Page 2 of Bunny Be Mine
“I know. I’m sorry about that.” I shrugged. I had nothing else to offer. University had sucked me in, keeping me busy. So did writing. “It’s just I had a lot of stuff going on.”
“I know, dear.” Mom laid her delicate hand on my shoulder. “You are doing so well in the city.”
“I’m trying hard to make a life out there. Maybe convince you to come stay with me there.” I took in the small cabin in need of repairs, making a mental note to help my father replace the broken wooden planks on the porch. “It’s hard coming back here after being in the city. Things are so much bigger there. I feel like I fit in there.”
“Your dad and I know that. That’s why we usually come to visit you instead.” Mom offered me a small smile. “Why don’t you call up Marcus and catch up with your old friends while you’re out here?”
“Maybe. I haven’t seen them since I left. I tried to keep in touch, but life got in the way. And they usually only wanted to talk about the same old things.” I sighed, not certain if I really wanted to contact Marcus at all. “I needed a change, but they seemed to stay the same.”
“Well, if you go out with them tonight, you can see how the pack has changed since you’ve been gone.” That was awfully cryptic, yet my mom didn’t say more.
“Changed? How has it changed?” A lot of the outward appearance seemed the same, but I had a feeling my mom was speaking about something else and that made me anxious.
“Things just aren’t the same within the pack.” My mom shook her head and grabbed one of the bags I had brought with me, leading me into the house. “Ever since the old alpha passed and his son is trying to take over the pack, things have just been different.”
An uneasy feeling flooded my body, my wolf sensing that there was some kind of meaning hidden in my mom’s words. I’d kill anyone if they dared harm my parents. “Are they mistreating you?”
Mom shook her head and laid a hand gently on my arm. “No, it’s not that. There is just a weird feeling in the pack. The older members remember things being a lot better. Now that the younger kids are trying to take over, they have different ideas than we’re used to.”
“No one is hurting you, though, right? It’s just the way things feel that’s bothering you?” I know it wouldn’t be my place, but I’d do what I could to convince my parents to leave this place and move closer to me if that were the case.
“There’s no physical or verbal abuse against us or anyone we know personally, no.” Mom opened the door and I followed her into the house. Memories flitted through my mind as I stepped over the threshold. “It just doesn’t feel like we belong here any longer. I don’t know, perhaps your father and I will be leaving the pack soon.”
“Leaving the pack?” I sat down at the kitchen table as my mother began to prepare us some tea. “Where would you go? You want to join me in the city?” Maybe it would be easier to convince them to leave than I thought.
“I don’t know.” My mom turned on the kettle and got the tea bags ready. “Do you have room for us in Chicago?”
“You know I’ll always have room for you.” And if I had to, I would.
“I know.” Mom came to the table, leaning down to place a kiss on my forehead like she always did. “Don’t worry about that right now. We can discuss it later. Maybe we are just afraid of change.”
“Maybe.” I took a cookie from the jar in the middle of the table. “I think I will call Marcus and meet up with some of the pack while I’m out here. I can see if I sense any trouble brewing.”
“That would be great, Fen. Just be careful.”
“I will, Mom.”
My father, Daniel, walked through the door just as the tea kettle sounded. “Oh, good. I was just thinking that a cup of tea would hit the spot. And look, our son has finally decided to visit. Everything okay, Fen?”
“Oh, yeah. Everything is fine.” I stood and hugged my father. “I just thought I’d come by for the weekend and make sure everything’s good with you both.”
“Well, everything is great here, but I’m glad that you came.” A coughing fit took over my father.
It was strange to see my dad sick. I hadn’t ever seen my dad ill a day in my life but now, he was hacking into a handkerchief and sounding like a crying seal. “Dad, have you seen the healer? Or one of the doctors in town? Shifters don’t tend to get sick. We need to find out what’s wrong.” Worry bubbled up inside me; something wasn’t right.
“It’s just a cough, Fen.” Dad put away the handkerchief once the episode was over and joined me at the kitchen table. “I did get checked out and no one has any idea why I have this cough, but all my lab work and tests came back normal. I am trying a remedy from the healer since the human doctors also didn’t have any idea what was afflicting me.”
“You need to come to the city.” I reached out and grabbed his hand. “They are the best in the country at the hospital near campus. The pack there ensures they only get the top in the field to work there. Please promise if the remedy doesn’t work, you will come visit me on campus and get it checked out.”
“I promise.” Dad squeezed my hand before letting go and taking the cup of tea my mom had placed before him. “Now, tell me more about what’s going on with you.”
As I spoke with my parents, I let my eyes roam around the kitchen, and memories assaulted me once more. Only good ones.
My mom bandaged my arm after I’d fallen out of the tree.
My dad taught me how to play catch in the yard.
Family dinners, Sunday morning breakfast, and then watching cartoons.
