Read Online Every Dawn Forever by R. E. Butler - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: R. E. Butler
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everything on her plate. The plate was soon overflowing with grilled chicken and vegetables, macaroni and cheese, and a thick wedge of cornbread. Her mouth watered at the bounty in front of her. She hadn’t eaten so well in…ever.
She lifted her fork and knife and looked at them. They had filled their plates, but seemed to be waiting for her. Cutting a piece from the chicken, she speared a piece of zucchini before lifting the fork to her mouth. She chewed the tender chicken and seasoned vegetable slowly, savoring the taste. She had always considered herself a decent cook, but she’d never had the means to make something this good.
“It’s really good, Crux.” She praised him the way she would have wanted to be, but had never been.
His lightly tanned cheeks pinked and he cleared his throat. “I’m glad you like it, baby.”
They began to eat themselves, and she turned her attention back to the plate. They talked about the gym they worked at, which was run by another hyena clan that lived fairly close to them. The owners of the gym were their cousins, Dante, Cairo, and Mason, and another set of cousins lived in an apartment in town. Their names were Nyte, Azrael, and Fade.
“And all of you work at the gym?” she asked after taking a long drink of iced tea.
Orion nodded. “Yep. We all grew up in the same baro in Tennessee. Dante and his brothers left the baro a few years ago to move to Kentucky and open the gym. They went back to Gorge a few months ago and we thought it was a good time to start off somewhere new.”
As she listened to Orion talk about his family, a pang of sadness struck her. They were so blessed to have parents that loved them and family that supported them. Who knows what would have become of her life if she’d had the support of her mother. Or hadn’t been given away so cruelly when she was just learning what life had to offer. Shaking the dark thoughts away, she concentrated on Orion’s words.
When dinner was finished, she stood with her plate in hand and Crux took it from her quickly. With a jerk of his head, he said, “Go watch TV and relax. I’ll handle the dishes.”
“I don’t mind,” she said.
“Neither do I,” he answered, gathering more plates in his hands and carrying them to the sink.
She followed Orion into the family room. A large floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace graced one wall, a giant flat screen TV was anchored to another wall, and two black leather couches met in an L shape in front of the TV. Orion led her to the couch that faced the TV and she sat down at one side, leaning against the arm. He sat in the middle. Near, but not crowding her.
“What do you like?” He clicked a button on the remote and the TV turned on, as well as a sound system and satellite box.
“Whatever you like is fine,” she said. Her experience with television over the last few years had been limited to sports and hunting shows. Sometimes her former mate let her watch TV with him when he was feeling in a generous mood, but often she spent the evenings cleaning and doing laundry before going to bed early and hoping that he wouldn’t want to touch her that night.
Why can’t I stop thinking about him?
“How about a comedy?” Orion broke through her thoughts.
“That’s fine,” she assured him. He stopped flipping channels and settled on a show about two women who worked in a diner. A few minutes after the show started, Sterling joined them, sitting on Orion’s other side. By the time the show was over and another one started, about a group of friends who lived in the same apartment building, Crux came into the room. He sat down on the other couch.
For the next hour, they didn’t really speak, just watching the shows and laughing at the jokes. Orion yawned and stretched. “I’m dead on my feet. Sydney, I can show you how to work the remote so you can stay up if you’d like.”
“I’m ready for
She lifted her fork and knife and looked at them. They had filled their plates, but seemed to be waiting for her. Cutting a piece from the chicken, she speared a piece of zucchini before lifting the fork to her mouth. She chewed the tender chicken and seasoned vegetable slowly, savoring the taste. She had always considered herself a decent cook, but she’d never had the means to make something this good.
“It’s really good, Crux.” She praised him the way she would have wanted to be, but had never been.
His lightly tanned cheeks pinked and he cleared his throat. “I’m glad you like it, baby.”
They began to eat themselves, and she turned her attention back to the plate. They talked about the gym they worked at, which was run by another hyena clan that lived fairly close to them. The owners of the gym were their cousins, Dante, Cairo, and Mason, and another set of cousins lived in an apartment in town. Their names were Nyte, Azrael, and Fade.
“And all of you work at the gym?” she asked after taking a long drink of iced tea.
Orion nodded. “Yep. We all grew up in the same baro in Tennessee. Dante and his brothers left the baro a few years ago to move to Kentucky and open the gym. They went back to Gorge a few months ago and we thought it was a good time to start off somewhere new.”
As she listened to Orion talk about his family, a pang of sadness struck her. They were so blessed to have parents that loved them and family that supported them. Who knows what would have become of her life if she’d had the support of her mother. Or hadn’t been given away so cruelly when she was just learning what life had to offer. Shaking the dark thoughts away, she concentrated on Orion’s words.
When dinner was finished, she stood with her plate in hand and Crux took it from her quickly. With a jerk of his head, he said, “Go watch TV and relax. I’ll handle the dishes.”
“I don’t mind,” she said.
“Neither do I,” he answered, gathering more plates in his hands and carrying them to the sink.
She followed Orion into the family room. A large floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace graced one wall, a giant flat screen TV was anchored to another wall, and two black leather couches met in an L shape in front of the TV. Orion led her to the couch that faced the TV and she sat down at one side, leaning against the arm. He sat in the middle. Near, but not crowding her.
“What do you like?” He clicked a button on the remote and the TV turned on, as well as a sound system and satellite box.
“Whatever you like is fine,” she said. Her experience with television over the last few years had been limited to sports and hunting shows. Sometimes her former mate let her watch TV with him when he was feeling in a generous mood, but often she spent the evenings cleaning and doing laundry before going to bed early and hoping that he wouldn’t want to touch her that night.
Why can’t I stop thinking about him?
“How about a comedy?” Orion broke through her thoughts.
“That’s fine,” she assured him. He stopped flipping channels and settled on a show about two women who worked in a diner. A few minutes after the show started, Sterling joined them, sitting on Orion’s other side. By the time the show was over and another one started, about a group of friends who lived in the same apartment building, Crux came into the room. He sat down on the other couch.
For the next hour, they didn’t really speak, just watching the shows and laughing at the jokes. Orion yawned and stretched. “I’m dead on my feet. Sydney, I can show you how to work the remote so you can stay up if you’d like.”
“I’m ready for
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