“Just got home.” He hollers, stepping back and scratching at the strip of skin where his vest meets his jeans. “Kenz!”
Max and I follow him in without waiting to be asked. It’s been months since I’ve stepped foot in here, but it feels smaller than I remember. Or maybe I’ve grown. I stoop, my head almost brushing the ceiling. Max fares a little better, but I catch the twist to his lip, the grimace as he glances around at the peeling, cracked furniture.
This place has never been a home. You can make a home from nothing, but Rick never bothered.
She doesn’t even have a nest here. I know that. Just the smallest bedroom in the world that doubles up, and it’s not good enough. Rick has never bothered to pay attention to his daughter’s needs.
The bathroom door bangs open. I catch a flash of wide brown eyes, a glimpse of bare skin, and then she’s gone, vanished backbehind the door. Her voice echoes out through the slammed door, and Max and I wince.
“Get thefuckout of my house!”
“Kenz.” Rick looks mildly embarrassed. “Language.”
“Fuck off, Rick. And you two. I didn’t give you permission to be in here.”
“We are your mates,” Max calls back idly. He crosses his arms. “And since you wouldn’t accept a lift, we came to check on you.”
“I’ll slash your other damned tire!”
My lip tilts. But Rick interrupts. “Mates?”
The voice behind the door goes silent. Possibly planning our impending demise, but we focus on her dad for a moment. I nod. “Yes, sir. Bond came through. Oscar and Theo too.”
“Well, now.” A smile spreads across his face. “That’s excellent news. Why didn’t you tell me, Kenz?”
She bellows back. “Because it’s none of your damned business. They’re not my mates.”
“Kenny.” I’m losing my patience. “If you don’t get out here within the next two minutes, I’m kicking that door down and carrying you out. Your choice.”
Rick vanishes. I hear him mutter from the couch as the TV turns up. “Definitely mates.”
She makes us wait. I’m lifting my foot when she yanks the door open with one second to spare. There’s a towel wrapped around her waist and another of those rolled neck jumpers she likes covering her from the waist up.
She grips the towel to hold it in place as she storms toward us. Her hair is loose and wet, trailing down her back, and I blink.
“Get. Out.” A small finger jabs into my chest. “Of. My. House.”
She’s trying to push me back. I plant myself down and cross my arms. I don’t bother to hide my examination. “Are you hurt? Theo told us what happened.”
Her laughter is a harsh bark. “I bet he did. And no.”
She nods to the door. “You can go now.”
“Not until we talk,” Max cuts in. She turns to him, and he slides his hands into his pockets. Casual. Unaffected, except for the tightness in his shoulders. “We can stay here all night, Kenny. Or you can give us a few minutes.”
She glances at Rick, biting down on her lip. “Wait outside for me.”
The door rattles behind us, barely missing me, and I sigh. “We’ll never be bored, at least.”
Max’s lip quirks. “I don’t think she’s feral, Jake. She’s just Kenny.”
I wish that was all it was. “But did you pick up her scent?”
Because I did. I can still feel it, a strange mix of home and something… else. Bizarre.
His smile falters. “Yeah.”
I take a few steps away from the trailer steps. They have their own clearing. The nearest neighbor is nearly half a mile away down the trail, and a few solar lanterns gleam in the darkness between the trees. I crouch down to inspect her bike. “The wheel is broken. There’s a bag in my truck.”
