Page 147 of The Hunt
“Discriminating against you based on your species. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a misanthropist, too. I need to tell Adira what’s happened. I know she has Raiden searching for that human. He obviously can’t be trusted with matters outside of his own kind.”
I highly doubted Mom was worried about Ashlyn. More than likely, she just wanted to call Adira to give her an earful concerning what Mom regarded as a gross mistreatment of me.
My phone buzzed yet again in my purse. Ignoring it, I blew my nose and tried to reel in the hurt.
“I’d prefer you not involve Adira, Mom. While your intentions are good, hers rarely are.”
“I want to respect your wishes, but I can’t allow this to go unaddressed. I either call Adira, or I go see Raiden myself. While I vastly prefer the latter, the choice is yours to make.”
Based on the way Mom’s eyes were flickering black, I knew she was completely serious about wanting to visit Raiden. I also knew that she wouldn’t take, “let it go,” as a viable option.
“Fine. Call Adira. But please know that it isn’t going to help anything.”
Mom immediately dialed Adira’s number and put the call on speaker. Adira picked up after the second ring.
“Nicolette. To what do I owe this pleasure? Are you out of workers already?”
“The workers are adequate, and the club is coming along nicely. That’s not why I called. I need to speak to you about Raiden’s behavior toward Eliana.
“After having breakfast with us, the kids went to Fenris’s home to spend some time there. Do you understand what I’m telling you? Eliana brought Fenris here to meet me and her father. Then, Fenris took her to his home. She chose, Adira. And while she was at Fenris’s house in the boy’s bedroom, Raiden overheard them, assumed they were about to have intercourse, then stormed in to stop it and told Eliana she was not welcome in his home.”
Mom’s fingernails tapped over the surface of the wooden tabletop.
“My daughter is sitting here with me now, her pretty face streaked with the tears she’s shed over that braying ass’s insult.” Mom immediately looked at me. “It’s Biblical, so it’s allowed.”
Her quick defense of her swearing almost made me smile. Adira’s response did not.
“What would you like me to do?”
“You’re the one who started this game. A game I’ve been allowing because I want what’s best for Eliana. What’s best is not treating my daughter like she’s not good enough for some four-legged—”
“Mom.”
She glanced up at me and immediately averted her gaze.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m upset on your behalf. Eliana does not need self-doubt, Adira. Fix this, now.”
“I’m at Raiden’s door. I will speak to him again about the use of his son and contact you with the outcome of our discussion.”
“Handle this appropriately, Adira, or I will.” Mom disconnected the call and gave me a strained smile. “Rather than wait for her return call, let’s go visit the club.”
Her eyes were still flickering, and I knew what her offer meant. Given that my vision was still sharp, Club Blayz was the last place I wanted to see. I wiped my face and gathered my used tissues.
“I think I’ll go check on Elbner. I haven’t fed him yet today.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
Mom gave me an extra-long hug before letting me go.
The hurt of rejection echoed inside of me as I drove to Megan’s. But so did the fear that Adira would somehow make things worse. I wasn’t simple. I knew that Mom thought I’d been close to feeding on Fenris before Raiden had interrupted. I hadn’t been, but denying it would have only made her worry more. After all, that was the whole reason Mom and Adira had arranged to have the wolf tossed to the reluctant succubus. And that was why Mom was truly angry. She’d gone along with Adira’s plan, and in Mom’s mind, it had almost worked until it backfired at the last moment.
Based on Adira’s quick portal to Raiden’s house, she understood the tenuous situation they were all in with my mom. However, I’d seen the resolution in Raiden’s gaze when he told me not to come back. He wouldn’t change his mind. Fenris was very much off-limits to me. That meant that Adira was going to scramble for a way to save herself.
People did crazy things when they were desperate. I knew that from first-hand experience.
Once I parked in my best friend’s driveway, I called her, needing comfort.
