Page 59 of Bred Mate
“Why didn’t you?”
“I’m trying not to traumatize your brother. If we can do this politely, then we do it politely. She wants to see you, so I figure if we take you there, you’ll have the chance to negotiate with her.”
“Okay.”
Ellie
“There is something else,” he says. I can’t wait to hear this. All of the news has been so great so far.
“What?”
“Your mother is married to Rainer now.”
“Good for her,” I deadpan. “We killed his son, and got his body eaten by alligators. Do you think there could be some fallout from that?”
“I think it will probably be fine,” he says.
“Sure. Okay.”
After days of wildness, I am dressed and in a car. Feels weird. My thoughts are mostly going around in circles, centering around the fact that they do need me after all. I really can’t afford to not be around these people. Every time I take my eyes off them for more than a few seconds, terrible things happen.
“You’re pregnant,” Karl says on the drive.
“Yeah. Probably. Whatever.”
He glances over at me, piercing me with his good eye. “I need you to stop running away from me. I need you to start acting in a sane fashion. You’re going to be a mother. I don’t want to be chasing you around while you’re giving birth.”
I don’t have much to say about that. I know he’s right. I know I have to go to the city and be normal, and try to avoid the murder charge I am going to catch when I see my mother again.
“Yeah,” I say, picking at the fabric on my body. I’m so fucking aware of the clothing right now. Dark leggings, heavy boots, tight top that makes me feel all snug and contained.
“I love you,” he says out of nowhere.
“What?”
“I love you,” he growls. “So can you please stop being very stupid?”
“Fuck off,” I snap back. “I love you too.”
I fold my arms over my chest and the rest of the ride happens more or less in silence. Both of us are seething for different reasons.
“How did she take him? He must be so scared.”
“Baldwin saw it happen, but he was unable to intervene. She picked him up from school and just sort of… talked him into going with her. He’s telling me that Connor seems to like her.”
“Perfect. Just fucking perfect. She abandoned him as a baby, but he’s into her now as a mom?”
“I don’t know, Ellie,” Karl says. “He’s a boy. She’s his mother.”
“Technically she probably had the right to take him. She’s not really the kidnapper. We will be.”
He gives a shrug. “I could not give less of a fuck about the legalities. Do you want your brother back? Or do you want to leave him with the creature who tried to marry you off against your will and then decided to invade my home and ask for you?”
“My mom came to you, and asked for me?”
“Yes.”
“She has some nerve,” I smile. I don’t know why. It’s not as if it is really all that funny, but there’s something about how completely unhinged she is that makes me feel a certain amount of admiration.
