," Eliot tilted his chin towards the sounds of laughter coming from the other room. "they've helped me figure out how to do better. And you and Chrissa have been a part of that too. I don't know exactly why I told you, probably shouldn't have, but it felt like the right thing." Eliot shrugged and finished lacing up his boots.
Julio nodded. "I'm glad you did." He smiled when he heard a shrill happy cry from Parker. "I really like your friends. It's been a really weird few days but I'm feeling pretty blessed."
"Shall we head back out there, and I'll buy you another beer?" Eliot smiled and ran a hand through his hair.
"Oh? I get a beer and I don't have to scrub your floor this time? Sweet!" Julio bumped shoulders with Eliot as they headed back into the party.
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AN: I hope you liked Julio and Chrissa's debut! Julio is actually based off of a couple of my friends. Max was a preacher who always preached in Spanish and English, and his son Julio was a soldier. I believe Max's son Julio became a preacher as well, but it's been many moons since I've seen either of them.