A Boy Among Wolves

Chapter 1

Danny

"Hey, so why's your cousin moving here?" Asks Brenden Thomas as he makes the new bed. We've been helping to clear out this room all weekend.

I share a look with Bryce, and he turns to our friend. "I can't tell you. It's not my business."

"Oh, but Danny knows! That's not fair," he groans and messes up the bed.

"Don't be pissy. Danny heard my Mom on the phone the other day. So it's not his fault," He says and gives me a shrug. "Besides, I don't even know the guy. I don't think I've ever met him."

"Fineeeeee," he says and goes back to making the bed.

Bryce's cousin is moving in with him today. I only heard part of his Mom's hushed conversation with his Dad, but the gist is He's not safe with his own Dad.

"It's nice of your Dad to drive all the way to Seattle to get him," I say as we finish the room. It's a basic bedroom that used to be an office for Sheriff Collins.

"Well, the social worker lady couldn't get away that long cause of her caseload," he says with another shrug. "Come on. let's play Madden until he gets here."

I nod and follow my bros down to the living room. I'll go easy on them. Like Bryce said, it's not my fault I'm faster and stronger than them, even if Brenden is like me. I just have to hold back a bit. The joys of being me.

*******

"Ok, boys. Save your game and get ready. They should be here in a few," says Mrs. Collins from the kitchen. She shouts up the stairs for the rest of the kids, "Jack!! Mandy!!! Come down here. Theo and Dad will be here soon."

She's nervous, but I can't tell why. I can smell it on her, though. The Collins family all have the same nervous smell, except the Sheriff, he smells different, and he's rarely nervous.

"Mom. Why do we have to have an honor guard for this kid?" Asks Jack as he hops down the stairs, followed by Mandy. She gives me a smile and then blushes. Still nursing a crush on me.

"Because he's your cousin. He's family, and he's going to be staying with us," she says in a tone that most kids would understand means "drop it."

"Have we even met him before?" Asks Mandy looking at Bryce, who shrugs.

"Yes. You met him at Papa's funeral," she says, shaking her head at them.

Bryce snaps his fingers, "oh, the kid with glasses, you had us take pictures with him."

"Yes...the kid with glasses. Theo. Your cousin," she says with an eye roll. "Danny. Brenden. You're welcome to meet him, but then I'm gonna kick you out right after. He's gonna be overwhelmed as it is moving 4 hours from home."

"I'm sure he's happy to get away," says Bryce and dodges a slap from his Mom. "What? It's true."

"It's his business," I say with a grin at Brenden, who nods.

"He's right," says Mrs. Collins with a smile at us and then glares at her son. He feigns innocence and then shoots us a dirty look.

I hear the car pulling onto the street long before the rest of them, but when they do, it's pandemonium.

Mrs. Collins turns to her kids. "You three be normal, please. Don't fight too much." Then she turns to us. "You two be nice to him at school Monday. He needs some friends."