Chapter 8 Sparky...Meet My Mother
A woman's voice cut through the damp morning air. It was a woman's voice, but it wasn't shrill. It was deep, booming, and terrified.
"Fennigan James Blackwood!"
The shout seemed to rattle the window panes.
"You better be bleeding, or dead!" the voice bellowed. "Because if you are not, I am grounding you until you are fifty!"
Fennigan winced. "That would be my mother."
"She sounds...upset," Leela whispered.
"She's terrifying," Fennigan corrected. "Stay behind me."
He unlocked the door and pulled it open, he planted his broad frame squarely in the doorway, shielding Leela from their view.
The parking lot had been invaded. Three bulky black SUVs were idling in a semi circle outside of the room.
Standing by the hood of the lead vehicle was a tall woman with coal black hair with steel gray scattered through out. She had on a coat that flared at the bottom like a cape. She looked ready to butn the motel to the ground if she didn't get answers.
Leaning against the fender of the second SUV was a young man that looked like a carbon copy of Fennigan. Except he seemed leaner and he had a smirk that looked like it had been permanently etched into his face.
"Mom," the other Fennigan shouted, crossing his arms. "I told you he was out chasing tail."
He gestured vaguely toward the motel room door. "Literally."
Fennigan sighed, his shoulders slumping. He looked at his brother, then at his terrified mother who was vibrating with rage and relief. He stepped forward, but he kept one hand on the doorframe ensuring his body was still a barrier between them and Leela.
"Hello, Jax. Hello, Mom." Fennigan said, his voice dropping to that deep, serious runble that demanded attention. "Please stop shouting, you're scaring the tourists."
He glanced back at Leela, the faced his family with a look of absolute finality.
"You're also scaring my mate."
The silence that followed was infinte and absolute.
Jax's smirk fell off his face. He stood up straight, his eyes widening.
Elana, who was ready to storm the walkway, froze mid-step. Her mouth snapped shut. The anger vanished from her face, replaced with a look of sharp predatory assessment. Her gaze instantly went from Fennigan to the shadow standing behind him.
"Mate?" she whispered, the word carrying more weight than the SUV's parked behind her.
Fennigan didn't back down. He reached behind him, found Leela's hand, and pulled her gently to his side, presenting her to the pack.
"Mom. Jax." Fennigan said calmly. "Meet Leela."
Elana didn't just look at Leela; she marched right into her personal space.
The Alpha female stopped inches from Leela's nose. She didn't ask for permission. She leaned in, turning her head slightly, and inhaled deeply near Leela's neck.
Leela froze, her heart hammering so hard against her ribs she thought it was going to break free. She could feel the heat radiating off the woman, a power that felt like a physical weight. She held her head high despite the older woman smelling her.
Elana pulled back, her nose wrinkling slightly.
"Hmph," Elana grunted, crossing her arms over her chest. "She smells like motel soap and hamburger grease."
Jax snickered from where he stood leaning against the SUV. Fennigan shot him a warning glare.
Elana ignored them both. She looked Leela up and down one last time, her eyes narrowing as if she were reading invisible text written on Leela's skin.
"But," Elana added, a small, approving smirk touching her lips. "There's something strong in her. Beneath her fear. I like her."
She clapped her hands together, the sound sharp and commanding.
"Alright, show's over! Load up. We're headed home."
Leela let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She grabbed her duffel bag from the motel doorway and marched straight toward the rusted toyota. She threw her bag into the backseat and reached for the driver's door handle.
"Oh, no," Elana said, stepping in front of her. She pointed a manicured finger at "The Bean". "Absolutely not. I don't think that,,,,thing,,will make it up to the packhouse. The incline alone will probably kill it."
Leela looked from her car to Fennigan's mother. Her grip on the door handle tightened until her knuckles turned white.
" 'The Bean' is the only thing I own," Leela said, her voice shaking but stubborn. "I bought it with my own money. I fixed it with my own money. I can't leave it."
Elana looked at the girl, then at the rust bucket, then back at the girl. She sighed, rubbing her temples as if a headache were forming right behind her eyes.
"Stubborn," Elana muttered. "Just like Fennigan."
She waved a hand dismissively.
"Fine. But Fennigan rides with you." She shot her son a look. "She might need a push or two." She eyed the sagging bumper of the toyota. "Or three. Or four."
She turned and marched toward the lead SUV. "We will meet with your father when we get there. And you,Fennigan James, have a lot of explaining to do."
Fennigan didn't look worried. He looked relieved.
He walked over to the toyota. "Shotgun," he called out jokingly.
Leela climbed into the driver's seat. Fennigan squeezed into the passenger side. It was comical-he was broad-shouldered and tall, and the toyota was a compact car from the nineties. His knees instantly jammed against the dashboard, and he had to hunch to keep his head from brushing the ceiling fabric.
"Cozy," he grunted, buckling the seatbelt.
"It has character," Leela defended, starting the engine, it wheezed then roared to life with a rattle that shook the frame.
The strange little convoy pulled out. The three bulky SUVs took the lead, looking like secret service vehicles. Leela put 'The Bean' in gear and followed.
To everyone's surprise--especially Elana's-- the little car held its own. It rattled and complained, but it kept pace as they left the valley floor and began the steep climb into the mountains.
The scenery changed rapidly. The scraggly pines of the foothills gave way to ancient, towering redwoods. The air became thinner and sharper.
Leela winced, reaching up to rub her ears.
"Ow," she muttered, swallowing hard to try and pop them.
"Altitude?" Fennigan asked, though he was watching her closely.
"I don't know," she said, wincing again as a sharp pressure built behind her eyes. "It hurts. It feels like...like the air is too heavy."
She rubbed her temples. "Is it always this bad up here?"
"I don't think its the altitude," Fennigan said softly.