Page 9 of A Brighter Yellow
Love you too. And you know me. I’m always careful.
Snort. You’re such a butthead.
Ochre grinned. Kinder gentler Azure was still Azure.
He thought about texting her back but then changed his mind and started a new text to Scarlet.
Azure is pressuring me a ton about this Anna Allanach situation. How much do we think Azure isn’t telling me?
His phone said that Scarlet had read the message and was typing a reply.
Probably enough that you will be pissed off, but also the amount that she thinks will get you through whatever the situation is alive.
He growled at his phone in annoyance. With both Scarlet and Azure shacking up with wolves over the last few years, they had become unexpectedly more in alignment than at any time in their previous history. He wasn’t used to Scarlet taking Azure’s side or vice versa. It was annoying and left him no one to complain to.
She’s always trying to figure out the safest way forward, and sometimes that means not telling us stuff. I’m not crazy about it, but it’s not easy on her either.
He was about to throw his phone on the bed in frustration when another message came through.
Can I call?
Yes.
Seconds later, the phone rang.
“OK, I’m out of the apartment,” said Scarlet without preamble. “Here’s the deal, and I’m sorry if this is not useful to you in any way, but I have to vent to someone, and I can’t call Azure.”
“OK, shoot.” Ochre feeling relieved by Scarlet’s complaining.
“Liam’s mom has been trying to set him and Anna Allanach up for years. I mean, literally years. And Liam really likes her. He says he never liked her in the, you know, getting naked way, but he still really likes her. And I’m trying not to freak out about that, but she’s a wolf. And what if…”
Scarlet trailed off.
“What if what?” asked Ochre.
“What if the reason Azure isn’t telling us everything is that she knows something about me?” Ochre would have said something, but Scarlet kept talking. “It’s stupid. Liam loves me. I’m just being insecure because his mom keeps making comments about me not being a wolf.” Scarlet did not sound like her own platitudes were working. Scarlet was brilliant, but she had a lingering anxiety that she wasn’t enough. He blamed their mom for leaving them when Scarlet was nine.
“Don’t let her get under your skin,” said Ochre. “Liam says the two of you are meant to be together. He’s not going to suddenly wander off for some wolf girl that he’s already saidnoto.”
“Liam’s brother calls AnnaHer Hotness,” said Scarlet, sounding miserable.
“Oh, God, she so is,” said Ochre, unable to contain himself. “I mean, what? No! She’s notthathot.”
Scarlet let out an exasperated snort. “You are such a butthead.”
Ochre laughed. “Yeah, Azure just said that. But seriously, that really only makes my point more true. Anna is amazingly hot. And Liam doesn’t want her. He wants you.”
Scarlet was silent as if considering his words.
“I can’t personally comment on your hotness. Because you’re my sister, and I think you’re skinny, and your ears are floppy.”
“My ears are not floppy! Yours are just too pointed!”
“But other people think you’re hot,” continued Ochre, talking over their perennial argument. “And they generally know what they’re talking about.”
“Thanks,” said Scarlet. “I appreciate ninety percent of this conversation.”
Ochre chuckled. “I am a hundred percent fine with that. Anyway, I was about to go take a shower for like the first time in a week.”
