Chapter Eight
Dean
Jillian was a great cook. She could take very little and make a tasty and filling meal, something I wished I had the ability to do as well. Since she lacked the one thing I required for cooking, I feared I’d be little help in that department.
“I only cook with a microwave,” I told her, making conversation more than anything. It wasn’t only her silence, but in my world, in college where I’d shared a two-bedroom apartment with three other guys, noise was a constant. Television, music of all kinds...video gaming. We all had headsets or earbuds, but they were not in use as often as they could have been. Lots of talking and usually guests. My roommates brought home so many different women, I rarely saw the same one twice.
Jillian stood and pulled a kettle from the hob. She brought it to the table and filled two mugs with boiling water. I looked around for tea bags, instant coffee, or anything but saw none. Instead, she set the kettle back and rotated the hook away from the fire a bit then returned with a wooden box. When she opened it, a delicate herbal fragrance emerged.
“Natural tea?” I asked, still appreciating the scent. “Did you pick and dry the leaves yourself?”
She nodded and spooned some of the herbs into each cup then handed me a spoon and circled her hand.
“You want me to stir it?”
Another nod before she took her seat and stirred her own cup. They were old and faded mugs, but at one time had slogans on them.World’s Bes randadread one with a broken handle, and the other, with a chipped rim seemed to be from a car dealership judging by the remains of a car image withAutothe only readable word on the back. I got the randad one.
“So are there a lot of rules I need to learn?”
Jillian tilted her head, began to shake it then nodded. Not confusing at all.
I sipped at the brew carefully, blowing on the surface first. Jillian had not touched hers and I remembered that with loose-leaf teas, if you didn’t have something to contain the leaves, you usually waited for the plant matter to settle. Since I hadn’t, I had some leafy matter in my mouth. And no idea what to do with it.
The strangest sound interrupted my ruminations. Lifting my head, I saw my shifter tutor bring her hand to her mouth to cover a giggle. Her eyes sparkled, and, wanting to encourage her, I stuck my tongue out, showing her the coarse bit of plant matter.
She pointed to my empty stew bowl.
“Oh, you won’t think I’m terribly crude if I spit it out there?” I was relieved to hear it—or see it? Bending close to the plate, I spat out the leaves. “The tea is delicious, but the leaves aren’t all that easy to chew. Is it some kind of wild mint?”
She shook her head, but her attempts to explain were hampered both by her lack of ability to speak and, according to her notes, she didn’tknow what people called it.
“But you’re sure it’s okay to drink?”
Jillian lifted theAutomug and showed me the surface of her tea where nothing floated anymore. She took a sip and sighed.
“I want to know everything about you, but I suppose that will come with time. And lots of writing.” I smiled so she’d know I didn’t mean anything by it. “Do you want to know more about me as well?”
She smiled wider than before, and I took that as a yes.
“But you’ll have to promise to stop me if I become boring. You know what they say about people talking about themselves?”
A headshake.
“Well, not sure they say anything, but they should. Anyway, I grew up in a normal, average family. I’m an only child. My mom and dad live not too far from the town where I went to college. They were older when they had me, and no more arrived, but they made sure I always had what I needed, although they didn’t have a lot of money. So when I went to college, I refused to let them pay for anything else.”
I swallowed hard. “I always thought when I finished school, I’d be able to make their days easier, buy them some luxuries...small things, you know? But now I don’t have a clue where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing.” I balled my fists on the table. “If being a member of this pack means I can’t hold down a job, can’t earn money to help my folks, I won’t stay.”
Jillian retrieved the pad from my side of the table and bent over it, writing intently, the tip of her tongue stuck out between her lips adorably, like a little girl who was just learning her letters. In many ways, she was that little girl. Her education neglected, at least I believed that to be the case, she’d never had the opportunities to grow as she should. I didn’t believe she had any learning disabilities, although it was a bit early to say.
I’d always wanted to be a teacher, but the need to help my parents had me in a business degree program. The more I earned, the better their old age, I reasoned. If I’d only taken teaching classes, I’d be in a stronger position to work with this adult learner.
Jillian proffered the pad again.Pack work at jobs. Not all on farm.
“And school? What about the children? Did you have classes?”
Most,she wrote.
But not you?Without thinking I’d taken the pencil from her and used her method of communication.
She didn’t skip a beat.No. Not me.
I wanted to ask more about it, why she was singled out in this way. Some of the alpha’s comments had already shown me her status was irregular. Could there really be rules of the pack that pertained only to her? When I glanced up, her face held so much pain, I didn’t have the heart to press the issue. I wasn’t going anywhere soon, so I’d probably figure it out one way or another. And nobody would treat her badly while I was around. She was kindness personified and deserved only the very best.
“No matter.” I returned to speech. “I’m grateful to be able to help you in return for everything you are doing for me.”
Her smiles would be the only reward I’d ever need.