Page 33 of Forever Mine

“Is that Maddie?” I heard Lily ask as what sounded like a struggle ensued. “Give me the phone,” a muffled Lily said.

“No, go away, you freak,” Liam retorted. “Get out of my bed . . . Lil, I’m not kidding, go away.”

There was a crackling of the phone and then Lily was suddenly there. “Good morning, Maddie.”

“Good morning, Lily. I was just asking Liam if you two wanted to join us for breakfast.”

“Of course we do. Downstairs?”

“Yes.”

“Great, I’ll be right down, but my brother just jumped in the shower. He could be awhile.”

I laughed as I said goodbye and hung up. Lily was already waiting on us when Oscar and I got downstairs.

“Hello,” he said, checking her over. Then he leaned in and sniffed her.

“Oscar,” I scolded.

“Oh please, at least he didn’t sniff my butt.” She laughed at her own joke. I had forgotten to warn her that Oscar didn’t know about our kind.

“You smell a lot like Liam,” Oscar announced.

“Oscar, we discussed this,” I warned him.

“But Mom, Liam smells good, too. He told me, and she’s his sister.” He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, and for a shifter it was, but he didn’t know people like that existed. I had never taught him about the wolves, and I certainly had never encouraged the few signs he’d shown, but maybe it was being around other wolves that was calling to that half of him, because he had never before been so vocal and obvious about it.

“I’m sorry, Mommy.”

“It’s okay, kid,” Lily said. “I know what you meant. I’m Lily.”

“Hi, Lily, I’m Oscar.”

“Well look at you, a perfect little gentleman. You’re a pretty lucky boy to have this lady as your mama,” she told him, putting an arm around my waist and laying her head on my shoulder.

Oscar gave her a confused look. “Mommy doesn’t like to be touched by people, ?cept me and Liam. Please back off.”

Lily looked confused, but did as he asked just as Liam came up behind Oscar and picked him up under his arms. “Don’t worry Lil, yesterday he gave me the same warning, only sounds like I’ve been upgraded in the last twenty-four hours.”

“Liam!” my son squealed, turning in his arms and hugging him by the neck.

“We missed you last night,” Liam said, tickling Oscar and making him laugh. “Hope it sucked, ?cause we don’t want to make a habit of it. Mommy’s nicer when you’re around,” he whispered to him, and I shot him an incredulous look that made Oscar laugh harder.

“Mommy says I get to hang out with you today.”

“You okay with that? ?Cause otherwise we have to sit around and listen to these two yap all day long. It’s not going to be any fun at all.”

“Could we go swimming in the pool? That was lots of fun last night.”

“I’m sure that could be arranged.”

“Do you have a car?”

“I do. Why? Kid’s starting to worry me,” he said to me with a wink as the two of them headed off to fix their breakfast.

“He’s really good with him, MC,” Lily observed.

“I know,” I said sadly.

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