“Okay,” she whispered, feeling sleepy once more.
She looked at Eric, and her wolf stirred. It came out at once, rearing its great head. It filled her heart with yearning that she did not understand. His face was the last thing she saw before she drifted off into sleep.
Chapter 6
Bellatrix
Bellatrix had decided to never eat oysters again. In fact, anything that smelled bad and fishy, she would avoid. Even though she was better the next day, she knew that those oysters were responsible for her illness. Before she had left, Elder Lawson had asked her to be careful about what she ate. Apparently, a few things that were harmless to humans could be poisonous to wolves. It was a good thing she only ate a few; otherwise she might have been sick for days.
“Eric,” Bellatrix said. “Just come with me tonight. Antoine is taking me somewhere special. I told him I want to bring you along, and he was more than happy about it.”
She and Eric were sitting in a small café, where Bellatrix had ordered herself a safe soup. Eric was having a sandwich and acting rather weird again.
“I have work to do,” he said grumpily.
“Come on,” Bellatrix said. “You will feel better about him if you get to know him.”
Eric sighed. “Alright. Let’s get to know your Antoine, shall we?”
“Don’t say it like that,” she said, frowning.
“Like what?” Eric asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Like you have some big plan to expose him,” Bellatrix said, her eyes narrowed.
“I will,” Eric replied, and Bellatrix rolled her eyes.
She drank her soup and said, “Just be civil, please.”
∞∞∞
Bellatrix reached forward to take Antoine’s hand in hers. He was smiling at her, and he slowly squeezed her hand. Eric had taken her and Antoine out to dinner, and the meeting wasn’t going as well as she hoped. Eric was acting positively hostile.
“Antoine grew up as an orphan too,” she said, trying to get Eric to sympathise and maybe melt a little.
“I am sorry to hear that, Antoine,” Eric said. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what happened?”
“They died in an accident,” Antoine replied. “I was raised by an abusive aunt. I lost them when I turned thirteen.
“I am sorry for your loss,” Eric said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of accident?”
“Eric,” Bellatrix said. “Don’t pry.”
“I am not prying,” he replied. “You wanted us to get to know each other better. Well, I am just making an effort.”
Antoine smiled for a minute and then said, “They died in a car accident, in the summer of 1992. They were run over by a drunk driver.”
“That is tragic,” Eric said. “What about your aunt? Is she still alive?”
“No, I am afraid not,” Antoine replied, a strained smile on his face. “I wish I could say that it was a tragic loss, but it was a relief.”
“I can’t help noticing that you are not eating?” Eric said. “Is everything alright?”
“I am just not feeling well,” Antoine replied, his voice sounding stiff. “I am having some water. That will be enough.”
“Is that why you were reluctant to come to dinner?” Eric asked, a tight smile on his lips. “Bellatrix mentioned that you were rather against it.”
“Like I said, I wasn’t feeling well. I did not wish to come here and then be rude by refusing to eat,” Antoine said, staring at Eric with narrowed eyes. “Yet, you were rather insistent.”
