Page 140 of The Hunt
“Nicolette, love, their clothes aren’t finished washing. Our conversation can wait until after we visit with Eliana and Fenris.”
They locked eyes, and I was surprised at the amount of determination I saw in Dad’s gaze before Mom reluctantly nodded.
“Good,” Fenris said, rubbing his hands. “Your dad and I are going to see who can eat the most pancakes.”
Mom laughed.
“Jason, the boy’s a werewolf. He will out-eat you any day.”
“Which is precisely what I want to witness.”
Chapter Twenty
An hour later,my clothes were tumbling in the dryer with Fenris’s as the wolf in question leaned back in his chair with a grin.
“I can’t believe you ate all of that,” Dad said for the second time. “Sixteen full-sized pancakes.”
“He could eat twice that if you allowed it,” Mom said before taking a dainty bite of the pancake she’d been working on. I’d tried to do the same, but it didn’t taste right to me. Not that they made bad pancakes; it just wasn’t what I was hungry for.
“Allow me to clean up,” Fenris said, standing. “It’s the least I can do for feeding me.”
Mom’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen and frowned.
“Adira wants to know if you’re here. She said that you’re not attending classes anymore.”
I opened my mouth to begin a reasonable explanation for my father’s benefit, but Fenris beat me to it.
“Adira made a sex room at the Academy and wanted Eliana to spend her time in there with me. She’s still stuck on force-feeding your daughter.”
Dad’s color drained away then returned with a full flush.
“Private school was supposed to be better for her. How is that better?” he asked. Anger rolled off of him.
“I think I’m going to go check our clothes,” I said, escaping the table and pulling Fenris from the kitchen.
“Not a helpful answer,” I whispered as I tugged him down the hall.
“But an honest one.”
I huffed an annoyed sigh and grabbed our things from the dryer. The lingering dampness was better than when we’d arrived. Plus, nothing smelled like fish. Fenris followed me to the guest bedroom and changed in the bathroom while I used the main bedroom.
Mom and Dad were still having a heated conversation in hushed tones when we reemerged.
“I think it’s time for us to head to Fenris’s place,” I said.
“What do you want me to tell Adira?” Mom asked.
“Tell her we were here. But please, don’t mention where we’re going. We’d rather avoid her if we can.”
“Completely understandable. Let me know if she causes you any trouble.”
I gave them both hugs, and Dad shook Fenris’s hand. Mom stayed away from him, which relieved me. She knew it, too, because I got a text from her as we pulled out of the driveway.
Mom: My lack of farewell to Fenris reflects nothing but my love for you and my deference to your relationship with him. Enjoy him, Eliana!
Mom: I also told Adira to go fornicate herself before I admitted that you were here.
Mom: I can use fornicate, right?
