Family Secrets

Raul 4

Raul

I'm not sure I even take the time to chew my supper the next evening. Unfortunately, that means I'm finished long before everyone else. I'm forced to wait, impatiently drumming my fingers on the table (and then my knee when Pop growls at me), until enough of my family has finished so that I can respectfully leave the table.

"You didn't eat much," Pop observes, looking me over as I stand.

"Not that hungry. I'm heading into the woods." Despite my words, I pick up another tortilla to eat on the way. I love when Mama makes them from scratch.

Pop quirks a brow but doesn't say anything. Instead, he looks pointedly at my mother. Apparently, they have noticed me going into the woods everyday for the past few months. Huh. Who'd have thought?

"Uh, love y'all. Bye."

I quickly make my way to the door, but footsteps sound behind me.

Should I act like I don't know they're following me, or--

"Meeting someone, mijo?" Mama asks as I touch the doorknob.

I freeze, mentally screaming expletives and telling myself I should have walked just a little faster. Now what do I tell them? I've thought about it nearly every day, but I'm still not sure what to say. How do I explain my friend without giving too much away? And how do they know I'm not just hanging out by myself? I used to do that a lot.

"Well?" Pop prompts, arms crossed.

What else can I say? I turn to face my parents, swallowing my nerves long enough to breathe, "Yeah."

"A girl?" Mama asks.

A short bark of laughter pops out of my mouth. I quickly shake my head, "No."

"A male then?" Pop asks, eyes intense on me.

"Yeah. He likes to hunt dark creatures too."

"Do we know this boy?" Mama asks.

"No. He's from a different pack."

"Different pack?" Pop muses. "This close to Alpha's lands?"

"I don't know where his family's from, but we ran into each other hunting about twenty miles north of here."

"And have been hunting together ever since?" Mama asks. There's some kind of knowing light in her eyes that makes me feel uneasy. Why is she saying it like that? Does she know something—It's then I notice Mama glancing down to her left, something she's always done when listening to her wolf. Ah. My wolf is telling on me. Figures.

"What'd he say?" I ask, motioning vaguely to my own left.

"That you've formed quite a bond with this other male, that he's not like any male you've ever encountered before. That you... are very affectionate with him." Mama says quietly.

Until that last bit it didn't sound too bad. Now it sounds like I've got a crush on Kilan or something—which I absolutely do not. I might not have ever had romantic feelings for females, but I've definitely not had them for males.

"It's not like it sounds," I automatically deny. "Kilan is my best friend. We talk about everything. We hunt together. We're friends."

"Kilan," Pop repeats, considering. "I am not familiar with this name."

"It's from his pack," I say quickly, glancing out the window to gauge the time.

"Hmm," Mama grunts, "well, we would like to meet this Kilan someday."