Zheng’s expression brightens at the invitation, and when Brian steps back, opening the door wider to grant us both entrance, Zheng sweeps right on in as though he’s been here a dozen times.
“Uh…”
Zheng meets my gaze before giving me a small nod.
Alright then. “I guess I’ll go take a shower.”
Neither one of them respond. Brian grips Zheng’s shoulder in an almost fatherly embrace as he leads him away from me and toward his study.
I jog up the stairs, stripping my sweat-soaked clothes off as soon as the door to my bedroom is firmly closed behind me. Why would Brian want to talk with Zheng in his study? Clearly, he knows Zheng’s dad but …
I rush through washing my hair and body, taking the fastest shower of my life. Something about leaving Zheng and Brian alone together is setting off alarm bells in my head. And what was all that about looking after his daughter?Why didn’t Zheng mention that our dads knew each other? I mean … my mind wanders back to when he first mentioned his father. He is human too.Right?
I dry off at record speed before pulling my hair into a wet and tangled messy bun. I assume dinner will be here since Brian invited Zheng to join us.
I throw on a knee-length, long-sleeved dress in a soft blue, cinching a belt around the waist and slipping my feet into a pair of strappy sandals. They’re hardly practical but Natalia went out of her way to remind me to dress for dinner, so this is me, putting in some effort.
I don’t bother putting on any makeup before heading toward Brian’s office. Murmured words greet my ears as I approach but I can’t make them out through the well-insulated walls. I haven’t been in Brian’s office before. He’s always given the impression that it was off limits and I never wanted to impose. After knocking three times, I reach for the handle and let myself in.
Brian is sitting at his desk, a cigar in one hand and a glass of amber liquid in the other. He’s smiling. I’ve never seen him smile, but whatever Zheng must have just said clearly amused him.
Zheng is sitting in a leather lounge chair opposite Brian, a matching glass of liquor in his hand.
“Umm…”
“Isabella, come in,” Brian says in a booming baritone. “Zheng was just telling me all about the camping trip the two of you went on together.”
I frown, worried Brian will get the wrong impression and I’ll wind up in trouble. He’d given me his permission to go but I’d intentionally left out the fact that I was going away with a boy, let alone another shapeshifter, allowing him to think I’d made girlfriends. But he seems pleased anyway, not shocked or upset as I would have expected. Mom would have murdered me. I wasn’t even allowed to have Josué over without leaving my bedroom door wide open. She was always going on about shifter hormones and how she was too young to be a grandmother.
“Oh,” is all I manage to say before taking a seat in the chair beside Zheng. He gives me a reassuring smile. I’m not sure what to think of that.
Zheng certainly looks comfortable. Like this is an everyday occurrence for him. He’s dressed in his usual black jeans and a charcoal, long-sleeved t-shirt. His street-casual style at complete odds with Brian who’s wearing a custom-tailored suit, crisp white dress shirt, and burgundy tie. Yet the two are chatting as though they’re old friends. Zheng’s even holding himself taller. Like he’s not just your average high-school kid. And for a moment, I get the sense he’s going through the effort of suppressing his tiger.
My head is spinning. I take my seat and fold my hands in my lap, my ears acutely attuned to each man’s behavior. Brian’s eyes zero in on the movement before his scrutinizing gaze takes in my appearance. “I see Natalia’s provided you with adequate clothing.”
I nod.
“Though it seems a trip to the salon may still be in order.”
My head snaps up toward him. “Excuse me?”
He turns to Zheng. “Women often need help making themselves presentable. Don’t judge my daughter too harshly. She didn’t have the upbringing she should have. But a project can be rewarding. Isabella here is our diamond in the rough.”
My cheeks are flaming. I can’t believe he’s criticizing me right now. In front of Zheng.
Zheng laughs but I can hear the strain in his voice. “It’s one of the things I like about your daughter, sir. She isn’t like the girls I’ve grown up with. She’s comfortable in her own skin.”
Brian looks like he’s just bitten into a lemon. “Hmm. Yes. Well, she could still use some lessons in decorum. Really, Isabella. You look like you were raised by wolves with that mess on your head.”
I grind my teeth together.Iwasraised by wolves,I want to snap back but I manage to restrain myself, forcing my hands to stay in my lap instead of tightening into fists. I don’t care what he thinks. He’s not anyone to me. A sperm donor who decided to show up too late in the game. I clench my jaw and tilt my chin up. “I didn’t realize I needed to impress my own father when I’m in my own …home.” I keep my tone even, but this isn’t my home. It’s a halfway house until I get to wherever it is I’ll be going after graduation.
“You need to be presentable at all times, even in your own home. You never know who may be stopping by. Just look at yourself. And you have a guest here, one you were well aware of before you came downstairs.” He shakes his head, his upper lip curling in disgust. “If I’d known about you sooner, we could have gotten a handle on this, but at the rate you’re going, you’ll end up just like your mother.”
He may as well have just slapped me the way he spoke of her, as if being anything like my mother is an insult. It’s not. My mother was a proud, hard-working woman. She was compassionate and loving and she always,always, made time for me, despite other obligations to our Clan. Which is more than I can say for the man sitting in front of me. He missed out on seventeen years of my life, yet I can count the number of times I’ve seen him on one hand since moving to Texas.
I’m not ashamed of my mother. I aspire to be like her.
I bite the inside of my cheek until the tangy bite of copper hits my taste buds. My anger rises and with it comes a crashing wave of rage from my wolf. My skin ripples and I shove out of my seat. “You’ll have to excuse me. I forgot I have homework I need to catch up on.”
