Shameful by May Dawson
5
Legacy
I cameout of my bedroom humming the next morning, headed down the stairs toward the kitchen for coffee. On a weekday morning, the house would normally have been quiet already by then, because my mother and Courage left to drive to the high school, and Dad would already have left for work as head of pack security.
But today was the most special day in ourpack.
As I walked through our living room, early morning light flooded in through the big windows that overlooked the pines. The couch looked cozy, heaped with blankets and throw pillows, and the front door stood open to the wide porch.
I was planning on getting my coffee and reading for a while before the day got crazy, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to head for the couch or the porch swing. That was the way I liked my life: my biggest life decisions should be where toread.
Courage stood in front of the coffee maker, pouring himself a cup. My little brother had six inches on me now, and his shoulders in his gray t-shirt were broad.
Last week when I was coming out of the training pit, I’d overheard a couple of younger pack girls chittering about their crush on him. Their giggles reminded me of the crush I used to have on Killian O’Malley, the pack’s most dangerous fighter, which filled me with some serious second-hand embarrassment. I’d glared at them until they fell silent. My baby brother probably wouldn’t have appreciated that if heknew.
He turned with two mugs in hishand.
“Morning, baby brother,” I said, reaching forone.
“Nuh-uh,” he said, lifting both mugs over his head, out of reach. “Not until you tell me why Lucas dropped you home last night.”
“You were out,” Isaid.
He gave me a look of wide-eyed innocence, even though there’s nothing innocent when torturing your sibling about their love life. “Dad toldme.”
“Why are you and Dad talking about me? And why the hell is it any of your business if Lucas drops me off anyway?”
“I’m your brother,” he said. “I’m trying to look out foryou.”
“Spare me the patriarchal bullshit, and give me some coffee before I have to take it from you.” I offered him my sweetest smile.
“I’d like to see you try,” he said, but handed me over a cup. My brother is cocky, not stupid.
I hopped up on the kitchen island, then then took a long, slow sip. He’d already mixed in milk and sugar, and my coffee was perfect. Courage had his redeeming traits.
“I don’t like Lucas,” Courage blurtedout.
“Well, that doesn’t matter if tonight, my wolf likes Lucas. Maybe we’re fated mates.”
He groaned, then took a long gulp of coffee, his Adam's apple bobbing. “I need a lot more coffee before anyone throws the words fated matesaround.”
“Why don’t you like Lucas?”
A wary look came into Courage’s eyes, his narrow lips tightening. He didn’t want to give up anotherguy.
“You used to look up to him,” I reminded him. Lucas was twenty, like me; Courage was eighteen. There was a time when Courage used to follow Lucas around, hanging at the edges of a circle of older guys, hoping to be included.
“Used to,” Courage agreed.
“So what changed?” I fixed Courage with a look. He had to know I wasn’t going to giveup.
He heaved a sigh, and I knew I hadhim.
Courage said, “I don’t like the way he talks about girls. He’s slept with a bunch, but he calls them sluts—as if he isn’tone.”
“Can’t we just all agree not use the word slut?” I crinkled my nose, although the memory of how Lucas had praised my inexperience was a confusing one. He’d been complimenting me, but he obviously wasn’t inexperienced himself.
“Sure.” Courage crossed his arms, leaned against the fridge. “But I’m not putting up with anyone calling my sister aslut.”
“Lucas would never,” I said. “Because he must know if he survived what you would do to him, he wouldn’t survive what I would do tohim.”
“I know you’re tough, Legacy,” Courage said. “In the ring. But you don’t know what real life is like out there.”
“Neither do you,” I reminded him. “You’re eighteen. Spare me the lectures.”
My mom walked in then from behind me, resting her hands lightly on my shoulders. “Who’s trying to take my job around here? I’m in charge of lectures.”
Courage set his coffee mug on the island just so he could raise his hands in surrender.
“Are you ready for tonight?” Mom askedme.
“I have to admit, I kind of hope nothing changes,” Dad added, brushing past us both and heading for the coffee maker. “I know it’s selfish, but I don’t really appreciate this business where the two of you keep growingup.”
“It’s Legacy’s turn to find love,” my mother chided him. She caught the front of his shirt and tugged him toward her. He wrapped his arms around her, his eyes lighting up the way they still did when he looked at her. “You and I found each other at that same ceremony twenty-six years ago, and I think that worked outokay.”
Dad smiled slowly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Your daddy didn’t likeme.”
“Still doesn’t,” Mom said, then yanked on his shirt to pull him close. He bent and kissed her, their lips lingering.
“Gross,” I said. “Courage, let’s get out ofhere.”
“Oh, you forgive me now?” He demanded, scooping his coffee mug then following me. The two of us headed into the livingroom.
“I can’t hold a grudge.” Tania claimed that was a fault of mine, actually.
It was funny to think that Tania and Courage didn’t like Lucas, and that my grandfather hadn’t liked my dad all those years ago. The impulse that led mates to each other was stronger than anyone else’s judgment.
“Got any hopes for tonight?” Courage asked me lightly.
“Not that I’m sharing with you.” I picked up one of the pillows from the couch and tossed it athim.
“Yeah, that’s all you need to say.” He threw the pillow back onto the couch instead of at me, and I felt almost offended that he refused to be playful too, making me look immature. “Iknow.”
I crossed my arms. “I’m not looking for advice.”
For a second, the two of us stared at each other without speaking.
“I hope you get what you want tonight, Legacy,” Courage said, suddenly serious. I hadn’t seen my little brother look so grown up often before. “I hope you get what you deserve.”
“Thanks,” I said, sounding uncertain because I didn’t know what to make of it when my brother was this nice. It made things awkward. Our relationship involved sarcasm, occasional shoving, and a secret deep affection that meant if there was a body, the other one would always show up with a shovel.
Courage nodded. “You deserve all the best things, the bestguy.”
Then he sipped his coffee and walked toward the porch, and I fixed the throw pillows, left to pretend as if that hadn’t been completely unsettling.