Read Online Elder: Reckless Desires (Norseton Wolves #6) by Holley Trent - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Holley Trent
Tags: Single Mother, Werewolf, shapeshifter romance, wolf shifter, Fated Mates, alpha wolf, domestic abuse, wounded alpha, wounded heroine
Ads: Link
straight line, but she’s been really helpful when I go into the shop looking for stuff for work. She always takes a few minutes out of her day to chat and catch up on what the wolves are doing.”
“Hell,” Aunt Lil said, “can’t expect any of you men to go out and set good examples in the communities, so you better be glad your mates are. You’re all hopeless cases, but I guess you can’t help not having home training.”
“All things considered,” Nixon said, “I think I’m doing pretty good. I’ve never once been in jail, and I’ve never had a lady smack me.”
“That’s a pretty low standard, Nix.”
“I promise to do better. How ’bout that?”
Aunt Lil narrowed her eyes with suspicion. “I don’t think you have it in you.” Then she turned to Esther. “You’d better take him up on his offer to go. I think just like the rest of the boys, this one needs supervision.”
“ Boy ?” Nixon snorted and ruffled Kevin’s wet hair when he squeezed into the kitchen looking for who-knew-what. “I’ll have you know I’ve already earned a nickname in the pack. Ain’t that cute? I’m the old man of the bunch, so they’re calling me ‘Elder.’”
Aunt Lil rolled her eyes and handed Kevin the asthma inhaler he’d obviously come out looking for. “Adam’s got some years on you, but I guess that’ll fit just as well as anyone else’s nicknames.”
“What are you all called?” Esther wasn’t asking any person in particular, but she happened to be looking at Nixon. She could barely stop looking at him. He’d touched Kevin playfully— reflexively , and Kevin hadn’t minded.
Anton let out a sputtering breath. “From the top, we’ve got Alpha, Beast, Loner, Idler, Scion, Maker, and this guy.” He crooked his thumb toward Nixon, who winked at Esther.
She suppressed a yip and looked at her feet again.
“Still haven’t given Jim a nickname.”
“Nah,” Vic said. “He’s being careful to keep himself very boring so we don’t pin anything on him that’ll stick.”
“He’s not boring,” Christina said. “He’s just smart.”
“Anyone would be around you fools!” Ashley shouted from the back out of the house. “I wouldn’t want a nickname, ether. I’ve finally gotten used to folks actually calling me by my first name and not just, ‘hey, you.’”
Esther knew that feeling all too well. On many days, she hadn’t been certain if her own husband knew her name. He’d rarely used it. “Bitch” had one less syllable, and was apparently easier to say when he was drunk.
“Can you pick out clothes for me?” Kevin asked.
Esther needed a moment to realize the question had been directed to her. She was his mother, after all, and having been passed out for six days, had to make up for the time she’d lost.
“You’ll meet me in town later?” Nixon called after her.
She stopped halfway to the hallway.
He’d meant that?
“I should be done at around two, but if you get too busy, don’t worry about it.”
She looked over her shoulder to Anton again for clues, but he wasn’t looking. He didn’t seem to care at all about the discussion.
So it was up to Esther to decide if she cared.
She dragged her tongue across her dry lips and looked at Nixon.
He raised one eyebrow and then the other. His expression was open and friendly, and she wasn’t used to that. Usually, wolves smiled only as warnings. Apparently, she had a lot to learn about life on the outside of her old pack. Nixon seemed a safe place to start her education.
“Um. Okay. Just tell me where to go.”
CHAPTER SIX
Nixon didn’t particularly like seeing Adam grind his teeth, because in his experience, the action usually preceded the dude yelling at him or throwing something in his direction. The former was more likely, seeing as how they were in an exam room at the Norseton clinic, being watched by a very enthusiastic young visiting prosthetist. He’d been brought in especially for Nixon.
“Explain
“Hell,” Aunt Lil said, “can’t expect any of you men to go out and set good examples in the communities, so you better be glad your mates are. You’re all hopeless cases, but I guess you can’t help not having home training.”
“All things considered,” Nixon said, “I think I’m doing pretty good. I’ve never once been in jail, and I’ve never had a lady smack me.”
“That’s a pretty low standard, Nix.”
“I promise to do better. How ’bout that?”
Aunt Lil narrowed her eyes with suspicion. “I don’t think you have it in you.” Then she turned to Esther. “You’d better take him up on his offer to go. I think just like the rest of the boys, this one needs supervision.”
“ Boy ?” Nixon snorted and ruffled Kevin’s wet hair when he squeezed into the kitchen looking for who-knew-what. “I’ll have you know I’ve already earned a nickname in the pack. Ain’t that cute? I’m the old man of the bunch, so they’re calling me ‘Elder.’”
Aunt Lil rolled her eyes and handed Kevin the asthma inhaler he’d obviously come out looking for. “Adam’s got some years on you, but I guess that’ll fit just as well as anyone else’s nicknames.”
“What are you all called?” Esther wasn’t asking any person in particular, but she happened to be looking at Nixon. She could barely stop looking at him. He’d touched Kevin playfully— reflexively , and Kevin hadn’t minded.
Anton let out a sputtering breath. “From the top, we’ve got Alpha, Beast, Loner, Idler, Scion, Maker, and this guy.” He crooked his thumb toward Nixon, who winked at Esther.
She suppressed a yip and looked at her feet again.
“Still haven’t given Jim a nickname.”
“Nah,” Vic said. “He’s being careful to keep himself very boring so we don’t pin anything on him that’ll stick.”
“He’s not boring,” Christina said. “He’s just smart.”
“Anyone would be around you fools!” Ashley shouted from the back out of the house. “I wouldn’t want a nickname, ether. I’ve finally gotten used to folks actually calling me by my first name and not just, ‘hey, you.’”
Esther knew that feeling all too well. On many days, she hadn’t been certain if her own husband knew her name. He’d rarely used it. “Bitch” had one less syllable, and was apparently easier to say when he was drunk.
“Can you pick out clothes for me?” Kevin asked.
Esther needed a moment to realize the question had been directed to her. She was his mother, after all, and having been passed out for six days, had to make up for the time she’d lost.
“You’ll meet me in town later?” Nixon called after her.
She stopped halfway to the hallway.
He’d meant that?
“I should be done at around two, but if you get too busy, don’t worry about it.”
She looked over her shoulder to Anton again for clues, but he wasn’t looking. He didn’t seem to care at all about the discussion.
So it was up to Esther to decide if she cared.
She dragged her tongue across her dry lips and looked at Nixon.
He raised one eyebrow and then the other. His expression was open and friendly, and she wasn’t used to that. Usually, wolves smiled only as warnings. Apparently, she had a lot to learn about life on the outside of her old pack. Nixon seemed a safe place to start her education.
“Um. Okay. Just tell me where to go.”
CHAPTER SIX
Nixon didn’t particularly like seeing Adam grind his teeth, because in his experience, the action usually preceded the dude yelling at him or throwing something in his direction. The former was more likely, seeing as how they were in an exam room at the Norseton clinic, being watched by a very enthusiastic young visiting prosthetist. He’d been brought in especially for Nixon.
“Explain
Similar Books
