And I moaned, “Why do you have friends?”
More pounding ensued, and then I heard the door open.
That had me sitting up quickly, my heart pounding hard, suddenly. “What the hell?”
“They’ve got keys. I agreed in a moment of weakness,” Zed mumbled into his pillow.
“They’ve had keys this whole time, and you didn’t tell me?” I demanded.
“Sorry. They’ve never used them here; they know it pisses me off.”
Footsteps sounded on the stairway.
I scrambled up toward the dresser, looking for a bra, and then remembered that my clothes were all still in the other room, and boxed up in the back of the truck.
“I don’t have clothes,” I hissed at Zed. I was wearing one of his shirts and some of his boxers, but that wasn’t exactly appropriate for company.
The bedroom door opened, and Zed was growling, stalking across the room.
He halted in front of the door, and I remained where I was, near the dresser.
A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway, a hand on her hip as she glared at my man. My wolf strained at my muscles and bones, wanting to protect Zed, and I rubbed at the skin over my heart. It wouldn’t calm her down, but it prevented me from getting panicky.
“What the absolute hell, Zedekiah?” the woman glowered at him.
I stepped up to his side.
“Hey, mom.” He raked a hand through his sleep-mussed hair.
Mom?
Oh, shit.
Great way to meet a guy’s mom.
“You can’t just disappear. How many times have I told you that?” she demanded. “There are people who love you, and we worry about you. Being gone while you’re hunting isn’t in your control, but leaving without a text or phone call very much is.”
He sighed. “It was just a little trip, and our phones got stolen.” He waved her out of the room. “June and I will get dressed and meet you in the kitchen.”
We would what?
She scowled, but headed back toward the stairs.
“I’m not going down there,” I told Zed, as soon as the door shut.
“You are,” he said, his voice steady.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.” I was starting to get frustrated, and a bit panicky.
“You are, June.” His hands cupped my face.
“I’m not,” I repeated, my voice rising.
The tip of his nose bumped mine. “Look at me, Beautiful. You were hidden in the spare room for most of the time since I’ve been back, which has my very protective, smothering, but loving family concerned for me. If you don’t go down there today and introduce yourself to my mom, and whoever else she’s brought with her, she will hold a grudge for at least a year or two. And I know you well enough to know that would hurt you, so I can’t let you stay up here.”