Page 10 of Teeth To Rip & Tear

“Yes.” He nodded, the movement eager despite his stoic demeanor. “Always yes.”

I avoided the windows at the front of the house as I led Kaleb to the kitchen and quickly got down to preparing breakfast.

Since Joel had left, I’d survived on hot pockets and sugar-free energy drinks. I was used to cooking for someone else, putting thought into my meals, and taking pride in what I put on a plate. It felt pointless to create some elaborate dish if I was the only one eating it.

I couldn’t bake to save my life, but I could follow a recipe.

I tried to hide my joy at having someone to cook for as I grabbed the pancake ingredients and set to work.

The kitchen was my space. From the cast irons on the wall, lined up on reinforced hooks, to the patchwork bunting I’d made by hand. I kept a small round table in the corner, with a rickety chair and a strawberry-printed cushion. I’d sit at the table and sew, knit, or sketch. Confined to a single roomin the house that was entirely mine and not tainted by a man's presence and design choices.

I’d only had a month and hadn’t had enough time to purge Joel’s presence from my childhood home entirely. He’d taken all the items he wanted, leaving my home a mishmash of missing furniture. I did not mourn the loss of the PS5, which I wasn’t sure I even knew how to switch on.

I got to work warming the cast iron on the stove when Mitchell appeared at the back door, tapping his knuckles against the glass. I cursed under my breath and glanced toward the front of the house, though I couldn’t see the driveway from the kitchen.

“Did Joel see you?” I turned to Mitchell, my eyes wide as I waved my spatula.

“I came through the woods. There’s a dead fox on your porch. I buried it for you.” Mitchell gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “Oh! Pancakes.” He grinned, pulling out a barstool and settling beside Kaleb at the kitchen island. “Did Officer Douchbag try to break in?”

My hands shook. “A dead fox?”

Kaleb slanted a look my way, and I wondered if he planned to tell Mitchell all about my tumultuous heritage. Instead, Kaleb knitted his fingers together. “Something crossed the backyard last night. Bad scent. I didn’t recognize it.” Kaleb lifted his eyes to the ceiling, focusing on the light-fitting as he spoke. “It woke Mallory but didn’t breach the wards. Mallory has a large collection of toy hamsters.”

“I hope that isn’t a euphemism for something.” Mitchell threw his head back and laughed, revealing pearly white teeth.

“They’re collectors’ items.” I snapped.

“They sing songs when you press their feet.” Kaleb supplied helpfully.

Mitchell raised a brow, waiting for an explanation. I turned back to the stove.

“Your husband is human, right?” Mitchell squinted.

I laughed as I poured pancake batter into the pan. “Oh yeah. He’s human. He’s part of the HAOB.Humans against other beings.”

“And you married that guy?” Mitchell’s brow lifted to his hairline. “Does he know you’re—”

I glanced at Kaleb, waiting for him to speak. To reveal the truth. He didn’t.

“—half Fae?” Mitchell wondered.

“Humans don’t pick up on that kind of thing.” I flipped a pancake. “I went through a rebellious phase. It just so happened that my rebellion was finding the most normal guy in Locket.”

“What drives such a normal guy to leave dead animals on their ex-wife’s car? That’s what I want to know.” Mitchell shook his head.

“Perhaps you have Charmed him?” Kaleb suggested, gesturing to me. “Does he wear anything you have sewn or woven?”

“Joel prefers Levis and Henley’s. He wouldn’t even let me fix his jeans.” I scoffed as I refilled the pan with batter disks once the first batch was done. “I’m old enough that I don’t Weave by accident; besides, no one wants to be in a relationship with someone they’ve had to enchant.”

Both men agreed.

I passed over the plates, and the wolves quickly dug in. I wasn’t sure any pancakes would be left by the time I’d gotten the maple and caramel syrup from the cupboard.

“What’s the plan?” I wondered. “Is someone coming to work with me today?”

“I’ll accompany you to the store.” Mitchell puffed up his chest. “Kaleb needs to report back to Dean about last night.”

“Last night?” I echoed. “Nothing happened.”

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