Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

C harlie sat at Sunday lunch with her parents at the beautiful mahogany dining table that Dad had made. She’d been here a few days now, working quietly in the library, and sure, she’d gotten used to being in Tween again, but she didn’t like it. The snooty looks from humans, the designer boutiques and fine-food venues. The genteel smugness of it all. The way folks would look her up and down in a way that clearly said, “that girl needs to do something with her hair.”

Still, it was nice to be in the family home, and to be around dear old Snuff, their fourteen-year-old Jack Russell. He slept on her bed every night, like when she was a little girl. Except he’d gotten so much fatter since she was last at home; now he needed her to pick him up and put him on the end of her bed.

She frowned as Snuff sat at her feet, clearly begging. “You’re feeding him too many scraps.”

Dad looked sheepish. “He’s got to have something to enjoy.”

Charlie frowned. “Dad, honestly—he looks like a fat little sausage.”

Snuff stared up at her. She resisted his sad, puppy-dog eyes.

“A walk for you after lunch,” she told him sternly. “ My lunch.”

Snuff gave the dog equivalent of a shrug and snuck off to the other side of the table.

To Dad.

Now the distraction of discussing Snuff’s portliness was out the way, Charlie steeled herself for the conversation she had to have with Mom. Tomorrow she would go back to Max. She could barely contain her excitement. She kept rereading his message on her phone, the one where he’d admitted that he missed her.

She was certain now that things between them would go to the next level, and that meant sooner or later, Mom would have to come to terms with her dating a wolf.

She couldn’t abide secrets. And her parents had kept the one about Eloise from her for way too long.

She toyed with her spoon as Mom brought out the apple crumble.

“Mom,” she burst out. “Dad told me the truth about Aunt Eloise.”

Her mom looked at her dad, who gave another sheepish grin. But for once, he didn’t try to placate Mom, or back down.

“Oh really?” her mom said airily, dividing crumble into bowls. “What version of the truth exactly?”

“That she chose to take part in a solstice rut.”

Mom handed out the dessert with pinched lips. “C hose is not a word I’d use for a young woman in that situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we all knew she must have been forced into it. Coerced in some way.”

“She signed an agreement, gave her permission freely.”

Her mom sniffed.

“And afterward, Dad said her depression completely lifted.”

“That could just have been coincidental. Or maybe the medication kicked in,” her mom said.

Now her dad spoke up. “You know she never took the medication, Shirl. She said it made her feel like a zombie. It was running with the wolves that did it. And the rest of what happened that night…”

Mom looked like she’d just swallowed a lemon. “Not at the dinner table, please, Robert.”

Charlie clucked her tongue in exasperation.

“Mom, I did my master’s dissertation in human/monster relationships. Can you please stop treating me like a kid?”

Mom opened her mouth and shut it.

She flicked her napkin sharply and laid it on her lap. “I knew no good would come of you working for that wolf,” she muttered.

“It’s got nothing to do with the wolf.” That wasn’t true exactly; Max had surely liberated her wild spirit. But it had been inside her all along, waiting to be released.

Her mom gave her dad a desperate look. “Talk some sense into her, Robert, please. She needs to come home. Get away from that awful, dirty city.”

There was a moment’s silence, then Dad said, “No, Shirley. It’s time for us to stop being scared of the consequences. I know you want to keep us safe, but times are changing. Charlie loves Motham, she likes her job, and she is very fond of the professor.”

“Fond… is that a euphemism for something else?” When no one answered, Charlie’s mom wailed, “See. This is what they do… they seduce unsuspecting young women, and the next thing you know, these poor young things are being chased… their clothing ripped off them. Bitten… worse… and then they become part of some awful disreputable pack, and you never see them again.”

“Hush, honey,” her dad said. “Charlie has her head firmly on her shoulders. She knows what she’s getting into.”

Mom’s lips quivered; she pressed her napkin to her mouth.

“Charlotte, please tell me you’re not falling for this wolf’s false promises!”

“He’s promised me nothing, Mom.” Which, currently, was true. “And I object to you implying that he would lie. Max Hunt is the most upstanding and moral man—wolf—you could ever meet.”

“So you’re going back there to be with him, is that it?” Her mom turned anguished eyes to her dad. “What if she takes part in one of those awful ruts?”

“Mom, I can speak for myself,” Charlie said, her voice rising. She took a deep breath, trying not to get angry; after all, this was a lot for her mom to digest.

Hearing the commotion, Snuff skulked out of the room with his tail between his legs.

Charlie was tempted to follow him, but she kept her butt firmly tethered to the chair. “I’m in love with Max, and I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about me.”

“Oh darling, please tell me you’ll not let him chase you.”

Charlie could have said no—after all, she hadn’t signed up for the rut yet.

But a thrill shot through her at the thought, so strong it made her tongue cleave to the roof of her mouth. Because she knew that she wanted to be chased by her big, beautiful wolf through the forest, to feel the primal fear, the excitement of the chase. To be finally possessed by her wolf.

And even more now, since hearing Eloise’s story.

If Max asked her… Yes, she would. She absolutely would say yes.

And if he didn’t…

Well, dang, she’d just have to ask him.

“I’m not going to rule it out,” she said before shoveling a mouthful of delicious crumble into her mouth.

Her mom’s mouth fell open, wordless.

And then Shirley Sullivan pushed back her chair and ran from the room.