You Gotta let Them Grow Up Sooner Or Later.

“IPod loaded with the sound track play list?”

“Check.”

“Walkies?”

“Check.”

“Code book and all-weather graphite pencil for new words?”

“All pencils are graphite.”

“Do you have it or not?”

“Check.”

“County topographical map?”

“Check.”

“Flash lights?”

“Loki, we don’t need no flash lights; it’s daylight out.”

“Aaaaaand if we are still mammoth hunting when it gets dark?”

“Mom’s gonna kill us.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Marissa said, rubbing that spot on her forehead right between her eyes, the one that always managed to magically start throbbing every time her delightful sons got into one of their mischief moods.

“Dude! I thought you were going to cast a hear-me-not!” Loki hissed in a dramatic stage whisper that was every bit as loud as his regular speaking voice.

“Yer my twin, not my boss,” Thor responded in his normal speaking voice, knowing full well that overly dramatic whispering was not effective. “Besides, it’s not like it was going to take until sundown before she noticed we were gone.” Yep, that was Thor, my big, blond, very practical son.  Loki may be the more cunning of the two, but Thor tended to think in practicalities where as his smaller dark haired brother preferred not to let reality interfere with possibilities.

“So? Ever hear that phrase, it’s easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission?”

“Whoever said that didn’t have our mom keeping an eye on them.”

“Nice flattery, buddy, but I notice you are still planning to try sneaking out,” Marissa said.

“Nope,” he said.

“Nope?” Marissa asked, her voice dripping with disbelief.

“Dad and Moon-Moon are getting ready to leave to take up sentry duty on the outskirts of town for Uncle Nick. We were planning to beg to go along,” Loki said, glaring balefully at his brother.

“It’s going to be our first real hunt with the pack,” Thor said, a dopy grin splitting his eager young face.

“Hunt? You guys are eight years old. You are too young to go out hunting for rogue mutants.”

Hunt?” Mooney said as he walked into the kitchen. He looked at his scowling older son, grinning younger son, and then at his stony faced mate.

“Your sons have decided to get everything together so when you told them they couldn’t join this hunt because you had to go ‘right now,’ they would be able to tell you that they were ready to go.”

Mooney looked into Marissa’s stormy eyes and shrugged uncomfortably. “It’s not abad idea, really.”

“They are only eight years old! They are practically babies!”

“They are also wolf pups, babe. They have to learn to hunt with the pack sometime. And this is a good hunt for them to join. It’s not just going to be McMahon Pack out there. The Wilks are going to be out there, all of Dante’s motley pack is already out there. The Fliddermouses are watching the sky. Heck, even the Turkles have gotten in on it. There will be lots of eyes to keep them out of trouble.”

Marissa turned her back, not wanting to look at him until she got her emotions under control. This wasn’t the witch’s way. Apprentice witches were strictly kept out of any fight until after their thirteenth birthday. But like he said, Loki and Thor weren’t witches. They weren’t even her kids, biologically speaking, but that didn’t matter to her. Their birth mother had given them to her and now they were hers, dammit!

“I’m sorry, Rissie. I know you don’t like it but it is what it is. You married into a Pack. Wolves hunt and when our home is threatened, we rally to defend it. Besides, it’s not like we’re on the front line. Me and Moon-Moon are on sentry duty, not front line duty. Dante’s guys are taking care of that on account of the fact he’s got more combat trained fighters. Look, just listen in on the CB band, ok? I see that the boys have their walkies. I’ll take Loki with me. Moon-Moon will take Thor with him. We’ll have the boys do a running commentary on what’s going on. You’ll be able to monitor everything.”

Marissa swallowed hard a couple times before realizing she wasn’t going to be able to speak past the frog in her throat. She nodded once instead and listened as her guys quickly shuffled out the door, loaded for mammoth. Crap, this letting your kids grow up stuff sucked.