Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,115

assured me. "You've now been tested - even if it was never intentional - and proved yourself to be one of us. Human or not, doesn't matter. You're a part of this now, Elena, and that's why they're all saying something."

At lunch, Lane and Seth assured me Ashley was right. They also stole more of my jerky. Evidently, Sampson's venison was a rare treat, and not something he shared often. Lane said Ian had been given a plate when Sampson moved in. Henry got some about once a year, and that was pretty much it. So, when they tried to take more, I threatened them with my plastic fork.

But my divorce was sneaking up on me quickly. That evening, I had an appointment with Henry. Just before I left the office, he called to say he was coming to my place around dinner time, and asked if I needed anything. In other words, he was inviting himself, and he did it so easily that I was actually impressed. I simply asked if he had a preference for the meal. Tacos, he said, which made me laugh.

However, the guys didn't show up. Ian said he didn't want to monopolize my time. Pax and Trent asked me to save them some leftovers. Lane told me he couldn't. It was Seth who let me know what was really going on.

"This is your divorce, Elena," he said when I called. "We don't want you to feel uncomfortable talking about something or asking for something. Just have dinner with Henry, let Gabby ask all of her questions, and stop worrying about us. You have less than a week until you're officially single, and yes, we're all counting down."

Which was sweet. It really was. The problem I had was that I wanted someone to help me out with all of these final details. I'd heard people talk about getting divorced, and it always sounded like a nightmare. I hadn't done it before, though. Not for myself or even going to support a friend. I had no idea what it was like to be in court!

I was just finishing the tacos when the doorbell rang. Gabby yelled that she had it, and hurried to let Henry in. Ian's father greeted her with a grandfatherly hug, then smiled at me. Slowly, he sniffed the air, taking a long, deep breath.

"That smells so good," he groaned.

"Then head to the table," I told him. "Gabby, help me carry this in?"

"What would you like to drink?" Gabby asked Henry. "Water, wine, I think there's Coke, milk, and um..."

"Coke," he decided. "Thanks, Gabby."

She headed to the cabinet to get glasses for all of us, but she didn't ask what I wanted. Instead, we all got Coke, but I was fine with that. Then, I gestured for Henry to fill his plate first. When he had plenty, Gabby and I both dug in, making our plates up while he set a stack of papers on the table beside him.

"You mind talking about this while we eat?"

"Not at all," I promised. "I just can't believe it's a week away."

"Kinda feels like it's been forever, though," Gabby said.

Henry chuckled at that. "Not at my age. I feel like you two just moved in. Ok." He paused to take a bite, then wiped his hands and grabbed the first stack. "I've been talking with Gerardo's attorney. Are you certain that you're ok with him retracting his parental rights? Both of you?"

"Yes!" Gabby said, overly emphatic.

I paused to wipe my mouth before I answered. "If she decides to have a relationship with him later, this wouldn't prevent that, right? It only absolves him of any financial responsibility?"

"Exactly," Henry assured me. "With that said, I can't begin to guess what he'll feel about it." He looked over at Gabby. "It's entirely possible that your father may think of this as erasing you from his life. Would you honestly be ok with that?"

"He already has," she said. "That's what none of you get. Dad stopped caring about me a long time ago. He gets mad if I embarrass him, and I heard him telling Jaime that I'm a spoiled brat, and that he wishes he'd never had me."

I closed my eyes in a long blink and cussed that man in my mind. How could a father do that to his child? Sure, maybe he didn't know she'd hear him, but that didn't really make it any better. She was his daughter! She hadn't even been an accident or a