Page 268 of His Hungry Wolf
I looked at the three people I cared most about wondering if this was the time. It wasn’t. I was going to let Cage and Quin show me their house first. That was the better plan.
After Cage and Quin took care of the dishes, they headed off to Quin’s bed and breakfast. I joined Mama on the couch. Her mental state had been night and day since Cage had entered our lives. It made me wonder if her life would have been better if I was the one who had been snatched instead of my perfect older brother.
“You good, Mama?” I asked putting my hand on hers.
“I’ve been feeling good, son. In fact, I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’ve been thinking about looking for a job.”
Her words stunned me speechless. Seven years ago, it was her unwillingness to hold a job that made me have to support us. I was a kid doing things that no kid should have to do.
Now she was telling me that she was ready to get back to work? What the hell was going on?
“What inspired this, Mama?”
“I’ve been feeling better. Having Cage back has made all of the difference in the world. Don’t you love having your brother back?”
“I do. He’s good for you, Mama.”
“He’s good for all of us.”
“Yeah, he is,” I said wondering if her improvement also had to do with her secret.
One thing became clear as I lay awake that night. No matter what had sent her spiraling years ago or what had brought her back, my Mama no longer needed me. No one did. I could probably take off tomorrow without them noticing I was gone. That was a tough pill to swallow, but it was true.
Despite how tired my body was from the hits I had taken during Saturday’s game, I didn’t fall asleep until after 4 am. That meant that I wasn’t awake by 9:00. It was a phone call at 9:15 that woke me. I didn’t need to ask why Cage was calling. So, I just picked it up and said,
“I’m leaving now. Where am I going?”
“I texted you the address.”
I looked at my screen. “Got it. Be there in 10.”
I recognized the address. Being a small town, there weren’t many really nice neighborhoods. The house I was headed to was in one of them. The house closest to it was owned by Dr. Tom and his husband Glenn, the owner of the local general store.
They were both powerful faes and their house was where the protective barrier spell was cast. That meant that the area around them was where a shifter’s sense of smell would be the worst. Great!
Pulling up to it, I turned out to be right. My wolf was not happy. But it wasn’t like I couldn’t smell anything. Things just smelled like they did before my first shift.
At least I had a lifetime before my enhanced senses. How could Quin stand this considering he had his wolf senses his whole life? Was he simply willing to put up with it because the house was impressive? Because it was certainly that.
The place was two-story with a huge veranda and an equally large yard. The ceiling of the veranda was shiny cedar. As were the floors in the giant kitchen and dining room.
Actually, there were two dining rooms, as well as two living rooms, even though Quin called one a family room. There was also a three-car garage.
On top of that, there was marble and chandeliers everywhere. The bathroom attached to the master bedroom had a claw-foot tub in it. And where there weren’t the nicest hardwood floors I had ever seen, there was brand new carpet.
This had to be the most incredible house I had ever been in. I had thought Dr. Tom’s house was fancy, but there was no comparison. This place had to cost half a million dollars. The rent for our mobile home was $300 a month.
“You can just buy this place?” I asked Quin.
“I mean, my father will help me with the down payment. But, I’ve been working for him this semester.”
“While taking classes?”
“Yeah. And, because of the nature of the project, he pays me pretty well. I’m lucky.”
“Must be nice,” I told him still floored by what I was seeing.
“Yeah, Nero, nice for us, because we’re the ones who are going to get to live here,” Cage said giving me a look as he grabbed Quin and kissed his head.