Yeah, nothing weird about this at all.
I dug in the closet and retrieved a pair of pink bunny slippers with giant ears. Not my first choice while saying hello to the folks, but it was all I could find to warm my cold feet. And honestly, I was too groggy to get dressed up. Maybe Austin was right about taking the day off from work.
I headed downstairs to be social.
“Katharine, what a wonderful surprise.” I greeted her warmly, crossing the kitchen to give her a quick hug. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“Evidently,” she replied, stealing a glimpse of my bunny slippers.
Katharine looked to be in her late forties, even though she had a few hundred years on her. She was taller than her husband, George. Her blue eyes stood out amid her thick brows and dark hair she wore clipped back and parted down the middle. Katharine was an attractive woman, just not in the way of makeup and nail polish. She preferred long skirts or old-fashioned trousers of a solid color, and I presumed it had to do with the era she grew up in. She had Jericho’s smile, Denver’s eyes, and a little bit of everyone in her.
Katharine stepped back and smoothed down my messy hair, which hadn’t seen a brush in over twenty-four hours. “When Austin returns, we’ll talk about why we’re here. Come sit, and I’ll fix you a plate of leftovers.”
I neared the table. Melody had organized a myriad of beads and fabrics at the end of the table, studiously working on her next project. She had just turned fifteen and received all the artsy-craftsy things for her birthday that she’d asked for.
Wheeler’s rectangular glasses slid down his nose while he read the newspaper. The visual made me laugh because there was more ink on his body than on the paper.
I sat across from him. “Any sales?”
His brown eyes flashed up to mine, and I immediately regretted opening that can of worms. “As a matter of fact, there are. Why don’t you check out the section on beds,” he suggested, flicking a glance at his mother.
“Are you and Naya sleeping on the trundle?” I asked, wondering who got the top and who got the bottom.
“Naya is. I’m downstairs on the sofa. I don’t trundle.”
“Why didn’t you take the heat house?”
He gave me one of those “keep your voice down or hell might unleash” looks. Then he leaned forward and whispered, “I don’t want to give them the wrong idea. They know what that room is for.”
“What are you, sixteen?”
Katharine set a plate in front of me. Hand to God, I almost threw up.
Wheeler sat back and laughed quietly, lifting the paper in front of his face and giving it a light shake.
“Creamed possum,” she said. “Killed it this morning.”
“Looks… fresh.” I swallowed thickly, trying to come up with a reason for Cheerios.
I heard Wheeler’s breath as he laughed silently, the paper trembling.
Katharine returned to the kitchen. “It’s too bad you couldn’t join us this morning while it was still hot.”
And wiggling, I thought.
“Yeah,” Melody said flatly. “You missed the squirrel.”
Wheeler set down the paper. “Meat is meat. Kids today are spoiled and don’t know how to live like a true Shifter. What do you think your wolf is going to be chewing on when you grow up?”
“My wolf can have all the squirrels she wants so long as I can have my pizza.”
Katharine opened the fridge and poured a glass of juice. I gently pushed the plate toward Wheeler.
When she set the glass down, I quickly grabbed it.
“Mmm, this is just what I wanted.” I slowly drank the pulpy orange juice, my eyes fixed on Wheeler’s index finger pushing my plate back in front of me.
Bastard.
Denver strutted in and stepped over the bench to my right. “You gonna eat that?” he whispered.
Faster than a heartbeat, I moved the plate his way.
“Is everyone here?” I asked, watching Reno walk past the windows with an axe in his hand. Thankfully, it didn’t have any blood on the blade. It also seemed off for Trevor and William to be home at this hour.
“Austin wants a family meeting,” Denver said around a mouthful of possum.
I shuddered and drank my juice. After five spoonfuls, he finished and slid the empty plate in front of me.
“Where’s George?”
“Pop’s outside with the twins,” Denver said, peering at Melody. “Whatcha working on, Mel?”
She held up a strip of decorated fabric. “Mom gave me her old purse, so it’s an experiment. I’m going to sew this on as a side pouch.”
“Sassy,” he said, his voice a falsetto as he waggled his brows.
She laughed and tucked her blue tresses behind her ears.
George opened the back door, and the twins rushed in before him, their cheeks ruddy and eyes glittering with excitement. They were ten and a handful, considering both boys were alphas.
When I saw them all carrying guns, I whirled around to Denver. “Playing outside?”
He shrugged. “Target practice is Pop’s version of fun. Hey, at least they didn’t get the bazooka out of Reno’s closet.”