I followed and closed the door, sealing us inside. After collapsing into my chair, I leveled a stare at my three aunts. Each of them had a profound impact on my life, my childhood, and my values, so they only had themselves to blame for my intolerance of this utter shitshow they conducted with my memories.
Aunt Sophia had a ball of pink wool on the floor, and her hands moved rapidly with the crochet hook. I caught sight of the White Furry Menace in the corner of the room. She narrowed her eyes at the offending wool and hunched down.
Liz opened her mouth, and I was ninety-nine percent sure she was about to spew a slurry of excuses, ones I’ve already heard. I lifted my hand, and the words died on her tongue. “I’m not ready to hear the million reasons why you thought this was a good idea. I’ve already listened to Hudson. Right now, we need to focus on the immediate threat.”
“Donn,” Dayna said.
I shook my head. “No, Eloise.”
Dayna scrunched her nose at the sound of her mother’s name. I could sympathize.
“My sister needs to be stopped,” Sophia grumbled. “Whatever it takes.”
“You don’t consider the god a problem?” Liz asked with a raised brow.
I tilted my head. “I consider him less of a problem than my grandmother.”
“He’s helping her end the world as we know it,” Dayna grumbled.
“He couldn’t give a shit about humanity or the factions. He used her.”
“Language,” Aunt Sophia chastised.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, given her skill with that crochet hook.
“Then why did he do business with her?” Dayna wondered.
“A foothold.”
“For what reason?” Sophia asked.
I shrugged. “Unknown.” It was a question I’d asked, but he’d failed to answer.
“What does he want with you?” Liz asked.
“A mate.”
Everyone froze. I half expected the Terror of Tennessee to barrel into the room, scoop me up caveman-style, and whisk me off to some remote place. The thought was appealing, even though I was angry with Hudson. I still loved him, but that didn’t mean I would make it easy on him. To do so would invite him to make more stupid decisions in the future.
“And how do you feel about that?” Aunt Liz asked, like she was treading on eggshells.
“Indifferent.”
“That man could do with a little healthy competition,” Aunt Sophia decided. “It will do him good to know you’ve got options.”
She was talking like I needed a man in my life, when in fact, I wasn’t looking for one at all when I met Hudson. Well, since we met at a speed dating event, I doubt anyone would believe that.
“You were the one making grand demands about the wedding banquet and the lack of cabbage rolls,” Dayna muttered.
“There will be no wedding if there are no cabbage rolls,”Indigo said, her multilayered voice sliding off my tongue.“Or I’ll consume the guests.”
“You can have Mercy regardless,” I offered.
“Promise?”
“If she dares to attend, she’s all yours.”I made a mental note to check the invite list to take her off it. Or add her to it… depending on how I was feeling.
The aunts blinked, but I offered them no explanation. They believed Indigo and I were the same person, so they needed to accept all of me—soul-sucking issues included.
