The plane touched down in Houston many hours later. Vin was glad that Ez had bumped him up to first class. It had made the flight bearable. There had been few people in first class so they were able to get off the plane quickly which was another plus in Vin's book. They both waited for Jack and Danny by the large windows. While Vin was ready to get on with getting to a hotel and the meeting that was waiting for him the next morning, if Ezra had already known where he was, the others couldn't be far behind. So it was with anticipation that he scanned the crowds beyond the security
He was rewarded by the sight of Josiah and Nathan. With Jack and Danny following, Vin and Ezra went straight for their pack brothers. Jack, Danny and Ezra held back while Vin was greeted by bear hugs that had him off the floor and nuzzling under his chin.
Jack leaned over and asked Ezra quietly, "Is Vin highly placed in your pack? I wouldn't have thought he'd rank higher than those two."
Ezra laughed quietly. "Do not let their size fool you sir. While all three of my pack brothers here have terrible tempers it tends to take a great deal to provoke them. Nathan is a submissive while Josiah is the least of the dominants." Ezra spared a glance at Danny who was looking alarmed. "I'm not referring to sexual preferences Agent. I am speaking of the ranking within the pack. Dominants are those who are prone to take a leadership role within the pack while submissives are those who prefer to follow. Vin takes turns with Buck as the second in command of our pack. They have had plenty of time to work that out between the two of them. Rank is something that doesn't matter to Josiah, but he won't allow his voice to be silenced either. Nathan on the other hand is not a leader, he is a healer. The only time his temper is truly provoked is when someone is hurt or when he is defending a member of the pack." He flashed a grin at Danny as he relaxed. "That usually happens at the same time and ends up with the miscreant who harmed a member of our little pack receiving a one way ticket to hell courtesy of one of Nathan's knives."
"What about you, if you don't mind my asking?" Danny asked.
"Oh, I am no leader. I am more than content to follow rather than fight one of those louts for control." The look on Ezra's face as he watched 'those louts' as he put it was enough for both Jack and Danny to understand that he loved his pack dearly and that was the true reason he followed where his pack brothers led. Then he stepped up for his own greeting.
On the road in the full sized van that Josiah was driving Josiah brought Vin up to date on the happenings of the pack. "Chris and Buck have been in Washington State while JD has been in Boston. Nathan and I have both been here. We've all been searching for you for years. JD's plane won't get here until tomorrow morning. Chris and Buck have been with the Navy up until recently. They were both discharged about a year ago when Sarah died in childbirth during a hostage situation. She bled to death because the hostage takers wouldn't let anyone come in and help her. Adam survived though. Both of them have been working with the Seattle bomb squad. Buck met Inez last night and he's gearing up for chasing her for all he's worth. He loves her so much there is no way he'll stop until she says yes again. JD has been pouring his interests into computers these days and his mother is still alive but I doubt she will be for much longer. You already know about Ezra and Maude. Rain is a pediatric nurse down at Huston Medical Center, ironically enough from what I've read in the file John Henry showed me. Hannah is doing better this time around, she has MPD."
"Adam lived this time!" Vin broke out a howl of joy and the others joined in as well. Jack and Danny both flinched from the echoes of the noise in the close quarters of the van. Never before had either Sarah or Adam Larabee survived for more than a few years after Chris and Sarah had married. They also always died together. It was only the fact that they kept meeting and the hope that the pack was shown as each time they were reborn and their lives improved, even if it was only slightly, that helped Chris to survive each time they died. Chris had come to the conclusion that Sarah wouldn't keep returning to his life if she wasn't determined that one of these lifetimes she would have a long, full life with him and as she had to know, at least as a spirit, what had happened, then there was nothing he could, or should, do to stop her.
"I thought it was only the seven of you that were connected with the curse?" Danny asked confused.
"It may only be the Seven that are bound by magic son, but the Good Lord has always been a Lord of choice. He has granted the choice of many of those who love us to return to us time and time again." Josiah said with gratitude. "Sarah and Adam are our Alpha's wife and son. Inez is or at this time rather, was Buck's mate. JD has his mother as I said before. Maude is Ezra's mother. Rain is Nathan's wife and Hannah is my sister. There are a few others who hang around, but whether or not we'll get to see them in this life is their choice, not ours." It was with this startling revelation that Josiah dropped off Jack and Danny at their hotel.