Jasmine nodded slowly, inspired by Qadir’s words. How had she thought he was the enemy? How had they drifted so far apart when they were so similar in nature?

  “That’s beautiful,” Jasmine stated.

  “It’s the truth,” Qadir insisted. “The only truth.”

  Just then, Ivan appeared at their table with two glasses of whiskey. Qadir and Jasmine exchanged a smirk remembering Qadir’s first drink. They raised their glasses. “To the fallen.”

  “The fallen,” Jasmine repeated.

  They drank their drinks in one draft. Qadir’s face soured at the fiery aftertaste. Jasmine studied Qadir closely. “What comes next? The circle…they’re not going to let this go.”

  Qadir nodded. “I continue my search for your father.”

  Jasmine was taken aback. “Still? After everything that’s happened?”

  “Gives me more reason,” Qadir pressed. She saw the conviction already set in his eyes. “I may not have a clear line for your father, but my search does not end. He is the answer to the questions I seek. I’m sure of it. All of this, all this pain, we can prevent further chaos. It starts and ends with him.”

  He looked at Jasmine as if expecting her to be emboldened by his passion. After all, he was her father. Surely she would be motivated to go with him and hunt him down, too?

  It was Jasmine’s turn to look at her lap. “I wish you luck on your quest.”

  Qadir smiled warmly. “I understand.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to,” Jasmine explained. “It’s…it’s more that… How to explain it?” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve been through a lot over these last few months, and I feel like I’m finally getting to the point where I can accept this new reality.”

  She looked down at herself. “Whatever I am, whatever concoction of beings I belong to, the largest part of me is wolf. Just being around the pack has made me realize how much I’ve missed out on not having a family who understands. Delilah and Kendrick and the others… They’re where my future is. It’s time I accepted who I am and settled into life with the Ghost Throats. They have the answers I seek. There’s little good that can come from chasing my father.”

  She caught Ivan looking at her from across the bar, a frown on his face.

  “Don’t worry,” she called over. “I’m staying here, too. I may be integrating with the pack, but you bet your ass that I’m making my bed here.”

  Ivan smiled, and Jasmine returned the grin.

  Qadir rose from his chair. “I wish you the best of luck.”

  “Right back at you,” Jasmine agreed.

  For a long moment, they stood there, a thousand words unsaid between them. Jasmine wondered what they might be in a different life if the circumstances had been different. Would they be best friends? Would they be lovers? It would be untrue to say that she didn’t feel a kinship with Qadir deep in her bones. It didn’t matter if the main unifying factor that connected them was Jasmine’s father—a father she was learning each day that she barely knew.

  Qadir extended his hand to Jasmine. Jasmine laughed as she batted it aside and embraced him tightly instead. Qadir hesitated, then embraced Jasmine, the pair holding themselves awhile in the hug.

  When Jasmine let go, she did her best to hide the tears from her eyes. She had said goodbye to so many people in her life. It seemed a shame to say goodbye to another, even if their paths would cross again later.

  “Look after yourself,” Jasmine told him.

  Qadir told her that he would, then headed out the door. He lingered only a fraction of a moment before he disappeared into the night, walking onto the same street where she had first found him in trouble with the Crim junkies.

  Jasmine stared at the door long after it had closed behind Qadir. Ivan knocked her out of her stupor by placing a double measure of whiskey on the table beside her.

  “You make new home with pack?” Ivan asked.

  She nodded and looked down into his intelligent eyes, smiling. “Don’t worry, Ivan. This place needs me. The people here need me. Hell, even you need me.”

  Ivan raised an eyebrow, a tiny flicker of a smile beneath his mustache.

  Jasmine placed a gentle hand on Ivan’s shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about me, Ivan. No matter what happens, I’m not going anywhere.”

  MICHAEL’S AUTHOR NOTES

  AUGUST 9, 2022

  Thank you for not only reading this story with these author notes as well.

  Don't you love it when you meet family later in life?

  I have fond memories of one of my grandmothers.

  My grandmother on my mom's side was and still is an enigma to me. She grew up in Texas during vastly different financial times on a small farm. I understand that her family was probably only slightly better off than sharecroppers.

  Further, she decided to marry a man who was happy farming and ranching for his family and didn't fancy anything to do with big towns.

  I got hints that my grandmother was stifled on the small (maybe eighty-acre) farm and ranch out in the middle of nowhere in Texas when she moved into the city with my mom after my grandfather's death.

  (Going to visit a strip club one afternoon with my mother's boyfriend because she saw a Phil Donahue show was all the justification she needed.)

  The one thing I cherish about her was that she was never hard on us grandkids. She never had a bad or angry attitude, and she took care of us emotionally and physically the best she could.

  I'm not sure I could ask for anything more.

  Thinking back on her and the end of her life, how she was a wild (for a lady her age) woman, I know and should have realized much earlier where my mom's urge to get out and go party came from. It was genetic.

  Definitely came from her mom, not her dad.

  In this story, we bring Jasmine closer to her family and the history and stories behind it.

  It is very rare that, whether for good or bad, one's family doesn't affect each of us.

  Perhaps some of you don't know your family and have wondered about it your whole life, while others know their family and wish only to forget them.

  As I come to the last quarter of my life, or perhaps the last third—I hope—I recognize how having a different family would have made me different from who I am today.

  In case these words continue down to the decades and into the future or even a century or two, just know that I am blessed to have the family I have.

  I regret nothing with my family, even the times I cried myself to sleep as a kid. Going through it wasn't much fun at the time, but I came out pretty damned good in the end.

  May those of my family who have passed on rest in peace. For those of my family who are still alive, I hope you have a full and enjoyable life ahead of you!

  Talk to you in the next book!

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle

  MORE STORIES with Michael newsletter HERE:

  https://michael.beehiiv.com/

  DARK ATTITUDES

  THE VICTORIOUS REDEMPTION BOOK FOUR

  CHAPTER ONE

  Jasmine raised her champagne bottle toward Eddy and gave a slurred toast. “To the happy couple!”

  “To the happy couple!” Eddy laughed before throwing his head back to gulp from his own bottle. Foam gathered up the neck and dribbled down the side of his face. He drew back, trying to stop the champagne from spilling on his designer suit, but it was too late. The white of his shirt grew see-through, revealing his pale skin beneath. “Fuck.”

  Jasmine choked on her own drink and pressed a hand to her mouth to stop herself from following suit and ruining her silk dress. She had to admit that she looked incredible in her slim teal gown that draped her slender frame down to her heels. One strap supported the dress, leaving the other shoulder bare and milky white. She felt dizzy and light-headed, although she knew the effect might just be in her head since the full moon was still a week away. The lightness in the air was contagious, and even Ivan was floating light-footed around the Nest.

  Eddy dabbed at himself with napkins, then surrendered to his condition. “It’s okay. Can always buy another one.”

  “How wasteful,” Jasmine quipped with mischief in her eyes. She rested an elbow on the bar and sighed. “It really was a beautiful ceremony.”

  Eddy chuckled. “You’re not wrong there.” His eyes clouded over, more affected by the drink than Jasmine was. For Jasmine, the bubbling fizz of the champagne added texture, but as always, she tasted nothing.

  Their heads were filled with memories of the strange and lovely event they had just witnessed. Jasmine never thought she’d see a werewolf wedding, let alone a wedding among her own pack. The weather had been bright and giving, without a cloud in the sky. Out in the open air, under an arch of glorious flowers, Del and Kendrick had recited their vows and pledged to spend the remainder of their extended lives together.

  The ceremony had been beautiful. The crowd had been packed in tight, with people from all over the city in attendance, all with watery eyes as the pair publicly declared their love and made their promises. After that, at the reception, champagne ran freely and the dance floor overflowed with bodies. The air had been hot with sweat, and family and friends danced long into the night. Jasmine hadn’t had so much fun in some time.

  “How many people do you think knew they were at a werewolf wedding?” Eddy struggled to focus on Jasmine.

  “A fair few,” Jasmine replied. “At least all of the pack that was there knew. Most of the family members.”

  “What about their work colleagues?” Eddy asked with a smirk on his face.

  Jasmine had wondered the same. In the year since they had whispered their final goodbyes to Deshawne and plunged him to the bottom of a lake, the pack, Jasmine, and her friends had truly integrated themselves into the city.

  At first, Jasmine hadn’t known how much wealth Deshawne held. After Eli had shifted into Deshawne two-point-oh and adopted the life of an undercover philanthropist, there seemed no end to the riches. His plan had been to distribute the wealth of the maniac, which should have been easy. Eli donated large swathes to charity, distributed cash to places affected by Deshawne’s lies and deception—the Meat Shack had received a generous donation that allowed them to rebuild, repair, and improve their riverside offerings—and ensured plenty of cashflow would support the Nest, the Ghost Throats, the Dark Walkers, and anyone else impacted by Deshawne’s misdeeds.

  Delilah had received a special grant from Mr. Pierce that allowed her to set up a portion of the National Park as a “large botanical reserve of special interest” under a local jurisdiction, doubling the protected area in which the Ghost Throats resided and allowing Delilah to increase her income as keeper of the grounds.

  Kendrick was provided financial support for his construction company, which would allow an expansion of future developments and a larger staff to run the company in his absences while he worked with Delilah to keep the Ghost Throats in line and to coordinate the multiple expansions taking place in the city.

  Eddy received a substantial sum to establish a foundation for economic growth and advancement in the underserved areas of the community. With this cash injection, Eddy’s first act was to buy out the blocks surrounding the Nest in order to invest in local immigrant interests. During this time, Eddy discovered that much of the space around the Nest was either empty or dilapidated, with few residents making their homes nearby. With Kendrick’s assistance, it was soon developed into an area that housed those truly in need of help and had also allowed for a modest expansion of the Nest into the surrounding unused space. The Nest had remained mostly unchanged, but Jasmine, Eddy, and Ivan had filled the additional rooms with stock, supplies, and Jasmine’s ever-expanding collection of garments for every occasion.

  By the time Deshawne’s “death” graced the headlines, everything was set and in place according to plan. The city had benefited greatly, those who had been wronged had been put right, and things had never been better for Jasmine and company.

  Jasmine pulled herself from her reverie and answered Eddy’s question. “Their colleagues? I doubt Kendrick or Delilah have told them of their true natures. Probably doesn’t sow trust in your human employees to tell them that you frequent the hilltops in your birthday suit and morph into a wolf on command.”

  Eddy laughed. “I suppose not. Still, one heck of a party.”

  Jasmine agreed. “It’s the most fun I’ve had in ages.”

  Eddy nodded thoughtfully and turned his gaze to the locked front door. “Things have been a bit quiet lately, haven’t they?”

  Jasmine stared into the opening of her bottle. “I suppose that’s the result of hard work well done. Means that there’s nothing to do. That’s the way we want it, isn’t it?” She looked uncertainly at Eddy.

  Eddy met Jasmine’s eyes, sadness replacing the mirth that had just been there.

  Jasmine changed the subject. “On the bright side, if you think the main wedding was good, wait until you come to the pack’s celebration.”

  Eddy looked intrigued.

  “At least, I’ve heard whispers of another celebration,” Jasmine went on. “I don’t know how wolves celebrate the union of two lovers, but I can imagine it’ll be a damn sight different from your traditional ceremony. All that talk about the eyes of God and ‘til death do us part,’ and all of that shit should be nothing compared to the true celebrations of wolves.”

  Eddy nodded. “I’m glad I had a bit of a buzz before the ceremony kicked off. I could’ve fallen asleep at that bit.”

  Jasmine smirked, remembering Eddy’s attempts at whispering during the ceremony. He’d been drunk enough already to not realize how loud he was speaking until he was shushed by a young couple in front who’d grown increasingly perturbed at Eddy’s interruptions.

  “Clearly.” Jasmine looked down at the bar and saw a tall glass of vodka swimming with pepper flakes. When had Ivan placed this in front of her? “I almost thought I’d have to hold you back from standing up when they asked if anyone objected.”

  “Even I know that would be a dumb move,” Eddy assured her. “To interrupt a hell-hide wedding? No thanks. I value my life more than that.” His head lolled back on his neck as his eyelids grew heavy. He chuckled darkly to himself.

  “What’s so funny?” Jasmine asked.

  “A werewolf wedding,” Eddy explained.

  “You’ve just been to one.” Jasmine sipped her vodka.

  “Not that one,” Eddy replied. “The one on the hill. I can’t help but imagine it. A bunch of fluff-balls rollicking around and licking each other’s private parts.”

  Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “It’s not like that.”

  Eddy continued, undeterred. “I had a dog once. Benji. Used to love licking his own dangly bits. Couldn’t get enough of other dogs’ assholes. Went to a dog park a few times, all those randy buggers gathering around the bitches and falling into a fluffy little orgy—”

  “Eddy…” Jasmine warned, not appreciating where this was going.

  “Mr. Vorhees, if you please.” Eddy hiccuped. “Hey, that rhymed!” Eddy preferred to be known as Mr. Vorhees these days, which Jasmine refused, no matter how big his boots grew.

  Jasmine placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing his fuzzy gaze to her. She wrestled the bottle away from him. “You’ve had enough.”

  “Bullshit,” Eddy argued, trying pointlessly to wrestle it back.

  Jasmine spoke calmly and levelly. “You’re suggesting to a woman who could slice your head off your shoulders that her family are a bunch of degenerate dogs who would rather fuck each other on a hilltop than celebrate the love of their kin with civility. You’ve had enough.”

  Eddy considered this and relinquished the bottle. “I suppose you’re right.” He sighed.

  “What is it?” Jasmine asked.

  “I’m just…” He blew air between his lips. “I’m so bored, Jasmine. Nothing is the same anymore, you know? There’s no excitement. No novelty. No problems. Deshawne’s billions paid to fix all our problems. Even this neighborhood is better than it used to be. Those who want trouble avoid the Nest. Your notoriety has spread. The people are happy and looked after. There’s nothing else to do.”

  “Some would consider that a blessing,” Jasmine replied.

  Eddy sensed her insincerity. “You don’t.”

  “No.” Jasmine exhaled slowly. “You’re right. I’m bored, too. I used to look forward to taking my perch and clearing out the riffraff, but everything is amicable. It’s peaceful. It’s easy.”

  Eddy grew solemn once more. “The last year has been a whirlwind. It all happened so fast, so intensely. We climbed so high in such a short period of time, you know? Now I…I just don't know what's left to do except fall, I guess.”

  Ivan popped up on the other side of the bar with narrowed eyes. His thick silver mustache hid his upper lip as he reminded them, “Alexander wept, for he had no more worlds to conquer.”

  Jasmine offered a warm smile. “Is that from some Russian novelist? Dostoevsky? Tolstoy?”

  Ivan shook his head. “Nyet. Die Hard.”

  Jasmine had to hold back her laugh.

  Eddy cocked his head. “Isn't that one of those old guy movies?” he finally asked.

  Ivan frowned, something akin to shock glinting in his dark eyes. “Die Hard is masterpiece. Gave world Bruce Willis. Greatest Christmas movie in all cinema history.”

  Jasmine teased the bartender, “But it's not a Christmas film, Ivan. What are you talking about?”