Page 15 of Her Fake Mate

“He steals food from you?” I growl.

Lana shakes her head. “No. He’s just silly.”

I relax slightly. I watch as the children engage in their chatter again, until the only one still staring at me is the baby in the chair.

“Pancakes?” Mia doesn’t wait for me to respond before putting some down on the plate in front of me.

“Thank you,” I say.

“Coffee?”

“No, I don’t drink coffee.”

Mia pauses. “I thought you brought some the other day?”

“I heard you drink it,” I mutter. I take a mouthful of pancakes to avoid further discussion. They’re good.

I absorb the environment while Lana chatters at me. This is so… lively. My parents loved me, but with the three of us, meals were much more carefully organized. And much quieter.

I don’t hate it, though. There’s always something to see. I can see why big families are popular among some shifters. We are communal creatures, after all.

The pancakes disappear rather quickly, and one by one, the children disappear, too. I nod at Mia. “Do we need to take them to school?”

“No. Josh is driving them today. Briony gave us the van, and it’s good for him to practice.”

Practice? “With all of the children in the car? You’d let him practice? Surely he has a license, correct?”

“Yeah, sure,” Mia shrugs.

I stand. “I will take the children to school. Give me just…”

“I’m kidding, Zander. One of the older foxes is taking them today. Who has been driving for many years. And isn’t too old to drive,” she adds quickly.

I sit back down. “That was not a funny joke, Mia.”

“I think maybe you just don’t get my humor.”

“I think perhaps it just isn’t very entertaining.”

“Maybe my boyfriend would think I’m funny all the time.”

“Ha,” I say dryly.

“I think you’re the most funniest, Mia,” Lana chirps.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Can I go play now?”

Mia looks down at the child’s plate. “Yes. You can.”

Lana hops down and runs off.

Mia hefts the baby up. “Here. You hold AJ, and I’ll start the dishes.”

I eye the baby warily. “How about I do dishes, and you hold that very small creature?”

She laughs. “Are you scared of a baby, Zander Black?”