I sighed. He wasn't even looking at the dish as he stared at me. I wiped the rim of the plate clean and brought it over for Anise’s judgment.
“Wait, Fallon.”
But the plate was already on the table and I just stormed ahead. I could do this. Nothing about my feastweaving felt off when I had prepared so carefully this morning. Not forcing my magic higher left me confident until I saw the amused expression on Anise’s face.
It stopped short of condescension, but it prickled all the same, spiking my nerves all over again.
“Okay,” my hands automatically emphasized my words with the gesture. Declan rushed to my side. “We have a coddled, sweet scramble with a smoked salt bread and a vinegar-based chutney.”
With every description, her eyebrows rose.
“Okay.” I didn't know why my hands were making the ‘okay’ gesture again but I couldn't stop. “Do you need anything else?”
Declan batted my hands down as his mother's mouth formed a perfect ‘o’.
Honey, no.What are you doing?He shook my hands for emphasis.
Anise cackled as she cut into her eggs. “This is the most amusing breakfast I’ve had in such a long time.”
My hands found my hips, frustration rising.Just asking her if she’s okay. If I forgot anything.
Declan shook his head, standing between us.Your fingers are doing that thing.
I held it in front of his face, which turned bright red.That’s ‘okay’, like yes, I understand.
He clapped his hand over mine.That is not what that means here. You just told my Momma to fuck off.
My face flushed in a flash of heat. “Oh… Oh my Godds. Anise.”
The woman’s bemused expression didn’t change. I needed the big cross bolt, right between my eyes.
“Momma. I’m so sorry. I… that’s…”
“My son’s mate has made me food and, as he has mercilessly reminded me, I want to see him happy. I will try it. As long as you two are already trying for pups.”
My heart sputtered out. I would not dignify that with a response. As the fork met her mouth and she chewed slowly, my eyes tracked her every expression. That might mean she savored it. Or she was trying to think of her next baby dictum. I couldn’t handle mates, let alone pups. What would they even be? Magic food wolves? Whatever.
I snapped my attention to Declan.Whether you and I are having sex is none of her business, right?
Declan looked at anything but my face.Right.
I would leave that right there. It was too much, while anticipation for her judgment on my foodthrummed through me. I shifted from foot to foot until I couldn’t contain it anymore.
“Do you love it?”
She pressed a napkin to her mouth in a bid to buy time. “It’s very… complicated.”
My expression must have fallen because she was immediately on her feet. She wrapped me up in a hug that definitely read as condescending. “Look, Tali. I know you try very hard. But, really. Declan will keep you well pleasured and well fed. I have told him all the stories of food. He knows the tradition better than anyone. How to keep it. He will make you happy in all things.” She pulled back to give me a knowing wink.
Fucking Declan was the last thing on my mind when my reputation was at stake. “It’s perfect, though.”
Her smile tore me down even more. “Perfect food does more than taste good. It unlocks memories, reminds you of worlds you’ve never been to, and looks fantastic. It should build a story.”
I’d had about enough of fantasy-building this past week. Our mateship was a sham and I was a better cook in my sleep than Declan ever dreamt about. This is the exact same Bakh Bull shit that kept me in a bakery in my human village. She just disguised it as something else. Magic surged up in me along with a river of pain and it pulsed into the kitchen.
“I can’t accept that.”
The stoveflared. Herbs rained down from the ceiling, too dry to hold on to their stems. Somewhere Ned howled and a chorus of wolves echoed him. Anise eyed the falling food.
