Page 35 of Planet Wolf

He kissed my head. “Hand me a lozenge, Enforcer.” Alfie held out my meds. “You first, and then I’ll have one, and then Jadon might just want to kill us all. Well, not you, Esther. I think you have a free pass, but Carl and I will be in trouble.”

As I took my meds and watched him take his, it was clear that Alfie was absolutely not afraid of Jadon. Carl wasn’t either, his chuckle making it seem like everything would be okay. He must have chewed his up fast. I sucked on mine, some of the ache in my bones fleeing. It wasn’t perfect, but it was much, much better.

11

“What is that?” I stared at the shadow on the wall that Carl made. I’d been trying to guess what he’d been attempting to make for some time. Alfie snored next to me, having given up on the identify-the-shadow game about an hour earlier and conked out, his hand on my breast.

Carl shook his head. “You have to guess.”

“I can’t. I don’t know what it is.” I kissed his cheek. “So please tell me.”

“It’s a dog.” Jadon came into the room. “Come on, you three. Up, Alfie. Time to eat something. I’m glad they were able to make you feel okay today, Esther.” Jadon kissed the end of my nose. “We’ll be back at home tomorrow. My home. And we’ll get it figured out.”

That was a sweet sentiment. Carl placed a hand on my knee. “Can you move? Or will it hurt too much? We can bring dinner to you.”

“I can move.”

Alfie sat up, rubbing his eyes. “That’s why I never take that stuff. Feels awesome but it puts me on my ass.” He shook his head. “Weird dreams.”

Carl jumped off the bed. “I feel like I could run the whole planet. You snored, Alfie. A lot.”

His face paled. “Did I? I don’t snore.”

“Well, maybe the weed makes you snore, too, because you were going at it.” Carl left the room and Alfie took me in his arms.

He smelled clean and also warm, like he’d just been asleep. “Don’t decide you can’t sleep with me. If it becomes a thing, I’ll get it fixed. Find out why. Don’t…”

I kissed him right on the lips. “It didn’t bother me in the least.”

“Okay.” He kissed me back. “I’m glad Jadon had the sense that you needed to be fed while I lost sense of time.”

“I told you. I’m almost never hungry.”

He helped me off the bed. “And I told you that doesn’t make me feel better about you not eating. Come on.”

I followed him to the small table that would fit all four of us, but just without much room for even the plates. It was cozy. I could stay like this forever, even with my muscles screaming at me. As it was, I couldn’t really eat what Jadon made. It was a little bit too spicy. I knew it would be a problem with the first bite, and I foolishly ate five just to sort of force food into my stomach. Finally, I set down my fork.

“Sorry, I’d like to. It’s delicious.” I smiled. That would have to be enough. They’d get used to the fact that I really couldn’t eat. Everyone eventually did.

Jadon jumped. “Too spicy? I’ll get more of the pig that Alfie got you.”

“I’m full now.” I took his hand. “Sorry.” Actually, my stomach turned. I knew exactly what was going to happen. I hated puking. “Just… stay away from this.”

I hoped that they would.

Hours later, as I lay on the floor of the bathroom staring at the ceiling and wondering if I really was done, Alfie crept in with me. He lay down next to me. “You have to be finished.”

“There is no have to with me.” I sighed. “Done with me yet?”

Jadon followed him in and stared down at both of us. “I’m so sorry I poisoned you.”

“It’s me, not you.” Then I giggled. That was a line my cousin always said to the girls he broke up with. “I probably am done.”

Jadon picked me up. “You must be.”

The jovial mood had fled the shuttle and I couldn’t even blame them.

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