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“What did you think a mom did?” I knew mine, and judgment was a big old part of her job. Oh, it was doled out with a hug, but it was there.
“I thought there would be more cookies,” Fen admitted.
Evan snorted. “It wasn’t just about the rabbit. The gnomes used to welcome Fen, but last year they brought in this new little guy and he’s terrified of Fen. And Trent. He was nearly killed by werewolves, so he can’t stand to be around them. It’s not really Fen. Also, I looked into the rabbit at the time because it was weird that it got out, and all of the garden rabbits were accounted for. It definitely wasn’t one of the primal rabbits.”
“Nah,” Fen said. “They’re solid. Like this one was barely a snack.”
I was going to have to teach my kid some manners.
“So where did that rabbit come from?” I was curious.
I went still because something tickled at the back of my mind. Fen talked about his predatory instinct. This was the opposite. I could feel someone watching.
“I’ve always worried it was someone’s pet,” Evan explained. “Like some kid snuck a bunny in and Fen ate Snowball.”
Fen sighed. “It was a full moon night, and I wasn’t allowed out of the Under because there were witches seen in the area. I came right here, to this park, and I ran as much as I could. Mostly I ran in circles and Rhys tossed beef jerky in the air so I could catch it. And then there was a rabbit. I swear it hadn’t been there before. I’m good at picking up on a scent, if you know what…”
I did know what he meant, and suddenly his eyes had gone dark.
“Are there new wolves in the Under?” Fen’s voice had deepened.
Evan sat up straight. “I didn’t ask. I’m sure Rufus would have mentioned it.”
Rufus had his hands full. The male was distracted, so he could have forgotten, but it shouldn’t have been a problem. Wolves were normally welcoming of other wolves. I turned and realized where that sensation of being watched had come from. A man stood around fifty feet away from us, his eyes locked not on Fenrir but on Evan.
Some wolves could be distinctly mean to those who weren’t considered pack.
I wasn’t going to let the man sit there and stare at her. I stood, calling out across the yard to him. “Hi, do you have a problem, buddy?”
I’m not a “hope things go away” kind of girl. I’m more of a “bash the problem until it goes away or dies” kind of girl.
The man moved my way. “We all have a problem with that…woman.”
Fenrir growled, a sound that had the hair on the back of my neck standing straight up, and I was his mother.
“Do you know what you’re costing every single wolf?” The were was a big man, had probably been either the alpha of his pack or one of the betas.
Evan had a hand on Fenrir as though she could hold him back. Her jaw had tightened, and she didn’t respond.
Did she have to put up with this shit all the time? “She is not your business.”
The were looked me up and down as though considering whether he could take me. I could have told him. He couldn’t. “She is every wolf’s business since she is the reason the king hasn’t taken control. The packs were decimated under his watch.”
Fenrir growled again, but I was going to take charge of this. I pointed a finger his way. “You stay in your human form and listen to what I’m about to say because you need to hear this, too.” I turned back to the werewolf who really needed to think about the damn timeline. “He doesn’t have a watch. He was nine when this war started. Nine. He was a baby, and he was forced to go on the run.”
The wolf’s brow furrowed, eyes shining in the light. “He should have been turned over to a proper werewolf family.”
“My dad is a werewolf. He’s a powerful were, and he could take out you and your entire pack.” Fen seemed determined to defend his father.
“Trent Wilcox licks the boots of vampires, and he sold you to them. He sold our king to the vampires.” That fucker seemed equally determined to get his ass kicked.
“Stay calm, Fen.” I stared down the were. “I need you to understand what I’m about to say to you. My name is Kelsey Owens and I am Fenrir’s mother. You are talking about my husband, and you need to shut your mouth because you will not be dealing with Fen or Trent. You’ll be dealing with me.”
Luckily my reputation preceded me.
“You’re the Nex Apparatus.”
“I am.”
