The Morgan Lore - 3. Chapter 3

The Council running the Town

When they got home, Rory helped Chris out of the pickup truck, Chris’s arm over his shoulder. They started for the front door. They had just gone up the steps when the first car arrived, parking behind their father’s black Ford pickup truck. Rory helped Chris sit on the first step when a second and third car appeared.

“The Council,” Chris murmured. “Guess word about Dr. Ilaria is out.”

“You have to admit it’s pretty weird for her to have moved in to town without anyone knowing.”

“Someone knew,” Chris said, his gaze narrowed as he watched the town’s council members walk up to their father and greet him. “Dad must have called them when we were in the hospital.”

Rory got to his feet, helping Chris up. They entered their family home and headed to the living room. Rory settled Chris on a comfortable blue couch just as council members filed in.

“Rory.”

The Ashland University’s Chancellor greeted, moving to sit in the armchair closest to Chris.

“Mr. Lechter,” Chris greeted the Chancellor with a nod.

Ashland High School’s Principal, Rick Raine, tossed Rory’s hair making him duck.

“Chris, if it weren’t for you getting hurt, this wouldn’t have come to our attention.”

“Principal Rick,” Rory said.

“You’ve shot up during the holidays, Rory. What is your father feeding you?”

“Too much meat is what,” Chris said with a short laugh. “I think we are the only people that barbecue every day.”

“Is that a complaint?” Connor asked, coming into the room followed by two women.

“Nope,” Chris said, bending over his injured thigh with avid interest.

Rory bit his lip to hold back a laugh. Their food options were an everyday argument between Connor and Chris. Chris wanted real meals, while Connor wondered what was wrong with beef, pork, or even chicken cooked over an open fire.

“Rory, how are you?”

Rory looked up to find one of the women smiling at him.

Linda Bennet managed the town’s only grocery store. The perfect cover, Rory thought. The amount of gossip that passed through her store was enough to sink the town. It was a good thing Linda knew how to keep secrets.

“Doing fine, Linda,” Rory said with a shy smile.

“You’re blushing.”

Chris winked at him, and he looked away. It was hard not to. Linda was one beautiful woman. Her curves perfect, her red hair long and wavy. She could put any top model to shame. Her husband tended to be an overprotective bastard, and Rory couldn’t blame him one bit.

Rory perched on a stool his gaze on the last member of the town’s council. Lisbeth Jones. Short, haughty, and the woman who controlled the town's financial interests as Portento’s Mayor.

“Nothing changes in this house, Connor,” Lisbeth said, perching on the second armchair next to Lechter.

Rory did not miss his father’s shrug. Lisbeth whined about the lack of change in the house every time she came to visit. Which was every week. Which made her a nagging crazy woman in love with Connor, who pretended not to see it.

Rory shifted on the stool, getting comfortable.

“So, Dr. Ilaria Takeda,” Connor said, leaning on the back of Lisbeth’s armchair. “Anyone know about her?”

“Nothing at all,” Lechter sighed. “I was shocked when Connor called to ask.”

“Mayor?” Principal Rick prompted, his tone accusing.

Lisbeth shook her head with a frown.

“Any new projects in town?” Connor asked, touching her shoulder.

Lisbeth leaned into the touch.

“We all approved the projects running at the moment last year, including the Biosense deal to expand the hospital.”

“I still don’t approve of having Biosense building an entire facility in our town,” Linda sighed. “They have a chunk of the north forest cordoned off. They don’t allow anyone unauthorized inside. Who knows what they are doing there.”

“The town needed the capital injection,” Lisbeth defended. “Linda, we’ve been over this. We can’t keep fighting progress otherwise we’ll stunt our people.”

Linda gave an impatient sound and waved her hands in frustration.

“I ran Doctor Ilaria’s name through the system on our way back from the hospital,” Connor said. “Ilaria Takeda’s address places her inside the Biosense radius. She could be new staff.”

“This presents a new challenge,” Rick said with a sigh. “We can’t have Biosense bringing in staff without informing us.”

“Their staff is on a revolving schedule, two weeks here, and the rest wherever their other facilities are located. We have not had a problem before. Linda does supply drop-offs for most of them. They live in an isolated bubble of research, it’s hard to get them out of their homes. The ones with kids even send them to boarding school. She knows this is true,” Lisbeth said.

“So, what’s different with Ilaria?” Lechter asked. “She got a job at the hospital, and wants to enroll her son into the local high school.”

“She said she had two,” Rory said. “Two sons.”

“Right, so one might be enrolling into Ashland U,” Lechter said, sitting back with a huff. “How does such a thing happen without the council’s knowledge?”

Silence filled the room, and then Chris tossed a throw pillow into the air.

“One of us is keeping a secret,” Chris said.

Linda shook her head.

“Nonsense. The community is happy. Our families interconnected. We would all know if something was up. Why would anyone make a deal with outsiders?”

“As Lisbeth said, the world is changing out there. There are those who want more than the community offers,” Principal Rick said. “More—

“Then, they are idiots,” Lechter cut in. “They don’t know how vicious it can get outside Portento borders. The hate, the greed that grows when humans learn our kind exists.”

“Lechter,” Linda soothed, standing up to move to his side.

“I’ve lived through it, so I know. We need to find out who is working with the humans fast. Or we’re going to be dealing with the worst,” Lechter said, his lips set in a hard line. “No one can know the truth about Portento. A town of werewolves is too enticing.”

“It is weird that Chris ended up having Dr. Ilaria taking care of him at the hospital,” Rory said. “I mean, this person must have known she was on duty in the emergency room. Question is, how did they know Chris would end up in an accident?”

Connor pushed off the armchair, his gaze on Chris, as he demanded.

“Why were you racing Dolon?”

Chris sat up with a frown.

“You think Dolon is involved? That’s impossible. He is not that smart.”

“Chris, this is serious,” Rory insisted.

“Fine, he found me hanging out with Hank, and Frank at the Green Onion café. Dolon said some stupid shit, and I lost my head and challenged him.”

“What stupid shit?” Linda asked.

“I don’t want to say it here.”

“What was your argument about?” Connor insisted.

Chris closed his eyes, and then dropped his head back on the couch.

“It was about Rory, okay. Dolon is a fucking homophobe. I put him in his place.”

Rory stared at his brother in shock. Did that mean that every time Chris had fought Dolon it was about him?

“Chris.”

“Don’t start, Rory.”

Chris lifted his head to scowl at him.

“Thanks,” Rory said with a small smile.

“Gosh, you two are so cute,” Linda giggled.

“I wonder if someone egged Dolon into pushing Chris into a fight,” Principal Rick said. “Anyone who knows the Morgan brothers will understand what works if you want to push them to the limit. No offense Chris, Rory. You two have a short fuse.”

Rory wasn’t going to argue there. He didn’t care if anyone called him a fag to his face, but touch Chris, and that was the end of the line. Dolon now had to deal with him when he got out of hospital. The crash with Chris had broken Dolon’s femur. Too bad for him, because he was going back in for broken ribs and a cracked skull once Rory was done with him.

“What do we do now?” Linda asked.

“Find out more about Dr. Ilaria,” Lisbeth said. “Connor, that’s your mandate as Alpha. The Council will leave you to it. Meanwhile, I’ll reach out to my contacts at Biosense and ask about their new staff.”

“What about this Dr. Ilaria’s kids joining school?” Linda asked.

“Let them,” Principal Rick smiled. “It’s the best way to keep a close eye on them. Rory can help me with that, and as for Ashland University, maybe Chris can do it?”

“Come on, I was going to take a gap year,” Chris complained.

“You need to be part of the student body to move around the university grounds without suspicion,” Lechter said. “That means enrolling into actual courses. It won’t hurt you.”

“Whatever.” Chris sighed, knowing the decision was made.

“Well, looks like we’re in for an interesting new year,” Linda said, with a sudden grin. “The town’s been quiet anyway. Dr. Ilaria might swing by the grocery store for supplies. I’ll make friends with her. Maybe invite her to the new year’s bonfire.”

“No way,” Rory protested. “What if they see something they shouldn’t? You know how everyone gets when they are excited and intoxicated.”

“Rory is right,” Connor said.

“Fine, we can do a luncheon thing, at the town hall,” Linda said. “I mean, it’s good for everyone to know that we have humans living among us. Just in case—you know, someone pounces on them by mistake.”

Chris chuckled, gaining a smack on his head from Principal Rick.

“Sounds good. I’ll leave you to plan it, Linda,” Connor said. “Let’s keep in touch, and if anyone discovers more, call the rest of us.”

“Yes Alpha,” they all answered.

“Great, well, we have chicken in the freezer.” Connor nodded to the corridor leading to the kitchen. “It’s almost lunch, and the rest of the family is on the way in from work, or college for Matt and Topher. We can have a lunch barbecue.”

Chris groaned, and rolled around on the couch.

Linda stood, and stretched her arms above her head.

“I’ll make lasagna, Chris. Wouldn’t want you to lose your head over the constant barbecues.”

Chris perked up, and got up from the couch, his leg clearly feeling better, when he hurried after Linda.

Rory remained sitting on the stool as the rest of the council followed Chris and Linda to the kitchen.

Connor swept fingers through his hair and sat on the closest armchair.

“You have a job to do,” Connor broke the silence.

Rory sat up on the stool, and nodded.

“Yes, Sir.”

“We need as much information as we can get. Dr. Ilaria seemed harmless in the hospital, but we can’t be sure. Don’t take chances.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Take Topher and Matt with you.”

Rory thought about the scent of mandarin oranges lingering on Dr. Ilaria. The memory of it filled his thoughts, making him want to find it, and take a deeper whiff. There was something so enticing about that scent—

“Rory?”

“Yeah,” he shook his head, and met his father’s gaze.

“We need to be careful with this. Lechter is always on edge when humans are involved. If we don’t handle this right, lives could be lost, placing our way of life on the line. I don’t want trouble descending on us.”

“I understand, Dad.”

“Good, soon as Topher and Matt come back, after lunch you guys set off.”

Rory watched his father leave the living room, heading to the kitchen. He let out a long sigh. There was always something going on it seemed.

***