Page 55 of The Howl
“He can’t help it.”
She smiled.
“You have a good heart, Eliana. It’s one of the many things I love about you. And I want you to know that my love for you will never change. Neither will my promise this morning.”
I struggled to remember what she’d said. So much had happened since breakfast.
“I’m here to support you in any way I can. Which is why I asked Mrs. Quill to help me with a little quick shopping while she was out picking up some people to feed me. I would have waited for you so I could watch you open them, but I was famished. I see you liked the pink one?”
“What? No. Piepen got into the package before I got here.”
She cast a dirty look his direction.
“I told you they were gifts for Eliana. The next time I leave something for her, you will not touch it. Am I understood?”
He squealed and dove under his pillow.
“He understands,” I said, answering for him.
“Good.”
She stood and opened her arms for a hug, which parted her gossamer robe.
“Mom? What are you wearing?”
She looked down at her white, lacey, see-through contraption in confusion.
“It’s a teddy, Eliana.” Her gaze flicked to my closet. Before I could stop her, she went to the door and pulled it open.
Her sounds of disapproval made me want to crawl under my covers and never come out.
“This is completely unacceptable. When you said your dresses were gone, I thought it was just the knee-length ones. None of this is you.” She turned toward me. “Don’t worry about a thing, baby. Now that I’ve had a little nourishment to take the edge off, I’ll be able to speak to Adira with a calm mind. Your wardrobe will be fixed in no time.”
She turned to me and kissed my cheek. As she did, her stomach growled.
“Maybe I need to eat a bit more before I face Adira. Would you like to join me?”
“Actually, I’m really tired.”
“Okay. Why don’t you open the rest of your gifts? Then you can go to bed.”
I nodded and robotically went to my bed. My mother loved me. Too much. And she wanted me to be just like her based on the number of “toys” she’d bought me. I didn’t know what half of them were, but thanked her for each one and promised to come to her with any questions. Especially about the one that had all the black straps and the weird attachment.
She waited until I put everything away in the unused drawers below Piepen’s bed then tucked me in.
“I’ve missed you so much, Eliana. I want to spend as much time with you as you’ll allow. Say the word, and I’m there for you. For anything. Any time. Anywhere.”
She smoothed a hand over my cheek and smiled down at me.
“I understand why you’ve kept things from me…why you’re probably still keeping things from me. I’m not angry. I’m not like the Council. We’ll find you what you like to eat, and we’ll do it your way. Even if I need to hold Anwen down for you.”
Chapter Ten
A persistent buzzingwoke me out of another skunk dream. Annoyed, I rolled over to glare at Piepen’s drawer in the early morning light.
He made a soft yipping sound as I threw off the covers.
“I told you not to play with the—”
