“Grandpa, your army is impressive. Are you planning world domination? Is this a test run?” Sofia gasps out.
“I was just hoping for a cute little photo,” he mutters and folds his arms over his chest and sulks.
“Seymour, I swear to the first alpha himself, if you don’t tell me the truth,” Grandma narrows her eyes, and for one second, I think I might be safer outside with the birds.
“It was just a little food; they were hungry.”
Grandma throws her hands up in the air and lets out a shriek. “Why am I not surprised you didn’t listen to me?”
Grandpa pouts. “They were hungry, what was I meant to do?”
“They are wild birds, and they can catch their own food.”
“Instead, now you have a flock of gulls spreading like the gull-pocalypse,” Sofia adds. “I wonder if this is how humanity ends, with white feathers and the shrieks of seagulls. Someone lie and tell everyone we went down fighting.”
I bite my lip, trying to hide my smile. Grandpa glares at her.
“You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“Na-uh, that’s Sebastian. I’m on Grandma’s side. Your seagull anarchy is very much a you problem.”
“Horrible child.”
“You love me.”
“I do love you, but be kinder to an old alpha.”
I sit down on a chair and stare at them. “How did this happen?”
“The history books always ask that, too,” Sofia says, wheezing.
“Some bright spark thought it was a good idea to feed the birds after midnight.”
Sofia loses the plot, sobbing for breath and laughing until she’s red in the face.
Grandma sits down and puts her hands in her lap primly. “How do we get rid of them?”
“Why are you looking at me? Dad was a fisherman. We didn’t have to deal with birds. Different species,” I say before I can stop and think.
Grandma hisses. I flinch and take a healthy step back.
“I think what Devon means is that the-” Mack says soothingly.
“-Nuclear fallout? Army of the damned?” Sofia adds unhelpfully.
“-bird problem is a bit bigger than we could have anticipated.”
“It’s so bad. Maybe we need a cat-astrophe to stop gull-maggeddon.” Grandpa high fives Sofia, and they both dissolve into giggles.
“You are banned. No more talking for you,” Grandma growls.
Sofia falls back into her chair, giggling helplessly.
It’s adorable.
“Stop making eyes at my idiot granddaughter and focus. How do we get out of here?”
“Sorry, Grandma,” I say quickly, but I can’t look away from her completely.
