Page 106 of The Howl
I left my room and knocked on Mom’s door. I couldn’t cast her out without saying goodbye. However, there was no answer. Easing it open, I glanced at the bodies that lay in sprawled tangles on the bed and floor.
“Mom?” I called softly.
One of the men lifted his head.
“Tell her I need her,” he said tiredly. “I ache for her. I need to please her and hear her sweet cries of pleasure.”
I looked at him with pity.
“I’ll tell her,” I said. “Go back to sleep so you’re ready for her when she returns.”
He nodded and rested his head back on the woman’s thigh.
Leaving them, I went downstairs and found Mom sipping coffee in the dining room. She gave me a small smile as I joined her at the table.
“I thought I might need to corner you this morning to get you to talk to me after yesterday.”
“No. I think I’ve been cornered enough, don’t you?”
“You came home pretty late last night. Did you do anything interesting?”
“I hung out with some friends. You know, healthy socializing.”
“That’s great, darling. You look a bit more energized this morning. Did you feed while you were out?”
The memory of last night’s dream rose to mind. I’d gorged on cakes in the woods again. I highly doubted that Mom would count that as feeding, though.
“Speaking of feeding,” I said without answering her, “one of your humans is aching for you. He could barely keep his eyes open as he begged me to find you and ask you to return to him.”
“Don’t worry. I told Anwen they were almost used up. She’ll find me some replacements today. This batch will be mind-wiped and returned to their lives.”
My stomach turned at the thought. They’d go back to their lives but always feel like something was missing. They’d crave what they couldn’t even remember. I didn’t see how that was any better than what she’d done to my dad.
“I love you, Mom. I just wanted you to know that,” I said, standing.
“I love you too, baby. Everything I’m doing is because of just how much I love you. Do you want something to eat before you go?”
She slid a plate I hadn’t noticed toward me. I glanced at the large slice of triple chocolate cake and shook my head.
“Thanks, but I’m not really hungry. I better get going. I want to get to school early.”
I went to the kitchen and made myself a quick sandwich for later then headed out the door.
The pool was quiet when I entered the room and started across the tile. The humidity reminded me of the hot springs. Leaving the caves hadn’t been as fun as going to them. With wet hair and damp skin, it had been a trial to redress in the cold. My teeth had been chattering by the time I’d gotten my jeans up. Fenris had to help me with the button, but he hadn’t lingered or commented about my glowing line. I’d seen his amusement, though.
He and Jenna had both offered to carry me back. But not trusting myself, I’d walked on my own. Overall, it’d been fun. And relaxing. It was definitely something I wouldn’t mind trying again. Alone.
Drawing close to the bathroom door, all my tension returned. Doubt and fear pulled at me. Was I doing the right thing? I thought of the man in my mom’s room. If I didn’t stand up for what I wanted, how long would it be until I had an exhausted group of people in my bed?
The druids looked up from their places on the floor when I entered. Ashlyn, who stood near the side, slightly hidden by the paper towel dispenser, waved at me.
“Perfect timing,” the leader said. “We just finished setting everything up.”
They’d drawn a circle of runes on the floor. I recognized a few of the gods’ symbols but nothing else. Just outside the runes, there were several bowls that held different objects. One looked like a bowl full of ash. I hoped it wasn’t human remains.
“What do you need me to do?” I asked.
“You and the human should stand off to the side.”
