Overwhelmingly Precious [Werewolves of Hanson Mall 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Cara Adams Page B

money. I’m sure she doesn’t eat enough.”
    Keelan helped Quintana out of the car and tucked her against his side as they walked into the store. “Could you get her food she could share with other people? Would that work?” he asked.
    Quintana frowned and looked thoughtful. It was a long time before she answered. “I guess not. I suppose that’s why she’s only accepted the cell phone from me. She can make calls and texts, take pictures, and check her e-mail, or play games on the Internet, so it amuses her and keeps her in touch with the real world. I’m not sure the pack is completely grounded in the outside world and she lived outside the pack for a while.”
    Keelan picked up her hand and held it. “Yet your mom chose to return to the farm.”
    “Yes she did, and she always says she’s happy there. She has friends and it’s been her family, too, for so many years that it’s home to her.”
    Keelan wanted her to smile and relax, but she needed to keep talking about the farm until whatever was worrying her was out of her system. It was just that he didn’t really know what to say to her to help. So he held her hand, stroking her fingers until their burgers were served. He handed her the soda she’d asked for and teased her, “What, not one of those green things again?”
    “A green lantern is only for special occasions.”
    But she was smiling at them, so he was pleased about that.
    “What we need to do is what Georgia said. Work out how to get them to agree to join in the genealogy project,” said Wynn.
    “That’s dead easy. Offer them money. It’s obvious the Alpha will jump at it,” answered Quintana.
    “But how can you do that? Is there funding for the project? I mean it’s the Hanson pack which pays for your airfare and so on isn’t it?” asked Keelan. It wasn’t something he’d ever discussed with Wynn before. He’d just assumed as a Hanson pack member the pack covered his expenses.
    “It’s a little more complicated than that. There is a budget which pays for things like airfare. When Georgia or I travel to other packs they provide our meals and accommodation and anything else we need. Basically the host pack covers our expenses. But the Supreme gives us a budget for more general expenses like the time I flew to Europe.”
    “Yet this would be the exact opposite. Instead of the pack covering your expenses, the pack would be asking for payment. I don’t know that it’s possible,” said Keelan. He wanted the Simon pack to be involved and he could clearly see they needed help, but he wasn’t at all sure the other packs would contribute to funding for them.
    Keelan stared at Quintana. She was eating her fries thoughtfully, stabbing each one separately and chewing it slowly. She was so lovely. She was everything he wanted and needed but he could tell her old pack was going to come between them unless something could be done to help them move forward in a healthy way. “Can we think of any other way to get them to help us?” he asked.
    For the rest of the meal they talked about the project, but really, it was completely voluntary. It was just that up until now, there’d always been someone willing to help, usually an older person who knew much of the pack’s history.
    “Your mother has that cell phone. Would she be willing to be interviewed, do you think?” asked Wynn.
    Keelan smiled. He hadn’t thought of that as a solution.
    “Maybe. When she’s alone. I think she spends most of her days with the other women, but is alone at night.”
    “Would you ask her for us please? She wouldn’t even need to tell anyone what she was doing. All she has to do is tell us if she knows of other humans and where they fit in the family tree,” said Wynn.
    “Okay.” Quintana put down her fork and took out her cell phone, her fingers flying over the face of it as she texted her mother. The phone beeped almost immediately with the reply.
    “What did she say?” asked Keelan.
    “She says to