"OK, so let's get started," Jake began.
"First I want to thank everyone for coming," he continued, "and I'm sorry there aren't enough places to sit... but I wanted to meet here, instead of Grimtooth's or Prowlers, 'cause a couple of days ago both packs stood here, together, against Dr. Faust and took our town back. I want everybody to remember that... the together part."
"So, in that spirit, Rory over to you," he concluded.
"Thanks, bro," Rory smiled. "OK, we're starting with 'sorry.' Being under an evil wizard's spell sucks, but it also only forgives so much. So, I want everyone to know, speaking for me and Lou, we're sorry for what we did... and we're both committed to make things right."
"I also want to say, Kiril and Bianca weren't willing to commit to that," Rory added, "and they're out. They're expelled from our pack, and we told them to get out of town. They're not welcome here anymore, so know that too."
"That's good, Rory," Lily said, "and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we appreciate your apology, but you should know, there's been talk about insisting you disband the Wildfangs entirely."
"Yeah, not happening," Jake said firmly. "We need the Wildfangs. See, that's why I wanted us to meet here... to remind us about that 'together' thing. To remind us that it was Demarco and Etta, a Wildfang and a friend of the Collective, who first resisted Faust. It was Demarco and me, Wildfang and Collective, who fought for us all ... and it was all of us, both packs standing together, who drove Faust out.
"You know what else," Jake went on, "it was both packs fighting that gave Faust his chance to begin with. The Collective treated the Wildfangs like Rory's teenage rebellion... and, Rory, you guys acted the part at every turn. Faust played on that feud. Without it, he wouldn't have almost won... and he did. He would have won if We... Hadn't... Stood... Together.
"Guys, Faust is still out there. We drove him off, but he's not going to stop. He's after the old magic in the Moonwood, and he's not going to give up. Rory kicked Kiril and Bianca out, but they haven't just disappeared, either. We'll be hearing from them again. Count on it.
"And they're not alone. There are a lot of dangers out there... and we can't hide from the world anymore."
"Things are going to change now. I know, every werewolf here knows, change is scary and painful."
They all chuckled.
"But we also know that change makes us stronger. We also know a little something about balancing the conflicting parts of our nature... human and wolf, Collective and Wildfang, werewolf and normal... Yeah, that's why I asked Mrs. McGee and Kurt to this meeting. We need everyone... because we are stronger together.
"So, I didn't just ask you all here to listen to me talk. We need to figure out how this is going to work."
"Jake's right," Lily said after a moment. "He's right. And, Rory, I'm sorry. I had a part in this, and I will do my best to work with you, all of you, to make things better. But first, I have a question - Where are the heroines of the hour? Where are Etta and Demarco?"
"I said we can't hide from the world anymore," Jake said. "Well, that means we can't always wait for trouble to come to us. Sometimes, we have to go out there and deal with it..."
-------------------
"I'm not ready to deal with this," Etta said.
Warm spring sunlight didn't fit her memories of Forgotten Hollow. It should, at least, be cloudy, she thought. It should be autumn. Maybe she'd be ready by autumn.
"I just... I'm not ready," she continued lamely.
"You can do this," Demarco said reassuringly.
"What if it doesn't work?" Etta demanded. "What if I screw it up? What if..."
"You stood up to your dad, face to face... and we won," Demarco said. "You can do this."
"I knew you'd have my back," Etta replied.
"I've got your back now, too," Demarco smiled. "You said you'd been working on that the spell you used to free me for a while..."
"It's not really a spell, you know," Etta said. "Technically..."
"Oh no, all that magic theory gives me a headache," Demarco laughed. "You said you didn't design that spell, or whatever, for me... but it worked. You can do this."
"Thanks," Etta sighed.
"Come here," Demarco pulled her into a hug. "You can do this. I believe in you."
The incantation came easily now. There were no Words of Power, but the rhythm of the incantation, the cadence of it, carried the echo of a Word. Even here, at the center of Father's Dark Power, she felt strangely calm. She could actually feel the energies of wind and water gathering in her hands.
Father had taught her that the heart of any magic was intent and will. She'd come to realize he'd been wrong.
The heart of magic was emotion and connection.
Etta focused on hers.
"Come back to me," she whispered.
"Come back to me, mom."
"Claudette?"
