Dad sighs. “Why? For Goddess’s sake, it would just be for a day.”
“Exactly! Too much of a hassle,” Eugene chuckles. “And maybe someone else needs it more.”
“Well, it’s your decision,” Dad mutters. He glares at me, but doesn’t say anything.
“Smooth-talker,” I whisper towards my brother.
Eugene looks flustered. “Shut up,” he grumbles.
“Come,” I say. “I still need to drag you to your room. We have planned a movie night, remember? Or wait… did you two have another type of action planned?”
Olive blushes and shakes her head. “I’m meeting my sister and some friends.”
“See? I am completely free,” Eugene says.
“Good to know I’m the rebound,” I joke towards my brother.
“I just had pity on you,” he teases back. “I mean, between my hot girlfriend and my ugly brother, it’s not a tough decision.”
“You are aware we share the same face?” I grin.
“Well, I clearly clean up better,” he points out.
“Yeah, in your dreams. You know I have better hair. And that little scar over my eyebrow is a real hit with the ladies.”
“Okay, boys,” Olive smiles. “I will leave you to your weird contest.” She stretches, kissing Eugene softly. Goddess, she is smitten with him, and he is with her. He looks at her like the sun is shining out of her ass.
“Well then, let me soothe your aching heart,” I say after Olive has left us, and Eugene looks like a lost pup. “Because Goddess knows what you will do if you are apart for a couple of hours.”
He smacks my arm. “Just wait until you fall in love!”
I raise my brows. “You didn’t just say that? That’s just a Dad thing to say.”
“It really is,” he groans. “Pretend it never happened.”
“For that alone, I’m going to pick the first movie tonight,” I say.
Eugene chuckles. “Good thing it’s so easy to make up to you.”
“Well, I’m a simple man,” I joke.
Despite all the jokes, I’m happy that Eugene chose to spend the evening with me. It’s the last night before our birthday. We didn’t see each other as much as we used to over the last couple of weeks. I get it, because Eugene is in love and has a girlfriend now, but sometimes it stings a little.
Mom has scheduled the party so that we’ll begin the evening before our birthday and celebrate into the next day… into the day we were born. She thinks it’s going to be magical for us. Eugene and I were barely able to stop her from turning this into a matchmaking party, where she would have invited unmated girls from several other packs. She even tried to bribe me by telling me she would also invite the unmated males.
Not going to lie, that almost got me, just to see if she would truly do it and if she could pull it off. But I know better than to challenge my mother.
“How’s your leg doing?” I ask Eugene while we get ready for the party.
“A lot better,” he says. “I can feel my wolf getting stronger the closer it gets to our birthday. I bet at midnight it’s fully healed.”
“Great! Meanwhile, try to look fresh and happy,” I say. “Or mom will get mad that we stayed up so long.”
“Your fault for choosing that weird movie,” he points out.
“I didn’t know it was an erotic, action splatter!” I defend myself.
He raises his brows.