Page 324 of His Hungry Wolf

When she was done with that and no one was back, I began asking questions starting with the most basic ones possible. Hearing Nero’s stories, I had an idea of what I should avoid. I think I succeeded and by the time Nero returned, she was telling me about where she grew up. It was in a nearby town. Somewhere fifty miles from here.

I anxiously wanted to ask Nero how things had gone. But I knew if I asked him, I would lose the momentum I had gained with his mother. So, knowing I could talk to him about his run later, I continued with our conversation only slightly acknowledging his arrival.

“You wanted to be a ballerina when you grew up?” I asked hoping Nero’s arrival hadn’t changed the mood.

With tears filling her eyes, she tightened her lips and shook her head.

“You wanted to be a dancer, Mama? I didn’t know that about you,” he said as if coming down from a high.

I thought that his wild-eyed energy would cause his mother to withdraw, but she didn’t. She turned to him with a softened look on her face and replied.

“I took classes and was very good. That’s why you can dance around the field like you do. You got that from me.”

Seeing the opportunity, I asked, “Not from his dad?”

She didn’t respond. I was thinking she would ignore it completely, until she said, “He got his athletics from his dad. He got his dancing from me.”

I didn’t react because I was trying to keep her comfortable. But Nero, as amped as he was, couldn’t help himself. He stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

“I got it from my dad?”

“That’s what I said. Should we get one of Dr. Sonya’s coconut tarts to go? As good as they are, I’m surprise she still has any left,” she said changing the topic.

“Maybe. But what I really want to know is…”

I subtly put my hand on Nero’s forearm to silence him. I’m sure it was hard for him considering he still hadn’t completely calmed down, but he took my suggestion. Now that she unlocked the door to her past, I knew I could get her to open it. It was going to be a delicate operation and it made me feel even closer to Nero knowing that he trusted me to execute it.

After buying the last of her tarts, Nero had a brief conversation with Dr. Sonya and we headed home. The sun set as we drove. Apart from Nero still seeming a little wired, everyone was in a good mood. So, when I suggested that we have drinks on the veranda, everyone agreed.

“When did you move here?” I asked her.

“A long time ago. I can barely remember it anymore.”

“What brought you here?”

“I was pregnant with Nero,” she said putting her hand on his forearm with a smile.

“I can’t imagine raising a baby by myself. Did you know anyone here?”

“I didn’t know a soul.”

“Then, why here?”

“When you’re a shifter and you don’t have a pack, there aren’t a lot of options. But I had heard things here and there about this town and who lived here so I decided to give it a try.”

“I didn’t know anyone heard about this town,” Nero snipped.

I held up my hand quieting him. I was getting a lot of answers so I didn’t want him to accidentally change the mood. He tensed when he saw my gesture, but he listened.

“That was one of the reasons I chose here, because the town wasn’t well known.”

“I hear a lot of people like small towns because it gives them a chance to be anonymous. Was that you?”

Her pleasant demeanor melted into deep thought. “That was one of the reasons.”

I matched her mood. “Did it have to do with what happened to Cage? I can’t imagine what it must be like to be told he had died when you knew he hadn’t.”

“It was very hard on me.”