Page 93 of Moon Tamed

“Comfort is life, Peter, unless you’re out for a round of energetic evening entertainment, in which case you have to dig out something with a little less substance.”

“Can we not have this conversation right now?” Peter begged. “I’ve had this conversation, or similar versions of it, all day, and I was not a willing participant any of those times.”

Our father snickered. “You were probably being tested for your status as marriageable material. If you were not driven from their territory immediately, you probably did all right.”

“I couldn’t escape them.”

“Coraline, you know what to do.”

I did? “I’m not rescuing him from my co-workers.”

“I was asking you to encourage your co-workers, not discourage them.”

“They’re adults. They can do what they want unless it involves scoring points, in which case I’d very much appreciate if they stood still so I can shoot them accurately. For the most part, they stand still so I can shoot them accurately.”

“I feel like your mother and I failed you at basic life lessons spectacularly,” my father muttered.

“You did just fine, Dad,” I replied. “We’re both over the age of twenty, and we’re still breathing.”

“A ringing endorsement,” he muttered.

“I caught a wolf. He’s soft and fluffy.”

“But are you keeping him?” my father countered.

That was a good question. “I’m pretty sure the wolf gets a say in that, Dad. You can’t just run off with a wolf and not give him a say in the matter.”

“You should try it sometime. It might work.”

“Calden does not need any more counts to his kidnapping record.”

“Sure he does, just don’t let his father find out if you plan on signing any legal documentation.”

I giggled. “Are you trying to tell me something, Dad?”

“Yes. Kidnap the wolf and come back married. Then I might get a chance to baby a human infant rather than feathered fiends for a change.”

“Lucky and his lady are having chicks, right?”

“Apparently, it takes up to a month or so for the chicks to be born, so we’re playing the waiting game.” My father sighed. “This is apparently my fault for not somehow encouraging the Spawn of Lucky to make their appearance sooner.”

“You’ll survive, Dad. Somehow.”

“But will I, Coraline? Will I actually survive the wait?”

“You better.”

TWENTY-TWO

You’re sorry she doesn’t want to kill me?

My brother would never learn. Rather than do the wise thing, which involved taking a bath and soaking away his aches and pains, he engaged in a round of knuckle slap with Calden. The first wager involved Calden returning a week of my time, thus earning the wrath of myself and both Stephans men.

Calden showed zero mercy and claimed another week of my time as his prize, taking my brother out in record time. How a human could strike with such swiftness would occupy me for quite a while, but as he won me more camping time, I clapped for the victor to show my approval. “Do that again, but with more ruthlessness. Peter, you can visit, but if you think I’m going to let you steal more camping time from me, you will be sorry.”

“You can’t kill your brother,” my mother scolded.

“I can’t get all his money out of him for my camping supplies if I kill him, Mom. Please use some base common sense. However much he annoys me, I need him alive to make him pay.”

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