Page 6 of Conner's Luna

"Same."

"You're taking your painkillers?" Dad asks.

"I fucking hate those things, Dad."

"Too bad," Dad replies with no sympathy. "I don't like you being there at State for some unhinged bitch."

"Dad!" I snap, feeling offended for my mate, even if he's right.

I hear a faint slap. "Sorry," Dad grunts (not to me).

"Tell Mom I love her," I say.

"Tell her yourself. She wants to talk food, anyway."

I hear a shuffling, then my mom's voice comes on the line. "Sweetie, do you think you want stuffed potatoes with bacon or pork this Sunday?"

"Anything you want, Mom."

"Both? I'll make both," she says. "How about ice cream flavors? Or I can get one of those cakes. Both, I guess. I think maybe the twins are coming up from Texas this weekend. I hope they can make it. They always come with an extra dozen wolves or so. I'll need another meat, maybe a turkey? Do you still like green beans? The French ones? I'll make the long ones for Braxton and the twins. Oh, Sean likes stuffed potatoes with bacon, right?"

"Mom-"

"And gravy. Megan likes the turkey gravy on her roasts. We tried it a few weeks ago and it was great. You'll love it. Are you dating anyone?"

I blink. And blink again. "No," I say slowly. Only my mother...

"Alright," she says with forced cheerfulness. "Make sure you bring any friends home. I'll make sure that we keep the wolves in, just in case you bring your human girl here."

"I'm not-"

"Humans eat so many more veggies than we do. Oh! Do you think she's one of those non-meat-eating people? I heard humans are doing that more and more. Cassie may be going non-meat. I think if she weren't pupping so often, she would have already."

"Vegetarian? Mom, I don't-"

"Well, I'll make a couple of extra dishes, just in case. Love you, Conner. Stay healthy."

Dad takes the phone back, his booming laugh all I can hear for a solid minute before he controls himself. "She's determined to catch you a female, Con," he finally tells me when he has himself back under control.

"I want my mate," I whisper.

Dad is quiet for a minute. "I want you to be happy, Conner. We all do."

"Alright, Dad. I'll see you Sunday, yeah?" I need to hang up on the insanity that is my family. I love them, I do, but shit, they are crazy.

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3 - Flu Favors

Bailey

"Dad, I'm fine. I'm going to class, OK?" I hold in the cough threatening to explode from my chest with sheer force of will.

"You should be asleep," Dad says through the phone. "Resting, at least. You have the flu, Bails. You can't miss one class?"

"This is my Chem Lab today, Dad. We're starting a new experiment. Lab is a third of my grade." I cover the mouthpiece of my cell to cough.

"Alright. Come straight home after and rest," he says.

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