Strings Of Fate

Chapter 12

"Yes?" Terrence attempted to play ignorant to the meaning behind that particular growl. Not eating was an excellent way to get noticed. And not for good reasons. Mika was strict with how people ate. He was even stricter about everyone making sure that no one was doing anything dangerous such as not eating their meals.

"Avoiding eating?"

Terrence shrugged, pulling the box closer but a paw stopped him, the rumble from Nikolai growing worse. "I'll eat now," he offered, tugging his hand but the wolf shook his head. Overprotective mutt wasn't going to let him off that easy. Terrence grimaced.

Forget Marquez and Madame. Mika was going to put him in the cage at this rate. Nothing he'd done so far showed he was a responsible adult. Ignoring the bakery running smoothly. Touch wood that it would continue to. The last thing he needed was for another bad thing to happen. The clock was ticking until Marquez made a reappearance to scold him for leaving without telling. For Madame to appear in their glory and demand answers Terrence did not have to give.

"Sit to eat," Nikolai ordered, stealing the box from Terrence and stomping back to his table. The box was placed where there was a spot to sit. Nikolai dragged a table and sat on the end of the booth. The air in the cafe was tense. Or maybe that was Terrence's shoulders.

He obeyed, crossing his legs and perching on the edge of the booth seat. Being trapped in like Avalon was not going to be fun. A paw landed on his knee and pushed him so he was sitting facing the table rather than the halfway case he's been before. The chair shifted to block him in and Nikolai continued to rumble.

"I'm not yours, you know," Terrence warned, allowing the behaviour but glaring as the wolf on his side attempted to press up against him.

"No, but your keeper will be pissed if I don't watch out for you," Nikolai countered, claws tapping on the box in a clear gesture to start. "Not pack, still a pred."

There was truth to that. "I'm human at the moment," Terrence sniffed but started to eat. Someone's knees bumped against his and the wolf didn't back down at the glare. He didn't attempt to sling an arm around his shoulder like the ones opposite had done to Avalon. Somehow they had shifted so Avalon was in-between two of them rather than on the end of the booth bench.

"Makes you easier to corral," Nikolai shot back. "When you're on the ground."

The wolf next to him snorted. "Toby is going to give you a long lecture about health and safety once he has his claws on you, kid."

Terrence shivered. "Toby's still in charge of all that, then?"

Toby was a falcon hybrid who had been around while Terrence had been on the circuit. He was the hybrid in charge of keeping everyone safe during the performances and practices. If he was pissed with Terrence, it meant Terrence wasn't going to be put on the stage anytime soon. Toby had always been strict about that kind of thing. More likely Toby would drag him into being his assistant for a while to help with the paperwork they had to submit every time they set up a new city.

"Of course, no one else wants that job," Nikolai said.