Page 63 of The Howl
His lips curved into their typical cocky grin.
The ringing of my phone saved us both.
Chapter Eleven
I silently openedthe door to my room, impressed that I’d made it home so quickly and without being seen.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked again, holding the phone to my ear.
Megan let out a shaky exhale.
“I’m fine. You would have sounded breathless and shaky, too, if you’d inhaled a whiff of four-day-old dead dragon. It’s a smell I’m never going to forget. I don’t know how Oanen is still down there. He’s going to need a shower after this.”
“I like showers!” Piepen squealed, zooming from his drawer.
I sighed and tried to ignore him.
“Please tell me you’re getting closer to figuring out who really did this.”
“I wish I could. It would have been great if this dragon was freshly dead.”
“Uh?”
“The death would have been clear evidence that your mom wasn’t responsible.”
“Oh, yeah. Well, not that I’m wishing for any fresh deaths, but you’re right. It would have been convenient.”
“How’s it going? Is she being a good mom?”
“Absolutely. She’s the perfect succubus mom. She brought me an assortment of toys yesterday. And I’m not talking teddy bears. Also, she assures me she’ll get me a teddy immediately. Not the stuffed kind.” I lowered my voice. “I’m afraid I...”
There was so much I was afraid of that I didn’t even know where to start. Mostly, I was scared that having Mom here and her well-meaning methods of encouragement were eroding my control. If Megan hadn’t called when she had, I dreaded the thought of what might have happened with Fenris. Thankfully, I hadn’t just fled from the classroom but from the Academy altogether. I hadn’t been sure how far Fenris might follow me.
“I’m sure the Council would understand matricide in these circumstances,” Megan said after a lengthy silence.
I tried to laugh at her joke, but nothing about my life was very funny at the moment.
“I better go check on Elbner. The less I’m at home being showered by my mother’s affection and sage advice, the better.”
“Let me know if either he or Piepen has anything useful to say.”
“I will.”
After I hung up, I refilled Piepen’s bowl of fruit then risked peeking in the entertainment room. I regretted it the moment I saw a guy stripped down to his boxers and tied to Oanen’s favorite gaming chair. Dressed in her robe, Mom stood in front of him, her back to me. I was about to retreat when the man’s gaze met mine.
He made a desperate sound behind his gag, and Mom turned.
“Hi, baby.” She tapped the whip in her hand against her leg. “Skipping school or checking in on Megan’s friend?”
“Uh, Megan’s friend,” I said. “And you. Everything okay in here?”
The guy’s eyes quickly shifted from Mom to me.
“Yep. Gabe’s never been dominated before. It’s on his bucket list. I offered to help out.” She winked at me.
Gabe’s eyes were wide, and he was frantically shaking his head.
“Mom, you know how I feel about being forced to do things. And, you know I feel that way because I see so many people being forced. Please don’t do anything he doesn’t want.”
