Page 13 of Moon Tamed

“As long as it’s Peter,” my mother replied. “He might provide some sport.”

“Mom,” Peter complained.

“How old are you?”

“Not old enough to be sold to a Hunter. You already gave me to Coraline.”

“He’d be doing her a favor.”

My brother collapsed on the steps and wasted several minutes writhing in his death throes, reciting absurd poetry while he perished.

Well, there was no risk of anyone in the Stephans family taking me seriously. As long as I kept professional and calm at work, I had nothing to worry about.

If they requested someone else, I went back to my inconsistent schedule and lived happily ever after.

“Now that my brother has reminded the entire neighborhood why you threw a party after we left, want me to come back tomorrow?” I asked.

“You can stay, baby,” my mother replied, coming to me and kissing my cheeks. “I’m making a roast tonight. Calden was recruited to discuss the next hunt practice with us. Our factions are helping this time.”

“Oh! Both? Is that normal?” My mother nodded, stepped over my brother, and went inside the house. “It’s quite normal, as our factions have different specialties. We always host a dinner for the Stephans during preparations. Your father is still coming, right?”

Calden dodged my brother and headed inside, too. “He’ll be another ten minutes or so. Busy day.”

“Isn’t that always how it goes?” My father herded me into the house. “Coraline, go visit the doves and relax.”

“Hey, why does she get off from doing the chores?” Peter crawled into the house and hugged our father’s leg. “Don’t you love me anymore?”

“Her birds appreciate attention and make good stew once they die of old age. Yours are assholes who fight me for the pears. At least you got a tree that produces fruit. The love is a default, but it is time you learned a few lessons.”

I waved at my brother before heading for the sunroom. A special window enchanted with protective magic allowed the birds to come and go as they pleased. The same magic kept them out of the house.

The instant I stepped through the door, the flock swarmed me. My mother flung a bucket of seed into the feeder to spare me from an early death. “You’ve spoiled my babies.”

While a few abandoned me for supper, most fought for the right to perch on me. I began the ritual of petting them all. Once a dove received its fair share of adoration, it flew to the feeder.

My mother spared me from a lecture, although she did laugh.

Calden came and stood in the doorway, attracting several of the birds. “You’ve avoided my faction because you hopelessly love animals.”

“I cried the first time we ate one of the old doves. You could talk me into hunting something like a rabbit, though. I love rabbit. As I don’t mooch off the parents, I’m practical.” I began the process of dislodging birds so I could go take a shower and change into clean clothes.

Doves lacked regard when it came to the apparel of their preferred perches. I also rescued Calden from his collection of feathered friends before they decorated him with their droppings.

“This does explain your enthusiasm for the hummingbirds,” he stated, and he retreated from the sunroom. “If you want to be swarmed, I’ll bring one of their favorite plants to your office tomorrow.”

“Will the plant be trapped?”

Calden chuckled. “While tempting, no. I leave all traps and pranks to after hours, unlike my father. I can’t believe he tried to kill me with broccoli. To hide broccoli in chocolate and pretend this isn’t an abomination? He will pay.”

“Honestly, I was trying to figure out what you had done to deserve it. At that point, I needed to see what would happen. They were pretty bad, though. Edible, but not something I would eat again if given a choice.” I escaped the sunroom, but not without meeting the gazes of several hopeful birds wanting to come inside.

They knew a sucker when they saw one.

“No doves in the house!” my mother called from the kitchen.

“Do you have eyes in the back of your head?”

“No. I have monitoring cameras to check on the flock. No doves in the house. Make yourself presentable, and good job preserving Calden’s clothes.”

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