Page 4 of Witchbane
“I’m not withering and dying.”
“I need to find that forest god,” Liam said folding his arms across his chest and gazing out at the woods near the house. “Wonder how someone summons a forest god.”
“Summoning any god sounds like a bad idea.”
“He did this,” Liam waved at me. “He can undo it.”
“But how you gonna make him?”
And that had my mate stumped. “Ask nicely?”
I nodded. “Because anything in life is that easy?”
I continued to chop up veggies. Dinner would be simple. Sheet pan cooking. All the veggies on one pan, and a couple of cut-up chickens on the other. Those were already in the oven courtesy of Toby’s help. The only reason he left the rest to me was because it was simply a few peppers and broccoli with olive oil drizzled over it. Even I could handle that on my own, right? I felt a little helpless lately and hated it.
The sound of a car pulling up and voices near the front of the house made me look up. I tried to make out all the voices. Guards, wolves, because I felt their tug at the pack bond and then… what was that?
“No way…” I said getting up and making my way to the door.
A female voice argued with the guards. My heart did a whirling dance of terror and dismay. “Mom?” I called as I went to the living room and the main door, Liam hot on my heels.
The tiny woman standing on the doorstep arguing with giant werewolves seemed smaller than I remembered, her personality eclipsed the men on the porch. She was a bit like a proverbial dragon in human form, a biting and fire-filled presence, who insisted she needed to see me right that minute.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“I couldn’t get in contact with Xander. When Oberon decided to answer the phone, he told me you were up here and engaged. I shouldn’t worry anymore. Engaged? And you didn’t bother to tell me? I’m your mother and didn’t even know you were across the country?” A delicate woman with warm sepia skin, Asian eyes slanted and golden brown, with high cheekbones and a glowing youth to her face, my mother was stunning. And if the werewolves backing away on the porch were any indication, still terrifying.
“Mom…”
“It’s not that Felix is it? What a horrible man. I told Xander to keep that man away from you. Words like honey, but I could see the viper in him.”
Liam put his arm around me, pulling me against him. “Mrs. Wheeler, it’s great to get the chance to meet you.” He tugged us forward and offered a hand to her.
She took his hand, hers dainty in his, but eyes filled with steel. “And you are?”
“Liam Ulrich,” he informed her. “Sebastian’s mate.”
Her eyes narrowed at the word mate. “Mate? Is that some PC term for roommate? Trying to downplay that you’re lovers?”
I gaped at her. “Mom!”
“Sebastian is my everything,” Liam said. “Do you prefer the term significant other?”
“I prefer the term husband. You don’t plan to marry him?”
“I think that’s not my decision alone,” Liam said.
“That’s ridiculous. Sebastian is young. Needs someone to give him a solid home and security.”
“And I do,” Liam promised. “To the best of my ability.”
“Sebastian can take care of himself,” I informed them both. “And doesn’t want to get married.”
My mother’s gaze fell on me and if a look could flail the skin off me, hers would have. I thought she would start screaming at me but she turned a polite smile on my mate. “Would you let me talk to my son for a few minutes alone?”
Liam tensed. I felt his muscles tighten around me, like he didn’t want to let go. But he nodded, slowly released me and stepped away. “I’ll get the veggies in the oven and check on the chicken,” he said, leaving us in the doorway.
The guards let my mother through and reached in to close the door behind her, leaving us in the entry. They could still hear, but I didn’t know if my mom knew that. Was she going to yell at me? I realized I was hugging myself and rubbing my arms like I was cold, and had to force myself to stop. Without Liam’s warmth around me, I wanted to collapse inward, run upstairs and hide in bed.