13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

B old

I'm still not certain I've made the right call, having decided to put Jasmine through trial by fire on her first evening in the Zone. My hesitant offer for her to have dinner at grandmother's and meet the family was met with enthusiastic approval, so here we are. I figured it would kill two birds with one stone: she could meet my family in all its dysfunctional glory, and we'd get a break from being smashed in my little apartment with the narrow bed beckoning from the corner.

As I lead Jasmine into my grandmother's apartment, I can't help but feel a twinge of nerves. It's not much, especially compared to her fancy house, but it's home. Grandmother greets us at the door, her weathered face breaking into a warm smile, her gray-tipped ears alert and forward, her thick tail swishing the air in excitement from under her calf-length dress.

"Bold." She touches her forehead to mine in greeting. "And you must be Jasmine. Come in, come in!" She ushers us inside, where a few of my younger siblings are sprawled on the threadbare couch.

"Everyone, this is Jasmine. She'll be staying with me for a bit." I make the introductions, watching as Jasmine shakes hands and returns their curious smiles.

My little sister, Asha, always the bold one, pipes up. "Are you Bold's girlfriend ?"

I cough, shooting her a warning look. "She's a friend, Ash. And a client ."

Jasmine just laughs, looking calm even though it must be odd for her to be in a room full of sharp-toothed wolven when a week ago, she'd never met an Other. "I'm lucky to have your brother looking out for me," she says smoothly, and I feel a rush of affection.

I was nine when we fell to Earth, the oldest of all Grandmother's foster kids. That was over twenty-five years ago, so only a few still live with her. I'm wondering if the others showed up for dinner just to make life harder for me. Naw. I'm sure it has less to do with me and more to do with seeing who their brother invited to live with him in his tiny apartment.

After Grandmother makes us tea, the three of us settle at the scabbed wooden table jammed into the small kitchen. Jasmine reaches under the table to squeeze my hand when Grandmother's back is turned.

"Your family is wonderful, Bold. Thanks for bringing me here." Her voice is a whisper. She must have forgotten about wolven hearing. Though Grandmother is an elder now, I'm certain she heard every word.

I shrug, trying to play it cool even as my skin tingles from her touch. "It's not much, but it's safe. That's what matters."

We sip our tea and chat with Grandmother, Jasmine asking questions about the Zone. I can see her perceptions shifting, her eyes opening to the strength and resilience forged into our nature as we cope with our lives here.

Tea was a quiet respite. Dinner in the living area, however, is a loud affair. Instead of being the one asking questions, Jasmine is now on the receiving end of a hundred peppered inquiries by my siblings, who obviously never learned the terms subtlety or tact.

It's amazing Jasmine gets any food to her mouth as she answers every intrusive comment without rolling her eyes once.

"Do you have a special room in your house just for watching TV?"

"Is it true, or just something on TV, that humans go on vacations and leave where they live to explore other places?"

"Do all human kids get to choose what they want to be when they grow up? Like, you can be anything you want?"

Jasmine, who has been fielding questions with ease, pauses on this one. It got to her, I think. She's probably never given a thought to the lack we have here in the Zone: lack of space, lack of goods and services, and, possibly worse than all of that—lack of options and opportunities.

"It's… complicated," she says slowly, her brow furrowed. "There are a lot of factors that can limit someone's choices, even in the human world. Money, education, family circumstances."

She looks around the room, making eye contact with each eager face. "But you're right, in many ways, I've been very privileged. I'm realizing more and more how much I've taken for granted."

My sisters and brothers nod solemnly, and I feel a swell of pride. Jasmine could have brushed off their questions, given some pat answers. But she's trying to engage with them, to acknowledge the challenges they face while also recognizing her own advantages. It's a delicate balance, but she's handling it well.

"Is it true you can just walk into a restaurant and order any food you want, even if you don't know what it tastes like?"

I answer that one, going into detail about the Indian and Thai food I've tasted in the last few days. When my siblings are looking at me as though I was speaking a foreign language, I shrug and say, "I guess it's hard to describe something you've never tasted. Someday I'll have to order some and bring it to the Zone."

"Do you really have a different outfit for every day of the week?" Asha asks. "That seems like so many clothes!"

"Okay, okay!" I raise my voice when I realize Jasmine hasn't had a moment to eat a bite. "Let the woman eat." I flash my fangs in a playful warning growl, making my siblings giggle.

"You're finished eating, Bold. I have a question for you." This is Forest. He was so young when we arrived, I don't think I let him out of my arms until he could walk. He and I have a special bond. "When you were at Jasmine's house, was there a pool?"

"Yes."

The table quiets as all eyes turn to me. Their eyes widen in wonder as I tell them how amazing it felt to float and swim and be immersed in warm water.

"I want to try it someday," Forest says wistfully. "Swimming."

"You will," Jasmine says firmly. All heads swivel to her in surprise, including my own. She meets my gaze, something fierce and determined in her eyes. "In fact, you're all welcome to come swim at my place sometime. We'll make a day of it. Barbecue, or maybe we'll order Indian and Thai takeout."

"Or maybe all of it!" Asha pipes up, never one to leave well enough alone.

Excited gasps and chatter erupt around the table, my siblings chuffing with glee. I stare at Jasmine, my heart doing something funny in my chest. She holds my gaze steadily, a small smile playing about her lips. She mouths, "They deserve to have fun, too."

Fuck. This woman. Every time I think I've gotten a handle on how thoughtful and kind and good she is, she goes and does something like this. Something kind and generous that shows she sees my family, really sees them, as more than just a charity case. As people with hopes and dreams of their own.

It hits me then, with a clarity that steals my breath. I am falling for Jasmine Sinclair. It's reckless, impossible. And from the way she's looking at me right now, her expression soft and open and full of some emotion I barely dare to name, I'm starting to think that maybe she feels the same.

"It's getting dark. Let your brother show our guest around the Zone before they lose the light. Brash, it's your turn for the dishes." Grandmother could be one hundred and ten and she'd still have total command over all of us by barely raising her voice.

"I don't even live here anymore!" Brash's indignant protest sounds the same as it did when he was twelve.

"All the more reason to help out," is Grandmother's stern reply.

We take our leave after Jasmine thanks my grandmother for the third time and says goodbye to the rowdy crew, who are likely eager for the door to close behind us so they can speculate about my relationship with the beautiful human staying at my place.