Aimee gasped as she heard Wren's voice. He'd flashed in not far from her brothers.
Maman was completely aghast as she saw him there. "You hate me."
Wren shrugged. "You're definitely not my favorite person, Lo. But your daughter means a lot to me and so I won't stand back and let her family be destroyed. Even if I do think we're all completely stupid for fighting for you."
Maman shook her head as she looked around at all of them. "You do understand how many will be attacking us? How many enemies I've made?"
Remi snorted. "We've made, you mean. I think we've all had a hand in this fiasco. Me probably more so than anyone else."
Angel nodded in agreement. "And to that, I say bring the rain. We are here and we won't be defeated."
An amen went up from the others.
Damien flashed a rare grin. "Sanctuary, Home of Howlers and stragglers of the Were universe."
Nodding, Teddy clapped him on the back. "Sanctuary forever."
Maman's eyes were bright from her unshed tears as she surveyed the men who were willing to not only protect her home with their lives . . . they were willing to protect her. "Thank you. Your loyalty won't be forgotten."
"And all the free liquor you can hold," Dev said. "We definitely don't want to do this sober."
That broke the tension as they all laughed.
Aimee shook her head. "Yeah, but you're going to get your own drinks, guys, 'cause I'm not running it to you. There's just too many of you."
Maman did what she did best. She took charge. "Very well, mes fils du coeur. We shall keep to our schedules and run business as usual."
Max stepped forward. "I'll be the muscle. Not many can take down a dragon."
"And make sure you ride herd on the humans," Remi reminded him.
He inclined his head.
Maman smiled at them. Gratitude and pride were bright in her blue eyes. "Let's show our enemies and doubters that Sanctuary will stand no matter what they say."
She paused beside Wren. "And you were wrong about me, tiger. I've never considered the ones here as my dupes. I have bent rules for all of you at one time or another. If loving my children above all else is a crime in your world, then you can hang me for that sin as I would have it no other way."
Wren didn't speak until she was gone and Aimee could tell that even now he didn't trust her mother. He walked over to her. "I'm only here for you."
She squeezed him lightly on the arm. "Thank you, Wren."
He inclined his head before he left.
Cherif let out a relieved breath. "Wow, Maman took that better than I thought."
Papa laughed. "She knows how stubborn you boys are and you outnumber her." He stopped in front of Aimee. "You, on the other hand, have to leave."
"I won't go, Papa. This is my home and you are my family. I won't hide while all of you are in danger. I did that once and I've had to live with that cowardice every day since. I won't do it again."
He cupped her face in his large paw of a hand. "They gave their lives for you, mon ange. Don't mock their sacrifice."
"I don't, but I'm full-grown now and I will stand and I will fight as they did."
His eyes darkened with sadness as he let his hand fall. "I would argue. I know you have enough of your mother in you to make it impossible to win."
She smiled. "You would be right."
He scanned the others. "All right then. Let us all prepare for war."