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“Damn! I forgot I’m on cleaning duty today.”
“On your birthday?” Mark asked with a laugh. “That’s rough, Tavi.”
She kicked him under the table. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Get out of here, you guys. We’ll catch up later.”
Her friends gave their goodbyes and left with the other wolves that weren’t on cleanup duty.
Tavi looked at me. “I’m sure Dom will take you back to Violet’s.”
I frowned. I wasn’t ready to go back yet, and I didn’t like the idea of leaving her to clean on her birthday. “Could I take the shift for you?”
Her jaw dropped. “Bryn, no, I couldn’t ask you to do that!”
“It’s the least I could do. You can think of it as a birthday gift.”
She hesitated, drumming her fingers on the table, thinking. “Well, it’s tempting, but I think you’ll need Night’s permission unfortunately.” She rolled her eyes. “But we can clean up together.”
I smiled. “I’d like that.” As we fell into the motion of cleaning and chatting together, I realized that I felt good—so much better than I’d felt on the Kings’ compound without my mom around. It felt right for me to step in and help here, if for no other reason than to show that I had earned the right to eat at the table with everyone else. And there were so few people who were spared for cleanup duty. I imagined it was difficult work for only a handful of wolves to get done.
“Tavi,” I said as we finished wiping down the last table, “who do I talk to about getting on the cleaning roster?”
“Oh, you should probably talk to Night—”
“I’m sure he needs to clear it, but I think it’ll be a headache getting him to listen.”
Tavi laughed. “You’re probably right. Well, then you should talk to Mabel. She’s over there.”
I looked where Tavi indicated and found an older woman clearing off one of the vacated tables. I wasn’t sure if I was still living on the high of such an eventful day or if I’d grown a bit more of a backbone from my ordeals the past couple of weeks, but I felt no fear as I approached Mabel.
“Hello,” I said.
Mabel looked up and smiled. “Yes? Did you need something from me?”
Wait. What am I doing? My newfound confidence suddenly wanted to leave my body now that I was speaking out loud. I tried to hold onto the bold feelings from earlier and set the dishes I’d collected on the table. No. I got this.
“My name is Bryn, and I was wondering if you would mind if I gave you a hand.”
“Oh, my.” Her eyes widened. “I’ve never heard of anyone volunteering to help clean. Are you sure you want to? You don’t have to feel obligated.”
I nodded. “I’m positive that this is something I want to do. I’d like my name to be added to the roster.”
“Hm…” Mabel’s steel-gray eyes took in my physique. “I see you’re willing to clean. Are you sure you can keep up?”
“Yes. I’ve cleaned up after meals for a larger crowd.” I knew I didn’t need to specify what crowd I was talking about. Mabel would already be aware. “I can wash dishes, sweep, and mop floors.”
“What about cooking? Are you any good with that?”
“Yes, I’m good at memorizing recipes, and I’ve been told that I chop vegetables very quickly.”
“My, my, you seem like a jack of all trades kind of girl.”
I smiled. “I’m used to being put to work. I’ve been living with Violet all this time, and there’s only so much that she needs doing around her cabin.”
“Ah, well, I can certainly respect that! In my old age, I’m still picking up after these wolves because I can’t stand being at home all day.” She gave a girlish giggle, one that made me smile as well. “Alright, Bryn, we have plenty of hands cleaning up tonight, but tomorrow is a different story. All I need you to do is talk to Violet, and we’ll get you on the schedule as soon as possible. How’s that sound?”
I took both of Mabel’s hands and beamed at her. “That sounds wonderful, Mabel. Thank you.”
19
