Page 52 of The Untamed

They want me home, taking care of kids, cooking and cleaning, while the men go out into the wilderness to do the real jobs.

I hate Wild Knox, but the more I consider it, the more he feels like a viable option to escape this world I’ve been born into.

Leaving means leaving Ronan and Ryder, though, and that doesn’t sit well with me.

“You’re not typically my brother’s type,” Mya snarks as she stirs sauce on the stove. “He usually goes for someone much sweeter.”

“Apparently, he likes me just as I am.” I flash her a saccharine smile. “Sour.”

She rolls her eyes, turning her back to me. Mom is too distracted with all these women and children around to pay attention to this girl, who seems to enjoy tormenting me.

“You’re just a phase,” she huffs. “It’s not like he’s going to ask you to marry him after playing tonsil hockey.”

I don’t know what tonsil hockey is, but I wasn’t born yesterday.

“Maybe I should let him suck on my boobs since he’s so fond of my tongue,” I spit out. “Trust me, he’ll want to marry me then.”

I’m totally just making stuff up, but it sounds badass and it pisses her off, which was the point. She tosses the spoon onto the counter before spinning around to glower at me. The girl is shorter than me. Scrawny too. I could take her in a fight.

“If he marries you, it’ll be for one thing. Procreation. Certainly not recreation. Virgins are so overrated.” She eyes me up and down critically. “Have you even heard of makeup? Try it sometime, wild girl.”

Her insult hits, but I don’t let it show, shrugging instead. “At least I don’t have to hide what a hideous beast I am unlike some people.”

Of course Mom walks into the kitchen at that exact moment.

Of course she does.

I sigh, ready for her words to lash at me, but she shoots a warning look to both of us before gesturing toward the food. “Rae, sunshine, can you take Stacey some food. I doubt the others will eat, but I know she’s probably hungry. Might do the others good to have someone different besides me to visit.”

Sunshine?

Usually that title is what Dad calls me. I can’t help but feel like my mom just secretly sided with me, which means maybe she heard Mya being nasty to me first. I helplessly fight a grin as I make up a plate of spaghetti for Stacey. When my family works together as a team, I’m a lot more hesitant to up and leave them. Even Mom, who’s my least favorite person here besides Kota.

“Boo!”

Kota, the little demon in question, launches himself from behind the sofa the second I pass with the tray of food. I nearly dump it all over his filthy head. He’d deserve it too!

“Move, you little shit!”

He sticks his tongue out at me. “Or what?”

“Since Dad’s belt doesn’t scare you, maybe I’ll drag you outside the gate and let the bears eat you like they did Carter.” I hiss at him to drive home that threat.

His face contorts into an uneasy frown before he scurries off, no doubt off to tattle on me. Whatever. I don’t care.

Declan peeks around the corner of the sofa, staring up at me with horror in his eyes.Sorry, little man, but your big brother had that coming to him.I bare my teeth playfully at him. He screeches and then starts to cry. Whoops. Mom’s problem now.

When I make it to Destiny’s and my room, I peek in the door that’s slightly ajar. Carter lies on a cot at the foot of Destiny’s bed where Stacey is sitting up, propped against pillows, reading Dawson a picture book. I dart my stare over to my bed. Kristen, covered to her chin in a blanket, stares up at the ceiling, not moving. Slowly, I enter the room and drift toward Kristen, watching her eyes to see if she’ll blink.

Maybe she’s dead.

“That smells divine, sweetie,” Stacey says, making me jump in surprise. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Bababa,” Dawson says in baby talk no one but him and Dad can understand.

Stacey chuckles. “Apologies, Mr. Dawson. We’ll continue reading.”

I stare at them and frown. Mom probably enjoys having this bedridden pregnant lady to help her babysit the kids. Dawson seems taken with Stacey. Maybe she can take him with her whenever she leaves and give the rest of us a break.

---