Page 56 of Feral
“Love you too,” she huffed, and then we parted ways. My dad’s death, and then that shit with the Alpha General, had really messed my mom up. She wasn’t the same mother as before, back when she was happily mated and had a son she adored. She was now disillusioned with the world, and the Manix in general. Honestly, she was going to get along fine with Kitten, as long as she could get past the DNA connection.
The sun beat down as I headed to the school. It was going to be hell, because teenagers were moody enough, but hot, sweaty adolescents were in a league of their own. Normally I would’ve walked, but instead I drove the ATV up the road and parked it in the parking lot behind the main building.
Kids were already languishing under trees and in the open air seating area. For once, I didn’t have to break up an early morning fight, because apparently vendettas went on hold once the mercury hit a hundred in the shade.
I was glad that Darius was at the Sanctum, which was one of the few houses in Maxton that had air conditioning. Though that was only because Bonnie had summoned up the cash for it; it hadn’t been provided by the Legion offices, that's for sure.
Terra appeared on my other side. The Maxton school had five teachers—two for the junior school, three for the senior school. The junior school was supported by volunteers, usually retirees who were happy to come and read books and demonstrate how to hold scissors. Surprisingly, very few people volunteered to be teacher’s aides in the senior school.
Terra was the main teacher for the junior school. The main teacher for the senior school was an Alpha who was about to hit retirement age and took zero shit from the kids. I didn’t always agree with his methods, but usually he was firm and fair.
“We should have called today off. They’re going to be restless as hell and teaching them anything will be useless,” Terra grumbled.
I just grinned. “And good morning to you too, Terra.”
“Why are you so chirpy?” she grumbled, and I pulled the neck of my shirt aside, showing her the pretty little matebond on my neck. “Holy shit? You guys and the new Omega?” When I nodded, she squealed ear-piercingly loud. “Congratulations!” She leapt at me and wrapped me in a hug. “I’m so happy for you guys!”
I patted her a few times on the back and stepped away. It was too hot for hugs. “Thanks.”
She punched me in the arm. “What the hell are you doing here instead of at home in a sweaty sex pile? I didn’t emerge for like a week after my matebonding.”
I winced, both at the idea of Terra having sex—because the woman was basically like my sister—and at the idea of being in a mess of bodies in this heat. Still, I’d probably have done it if Kitten hadn’t run off this morning. I wasn’t going to lie, I was a little hurt that she hadn’t taken one of us, but she had her reasons. I didn’t want to start our Pack life by being a domineering prick.
“We’ve just been through a heat then matebonding, Terra. If I have any more week-long orgies, my dick will fall off.”
“Mr Reid said dick!” one of the younger kids yelled, and I looked over my shoulder to see a gaggle of junior schoolers.
“He did, and if you say that word again, Hunter, I will put you in detention and call your mom,” Terra yelled back.
I shook my head, walking into my half of the building. I looked out over Maxton, toward town. Terra was right; we should have called today off. But people still had to work, and then there’d be teenagers roaming around Maxton in this heat, getting up to mischief.
What I really wanted was to head out to the waterfall we’d gone to years ago with Kitten. Take the whole Pack and just spend the day out there, cut off from the world. The idea made me smile. Maybe one day soon, before the cubs were born.
The bell rang, and kids started piling into my classroom, but they were languid and slow. They already stunk of sweaty teenager too, and I sighed. Hopefully my sense of smell would switch off soon.
“Who just wants to make paper fans and watchDie Hard 3?”
The resounding chorus of yeses had me wheeling out the ancient TV, and pulling up the movie on my phone to stream. I’d make them do the water jug challenge at the end, and call it educational.
As John McClane filled the screen, I propped my feet on my desk and relaxed. The day was heavy with heat, but when Kitten got back tonight, I was going to fill up the hot tub with cool water and make love to her until we were both pruney.
I smiled at the thought. Maybe today was going to be a good day after all.
35
KITTEN
“Leandra?” the old man gasped. “Fuck, am I dead? Have you come to guide me to Heaven?” He grimaced. “Okay, maybe not to Heaven, but you were far too sweet to end up as a Hell demon.”
I frowned, because I thought maybe he was drunk, but I couldn’t smell any booze on his breath. “Who’s Leandra? Is she around?”
My heart was pounding. It was more than I could hope for, and given the shock on his face, I was pretty sure I’d found a name.
“Who’s askin’?”
I didn’t know what to say. I stood there, just staring at the grizzled old man who was in sweats that sagged in the crotch and a shirt covered in ketchup stains. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. Murphy gave the man what most would consider a disarming smile. Disarming, if his whole countenance didn’t scream predator. It was like a smile on a crocodile.
“Can we come in? We just have a few questions we thought you might be able to answer.”
